News

Ozzy Osbourne will say goodbye to the stage all over again when his final performance with Black Sabbath, the close of the Back to the Beginning concert, arrives in theaters. The concert film Back to the Beginning: Ozzy’s Final Bow is scheduled for release in early 2026.

Produced by Mercury Studios, the release has been described as a “distilled version” of the marathon event that featured performances from Mastodon, Alice in Chains, Guns N’ Roses, Metallica, Rival Sons, Anthrax, Tool, and more over the course of 10 hours. The highlights of the day,...

King Crimson are recording their first new album since 2003’s The Power to Believe. Vocalist/guitarist Jakko Jakszyk revealed that recording was underway in a new interview with Goldmine.

While Jakszyk couldn’t give a timeline of its completion, he did state that the album will feature King Crimson’s most recent lineup of Jakszyk, Robert Fripp, Mel Collins, Tony Levin, Pat Mastelotto, Gavin Harrison, and Jeremy Stacey — the ensemble having most recently performed and toured together in 2021.

“As we speak, we’re doing a King Crimson studio album,” said Jakszyk, who joined King Crimson in 2013. “When that will come out and what format or how — that’s beyond my brief. But yeah, we’ve been doing it piecemeal, and then a couple of months ago, the management said, ‘Can we?’ So, yeah. I’ve been recording that with a view to it coming out in some format at some point.

“Let the madness begin!” bellowed a mischievous Ozzy Osbourne from his bat-and-skull encrusted throne in front of a sold-out Villa Park in Birmingham, England. The Prince of Darkness had finally taken to the stage after a marathon of legendary metal bands paid homage to his life and work throughout the day for his and Black Sabbath’s Back to the Beginning concert on Saturday, July 5.

The Summer of Sabbath had been in full flow in Birmingham for weeks now, though. The proud home city of heavy metal rolled out the...

A second superjam at the “Back to the Beginning” final Black Sabbath concert in Birmingham on Saturday (July 5th) featured an all-star roster of musicians, including Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler, Sammy Hagar, Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan, Ghost’s Papa V Perpetua, and more.

Corgan joined Tom Morello for covers of Judas Priest’s “Breaking the Law” and Black Sabbath’s “Snowblind.” Hagar sang Ozzy’s “Flying High Again,” while Ghost’s Papa performed Ozzy’s “Bark at the Moon. Tyler was joined by The Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood for “Train Kept a Rollin,” and stayed onstage for a medley of “Walk This Way” and Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love.” Tyler’s appearance was especially notable as the Aerosmith frontman has been largely sidelined from performing since suffering a vocal injury in late 2023.

They were backed by such musicians as Travis Barker, Nuno Bettencourt, Vernon Reid, K.K. Downing, Adam Jones,...

Tool took the stage at Black Sabbath’s “Back to the Beginning” farewell concert in Birmingham, England, on Saturday night, where they serenaded with the heavy metal legends with a cover of “Hand of Doom.” They progressive rock band also performed a renditions of their own songs “Forty Six & 2” and “Ænema.”

Earlier in the concert, Tool’s Danny Carey joined Mastodon for their own Black Sabbath cover of “Supernaut,” and participated in a drum-off performance of “Symptom of the Universe” with Chad Smith and Travis Barker. He also joined his bandmate Adam Jones plus Billy Corgan, Tom Morello, K.K. Downing, and Rudy Sarzo as part of an all-star jam session of “Breaking the Law” and “Snowblind.” You can find our full coverage of the concert here.

Livestream access to “Back to the Beginning” is now available to purchase, with a VOD replay accessible through July 7th.

Tool Serenade Black Sabbath...

Black Sabbath’s “Back to the Beginning” farewell concert included a star-studded drum-off featuring Tool’s Danny Carey, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith, and blink-182’s Travis Barker performing Sabbath’s “Symptom of the Universe” with the backing of Tom Morello, bassist Rudy Sarzo, and guitarist Nuno Bettencourt (Extreme).

The drum-off occurred about half-way through Sabbath’s “Back the the Beginning” farewell concert, following mini-sets from Alice in Chains, Gojira, Mastodon, Rival Sons, Anthrax, Halestorm, and Lamb of God, along with an all-star superjam featuring David Draiman, Lzzy Hale, and Yungblud as singers — backed by members of Faith No More, Anthrax, Megadeth, and more. You can find our full coverage here.

Livestream access to “Back to the Beginning” is now available to purchase, with a VOD replay accessible through July 7th.

Danny Carey, Chad Smith, and Travis Barker Play Drum-Off at Black Sabbath Farewell Concert

Scoop Harrison...

The “Back to the Beginning” concert has begun! The all-day event at Birmingham, England’s Villa Park, leading up to the final performances from Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath, kicked off on Saturday (July 5th) with mini-sets from Mastodon, Rival Sons, Anthrax, Halestorm, and Lamb of God.

