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XANDRIA Announces New Album 'Eclipse', Shares 'The Shannon's Home' Music Video

Thu, 07 May 2026 14:40:40 +0000

German symphonic metallers XANDRIA will release their new studio album, "Eclipse", on August 7, 2026, via Napalm Records. The upcoming full-length features eleven tracks that represent the most diverse body of work in the band's discography so far: every song has its own identity — a journey full of discoveries — yet they all belong to the same world. Classic, '80s-inspired metal riffs stand alongside low-tuned modern metal guitars; cinematic orchestral sounds meet Celtic folk influences, and dark electronic elements blend with intimate rock moments, even including a guitar solo that owes more to PINK FLOYD than to any metal genre. With "The Shannon's Home", XANDRIA unveils the first offering cut from the upcoming record. The song weaves dreamlike melodies, cinematic opulence, and folk elements, all driven by the soaring vocals of Ambre Vourvahis. Both intimate and epic, XANDRIA once again proves that it belongs among the leading acts in the scene. "The Shannon's Home" is now available on all streaming services worldwide and comes with an official music video that can be seen below. XANDRIA mastermind Marco Heubaum comments on "The Shannon's Home": "A song like a beautiful, slightly dark fairytale — which makes sense, as it is an analogy of life, pictured as the river Shannon, flowing from its source to the sea. And just one of the many colorful facets of our new album, which will be a journey full of diverse elements and surprises. We felt this song had a mysterious magic that captured our hearts from the very beginning. In fact, it was the first song we wrote for this next voyage of wonders — so we instantly knew this was the first song we wanted you all to hear. For all you wonderful people out there — enjoy!" "Eclipse" marks XANDRIA's most outspoken and cinematic album so far: a dark, colorful, and defiant statement for reason, empathy, and democracy in times when all three are under attack, brought to life by a band fueled with new energy, new ambitions, and a clear artistic direction, aiming higher than ever and not looking back. While "The Wonders Still Awaiting" (2023) marked the rebirth of XANDRIA with a new lineup — an album that opened the door to a new era — "Eclipse" goes further. It is more focused and direct, the lyrics are more outspoken, dealing almost entirely with what is happening to our civilization right now. The contrasts are stronger, and the different musical and vocal colors feel even more naturally integrated into the songs. As XANDRIA's sole composer, Marco Heubaum musically draws inspiration from all aspects of his surroundings: music, stories, and emotions that have shaped him since childhood. It is no secret that film scores have always been another major influence, especially composers like Hans Zimmer and John Williams. "Eclipse" track listing: 01. Syzygy 02. Eclipse 03. Colours 04. The Shannon's Home 05. The Grand Delusion 06. Wave Of Tanis 07. Northstar 08. Masquerade 09. The Last Generation 10. The Poetry Of The Real World 11. Lore As guests, XANDRIA welcomes SUBWAY TO SALLY's violinist Ally Storch, who can be heard on "Lore", while the band's longtime friend McAlbi is featured on four songs with his Celtic tin and low whistles ("The Shannon's Home", "Northstar", "Masquerade" and "Lore"). "The Last Generation" features a children's choir and piano performed by Richard Z. Wang, a Hollywood pianist who has worked at Hans Zimmer's studio. In addition, the band has once again collaborated with the Sofia Session Orchestra & Choir, known for their work on numerous film and television scores, including "His Dark Materials". All songs were orchestrated by two film score composers working in Hollywood: Lukas Geppert, who worked on the scores for "Nobody 2" and the latest "Final Destination", and Ishaan Tyagi, who has contributed to productions such as "Wuthering Heights". "Eclipse" European tour dates 2026: Sep. 16 - UK - London - The Dome Sep. 17 - UK - Glasgow - Slay Sep. 18 - UK - Manchester - Academy Sep. 19 - UK - Birmingham - O2 Sep. 21 - BE - Kortrijk - DVG Club Sep. 22 - FR - Paris - Nouveau Casino Sep. 23 - FR - Nantes - Le Ferrailleur Sep. 24 - ES - Barcelona - Razzmatazz 3 Sep. 26 - ES - Albacete - Ginetarock Sep. 27 - FR - Montpellier - Secret Place Sep. 28 - FR - Toulouse - Le Rex Sep. 29 - FR - Lyon - Rock'n Eat Sep. 30 - DE - Munich - Backstage Halle Oct. 01 - HR - Zagreb - Boogaloo Club Oct. 02 - IT - Milan - Legend Club Oct. 03 - AT - Salzburg - Rockhouse Bar Oct. 05 - RO - Cluj-Napoca - FORM Space Oct. 06 - RO - Bucharest - Quantic Club Oct. 08 - BG - Sofia - Pirotska 5 Event Centre Oct. 09 - RS - Belgrade - Zappa Barka Oct. 10 - HU - Budapest - Analog Music Hall Oct. 12 - DE - Berlin - Lido Oct. 13 - PL - Warsaw - Hydrozagadka Oct. 14 - PL - Krakow - Zaścianek Oct. 15 - CZ - Prague - Distrikt Prague Oct. 16 - DE - Dresden - Blauer Salon Oct. 18 - DE - Cham - L.A. Live Style Cafe Oct. 19 - DE - Frankfurt - Das Bett Oct. 20 - CH - Pratteln - Z7 Oct. 21 - DE - Stuttgart - Im Wizemann Club Oct. 22 - DE - Nuremberg - Hirsch Oct. 23 - DE - Hamburg - Bahnhof Pauli XANDRIA is: Marco Heubaum - Guitar, Keys Ambre Vourvahis - Vocals Robert Klawonn - Guitar Dimitrios Gatsios - Drums Photo credit: Stefan Heilemann/Mirko Witzki

GENE SIMMONS Confirms KISS Has Recorded A New PAUL STANLEY-Written Song: We Are 'In The Studio Now'

Thu, 07 May 2026 14:08:45 +0000

In an interview with KISSbySienna, hosted by KISS superfan Sienna Hernandez, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons confirmed that new music from the legendary rock band is in the works. He revealed (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "KISS is in the studio now. So we just recorded a new song, as a matter of fact, that Paul [Stanley, KISS guitarist/vocalist] wrote. I can't tell you more about it. And that'll be coming out at some point." Last month, Gene told Pollstar magazine that "new" KISS songs will be featured the upcoming avatar-based KISS show, which is tentatively scheduled to launch in Las Vegas in 2028. The as-yet unnamed KISS experience will be the first major entry into the U.S. market for Pophouse Entertainment, the Sweden-based music investment firm co-founded by ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus. After Pollstar writer Katherine Turman asked for clarification as to which "new" songs will make an appearance, Gene said: "Exactly what that means, written by us. We have songs done." KISS hasn't issued a full-length disc of new music since 2012's "Monster", which sold 56,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 3 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous LP, "Sonic Boom", opened with 108,000 units back in October 2009 to enter the chart at No. 2. It was KISS's highest-charting LP ever. Last November, Stanley was asked by a TMZ "what kind of vibe" the new KISS music would be if he and the rest of KISS decided to write and record something. Paul said: "I think we'd probably go for something that's classic, but everything has to have a beat. You gotta be able to dance to it, but it should still be rock." As for the lyrical inspiration for hypothetical new KISS material, Stanley said: "Freedom, self-empowerment, enjoying life. That doesn't change. It doesn't matter how old you are. You're supposed to enjoy your life, you're supposed to do things your way. That's timeless. That's rock and roll." Earlier November 2025, during a question-and-answer session at the "KISS Kruise: Landlocked In Vegas" event held at the Virgin Hotels resort and casino complex in Las Vegas, Stanley said that "there may be some [KISS] music in the works. We like to tell you what we're doing, the things that are planned," he explained. "The problem is that so much of what we may bring up never comes to fruition, [but] music, yeah, that looks pretty damn… more than possible. Probable. I'm not going to give you any hints, but I only write when there's a project — and I've been writing." Five years ago, Stanley was far more non-committal about the prospect of new KISS music, saying during a question-and-answer session on the 2021 Kiss Kruise: "Why would we need a new KISS album? Any big classic band with a history, you go, 'Oh, put out a new album.' You know, if THE [ROLLING] STONES put out a new album, you go, 'Oh, that's great. Play 'Brown Sugar'.' … Yeah, maybe not now," apparently referencing the fact that THE ROLLING STONES recently retired one of their most popular songs due to lyrics that depict the horrors of slavery. "But the same is true for us. You can have great songs on the more recent albums, but people then go, 'Great. Play 'Love Gun'Paul's comments during the November 2021 Kiss Kruise echoed those he made in March 2021 when he told USA Today in an interview that he didn't really see a "reason" for KISS to make any new music. "For the most part, when classic bands put out new albums, they're looked at and listened to and thrown away because they don't have the gravitas, they don't have the age that comes with something being a time capsule or being attached to a certain period of your life," he said. "I'm not alone in that. When you see any classic bands on TV or if there's a concert video, turn off the sound and I'll tell you every time they're playing a new song because the audience sits down. "So it's odd to me that people always want you to do a new album, but then they go, 'That's great. Now play your hits.' So honestly, at this point, there isn't a real reward in it. There's much more of a reward in changing lanes — I'm still going forward. But in terms of recording more KISS material, I kind of go, 'Why?' I thought 'Modern Day Delilah' or 'Hell Or Hallelujah' were as good as anything I've written and as good as anything we recorded, but understandably, it's like new wine. It just hasn't aged. So I'd rather not try to roll a stone up the hill." Paul had previously expressed uncertainty about the idea of making another KISS album in a number of other interviews a few years ago, telling the "Loudwire Podcast": "If we're going to do an album, it would be because we want to do an album, not because of sales. I think we're living in a time, obviously, now where albums don't sell what they once did, so you either do it because it's a creative outlet and because it satisfies something in you, or not. If you're doing it purely for sales, then you're probably doing it for the wrong reason." Simmons had agreed with his bandmate, saying a while back in an interview that he was "not incentivized" to release another KISS disc unless there are some major changes in the way music is consumed. He said: "The idea that you work your ass off and then someone with freckles on their face decides they want to download your music and file share — that's not what I work for. How'd you like to be a plumber, come over somebody's house and work all day to fix their plumbing and then when it's time to get paid, they say, 'No, I just wanted to say thank you.' No." Two years after the completion of their five-year, 250-date "End Of The Road" farewell tour with two shows at New York City's Madison Square Garden, KISS returned to the stage at their "KISS Kruise: Landlocked In Vegas" event, which was held in November 2025 at the Virgin Hotels resort and casino complex in Las Vegas. After an hourlong acoustic performance on November 14, 2025, the band played an 85-minute set — their first "unmasked" electric concert on land in 30 years — the following night, where they were joined by former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick on two songs ("Lick It Up" and "Rock And Roll All Nite"). The 2026 edition of "KISS Kruise: Landlocked In Vegas" will be held November 13-15 at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. This time, the event will introduce an expanded and immersive KISSperience featuring artist panels and Q&As, a look-alike contest, KISS karaoke, "Ask Doc" sessions with longtime KISS manager Doc McGhee, artist meet-and-greets and late-night DJs. The event will also include interactive exhibits, a merch store and a "Future Of KISS" panel. "KISS Kruise: Landlocked In Vegas" will feature two unmasked shows with the band, in addition to a powerhouse lineup of special guests and performers, including an Ace Frehley all-star tribute after the original KISS guitarist died at age 74 on October 16, 2025, weeks after suffering a fall at his home. Photo credit: Jen Rosenstein

Watch: ACCEPT Joined By JOHN NORUM, FREDRIK ÅKESSON, SHAWN DROVER And OLA ENGLUND At Stockholm Concert

Thu, 07 May 2026 13:13:47 +0000

German/American metal legends ACCEPT were joined by special guests John Norum (EUROPE), Fredrik Åkesson (OPETH) and Ola Englund (THE HAUNTED) during their headlining concert Wednesday night (May 6) at Cirkus in Stockholm, Sweden. Filling in on drums for the gig was former MEGADETH drummer Shawn Drover. Fan-filmed video of the show can be seen below. Drover joined ACCEPT as a "special guest artist" at the veteran metallers' first three 50th-anniversary concerts of 2026: on May 1 at the Karmøygeddon Metal Festival in Kopervik, Norway, on May 3 at Filmstudion in Gothenburg, Sweden and in Stockholm. When Shawn's participation in the shows was first announced in April, ACCEPT said in a statement: "The one and only drummer Shawn Drover (ex-MEGADETH) will be the first special guest artist for ACCEPT's 50th-anniversary celebrations LIVE! Joining the band for the first three shows in May. An absolute legend and beast of a drummer, we are thrilled to have him join us on stage as part of this very special and unique year." As previously reported, ACCEPT will celebrate its 50th anniversary with an extensive European tour in late 2026, marking a major milestone in the band's extraordinary five-decade career at the forefront of heavy metal. The dates form part of ACCEPT's 50th-anniversary tour, comprising 24 headline shows across 11 European countries. The tour will see the band bring half a century of metal history to stages across Europe, performing for fans in major cities throughout Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. ACCEPT guitarist Wolf Hoffmann said: "It's incredible to be celebrating 50 years of ACCEPT, and taking this anniversary tour across Europe makes it even more special. The support from our fans over the decades has been overwhelming, and we can't wait to bring these shows to so many countries and celebrate this milestone together." Special guests on the tour will be Swedish metallers DYNAZTY and U.K. up-and-comers TAILGUNNER. Since joining ACCEPT in 1976 at the age of just 16, Wolf played a central role in the band. His instantly recognizable and signature guitar style not only created the ACCEPT "sound" but influenced a plethora of other highly successful bands and guitarists. Because of Wolf's unflinching dedication, ACCEPT has become one of the most significant bands in heavy metal. Not only did he lay the musical foundations for the band, he also carried it through both the highs and lows of an extraordinary 50-year career. Alongside the anniversary tour, ACCEPT will release a special 50th-anniversary album later this year, featuring newly re-recorded classics, rare tracks and guest appearances. "Teutonic Titans 1976–2026" stands as a definitive statement of the band's legacy, forged in steel and driven by unmistakable riffs. Arriving September 4, 2026 via Napalm Records, the album delivers some of the most iconic songs ever written in heavy music. Chronologically progressing through albums from their formative years, from "I'm A Rebel" (1980) to "Eat The Heat" (1989),ACCEPT present their songs with an all-new, all-star lineup, alongside the signature voice of Mark Tornillo and Wolf Hoffmann's unmistakable riffs. By enlisting a who's who of metal, no two songs on "Teutonic Titans 1976-2026" are the same. Every track features a different combination of vocals, guitars, bass, and drums, giving each classic a fresh edge. Tobias Forge (GHOST) delivers a commanding performance on the track "Save Us" ("I'm A Rebel", 1980),joined by Ray Luzier on drums. Philip Anselmo (PANTERA),Kirk Hammett (METALLICA) and Mikkey Dee (SCORPIONS) tear through the speed metal classic "Fast As A Shark" ("Restless And Wild", 1982). "Balls To The Wall" surges with the powerful range of Rob Halford (JUDAS PRIEST),alongside the guitar work of Matthias Jabs (SCORPIONS),while the reimagined "Love Child" is elevated by Billy Corgan (SMASHING PUMPKINS) and David Ellefson (MEGADETH) (both songs from "Balls To The Wall", 1983). Other guest stars on ACCEPT's extraordinary release include K.K. Downing (JUDAS PRIEST),Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth (OVERKILL),Hansi Kürsch (BLIND GUARDIAN),Chris Jericho (FOZZY),Ralf Scheepers (PRIMAL FEAR),Billy Sheehan (MR. BIG),Ola Englund (THE HAUNTED) and Jeff Loomis (NEVERMORE). The album also features a re-recording of "Hellhammer" ("Eat The Heat", 1989),performed by ACCEPT's current lineup: Wolf Hoffmann, bassist Martin Motnik, guitarist Philip Shouse and drummer Christopher Williams, joined by Jason McMaster (DANGEROUS TOYS) on vocals.

