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The volatile blood feud between hard rock juggernauts Mötley Crüe and Godsmack has officially reignited on the global media grid. Breaking the camp’s recent silence, Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx has launched a blistering counter-offensive against Godsmack drummer Shannon Larkin, following a controversial June 2026 livestream where Larkin openly accused Sixx of relying on pre-recorded vocal tapes to execute Mötley Crüe’s legendary stadium anthems.

MÖTLEY CRÜE VS. GODSMACK: HISTORICAL TRAJECTORY GRID

Operational Flashpoint Era	Primary Conflict Components	Core Technical Assertions	Public Retaliation Status
Crüe Fest 2 Tour (2009)	Sully Erna clashing with Crüe security layout.	Godsmack alleged “rock-star garbage” and mistreatment of guests.	Inspires the Godsmack hit single “Cryin’ Like A Bitch”.
Mick Mars Lawsuit (2023)	Founding guitarist alleges 100% fake bass tracking.	Claims Sixx didn’t play a single live note on the 2022 stadium tour.	Manager Allen Kovac blasts claims as a leverage smear campaign.
John 5 Interview (May 2026)	Active guitarist addresses live technical mixing.	Confirms backing vocals, intros, and sirens are pumped from tape.	Strongly defends that Sixx, Neil, and Lee play every live note.
Larkin Livestream (June 2026)	Drummer attacks Crüe while defending Mike Mangini.	Claims Sixx looks away from the mic while his vocals play.	Sixx fires back on X, labeling Larkin a “hater” from a “B-level band”.

The Spark: Larkin Targets Crüe’s Live Integrity on YouTube

The latest structural breakdown in relations began during a June 19, 2026, live broadcast on Shannon Larkin’s official YouTube channel. While defending Godsmack’s recent high-profile decision to recruit former Dream Theater drumming phenomenon Mike Mangini for their current North American tour tracking run—following a temporary stint with Wade Murff—Larkin used the opportunity to champion Godsmack’s raw, organic approach to live music.

In doing so, he drew a sharp contrast against modern electronic homogenization by aiming his sights squarely at Mötley Crüe’s founding bassist.

“Godsmack uses no click tracks, no backing tracks,” Larkin asserted during the stream. “And backups, you see Nikki Sixx up there [with Mötley Crüe]. He’s not really singing, he looks away, but you still hear his voice. Well, it’s a track playing. But in order for those things to happen, the band has to be on a click track… So it’s a homogenization of what used to be the dangerous feeling of a rock show.”

Larkin’s direct critique quickly caught fire across internet aggregators, moving from initial reporting on Blabbermouth.net directly into the path of Sixx himself.

The Retaliation: Sixx Unloads on “B- and C-Level Bands”

Nikki Sixx did not mince words when responding to the percussive veteran’s claims. Taking to his official account on X (formerly Twitter), the iconic songwriter unleashed a cascade of posts designed to entirely diminish Larkin’s stature and question his career strategy.

“Who’s this Shannon Larkin hater?” Sixx wrote aggressively. “It’s funny how so many B- and C-level bands seem to spend more time talking about us than writing songs people actually remember. Maybe it’s jealousy, maybe it’s insecurity, maybe ticket sales are a little slow. Either way, borrowing someone else’s spotlight has never been much of a long-term career strategy.”

Sixx further doubled down on his disdain for media commentary from competing artists, adding:

“I genuinely feel for musicians who never figured out that the best publicity is writing great songs — over and over again, decade after decade for fans not critics. It reminds me of the endless bimbo podcast crowd that builds an audience by talking about everyone else instead of creating something worth talking about. Anyway, maybe he needs to take a nap before he does more press.”

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The John 5 Technical Perspective and Deep Historical Bad Blood

The debate surrounding Mötley Crüe’s structural use of digital enhancements on stage is far from new. In fact, it remains one of the most polarizing tracking topics in hard rock journalism, highly fueled by a explosive 2023 lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County’s Superior Court by retired founding guitarist Mick Mars. Mars’s attorneys alleged that Sixx failed to play a single live bass note during the group’s 2022 stadium tour, which Crüe manager Allen Kovac aggressively countered by calling it false slander and elder abuse directed at a musician battling Ankylosing Spondylitis.

