metal: Last News

Spiritbox have dropped an immense new single called ‘Soft Spine’ – check it out below.Arriving as a standalone track, the release comes from the Canadian metal band as they prepare to hit the road with Gojira and KoRn for a huge tour across North America.As expected, the new song sees Courtney LaPlante and co. break out their signature, eruptive sound, and deliver the same extreme growls that first put them on the map.

Slipknot‘s Clown has opened up about why the band rarely discuss the group’s late drummer Joey Jordison.Jordison, who founded the metal band in 1995 alongside Paul Gray and Shawn “Clown” Crahan, was the band’s drummer up until 2013 when he was fired from the group with the band citing personal reasons. Jordison later revealed that he suffered from the neurological disease transverse myelitis. He passed away in July 2021 at the age of 46.In an interview with Knotfest, Crahan opened up about his relationship with the late drummer and former bandmate.

Judas Priest‘s Rob Halford isn’t hanging up his boots anytime soon – see what the legendary metal singer had to say about retirement.The Judas Priest frontman recently spoke to Iowa’s Rock 108, where he spoke about whether he intends to retire soon or not. As transcribed by Classic Rock, Halford said: “I think if your desire is still there, if your passion is still there, if you can still deliver the goods – to quote a Priest song – if you’re moving along and the machine’s not too wobbly, you can still get from A to B on one wheel, as long as it looks good and sounds good and all the other pieces are in place, why would you want to retire?He continued: “I wouldn’t know what to do with my life if I suddenly couldn’t do this beautiful work. I need to do it.

Eddie Van Halen.It was recently reported that the last song that Alex and Eddie Van Halen ever wrote together would be included in the audiobook version of Alex’s new memoir, Brothers.While the drummer has previously been absent from the public eye following Eddie’s death in 2020, he made a rare statement sharing his motivations for writing the book.“This is my tribute to my brother; my way of saying goodbye,” he said. “Ed, I love you and miss you.

Spiritbox are teasing new music through the means of a puzzle – and it seems a new song could drop very soon.Fresh from their appearances at Reading and Leeds last month, the Canadian metal band are letting fans who click a pre-save button on streaming access to a puzzle which, put together, plays a snippet of their first new music since their 2023 EP ‘The Fear of Fear’.The puzzle is made up of various symbols that play a split second of music when they’re clicked. The pieces need to be moved into the correct sequence in order to progress to the next level.Once the puzzle is completed, a countdown appears on the page that is set to end at some point tomorrow (September 6).

Black Veil Brides has recalled the “cringe-inducing” time that the band spent opening for Mötley Crüe while on tour.The frontman opened up about the experience in a new interview with Joshua Toomey while on the Talk Toomey podcast. During the conversation, Biersak looked back at the time that Black Veil Brides supported the iconic ‘80s glam group while on their 2012 tour.While it was something he and the members were looking forward to, the actual experience saw them greeted with less of a positive crowd response than they expected.“It’s an interesting thing, because those bands that are these iconic bands, it’s very rare for the opener to have any kind of positive experience, regardless of who it is,” he began (via Blabbermouth).“We toured with Mötley Crüe in soccer stadiums in Europe, and I thought, ‘This is the greatest thing that’s ever gonna happen to us.’ And I’ll never forget, the first show was in [Germany], and after the first song was done, it wasn’t booing, it was total silence, like strong, arms crossed, angry silence,” he explained.

Judas Priest are planning to re-release their debut album ‘Rocka Rolla’ with a new mix – find out more below.According to founding member and bassist Ian Hill, the album – which celebrates its 50th anniversary on September 6 – is being re-mixed and getting prepped for re-release. Speaking on the Talking Rock with Meltdown podcast recent, Hill spoke about the band’s plans for its 50th anniversary reissue.He said: “It’s just been re-engineered by Tom Allom after all of these years. The multi-tracks were in remarkably good condition, and he’s changed some of the sounds, made it more modern and obviously remixed it.

Gojira‘s Joe Duplantier has shared an updated on their “ambitious” next album – see what he had to say below.Fresh off their historic performance at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games – where they became the first metal act to perform in the history of the Olympics – frontman Joe Duplantier has provided an update on the French metallers’ next project.Speaking on the Loudwire Nights podcast, Joe expanded on his brother – and Gojira drummer – Mario Duplantier’s comments last October that the band’s next album will be “heavier” than 2021’s ‘Fortitude’.Joe said: “It’s not a secret, but I’ve gotta say we’re in the middle of it, and until it’s completed, it’s hard to tell people what it’s gonna be. And also, I don’t want to.

