Seven stories. Friday. Let's go.
Korn's Munky Launches Venera — Live Debut Set for Sick New World Afterparty
Korn guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer has a new project. Venera, his experimental electronic collaboration with composer and filmmaker Chris Hunt, will make its live debut on April 25 at The Portal at Area15 in Las Vegas — serving as an official afterparty for the Sick New World festival, where Korn is also performing earlier that day. Support comes from Yves Tumor and John Famiglietti of HEALTH. Tickets went on sale March 27th. No album announcement yet, but the live debut is the first real signal that Venera is more than a studio project.
Cavalera Brothers Won't Be at Sepultura's Final Show
Sepultura guitarist Andreas Kisser has confirmed that the band formally invited Max and Iggor Cavalera to reunite for the farewell show in São Paulo — and they declined. Both brothers currently operate under the Cavalera name and have their own touring schedule. Max left Sepultura in 1996 after a bitter split; Iggor followed in 2006. The final show is planned for October in Brazil. The invitation was extended, the door was opened, and both men chose to walk away. That's where it ends.
Till Lindemann Drops NSFW "Es Brennt…" Video — Slaughter to Prevail and Paradise Lost on Remixes
Till Lindemann has released an NSFW music video for his new solo single "Es Brennt…" ("It Burns…"), featuring live performance footage alongside backstage content. Two remixes accompany the release: Alex Terrible of Slaughter to Prevail delivers "The Terrible Version," while Gregor Mackintosh of Paradise Lost handles the "Doomfire Version." Physical editions — CD and 12-inch vinyl — arrive May 29 and include both remixes plus a cover of Marlene Dietrich's 1930 track "Ich bin von Kopf bis Fuss auf Liebe eingestellt." For more on tours and live dates from the broader scene, check the coverage.
PRESIDENT Drop "Mercy" — The Masked Mystery Band Gets Heavier
PRESIDENT, the anonymous English alternative metal act featuring "The President" and fellow masked members Heist, Protest, and Vice, have released their second single of 2026, "Mercy." The track mixes melodic hooks with heavy riffs and breakdowns, exploring themes around religion, division, and loss. Speculation continues that frontman The President is Charlie Simpson of Busted and Fightstar — nobody's confirmed or denied it. The band has been touring with Bad Omens and Architects this year. Watch the visualiser and decide for yourself what you think is happening behind that mask.
Zakk Wylde Says AI in Music Is "Fine" — But It Can Never Replace the Real Thing
In a Q&A session in London earlier this year, Black Label Society frontman Zakk Wylde shared his take on AI music: he's not threatened. Wylde called it a "fun" creative tool, drawing comparisons to musicians trying to write in the style of Black Sabbath. His position: AI can generate melodies, harmonies, and rhymes that sound like existing artists — but it can never replicate the human element. "Music from a favorite artist offers a piece of them," he said. "That essence AI cannot capture." Whether you agree or not, Wylde's framing is less panicked than most and more honest about what AI actually is and isn't. For more metal news from the week, keep reading.
Lex Legion: Four-Fifths of King Diamond's Classic Lineup Return Under a New Name
Four members of King Diamond's late '80s classic lineup — Mikkey Dee, Andy La Rocque, Pete Blakk, and Hal Patino — have announced a new band called Lex Legion, with Pagan's Mind vocalist Nils K. Rue completing the lineup. Their self-titled debut arrives in June via MNRK Music Group. First single "Sleep Eternally" drops March 31. Early descriptions suggest classic heavy metal built on lean arrangements and strong melodies. This is four musicians with 40-plus years of shared history finally doing the project on their own terms.
Nickelback and Megan Thee Stallion Rewrote "How You Remind Me" for a Cheetos Ad
Nickelback and Megan Thee Stallion have reworked "How You Remind Me" for a Cheetos Flamin' Hot Dill Pickle campaign. The result is a four-minute short film called Pickle's Back, in which both acts stage a heist at Cheetos HQ. Megan reworks lyrics over the track; Nickelback went along with all of it. She told Billboard it "sounded crazy" until she heard the finished product. Make of that what you will.
For the full rundown archive, head to the Rundowns section.