Mastodon got things started with two originals (“Black Tongue” and “Blood and Thunder”) before taking on Sabbath’s “Supernaut,” with drummer Brann Dailor handling lead vocals, and Gojira’s Mario Duplantier, Tool’s Danny Carey, and Slipknot’s Eloy Casagrande each adding percussion.

Rival Sons sandwiched a cover of Sabbath’s “Electric Funeral” in between two originals, while Anthrax performed “Indians” and Sabbath’s “Into the Void.” Halestorm played “Love Bites (So Do I)” and “Rain Your Blood on Me” along with a cover of Ozzy’s “Perry Mason,” and Lamb of God performed “Laid to Rest,” “Redneck,” and Sabbath’s “Children of the Grave.

Beat, the supergroup celebrating ’80s King Crimson, have announced a new live album, Beat Live, out September 26th. The track “Neal and Jack and Me” can be streamed now.

The release captures Beat’s 2024 concert in Los Angeles — previously the focus of a livestream performance — along with additional recordings from the band’s massive North American tour last fall.

The outing saw classic King Crimson members Adrian Belew and Tony Levin teamed with guitar virtuoso Steve Vai and Tool drummer Danny Carey. Taking their name from the seminal 1982 King Crimson album, Beat revisited the progressive rock band’s output during that decade, specifically 1981’s Discipline, the aforementioned Beat, and 1983’s Three of a Perfect Pair.

Belew reflected in a press release: “You’re walking on stage with three virtuoso musicians, world class professionals who have seen it all but are still having fun playing this music which is timeless and...

Primus have announced the Summer 2025 “Onwards & Upwards” US tour featuring new drummer John Hoffman.

Ty Segall and MonoNeon will rotate as support for the outing, which kicks off July 5th in Paso Robles, California, and wraps up with a two-night stand in Sacramento on August 7th and 8th. The tour will hit Chicago, New York City, Dallas, and Los Angeles, along with the famed Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado, among other stops.

Get Primus Tickets Here

A Live Nation ticket pre-sale for select dates begins Thursday (March 27th) at 10 a.m. local time using the code Funky. General ticket sales start Friday (March 28th) at 10 a.m. local time via Ticketmaster.

Primus mastermind Les Claypool shared the following statement via a press release:

“Hitting the road this summer with Hoffer at the helm! This fiery, cheerful, octopus-like drummer from Shreveport, Louisiana has breathed a very potent breath of freshness...

Primus played their first gig with new drummer John Hoffman, who recently beat out thousands of other drummers in an open audition for the job. The band performed at the Tool in the Sand festival in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, on Saturday (March 8th), and were joined by Tool’s Danny Carey behind the drum kit, as well.

As previously reported, the relatively unknown Hoffman won the job last month following the surprise exit of longtime Primus drummer Tim “Herb” Alexander in October. The band received more than 6,000 submissions after putting out an open call for the vacancy.

Get Sessanta V2.0 Tickets Here

Prior to Hoffman joining the band, it was announced that Carey would drum with Primus at the Tool in the Sand fest. As it turns out, both Carey and Hoffman provided the beat during the nine-song set.

The first three songs — “Those Damned Blue-Collar Tweekers,” “Too Many Puppies,...

Primus have revealed that their new drummer is John Hoffman after an open audition that resulted in 6,200 submissions.

The Louisiana-based Hoffman is a relative unknown compared to some of the other finalists that had a chance to fill the slot vacated by Tim “Herb” Alexander, who surprisingly exited the band in October. However, he is a professional drummer who apparently plays more than 250 gigs a year and is known as “the busiest drummer in Shreveport.”

Get Sessanta V2.0 Tickets Here

Frontman Les Claypool revealed the news, posting a photo of himself, with Primus guitarist Larry “Ler” Lalonde and Hoffman, and writing, “Hoffington!!! Welcome aboard! @johnhoffmandrums.”

Among the drummers whom Hoffman beat out are Thomas Pridgen, Nikki Glaspie, and others.

Hoffman was part of a shortlist of drummers who were invited out to the West Coast to jam with Primus as part of a five-day “interstellar drum derby.” Among those in...

Accomplished drumming requires both upper and lower body fitness, just take it from Tool’s Danny Carey, who plays some of the most demanding drum parts in rock or metal.

Of course, playing his gigantic drum kit is a workout in its own right, but Carey has taken things a step further, discovering an ingenious way to keep his drum chops up while simultaneously staying in shape. Introducing, the “drum bike.”

Carey shared his invention in a YouTube short a little while back. Essentially, it’s just an exercise bike with a practice drum pad affixed to it — where a screen might be otherwise. Carey makes it work brilliantly though, logging some cardio while rapping out steady snare rolls. Even on a practice pad, his skills are jaw dropping.

