Former Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham, who was fired by the band in 2018, is working with Mick Fleetwood again. The news was broken by Swedish songwriter and producer Carl Falk, who appears to be working with Fleetwood on a new solo album, his first since the Mick Fleetwood Band’s Something Big in 2004.
Posting on Threads last month, Falk – who has previously worked with Demi Lovato, One Direction, Nicki Minaj, Madonna, Avicii, Ariana Grande and many more – shared a picture of Buckingham and Fleetwood together in the studio.
“Slightly unreal moment to sit with Lindsey Buckingham and Mick Fleetwood to play Lindsey the album we have been working on,” Falk wrote. “And to see his genuine happiness for Mick to finally do his own album and offering to play guitar and to sing on it. Can’t wait to finish this one.”
This month, Falk posted further images from the sessions, including one captioned “Mick and Lindsey together again, what a flawless guitar player” and another with Fleetwood and Adam Granduciel, frontman with Philadelphia rockers The War On Drugs. Most recently, Falk posted a video of himself jamming with Buckingham in the studio.
In 2028 it was reported that Buckingham had left Fleetwood Mac over a disagreement related to the band’s final tour, but it was later revealed that Buckingham’s tumultuous relationship with former partner Stevie Nicks was at the root of the split.
“I dealt with Lindsey for as long as I could,” Nicks told Rolling Stone last year. “You could not say that I did not give him more than 300 million chances.”
More recently, Fleetwood has urged Nicks and Buckingham to take steps to repair their relationship, telling US Weekly, “I always have a fantasy that [Stevie] and Lindsay would pal up a bit more and just say everything’s OK for them both.
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“I miss playing as much as we used to. I’m hoping next year, one way or another, some band somewhere will say, come and play with drums or something. So I always love to do whatever I can do working on an album that next year we may tour with it. I don’t know, [but] not Fleetwood Mac.”
East Anglian rock gods The Darkness have released another single from their upcoming eighth studio album Dreams On Toast, and the subject should surprise no one. This comes, after all, from a band who wrote a song about the perils of maintaining a sexual relationship with an android.
The surprisingly honky tonk Hot On My Tail also explores relationships, but this time it’s the thorny issue of male flatulence during lovemaking, as frontman Justin Hawkins is only too happy to explain.
“We live in complicated times,” advises Hawkins. “Our forebears understood the romantic power of a well-timed breaking of the wind accompanied by the rowdy trumpeting that should, by nature, accompany such glorious endeavour. In those heroic times, the ladyfolk were invariably amazed.
“Alas, relentless progress has driven a wedge between the sexes – a schism, if you will. Nowadays, when it comes to love, we gentlemen hide our flatulence in a guilty miasma of fear and despair. I am not here to judge. It is for you to decide… to clench or to be free. I sincerely hope that this exploration of the matter will help you to slide squeakily from the fence. Good day to you all.”
Dreams On Toast will be released this Friday, as the band prepare to wrap up their UK tour with dates in Newcastle and Manchester, two dates rescheduled after Hawkins suffered a chest infection earlier this month. More UK and European shows follow throughout the summer. Full dates below.
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The Darkness – Hot on My Tail (Official Visualiser) – YouTube
Mar 25: Portsmouth Guildhall Mar 27: Leicester De Montford Hall Mar 28: Cambridge Corn Exchange Mar 29: London OVO Arena Wembley Mar 31: Manchester O2 Apollo Apr 01: Newcastle, O2 City Hall
May 16: Coventry Empire, UK May 17: Leeds Beckett Students’ Union, UK Jun 14: Derby Download Festival, UK Jun 20: Limerick King John’s Castle, Ireland Jun 21: Killarney Gleneagle INEC Arena, Ireland Jul 18: Kristiansand Ravnedalen Naturpark, Norway Aug 02: Majano Festival di Majano, Italy Aug 09: Belfast Custom House Square, UK Sep 30: Bruxelles Ancienne Belgique, Belgium Oct 02: Tilburg Escape Room 013, Netherlands Oct 03: Hamburg Steinway & Sons Fabrik, Germany Oct 04: København Poolen, Denmark Oct 06: Oslo Rockefeller Music Hall, Norway Oct 07: Johanneshov Fållan, Sweden Oct 10: Berlin Metropol, Germany Oct 11: Bratislava Majestic Music Club, Slovakia Oct 13: Zurich Komplex, Switzerland Oct 14: München Backstage, Germany Oct 16: Milan Alcatraz, Italy Oct 17: Ciampino Orion Live Club, Italy Oct 18: Nonantola Vox Club, Italy Oct 21: Barcelona Sala Apolo, Spain Oct 22: Madrid Sala Riviera, Spain Oct 24: Lisboa Cineteatro Capitólio, Portugal Oct 26: Bilbao Santana 27, Spain Oct 28: Luxembourg City den Atelier, Luxembourg Oct 29: Paris Élysée Montmartre, France Oct 30: Köln Live Music Hall, Germany
In 2014, Australian prog metallers Ne Obliviscaris ventured into unchartered waters and launched a crowd-funding campaign that enabled them to finance a world tour, something no other band in the world has achieved. WHen they released their fourth album, Exul, they explained the emotional story of its conception to Prog….
