Author: Editorial Team

Twisted Sister has added three new fall 2026 dates featuring ex-Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach on lead vocals, bringing the total number of announced shows to nine. The new additions are Oct. 18 at Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana in Gary, Indiana; Nov. 14 at The Event Center at Hollywood Casino in Charles Town, West Virginia; and Dec. 11 at Ferg’s Pavilion in St. Petersburg, Florida. Tickets go on sale to the general public June 26; presales begin June 24 at 10 a.m. local time with the code “TWISTED2026.”

Bach addressed his love for Twisted Sister in a March 2026 interview with Meltdown of Detroit’s WRIF, describing himself as one of the band’s most devoted S.M.F.s (translated via Blabbermouth): “I am a fan of Twisted Sister. And I’ll tell you right now, I’m probably a bigger fan of Twisted Sister than anybody watching this. I love that band. I love the album ‘You Can’t Stop Rock ‘N’ Roll’ with songs like ‘The Kids Are Back’, ‘Ride to Live, Live to Ride.’ I love ‘Shoot ‘Em Down’, ‘Destroyer’, ‘Tear It Loose’. When they were a club band, they would come out there like a punk rock band or a total thrash metal band. I mean, if you listen to their version of ‘It’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll (But I Like It)’ by the Rolling Stones, it’s like a speed metal tempo. Well, that’s the kind of energy that I’m gonna bring.”

Bach was emphatic that his commitment to his own catalog won’t change: “I’ll never stop singing ‘18 and Life’, ‘I Remember You’, ‘Youth Gone Wild’, ‘Monkey Business’, ‘Slave to the Grind’ — I’ll never stop doing that. So I’m not stopping my solo band. I’m continuing my solo band, but I’m doing shows with Twisted Sister that are bigger than my solo band. So it’s a step up for me. I’ll have a nicer dressing room and stuff. You cannot even challenge me on whether I love the music. I really do love the music. You can’t fake love — and I love Twisted Sister.”

On the March 3, 2026 edition of SiriusXM’s Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk, Bach described the emotional phone call he had with Dee Snider before agreeing to take the role. Snider, who stepped down from Twisted Sister’s 2026 shows due to arthritis and bone-on-bone knee deterioration — his doctor telling him the jumping and movement required on stage was no longer medically advisable — personally blessed his replacement. “I called him and he goes, ‘S.M.F. Number Two.’ He’s always called me that,” Bach said. “And I go, ‘Well, I guess I really am S.M.F. Number Two.’ And then I asked him, what did the doctor say? He says that he has arthritis, that his knees are going out, he has bone on bone. The doctor said that he should not be jumping around. And he goes, ‘Well, that’s not an option’ — because he wants to do the full show moving around, and the doctor said, ‘You can’t do it.’ So he said, ‘You have my full blessing.’ He goes, ‘I love you.’ I told him I loved him, and we were both kind of getting teary eyed.” Bach said Snider may even join the band onstage for select dates: “I asked him, ‘Hey, you wanna come out and jam with us?’ He goes, ‘Yeah.’”

Twisted Sister co-founder Jay Jay French — also speaking on Trunk Nation — put Bach’s role in historical perspective: “In the 53-year history of the band, we’ve had 20 people who’ve been in and out of Twisted Sister. They said Steve Perry could never be replaced in Journey. And he was. That Freddie Mercury could never be replaced [in Queen]. And he was. And guess what? Baz is gonna be an unbelievable replacement.” French confirmed the full lineup: Bach on vocals alongside French and guitarist Eddie Ojeda, Russell Pzütto on bass (a longtime member of Snider’s solo touring band, filling in for Mark “The Animal” Mendoza), and Joey Cassata — who played drums on Ace Frehley’s final original solo album, 10,000 Volts — on drums, replacing Joe Franco, who is unavailable for the fall dates.

