Twice-Grammy-nominated transcendent singer, songwriter and subversive performance artist Poppy will release her next album, "Empty Hands", on January 23, 2026 via Sumerian Records. She sets the stage for the project with a new single, "Bruised Sky", out everywhere now.

"Empty Hands" marks Poppy's seventh studio album, and with each new release, she crystallizes her identity as a true visionary unconcerned with genre. The album draws from eclectic influences, with industrial elements, pop sensibilities, and moments that call back to Poppy's surrealist roots with her signature uncanny, machine-like voice.

"Bruised Sky" embraces Poppy at her heaviest sonically, with powerful and commanding vocals that effortlessly shift between melodic bridges and death growls. As Poppy's vocals build, so does the guitar backing her, matching her ferocity decibel for decibel. "Bruised Sky" was produced and co-written by longtime collaborator Jordan Fish. The song's music video, directed by Orie McGinness, sets Poppy and her band against a gritty, dark and dystopian backdrop.

Poppy is having a monumental year. "Suffocate", her collaboration with KNOCKED LOOSE, was nominated for "Best Metal Performance" at the 2025 Grammy Awards. She previously made history in 2021 as the first-ever female solo nominee in the category for her solo track "Bloodmoney". From performance art provocateur (see new variety show "Improbably Poppy"),to video director, to sci-fi graphic novel author, to a globe-traveling recording artist whose songbook encompasses anything from brutal metal breakdowns and snappy '60s bubblegum, to trap-pop and grunge-punk, absolutely nothing has been off-limits when it comes to Poppy masterfully executing her varied artistic vision.

Recently, Poppy released "Unravel" co-produced by Jordan Fish. The track followed an enigmatic cover of WHAM's holiday favorite "Last Christmas", exclusively for Spotify, and a musical tour de force in collaboration with Amy Lee and Courtney LaPlante titled "End Of You". Upon release, "End Of You" was immediately met with widespread praise and debuted at no.1 on Billboard's Hot Hard Rock Songs chart.

To prepare for her new chapter, Poppy closed out the second leg of her "They're All Around Us" tour, continuing a nearly year-long celebration of her critically acclaimed album "Negative Spaces". This was followed by several dates as support for LINKIN PARK on their South American tour. Next, she plans to visit Australia and Europe on her newly announced 2026 "Constantly Nowhere" tour.

Photo credit: Hector Clark

Poppy

Silver Lining Music will release "No Life 'Til Leather - A Tribute To Metallica's Kill 'Em All" on November 14. The fourth single from the all-star compilation is RAVEN's cover of METALLICA's "Metal Militia".

"No Life 'Til Leather - A Tribute To Metallica's Kill 'Em All" unites METALLICA's favorites, their peers and the generations that came next. METALLICA's first proper tour was with RAVEN in 1983, on the famous "Kill 'Em All For One" venture. Thus, it is only fitting that RAVEN is featured on the album with its powerfully unapologetic rendition of "Metal Militia". With unrelenting energy and raw precision, RAVEN channels the ferocity of the original while stamping their own unmistakable identity on the track — a bold statement that captures the spirit and intensity of the entire album.

"We are very happy and honored to have been asked to be part of this awesome tribute to our old sparring partners," comments RAVEN's co-founding lead vocalist and bassist John Gallagher. "Our cover version is many things as you will hear… in the best tradition of the guys themselves, but I think we captured that METALLICA 'snarl'…. Especially by changing a few key elements! Features Mark on vocals, today all is revealed!"

In a January 2025 interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station, John Gallagher talked about METALLICA opening for RAVEN back in 1983 and 1984. Asked what his thoughts were about METALLICA at the time, John said: "Yeah, they were good. They were energetic. They were like a gang, which is always appealing 'cause we were, obviously, like a gang. It wasn't the mentality of a one guy starting a band and putting adverts out and having a bunch of mercenaries come in. There was none of that. They were a gang. But as far as, 'Do you see them in — whatever — 10 years being the greatest thing since sliced bread?' It's, like, no, not a chance. And to be fair, the band that you could have said that with was at least a good year away because they really changed on the second record. It showed some maturity and breadth and the ability to do different things other than just [playing fast] all the way through. So, they sat, they learned and they soaked it all in and they did a whole bunch of stuff."

John continued: "They said to us on the tour, 'We love your 'All For One' album because you've broadened your sound without compromising who you are.' I was, like, 'Oh, well, I guess we did. Okay.' So they did kind of the same thing. They stretched out and did 'Fade To Black', which was, like, 'This is really cool. This is different.' Some slower-paced songs — still fast stuff, but mixed it up a bit."

He added: "We had a long conversation with James [Hetfield, METALLICA frontman] a couple of years ago up at METALLICA HQ [in Northern California]; we visited there. And [he was] very humble and very, 'I don't know how this all happened, but we're very grateful and humbled that it did. And we're gonna continue to do the best we can.' You can't ask for more than that."

