Canada’s The Metal Voice recently interviewed Helloween singer Andi Deris. In the chat Deris talks about the bands upcoming studio album ‘Giants & Monsters which will be released August 29, 2025 (Reigning Phoenix Music).
They also spoke about on how he joined the band and the bands musical evolution.
Excerpt from the interview When asked about the Helloween’s Chameleon album prior to joining the band “Guitarist Michael Weikath gave me the (Helloween) Chameleon album to listen to. I went back to South Germany and listened to it and a day later he gave me a call and asked so what do you think ? Do you like it? I said look, I think it’s fantastic for Bonjovi and then he hung up and didn’t call for a week, (laughs). Hey I’m fan of Bon Jovi .I love a lot of Bon Jovi songs. I didn’t even mean it as a negative thing. The music is great. I like Chameleon but it’s not Halloween. I told everybody If Bon Jovi would have actually recorded this album it would have been a number one album. But fans who waited for a Halloween album I think they were shocked there was like nothing to do with Halloween anymore. Even Pink Bubbles has Halloweenish stuff on it but on the Chameleon it was eradicated. If not for the great voice of Michael (Kiske) you would have would have never realized or recognized that it’s Halloween, that’s my humble opinion.”
“Giants & Monsters” track listing:
Giants On The Run
Savior Of The World
A Little Is A Little Too Much
We Can Be Gods
Into The Sun
This Is Tokyo
Universe (Gravity For Hearts)
Hand Of God
Under The Moonlight
Majestic
HELLOWEEN is: Michael Kiske – vocals Andi Deris – vocals Kai Hansen – guitars, vocals Michael Weikath – guitars Sascha Gerstner – guitars Markus Grosskopf – bass Daniel Löble – drums
The Metal Voice‘s Jimmy Kay recently spoke to BON JOVI, TRIUMPH guitarist Phil X.
In the chat, Phil X dives into the details of the Triumph reunion that took place during the pre-game 2 show in Edmonton as part of the hockey playoffs. He also shares his favorite Bon Jovi songs, reflects on growing up Greek, talks about his new album PHIL X & THE DRILLS – Pow Right in the Kisser, released in March 2025, and much more.
When asked about the Triumph Reunion show ‘We rehearsed the day before. I wish we would have more time even though it was just three songs. We kept changing endings and arrangements and stuff like that, it would have been good to have two days to plow through everything and then jump on stage. But I’m still happy with how it came out. The next day it exploded, everything’s on Youtube, Facebook and Instagram. When it was done I spoke with Gil (Moore) on Monday and I’m like “Man are you guys still buzzing like we are?” And he was like even more. I got to say what was really endearing to me after rehearsal Gil was like “Hey we’re all going to have dinner at the restaurant at the hotel So join us. So we all walked in and out of 20 people family, friends and boyfriends and girlfriends and Gil and Rick (Emmett) were sitting together and just like little kids cracking up and stuff like that, it was really endearing to see that. Also their smiles man, the whole time we were on stage the smiles were unbelievable it was just It was really cool to be a part of that it really was.’
When asked about how much advance notice they got prior to the performance ‘It all happened boom boom boom like that. I can let you in the little behind the scenes thing .Gil (Moore) says hey we’re going to play a song and then it’s hey we’re going to play three songs and I’m like I need to know if this is confirmed and it wasn’t. On Monday, on the Monday preceding the Friday that we played he was like “It’s not 100% yet but we’re going to do three songs. (Gil Said) I want to do ‘Allied Forces’, ‘Fight the Good Fight’ and Lay it on the line and I’m like “Okay cool.” So I call Brent (Fitz) and and Todd (Kerns) and I say “These are the three songs that we’re doing and everybody can get into prep mode and we can prepare those three songs.”
