Metal Anarchy

  • Rush’s Geddy Lee And Alex Lifeson On Upcoming Reunion Tour: “It Feels Right”

    During an event at the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame’s Foster Theater in Cleveland, OH, Rush’s Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson discussed their decision to reunite for a 2026 tour. According to them, “it feels right” to return to the road.

    Lifeson said the following:

    “When we finished the [‘R40’] tour [in 2015], it was difficult for Neil, and he’d had enough by that point. I think Ged and I still had gas in the tank and we still wanted to continue working. But it was what it was, and the further I got away from it, the more I thought, ‘It’s okay. We had 40 years. I’m tired of hanging around a hotel, being away from family and all of that stuff.’ And I felt that way for most of the last 10 years, really. I thought we had a great legacy, and it’s okay. Then this guy [Lee] came along and had some big ideas. And we talked and we started playing. And then I realized that I love it so much — I love playing so much. And I’ve continued, over these last years, doing other projects and still playing a lot. But when we sat down and started playing some of the RUSH stuff and I realized how hard it was to play these songs… When you do it every day for 40 years, it’s not a big deal, really — you’re used to it — but when you’re away from it and you are a little more objective about the intense complexity of the music and the feel and the nuances and all the things that go into making a RUSH song and performance, to be challenged with that again was really, really exciting. And the more we started rehearsing and playing, the more I just fell in love with the idea of playing again.”

    Lee continued:

    “It was a very difficult decision on many levels, first of all, because what it entails in terms of work, but also what had transpired. Losing a member like Neil, it was devastating and it was a very sad time, and it took time for us to even contemplate it. I mean, this is a relatively recent decision. And I would say it was kind of out of the question for the longest time because of those circumstances. And how do you replace someone who’s irreplaceable? So, we would joke about it sometimes, and Al was doing other things, I was writing books and something happened in the last couple of years that brought us back to jamming in the studio. He would come over, drink my coffee, hang around, we would jam and we would laugh. And then one day — I don’t know why — we started playing some RUSH songs for fun. And God, we were laughing so hard and we were enjoying it so much. And it was almost like playing those songs dispelled the dark clouds. It was not an easy decision to come to, and this is really the first time we’re talking about it out loud in front of other people. So, yeah, it feels right, and we’re gonna do it.”

    He also commented on recruiting drummer Anika Nilles:

    “Well, our idea was not to try to be RUSH 2.0, just to pay homage to our music, pay homage to our lost brother and represent the songs and celebrate the songs.

    I haven’t talked about this before, but… So, my bass tech Skully [John McIntosh] was working with Jeff Beck. He was on tour with him for a few years. And on the last tour he was playing with this drummer named Anika Nilles — an incredible drummer. And he would come home, he would rave about her, what a brilliant player she was and great person, and blah, blah, blah. So I kind of looked her up. And she’s all over YouTube. She’s fairly well known in her own world of music. And then we started talking about playing again. I said to Al, I said, ‘Check her out. Maybe that’s an interesting way to go.’ And so one thing led to another, and when we made the decision we wanted to see if it would work, what’s it like to play with another drummer — we’d had that experience, of course, at the Taylor Hawkins tributes [in September 2022]. So we know how difficult it is — no matter who the drummer is, they all have their own perception of what it’s like to play a RUSH song, and they may not line up with the way we play RUSH songs. So whoever we were going to choose was going to be difficult and there’s going to be like a translation. And so we very secretly brought Anika to Canada. And it wasn’t an audition, ’cause at that point we weren’t really sure that we were going to tour. It was all an experiment. Anyway, I’m very happy to say that she is fantastic to play with. And we’ve had now a number of sessions with her and we are going to go on the road with her. I think she’s a remarkable story. And she’s much younger than us… And I like that, that she came to RUSH music without any preconceptions. It also made it very difficult, ’cause we had to explain nuances and work on subtleties, and she had to really try to get into Neil’s headspace and his feel. A lot of drummers can play Neil’s drum fills, but to combine that with the feel of those songs, so that it feels the way you guys wanna hear those songs, that’s work — that requires work. And so she’s winning.”

    He also revealed what fans can expect from the shows:

    “I don’t think we can do a three-hour show the way we did when we were in our younger years, but we’re certainly gonna play over two hours. And we’ll get a lot of songs in, for sure.”

    Lee went on to say that “it’s not an accident” that the tour is kicking off at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, CA where Rush ended their “R40” tour:

    “It’ll be, I think, quite an emotional moment. And I have to say also a thank you to [Neil’s widow] Carrie Nuttall and [daughter] Olivia Peart who have been very supportive and are supporting us for this tour, and we really appreciate that, and that makes things better. And we also plan to pay tribute to Neil at least a couple of times during the show in our own way. And that’ll happen every night, we’ll pay tribute to him.

