The Podcast That Rocked for 9/3/25. Discussion on System Of A Down headlining NFL stadiums, Roger Waters disrespects Ozzy Osbourne, more.
SYSTEM OF A DOWN Sell Out Football Stadiums; As Big As Ever? | The Podcast That Rocked
Discussion Topics: –SYSTEM OF A DOWN sell out football stadiums, hint at next festival -Daron Malakian confirms no new music coming soon from SOAD -Roger Waters disrespects Ozzy Osbourne, Jack Osbourne responds -Jerry Cantrell aims for new Alice In Chains album in 2026 -The Pretty Reckless aim for new music; praise AC/DC -Upcoming albums/tours, more
SONG OF THE WEEK Mudvayne “Hurt People Hurt People”
Mudvayne “Hurt People Hurt People”
ALBUM VS ALBUM: Van Halen 1984 VS Guns N’ Roses Appetite For Destruction https://www.youtube.com/post/Ugkx0Avj1qahaE7-OobCmoyqAC735YtLWVR-
“System haven’t made an album since 2005, and you’ve made three Scars On Broadway albums, but presumably you never stop writing. How many songs are you sitting on? “I don’t know about thousands, but I’ve got a few. If I had a nine-to-five job, I would probably still come back home and write music for myself. But even though we’re not making records with System after all these years, I still do write because it’s an itch and I just got to itch it. It’s like a child plays with his toys. You don’t play with your toys because you’re playing for somebody else, right? You’re playing for your own amusement.” (Louder Sound)
Starset Announce New Album Silos Out September 12, 2025 via Fearless Records
Album Features Two New Tracks + Six Interludes
Visionary, sci-fi-inspired rock collective STARSET will release their next full-length transmission SILOS on September 12 via Fearless Records. Pre-save it here.
The album will feature two brand new tracks, six interludes, and several recently released songs. In typical STARSET fashion, fans are invited to immerse themselves in the band’s layered world via the songs, interludes, and the storylines.
Starset “Shattered Dreams”
“For a long time, I’ve had it in my head that I could cover ‘Shattered Dreams’ in a cool way that sounds fresh, heavy, and emotive, while still keeping what made it great,” says frontman Dustin Bates. “For that reason, it was on a very short list of covers I’d like to eventually do. I haven’t traditionally been very big on covers for this band, though, so I wasn’t in a real hurry to do it. However, recently, I’ve started to become convinced that soon, anyone will be able to cover any song in any style with the use of AI. (It will take a while longer for it to write a great song on its own, but it will likely be able to cover songs well very soon.) So, it started to feel like now-or-never. That also explains why there are two covers on the album.”
Lauded by Forbes as having “one of the most firmly established brands of any modern rock band,” Columbus, Ohio’s STARSET are creating a true multimedia empire with music at its core. Their hits include RIAA Platinum-selling hit “My Demons” (2012) and RIAA Gold-selling single “It Has Begun” (2014), with others soon to follow. With a staggering 5 billion streams and a rapidly growing rabid global fanbase, STARSET are one of rock’s upper echelon acts.
The Podcast That Rocked for 8/27/25. Remembering Brent Hinds of Mastodon, Cradle Of Filth insanity, I Prevail against each other, more.
Remembering Brent Hinds of Mastodon | The Podcast That Rocked on YouTube
The Podcast That Rocked on Spotify
Discussion Topics: -Remembering Brent Hinds of Mastodon –Deftones won’t release Eros -Cradle Of Filth lose two members -I Prevail allegedly block Brian Burkheiser -Teaser from Amy Lee, Poppy, and Courtney LaPlante -Gojira album in 2026 -Upcoming tours/albums, more
SONG OF THE WEEK: The Pretty Reckless “For I Am Death”
SONG OF THE WEEK: The Pretty Reckless “For I Am Death”
Brann Dailor talks Brent Hinds at Alaska State Fair
“We are in a state of unfathomable sadness and grief… last night Brent Hinds passed away as a result of a tragic accident. We are heartbroken, shocked, and still trying to process the loss of this creative force with whom we’ve shared so many triumphs, milestones, and the creation of music that has touched the hearts of so many. Our hearts are with Brent’s family, friends, and fans. At this time, we please ask that you respect everyone’s privacy during this difficult time. RIP Brent.” -Mastodon
Avatar Announce New Album Don’t Go In The Forest 10/31/25
Headline U.S. Tour Set For Fall 2025
Consider this your fair warning, but whether you heed it or not will make all the difference. The heavy metal visionaries collectively known as AVATAR — vocalist Johannes Eckerström, guitarists Jonas Jarlsby and Tim Öhrström, bassist Henrik Sandelin, and drummer John Alfredsson — are thrilled to announce the thoroughly fitting October 31 release of their latest masterwork Don’t Go in the Forest. Pre-save it here. The band also shared the video for “Tonight We Must Be Warriors.”