Jokes aside, it’s a rather ingenious idea considering two of the hardest things to come by while on the road...

Primus are looking for a new drummer following the abrupt departure of Tim “Herb” Alexander from the band, and they’re opening the position to anyone with skills behind the drum kit.

A social media post from the band on Monday (November 18th) reads: “We are currently taking submissions from all points in the universe for the position of Primus drummer/percussionist. Seeking a well-mannered, affable individual with original sensibility and aesthetic, possessing a desire to open new doors in the creative world.”

Get Primus and Sessanta V2.0 Tour Tickets Here

The notice continues, “Flashy chops are wonderful, but groove, pocket, and the ability to listen, react, and contribute to the musical conversation is a must. Interested parties can submit a resume and a recent video performance to drumsearch@primusville.com.”

After exiting Primus, Alexander explained that he had lost his passion for playing in the band, saying, “A lot of times,...

Primus announced Tuesday that the funk metal band’s longtime drummer, Tim “Herb” Alexander, has abruptly left the group, saying he “lost his passion for playing.”

Founding members Les Claypool and guitarist Larry Lalonde revealed on social media that — ahead of upcoming concerts — they received an email from Alexander “expressing that effective immediately he would no longer be involved with Primus,” the pair wrote in a statement. “It came as a complete shock to all of us here in the Primus camp.”

pic.twitter.com/bYYVn6dEWl

— Les, Ler and Tim (@primus) October 29, 2024

Primus continued,...

Primus’ Les Claypool and Larry Lalonde have announced the abrupt departure of the band’s longtime drummer, Tim “Herb” Alexander.

In a statement posted on Tuesday, October 29th, Claypool and Lalonde explained that Alexander resigned “effective immediately” from the band via an email sent on Thursday, October 17th. “It came as a complete shock to all of us here in the Primus camp,” the statement explains.

Get Primus Tickets Here

“On the heels of a wonderful spring & summer of touring and some fabulous plans ahead, it has been a bit bewildering for us that Herb would so abruptly opt out,” Claypool and Lalonde continue. “After several attempts to communicate with Herb, his only response was another email stating that he has ‘lost his passion for playing.’ As disappointing as that is, we respect his choice.”

The statement then goes on to explain how Claypool and Lalonde will handle Primus’ upcoming bookings.

Beat, the supergroup celebrating ’80s King Crimson, have announced a livestream of their upcoming concert in Los Angeles on November 10th.

The gig falls amidst the band’s massive Fall North American tour, which continues Wednesday (October 30th) in Indianapolis and runs through December 18th in Highland, California (get tickets here).

Get Beat Tickets Here

For those unable to attend those dates, the L.A. livestream is an ideal way to experience Beat from the comfort of your own abode. The group features classic King Crimson members Adrian Belew and Tony Levin alongside guitar virtuoso Steve Vai and Tool drummer Danny Carey. Taking their name from the seminal 1982 King Crimson album, Beat revisit the progressive rock band’s output during that decade, specifically 1981’s Discipline, the aforementioned Beat, and 1983’s Three of a Perfect Pair.

“The 1981 through 1984 King Crimson created a music all its own,” commented Levin in the initial tour announcement.

Robert Fripp and Toyah Willcox offered up a Halloween edition of their “Sunday Lunch” series over the weekend. The video features the married couple performing a cover of the David Bowie classic “Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps).”

The King Crimson guitarist and the new wave singer have mostly been posting archival “Sunday Lunch” episodes in recent months, but the Bowie cover is a brand new performance. In the video, both Fripp and Toyah wear makeup inspired by the Scary Monsters album cover, with Toyah looking eerily similar to Bowie.

Get Beat 'King Crimson' Tickets Here

Aside from the makeup, Toyah sports a black blazer with nothing underneath, singing the 1980 song as Fripp plays guitar. The video wraps up with Robert saying in a creepy voice, “Welcome to Toyah and Robert’s scary ‘Sunday Lunch,'” with Toyah playfully kissing the prog-rock pioneer on the side of his head.

New editions...

Tool famously kept their music off digital platforms until finally making their catalog available to streaming services in 2019 upon the release of their latest album, Fear Inoculum. Looking back, singer Maynard James Keenan feels it was a big “mistake” for the band not to embrace the digital revolution earlier.

In a new conversation with rock personality Allison Hagendorf (watch below), the Tool vocalist was asked about the band’s decision to keep their music strictly on physical formats while most other music acts readily made their music available on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.

Get Sessanta V2.0 Tickets Here

Keenan emphasized that it wasn’t his choice to do so, insisting he had wanted to the band to go the digital route for 20 years, and that his bandmates finally “caved.”

“I feel like we missed the boat. Like it started with downloads, you know, 24 years ago,” Keenan told Hagendorf,...

