Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Expect A New U2 Record Says Manager
(Gibson) Will 2013 be the year U2 release their follow-up to 2009's "No Line on the Horizon?" Maybe, if you believe longtime U2 manager Paul McGuinness.
When asked about the status of a new U2 album during an interview with The Independent, McGuinness stated, "There's always activity, so certainly expect a new record." Sounds promising.

In other U2 news, for the fourth consecutive year, U2 frontman Bono and some of his famous friends walked the streets of Dublin, Ireland, on Christmas Eve, singing festive songs while collecting donations for charity. more on this story






Geoff Tate's Band Member Suffers Heart Attack
Randy Gane, the keyboard player in Geoff Tate's version of Queensryche suffered a heart attack last Wednesday (Dec. 26).

Tate informed fans with the following Facebook posting, "Please send your prayers and positive thoughts to my good friend and keyboard player; Randy Gane who is currently recovering from suffering a heart attack last night – GT."

Tate's version of Queensryche also features Rudy Sarzo (Ozzy Osbourne, Quiet Riot), Bobby Blotzer (Ratt), former Queensryche guitarist Kelly Gray along with Gane (Candlebox).






Rolling Stones and Beatles Considered For British Currency
(Gibson) The Bank of England have revealed that the Rolling Stones are among a handful of notable Brits that are being considered for a new £10 bill.

The Beatles are also up for consideration, along with David Beckham, and Winston Churchill. The new bill is meant to replace the current one featuring Charles Darwin.

The Stones were criticized for charging outrageous ticket prices during their recent 50th anniversary tour, with some seats going for as much as $800. If Jagger and Co. get picked for the new bill, the next time the Stones tour you might literally be paying for the tickets with the band's own money. There seems to be a possibility of more Stones dates in the future judging by comments made by former Stones guitarist Mick Taylor, who was one of the guests on the anniversary tour. Guitarist Ronnie Wood, who got married this past weekend told the Telegraph that the band will never retire: "I think of Howlin' Wolf plugging in to his kidney machine, however old he was, 80 or something, and still playing. You just rock till you drop." more on this story





Daughtry Donating Song Proceeds To Sandy Hook Shootings Families
(Gibson) Rocker Chris Daughtry is donating the proceeds of the sales from one of his band's latest songs to the families of the Newtown, Conn., school shooting victims.

The emotional track, called "Gone Too Soon," arrived on Daughtry's latest album, Break the Spell. As Daughtry explains in a video clip, the track was "originally was written about someone losing a child before he or she is born, and we've gotten so many amazing comments from people from everywhere about how it's helped them through similar situations. And I just felt very strongly that this song could be used to help benefit the families."

Fans may purchase the songs via Monkeybars.net/Daughtry. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the sale of the songs will go towards the Connecticut School Shooting Victims Fund, which was established by fellow pop-rockers OneRepublic. Fans may also make additional donations via the site. So far, the fund has raised $100,000.

"I feel so blessed that I can be a part of bringing some sort of relief to the families right now, and I hope that you'll join me," Daughtry added. more on this story






Corner Confirms Mike Scaccia Cause of Death
(Gibson) A medical examiner has determined that guitarist Mike Scaccia died of a sudden heart attack. As reported previously, the beloved guitarist, who played with the bands Ministry and Rigor Mortis, died after collapsing onstage during a performance celebrating Rigor Mortis frontman Bruce Corbitt's 50th birthday.

This past Thursday, on his Facebook page, Corbitt posted a touching remembrance of his time with Scaccia. "You know I keep thinking about all of this," Corbitt wrote. "Why this happened the way it did. Why it happened at all. What if I wouldn't have asked them to play for my birthday show? But mainly, I keep thinking of the conversations I had with Mike in recent years. Each close friendship is different... you cherish them all. I talked about things with Mike that I couldn't with some other close friends.

"So what I do know is how happy Mike was at this point in his life," Corbitt added. "He loved his wife and kids so much. He talked about them all the time. He loved his bandmates from his different bands. He loved his friends... past and present. He loved his job working for Gibson Guitars. So that gives me some kind of comfort just knowing he was enjoying his time on earth until the very end." more on this story






Nightvision's Dean Hocking Killed In Car Accident
Nightvision bassist Dean Hocking was killed in a car accident last Thursday morning (December 27th) in England.

The band issued the following via Facebook: "There is nothing we can say that hasn't been said already other than to confirm the devastating and crushing loss of our incredible bass player, Dean Hocking, tragically taken from us as a passenger in a road accident during the early hours. Needless to say he was an incredible bass player — one of the best — and an incredible bloke.

"We obviously need the time to get this round our heads but in the meantime … wherever you are … get a drink and raise it high as a toast to a fine, young, talented guy gone too soon. Turn it up to 11 and rumble the heavens our brother. We love you dude and we are gonna miss you like you'll never know. — Daryl, Dave and Bolda. X." more on this story




Pink Floyd Star Helps Save Music Shop
(Gibson) Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason has stepped in to help save Foote's music store in London. Mason bought his first drum kit from the store. The drum shop was going to be forced to close when they were denied a business loan.

Says Mason to mi-pro.co.uk: "After 40 something years of playing, I still have great affection for a real drum shop. And Foote's has a special significance for me. In 1958, I headed down to the West End of London to a basement in Denman Street where a kindly man called Sid, in a white coat (maybe that's significant as well) sold me my original kit for £7.50."

Nick is buying the shop along with Rob Wilson, who has been the sales-director for Foote's for a long time. Wilson also commented on Mason's help: "At the eleventh hour, our business loan was turned down by our bank... It was a major blow to our plans, but Nick came to our rescue. Without him, and our collective of generous investors, Foote's would be no more." more on this story





Why Def Leppard Are Going Vegas
(hennemusic) Def Leppard will host their first-ever Las Vegas residency in the spring of 2013. The band will be taking over the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino for an exclusive nine-show run entitled "VIVA Hysteria!", and will perform their iconic album, "Hysteria," in full, in addition to a greatest hits segment.

The shows will run from March 22 through April 10, 2013 at the Hard Rock Casino's venue The Joint.

In a new interview with Vegas.com, Leppard guitarist Phil Collen was asked what prompted the group to do the Vegas residency.

"A lot of other bands do this stuff, but I think it's a little bit more special because 'Hysteria' was one of the diamond albums, especially in this day and age there are not that many albums that achieve that kind of status," said Collen. "That's why it's so important to us, it's such a big selling album. It's a challenge as well. We've never actually done that before. We've always said, yeah, we could do 'High 'n' Dry.' 'Hysteria,' that's a lot more challenging. A lot of the songs on there are hard to sing and play at the same time." more on this story




Preview of Sammy Hagar United States Of Cabo Documentary Released
(hennemusic) A new preview has been posted online for "United States Of Cabo," an independent documentary about Sammy Hagar fans (aka Redheads) which will be released in early 2014.

The film captures intimate fan stories and experiences in an attempt to showcase the essence of what it means to be a Redhead.

The idea was born in Vancouver during the Chickenfoot Road Test Tour of 2009, with the journey beginning shortly after in Lake Tahoe, quickly spreading to St. Louis, Atlantic City, Portland and of course, Cabo San Lucas – home to Sammy's Cabo Wabo Cantina.

Featuring live performance footage by Sammy, the Wabos and Chickenfoot, the documentary is directed by Murray Wasylnuk via Vancouver's Murmer Films. Watch the preview here.




Former Ozzy Guitarist Joe Holmes Returns With New Band
(Gibson) Former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Joe Holmes has released the first music by his new band, Farmikos.

Holmes was Ozzy's guitarist during for a five-year period, beginning when Zakk Wylde departed the band in the mid '90s and ending when Zakk returned. At the beginning of Holmes's time in Ozzy's band, Zakk was on the verge of becoming Slash's co-guitarist in Guns N' Roses. You can read Zakk's side of that story here.

As for Holmes, he's had quite the interesting career. Aside from several Ozzfest tours with Ozzy - and participation in the writing sessions for the Ozzman's Down To Earth album - he played with Lizzy Borden and also replaced Jason Becker in David Lee Roth's band for the A Little Ain't Enough tour, when Becker had to bow out due to his diagnosis with ALS.

Holmes's Ozzy link stretches back to his guitar teacher: one Mr. Randy Rhoads. "Not only was Randy my favorite guitar player, but he was also a really cool person," Holmes told Guitar School magazine's Jeff Kitts in 1995. "I'm not into idolizing people, but Randy was the perfect guy to look up to and want to take after." So what was it like to learn from one of metal's guiding lights? "Learning from Randy was an incredible experience," Holmes said. "At one time I stopped going to school so I could stay home all day and practice what he taught me." more on this story





Geoff Downes and Chris Braide Team Up For New Album
(Glass Onyon) Geoff Downes and Chris Braide have just released their debut collaborative album and digital single, 'Pictures of You', under the name of the Downes Braide Association (DBA).

'Pictures of You' was recorded alongside their respective commitments in 2011-12, and the song writing chemistry between Downes and Braide became immediately apparent and ultimately led to the development of 9 titles, one of which is an elaborate four-piece epic musical suite. Braide comments: "I'd wanted to work with Geoff since hearing The Age Of Plastic as a kid. The album was just great fun to make," whilst Downes added working together with Chris was " a major inspiration of monumental proportions." The album's leadoff track, 'Pictures of You', is also available as a digital only single and is accompanied by a non-album remix of the title 'Songs That Can Heal' as an exclusive bonus track.

For the uninitiated, Downes and Braide's respective song writing careers have generated multi-millions of album sales and numerous hit singles worldwide over the last 30 years for a variety of artists. more on this story




Jungle Rot Releasing Remastered Skin The Living
Jungle Rot have two releases coming out early next year. First the band will be reissuing their newly remastered 1996 classic album, Skin The Living, coming February 19th, 2013.

Front man Dave Matrise comments "We've wanted to re-issue Skin The Living for some time now and are happy that we have that opportunity. I still feel this album stands up to the test of times. Night after night on the road we hear fans screaming out the songs from the release, asking us to play and constantly asking us where they can pick up Skin The Living. This will give everyone a chance to see where it all started for J-Rot and they will have a chance to own a rare piece."

Jungle Rot will follow the reissue with the release of their eighth full length studio album on March 5th.




David Coverdale Tributes Deep Purple Bandmate Jon Lord
(hennemusic) Whitesnake leader and former Deep Purple vocalist David Coverdale has released a new video eulogy tribute to keyboardist Jon Lord.

The pair were Purple bandmates from 1973-76 in versions known as "Mark III" and "Mark IV" of the group's lineup.

Lord passed away July 16 at the age of 71 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.

