“Our friendship and respect for each other will always remain the same, and we all sincerely wish each other the absolute best for the future!”
The post King Diamond Part Ways With Co-Founding Guitarist Andy LaRocque, Welcome Gus G. As His Replacement appeared first on Theprp.com.
Ministry has confirmed that its long run is coming to an end with the announcement of its final studio album, Hate To Go (Take Out Or Delivery). The band’s farewell record arrives on October 30 through Cleopatra Records, and the first preview is available now with the release of the single and video for “Burned Out”.
The video for “Burned Out” was directed by Joshua Bradford, formerly of Revolting Cocks.
After more than four decades at the forefront of industrial music, founder Al Jourgensen says the time has come to close the book on Ministry.
Reflecting on the decision, Jourgensen said: “I’m fucking done. I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished. I’m amazed at the path that it’s taken, from With Sympathy to where we’re at today, and all points in between. It’s been quite a ride, but I’m completely at peace with the fact that it’s done. It’s time to herd goats.”
Hate To Go (Take Out Or Delivery) marks Ministry’s 17th studio album and includes one final collaboration with longtime member Paul Barker, who appears on the closing track, “We’re Still Here”. The album also features contributions from current band members Monte Pittman, Cesar Soto, Paul D’Amour, John Bechdel, and Pepe Clarke Magaña.
The album will be released in multiple formats, including:
Following the album’s release, Ministry will embark on an international farewell tour in 2027. The European leg, dubbed the “Goodbye Europe” tour, will feature Die Krupps as special guests before a full U.S. farewell run, which will be announced later. European VIP packages will include meet-and-greets with Jourgensen, a photo opportunity, a commemorative laminate, a silk-screen poster, and a final European tour coin.
Before then, Ministry still has several U.S. performances scheduled for 2026, including shows at Chicago’s Salt Shed, Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre, and festival appearances at Louder Than Life and Sick New World Texas.
Founded in Chicago in 1981, Ministry began with a synth-pop sound heard on With Sympathy before evolving into one of industrial metal’s defining acts through albums including Twitch, The Land Of Rape And Honey, The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste and Psalm 69: The Way To Succeed And The Way To Suck Eggs. The band later returned from a hiatus with AmeriKKKant, followed by Moral Hygiene, Hopiumforthemasses and the 2025 retrospective release The Squirrely Years Revisited, setting the stage for what will now be its final studio statement.
The post MINISTRY Confirms Final Album “Hate To Go (Take Out Or Delivery)”, Premieres Video For “Burned Out” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.
Avenged Sevenfold has unexpectedly released a new four-track EP, Statica, marking the band’s first new collection of songs since 2023’s Life Is But A Dream….
The EP features four tracks: “Lights”, “Statica”, “Rejoice” and “Ashes”. It also follows the standalone single “Magic”, which arrived in December as part of the Black Ops 7 Season 1 update for Call Of Duty.
Running 18 minutes and 7 seconds, Statica finds Avenged Sevenfold continuing to push beyond traditional metal boundaries. Across the four songs, the band incorporates robotic vocal effects, science-fiction-inspired synthesizers, and electronic dance elements into its sound.
So far, Avenged Sevenfold has not issued an official statement regarding the surprise release. Like its recent output, the EP has been released independently, continuing the band’s current approach to distributing new music.
Fans won’t have to wait long to hear whether any of the new material makes its way into the live set. Avenged Sevenfold will hit the road this summer alongside Good Charlotte for a 16-date North American tour promoted by Live Nation. The run begins on July 25 in Ridgedale, Missouri, and continues through cities including Chicago, Detroit, Toronto, Montreal, New York, Boston, Charlotte and Dallas before concluding on August 27 in Phoenix, Arizona.
The post AVENGED SEVENFOLD Surprise-Release Experimental New EP “Statica” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.
