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Blog Categories promo BLIND ILLUSION Announces “STAGE FLIGHT: Live At The UC Theatre” Featuring Original Vocalist David White

BLIND ILLUSION Announces “STAGE FLIGHT: Live At The UC Theatre” Featuring Original Vocalist David White Tuesday September 1 2026, 8:42 AM

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BLIND ILLUSION Announces “STAGE FLIGHT: Live At The UC Theatre” Featuring Original Vocalist David White

Progressive Thrash Metal Pioneers Capture Historic 2025 Performance for New Live Album Due October 16, 2026

BERKELEY, CA — Progressive thrash metal pioneers Blind Illusion are set to unleash their new live album, STAGE FLIGHT: Live At The UC Theatre , on October 16, 2026 through Hectic Records / Bleeding Priest Records . The release captures a historic 2025 performance featuring original Blind Illusion vocalist David White , recorded at the UC Theatre in Berkeley, California, during a special celebration of Exodus’ 40th anniversary of Bonded by Blood .

For fans of Coroner, Watchtower, and Exodus , STAGE FLIGHT: Live At The UC Theatre showcases Blind Illusion at full power, bringing the band’s progressive approach to thrash metal to the stage in a performance that connects the group’s legendary past with its continuing evolution.

Originally established in 1978 , Blind Illusion has spent nearly five decades carving out its own distinctive place within the underground metal landscape. Led by mastermind Mark Biedermann on lead guitar and vocals, the band’s current lineup features Phil Cosentini on drums, Avery Thurman on bass, and Martin Lacour on lead guitar.

The new live album also serves as another chapter in the remarkable history of Blind Illusion and its landmark debut, The Sane Asylum . Originally released in 1988, the album has gone on to become regarded as a classic of progressive thrash metal. The record featured Biedermann alongside guitarist Larry Lalonde , bassist Les Claypool , and drummer Mike Miner , delivering now-classic tracks including “Vengeance Is Mine,” “Death Noise,” “Kamikaze,” “Smash The Crystal,” and “Blood Shower.”

Biedermann’s musical history extends well beyond Blind Illusion. In 1987, while working with legendary producer Sandy Pearlman , he contributed rhythm guitar and guitar leads to four songs for Blue Öyster Cult’s Imaginos , working alongside musicians including Joe Satriani and Robbie Krieger of The Doors .

Blind Illusion continued to evolve throughout the following decades. The band returned in 2010 with Demon Master , shifting toward a more traditional heavy metal sound. In 2014, bassist Harald Oimoen of D.R.I. joined forces with Biedermann and helped inspire a return to the progressive thrash metal style that defined The Sane Asylum .

Further lineup changes followed, including a 2017 incarnation featuring Doug Piercy of Heathen and Anvil Chorus on lead guitar. The band released the 2018 EP and toured Europe. In 2020, legendary Death Angel drummer Andy Galeon joined Blind Illusion, contributing to the band's Wrath of the Gods album, released in 2022, followed by additional European touring and festival appearances.

In 2024, Blind Illusion introduced its current lineup and returned to the live stage. Then, in 2025, the band reunited with original vocalist David White , performing alongside Exodus, Death Angel, and Nukem at the UC Theatre in Berkeley on Paul Baloff’s birthday as part of the celebration surrounding Exodus’ 40th anniversary of Bonded by Blood .

That performance became the foundation for STAGE FLIGHT: Live At The UC Theatre .

The story didn't stop there. Blind Illusion later appeared at the Frost and Fire V Festival in Ventura, California, where the band performed The Sane Asylum in its entirety for the first time in its history, giving longtime fans the opportunity to hear the influential album performed live as a complete work.

With STAGE FLIGHT: Live At The UC Theatre , Blind Illusion once again proves that nearly five decades into its existence, the band remains a vital force in progressive thrash metal. The release captures a significant moment in the band's history while celebrating the music, musicians, and underground metal spirit that have kept Blind Illusion moving forward since 1978.

STAGE FLIGHT: Live At The UC Theatre will be released October 16, 2026 as a 12-inch vinyl LP , pressed at 33 RPM , through Hectic Records / Bleeding Priest Records .

Release Information

Artist: Blind Illusion
Title: STAGE FLIGHT: Live At The UC Theatre
Release Type: Live Album
Genre: Progressive Thrash Metal
Release Date: October 16, 2026
Label: Hectic Records / Bleeding Priest Records
Catalog Number: Hectic 009
Format: 12" Vinyl LP
limited to 500 copies
UPC: 810213561508