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29 авг 2025
JOHN CORABI Says His Upcoming Solo Album Will Be 'Very Eclectic': 'We've Got A Bunch Of Killer Songs Together'
 Former MÖTLEY CRÜE and current THE DEAD DAISIES frontman John Corabi, who released two standalone solo singles in the last four years — 2021's "Cosi Bella (So Beautiful)" and 2022's "Your Own Worst Enemy" — has shared a new video message in which offered an update on the recording sessions for his upcoming solo album, tentatively due in 2026 via Frontiers Music Srl. John is once again working with Marti Frederiksen, a songwriter-for-hire who has previously collaborated with AEROSMITH, DEF LEPPARD, Jonny Lang and Sheryl Crow, among many others. Corabi said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm getting back in the studio with Mr. Marti Frederiksen and finishing up — finally — a solo record that I've been talking about doing forever. I kind of took a little bit of a break 'cause I don't understand all this streaming, Spotify, iHeartRadio stuff, whatever. But I did release, obviously, 'Cosi Bella', I released 'Your Own Worst Enemy', and now the rest of the record is almost finished. I signed with Frontiers, Sony, The Orchard, I guess, and I will give you guys updates as we go. Hopefully I can get some video in the studio with Marti when I get back."
He continued: "We've got a bunch of killer songs together. It's eclectic because I grew up in an era or in a time when there were no labels on anything. So it wasn't unusual for a guy like me to go see [BLACK] SABBATH on a Wednesday and then James Taylor on Friday, and then YES on Saturday and GRAND FUNK RAILROAD on Sunday. So we were all over the place. There was no labels, which I'm very much shooting for. So this is gonna be a very eclectic [album]. So hopefully you guys will dig this stuff. It's very eclectic. It's a little bit of everything. It's all the stuff that I grew up listening to. But I'm really, really proud of the stuff that Marti and I have been putting together, and with the help of his son Evan, it's gonna be awesome."
Known for his powerful voice and rich legacy with bands like MÖTLEY CRÜE, THE DEAD DAISIES, UNION and THE SCREAM, Corabi promises an organic 1960s-1970s-style record and can't wait to get back on the road with a talented solo band featuring his son Ian on drums, and a few great friends.
Corabi is a journeyman singer-songwriter and guitarist who burst on to the music scene with Hollywood Records recording artists THE SCREAM in 1991. Touring extensively throughout the United States on the strength of their songs "Man In The Moon", "I Believe In Me" and "Father Mother Son", John attracted the attention of radio, MTV, fans and critics alike.
MÖTLEY CRÜE's Nikki Sixx reached out to John after the departure of Vince Neil in 1992 and asked him to join the band for the writing and recording of their 1994 self-titled record. During the recording process of the follow-up "Generation Swine" album in late 1996, Neil returned to the band, and John started the band UNION with former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick.
UNION headed into a studio to record its debut self-titled album in 1998. With UNION, John released three albums between 1998 and 2001. Afterwards, John left UNION to join the band RATT on their 2001 summer tour, handling guitar and backing vocal duties. Touring constantly from 2001 to 2008, John eventually left the band to go out on his own.
John released the acoustic album "Unplugged" in 2012 and a live album, "Live 94, One Night In Nashville", in 2018, as well as multiple original and tribute singles. John received a phone call in 2015 to join the all-star collective called the dead daisies, and has since recorded the albums "Revolución", "Make Some Noise", "Live And Louder", "Burn It Down", "Light Em' Up" and a recently released blues covers record "Looking For Trouble".
For the last ten years, with THE DEAD DAISIES and as a solo acoustic artist, John has toured extensively in Europe, the United States, Japan, South America and Australia, playing all the major festivals and selling out shows to a growing, loyal fan base.
With his 2022 autobiography "Horseshoes And Hand Grenades" and 19 full-length records under his belt, spanning a 35-year career, John is anxious to release record number 20, and play the new songs live.
Corabi previously discussed his plans for new solo music this past May in an interview with Shawn Ratches of Laughingmonkeymusic. He said at the time: "I think, honestly, I wanna do something different. My outlet for heavier stuff, I can do with THE DAISIES. But I wanna experiment now. I've gotta be honest with you, lately I've been on a kick of CREEDENCE, John Fogerty. I thought that CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL stuff was fucking brilliant. Another guy that I saw a bazillion times when I was younger, [and I] had no idea who he was until he became a household name, who I still to this day love, is Bob Seger. So Bob Seger had some rock shit, but he was just a great storyteller, great songwriter. So, I don't know, man. I've really been listening to a lot of that stuff, but I'm not worrying about it."
Corabi continued: "I told my manager — initially I was, like, 'I wanna do a Bob Seger-type record.' My manager's, like, 'Great. If anybody I know can do it, it's you.' But then the more I thought about it, I go, 'I just wanna write. Let me see what I come up with.' And then Marti and I [have been writing together], and I've got a couple of other buddies that I started some songs with here in Nashville… I'm just gonna write 10, 15, 20 songs and then I'll pick the best eight or 10, whatever, and put 'em on a record. I'm not gonna worry about it. I'm not gonna overthink it. I'm just gonna write. But I do wanna write something that's just organic and very… I miss the '70s. I miss that whole eclectic, all-over-the-place, no-boxes type of shit that we grew up listening to. So I just wanna go for it. The only thing I can tell you guys, it's gonna be eclectic."
Corabi in 2016 said that he would avoid talking about MÖTLEY CRÜE in the future because he didn't want his comments about CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx to descend into a feud.
In an interview with Sweden Rock Magazine, Nikki said that writing the "Mötley Crüe" LP with Corabi was a prolonged and difficult experience. He went to call it "a very unfocused record" that was "painful for me, because John Corabi can't write lyrics, and I had to do all that work."
In February 2018, Corabi released a live album of his performance of MÖTLEY CRÜE's entire 1994 self-titled album, recorded on October 27, 2015 in Nashville, Tennessee. "Live '94: One Night In Nashville" documents the album in its entirety along with the bonus track "10,000 Miles", which was originally released as a bonus track on the Japanese version of the "Quaternary" EP.
Corabi's autobiography, "Horseshoes And Hand Grenades", came out in June 2022 via Rare Bird Books. It was written with the help of MÖTLEY CRÜE historian/author Paul Miles. The book's description promised to detail the singer's "life from the mean streets of Philadelphia to the Sunset Strip." It featured stories from Corabi's tenures in MÖTLEY CRÜE, UNION, RATT and THE DEAD DAISIES, as well as personal tales including "his parents' difficult divorce, his family's dark history of abuse [and] his run-in with a serial killer."  | 0 |  |
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29 авг 2025
SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS Completes Recording New Album For 2027 Release
 SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS has completed recording its new studio album for a tentative 2027 release.
On Thursday (August 28),SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS leader Slash took to his Instagram to share a photo of him with SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS bassist and backing vocalist Todd Kerns and drummer Brent Fitz, and he included the following message: "Recording for #SMKC record number 5 is done today. Album title [to be confirmed]. This has been a super cool session all around. & we all agree it's one of, if not the best one yet. Unfortunately you'll have to wait till 2027 to weigh in, too much going on next year to put it out. But it will be worth the wait. Full blown world tour to follow!"
In a recent interview with J.J. Caithcart of Different Stages Radio, Fitz spoke about the status of the songwriting and recording sessions for SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS' next album. He said at the time: "Well, we're working on it. So, Todd and I are gonna — well, we're all gonna get back together after the summer, late summer. And we've been working on it in Florida with our producer, [Michael] 'Elvis' Baskette, who has been out in Florida for many years."
Brent continued: "Slash has the greatest work ethic of any musician I've ever worked with. So, we got busy. We toured together in 2024, and then we were out doing other things, and then Slash did a blues record and tour. And then, as soon as that was done, we got right into the studio in L.A. He has an amazing working studio. We can be busy there in L.A. We did that for a month, and then we went out to Florida and recorded most of all the bed tracks, the music parts of it. So we're still gonna finish… [SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS frontman] Myles Kennedy will come and work on all the vocal stuff. And he's been out busy doing his own solo tours.
"This is the new normal," Fitz added. "Everybody's in so many different projects and bands. And Slash is, obviously, in a little band called GUNS N' ROSES, so they're on tour right now. He's over in, I think, Asia or Bahrain. They're covering a lot of new territory, it seems.
"So we'll all get together. We'll get back end of the summer after all the TOQUE shows and stuff," Brent said, referencing the Canadian rock band that he and Kerns are both members of. "And it'll be great to get out to Florida and continue finishing the record."
Asked if there is a working title for the upcoming SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS album, Brent said: "Nothing. No, no. It's always gonna be a Myles thing, or Slash, just songtitles and lyric ideas. I will say that what's fun is when we do write these songs, and this'll be our fifth record together, but we always have comedic working titles. And Todd's usually good — Todd and Slash — good for coming up with things that won't be the final title, 'cause obviously with lyrics with Myles, it'll be something completely different. But we usually just give something a title so we can go, 'Hey, let's work on that song.' 'What song?' 'Oh, the song in E.' No, we'll give it a title. But over time we've had these goofy titles, I'll just say, that sometimes they stick. And to this day, some of our songs, I go, 'Oh, it's called 'Wicked Stone'.' And I'm, like, 'But it used to be something completely ridiculous.' And I still think sometimes when I look at our setlist live, I go, 'Oh, that's the 'Elephant Disorder' song.' It's just funny how… We have a whole bunch of goofy working titles for the songs right now."
This past January, Kennedy told Heavy Consequence about the next SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS album: "As far as the progress goes, I think a lot of it is well on its way. I have to get my vocals recorded. Just have to find a window of time to do that in between the touring and whatnot. I have my vocals written and melodies and lyrics and all that stuff. I just need to get in to the studio and knock it out."
He continued: "As for the direction of the record, it's still riff-based rock 'n' roll with a heavy dose of the blues element that Slash brings, like only he does. It's some really great stuff. I think it's going to be another fun one to tour live."
In December 2024, Myles told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that "the demoing and all that, the writing" for the next SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS album "was done before I even embarked on this last [solo] tour. The easy part is the recording; the hard part is the writing. Slash and I were — he was sending me demos of the tunes. Then I was spending time with him, coming up with melodies and lyrics. And so that's all done — I think with the exception of one song. Now I just have to find a moment to get in the studio and all that, knock that out. But I will say that just even in the demo process and where we stood there before they went in to actually make the record musically, it is really exciting stuff. I'm really, really stoked about where this one's going. It's gonna be cool."