Tool’s Danny Carey is now an active YouTuber, having recently launched his own official channel. For Tool fans, the highlight among his initial videos is a clip of the renowned drummer warming up before one of the band’s gigs this past May.

Filmed from pseudo point-of-view directly above Carey and pointed down, we get a perspective of just how insane his drum kit is, surrounding and encompassing the drummer in a cockpit of shells and cymbals.

Get Beat Tickets Here

The clip also highlights the fact that Carey uses every single one of those many pieces, his limbs flying across the kit as muscle memory takes over. The comparison could be made to an athlete warming up before a sporting event, and playing drums for Tool is certainly physically and athletically demanding, as Carey proves here. There’s a reason why he ranked highly on our recent list...

Bob Mould joined the Fred Armisen-led 8G Band for their very final performance on Late Night with Seth Meyers on Thursday night

Closing out their 10-year run as Late Night‘’ house band, The 8G Band ripped through a cover of Hüsker Dü’s “Makes No Sense At All.” Watch a video of their performance below.

Get Bob Mould Tickets Here

Over the past decade, the 8G Band not only soundtracked episodes of Late Night, but also welcomed a number of sit-in musical guests, including St. Vincent, Tool’s Danny Carey, Turnstile’s David Fang, and more. Now, the 12th season of the show will premiere next month sans a live band.

The 8G Band’s departure was confirmed this past June by the show’s associate musical director, Eli Janney, who told Vulture that they were victims of budget cuts. “Sadly, it’s the reality of broadcast and a...

Tool have made a tradition of pulling a light-hearted prank on their support acts at the end of a tour, and Cali alt rockers Night Verses were the latest to get the treatment.

In a video just posted by Tool on social media, bassist Justin Chancellor and some of the band’s road crew had a surprise ready for Night Verses during their final night supporting Tool’s European tour that wrapped up in late June.

Chancellor donned a mildly terrifying Willy Wonka disguise while his cohorts were wearing massive animal costumes as they collectively invaded the stage during an instrumental breakdown in the set. The members of Night Verses threw some double takes at the bizarre spectacle — Chancellor went centerstage wielding a cane, egging on the drummer and “conducting” the band — though they remained unfazed, crushing this particular crescendo in the song.

It’s quite possible that Night Verses...

Legendary bassist Tony Levin, best known for his work with King Crimson and Peter Gabriel, has announced the new album Bringing It Down to the Bass. The LP features contributions from Robert Fripp (King Crimson), Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater), Vinnie Colaiuta, and more.

The album arrives via Flatiron Recordings on September 13th, one day after Levin kicks off the highly anticipated “Beat” tour celebrating the music of King Crimson with Adrian Belew, Danny Carey, and Steve Vai. According to Levin, the album is a long-time coming, as he’s been working on a number of the songs for years, if not decades.

Get Beat Tickets Here

“It could have been done a long time ago, frankly,” Levin said in a press release, “but it’s because of a problem I have, which is a very good problem to have. And that’s that I have a lot of touring and...

Adrian Belew, Tony Levin, Danny Carey, and Steve Vai — collectively performing under the supergroup name Beat — have extended their Fall 2024 North American tour celebrating the music of King Crimson with an additional 21 dates “due to overwhelming demand.”

The tour originally was scheduled to run from a September 12th show in San Jose, California, through a November 10th gig in Los Angeles. Now, an entire new leg has been added, running from November 18th in Thousand Oaks, California, through December 18th in Highland, California. Newly added cities include Seattle, Brooklyn, St. Louis, and San Antonio, among others.

Get Beat Tickets Here

An artist pre-sale for the new dates starts today (June 25th) at noon Et / 9 a.m. Pt using the code Beattour via Ticketmaster. Fans can also look for deals or get tickets to sold-out dates via StubHub, where your purchase is 100% guaranteed through StubHub’s Fan Protect program.

The tour...

Danny Carey sported a new look during Tool’s recent show (June 5th) in Paris, as the drummer wore a form-fitting glow-in-the-dark bodysuit in the style of artist Alex Grey’s “Psychic Energy System” artwork.

Grey is a longtime Tool collaborator, having designed the artwork for Lateralus and 10,000 Days. Carey’s bodysuit was created by Jacob Roanhaus, who also fabricated a similar suit showing a muscular system akin to the Lateralus album cover that Carey sported a few months ago.

Tool shared a brief video of Carey performing in the “Psychic Energy System” suit on Instagram, with fans commenting that the outfit reminded them of Marvel’s Thanos and Infinity Stones, and others remarking that it had a Tron vibe. However, as seen below, it appears to be a direct homage to Grey’s 1980 Psychic Energy System painting, which falls more in line with the chakra system.

The Paris...

Rock’s friskiest couple Robert Fripp and Toyah Willcox are back with a brand-new edition of their “Sunday Lunch” performance series. This time around, the King Crimson guitarist and the new wave singer deliver a lickin’ good version of the Iggy & The Stooges classic “Search and Destroy.”