The full run of announced 2026 dates:

• Sept. 4 — Palmer, AK — Borealis Theatre
• Sept. 6 — Salem, OR — The Pavilion at the Oregon State Fairgrounds
• Sept. 12 — Durant, OK — Choctaw Grand Theater
• Sept. 27 — Puyallup, WA — Washington State Fair
• Oct. 8 — Niagara Falls, ON — OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino
• Oct. 10 — Windsor, ON — The Colosseum at Caesars Windsor
• Oct. 18 — Gary, IN — Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana
• Nov. 14 — Charles Town, WV — The Event Center at Hollywood Casino
• Dec. 11 — St. Petersburg, FL — Ferg’s Pavilion

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Former Godsmack drummer Shannon Larkin has addressed the debate over whether ex-Dream Theater stickman Mike Mangini is “overqualified” for his new role in Godsmack, coming out firmly in defense of the band’s decision. Mangini joined Godsmack in early June following the abrupt departure of Wade Murff, who left to fill in for Black Veil Brides on their European tour; Mangini made his live debut with the band on June 12 in Riverside, Missouri.

Larkin said during a June 19 livestream on his official YouTube channel (transcribed by Blabbermouth): “The talent level of Mike Mangini being supremely high in the drum world does not mean that Mike Mangini can’t come in and slam a drum like me or John Bonham or whoever plays a simpler style of music. And for what it’s worth, these people that feel this way, prog rock nation or whatever, they probably only heard the songs that everyone hears from Godsmack, and they don’t listen to the rest of the records where we’re not progressive, but we play more intricate metal riffs and songs, like ‘Locked & Loaded’, like ‘Livin’ In Sin’. I mean, I could name songs that aren’t just ‘Keep Away’ and ‘Voodoo’ and ‘Speak’ and ‘Cryin’ Like a Bitch’ or whatever.”

Larkin pushed back on the common fan comparisons — invoking Rod Morgenstein’s tenure with Winger and Terry Bozzio’s time with Missing Persons as precedents for technically elite drummers taking high-profile gigs in simpler-sounding rock bands — and argued that technical ability alone doesn’t determine a drummer’s suitability. “My point is: it’s about feel and vibe,” he said. “You gotta have the talent to get the audition and get in there, but then, for whatever reason, Wade Murff, it didn’t work.” Larkin said he watched video from Murff’s shows and that the tempo push-and-pull between Murff and frontman Sully Erna wasn’t as seamless as the decades of chemistry Erna and Larkin had built. “My boy, my friend Sully Erna is a perfectionist, especially when it comes to drums because he’s so good as a drummer. That dude’s my level.” Larkin also noted that Godsmack performs with no click tracks or backing tracks — making feel and tempo intuition between drummer and frontman especially critical.

On the broader question of critics calling Mangini overqualified, Larkin tied it to a point about humility: “With accomplishment on your instrument also comes these scores of hours, weekly or daily, of practice. And so once you get to the level of a Mike Mangini, you gain humbleness. It just happens with greatness.” He predicted Mangini’s tenure will stick: “It looks like Mike has joined the band. Is that forever? Probably. And I know if anybody can do it, Mike Mangini can do it. He has the beast in him, too, to be a big rock drummer and not have to do a zillion notes or something. So don’t underestimate big Mike. And he’s got a Boston accent, fits in with the guys. He’s an interesting drummer to watch, that’s for sure. He’s quirky. He does some cool, quirky, crazy stuff back there. So he’s a showman.”

Godsmack is currently on tour in North America with support from Stone Temple Pilots and Dorothy. Larkin retired from Godsmack approximately a year and a half ago following the tour in support of the band’s Lighting Up the Sky album. He was joined in that departure by guitarist Tony Rombola; Erna stated both had left “on good terms” to pursue a quieter life away from touring. Larkin had been Godsmack’s drummer since 2002, previously having played with Wrathchild America and Ugly Kid Joe. Godsmack’s live album Live at Mohegan Sun (May 1, 2026, Primary Wave), recorded Oct. 26, 2024 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, documents the final performance of the classic Godsmack lineup of Erna, Rombola, bassist Robbie Merrill and Larkin.

