Author: Logan Rocker

The death of former Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy star John Sykes has prompted a wave of loving tributes from his peers.

The guitarist died at age 65 after what an official statement describes as “a hard fought battle with cancer.”

“Just heard the shocking news of John’s passing,” wrote David Coverdale, who worked with Sykes on Whitesnake’s Slide It In and Whitesnake albums. “My sincere condolences to his family, friends & fans.”

Read More: John Sykes of Thin Lizzy and Whitesnake Dies at 65

“I am saddened about the news of my band mate John Sykes,” wrote drummer Carmine Appice, who performed alongside Sykes in the ’90s group Blue Murder. “I’m shocked about his passing. We played such great music and had such great times together. John’s playing, writing and singing were amazing. …I loved him like a brother. We lived close to each other when we were in Blue Murder, we hung out everyday. He was an amazing guitarist and together with Tony Franklin on bass we had a great rock trio. He will be missed.”

Guitarist Adrian Vandenberg, who also appears on the 1987 Whitesnake album, paid tribute to Sykes while lamenting that fact that they never met in person. “Like many rock lovers I was always hoping he would suddenly blast back on the music scene again with a killer record and start touring again. Musically our paths have crossed a few times but unfortunately we never met in person. Fuck cancer.”

You can see many more loving tributes to Sykes below:

Rock Guitar Heroes Who Died Too Young

They are survived by their six-string prowess.

Gallery Credit: Bryan Rolli

More From Ultimate Classic Rock

Lollapalooza: The Uncensored Story Of Alternative Rock’s Wildest Festival will be published by St. Martin’s Press on March 25, 2025.

This intriguing book sees New York Times bestselling authors Richard Bienstock and Tom Beaujour (Nothin’ But A Good Time) telling the no-holds-barred history of the iconic music festival. Through hundreds of new interviews with artists, tour founders, festival organizers, promoters, publicists, sideshow freaks, stage crews, record label execs, reporters, roadies and more, Lollapalooza chronicles the tour’s pioneering 1991-1997 run, and, in the process, alternative rock’s rise – as well as the reverberations that led to a massive shift in the music industry and the culture at large.

Lollapalooza features a foreword by Soundgarden’s Kim Thayil, along with original interviews with some of the biggest names in music, including: Perry Farrell and Jane’s Addiction, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Nine Inch Nails, Sonic Youth, Tool, Smashing Pumpkins, Ice-T, Rage Against The Machine, Green Day, Patti Smith, Alice In Chains, Metallica, and many more.

Pre-order your copy now at this location.

Conceived by Farrell as a farewell tour for Jane’s Addiction, Lollapalooza’s inaugural outing across the U.S. in the summer of 1991 helped to coalesce an ideology and aesthetic that not only washed over popular music but seeped into fashion, film, television, literature, food, politics and more. Throughout the decade, Lollapalooza offered a vast and diverse ensemble of bands, breaking barriers of genre and uniting alternative rock, heavy metal, punk, hip-hop, industrial, goth, avant-garde, spoken word, electronic dance music and other styles under one big tent, and setting the template for the modern American music festival and the scores of other contemporary destination fests that are now an integral part of how audiences experience live music.

Unorthodox not just in music, Lollapalooza also spotlighted visual arts, nonprofit organizations, political outfits, and even the occasional freak show, offering a tantalizing cocktail of culture, art, and activism that, taken together, defined the alternative mindset that dominated the 1990s. Echoes of its impact reverberate strongly today – cemented by annual sell-outs at destination events all over the world, an estimation of 400,000 attendees at the flagship Chicago fest each summer, and a spot among the world’s largest and longest-running music festivals.

A nostalgic look back at 1990s music and culture, Lollapalooza traces the festival’s groundbreaking origins, following the tour as it progresses through the decade, and documenting the action onstage, backstage, and behind-the-scenes in detailed and uncensored and sometimes shocking first-person accounts. This is the story of Lollapalooza and the 1990s alternative rock revolution.

