Author: Editorial Team

  • TOOL’s MAYNARD JAMES KEENAN Expands Arizona Wine-And-Food Empire With The Opening Of “Queen B Sushi”

    Maynard James Keenan, best known as the voice behind Tool and A Perfect Circle, has spent the last 20 years turning the Verde Valley into an unexpected hub for wine and culture. In 2024, he and his wife, Jennifer Keenan, grew Queen B Vinyl Café into a full café and coffee roastery, and the spot has since become Northern Arizona’s only official Record Store Day location, hosting acts like Khemmis and Author & Punisher along the way.

    On September 4, Maynard Keenan is opening Queen B Sushi at 816 N. Main St. in Old Town Cottonwood, with reservations available online.

    “Although I’ve been enjoying sushi since my days in Boston, circa 1987, my first Japanese tour wasn’t until 2000 with A Perfect Circle,” Maynard Keenan says. “It was an eye-opening and mind-blowing experience. While there, I picked up these amazing titanium and hard wood travel chopsticks from Snow Peak. And I’ve carried them with me ever since. Last year I ran into Janeane Garofalo at the Chelsea in NYC. She was saying to David Cross and Dave Hill, ‘I haven’t seen Maynard in several years but one thing I remember is that he used to carry chopsticks in his pocket.’ At which point I reached into my pocket and pulled them out. Twenty-five years I’ve been carrying these chopsticks. That’s how much I love sushi.”

    Culinary director chef Brett Vibber is heading up the kitchen, bringing experience from Roka Akor’s London, Hong Kong and U.S. locations to the project. Vibber built out the Queen B Sushi team with two key hires: chef Chuhiro “Thomas” Kato, who trained under Nobu Matsuhisa in Beverly Hills and Masaharu Morimoto in New York City, and chef Sheridan “Sher” Chase, an Arizona native who cut his teeth in kitchens from California to Texas before coming home.

    The sushi restaurant almost didn’t happen. While putting together the menu for Queen B Vinyl Café, Maynard Keenan and Jennifer Keenan initially scrapped plans for a full sushi program, figuring a town of 12,000 wouldn’t have the right chef for the job. It turned out Vibber had been on staff the whole time.

    Queen B Sushi will rotate through a wine list built from Caduceus Cellars and Merkin Vineyards selections.

    Maynard Keenan‘s wine résumé in the region runs deep. He spent more than two decades building up Northern Arizona’s wine industry, including leading the push that earned the Verde Valley its AVA (American Viticultural Area) certification in 2021. His footprint started with the Caduceus Cellars Tasting Room in Jerome and has grown to include the Merkin Vineyards Hilltop Winery & Trattoria and the Caduceus Cellars Hilltop Facility, a seven-acre complex built on the site of Cottonwood’s former Masonic Lodge.

    Photos courtesy of Queen B Sushi / Speakeasy PR

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  • BUTCHER BABIES Announces New Album “Nightbloom” & Shares Music Video For “Blame It On The Wind”

    Butcher Babies has locked in October 2 as the release date for its new album, Nightbloom, out via Judge & Jury Records. Along with the album announcement, the band has shared its newest single, “Blame It On The Wind”.

    Nightbloom comes courtesy of producer Howard Benson, whose resume includes work with My Chemical RomanceSkilletDaughtry and Halestorm, among others. Joe RickardNeil Sanderson and Henry Flury handled co-production duties, while Cameron Pierce Mizell and Evan McKeever contributed additional production on “Songbird.”

    Butcher Babies frontwoman Heidi Shepherd had this to say about the album: “A couple of years ago, I found myself in a web of darkness that I couldn’t shake. A vicious cycle of self-loathing and doubt, all while my support system did everything in their power to remind me of who I am. I desperately wanted to see in myself what they saw in me. I needed a way to look in the mirror and find love for who was looking back at me. So, I shut off social media, and for the first time in my life, I started therapy.”

    “Therapy sent me down a rabbit hole that I didn’t know existed,” she continued. “Over the course of a year, I was flooded with memories of trauma and emotions that I had suppressed. I started to feel that in this overwhelming darkness, these memories needed a way out. So, I started writing. I wrote about my failure of a ‘perfect’ marriage over 20 years ago. I wrote about the stormy canyon road that sent us to divorce. I wrote about watching the love of my life fall in love with someone else in front of me. I wrote about a one-night stand that has haunted me for decades. I wrote about a former boyfriend who took his own life. I wrote about Mormon religion ostracizing me while their members, and my neighbors shamed my family for supporting me. And even more currently, I wrote the abandonment of losing a best friend of 20 years. I wrote about moments that I didn’t realize held so much weight on my heart until we tore that fucker open in therapy.”