Asked if he writes any of the music for SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS or if he is mostly in charge of coming up with the lyrics and the melodies, Myles said: "Yeah, most of what I'm doing is lyrics and melodies. Occasionally if something comes in and I'm, like, 'Hey, can we change this chord progression for the sake of the melody?' But it's interesting 'cause more so on [2012's] 'Apocalyptic Love', when I played guitar on that record, there was a little bit more of, 'Hey, try this part. See what this sounds like, if we utilize this to help the arrangement somehow.' But it's funny — I was thinking about that the other day, and I was just, like… It just highlights how cool [Slash] is. I [was] coming in, it was [my] second record [with Slash] and I've got my guitar, and I'm, like, 'What do you think? What if we tried this?' And I'm, like, 'You're sitting there with Slash. He doesn't need any help, man.' But he was so cool and so accommodating. But as the years have gone on and we've made all these records, one thing that continues to amaze me is just how much he understands, not just the riff thing, but coming up with chord progressions that really lend themselves to coming up with compelling melodies for me. It's, like, he knows how to sequence the chords where it's gonna really leave room for a melody, which I appreciate. And, like I said, occasionally I'd be, like, 'Hey, can we try a G here instead of a D 'cause I hear the melody doing this?' Or I'll send the melody back and he'll go, 'I'm gonna change this chord because I feel like it suits the melody better.' I'm, like, 'Great.' So yeah, he totally gets it."
SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS entered the studio in November 2024 to begin recording its fifth album.
SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS kicked off "The River Is Rising - Rest Of The World Tour '24" on January 23, 2024 with the band's return to Mexico City's Pepsi Centre WTC. The group's 24-song setlist included the live debut of a deep GUNS N' ROSES cut, "Don't Damn Me", featuring Kerns on lead vocals.
Support on various dates of SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS's "The River Is Rising - Rest Of The World Tour '24" came from MAMMOTH WVH.
Prior to the launch of "The River Is Rising – Rest Of The World Tour '24", SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS last performed in February and March 2022 as part of a U.S. tour.
SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS' latest album, "4", was released in February 2022 via Gibson Records in partnership with BMG.
"4" was Slash's fifth solo album and fourth overall with his band featuring Kennedy, Fitz, Kerns and guitarist Frank Sidoris.
SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS released "Live At Studios 60", their first-ever double live LP, for the 2022 Record Store Day. The effort contained a performance of "4", plus four additional songs from the group. Recorded live in Los Angeles at Studios 60, the "Live At Studios 60" double LP exclusive Record Store Day release was limited to only 2,250 copies. The full concert featured all the songs from "4". Additional performances of the group's Top 5 rock radio hits, including "You're A Lie", "World On Fire", "Anastasia" and "Driving Rain" are also included in the double vinyl package.
For "4", Slash and the band traveled across the country together to Nashville, Tennessee and recorded the new album at the historic RCA Studio A with producer Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton, John Prine, Jason Isbell, Brandi Carlile),revealing a stunning new sound and style all captured live in the studio. Cobb shared the band's desire to lay down the tracks live, in the studio including guitar solos and vocals — a first for the group.
Slash released a blues album called "Orgy Of The Damned" in May 2024 via Gibson Records.
In the summer of 2024, Slash brought his brand-new "S.E.R.P.E.N.T." festival to cities across the U.S.. On all dates, Slash performed alongside his blues band featuring bassist Johnny Griparic, keyboardist Teddy "ZigZag" Andreadis, drummer Michael Jerome and singer/guitarist Tash Neal.
Photo credit: Ross Halfin
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29 авг 2025
Watch: METALLICA Honors OZZY OSBOURNE At Intimate Club Concert To Launch SiriusXM 'Maximum METALLICA' Channel
 On Thursday night (August 28),METALLICA performed an exclusive live show at Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett, New York for SiriusXM to celebrate the launch of the band's new year-round channel Maximum Metallica.
The special concert featured the band performing fan favorites, including "Master Of Puppets", "Enter Sandman", "Fade To Black" and more. In the middle of the show, METALLICA's Robert Trujillo and Kirk Hammett honored Ozzy Osbourne by playing "Crazy Train".
Special VIPs in the audience included Howard and Beth Stern, Paul and Nancy McCartney, Andy Cohen, Colin Jost, Heidi Gardner, Michael J. Fox, Ed Burns, Chris Jericho, Maria Menounos, Sylvester Stallone, Chad Smith and more.
Maximum Metallica will launch Friday, August 29 at 12:00 p.m. ET on channel 42 and on the SiriusXM app, and will be available for free in all SiriusXM-equipped vehicles through the month of September giving non-subscribers a chance to experience the human-curated, premium service.
METALLICA's exclusive performance in celebration of the channel, recorded live at Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett, New York, will premiere on Monday, September 1 at 12:00 p.m. ET. The one-of-a-kind show brought the intensity and power of METALLICA's stadium-filling "M72" world tour to one of the most intimate settings they have played in decades, for a lucky audience of SiriusXM subscribers.
"Metallica Live At Stephen Talkhouse" will rebroadcast throughout the week on air on Maximum Metallica (ch. 42) and will be available on the SiriusXM app. Additionally, the full concert will air on Howard Stern's SiriusXM channel Howard 101 on Friday, September 5 at 7:00 p.m. ET and PT.
METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich broke the news of the concert during an appearance on August 6 on SiriusXM's "The Howard Stern Show".
METALLICA at Stephen Talkhouse setlist:
01. Creeping Death
02. For Whom The Bell Tolls
03. Wherever I May Roam
04. Kirk And Rob Doodle (Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train")
05. Fuel
06. Fade To Black
07. Sad But True
08. The Unforgiven
09. Whiskey In The Jar
10. Nothing Else Matters
11. Seek & Destroy
12. One
13. Master Of Puppets
14. Enter Sandman
Formed in 1981 by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich and including guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo, METALLICA has become one of the most influential and successful rock bands in history, selling nearly 125 million albums worldwide and generating more than 17 billion streams while playing to millions of fans on all seven continents — more than 1.3 million of whom belong to the band's fiercely loyal and consistently growing Fifth Member fan club. METALLICA's catalog of multi-platinum studio albums includes "Kill 'Em All", "Ride The Lightning", "Master Of Puppets", "…And Justice For All", "Metallica" (commonly referred to as The Black Album),"Load", "Reload", "St. Anger", "Death Magnetic", "Hardwired… To Self-Destruct" and most recently, the Grammy-winning "72 Seasons", released April 14, 2023, on the band's own Blackened Recordings label. METALLICA's awards and accolades include nine Grammy Awards, two American Music Awards, multiple MTV Video Music Awards, a 2009 induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, and Sweden's Polar Music Prize.
In 2017, METALLICA established its foundation All Within My Hands, to give back to communities that have supported the band. Since its inception, All Within My Hands' collective efforts have raised more than $20 million. The foundation has provided $11.4 million in grants for workforce education, $7.4 million to fight hunger globally, and $5.2 million donated to critical local services worldwide.
SiriusXM is going full throttle with the addition of Maximum Metallica, a new full-time channel dedicated to one of the most celebrated rock bands of all time. "The Most Metallica Anywhere," the exclusive channel delivers continued access to METALLICA's expansive catalog — from mega hits and deep cuts to live shows and behind-the-scenes stories straight from the band. Additionally, fans can expect rare recordings, exclusive interviews, and surprises curated by the bandmembers themselves. Whether you're a lifelong fan or a recent addition to the METALLICA family, this is your front-row seat to all things METALLICA.
METALLICA's performance was the latest in a series of special concerts SiriusXM has presented at Stephen Talkhouse. Artists who have previously performed for SiriusXM listeners at the famed Hamptons music venue include Brandi Carlile, COLDPLAY, Dave Matthews, Ed Sheeran, Jelly Roll, THE KILLERS and MUMFORD & SONS.
@metallica @siriusxm … we’re ready 🎸
Posted by Stephen Talkhouse on Thursday, August 28, 2025
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29 авг 2025
BON JOVI Shares New Single 'Red, White And Jersey' And Collaborative Song 'Hollow Man' With BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
 BON JOVI will release "Forever (Legendary Edition)", a new version of last year's "Forever" album, on October 24 via Island Records. "Forever (Legendary Edition)" will include guest appearances on vocals by Bruce Springsteen, Jelly Roll, James Bay, Robbie Williams, Jason Isbell, Ryan Tedder, THE WAR AND TREATY, DEF LEPPARD's Joe Elliott, Lainey Wilson, Avril Lavigne and Marcus King, among others. Also included will be a new opening track, "Red, White And Jersey", which is available today, along with a new version of "Hollow Man", featuring Springsteen. Check them out below.
"This album is more than just a collection of collaborations, it is an album borne out of necessity," BON JOVI frontman Jon Bon Jovi says in a statement. "My vocal cord rehab was a well-documented journey that played out while releasing 'Forever' in 2024. I was singing well in the studio for recording, but the vocal demands and rigors of touring were still slightly out of reach for me. Without an ability to tour at that time, I continued working in the studio and called on some friends, great singers, artists, musicians and also just great people."
He continues: "The result is an album with a new viewpoint and new spirit — a collaboration album that proves we all get by in this world with a little help from our friends. I feel tremendous joy and gratitude releasing this album and I think it shows in the music. I can say with certainty that there is always something bigger than ME, and that's WE."
"Forever (Legendary Edition)" track listing:
01. Red, White And Jersey
02. Legendary (feat. James Bay)
03. We Made It Look Easy (feat. Robbie Williams)
04. Living Proof (feat. Jelly Roll)
05. Waves (feat. Jason Isbell)
06. Seeds (feat. Ryan Tedder)
07. Kiss The Bride (feat. Billy Falcon)
08. The People's House (feat. The War & Treaty)
09. Walls Of Jericho (feat. Joe Elliott)
10. I Wrote You A Song (feat. Lainey Wilson)
11. Living In Paradise (feat. Avril Lavigne)
12. My First Guitar (feat. Marcus King)
13. Hollow Man (feat. Bruce Springsteen)
14. We Made It Look Easy / Hicimos Que Pareciera Fácil (feat. Carin León)
In a cover story for the March 2025 issue of Sound On Sound magazine, Jon Bon Jovi confirmed that BON JOVI would release a new version of its 2024 album "Forever" as a collaboration with other artists. He told writer Joe Matera: "This is an album that we're very proud of, and I think it's the best BON JOVI record since 'Lost Highway' or at least 'Have A Nice Day'. We love every song on it and it was a joy to make this album, but I just wasn't ready to go and book shows post-surgery recovery. So, I reached out to a number of friends and I said, 'If you guys would sing a verse here and there, it'll give this great album another life.'"
He added: "My focus moving forward is on the re-release of 'Forever', and God willing, getting back out on the road and running that project through its life."
Produced by Jon with John Shanks, "Forever" featured Jon Bon Jovi once again alongside fellow founding BON JOVI members, keyboardist David Bryan and drummer Tico Torres. They were joined by bassist Hugh McDonald and guitarist Phil X.
"Forever" contained 12 new songs, including the hit lead single "Legendary".
In August 2024, a duet version of the "Forever" song "The People's House" featuring THE WAR AND TREATY was released, accompanied by a lyric video. In October, the official music video for "The People's House" featuring THE WAR AND TREATY was released, accompanied by a statement from Jon Bon Jovi endorsing Kamala Harris in the 2024 United States presidential election.