“Xen’s secretly a vampire, he’s 463 years old!” chuckles Tim Charles, Ne Obliviscaris’ violinist and ‘clean’ singer. “If you see photos of him from 20 years ago, he pretty much looks the same,” he continues.
The photos Charles is referring to come from the band’s conception – they’re now in their 20th year – and he’s right. Harsh vocalist/lyricist Marc ‘Xenoyr’ Campbell, also known as Xen, exudes an ethereal glow sitting on a regal gothic throne in his home for our interview, having not appeared to have aged a day since then.
“On his birthday every year on social media it’s become a tradition of asking fans to send him rainbows and unicorns because we’ve also never seen him wear anything except for black in the last 20 years,” Charles laughs.
Campbell shakes his head and confirms, “My inbox is an abomination. It’s terrible.”
It’s this lighthearted banter yet clear, deep admiration between the band members that’s contributed to the success of Ne Obliviscaris. As Campbell and Charles sit down with Prog for their first interview since 2017’s Urn, the topic quickly arises of the band’s formation two decades ago and how they came to be.
“Tim and myself are ultimately the last of the founding members of the band,” Campbell nods. The pair met on an online metal forum where Campbell had mentioned starting a band.
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“I saw that you were online talking about strings in metal and I contacted you asking if you’d be interested,” he recounts to Charles. “I’m trying to do something. I have zero experience. ‘Come along to rehearsal and see if you’re interested,’” he smirks.
Charles recalls the event without a moment’s hesitation, “Yes!” he exclaims, smiling, “I remember I played a violin solo from a song called Angina by Tristania, and Xen knew the song and was really impressed that this violinist knew this fairly obscure song.”
That mutual knowledge and common ground progressed from that moment to become the true foundation of today’s version of Ne Obliviscaris.
“It’s music with beautiful extremes,” Campbell says.
“It’s intense in many different directions,” Charles agrees. “It’s not quickly digested. If you listen to it once, you’re only going to get part of it. You’ve got to listen to it multiple times to appreciate everything that’s going on.”
(Image credit: Season Of Mist)
The two agree that Ne Obliviscaris are extreme progressive metal mixed in with elements of black metal, classical and even jazz, as Charles explains: “There are plenty of people we know where we’re the most extreme band they listen to but they got hooked by a section of a song that wasn’t metal. Plus, you know, not all bands have a violinist.”
Campbell laughs and adds, “All the mothers like Tim.”
It’s not been an easy road though, as Charles confirms that for the first nine years, they didn’t really get anywhere: “The 2003 line-up all fell apart very quickly. Within about 12 months the entire band changed.”
Matt Klavins (rhythm guitar) joined the Australian six-piece in 2004, but according to Charles, “a lot of it was just by chance”. “We got Benjamin Baret [lead guitar] across from France in 2008,” he adds, “As well as Martino Garattoni, who is our bassist from Italy.” The band, as Charles points out, is international with half of the members in Australia and the other half dotted around Europe.
Following their nine-year struggle to get anywhere, Charles notes that the 2012 release of Portal Of I saw significant growth for Ne Obliviscaris.
“It’s been really pleasing and exciting to watch because with each record, more opportunities get offered to us and it’s been really gratifying after that first decade where we didn’t really get anywhere,” he smiles.
In fact, Portal Of I was their first album release, Campbell recalls. “A lot of people that are new listeners to us only think that we’ve been around for 10 years because of that,” he laughs, “They don’t realise we’d done 10 years of hard work before the first album.”
Since the time that Portal Of I was released, the band members believed they would remain a very underground band. Charles explains, “I remember wondering how many people could really get into this progressive, extreme violin metal stuff? Literally one week after Portal Of I came out we were contacted by Season Of Mist saying, ‘We want to offer you a record deal for the next album.’ We’d spent nine years trying to get anywhere and within one week we already had a record deal for the next three albums.”