Just last month, in May 2026, active Crüe guitarist John 5 attempted to clarify the live production configuration during an appearance on the Thinking About Guitar podcast. While John 5 openly conceded that supplementary audio components are utilized on the road, he firmly defended the instrumental honesty of the core tracking performance.

“Listen, there’s backups [backing vocals] that are on track,” John 5 openly revealed. “Of course, there’s backups pumped in, there’s sirens pumped in, there is intros pumped in, but all the music that we’re playing is being performed by us. Nikki plays every single note on that stage. He messes up. You can hear mistakes. Everybody plays everything.”

This latest 2026 tracking flare-up also taps straight into a legendary, localized history of bad blood between the two bands that has quietly simmered since the 2009 Crüe Fest 2 package tour. Following severe backstage ego clashes regarding security limits and guest backstage access, Godsmack frontman Sully Erna famously penned the smash hit single “Cryin’ Like A Bitch” as a direct, unvarnished attack on Sixx’s rock-star persona.

While Larkin previously noted in archival sessions that he originally got along wonderfully with Sixx and was even asked to record with his side-project Sixx:A.M., it is completely clear that any old-school branch of peace has been completely pulverized as this new war of words dominates the media circuit.

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FAQ: Nikki Sixx & Shannon Larkin 2026 Feud

What did Shannon Larkin say about Mötley Crüe’s live show? Larkin alleged that Mötley Crüe heavily relies on pre-recorded backing vocal tracks on tour, claiming he has witnessed Nikki Sixx’s backing vocals blasting through the sound mix even when Sixx is looking completely away from his microphone.

What was Nikki Sixx’s official response to the backing track claims? Sixx took to X to bash Larkin, labeling him a “hater” from a “B- or C-level band” who is utilizing Mötley Crüe’s legendary spotlight to compensate for slow ticket sales and insecurity.

Did Mötley Crüe admit to using live backing tracks? Yes. In a May 2026 podcast layout, guitarist John 5 and manager Allen Kovac confirmed that multi-tracked backing vocals, sirens, and intros are pumped into the live stadium mix, but firmly maintained that the primary instrumentation is performed 100% live.

Who’s this Shannon Larkin hater?

It’s funny how so many B- and C-level bands seem to spend more time talking about us than writing songs people actually remember. Maybe it’s jealousy, maybe it’s insecurity, maybe ticket sales are a little slow. Either way, borrowing someone…

— (@NikkiSixx) June 28, 2026

TL;DR

• The Accusation: Godsmack drummer Shannon Larkin blasted Mötley Crüe on a June 2026 stream, alleging Nikki Sixx fakes his live backing vocals using tapes.
• The Counter-Attack: Nikki Sixx broke the band’s silence on X, completely burying Larkin as an insecure “hater” from a low-tier band.
• The Production Defense: Current Crüe guitarist John 5 recently confirmed backing track layers are active in the mix but asserted the band plays every single note live.
• The Roots: This clash marks a direct continuation of bad blood tracking back to the 2009 Crüe Fest 2 tour, which inspired Godsmack’s “Cryin’ Like A Bitch”.

The internet lines are officially drawn, the rock-star rhetoric is hitting peak volume, and the underlying debate over live tracking authenticity is showing absolutely zero signs of slowing down in the 2026 calendar cycle.

What is your honest assessment of Nikki Sixx’s aggressive counter-strike against Godsmack’s camp? Do you agree with his statement that lower-tier bands spend far too much time talking about legacy acts to steal headlines, or do you feel Larkin’s criticisms regarding the tracking homogenization of modern dangerous rock shows are completely valid? Sound off with your tracking thoughts, concert experiences, and comments below!