Coverdale speaks fondly of his friend and remembers his first meetings with Jon - supporting Purple, joining Purple and rehearsing for the "Burn" album.

The legendary keyboard player co-wrote many of the band's legendary songs, including "Smoke On The Water," and played with many bands and musicians throughout his career. Watch the tribute here.




Heart's Ann Wilson Reacts To Led Zeppelin Tribute Reaction
(hennemusic) Heart vocalist Ann Wilson is sharing her thoughts about performing for Led Zeppelin at the band's recent Kennedy Center Honors tribute.

"I am so happy you all liked our performance of 'Stairway to Heaven' at The Kennedy Center Honors event," posted Ann. "It was our honor to be asked to do it before an audience like that. My main goal though was to please Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones...especially Plant, since all these many years he has taught me so much about singing from the soul and has given me such pleasure in his lyrics. What a high that night was. Never to be forgotten!"

Heart were joined by Jason Bonham, the son of late Zeppelin drummer John; Jason played with the group at their 2007 reunion show in London, released recently as "Celebration Day."

Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Ozzy Osbourne International Airport?
(hennemusic) The record company boss who discovered Black Sabbath is calling for Birmingham Airport to be named after Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne.
Big Bear Music head Jim Simpson has devised a plan of renaming the airport after plans for a Black Sabbath Day in the city were apparently shelved, reports Birmingham Mail.

"I believe that there is a masterstroke that would instantly confound the cynics," said Simpson. "Just re-name our airport! How does The Ozzy Osbourne International Airport resonate? The message that would carry is instantly international, confident, powerful, unforgettable and says 'Hey World, we are proud of our own." more on this story



Jason Newsted Would Return To Metallica If They Were 'Brofessional'

Jason Newsted says in a new interview that he would be willing to play with Metallica again if they were "brofessional about it".

Metal Shrine asked Newsted this hypothetical, "Let's just say that (current Metallica bassist) Rob Trujillo breaks his leg and they're about to go on tour and they call you. Would you do it?:

Newsted responded, "Aahhh, it kinda depends on the circumstances. God, I haven´t been asked that before. (sighs deeply) If they were cool and they were bros. Actually, here's the word, if they were brofessional about it and if they came as my brothers and they were professional with the meeting and they called the meeting and they're sitting there and looking me in the eye and the managers aren't around and we're doing this as we used to do every f**king thing, with just us and then the managers did what we told them to do… if it was like that again and the money was crazy, then I would consider it. I would consider it, but it would be only for that thing and it would to be absolutely delegated and it would have to be these 30 shows in these 45 days for this squillion dollars, then I would say most likely I would come and crush every f**ker in my sight. But it has to be that.

"I love those guys and I always will and I will defend them to the end of time. I don't dig it when people talk sh*t about them and I don't dig it when they put them down about certain music they didn't like that they did or whatever. F**k those people! As soon as the people can put out a better album than Metallica, you let me know and I'll listen to it, but until that time, just back off! I don't come and tell you how sh*tty you're doing your accountant job or whatever, you know what I mean. I don't like that part, but I'll always have respect for those guys because they gave me my chance, ok. They gave me my chance and I'll never ever forget that. Now, we've had our differences over time but that sh*t is under the bridge a long time ago. The sh*t that has transpired in the last 10 years of the rumors stuff and 'Oh, Jason got treated so bad. Poor f**king Jason.' and everything, it's such sh*t! It's so wrong and it's not the truth and it really bothers me. I understand that it gets sensationalized and blah, blah, blah. What I try to say man is trainloads, trainloads of joy, accomplishments and wonderful experiences and one little, tiny f**king symbol full of sh*t. It was joyous and victorious and accomplishing things and setting the f**king standard, you know what I mean?" Read the full interview here.



Queens of the Stone Age Go Spinal Tap With New Mockumentary

(Classic Rock) Queens of the Stone Age have released a mockumentary featuring the making of their upcoming album.

Secrets of the Sound host Matt Berry – after being corrected over the band name – explains: "Queens, it says here, are a very successful hard rock act in the US." He goes on to describe the band's collection of guitars as "guitarded."

Berry goes on to interview QOTSA mainman Josh Homme – after being corrected over his name. He asks about some of the gear in the band's studio, saying: "Some of this stuff looks sh*t. Have you kept it for sentimental reasons?"

He then asks, "How many people are in this band?" to which Homme responds, "Why, what have you heard?" Watch it here.



Led Zeppelin Didn't Just Go Through The Motions With 02 Show
(hennemusic) This week, the BBC broadcast a Led Zeppelin special featuring an extended interview with Jimmy Page.

Page sat down with the BBC's Kirsty Lang for a fireside chat about his music, past and present.

A large chunk of the interview was focused on Zeppelin's 2007 reunion, which was recently released as "Celebration Day."

Lang asked Jimmy about the band's preparations for the 02 Arena concert. "Well, it was sort of over a 6-week period. There was a lot of preparation," explained Jimmy. "The first rehearsal was really exciting because I think everyone had such a will to make it work, but neverthless, we really needed to be playing properly as a band and not just sort of go through the motions of it…we really needed to throw ourselves into the whole commitment of it. And plus, having Jason [Bonham]…Jason had the hardest job of anybody, that's my opinion anyway, because he had to fill his father's shoes and he had a lot resting on his shoulders." Watch it here.




Pennywise Launching Reunion Tour With Jim Lindberg
Pennywise will be following up their two reunion shows with singer Jim Lindberg next month with a series of North American reunion dates this winter.

The band announced recently that Lindberg had returned to the band and they would be playing a reunion show at the Palladium in Los Angeles on January 18th.

The show sold-out in 10 minutes, which lead the band to add a second show on the following day at the venue.

Now the band have announced several dates which span from late January until late March. more on this story




Mothers of Invention Co-Founder Ray Collins Dies
The Frank Zappa music family has suffered another loss. Mothers of Invention co-founder Ray Collins died on Christmas eve in Pomona, California.

Collins had been hospitalized since December 18 after suffering a massive heart attack, and was removed from life support on Saturday.

Collins was the singer who invited a young Frank Zappa to join the Soul Giants, the band that eventually would become the Mothers of Invention.

You can read an extensive 2009 feature and interview with Collins that covers a lot of his story here.




Thin Lizzy Name Change Wasn't Problem For Label Boss
(Classic Rock) Nuclear Blast president Monte Conner says he wasn't put off signing Thin Lizzy even when they decided to change their name.

Last week the band exclusively revealed via Classic Rock the reasons behind using a new title, Black Star Riders, and the departure of drummer Brian Downey and keyboardist Darren Wharton.

Ricky Warwick, Scott Gorham, Damon Johnson, Marco Mendoza and new drummer Jimmy DeGrasso will start work on their debut album next week alongside producer Kevin Shirley.

And Conner insists he didn't think twice about signing the band – even though the change of name could affect their public profile. Read what he had to say here.




Bon Jovi Experimenting With 'Different Elements' On New Album
(Gibson) Bon Jovi's Richie Sambora says the band's new album will feature "different elements," but will still retain a sound readily familiar to long-time fans.

Speaking to Billboard.com, the guitarist said the release, titled What About Now?, marks an "evolution" for the group. "Jon (Bon Jovi) and I, when we get together, it sounds like Bon Jovi," he explained. "It sounds like us. That's basically the way it is … what comes out comes out."

He added, however, that the band and co-producer John Shanks tweaked the sonic approach a bit. "[It involved] just basically pushing the production a bit more, or lessening the production so you're a bit more naked," said Sambora.

"It goes both ways on this particular record. We've stripped it down, taken some away and added some different elements." What About Now? is set for release in the spring of 2013. The first single from the album, "Because We Can," comes out January 7. more on this story






Lita Ford Read To Give Up Efforts To Reunite The Runaways
(Classic Rock) Lita Ford says she's done all she can to make a Runaways reunion happen – and it's all down to Joan Jett now.

The former bandmates, along with Cherie Currie, settled their differences during the summer, after Ford arranged dinner dates with each of them.

It was the first time she'd spoken to Jett since the band split in 1980. She said at the time: "We had a nice dinner – it was real friendly, like seeing your sister."

Now the guitarist tells Bravewords: "I can't get a yes or no out of Joan, so I've kind of thrown in the towel." more on this story




Children Of Bodom Begin Recording New Album
Children Of Bodom will begin recording their new album today, drummer Jaska Raatikainen revealed to fans on his Facebook page on Thursday (Dec. 27).

"Today we had the last rehearsals before entering the studio tomorrow to record drums for the new album," he wrote. "Last two days have been quite intensive. Playing the songs over and over again, lots of f**k ups and broken drum sticks, sweating, frustration, coffee and what have you, a little bit of arranging and all that sh*t.

"I am convinced that the new songs are great. A little bit of black metal, heavy metal, metal, old school death metal, melodies, solos and anything you need to make a nice album. And the most important, new ideas à la COB!" See the photo he posted here.




Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo To Ring In New Year With Fox News
Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo will be taking part in the "All American New Year" special on the FOX News Channel on December 31.

The New Year's Eve special will be hosted by Bill Hemmer and Megyn Kelly live from Times Square in New York. It's set to air from 11:00 p.m.-12:30 a.m. (ET).

In addition to the performance by Benatar and Giraldo, the lineup will include classical vocalist Sarah Brightman, and the cast of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Million Dollar Quartet. more on this story




Blink-182 Thank Fans For Successful Debut Of New EP
Blink-182's new EP, "dogs eating dogs," debuted in the U.S. at no. 23 on the Billboard 200. Their camp sent over these additional details.

Released Tuesday, December 18, dogs eating dogs, also debuted at no. 3 on the Billboard's Independent Albums chart, no. 5 on the Rock chart, no. 2 on the Alternative Albums chart and no. 3 on the Digital Albums chart.

During the past week, the EP, available as an exclusive digital download on iTunes, hit the Top 10 on iTunes Album Charts in the U.S., UK, Canada, France, Germany, Australia, Spain, Italy, Ireland, Belgium, Austria, Denmark, New Zealand, Norway and Switzerland.

Tom DeLonge of blink-182 said, "We put out our last EP in 1995. A lot has changed in all those years and we want to thank our fans for making it all possible. And, happy 'Boxing Day'!" more on this story




Thinning the Herd's Rick Cimato Killed In Car Accident
Thinning the Herd drummer Rick Cimato was killed in a auto accident this past weekend in Connecticut.

The band's frontman Gavin Spielman informed fans about death with a couple of Facebook updates. In the first one he wrote, "I just found out my best friend and drummer Rick was killed in a car accident this weekend. I don't think I can continue with Thinning the Herd anymore."

He later posted the following, " Being in a band is about being friends. In shock and in tears over the loss of my friend and bandmate, I have to think of the band. I named the band Thinning the Herd when my father Steven A. Spielman passed, to cope with the loss.