The post Ex-GODSMACK Drummer SHANNON LARKIN Defends MIKE MANGINI Hiring: “The Talent Level Of MANGINI Being Supremely High Does Not Mean He Can’t Come In and Slam a Drum” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Sumerian Records has announced Sending Hearts To All My Dearies – A Tribute To The Smashing Pumpkins, a new compilation honoring the music and influence of The Smashing Pumpkins. The digital edition will arrive on August 14, 2026, followed by a deluxe double-LP vinyl release featuring several exclusive multi-color variants on October 16, 2026.

The project received the backing of Billy Corgan, who also provided its title. The name comes from a lyric in “Mayonaise”, a standout track from The Smashing Pumpkins‘ landmark album Siamese Dream. The collection brings together artists from across the alternative, rock and metal worlds to reinterpret material spanning the band’s entire career.

Among the featured songs are new versions of classics such as “Bullet With Butterfly Wings” and deeper cuts including “Jellybelly”, highlighting the lasting reach of The Smashing Pumpkins‘ catalog more than 30 years after the band’s emergence.

Leading the album’s rollout is Tame Impala‘s take on “Hummer”, originally featured on Siamese Dream. The new rendition expands on the psychedelic elements of the original recording while incorporating the distinctive production style associated with Kevin Parker.

Reflecting on the song’s significance, Parker said: “‘Siamese Dream’ was the soundtrack to my high school years and ‘Hummer’ is the song that takes me back there in the most potent way.”

Rather than serving as a straightforward covers collection, Sending Hearts To All My Dearies – A Tribute To The Smashing Pumpkins brings together artists influenced by The Smashing Pumpkins‘ songwriting, experimentation and emotional depth, such as Yonaka, The Midnight, Carpenter Brut, Meg Myers, Palaye Royale, Between the Buried and Me, Alice Glass, Nita Strauss, and others, allowing them to revisit familiar songs through their own creative perspectives.

Since forming in Chicago in 1988, The Smashing Pumpkins have remained one of alternative rock’s most influential acts. The group has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide while earning two Grammy Awards, seven MTV Video Music Awards and an American Music Award.

Their catalog includes releases such as Gish, Siamese Dream, Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness, Adore and Machina/The Machines Of God. Both Siamese Dream and Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness were later recognized by Rolling Stone among its “500 Greatest Albums Of All Time”.

Beyond the music, the band’s visual identity has become a lasting part of alternative rock culture, from the artwork of Siamese Dream and the famous Zero shirt to videos like “1979” and “Ava Adore”.

In recent years, The Smashing Pumpkins continued to expand their catalog with releases including Shiny And Oh So Bright, Vol. 1 / LP: No Past. No Future. No Sun., Cyr and Atum. The latter served as a follow-up to both Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness and Machina/The Machines Of God.

The band’s latest studio effort, Aghori Mhori Mei, reunited original members Billy Corgan, Jimmy Chamberlin and James Iha around a guitar-driven approach that drew inspiration from the group’s early 1990s work.

With contributions from a wide range of artists and the approval of Billy Corgan himself, Sending Hearts To All My Dearies – A Tribute To The Smashing Pumpkins looks set to offer a fresh perspective on one of alternative rock’s most influential songbooks.

Pre-order Sending Hearts To All My Dearies – A Tribute To The Smashing Pumpkins here.

The post TAME IMPALA, PALAYE ROYALE & NITA STRAUSS Among Artists Featured On New “The Smashing Pumpkins Tribute Collection” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

The Pineapple Thief has unveiled “Hold The Ashes”, marking the band’s first release through InsideOut Music.

The new track arrives after the completion of recording sessions for the group’s next studio album, which has yet to be officially announced. Alongside the release, The Pineapple Thief is preparing for a series of European festival and headline appearances this summer before heading to North America for a newly announced tour scheduled for late 2026.

A video for “Hold The Ashes” has also been released. Directed by the band’s longtime collaborator Jeremy George of Blacktide Productions, the clip features The Pineapple Thief performing the song at School Farm Studios in the U.K.

Discussing the inspiration behind the track, frontman Bruce Soord said: “One thing is certain, one day we’ll all be ashes. It’s the ‘gift from the gods that comes to us all’. For some reason, when writing this song, I couldn’t stop singing about ‘ashes’ in the context of understanding what life is about. ‘Writhing in constant conflict’. Why? So take these ashes and scatter them far and wide. You know, make the most of it.”