He gives credit to the international nature of Season Of Mist as a record label for their ability to then hire booking agents in the USA and Europe.
“We were getting offers to do overseas tours when Citadel came out [in 2014].” The only problem was that, at that time, there was no money in the pot to fund those tours. That’s when Ne Obliviscaris decided to do what no band had successfully done before, and launched a crowdfunding campaign to fund an international tour. It was set up with the intention of raising $40,000AUD (around £23,000), and Charles explains that the goal was met within just 38 hours of launch.
Shortly afterwards, in 2016, the band launched a successful Patreon account, which offers multilevel subscriptions at varying amounts per month that fans can opt in to in order to receive exclusive first listens to new music, merch, early access to tour tickets and more. At the time this was unusual, but since the pandemic this trend has been widespread among bands and executed to varying degrees of success.
“We were the first band in the world to use that as a way of making a living,” Charles explains, confirming that their Patreon does well enough to pay each member a full-time wage so they can focus all their time on the band.
“We were expecting a bit of backlash for that,” Campbell says, “but if you care too much what people think, you’re never going to get anywhere.”
There was so much encouragement that he explains they forged ahead, and reminded people that it was not mandatory for anyone to contribute.
“Weirdly enough, it was the industry more so than the fans where the backlash came from,” Charles continues. “With our fans the response was enormously positive.”
New album Exul was delayed from 2020 and the pair explain that it was down to factors that stemmed from multiple lockdowns.
“We were all planning to be in one place to record in the USA with Mark Lewis, and Dan [Presland] had gone over to record drums. He made it back into Australia before they closed the borders by about 10 hours. Everyone else obviously couldn’t leave the country, so we recorded everyone at separate locations,” Campbell describes. Exul ended up being recorded at 10 different studios over two and a half years.
(Image credit: Press)
That uncertainty didn’t lead to a lack of productivity or any compromise on the final result though, despite the members having not seen each other for many years.
“We haven’t been in the same room since June 2019 because of all the border closures,” Charles explains. “The government was just making it up on the spot!”
Exul, which literally translates to ‘exile’, was written in the pre-pandemic period, although certain elements naturally developed through that lockdown phase.
“I think it actually helped the end result,” Campbell says, with Charles adding, “Xen and I often write stuff last. An example is the violin solo at the end of Graal – I recorded violins a year later than expected and I wrote them in the studio.”
“For me personally, I feel like the pandemic impacted my performance,” Charles continues. “When you’re going through so much, you use that energy to connect to the song and the performance and I think that definitely came through on this record.”
Campbell agrees, mentioning that the themes of the album are varied but all handle issues of unwanted departures, with the first single, Equus, inspired by the Australian bushfires of 2019. Those themes weren’t predetermined ahead of the writing process, but Campbell explains that it came together that way.
“Everyone was dealing with living a different life, exiled from their normal way of living, and then you have a war that’s happening. Coincidentally, it seemed to make sense to call the album ‘Exul’.”
Last week we described Kaviani’s Switch It Up single as “a sleek, sassed up feast of ZZ Top-style Texan swagger with a glossy Sunset Strip paint job,” and our hyperbole – and your subsequent votes – were enough to rocket it to the top position in our most recent Tracks Of The Week bonanza. So congratulations to him. You can watch the video again below.
Meanwhile, Cardinal Black and The Southern River Band came in second and third. We hope they’re not too disappointed.
This week’s super selection of sonic splendour is below. Please enjoy it.
Buckcherry – Roar Like Thunder
The title track of their next album, Roar Like Thunder is the sound of Buckcherry doing what they do best these days: straight-up rock’n’roll with a buzzy, infectious melody and enough slick yet biting AC/DC-hued riffage to put a smile on the most of sullen of faces. “Roar Like Thunder rocks from beginning to end,” frontman Josh Todd enthuses of the full album. “It grooves, it thumps, and there is subject matter in each song everyone can relate to. Strap in and enjoy the ride.”
Buckcherry – “Roar Like Thunder” (Official Video) – YouTube
This guy just cropped up on our radar and we’re hooked. Houston-born, LA-based singer/guitarist DE’WAYNE is a rock’n’roller with several charismatic twists, all of which are showcased in this joyous new earworm; the sort we can see appealing to both old-school rockers and alt/indie lovers in need of a new banger. A driving rock anthem with funk in its footsteps and a gloriously heartwarming 80s pulse – kinda like Prince jamming with The Killers, with an extra sprinkle of glitter – Biological is a bright-eyed floor-filler with a sensual heartbeat. Definitely one to watch for.