"Rick would want me to keep writing for Thinning the Herd. If stop, I would not be doing his legacy service. His drumming on the new record is some of the best rock I have heard, and I want you guys to hear it.

"Thank god for this guy, what a gift as a friend, brother and band mate. For anyone who jams with others, anyone who lets another into that higher conscious world – you might understand the depth of how one can integrate and nurture the spirit." See the band's Facebook page for any additional information.




Benedictum Name New Members and Writing With Jeff Pilson
Benedictum have recruited Tynator's Aric Avina to take over bass playing duties in the band.

The band says, "Not only has Aric shown his prowess as a bass player but also demonstrated immense 'grace under pressure' by being thrown right into the fire with recording a new album. We have found a gem... and may the metal continue!"

The group are currently working with producer John Herrera and song writers Jeff Pilson (Dokken, Foreigner) and Craig Goldy (Dio) on their next album. more on this story





Singled Out: The Indecent
Today Emily Brout from The Indecent tells us about their latest single and the title track from their new EP "Control". Here is the story:

Control was initially about O.C.D., but as I was writing, it became more about conflicted feelings, being trapped in a loop…a series of small observations about, really, anything that makes you feel like you have a limited mind. It's about fearing the inert – staying in one place, being barely alive, yet somehow being attracted to that feeling. Enjoying the soothing aspect of repetition, while also hating it at the same time. I guess it's about being stuck in one thought, but I could be wrong. I could be wrong. It's very curious – sometimes you don't become aware of the actual meaning of a song until long after you've written it, or more accurately, long after writing, you become aware of many levels of meanings that you had not been originally aware of.
I think I write a lot about that idea, about being a human trapped in their mind, a mind trapped inside a universe, a universe that might just be an illusion, a universe that might be someone else's idea, a universe that might be the idea of someone else who is trapped inside of another person's idea! You feel like your minds trapped in one fragment of one point in a lost and long gone memory. Just that one moment in your history. And all you dream of is to be some sort of superior species…one beyond human need, but with the benefits of empathy.

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Today's Day in Rock News!

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Black Sabbath Will Tour In 2013
(Gibson) Tony Iommi says Black Sabbath haven't yet completed their new album. But the guitarist says the band will be touring "as much as we're able" in 2013.
Writing in a post on his website, Iommi.com , the guitar player thanked fans for their support throughout 2012 and also made reference to his battle with cancer. He wrote: "What a year! Certainly not the one I was expecting. Thanks to you all for your massive help and support, it was very encouraging. I'm still working on the album and managed to play three shows, not bad given the news a year ago. I'm looking forward to next year, seeing what you think of the record and touring as much as we're able."

Black Sabbath recently revealed that they are six tracks into recording their new album, which is due for release in April of 2013. Iommi has hinted that the final album will consist of 15 tracks. more on this story





My Bloody Valentine Complete New Album
(Gibson) It's taken 22 years, but My Bloody Valentine have completed their third album. The Anglo/Irish quartet announced on their Facebook page, "On 21-12-12 we finished mastering the new album!" There is still no release-date or title information about the full-length follow to MBV's 1991 acclaimed "shoegaze" 1991 album, Loveless.

Guitarist and leader Kevin Shields recently told NME the record will be released via the MBV website, followed by an EP of new recordings also in 2013. Shields said the new record "really frees us up, and in the bigger picture it's 100% necessary.

"People who like us will immediately connect with something. Based on the very, very few people who've heard stuff-- some engineers, the band, and that's about it-- some people think it's stranger than Loveless. I don't."

My Bloody Valentine have announced tour dates for February-March 2013, in Japan, Australia and the U.K. more on this story





Foo Fighters, Kid Rock, Jason Bonham Tribute Led Zeppelin
(hennemusic) Led Zeppelin were among the guests featured on the 2012 Kennedy Center Honors special broadcast on Boxing Day.

Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones received the honors earlier this month in Washington. The annual award is given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to American culture.

The Foo Fighters opened with "Rock And Roll," which featured drummer Taylor Hawkins out front on lead vocals while Dave Grohl handled the backbeat.

Kid Rock was up next, performing "Ramble On," from "Led Zeppelin II," while Lenny Kravitz followed with that album's opening cut, "Whole Lotta Love."

Jason Bonham, son of original drummer John and the drummer for the band's 2007 reunion show, joined Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart for a show-ending version of "Stairway to Heaven" that gradually grew to include a string section, a horde of backup singers and the Joyce Garrett Youth Choir. Watch video of the performances here.



Pearl Jam Release Christmas Single Featuring Josh Homme
(hennemusic) Pearl Jam have issued their annual fan club Christmas single. This year, the band is giving its Ten Club members a pair of recordings from the 2011's PJ20 music festival.

The first track is a performance of the "Binaural" b-side "In the Moonlight" featuring Queens Of The Stone Age's Josh Homme.

The other cut is the "No Code" outtake "All Night", featuring Joseph Arthur, Liam Finn, and Glen Hansard.

Both tracks appeared on the 2003 collection of b-sides and other released and unreleased material, "Lost Dogs." Listen to the songs here.



Metallica's 2013 Orion Music + More Festival Location Confirmed
(hennemusic) Metallica recently announced plans for the second annual Orion Music + More Festival.

The event will be held on June 8th and 9th in Detroit, MI; more news, including artist lineup and ticket details, will be revealed in February.

Now, the Detroit Free Press reports Belle Isle will be the site of the metal weekend coming to Detroit this summer - and perhaps in 2014 and 2015, as well. more on this story



Sammy Hagar Upset Over Ronnie Montrose Tribute Concert DVD Delay
(Classic Rock) Sammy Hagar says the estate of Ronnie Montrose is behind the delay in releasing the guitarist's tribute show DVD.

And the frustrated singer vows that if the concert film doesn't hit shelves soon, he'll take action himself.

Guitar icon Montrose shot himself in March this year. He had suffered from clinical depression for much of his life, and the deaths of his uncle and dog within weeks of each other are understood to have been factors in his decision to commit suicide.

The following month, surviving Montrose members Hagar, Bill Church and Denny Carmassi fronted a memorial event that also starred Joe Satriani, Neal Schon, Tommy Thayer, Jimmy DeGrasso and many others.

It was filmed, and an early release was predicted – but it's yet to take place. more on this story




Guns N' Roses Heading Down Under With ZZ Top
Guns N' Roses are said to be planning a tour in Australia this coming March with ZZ Top and The Angels.

Leading Australian news site News.com.au reports that the tour will kick off on March 9th in Perth and will include five concerts.

The site points out that Axl Rose may face a challenge when he plays the show in Melborne if he takes the stage late.

The Sidney Myer Music Bowl has a strict curfew of 11pm and during past tours in the country Rose and the band regularly didn't appear on stage until that time or later. more on this story




Black Crowes Reunion Includes Free App and New Live Album
The Black Crowes have followed up their Christmas reunion announcement with more details including news of a new live album and a free mobile web app.

The band announced on Christmas day that they were ending their hiatus and launching a UK and North American tour in 2013.

On Wednesday, the band announced that they will also be releasing a vinyl version of the live album, Wiser For The Time, on March 19th.

The eight sides on four vinyl albums will contain 26 songs--15 acoustic and 11 electric--from the band's five-night, sold-out NYC performances in the fall of 2010. These never-released-before versions will also be available as a double album digital download, according to the announcement. more on this story




Antrhax To Play Among The Living Album On Metal Alliance Tour
Organizers of The Metal Alliance Tour have released the dates for the North American trek as well as some additional details.

The tour will be headlined by Anthrax who will be performing their classic 1987 album, Among The Living, in its entirety on the trek.

Anthrax will be supported by Exodus, Municipal Waste and Holy Grail and the tour will kick off on March 23rd in Las Vegas.

Municipal Waste guitarist Ryan Waste had this to say about the tour, "I grew up listening to Anthrax and Exodus and they inspired me to start playing speed metal from the beginning. I'm thrilled to hit the road and rip it up along-side some the most influential 'bangers of our time!" more on this story




The Original Blasters Reuniting for Phil Alvin Benefit
The Original Blasters will be reuniting at the "Brotherly Love: A Night for Our Brother Phil Alvin" benefit concert which will be taking place on Saturday, January 26 at The Observatory Theatre in Santa Ana, California.

MSO sent over these details: The line-up features a virtual who's-who of the Los Angeles music community including a reunion of The Original Blasters: Dave Alvin, Phil Alvin, John Bazz and Bill Bateman; X; The Knitters; James Harman; Frank Fairfield; and the Mike Ellred Trio. Overseeing the evening's festivities is M.C. Big Sandy. Other special guest performers will be announced in the coming weeks.

Tickets for the benefit are $30 and all proceeds will be used to cover Phil Alvin's medical bills from a recent illness. In addition, a reproduction of the Fender Mustang guitar Dave Alvin played when he was in Blasters will be signed by performers and auctioned the evening of the benefit and a special poster created by acclaimed Portland graphic artist Gary Houston with these monies also allocated towards Phil's medical expenses.

About The Blasters: All American roots band The Blasters were formed in 1979 in Downey, California, by brothers Phil Alvin (vocals and guitar) and Dave Alvin (guitar) with bass guitarist John Bazz and drummer Bill Bateman. Their self-described "American Music" was a blend of blues, rockabilly, early rock and their energetic live performances gained a loyal, local following. They became fixtures of the early '80s Los Angeles punk scene, performing alongside X, Black Flag, The Gun Club, The Screamers and many others. Former Black Flag singer and current Rollins Band leader Henry Rollins wrote of the Blasters, "In my mind, they were a great band that not enough people found out about. Bill Bateman is one of the best drummers there is, and then of course, there are the Alvin brothers. A lot of talent for one band," notes for the album The Blasters Collection report that in one particular month, they toured with psychobilly pioneers The Cramps, with western swing revivalists Asleep at the Wheel and on a leg of Queen's west coast tour. The Blasters gave boosts to both Los Lobos and Dwight Yoakam by inviting them on tour; Yoakam would later score hit with his version of Dave Alvin's "Long White Cadillac." The Blasters continue to release music (their latest CD Fun On Saturday Night was released earlier this year) and tour the world. Founding member Dave Alvin left the band in 1986 to launch a successful and critically acclaimed solo career. more on this story




The Black Keys and Sonic Youth On Austin City Limits This Weekend
The Black Keys and Sonic Youth will be featured in an encore episode of Austin City Limits (ACL) airing Saturday, December 29th on PBS. We were sent these details:

The Black Keys are. The Ohio blues-rock duo are enjoying a victory lap in their road-tested career, recently scoring five 2013 Grammy nominations, including Album of the Year and Best Rock Album for their platinum-selling El Camino, capping off a stellar year that included headlining music's biggest festivals and playing to sold-out arenas worldwide.