Sporting matching mohawks, the married pair pay homage to the godfather of punk, Iggy Pop, with a playful rendition of the Raw Power tune. Robert plays the song’s iconic guitar licks while Toyah sings and dances seductively around her husband. It all culminates with Toyah slowly licking the side of Robert’s face.

The ever-youthful Robert and Toyah just celebrated their 78th and 66th birthdays on May 16th and May 18th, respectively. They’ve been entertaining fans with their “Sunday Lunch” series for four years now.

‘Search and Destroy” follows performances of blink-182’s “Dammit,” Beastie Boys’ “(You Gotta) Fight for Your...

Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson made an increasingly rare appearance onstage together Thursday as the Rush duo covered Gordon Lightfoot’s “The Way I Feel” at a Toronto tribute concert for the late Canadian singer-songwriter.

Lee and Lifeson, who were billed as “L+L” on the lineup, performed alongside the Canadian country act Blue Rodeo at the gig at Massey Hall, the same Toronto venue where Rush recorded their All the World’s a Stage live album in 1976.

“On Thursday evening at Massey Hall in Toronto, both Alex and myself...

Mike Portnoy is no doubt one of metal’s greatest drummers of all time, as he’s proven over the past four decades with prog titans Dream Theater and multiple other projects. However, even the most accomplished drummers have a hard time attempting Danny Carey’s drum parts in Tool’s music.

In a new video from Drumeo, Portnoy — who recently rejoined Dream Theater after a 13-year absence — was challenged to play Tool’s “Pneuma” from the 2019 album Fear Inoculum.

As Drumeo’s YouTube description declares, “Watch as drumming legend Mike Portnoy attempts the impossible task of learning Tool’s 12-minute masterpiece – ‘Pneuma.’ … How will Mike go about learning this insane drum part? How does he crack the ‘code’ of the song? Tune in to find out and watch Mike learn one of the most challenging drum parts ever created over the course of a Drumeo session lasting nearly six hours.

Maynard James Keenan has been celebrating his 60th birthday all month with two of his bands — A Perfect Circle and Puscifer — along with Primus on the “Sessanta” tour. On Saturday night (April 20th) at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, fans were treated to all three of Keenan’s bands when Tool gave a surprise performance toward the end of the concert.

The tour usually has a no-video policy until the last song of the night, which is Puscifer’s “Grand Canyon,” but Keenan said from the stage that he would permit filming of the next song because he had “picked up some strays” to join him onstage. At that point, Tool’s Danny Carey, Adam Jones, and Justin Chancellor walked out to the delight of the fans.

Get Sessanta Tickets Here

Keenan joked, “Danny’s up there, like, ‘You call this a fuckin’ drum set! Where’s the rest of it?...

In an era where music production is often tempo’d to a click track, Tool remain steadfast in keeping their rhythm tracks as organic as possible.

Drummer Danny Carey revealed that the band has never recorded to a click, explaining why Tool opt for an old-school “live in the studio” approach to recording drums in a new interview with YouTuber Rick Beato (as transcribed by Metal Injection).

“We go to a big room to capture the drums… We’ll go to a place like Ocean Way or O’Henry — someplace that has a million dollars worth of microphones and a big beautiful room,” Carey said. “And then, our goal is just to capture the drum tracks, and we all play together. We’ll agree on a tempo, and we’ll start a click in our heads. And then, as soon as I count it off, we’re just playing.”

To be fair,...

Adrian Belew, Tony Levin, Tool drummer Danny Carey, and guitar virtuoso Steve Vai, performing under the moniker Beat, will celebrate King Crimson on a Fall 2024 North American tour.

The extensive trek kicks off September 12th in San Jose, California, and runs through November 8th in Las Vegas. In between, they’ll play shows in Los Angeles, San Diego, Houston, Atlanta, Charlotte, New York, Toronto, Nashville, Minneapolis, and beyond.

Get Beat Tickets Here

An artist ticket pre-sale is already under way using the code Beattour, and general ticket sales start Friday (April 5th) at 10 a.m. local time via Ticketmaster. Fans can also look for deals or get tickets to sold-out dates via StubHub, where your purchase is 100% guaranteed through StubHub’s Fan Protect program.

The tour will see the all-star ensemble — guided by King Crimson members Belew and Levin — reinterpret three of the band’s ’80s albums: Discipline, Beat, and Three of a Perfect Pair.

King Crimson’s beloved Eighties albums Discipline, Beat, and Three of a Perfect Pair will be brought back to life in the fall on a special tour featuring guitarist Steve Vai, Tool drummer Danny Carey, Crimson singer/guitarist Adrian Belew, and Crimson bassist Tony Levin. The Beat tour kicks off September 12 in San Jose, California, and wraps up November 8 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ticket sales begin April 5.