    After Neil passed, COVID hit and we never really were able to do any kind of tribute to him — not a tribute concert. And so this is one way that we pay homage to the music and the lyrics and the incredible drumming of our pal and partner, and at the same time celebrate the music that [the fans] have thankfully shown up for, for all these years. And we’ll just endeavor to do our best to make [the fans] happy.”

    [via Blabbermouth]

    caemanamelio

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  • Ripped To Shreds Blast Master For Performing At A Festival With “Neo-Nazi” Bands

    Ripped To Shreds have taken to social media to blast Master for performing alongside “neo-Nazi” acts at the recent Metal Threat festival in Chicago, IL. That event featured multiple controversial acts including Arghoslent, Inquisition, etc. Ripped To Shreds said the following about Master after cancelling their October 10 show in Berkeley, CA:

    “refusing to play with a neonazi band like arghoslent that glorifies the black slave trade is the lowest possible bar and master still failed it, so we’re withdrawing from friday’s show at @924gilmanstreet support to @bitterendbooking for doing the right thing and canceling the show. we’re still leaving heavy talent, but i would like to clarify that heavy talent only reps sinister, the sinister and master tour was booked as a package, and master booked their show with metal threat directly through paul dunski and not through heavy talent”

    Vocalist/guitarist Andrew Lee also shared a video focusing on the problem of white supremacy in the metal scene:

    caemanamelio

  • Split Chain Premiere “greyintheblue” Video

    Split Chain have premiered a new video for their song “greyintheblue.” That track is taken from the band’s latest album “motionblur.” The group commented:

    “Since dropping our debut album motionblur, we’ve been waiting for the right time to give greyintheblue its moment. This song was made from reworking the first demo we ever made before Split Chain was even a band. That demo was the force of why this band even exists and to have it reworked, finished and on our debut album means so much to us. It felt right to give it its time in the spotlight and we’re so stoked to be playing on the road on our current North American tour with @counterpartsband @thrownband & @156silence. Go give the music video a spin. Filmed and edited by us. Catch you on the road for our final North American tour of the year.”

    caemanamelio

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  • Look What I Did Celebrate 20th Anniversary Of “Minuteman For The Moment” With New Video For “Cupid Full Of Eros”

    Look What I Did are celebrating the 20th anniversary of “Minuteman For The Moment” with a new video for “Cupid Full Of Eros.” You can check that out below:

    The band commented:

    “We wanted to celebrate 20 years of ‘Minuteman for the Moment‘ with a video that captures the chaos, the energy, and the history of our fans and performances. This video pulls from decades of live footage — a tribute not just to the album, but to everyone who’s been along for the ride.”

    In other news, the group are also working on a new album titled “Post Everything” That effort will feature bassist Evan Brewer (Fallujah, etc.) and guitarist Loren Turner (ex-Foxy Shazam). The band commented on the new record as well:

    ”’Post Everything‘ rejects conventional genre boundaries entirely, instead creating new, original music drawn from the complete palette of all works of art and music that have come before it. This ambitious vision seeks to focus purely on artistic innovation, blending influences into a modern formula that has no limits, producing a sound that is entirely forward-looking and uncompromised.”

    caemanamelio

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  • Slaughter To Prevail Vocalist Alex Terrible’s Mask Business Suffered “Very Heavy Losses” Following Building Collapse

    Slaughter To Prevail’s Alex Terrible has further commented on the collapse of the building he used to manufacture his “Kid Of Darkness” masks in Russia. The frontman, who recently secured a new space for the business, suffered “very heavy losses” due to the incident.

    Terrible said the following:

    “Dear fans,

    Right now we need your support more than ever. As you may know, our old building collapsed (we still haven’t been told the official reason), but fortunately, none of us were hurt. We didn’t have insurance, which is very rarely practiced in Russia. Because of this, we suffered very heavy losses.

    At the moment, we’ve thrown all our energy and resources into repening our business from scratch in a new building. We’ve purchased everything we need and prepared it for work. We’re really looking forward to your orders and are working on fulfilling past ones, which we will send out very soon. We count on your support and, as always, your patience.

    We put our hearts into making every mask of the highest quality. This is all handmade — casting, painting, assembly, and more. Handmade work like this is usually very expensive on the market. But we sell our masks at super low prices, almost at cost. And we are very happy that you continue to buy them. We want to see lots of masks at the Slaughter to Prevail concert!

    However, we are forced to raise our prices because the U.S. has introduced a tax on importing goods from Russia. Still, we will do everything possible to keep this tax as low as we can (we’re already in talks with accountants and the logistics company).