Earlier today, January 20th, it was announced that English guitar legend John Sykes (Tygers Of Pan Tang, Thin Lizzy, Whitesnake, Blue Murder) has passed away at 65 years of age following a battle with cancer. The following message was posted via his official Facebook page:

“It is with great sorrow we share that John Sykes has passed away after a hard fought battle with cancer. He will be remembered by many as a man with exceptional musical talent but for those who didn’t know him personally, he was a thoughtful, kind, and charismatic man whose presence lit up the room.

“He certainly marched to the beat of his own drum and always pulled for the underdog. In his final days, he spoke of his sincere love and gratitude for his fans who stuck by him through all these years.

“While the impact of his loss is profound and the mood somber, we hope the light of his memory will extinguish the shadow of his absence.”

Everyone here at BraveWords offer our condolences to John’s family, friends, and fans. RIP.

Tributes from Sykes’ bandmates, colleagues, and friends are beginning to appear on social media. A sampling follows:

Carmine Appice (Blue Murder, Rod Stewart):

“I’m am saddened about the news of my band mate John Sykes . I’m shocked about his passing. We played such great music and had such great times together . Check out Blue Murder 1, and The Cry of Love albums. John’s playing, writing and singing were amazing …I loved him like a brother. We lived close to each other when we were in Blue Murder we hung out everyday. He was an amazing guitarist and together with Tony Franklin on bass we had a great rock trio.
He will be missed. [❤️] [❤️] RIP brother John . Check out Blue Murder on MTV in 1989 John played great on this.”

Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater, The Winery Dogs):

“Absolutely shocked and saddened to hear of the passing of the great John Sykes. As many of you might know, John & I spent a lot of time working together back in 2011 when we were planning on launching a new band. We even demoed 12 of his songs and went on That Metal Show together to announce the project. Sadly it never went anywhere and the demos never saw the light of day, but working with him and spending as much time together as we did provided me with so many great memories. He was an incredible talent and it was an honor to work with him. Such a sad loss [🙏] #RIPJohnSykes”

Brian Tichy (Whitesnake, The Dead Daisies):

“Shocked and saddened to hear John Sykes has passed… Such a great player and guy. We became friends 25 years ago. Seems no one knew about this. I guess that’s how he wanted it. But now we don’t get a chance to connect on this planet again. That’s why this whole death thing we all have to accept really isn’t fair. I don’t like this design. No one has a say and you never know when.
John and I had jammed a couple times at his place and talked about playing live but it never formulated. But when he played, his fire was absolutely undeniable.
He will be missed my so name. Condolences to his family… [💔] [💔] [💔] [💔]”

Adrian Vandenberg (Whitesnake, Vandenberg):

“Damn..John Sykes passed away.. a fantastic, very talented and influential player as we all know.. Like many rock lovers I was always hoping he would suddenly blast back on the music scene again with a killer record and start touring again. Musically our paths have crossed a few times but unfortunately we never met in person. Fuck cancer..R.I.P.”

Jake E. Lee (Ozzy Osbourne, Badlands):

“Deeply saddened by John Sykes passing. He was an incredible guitarist and a good man. First time I met him I told him I played Cold Sweat when I soundchecked. He smiled and said he played Bark at the Moon during his. Hanging with him was always fun. Although I hadn’t seen him in decades I had hoped to next time I was in LA since we had mutual friends. I’ll miss him.”

Shane Gaalaas (Michael Schneker Group, Toque):

“John’s riffs were in heavy rotation while learning how to play guitar everyday after school growing up. Tigers, Lizzy, Whitesnake, it played a huge roll in me wanting to do this for a living. Then I was lucky enough to tour with John’s Thin Lizzy back in the 90’s during my time with Micheal Schenker. He was always a gentleman, the coolest cat and shredded every night. Heartbroken to loose another hero [💔]”

Haken guitarist, Charlie Griffiths, returns with a follow-up to his 2022 solo album. This time Charlie assumes the moniker Tiktaalika and presents Gods Of Pangaea, set for release on March 14t. The album picks up where the last left off, and continues with an exploration into an ancient forgotten world, colliding with the human-centric planet we inhabit today.