FLOTSAM AND JETSAM Announces New Album, 'Rats In The Temple'

Thu, 07 May 2026 12:45:19 +0000

American thrash metal pioneers FLOTSAM AND JETSAM will release their new album, "Rats In The Temple", on August 28, 2026 via Napalm Records. The legends from Arizona have been a fixture of the metal scene for the better part of the last four decades. With modern renaissance records like "The End Of Chaos" (2019) and "I Am The Weapon" (2024), capturing the glory of their inceptional material, the Kerrang!-championed classic "Doomsday For The Deceiver" (1986) and "No Place For Disgrace" (1988), it's no wonder they're still raising hell for their throngs of dedicated fans along festival circuits internationally. "Rats In The Temple" lunges out full force with 13 rabid onslaughts of ornate guitarmonies, pummeling double bass kicks, hypnotic bass grooves, and exalted frontman Eric "A.K." Knutson's unmistakably haunting wail. As the temple is besieged by vermin, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM line the walls with grim tales of death, abuse, betrayal, and war, inviting listeners into a dark world not too distant from our own. Knutson said about the album: "This record is a BEAST, truly our best effort to date!! Do yourself a favor. Dim the lights, grab a drink, put the headphones on, and crank this up. You will not be sorry you did!!!" FLOTSAM AND JETSAM's current lineup is arguably its strongest ever. Knutson continues bringing the magic, steadily improving his craft with every album and tour. He's backed by the incredibly talented, exceptionally brilliant guitar duo of co-founder Michael Gilbert and Steve Conley, the powerful, precise and lightning fast magic of drummer Ken Mary (ALICE COOPER, ACCEPT) and the "fresh blood", extraordinary technical skills and prowess of bassist Bill Bodily. FLOTSAM AND JETSAM's new album will mark 40 years since the band's groundbreaking debut, the aforementioned "Doomsday For The Deceiver" — one of the only albums to ever receive a 6K rating from Kerrang! magazine. Though bassist Jason Newsted departed to join METALLICA, the band pushed forward, following up with 1988's unstoppable "No Place For Disgrace". Since then, they have continued to evolve, showcasing some of their best work to date with recent releases "Flotsam And Jetsam", "The End Of Chaos", "Blood In The Water" and "I Am The Weapon". "Rats In The Temple" opens strong with the stadium-ready hooks and dizzyingly precise performances of "Harvesting The Hate" and "Damnation", before delving into thrash virtuosity on "Absolution". The iconic guitar duo of Michael Gilbert and Steve Conley paint vividly ghoulish images on tracks like "Blame The Knife" and "Rats In the Temple", then continue to flex their metal muscle on "The Ghost Behind My Door" and "First On The Spike", invoking pure first-wave excellence with a pummeling modern menace. "The Edge Of Nowhere" builds inescapable suspense before firing listeners out of a gun, full throttle into "Last Rites", another standout track for the band. The legendary rhythm duo of drummer Ken Mary and bassist Bill Bodily take center stage on the anti-war anthem "A Taste For War", their methodical syncopation invoking images of tanks and boots on the ground. "Her Blood Your Pain" brings ornate, medieval guitarmonies before "Anthem For The Broken" goes full balls to the wall, and "Going Down That Way" hits listeners with heavy riffs and even heavier truths. "Rats In The Temple" remains enthralling throughout, giving listeners entry to numerous of the band's metal chambers, sampling a refined and eclectic serving of influences. "Rats In The Temple" track listing: 01. Harvesting The Hate 02. Damnation 03. Absolution 04. Blame The Knife 05. Rats In The Temple 06. The Ghost Behind My Door 07. First On The Spike 08. The Edge Of Nowhere 09. Last Rites 10. A Taste For War 11. Her Blood Your Pain 12. Anthem For The Broken 13. Not Going Down That Way FLOTSAM AND JETSAM 2026 is: Eric "A.K." Knutson - Vocals Michael Gilbert - Guitar Steve Conley - Guitar William Bodily - Bass Ken Mary - Drums Photo credit: Shane Eckart

See JASON NEWSTED Perform Acoustically For Animals At Florida's Busch Wildlife Sanctuary

Thu, 07 May 2026 12:20:15 +0000

Former METALLICA bassist Jason Newsted recently visited the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary in his hometown of Jupiter, Florida for a very special live music enrichment session. According to the Sanctuary, "Jason performed calming live music for several of our resident [animal] ambassadors, creating a unique sensory experience designed to stimulate curiosity, reduce stress, and encourage natural behaviors. "Every animal responds differently, and it was incredible to watch their individual reactions to the sounds and rhythms throughout the session!" the Sanctuary added. "A heartfelt thank you to Jason and his wife, Nicole, for not only being such passionate supporters of Busch Wildlife Sanctuary, but also for bringing this thoughtful and creative idea to life to help enhance the quality of care we provide to the animals who call Busch home." Busch Wildlife Sanctuary is South Florida's largest wildlife rehabilitation and environmental education center. The nonprofit's wildlife rehabilitation center admits over 5,000 injured, sick, or orphaned animals annually, providing lifesaving medical care to release these species back to their habitats. Busch Wildlife Sanctuary relies solely on donations to continue its two-fold mission. The now-63-year-old Newsted was the third of four children growing up on a Battle Creek, Michigan farm in the 1960s. "The farm was] where I learned about life — seeing a baby cow born right in front of your eyes when you're eight years old is pretty intense," he later said in an interview. Newsted also raised dozens of rabbits and chickens, selling them for meat and as pets. Every spring, he bought Cornish hen chicks to raise for meat and eggs, which he sold at church on Sundays. Newsted and his THE CHOPHOUSE BAND will embark on their first-ever North American headlining tour this summer. JASON NEWSTED & THE CHOPHOUSE BAND will play eight headlining dates in cities including Northampton, Albany, Alexandria, Grand Rapids, Knoxville and more (full dates below). The group will also support iconic Atlanta country rock outfit BLACKBERRY SMOKE for 10 shows in July. This 18-date run will kick off on July 1 at Northampton's Iron Horse Music Hall, and visit major markets across the South, Midwest, and East Coast, and conclude with a two-night stand at the legendary Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee on July 24-25. Since 1992, JASON NEWSTED & THE CHOPHOUSE BAND have performed periodically at select benefit shows and charity gigs, supporting causes like veterans' relief and animal rehabilitation, as well as youth music and arts education programs. Newsted leads the 2026 JASON NEWSTED & THE CHOPHOUSE BAND lineup, in which he is joined by Jesse Farnsworth (guitar, vocals), Jimbo Hart (bass, vocals), Humberto Perez (guitar) and Robert John-Tucker (drums, vocals). Jason left METALLICA back in 2001, but was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, along with Lars Ulrich, James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett and the man who replaced him, bassist Robert Trujillo, in 2009. Twelve years ago, Jason shelved NEWSTED, the heavy metal project he operated between 2012 and 2014, saying that it cost him "an awful lot of money — hundreds of thousands of dollars." He added: "I couldn't continue because the business is such a harsh thing now and so different than what I had known."

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BRUCE DICKINSON On Keeping IRON MAIDEN Concert Tickets Affordable: 'We Don't Want A Bunch Of Very Rich People Standing In Front Of The Stage'

Thu, 07 May 2026 11:57:14 +0000

On the red carpet of the world premiere of the "Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition" documentary, which was held Tuesday night (May 5) at Cineworld Leicester Square in London, England, IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson discussed the changes in the music industry, especially on the touring front, over the last four decades. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The problem you have is that costs keep going up and everything else. But that's not an excuse for doing crazy, crazy ticket prices. We've always tried to keep our ticket prices lower than the general norm because, frankly, we don't want a bunch of very rich people standing in front of the stage. We want real fans to be standing there, and they don't always have loads of money. So it's really important for us as a band to have that facility. We want young kids at the shows, and they don't have loads of money. They're gonna get their money from dad. But dad, these days, money's tight. So it's important to try and keep ticket prices within the bounds of reason." Bruce previously talked about music industry changes and the fact that prices for high-profile, in-demand shows can be eye-watering, especially when they're resold on secondary markets, during a March 2024 interview with Mexico's ATMósferas Magazine. He said at the time: "The music industry has done two things. On the one hand, if you're an artist, it's contracted, as in it's shrunk in terms of the amount of money you get paid for your art — unless you are some massive social media thing, or whatever it is, or unless you're a DJ who turns up with a memory stick and gets paid five times what a band gets paid. And they have to split it eight ways, and he just turns up with his memory stick and pretends he's doing something, and goes away with a huge amount of money. So the world has gone on its ass from that perspective. And there's not a lot that any one individual can do about that. You just have to work with the way the world is." He continued: "I have no desire whatsoever to be a DJ. I'm a singer, I'm a musician, I have bands and people like that, and they all have to make a living playing with me. So I do the best I can to make sure that everybody's happy, everybody's making a living and we can go out and play great music. "In terms of the way that records are sold — well, records, downloads, things like that — I think it's a lose-lose situation for everybody," Dickinson added. "I mean, you have all the things like Spotify and stuff like that who are basically ripping off musicians by paying them next to nothing for playing their work. And still, [Spotify] can't make money. So they're not making money [and] the musicians aren't getting paid. New bands can hardly afford to start up, but they do. Why? Because they love what they do. It's that that drives them. It's that that motivates them. So, if the streaming services could manage to actually pay people properly for when people listen, which probably means that people listening have to pay more, which I frankly don't object to, and I don't think probably most listeners would. Maybe less people would listen, but it would be people who care, not people who just do it because it's cheap." Asked if he thinks the skyrocketing concert ticket prices are having a negative impact on the music industry, Bruce said: "Well, two things. One, it depends what the show is and kind of who the audience are. I mean, I'm not gonna go around and say specific artists, because most of the artists that are charging, like, 1,200 dollars a ticket — like in Las Vegas, if you wanna go and see the U2 show, I think it was 1,200 dollars per seat in the sphere. I've got no interest in paying 1,200 dollars to go and see U2 in the sphere — none. A hundred bucks, maybe. But for me, what's important is to try and keep, on the one hand, the right type of tickets at the right price. So by that I mean the right type of tickets, I mean, the tickets that are in front of the stage, which everybody says should be the most expensive tickets. Actually, no, they should be the most reasonably priced tickets, 'cause the people who are gonna go there to the front of the stage are gonna be people who are real fans, people who are kids, people who can't afford the crazy money, but they are the people that need to be down the front; they're the people that are gonna keep this music alive. And then you get the people that they might be fans, but they wanna bring their wife and they don't wanna get too hot and sweaty and all the rest of it. So, there's some seats at the top or something else like that, what they're gonna pick, and those get priced differently." Bruce continued: "I understand how promoters try and do it to try and not lose money, because promoters are part of the whole ecosystem. Without promoters, there would be no shows. The promoters have somehow gotta make their money back. So, it's a delicate balance, but in general, ticket prices have gone through the roof. And some of the ticket prices that people pay, well, some of the prices people pay, for me, it's insane. I would never pay that price, but then again, I'm probably not a fan of that particular artist. People who are, maybe they think it's worth it. I mean, certainly with my shows, we've always tried to keep the ticket prices within the normal, normal boundaries. And the same with MAIDEN." A couple of months after IRON MAIDEN performed at the Power Trip festival in Indio, California in October 2023, Bruce told Brazil's 92.5 Kiss FM radio station that playing at the event "was a slightly strange experience for us" because "the people who should be down the front of the stage, because the tickets for the festival were so expensive, they were at the back, and the people who were at the front were just like rich people that wanted to film everything on their phone. But the kids who you wanted to play to were at the back. And that sucks, actually. It wasn't our festival; it wasn't our organization. We're going into America [in 2024] and we're doing our own tour. And the people who are down the front are gonna be the people who deserve to be down the front. They're gonna be the real fans, which is gonna be great." "Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition" will hit theaters for a limited time only beginning May 7, 2026. The film is said to trace the British heavy metal legends' "remarkable five‑decade journey" with "unprecedented access" to the band's official archives. Alongside the band, "Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition" features on‑camera reflections from prominent admirers, including Javier Bardem, METALLICA's Lars Ulrich and PUBLIC ENEMY's Chuck D, each speaking to MAIDEN's influence on music, culture and generations of fans worldwide. Directed by Malcolm Venville ("Churchill At War") and produced by Dominic Freeman ("Spirits In The Forest - A Depeche Mode Film"),the "electrifying film offers an intimate look at [MAIDEN's] uncompromising vision and unwavering connection with their global army of fans," according to a press release. Spanish illustrator Alberto "Akirant" Quirantes contributes newly created key art, following his work on IRON MAIDEN's 50th-anniversary coin for the Royal Mint, which was released to celebrate the band's milestone in 2025. Formed in East London in 1975, IRON MAIDEN have grown into one of the world's most influential and enduring rock bands. Across 50 years they have released 17 studio albums, sold over 100 million records, and performed almost 2,500 concerts across 64 countries. The documentary arrives as the band continues its two-year "Run For Your Lives" world tour, which included a triumphant homecoming performance at London Stadium a short distance from where it all began five decades ago. A recently announced, one-of-a-kind, celebration named EddFest in historic Knebworth Park, England, on July 11 forms part of over 50 shows worldwide in 2026.

In Somnolent Ruin

Wed, 06 May 2026 22:59:24 +0000

Major players in the world of ornate, gothic misery for the last 30 years, DRACONIAN have little to prove in 2026. The Swedish band's last two albums garnered some of the most effusive reviews they have ever received, and 2020's "Under a Godless Veil" appears to have been their most successful release to date. But if there was anything missing from the shimmering, flamboyant formula that has been the DRACONIAN way from the start, it was the absence of vocalist Lisa Johansson, who departed in the wake of 2011's "A Rose for the Apocalypse". Although her replacements fulfilled their obligations with style and class, it was Johansson's voice that dominated the Swedes' most potent past moments, the seminal "Arcane Rain Fell" (2005) included, and so it is a cause of some celebration that she has returned to the DRACONIAN fold for their eighth full-length outing. Newly re-acquainted with ostensible frontman Anders Jacobsson, Johansson quickly reasserts herself across these nine new songs, her ethereal tones blessing "In Somnolent Ruin" with no small amount of reawakened, romantic electricity. If wallowing in existential despair and the claustrophobic folds of love and loss is your thing, this album will quietly demand your attention. The return of Lisa Johansson ensures that "In Somnolent Ruin" will be hungrily received by DRACONIAN fans, but in every other respect, this is simply the next, natural step along the Swedes' morbid path. "I Welcome Thy Arrow" is a devastating way to reintroduce the former singer to the faithful: her heartbreakingly elegant vocals lead the way, as another delicate melodrama unfolds. Still rooted in grandiose death / doom and super-dynamic gothic indulgence, it drifts along with stoic persistence amid a fizzing mist of celestial keyboards, shifting from intense, melodic passages to growl-heavy moments of glacial horror. At times closer to the widescreen ingenuity of MARILLION than to any more obviously like-minded peers, DRACONIAN have woven a progressive approach into their austere, traditional doom, and their songwriting has grown in stature as a result. Above all else, "In Somnolent Ruin" embraces beauty with more passion than on any previous album. For all their adherence to grinding, deathly clangor, songs like "The Monochrome Blade" and "I Gave You Wings" are as committed to bittersweet melody as they are to big, bruising riffs, and Johansson's vocals elevate the formula to new levels of efficacy, almost as a matter of course. Meanwhile, Jacobsson's abyssal roar remains a compelling focal point, not least due to some extraordinary, poetic lyrics. Only the hardest of hearts could hear a song like "Cold Heavens" and remain unmoved. "With any raging storm, some bitter funeral / How dreadfully cold must the heavens be?" is one hell of a line, and "In Somnolent Ruin" is full of such things: bleak but heartfelt declarations from the edge of mortal reason, delivered by dual vocalists who inhabit these songs with every fiber of their beings. The music underpinning those sentiments reflects a toe-to-tooth embracing of sorrow as a mesmerizing shortcut to revelation, with riffs that exercise unearthly restraint in their snail's pace pursuit of harmonic closure. DRACONIAN may not be the band to listen to while contemplating the futility of life, but as guardians of the doorway to desolation, they have plainly digested and understood their given mission. As an additional plus point, "In Somnolent Ruin" sounds huge and cinematic, its soft-focus fury presented in a vibrant, multi-faceted fog of sharp colors and disorienting greys, with occasional bursts of arena-metal triumphalism from lead guitarist Johan Ericson. Fiercely accessible, in spite of its world-weary façade, and wonderfully lavish in its pristine execution, this is one of DRACONIAN's finest records to date, and the perfect response to an unhinged, uncaring world.