"Forever" marked Jon Bon Jovi's return to the recording studio after surgery to repair his damaged vocal cords.
In June 2024, Jon told The Guardian that his damaged vocal cord is still not healed enough for him to resume touring. "It's a work in progress," he said. "There's no miracle. I just wish there was a fucking light switch. I'm more than capable of singing again. The bar is now: can I do two and a half hours a night, four nights a week? The answer is no."
Bon Jovi went on to say that making music will always be part of his life, regardless of whether he is able to return to full-scale touring. "It lights you up when you're out there. As long as I have the ability, I will write songs and make records."
Photo credit: Mark Seliger
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29 авг 2025
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29 авг 2025
BRUCE DICKINSON Explains Why He Intentionally Makes 'Heavier' Music With His Solo Career Than With IRON MAIDEN
 In a new interview with Shaggy of the 94.9 and 104.5 The Pick radio station in Idaho Falls, Idaho, Bruce Dickinson was asked if the "heavier" musical direction of his solo albums compared to IRON MAIDEN's recorded output was done "by design". The longtime MAIDEN singer responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yes, because MAIDEN, stylistically, obviously, there's a lot of influence from Steve [Harris, MAIDEN bassist and founder] in everything. And whilst it's sometimes heavy, it's sometimes proggy and things like that. So, with me, I do go down the prog route sometimes, but I love that kind of bone-crushing sort of detuned… I mean, there's a lot of heaviness now in the air, which MAIDEN doesn't really take advantage of, 'cause I'm not sure necessarily it fits the kind of soundscape that Steve likes. But I'm not restricted by that. It's like having a painter with an unlimited palette. You run the risk, of course, of spreading yourself a bit thin, but that's a risk worth taking because you're supposed to be an artist. Come on."
Dickinson kicked off his first extensive North American solo tour in almost 30 years in support of his current studio album, "The Mandrake Project", on August 22 at the House Of Blues in Anaheim, California. Joining the IRON MAIDEN singer on "The Mandrake Project Live 2025" North American tour is once again his 2024 backing band, featuring Dave Moreno (drums),Mistheria (keyboards) and Tanya O'Callaghan (bass),alongside the group's latest additions, Swedish guitarist, songwriter and multi-platinum-credited producer Philip Näslund and Swiss session and touring guitarist Chris Declercq (who played on Dickinson's "Rain On The Graves" single). Bruce's longtime guitarist and collaborator Roy "Z" Ramirez is not part of the touring lineup.
Dickinson's 16-song setlist at the House Of Blues included the live debut of "The Mandrake Project" track "Shadow Of The Gods" as well as the first-ever performance of the IRON MAIDEN song "Flash Of The Blade", from the band's 1984 album "Powerslave".
Before launching into "Flash Of The Blade", Dickinson told the crowd: "Nobody has ever played this song, apart from on the record, of course, but nobody has ever played this song. And it's a song that I wrote. So I don't know whether any of you have got any clue what song it might be. But like usual, it's a conundrum. I shall not tell you. You will just have to figure it out. It probably won't take long… You'll die as you lived in a flash of the blade."
Prior to the April 12, 2024 Whisky A Go Go show, Bruce last performed with his solo band on in August 2002 at the legendary Wacken Open Air festival in Germany.
Roy played guitar on Dickinson's 1994 album "Balls To Picasso" and went on to produce, co-write and perform multiple instruments on Bruce's subsequent three solo albums, "Accident At Birth" (1997),"The Chemical Wedding" (1998) and "Tyranny Of Souls" (2005).
O'Callaghan is an Irish musician who joined WHITESNAKE in 2021 and toured with the David Coverdale-fronted outfit the following year. She also hit the road with Dickinson in 2023 as part of a performance of Jon Lord's "Concerto For Group And Orchestra" on nearly a dozen dates in Europe and South America.
Californian drummer Moreno previously played on "Tyranny Of Souls" and has worked with BODY COUNT, Jizzy Pearl, Dizzy Reed and Steve Stevens, among others.
Italian keyboard wizard Mistheria has collaborated with an array of artists live and in the studio, including Rob Rock, Mike Portnoy, Jeff Scott Soto and Joel Hoekstra.
"The Mandrake Project" arrived on March 1, 2024 via BMG.
Bruce and Roy recorded "The Mandrake Project" largely at Los Angeles's Doom Room, with Roy doubling up as both guitarist and bassist. The recording lineup for "The Mandrake Project" was rounded out by Mistheria and Moreno, both of whom also featured on Bruce's previous solo studio album, "Tyranny Of Souls", in 2005.
Dickinson's reworked version of his classic 1994 album "Balls To Picasso", now titled "More Balls To Picasso", arrived on July 25.
Dickinson made his recording debut with IRON MAIDEN on the "Number Of The Beast" album in 1982. He quit the band in 1993 in order to pursue his solo career and was replaced by Blaze Bayley, who had previously been the lead singer of the metal band WOLFSBANE. After releasing two traditional metal albums with former MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith, Dickinson rejoined the band in 1999 along with Smith.
Photo credit: John McMurtrie
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29 авг 2025
DECAPITATED Guitarist VOGG Joins GOJIRA On Stage In Kraków For “From The Sky”
 Fans at Tauron Arena in Kraków, Poland were treated to a special moment on August 19th when Wacław “Vogg” Kiełtyka, guitarist of Polish death metal titans Decapitated, joined French metal juggernauts Gojira on stage. Vogg stepped in for a blistering performance of the band’s classic track “From The Sky”.
“This was a truly unforgettable night,” said Vogg after the show. “I had the unimaginable pleasure and honor of performing ‘From The Sky’ with my dear friends from the mighty Gojira. It was one of the most unforgettable and epic moments of my entire music life. I am still blown away by how amazing the time was with them in my hometown of Kraków. I will never forget this day.”
On July 19, Gojira performed at the Release Athens Festival in Athens, Greece, and at the end of the set they were joined by Machine Head frontman Robb Flynn for a cover of Sepultura’s “Territory”. Check out the fan-filmed video below. | +2 | |
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29 авг 2025
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29 авг 2025
LACUNA COIL's ANDREA FERRO On Artificial Intelligence In Music: 'There's Times To Use It, There's Time Not To Use It'
 In a new interview with Neil Jones of TotalRock, singer Andrea Ferro of Italian goth metal veterans LACUNA COIL weighed in on a debate about people using an A.I. (artificial intelligence) music generator as a tool to create melodies, harmonies and rhymes based on artificial intelligence (A.I.) algorithms and machine learning (M.L.) models. Andrea said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think you can't fight the progress. Evolution is gonna come no matter what. But you can try to be smart about it. I'm not against artificial intelligence if it's used as a tool to help you, to make your life easier, to make your life better. But don't overuse it. I think there's times to use it, there's time not to use it. And it's a thin line, which is not easy to understand for many people."
Referencing the fact that an A.I.-generated band called VELVET SUNDOWN recently raked in more than 900,000 listeners on Spotify alone just one month after releasing its first songs in June, Andrea said: "I think artificial bands — not very useful to me, because they're always gonna take inspiration from something that already exists, while I think the human mistakes are what makes art unique. When you make a mistake and you go a direction you [weren't] expecting to go, that's where it gets interesting and curious and extreme. And so that's the missing part for something artificial to be creative, I think."
Andrea previously talked about the use of artificial intelligence in music this past March in an interview with Keefy of Ghost Cult magazine. He said at the time: "I think technology, as usual, is not good or bad. It depends the way you use it. If it's an extra tool to make your life easier and faster, that's okay. But if it has to substitute the creativity of a person, that I don't like personally. I prefer to use human creativity because humans are great because they make mistakes, and from a mistake, usually that's where great things happen. Whatever you do — you write a book, you write a song, you write a movie — when you fuck up or you make a mistake, and you can go there and see and realize what's special, how special it becomes with the mistakes, that's where you find a new way. You learn something new, you create something new and unique because you never would have thought about it in the correct way. So I think that can't be replaced by machine, at least not yet. And so I think human touch is very important. And there's no need to use A.I. [art for album covers]. If you find the right artist, it's not even that expensive. I think it's reasonably expensive and it's deserved and you can still make money on the merchandise and other things. So it's an excuse for laziness to don't use a real artist, I think, I think A.I. is cool and it can be helpful, but it has to be used with your brain."
Last year, Andrea's bandmate, LACUNA COIL singer Cristina Scabbia told Brazil's Sonoridades Inc. about A.I. in music: "I still have to know more about A.I. My first impression is that I hate it deeply. I think that it could be interesting and useful in many ways. But what humans are capable of, it's never 100 percent good. So I know that it will go downward. I mean, we could use it to explore galaxies, we could use it to get better in medicines and science, but I know that a lot of people will be using it for bad reasons.
"Speaking about music, I am confident that the creativity that a human being with emotions, with a soul can have will not be comparable, hopefully ever, to A.I.," she continued. "I think about songs like — I don't know — the one of THE POLICE, 'De-do-do-do, de-da-da-da, is all I want to say to you.' And A.I. would be scratching the forehead, if it had one, and say, like, 'What is this? What does it mean?' But it sounds good. It's rhythmically good. It works with that voice.
"There are so many things you have to bring together to write music, to [put] emotion [across to] other people, to give the emotion that for A.I., it's difficult to bring this emotion because it doesn't have one — yet," Scabbia added. "But my actual opinion is just, like, I want to continue to write music without A.I. for a long time… Maybe it can be helpful. This is my first opinion because I don't know that much. Maybe I don't want to know that much about A.I. I just want to keep it there, just like, 'Eh. I don't know if I wanna know you.'"
LACUNA COIL's latest album, "Sleepless Empire", came out on February 14 via Century Media Records. Inspiration to create the LP came during the sessions for "Comalies XX" (2022),the acclaimed remake of LACUNA COIL's breakthrough third record "Comalies".
Last October, Italian guitarist/producer Daniele Salomone confirmed that he has joined LACUNA COIL as the replacement for the band's longtime guitarist Diego Cavallotti.
Salomone made his live debut with LACUNA COIL on August 4, 2024 at the Rockstadt Extreme Fest in Râșnov, Romania.
In June 2024, LACUNA COIL announced Cavallotti's departure. Diego, who joined LACUNA COIL in 2016, initially as a fill-in guitarist following the exit of Marco "Maus" Biazzi, later said in a social media post that "this decision is not the result of my dissatisfaction or desire to explore new opportunities."
Cavallotti and Salomone played together in the Italian metal band INVERNO, which released its debut album, "Stasis", in December 2023. | +1 | |
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29 авг 2025
Watch: SYSTEM OF A DOWN Pays Tribute To OZZY OSBOURNE With Performance Of 'Snowblind' At MetLife Stadium
 SYSTEM OF A DOWN paid tribute to Ozzy Osbourne by performing a cover of the BLACK SABBATH classic "Snowblind" during the Serj Tankian-fronted band's concert last night (Wednesday, August 27) at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Prior to launching into the track, SYSTEM OF A DOWN guitarist/vocalist Daron Malakian told the crowd: "When we first started out, they put us on the road and we toured. And New York [and] New Jersey are some of the first places we toured in the United States. And there was one tour that never did more for SYSTEM OF A DOWN: the Ozzfest. We did a few Ozzfests. Some of you are old enough that you were there. Some of you weren't even born yet.