Gallagher also spoke about what it was like for RAVEN to open for METALLICA at a November 2022 concert at the Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida celebrating the life, legacy, and achievements of Megaforce Records founder Jon "Jonny Z" Zazula and his wife Marsha Zazula. He said: "Yeah, that was really cool. That was for a good purpose because Jon and Marsha Zazula, who managed them and managed us, made a huge difference in both our careers. Absolutely. And it was good to recognize and celebrate that. And they were so good… And we got to hang out for a long time and talk. And it's really surprising about the level that they're at and the things they've went through that it's the same guys. That's pretty cool."

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

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

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

The first single from "No Life 'Til Leather - A Tribute To Metallica's Kill 'Em All" was THE ALMIGHTY's blistering, full-throttle cover of METALLICA's legendary "The Four Horsemen", THE ALMIGHTY's first recorded work with their founding lineup since 1991, chosen by the band as both a nod to their roots and a declaration of intent.

THE ALMIGHTY guitarist Ricky Warwick commented: "'The Four Horsemen' by METALLICA got us back into the studio with the original lineup for the first time since 1991… Unbelievable.

"When the opportunity presented itself, it was really a no-brainer. METALLICA has been a huge influence for us. It was a bit nerve-racking because we had not been in the studio for such a long time. We did the whole thing in a day and a half with as much power and passion as you would expect from THE ALMIGHTY. It is such a powerful track. I think it turned out great, make sure you turn it up really, really loud!"

Watch THE ALMIGHTY's video for the band's cover of "The Four Horsemen", edited by Freakshot Film, below.

The second single from the all-star compilation is former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson's monumental cover of METALLICA's instrumental epic "(Anesthesia) - Pulling Teeth".

Ellefson comments: "It was a total honor to be asked to participate in this album, especially to record the iconic bass composition '(Anesthesia) - Pulling Teeth' by the one and only Cliff Burton [late METALLICA bassist]. I was able to borrow one of Cliff's Aria Pro signature bass guitars and signature Morley fuzz/wah pedal for the session to replicate his sharp-yet-thunderous tone he created on the original recording. It is my hope that this homage will highlight Cliff's larger-than-life personality and that his music will always live on through this unique and iconic song he gave to the world."

Ellefson and Dave Mustaine formed MEGADETH in 1983, after Mustaine got kicked out of METALLICA. METALLICA recruited Kirk Hammett and went on to record its debut album, "Kill 'Em All", later that year, while Ellefson and Mustaine began work on MEGADETH's first LP, "Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!"

During a 2019 ALTITUDES & ATTITUDE conversation with moderator Ryan J. Downey at the MI Concert Hall in Los Angeles, Ellefson was asked if Burton was an inspiration on his bass playing during MEGADETH's formative years. Ellefson responded: " I met Dave [Mustaine] in June of 1983. He had just left METALLICA literally not more than eight weeks before that, in April. So I didn't know anything about METALLICA, didn't know who Dave was, heard nothing about Cliff Burton — knew nothing about it, coming from the Midwest. And I didn't know anything about Cliff. And because the only recording Dave had of METALLICA was 'No Life 'Til Leather', and that had another bass player on it named Ron McGovney. So when we did a cover of 'Mechanix', I played Ron McGovney's basslines."

He continued: "Really, quite honestly, my METALLICA bass player was Ron, believe it or not, and I kind of modeled what we did off of that 'No Life 'Til Leather' demo. And I remember the day when 'Kill 'Em All' and we sat… There was complete silence in the room, and we sat and we listened to the album. And the differences — tempos were pulled back. And obviously the bass solo, 'Anesthesia'. That was really my first experience hearing Cliff. And at that point, we were two months into… MEGADETH was well on its way.

"So, long answer to your short question is I didn't really have an influence [from Cliff]… That was not where my influence came from. And quite honestly, growing up in a rural area of Minnesota, bass players in rock and roll were cool, but when I started hearing some jazz players… Those guys were more of my influence, along with Steve Harris [IRON MAIDEN] and Geddy Lee [RUSH] and Ian Hill [JUDAS PRIEST] and the metal guys. But, for me, I went more into the jazz world… But those were the things that I brought in, and I think that made, me and Dave, our participation together with the MEGADETH sound something that was… And even then with Gar Samuelson and Chris Poland — they were jazz-fusion musicians. We really had a very different sound — different even from ANTHRAX, from METALLICA, from SLAYER — a very different sound. And I think that probably is what sort of set us apart as our own pillar of the 'Big Four.'"

"No Life 'Til Leather - A Tribute To Metallica's Kill 'Em All" is a colossal celebration of the most propulsive debut album in heavy metal history, reimagined by the legends who inspired it and the generations that came in its wake!