    “While reliving and experiencing some of my darkest moments, I started to finally bloom,” she added. “These songs grew and took on life in the dark. In writing these songs, I was able to turn negative experiences in my life into something positive, which in turn gave these memories a new place to live. Moments that I can look at and think ‘Wow, I survived that. I bloomed in the darkest moments of my life. My Nightbloom.’”

    “This new album isn’t about the suffering; it’s about the survival. These songs were born from memories of heartbreak, uncertainty, betrayal, and pain. But they’re not just about those subjects, they’re more about what grew because of them. This album, Nightbloom, is a reminder that not everything beautiful needs perfect sunshine to flourish. Sometimes the most meaningful parts of life begin in the darkest seasons.”

    Butcher Babies guitarist Flury added: “Writing with purpose. That was the overall theme of this album. Each part, layer, and lyric was crafted with purpose and focus. Nothing was unimportant. Every detail was created to tell a story with a singular voice. Nightbloom is our most important work we’ve ever done in Butcher Babies.”

    Nightbloom finds Butcher Babies at its sharpest, pairing the band’s trademark aggression with bigger melodic hooks and a sleeker modern production that pushes the sound in new directions. The record captures a band still evolving while holding onto the unapologetic energy, powerhouse vocals and pummeling instrumentation that have defined its run so far.

    “Blame It On The Wind” is already picking up steam at rock radio, with strong airplay from SiriusXM Octane helping build buzz ahead of the Oct. 2 release.

    Butcher Babies will keep its 2026 world tour rolling with a U.S. run alongside Chad Gray (MudvayneHellyeah) starting in late summer and running into fall, plus a stop at Louder Than Life in Kentucky. The band’s live show has long been its calling card, earning it repeat festival bookings and a devoted fanbase around the globe.

    Butcher Babies has spent more than a decade cutting its own path through heavy music. Formed in 2009 and based out of Las Vegas, the band has built its name on explosive live shows, fearless experimentation and a sound that resists sticking to one genre, folding thrash and groove metal aggression together with soaring hooks, punk-rock swagger and a constantly shifting set of influences.

    The band made its mark early with 2013 debut Goliath, then kept building with Uncovered (2014), Take It Like A Man(2015), Lilith (2017) and the 2023 double album Eye For An Eye… / …’Til The World’s Blind. Each release has pushed Butcher Babies further, embracing heavier extremes, bigger hooks and increasingly personal songwriting along the way.

    Now the band is stepping into arguably its most exciting chapter yet. The new singles arriving via Judge & Jury Records offer an early look at a bolder era, one that sounds heavier, more melodic, more vulnerable, and more fearless than anything that’s come before. Each release peels back another layer of what Butcher Babies has become, hinting at what could be the band’s most ambitious record to date.

    More than 15 years into its career, Butcher Babies shows no interest in repeating itself. The band keeps evolving, keeps taking risks and keeps challenging what people expect from it. Judging by the new material, the next chapter isn’t a continuation of the story so far; it’s the start of something new entirely.

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  • ANDI DERIS On Having Both MICHAEL KISKE & KAI HANSEN Singing In HELLOWEEN: “Sharing Means More Luxury — That Probably Gives Us a Free Ticket To Go On Another 10 Or 15 Years”

    In a recent interview with Mr. Music’s “Meet My Guest” podcast (transcribed by Blabbermouth), Andi Deris spoke about how he had to adapt his voice when he first joined Helloween as the replacement for Michael Kiske more than three decades ago. “Well, the majority of the songs we decided to detune half a tone down. I think from [2000’s] The Dark Ride on, we had these low tunes, like a half tone or even a full tone down. Back in the day, it was not so easy technically. You would have to change the guitars again and again and again. So we said, ‘Okay, the compromise is we don’t play The Dark Ride in drop D, but we find a middle way,’ and we just dropped down half a tone, and we played everything half-tone D. So The Dark Ride itself on stage was higher performed.

    “But nowadays it’s much easier. Nowadays with the [technology], we go back to the normal tunings again. Because it’s just a push of a button and you are half a tone lower, half a tone higher. So now we are capable of playing everything in its original [tuning] again.”