"I wanna thank Ozzy Osbourne. We wanna thank Ozzy Osbourne."
Amid loud chants of "Ozzy! Ozzy! Ozzy!", Daron added: "We're gonna do a number now about cocaine. It's called 'Snowblind'."
SYSTEM OF A DOWN's rendition of "Snowblind" at MetLife Stadium marked the band's first performance of the track since 2002.
SYSTEM OF A DOWN's cover of "Snowblind" originally appeared on 2000's "Nativity In Black II" compilation, the second of a series of a series of BLACK SABBATH tribute albums.
Malakian previously told Metal Injection that the members of BLACK SABBATH liked SYSTEM OF A DOWN's version of "Snowblind" so much that they requested that the Armenian-American nu-metal band play it onstage when SYSTEM OF A DOWN was supporting the Birmingham metal originators.
"We got a chance to open up for SABBATH in Birmingham [in December 1999], which that was supposed to be their last show, years back," he recalled. "And we used to do the SABBATH cover of 'Snowblind'. And Shavo [Odadjian, SYSTEM OF A DOWN bassist] comes to me and he goes, 'Hey, they want us to do the SABBATH cover.' And I go, 'We ain't doing a SABBATH cover before SABBATH.' I'm, like, 'Are you fucking crazy?' And I was, like, 'No, man. We can't do that. We're going to get booed off the fucking stage. And it's not going to — it's not a good look. It's arrogant.' And then [SABBATH drummer] Bill Ward comes to our dressing room and he goes, 'You guys gotta do it. You gotta do it, man.' And I'm looking at him and I'm, like, it's fucking Bill Ward, man."
He continued: "Anyone who knows me knows that I'm more — I love VAN HALEN, but my favorite part of VAN HALEN is Alex [Van Halen]. I love drummers. I always wanted to be a drummer. The guitar was by accident. But anyway, I was, like, 'Okay, if he's saying it, and he's saying all the rest of the band wants us to do it, [we'll do it].' So we did it. We played 'Snowblind', and our version is so fucking different. It was the SYSTEM OF A DOWN version of 'Snowblind'. So there was that."
During the same chat, Daron spoke about the influence SABBATH and Ozzy's music had on him during his formative years. He said: "First riff I ever learned was 'Iron Man' when I was a kid, and I was obsessed with Ozzy Osbourne when I was six or seven years old — just obsessed. He'd appear in my dreams having dinner with my parents and me when I was a kid. And he was this larger-than-life, crazy guy. And in the '80s, you had the whole satanic panic kind of thing."
Regarding BLACK SABBATH's legacy, Malakian said: "What could you say about SABBATH that hasn't been said a million times? Obviously they're the beginning of metal. You can bring in DEEP PURPLE, you can bring in LED ZEPPELIN, you can bring other bands, but the darkness, the heaviness that's that originates from SABBATH."
Referencing last month's "Back To The Beginning" event, which marked Ozzy and SABBATH's final performance, Daron added: "We weren't a part of the whole thing, and I was texting Shavo the other day. I was, like, 'We should have been fucking a part of this. What the fuck?' But they mean a lot to me just like they do to a lot of other people."
During an appearance on a recent episode of the "Beardo & Weirdo" podcast, hosted by FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH bassist Chris Kael and comedian Craig Gass, SYSTEM OF A DOWN drummer John Dolmayan spoke about where he was when he found out about Ozzy's passing. John said: " I was probably setting up for Comic-Con and the condolence texts started to come in to me. And first of all, I didn't know anybody knew what my feelings were towards Ozzy or the family, and I didn't know what they were talking about, because I was setting up for Comic-Con in San Diego, and then I looked on Instagram and, of course, it's the barrage of [posts about Ozzy]…"
John continued: "You always think, like, 'Okay, maybe it's false,' because it was so soon after the last show that [Ozzy and BLACK SABBATH] did that it was, like, 'Okay, maybe this is bullshit,' or, 'Maybe he went to the hospital. Hopefully he's okay.' And then I got the confirmation from my manager."
Reflecting on his initial reaction to the news of Ozzy's death, John said: "It's one of those things where you know that he is older and he had a lot of health issues over especially the last five years. And I always feel like no matter what it is, the feelings that we have about somebody that passed are the feelings where we're dealing with the fact that we are also mortal and we only have a certain amount of time left. I try to reflect more on the amazing times that I had with somebody, 'cause they're gone. And the only thing left are the memories you have of them. And I try not to get sad, but more uplifted by the fact that, number one, I was lucky enough to know him. Number two, he made a bunch of incredible music. [Ozzy and his wife and manager Sharon] created a really cool and fun tour [Ozzfest] that is a staple from many people's youths and a fond memory for them, whether they were attending or where they were performing on it. Tens of thousands of people have positive memories from those shows. And he was a big influence on all the members of SYSTEM OF A DOWN, and we're all saddened in our own way. I know Daron [Malakian, SYSTEM OF A DOWN guitarist/vocalist] in particular was really grief-stricken by it and cried many times. He's a much more sensitive than I am when it concerns things like this. I look at it in a more pragmatic way. Life is finite. We're all gonna die. And my kids are gonna have to experience this one day. And my loved ones are gonna have to deal with the loss of me one day, and all these things. And we're all trying not to get too saddened by it, but you have your moments where you think, like, 'Fuck, I wish I had spent a little bit more time.' Or we kind of lost touch for a long time, 'cause SYSTEM went one way and then we broke up, then we got back together and you have kids and all these things. But I still keep in contact with [Ozzy and Sharon's son] Jack, and I did reach out to Jack, who I look at as kind of a little brother, and I sent him a private message of condolences. And he responded right away."
Dolmayan added: "So, the world is saddened by it and the fans are saddened by it, but there is a private matter here. These people lost their father, and Sharon lost her husband of four decades or however long they were married, and they're the ones that are going to have to grieve, and we have to give our sympathies to and our support to, if they need it."
Asked if he remembers hearing BLACK SABBATH's or Ozzy's music for the first time, John said: "I think I actually heard [a solo album from] Ozzy before I heard SABBATH, if my memory serves me correctly. And it was the live album ['Tribute'], the one with [a photo of] Ozzy lifting [late guitarist] Randy Rhoads off the ground. That was the first time I heard any of Ozzy's solo career. But I think maybe I'd heard one or two SABBATH songs before that. This was also before I played drums. I didn't start playing till I was 15, and I think I was like 13 or 12 around that time. It's a little foggy, 'cause the years go by pretty quick and we can't remember everything."
Ozzy died on July 22 of a heart attack, his death certificate revealed. The certificate also reportedly said the 76-year-old musician suffered from coronary artery disease and Parkinson's disease.
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29 авг 2025
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29 авг 2025
THE PRETTY RECKLESS Is 'Not Finished' Recording Fifth Album
 A week ago, THE PRETTY RECKLESS released a new single, "For I Am Death". The song arrived following THE PRETTY RECKLESS's support slot on AC/DC's massive "Power Up" stadium tour across North America and Europe, which saw the Taylor Momsen-fronted outfit play to over three million people in iconic venues such as Los Angeles's Rose Bowl, Chicago's Soldier Field, London's Wembley Stadium, and Paris' Stade de France, among others.
Speaking to Audacy Check In about "For I Am Death", Momsen said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm super excited about it. It has been a long time coming. I think it's our first song in — what has it been? Almost four years, five years, four and a half years, something. Time is flying by. So it feels really incredible to have new music out in the world."
Asked what inspired the lyrics for "For I Am Death", Momsen said: "To be honest, I wanna know what it means to you. And I think that, to me, that's what music is. 'Cause I could sit here and tell you exactly where I was when I wrote it and what I was thinking about and all of those things, but that doesn't actually give you the meaning of the song. That can kind of help explain how I got there. But the meaning of music, it transforms over time. And honestly, what it means to me isn't what it means anymore because it's out in the world. Once it's out in the world, it doesn't belong to me anymore. It belongs to you and to anyone who's listening to it. And I think that that has become my favorite part about doing interviews when we put out new music now, is getting other people's takes on it, because I wanna know how it relates to you."
She added: "Personally, I think anytime I've heard the artist explain a song in detail, of an artist that I love, it destroys it for me. 'Cause now something that was precious and that I had equated to myself and to my life and to the way I see the world and whatever is now wiped out and every time I hear it, I just think about what they said. And so I don't wanna do that with our music. I wanna let it mean whatever it means to you."
As for what fans can expect from THE PRETTY RECKLESS's upcoming fifth album, Taylor said: "Well, I've gotta tell you… We've had a crazy couple past years. So we have been on tour with AC/DC for the past two years. And so we've been in the recording studio in between tours, is basically how we've been working. And we're not finished yet. We're not finished with the tour — I'm in Paris right now — and we're not finished with record, but I couldn't wait any longer. And 'For I Am Death', this is the first thing I want people to hear, and so it is out in the world. So there's a lot of stuff I can't tell you yet, is my point. But what I can tell you is the next 12 months of THE PRETTY RECKLESS world is gonna be insane. So just stay tuned. There's a lot coming. This is just the beginning."
The music video for "For I Am Death", directed by Lewis Cater, was released alongside the single, which sees Taylor transform into a malevolent and haunting figure. Surrounded by sinister forces, she represents the personification of death that she embodied when writing the song.
In January 2024, THE PRETTY RECKLESS shared a photo of Taylor in the studio with Jonathan Wyman, who co-produced THE PRETTY RECKLESS's latest album, 2021's "Death By Rock And Roll", apparently confirming that Wyman has re-teamed with the group for the upcoming LP.
In a May 2023 interview with Ronni Hunter of the 99.7 The Blitz radio station, Momsen revealed that she and her THE PRETTY RECKLESS bandmates had commenced work on the follow-up to "Death By Rock And Roll".
"We're in a great headspace," she said. "We're just having fun with it, and wrapping up the tour cycle of 'Death By Rock And Roll'. And then new record — and it's next chapter. We've already kind of started it… We've gotten into a studio; we've stepped foot into a studio. So that's saying something for us."
In November 2022, THE PRETTY RECKLESS released a new collection of music, "Other Worlds", via Fearless Records. The effort saw the group delivering its first proper acoustic recordings, unexpected covers and other reimaginings.
"Death By Rock And Roll" was made available in February 2021 via Fearless Records in the U.S. and Century Media Records in the rest of the world.
Upon release, "Death By Rock And Roll" topped multiple sales charts — including Billboard's Top Albums, Rock, Hard Music, and Digital charts. The record also yielded three back-to-back No. 1 singles — "Death By Rock And Roll", "And So It Went" (featuring Tom Morello of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE) and "Only Love Can Save Me Now" (featuring Kim Thayil and Matt Cameron of SOUNDGARDEN). The band has tallied seven No. 1 singles at the rock format throughout its career.
