Month: April 2026

Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine is set to release his third memoir, In My Darkest Hour, on September 8 through Da Capo Press. The book offers a personal look at his life following a 2019 diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma at the base of his tongue, tracing his path through treatment, recovery, and his return to music.

Co-written with The New York Times journalist Joe Layden —who previously collaborated with Mustaine on his 2010 autobiography Rust In Peace—the memoir continues the artist’s tradition of documenting pivotal moments in his life and career. While his earlier books explored his rise in thrash metal and the making of landmark records, this latest installment focuses on one of his most difficult personal battles.

Mustaine shared: “My new book, “In My Darkest Hour,” releases on September 8th. One of most harrowing experiences of my adult life has been my seven-year journey through cancer treatment and onward into remission. This story is considerably more than just go to the doctor, get diagnosed, get treatment and hopefully I live happily ever after. This was a journey of me saving myself, staying alive, keeping my family together, and continuing to make music through it all.”

The memoir provides a front-row view of Mustaine’s life during treatment, showing how he balanced radiation and chemotherapy sessions with hours-long recording sessions. Beyond the medical struggle, the book follows the making of Megadeth’s 2022 album The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!  

Ben Schafer, executive editor at Da Capo Press, emphasizes the memoir’s candidness: “In My Darkest Hour is Dave Mustaine at his most revealing, vulnerable and true. With lacerating honesty and soulful reflection, he speaks to the universal human experience of facing serious illness and how it changes a person, their family and friends, and one’s relationship with creativity.”

The memoir release arrives during a major turning point for Megadeth. After more than four decades in the thrash metal scene, the band has launched a farewell tour alongside their final studio album, a self-titled record that debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Mustaine previously explained that the decision to retire was influenced not only by timing, but also by ongoing health concerns, including Dupuytren’s contracture, a condition affecting his hands and ability to play guitar. The band resumed touring with dates across South and Central America beginning in April.  For tour info, head: HERE.

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Sevendust have dropped the new single, “Threshold,” taken from their upcoming 15th studio album, ONE, set for release on May 1. The track arrives with an animated music video, crafted by returning animator Ollie Jones, continuing the storyline introduced in 2023’s ‘Fence’ video.

The video follows a greedy music agent who pressures a management team to exhume the decayed members of Sevendust and send them back on tour. Reanimated with the same mysterious substance that revived them before, the band is forced into a tour designed to line the agent’s pockets. The story concludes with the band under his control, leaving their next move unknown: “what happens next is anyone’s guess.”

Frontman Lajon Witherspoon leads the track with emotionally charged vocals, confronting those who push others to the brink: “You want another piece of me, don’t ya? To break apart so you get what you wanted?” Guitarists Clint Lowery and John Connolly, bassist Vince Hornsby, and drummer Morgan Rose deliver the heavy grooves and melodic intensity that have defined Sevendust’s three-decade career.

ONE also features previously released songs “Unbreakable” and “Is This the Real You” and will accompany the band’s U.S. tour, which just kicked off April 16 in Carterville, Illinois, with select dates opening for Alter Bridge.

See the video for ‘Threshold’- HERE.
Preorder ‘One’ – HERE.

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The 14th edition of Aftershock Festival returns to Discovery Park from October 1–4, 2026. Organizers have confirmed the event’s most ambitious lineup yet: more than 140 acts spread across five stages, making it the largest installment in the festival’s history.

Headlining the weekend are My Chemical Romance, Tool, Limp Bizkit, and Pierce The Veil, each closing out a different night.

• Opening day – Thursday, October 1 – will feature My Chemical Romance, joined by The Offspring and Sublime, along with fan favorites like The Pretty Reckless, The Used, Killswitch Engage, New Found Glory, and Sevendust.
• Friday shifts gears with Limp Bizkit at the top of a stacked bill that includes Wu-Tang Clan, Public Enemy, Cypress Hill, $uicideboy$, and Insane Clown Posse, blending rock and hip-hop influences.
• On Saturday, Pierce The Veil steps into a headlining role for the first time at the festival, supported by A Day To Remember, BABYMETAL, Black Label Society, Sleeping With Sirens, and Circa Survive.
• Tool closes the festival on Sunday, October 4, following performances from Queens of the Stone Age, Danny Elfman, AFI, Stone Temple Pilots, and Suicidal Tendencies, among many others spanning metal, punk, emo, and nu-metal.