    Asked if he ever lowers the key of a song on a night when his voice isn’t feeling right, Deris said: “Oh, no. You shouldn’t do that. Because during a tour, you are completely used to changing your technique in between the songs. So when you suddenly push it down a half a tone, then the bridge to switch is lower as well, so you’re not doing yourself a favor. So it’s even worse, actually, because your routine is completely f***ed up then. So no, we would never do that. If you would realize, let’s say a few weeks before the tour, that something is not fine with me or [current Helloween co-vocalist] Michael [Kiske], then you could decide to put everything one tone down and rehearse like that to get the routine. But so far, thank to God, we never had to do that.”

    Referencing the luxury of having both Deris and Kiske — as well as original guitarist/vocalist Kai Hansen — sharing vocal duties, Andi said: “[Having more than one singer] helps a lot, because sharing means more luxury. Sharing means a little bit more breaks to calm down, so let Michael sing his song and I’m fine after five minutes again and can perform much better than if I would have to go on without a break. This is the luxury of two singers. Well, Michael always says we have two and a half singers.

    “That probably gives us a free ticket to go on another 10 or 15 years even without pissing off the people because we can share. And in the rehearsal room you check it out, and you say, ‘Maybe the running order is not working because I need a break here. Otherwise, my voice is f***ed up.’ All that sh*t you can do because you have two singers [or] three singers.”

    Helloween’s latest album, Giants & Monsters, arrived in August 2025 via Reigning Phoenix Music. The follow-up to 2021’s Helloween was mixed at the legendary Wisseloord Studios in Hilversum, Netherlands, which has hosted sessions for Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Def Leppard.

    The 2021 self-titled album was the first to feature the band’s expanded reunion lineup consisting of Deris, returning members Kiske and Hansen, guitarists Michael Weikath and Sascha Gerstner, bassist Markus Grosskopf and drummer Daniel Löble. Upon its release, Helloween landed in the Top 10 in more than 10 countries, including Germany, Spain, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland and Austria.

    The post ANDI DERIS On Having Both MICHAEL KISKE & KAI HANSEN Singing In HELLOWEEN: “Sharing Means More Luxury — That Probably Gives Us a Free Ticket To Go On Another 10 Or 15 Years” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

  • ANBERLIN Announces Ninth Album “Currency” & Unveils New Single “Neverafter”

    Anberlin has confirmed Currency, the band’s ninth full-length and the first complete record to feature Matty Mullins on lead vocals. The announcement builds on the momentum of 2024’s Vega, which introduced Mullins‘s voice to the band’s catalog across two tracks, and points to a fresh creative chapter for a group that has spent nearly 25 years reinventing itself. Kellen McGregor of Memphis May Fire joined the band behind the boards for the 11-track effort, which leans into Anberlin‘s history while pushing toward something new, proof that evolution and identity don’t have to be at odds.

    Alongside the announcement, the band unveiled its first single from the upcoming release, “Neverafter,” backed by a music video helmed by Anberlin drummer Nathan Young and Jacob Moniz.

    On the themes running through the record, Mullins shared: “The overall theme of Currency is what happens after everything you built your identity on falls apart. It’s a journey through heartbreak, loss, addiction, shame, and the lies we tell ourselves.

    “Instead of staying in the wreckage, it’s about finding the strength to face the truth, let go of what was killing you, and become someone new. I believe that healing doesn’t begin when the pain ends, it begins when you finally stop running from it.”

    Rather than shying away from its past, Anberlin moves forward with certainty on Currency. Built from a batch of long-unfinished songs, the album gives Mullins room to leave his own artistic fingerprint while balancing anthemic rock moments with more introspective passages, touching on resilience, vulnerability and hope throughout. Standouts include “Neverafter,” “Highstakes” and “Trenches,” the latter featuring Switchfoot, each reinforcing Anberlin‘s knack for turning honesty into hooks. More than another entry in the discography, Currency reads like a statement of renewal, one that honors where the band has been while looking ahead to what’s next.

    Anberlin will hit the road later this year alongside longtime friends and genre stalwarts Switchfoot for an extensive run of shows. The pairing brings together two of alternative rock’s most durable acts, giving fans a chance to hear the new material live while revisiting a catalog that has held up for nearly 25 years. Expect a setlist that blends fan favorites with fresh cuts from Currency as Anberlin enters this new era.

    Currency is available to pre-order here.

    Anberlin is: 

    Matty Mullins / Vocals
    Christian McAlhaney / Guitar and Vocals
    Joseph Milligan / Guitar
    Deon Rexroat / Bass
    Young / Drums

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  • 300+ Pieces of Historic Music Memorabilia From LINDSAY BROWN Collection Head to Auction

    More than 300 pieces of rare music memorabilia collected over five decades by veteran music industry executive Lindsay Brown will go under the hammer at Omega Auctions on September 15, 2026.