    We are really looking forward to your orders, guys! This is not just a mask. This is already a cult!”

    caemanamelio

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  • We Came As Romans Announce February 2026 Australian Tour With Caskets And Headwreck

    We Came As Romans have announced an Australian tour with Caskets and Headwreck. Here’s the dates:

    02/06 Brisbane, AUS – The Tivoli
    02/07 Sydney, AUS – Metro Theatre
    02/08 Newcastle, AUS – King St. Bandroom
    02/11 Perth, AUS – Magnet House
    02/12 Adelaide, AUS – The Gov
    02/14 Melbourne, AUS – Riviera Beach Club

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  • Guns N’ Roses, Tool, System Of A Down, Etc. Members Cover Spinal Tap Songs For Charity Compilation

    A new 32-track Spinal Tap tribute album has been released to raise money for Teen Cancer America. The limited edition compilation is titled “The Majesty of Rock – An All-Star Spinal Tap Tribute Album to Benefit Young People with Cancer” and it can be purchased HERE. Among those who participated were Troy Sanders (Mastodon), Kelli Scott (Failure), Scott Reeder (ex-Kyuss), Rami Jaffee (Foo Fighters), Justin Chancellor (Tool), Abby Travis (The Go-Go’s), John Dolmayan (System Of A Down), Dizzy Reed (Guns N’ Roses), and more.

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  • Furnace Fest To Return In 2026

    Organizers have officially confirmed that Furnace Fest will be returning to Birmingham, AL in 2026. This news comes after the event recently moved forward this year despite plans to end it in 2024. The 2025 edition appeared to have been a success despite lower than expected ticket sales.

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  • Iron Maiden Singer Bruce Dickinson To Sign Copies Of “Iron Maiden: Infinite Dreams – The Official Visual History” During London Event

    Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson will be signing copies of “Iron Maiden: Infinite Dreams – The Official Visual History” at Waterstones Piccadilly in London, UK. The event will be held October 14 at 6:30 p.m. Tickets can be found HERE.

    Waterstones commented:

    “We are delighted to host a signing event with Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson at Waterstones Piccadilly: marking a landmark publication in our flagship store. All tickets sold will include a copy of the book (RRP £50), which will be signed by Bruce on the evening. The first 300 attendees will also receive a special Iron Maiden patch featuring the 50th anniversary Eddie artwork. The first 150 attendees will receive an Infinite Dreams tote bag and pin badge set.

    And there will be a chance for one ticket-holder to win a bookplate signed by all band members (Steve Harris, Bruce Dickinson, Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, Janick Gers and Nicko McBrain) on the night.

    Celebrating 50 years of Iron Maiden, this incomparable visual book, featuring commentary by band members past and present, and never-before-seen photography from the Iron Maiden archives, chronicles the evolution of heavy metal’s most influential and enthralling band since 1975.

    Terms and conditions / A note to customers:

    • Each ticket entitles the ticketholder to one copy of Iron Maiden: Infinite Dreams, The Official Visual History which will be available for collection on the day. Please note: Bruce Dickinson will sign copies of the book only; please do not bring additional merchandise with the expectation this will be signed.
    • You will be required to show your ticket on the day of the event, to gain entry, and as proof of purchase.
    • The queue will be formed on a first come, first served basis, with priority given to those who require accessibility support
    • There will be queueing required before you meet Bruce Dickinson. We will aim to keep you updated on your waiting time, but please come prepared to queue. There may be an element of outside queuing; please come dressed appropriately for the weather
    • Ticketholders must be present at the event to receive their signed copy of the book- no books will be shipped. If you are unable to attend, please contact events@waterstones.com. Refunds can only be accepted before the event takes place.
    • Tickets are strictly non-transferable; do not buy tickets from any resale sites or external vendors.
    • Patches are limited to 300. First come, first served.
    • Infinite Dreams tote and pin badge sets are limited to 150. First come, first served.
    • The signed bookplate winner will be drawn at random from all ticket holders and will be for collection on the night. If the winner is not in attendance, another name will be drawn. There is one prize only. No cash alternative is offered.
    • In the event of unforeseen issues requiring cancellation or any problems on the day, Waterstones will endeavour to contact all attendees ahead, and make plans to supply the books ordered via alternative routes.”

    caemanamelio

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  • Gary Holt (Exodus, Slayer) Announces Collaboration With Neven Eyewear

    Gary Holt (Exodus, Slayer) has teamed up with Neven Eyewear for his own collection of glasses. Two designs are available including Blacklist and Collateral Damage.

    The following was said about Blacklist:

    “The Blacklist Collection doesn’t play nice. Created with Gary Holt – guitar legend of Exodus and Slayer – these rectangular frames are made for loud lives and louder minds. Built with flexible hinges, non-slip nose pads, and a custom-etched version of Gary’s iconic logo on the lens, each pair is designed to hold up when things get heavy. They don’t follow trends – they crush them. With a look that hits like a power chord and details that nod to thrash history, every pair carries the energy of decades spent melting faces and breaking rules.”

    The following was added about Collateral Damage:

    “The Collateral Damage Collection is a lineup of eyewear designed with thrash legend Gary Holt of Exodus and Slayer. These round geometric frames feature Gary’s iconic logo custom-etched on every lens, plus black polarized lenses are standard — and available as a prescription option too. Built for durability and attitude, these signature sunglasses will surely make you stand out.”

    caemanamelio

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