DEF LEPPARD's JOE ELLIOTT: 'We've Got About 17 Or 18 Songs Written' For New Album

Wed, 06 May 2026 22:03:54 +0000

In a new interview with Marjorie Hache of France 24, DEF LEPPARD singer Joe Elliott spoke about the band's latest single, "Rejoice". The track was released in late January ahead of DEF LEPPARD's return to Las Vegas for their "Def Leppard: Live at Caesars Palace The Las Vegas Residency" that kicked off on February 3. "Rejoice" is available via UMe now on all streaming platforms. Asked what "Rejoice" is about, Joe said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, the title kind of sums it up, really. I wanted to write a really uplifting, positive-message song, and I said to Phil [Collen, DEF LEPPARD guitarist], 'I got this great idea. I need it to be mid-tempo. I want it to have a big intro drum loop so we can actually walk on stage to this and expand it and make it longer live.' But the whole idea of the song is, it starts off — I mean, it's a great opening line, is, 'I'm bored of boredom. I'm sick of all this.' And, 'I wanna be in a better place.' So it gets to the climax, you go through the bridge, and you get to the chorus, it's, 'I wanna go higher.' So it's just very uplifting. It's a joyous, uplifting song." Joe continued: "That's what we are — we're an escapism band. We're not here to preach. We're not here to tell you who to vote for. Other people can do that. We like to take you away from that and just come and have a good time. It's not meaningless — there is a message there, and the message is, we need to share this moment together and make it a positive one. And 'Rejoice' just about sums that all up." Asked if the release of "Rejoice" means that there is a whole new DEF LEPPARD album on the way, Joe said: "Absolutely. We're actually recording it. As I speak, somewhere in the world, people are adding their bits to some new songs. "We've developed a whole new method of recording, which was brought on by COVID," Elliott explained. "I've got a studio at home, and everybody has always gracefully come to my house to record. We'd do a month at a time, and then everybody goes home. But they couldn't travel. So we ended up recording remotely, and we found it to be exhilarating. Everybody got to be at home with their families, yet still make a record. And we trusted each other that we were writing songs. And so everybody just played on everybody else's bits, and it's easy to do. We don't all record in one room when we are in the same studio — we do it, the drums and the bass and the guitars and the vocals; it's all layered. So we've been recording while we were in Vegas [for the latest residency]. On days off, we had the drums set up in the basement of the theater, and Rick [Allen, DEF LEPPARD drummer] played loads of drums on his days off, and they'd do guitars in their hotel rooms, stuff like that. And I sing when I get home. So we've got about 17 or 18 songs written. So we've actually almost got two albums recorded. So we're still deciding which songs are gonna go on album one, if you like. And then we're looking at an early '27 release." "Def Leppard: Live at Caesars Palace The Las Vegas Residency" ran through February 28, 2026 at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. These new shows followed the band's sold-out residency successes in 2019 and 2013. In January 2025, DEF LEPPARD released a cover of Ben E. King's 1961 classic "Stand By Me". All proceeds from the song went to FireAid, which raises money for those impacted by the fires that swept through Los Angeles in January 2025. DEF LEPPARD's version of the song is featured in the Netflix film "Bank Of Dave 2: The Loan Ranger", which was released in January 2025. The band can be seen performing the track before the credits. DEF LEPPARD's "Just Like 73" single, featuring a guest guitar solo from RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello, was made available in June 2024. DEF LEPPARD's 12th studio album, "Diamond Star Halos", came out in 2022. A year later, the band followed it up with "Drastic Symphonies", a collection of reimagining of some of DEF LEPPARD's greatest hits with London's Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Abbey Road. The album spent 15 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Current Classical chart. In late 2024, DEF LEPPARD guitarist Vivian Campbell underwent a bone marrow transplant as part of his treatment plan for Hodgkin's lymphoma, with which he was diagnosed in 2013. In June 2025, Campbell revealed that he is "completely in remission" from the cancer of the lymphatic system. Campbell — who before joining DEF LEPPARD in 1992 was well known for his work with DIO and WHITESNAKE — went public with his Hodgkin's lymphoma diagnosis in June 2013. Vivian underwent three separate spells of chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant, only for his Hodgkin's lymphoma to return. Seven years ago, Campbell underwent spine surgery. Vivian and his DEF LEPPARD bandmates were finally inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in March 2019 — 14 years after the British rockers first became eligible.

Watch: GEOFF TATE Performs 'The Answer' From 'Operation: Mindcrime III' Album In Lincoln, Nebraska

Wed, 06 May 2026 20:39:55 +0000

Ex-QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate played "The Answer", a song from his just-released third chapter in the band's classic "Operation: Mindcrime" album series, "Operation: Mindcrime III", live during his headlining concert Tuesday night (May 5) at the Bourbon Theatre in Lincoln, Nebraska. Fan-filmed video of the performance can be seen below. Tate played "Power", the lead single from "Operation: Mindcrime III", live for the first time during his headlining concert Friday night (May 1) at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. "Power" was written by Geoff and his guitarist/producer Kieran Robertson. It features vocals by Tate, drums by Rich Baur, bass by DISTURBED bassist and "Operation: Mindcrime III" co-producer John Moyer, guitar by Dario Parente and Amaury Altmayer, and synths and strings by Tate and Robertson. It was mixed and mastered by Juan Urteaga at Trident Studios in Pacheco, California. "Operation: Mindcrime III"Geoff Tate's own name and not under the QUEENSRŸCHE banner. The LP is once again a concept album with a storyline following Nikki, a drug addict-turned-assassin manipulated by a shadowy figure known as Dr. X. However, unlike the first two installments, "Operation: Mindcrime III" will tell the tale from the perspective of Dr. X, "how the story happened from his point of view," according to Geoff. "Which is kind of interesting, I think, because we've only heard it from Nikki's point of view, and he's been sort of this victim throughout the whole story," Tate previously explained. "And Dr. X's perspective is completely different, 'cause he's not the victim at all. So it's very aggressive." In a recent interview with the "Let There Be Talk" podcast, hosted by rock and roll comedian Dean Delray, Tate stated about "Power": "It's a cool track. 'Power' is the first — I don't know — we call 'em singles nowadays. It's the first release on the album. And, yeah, it's a really cool song — very, very energetic, very up, and kind of says a lot in a very short time, which I like." Regarding the writing process for "Operation: Mindcrime III", which follows 1988's "Operation: Mindcrime" and 2006's "Operation: Mindcrime II", Geoff said: "I think you use whatever sort of way you can in order to get what you want. And, for me, I sort of look at it as a story, and I write the story out first of what is happening, and then I kind of dissect it and create chapters, and those chapters turn into songs. And then I kind of work to link them all together and follow a storyline that makes sense. And then you gotta kind of factor in musically how you're gonna tie it together. Does it make sense musically and melodically to put this song before this song, before this song, before this song? 'Cause that's a big thing too, is making it flow, so it doesn't seem obtrusive and people don't have to turn the page back to find out what happened, and they're kind of following along in a chronological order." After Delray noted that "Power" "sounds like QUEENSRŸCHE", Geoff said: "Yeah. Well, part of the whole writing process was keeping the music in the universe of 'Mindcrime', writing within that style, I guess you'd say." As for how "Operation: Mindcrime III" was recorded, Geoff said: "There's 13 songs on the record, and it was recorded all over the world. And the beauty of modern recording is that if you have the right equipment, the quality gear, we just take it with us wherever we go. And we set up in hotel rooms backstage at shows, venues. I think one track was recorded in a church. Just wherever we have the right kind of room for the sound, we can record there. We recorded one of the songs, parts of it, in this castle in Italy. Do you remember that character Casanova? Well, he was imprisoned in this castle way back when. And the place is just an amazing ruin, of course, but it had this one room that was just incredible. It [had] big, high ceilings, open environment, big stone walls and that kind of thing. But it added a really unique sound to the song. So anyway, we just kind of took advantage of that wherever we could and wrote the album as we were touring around the world, really. And I wrote music for the album and lyrics for the album. And Kieran Robertson, my writing partner for this project, contributed so much to this record, playing guitar and also writing music and lyrics too." This past March, Tate was asked by Canada's The Metal Voice why he wanted to make another LP in the "Operation: Mindcrime" series. Tate said: "I'm interested in it. It's a subject I've always been interested in, the 'Mindcrime' saga, the story of these three characters, really: Nikki, Dr. X and Sister Mary. A fascinating triangle there of… Oh, it's an interesting relationship between all three of them. And Nikki's story has really been kind of chronicled on 'Mindcrime I' and 'Mindcrime II', and nothing has really been written about Dr. X. Like, who is he? What's he all about? Why is he the way he is? What got him to this place he's at? And I just found the subject to be interesting. And especially at the age I'm at now, where I'm probably very close to Dr. X's age, I'm looking at life differently now, and [I have] different goals, [and I have] a different reason to be, really, which I think probably happens with people as they age and get older. You've had past accomplishments, you've had things that you've done that you've really been interested, and you've followed your dreams, you followed your muse, and now you're at a different place where those wants and needs kind of change. So Dr. X is a character study, really, of where he is at and how he got to where he is." Asked if "Operation: Mindcrime III' is "a prequel" to the first two albums or if it is a continuation of the story, Geoff said: "It's kind of a — hmm, I'd say it's in the same universe, but a different perspective. It's X's perspective. It's happening in time at the same time as 'Mindcrime I'." On the topic of whether "Operation: Mindcrime III" is musically as heavy as the original "Operation: Mindcrime" album, Tate said: "Oh, yes. The new one is probably, I guess in the same realm. It's heavier than 'Mindcrime I'. I don't know. I'd have to go back and listen to it again, 'Mindcrime II', to see where it compared in the heaviness [laughs] scale." As for his expectations for the "Operation: Mindcrime III" album, Tate said: "I just hope everybody can give it a spin, check it out. And especially with headphones. It's a wonderful headphone album. Absolutely. We spent a lot of time dialing all the details in that I find to be very important with the record, is it's gotta sound good on headphones. And it really sounds great with the mixing and the engineering on it. John [Moyer, DISTURBED bassist, who produced the album] did an amazing job putting it all together, and the sound, especially of the rhythm section — oh, it's phenomenal. It's really, really crunchy, punchy, big… I think it's miles above 'Mindcrime I' — absolutely. Especially the bottom end — the bass and drums, rhythm section. It's so modern, so huge. If you listen back to the 'Mindcrime I' album, it sounds like… I think it was one of the three first digital recordings made, and so it has a brittleness to it that you just don't hear anymore, 'cause the technology has gotten so much better now. The analog-to-digital converters are so much more sophisticated now. So, yeah, it sounds miles about that. I'm very happy, very happy with it." Originally released in May 1988, QUEENSRŸCHE's third studio album, "Operation: Mindcrime" took the quintet to an entirely new level. The concept, revealed through the songs, revolves around the character of Nikki, a recovering drug addict disillusioned with a corrupt society. Drawn into a cult-like revolutionary group headed by Dr. X (voiced by the late and beloved British actor Anthony Valentine),Nikki is manipulated to assassinate political leaders until his friendship with nun Sister Mary finally opens his eyes to the truth. Regarded as one of the greatest concept metal albums of all time, "Operation: Mindcrime" was certified platinum in 1991 in the U.S. and was ranked in the "Top 100 Metal Albums Of All Time" by both Kerrang! and Billboard magazines. Rolling Stone included it on a similar list, noting that "nearly 30 years after its initial release, 'Mindcrime' feels eerily relevant." The original "Operation: Mindcrime" album weaved themes of religion, drug abuse and underground, radical politics. By contrast, 2006's "Operation: Mindcrime II" was regarded as an unnecessary sequel that many felt cheapened the original album, despite being a decent record in its own right. During QUEENSRŸCHE's 2012 legal battle with Tate over the rights to the band's name, guitarist Michael Wilton submitted a sworn declaration in which he said the idea to make "Operation: Mindcrime II" was first brought to the table by Geoff's wife and QUEENSRŸCHE's then-manager Susan Tate. "The band was hesitant and did not want to lessen the original," the guitarist claimed. "But Susan Tate and Geoff Tate hired a budget producer and took control without really any other input. Scott Rockenfield [drums], Eddie Jackson [bass] and I were squeezed out of having any input in the musical direction or business decisions, thus the project suffered. During the initial writing phase, I would show up to bring my input to the creative process only to find that the producer, the new guitar player (who were both staying with the Tates at the time),along with Geoff Tate had been up late the night before or up early that morning and had written the songs without me. I was then told my ideas were not needed as the songs were now done. I could, however, 'bring my own style' in during the recording after learning to play what they wrote for me. In frustration, I gave up on the writing process knowing that I would at least get to make changes in the studio to bring back the QUEENSRŸCHE sound into these songs that we were known for. The final straw was when they refused to let me to be a part of the final recordings and mixes. I was shut out and they had the nerve to replace some of my parts on my songs. They denied me flying to San Francisco to be a part of my band, telling me that everything was ready to go and I was not needed. Had the communication been better, and had I been aware that parts needed to be recorded or rewritten, I would have been there. It was not until years later that I even became aware of the issues during the final recording and mixing of 'Operation: Mindcrime II'. It was all under the control of Geoff and Susan Tate. Call it delusions of grandeur, but they were convinced that this was going to sell three times more than the original, and to date (six years later) this album has sold fewer than 150,000 copies. The original album sold over 500,000 copies within a year." In April 2014, Tate and QUEENSRŸCHE announced that a settlement had been reached after a nearly two-year legal battle where the singer sued over the rights to the QUEENSRŸCHE name after being fired in 2012. Wilton, Rockenfield and Jackson responded with a countersuit. The settlement included an agreement that Wilton, Rockenfield and Jackson would continue as QUEENSRŸCHE, while Tate would have the sole right to perform "Operation: Mindcrime" and "Operation: Mindcrime II" in their entirety live. Tate's replacement, Todd La Torre, has released four albums thus far with QUEENSRŸCHE: 2013's "Queensrÿche", 2015's "Condition Hüman", 2019's "The Verdict" and 2022's "Digital Noise Alliance".

🧠🎯🧠ANNOUNCING🧠🎯🧠 Legendary heavy metal singer Geoff Tate returns to The Bourbon on the last leg of his Operation... Posted by Bourbon Theatre on Tuesday, December 16, 2025

CLUTCH Announces Fall 2026 U.S. Tour With SLOMOSA And BLOOD VULTURE

Wed, 06 May 2026 20:14:55 +0000

Maryland rockers CLUTCH will embark on a fall 2026 tour with support from SLOMOSA and BLOOD VULTURE. The three-week U.S. trek will commence in mid-October and wrap up in early November, with dates listed below. CLUTCH will also make a stop at the inaugural Fort Worth, Texas edition of the Sick New World festival. Tickets go on this Friday (May 8) at 10 a.m. local time. Tour dates: Oct. 16 - Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore Oct. 17 - Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues Oct. 18 - Jacksonville, FL @ Five Oct. 20 - Tampa, FL @ The Ritz Ybor Oct. 22 - New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues Oct. 23 - Robinsonville, MS @ Bluesville at Horeshoe Tunica (no BLOOD VULTURE) Oct. 24 - Fort Worth, TX @ Sick New World (CLUTCH only) Oct. 25 - Fayetteville, AR @ Ozark Music Hall (no BLOOD VULTURE) Oct. 27 - Des Moines, IA @ Val Air Ballroom Oct. 29 - Green Bay, WI @ Epic Event Center Oct. 30 - Moline, IL @ The Rust Belt Oct. 31 - Cincinnati, OH @ The Andrew J. Brady Music Center Nov. 01 - Fort Wayne, IN @ Clyde Theatre Nov. 03 - S. Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground Nov. 05 - Hampton Beach, NH @ Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom Nov. 06 - Wilkes-Barre, PA @ F.M. Kirby Center Nov. 07 - Norfolk, VA @ The NorVa CLUTCH recently reteamed with Grammy-winning producer Gene "Machine" Freeman (LAMB OF GOD, KYNG) for the recording sessions for the band's next studio album, tentatively due before the end of the year. Freeman previously worked with CLUTCH on 2004's "Blast Tyrant", 2013's "Earth Rocker" and 2015's "Psychic Warfare" LPs. CLUTCH has been writing new music on and off around its touring commitments, preparing for what will be the band's fourteenth studio LP. Although CLUTCH previously announced it was working with producer Tom Dalgety once again, those plans appear to now have been abandoned. CLUTCH shares more in common with THE GRATEFUL DEAD, RUSH and THE ALLMAN BROTHERS than their heavy riffs and heady twists-of-phrase might suggest. Because like those bands, the supporters who adore CLUTCH are there for the experience, community, and authentic connection. To love CLUTCH is to feel a sense of ownership, membership, and belonging. Seneca Valley High School classmates Neil Fallon (vocals),Tim Sult (guitar),Dan Maines (bass) and Jean-Paul Gaster (drums) share an unshakeable musical and personal bond now three decades strong. Shaped by the same region which birthed BAD BRAINS, MINOR THREAT and RITES OF SPRING, CLUTCH crafts hyper-literate and libertine jams informed by hardcore fury and fuzzy, athletic, stoner rock. Live shows over the years include tours with SLAYER and SYSTEM OF A DOWN and more recent co-headlining treks with DROPKICK MURPHYS, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE and MASTODON. Like SLAYER or IRON MAIDEN, CLUTCH outlasted rock bands anchored to "hit songs" and the pressure of replicating them. The foursome from Germantown, Maryland, isn't bound by trends. Across thirteen studio albums and assorted releases since 1991, they've earned a reputation as one of the best around.