In these turbulent times, it’s good to know that we can count on Chris Catalyst and his fellow Machines to deliver glowing, nuanced pop-rock tonic for the soul like this. By turns pumped and tender, fizzing and dreamy, the title track of their long-awaited next album (out next month), Everything earns every second of its almost five-minute runtime. The sort of music that looks at life honestly, and still makes it all feel that bit brighter. Gorgeous.
Everything – Eureka Machines – stupid lyric video – YouTube
French heavy maverick Lucie Sue mixes English and German lyrics on this fuzzy, tongue-in-cheek ode to her experience of motherhood – nodding to her own kids’ Franco-German upbringing. Part spiky riot-grrrl explosion, part industrial headbanger. “I’ve never been a perfect mother…” she says. “I’ve always prioritized autonomy: My kids know how to cook, get around, organize themselves and this upbringing has forged a strong character in them. There are sometimes clashes, they don’t always obey me and we don’t always agree. But in the end, it often leads to right choices.”
Luke Spiller – She’s Just Like California
A gauzy, acoustic-based ballad from the Struts’ frontman’s solo debut, She’s Just Like California is a warm, blissed-out singalong, full of longing, moonlit textures and West Coast sunsets. Years in the works and ultimately released in this relatively simple, stripped-back form (not a million miles from the original demo that his mother and sister encouraged him to pursue), it proves that sometimes it pays to just let a song breathe, as this one does.
Luke Spiller – She’s Just Like California – YouTube
Creeping out of the speakers like some huge, sludgy monster from the deep, Glib Tongued oozes filth, menace and fury, its thick-set Sabbathian riffs offset by spoken-word verses from rapper El-P (from US hip-hop duo Run the Jewels). Heavy, raging, moshpit-ready stuff with a compelling edge. Like the sound of that? Their new album, Death Hilarious, comes out next month.
Your new favourite Australians Battlesnake return with a sacrifice from their upcoming third album Dawn Of The Exultants And The Hunt For The Shepherd, a concept album about the search for Jesus’s long-lost twin, the second messiah. With a topic so lofty you’d expect something spectacular, and boy, does Shepherd Hunter deliver, coming on like Judas Priest riding a heard of rampant wildebeest through a storm as Zeus throws down lightning bolts from the peak of Olympus and tears the world asunder. Literally enormous.
The Band Feel – Hands In My Pocket
Meanwhile, in the retro-rock corner, hotly-tipped St. Louis retro-rockers The Band Feel conjure up a vibe on Hands In My Pocket that is somewhere between Humble Pie at their soulful best and the Black Crowes at their most languid, with a touch of the Zeppelins in that instrumental interlude. Having toured with Dirty Honey and The Retrograde they’re on something of a roll, and if we were in the business of predicting big things (What’s that? We are?) we might just predict big things for them. Another single, Shoal Creek, arrives next month.
Hands In My Pocket – THE BAND FEEL (Official Lyric Video) – YouTube
The Pogues – or rather surviving original members Spider Stacy, James Fearnley and Jem Finer, plus friends – will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the band’s classic second album, 1985’s Rum Sodomy & the Lash, with six UK shows in May. Nadine Shah, Lankum‘s Darragh Lynch and Lisa O’Neill are among those will be joining the trek as guest vocalists.
In a new [paywalled] interview with The Telegraph, Finer admits that touring without the band’s late, much-missed frontman Shane MacGowan will be “more poignant”, but adds, “This probably wouldn’t be happening in this way if Shane was here, so it’s what it is.”
Looking back on the band’s original incarnation, Finer recalls that it was “by turns wonderful, ecstatic, thrilling, boring, horrible, oppressive, heartbreaking… It was like a family of weird brothers and occasional sisters.”
Speaking to Classic Rock magazine last month, for a feature about the making of Rum, Sodomy & The Lash, Finer recalled that Shane MacGowan was “often a difficult person to motivate.”
“It would take weeks to even do the simplest thing,” he remembered. “There was endless procrastination. But then, great focus.”
“Shane could be maddening,” he admits to The Telegraph. “He could take a few weeks to finally get around to doing something but once we got down to working he was always funny and inspiring and a generous collaborator.”
Finer also admits that he’s not entirely comfortable with the idea of himself, Fearnley and Stacy being billed as The Pogues when they hit the road without MacGowan or the late Philip Chevron or Darryl Hunt being involved.
“I wouldn’t call it The Pogues,” he says. “But I still haven’t figured out what I would call it”.