The episode, which originally aired in October 2010, is a prescient indicator of things to come as the band bring raw energy and steel-belt grit to tracks from their 2010 breakout album Brothers in their ACL debut. more on this story




Late Suicide Silence Frontman Mitch Lucker's Final Video Interview Online
What is believed to be the final video interview with late Suicide Silence frontman Mitch Lucker has been posted online.

The full band was interviewed on Lucker's 28th birthday (October 20th), shortly before he died in a motorcycle accident on Halloween.

The interview was focused on the charity work the band had performed during the holiday season in 2001. Watch it here.




Former Thieves Break Up
Iowa hardcore band Former Thieves have announced that they are splitting up. The band posted the following "Closing Statement" on their Facebook page.

"I still think it's bullsh*t when people try to tell you that being a full-time band from Iowa is harder than being a full-time band from... Well, anywhere else. There are certainly setbacks, yes. For instance, not a lot of touring bands reside here, nor is this a music industry hub by any stretch of the imagination. Our parents or parent's friends [probably] weren't wannabe-pro-musicians at any point, so it's difficult to find a social context for what building a life as such could look like. Seclusion breeds a firm respect for tradition, so ideas like a transient lifestyle can seem socially taboo.

"What this means simply, is we don't grow up with any basis for comparison on how to navigate getting involved with a national, or for that matter international, music scene. There is the inevitable necessity for a bit more trial and error among young bands. You really have to want to look for it, because there is no chance of it just falling in your lap. Exploration is half the fun in my (our) opinion, and from experience we happen to know that every band from the middle of nowhere anywhere is just one 80 day DIY tour away from having all the contacts they need to build real momentum.

"The actual difficulty of being a band transcends location, privilege, ultimate goals, or musical ability. It's staying a band. That's the hard part. As a band progresses and time moves on, there is a lot of life happening in the periphery. It gets to be a lot to balance. The task becomes how well you can keep one foot planted in two polarized worlds, without getting completely lost in the tap-dancing act of making a home life and a band life work. There's no easy way to say this, but that's where we as Former Thieves have become exhausted. the rest of the statement here.




Love/Hate Planning Blackout '13 Tour
Jizzy Pearl has put together a new version of Love/Hate and announced tour dates for their 'Blackout '13' tour.

The group announced a string of UK tour dates for the trek, two California dates and also stated that more US Dates will be announced next month.

The current lineup features guitarist Keri Kelli (Alice Cooper, Slash's Snakepit), bassist Robbie Crane (Ratt, Lynch Mob) and drummer Matt Starr (Ace Frehley).

Kelli sent out a Christmas email to fans which said, "Through March and April I will be joining my brothers in ROQ Jizzy Pearl, Robbie Crane and Matt Star as we do battle with the diehard Love/Hate fans in the UK. Would really like to see you ALL out on these special shows, as you know we don't do them often." more on this story




The Sword Release Limited Edition Album and Kicking Off Tour
The Sword are finishing 2012 with a special limited edition release and will begin 2013 with a new tour.

The band have released a special, limited-edition 180 gram audiophile black LP of their current album, Apocryphon, and are offering fans the opportunity to purchase the vinyl (and additional band merchandise) at a 25% discount by using the special code RT25 at checkout beginning now through January 1st on their online store here.

The Sword will be kicking off their European tour on January 6th. The trek starts with a UK leg followed by a series of shows in continental Europe that wraps up in Copenhagen on January 27th. more on this story




Guns N' Roses' Bumblefoot Offering Free Song Download
Guns N' Roses guitarist Bumblefoot is offering fans a free song download for joining his new mailing list.

His camp says: Bumblefoot dug into his vault to find an unreleased, heavier version of the song "Misery" from his Abnormal album. The song is free to everyone, all you have to do is visit www.Bumblefoot.com and join the brand new Bumblefoot email list.

Bumblefoot wants to keep you updated on his 2013 plans with Guns N' Roses, his work with vocalist Tony Harnell, new products such as the Bumblefoot hot sauces, and much more. This track can't be found anywhere else, only at Bumblefoot.com.

Tim Abrigg Jr. Rants/Raves:: Today's Day in Rock News!

Tim Abrigg Jr. Rants/Raves:: Today's Day in Rock News!: Today's Day in Rock Corey Taylor Has Big Plans For Stone Sour Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor has big plans ahead for his other ... http://join.speedboink.com/track/MTkxLjIuNi4xMi4wLjAuMC4wLjA

Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock




Corey Taylor Has Big Plans For Stone Sour
Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor has big plans ahead for his other band Stone Sour, but most of those plans will take place in 2014.
The band plans to follow up the release of the second part of their two part concept albums, House of Gold & Bones, with touring next year. But the full plans to push the concept beyond just albums will take place in 2014.

Taylor tells Billboard that "not next year but 2014 we are plotting and planning a world tour that is very special, where we do two nights in one place. We play Part 1 top to bottom, the next night Part 2 top to bottom involving a pretty elaborate stage thing that we're cooking up now. And once we do that, we're gonna film everything and try to put together a very comprehensive DVD set."

Aside from that, Taylor tells Billboard that there are plans for two-part feature film exploring the album's concept. "I know the people I want to cast in it," he says. "I know the people I want to produce and direct it. Hopefully I can get it done. There's no ceiling to what we can do with it, so I'm pretty excited." The plans don't stop there. Read the Billboard report for more.



Suspicious Rush Tour Dates Leaked
(hennemusic) Rush recently thanked fans for their support during the Clockwork Angels tour, and now, fan site RushIsABand reports on the possibility that the 2013 North American tour dates have been leaked online.

The site says a photo of an alleged list of 2013 shows was posted to the InfoServ4Rush Twitter feed early on Monday.

RushIsABand reports the list "is almost definitely bogus." "It lists 3 separate dates at Jones Beach in Wantagh, NY including one on April 18th - the date of the Rock Hall induction ceremony in Los Angeles that Rush has promised to attend." more on this story



The Black Crowes Announce Reunion Tour
(hennemusic) The Black Crowes have announced their return from the self-imposed "indefinite hiatus" the band took following their 20th Anniversary tour in 2010/11.

"Merry Crowesmas To All" was the headline on the band's Facebook page as the group revealed a series of 2013 tour dates.

The Crowes launch a week-long UK tour on March 24 in Manchester before returning to North America for dates starting April 2 in Port Chester, NY. more on this story




Ministry's Mike Scaccia Died From A Heart Attack
(Classic Rock) Mike Scaccia died of a heart attack, it's been confirmed. The Ministry and Rigor Mortis guitarist collapsed on stage in Fort Worth, Texas, last weekend, shortly after having asked for the venue's strobes to be switched off.

The Tarrant County Medical Examiner's office notes Scaccia was suffering from heart disease and have ruled his death as natural.

Rigor Mortis bandmate Bruce Corbitt, who was also on stage at the time, has announced plans to launch a fundraising campaign for the 47-year-old's family.

The singer says: "I've been giving the blessings to start an online Fundraiser for Mike Scaccia's Wife Jenny and their Kids. So I will be posting the link for that soon. Also, there will possibly be a Scaccia Tribute/Benefit Show put together for them to honor Mike and also raise money to help them. It could be as soon as this coming weekend." more.




Ozzy Explains Break Up With Original Black Sabbath
Ozzy Osbourne is the special guest on the latest episode of InTheStudio to discuss Black Sabbath's Vol. 4 album.

InTheStudio spoke with Ozzy to get the story behind Vol. 4 which is widely viewed as the last great album from the original Sabbath line-up, on it's 40th anniversary.

Black Sabbath was fracturing under its own internal pressures with the added complication of substantial substance abuse, but by his own admission, Ozzy tells 'InTheStudio' host Redbeard what the real culprit was to the eventual demise of the original band.

"What happened with me and Black Sabbath was that, in the beginning we all had a purpose, but as we went along that inevitable thing stepped in called ego…The fact is that success does change you. It affected ME. I was full of cocaine. That stuff makes you talk the biggest load of horse crap. There shouldn't be a problem (left) in the world, 'cause we solved them all in the bathroom of a hotel with a bag of that white powder. " Listen to the show here.




New Metallica Album Will Have Guitar Solos
(Gibson) Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich recently spoke to Metal Hammer about their progress on the new Metallica album, tentatively scheduled for a 2014 release.

Says Ulrich: "The stuff that we were banging out yesterday, it felt heavy, it felt energetic, it was loud, it was fast, it was rocking, it was crazy... The snare drum was on there and there were guitar solos, in case anybody was wondering."

The yet-to-be-named album will be released on Metallica's newly formed label Blackened Recordings. The band recently acquired the rights to their entire back catalogue from Warner Music Group. The first release from the label is the live DVD Quebec Magnetic, which was released last week. Fans of Metallica might also be pleased to hear what Lars had to say about the direction of the band's new music: "What we're doing now certainly sounds like a continuation of where we left off four years ago." more on this story






Glenn Hughes Speaks Out Over Black Country Communion Controversy
Glenn Hughes of Black Country Communion aimed to "set the record straight" in a new interview with Classic Rock Revisited about the controversy over recent comments he made. Here is an excerpt:

CRR: Let's kill the elephant in the room. You did some interviews that caused a lot of reactions. Glenn: It is none of my business what people say, or write, about me. I am very sensitive. I need to set the record straight today. I know you will not lead me down a dark alley and that is the reason I am doing it.

CRR: Do you regret that this happened and do you regret what you said? Glenn: The only disclaimer I have in this interview, and this goes to all of the Black Country Communion fans out there is this: We have done three albums and one live DVD in two and half years. Ninety percent of the press campaign has been done by me.

I am very happy for Joe and his solo career. Because he is so busy, the band asked me to do the interviews. The promo for the first album went great. The promo for the second album was more difficult because people were talking about evolving in the studio, but they were asking me shouldn't a band evolve on stage.

Most journalists who interview me are Black Country Communion fans and, over time, I have been prodded into the touring question. Yes, I did get frustrated and, yes, I may have said some things that, in hindsight, due to my frustration, I shouldn't have said due to my frustration. Never once did I say anything disrespectful about any of the artists in Black Country Communion, who are of the highest caliber and are my brothers and friends.

I have not done any interviews for several weeks and I have learned that silence is golden. I have learned a lot about myself and the industry. He had a lot more to say, read it here.