New Fall 2026 US Tour Pre Sale Password: CLUTCH26 On Sale: Friday May 8 @ 10 am local Posted by Clutch on Wednesday, May 6, 2026

DAVE MUSTAINE: JAMES HETFIELD And I 'Made A Really Good Team'

Wed, 06 May 2026 19:36:10 +0000

In a new interview with Chile's La Tercera, MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine spoke about his decision to embark on a farewell tour following his Dupuytren's contracture diagnosis which has made it "really painful" for him to play the guitar. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I have an injury to my hand here… And it's gonna get worse so that it eventually pulls my finger like this, and I won't be able to play like that. So at some point I'm gonna have to face doing a procedure, and if it doesn't turn out, then I can't play anymore anyway. I've thought about having somebody else play guitar and me just sing in MEGADETH, but I would never be happy. I think part of the magic is me playing guitar." Mustaine also once again spoke about his decision to include his version of "Ride The Lightning", the title track of METALLICA's 1984 album for which he got a co-writing credit following his 1983 departure from the band, on the final MEGADETH album, simply titled "Megadeth". Dave said: "We decided to do that song, and I wanted to make it my own. Of course, I wrote that with James [Hetfield, METALLICA guitarist/vocalist]. So, it's mine. I just wanted to make MEGADETH's version different. So we sped it up — it's a little faster and we improved... Well, we didn't… wrong word. We modified the drums at the end, and we added a little bit more playing. And same thing with the [guitar] solo. We modified the solo and had there a little bit more playing in the solo section. So, it is ours. And, of course, James and I sing differently, but you can tell when either one of us is singing." Asked if he has received any comments or reaction from the guys in METALLICA to his version of "Ride The Lightning", Dave said: "I wasn't looking for it. And they may have said something. I don't know. I was concerned what the fans were gonna say, and I was more concerned about our songs than what I wrote 40-plus years ago when I was a kid. I mean, the funny thing is I was so young when I wrote that song, and to try and understand that somebody that young could write something like that, it just shows you how talented a guitar player that James and I were. And we made a really good team." Regarding how he plans to spend his time after the completion of MEGADETH's farewell tour, Dave said: "Probably just be a happy grandpa. 'Cause I love my family. It's the most important thing in the world to me. And I think when I stop, I'll still be involved in the music business. Who knows? I may wake up tomorrow morning and my hand will be miraculously healed and I have my career back. Who knows? But for now, I'm gonna make the best of it." Dupuytren's contracture is often referred to as Viking Disease due to its commonality in Northern European populations. It sees tissue under the skin thicken to the point it pulls fingers into a bent position, as if the hand were clutching an imaginary axe. In a separate interview with Jorge Lagás of Chile's Radio Futuro, Mustaine spoke about the name of MEGADETH's ongoing Latin American tour, "This Was Our Life", which will hit Mexico later this week. Asked if there will be a "farewell" portion of the tour to follow the current leg of the trek, Mustaine said: "I didn't plan it that way. All this stuff happened. We had already had the tour booked while we were still recording the album. And the time came where we had to come up with a name for the tour. But that was before I announced I was gonna have my career end. Because I have this [hand condition] that's gonna keep me from playing eventually… This is called Dupuytren's contraction. And it's progressive." Regarding how he feels about the fact that MEGADETH's farewell tour will eventually come to an end, Mustaine said: "It's bittersweet. I'm glad we're touring as much as we're gonna tour right now. I'm sad because it's going to come to an end at some point. So, I call it bittersweet." MEGADETH played its version of "Ride The Lightning" live for the first time during its headlining concert on April 26 at Movistar Arena in Bogota, Colombia. Mustaine co-wrote the song "Ride The Lightning" with Hetfield, METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich and then-METALLICA bassist Cliff Burton. Mustaine was a member of METALLICA for less than two years, from 1981 to 1983, before being dismissed and replaced by Kirk Hammett. Mustaine was not inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame with METALLICA during the April 2009 ceremony at Cleveland, Ohio's Public Auditorium. MEGADETH's final, self-titled album arrived in January via Mustaine's Tradecraft imprint on Frontiers Label Group's new BLKIIBLK label. "Megadeth" debuted at the top of the U.S. album chart after earning 73,000 equivalent album units in the United States in the week ending January 29, according to Luminate. The bulk of that sum was driven by pure album sales (purchases of physical and digital copies of the album),totaling 69,000. MEGADETH also claimed the top spot in Australia (highest previous position No. 2) and Austria (highest previous position No. 8). Other top five spots included No. 2 in Finland (and No. 1 physical),Sweden (plus No. 1 physical; highest previous position No. 9),and Belgium (highest previous position: No. 6); No. 3 in both the U.K. and Germany (highest previous position No. 6); No. 4 in the Netherlands (highest previous position No. 7); and No. 5 in both Italy (highest previous position No. 15) and New Zealand (highest chart position ever).

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH Shares First Taste Of New Single 'Eye Of The Storm'

Wed, 06 May 2026 18:34:09 +0000

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH will release a new single, "Eye Of The Storm", on Friday, May 15. The track will serve as the first single from the band's upcoming tenth studio album, which is expected to arrive before the end of the year. A short preview of "Eye Of The Storm" is available below. In a January 2026 interview with longtime radio host Abe Kanan of Audacy, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH guitarist Zoltan Bathory was asked about the progress of the songwriting and recording sessions for the band's upcoming follow-up to its ninth studio album, "AfterLife", which came out in 2022. He said: "There's always bits and pieces in the vault, so that's kind of, like, when you have ideas… Today's technology allows you to just grab whatever you want, and it's in a pretty decent quality, usable quality, basically. So, we've been capturing things, ideas and this and that. And right now — I just went through the folder of what we have, [and] we have about 25-ish songs that eventually are gonna get chopped down to the ones that gonna make it. But that's where we are. Maybe two or three of them have vocals on it already, to some degree. So, we're working on it. And this is still the demoing phase, kind of. Actually, I don't even say 'demo', because we don't really demo [music]. That's what I meant by technology is there now that you can start recording and it's keepers [for the album]. But we are going to the proper studio probably somewhere in February." As for the musical direction of the new FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH material, Zoltan said: "The new record has a little bit of this soundtrack quality. The songs that we are writing, almost all of them has a little bit of that. It was actually sort of a goal to kind of… We don't wanna write a concept album, but it has a little bit of a soundtracky vibe to it." Earlier in January, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH announced the first leg of its 2026-2027 world tour. Produced by Live Nation, the massive 48-city trek will kick off on Monday, July 20 at Freedom Mortgage Pavilion in Camden, New Jersey and wrap up on Friday, October 23 at Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, Virginia. Platinum-certified outlaw country musician Cody Jinks will join the tour as special guest and will promote his current album, "In My Blood". The tour lineup will be rounded out by EVA UNDER FIRE. FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's current albums, "Best Of - Volume 1" and "Best Of - Volume 2", feature newly re-recorded versions of the band's biggest hits, including the No. 1 single "I Refuse" featuring IN THIS MOMENT's Maria Brink ("Volume 1") and No. 1 single "The End" featuring BABYMETAL ("Volume 2"). "The End" reached No. 1 on the Japanese iTunes Metal chart and No. 18 on the Japanese all-genres chart, marking a major milestone for an international rock release. In the U.S., the song made history as the first track featuring Japanese lyrics to chart at rock radio, ultimately reaching No. 1. Both albums were created in response to the sale of the band's original masters, a decision made without FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's knowledge or opportunity to reclaim them. Earlier this week, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH announced the European leg of its 20th-anniversary world tour, set to take place in early 2027. Featuring special guest LAMB OF GOD, the trek will be rounded out by BLEED FROM WITHIN from Scotland. Photo credit: Hristo Shindov

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JAMES LABRIE: DREAM THEATER Will 'Probably' Begin Writing New Album In Late 2026 Or Early 2027

Wed, 06 May 2026 18:15:32 +0000

In a new interview with Brazilian music journalist Igor Miranda, DREAM THEATER singer James LaBrie was asked if he and his bandmates have already started talking about working on the follow-up to the "Parasomnia" album, which came out in February 2025. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Whenever we approach a new album, it's where we feel that we're all presently sitting in life, what is affecting us, what is inspiring us, and most importantly, what do we feel should be the next chapter in DREAM THEATER as far as another album, its music, what is it going to represent, and something we can stand behind 100%. So we usually slowly transition to that when we know that we're gonna go into the studio, when we know we're gonna be writing a new album. That's when we start having the conversations as, 'Hey, what do you guys think about maybe this kind of an album or...?' And then at the same time, even regardless of all the conversations we have, each guy will come in with seeds of ideas, and we throw that on the floor. 'Here we go, man.' It's there. Which do we feel is something that's really cool and something that we can build on, something that we feel is going in the direction that we've been discussing? And so it's kind of like that." James continued: "Right now the focus is we're on this world tour. We're gonna be on the world tour until — what? — mid-May. And that's the focus. Then we're gonna take a break for a little bit. And then probably late '26 or early '27 we'll get in to start writing and recording a new album. And then hopefully late '27 or early '28 we'll go back out with a new tour. And this is just — this is all not concrete. But this seems to be the idea at this point." Last December, DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy told Troy Culpan of Australia's May The Rock Be With You about a possible follow-up to "Parasomnia": "Well, we have to wait, 'cause it's been a long tour. We've been out for a year now at this point. We started in October of 2024. And here we are, a year later now, and by the time we get down to Australia [in February 2026] and wrap up the tour cycle a few months after that, it'll have been a year and a half on the road. So, that's the focus right now. But once the tour cycle wraps and concludes by next spring or so, we'll probably take the summer [of 2026] off, 'cause it's been a long road, and then start thinking about a new album after that." The progressive metal legends played their first concert with Portnoy in 14 years on October 20, 2024 at the O2 Arena in London, United Kingdom. The drummer, who co-founded DREAM THEATER, played on 10 of the band's albums over a 20-year period, from 1989's "When Dream And Day Unite" through 2009's "Black Clouds & Silver Linings", before exiting the group in 2010. Portnoy returned to DREAM THEATER in October 2023 after being replaced by Mike Mangini, who played with DREAM THEATER across five studio albums and accompanying world tours. DREAM THEATER's ongoing "An Evening With Dream Theater" tour sees LaBrie, John Petrucci (guitar), John Myung (bass), Jordan Rudess (keyboards) and Portnoy perform "Parasomnia", in its entirety, as well as the entire seven-movement masterpiece "A Change Of Seasons", for the first time since Portnoy's return to the band in October 2023, in addition to other classics and fan favorites from DREAM THEATER's catalog. DREAM THEATER's April 22, 2026 concert at Movistar Arena in Santiago, Chile was professionally recorded and filmed for an upcoming Blu-ray. Last November, DREAM THEATER released "Quarantième: Live À Paris" via the band's longtime label partner Inside Out Music/Sony Music. "Quarantième: Live À Paris" documented DREAM THEATER's November 23, 2024 concert at Adidas Arena in Paris, France during the band's 40th-anniversary headlining tour of Europe. The effort contained a setlist that spanned the band's entire career with classics like "Metropolis Pt. 1", "Panic Attack", "Octavarium" and "Pull Me Under" represented among other fan favorites. "Parasomnia" came out on February 7, 2025 via InsideOut Music. The LP was produced by Petrucci, engineered by James "Jimmy T" Meslin, and mixed by Andy Sneap. Hugh Syme returned once again to lend his creative vision to the cover art. "Parasomnia" is an eight-song, 71-minute set which was recorded at DREAM THEATER's DTHQ studio on Long Island, New York. It is the follow-up to 2021's "A View From The Top Of The World", which debuted at in the top 10 of Billboard's Top Hard Rock Albums, Top Rock Albums and Independent Albums charts. Six songs on "Parasomnia" are over seven minutes and the closing epic "The Shadow Man Incident" clocks in at nearly 20 minutes. Portnoy, Petrucci and Myung started DREAM THEATER as MAJESTY in 1985, after meeting at the Berklee College Of Music in Boston. LaBrie came on board in 1991, while Rudess joined in 1999. Prior to Portnoy's return to DREAM THEATER, the drummer and Petrucci worked together on the latter's 2020 solo album, "Terminal Velocity", and toured together. Portnoy and Petrucci also joined Rudess and bassist Tony Levin for a third studio album as LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT in 2021.

Former BLACK FLAG Bassist KIRA ROESSLER Announces Second Solo Album 'Enigma'

Wed, 06 May 2026 17:45:38 +0000

Pioneering musician Kira Roessler (BLACK FLAG, DOS) will release her second solo album, "Enigma", on July 10 via Org Music. The LP marks a continuation of the minimalist, bass-driven approach introduced on her 2021 debut, expanding her distinctive voice with greater depth and nuance. The lead single, "How Could You", arrives May 6 alongside album preorders. Across "Enigma", Roessler builds stark, spacious arrangements anchored by her melodic bass playing and understated vocal delivery. The result is a focused and intimate collection that emphasizes tone, restraint, and emotional clarity. "'Enigma' is the continuation of the narration of my life through song — honest, if over-dramatized statements about what is in those moments," says Roessler. "Leaning into the raw feeling of it all. I feel very lucky to be able to share some new music with those who listen." The album was co-produced with her brother, Paul Roessler (SCREAMERS), and features contributions from Petra Haden, whose backing vocals add subtle texture to the record's stripped-down framework. While maintaining a minimalist core, "Enigma" introduces expanded tonal elements and a broader dynamic range. Lead single "How Could You" offers an early look at the album's direction, incorporating a looser, jazz-influenced feel while remaining grounded in Roessler's signature sense of space and control. "Since I rarely find myself in conflict with anyone, there it was — how could you hurt me, even if I was wrong," she explains. "Treated as a jazzy mantra, because that's what came out." Best known for her work in BLACK FLAG, where her melodic, unconventional bass playing helped redefine the band's sound during its later, more exploratory years, and for her long-running collaboration in DOS, Roessler has also built an accomplished career in film and television, with credits including "Mad Max: Fury Road", "Game Of Thrones" and "Project Hail Mary". Decades into her career, Roessler continues to evolve her approach without revisiting past formulas. "Enigma" reflects that progression — a measured, deliberate work that prioritizes mood, space, and subtlety over immediacy. "Enigma" will be available on CD, vinyl, and digital formats on July 10 via Org Music. All formats will be available for preorder beginning May 6. Track listing: 01. Peas 02. How Could You 03. Fluid Reset 04. Jim 05. Truth 06. Collapse* 07. You Will Feel My Pain 08. Drinking And Driving 09. Crossed Purpose* 10. Whatever 11. Kill Him 12. Wild Card 13. Crawling 14. Enigma * CD and digital only All LP and CD purchases come with a download, delivered on release day. Roessler was a member of BLACK FLAG between 1983 and 1985. She replaced founding member Chuck Dukowski and contributed to 1984's "Family Man" and "Slip It In" and 1985's "Loose Nut" and the band's pre-breakup album "In My Head". After exiting BLACK FLAG, Roessler formed a new band DOS with her now-ex-husband, MINUTEMEN's Mike Watt. She also contributed to MINUTEMEN's final album, "3-Way Tie", in 1985. Photo credit: Tim Nalley