To coincide with the announcement, the title track from the album has been launched, featuring vocals from Texture’s Daniël de Jongh. The video sees Charlie colouring in the striking cover art, once again created by Dan Goldsworthy (Sepultura, Body Count, Aborted). Watch below.

Musically the album pays tribute to the art of the guitar riff, with its DNA strands reaching back to the golden era of metal with flavours of Mercyful Fate, Judas Priest, Megadeth and Metallica. Of the creative process Charlie explains, “This time around I wanted to be more song oriented, rather than having an overarching concept. Although I had a rough blueprint for the shape of the album in my head and was always conscious of the balance and flow of the album experience; starting with a fast thrasher, following up with a longer progressive track, then a slower sludgy song, followed by a softer track and so on. I finished all the music first and really focused on each section be there for a good reason, with a guitar riff that propels the song.”

The album sees Charlie joined by drummer Darby Todd (Devin Townsend) and basis Conner Green (Haken). He is also helped by a collection of some of the best vocalists in the business, with Tommy Rogers (Between The Buried & Me), Rody Walker (Protest The Hero), Vladimir Lalić (Organised Chaos) all joining the aforementioned de Jongh.

“I had all the music written for a good while”, comments Charlie, “I was able to allow them to really percolate in my mind before moving on to the lyrics and vocal line demos. I’m very specific with melodies and word placement so the singers can focus on just delivering it 100% without having to figure too much out. Of course every single track came out a thousand times better than I’d hoped; everyone did an incredible job!”

The album was mixed by Adam ‘Nolly’ Getgood and mastered by Tony Lindgren at Fascination Street studios.

The album will be available as a Limited CD Edition (incl. 1 bonus track), Gatefold LP & as Digital Album. Pre-order here.

Tracklisting:

“Tyrannicide” feat. Daniël de Jongh
“Gods Of Pangaea” feat. Daniël de Jongh
“The Forbidden Zone” feat. Vladimir Lalić
“Mesozoic Mantras” feat. Vladimir Lalić
“Fault Lines” feat. Rody Walker
“Give Up The Ghost” feat. Daniël de Jongh
“Lost Continent” feat. Tommy Rogers
“Chicxulub” (Bonus Track on CD & Digital)

“Gods Of Pangaea” video:

(Photo – Jake Ten)

Hungary’s unstoppable thrash-death force, Atrox Trauma, has just dropped the official music video for their latest single, “Emptiness”, taken from their sophomore album, Where Death Hunts, due for release via WormHoleDeath Records.

In “Emptiness,” the band takes a brutal yet introspective dive into the emotional void, tackling themes of isolation, despair, and the deep human longing for connection. With a raw and aggressive sound that pushes the limits of thrash and death metal, the track exposes the psychological burden of searching for meaning when faced with life’s stark emptiness.

The band stated: “Hollowness welcomed inside. This emptiness swallowed by. Fulfilling that emptiness. To find myself in you…This is the solution. This is the Way Out. Emptiness is the second video from our album, which will be released on April 17th. A song about emptiness, being lost, giving up, and finding a way out.”

Watch the official video for “Emptiness” below:

The music video for “Emptiness” was filmed and edited by András Székely, while the album Where Death Hunts was recorded, mixed, and mastered by István Simon at No Silence Studio in Hungary.

Atrox Trauma was founded in 2008 in Hungary. Their goal, according to the music genre, was clear from the beginning: thrash metal with death metal influences. The band recorded two EPs during its earlier years besides performing on live gigs. The band’s strength increased in 2019, and they have been spinning at an unstoppable speed since then. It gave a series of concerts in its motherland and countries in the neighbourhood. The band creates a huge listener experience with its tight, intense, fast, and face-tearing music.

In 2022 they released their first LP, On The Line Of Nothing And Something, via the Italian label WormHoleDeath.The listener can experience everything from intense immersion to melodic thrash metal. Four music videos provide visual support for the fan-approachable experience.

