Chris Akin finally explains the terrifying reality behind his disappearance from CMS.
COVID. Pneumonia. Oxygen. Hospitalization. Near death.
And here’s the part nobody wants to say out loud… it changed everything.

Then the episode completely spirals.

What starts as a normal CMS catch-up turns into a full-blown time capsule from the early days of internet broadcasting — before streaming was easy, before podcasting exploded, and before anybody knew what the hell they were doing.

Nelson Ledges. Primitive wireless systems. Internet failures. Live disasters. Total technical collapse.
The stories get crazier the deeper this goes.

And underneath all of it is the bigger conversation nobody in entertainment wants to admit:

The same culture that made billions from outrage, sex, drugs, and destruction is now pretending it was offended the entire time.

Ric Flair. KISS. Howard Stern. Bill Clinton. Dave Chappelle.
Different industries. Same hypocrisy.

Then somehow the conversation gets even darker.

A church empire. Weight loss manipulation. Money. Vanity. Obedience. Cult psychology. HBO’s “The Way Down” exposed one of the strangest religious scams ever built — and the deeper the story gets, the uglier it becomes.

If you’re watching this here, you’re already behind.
The full episode, exclusive 3rd segment, and early interviews are on Locals:
https://classicmetalshow.locals.com

VIP members already got the uncensored version.
The real conversation isn’t public.

Today, the acclaimed American hard rock band TESLA is proud to share a new cover of Queen's 1977 classic, "Spread Your Wings," taken from their upcoming album, 'Homage,' set for release on July 17, 2026, via Frontiers Music Srl. Marking a full-circle moment in their storied career, the album finds the band returning to their roots with a collection of covers honoring some of rock’s most timeless hits.

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Bassist, keyboardist, pianist, and backing vocalist Brian Wheat shares:

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"'Spread Your Wings' for me was the song I always wanted to record by Queen. I always felt it was the one song they had in their catalog that should’ve been a massive hit, but wasn’t because it was overshadowed by 'We Are the Champions' and 'We Will Rock You' on the 'News of the World' album. It was also a song written by John Deacon, who was the band's secret weapon and whom not many people talk about, the quiet one, shall we say."

It is remarkable to reflect on the more than 40 years since TESLA began as a cover band performing in California nightclubs before going on to write and record original material and sell millions of albums.

Much like their musical heroes — The Beatles and The Rolling Stones—artists who honed their craft by performing songs from those who came before them, TESLA followed a similar path in their early years and continues to embrace the tradition of paying tribute through cover songs today.

‘Homage,’ the band’s upcoming album, not only honors legendary artists but also provides an opportunity to showcase lead singer Jeff Keith's vocal diversity. The album stands as a thank-you expressed through music, an offering to the iconic voices and songs that shaped the band’s influences and, ultimately, their own songwriting. 

'Homage' is not about imitation, but acknowledgment, tracing the line from influence to identity, from listening to becoming. The project also arrives more than 20 years after the ‘Real to Reel’ series, a release that helped inspire the creation of a new original TESLA song, “Never Alone.”

The selected songs on 'Homage' were chosen for a variety of reasons, primarily representing some of the greatest vocalists of all time, including Elvis Presley, Freddie Mercury, Sam Cooke, David Ruffin, Etta James, and James Brown. Additional selections reflect songs the band grew up hearing on the radio and on their turntables.

On the upcoming album, TESLA shares:

"Our new album 'Homage' is a thank-you note written in sound. An offering to the great singers and songs that shaped the music we grew up listening to, and the songs we would eventually write. We hope you all enjoy this as much as we did making it. Thank you for all the years - Keep it Real and Keep On Rockin'!"

The Smashing Pumpkins are heading back out on the road with their newly announced “The Rats In A Cage” tour, and here’s the reality: this band still knows how to trigger strong reactions better than almost anybody from the alternative rock explosion of the ‘90s.

Some fans are celebrating this like a major event. Others are already rolling their eyes and calling it another nostalgia cycle. And honestly, both reactions tell you exactly why the Smashing Pumpkins remain one of the most polarizing legacy acts in rock.

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Billy Corgan has never been interested in becoming a safe, crowd-pleasing nostalgia machine. That’s part of what made the Pumpkins massive in the first place. The band built its reputation on emotional chaos, unpredictability, giant ambition, and a willingness to alienate people if necessary.

That attitude hasn’t changed.

The “Rats In A Cage” tour immediately feels like classic Corgan branding — dramatic, cryptic, theatrical, and just pretentious enough to make people argue about it online for weeks. And whether people admit it or not, that controversy has always fueled the Smashing Pumpkins machine.

Because unlike a lot of bands from that era quietly recycling greatest hits tours, Corgan still treats the band like an ongoing artistic statement instead of a museum exhibit.

The problem is that a huge percentage of fans don’t actually want evolution from this band anymore.

They want 1993.

They want Siamese Dream.

They want the emotional wreckage, the fuzz-drenched guitars, the sadness, the rage, the feeling that everything could collapse at any second while somehow sounding perfect.

And every modern Pumpkins release or tour gets judged against that impossible standard.

That’s why every announcement turns into a civil war between longtime fans.

One side believes Billy Corgan is one of the last remaining true rock visionaries — stubborn enough to keep experimenting no matter how much backlash comes his way.

The other side thinks the band lost its soul years ago and now survives almost entirely on the emotional memory of what it used to be.

Here’s the interesting part: both sides probably believe they’re protecting the “real” Smashing Pumpkins.

That tension is exactly why this band still matters.

Because people don’t passionately fight over irrelevant bands.

What’s also becoming impossible to ignore is how modern legacy touring has changed fan psychology completely. Fans aren’t just buying concert tickets anymore. They’re buying emotional time travel. They’re chasing a feeling connected to who they were when these songs first hit them.

That creates impossible expectations.

No modern performance can truly recreate the danger or emotional impact fans felt hearing those records for the first time decades ago. But fans keep chasing that lightning anyway.

And to Billy Corgan’s credit, he’s never fully surrendered to simply becoming a nostalgia jukebox.

That stubbornness has cost the band plenty of goodwill over the years, but it’s also why the Pumpkins still generate real conversation while many of their peers quietly fade into legacy-tour background noise.

Love him or hate him, Corgan still pushes buttons.

And honestly, rock music desperately needs more artists willing to do that.

The bigger question now is whether “The Rats In A Cage” tour becomes a true reminder of the band’s lasting power — or another flashpoint in the endless argument over what the Smashing Pumpkins actually are in 2026.

Either way, fans are going to show up ready to debate it.

For bonus episodes of THE CLASSIC METAL SHOW, early releases of CHRIS AKIN PRESENTS, giveaways, exclusives, and the best hard rock & metal community online, join: https://classicmetalshow.locals.com

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Are The Smashing Pumpkins Still A Great Band — Or Living Off Their Past?

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