RAVEN Has 'A Lot Of Songs' Written For Upcoming Album

Wed, 06 May 2026 17:21:17 +0000

In a new interview with Metal Mayhem ROC correspondents Southern Cal and Bill The Rager, bassist/vocalist John Gallagher of the British/American metal trio RAVEN spoke about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's next album, following the arrival of last year's "Can't Take Away The Fire" EP. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We have a lot of songs. We have a very, very large cache of songs. A lot of them were written before I had the accident [bleed on the brain, which required surgery in August 2025]. So with all that, a lot of them I couldn't even remember. Totally. I mean, it's tough when you're a sausage factory and stuff anyway. You just concentrate on the one you're working on, and then you go back, and we kick it around between the three of us and see where it is. So I've got perfect perspective on listening back to a lot of this stuff, and it's, like, 'Wow, that's really cool. I like that.' So it's a question of going through them and going, 'What would be a great opener?' 'What would be a slam-dunk follow-up?' 'What would be a great ender?' If you had something more epic, where would you put it? Where would a rock and roll one go? You try to pre-sequence, in a sense, and end up with, like, 12, 13 songs and maybe cut them and work it down from there. You always need an extra track for Japan or what have you. There's always something like that. But we like the concept of the 10, 11 songs, 40 minutes. You don't overstay your welcome. People's attention spans are slow enough to start with. But back in the day, that was your restriction due to vinyl, so it made sense. You could build a little narrative, little peaks and valleys up and down, and sequence it correctly and really hit hard. MONTROSE, first album. VAN HALEN, first [album]… I mean, VAN HALEN kept it real short, but within reason, the concept is still there." Asked what the advantages were of being on a major label like Atlantic in 1980s compared to now when RAVEN is working with Silver Lining Music, John said: "Well, even back then, the major pro was distribution. And back then there was somewhere to distribute to. Now, not so much. You're talking about specialist mom-and-pop stores. You're not gonna get your record in Walmart. I mean, nobody is, unless you're K-pop or something or it's a best-of from 40 years ago. They don't have it. And the other shop that would be in the mall would have been FYE, and again, they're just selling off whatever they've got. They're not putting anything new in. So it's pretty strange. I mean, we sell an awful lot live… A lot of people will buy the CD, play the CD and buy the vinyl just to look at or to collect. We've got collectors that come out and they buy four copies of everything. It's, like, mental. I don't get that. But they want to sit down and immerse themselves in it, and we understand that 'cause we do the same thing. If I get an album I like, I wanna sit and listen to it and read the liner notes and see who did what, what the lyrics are, try to decipher them, who played on it, who produced, where was it recorded, what kind of socks were they wearing, all that good stuff. And that's in our DNA. That's from way back." In August 2025, it was announced that RAVEN was postponing its previously announced summer/fall 2025 European tour so that John could undergo emergency brain surgery. This past February, John told Metal Mayhem ROC about his health: "I call 2025 our medical gap year. My brother [RAVEN guitarist Mark Gallagher] had an ankle replacement and a knee replacement, which were kind of planned, but me getting knocked on the head and being in the ICU for two weeks and bleed on the brain wasn't planned. I'm just very, very lucky to pull through with it, with very little to show for it. Medically, I'm doing okay." Speaking in more detail about Mark's surgeries, John said: "Well, the ankle, Mark needed the ankle for an awful long time. I mean, you guys have seen him running around like a crazy man, but you don't see him curled up in a ball after the show. He's been in a lot of pain for many, many years, and this is something he's wanted to do. And [it was] basically bone on bone, no cartilage, so it really needed to be done. And the other thing that followed from that, of course, is all those years of compensating for the ankle with the other leg, and the knee got shot because of that. So he got both of them done. So he's a little bit more metal than what he was before." As for how he was feeling at the time and whether he was prepared to return to the road, John said: "Well, with my thing, I'm currently still on anti-seizure medication, which is being reviewed later this week. We'll see how we're doing. But I was basically given the green light to do whatever only a few weeks after with the caveat that 'you won't be strong enough to do any of that.' And they were right, 'cause [when] you get a head injury like that, it kind of sucks all the power out of your body to try and fix that. So it was humbling, put it that way. It took a hell of a lot out of me. But I'm doing pretty good now. And it was a little weird, a few strange things. As soon as I got back, I picked up a bass and started trying to play a few of my favorite MONTROSE riffs, and the fingers weren't going where they were supposed to go. So I put it down for a day or two and came back and realized I was about 80% of what I should have been. And I just had to work real hard and getting back to where I am — currently a little better than I was before. So I'm happy about that." According to John, his inability to play the bass properly after being released from the hospital was "totally mental. Literally my fingers weren't going in the right place or were out of sync," he explained. "[It was] just a brain thing. Compared to a lot of people, I'm incredibly lucky. So it was just a small hurdle to work on, and it did scare me a little bit, but I was getting improvements almost immediately on that. And it only took a few weeks, and I got back to where I was supposed to be." Referencing KISS guitarist Ace Frehley, who died last October after a fall at Ace's home, John added: "Believe me, very few moments go by where I'm not reminded [that] I could be where Ace Frehley is, and Ace could be where I am. God bless. I'm very, very lucky. My family, my friends, they've all been amazing. The doctors, the nurses, the whole deal." 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. RAVEN's latest EP, the aforementioned "Can't Take Away The Fire", came out in February 2025 via Silver Lining Music. Photo by Magalie Aspeele (courtesy of Earsplit PR)

Watch: IRON MAIDEN's Official Documentary 'Burning Ambition' Receives World Premiere In London

Wed, 06 May 2026 16:09:32 +0000

The "Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition" world premiere was held Tuesday night (May 5) at Cineworld Leicester Square in London, England. A video recap of the event, including red-carpet interviews with fans and members of IRON MAIDEN conducted by former MTV's "Headbangers Ball" presenter Vanessa Warwick, can be seen below. "Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition" will hit theaters for a limited time only beginning May 7, 2026. The film is said to trace the British heavy metal legends' "remarkable five‑decade journey" with "unprecedented access" to the band's official archives. In a new interview with Australia's Heavy, IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson said: "When we knew there was going to be a documentary, the first thing was that we really didn't want to be involved in it in terms of editorial or whatever. You have to have a hands-off approach, because you want somebody to look at it and tell the story. Obviously, there's so many… this documentary could be ten hours long, but then everybody would lose the will to live. [Laughs] So you've got to make the story concise. There are going to be fans who say, 'Oh, they missed out this and what about that' — yeah, sure, but for people who don't know the story of IRON MAIDEN, this is a great introduction to the band. Because of that, we wanted an external take on our career and you can't really be fiddling about with that and going in every five minutes saying 'change this' or 'I don't like that', 'Oh, my hair looks messy in that picture.' None of that crap. We're not a bunch of poodles. It is a bit warts and all, but I think that's great. There's nothing in there that I would want to change." Alongside the band, "Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition" features on‑camera reflections from prominent admirers, including Javier Bardem, Lars Ulrich and Chuck D, each speaking to MAIDEN's influence on music, culture and generations of fans worldwide. Directed by Malcolm Venville ("Churchill At War") and produced by Dominic Freeman ("Spirits In The Forest - A Depeche Mode Film"),the "electrifying film offers an intimate look at [MAIDEN's] uncompromising vision and unwavering connection with their global army of fans," according to a press release. Spanish illustrator Alberto "Akirant" Quirantes contributes newly created key art, following his work on IRON MAIDEN's 50th-anniversary coin for the Royal Mint, which was released to celebrate the band's milestone in 2025. During an April 13 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris was asked why now was the right time to tell the MAIDEN story in film form. Harris said: "Well, in actual fact, it wasn't us. It's about us, but not by us. That's the difference. So it's a documentary, which they came to us with an idea that they wanted to do, and it changed a little bit from the original idea. They were gonna do it more about the fans, and it still is, to a certain degree. So, yeah, it's not by us. They wanted to use our artwork and everything, and it seems like as if it's our documentary. It's not. I think they really should have put out that it's a documentary aboutIRON MAIDEN, not byIRON MAIDEN, because it's not us. We didn't have that control that we would normally have if we were doing it ourselves, of course." Harris added: "Yeah, we cooperated with it and we did interviews for it and all that stuff — we did what they wanted us to do — but if we'd have done it, I think we'd have done it in a slightly different way, and I'll say no more. But I still think the end result is… Well, I'll say no more because it preempts whatever. I think people should just go and see it and see what they think." Asked by "Trunk Nation" host Eddie Trunk if "Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition" covers the overall history of the band, Harris said: "Yeah, it's historical stuff. There's a lot of historical stuff for the first hour, probably, I suppose. So, yeah, I think people have gotta watch it and make their own minds up, really." In an interview with Kerrang! magazine, IRON MAIDEN's longtime drummer Nicko McBrain was asked what the biggest surprise was for him watching "Burning Ambition". He responded: "When you think about it, there's 50 years of history to IRON MAIDEN. How do you tell that story in 90 minutes or so? That's an awful lot to cram in, but I thought it was brilliant. I was overwhelmed by the whole thing, to be honest. There was a lot of information to absorb, so I was like a sponge. But the one thing I took away is how wonderful it was to see the fans tell their stories about what we mean, and what we've meant, to them. And of course, we have the wonderful Javier Bardem — who's a great mate of mine — and Lars Ulrich, Chuck D, Gene Simmons and so many other celebrities, too. But what impressed me the most was the interaction of the fans. There were a couple of moments when they were talking that I actually started to have a tear run down my cheek and my wife just looked at me and squeezed my hand." Formed in East London in 1975, IRON MAIDEN have grown into one of the world's most influential and enduring rock bands. Across 50 years they have released 17 studio albums, sold over 100 million records, and performed almost 2,500 concerts across 64 countries. The documentary arrives as the band continues its two-year "Run For Your Lives" world tour, which included a triumphant homecoming performance at London Stadium a short distance from where it all began five decades ago. A recently announced, one-of-a-kind, celebration named EddFest in historic Knebworth Park, England, on July 11 forms part of over 50 shows worldwide in 2026. IRON MAIDEN was founded in 1975 by Harris and has grown to become one of the world's most celebrated bands. With a steady recording output beginning with their self-titled 1980 debut, they have released 17 studio albums, 13 live albums and 47 singles which have sold in excess of 100 million copies worldwide. They have played almost 2,500 live shows across 64 countries and were carried to some of these aboard Ed Force One, a Boeing 757 and then later a 747 piloted by Dickinson. They have been the recipients of a Grammy Award and a Brit Award, among many other accolades, most recently joining THE ROLLING STONES and PINK FLOYD with their very own Royal Mail stamp set. Their beer, Trooper Beer, is now in its thirteenth year and has sold in excess of 40 million pints and is distributed in 68 countries, including six local variants in USA, Germany, Brazil, Spain, Sweden and Australia. 2025 marked the band's official 50th year and is being celebrated by a two-year world tour titled "Run For Your Lives" and a range of events and products including their first-ever official hardcover visual history book, "Infinite Dreams".

Watch: Former METALLICA Bassist JASON NEWSTED Unboxes Remastered Limited-Edition Deluxe Box Set Of 'ReLoad'

Wed, 06 May 2026 15:48:03 +0000

In the video below, former METALLICA bassist Jason Newsted unboxes the remastered limited-edition deluxe box set of the band's quadruple-platinum seventh studio album "ReLoad", which will be released June 26 via METALLICA's own Blackened Recordings. Remastered by Reuben Cohen at Lurssen Mastering with Greg Fidelman overseeing, the "ReLoad" remastered limited-edition deluxe box set is available now for pre-order at this location, where full package details and track listings can be viewed. Pre-orders of the deluxe box will receive instant-grat versions of "The Memory Remains" including the remastered original recording, "Instrumental Mix, Take 18 Floor Take", and "Live In Brisbane". "ReLoad (Remastered)" is available in formats including standard 180g 2LP, Wal-Mart exclusive color 140g 2LP, CD, 3CD expanded edition, cassette and digital (including a Spatial Audio mix using Atmos). Pre-orders and pre-saves of all configurations include "The Memory Remains (Remastered)" instant grat. Additionally, "The Memory Remains (Live in Philadelphia)" video is live now. The "ReLoad" remastered limited-edition deluxe box set is a passionately and thoroughly curated document of 1997-1998 era METALLICA, bursting with exclusives including previously unreleased demos, rough mixes, live performances, on-air and television appearances, and much more. This one-time numbered pressing features the remastered "ReLoad" album on 180g double vinyl, "The Memory Remains" 7", and "Live At Ministry Of Sound '97", a 140g triple album recorded live. The set's 15 CDs range from the remastered "ReLoad" album to never-before-released collections of riffs, demos and rough mixes, B-Sides and rarities, and a wealth of live material, while its 4 DVDs offer a plethora of behind the scenes, in-studio and live footage, on-air and television appearances, the band's pop-up performance at the CoreStates Complex Parking Lot in Philadelphia, visits to Seoul, and more. Rounding out the box's content are memorabilia including a pack of 13 Rorschach Test cards, an 11x17 Gimme Fuel poster, a sticker, a Pushead print, a 10-pack of guitar/bass picks, lyric sheets, three laminated tour passes and a deluxe 128-page book with never-before-seen photos and stories from whose who were there. The release of "ReLoad (Remastered)" also marks the opening of the #GetTheReLoadOut fan cover competition. Last year, thousands of METALLICA fans across social media submitted their interpretations of "Load" tracks for the #GetTheLoadOut Fan Cover Competition. The band is opening up round two — this time as #GetTheReLoadOut — to celebrate the "ReLoad" reissue with a new second category: In addition to the more traditional musical covers, performance and visual artists are also invited to participate. A different track off the album will be highlighted each week throughout the competition, culminating in two Grand Prize Winners each taking home a METALLICA-autographed "ReLoad" remastered limited-edition deluxe box set. Originally released November 18, 1997, "ReLoad" was the third consecutive METALLICA album to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, ultimately spending nearly 80 weeks on the chart and attaining No. 1 status in six countries, and top 10 in nearly a dozen more. The 1995-1997 sessions at The Plant in Sausalito, California that yielded both "ReLoad" and "Load" found James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett and Jason Newsted exploring expanded creative terrain and pushing the boundaries of METALLICA's sonic identity. On "ReLoad", this meant bold decisions ranging from the inclusion of hurdy-gurdy and violin on the somber "Low Man's Lyric" to Marianne Faithfull's haunting guest vocal on "The Memory Remains". Released in 1996, "Load" marked a new direction for METALLICA, featuring what one critic has described as "a fresh take on LYNYRD SKYNYRD-tinged boogie rock for the 1990s." Although "Load" and "ReLoad" were warmly received by critics at the time, they've since taken their place among the most reviled work of METALLICA's career. In a 2013 interview with Revolver magazine, Ulrich said that "Load" and "ReLoad" are "great records" that "are creatively on par with every other record we've made. Obviously, they're bluesier records, and at that time, we were listening to a lot of LED ZEPPELIN, DEEP PURPLE and AC/DC, and we had a different kind of foundation than records before or after," he said. "And I understand that there are people who couldn't quite figure out what was going on with the haircuts and the rest of it, and that's fine. But musically, if you strip all that other stuff away, if you just listen to the 27 songs — 'Load' and 'ReLoad' were intended as one double-record — it's a great collection of songs that is on par with everything else that we've done creatively." Hetfield has repeatedly expressed his dislike of the "Load" album cover and its inspiration, telling Classic Rock magazine in a 2009 interview: "Lars and Kirk were very into abstract art, pretending they were gay. I think they knew it bugged me. It was a statement around all that. I love art, but not for the sake of shocking others. I think the cover of 'Load' was just a piss-take around all that. I just went along with the make-up and all of this crazy, stupid shit that they felt they needed to do." In a 2017 interview with Clash, Hetfield was asked if the band had to make certain compromises along the way in order to be accepted by the mainstream. He responded in part: "As far as doing something that doesn't feel right, I'm sure there's been a few times that it's happened — the 'Load' and 'ReLoad' era, for me, was one of those; the way that was looking, I wasn't 100 percent on with it, but I would say that that was a compromise. I said, 'I'm going with Lars's and Kirk's vision on this. You guys are extremely passionate about this, so I'll jump on board, because if the four of us are into it, it's going to be better.' So I did my best with it, and it didn't pan out as good as I was hoping, but, again, there's no regrets, because at the time it felt like the right thing to do." Following the "Load"/"ReLoad" albums and tour, METALLICA went into a tailspin that resulted in Newsted's exit of, Hetfield spending the better part of a year in rehab and the band nearly splitting up. In a 2016 interview with TeamRock, Hetfield was asked what he thought late METALLICA bassist Cliff Burton might have felt about the drastic changes in METALLICA's look and sound that the band made through the 1990s and early 2000s with albums like "Load", "ReLoad" and "St. Anger". Hetfield replied: "Well, I certainly would have thought there would have been some resistance, for sure. I think the 'Black Album' was a great album and I appreciate the fact that we did have the balls to do that… I would certainly think that the 'Load' and 'ReLoad' [era], I would have had an ally that was very against it all — the reinvention or the U2 version of METALLICA."