Metallica‘s ‘Master Of Puppets’ on America’s Got Talent – the first time the band have permitted for their music to appear on the show.Last week, Neelaknatan performed at the quarter finals of America’s Got Talent, where she ripped through a cover of Metallica’s ‘Master Of Puppets’. It marks the first time that the thrash metal legends have ever allowed their music to be performed on the show.She said in a pre-performance vignette: “I’m the first act Metallica have ever given permission to play on AGT.

Slipknot‘s Shawn ‘Clown’ Crahan has revealed that he wants the band to perform at the 2028 Olympic Games – see what the percussionist had to say below.In a new chat with Metal Hammer, Clown spoke of Gojira‘s history-making performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony, where they became the first-ever metal act to play for the long-running international sporting tournament.Clown said of Gojira’s performance: “I got goosebumps. I know this is going to sound stupid, but I’m just so proud of them. I know the word ‘proud’ probably sounds weird coming from me but that band is so incredible, and they’re friends of ours, and Mario [Duplantier] is one of my favourite drummers in hard rock.”He continued: “When I saw the performance, I was just proud to have them do that.

Slipknot’s Corey Taylor has revealed that he’s making changes to touring plans in the future for his health saying, “I’m only going to work so much”.Back in January, the Slipknot frontman cancelled his previously scheduled North American solo tour, citing struggles with his well-being.“For the past several months my mental and physical health have been breaking down, and I reached a place that was unhealthy for my family and I,” he wrote in a statement at the time.“I know this decision will come as a shock to some and may be regarded as unpopular by others – but after taking a hard look at where I am and where I was going, I need to pull myself back and be home with my family for the time being,” he added, also telling fans that those who had already bought tickets would be issued a refund.The tour was in celebration of his second solo album ‘CMFT2’, which arrived back in September 2023 and saw him play a series of tour dates across Europe and the UK.Now, in a new interview with Alternative Press, Taylor has opened up more about his struggles saying he hit “a real dark point” earlier this year and that he needed to make some changes to the way he works for his well-being – including touring.He told the publication: “I found that my pursuit of work and all things ego was killing me. And nearly killed me.“So I’ve reinvested my life to the point [where] I’m only going to work so much.

Gorjira‘s performance at the Paris Olympics is now available on streaming services.In July, they became the first heavy metal act to appear in an Olympic opening ceremony, performing on July 26 alongside experimental opera singer Marina Viotti.The heavy metallers performed ‘Ah, Ça Ira!’ (which translates to ‘It’ll be fine’), a song that was popular during the French Revolution, during a segment titled ‘Liberté’ (in reference to France’s famed motto ‘Liberté, égalité, fraternité’), which celebrated one of the most famous events in French history, as well as the nation’s emphasis on freedom.Now, the band have made the track available on Spotify, Apple Music and more.During the ceremony, the band appeared on the side of a castle surrounded by fire and bursts of red streamers, with Viotti later appearing on a moving prop boat. Their performance followed a portion dedicated to Les Miserables and came just after a beheaded Marie Antoinette was shown singing.The spectacle left viewers asking themselves if they’d just seen “one of the most memorable moments of 2024” or a “freakshow”.

Slipknot‘s Sid Wilson has opened up about the injuries he suffered following a bonfire explosion.After it was reported he had been hospitalised due to “serious burns” to his face and arms, the musician spoke to Fox News about the healing process.“My whole right arm is bandaged up, half of my left arm,” he said of his injuries. “My face is basically melted from nose down.“But the swelling’s gone down, and they said the face is kind of amazing that it’s regenerative, it happens real fast, seems to heal quickly.

Rob Halford has reflected on coming out in the late ’90s and how it’s “never too late”.The frontman of the legendary Judas Priest spoke to Fugues in a recent interview, where he was asked if other gay musicians had asked him for advice before coming out. Halford publicly came out while performing live on MTV in 1998.He recalled: “Yes, that has happened, but I won’t name names because everyone comes out when it’s their time. As we all know, set yourself free.

Black Veil Brides‘ Andy Biersack has defended his decision to tour with Falling In Reverse and his friendship with Ronnie Radke.Biersack and co are currently serving as opening support for Falling In Reverse on their 2024 US “The Popular Moms Tour II World Domination”. Upon announcing their supporting slot, the ‘Fallen Angels’ singers received major backlash over Radke’s divisive views shared on his social media accounts.The Black Veil Brides frontman took to his X/Twitter account after the tour kicked off to discuss the band’s reasoning for joining Radke and co on tour.