The 40th anniversary Rum, Sodomy & The Lash tour begins in Leeds on May 1, and will visit Birmingham (May 2), London (May 3), Glasgow (May 6) and Manchester (May 7) before closing in Newcastle on May 8.
After scoring some very dominating wins in round one, 16 of the ’80s biggest rock albums move on to new and more difficult battles in round two of our March Madness bracket.
You can see the results of the 16 first-round battles below, and then vote in the eight battles of the “Sweet 16” round of our tournament.
Round One Results:
AC/DC’s Back in Black defeated the Talking Heads’ Remain in Light 86% to 14%.
Phil Collins’ No Jacket Required defeated Kiss’ Creatures of the Night 64% to 36%
Bon Jovi’s Slippery When Wet defeated the Cars’ Heartbeat City 57% to 43%
Ozzy Osbourne’s Blizzard of Ozz defeated David Bowie’s Let’s Dance 68% to 32%
Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the U.S.A. defeated R.E.M.’s Murmur 72% to 38%
U2’s The Joshua Tree defeated Iron Maiden’s Powerslave 59% to 41%
Tom Petty’s Full Moon Fever defeated Paul Simon’s Graceland 78% to 22%
The Police’s Synchronicity defeated Genesis’ Invisible Touch 73% to 27%
Guns N’ Roses Appetite for Destruction defeated Rush’s Permanent Waves 62% to 38%
Prince’s Purple Rain defeated Judas Priest’s Screaming for Vengeance 60% to 40%
ZZ Top’s Eliminator defeated Motley Crue’s Shout at the Devil 47% to 43%
Journey’s Escape defeated Peter Gabriel’s So 64% to 36%
Dire Straits’ Brothers in Arms defeated Neil Young’s Freedom 84% to 16%
Def Leppard’s Hysteria defeated Billy Idol’s Rebel Yell 72% to 28%
Van Halen’s 1984 defeated the Rolling Stones’ Tattoo You 79% to 21%
Metallica’s Master of Puppets defeated Aerosmith’s Pump 61% to 39%
There are four rounds remaining in Ultimate Classic Rock’s Best ’80s Album tournament:
Round Two: March 24-27
Round Three: March 28-30
Final Four: March 31-April 3
Championship: April 4-7
You can cast your votes below for the Best ’80s album in eight second round head-to-head match-ups – two in each region. You can vote once per hour now through March 27 at 11:59PM ET.
The winners of each round will be revealed the day after votes close and a new round of voting will begin that same day.
Adrian Borromeo, UCR
Adrian Borromeo, UCR
Adrian Borromeo, UCR
Adrian Borromeo, UCR
Adrian Borromeo, UCR
Adrian Borromeo, UCR
Adrian Borromeo, UCR
Adrian Borromeo, UCR
See Over 100 Awesome ’80s Retro Rock ‘n’ Roll Wallets
Admit it, these nylon and velcro marvels were the height of cash-carrying fashion.
Foreigner will embark on a Canadian tour in the fall, and they’ll be joined by guest vocalist Geordie Brown.
The trek begins on Oct. 21 in St. John’s, Newfoundland, and concludes on Nov. 7 in Kelowna, British Columbia. Canadian rockers 54-40 will provide support.
Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday. You can see the full list of dates below.
Foreigner’s upcoming Canadian tour serves as a prelude to the launch of their Juke Box Hero, The Musical, which is set to go into production in 2026. Brown played the male lead of the 2018 workshop production of the musical in Calgary and Edmonton, as well as a sold-out run at Toronto’s Ed Mirvish Theatre in 2019.
“I was most impressed by Geordie’s performances of Juke Box Hero, The Musical in Canada,” Foreigner guitarist Mick Jones said in a statement. “He is not only a consummate vocalist, but a verified Broadway actor to boot. We look forward to welcoming him at our shows on Foreigner’s 2025 Canadian tour.”
It is unclear the extent to which Brown will perform at each show, or if current Foreigner lead singer Kelly Hansen will participate in the tour. Hansen does not appear in the band’s press photos provided with the announcement. UCR has reached out for clarity.