SOCIAL DISTORTION Releases 'The Way Things Were', Third Advance Track From Upcoming 'Born To Kill' Album

Wed, 06 May 2026 15:11:21 +0000

SOCIAL DISTORTION has released "The Way Things Were", the third and final song to be released in advance of the band's long-awaited eighth album, "Born To Kill", out May 8 via Epitaph Records. An emotionally charged reminiscence in the vein of classics "Story of My Life" and "I Was Wrong", "The Way Things Were" is a potent distillation of the SOCIAL D ethos, featuring lyrics like "I wrote a song with a stolen riff / If you ain't got a song you ain't got shit." "The Way Things Were" can be heard alongside the anthemic "Partners In Crime" and the album's previously unveiled title track below. SOCIAL DISTORTION will give that title track its network television debut, when the band returns to "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on Thursday, May 7. Check local listings for further details. "Born To Kill" is more than the conclusion to a 15-year wait between SOCIAL DISTORTION albums, it's a revelation: 11 songs of pure, unadulterated rock fury, joy and catharsis, all imbued with the signature blend of defiance and world-weariness that has made frontman Mike Ness a poet and sage to the dispossessed for more than 40 years. Hailed by Rolling Stone as "still full of piss and vinegar," "Born To Kill" wastes no time letting the listener know where its heart is: its hard-charging title track — surpassing four million streams in the month since it dropped — paying respects to Lou Reed ("Rock 'n' Roll Animal gonna come your way!") and Iggy and THE STOOGES ("The agenda is yeah to Search and Destroy") and lionizing David Bowie ("It's a Rock 'n' Roll Suicide") on "Partners In Crime". This is a man, a band, and a record that wear their influences proudly while creating timeless anthems and ballads that chart SOCIAL DISTORTION's path forward while celebrating its storied past. The track listing for "Born To Kill" is: 01. Born To Kill 02. No Way Out 03. The Way Things Were 04. Tonight 05. Partners In Crime 06. Crazy Dreamer 07. Wicked Game 08. Walk Away (Don't Look Back) 09. Never Goin' Back Again 10. Don't Keep Me Hanging On 11. Over You Co-produced by Ness and Dave Sardy, and featuring guest appearances from Benmont Tench of TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS and Lucinda Williams, and collaborative cover art by Ness and Shepard Fairey, "Born To Kill" is the latest installment in a remarkable catalog that spans nearly three generations, including "Mommy's Little Monster" (1983), "Prison Bound" (1988), the RIAA-gold-certified "Social Distortion" (1990) and "Somewhere Between Heaven And Hell" (1992), "White Light, White Heat, White Trash" (1996), "Sex, Love And Rock 'N' Roll" (2004) and "Hard Times And Nursery Rhymes" (2011). SOCIAL DISTORTION will promote "Born To Kill" with an extensive North American tour, featuring support from THE DESCENDENTS and THE CHATS. The tour recently added four new shows in July, and runs through October 3 in San Diego. THE DESCENDENTS and THE CHATS support from August 25 through October 3. Support for the July dates is to be determined. SOCIAL DISTORTION North American tour 2026: July 17 - Montreal, QC - MTELUS July 19 - Burlington, VT - Higher Ground Ballroom July 20 - Portland, ME - State Theatre July 22 - New Haven, CT - Toad's Place August 25 - Phoenix, AZ - Arizona Financial Theatre August 28 - Austin, TX - Moody Amphitheater August 29 - Dallas, TX - The Bomb Factory August 31 - Nashville, TN - The Pinnacle September 1 - Atlanta, GA - Coca-Cola Roxy September 3 - Raleigh, NC - The Ritz September 4 - Washington, DC - The Anthem September 5 - Asbury Park, NJ - The Stone Pony Summer Stage September 8 - Philadelphia, PA - The Met Philadelphia presented by Highmark September 9 - Boston, MA - Roadrunner September 11 - Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Paramount September 12 - Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Paramount September 14 - Toronto, ONT - HISTORY September 15 - Toronto, ONT - HISTORY September 17 - Detroit, MI - The Fillmore Detroit September 20 - Minneapolis, MN - The Armory September 22 - Denver, CO - The Mission Ballroom September 23 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Union Event Center September 25 - Las Vegas, NV - The Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas September 26 - Reno, NV - Grand Sierra Resort - Grand Theatre September 28 - San Francisco, CA - The Masonic September 29 - Oakland, CA - Fox Theater October 1 - Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Palladium October 2 - Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Palladium October 3 - San Diego, CA - Gallagher Square at Petco Park Photo credit: Jonathan Weiner

MOTIONLESS IN WHITE Announces New Album 'Decades', Shares 'Playing God' Single Featuring COREY TAYLOR

Wed, 06 May 2026 14:41:37 +0000

Platinum-selling, Scranton, Pennsylvania powerhouse MOTIONLESS IN WHITE will release a new album, "Decades", on July 17 via Roadrunner Records. MOTIONLESS IN WHITE are at home in the dark. For over 20 years, the quintet — Chris Motionless (vocals), Ricky Olson (guitar), Ryan Sitkowski (guitar), Vinny Mauro (drums), and Justin Morrow (bass) — have resided in their own shadowy corner of alternative music and culture. The group's uncanny alchemy of metal, hardcore, goth, industrial, and electronic has magnetically attracted an ardent audience, fueling a quiet rise out of the Rust Belt and into arenas as a headlining force of nature. Their D.I.Y. work ethic drives the evolution of an immersive world where stunning visuals match the scope of the sound. The collective come full circle on their seventh full-length offering "Decades". For as much as it conjures their signature style, the LP sees them continue to confidently cut a path through uncharted territory, spreading a little darkness in their wake. Today, the band has also dropped the lyric video for the ferocious new single "Playing God", featuring a guest appearance by SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor. Watch the lyric video for the track below. "I can't believe how aggressive Corey sounds," Chris Motionless declares. "It's an observational commentary on toxic Internet culture and the people who perpetuate it. The Internet has gotten worse and worse to the point where only negativity, hatred, and lies are at the forefront of everything you see. It's very frustrating because I thought social media was supposed to be a mechanism to connect, but all it does is divide." "Decades" features several high-profile and eclectic guest appearances. In addition to Taylor, Sklyar Grey and DARK DIVINE's Anthony Martinez also feature on the album. The band recorded "Decades" in upstate New York and Los Angeles with co-producers Drew Fulk and Justin "JD" deBlieck and ultimately incorporated their past, present, and future sounds into one cohesive sound. This is MOTIONLESS at their very best. "We were never afraid to take risks," observes Chris. "This band has not only lasted two decades, but we've also outlasted all of the obstacles we've faced. We're still grinding. No matter how far we expand the universe that is MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, we're going to preserve the heart, soul, and roots of where we came from. We are never going to abandon heartfelt, emotional, and heavy songs. We are never going to abandon what mattered to us the most when we started. We're finding new ways to emphasize those stories with exciting sounds and looks, but the vision is the same. It's always been this grand, dramatic, and theatrical entity. I'm proud we haven't gotten comfortable." He finishes: "'Decades' is definitely heavier than some of our past albums. Our current world bred more aggressive energy, anger, and resistance." "Decades" track listing: 01. Decades 02. log_in//crash_out 03. R.I.P. (feat. Skylar Grey) 04. Fight Like Hell 05. Playing God (feat. Corey Taylor) 06. All That I've Ever Known 07. Blood Rave (feat. Anthony Martinez) 08. Love At First Bite 09. Count Back From Zero 10. Blood Pact 11. Afraid Of The Dark 12. Sunglasses At Night 13. Hollywood (bonus track) 14. Fight Like Hell (feat. Outlier) (bonus track) MOTIONLESS IN WHITE are currently touring arenas with BRING ME THE HORIZON and just tore the roof off of New York City's Madison Square Garden. The band will next return to the road on the headline "The Sweat And Blood Tour" this July, with support from LORNA SHORE, FIT FOR A KING and STATIC DRESS. The North American tour is the band's first American headlining tour in nearly three years and kicks off on July 14 in Bridgeport, Connecticut, with stops in Charlotte, Houston, Austin, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Oklahoma City, and more before wrapping up on August 15 in Sterling Heights, Michigan. It also includes a stop at Red Rocks, the band's first time headlining the venue.

UNDEROATH Announces 'The Van Tour To Vans Warped' Intimate Tour

Wed, 06 May 2026 14:06:12 +0000

UNDEROATH invites fans to connect with them this summer at some of the most intimate shows the band has played since their earliest days. "Underoath: The Van Tour To Vans Warped Tour" is presented by Vans and set to kick off on June 8 in Jacksonville. The tour will hit independent venues around the country as UNDEROATH gets back in the van and back to their roots on the way to Vans Warped Tour in Washington, D.C. and Long Beach, California. Joining them for these once-in-a-lifetime shows is special guest HELD. "The idea of going back into a van, and reconnecting with how we used to tour, will be impactful at worst. At best, it's an opportunity to reconnect in the same environment that we had prior in a new way and what that unlocks for us as friends, bandmates and more exciting to me…creatively," says UNDEROATH guitarist Tim McTague. "Putting the smallest shows of our career on sale to create an environment that hasn't been seen since probably 2002, to me, is such an amazing experience for us and the handful of fans that will get in to these shows. It will be our moment together, must likely never to be repeated again." He continues: "We haven't driven across the country together as one unit, listening to the same music, stopping at the same rest stops, eating the same meals etc. in two decades-plus. I think there is a magic there that breeds something existentially curious about someone, and I can't wait to see what that is for us. "I want these shows to feel different than anything we have done in the last two decades aside from a few cool secret shows here or there. The idea of doing that every night will be exciting or terrifying or both, I'm here for it." UNDEROATH keyboardist Chris Dudley shares: "We did a couple small surprise pop-up shows last year and for me that really touched something that we haven't really got to experience in a long time. Those small hot rooms have an energy in them you can't get anywhere else. We've talked about doing something like this for a long time, just getting in a van and hitting a couple of small venues and letting it rip, and the fact that we're actually doing it this time is mega exciting to me. It's gonna be wild." He adds: "I'm still scared of Aaron's driving so we're gonna keep him in shotgun to DJ." Tickets for all upcoming shows are available now at this location. UNDEROATH reinvents the balance between chaos and harmony with each successive release. Their compositions, conjured from creative tension, become iconoclastic anthems. Even when the band almost combusts, the crackling energy coalesces into something deeply resonant for millions. Each time they have a chance to do something safe, Underoath challenges themselves instead, with integrity and attitude. Their pair of gold albums and three Grammy nominations stand in stark defiance of the idea of commercial compromise. The UNDEROATH catalog weaponizes noise, aggression, and ambiance as skillfully as melody. The combination of heaviness and headiness found on "Define The Great Line" makes it the only record of its kind to debut at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. The passion and power are as undeniable on tours with ALICE IN CHAINS or BRING ME THE HORIZON as they are in the sweatiest of intimate shows or their genre-redefining runs on Vans Warped Tour. The heart of their sound, which delivers naked vulnerability with thrilling force and cinematic lushness, can be heard in generations of bands who've pursued their trail. But UNDEROATH refuses to sit still. Walking an artistic tightrope between immersive access and isolationist otherness, UNDEROATH owns the space between huge choruses and forward-thinking heaviness, both on record and onstage. Upcoming tour dates: May 10 - Daytona Beach, FL @ Daytona Beach Speedway June 08 - Jacksonville, FL @ The Albatross June 09 - Savannah, GA @ Victory North June 10 - Greenville, SC @ The Radio Room June 11 - Greensboro, NC @ Hangar 1819 June 13 - Washington, D.C. @ Vans Warped Tour ** June 14 - Richmond, VA @ The Canal Club June 15 - Asheville, NC @ Eulogy July 13 - Gainesville, FL @ The Wooly July 14 - Pensacola, FL @ Vinyl Music Hall July 15 - Baton Rouge, LA @ Chelsea's Live July 17 - San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger July 18 - Corpus Christi, TX @ House of Rock July 20 - Lubbock, TX @ Jake's Sports Cafe July 22 - El Paso, TX @ Lowbrow Palace July 23 - Tucson, AZ @ 191 Toole July 25 - Long Beach, CA @ Vans Warped Tour ** July 27 - Flagstaff, AZ @ Hotel Monte Vista July 28 - Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad July 29 - Roswell, NM @ The Liberty July 31 - Tulsa, OK @ The Vanguard August 1 - Springfield, MO @ The Venue on Sunset August 2 - Memphis, TN @ 1884 Lounge August 14 - Toronto, ON @ RBC Amphitheatre (with ALEXISONFIRE) August 15 - Toronto, ON @ RBC Amphitheatre (with ALEXISONFIRE) September 12-13 - Mexico City, MEX @ Vans Warped Tour ** September 20 - Louisville, KY @ Louder Than Life Festival ** October 2 - Sacramento, CA @ Aftershock Festival ** October 24 - Fort Worth, TX @ Sick New World Festival ** ** Indicates festival date Photo credit: Jacob Moniz

DRAGONFORCE Announces New Vocalist And Frontwoman ALISSA WHITE-GLUZ

Wed, 06 May 2026 14:01:08 +0000

Today the world's fastest band speeds up and into its biggest, boldest and most electrifying era to date: DRAGONFORCE has announced Alissa White-Gluz as the group's newest member and first frontwoman. In a momentous union of two storied and unstoppable forces, the preeminent pioneers of extreme power metal will now be joined by one of metal's legendary vocalists, unleashing both an intrepid evolution of the genre and the start of a seismic year ahead. Beginning this Saturday, May 9, at Welcome To Rockville, and Sunday, May 17 at Sonic Temple, DRAGONFORCE's debut live performances with White-Gluz will also kick off the twentieth anniversary of "Inhuman Rampage". As the 2006 album that birthed the platinum-selling global phenomenon of "Through The Fire And Flames", which spent 23 consecutive weeks on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold, "Inhuman Rampage" introduced the band and their music to tens of millions of new fans and counting. With extensive touring plans to be revealed, and a tenth studio album currently in the works, DRAGONFORCE are bringing more listeners than ever into this next chapter of their eternally joyous, adrenaline-filled journey. See Alissa tease "Through The Fire And Flames" in the video below. "Alissa joining the band is an expansion of everything we've done up to this point," says DRAGONFORCE co-founder and lead guitarist Herman Li. "Twenty years is a long time to do anything, let alone survive the music industry and still be so inspired to continue doing what we love. Together we will honor what made 'Inhuman Rampage' matter, while showing people exactly where we're going next. Having Alissa in the room changes everything. She doesn't just sing, she makes all aspects of our music better. And she sounds incredible live! I can't wait for the fans to see her and hear what we have been working on." Through her work with everyone from THE AGONIST to KAMELOT, ARCH ENEMY and her newly launched BLUE MEDUSA, Alissa has become an icon synonymous with strength, independence, versatility and creative fearlessness, representing a new standard for women at the highest levels of heavy music. Over two decades spent on the stage, blending ferocious and melodic theatricality with lyrical themes of philosophy, psychology, ethics and the human experience, she has built a history spanning 15-plus hours of recorded music, 60-plus music videos, 40-plus collaborations and 2,000-plus concerts across a myriad of subgenres. On her new partnership with DRAGONFORCE, and pairing her vocal prowess with the band's time-warping precision and live show spectacle, Alissa says, "I am beyond excited to be bringing such iconic music to life with these amazingly skilled musicians in such a fun and inspiring environment. It feels great to showcase all the colors of my voice and utilize all my singing styles in technically challenging, deeply energizing, highly addictive songs. I am so thankful for the amazing support I have been lucky enough to receive from the metal world over this wild career I've built; I want to keep pushing my boundaries and delivering exceptional music and live experiences to the fans that I cherish so much." Founded in 1999 and based between Los Angeles and London, DRAGONFORCE have rewritten the rules of heavy metal, while redefining the possibilities of their respective instruments. Since the release of "Inhuman Rampage" and its signature anthem "Through The Fire And Flames" — the notoriously unbeatable final boss of "Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock" — the Grammy-nominated band have continued to blow the minds of musicians and gamers everywhere. They have been heard in "Despicable Me 4", "Fortnite Festival", "Brawl Stars", "Asphalt Legends" and beyond, and seen on the covers of dozens of magazines. They have played for millions of fans and shared stages with IRON MAIDEN, Ozzy Osbourne, SLIPKNOT, METALLICA and many more, but one thing has always been certain: the fastest band in the world will not slow down. DRAGONFORCE is: Herman Li - Guitar, Backing Vocals Sam Totman - Guitar, Backing Vocals Alissa White-Gluz - Lead Vocals Marc Hudson - Lead Vocals Alicia Vigil - Bass Gee Anzalone - Drums Photo by Travis Shinn

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BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME To Perform Inside Prehistoric Cave As The Caverns Expands Its Role In Heavy Music