And then Gill said “Okay so I think you guys should just play ‘Allied Forces’ and ‘Fight The Good Fight’ and then me and Rick will jump on stage when we do ‘Lay it on the Line’ cuz it’s the playoff song.” And we’re like “Okay we we can do that sure.” So Brent, Todd and I can get it together where it’s we feel like it’s presentable to the O.G. guys as we wanted to blow their minds. Then somebody walks in and says “Uh oh by the way they’re (Gil and Rik) are playing on all songs.” Okay now we know arrangements are going to change that’s why I wish we had two days so arrangements are gonna change okay I’m I’m ready for that. Then Gil walks in and he goes “Philly baby.” He always calls me Philly baby there’s never just a Phil or even Philly there’s always a ‘baby’. Philly baby and I give him a big hug and he goes “So hey when we go into Magic Power,” I’m like “Wait what?” Nobody said anything about Magic Power he goes “Well the management wants us to do it instead of ‘Fight the Good Fight’ they think it’s a better it’s a bigger song.” I’m like “We’re not doing Magic Power.” And and Todd and Brent are even more Canadian than me they want to make everybody happy and Todd’s like “No we can.” I’m like “Shut up no (laughs).” No we’re not doing ‘Magic Power’ we are doing these three songs that’s what we’re doing and Gil goes “You’re the boss let’s go. And that’s how it went down. It went like berserk on the internet the next day right it would have been nice to have Mike (Levine) too but he just couldn’t back out of that (Doctor’s) appointment that he had because of how it takes forever to get a second appointment. Just to appease everybody’s curiosity there’s all kinds of talk going on, so we’ll see what happens. If he (Rik Emmett) doesn’t have the bug after that I don’t know what it would take.
When asked if he would do it again ‘Obviously, schedule is of importance you know um cuz I have other stuff going on everybody has, Todd and Brent have other stuff going on. We’re all busy musicians. But I would do it again for sure yeah it’s a no-brainer. ‘
The Metal Voice recently spoke to Former IRON MAIDEN singer Blaze Bayley in a live chat on The Metal Voice YOUTUBE CHANNEL. In the interview Blaze talked about his upcoming U.K. Tour where he will play his debut solo album ‘Silicone Messiah’ and a month later play a special IRON MAIDEN X- Factor album in its entirety.
In the chat Blaze was asked what songs in his era would he like to see Iron Maiden play on future tours that they have not done yet, he replied, “It’s a challenging question but I think I would like to hear the UNBELIEVER, it’s so good. I’m going to do a special Iron Maiden X- factor set in November (2025) for those shows I booked. 10 shows in 10 countries and I’m going to play the X factor completely. “
BLAZE BAYLEY RELEASES ‘SILICON MESSIAH’ 25TH ANNIVERSARY VINYL LP AND UK/EUROPEAN TOUR
After fronting Iron Maiden during the years 1994-1999, Metal Hall of Fame inductee, Blaze Bayley, started a solo career which has now amassed a formidable body of work, headed up by the iconic debut ‘Silicon Messiah’ and making a total of 12 full length studio albums, plus multiple live releases.
To celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the birth of ‘Silicon Messiah’, a 37 date tour of UK and Europe is confirmed for 2025 during which Blaze will also be promoting a special vinyl LP version of the album. This contains the original ten tracks produced by Andy Sneap, 180g double red and blue translucent vinyl, gatefold cover, and rejuvenated artwork.
The album is available to order now at the Blaze Bayley Webshop, together with a new tour T-shirt featuring the rejuvenated artwork, and a ‘fanpack’ consisting of the album on cassette tape with full colour artwork, two patches, pack of five plectrums and a sticker sheet. Official release date was 9th May 2025.
Doro Pesch recently spoke to The Metal Voice about her upcoming Doro cruise, Lemmy tribute album, new dong Warriors of the sea and a new fossil named Ophiopetagno Doro, after her.
When asked about the Lemmy Tribute album ‘I want to do something for Lemmy because it would be his anniversary and it’s called ‘Rock to Death’ and that will come out in September (2025). I want to put on the album with all our duets. We did a couple of duets like ‘Love Me Forever’ a Motörhead Classic and ‘Alone Again’. Also some Motörhead covers like ‘Ace of Spades’ of course and ‘Rock and roll’. So I’m just in the middle of putting that together, in memory of Lemmy
When asked if there are unreleased songs ‘Actually all these versions, they are different versions than you could find on the records ,(alternate takes and mixes). It was funny, I went to the studio and I was checking out all kinds of bags when I’m doing a production I always have like big bags with like CDs and stuff. And back in the day cassettes. It was so funny underneath my bed there was a bag. And I didn’t even think of it I didn’t open it for a long time and that day before I went to the studio and I opened that bag and there were all these CDs and all our mixes like the two duets I did with Lemmy, in LA actually. Bob Kulick he was recording everything it was his studio and I found all these unreleased tracks. So this record will have a lot of unreleased mixes and tracks and um stuff you already know but it’s different versions. Alternate takes, alternate mixes because when we did our first duets ‘Love Me Forever’ and ‘Alone Again’ man I think we had 10 mixes and we couldn’t decide which one was the best. I want to put out a vinyl and maybe CD but definitely this vinyl and then a um a liquid filled vinyl with you know with Lemmys favorite drinks whiskey and cola so it will be probably Jack Daniel’s cola in a liquid filled vinyl. We are just uh checking it out how we can do it and I think there’s a way we found a company. So that’s something really special so you know and you can actually put a little hole in it and then check it out it’s definitely Jack Daniel’s and cola. ‘
As posted on Doro’s social media
‘New song dropped today! ‘Warriors Of The Sea’ is out now! Check it out! ‘Warriors Of The Sea’ is an anthem for all you pirates, at sea and on land, wherever you like to rock out. A song for all the metal cruises and summer festivals. The live premiere is on my Doro Metal Queen Metal Cruises on the Rhine on May 31st and June 1st. There are still a few tickets left for June 1st! Don’t miss this! Get your tickets here: https://bit.ly/4mrLBLE Listen to ‘Warriors Of The Sea’ on your favorite streaming platform’
For The Metal Voice former Anthrax singer Neil Turbin reported at this years Rock for Ronnie 2025.