With a catalog that now spans 16 studio albums, The Pineapple Thief has established itself as one of modern progressive rock’s most consistent acts. The current lineup features Bruce Soord on vocals and guitar, Jon Sykes on bass, Steve Kitch on keyboards, and Gavin Harrison on drums.

Founded in 1999 by Bruce Soord, the band has also released six EPs along with multiple live and compilation recordings. Gavin Harrison, known for his work with Porcupine Tree and King Crimson, became a permanent member during the cycle for Dissolution.

The group’s most recent studio effort, It Leads To This, arrived in February 2024 and earned strong chart results, reaching No. 1 on the U.K. Rock Chart and No. 2 on the U.K. Independent Albums Chart.

With a new album completed and fresh music now available, The Pineapple Thief is set to begin its next chapter with “Hold The Ashes” leading the way.

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Documentary filmmaker Wes Orshoski has opened up about how Iron Maiden ultimately came through for his film Di’Anno: Iron Maiden’s Lost Singer — despite initially declining to participate when he first approached the band’s camp in 2017. Orshoski, co-director and producer of the acclaimed 2010 Motörhead documentary Lemmy, was speaking on the latest episode of The David Ellefson Show, hosted by former Megadeth bassist David Ellefson.

Orshoski recounted how he captured the first face-to-face meeting between Di’Anno and Iron Maiden bassist Steve Harris in nearly three decades at a May 2022 Maiden concert in Croatia. He said (transcribed by Blabbermouth): “The day after I signed the contract to make this film in 2017, I called [Iron Maiden’s longtime manager] Rod Smallwood. He said, ‘I love the Lemmy film and I love what you do, but we’re not gonna be involved in this.’ And so five years later, I snuck my camera in with Paul. I guess if you wanna get into a concert in Croatia, go in with the rock and roll legend in the wheelchair. I didn’t wanna take my camera out, so when Steve came into the room, I just filmed it on my phone — and a couple other people were filming it on their phones. Whether Maiden would sign off on it was a big stressful situation for years. And Maiden, in the end, were super cool and allowed me to [use the footage in the film].”

Orshoski said only Harris came to meet Di’Anno that night: “Yeah, that broke my heart. I was, like, ‘Oh, man, how cool would it be if Dave [Murray] walked in, or Adrian [Smith], or even Bruce [Dickinson]?’ But, no, Steve was the only guy. In that moment, if you guys re-watch it, it’s all about that initial moment when they see each other and they smile. Because they haven’t hung out in 40 years, so they don’t really know each other anymore, but in that moment, there’s tenderness. And then they kind of default to that shy British thing.”

Orshoski also reflected on what Di’Anno’s financial trajectory might have been had he not sold his Iron Maiden songwriting rights for a modest sum years ago. “I’ve often wondered if Paul had never sold those rights, what his situation would’ve been like,” he said. “Instead of living in a small three-room apartment in Salisbury, would he have a house and money to afford private health care?” He suggested, however, that given Di’Anno’s personality, the money likely would have been spent regardless: “The big problem with Paul — somebody says it in the film — is whereas when Ronnie James Dio went solo or when Ozzy [Osbourne] went solo, they had infrastructure. They had good management. They had a great band. And Paul didn’t really have any of those things. He made an AOR album out of Maiden.”

Maiden’s cooperation extended to the most poignant moment in the film. Di’Anno died on Oct. 21, 2024, at his home in Salisbury at the age of 66. The following evening, Iron Maiden — who happened to be playing the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota on Oct. 22 — held an unannounced moment of silence in his honor. Orshoski said: “The next morning I got a call from Dave Shack in Iron Maiden’s office, and he’s, like, ‘We wanna give you this footage.’ It’s just another example of them being super cool. They allowed me to license the music and video elements, and then they called and gave me this, which I augmented with fan footage so that you could feel what it felt like to be in the rafters in that arena.”