King Diamond has announced that Gus G. — the Firewind founder who spent eight years as the late Ozzy Osbourne’s lead guitarist — is the band’s new guitarist, and will compose, record and tour with King Diamond going forward. The announcement confirms the end of Andy LaRocque’s four-decade run alongside the King, the longest and most defining creative partnership in the band’s history, dating back to 1985. Gus G. is already writing with King Diamond on new music, and he will continue with Firewind and his solo career alongside his new role.
STREAM THE METAL BREAKDOWN DAILY NOW:This is the biggest King Diamond shakeup in forty years, and Scott Penfold is tearing into it on today’s Metal Breakdown Daily — what really lines up between Andy LaRocque’s exit and that Lex Legion reunion, and whether Gus G. is the right axe for the Horror Trilogy. Download the free Loaded Radio App on Apple iOS and Google Play and get the breakdown every single weekday morning.
In a statement released today, the King Diamond camp confirmed that Gus G. joins as a full member — not a touring hand — with composing, recording and touring duties all on the table.
“It’s a Big Honor for me to Welcome Gus G. as our new guitarist,” King Diamond said. “Gus will still continue with all his current projects, Firewind, Solo Project etc. No restrictions, just careful planning. We are already working with Gus and I simply can’t wait for you to hear all the new King Diamond music with him playing guitar on it!!! Stay Heavy — King”
The statement also paid extended tribute to LaRocque, extending “deepest gratitude and utmost respect” for what it called an extraordinary 40-year contribution that left “a permanent and irreplaceable mark” on the band’s legacy and on heavy metal as a whole. Notably, no reason was given for the departure, and as of press time LaRocque has not issued his own statement.
It is genuinely difficult to overstate what Andy LaRocque means to King Diamond. The Swedish guitarist joined in 1985 — his recorded audition was the solo on “Dressed in White” from the debut album Fatal Portrait — and from that moment forward he was the King’s essential musical foil. Fatal Portrait remains the only King Diamond album without a LaRocque writing credit; everything after it, from the neoclassical nightmares of Abigail and “Them” through 2007’s Grammy-nominated Give Me Your Soul…Please, carries his fingerprints. Through more than fifteen lineup changes across four decades, the two constants in King Diamond were the man in the paint and the man on his right.
Beyond the band, LaRocque built a parallel legacy as a producer and engineer at his Sonic Train Studios in Sweden, and famously lent his lead work to Death’s classic Individual Thought Patterns at Chuck Schuldiner’s personal request. This is not a sideman leaving. This is a co-architect.
Here’s the context the press release doesn’t mention — and the part longtime fans will be chewing on. Back in March, LaRocque surfaced in Lex Legion, a new band uniting him with fellow King Diamond alumni Mikkey Dee, Pete Blakk and Hal Patino — four-fifths of the beloved late-’80s lineup that recorded “Them” and Conspiracy — fronted by Pagan’s Mind vocalist Nils K. Rue. At the time, it read as a fun legacy side project. Four months later, LaRocque’s chapter with King Diamond is over.
To be clear: no one has connected those dots officially, and neither camp has stated any reason for the split. But the timeline now tells its own story — while King Diamond moves forward with Gus G., LaRocque already has a band full of old friends, over 40 years of shared history, and a debut album in the works.
If you were building a replacement for a legend in a laboratory, the resume would look a lot like this one. Born Konstantinos Karamitroudis in Thessaloniki, Greece, Gus G. founded Firewind more than two decades and ten studio albums ago, then spent 2009 to 2017 as the late Ozzy Osbourne’s lead guitarist — contributing to the Grammy-nominated Scream and standing as the second-longest-serving guitarist in Ozzy’s solo career behind only Zakk Wylde. Add six solo albums, guest spots with Bruce Dickinson, Arch Enemy, Doro and In This Moment, covers of every major guitar magazine, and a Golden God award for Best Shredder, and you have one of the most decorated players of his generation.
The “no restrictions, just careful planning” arrangement tracks, too — Gus G. said earlier this year that he had just finished a new solo record and was wrapping a new Firewind album, both expected before year’s end. The man does not sit still, which may be exactly what a band deep in an ambitious multi-album concept needs.