Foreigner 2025 Canadian Tour Dates Oct. 21 – St. John’s, NFL @ Mary Brown’s Centre Oct. 23 – Sydney, NS @ Centre 200 Oct. 24 – Halifax, NS @ Scotiabank Centre Oct. 25 – Moncton, NB @ Avenir Centre Oct. 27 – Montreal, QC @ Place des Arts Oct. 28 – Ottawa, ON @ The Arena at TD Place Oct. 29 – Kingston, ON @ Centre Slush Puppie Oct. 30 – Sudbury, ON @ Sudbury Community Arena Nov. 1 – Sault. St. Marie, ON @ GFL Memorial Gardens Nov. 2 – Thunder Bay, ON @ Thunder Bay Community Auditorium * Nov. 5 – Medicine Hat, AB @ Co-op Place Nov. 6 – Cranbrook, BC @ Memorial Arena * Nov. 7 – Kelowna, BC @ Prospera Place
*No 54-40
Foreigner Albums Ranked
It’s hard to imagine rock radio without the string of hit singles Foreigner peeled off in the ’70s and ’80s.
When the term first arrived on the pop music scene in the late part of the ’70s, new wave was used as a catch-all for music that wasn’t quite punk, but it wasn’t traditional pop or rock music either. Sort of a poppier sibling to punk’s gnarly reputation and thorny songs, new wave soon became a destination landing spot for many of the generation’s boundary-breaking artists.
Many bands that emerged didn’t have much shelf life, expiring before the ’80s reached its midpoint. Those who survived learned to adapt and evolve with the times, either pinpointing what worked in their music and discarding the rest, or growing out of the genre completely.
The Best Album by New Wave’s 15 Biggest Artists is filled with these survivors: groups and solo singers who made it out of the early ’80s, more or less, intact. Several of them went on to make their best music after new wave was tossed away with other period relics like leg warmers and Betamax.
Most of these records, however, made their marks during a time when wiggly synths and massively chewy pop hooks were commonplace. Elvis Costello, Duran Duran and Pretenders went on to long, rewarding careers, but it’s hard to argue that they made their best music early on.
New wave’s greatest records used to occupy that rare space between novelty and timelessness; decades after the music’s peak, much of it still resonates with music fans. The albums below are the ones we will be listening to another 40 years from now.
The Best Album by New Wave’s 15 Biggest Artists
Punk’s poppier sibling, broken down to its most essential recordings.
Nancy Wilson is not afraid to share her displeasure with the current state of America.
During a recent conversation with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Heart guitarist noted that the group’s 1975 hit “Crazy on You” was inspired by one of the most tumultuous times in US history.
“We were kind of embarrassed at that time to call ourselves American because of the dirty politics of the Vietnam War,” Wilson said, adding that the tune still resonates in 2025. “To be as subtle as possible, it’s more embarrassing [to be American] now.”
Wilson’s perspective isn’t just about politics. She also sees rampant sexism and misogyny in today’s culture that echoes another of Heart’s most famous songs, “Barracuda.”
“[Barracuda] is even more relevant in the salacious billionaire culture with the grab-them-by-the-pussy mentality,” Wilson declared. “These songs will be there long after we are gone.”
Despite her disappointment with where America is today, Wilson added that she sees change on the horizon.
“I think for women in the culture the pendulum will come back again, and there’ll be another renaissance in the arts to push back against the oppression of the cranky old rich white guys,” she noted. “I hope I am alive to see that next revolution.”
Is Heart Touring in 2025?
Heart recently launched their 2025 tour, their first trek since canceling a run of shows last year so that singer Ann Wilson could undergo treatment for cancer.
The Royal Flush tour — which also features Cheap Trick and Squeeze — ends at the end of April, but Heart will waste little time getting back on the road. The band will kick off a run of dates dubbed ‘An Evening With Heart‘ beginning May 31. That trek will see the Wilson sisters and company performing two separate sets each night.
Feature Photo: Flickr user NBStwo, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
My Chemical Romance formed in the shadows of tragedy, emerging from the emotional wreckage of September 11, 2001, when Gerard Way felt compelled to channel his grief and vulnerability into a powerful, musical call to arms. Deeply shaken by witnessing the collapse of the Twin Towers firsthand, Way abandoned his previous aspirations in art and animation, assembling a band with his brother Mikey Way on bass, guitarists Ray Toro and Frank Iero, and drummer Matt Pelissier. This pivotal moment defined their emotional intensity, propelling the band into a trajectory of profound authenticity and urgency that instantly resonated with fans searching for connection and meaning.
Their raw, angst-filled debut, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love (2002), quickly earned My Chemical Romance a dedicated underground following. The fierce urgency of songs like “Vampires Will Never Hurt You” and “Honey, This Mirror Isn’t Big Enough for the Two of Us” showcased a band unafraid to confront dark, uncomfortable themes. This fearless emotional honesty secured them a major label deal with Reprise Records, setting the stage for the breakthrough that would soon define an entire generation of listeners.