Di’Anno: Iron Maiden’s Lost Singer features appearances by James Hetfield (Metallica), Gene Simmons (KISS), Iron Maiden’s Steve Harris and members of Exodus, Slayer, Megadeth, Overkill and Sepultura. Metal Hammer describes the film as “a harrowing insight into Di’Anno’s frustration and frailty at a desperately low ebb with an abrasively real, warts-and-all approach.” Metal Talk calls it “a raw, dark and intimate documentary detailing the tragic final years of Iron Maiden’s original singer.” Orshoski began shooting in 2017; his other directing credits include The Damned: Don’t You Wish That We Were Dead.

One of the icons of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Paul Di’Anno — born Paul Andrews on May 17, 1958, in Chingford, East London — fronted Iron Maiden on two of heavy metal’s most foundational albums: the 1980 self-titled debut and the celebrated 1981 follow-up, Killers. He left the band in 1981 and was replaced by Bruce Dickinson. His subsequent career included work with Battlezone and Killers, as well as numerous solo releases. His final career retrospective, The Book of the Beast, was released in September 2024.

Di’Anno spent the final chapter of his life wheelchair-bound but defiant, ultimately relocating to Zagreb, Croatia, where crowdfunding organized by Kastro Pergjoni — who runs the Cart & Horses pub in London, birthplace of Iron Maiden — and Croatian fan Stjepan Juras helped him access affordable medical care and turn his health around. He performed more than 100 shows after 2023. He died of a tear in the sac around the heart, which caused blood to fill around it from the main aorta; the death was instantaneous. He was laid to rest on Nov. 21, 2024, at the City of London Cemetery and Crematorium in Manor Park, East London.

The post WES ORSHOSKI on IRON MAIDEN’s Support During PAUL DI’ANNO Documentary: “They Called Me the Morning After Paul Died — That’s Just Another Example of Them Being Super Cool” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Former Nightwish singer Tarja Turunen has reflected candidly on the misery she experienced during her final years with the Finnish symphonic metal band in a new interview with Albert Perera of Metal Hammer Spain, contrasting that period sharply with the happiness she now feels as a solo artist. The interview coincides with the release of Tarja’s new album, Frisson Noir (June 12, earMUSIC), which has been described as the heaviest record of her career.

Asked whether she might one day write an autobiography addressing her side of the 2005 Nightwish split, Tarja said (transcribed by Blabbermouth): “Maybe one day. I wrote a book during COVID. It’s not really a biography. It’s about my career, where I didn’t involve too much about my past with Nightwish. Maybe one day I can go back. Maybe. It’s just perhaps. I don’t feel like I am in need of explaining too much. But I can tell you this — I was not really involved in that biography [the authorized Once Upon a Nightwish]. They’d made me only one interview on the phone, 20 minutes, and that’s it.”

Recounting how her touring outlook has transformed since leaving Nightwish, Tarja said that Sharon Den Adel of Within Temptation — with whom she toured roughly two years ago — was astonished at how relentlessly she stays on the road. “I really enjoy that. I’m like a glowing light bulb on my shows. I’m really happy. Very happy. And I’m happy to hear that you saw that in me, because it’s really real,” she said. Tarja acknowledged the personal toll of extended touring as a mother — leaving family behind for weeks at a time, the physical demands of the road — but said the quality of her crew and musicians transforms those hardships: “I have the best team of people. I have a beautiful crew, musicians. We all are like a happy bunch family. They are there to support me, and if I have a shitty day, like everybody does, they are there to give me a shoulder to cry on.”

The contrast with the Nightwish era couldn’t be starker: “I would never, ever, ever, ever be willing to go back where I was with the days in Nightwish. It was so miserable. It was not happy times. Why? You do music — it should be happy. I want the people to come to my shows, and they also go back home happy.”