The post Nikki Sixx Unloads On Godsmack Following Severe Backing Track Accusations As 2009 Tour Feud Explodes Open appeared first on Loaded Radio.

does a vision
lend its wisdom
in the light held
by the prism

Bunadox returns from a quiet stretch with The Prism, a track that treats ambition as a condition of doubt and private desire. The Seattle project, led by sound designer and multi-instrumentalist Hans Twite, has always seemed drawn to the place where programmed precision meets the loose intelligence of players. Here, that tension feels newly sharpened. Baritone guitar moves through the arrangement with a low, searching authority; Will Andrews’s drums supply a restless architecture, syncopated enough to unsettle the floor under the song without turning the piece into an exercise. The vocals begin close to the chest, understated and watchful, then lift into a controlled glide, gathering power without breaking the song’s inward spell.

The track’s stated terrain is interior conflict, though the music keeps the drama physical. Its new-wave synth beat has mass and contour rather than a simple atmosphere, carrying traces of Ultravox’s sleek elegance and the haunted machiney of early Gary Numan, while the Dolby Atmos presentation gives the production a sense of depth. Bunadox draws from postpunk, dark wave, and industrial music, but The Prism gains its charge from restraint here: every part seems placed in relation to an unseen stress, a force bending light before it reaches the eye.

“There are many versions of ourselves, all living inside of us,” he says. “Each version has a conflicting level of certainty in who it is, and who it is supposed to be. A vision can be a force that drives us forward, but the light that pushes us, is also bent in our will. The choice of what we see, and who we listen to, is ours alone. Our intentions operate on many wavelengths, some in high frequencies, and others operate very low. But what can we see if we open up to it all?”

That explanation could read as metaphysics, but Twite’s background keeps the idea grounded. He has spent years in experimental groups, including The Ether Room and Jungle Maps, and has since built a career in audio design for games, film, science channels, and NPR production. His method for Bunadox is collaborative: he begins with unusual timbres, then invites local musicians, engineers, and producers to follow their instincts as much as their plans. On The Prism, that process yields a track concerned with selfhood without becoming airless. The song circles the inner vision of a possible self: the version we chase, obey, resist, or finally learn to question.

“There has been many times that I have felt pulled by a vision of what I was supposed to be doing, or who I was supposed to be in certain situations,’ he admits. “I’ve realized many times that idea can be a trap, and that there are more possibilities for yourself if you open up your mind and unravel your idea of how things should be.”

Listen to The Prism below and order the single here.

As a reintroduction after 2023’s Fell Into Night, The Prism is purposeful without grandstanding. It points toward a new series of releases and future multimedia performances with improvisation at the center. It gives Bunadox a persuasive form for its central preoccupation: the self as prism, bending intention into revelation, error, and motion.

Follow Bunadox:

• Instagram
• TikTok
• Bandcamp

The post Seattle’s Bunadox Steps Back into the Light With Existential Dark Synth Single “Prism” appeared first on Post-Punk.com.

TO WRITE LOVE ON HER ARMS hosting documentary screening at Vans Warped Tour Long Beach was originally published on HM Magazine by Nao Glover.

Rooted in the Vans Warped Tour community, the life-changing mental health non-profit To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA) will celebrate its 20th anniversary the weekend of the festival’s Long Beach dates next month. Join the many artists, advocates, and partners who have helped to amplify its mission over the years at a special screening of their powerful documentary “To Write […]

TO WRITE LOVE ON HER ARMS hosting documentary screening at Vans Warped Tour Long Beach was originally published on HM Magazine by Nao Glover.

The newly minted ARIA Hall of Fame Inductees The Living End have made it clear their upcoming hit-loaded I Only Trust Rock n Roll Regional Tour is one of the hottest tickets in town, with seven sold-out shows in the Sunshine Coast, Hobart, Ballarat, Cairns (first show on August 12), Townsville, Mackay and Thirroul just […]

Live Nation has today announced that iconic rock band Evanescence will play a second show in Melbourne on their forthcoming arena tour of Australia and New Zealand to meet the overwhelming demand for tickets, with their first date now sold out! This new show is confirmed for Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday 10 March. […]

Free and open to all fans, the AC/DC PWR/UP Pop Up will open in every city on the band’s 2026 North American stadium tour, giving […]

The post AC/DC PWR/UP POP UPS TO OPEN IN EVERY CITY ON 2026 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR appeared first on Metal-Rules.com.

An AI-assisted image posted alongside the album progress update drew some initial backlash from the band’s fans.