In 2004, My Chemical Romance exploded into mainstream consciousness with their landmark album, Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge. Blending punk-rock grit with theatrical flair, the record’s massive singles—including “Helena,” “I’m Not Okay (I Promise),” and “The Ghost of You”—captured the raw, chaotic emotion of youth. Quickly reaching platinum status, the album’s poignant storytelling and powerful music videos entrenched them as standard-bearers of the emo-rock movement. Audiences embraced the band’s authenticity and theatricality, catapulting them into international stardom.
The band’s creative ambitions peaked dramatically with their 2006 conceptual masterpiece, The Black Parade. The album, structured around the themes of death, redemption, and reflection, resonated widely, driven by its groundbreaking lead single, “Welcome to the Black Parade.” This iconic song, complete with its unforgettable marching-band intro, soared to number one on the UK Singles Chart and became an anthem for legions of devoted fans. The album also spawned memorable hits like “Teenagers” and “Famous Last Words,” cementing their status as one of the era’s defining rock bands. Their meticulous attention to narrative, visuals, and artistic detail culminated in a Grammy nomination, further solidifying their critical credibility.
In 2010, My Chemical Romance reinvented their musical identity again with the release of Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys, a bold exploration into a vibrant, dystopian future. Anchored by singles “Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)” and “Sing,” the record revealed the band’s versatility and enduring creativity. Even as their sound evolved, their passionate connection with audiences remained steadfast, reinforced by electrifying live performances and a striking visual aesthetic.
Beyond the stage, My Chemical Romance distinguished themselves through their dedication to social issues and humanitarian efforts. Actively engaging with organizations like the Red Cross and To Write Love on Her Arms, the band advocated for mental health awareness and supported disaster relief efforts. Gerard Way’s openness about his own struggles with mental health fostered a profound bond with fans, who valued the band’s sincerity and willingness to use their platform to effect positive change.
When the group announced their breakup in 2013, fans around the world mourned deeply—an emotional testament to My Chemical Romance’s profound impact. The band’s surprise reunion in 2019 ignited passionate excitement, reaffirming their lasting resonance and the enduring loyalty of their fanbase. To this day, their legacy remains defined by fearless emotional honesty, intense creativity, and unwavering commitment to connecting with listeners who find hope and strength in their music.
Complete List Of My Chemical Romance Songs From A to Z
All I Want for Christmas Is You – Kevin & Bean’s Christmastime in the 909 – 2004
All the Angels – The Black Parade/Living with Ghosts – 2006
Astro Zombies – Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland – 2005
Black Dragon Fighting Society – The Mad Gear and Missile Kid – 2010
Blood – The Black Parade – 2006
Bulletproof Heart – Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys – 2010
Bury Me in Black – Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge – 2004
Cancer – The Black Parade – 2006
Cancer (live) – Live And Rare – 2007
Cemetery Drive – Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge – 2004
Cubicles – I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love – 2002
Dead! – The Black Parade – 2006
Dead! (live) – Live And Rare – 2007
Demolition Lovers – I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love – 2002
Desolation Row – Watchmen: Music from the Motion Picture – 2009
Desolation Row (live) – Chimes of Freedom – 2012
DESTROYA – Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys – 2010
Disenchanted – The Black Parade – 2006
Disenchanted (live demo) – The Black Parade/Living with Ghosts – 2006
Drowning Lessons – I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love – 2002
Early Sunsets Over Monroeville – I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love – 2002
Emily (rough mix) – The Black Parade/Living with Ghosts – 2006
Every Snowflake Is Different (Just Like You) – Yo Gabba Gabba! Hey! – 2017
F.T.W.W.W. – The Mad Gear and Missile Kid – 2010
Famous Last Words – The Black Parade – 2006
Famous Last Words (live) – Live And Rare – 2007
Famous Last Words (live) – The Black Parade: The B-Sides – 2009
Give ‘Em Hell, Kid – Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge – 2004
Give ‘Em Hell, Kid (live) – Taste of Chaos – 2005
Goodnite, Dr. Death – Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys – 2010
Hang ‘Em High – Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge – 2004
Headfirst for Halos – I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love – 2002
Headfirst for Halos (live) – In Honor: A Compilation to Beat Cancer – 2004
Heaven Help Us – The Black Parade – 2006
Heaven Help Us – The Black Parade: The B-Sides – 2009
Helena – Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge – 2004
Honey, This Mirror Isn’t Big Enough for the Two of Us – I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love – 2002
House of Wolves – The Black Parade – 2006
House of Wolves (live) – Live And Rare – 2007