The Who: Quadrophenia-Can You See The Real Me? To Air On TV
The Who: Quadrophenia - Can You See The Real Me? is set to air on BBC America on Friday, January 4 at 10:00 PM (ET/PT). We were sent these details:

Originally screened earlier this year as a one-night in-theater event, the documentary takes fans on a riveting ride back to the 1970s when The Who's creative musical genius was taking the world's music stage by storm. The Who: Quadrophenia-Can You See the Real Me gives fans an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look into one of rock's most influential bands and the creation of their celebrated album, Quadrophenia originally released in October 1973.

The Who kicked off their Quadrophenia And More Tour, in early November. The trek features The Who performing their iconic 1973 double album Quadrophenia in its entirety, along with a selection of WHO classics. Founding members Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend are being joined by Zak Starkey (drums), Pino Palladino (bass), Simon Townshend (guitar/backing vocals), John Corey (keyboards), Loren Gold (keyboards/backing vocals) Reggie Grisham (horns), JG Miller (horns) and Frank Simes (musical director, keyboards/backing vocals) for the tour.

The 2012-2013 Quadrophenia And More Tour features The Who performing on a sleek, stripped-down stage with 10 musicians on board, a sophisticated lighting rig and multiple screens that provide footage of world events from World War II to the present day, concentrating on popular culture and the history of the band, including live footage from throughout their storied career. The visuals tie in closely to the Quadrophenia album and movie, particularly the themes of disillusionment, teen angst and rebellion, plus social issues--both from the '60s and now--as well as the beach and ocean that are pivotal in Quadrophenia. more on this story




Moonspell, Marduk, Inquisition, Death Wolf Tour
Moonspell have announced the initial dates for their upcoming North American tour with Marduk, Inquisition, Death Wolf, and The Foreshadowing.

The "Voices from the Dark" tour begins February 20th in Springfield, Virginia and concludes March 16th in Atlanta, Georgia.

Moonspell vocalist/founder commented Fernando Ribeiro had this to say: "The time for a North American tour is finally up, and we are proud to return overseas to bring you all the darkened magic of our Portuguese legend and sound, a rebellion made of passion and communion with the fans. We invite you all to witness the charm and power of Alpha Noir and Omega White, but also to celebrate with us our 20th anniversary as a band and time-travel with us to Wolfheart, Irreligious, and songs never played before in the American territory. The time has come to gather the pack - let the games begin!!!" more on this story




Stormtroopers Of Death Members Launch United Forces
Two former members of the now defunct Stormtroopers Of Death have formed a new band called United Forces. We were sent these details:

United Forces unites S.O.D.'s bassist Danny Lilker (Brutal Truth, Nuclear Assault, Nunf**kritual, Lock-Up,ex-Anthrax) and notorious frontman Billy Milano (Method Of Destruction), the longtime cohorts taking their mayhem to new turf.

Milano and Lilker recruited two additional henchmen to help carry out their forthcoming disorder, with the thunderous Nick Barker (Lock-Up, Ancient, ex-Cradle of Filth, ex-Dimmu Borgir) on percussive duties, and Anton Reisenegger (Criminal, Pentagram Chile, Extreme Noise Terror, Lock Up) handling guitars.

With Lilker located in upstate New York, Milano in central Texas, Barker in England and Reisenegger in Spain, details on the outfit's plans concerning touring or recording remain unknown, but United Forces is, without question, a pending force with which to be dealt.

Notes vocalist Billy Milano on the eclectic union of metal soldiers: "I'm not out to reinvent myself at my age. I just want to have a lot of fun with this. We called it United Forces because we're located all over the place, in different countries, but this is something we're going to come together for." Added four-string assaulter Danny Lilker: "It's gonna be really fun to get together with some good friends -- who are also great musicians -- and play some earsplitting, hardcore-tinged thrash metal! And obviously, we know how to do just that."

At this year's installment of the Fun Fun Fun fest in Austin, Texas, Municipal Waste were joined by Lilker and Milano onstage to help unleash the S.O.D. staple "United Forces." Check it out here.




Vader Announce Back To The Black Tour Dates
Vader have announced the dates for their Back To The Black tour which will also feature Aborted and Bonded By Blood.

The tour will be kicking off on January 17th in Berlin and will conclude on February 10th in Alkmaar, Netherlands.

Vader will be playing both of their albums Black To The Blind and Sothis in their entirety on the tour.

The tour will also feature guest support acts in particular cities from Fhobi, Adimiron, Bloodshot Dawn and Flayed Disciple, according to Vadar's website.

Vader will be launching a second leg of the tour in May and it will cover for the most part Eastern Europe, Italy, Spain, Portugal and several festivals. more on this story




Iron Butterfly's Lee Dorman Found Dead In A Car
Iron Butterfly and Captain Beyond's Lee Dorman was found dead in a car last Friday (Dec. 21). It is presumed he died while en route to a doctor's appointment. He was 70.

The Music's Over reports: Joining about a year after they formed in 1966, Dorman played on their classic second album, 1968′s In-A-Gadda-De-Vida which many consider the birth of heavy metal.

The album went on to sell over 30 million copies while its 17-minute epic single of the same name is considered a rock music milestone and continues to get heavy airplay on classic rock stations as well as on film and TV to this day. Read more and watch video here.




Thieves Giving Away Latest Album
Thieves are offering a free download of their latest album, Achiever, until New Year's Day.

The band had this to say, "This is a holiday gift from our band to our friends and fans. We hope everyone checks out the album over their holiday break, and we encourage people to pass the gift along to their friends if they enjoy it."

The band originally released the seven-track concept record in late July. Achiever's concept centers around, according to vocalist Billy Canino, "facing your demons and admitting that you have room to grow. It's about learning to truly appreciate the people who make you want to be a better, more honest person, instead of obsessing over the idea that you have something to prove to them, society, and yourself." Download it here.



Hypocrisy Releasing New Album in March
Hypocrisy are aiming for a late March release date for their new studio album, which they have entitled "End Of Disclosure."

The group is currently working on the effort and Peter Tägtgren had this update: "Hi all, we're still in the studio working hard to finalize the album. Horgh just layed down the drums - and let me tell you - it sounds awesome!!! Thundering and brutal!

"We can't wait to put out the new tracks and play them live! Hope to meet you all soon on road and wish you guys a great X-mas and happy new year!"




Slash Selects On-Stage Winner
Slash has selected Philadelphia band MACH22 as the winners of the Guitar Center On-Stage contest. The band sent over these details:

Slash picked them as the grand prize winners following submission of their original song, "Don't You Give Me," and a live performance opening for Slash at House of Blues, Atlantic City, on September 14, 2012.

Over 3000 unsigned bands competed nationwide in the contest launched late April 2012. Bands were judged by Slash on presentation, originality and creativity, melody, vocal ability and music, lyrics, and entertainment value, hoping to be awarded a grand prize tour support package valued at more than $30,000. With solid reviews in each contest phase, MACH22 secured the top prize.

"For five cats from the Philly area, being handpicked as the Grand Prize Winners by a Rock legend like Slash is a dream come true," said Lamont Caldwell, lead singer of MACH22. "Philly is an underdog town in the national rock music scene and MACH22 hopes to change that!" more on this story





Sammy Hagar Answers Fans Questions In Video
(hennemusic) Sammy Hagar recently offered to take some questions from fans and was flooded with material.

The Red Rocker is now sharing his answers via a new video posted on Tuesday.

"Redheads - here's a little holiday gift for you-- some answers to a bunch of your questions! Redheads are the best fans in the world!," writes Hagar. Watch it here.




David Lee Roth Releases New Year's Eve Dance Party Spectacular
(hennemusic) Van Halen's David Lee Roth has released a special New Year's Eve Dance Party Spectacular edition of The Roth Show.

The package features music from The DLR Vegas Band, some of Dave's "word jazz," and includes a variety of recent and classic footage.

Some of the vintage material is from Roth's "No Holds Bar-B-Que" compilation. The hour-plus set was sold on VHS only during the ill-fated 2002 "Sam And Dave" tour the singer did with former VH member Sammy Hagar. Watch it here.




Lamb of God, Kiss and Rush Featured On Wikimetal Best of 2012
Wikimetal left the chat aside a bit in order to listen to a selection of great songs that were released this year. They sent over these details:

Lamb of God, Kiss and Rush are just a taste of this end-of-the-year special episode. An amazing playlist, to start off 2013 in the most Heavy Metal way possible.

And this is just the first part! On 2013's first episode, we'll go on playing the best of 2012, on the second part of this "Sounds of 2012" series! Listen to the full episode here.




Eddie Van Halen Reflects On What Makes Christmas Special
(hennemusic) Van Halen guitarist Eddie Van Halen has shared a holiday message for his fans online.

"It's not the presents that make Christmas so special," write Eddie. "It's the presence of those you love wether they are with you in person, or spirit. Best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!"

Eddie and VH will return to live action in 2013 to resume their "A Different Kind Of Truth" tour. more on this story



Black Sabbath Post Snowblind Themed Holiday Message
(hennemusic) Black Sabbath posted a seasonal greeting for fans on Christmas Day which reference one of their most loved albums.

"Happy Holidays from Black Sabbath" includes an image of a snowflake inside an eyeball with the caption "Snowblind," a track from the band's Vol. 4 release.

Sabbath played three shows this year: a homecoming gig in Birmingham in May; UK's Download festival in June, and Chicago's Lollapalooza in August. Watch a live video of Snowblind here.

Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Metallica To Stage 2nd Orion Festival In New City
(hennemusic) Metallica have announced plans for the second annual Orion Music + More Festival. The band posted a video with news that the event will be held on June 8th and 9th in Detroit, MI.
Metallica's inaugural Orion Music + More festival happened June 23 & 24 at Bader Field in Atlantic City, New Jersey. In addition to more than 30 artists on the bill, Metallica headlined both nights.

On Saturday, they played their classic "Ride The Lightning" album in its entirety and, for the first time ever in the U.S., performed the "Black" album on Sunday.

Orion featured variety of on-site events and activities for fans, including Kirk's Crypt, a showcase of guitarist Kirk Hammett's passion for all things horror - vintage film posters, movie props, collectables and more; Ktulu's Rock 'N' Roll Emporium, a marketplace with dozens of vendors selling memorabilia; the Hit The Lights Films tent featuring movies all hand-picked by Lars Ulrich, each with a special connection to him and/or Metallica; and, the Orion Custom Car + Motorcycle Show, curated by frontman James Hetfield, which featured over 300 of the best Customs, Hot Rods, Muscle Cars and Custom Motorcycles on display inside the festival grounds throughout the weekend. Read more and watch the announcement video here.



Thin Lizzy Announce New Name and Lineup
(hennemusic) In October, Thin Lizzy announced that they would not be recording new material under the Thin Lizzy monicker. The last incarnation of the band - Scott Gorham, Brian Downey, Darren Wharton, Ricky Warwick, Damon Johnson and Marco Mendoza – would be looking to form a new project.