The post (Hed)p.e. Finish Their New Album “Relapse”, Dismiss AI Cover Art Concerns appeared first on Theprp.com.

Progressive metal band Between The Buried and Me will bring The Blue Nowhere Tour down under this winter, with local heavyweights joining each Australian date. Brisbane’s Citadel will kick things off at The Triffid on Wednesday 15 July, followed by Melbourne’s The Omnific at The Croxton on Friday 17 July and Sydney’s Nightdive at Crowbar […]

L.I.F.E….Camera…Revolution!

The post The L.I.F.E. Project (Stone Sour) Cover Suicidal Tendencies’ “You Can’t Bring Me Down” appeared first on Theprp.com.

Hannah Wicklund has announced the release of her fourth studio album, War On Women; Calling All Good Men, arriving August 28 via Strawberry Moon Records.

Alongside the album announcement, Wicklund has released the acapella title track “War On Women,” the opening song from the album, accompanied by a new music video. The 13-track collection marks her first studio album since 2024’s The Prize.

The new album was written, recorded and self-produced by Wicklund following a turbulent period in her career and personal life. After returning to her home state of South Carolina from Nashville, she funded the recording sessions through sales of her artwork and paintings. Most of the album was recorded with engineer Devin Vaughan in Charleston, who also plays drums on the record.

“I’ve made the South Carolina version of a Nashville record,” says Hannah, who returned home to South Carolina last summer after a decade spent in Nashville, between international arena tours with acts including Deep Purple, Yes and Greta Van Fleet. “Most of it was written on Folly Beach, where I fell back in love with music and felt like a kid again. Escaping the hustle and business culture around music was my saving grace.”

According to Wicklund, the songs came quickly after she began writing again following several years of creative frustration.

“They poured out of me,” Hannah says. “For years, I hadn’t finished one song. Every time I tried, I got depressed not knowing how or when they would reach the world. Suddenly, I re-discovered the pure joy of making music. And the more I wrote, the less angry I became. The songs were a place to park my rage.”

The album explores themes of personal freedom, relationships and Wicklund’s experiences in the music industry. Songs including “Cowards & Kings,” “Whistle To Blow,” “The Token” and “Stockholm” reflect those experiences, while “Red Gorilla” and “Marionettes” are older compositions that she says were previously rejected before finding a home on the new record.

The opening title track, “War On Women,” began taking shape in 2016 and was completed eight years later. Wicklund said the song was inspired by events ranging from the Larry Nassar abuse scandal to the aftermath of the 2024 U.S. election.

“‘War On Women’ is a song that I began writing in 2016,” says Hannah. “The day I learned about the abuse so many girls suffered from at the hands of Larry Nassar and USA Gymnastics, and finished eight years later, the weekend after the 2024 election when the phrase “Your Body, My Choice” was touted as a victory slogan amongst boys and men. I alchemized my rage into a song meant to be a call to action for all the good men of this world to take a stand and begin using their power and their voices to protect women and girls instead of predators; for only then can we call you our brothers and only then can we keep you as lovers…”

The album closes with the companion piece “Calling All Good Men,” which Wicklund describes as a hopeful conclusion to the record.

“That was the last song I wrote and it arrived in a flash, driving home after a show that I played with my brother,” says Hannah. “I want it to be abundantly clear that I am not anti-men. These are not just women’s issues; they are society’s issues and finding a solution will involve all of us. It’s a hopeful song to go out on and serves as my olive branch to all the good men out there to use their power and their voices to not just create a safer world, but to make space for women and girls to truly shine.”

Rather than releasing the full album to streaming services on launch day, Wicklund will debut one song during each full moon over the course of a year, beginning June 29 with “War On Women.” The complete album will be available on vinyl and CD on August 28, with the staggered digital rollout serving as an artist-driven alternative release strategy.

TRACK LISTING

War On Women
Red Gorilla
Evil Is A Corporation
Marionettes
The Pier
Diamonds
Daggers
The Token
Whistle To Blow
Stockholm
Cowards & Kings
Total Truth
Calling All Good Men

The post Hannah Wicklund announces “War On Women; Calling All Good Men” appeared first on Blues Rock Review.