The veteran likes of SAXON, DIAMOND HEAD and MOTÖRHEAD — three of METALLICA's favorite bands — are joined by rising stars such as TAILGUNNER and Swedish prog metallers SOEN to create a who's who of heavy music, with each performer lending their unique sound to one classic track. Contributions from thrash giants TESTAMENT, ex-MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson and New Wave Of British Heavy Metal linchpins TYGERS OF PAN TANG show the label looking beyond their own artists to amass the greatest lineup possible. Joining the superstar lineup are the legendary RAVEN (closing with the thundering anthemic "Metal Militia") who were part of METALLICA's first-ever tour, 1983's famous "Kill 'Em All For One" venture.

"No Life 'Til Leather - A Tribute To Metallica's Kill 'Em All" is an ambitious achievement worthy of METALLICA's game-changing legacy. By the fans and for the fans, it reaffirms the Four Horsemen's ironclad status — and its stacked roster continues the band's mission to shove metal up your ass.

"No Life 'Til Leather - A Tribute To Metallica's Kill 'Em All" will be available on vinyl, CD, and digital formats.

"No Life 'Til Leather - A Tribute To Metallica's Kill 'Em All" track listing:

01. Hit The Lights - TAILGUNNER
02. The Four Horsemen - THE ALMIGHTY
03. Motorbreath - SOEN
04. Jump In The Fire - TYGERS OF PAN TANG
05. (Anesthesia - Pulling Teeth - DAVID ELLEFSON
06. Whiplash - MOTÖRHEAD
07. Phantom Lord - SAXON
08. No Remorse - DIAMOND HEAD
09. Seek & Destroy - TESTAMENT
10. Metal Militia - RAVEN

DIAMOND HEAD's version of METALLICA's "No Remorse" was originally included on a reimagined and re-recorded version of DIAMOND HEAD's "Lightning To The Nations" album, which was released in 2020 via Silver Lining Music.

"I wanted to cover a song from METALLICA's debut album, 'Kill 'Em All'," DIAMOND HEAD guitarist Brian Tatler explained, "partly because METALLICA covered songs from DIAMOND HEAD's debut album 'Lightning To The Nations' and it felt like things have come full circle to me. None of the band members knew how to play any of the songs from 'Kill 'Em All', and I eventually decided we should all learn 'No Remorse'. Then when we got into the rehearsal room, we played 'No Remorse' and immediately it just sounded great; it was very 'DIAMOND HEAD' and it really suited us as a band. Of the four covers we ended up doing, 'No Remorse' sounded the best straight away. I've seen METALLICA live over twenty times and they don't play 'No Remorse' very often, but it's always great when they do."

Back in December 2011, SAXON's Biff Byford joined METALLICA on stage for the first of four intimate shows at the 1,200-capacity Fillmore in San Francisco as part of the week-long celebration of its 30th anniversary as a band for fan club members only. The iconic metal vocalist performed the SAXON classic "Motorcycle Man" with METALLICA.

It wasn't the first time Biff and METALLICA had surprised their fans with a live rendition of the song: in 2009, Byford joined the San Francisco heavy metal giants in Paris, at Palais Omnisport de Bercy.

METALLICA's second-ever gig was opening for SAXON, and Biff has been a longtime friend of the California band; like many other seminal bands of the genre, METALLICA always recognized SAXON as one of their main influences.

When METALLICA played Sheffield Arena on February 28, 2009, they invited as VIP guests former SAXON members Graham Oliver and Steve Dawson.

There has always been a strong link between the pioneering MOTÖRHEAD and mighty METALLICA. A unique bond of friendship between the two has stood over the decades, with METALLICA even playing Lemmy's 50th birthday party in 1995. In turn, MOTÖRHEAD have paid homage to some of METALLICA's finest compositions, even winning a Grammy Award for their cover of "Whiplash" in 2004.

METALLICA paid tribute to MOTÖRHEAD frontman Lemmy on its 2016 album "Hardwired... To Self-Destruct", which came out less than a year after the iconic rocker's death.

Shortly after Lemmy's passing, METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich penned a lengthy tribute to the MOTÖRHEAD mainman in which looked back on the influence Lemmy had not just on METALLICA but also on him personally.

Raven

1

Former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal has released the official music video for the song "Moonshine Hootenanny". The track is taken from his latest instrumental album, "Bumblefoot ...Returns!", which came out in January 2025. Thirty years after his debut solo instrumental album, Bumblefoot revisited his roots with a 14-track masterpiece that spans genres from metal to orchestral to blues.

The album's opening track, "Simon In Space", served as its first single, delivering an electrifying ride through chaos and intensity. In addition to the single, an animated music video created by Bumblefoot and animator Radek Grabinski was maade available, as well as a retro-inspired video game.