Step forward Black Star Riders… Today sees the announcement of the new band formed by Thin Lizzy alumni Ricky Warwick (vocals), Scott Gorham (guitar), Damon Johnson (guitar), Marco Mendoza (bass) with new addition Jimmy DeGrasso on drums (Alice Cooper, Megadeth, David Lee Roth, Suicidal Tendencies). The change in personnel came about as Brian Downey didn't want to commit to the touring cycle a new album would entail and Darren Wharton wanted to concentrate on Dare and other music and film projects.

Black Star Riders are set to enter the studio in Los Angeles in January to start recording their debut album with producer Kevin Shirley (Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, Aerosmith, Rush). The album will feature material the band wrote whilst touring as Thin Lizzy and the sound retains that classic feel but is very much its own as well.

The Black Star Riders record is the next step in the evolution of the Thin Lizzy story. "We are all very excited about the music that we have created for Black Star Riders," says Warwick. "The synergy between the five of us has been phenomenal and I can't wait for the world to hear these songs." More details including about the album.




Led Zeppelin Release Remastered Albums
(hennemusic) Led Zeppelin have reissued their catalog via iTunes. The band have remastered their studio albums specifically for the digital retailer.

The iTunes versions are a separate project from the long-term remastering plan for the Zeppelin albums revealed by guitarist Jimmy Page recently.

"The catalog was last remastered 20 years ago," Page told Rolling Stone, referring to the 1990 release of the four-CD box set, Led Zeppelin. "That's a long time. Everything is being transferred from analog to a higher-resolution digital format." more on this story




Krist Novoselic Explains Paul McCartney and Nirvana Collaboration
Nirvana bass player Krist Novoselic has posted a new blog explaing how the collaboration with the other surviving members of Nirvana and Paul McCartney came about.

Here is what he had to say: The collaboration came out of the Sound CIty film that was produced and directed by Dave. He asked me if I wanted to play with him, Pat and Paul? I said YES! It was a wonderful day -- Paul came in with this cigar box guitar and started playing some mean slide on it. He said it was in a "D". Hearing that, Grunge instincts took over my left hand and I dropped the E on the bass to D. Pat and Dave got into it and the tune took shape. Paul flashed a riff and we picked it up. I busted another one out and everyone picked it up. Things started coming together.

It was so exciting to play with Paul. I became seized with thoughts, for I hadn't played like that with Pat or Dave since the last Nirvana show in 1994. Wow, it was emotionally and musically heavy! Some other things brought me back; there was a Lefty on guitar who was a heck of a songwriter. Anyway, words can't really describe it and I returned to the task at hand. A new song was born! And that's about it. That's all it is -- a new song by some players who have doing it for a while.

The Sound City film is about people coming together to make music -- and I feel that's what we did. The Sandy Benefit was a lot of fun and it felt good to participate in a good cause. Don't have any crazy backstage stories -- Pat and Dave and I had this little corner of Madison Square Garden to hang out in. Except for Paul and his band, I didn't see any of the other big acts backstage. We got there around 5:30pm and waited until after midnight to play.

SNL was a blast. Martin Short was hilarious! My only disappointment was they actually cut a great skit from the broadcast. It was a great among greats so I guess that's what we get. I think that was our best performance of "Cut Me Some Slack" for the whole week. Watch video here.




Mitch Lucker Memorial Show Being Filmed For DVD
Tonight's 'Ending Is the Beginning: Mitch Lucker Memorial' event will be filmed for a future DVD release, according to Suicide Silence.

The benefit is being staged to honor the memory of Suicide Silence frontman Mitch Lucker, who died in a motorcycle accident on Halloween and also raise money for an education fund for his daughter, Kenadee.

The band announced the filming plans on their Facebook and also promised that there would be "big names" attending who they are not announcing prior to the event tonight (December 21st) at the Fox Theater in Pomona, Ca.

The names that have been announced include Asking Alexandria's Danny Worsnop, Hellyeah's Chad Gray, As I Lay Dying's Tim Lambesis, Of Mice & Men's Austin Carlile, All Shall Perish's Eddie Hermida and more.



Cradle of Filth, The Faceless, Decapitated and The Agonist Tour
Cradle of Filth will be playing North American for the first time in almost two years when they launch a new headline tour next spring.

The North American tour will also feature support form The Faceless, Decapitated and The Agonist.

The tour will be kicking off on February 22nd in New York City and will conclude on March 26th in Guelph, ON.

Cradle of Filth will be touring in support of their 10th studio release, The Manticore and Other Horrors. more on this story




Terror and H2O Plan Coheadlining Tour
Terror will be teaming up with H2O for a North American coheadlining tour early next year.

The trek will also feature support from Backtrack and Code Orange Kids and will kick off on February 1st in Washington, DC and will conclude on March 3rd in Richmond, VA.

Terror will also be releasing a new album next year, Live By The Code, which was recorded by Chad Gilbert (New Found Glory, Shai Hulud) and mixed by Matt Hyde (Hatebreed, Slayer). more on this story




Krokus Releasing New Album in March
The End Records have set a March 5th release date for Krokus' new album, Dirty Dynamite. The label sent over these details:

The band spent a whole two years working on the new album with Chris Von Rohr. 'We didn't spend all that time on golf courses or tennis courts. No, we just wanted to make our best album yet, the magnum opus of the new Krokus era," says the producer.

Guitarist Mark Kohler has this to add: 'This is not just another Krokus album. I think we have definitely passed another rock milestone with this record.'

To reach this goal, no expense was spared; the band booked into the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London. Krokus went back to their roots, back to where it all began with the Stones, the Beatles, the Free, the Who, and the Bluesbreakers; back to where the band headlined concerts in the Hammersmith Odeon, celebrating their first international success. more on this story




Ritchie Blackmore Final Deep Purple Concert Being Reissued
earMusic/Eagle Rock have set a January 29th release date for the double disc reissue of Deep Purple's Live In Paris 1975.

Live In Paris 1975 has been digitally remixed and re-mastered from the original multi-track recordings.

Recorded on April 17, 1975 at the Palais des Sports in Paris, this was the very last concert with famed guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, who was leaving Deep Purple to form Rainbow.

Blackmore, vocalist David Coverdale, bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes, keyboardist Jon Lord, and drummer Ian Paice roared with strength on such classics as "Burn," "Stormbringer," "Highway Star," "Space Truckin'," and the smash hit "Smoke On The Water." more on this story




Of Mice & Men Release New Video and Plan Winter Tour
Of Mice & Men have released a music video for their new track, "The Depths", from their recent The Flood (Deluxe Reissue).

The clip was shot in the UK by Sitcom Soldiers (Hyro da Hero, Bury Tomorrow) during the band's recent headline tour. Watch it here.

Front man Austin Carlile says, "Happy Holidays everyone! Wanted to give our listeners a little gift in light of the season! We shot this music video for our single 'The Depths' at the end of our amazing UK/EU headlining run in October."

"The Depths" appears on The Flood Deluxe Reissue (Rise Records), the 2012 expanded edition of their breakthrough '11 sophomore release The Flood, which features 4 brand new tracks recorded with producer Cameron Webb (Motörhead, Social Distortion) and mixed by Joey Sturgis.

The band will be hitting the road this January along with Woe, Is Me, Texas In July, Volumes and Capture The Crown. more on this story




KISS Kruise III Website Launched
(hennemusic) KISS recently announced details for KISS Kruise III, and now the band have launched the website for the 3rd annual trip.

KISS Kruise III is set for October 28 - November 1, 2013 on board The Norwegian Pearl sailing from Miami, Florida to Key West, Florida and Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas.

The Kruise will feature some new additions including KISS will be hosting a Meet & Greet JUST FOR KIDS (2-14, no parents allowed)! Each child will get ONE item autographed along with a large group photo with the band. Find out what else is new here.




Cannabis Corpse and Ghoul Team Up For Tour and Split Release
(Sub) Cannabis Corpse and Ghoul will be teaming up early next year for a European and UK tour.

The tour will kick off on January 23rd in Newcastle, UK then make its way through France, Germany, Austria, Denmark, and Italy before winding up back in Blighty to wrap things up with a duo of dates in London and Leeds.

Cannabis Corpse and Ghoul are hard at work on a split 12" release that will see the light of day via Tankcrimes in spring 2013. more on this story




Circle Takes The Square Releasing New Album Today
Circle Takes The Square are self releasing their new album, Decompositions: Volume 1, today as "pay what you like" download.

Over two years in the making, Decompositions: Volume 1 is CTTS's first new album in over eight years. You can get it here. We were sent these details about the album:

Recorded/Mixed/Mastered by Anthony Stubelek at Rockstudio in Brunswick, GA, Decompositions: Volume I is a collection of songs, comprised of three central musical narratives. Each composition maintains its own identity and story arc, while also playing an integral role in the overarching plotline that unfolds throughout the Decompositions' two chapters.

In Chapter 1: Rites Of Initiation, CTTS push their intricate and circuitous writing style to it's furthest reaches, evoking labyrinthine soundscapes and psychological/visionary imagery in songs like "Way Of Ever-Branching Paths" And "Spirit Narrative" - all within an eclectic yet cohesive collage of punk, metal and even indie sounds.

In Chapter 2: Totem Polaris, CTTS breaks ground in new territories, often only hinted at in their past work. What may have been a fleeting moment of crushing sludge, or straight-forward thrash in their previous compositions, becomes the keystone in songs like "Arrowhead As Epilogue" and "Singing Vengeance Into Being," where the prog-influenced nuances of Chapter 1 are still present, but used primarily as embellishments rather than foundations. Earthy overtones and esoteric references swirl around within the angular dirges Circle Takes the Square has conjured up in Decompositions: Volume 1, wherein the least expected sounds and passages (to those already initiated into the realm of CTTS), seem to ensure the band's commitment to challenging themselves and their fans, with continued experiments inside the beautifully dark universe they've manifested. more on this story



Today Is The Day Announce North American Tour Dates
Today Is The Day have announced the initial dates for their upcoming North American spring tour.

Support throughout most of the tour will be provided by Black Tusk, KEN Mode and Fight Amp. But Black Tusk will drop from the trek after a month on the road, and will be replaced by a special guest to be announced shortly.

Additional American and Canadian shows and more action for this year's SXSW and more will be confirmed soon as well more on this story




Lynyrd Skynyrd's Craig Ferguson Performance Re-Airing
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson will be rebroadcasting Lynyrd Skynyrd's performance of "Last of a Dyin' Breed."

The performance is set to re-air on CBS on December 27 at 12:35am/11:35pm CT.

The original performance aired on October 1 while the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers were touring in Los Angeles in support of their latest album, Last Of A Dyin' Breed.