AVATAR – Tonight We Must Be Warriors (Official Music Video)
“It has become a necessity to me over the years to be able to answer one question: Why is this important? It can’t be just another album. We need to discover something, try something else. It has to come from the heart. What is being said matters,” says vocalist Eckerström regarding the release of single “Tonight We Must Be Warriors.” He continues, “In days of isolation and despair, maybe we need to be reminded that we are not alone? We are one of many. Maybe we also need a reminder that the burden is on our shoulders? To get it done, we need to do the fighting ourselves.”
He finishes, “In our shared pain, we find solidarity.”
Regarding the album, Eckerström offers, “The secret ingredient is that we still feel like we’re just getting started. Don’t Go In The Forest is an album filled to the brim with stuff we’ve never done before. It’s all songs and concepts we haven’t been close to touch until now. The mind is wild and we have lost ourselves in the darkest woods, filled with memories, and fantasies. Forbidden thoughts that must be spoken.”
He concludes, “It would have been impossible to make this album at any other time than now. That’s all we ever wanted, and I think you’ll find it’s all you ever wanted too.”
Did you enter the forest via the new track?
Avatar have gone from strength to strength over the past several years. There’s the critically acclaimed, 2023-released album Dance Devil Dance, which included their first #1 at Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay, “The Dirt I’m Buried In.” There have been scores of sold-out headline shows across the globe, and an actual fossil named after them. The list goes on and on.
But the past is the past and the future is, well, dark in the best possible way and that’s JUST how Avatar like it!
The track listing for Don’t Go in the Forest will be revealed in due course. The band has previously shared “CAPTAIN GOAT” and “In the Airwaves.”
Avatar will spend the foreseeable future (if not forever) on the road — with forthcoming tours supporting Iron Maiden and Metallica, along with the band’s biggest show EVER in Mexico City. See below for a complete rundown of the band’s planned tour activity for the next two years.
Avatar show no signs of pausing to take a breath in their quest for absolute world domination — much less stopping.
2025 U.S. HEADLINE TOUR: 11/5 — Phoenix, AZ — The Van Buren 11/6 — San Diego, CA — The Observatory San Diego 11/7 — Riverside, CA — Riverside Municipal Auditorium 11/8 — Las Vegas, NV — Brooklyn Bowl 11/10 — Seattle, WA — Moore Theater 11/11 — Portland, OR — Roseland Theatre 11/12 — Boise, ID — Revolution 11/14 — Salt Lake City, UT — The Union 11/15 — Denver, CO — Fillmore 11/17 — Minneapolis, MN — Fillmore 11/18 — Madison, WI — The Sylvee 11/20 — Detroit, MI — The Fillmore Detroit 11/21 — Pittsburgh, PA — Stage AE 11/22 — Columbus, OH — KEMBA Live! 11/23 — Silver Spring, MD — The Fillmore Silver Spring 11/25 — Huntington, NY — Paramount 11/26 — Boston, MA — House of Blues 11/28 — Allentown, PA — Archer Music Hall 11/29 — Charlotte, NC — The Fillmore Charlotte 11/30 — Louisville, KY — Old Forester’s Paristown Hall 12/2 — Chicago, IL — Riviera Theater 12/4 — Nashville, TN — Marathon Music Works 12/6 — Tulsa, OK — Tulsa Theater 12/7 — Dallas, TX — House of Blues
2025 MEXICO HEADLINE: 10/31 — Mexico City, MX — The Pepsi Center
2026 EUROPEAN HEADLINE TOUR: 2/5 — Stockholm, SE — Fållan 2/7 — Helsinki, FI — Kulttuuritalo 2/9 — Oslo, NO — Sentrum Scene 2/10 — Copenhagen, DK — Vega 2/11 — Osnabrück, DE — Die Botschaft 2/12 — Brussels, BE — A.B. 2/14 — London, UK — Exhibition 2/15 — Manchester, UK — Academy 2/16 — Glasgow, UK — Barrowland 2/17 — Nottingham, UK — Rock City 2/18 — Bristol, UK — O2 Academy 2/20 — Amsterdam, NL — AFAS Live 2/21 — Esch-Sur-Alzette, LU — Rockhal 2/22 — Zürich, CH — Komplex 2/24 — Barcelona, ES — Razzmatazz 2/25 — Madrid, ES — La Riviera 2/27 — Lisbon, PT — LAV 2/28 — Bilbao, ES — Santana 27 3/2 — Lyon, FR — Le Cube 3/3 — Milan, IT — Alcatraz 3/4 — Vienna, AT — Gasometer 3/5 — Munich, DE — Tonhalle 3/6 — Cologne, DE — E-Werk 3/7 — Paris, FR — Le Zenith 3/9 — Wiesbaden, DE — Schlachthof 3/10 — Zlin, CZ — Sports Hall Datart 3/11 — Warsaw, PL — Stodola 3/12 — Berlin, DE — Columbiahalle 3/13 — Hamburg, DE — Docks