By the end of 2024, they took the stage in many countries, performing in tours and festivals, and recorded their second LP, Where Death Hunts.

Lineup:

Imre Török – Vocal, guitar
András Székely – Lead guitar
Gyula Tábori – Bass guitar
Gergely Győri – Drums

US hard rockers, SteelCity, are pleased to share the official video for “No Angel”, taken from their latest studio album, Reverence, released last September via Frontiers Music Srl. Watch below, and order the album here.

Bassist Jason Cornwell describes the track as “vibrant and bold, with a melody that inspires and uplifts.”

Initially started as a solo project by founding member, principal songwriter, and guitarist Mike Floros, SteelCity evolved into the band that it is today. Their influences include such melodic and hard rock heavyweights as KISS, Europe, and Winger. The name SteelCity is derived from the hard-working, blue-collar, Mid-Western town of Youngstown, Ohio.

By carefully assembling the most skilled, talented rock musicians available, Mike molded a band that became a vaunted force in the melodic hard rock underground. Enter Roy Cathey, lead vocalist extraordinaire. As a member of the early-90s sensation Cold Sweat, his Herculean voice has been appreciated by audiences worldwide.

Holding down the bottom end is Jason Cornwell, an experienced studio and touring musician, “The Boston Bassman” has shared the stage with such luminaries as Eric Martin. Skilled drummer Anthony White, also of Cold Sweat fame, completes the rhythm section.

Rounding out the group is Tony Stahl, whose keyboards bring texture and depth to SteelCity’s songs, thus completing the shape of their sound.

“Reverence” Tracklist:

“I Ain’t Dreamin’ Bout You”
“Hammer’s Fallin’”
“No Angel”
“Dizzy”
“Walk Away”
“B.A.N.K.”
“Midnight Dancer”
“Broken”
“Losing Control”
“Blinded”
“The Journey”

“Walk Away” visualizer:

Lineup:

Roy Cathey – Lead Vocals
Jason Cornwell – Bass
Anthony White – Drums
Tony Stahl – Keys
Mike Floros – Guitars

Agnostic Front’s legendary frontman, Roger Miret, recently joined co-founder Vinnie Stigma for an extraordinary conversation on the One Life One Chance podcast with Toby Morse, where the pair opened up about the band’s iconic history and creative process, offering fans a rare glimpse behind the scenes of one of hardcore’s most influential acts.

The episode, “Vinnie Stigma & Roger Miret”, explores a wide range of topics, including Agnostic Front’s early days in NYC’s hardcore scene, old tour stories, fishing trips, the creation of new music and their upcoming tour. It also highlights their recent book releases – Miret’s With Time: The Roger Miret Archives and Stigma’s The Most Interesting Man In The World – while delving into the dynamics of their long-standing friendship, sobriety, therapy and connecting with a new generation of fans.

Miret, whose memoir With Time sold out its first printing and is now available for pre-order in a second edition, set for release in February and featuring red interior cover pages and additional photos and artifacts, shared, “Sitting down with Vinnie and Toby was like stepping back into the chaos that built this scene. We swapped stories, busted chops and talked about the stuff that keeps us going. I’m looking forward to getting back on the road again in a few weeks and playing for the fans.”

Agnostic Front is gearing up for an international tour kicking off March 13 in Pittsburgh, PA, with regular US and European dates through the summer. Starting July 31, the band will take the stage at some of Europe’s biggest festivals, including Brutal Assault in the Czech Republic, Summer Breeze Open Air in Germany, and Brakrock Ecofest in Belgium.

Agnostic Front’s tour dates and ticket information are available at AgnosticFront.com.

Fans can stream the One Life One Chance podcast episode at OneLifeOneChance.com, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podtail, and other quality platforms. Listen below.

For more information about With Time: The Roger Miret Archives, visit withtimethebook.com.

Wormholedeath Records is thrilled to announce the signing of female-fronted melodic prog metal outfit, Diamantide. The band’s self-titled debut album is set to make waves on February 21. This release promises to take listeners on an immersive journey through complex emotions, striking musical landscapes, and gripping stories rooted in the past, present, and future.