The album release was their highest charting album since 1977, debuting at No. 14 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart. more on this story




Scott Lucas & the Married Men Announce Hideout Holiday Music Hour
Scott Lucas & the Married Men have a special Christmas present for fans in the form of a streaming special of their holiday special.

For the third straight year, the group recorded their holiday show, which took place on December 9th at the Hideout Inn in Chicago, and will broadcast it as an hour-long special -- The 3rd Annual Hideout Holiday Music Hour -- from their website, beginning at 4p.m. on Christmas Eve. It will run repeatedly on the site for a limited time.

At each holiday show, the band pays homage to "A Prairie Home Companion" with the evening's set and structures the broadcast program as an old tyme radio variety show, complete with a host, surprise guests and faux sponsors. Teen indie pop quartet Purple Apple joined the Married Men for a couple of songs at the Hideout and will appear on the Hideout Holiday Music Hour.

Lucas, who is best known as the singer/guitarist for the two-man, Chicago rock band Local H, tackles plenty of Christmas classics throughout the show, including "Run Run Rudolph," "Last Christmas" by Wham and "Christmas In A Chinese Restaurant," written by Deer Tick's John McCauley, with whom the Married Men toured earlier this year. (The song appears on McCauley's Diamond Rugs album). more on this story




Halestorm To Perform On Jimmy Kimmel Live
(Gibson) It's been a big year for Halestorm. First, the band unleashed their most successful album to date, The Strange Case Of... Then, the group earned a Grammy Award nomination for their breakthrough single, "Love Bites (So Do I)," in the "Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance" category.

Now, fans will be able to check out a performance from frontwoman Lzzy Hale and her band mates on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live, scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 29.

The 55th Annual Grammy Awards will be held on Sunday, Feb. 10, 2013, at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Halestorm are up against several other rockers and metallers for "Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance," including Anthrax ("I'm Alive"), Iron Maiden ("Blood Brothers"), Lamb of God ("Ghost Walking"), Marilyn Manson ("No Reflection") and Megadeth ("Whose Life (Is It Anyways?)"). more on this story






Singled Out: A Rocket to the Moon
Today A Rocket to the Moon's Andrew Cook tells us about the new single "Ever Enough" from their forthcoming new album "Wild & Free". Here is the story:

Happy holidays my friends. I've been given the chance to talk a little bit about our new single, "Ever Enough."

Being the hopeless romantic that I am, this song has had a special place in my heart since I first heard the demo. When I listen to it now, I'm mainly taken back to the feelings I had while recording it (namely the cold winter nights driving back to our apt from the studio, reflecting on the day's work). It gives me a tremendous sense of longing, and speaks to a problem I find myself having when it comes to dealing with the fairer sex, which is wondering if what I have to give will ever be "enough."

I think as humans, we all struggle with insecurities, and the song calls attention to that, but tells us not to be ashamed of it. At the end of the day, it's a sweet little narrative about the power and possibility of love. That's something we can all identify with. I think we knew we had a special song when we watched the trailer for "The Notebook" on mute and let the song play over it in the control room of the studio. It fit perfectly, and since that was kind of the aim for this song from the start, we were all really excited.

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself here and learn more about the group and the new album right here!




Van Halen Dominate 2012 hennemusic Rock News Awards
(hennemusic) Van Halen have dominated the 2012 hennemusic Rock News Awards. The California rockers repeated their 2011 sweep by taking home top honors as both the Rock News Artist Of The Year and as the Rock News Story Of The Year.

Guns N' Roses were the runner-up for Rock News Artist, while Van Halen secured the top two Rock News stories of 2012.

Van Halen were the most read-about artist in both hennemusic categories, which are determined by music fans: numbers are based on the combined total page views of the top 50 hennemusic rock news stories of the past twelve months.

"Van Halen's first album with David Lee Roth in decades was the most-anticipated rock record in many years," said Bruce Henne. "Fans followed VH with intense interest, resulting in the band spending 21 weeks at the top of the hennemusic Hot 10 chart this year, including an impressive and unprecedented 9-week run." Read more and see both Top 10 lists!




Bob Mould Releases Dave Grohl Jam Video Preview From New Film
Bob Mould is giving fans a sneak peak of his new concert film, and what better performance to leak than Mould performing alongside none other than Foo Fighters main man Dave Grohl?

Grohl isn't the only famous musician making an appearance on the film. The release, See a Little Light: A Celebration of the Music and Legacy of Bob Mould, is also set to feature the Shins' Jessica Dobson, Spoon's Britt Daniel, Ryan Adams, the Hold Steady's Craig Finn and Tad Kubler and more. Nice!

The film chronicles a tribute concert for Mould that happened in November of 2011 at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.

Watch the former Hüsker Dü singer perform "Ice Cold Ice" with Grohl here.




Red Hot Chili Peppers Perform On From The Basement
The two latest episodes of From The Basement featuring Red Hot Chili Peppers are now streaming online.

The episodes feature RHCP performing "Did I Let You Know," "Goodbye Hooray," "Police Station," and "Meet Me At The Corner," among others.

Fans can watch them via Crackle which is the only multi-platform service providing free, on-demand viewing of the latest season of From The Basement, a series from multi-Grammy-winning producer Nigel Godrich, where viewers experience intimate performances and up-close looks at popular recording artists. Watch here.




Motorhead To Launch Motorheadphones at CES
(hennemusic) Motorhead will unveil the official U.S. launch of Motorheadphones at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Tuesday, January 8th at 4pm (CES – South Hall – Booth $35801).

Motörhead's Lemmy Kilmister will host an exclusive press conference to introduce the new product.

Motörheadphönes has had unprecedented success throughout Europe prior to making their US debut. The new product features professional audio quality, tooled to reproduce rock music or any played music. Motörheadphönes give smooth warm bass, bombastic drums and clear mid-range plus distinct high-end because of the 40mm neodymium high power speakers that takes 6-10 times more power than a standard headphone.

With the knowledge of using studio headphones for decades, Motorhead has made the mid and high frequencies so clear that you can easily separate the instruments from each other. Motörheadphönes allow anyone to enjoy the same music as professional musicians do in the studio

Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Lars Confirms That Metallica Is Working On New Album
Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich confirms in a new interview that the band is working on their next studio album.
Lars tells Metal Hammer in their January 2013 issue that the new material sounds like a continuation of their 2008 release "Death Magnetic."

"The stuff that we were banging out yesterday, it felt heavy, it felt energetic, it was loud, it was fast, it was rocking, it was crazy," said Ulrich.

"The snare drum was on there and there were guitar solos, in case anybody was wondering. What we're doing now certainly sounds like a continuation of where we left off four years ago."

One thing that Ulrich would not confirm is who is producing the album, and had this to say about Rick Rubin who produced "Death Magnetic": "I love Rick, we all love Rick," said Ulrich. "We're in touch with Rick constantly. We'll see where it goes."

The band recently announced that they have launched a new record label, Blackened Records, and have obtained ownership of their complete catalog.

"It's always been about control for us as a band," Ulrich said in the announcement. "Forming Blackened Recordings is the ultimate in independence, giving us 100 percent control and putting us in the driver's seat of our own creative destiny." Interview quotes obtained from Loudwire.



Former Bury Your Dead Guitarist Sentenced To 20 Years in Prison
Former Bury Your Dead guitarist Eric Ellis has been sentenced to 20 years in Federal prison under a RICO act conviction for his alleged involvement with the Guardians gang, which was said to be inspired by the television show "Sons of Anarchy."

Ellis was a member of Bury Your Dead from 2004 until 2008 and appeared on three of the group's albums, "Bury Your Dead," "Cover Your Tracks," and "Beauty and the Breakdown."

Ellis spoke with Noicecreep while he was still the group about being targeted as the random victim in a gang initiation in Wisconsin while on tour with the band.

The FBI issued a press release about Ellis' sentencing along with other members of the gang. Here is what they had to say: U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard sentenced five members of the Guardians gang last Friday to federal prison terms. Maynard Kenneth Godwin (33, Jacksonville), Andrew Chase Wilkie (31, Callahan), and Eric Steven Ellis (28, Atlantic Beach) were convicted of conspiracy and violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. Godwin was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison, Wilkie was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison, and Ellis was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison. Billy James Harper (31, Jacksonville), Brock Skov (32, Jacksonville), and Jonathan Hart (31, Jacksonville) were convicted of violating the RICO Act. Skov was sentenced to three years and five months in federal prison, and Harper was sentenced to eight years and four months in federal prison. A sentencing date for Hart has not yet been scheduled.

According to court documents, inspired by the television show "Sons of Anarchy," Godwin formed his own gang and called it the Guardians. He was the "Boss," Wilkie was the "Enforcer," Harper was the "Lieutenant," and Skov was the "Technician." Ellis and Hart were associates of the Guardians. The gang committed a series of violent felonies and crimes, including an extortion that left one man nearly dead; the choking of a young woman until she passed out; armed bank robberies; armed home invasions; daily cocaine and opiate sales; and theft of thousands of dollars' worth of merchandise from local stores. Arrests were made in November 2010 when an investigation revealed that the gang was preparing to commit additional home invasion robberies. The robberies committed by the Guardians resulted in the loss of almost $2 million to their victims.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, St. Johns County Sheriff's Office, and the Clay County Sheriff's Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Patricia Barksdale and Jay Taylor.




Meat Loaf To Play Bat Out Of Hell Album On Farewell Tour
Next year Meat Loaf will be embarking on a farewell tour which has been dubbed the Last At Bat Tour.

European and UK dates have been announced for the trek that will take place next spring.

Live Nation UK reports that on the tour, Meat Loaf will perform a two-act show. The first act will include some of Meat Loaf's greatest hits such as 'Dead Ringer For Love' and 'I'd Lie For You (And That's the Truth)'. The second act will be the classic debut album 'Bat Out Of Hell' – with all 7 songs performed in their original order.

Opening the tour at Newcastle Arena on April 5th, Meat Loaf and The Neverland Express will visit Glasgow, London, Birmingham, Nottingham, Manchester, Sheffield and finishing in Cardiff on April 21st.

As for Bat out of Hell, the UK promoters state that since its release in 1977, the seminal album is still 3rd in the biggest selling charts, having sold more than 45 million copies and continues to sell around 200,000 copies each year. In fact, the album has never left the charts the UK!

The UK run will be followed by dates in Germany in late April and early May. No word yet what other countries Meat Loaf may be visiting on his farewell tour. more on this story




Alice In Chains Release Lyric Video For New Album Song
Christmas has come a week early for Alice in Chains fans as the group has released a lyric video for the title track of their forthcoming album.

The group posted the "Hollow" lyric video on their official website on Tuesday. The video was created by fans and comprised of images submitted through Instagram.