SUPPORTING METALLICA — SUMMER 2026: 5/24 — Frankfurt, DE — Deutsche Bank Park 6/11 — Budapest, HU — Puskas Arena 6/19 — Dublin, IE — Aviva Stadium 7/5 — London, UK — London Stadium
“System of a Down is an Armenian-American heavy metal band formed in Glendale, California, in 1994. Since 1997, the band has consisted of founding members Serj Tankian (lead vocals, keyboards), Daron Malakian (guitar, vocals), and Shavo Odadjian (bass, backing vocals); along with John Dolmayan (drums), who replaced original drummer Andy Khachaturian. The band achieved commercial success with the release of five studio albums, three of which debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200. System of a Down has been nominated for four Grammy Awards, and their song “B.Y.O.B.” won a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance in 2006. Known for their politically charged lyrics, many of their songs address social and political issues, such as the anti-war message in “B.Y.O.B.” and criticism of the prison industrial complex and the War on Drugs in “Prison Song.” The band went on hiatus in 2006 and reunited in 2010. Other than two new songs in 2020 (“Protect the Land” and “Genocidal Humanoidz”), System of a Down has not released any new material since the Mezmerize and Hypnotize albums in 2005. The band has sold over 12 million records worldwide, while two of their singles, “Aerials” and “Hypnotize”, reached number one on Billboard’s Alternative Songs chart.” (Wiki)
The long wait for new Deftones music resulted in another solid Deftones album. Going back to the producer who worked on Diamond Eyes and Koi No Yokan, the vibe from those albums is given in 2025. Singles like “Infinite Source” and “Milk Of The Madonna” have great guitars from Steph and Chino sounds strong. Other cuts like “cXz” and the closer “Departing The Body” leave you hypnotized. While I would not put Private Music above Koi No Yokan, that doesn’t change that Private Music is extremely well crafted and has everyone in Deftones sounding their best. Private Music is a transcendent party for everyone around the globe.
The Podcast That Rocked for 8/20/25. BABYMETAL hit top 10 of Billboard 200, Megadeth Farewell in 2026, more.
BABYMETAL Hit Top 10 Of Billboard 200 | The Podcast That Rocked on YouTube
BABYMETAL Hit Top 10 Of Billboard 200 | The Podcast That Rocked on Spotify
Discussion Topics: –BABYMETAL first all Japanese band to break Top 10 of Billboard 200 -Anticipated big week for Deftones -Dave Mustaine says final Megadeth album and tour in 2026 -Riot Fest may finally acquire John Stamos? –Spiritbox go Gold with “Circle With Me” -The Pretty Reckless tease for August 22nd -Godspeed You! Black Emperor join list of bands leaving Spotify -Album VS Album, upcoming albums/tours, Festival: ROCK or FLOP, more.
Get $40 Off any H1H Headphones Bundle at https://www.heavys.com with the code ROCKED at checkout!
“Babymetal just became the first-ever all-Japanese band to land in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 chart. The kawaii metal group’s latest album Metal Forth, which just came out Aug. 8, debuted at No. 9 on the chart, making it their highest-charting release in the U.S. since Metal Galaxy landed at No. 13 in 2019. Metal Forth sold 36,000 units in the U.S. its first week and has accumulated more than 200 million streams globally since it came out. The band’s lineup currently consists of Su-metal (Suzuka Nakamoto), Moametal (Moa Kikuchi) and Momometal (Momoko Okazaki). Metal Forth features collaborations with a handful of other heavy artists including Slaughter to Prevail, Polyphia, Spiritbox, Tom Morello, Electric Callboy, Poppy, Bloodywood and ex-Bring Me the Horizon keyboardist and producer Jordan Fish.” (Loudwire)
The Podcast That Rocked for 8/13/25. Ranking iconic seven rock albums from a seven-week span in 1991, news on My Chemical Romance, Mastodon, more.