"Death By Rock And Roll" was THE PRETTY RECKLESS's first album to be made without longtime producer Kato Khandwala, who died in April 2018 from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident.
THE PRETTY RECKLESS formed in 2009 and consists of Momsen, guitarist Ben Phillips, bassist Mark Damon and drummer Jamie Perkins.
In 2021, Momsen — who rose to fame portraying the character of edgy little sister Jenny Humphrey on The CW's "Gossip Girl" — described "Death By Rock And Roll" in an interview with ABC Audio as a "battle cry for life and for hope."
"I think that that's something that we can all use a little bit more of, especially right now," she said. "We could always use a little more hope, and we could always use a little more rock and roll."
Photo credit: Lewis Cater
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29 авг 2025
HEART's ANN WILSON Announces Feature-Length Documentary Film 'In My Voice'
 Rock icon Ann Wilson, singer-songwriter and founder of HEART, will unveil her remarkable life story in the forthcoming feature documentary "In My Voice". Told in Ann's own words, the film traces her extraordinary 75-year journey, from a nomadic childhood to the stages of the world's biggest arenas, and into a bold new creative chapter. With additional commentary from family, friends, artists, bandmates, and industry executives, the documentary focuses on the authenticity of Ann Wilson.
Drawing from a deep personal archive of home movies, photographs, journals, and never-before-seen footage, "In My Voice" offers fans an unprecedented window into Wilson's life and artistry. For the first time, audiences will hear how she found her voice, sustained it across five decades, and allowed it to guide her through fame, adversity, and reinvention.
"This film is my story in my own words, told the way I've always wanted to tell it," says Ann. "It's about finding my voice, keeping it alive, and sharing the journey with the people who've been part of it all along."
The documentary is directed by Barbara Hall, a Primetime Emmy-nominated producer and director celebrated for her passion for remarkable human stories and music. With more than 25 years of experience in developing, producing, and directing original programming, Hall has built a career on authentic, immersive storytelling. She has helmed award-winning specials, series, long-form documentary films, concerts, and thematic music documentaries, and is known for securing rare, exclusive rights to bring untold narratives to the screen. A member of the Producers Guild Of America, the Guild Of Music Supervisors and the Documentary Producers Alliance, Hall has also been honored with the 2025 Women In Film/Nashville Alice Award Trailblazer Award.
"What an honor to tell the story of one of our greatest rock music voices of all time," says Hall. "Her voice notwithstanding, her story exceeds a scriptwriter's imagination, and her courage to share her story is inspiring. She is a master of her craft and is not defined by genre or gender."
"In My Voice" promises to be a landmark documentary that brings Ann Wilson's singular journey to the screen with honesty, power, and of course, heart. More details, including release information and exclusive content, will be announced soon.
In July 2024, Ann announced HEART was canceling its tour so that she could undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy following a cancer diagnosis. In September, Ann returned to her social media channels to share the news that her chemotherapy treatments were complete, and she was ready to tour in 2025.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest voices in the history of rock and roll, Ann is a true icon, known far and wide as lead singer and songwriter of the groundbreaking rock band HEART. Led by Wilson's extraordinary vocal power, HEART has thrilled audiences for five decades, earning sales of more than 35 million and well-deserved induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2013. Indeed, as lead singer of the first female-fronted superstar hard rock band, Wilson blazed a trail for generations of women to come, while her songs — including "Barracuda", "Crazy On You", "Straight O" and "Magic Man", to name but a few — have become part of the very fabric of popular culture.
The current members of HEART feature Nancy Wilson (rhythm, lead and acoustic guitar, backing and lead vocals),Ann Wilson (lead vocals and flute),Ryan Wariner (lead and rhythm guitar),Ryan Waters (guitars),Paul Moak (guitars, keyboards and backing vocals),Tony Lucido (bass and backing vocals) and Sean Lane (drums and bike). | 0 | |
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29 авг 2025
SLIPKNOT Shares Demo Version Of 'Me Inside' From Upcoming 25th-Anniversary Edition Of Debut Album
 SLIPKNOT recently announced "Slipknot (25th Anniversary Edition)", a deluxe reissue celebrating the release of their iconic eponymous debut album which catapulted the band in 1999. This special release immortalizes the band's creative process at the time when the Iowa nine went from a newly signed fledgling metal act, to an unexpected and unstoppable cultural force that redefined heavy music for a new generation.
"Slipknot (25th Anniversary Edition)" will be available in stores and across digital retailers on September 5, 2025 via Roadrunner Records. Last month SLIPKNOT released a special edition of the box set directly to fans. Limited to 100 blood-filled vinyl copies via their secret site 742617000027.net, the edition sold out in seconds, crashing the web site in the process. Available for pre-order are a 6LP box set with blood-splattered vinyl (limited to 1899 copies),2LP and 2CD in addition to digital on streaming services. Depending on the format (see a full list and packshots below),this release includes the original Ross Robinson-produced album plus recordings which only the band and their inner circle heard at the time of the production. All collected from the original sources, these include unreleased takes, alternate versions, and mixes from SR Audio, Indigo Ranch and more, as well as "test mixes" from alternate mixers. Not only are these recordings the full story behind the recording of this now-iconic album, they also chart the course of choices made and paths taken, and how the SLIPKNOT the world knows today came to be.
Today SLIPKNOT shares the unreleased demo of "Me Inside" which was recorded before the band entered Indigo Ranch with Ross Robinson. The demo was then refined in the studio, ultimately landing on their debut album.
As much as the debut album set the stage, SLIPKNOT was also a band unleashed on live audiences in 1999, who had never seen anything like it. Performances on their first world tour cycle are legendary, and the band's impact was swift as global audiences bore witness. Word of mouth spread like a virus. This package includes recordings of shows that bookend one chaotic year: the 1999 show in Hartford, Connecticut captures the unbridled raw power of a small stage, while the 2000 U.K. recordings document the band's ability to harness the small stage energy and deliver to a mainstage crowd. The audio was pulled from the soundboard's digital audio tapes, carefully remixed and mastered for the first time — all chosen by the band to best represent the intensity and spirit of the band's earliest days.
LP 1: Slipknot - Track Listing:
The seminal debut album from SLIPKNOT.
Side 1
01. 742617000027
02. (Sic)
03. Eyeless
04. Wait And Bleed
05. Surfacing
06. Spit It Out
07. Tattered And Torn
08. Me Inside
Side 2
01. Liberate
02. Prosthetics
03. No Life
04. Diluted
05. Only One
06. Scissors
*LP 2 & 3: Indigo Ranch Mixes - Track Listing:
The legendary Indigo Ranch mixes. In 1999 the band gathered at Malibu's Indigo Ranch to record their breakthrough debut. These early rough mixes showcase the raw energy and chaotic vibe before the final Ross Robinson mixes.
Side 1
01. (Sic)
02. Eyeless
03. Surfacing
04. Tattered And Torn
Side 2
01. Only One
02. Liberate
03. Suck These Nuts (Get This)
04. Killing Leslie
Side 3
01. Me Inside
02. Wait And Bleed
03. No Life
04. Interloper (Diluted)
Side 4
01. Spit It Out
02. Eeyore
03. Scissors
LP 4: Demos and Alternate Mixes - Track Listing:
Side One: Demos - These are the original demos recorded before the band entered Indigo Ranch with Ross Robinson. These demos were then refined in the studio to become the debut album. Some of the actual tracks from the demos were used in the final mixes.
Side Two: Jay Baumgardner and Ulrich Wild mixes - The band and label wanted to have test mixes done before finalizing the album and connected with two other renowned mixers to see what they would do to the mixes. Each has a different take on the tracks.
Side 1
01. Wait And Bleed (Demo)
02. Snap (Demo)
03. Interloper (Demo)
04. Despise (Demo)
05. Only One (Demo)
06. Me Inside (Demo)
07. Prosthetics (Demo)
Side 2
01. Surfacing (Jay Baumgardner Mix)
02. Only One (Jay Baumgardner Mix)
03. No Life (Jay Baumgardner Mix)
04. (Sic) (Ulrich Wild Mix)
05. Purity
06. Eeyore
* LP 5 & 6: Live - Track Listing:
Months after the debut album, the band took to the road and these live recordings showcase the band's atmospheric rise from headlining Hartford, Connecticut's legendary 1,200-seat Webster Theater in September of 1999, to playing in front of massive crowds in the U.K. and Iowa in late 2000.
Side 1
01. Wait And Bleed (Live In Hartford 1999)
02. Surfacing (Live In Hartford 1999)
03. Purity (Live In Hartford 1999)
04. Spit It Out (Live In Hartford 1999)
05. Eeyore (Live In Hartford 1999)
Side 2
01. (Sic) (Live In The UK 2000)
02. Eyeless (Live In The UK 2000)
03. No Life (Live In The UK 2000)
04. Eeyore (Live In The UK 2000)
05. Liberate (Live In The UK 2000)
Side 3
01. Purity (Live In The UK 2000)
02. Prosthetics (Live In The UK 2000)
03. Spit It Out (Live In The UK 2000)
04. Wait And Bleed (Live In The UK 2000)
05. Get This (Live In The UK 2000)
Side 4
01. Surfacing (Live In The UK 2000)
02. Me Inside (Live In The UK 2000)
03. Scissors (Live In Iowa 2000)
* LP exclusive to box set only
Released on June 29th, 1999, SLIPKNOT's self-titled debut, now double platinum, was a smash hit with critics and an instant classic with fans. It was, and is, a molotov cocktail signaling a revolution– embracing a creative direction that eschewed metal traditions in favor of fresh ideas. While the jaw-clenching riffs coupled with Robinson's venomous production were crucial to the album's success, it was the care and attention to detail in the songcraft that moved the needle from "great" to "benchmark."
"We loved what we did with the first record but we didn't even know if there was gonna be anything after that," recalls SLIPKNOT guitarist Jim Root. "We just wanted people to hear it. Selling out of records and shows, having successful tours– those are goals for any band. But the dream scenario in some ways, came true for us."
In the years following, SLIPKNOT's popularity nipped at the heels of elder statesmen and even the band's heroes, eventually navigating this brave new world with unending drive, fresh ideas and a bloodlust for odometer clicks. Tens of billions of streams and tens of millions of subscribers and followers later, the accolades tell the story: 64 award nominations and 27 wins including a Grammy for "Before I Forget" from "Vol. 3". A seemingly endless number of tour dates. Headlining slots at the biggest festivals in the world such as Download, Rock In Rio, Hellfest, Wacken and many more. Not to mention RIAA certifications by the truckload — 14 platinum certifications and 40 gold across more than 30 million in record and video sales.
In addition, SLIPKNOT positioned themselves for success with the creation of their own festival Knotfest in 2012, a traveling, multi-stage and experiential event that has appeared 28 times across several countries and locations. The festival has since spun off into a successful entertainment media hub — Knotfest.com, which became a juggernaut of its own making, giving a platform to young freethinkers and like-minded artists.