"Bumblefoot ...Returns!" featured collaborations with iconic musicians, including Brian May, Steve Vai, Guthrie Govan, Derek Sherinian, Jerry Gaskill and others, showcasing Bumblefoot's innovative guitar techniques, such as his signature fretless guitar and "thimble technique."

On the album, Bumblefoot shared: "It's been 30 years since releasing the debut 'Adventures Of Bumblefoot' on Shrapnel Records, and I haven't done a fully instrumental album since. Writing during the pandemic, these songs became a soundtrack to my life — from heavy fretless growls to bluesy tributes to legends like Lonnie Johnson. It's a reflection of the moments that shaped me."

He added: "Working on WHOM GODS DESTROY's album inspired growling heavy fretless parts like 'Simon In Space'. Watching a blues documentary inspired 'Moonshine Hootenanny'. Losing loved ones led to writing 'Funeral March'. Songs become a soundtrack to our lives."

In an interview Decibel, Bumblefoot stated about his decision to make another instrumental album: "My pursuits from the beginning were as a singer, songwriter, guitarist, founding bandmember, doing our own music. I wasn't looking to be an instrumental guitarist. I signed a record deal in the mid-'90s to do music with vocals, but they asked me to do an instrumental album to start things off. I did 'The Adventures Of Bumblefoot' album [1995], which opened the door to doing video game soundtracks, TV and film music. After that I went back on the path, proggy, quirky hard rock with vocals, and over the decades released albums that would have some instrumental songs, but more in the way a VAN HALEN album would have some between the vocal songs. Since the last Bumblefoot album, I did the first ART OF ANARCHY album in 2015 with Scott Weiland, another in 2017 with Scott Stapp, SONS OF APOLLO's debut that same year, the live SONS OF APOLLO album/video in 2019, an instrumental single that year, released the next SOA album in 2020, while touring and producing bands every moment in-between, including fronting the band ASIA. Then the 2020 lockdown hit, and there was suddenly time, lots of it. I often thought, 'Someday when there's time, I'd like to do another instrumental album like the first 'Adventures' one, another lounge-metal album like 'Uncool' (2002),another acoustic EP like 'Barefoot' (2008).

"During the lockdown I put out an instrumental single, 'Planetary Lockdown', did two acoustic 'Barefoot 2' and '3' EPs, was busy in the studio every day mixing people's songs and albums, laying guest solos, doing online teaching, lots of the things I had missed doing while touring so much. And then got the itch to do another fully instrumental album, and started writing and demoing ideas… It was the gift of time that made it possible, being forced off the touring 'hamster wheel' and having focus and momentum being in the studio every day."

Regarding what had changed about his approach to writing and playing music in the decade after his previous solo album, Bumblefoot said: "In the past ten years there's been lots of collaborating in bands, where I've been a contributing songwriter, co-writer, guitarist, producer, mixing the albums… Now getting back to doing another full album of my own, the big difference I'm feeling is based on now having the guitar as the voice of the song, which allows more possibilities for the melody, more range, different tones. Singing has limits with all of that, you have just one voice, although you also have words to tell the story.

"The previous album, 'Little Brother Is Watching' [2015] was all vocal songs, and having the same voice on the songs makes the overall direction feel more focused. With instrumental music, I tend to get more experimental and every song tends to have more of its own identity. And the guitar lines aren't limited to solo sections; there's a whole song where the guitar gets to do it all, make singable lines, experimental sounds…"

"Bumblefoot ...Returns!" track listing:

01. Simon In Space
02. Planetary Lockdown
03. Moonshine Hootenanny
04. Chopin Waltz Op64 No2
05. Monstruoso (featuring Steve Vai)
06. Monstruoso II – Departure
07. Cintaku
08. Once in Forever (featuring Brian May)
09. Andalusia
10. Anveshana (featuring Guthrie Govan)
11. Funeral March (featuring Ben Karas)
12. Griggstown Crossing
13. The Thread
14. Liftoff

Thal joined GUNS N' ROSES in 2006 and appeared on 2008's "Chinese Democracy", an effort which contained music that had been written before he came into the group. The disc took 13 years to make and was only a modest seller, moving just around half a million copies.

Thal never officially announced his departure from the GN'R, but a source confirmed to Detroit music writer Gary Graff back in 2015 that the guitarist had been out since the end of the band's second Las Vegas residency in 2014.

Thal later revealed that he was focusing on his solo career and other projects after spending eight years playing in GUNS.

Thal spent a few years recording and touring with SONS OF APOLLO, which also featured drummer Mike Portnoy, keyboardist Derek Sherinian and bassist Billy Sheehan. SONS OF APOLLO released its second studio album, "MMXX" (pronounced: 20/20),in January 2020 via InsideOut Music/Sony.

Photo: Andre Tedim

Bumblefoot

1