Crimson founder Robert Fripp reanimated King Crimson in 1981 after a seven-year hiatus. The only member from the Seventies version he brought back into...

Nineties rock band Tool continues to rock in 2024.

The tour began last September, and after performing their last North American concert in February, they will be taking a break from the stage until May, when they head over to Germany to commence the European leg.

Joining them on the North American shows will be Elder, a progressive psychedelic rock band.

Frontman Maynard James Keenan made headlines last May for cross-dressing at the Welcome to Rockville festival in Daytona Beach, Florida. His decision to dress in drag created speculation that he did so to go against Gov. Ron Desantis‘ (R-Florida) anti-drag bill.

Keenan denied those rumors, however, and told The Messenger that he had “been cross-dressing since long before these clickbait-junkie dupes were out of diapers.”

“It’s pretty crazy the technology and the prosthetics nowadays, how they’ve come along, and I just was considering bringing the look back,” he said.

With Tool on the road during the first several months of 2024, bassist Justin Chancellor expects the band to hit the studio to begin recording a follow-up to 2019’s Fear Inoculum in the “second half of the year.”

Tool kick off a new US arena tour on Wednesday (January 10th) in Baltimore (tickets available here), and then embark on a UK/European outing in late May.

Heavy Consequence recently caught up with Chancellor to talk about his project MTVoid (stay tuned for our full interview with Chancellor and bandmate Peter Mohamed), and he gave us a bit of insight into Tool’s plans for new music.

“Well, there’s a lot to be put together,” Chancellor remarked. “We have, as usual, loads of ideas, loads of stuff that didn’t get used — constantly writing new stuff. I write something, I immediately know it’s for Tool. It sounds the right way.

Geddy Lee seems quite open to the idea of reviving Rush with his surviving bandmate Alex Lifeson, after the 2020 death of drummer Neil Peart effectively ended the band.

Lee discussed his feelings towards performing again in a new interview with The Washington Post, and though the surviving members of Rush have expressed interest in a proper reunion before, they actually did have a de facto reunion last year after Dave Grohl convinced them to perform at the star-studded tribute concerts for the late Taylor Hawkins.

“It had been a taboo subject,” Lee said of the experience. “And playing those songs again with a third person was the elephant in the room, and that kind of disappeared.”

During the Taylor Hawkins tribute shows in both Los Angeles in London, Lee and Lifeson played Rush songs alongside musical friends including Danny Carey, Omar Hakim, Chad Smith, and Grohl himself. They all played...

After the 13-year wait for 2019’s Fear Inoculum, it appears it won’t be that long before another Tool album arrives. The band currently has a busy tour itinerary ahead of them, but according to bassist Justin Chancellor, the plan is to work on new music once they’re off the road.

Chancellor’s latest remarks offer a firmer timetable for a new Tool record. Last year, drummer Danny Carey told Cleveland Scene that “it won’t take us this long for the next one” — in reference to the decade-plus gestation period for Fear Inoculum — and said that there was “stuff left over from the last one that we’ll develop” and that the band has “head starts on three or four new songs.”

Speaking on the Monday (October 9th) episode of The Vinyl Guide podcast, Chancellor said Tool have already “got many ideas cooking” for the new album.

“We haven’t recorded anything yet,...

Tool are known for their mathematically complex progressive metal. The songs demand physical proficiency, especially from drummer Danny Carey, and now he’s revealed the hardest Tool songs to play on the kit — three to be exact.

The most difficult endurance-wise? Carey said it’s the 2001 Lateralus track “The Grudge.” The song boasts irregular time signatures, copious fills, and myriad drum patterns across its nearly nine-minute duration.

“For endurance, it’s ‘The Grudge’ because if we’re not in tour shape my hands almost cramp up because of all the Swiss triplets,” Carey told his drum tech Joe Slaby in an Instagram video (watch below). “It’s just a real physical song overall, there’s some double-kick stuff in it.”

Overall, familiarity with the song plays a major factor for Carey, who then cited a pair of tracks from 2019’s Fear Inoculum among the most demanding.

“The trickiest ones might be ‘Invincible’ or ‘7empest,...

Tool have announced a Fall 2023 North American tour that will keep them on the road for nearly two months. The headlining shows come in addition to three previously announced festival appearances.

Following a set at the Louder Than Life festival on September 22nd, Tool will properly kick off the outing on October 3rd in Loveland, Colorado. Their next two stops will take them to the Aftershock and Power Trip festivals, respectively, before a continuous run of headlining shows extends through a two-night stand in Toronto on November 20th and 21st.

Tickets for the tour, which primarily covers northern US cities and the band’s first Canadian shows since 2019, go on sale to the general public this Friday (June 9th) via Ticketmaster. Fans can also check for deals or pick up tickets to sold-out shows via StubHub, where your purchase is 100% guaranteed through StubHub’s Fan Protect program.