All of SLIPKNOT's achievements have helped them claim their rightful seat as pioneers and thought leaders, establishing them as a generational talent — loved by parents and their children alike. And of course with all those incredible live performances, all that influence, and all that history of playing all those incredible songs, SLIPKNOT has only attracted the most dedicated of fans, reaching all the way back to that fateful self-titled effort.
SLIPKNOT is approaching this 25th anniversary by making the conscious decision to connect to fans as closely as possible, in a similar way to how they encountered SLIPKNOT all those years ago.
"Every time I've walked on stage, it's never been about how many people have been there because my culture, the maggots, always show up," says SLIPKNOT percussionist and founding member Shawn "Clown" Crahan with a smile.
Photo above: SLIPKNOT circa 1999 by Dean Karr
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29 авг 2025
MEGADETH Drummer DIRK VERBEUREN's BENT SEA Project Releases 'My Fall' Music Video
 MEGADETH drummer Dirk Verbeuren's long-running BENT SEA project will release its debut album, "The Dormant Ruin", in September via Give Praise Records. The LP is now available for pre-order at this location.
The official music video for the latest BENT SEA single, "My Fall", featuring a guest appearance by Kevin Sharp (VENOMOUS CONCEPT, ex-BRUTAL TRUTH),can be seen below.
Dirk siad: "This is a very meaningful song to me. It was written about my late mom."
BENT SEA began its offensive in 2011 by crash-landing the "Noistalgia" EP, an explosive homage to the beginnings of grindcore. Led by drummer/guitarist/songwriter Verbeuren with cohorts Sven de Caluwé (ABORTED) on vocals and Shane Embury (NAPALM DEATH) on bass — replacing Devin Townsend, who guested on "Noistalgia" — BENT SEA churned out three more split releases and the guest-studded "Instagrind" series before suddenly falling silent.
BENT SEA anno 2025 mangles the blueprint of classic grind by infusing it with death/black/industrial elements, topped off with unhealthy doses of dissonance and an undeniable sense of urgency. This crushingly heavy record skillfully transcends the band's early output. In twenty songs and 33 minutes, just like the inevitable wrath of Mother Nature, no one will escape BENT SEA unscathed!
"The Dormant Ruin" was produced by Daniel Bergstrand (MESHUGGAH, DARK FUNERAL) and features guest appearances by Sharp, John Cooke (NAPALM DEATH, VENOMOUS CONCEPT) and Sylvain Coudret (SOILWORK, SCARVE).
Track listing:
Side A
01. From The Beast's Mouth
02. Apathy And Irony
03. Tidal Fire
04. Curtailer Of Conceit
05. A Scopic Radiance
06. Shapeless Ones
07. My Fall
08. Meat Trade Misery
09. Final Corridor
10. Paragon Of Inhumanity
Side B
11. Locked In Glitch
12. Ominous Reversal
13. Prodigious Blight
14. Vermin Burning
15. The Voice They Cannot Be
16. Below The Cold Void
17. Sharpen The Blade
18. Stifled And Dreaming
19. Erased From The Earthly Crust
20. The Dormant Ruin
The official music video for "A Scopic Radiance" can also be seen below.
In a 2016 interview with All About The Rock, Dirk stated about BENT SEA: "BENT SEA is a spur-of-the-moment type thing without any business plan. The idea from the get-go was basically 'no pressure' and I intend to keep it that way."
Back in 2012, Dirk told PureGrainAudio about BENT SEA's formation: "It just sort of happened. I used to play guitar, but in recent years my focus was exclusively on drums. My wife had been encouraging me to write my own music, so I decided to give it a shot. The result turned out to be BENT SEA."
Regarding the project's name, the 50-year-old Belgian-born-and-now-Los-Angeles-based musician said: "It's taken from a song by British experimental duo ENDVRA which I accidentally came across in my tape-trading days. Their music has absolutely nothing to do with grindcore, but somehow BENT SEA popped up in my mind. I like that it's atypical, and that it conjures apocalyptic images echoing the intensity of my music."
Verbeuren had been playing with SOILWORK for more than a decade before joining MEGADETH in 2016 as the replacement for Chris Adler (LAMB OF GOD),who called Dirk "probably [one of the] top three drummers in the world."
In interview with the KATT Rock 100.5 FM radio station, MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine described Dirk as "one of the most pleasant, easy-to-get-along-with guys I've ever met in my life. I'll walk up to him and he'll smile and lean forward and pat me on the back. He goes [adopts thin accent], 'How's it going, buddy?' I could say, 'Oh, man…'… anything. 'Oh, okay, buddy.' [He] smiles and pats me, 'cause he's just a happy guy. I've never, ever, ever seen him not smile." | +1 | |
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29 авг 2025
Watch: THE GATHERING Celebrates 30th Anniversary Of 'Mandylion' In Nijmegen, The Netherlands
 The "Mandylion" lineup of Dutch rockers THE GATHERING — including singer Anneke Van Giersbergen — officially kicked off their run of reunion shows last night (Wednesday, August 27) at Doornroosje in Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.
According to Setlist.fm, the setlist for the show was as follows:
01. Mandylion
02. Eléanor
03. Fear The Sea
04. In Motion #1
05. On Most Surfaces (Inuït)
06. Broken Glass
07. Waking Hour
08. Great Ocean Road
09. Probably Built In The Fifties
10. Analog Park
11. In Motion #2
12. Leaves
13. Sand And Mercury
Encore:
14. Strange Machines
15. Travel
16. Saturnine
The "Mandylion" lineup of THE GATHERING previously played a kick-off "try-out" concert on June 29 at Dynamo in Eindhoven.
THE GATHERING's third studio album, "Mandylion" was released in August 1995 via Century Media Records. It was the band's first LP to feature Van Giersbergen.
In a recent interview with Femmetal - Goddesses Of Metal, Anneke spoke about THE GATHERING's 2025 reunion concerts to celebrate the 30th anniversary of "Mandylion". She said: "Well, actually, I'm quite excited… This idea came kind of spontaneous. We were having conversations, we had just coffee and talking about life, other things, and then we talked about 'Mandylion' turning 30 and because time flies, we didn't really think about it. And then we said, 'Maybe we can do something nice with it,' because it's such an important album for us personally because we had a great time at the beginning of THE GATHERING career with me, of course. And we said, 'Well, if we do something, we have to do it now, because next year it's not such a good reason because now 'Mandylion' is 30 years old, and let's do something nice.' And so we made this plan, and we made these ideas for these shows. And then a lot of people wanted to come to the shows. I mean, I know THE GATHERING is still a popular band and I know it's alive — people really like THE GATHERING's music now and back then. But we didn't expect this many people to react on it and want [to buy] a ticket [to see us perform live again]. And so we are so happy. And we're gonna make a few beautiful shows and gonna have lots of fun playing together again, 'cause it's been a long time. It's been 10 years, I think."
When the interviewer inquired about the possibility of a show from THE GATHERING in Spain, Anneke said: "Everybody's asking. I mean, it's fantastic. It's a great problem to have, that a lot of people want us to come to their country. But we focus on these shows here, and a lot of people are traveling for it, so that's really, really wonderful. And then we'll see. But we just focus on these shows and take it from there."
Asked which THE GATHERING song she is most excited to play again, Anneke said: "It's kind of a wide variety of atmospheres on this album ['Mandylion'], but I like songs like 'On Most Surfaces' [from 1997's 'Nighttime Birds'], because they're heavy and we can let all the energy flow on this one. I like the more heavy songs as well, but 'In Motion #1' and '[In Motion] #2' are, for instance, very, very melodic — they're carrying you through a story — and I also like that so much. So, different vibes on the album, and I like all of it. But I like also the heavy songs, especially for playing live, 'cause I can sing really loud and headbang and have fun."
The "Mandylion" lineup of THE GATHERING will also reunite for five exclusive sold-out shows in August at Doornroosje in Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
Upcoming shows:
August 28 - Nijmegen, Netherlands @ Doornroosje
August 29 - Nijmegen, Netherlands @ Doornroosje
August 30 - Nijmegen, Netherlands @ Doornroosje
August 31 - Nijmegen, Netherlands @ Doornroosje
THE GATHERING previously said in a statement: "After so many years, we are very excited to celebrate this anniversary together, an album that still means so much to us."
The lineup for the concerts consists of the following musicians:
* Anneke Van Giersbergen - vocals
* Hugo Prinsen Geerligs - bass
* Frank Boeijen - keyboards, backing vocals
* Hans Rutten - drums
* René Rutten - guitar
* Jelmer Wiersma - guitar
In November 2014, THE GATHERING celebrated its 25th anniversary with a one-time special show at Doornroosje in Nijmegen. All past and present members of THE GATHERING — from 1989 until 2014 — appeared on stage and performed in this unique show together.
Van Giersbergen announced her departure from THE GATHERING in 2007. She has since released several albums on her own and with her AGUA DE ANNIQUE solo project.
In 2005, Century Media celebrated the 10th anniversary of "Mandylion" by releasing a special deluxe edition of the album. The double-CD set featured new artwork, a 16-page booklet with song-by-song liner notes from the band and never-before-seen photos from the album's recording sessions. CD2 contained the first demo recordings THE GATHERING did with Van Giersbergen in June 1994 and early 1995. "Solar Glider" was a previously unreleased instrumental while "Third Chance" appeared two years later in a different version on the "Nighttime Birds" album.
In a 2007 interview with PopMatters, Van Giersbergen stated about her decision to leave THE GATHERING and launch AGUA DE ANNIQUE: "I had been in THE GATHERING for 13 years, and I had never done anything for 13 years in my life. It's been my whole adult life, so to leave that, on one hand, was a very clear decision and a very strong feeling, and I was ready. In 13 years, things had changed in my personal and musical life. It was difficult as well, because the guys, they were like brothers, so to leave that and to change that relationship has been a long process and was probably one of the hardest things I did.
"I told them at the beginning of March, and so we really took some time to assess the situation," she continued. "Also, the guys, they wanted to see what their plans would be next. Of course they were not happy with my decision, but they are respectful and they have good spirits to continue. Of course, I put a big stamp on the sound and the look of THE GATHERING, but on the other hand I'm not the only singer in the world, so it's going to change, but it's not going to stop."