Artists were asked about their thoughts on the late Ronnie James Dio.
Artists Remembering Ronnie Report include: Wendy Dio, Doug Aldrich (Dead Daisies, Dio, Whitesnake), Simon Wright (AC/DC Dio), Doug Pinnick (Kings X), Ricky Warwick (Thin Lizzy), Mike Mangan (The Cult), Richard D’Argenzio and Kathy D’Argenzio Rhoads, Bjorn Englen ( Yngwie Malmsteen), Scott Warren (Dio) and Marten Andersson (Lita Ford)
This year’s ROCK FOR RONNIE Concert in the Park fund-raiser, benefiting the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund (www.diocancerfund.org), was on Sunday afternoon, May 18, 2025, at the outdoor space adjacent to the Autry Museum of the West in Griffith Park.
ROCK FOR RONNIE, an afternoon of live rock music, silent and live auctions, food trucks and fun geared to the entire family, celebrates the memory of the late singer who succumbed to gastric cancer in 2010.
100% of the net proceeds from the ROCK FOR RONNIE will go to the Dio Cancer Fund, which is now in its 14th year of raising awareness and much-needed funding for cancer prevention, education and research for a cure. The organization also hosts the annual Bowl for Ronnie Celebrity Bowling Party in November.
For Canada’s The Metal Voice former Anthrax Singer Neil Turbin spoke to Armored Saint/ Ex-Anthrax singersinger John Bush at the Rock for Ronnie 2025 concert on Sunday, May 18 at Autry Museum in Griffith Park for Ronnie James Dio Stand Up & Shout Cancer Fund.
When asked about how busy Armored Saint has been touring in the last few years “Well we did a lot of work last year. We played the with WASP, we did that run twice and then we did some shows with Queensryche a couple years back. We’re doing some dates in Britain with WASP which is going to be amazing as we get to play at Hammersmith Odeon, which I’ve never done. It’ll be fun. And then we’re doing like 10 shows with Michael Schenker here on the West Coast into Texas and then we’re putting a record (New Armored Saint) record out next year So new Saint record will come out next year.”
When asked if he is doing more shows today with Armored Saint then when he was in Anthrax “Well I mean we did a lot. What happened was when I left Anthrax I also had a daughter and so it was like to me it was synergy for me to stay home and help raise my kid and and take a break from being on the road all the time and and I welcome that. And then after they grew up, now my daughter will be 21 this year my son’s 18 and they just don’t care if I’m around, I shouldn’t say that of course they do. But my daughter’s in college in Ohio . She came to the show when we played in Columbus which was killer right and her and a bunch of friends that kept the crowd going. So it’s all fine it’s better to tour now as they’re older and I didn’t miss a lot of their life and that was important to me.”
When asked about a poorly attended Dio show where Anthrax was on the bill at the Greek Theater in LA ” I was a very disappointing of the attendance of that show. It was Dio and Anthrax (on the bill) and it still was as poorly attended. I say that candidly cuz I’m honest about stuff but it was disappointing cuz I love the Greek theater as it is one of my favorite venues in the world. And I was like what the why is it empty this is ridiculous? ”
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Kimmo Kuusniemi’s ASA unveil the long-overdue release of "Collective Failure" + first music video for title-track! Check it out and stay tuned for more news! Click image to watch the video
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s SARCOFAGUS return with a Historic 2010 Concert Video Premiere on YouTube! Click image to watch the video
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