Turunen was fired from Nightwish at the end of the band’s 2005 world tour by being presented with an open letter — signed by the other members and published simultaneously on the Nightwish website — accusing her of allowing business and financial matters to overshadow the band’s emotional core. Nightwish keyboardist and primary songwriter Tuomas Holopainen later called it “the most difficult thing I ever had to do.” Tarja’s response has been consistent over the years: “Maybe one day I’ll forgive, but I will never forget.” In 2019 she told Kerrang! that a reunion was “a very long distance away” and that she and Holopainen had been in touch but not seen each other in a long time. A December 2017 onstage reunion with then-Nightwish bassist/vocalist Marko “Marco” Hietala at a Raskasta Joulua concert in Hämeenlinna, Finland sparked reunion speculation that Tarja quickly quashed.

Tarja’s husband and manager Marcelo Cabuli, who had been blamed in the authorized biography Once Upon a Nightwish: The Official Biography 1996–2006 for the events leading to her dismissal, sued the book’s publisher Like Kustannus Oy and author Marko “Mape” Ollila for defamation; the Helsinki District Court dismissed the lawsuit in 2011.

Frisson Noir spans 10 tracks and features guest appearances from Dani Filth (Cradle of Filth), Apocalyptica, Marko Hietala and Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers). It was mixed by Grammy-winning producer Neal Avron, known for his work with Linkin Park, Skillet and Disturbed. earMUSIC describes the album as “a powerful statement of identity, strength and belonging.”

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California hard rockers Buckcherry have released the official live video for “Blackout,” filmed in July 2025 at the Rock The Mountains festival in Cumberland, Maryland. The clip was shot and edited by Chris Aleshire.

“Blackout” is taken from Buckcherry’s latest album, Roar Like Thunder, released in June 2025 via Round Hill Records in North America, Sony Music in Japan and Earache Records elsewhere. As with 2023’s Vol. 10 and 2021’s Hellbound, the album was recorded at Sienna Studios in Nashville and produced by Marti Frederiksen, whose credits include Aerosmith, Def Leppard, Jonny Lang and Sheryl Crow. All 10 tracks were written by vocalist Josh Todd, guitarist Stevie Dacanay (a.k.a. Stevie D.) and Frederiksen.

Buckcherry has announced the final dates of the Roar Like Thunder tour for 2026. The second leg opens June 26 in West Fargo, North Dakota and runs through July 25 in Pueblo, Colorado, with stops including a July 2 appearance at Summerfest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and a July 12 date at the Rockin’ Thunder festival in Edmonton, Alberta, opening for Creed. Additional highlights include nine shows with Black Stone Cherry and Tyler Bryant, an appearance at the Rockin’ The Island festival in Welch, Minnesota supporting Stone Temple Pilots, a stop at the Beaver Dam Amphitheater in Beaver Dam, Kentucky supporting Bret Michaels, the band’s annual slot at the legendary Sturgis Buffalo Chip during Sturgis Bike Week, and an appearance at Rocklahoma in Pryor, Oklahoma. The year concludes with eight dates supporting the Scorpions during their Las Vegas, Nevada residency, Sept. 17 through Oct. 3.

Buckcherry’s current lineup features Todd — the only remaining original member — alongside Dacanay (guitar, backing vocals), Billy Rowe (guitar, backing vocals), Kelly LeMieux (bass) and Francis Ruiz (drums). Dacanay joined during the band’s 2005 revival and helped shape the comeback album 15, which produced hits “Crazy Bitch” and “Sorry.”

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Deep Purple drummer Ian Paice has revealed that the band is already discussing the possibility of recording another studio album in 2027, even as their 86-show world tour for the upcoming Splat! (July 3, earMUSIC) gets underway. Paice made the comments in a new interview with the Rockonteurs podcast.

After co-host Gary Kemp quoted producer Bob Ezrin expressing hope to continue working with Deep Purple for “a very long time,” Paice said (transcribed by Blabbermouth): “Well, that’s already being discussed for [2027]. This [2026] is a heavy touring year — it’s almost 100 shows or something — so next year won’t be the same. You can’t keep doing it that way. So if you have any ideas, making a record’s easy. If you don’t have ideas, making a record’s impossible. So getting together, and if we find we have some ideas we all like, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t put together another record sometime next year. It’s all about ideas. You can be an actor, but if the guy hasn’t written a screenplay, you’ve got nothing to say.”