Metallica have paid tribute to a Canadian fan who died during their concert in Edmonton.On Friday night (August 23), while attending Metallica’s concert at the Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Canada, a fan by the name of Lorne died mid-show, while in the “Snake Pit” – the front row mosh pit area reserved for VIP fans.The cause of Lorne’s death is currently unknown, but according to a post on Facebook from someone claiming to be his friend, he suffered from an undisclosed “medical issue” and was given “aggressive CPR” to no avail. It was also written that Lorne was nicknamed “the Viking,” and was described as “the kindest soul.”Metallica have now commented on the situation, sharing a tribute post in Lorne’s honour on social media.

KISS audition for being “too short” – see what the former Megadeth guitarist had to say below.Friedman, best known for serving as Megadeth’s lead guitarist between 1990 and 2000, recently spoke to Sam Ash Music for an interview, where he revealed he once had to opportunity to audition for KISS, but wasn’t able to able to make the cut.Friedman recalled when asked if there was any KISS song he would’ve liked to play guitar on: “I would’ve wanted to be on any KISS song. I’ll give you a quick story about that – when they were changing guitar players a long time ago, I got a call from KISS’ people.”“They say like ‘Do you think you’d be interested in auditioning for KISS?’ I’m like ‘Tell me when and were’.

Pendulum have performed their hit song ‘Tarantula’ for the last time at this year’s Reading & Leeds festival.The rave-rock icons broke out the track at Reading seemingly for the last time during the third and final day of the festival, when they took to the main stage this afternoon (Sunday August 25).After opening with new track ‘Napalm’, which they shared earlier this week featuring Joey Valance and Brae, the band ripped through classics and fan favourites ‘Propane Nightmares’, ‘Come Alive’, ‘Nothing For Free’ and more, before introducing the track as the penultimate song of the set.“This is the last time we’re ever going to play this song,” frontman Rob Swire told the audience before launching into the hit. “We’ve played it for 16 years… it’s time to put it to bed.”Elsewhere in the set, Swire and co.

Slipknot’s Sid Wilson has been hospitalised after sustaining “serious burns” to his face and arms in a farming accident.The turntablist revealed his gruesome injuries in a series of Instagram posts on Friday (August 23), showing second-degree burns all over his upper body, with a nurse tending to his wounds.The incident occurred while Wilson was working on the farm that he and his girlfriend Kelly Osbourne own, with Kelly saying in one video, “This is why you don’t fuck with burn piles. He literally set himself on fire, exploded everything.”“Ouch,” Wilson captioned one video, in which he is in a hospital bed and says he was “singed everywhere, my eyebrows are singed, my mouth is blistered, both my arms are pretty bad”.A post shared by SID / Dj Starscream/Slipknot (@sidthe3rd)A post shared by SID / Dj Starscream/Slipknot (@sidthe3rd)“I’m gonna be alright you guys, and I don’t care what it takes, I will see you on tour,” he added.The band also posted on Instagram, writing: “Our brother Sid Wilson was in an accident today and sustained burns across his body.

Falling In Reverse frontman Ronnie Radke has reportedly filed a defamation suit against YouTube music critic Anthony Fantano.It’s reported that Radke has claimed that Fantano “acted in malice” and “engaged in fraud” through his 2023 video about the singer, titled ‘This Guy Sucks’.The pair have previously had words on X, formerly Twitter, over Fantano’s review of the Falling In Reverse song ‘Watch The World Burn’ in February 2023. But five months later, in August, Fantano posted the aforementioned video, in which he brought up a range of allegations made against Radke over the years.The suit was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Tuesday (August 20).

Eddie Van Halen ever wrote together will be included in the audiobook version of Alex’s new memoir Brothers.Alex was the drummer and co-founder of Californian hard rock legends Van Halen, who he formed in 1972 with his younger brother, lead guitarist Eddie.The drummer has been largely absent from the public eye since the death of Eddie in 2020 at the age of 65, but is preparing to release his memoir on October 22 via HarperCollins – pre-order your copy here.And now it has been revealed that the audiobook version of the book will feature a special treat for Van Halen fans: as Alex narrates his story, it will be soundtracked by ‘Unfinished’, the final track he and Eddie wrote together.Speaking about the motivation behind writing Brothers, Alex has said: “This is my tribute to my brother; my way of saying goodbye. Ed, I love you and miss you.