The timing is the real story for fans. King Diamond is deep into his long-promised Horror Trilogy, which opens with Saint Lucifer’s Hospital 1920 — the project that produced the 2024 single “Spider Lilly” featuring Myrkur, with its video shot at the notoriously haunted Pennhurst Asylum. The King has previously detailed ten new tracks in the works for the album, and the road to this point stretches back years — through shifting timelines for new King Diamond and Mercyful Fate material that fans have tracked with growing impatience.
Today’s announcement makes one thing explicit: the band and Gus G. are “already deep in the creative process together,” and new music from the full lineup is coming. Whether that means Gus G.’s leads will define Saint Lucifer’s Hospital 1920 itself — or the chapters beyond it — is the question every fan of the most theatrical showman in metal will be asking until the King answers it.
One era ends. Another begins. And somewhere in Sweden, four-fifths of the “Them” lineup just became the most interesting new band in metal.
Gus G., the Greek guitar virtuoso best known as the founder of Firewind and as the late Ozzy Osbourne’s lead guitarist from 2009 to 2017. He joins King Diamond as a full member who will compose, record and tour with the band.
No reason has been given. The band’s statement offered deep gratitude for his 40-year contribution but did not explain the departure, and LaRocque has not released his own statement as of press time.
In March, LaRocque emerged as a member of Lex Legion, a new band featuring fellow King Diamond alumni Mikkey Dee, Pete Blakk and Hal Patino alongside Pagan’s Mind vocalist Nils K. Rue, with a debut album in development.
King Diamond says the band is already deep in the creative process with Gus G. and that fans will hear new King Diamond music with him on guitar. The band’s announced Horror Trilogy begins with Saint Lucifer’s Hospital 1920.
No. King Diamond confirmed Gus G. will continue with Firewind and his solo career — in the King’s words, no restrictions, just careful planning.
Is this a shocking end to an era, or the shot of adrenaline King Diamond needed for the Horror Trilogy? Drop your take in the comments — and pour one out for 40 years of Andy LaRocque. Follow Loaded Radio for daily rock and metal news.
The post Andy LaRocque Is Out Of King Diamond After 40 Years — Former Ozzy Osbourne Shredder Gus G. Takes His Place appeared first on Loaded Radio.
The Zac Schulze Gang has released its new single, “Hellhounds On My Trail,” available now on streaming platforms.
Recorded live with longtime producer Ian Sadler, the track showcases the band’s high-energy blend of blues rock, classic rock, and punk influences. Fronted by guitarist and vocalist Zac Schulze alongside drummer Ben Schulze and bassist Ant Greenwell, the trio first learned the song after being invited to perform it at the Rory Gallagher Festival in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands. Written by Tony Dowler and the Hellhounds, the song draws inspiration from the legend of Robert Johnson.
“We were first introduced to the song when our friend Petra Burns asked us to perform it at the Rory Gallagher Festival in Holland,” says Zac Schulze. “We’d never rehearsed it before, but from the first time we played it, we knew it had to stay in the set. Every time we perform it, it evolves—we improvise and discover something new. The recorded version is our best attempt to capture that live energy while paying tribute to Tony Dowler, who wrote such a brilliant song. It really sums up where we are as a band right now.”
Hailing from Gillingham, Kent, the Zac Schulze Gang built their reputation on the U.K. touring circuit before gaining wider attention following an appearance at the Rory Gallagher Tribute Festival in 2022. Since then, the band has played more than 250 shows annually, appeared at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival and earned Best Emerging Blues Band at the 2024 UK Blues Awards, followed by Young Artist of the Year honors in 2025.
The release of “Hellhounds On My Trail” comes as the band continues to expand its international profile. This fall, the Zac Schulze Gang will tour North America as special guests of Samantha Fish and Tab Benoit, bringing their live show to U.S. audiences.