Wed, 06 May 2026 13:52:45 +0000

Progressive metal innovators BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME will descend underground on Friday, June 19 for a performance inside The Caverns, a state-of-the-art music venue within a natural limestone cave system in Grundy County, Tennessee. In recent years, The Caverns has steadily expanded its presence in the metal and experimental music world, hosting landmark underground performances from drone pioneers SUNN O))) (twice), the subterranean intensity of BLOOD INCANTATION, the theatrical chaos of GWAR, genre-defying guitarist Buckethead (three appearances to date with another scheduled for August 7), and the return of cult sludge innovators ACID BATH. These performances have helped define The Caverns as a singular environment for heavy music in an underground setting. In 2026, The Caverns was named to Billboard's 2026 Top Music Venues list, earning recognition for what the publication called its "Wow Factor," highlighting venues that deliver truly distinctive live experiences. Joe Lurgio, general manager of The Caverns, said the venue's natural setting resonates with artists across genres — especially metal. "The Caverns is a venue for all genres of music, and that certainly includes metal," he said. "Could there be a more perfect place for a metal show than surrounded by rock inside a prehistoric cave?" BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME's June 19 performance adds another chapter to The Caverns' evolving role as a destination for world-class artists seeking an environment unlike any traditional stage — where music is experienced deep within the earth itself. Tickets and additional information are available at The Caverns' official web site. Nestled in Grundy County, Tennessee, The Caverns is a world-renowned music destination with a stunning subterranean venue and natural acoustics that make every performance immersive and unforgettable. Above ground, an outdoor amphitheater offers sweeping views of the Cumberland Plateau. Visitors can enjoy guided cave tours, on-site camping, luxury yurts, and an on-site tavern. In the summertime, The Caverns also hosts Camp Caverns for kids ages 8–13. The Caverns is a one-of-a-kind destination for music, adventure, and connection. BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME, which released its latest album, "The Blue Nowhere", in September 2025 via InsideOut Music, recently announced a new U.S. tour in support of the LP. The 31-date headlining trek will kicks off on May 15 in Richmond, Virginia and conclude on June 20 in Winston Salem, North Carolina. BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME will be joined on select dates by special guests including IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT, FALLUJAH, THANK YOU SCIENTIST and THE WORLD IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE & I AM NO LONGER AFRAID TO DIE. The U.S. tour follows a month of European performances through the months of February and March. Prior to that tour, BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME released a stunning live recording of album highlight "God Terror", recorded in Denver during the band's North American dates. In late 2025, an expanded digital version of "The Blue Nowhere" was released, featuring the bonus track "Overture" and instrumental versions of the album's original 10 tracks. "The Blue Nowhere" has been hailed by Consequence as "another mind-bending prog metal journey," with Revolver noting the band's music is as "complex as ever," and Loudwire praising the album as "another characteristically compelling and eccentric record," from the genre-defying architects of modern progressive metal. BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME have built a reputation as one of heavy music's most forward-thinking and creatively ambitious bands. Over the past 25 years, they have released eleven albums, from their 2002 self-titled debut to 2025's "The Blue Nowhere", blending technical mastery with conceptual depth. Throughout their career, their albums have consistently landed on year-end best-of lists, earned a Grammy nomination in 2019 (with the award's web site praising their music as "versatile, imaginative and absolutely crushing the band's music"),been dubbed "prog metal heroes" by Kerrang!, and praised by Guitar World for their "epic" and "hugely diverse" sound. BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME is Tommy Rogers (vocals/keys), Paul Waggoner (guitars), Dan Briggs (bass/keys) and Blake Richardson (drums).

P.O.D. Completes Work On New Album With TURNSTILE Producer WILL YIP

Wed, 06 May 2026 13:21:14 +0000

In a new interview with SWOMP, P.O.D. frontman Sonny Sandoval, guitarist Marcos Curiel and bassist Mark "Traa" Daniels confirmed that they have completed work on a new studio album. The recording sessions for the follow-up to 2024's "Veritas" took place in the Whitman section of South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with Grammy-nominated music producer and engineer Will Yip at his new Memory Music Studios. Curiel told SWOMP about working with Yip (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Will is credited for pretty much working from everything from CIRCA SURVIVE, Anthony Green, QUICKSAND, CODE ORANGE, TITLE FIGHT, and most recent, his biggest accolades, Grammys for TURNSTILE. And now he's working with P.O.D. "It wasn't, like, 'Oh, we're gonna get with Will 'cause he's a Grammy [nominee]...' It was because we've been fans of his work, but he was also a fan of our band," Marcos explained. "And when the opportunity arose, he took it, and was, like, 'Dude, I love your band. I wanna produce you guys.' And we were, like, 'Let's go.' And we're super excited about it." Regarding the recording process for P.O.D.'s upcoming album, Marcos said: "I can say this proudly, we did a record — 13, 14 songs — all tracked, vocals, drums, and guitars, in 12 days. It kind of set the tone, like, it's good to be prepared. I kind of like it… And the songs came out so dope. We're extremely proud of it, dude." On the topic of what it was like for P.O.D. to record outside of California for the first time, Marcos said: "[It was] awesome, actually." Traa chimed in: "Sometimes it's good to get out of our element. It's easy in California, because everything's there. Our family's there, so it was good to get out of our element, be in a situation where we can pull 10-, 12-hour shifts and have nowhere to go." Marcos added: "We had a 10-minute walk every morning from our Airbnb to the studio. And we got to soak in the community and the culture and the vibe of South Philly. I felt like Rocky sometimes, bro [a reference to the fictional movie character who has become the city's unofficial underdog mascot]… But the streets were just like that. We were, like, 'Look at these houses.' So much culture and vibe there, bro." Asked what Yip brought out of P.O.D. throughout the recording process, Marcos said: "He's heavily invested. He understands our band. That was one of the key things that kind of enticed me as a writer, as a musician. He started way back with [1990s hip-hop label] Ruffhouse [Records, home to THE FUGEES, CYPRESS HILL and Lauryn Hill], so he has that whole hip-hop background and foundation. Lauryn Hill, FUGEES, all that stuff. But then he has this indie rock and punk rock, post-hardcore, hardcore vibe. We thought it would be a perfect thing for our band. And when we got with him, we weren't mistaken. It was a good vibe, just everything. Vibe, cultural, food-wise. He's a foodie. So there's things you're passionate in life. There's food, then there's music and your family. He's all of those things… He wasn't trying to change us. He was, like, 'This is what P.O.D. is. Let's try to enhance that and make it fresh.'" Sonny added: "It was so good. And he's a fan of our band, which, it was inspiring. His energy was inspiring. A lot of producers, they're just jaded, and a lot of it is all, as Marcos says, transactional. They do a record because they get paid. It's money, and they're trying to build their catalog. But [Will is], like, 'I only wanna work with bands that I actually respect and like.' Marcos continued: "It was a team effort. His positivity is very contagious in a great way, man." P.O.D. released a studio version of its rendition of THE BEATLES classic "Don't Let Me Down" last September. In May 2024, P.O.D. released its eleventh album, "Veritas", via Mascot Records. The album was a Top 10 hit across the U.S. Billboard Current Hard Rock, Current Rock, and Current Alternative album charts. P.O.D. released several singles from the album including "Drop", "Afraid To Die", "I Got That" and "I Won't Bow Down". "Drop" featured a vocal feature from LAMB OF GOD singer Randy Blythe, while "Afraid To Die" featured JINJER vocalist Tatiana Shmayluk. Photo credit: Alicia Hauff

DEEP PURPLE Announces 'Heaviest' Studio Album In Many Years, 'Splat!'

Wed, 06 May 2026 12:03:51 +0000

Hard rock legends DEEP PURPLE will release their new studio album, "Splat!" , on July 3 via earMUSIC. With more than 120 million albums sold since forming in 1968, DEEP PURPLE have long secured their place in rock history. Rather than simply preserving their legacy, they continue to extend it, driven by the same spirit that defined their earliest work. Says frontman Ian Gillan: "Where we are now with this incarnation of DEEP PURPLE feels very much like a very 'now' version of DEEP PURPLE as it was in the '70s." Once again, the band has teamed up with renowned producer Bob Ezrin (KISS, PINK FLOYD, Lou Reed, Alice Cooper). Together, they have crafted an album that draws on the sound and attitude that has always set DEEP PURPLE apart from the rest. "Splat!" is the heaviest DEEP PURPLE album in many years, with the band playing together in the studio — the way DEEP PURPLE have always recorded. Gillan comments: "I have to say, now we are very much back in with material that is compatible with 'Highway Star', 'Smoke On The Water', 'Lazy' — the dynamics, the balance, and the fun of the music we made from '69 to '73." At the heart of "Splat!" is an idea conceived by Gillan. Rather than treating the end as destruction, the album imagines it as transformation: "Splat!" explores the end of humanity not in any crude apocalyptic sense but as a metamorphosis beyond physical existence. The album concept will be revealed further in the weeks leading up to its release on July 3. To celebrate the release, DEEP PURPLE will continue their extensive 2026 touring schedule with no fewer than 86 shows across 28 countries on three continents. New music from "Splat!" is already on the way. DEEP PURPLE invite fans to follow the journey in the weeks ahead. Gillan sums it up: "DEEP PURPLE is in a great place right now." "Splat!" formats: * CD (Digisleeve) * 2LP (black, 180g, Gtf.) * Ltd. Purple 2LP (180g, Gtf.) * Ltd. Transparent Yellow 2LP (180g, Gtf.) * Ltd. Box Set * Digital Box Set Content * 2LP Gatefold (180g) * 12-page vinyl-sized booklet * CD Digisleeve * 3 exclusive 10-inch vinyl records featuring live recordings from the DEEP PURPLE tour 2024 * Exclusive 7-inch single featuring bonus track "Guinnesis" (not included on the studio album!) Track listing (CD/2LP): Side A 01. Arrogant Boy 02. Diablo 03. The Rider 04. The Lunatic Side B 05. The Only Horse In Town 06. Sacred Land 07. The Beating Of Wings Side C 08. Guilt Trippin' 09. Scriblin' Gib'rish 10. Jessica's Bra Side D 11. Third Call 12. My New Movie 13. Splat! "Splat!" will be available on July 3 in multiple formats: Limited Box Set, containing: - 2LP Gatefold (180g) - 12-page vinyl-sized booklet - CD Digisleeve - 3 exclusive 10-inch vinyl records featuring live recordings from the DEEP PURPLE tour 2024 - Exclusive 7-inch single featuring the bonus track "Guinnesis" (not included on the studio album and available exclusively in the box set!) * CD (Digisleeve) * 2LP Gatefold (black, 180g) + 12-page vinyl-sized booklet * Limited Purple 2LP Gatefold (180g) + 12-page vinyl-sized booklet * Limited Transparent Yellow 2LP (180g) + 12-page vinyl-sized booklet All LP editions include a rich 12-page LP-sized booklet with illustrations and all song lyrics – available exclusively with the first pressing. Further exclusive items are available via the official artist store, including: * Limited 2LP Picture Disc + 12-page vinyl-sized booklet * Limited Cassette * A strictly limited canvas signed by all band members and limited to just 199 copies worldwide There simply aren't enough superlatives to properly acknowledge the contribution DEEP PURPLE has made to rock music. Having sold more than 120 million albums and filled global arenas for decades, there's little wonder that the respected British radio station Planet Rock named the group the "Fifth Most Influential Band Ever". The band were also presented the "Legend Award" at the 2008 World Music Awards and were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2016. DEEP PURPLE truly are "rock royalty". With a body of work spanning seven decades, DEEP PURPLE have helped pioneer and define the hard rock genre while progressively moving into new areas, both keeping their sound fresh and attracting new fans to the legions who have remained loyal since the band's inception. The celebrated MKII line-up of Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Ian Paice, Jon Lord and Ritchie Blackmore was responsible for creating many of the defining rock albums of the early '70s, including "Made In Japan", universally accepted as one of the most important and influential live albums of all time. Known as one of the hardest-working bands ever, DEEP PURPLE have continued to release No. 1 albums and tour globally since forming in 1968, with little rest. DEEP PURPLE have stayed true to their musical roots, drawing from an eclectic mix of styles to create a distinctive sound that defines the band today and, in turn, has created a legacy that very few bands could ever hope to replicate. The band has written and produced so many "classic", well-known songs that its audience ranges widely in age and background — something the band has readily embraced. DEEP PURPLE's recent studio album "=1" (2024) followed their worldwide chart-topping albums "Whoosh!" (2020), "inFinite" (2017) and "NOW What?!" (2013). 2026 sees the release of their brand-new album "Splat!". On these albums, DEEP PURPLE joined forces with producer Bob Ezrin, who has worked with the likes of KISS, PINK FLOYD, Lou Reed and Alice Cooper. Furthering their collaboration with Ezrin, in 2021 and during the pandemic the band recorded a collection of cover songs from their own homes (normal for most bands nowadays, revolutionary for a band that records everything together in the studio), creating an eclectic and celebratory history of their roots in music, in the shape of "Turning To Crime". Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Ian Paice, Don Airey and Simon McBride continue with renewed vitality, pushing the boundaries of hard rock to audiences around the globe, proving that DEEP PURPLE are very much here to stay. Photo credit: Olaf Heine (courtesy of The Outside Organisation)

MÖTLEY CRÜE And SHINEDOWN To Perform On Season Finale Of 'American Idol'

Wed, 06 May 2026 00:04:48 +0000

MÖTLEY CRÜE will perform on the season finale of "American Idol". The three-hour episode of the singing competition show airs May 11 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and will stream the next day on Disney+ and Hulu. The episode will feature the top three contestants performing, and whoever gets the most viewer votes will win the show. Other artists set to appear on the show include SHINEDOWN, Clay Aiken, Jason Mraz, Nelly, EN VOGUE, Tori Kelly, BLUES TRAVELER and GIN BLOSSOMS. A pioneer in the reality TV competition genre, "American Idol" offers hopeful vocalists from all over the country the chance to audition for esteemed judges Lionel Richie, original "Idol" season 4 winner Carrie Underwood; and Luke Bryan. Those who impress the panel are handed a golden ticket to Hollywood. Emmy Award-winning "American Idol" staple Ryan Seacrest has once again returned as host. MÖTLEY CRÜE's upcoming "The Return Of Carnival Of Sins" tour will celebrate the 20th anniversary of CRÜE's groundbreaking 2005-2006 "Carnival Of Sins" tour and the 45th anniversary of the band. The 33-city Live Nation-produced trek will kick off on July 17, 2026 in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania at the Pavilion at Star Lake and will feature support acts EXTREME and TESLA. MÖTLEY CRÜE said that $1 from every ticket sold for "The Return Of Carnival Of Sins" will be donated to ASAP! (After School Arts Program) through the Mötley Crüe Giveback Initiative to fund hands-on arts programs for young people. MÖTLEY CRÜE's Las Vegas residency launched on September 12, 2025 and at Dolby Live at Park MGM and ran through October 3, 2025. The shows had initially been set for spring 2025 but were rescheduled after frontman Vince Neil revealed he had suffered a stroke around Christmas 2024. In September 2025, Vince revealed that he had actually had a series of strokes before he suffered the "big one" in his sleep 2024 Christmas night, rendering him unable to get out of bed when he woke up the next day. When MÖTLEY CRÜE originally postponed the Las Vegas residency, the band said it was because Neil needed a "medical procedure," but offered no further details.