    The collection spans several generations of rock and popular music, reflecting Brown’s long career in the industry. His professional journey began in 1969 when he served as Social Secretary at Ewell Tech, where he promoted concerts featuring Deep PurpleBlack SabbathCaravanTasteGenesisNick Drake and Atomic Rooster.

    Brown later held senior roles at Red Bus, MAM, Rock Exchange, Polydor and Eagle Rock Entertainment. As Managing Director of Eagle Rock Entertainment, he signed The Rolling Stones for visual rights. His wider career brought him into contact with artists including New York DollsThe SweetKate BushElvis CostelloBarclay James HarvestDr Feelgood10ccThe Only OnesThe CureVan MorrisonBjörkAlice CooperQueenJeff Beck and Simple Minds.

    Among the most notable items are two framed concert posters with particularly strong historical significance. One advertises a January 24, 1970 Ewell Technical College show featuring Atomic RoosterGenesis and Nick Drake. The poster is expected to sell for more than £5,000.

    Posters connected to Nick Drake are especially difficult to find, given his well-documented reluctance to perform live. Omega Auctions believes the example could be the first Nick Drake concert poster of its kind to reach the open market.

    Another major piece is a red-and-gold framed poster created by artist David Arnott for a Black Sabbath performance supporting Caravan. That item is estimated to sell for more than £1,000.

    Also heading to auction is a large black-and-gold poster measuring approximately 3ft by 2ft advertising the first-ever UK appearance by New York Dolls. The November 1973 event took place in the Rainbow Room at Big Biba in London and was attended by figures who would later become important members of the British punk scene. The poster carries an estimate above £1,000.

    The collection also includes a substantial group of Kate Bush memorabilia, including UK and Munich tour posters, tour jackets, promoter jackets, merchandise and backstage passes from her 1979 tour, commonly known as the Lionheart Tour. Among the highlights is a signed poster from Before the Dawn, documenting her 2014 run at London’s Eventim Apollo. The poster is housed in a custom frame incorporating an original stage prop. These items will be offered in multiple lots with estimates ranging from £50 to £3,000 and above.

    Other notable pieces include:

    • A 1969 flyer advertising shows at The Toby Jug Blues Club in Tolworth, Surrey, featuring Led Zeppelinalongside other performers. The flyer contains an early misspelling of the band’s name and is estimated at more than £500.
    • A small poster promoting Nick Drake’s final public concert, held at Ewell Technical College on June 25, 1970, with an estimated value exceeding £2,000.
    • 1960s autographs from members of The Rolling Stones, including Brian Jones, valued at more than £800.
    • A Fender Telecaster signed by Keith Richards, expected to exceed £1,000.
    • A Canadian gold disc awarded for multiple releases by The Rolling Stones, originating from Eagle Rock Entertainment and estimated at £500 or more.
    • Authenticated The Beatles autographs contained in an autograph book, accompanied by Bonhams auction documentation, with an estimate above £3,000.
    • A ticket from the 1969 Woodstock festival.
    • A collection relating to Queen’s September 18, 1976 Hyde Park performance, including autographs, a framed show flyer and a map of the band’s route previously owned by their driver. Purchased at Bonhams and accompanied by a letter of authenticity, the collection is estimated at more than £3,000.
    • A framed flyer for The Doors’ 1968 appearance at London’s Roundhouse, estimated at £400 or more.
    • A framed 1968 poster for a scheduled The Yardbirds performance at Ewell Technical College. By that point, The Yardbirds had broken up, and the show instead featured an early performance by Led Zeppelin in front of just 150 people. The poster is expected to sell for more than £2,000.
    • A framed Deep Purple poster designed by David Arnott for the band’s April 18, 1970 appearance at Ewell Technical College, accompanied by the original ticket.

    Brown sees the collection as a record of both his professional life and his personal connection to music.

    “My collection reflects a lifetime in the music industry and a lifelong passion for music. I’ve worked with incredible artists and witnessed some extraordinary moments in music history. Most of these items represent personal memories as much as collectible artefacts. I’m delighted that they will now have the opportunity to be appreciated by other collectors and music enthusiasts.”

    Omega Auctions, which specializes in music memorabilia and vinyl records, will host the sale in Merseyside on September 15, and an Auction Preview on September 14, 2026. The breadth of the collection is expected to draw bidders from across the world, particularly those interested in the history of rock, hard rock and heavy music.