Regarding her reasons for leaving, Anneke said, "There were a lot of physical reasons, but they all came out of one big feeling in my heart that it was time to change. I was supposed to do this record besides THE GATHERING, and I was given time and it was all okay, but I like to do other small projects and work with other people a lot. I had some plans, and the feeling became stronger to develop that more seriously and also especially to be with my family a little bit more. Now, I can direct everything I do from this one agenda, and it feels very good to be the director of your own life. In a way THE GATHERING was officially a bigger band, and we were day and night constantly working with it, and it was quite intense, all the processes. So a lot of small things became one big feeling, like, 'Okay, I'm ready.'" | +1 | |
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28 авг 2025
Ex-MOTÖRHEAD Guitarist PHIL CAMPBELL: 'I'm Definitely Not A Heavy Metal Player'
 In a new interview with Andrew McKaysmith of the Scars And Guitars podcast, former MOTÖRHEAD guitarist Phil Campbell was asked what he thinks the biggest misconception was about his guitar playing as it relates to his role in MOTÖRHEAD. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, most of the [MOTÖRHEAD] riffs [during my time with the band] are mine all the way through. They'd change 'em a bit and whatever, but basically, 'cause when we were the three-piece, everyone was waiting for me to come up with something to start the songs. [MOTÖRHEAD leader] Lemmy would have one or two of his own rock songs, rock and roll songs ready usually. But the majority of the stuff… I mean, it's all credited to the three of us anyway, apart from Lemmy's individual songs. But, yeah, people think — I don't know what they think. They don't read the credits, obviously, a lot of people, the writing credits. And I'm definitely not a heavy metal player. People think I might be a heavy metal player. I think they're wrong there."
Campbell was also asked about the "morphing of the MOTÖRHEAD iconography from being all about the music to being a brand", with brand licensing from the band's more than 80 licensing partners across various categories, channels and territories, marking MOTÖRHEAD's 50th anniversary. He said: "Well, MOTÖRHEAD should be remembered, I think. It was such a unique band. Lem was such a unique person and the music was so unique as well, why shouldn't it be remembered, along with the music? People don't have to buy anything if they don't wanna buy anything, but if they walk around with MOTÖRHEAD written on this or that or whatever and they think it's cool, that's fine. I'm proud to have MOTÖRHEAD written on anything that I would wear. Not all at once, though — not five items with MOTÖRHEAD written on it all at once."
Campbell was a member of MOTÖRHEAD from 1984 through 2015, and for the last 20 years of the band's existence was its sole guitarist, appearing on classic releases such as "Orgasmatron", "1916" and "Bastards", among others. With Lemmy's 2015 passing, MOTÖRHEAD came to an abrupt end.
In his current band PHIL CAMPBELL AND THE BASTARD SONS, Phil is joined by his sons Todd, Dane and Tyla.
PHIL CAMPBELL AND THE BASTARD SONS released their third album, "Kings Of The Asylum", in September 2023 through Nuclear Blast Records. It was PHIL CAMPBELL AND THE BASTARD SONS' first studio release to feature singer Joel Peters.
In October 2019, Phil released his first-ever solo record, "Old Lions Still Roar". The album, which had been in the works for more than five years, included guest appearances by Rob Halford (JUDAS PRIEST),Dee Snider (TWISTED SISTER) and Alice Cooper, among others.
Lemmy died on December 28, 2015 at the age of 70 shortly after learning he had been diagnosed with cancer.
MOTÖRHEAD had to cancel a number of shows in 2015 because of Lemmy's poor health, although the band did manage to complete a European tour a couple of weeks before his death.
In June 2020, it was announced that Lemmy would get the biopic treatment. The upcoming film, "Lemmy", will be directed by Greg Olliver, who previously helmed the 2010 documentary of the same name, "Lemmy".
A custom-made urn containing Lemmy's ashes is on permanent display in a columbarium at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Hollywood, California.
Image credit: Framus & Warwick
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28 авг 2025
MISS MAY I Returns With Video For New Single 'Pray For Silence'
 Ohio metalcore favorites MISS MAY I are back with new music. Today, they have shared the video for "Pray For Silence". Watch it below.
"Pray For Silence" is described in a press release as "a vocally dynamic anthem, with a chorus that will instantly embed in your brain, heavy artillery riffing, and floor-shaking breakdowns. It's ultimately classic metalcore that swells with modern flourishes, ushering MISS MAY I into their next exciting era."
MISS MAY I comments: "I don't think we could have chosen a more honest and heartfelt song for our first release as the new lineup than 'Pray For Silence'. As life grows heavier and the world feels like it's at a breaking point, this song captures something we all crave — some peace, even just for a moment."
And this is just the first taste. Fans can expect a new album from MISS MAY I in 2026.
MISS MAY I will hit the road next month, touring as direct support to fellow 2010s faves BLESSTHEFALL. MISS MAY I will also appear at the Orlando edition of Warped Tour in November.
Last year, MISS MAY I joined the Solid State Records roster and released "Apologies Are For The Weak (Re-Recorded 15th Anniversary Edition)", the awesomely ambitious 15th-anniversary edition of the band's classic, beloved debut album "Apologies Are For The Weak". The LP was entirely re-recorded and featured cameos on every single song, including from Jake Luhrs of AUGUST BURNS RED, Brandan Schieppati of BLEEDING THROUGH and Scott Lewis of CARNIFEX.
In 2024, founding MISS MAY I guitarists B.J. Stead and Justin Aufdemkampe left the band. In their place, guitarist Elisha Mullins was welcomed into the MISS MAY I family.
MISS MAY I frontman Levi Benton told Rolling Stone Australia about Mullins: "He comes from being a producer. All this new music we're doing, it's stuff we've never had before, because we've never written with someone like this."
On a personal level, Benton said Mullins and the rest of MISS MAY I are "all cut from the same cloth. Elisha's from the Midwest, he's the same age [as us]. We listen to the same local bands. It's a natural fit. It's very cool."
Regarding what it was like working on new MISS MAY I material without their main songwriters, Benton said: "The funny thing was, it was a total lost thought. We weren't even thinking about it. We went into the studio and the rest of the guys were, like, 'Oh my God. Justin and B.J. were the main writers — we've got to change something up.' We went back to the drawing board, and that's when the anxiety hit. After years of touring, we didn't even think about writing [like that]. We spent a whole month with Elisha in the studio, just doing one song to get the vibe of how we write together. It was a mock-up of sorts, just a practice run; we ironed everything out."
Photo credit: Nate Black | +1 | |
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28 авг 2025
MASTODON Will 'Definitely' Record A Studio Version Of BLACK SABBATH's 'Supernaut': 'We Have To'
 At this year's Bloodstock Open Air festival in the United Kingdom, MASTODON's Brann Dailor and Bill Kelliher took some time out with Bloodstock TV host Oran O'Beirne to talk about their experience performing at the "Back To The Beginning" event, celebrating the life of Ozzy Osbourne and BLACK SABBATH. Asked if they knew about the concert far in advance, Brann said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It was probably about six months, I think, before [it took place]. Maybe there was an original six bands that got chosen or whatever before some other bands got added later. And so we got an e-mail asking about it, if we were interested. And at first it was, like, 'Are you sure? Are you sure you don't have the wrong people or something?' Our manager actually joked that it was the fastest reply that they had ever gotten from us collectively." Bill quipped: "We replied, like, I think 0.10 seconds before they actually asked us to do it. We had already replied 'yes.'"
Brann went on to say that it was "the honor of a lifetime" to be asked to perform at "Back To The Beginning". "It's better than a Grammy," he said. "It's better than anything that anybody could ever bestow upon you to be called upon by the giant oak tree that is BLACK SABBATH. In other genres of music, the founders, they're not alive. So it was really, really an incredible honor just to picked to do it. And, yeah, so then it was the arduous task of picking the [SABBATH] song [to play at the event]."
Regarding how MASTODON ended up choosing "Supernaut" to play at "Back To The Beginning", Bill said: "'Supernaut', I've loved that song. I mean, all their songs are great, but that one I couldn't imagine coming to practice one day as [SABBATH guitarist] Tony Iommi and saying, 'I've got a good riff, man. You guys wanna see what I've got', and playing that riff, and just being like… You must have sold your soul to learn that riff. The devil gave you that riff. So to see that it wasn't chosen yet was — 'That's the one. Let's do that.'"
Added Brann: "So, obviously, there was the songs that SABBATH themselves were gonna do. And so they were doing their biggest hits and their biggest songs. Initially I wanted to do 'Children Of The Grave' just 'cause our band, we live in 6/8 [tempo], that heavy metal shuffle that that 'Children Of The Grave' invented for us. We have a lot of songs that are in that; that's a very, very comfortable wheelhouse for us. But I saw LAMB OF GOD had already picked that, which I figured it would be scooped up — that one — pretty quickly, being such an amazing song. But then [we saw] 'Supernaut' [was available], and I was, like, 'What about 'Supernaut'?' I felt like I could sing it, so it was kind of gonna kind of maybe come down to that, if I could pull it off, playing drums and singing it. And then when we got picked to open, I was, like, 'Man, I think if we crush this, it's gonna be the perfect opening kind of song.' It's a high-energy one. Some of the doomier ones might have been a little too slow to really kick things off. But this was the perfect one, I think."
Asked if MASTODON has recorded a studio version of "Supernaut", Bill said: "Not yet, but we've been talking about it, for sure. We have to. We've been playing it every night. We've recorded it a few times live, and it's come out… Who knows? Maybe we'll do a live version, do a studio version." Brann added: "We're definitely recording it."
Three days after MASTODON performed at "Back To The Beginning", Dailor took to his social media to share a few photos from the event, and he included the following message: "Such an unbelievable outpouring of love, friendship and gratitude. We were so honored to be asked to perform.
"For months I've been trying to conjure up in my mind what it was going to be like, but it ended up being unlike anything I had ever experienced in my life, a new feeling. It was such a beautiful experience. From the stage, the side stage, the dressing room and out in the audience, the love was just pouring out of everyone for the last time that we will all be able to let [BLACK SABBATH] and [Ozzy Osbourne] know just how very much they mean to every one of our lives.
"All the performers gave their all trying to make Dad SABBATH proud! When Ozzy hit the stage, there wasn't a dry eye in the stadium. It stayed like that until the fireworks went off after SABBATH.
"What an incredibly emotional day for everyone. I'll be riding this high for a long time and I will cherish these memories for the rest of my life. I'm so very grateful for this life experience.
"Thank you BLACK SABBATH for giving us a space to be creative and the greatest genre of music there is, heavy metal. Ozzy Osbourne, I love you, thank you for everything!! You mean the world to me. Also a major thank you to Mario Duplantier [GOJIRA], Eloy Casagrande [SLIPKNOT] and Danny Carey [TOOL] for jamming with me during 'Supernaut', three of the best drummers in the world and some of the finest human beings, you made the day even more special, I love you. Thank you Bill Ward for showing us the way. You're my greatest inspiration!
"What a day! Music never felt so powerful. Going to carry this into our next recording coming up soon!"
According to The Guardian, "Back To The Beginning" was livestreamed to more than five million fans worldwide (with peak audience of 5.8 million fans watching the livestream).
Ozzy played a five-song set with his solo band — consisting of guitarist Zakk Wylde, bassist Mike Inez, keyboardist Adam Wakeman and drummer Tommy Clufetos — before being joined by fellow original BLACK SABBATH members Tony Iommi (guitar),Geezer Butler (bass) and Bill Ward (drums) for four classic SABBATH songs: "War Pigs", "Iron Man", "N.I.B." and "Paranoid".