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MEGADETH's TEEMU MÄNTYSAARI Believes GHOST-Style 'Phone Ban' At Concerts Is A 'Great Idea'

Tue, 05 May 2026 21:42:57 +0000

In a new interview with Fernanda Hein of Chile's Sonar FM, MEGADETH guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari was asked for his opinion on phone-free concerts, such as was the case with Swedish metallers GHOST, who instituted a no-phone policy on their recent tour by utilizing Yondr pouches. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think that idea is really cool. I've been to a couple shows that had that, where you would take your phone and you would put it in a kind of a locked bag. And we actually did that as well when we did our album pre-listening session in Nashville, which was like a small kind of a private VIP party for a couple hundred people. So we did that there as well, because we didn't wanna show those songs, of course, to everybody beforehand." Teemu continued: "I think that's a cool idea, during the live shows, and those couple of bigger shows that I've been to where that was done, I think people really get to concentrate on the music when it's not through the phone screen, but it's actually direct contact. And I think it's nice for the audience as well. I mean, of course it's a kind of trade-off — then people don't get to share the videos and photos from the show. But if the band has their own, like, media crew there filming stuff and it's still shared, then you still get the video clips and you still get the stuff in the social media. So I think that's probably gonna get more common, and more people probably will start doing that once it gets easier to do. And I think it's a great idea." Asked if MEGADETH has thought about recording any of the live shows during the band's ongoing farewell tour for possible future release, Teemu said: "We are actually recording all the shows always. And usually it's just the audio part. So our front-of-house engineer records everything always. And whenever we can, we also do video, and we're looking into different possibilities of doing more shows with video as well. And, yeah, [we are] hoping, at some point, to have enough material to choose from to do some kind of a live release." GHOST made its entire 2025 and 2026 tours phone-free experiences — with attendees maintaining possession of their phones at all times, secured in Yondr pouches — after playing a pair of phone-free shows in Los Angeles in 2023 for the filming of the "Rite Here Rite Now" concert film. IRON MAIDEN asked fans to put their phones away while attending concerts on the British heavy metal legends' recently launched "Run For Your Lives" world tour. Other acts, such as TOOL, have also employed a similar approach, requesting fans stay off their phones until the final song of their set. Through the use of technology like Yondr, fans are able to place their phones in a pouch that unlocks only after they leave the no-cell-phone zone. The pouch can also be unlocked at specific cell phone stations inside the venue. Phone-free concerts are touted as a way to cut down on illegal filming and non-stop selfies that can take away from the performance. Yondr founder Graham Dugoni said his company's pouches were created for "phone-free spaces" where "creativity and productivity could flourish in the absence of technology." Phones, Apple watches and other communication devices are placed in the pouch and sealed using a magnetized lock, which can be opened with an unlocking base. Mäntysaari was born in Tampere, Finland and began playing guitar at the age of 12. In 2004, he joined the band WINTERSUN. He has also been a member of SMACKBOUND since 2015. MEGADETH's new, self-titled album, the group's first with Mäntysaari, was released on January 23 via a partnership between MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine's Tradecraft imprint and the Frontiers Label Group's new imprint BLKIIBLK. MEGADETH once again worked with Chris Rakestraw, a producer, mixer and engineer who also helmed the band's previous two albums, 2022's "The Sick, The Dying... And The Dead!" and 2016's "Dystopia".

LIVING WRECKAGE, Featuring Members Of ANTHRAX And SHADOWS FALL, Releases New Single 'Righteous Side Of Sanity'

Tue, 05 May 2026 20:27:31 +0000

LIVING WRECKAGE — the modern metal band featuring guitarist Jon Donais (ANTHRAX, SHADOWS FALL) and bassist Matt Bachand (SHADOWS FALL, ACT OF DEFIANCE) — has released a new single, "Righteous Side Of Sanity". The lyric video for the track can be seen below. "Righteous Side Of Sanity", the first single from LIVING WRECKAGE to feature vocalist Sage King, is a fury of a song bringing together classic riffs and modern turmoil, with lyrics that breathe life into the freedoms we seem to have forgotten. It surges forward with an unrelenting intensity, channeling the raw energy of old-school rock and metal while confronting the chaos and contradictions of the present day. The track balances aggression with purpose, its driving instrumentation underscoring a message that feels both urgent and reflective. Every riff and lyric works in tandem to evoke a sense of defiance, reminding listeners of the values and liberties that can too easily fade into the background. Elevating the song's impact is its production, handled by Chris "Zeuss" Harris, whose reputation for crafting powerful, polished records adds another layer of depth to the release. Known for his work with heavyweights like ROB ZOMBIE, QUEENSRŸCHE, SHADOWS FALL and HATEBREED, Zeuss brings a commanding clarity and weight to the track, ensuring that its message hits as hard sonically as it does thematically. The result is a song that not only demands attention but lingers long after the final note, leaving listeners both energized and introspective. In addition, the single will be featured on Sound System, from the creators of Guitar Hero, Rock Band, Rocksmith and more beginning October 16, 2026. Sound System is the ultimate music and rhythm gaming experience that honors the magic of the classics while unlocking modern creativity, community and infinite replay. LIVING WRECKAGE is a fearless collision of hard rock hooks and metal muscle, a band that thrives on straddling the line between two worlds and refusing to pick sides. Founded by Donais, Bachand, guitarist Matt LeBreton (DOWNPOUR) and drummer Jon Morency (LET US PREY), the group built its foundation on a lifelong passion for the golden age of rock and metal. That love of the classics fuels their fire, but LIVING WRECKAGE has always been about bringing that energy into the present with a sound that feels both timeless and cutting edge. The band's self-titled debut, produced by Shane Frisby and mixed by Pete Rutcho, landed in 2021 to critical praise and introduced fans to their high-voltage blend of hard rock swagger and metallic bite. Singles like "Endless War" found traction on SiriusXM's Liquid Metal, while tours with legends such as OVERKILL, BUCKCHERRY, PRONG and METAL CHURCH proved that LIVING WRECKAGE could command any stage they stepped on. In 2023, the lineup expanded with the addition of vocalist Sage King, whose dynamic range and inventive harmonies opened a new chapter for the band. His presence elevated both the live attack and the studio approach, giving LIVING WRECKAGE a tidal wave of layered vocals and new dimensions of melody. With the lineup now complete, the chemistry is undeniable. Currently working with acclaimed producer Zeuss, the band is taking its time to craft the follow-up album set for release in 2026. Unlike the rushed pace of the debut, the new sessions are deliberate and uncompromising, with every riff, harmony, and lyric scrutinized until it reaches its full potential. Experimenting with darker tunings, intricate vocal layering, and more adventurous songwriting, LIVING WRECKAGE is expanding its sound without abandoning its roots. The result is heavier, moodier, and more emotionally resonant, tackling themes of grief, addiction, and betrayal while still keeping the spirit of rock's cathartic release alive. At its core, LIVING WRECKAGE is about connection. Their music speaks to metal die-hards and rock purists alike, bringing together generations of fans under one roof. Onstage they embody a work-hard-play-hard mentality, delivering explosive performances that remind audiences why this music matters. Offstage they remain a band of brothers, unified in their goals and driven by the thrill of creation. LIVING WRECKAGE is the bridge, carrying the larger-than-life energy of arena rock into the visceral intensity of modern metal. The party is still raging, but the stakes feel higher, the songs cut deeper, and the sound is stronger than ever. LIVING WRECKAGE 2026 is: Sage King - Vocals Jon Donais - Guitar Matt LeBreton - Guitar Matt Bachand - Bass Jon Morency - Drums

Denigration

Tue, 05 May 2026 20:15:54 +0000

Few would dispute that INGESTED have become leading benchmarks for the brutal death metal, slam and deathcore scenes. Relentlessly focused and ferocious, the British crew have done more than virtually any other band to promote this kind of extreme and uncompromising music. And despite gleefully blurring boundaries between different deathly factions, they have earned respect and upheld their responsibilities as scene leaders with a laudable sense of determined duty. But nothing is ever entirely straightforward in the world of jaw-shattering brutality. A few months before its release date, "Denigration" was subject to an abrupt change of personnel, as former vocalist Josh Davies was swiftly given his marching orders after various, unsavory allegations. Not a band inclined to waste time, INGESTED have quickly re-recorded all lead vocals, with guitarists Sean Hynes and Andrew Virrueta stepping up to fill the gaps, and the release schedule has continued as planned, and with the minimum of fuss. It must have been extremely irritating to face such an impromptu derailment because "Denigration" represents a skillful reset for INGESTED. After a couple of albums that dared to think outside the brutal box, with enhanced levels of atmosphere and occasional concessions to melody, the band's eighth album marks another stylistic mutation in their near-20-year story. As ridiculous as it feels to say it, "Denigration" really is harder, faster, nastier and more horribly dark than anything this band have released previously. Constructed from the most violent and grimy riffs Hynes have ever penned, and delivered with neck-snapping aggression that even outstrips the berserker BDM of 2009 debut "Surpassing the Boundaries of Human Suffering", these songs showcase the sound of a band that have worked long and hard for their art and simply have no more fucks to give. "Denigration" does not care if anyone's purist sensibilities are offended by detours into skull-cracking deathcore, and nor will its creators' lose a second of sleep over the generous helping of filthy slam riffs that are peppered throughout. INGESTED's death metal has become all-encompassing and authoritative, and this is a towering statement of defiance in the face of the Riff Police. Simultaneously catchy and cataclysmic, songs like monolithic opener "Dragged Apart" and the obnoxiously punishing "Watch You Fold" (featuring DYING FETUS frontman John Gallagher on guttural duty) deliver a constant barrage of adrenalin rushes and blunt force concussions, while standing resolutely apart from the lazily generic. This is a profoundly ugly and hostile record, but it still exhibits some of the ingenuity that made previous albums like "Ashes Lie Still" (2022) and "The Tide of Death and Fractured Dreams" (2024) such startling deviations from the brutal norm. Within the white-knuckle chaos of "Merciless Reflection" (featuring PeelingFlesh frontman Damonteal Harris) and the ruinous extravagance of closer "Cold Sun", INGESTED twist their template into hideous new shapes, while also providing fans with an endless litany of riffs to soundtrack more drunken, sweaty violence. The new, hastily assembled vocals are uniformly killer, and songs like "Steel Toe Truth" and "Stitch By Stitch" audibly outstrip their earlier incarnations (which were briefly available to journalists before Davies's dismissal). All things considered, "Denigration" is both an unequivocal triumph and a reminder that no one is indispensable when a cause is so clearly outlined. Manchester's death metal kings are still reigning.

CANCER BATS Announce New Album 'Give Me Dirt', Share 'Stay Stuck' Music Video

Tue, 05 May 2026 19:54:52 +0000

Currently touring across Canada on their "Birthing The Giant" 20th-anniversary tour, six-time-Juno-nominated Canadian hardcore punk heavyweights CANCER BATS will release their eighth studio album, "Give Me Dirt", on August 7 via Bat Skull Records in partnership with New Damage Records in Canada and via Marshall Records in the rest of the world. Ahead of their forthcoming release, CANCER BATS, composed of lead vocalist Liam Cormier, drummer Mike Peters, bassist Jaye Schwarzer and newest addition Jackson Landry on guitar (Jackson replaced Scott Middleton in 2023), have dropped a new single, "Stay Stuck", complete with an accompanying video. "'Stay Stuck' was such a fun song for us to write. It was one of the first songs that we finished while working on the new record and we really all felt like we had tapped into the classic CANCER BATS bouncy fun element we've had in songs since the beginning," shares Cormier. "The lyrics explore the idea that, at any age or moment in life, we all reach a point where we realize something has to change. Maybe it's the path we're on, or just the way we see things, but there's that instant where we say to ourselves, I'M NOT WASTING ANY MORE TIME! We're all moving towards something bigger, chasing goals and dreams that the world can't take away from us. That's what keeps us going." Filmed by Mitch Barnes, who also worked on the video for "Lonely Bong", the hilarious and super-fun video for "Stay Stuck" finds the band stepping into a series of day jobs, roles that closely mirror those they held prior to forming CANCER BATS. At the heart of it, the band wanted to capture the sense of optimism they carried through those years. Even in jobs that can feel routine or demanding, they were always focused on what lay ahead. Reflecting on the concept, Cormier explains: "The idea is that we were always having fun and staying positive in those jobs thinking of the future that we knew was coming for us. I think lots of times those jobs can feel like a grind and we wanted to look more at the fun times and how it's really just that stepping stone to really living your dreams. CANCER BATS, as a band, also just really like an excuse to make fun and funny music videos so that was our whole thinking for the concept. A great cinematic vehicle for us to all have a really good time." "Stay Stuck" is available now on all digital streaming platforms. The official video can be seen below. As the follow-up to their 2022 Juno-nominated, critically acclaimed seventh studio album "Psychic Jailbreak", "Give Me Dirt" pushes CANCER BATS' artistry to new heights, fully realizing the sound they have pursued throughout their musical careers. Produced by legendary metal producer Kurt Ballou (CONVERGE, KVELERTAK, HIGH ON FIRE, EVERY TIME I DIE) and Zach Weeks at GodCity Studios in Salem, Massachusetts, with vocals recorded by Ian Romano (THE OUTFIT, PIGPEN, ANCIENT SHAPES) at Camera Varda Studios in Welland, Ontario, "Give Me Dirt" sees CANCER BATS at their most sonically inspiring. As with their earlier work, the music came together organically, with all four members jamming in the same room. One key lesson the band carried over from their last album was that the real magic happens when everyone is fully collaborating. Once the riffs, breakdowns, and grooves were locked in, Cormier returned to rural Nova Scotia to craft the lyrics and vocal hooks. Many of the songs took shape on dusty forest roads, along winding dirt bike trails, and while brewing campfire coffee on secluded North Shore beaches. Inspired by a year of travel, "Give Me Dirt" unfolds as both an outward and inward journey, grounded in a deep connection to nature. The songs explore leaving urban life behind, processing personal loss, and confronting environmental devastation, while also reflecting on lessons drawn from the natural world. Motorcycle travel forms another central thread on "Give Me Dirt". From riding through the harsh conditions of the Canadian Rockies to a transformative journey in the mountains of Nepal just before recording, these experiences shaped the album's perspective. The overarching theme of returning to nature and re-connecting with the physical world, also provided inspiration for the album's artwork. Instead of using digital tools, Cormier created a giant four-foot-by-eight-foot mixed-media painting for the front and back covers. Using materials like paint, paper, stencils and drywall mud, he incorporated whatever he could get his hands on to build a large-scale, tactile piece. A second artwork of similar size was created for the liner notes featuring handwritten lyrics, collages, and similar paints and stencils used on the cover. Cormier explains his motivation: "So many people I find are so sick of A.I. these days and all things that look too polished. I wanted the artwork to capture the energy of the album but also represent us as a band, we are rough and dirty, our sound is loud and a mix of so many influences. Making art like this felt like such a good visual representation of not only the songs, but also CANCER BATS ourselves." "Give Me Dirt" track listing: 01. World Wild Fire Death Race (feat. Nate Newton) 02. Stay Stuck 03. Don't Trip 04. Bright Eyes Of Gold (feat. Chris Creswell) 05. Give Me Dirt 06. Long Tooth (feat. Brooklyn Doran) 07. Speed Wizard 08. Ocean Crash 09. Positive Grid 10. Prognosis 11. Fool Like You (feat. Efrem Schulz) Photo credit: Joey Senft

NAPALM DEATH's SHANE EMBURY Remembers Late AT THE GATES Frontman TOMAS LINDBERG: 'He Was A Really Important Person For The Scene'

Tue, 05 May 2026 19:30:59 +0000

In a new interview with Stefan Nilsson of Roppongi Rocks, NAPALM DEATH bassist Shane Embury spoke about last year's passing of his longtime friend and LOCK UP bandmate, founding AT THE GATES frontman Tomas "Tompa" Lindberg. Shane said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, Tomas, he's been my close friend, I suppose, since about 1996. He was ... He still feels like he's here, really, for me. So, how long is that? 30 years, I think. But I first met him in 1989 at a NAPALM DEATH show. And then I met him briefly again in 1994, when AT THE GATES released 'Terminal Spirit Disease', I think it was. But he was a really important person for the scene. He used to have a couple of beers and he would tell people, 'Oh, yeah, I invented the Gothenburg [Sweden metal] scene.' He was doing it tongue in cheek, but I sort of believe he did, to be honest. But we used to talk a lot. And strangely enough, on the last few releases, he would always send me the lyrics to read. I don't know why. He would say, 'Does this make sense in English?' I'm, like, 'Well, yes, it's fine.' And occasionally there'd be different things, different wordings, but I thought that was better, in a way. But I don't know why he always sent it. Because we used to have a similar kind of lyrical approach, I think. When we used to write together in LOCK UP, we would be quite philosophical, in a way." Shane continued: "[Tomas was a] very deep thinker. And, of course, being in the heavy metal scene, it's an extreme world. If you're disciplined, unlike me, and probably unlike Tompa too, we'd drink, we'd party and get crazy. And a lot of people in the metal scene are like-minded individuals. We come together. It's almost like we're almost like shamans — whatever you wanna call it, really. We sort of channel these emotions. So he was a good friend. And it was very sad [when he died]. Really, really sad." AT THE GATES' latest album, "The Ghost Of A Future Dead", came out on April 24 via Century Media Records. The follow-up to 2021's "The Nightmare of Being" marks a special tribute to Lindberg, who tragically passed away in September 2025. The LP features Tomas's final vocal recordings, recorded as demos before his 2024 surgery. Lindberg was diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma, a rare oral cancer, in December 2023, which led to a major surgery that removed a large portion of the roof of his mouth. He had also undergone radiation treatment and had been on a path to recovery, but then doctors found traces of the cancer in early 2025. In May 2025, an undisclosed "setback" placed Tomas in long-term care. Lindberg was 52 years old at the time of his death. In August 2025, Tomas's AT THE GATES bandmates announced that the singer was receiving "around-the-clock" care at an unspecified hospital after being diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC),a rare, slow-growing but aggressive cancer that typically develops in the salivary glands, particularly the minor salivary glands of the head and neck.