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  • STREAMER Unveils Music Video “Rock All Around” From Upcoming Album “Into The Void”

    Catalan heavy metal band Streamer have released their first single and accompanying video, “Rock All Around.” The track comes from the band’s upcoming album, Into The Void, which is scheduled for release on October 16 through High Roller Records.

    Based in Gavà, Catalonia, Streamer formed in 2013 after the breakup of Spleen Ideal. The band began building its profile locally before recording the two-track demo Time To Die in 2014. They followed it with the Broken Dreams EP in 2015.

    Their first full-length, Now Or Never, arrived in 2017 and opened the door to a series of shows across Spain, along with a UK appearance at Grimm Up North Fest in Bury, England. The band released Light Of Death in 2020, but the timing of the album during the COVID-19 pandemic severely restricted their ability to tour.

    While Streamer draw from the legacy of Spanish heavy metal acts including Baron RojoAngeles Del InfiernoPanzer and Obus, the band also fits into a newer wave of Iberian metal. Other names from this scene include LöansharkCrimson StormWitchtowerIron CurtainWar DogsRave In Fire and Chantrice, several of whom have been gaining wider attention in recent years.

    One of the standout tracks on Into The Void is “The Day That Barchinona Died.” The song leans heavily into the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, with galloping guitar rhythms reminiscent of Iron Maiden, while also incorporating elements of epic US metal and early European power metal.

    “Thank you so much,” beams the bassist. “I think that’s a great way to describe it. After all, we like all those genres, so we feel happy when people see it that way.”

    “Rock All Around” takes a more straightforward rock approach. Its driving feel-good character is paired with the dual-guitar attack that has become one of Streamer’s defining features.

    “The idea was to write a sharp, direct and catchy song with that rock and roll spirit and attitude,” explains the four-stringer, “we can’t wait to play it live!”

    With Into The VoidStreamer deliver a varied take on traditional heavy metal, drawing from multiple eras and styles while keeping the songwriting direct. The album positions the Spanish band as one of the newer names worth watching in the country’s metal scene.

    Into The Void is available here.

    Streamer is:

    Edu Halen / Vocals
    Esteban Master / Guitars
    Anhelloty / Guitars and Backing Vocals
    Cristian Blade / Bass and Backing Vocals
    Jordi Carr / Drums

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  • EINAR SOLBERG Releases Deluxe Edition Of “Vox Occulta”

    Einar Solberg of Leprous has released a new deluxe digital edition of his latest solo album, Vox Occulta. The expanded version is available to stream and download now here, adding instrumental editions of every track to the original release.

    Recorded with the Norwegian Radio OrchestraVox Occulta combines heavy progressive rock with large-scale symphonic arrangements. The instrumental versions put the orchestral work further into focus, offering a different perspective on the arrangements that shape the album’s cinematic sound.

    The record is rooted in Solberg’s long-standing interest in classical music and film scores, which he has followed for more than two decades. Its subject matter is equally personal, making Vox Occulta a thematic continuation of his solo debut, 16.

    While 16 dealt with the death of Solberg’s father and his own experiences with anxiety, Vox Occulta takes a broader look at his personality, outlook and relationship with the world in 2026. The result is a more direct portrait of the Leprous frontman away from his main band.

    Einar Solberg will support the album with his first-ever European headline tour this September. For the live shows, he has assembled an expanded lineup featuring Quentin Godet (Ten56) on guitar, Eero Maijala (Royal Sorrow) on bass, Harrison White (LeprousNovena) on keyboards, and Keli Guðjónsson (Agent Fresco) on drums.

    The touring ensemble will also include violinist Chris Baum (Bent Knee) and cellists Maya Fridman and Raphael Weinroth-Browne.

    Royal Sorrow, Raphael Weinroth-Browne, and Jovian Moons will provide support on the headline dates.

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  • WDR ROCKPLAST Shares ULI JON ROTH’s “All Along The Watchtower” Performance From Rock Hard Festival 2026

    WDR Rockpalast has released professionally filmed footage of German guitar legend Uli Jon Roth performing “All Along The Watchtower” at Rock Hard Festival 2026. The song was written by Bob Dylan and became widely known through The Jimi Hendrix Experience.

    Uli Jon Roth, also known as Ulrich Roth, was born in Düsseldorf and joined Scorpions as guitarist and songwriter in 1973, remaining with the band until 1978. He eventually left to pursue a solo career and explore different musical directions. Jimi Hendrix and Cream have remained among his key influences throughout his career.