House of Wolves (live) – The Bamboozle 2007 – 2007
House of Wolves (version 1) (live demo) – The Black Parade/Living with Ghosts – 2006
House of Wolves (version 2) (live demo) – The Black Parade/Living with Ghosts – 2006
I Don’t Love You – The Black Parade – 2006
I Never Told You What I Do for a Living – Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge – 2004
I’m Not Okay (I Promise) – Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge – 2004
Interlude – Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge – 2004
It’s Not a Fashion Statement, It’s a Fucking Deathwish – Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge – 2004
Jack The Ripper (Live) – Like Phantoms Forever EP – 2002
Jet-Star and the Kobra Kid/Traffic Report – Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys – 2010
Kill All Your Friends – The Black Parade – 2006
Kill All Your Friends – Live And Rare – 2007
Kill All Your Friends – The Black Parade: The B-Sides – 2009
Kill All Your Friends (live demo) – The Black Parade/Living with Ghosts – 2006
Look Alive, Sunshine – Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys – 2010
Mama – The Black Parade – 2006
Mama (live) – Live And Rare – 2007
Mama (live demo) – The Black Parade/Living with Ghosts – 2006
Mastas of Ravenkroft – The Mad Gear and Missile Kid – 2010
My Way Home Is Through You – The Black Parade – 2006
My Way Home Is Through You – Live And Rare – 2007
My Way Home Is Through You – The Black Parade: The B-Sides – 2009
My Way Home Is Through You (live demo) – The Black Parade/Living with Ghosts – 2006
Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na) – Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys – 2010
Not That Kind of Girl (live demo) – The Black Parade/Living with Ghosts – 2006
Our Lady of Sorrows – I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love – 2002
Party at the End of the World (live demo) – The Black Parade/Living with Ghosts – 2006
Party Poison – Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys – 2010
Planetary (GO!) – Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys – 2010
Romance – I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love – 2002
S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W – Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys – 2010
Save Yourself, I’ll Hold Them Back – Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys – 2010
SING – Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys – 2010
Skylines and Turnstiles – I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love – 2002
Sleep – The Black Parade – 2006
Song 2 (live) – Radio 1’s Live Lounge – 2006
Summertime – Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys – 2010
Teenagers – The Black Parade – 2006
Thank You for the Venom – Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge – 2004
The End. – The Black Parade – 2006
The Five of Us Are Dying (rough mix) – The Black Parade/Living with Ghosts – 2006
The Foundations of Decay – Non-album single – 2022
The Ghost of You – Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge – 2004
The Jetset Life Is Gonna Kill You – Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge – 2004
The Kids from Yesterday – Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys – 2010
The Only Hope for Me Is You – Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys – 2010
The Sharpest Lives – The Black Parade – 2006
This Is How I Disappear – The Black Parade – 2006
This Is the Best Day Ever – I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love – 2002
This Is The Best Day Ever – Like Phantoms Forever EP – 2002
To the End – Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge – 2004
To the End (RnR Cheryl mix) – Underworld: Evolution – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack – 2006
Under Pressure – In Love and Death (re-issue) – 2005
Vampire Money – Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys – 2010
Vampires Will Never Hurt You – I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love – 2002
Vampires Will Never Hurt You – Like Phantoms Forever EP – 2002
Vampires Will Never Hurt You (live) – Hellfest Volume III: Official Video Documentary – 2004
We Don’t Need Another Song About California – Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys – 2010
Welcome to the Black Parade – The Black Parade – 2006
Welcome to the Black Parade (live) – The Black Parade: The B-Sides – 2009
Welcome to the Black Parade (Steve Aoki 10th anniversary remix) – Dim Mak Greatest Hits 2016: Remixes – 2017
You Know What They Do to Guys Like Us in Prison – Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge – 2004
Zero Percent – Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys – 2010
Albums
I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love (2002): 11 songs
Like Phantoms Forever EP (2002): 3 songs
Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge (2004): 14 songs
Various Compilations/Soundtracks (2004-2017): 14 songs
The Black Parade (2006): 28 songs
Live And Rare (2007): 7 songs
The Black Parade: The B-Sides (2009): 5 songs
Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys (2010): 17 songs
The Mad Gear and Missile Kid (2010): 3 songs
Check out our fantastic and entertaining My Chemical Romance articles, detailing in-depth the band’s albums, songs, band members, and more…all on ClassicRockHistory.com
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