Asked how Deep Purple approaches writing in its current configuration, Paice described a process of spontaneous group improvisation: “Everybody comes in with a couple of basic notions of something that they probably woke up in the middle of the night and said, ‘Oh, that sounds good.’ And one person will start something. Now, if it’s interesting, the other guys will join in. If it’s not interesting, there’s a deathly silence and somebody else starts something. The amazing thing with the whole process is you go in in the morning and you’ve got nothing, and you come out after five, six hours’ work and you got two or three really nice somethings. And that’s what keeps it working for the next day. You don’t get three good ideas every day — the first day, all these things you’ve had loitering in your mind, they come to the fore. But after 10 days, you’ve probably got more than you can put on an album in the way of ideas, and then you gotta separate the wheat from the chaff.”

Paice stressed the importance of capturing every moment during writing sessions: “You capture everything. ‘Cause you may only play something once as a jam, and it’s gone. So if you’ve caught it and say, ‘Well, there was something good five minutes ago,’ you take that and you see if you can go further with it. It’s always been that way. We never had one dedicated songwriter. So it becomes out of the influence of the five people.” He also offered a candid take on how initial excitement curdles into doubt: “When you start something, everything you do is the best thing that’s ever been written, ‘cause you’re all excited about it. The next day you go, ‘What a piece of crap.’” Paice noted that singer Ian Gillan plays a distinct role in the early writing phase: “Initially the four [instrumentalists work out the music], because Ian’s there noting all the atmosphere and what the emotions of it are.”

Splat! is Deep Purple’s sixth consecutive collaboration with producer Bob Ezrin, who has helmed every Purple album since 2013’s Now What?! The album has been described in press materials as “the heaviest Deep Purple album in many years.” Two singles have been released: “Diablo,” which features a guest appearance by guitarist and singer Keith Urban, and “Arrogant Boy.” Uncut calls Splat! “distilled, high-octane Purple at its finest,” while Classic Rock praises the album for delivering “everything that makes Deep Purple one of the greatest acts in hard rock.” The concept was conceived by Gillan and imagines the end of humanity not as destruction but as metamorphosis — a transformation beyond physical existence.

Deep Purple recently kicked off a major European summer run, beginning in Finland and moving through Norway, France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland and Italy before the Splat! world tour heads to North America. The full touring schedule encompasses 86 shows across 28 countries. With more than 120 million albums sold since forming in 1968, Deep Purple are among the founding forces of hard rock and heavy metal.

The post DEEP PURPLE’s IAN PAICE on Possible 2027 Album: “You Go In the Morning With Nothing and Come Out After Six Hours With Two or Three Really Nice Somethings” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Polish extreme metal legends, Behemoth, unleash “I, Scvlptor”, the first single from their new studio release, I, Scvlptor. The music video was produced by the acclaimed Polish production collective Grupa 13, while the cover artwork and design were created by long-time Behemoth collaborator Bartek Rogalewicz/Lodge.Black.

Nergal commented on the new single: “’I, Scvlptor’ is a new Behemoth song rooted in the tradition of monumental tracks like ‘O Father O Satan O Sun!’, ‘Lucifer’ or ‘Nieboga Czarny Xiądz’, while at the same time opening a new chapter. It carries that epic weight but also takes an unexpected turn that makes it feel fresh and different from the previous pieces. Lyrically, it is a metaphor for the endless process of shaping oneself – an uneven struggle with matter and personal limitations. The paradox is that from the moment we are born we are already destined to die, so perhaps it is not about victory itself, but about the constant act of sculpting who we are”.

I, Scvlptor, which will be out on September 04, 2026, is an exclusive release featuring eight previously unreleased songs – seven new studio recordings and one live track. It is an autonomous body of work that bridges the band’s foundational past with their present creative fire. The release features brand-new studio material embodying the full force of Behemoth‘s live energy and intensity. Two tracks – ‘Rise of the Blackstorm of Evil’ (from The Return of the Northern Moon, 1992) and ‘In Thy Pandemaeternum’ (from Pandemonic Incantations, 1998) – are newly re-recorded versions of early Behemoth material, reshaped with modern sonics while preserving their original spirit; a tribute to the bands who had a huge influence on Behemoth – ‘In League With Satan’ (originally by Venom, featuring Shagrath of Dimmu Borgir) and ‘The Return of Darkness and Evil’ (originally by Bathory, featuring Sakis Tolis of Rotting Christ). Available on CD, LP, MC, and Limited-Edition Box Set through Massacre Records worldwide and digitally via Nuclear Blast Records.