    Following his time with Scorpions, Roth continued his work with Electric Sun while also expanding into classical music, composing symphonies and concertos.

    Roth’s approach has consistently crossed the boundaries between blues, rock, classical music and metal. His playing influenced a generation of guitarists, including Yngwie Malmsteen and Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett.

    In the early 1980s, Roth developed the Sky-Guitar, a six-octave instrument designed to allow him to play violin compositions in their original register. The instrument helped him become the first guitarist to perform Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” with an orchestra.

    Away from music, Roth has also pursued oil painting and philosophy, adding further dimensions to an already wide-ranging career.

    Uli Jon Roth is also confirmed for the 2027 edition of 70000 Tons Of Metal, The Original, The World’s Biggest Heavy Metal Cruise. The festival cruise will depart from Miami, Florida, sailing to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, before returning to Miami from January 14 through January 18, 2027.

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  • THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT Releases Cover Of BLONDIE’s “Call Me”

    Josh Rand‘s post-Stone Sour project, The L.I.F.E. Project, has released a cover of Blondie‘s “Call Me,” out now via Frontiers Music Srl alongside an official visualizer. The recording predates the band’s existence in any public sense, going all the way back to how Rand and vocalist Casandra Carson (ParalandraCasandra’s Crossing) first connected.

    Rand explained the backstory: “Back in 2020, I was searching for a female vocalist to front my new project. I was connected with Casandra Carson and asked her what song she’d like to sing for the audition.

    “‘Call Me’ was her choice so I quickly put it together musically for her to sing to. She crushed it and the rest is history. We never intended to release this track, but we thought it would be cool for you to hear the song that started it all.”

    Carson offered her own recollection: “‘Call Me’ has been one of those staple songs that I’ve been doing live since my first cover band when I was 17. This recording, specifically, was kind of my audition to be in The L.I.F.E. ProjectJosh wanted me to pick a song to cover that would be comfortable, and we could use to test out how we would work together, and this felt like the perfect choice. Turns out, I got the job! It’s crazy that it’s coming out of the vault and going public after all these years.”

    The L.I.F.E. Project grew out of a chance introduction rather than a plan. Rand had wanted to front a project with a female singer for a while, but it wasn’t until 2020, when a mutual connection put him in touch with Carson, that the concept found its shape. A trial run turned into a full creative partnership from there.

    The band pairs Rand‘s riff-driven, hook-heavy songwriting with Carson‘s range as a vocalist, pulling from classic metal, thrash and prog. Lyrically, the group tends to reach past the usual rock subject matter, digging into history and social commentary rather than sticking to familiar themes.

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  • DORO PESCH Says RONNIE JAMES DIO Inspired Her to Forge a Deep Connection With Fans

    In a new interview with Kati Rausch of Music Interview Corner (transcribed by Blabbermouth), German metal queen Doro Pesch was asked if there is a moment from her four-and-a-half-decade career she would like to travel back in time to witness from the eyes of a fan. Doro reflected on her own experiences as an audience member, describing the raw power of seeing Ronnie James Dio live: “I went to his concert, and then the curtain opened, and I almost fell on my knees because I was so touched. And I thought if I could ever do the same to the fans, then that would be good. So I could learn from the best. And I’m still a big fan, so, to me, the fans and the band, we are one. And yeah, I think that’s the secret of doing it for such a long time. It’s the deep relationship with the fans.”

    Asked if she thinks heavy metal keeps her young, Doro said: “Oh, yeah, totally. When you do what you love, there’s nothing, nothing better than that. No cream. Nothing. I went vegan. That’s another thing which I think really helps the body. I think I’m healthier [now] than I was in the ’80s. I started chain-smoking when I was 11. So I gave up smoking, and I turned vegan, yeah, maybe 10 years ago. Before I was a vegetarian. And yeah, I think vegan is good for your body, and I do it for the animals. But I think the skin, everything, yeah… It’s a good thing.”

    Last fall, Doro released Warriors of the Sea via her own label Rare Diamonds Production, distributed by Edel. The release grew out of two sold-out “Metal Queen Metal Cruises” in late May and early June 2025, followed by a third cruise in June 2026. Side A featured rare studio recordings; Side B delivered live tracks from her 2024/2025 tour.

    Doro’s latest album, Conqueress — Forever Strong and Proud, was released in October 2023 via Nuclear Blast.

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