Formed in September 2023 in the San Francisco Bay Area, Diamantide was born from a long-awaited vision brought to life by guitarist, main composer, and producer Massimiliano (Max) Maggiari. The band’s distinct sound blends heavy guitars, orchestral elements, and deeply melodic vocals, creating an experience that is both grand and introspective. A project marked by international collaboration, Diamantide brings together talented musicians from around the world, each with unique musical experiences and stories.

Their debut album, Diamantide, offers a dynamic fusion of progressive, melodic, and power metal, with extraordinary guest performances by Tom Englund of Evergrey, Mark Basile of DGM, and Roberto Tiranti. Together, these artists add distinctive layers to an already stunning record, channeling life’s complexity through a deeply personal lens shaped by seasoned musicians.

Diamantide’s members bring an impressive collective background, with Nadin’s impactful performance history on The Voice (Republic of Georgia) and Max’s tours across Italy, Austria, Switzerland, and France in the ’90s. Alex’s bass work has enriched bands from Hungary to the US, making Diamantide a truly global project with rich, interconnected influences.

Find the official lyric video for “Faces” below.

Tracklisting:

“Madness”
“Poor Kings”
“Faces”
“Fear”
“Born Again” (feat Tom S. Englund on Vocals and feat. Roberto Tiranti on Bass)
“Fragments of Innocence”
“Take Me To Life”
“Madness” (feat Mark Basile on Vocals) (Bonus track)

“Faces” lyric video:

Lineup:

Nadin Zakharyan — Vocals
Massimiliano (Max) Maggiari — Guitars & Keyboards
Alex Sandor Tamas — Bass
Joe Londeree — Drums

English guitar legend John Sykes (Tygers Of Pan Tang, Thin Lizzy, Whitesnake, Blue Murder) has passed away at 65 years of age following a battle with cancer. The following message was posted via his official Facebook page:

“It is with great sorrow we share that John Sykes has passed away after a hard fought battle with cancer. He will be remembered by many as a man with exceptional musical talent but for those who didn’t know him personally, he was a thoughtful, kind, and charismatic man whose presence lit up the room.

“He certainly marched to the beat of his own drum and always pulled for the underdog. In his final days, he spoke of his sincere love and gratitude for his fans who stuck by him through all these years.

“While the impact of his loss is profound and the mood somber, we hope the light of his memory will extinguish the shadow of his absence.”

Everyone here at BraveWords offer our condolences to John’s family, friends, and fans. RIP.

Four Seconds Ago, the electronic duo featuring Periphery’s Jake Bowen and Misha Mansoor, return with 1000 Needles on February 21 via 3DOT Recordings). The album is a continued exploration of analog synths, spacey dynamics and otherworldly ambient melodies.

“Four Seconds Ago, aside from being a fulfilling outlet creatively, is also just a lot of fun,” Mansoor shares. “Jake and I have always had a blast writing together, and our explorations in electronic music are no exception. The sessions often feel like a good hang where songs magically materialize before our very eyes. To some degree we started Four Seconds Ago as an excuse to learn how to make this kind of music. Now I think we are able to use it as a genuine form of expression. We are very proud of this album, and we really hope you enjoy it.”

A preview of the album is available now with the release of a visualizer for “Bump The Lamp”.

“When we started ‘Bump The Lamp,’ we got momentum,” Bowen explains. “Every album needs a song to set the pace, determine the vibe, and kickstart the writing, ‘Bump The Lamp’ was this song for us.”

The “Bump The Lamp” visualizer can be found below.

Album pre-orders, which include limited-edition vinyl and a 1000 Needles t-shirt, are available here.

1000 Needles tracklisting:

“Simulator Simulator”
“Bump The Lamp”
“Muse”
“Trailbraking”
“Please The Fif”
“Empty”
“Quiet”
“Inland Empire”
“Straight For My Ape”

“Bump The Lamp” visualizer;

(Photo – Devin Barnes)