Nergal commented: “We’re fucking excited about the release of I, Scvlptor. Even though it’s not a regular studio album and is, in fact, more of a compilation, the mere fact that it contains songs nobody has ever heard before makes it a significant release for us. What’s more, some of these tracks are likely a little different from what we offered on our last album, The Shit Ov God. That’s why we see I,Scvlptor as an important record — a connecting piece, a bridge between where we are now and whatever may come next in the distant future.”

I,Scvlptor is available at the Behemoth webstore:

• Exclusive “Blackstorm” White/Black Splatter LP [Limited to 700]
• Exclusive “Lord Ov the Horizons” White/Black Half-And-Half with Gold Splatter LP – [Limited to 700 – RUNNING LOW]
• Exclusive “Darkness and Evil” Liquid LP [Limited to 100 – SOLD OUT]
• Exclusive Deluxe CD Digibook (Gold Metalisation) [Limited to 500 – SOLD OUT]

Massacre Records webstore:

• I, Scvlptor Boxset [Limited to 550 – including w/ Exclusive Black/White Splatter LP, CD, MC, Signed Art Print and T-Shirt]
• Gold/Black Splatter LP [Limited to 170]
• Black/Gold Sunburst LP [Limited to 170]
• Black/White Splatter LP [Limited to 170]
• Black LP
• Digipack
• Mini-Cassette [Limited to 500]

• Various Exclusive Worldwide Vinyl Variants, see more here.

The post BEHEMOTH Has Shared New Single & Video For “I, SCVLPTOR” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Iron Maiden‘s June 22 performance at Paris’s La Défense Arena will serve as the backdrop for a professionally filmed and recorded concert feature tied to the band’s ongoing Run For Your Lives tour.

To assist with the production, the British metal veterans will implement a phone-free policy for fans in the standing/general admission section. The measure will use Yondr pouches, lockable storage devices designed to prevent concertgoers from accessing their phones during performances while still keeping the devices in their possession.

In a message shared on social media, Iron Maiden explained the decision: “Tomorrow’s show at La Défense Arena will use Yondr pouches to make the standing/General Admission floor entirely phone-free while we record the ‘Run For Your Lives’ Tour film. This will enable us to create the optimal viewing experience for our fans on release and a unique viewing experience for our standing fans in Paris.

“If you have a standing ticket, your device will be locked in the pouch on arrival and unlocked when you leave at the end of the night.

“Bring a physical payment card to use at the bars and merch stands.

“There are areas within the arena where you will be able to access your phone for emergencies.

“Your pouch will stay with you for the duration of the show – no one else will be handling your device.

“Head to the venue early to make sure everything goes smoothly.

“This is ONLY for the standing area at tomorrow’s show. No other show will use Yondr pouches. This was declared when the tickets went on sale last year. Adjustments for disabled customers are available with proof of disability. Pouches can be unlocked in designated areas for you to access your phone should you need to.”

The policy applies only to the standing area of the Paris concert and is being introduced specifically for the filming of the upcoming tour movie.

Iron Maiden are not the only major act to adopt this approach. Tool have regularly asked audiences to keep phones out of sight until the closing song of their sets, creating a more focused concert environment.

The move also follows a similar policy introduced by Ghost during the band’s recently completed Skeletour, where attendees were required to experience the show without access to their phones.

With the Paris performance being documented for future release, Iron Maiden are aiming to capture both the band and the crowd in an environment free from raised screens, while giving fans in attendance a different live experience for one night only.

The post IRON MAIDEN Enforces Phone-Free General Admission At Paris Gig During “Run For Your Lives” Film Shoot appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.