Tool are touring in support of their 2019 album,...

The Foo Fighters are making sure their new drummer, Josh Freese, feels right at home.

On Sunday, the band closed out the 2023 Sonic Temple Arts & Music Festival in Columbus, Ohio, marking their third show since officially announcing that the renowned drummer would join the band full-time for their summer tour. As a way to help welcome Freese to the band — and introduce Foo Fighters fans to him in return — Dave Grohl and company dedicated a portion of the set to Freese’s catalog of music with previous bands, including a...

Foo Fighters will learn to fly again as a band, announcing over the weekend that they have found an official replacement for late drummer Taylor Hawkins in prolific snare smasher Josh Freese.

The Foo Fighters unveiled Freese as their new drummer in a typically humorous video over the weekend as part of their live stream event, Preparing Music for Concerts. The video starts off with a (nearly) full band chat, which gets constantly interrupted by cameo appearances from the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith, Mötley Crüe’s Tommy Lee and Tool’s Danny Carey. Tired of the nonsense, Freese requests that the band–including lead singer Dave Grohl, guitarist Pat Smear, bassist Nate Mendel–you know, play some songs. Agreeing, the Foos rip into “All My Life.”

Foo Fighters officially have a new drummer !! Welcome Josh Freese !! pic.twitter.com/gcXGMGCV0H

— Giuseppe Mercadante (@itsmercadante) May 21, 2023

Prior to signing on with the Foo Fighters,...

Los Angeles, May 22 (Ians) American rock band ‘Foo Fighters’ revealed their new drummer during a live streamed event. And as expected, it’s veteran session man and longtime friend Josh Freese.

The band is set to launch a massive tour – their first without drummer Taylor Hawkins, who died tragically in Colombia last year – in New Hampshire on May 24, reports Variety.

While the band announced its intention to continue late last year, they went to great lengths to not reveal the identity of their new drummer. They played into this during the opening moments of the livestream, called “Foo Fighters: Preparing Music for Concerts,” which featured all of the members joking around with each other in their rehearsal room, with their guitars on.

As per Variety, in succession, three top-notch drummers knocked on the door – Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, Motley Crue’s Tommy Lee, and Tool’s Danny Carey...

Foo Fighters officially have a new member sitting behind the drum kit.

Dave Grohl and the band he founded post-Nirvana were struck with tragedy last year when drummer Taylor Hawkins died of an accidental overdose following while on tour in Bogota, Colombia.

On Sunday, the band revealed that Josh Freese will be performing with the Foos on their 2023 summer tour, their first since Hawkins’ death in March 2023.

The announcement was made during a livestream, titled “Preparing Music for Concerts”.

Read More: Foo Fighters Confirm Band Will Continue After Death Of Taylor Hawkins: ‘We’re Going To Be A Different Band Going Forward’

The livestream opened with a clever fake-out, featuring a trio of famous rock drummers — Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Mötley Crüe’s Tommy Lee and Danny Carey of Tool — popping into the Foo Fighters’ Studio 606 rehearsal area, only to make an exit.

The camera then panned...

The Foo Fighters announced Josh Freese would be their new drummer during the band’s Preparing Music for Concerts live-stream event Sunday. The news follows the sudden and unexpected death of longtime drummer Taylor Hawkins in March 2022.

Leading up to the introduction of Freese during the intimate show, presented in black and white, three other well-known drummers playfully entered the room, teasing that maybe they would be the one to follow in Hawkins’ footsteps.

Mötley Crüe’s Tommy Lee, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith and Tool’s Danny Carey quipped things like, “Hey, I got the P.F. Changs,” “There’s a white Mercedes blocking my car” and “I groomed your poodles for you,” before a voice off-camera shouted “Um…excuse me?! Can we play a song or two or something?”

When the camera cut to Freese behind the drum kit, the band kicked off the live stream with...

Josh Freese is taking over as the permanent replacement for Taylor Hawkins in Foo Fighters, the group has announced.

Freese recently played with the Offspring and is a renowned session player. He will fill the chair vacated when Hawkins died.

The band revealed the news today during its livestream Foo Fighters: Preparing Music For Concerts, a studio session recorded at the group’s 606 studios in Northridge, California.

The livestream teased the announcement of Freese. Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers appeared to say he was being blocked in outside the studio. Tommy Lee delivered some takeout for the band. Tool’s Danny Carey appeared with dogs he groomed. The camera finally panned to Freese, who said he wanted to start rehearsing.

Freese has contributed to recordings and tours by Lana Del Rey, Rob Zombie, Bruce Springsteen, A Perfect Circle, Sting (with Shaggy), Danny Elfman, Devo, Guns N’ Roses, Nine Inch Nails,...