Festival founder Danny Wimmer described the upcoming edition as transformative, saying, “This year’s Aftershock marks a bold new chapter for the festival. We’ve brought together metal, punk, emo, and nu-metal to create a lineup that’s raw, youthful, and unapologetic.  With Tool anchoring the weekend and Pierce the Veil making their headlining debut, we’re breaking boundaries and redefining what Aftershock can be.” He also emphasized the debut of on-site camping — a long-requested feature designed to turn the gathering into a fully immersive, four-day destination.

Beyond the music, Aftershock continues to provide a major boost to the local economy. According to Visit Sacramento President and CEO Mike Testa, the festival generates more than $39 million annually for the region. Testa said:  “Aftershock continues to be a seminal moment for Sacramento, not just for the fans, but for the people who live and work here every day. The festival brings thousands of people to our city for four incredible days, generating more than $39 million in economic impact. Those dollars translate into critical support for our business community and civic partners. Maybe the best part is that Aftershock fans are often discovering Sacramento while they’re here and are making their experience synonymous with the city. We’re grateful for our partnership with DWP and can’t wait to welcome everyone back later this fall.”

Four-day and single-day passes are currently available at the Aftershock website.

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Foo Fighters are previewing their upcoming 12th studio album, Your Favorite Toy with their new song “Of All People.”

‘Of All People’ follows the previously-released tracks “Caught In The Echo,” “Asking for a Friend,” and the title track – with additional material already teased live.

Frontman Dave Grohl shares of the latest track: “‘Asking For A Friend’ is a song for those who have waited patiently in the cold, relying on hope and faith for their horizon to appear. Searching for ‘proof’ when hanging by a wish until the sun shines again. One of many songs to come…”

Grohl continued: “Since our return to the stage in San Luis Obispo five weeks ago, we have been reminded of why we love and are forever devoted to doing this Foo Fighters thing. From reuniting as a band and staring at a list of 30 years worth of songs to brush off, to reimagining versions with the incredible blessing of the one and only Ilan Rubin behind the drums, to reconnecting with our amazing fans and blasting them with everything we’ve got (no matter the size of the venue) because we would not be here without them, we have the most solid core. And the sun is finally rising over the horizon. What better way to share the view than with close friends?”

Your Favorite Toy, dropping April 24, marks the band’s first full-length release since 2023’s But Here We Are, and introduces drummer Ilan Rubin as a full-time member following his addition to the lineup last year (Foo Fighters’ current lineup includes Dave Grohl, Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett, Smear, Rami Jaffee, and Rubin).

The album rollout will also set the stage for the band’s expansive Take Cover World Tour, with support from Queens of the Stone Age and select appearances by Mannequin Pussy and Gouge Away.  Due to popular demand the band added an additional show April 28 show at Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut prior to the official tour launch on June 10 at Unity Arena in Oslo. The global run continues into summer, including a North American leg kicking off August 4 in Toronto and wrapping September 26 in Las Vegas. The tour dates follow major U.S. festival appearances at Welcome to Rockville and BottleRock. A

See the lyric video for ‘Of All People’ – HERE.

‘Your Favorite Toy’ will be released April 24; presave the album – HERE.

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Pittsburgh is gearing up for the 2026 NFL Draft with a free, three-day Entertainment Series from April 23–25 at the Draft Theater next to Acrisure Stadium. The event, presented by Bud Light, will feature major performances as part of the city’s Draft celebrations, with entry available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Country star Kane Brown, Pittsburgh-born rapper Wiz Khalifa, and rock icon Bret Michaels will headline the series. The festivities kick off with a performance of the national anthem by Pittsburgh-native, jazz-trained musician KELS, accompanied by the James Weldon Johnson Foundation’s National Hymn Choir and The Heritage Gospel Chorale of Pittsburgh, conducted by Grammy Award-winner Dr. Jeffery Redding.

Wiz Khalifa and Bret Michaels take the stage on April 24 at 5:15 p.m., just before rounds 2 and 3 of the Draft. “Coming home to Pittsburgh for the Draft is pretty special,” said Wiz Khalifa. “This city raised me, and the energy here is different. Being back with the fans and representing the city in a moment like this just feels right.”

Bret Michaels added, “I cannot be more honored, excited and fired up to be asked to perform at the Pittsburgh 2026 Draft on Friday night. As a Pittsburgh native and a diehard fan of the Steelers, the NFL and all things Pittsburgh, this is a dream come true.”

Kane Brown will close the series on April 25 after the Draft selections. “The Draft is one of those weekends where you can feel how much the game means to people,” Brown said. “Fans, players, the whole city, everyone’s part of it. Being here for that is going to be unforgettable.”

Fans hoping to attend the free performances are advised to arrive early, as standing room is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

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