TOUR DATES
*** supporting Tab Benoit ++ supporting Samantha Fish
Aug 21 Fox Theatre – Tucson, AZ ***
Aug 22-23 MIM – Phoenix, AZ ***
Aug 25 Pappy & Harriet’s – Pioneertown, CA ***
Aug 27 Belly Up – Solana Beach, CA ***
Aug 28 Coach House- San Juan Capistrano, CA ***
Aug 29 World Records – Bakersfield, CA ***
Aug 30 Venice West – Venice, CA ***
Sept 2 Golden State Theatre – Monterey, CA ***
Sept 3 Cornerstone Berkeley – Berkeley, CA ***
Sept 4 Rocklin Concert Series / Quarry Park- Sacramento, CA ***
Sept 5 Uptown Theatre – Napa, CA ***
Sept 6 The Hangar – Lake Tahoe, CA ***
Sept 12-13 Big Blues Bender – Las Vegas, NV
Sept 16 Phil Long Music Hall – Colorado Springs, CO ++
Sept 17 Gothic Theatre- Englewood,CO ***
Sept 18 Boulder Theater – Boulder. CO ++
Sept 19-20 Telluride Blues & Brews – Telluride, CO
Sept 23 Golden State Theatre – Monterey, CA ++
Sept 24 Uptown Theatre – Napa, CA ++
Sept 26 Center for the Arts – Grass Valley, CA ++
Sept 27 Guild Hall – Menlo Park, CA ++
Sept 29 Rev Hall – Portland, OR ++
Sept 30 Music Millennium – Portland, OR
Oct 3 Kings Hall at APEX – Everett, WA ++
Oct 4 Panida Theater – Sandpoint. ID ++
Oct 10 Crescent City Blues Fest – New Orleans, LA
Oct 22 De Spot – Groningen (NL)
Oct 23 De Neushoorn – Leeuwarden (NL)
Oct 24 Outbaix 2.0 – Ubach-Palenburg (DE)
Oct 29 Kammgarn – Kaiserlautern (DE)
Nov 4 Museumkeller – Erfurt (DE)
Nov 6 KL17 Klub – Dobeln (DE)
Nov 10 The Key Club – Leeds (UK)
Nov 11 Night & Day – Manchester (UK)
Nov 12 The Crescent – York (UK)
Nov 13 The Adrian Flux Waterfront – Norwich (UK)
Nov 14 The Hope & Ruin – Brighton (UK)
Nov 15 Rescue Rooms – Nottingham (UK)
Nov 19 Het Podium – Hoogeveen (NL)
Nov 20 Paard – Den Haag (NL)
Nov 22 Poppodium Hedon – Zwolle (NL)
Nov 23 La Boite a Musique – Wattrelos (FR)
Nov 24 New Morning – Paris (FR)
Nov 28 Maiwaldhalle – Achern (DE)
Nov 29 Podium Fluor – Amersfoort (NL)
Nov 30 Spirit Of 66 – Verviers (BE)
Dec 11 Music Club N9 – Eeklo (BE)
Dec 12 MOMfest – Veghel (NL)
2027
Feb 23 The Cluny 1 – Newcastle (UK)
Feb 24 Voodoo Rooms – Edinburgh (UK)
Feb 25 Stereo – Glasgow (UK)
Feb 27 Islington Assembly Hall – London (UK)
Feb 28 Thekla – Bristol (UK)
Mar 2 The Globe – Cardiff (UK)
Mar 3 The Joiners – Southampton (UK)
Mar 4 Hare & Hounds – Birmingham (UK)
The post Zac Schulze Gang unleashes “Hellhounds On My Trail” appeared first on Blues Rock Review.
Third time’s the charm?
The post Vulvodynia Welcome New Vocalist Maya Pobst appeared first on Theprp.com.
Last week, John R. Miller’s new alt-country LP The Great Unknowing (recorded at Leon Russell’s legendary Church Studio in Tulsa) came out digitally. The acclaimed Appalachian musician returned to the Grand Ole Opry last night and introduced a “monumentally influential practitioner of the guitar” as his surprise guest: J Mascis.
The post J Mascis Makes Opry Debut appeared first on Stereogum.