Foo Fighters officially revealed during their “Preparing Music for Concerts” livestream Sunday that renowned drummer Josh Freese will join the band full-time for their summer tour, filling the vacancy left by the late Taylor Hawkins.

Dave Grohl and company promised a “few surprises” during the livestream, and they delivered as Freese was formally introduced in a humorous clip where Foo Fighters are solicited by potential A-list drummers — like Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith, Motley Crue’s Tommy Lee and Tool’s Danny Carey — before it was ultimately revealed that...

Foo Fighters have revealed Josh Freese as their new live drummer.

Foo Fighters debuted their new touring lineup on Sunday during a pre-tour streaming event called “Foo Fighters: Preparing Music For Concerts.”

Prior to revealing Freese as their new live drummer, Foo Fighters teased other potential replacements in a funny skit that featured appearances from Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith, Tool’s Danny Carey, and Tommy Lee of Mötley Crüe.

Freese replaces longtime Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, who tragically passed away in March 2022 at the age of 50. Foo Fighters’ new album, But Here We Are, is dedicated to Hawkins.

Freese is a logical replacement, a drummer’s drummer with a resume that’s bar none. Over the years, he’s drummed for everyone from Vandals to Devo to Nine Inch Nails to Sting. As a testament to his versatility, during Coachella 2022, he played with both 100 gecs and Danny Elfman on the same day.

Primus were joined by Tool members Danny Carey and Justin Chancellor, as well as Queens of the Stone Age’s Troy Van Leeuwen, for a benefit performance at The Belasco in Los Angeles on Monday night (April 17th).

The show served as a fundraiser for Canadian director, animator, and writer Jimmy Hayward, who is currently undergoing cancer treatments. The filmmaker is a close friend of the members of Primus.

Per Setlist.fm, Primus and company played a 10-song set that included six Primus songs and four covers. Among the highlights was a performance of Tool’s “Ænema,” as well as a drum battle between Carey and Primus’ Tim Alexander during a rendition of Led Zeppelin’s “Moby Dick.” Other covers included King Crimson’s “Thela Hun Ginjeet” and AC/DC’s “Whole Lotta Rosie.”

The set started out with just Primus performing “Those Damned Blue-Collar Tweekers” but they were eventually joined by Van Leeuwen,...

Primus and Tool members Danny Carey and Justin Chancellor are set to perform at a concert benefitting Canadian director, animator, and writer Jimmy Hayward.

The show is set for April 17th at The Belasco in Los Angeles. Tickets go on sale Friday (March 24th) at 10 a.m. Pt. via Ticketmaster.

Hayward, who is a close friend of Primus, is currently undergoing cancer treatment. The filmmaker notably worked in the animation department on iconic Pixar films such Toy Story, Toy Story 2, Monsters Inc., and Finding Nemo [per IMDb]. He also directed Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who!, Jonah Hex, and Free Birds.

“Every now and again cancer steps into our world and pulverizes the lives of people that are dear to us,” said Primus frontman Les Claypool in a press release. “Such a thing happened a while back with our good friend Jimmy Hayward. Over the past couple years Jimmy has...

Primus and Tool members Danny Carey and Justin Chancellor are set to perform at a concert benefitting Canadian director, animator, and writer Jimmy Hayward.

The show is set for April 17th at The Belasco in Los Angeles. Tickets go on sale Friday (March 24th) at 10 a.m. Pt. via Ticketmaster.

Hayward, who is a close friend of Primus, is currently undergoing cancer treatment. The filmmaker notably worked in the animation department on iconic Pixar films such Toy Story, Toy Story 2, Monsters Inc., and Finding Nemo [per IMDb]. He also directed Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who!, Jonah Hex, and Free Birds.

“Every now and again cancer steps into our world and pulverizes the lives of people that are dear to us,” said Primus frontman Les Claypool in a press release. “Such a thing happened a while back with our good friend Jimmy Hayward. Over the past couple years Jimmy has...

More than a year after Tool drummer Danny Carey was arrested following a fight at a Kansas City airport, prosecutors have opted not to pursue assault charges, putting an end to the case.

Kansas City police initially received a “report of a disturbance between two males in an airport terminal” on Dec. 12, 2021; a day before the incident, Carey — a native of Lawrence, Kansas, home to the University of Kansas and their Jayhawks — went back to his hometown to join the school band for a matchup between Ku and their rivals University of Missouri.

Foo Fighters are in the midst of honoring their late drummer Taylor Hawkins with a tribute concert in Los Angeles at Kia Forum on Tuesday, Sept. 27. The lineup includes a bevy of Hawkins’ musician friends, some of whom performed at their tribute to him in London earlier in the month.

But before the festivities got underway, the band addressed the audience. “This is the hometown shit, so you gotta make it loud,” the Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl said. “What we really wanted to do was to pay tribute to...