Ozzy's solo set consisted of four songs from Osbourne's 1980 solo debut album "Blizzard Of Ozz" — "I Don't Know", "Mr. Crowley", "Suicide Solution" and "Crazy Train" — along with his 1991 "No More Tears" ballad "Mama, I'm Coming Home".
The 76-year-old heavy metal singer sang while seated on a black throne and appeared overcome with emotion at times. "You have no idea how I feel. Thank you from the bottom of my heart," he told the crowd.
At the end of SABBATH's set, Ozzy said: "It's the last song ever. Your support has enabled us to live an amazing lifestyle, thank you from the bottom of our hearts." Osbourne was then presented with a cake, while fireworks lit up the stadium from overhead.
A message on screen then read, "Thank you for everything, you guys are fucking amazing. Birmingham Forever," before the sky lit up with fireworks.
More than 40,000 fans attended the event, which also saw performances from METALLICA, SLAYER, PANTERA, LAMB OF GOD and ANTHRAX, among others. Profits from the show will be shared equally between the charities Cure Parkinson's, Birmingham Children's Hospital and Acorn Children's Hospice.
There was also an online auction benefiting those charities. Items up for bid included two Gibson guitars signed by performers, a GUNS N' ROSES pinball machine, several gold record and CD displays including BLACK SABBATH's "Paranoid", LED ZEPPELIN's "Physical Graffiti" and METALLICA's "Master Of Puppets", plus more than a dozen travel packages.
A livestream of the daylong event was announced in June. While it was called a livestream, the video was delayed two hours from the in-arena start time.
The all-day event at Villa Park, produced by Live Nation, was hosted and compered by American actor Jason Momoa.
Curated by RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello, the event featured arguably the greatest lineup of rock and metal bands ever assembled on one day.
Two hastily assembled supergroups — dubbed Supergroup A and Supergroup B — performed at the event, with EXTREME's Nuno Bettencourt taking part in a five-song set of covers, while ex-Ozzy guitarist Jake E. Lee made an appearance for covers of "The Ultimate Sin" and "Shot In The Dark". Former JUDAS PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing joined Morello, Billy Corgan (SMASHING PUMPKINS) and Adam Jones (TOOL) for a rendition of PRIEST's "Breaking The Law", while LIVING COLOUR's Vernon Reid hopped onstage for a cover of Ozzy's "Bark At The Moon", with GHOST's Papa V Perpetua (a.k.a. Tobias Forge) handling lead vocals. | +3 | |
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28 авг 2025
MUDVAYNE Releases First New Song In 16 Years, 'Hurt People Hurt People'
 MUDVAYNE has released its first new single in 16 years, "Hurt People Hurt People". The track, which was produced by Nick Raskulinecz (RUSH, KORN, ALICE IN CHAINS, DEFTONES, FOO FIGHTERS, EVANESCENCE) and mixed by Josh Wilbur (KORN, MEGADETH, GOJIRA, TRIVIUM),marks MUDVAYNE's first new release through Alchemy Recordings, a record label created in partnership between Dino Paredes, former American Recordings vice president of A&R, and Danny Wimmer, the founder of Danny Wimmer Presents, the premier production company for rock music festivals in the United States. Other Alchemy artists include STAIND and CHEVELLE.
MUDVAYNE frontman Chad Gray stated about the track: "I think I wrote this song as a reminder to myself to break the cycle. We create our own suffering, our own hurt. It's time for us to create self-love and let go of the pain. It was never ours to begin with."
Prior to the arrival of "Hurt People Hurt People", the reunited metallers hadn't put out any new material since 2009, which means more than a decade and a half had gone by without a single fresh MUDVAYNE song.
MUDVAYNE formed in 1996 and has sold over six million records worldwide, earning gold certification for three albums ("L.D. 50", "The End Of All Things To Come", "Lost And Found"). The band is known for its sonic experimentation, innovative album art, face and body paint, masks and uniforms.
Gray spent 15 years fronting HELLYEAH, which released its sixth studio album, "Welcome Home", in September 2019 via Eleven Seven Music. The disc marked the group's final effort with drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott, who passed away seven years ago.
MUDVAYNE did not tour behind its fifth album, which was barely promoted and sold weakly upon release.
In July 2024, Gray was asked by Pablo of the Minneapolis, Minnesota radio station 93X if he and his MUDVAYNE bandmates had done any "file sharing" to create their new music. Chad responded at the time: "We've done it pretty much every fucking way you can do it at this point. But we did some file sharing and stuff like that. Greg [Tribbett, guitar] sent around some risks and then Matt [McDonough, drums] — 'cause Matt does a lot of like ambient-style music on his own, so he can definitely program. So he programmed some drums, and, obviously, when I get that… All I need is basically the guitar riff and I can start kind of feeling it out for melody and lyrical direction and shit like that. I don't need necessarily the whole thing. I can just have very basic shit for me to start writing… But I'll have the nuts and bolts, and, ultimately, that's what file sharing is all about. It's about getting the nuts and bolts of what you're wanting to do. And then from there, you go in the studio and you fucking tweak it, and you fucking add harmonies and you add fucking layers and fucking overdubs, and you can go crazy and then really make it special. So I'm excited about that. We haven't done that yet. That's the one thing we haven't done yet, is got in a room with a fucking producer."
Addressing the pressure he and his bandmates felt to make music of a high-enough quality to live up to the fans' expectations, Chad said: "Honestly, dude, if we were to go into a studio situation and we were to record something, if every single fucking person on our team — us, the producer, our fucking manager, our fucking lawyer — if everyone on our team is not fucking jumping up and down and high-fiving, then it ain't worth putting out. That's just me — I only wanna put out fucking great shit. And with great shit, [I mean] timeless. You wanna create timeless music, and you have to ask yourself the question, 'Is that timeless? Is this timeless music or is this a fucking fad? Are we following something here or are we leading something here?'"
Gray also talked about the relationship he has with his MUDVAYNE bandmates, particularly as it relates to the creative process. He said: "We are who we are. How we are with our personalities is almost the dynamic of what makes MUDVAYNE great. And it's not conflict or whatever, but we test each other. But I think that that comes across in the music we create. And I think we've always had that since the beginning or whatever. And I think that that's one of the things that kind of makes it great. Obviously, we overcome it and we get through it, but there are like times when we start writing, man, where it's, like, 'Do we want the same thing?' We're trying to mold it. But the good thing is that everybody in the band is really open-minded, and that's what it takes. But when we start, like, I have a vision, Matt has a vision, Ryan [Martinie, bass] has a vision, Greg has a vision, and they're not always the same. Through that, you bring it together, but you've gotta give a little, take a little, give a little, take a little, but you've gotta be willing to do that.
"But, yeah, it's really cool," he continued. "I like the dynamic we have. I like the personalities that we have in the band, and I think that, honestly, that's one of the things that makes it great. And I think that's one of the things that make it special.
"Our music is emotional music, whether it's helplessness or fucking anger or aggression or any fucking gamut — our music definitely covers the gamut of all emotions — and I think that those emotions are what bring people close to our music, because they can build a relationship with it," Chad added. "'Cause I'm not the kind of writer that's, like, 'This is what the song is. This is what the song's about.' I kind of get you going down a road, maybe reel you in a little bit so you kind of get the vibe on where I'm at, but I'm giving you off ramps all the way through it where you can take it and make it applicable to your life. But that's what makes it special, 'cause now you're building your own relationship with it and not what I'm telling you the relationship has to be. There's no boundaries on it, so it's pretty boundless."
In March 2024, Chad told The Jesea Lee Show that he and his MUDVAYNE bandmates were still "trying to figure out" where they wanted their new material to go. "Right now, we've got some, you can call them whole songs 'cause they have a start and a finish, but I feel like they're kind of half-songs," he said at the time. "I just don't think they're realized yet. I don't think we have figured out exactly how we want this to play out with what we're doing in our business or how we want it to sonically sound."
Gray continued: "Nothing inside of me wants to be the MUDVAYNE of [the band's 2000 debut album] 'L.D. 50'. I think that the more albums we wrote, the better we got as songwriters. A lot of people would probably disagree with me, but [2008's] 'The New Game' is probably one of my favorite fucking albums. It's got like 'Dull Boy' on it, it's got just some really quintessential MUDVAYNE stuff that's not anything like anybody else was doing. I feel like we fucking finally had kind of found our groove. 'L.D. 50', to me, was a very gratuitous, individual workshop, and we put all four pieces together and called it an album."
In October 2023, Gray told Australia's Heavy that he and his MUDVAYNE bandmates had "started putting some new stuff together a little bit and people that have heard [some of the early demo] stuff are really excited about it. Only the people that are closest to us have heard anything, and, like I said, it's really rough; it's demos," he explained. "But you can tell it's special. And I think that we have to make sure it's MUDVAYNE. We have to make sure that it's what we want. So we'll just have to see. We were working on it, working on it, working on it a little bit here and there.
"We all live states away from each other — nobody lives even close to each other — so it makes it a little bit difficult," he explained. "But we were able to get some stuff demoed up or whatever, but with us being so far apart, it's a little slow going. And then we just kind of hit a wall. We were, like, 'Okay, we've gotta get back into touring.' So we put everything together and we went back out [in the] summer [of 2023]."
In August 2023, Chad told The Oakland Press that he and his MUDVAYNE bandmates had "four [songs] in the pipe. I've written each one of them probably three different times, 'cause it's like nothing's good enough," he revealed. "We're gonna keep pushing. We're all getting along really good. We're all talking. Hopefully we all want the same thing from our music, so we'll see. It's definitely the thing that makes the most sense to do now."
As previously reported, MUDVAYNE will celebrate the 25th anniversary of "L.D. 50" on a U.S. tour in late summer and early fall. Support on the trek will come from STATIC-X and VENDED.
Released in 2000 via Epic, "L.D. 50" produced three singles — Dig", "Death Blooms" and "Nothing To Gein". "L.D. 50" peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart and No. 85 on the Billboard 200. It was certified gold by the RIAA for shipment in excess of half a million copies in the U.S. alone.
MUDVAYNE completed its first headlining tour in over 14 years, "The Psychotherapy Sessions", in the summer of 2023. Support on the 26-city trek, which was produced by Live Nation, came from COAL CHAMBER, along with GWAR, NONPOINT and BUTCHER BABIES.
Previously, MUDVAYNE made waves in 2022 when they embarked on the "Freaks On Parade" tour co-headlined with ROB ZOMBIE. The 2023 tour, however, marked MUDVAYNE's first headlining endeavor since 2009.
Gray told The Oakland Press that his "main motivation for putting [MUDVAYNE] back together and coming back was our fans", including those who discovered the band during its absence. "There's so many younger kids that are coming up and coming into our world, the metal world, and they're learning about MUDVAYNE," he said. "So you have this, like, the ground's kind of rumbling and it goes out and touches more and more people, but we weren't out there to scratch that itch. You still have your actual fan base but you're accumulating new people. So when we came back it was very exciting for us. It was about our fans and giving those new fans the experience."
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John Corabi
