Watch: CACTUS Joined By BILLY SHEEHAN, DOUG ALDRICH, DOUG 'DUG' PINNICK And BUMBLEFOOT At 'Temple Of The Blues II' Album-Release Concert

Legendary rock band CACTUS, whose current lineup includes original drummer Carmine Appice (also of VANILLA FUDGE and BECK, BOGERT & APPICE fame),singer Ed Terry, guitarist Artie Dillon and bassist James Caputo, was joined by a number of guest musicians, including Billy Sheehan (MR. BIG, THE WINERY DOGS),Eric Gales, Doug Aldrich (WHITESNAKE, DIO),Tony Franklin (THE FIRM, BLUE MURDER, Lou Gramm),Pat Travers, Doug "Dug" Pinnick (KING'S X) and Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal (GUNS N' ROSES, ASIA, SONS OF APOLLO) for the "Temple Of The Blues II" album-release concert on April 3 at the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles, Illinois. Fan-filmed video of the show can be seen in the YouTube playlist below, courtesy of the Scott Sigman channel on YouTube. (Note: After each song, the YouTube player automatically jumps to the next song in the playlist.)

Released on April 3 via Cleopatra Records, "Temple Of The Blues II" is the follow-up to CACTUS's 2024 release "Temple Of The Blues" and features a host of guest musicians on the eleven cuts, including a bonus track on the CD.

Oft described as America's LED ZEPPELIN, the original CACTUS grew out of Appice's past experiences with VANILLA FUDGE and BECK, BOGERT & APPICE, debuting in 1970 with a self-titled album and an immediate impact on the live circuit. And "Temple Of Blues II" takes us back to their birth — that summer, CACTUS were among the main attractions at the Isle Of Wight festival in England, and the new album's "Purple Haze" reunites them with both another of that bill's audience favorites, Melanie, and its overall headliner, Jimi Hendrix.

Elsewhere on this thunderous sequel, Pat Travers returns for the mighty "Moanin' At Midnight"; Joe Lynn Turner (RAINBOW, DEEP PURPLE),joins Steve Morse (DEEP PURPLE),Carmine's "Guitar Zeus" bandmate Tony Franklin and Derek Sherinian (DREAM THEATER) for "Bad Stuff"; Dee Snider (TWISTED SISTER) and Tracii Guns (L.A. GUNS) lead the way for "The Little Red Rooster"; and Ted Nugent and Bob Daisley (OZZY OSBOURNE, RAINBOW) join forces for an astonishing "Spoonful".

Formed in 1970 from the ashes of VANILLA FUDGE by Carmine Appice and Tim Bogert, the initial CACTUS lineup also featured guitarist Jim McCarty (from Mitch Ryder and THE BUDDY MILES EXPRESS) and AMBOY DUKES vocalist Rusty Day. While CACTUS saw success from the start and soon built a loyal fanbase, by early 1973 the band had collapsed mainly due to lack of real support from its label and the fact that Jeff Beck was now ready play with Carmine and Tim in BECK, BOGERT & APPICE. CACTUS reformed in 2006, three decades after the tragic death of Rusty Day with Randy Pratt on harp and Jimmy Kunes on vocals. When Bogert was forced into retirement due to complications after a serious motorcycle accident, Pete Bremy joined on bass before Jim Caputo replaced him in 2020.

The current touring lineup of CACTUS, consisting of Appice, singer Ed Terry, guitarist Artie Dillon and bassist James Caputo, came together for 2024's "Temple Of The Blues".