Ranking The Iconic Seven Rock Albums From 1991 | The Podcast That Rocked on YouTube
Ranking The Iconic Seven Rock Albums From 1991 | The Podcast That Rocked on Spotify
Discussion Topics: -Ranking Iconic Seven Rock Albums Of 1991 –Bloodstock 2025 looked amazing -Hatebreed’s Wayne Lozinak recovering -Brent Hinds REALLY Hates Mastodon -Attila’s Fronz makes good on dumb challenge to Mr. Beast –My Chemical Romance to perform at Wembley -Album VS Album, Upcoming Albums/Tours, more
“These seven albums are an excellent example of the rapid transformation of rock ‘n’ roll from the glammed-out excesses of hair metal to the stripped-down, antiestablishment aesthetics of the diverse set of bands given the convenient umbrella term “grunge.” Even the entries from Metallica, the Chilis, and GNR, though definitely not grunge, felt unique and, most importantly, authentic.” (Sweetwater)
What’s my age again? Riot Fest is turning the big 2-0, and to celebrate it’s throwing the biggest party yet, headlined by Green Day, Blink-182, Weezer, Jack White, and a total of over 90 bands performing throughout the festival weekend. “I just wanted to put a show together with all of my favorite bands”, festival founder Michael Petryshyn reminisced before the inaugural Riot Fest back in 2005.
Throughout the next 20 years, the festival has grown to become one of the biggest independent festivals in the country, known for eclectic lineups, high-profile band reunions, full album plays, and even a butter sculpture tribute to John Stamos. Along with headliners Green Day, Blink-182, Weezer, and Jack White, the festival will also include performances by the Sex Pistols (Frank Carter and Steve Jones, Paul Cook, Glen Matlock), Idles, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Alkaline Trio, All Time Low, Knocked Loose, Rilo Kiley, The Beach Boys, Jawbreaker, Dropkick Murphys, Bad Religion, The Pogues, The Hold Steady, The Academy Is…, Cobra Starship, Gym Class Heroes, Texas is the Reason, Dance Hall Crashers, The Front Bottoms, Knuckle Puck, The Wonder Years, James, and many many more.
HIT THE LIGHTS Announce First Song In Seven Years “Get Your Ass To Mars” out September 5, 2025
Pop Punk titans Hit The Lights are making their return to the scene. After a seven-year break, the beloved Ohio, Cleveland rock band has announced they will be releasing new music this September. “Get Your Ass To Mars” is a raucous pop punk track that will have day one fans of the band pressing the replay button.
Vocalist Nick Thompson shares: “It feels really good to finally put a date on a release after 7 years of HTL silence. We feel like GYATM is a perfect re-introduction to the world of HTL, blending a mix of what we’re known for with some vibes we haven’t explored before as a band. We’re grateful for a new chapter.
“We’re SO back. Hit The Lights is hitting the road this Fall and we can’t wait to see you there 🖤 Tickets on sale this Friday | 10 am local time.”
On an unusually cool August night in Virginia, Danish rock band Volbeat, along with Halestorm and The Ghost Inside, stormed in as part of their Greatest of All Tours tour.
Kicking off the night was The Ghost Inside, who was able to awaken the Thursday night crowd. The metalcore band brought the stage to life with their heavy riffs and grit, while packing a punch with their breakdowns. Although their set was short, it was one that fired up the crowd, leaving them wanting for more.
Next up was rock royalty, Halestorm. If you’ve never seen Halestorm live, immediately seek tickets out to their next show near you. With lead singer Lzzy Hale’s fiery presence, this is one band you don’t want to miss. Their performance was not only a knockout, but was incredibly powerful. The whole band is a powerhouse to be reckoned with.
When it was time for Volbeat to hit the stage, the crowd was more than ready. The energy was felt all throughout Jiffy Lube Live – from the pit, to the seats, to even the merch line, the crowd was on fire. Starting off the night goat sounds that bled into fan favorite “The Devil’s Bleeding Crown,” Volbeat never missed a beat. Lead singer, Michael Poulsen, was able to command the crowd in a way that many are unable to. He had their undivided attention as he led them through the entire setlist. Volbeat started off the night strong with “Lola Montez,” an infectious song that will have you singing at the top of your lungs. The night continued until the final song, “Still Counting,” an absolute Volbeat classic.
Volbeat Setlist The Devil’s Bleeding Crown Lola Montez A Warrior’s Call At the End of the Sirens Sad Man’s Tongue Demonic Depression Fallen Shotgun Blues In the Barn of the Goat Giving Birth to Satan’s Spawn in a Dying World of Doom By a Monster’s Hand The Devil Rages On Die to Live Time Will Heal Black Rose Seal the Deal For Evigt Children of the Grave (Black Sabbath cover) Still Counting (With children from the crowd on stage.)
This part of the tour with Halestorm and The Ghost Inside will conclude August 22 in Tinley Park, IL. If you have the chance to attend, you will absolutely not want to miss it.