The single for "Hollow" will be released on iTunes on January 8, and will be followed by the Vevo premiere of the song's official companion video.

Set for a spring 2013 release, Alice In Chains' upcoming album was recorded in Los Angeles with producer Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Deftones).

Raskulinecz also produced the band's hugely successful 2009 release Black Gives Way To Blue, which entered Billboard's Top 200 at No. 5, sold over one million copies, spawned two No. 1 hit singles ("Check My Brain" and "Your Decision") and a third ("Lesson Learned") that went top 10, earned two Grammy nominations and saw the band (vocalist/guitarist Jerry Cantrell, vocalist/guitarist William DuVall, drummer Sean Kinney and bassist Mike Inez) headlining a sold-out international tour that wrapped at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

In a recent interview with Guitar World, Cantrell said, "In my opinion, that record stood up to anything else we've put out in our career. Hopefully, the new album will connect with people in the same way." Watch the new video here.




Deftones Plan North American Tour
Deftones have announced plans to launch a North America headline tour next March.

The tour is set to kick off on March 4, 2013 in Rochester, NY and will conclude on March 30 in Houston, TX.

Deftones have also rescheduled their New York City and Boston, MA show dates, which had previously been postponed due to Hurricane Sandy.

The band will be touring in support of their seventh studio album, Koi No Yokan, which was released last month. more on this story




New Order Plan New Album Release And World Tour
New Order have set a January 14th release date for their new album, "The Lost Sirens," and have added a North American leg to their world tour plans.

As the name suggest, The Lost Sirens, consists of songs that were written and recorded for the 2005 release, "Waiting for the Sirens' Call."

"Lost Sirens? Well, it's not really lost," Stephen Morris explains. "I remember that Martin Hannett once had an idea of making a record and burying it in his garden, so that one day someone would dig it up, like a time capsule. We just stuck our record in a cupboard. And now we've got it out.

"When we did the first one we had 20 ideas for songs - we were going through a particularly prolific phase - but we couldn't make a double concept album out of them all, so we thought we'd just do two instead.

"The intention was always to write four or five more songs and then put it out 18 months or so after the first one. When we unearthed it from the cupboard recently, with the intention of re-editing some of the songs, we all agreed they didn't actually need it, and it should just be out there. So here it is."

The eight-track album may be the last time that new material is released from New Order featuring Peter Hook, who left the group in 2007 and was not invited to reunite with the group (Bernard Sumner, Morris and Gillian Gilbert) last year. more on this story




Def Leppard Release Acoustic Medley
(hennemusic) Def Leppard have released an acoustic medley featuring several tracks played during their 2012 live shows.

Available exclusively via iTunes, the 7-minute plus medley includes snippets of the following tracks: * "Where Does Love Go When It Dies"
* "Now" * "When Love and Hate Collide" * "Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad" * "Two Steps Behind"

Leppard have also recently announced a Las Vegas residency in the spring of 2013 where they will be taking over the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino for an exclusive nine-show run entitled "VIVA Hysteria!"

The band will perform their iconic album, "Hysteria," in full, in addition to a greatest hits segment. Listen to the new medley here.




Dave Grohl Directs New Soundgarden Video
(hennemusic) Soundgarden have recruited Dave Grohl to direct the music video for their song "By Crooked Steps" from their new album, "King Animal."

The head Foo Fighter recently completed his first film, "Sound City," which chronicles the story of the Van Nuys, California studio of the same name, where music legends recorded major projects throughout the years – including Nirvana's 1991 smash, "Nevermind," which featured Grohl on drums.

"Sound City" will premiere at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival in January before its theatrical release in February. Check out a video of Soundgarden performing the video song live.




The Devil Wears Prada and As I Lay Dying Announce Tour
The Devil Wears Prada and As I Lay Dying are teaming up for a North American coheadlining tour.

The tour will feature support from For Today (on all dates except March 7th-March 8th), The Color Morale (February 22nd – March 7th), and The Chariot (March 8th – April 4th).

The trek kicks off on February 22nd at Ventura, Ca. concludes with a two-night stand on April 3rd and 4th in Colorado Springs, Co. more on this story




New Queensryche Album A Full Band Effort
Queensryche drummer Scott Rockenfield says in a new interview that the band is excited because the new album that they are working on is a complete "band" effort.

Rock Confidential asked Scott, "How involved is each member in the songwriting process and how does it differ from previous writing sessions?"

He responded, "That's exactly why we're excited and there's all this enthusiasm behind the new album. We're finally... let me back up. Unfortunately, over the course of the past, many records that we've done hasn't been a complete 'band' effort. We've run into a lot of conflicts of musical tastes or directions that we should take. I think the band has suffered because of it. It was something that wasn't always done with the music always in mind. That's why a lot of this has transpired and turned into what it did and we had to move on."

"Our goal has always been for Queensrÿche to this particular type of band. One thing we wanted to do was to revisit what that was and that to us is what made Queensrÿche – our classic material. Why were we so excited then? Let's find that 'excitement' again. We wanted to do that for a while but we haven't been able to do that. We weren't 'allowed' to do that is probably a better way to put it. In a nutshell that's what we're doing. So to answer your question, all five of us – Michael, Parker, Eddie, Todd and I are all writing the material. It's a huge collective effort. We're all playing the material and then with 'Jimbo' in the fold as our producer and engineer – he's like the sixth member of the band. The chemistry level is huge and that's something that we haven't had in a while. I think that's what the fans are excited about and the anticipation is so high. Having said that—it's a hell of a lot of pressure! Whatever, we'll get through it! (laughs) We're having a lot of fun. Last week in the studio was really a lot of fun." You can read the full interview here.




Thin Lizzy To Announce New Band Name and Album on Christmas
(hennemusic) This fall, Thin Lizzy announced the group will start recording a new album , to be released under a new name, and that they will cease touring under the Thin Lizzy brand after going out on one last UK tour.

The trip wrapped up Monday in London, and now the group is sharing its plans moving forward.

"A massive thanks to all fans who have supported TL for the last 2 years, it's been the biggest honor and privilege of my life to be part of this," posted singer Ricky Warwick. "Stay tuned for big announcements on Xmas on the album and new band name ...2013 is gonna be a very busy year!"

Although Thin Lizzy are scheduled to play an Australian tour with KISS and Motley Crue in the spring, as well as some headline dates of their own, the band revealed their name change and new album plans earlier this fall.

"Out of respect to Phil Lynott and the legacy he created, we have decided that we should not release a new album under the Thin Lizzy name," said guitarist Scott Gorham in September. Read the rest here.




Clutch Announce First Leg Of Their North American Tour
Clutch have announced the initial dates for the first leg of the North American portion of their upcoming world tour.

The newly announced dates will kick off on March 8th in Cincinnati, OH and are currently slated to run through March 24th in Anaheim, CA. Support on these dates will be provided by Orange Goblin, Lionize and Kyng.

The tour will be in support of their forthcoming album, Earth Rocker. The North American trek will follow the band's European tour which runs from late January until early February.

Clutch will also be headlining the KBPI "When Hell Freezes Over" show this Friday night December 21st in Denver, CO at the Fillmore Auditorium.

Then next week, Clutch will be launching their Holiday tour which kick off December 26th in Washington, DC and conclude with a special New Year's Eve performance in Worcester, MA at The Palladium. more on this story




The Story So Far and Man Overboard Plan Spring Tour
The Story So Far and Man Overboard will be teaming up next spring to coheadline The Suppy Nation Tour.

The trek will kick off in Dallas on March 8th and will feature support from Tonight Alive, Citizen and The American Scene.

The Story So Far will be releasing a new album in the spring, produced by Steven Klein (New Found Glory). more on this story




Black Dahlia Murder Added To Warped Tour
Next summer's Warped Tour will features some metal from Black Dahlia Murder who will be taking part in the annual trek.

Frontman Trevor Strnad had this to say about being added to next year's lineup: "We in the Black Dahlia Murder look forward to seeing you and your friend's fancy haircuts this summer at the Van's Warped Tour.

"I think it's safe to say that all of us in TBDM have attended this tour at various points and have fond memories of this great American punk rock freak show.

"This time, we shall be the freaks … the sore thumb poking at your eyeball. We are proud to be the fastest, craziest, and most evil band that has ever played Warped Tour … hundreds of bands will enter, one band will leave. Us.

"We will emerge from the rubble like the giant cockroach men we are. See ya this summer… let's get warped!!!" more on this story




Rolling Stones Tour Speculation
(Gibson) Fresh off their 50th anniversary mini-tour, speculation has already started that perhaps The Rolling Stones will hit the road for a major tour in 2013.

Mick Jagger said during the band's last concert in Newark, NJ, on Saturday night: "This is our last show…of the 50th anniversary tour. Hope to see you again soon."

Former Stones guitarist Mick Taylor, who played guitar during "Midnight Rambler," told Billboard "I think they feel re-energized, and possibly very enthusiastic about doing things in the future. I have an intuitive feeling that if they want to do some more shows, they can. There's no reason why they shouldn't be able to."

Adding further fuel to the rumor of more Stones shows, on Friday December 14 the band's official mobile app briefly listed a show on April 12 in Indio, CA, under the heading "Coachella 2013." more on this story






Tracii Guns' League Of Gentlemen Finish Debut Album
Former L.A. Guns guitarist Tracii Guns informed fans via Facebook that his new group has finished recording their new album.

The new group, Tracii Guns' League Of Gentlemen, are hoping to release their debut album next spring.

Guns had this to say, "Update! The album is completely finished, Now onto artwork etcetcetc. Trying for a March release date.

"At the moment our very good friend and photographer Cheryl Spelts is very sick and she hasn't been able to get her priceless photos of the band to us so, we hope she gets better quickly so she can get on with her busy life and so we can finish up the Album artwork and get our new website www.electriclogjam.com up and out as quickly as possible." Until then you can visit Tracii's Facebook here.




Garbage Already Planning Next Album
(Gibson) This year saw the release of Not Your Kind of People, the first new studio album from Garbage in seven years.

In an interview with Rolling Stone, the band reveals that they are already set to record new material.

According to drummer Butch Vig, the band are, "gonna do some recording in January, early February."

But Garbage are not setting out to record a full album of songs, but rather a handful of tracks to be released digitally.

Singer Shirley Manson said: "Historically, we've worked slow because we've toured so much — we go and spend a year making a record, then we go back out on the road. Now we realize we can do two or three tracks, release these tracks and then go on the road." more on this story







Singled Out: Her Dark Embrace
Today Her Dark Embrace vocalist Will Brookes tells us about their new single "December". Here is the story:

December is a song based loosely on memories of my own, tied in with that nostalgic movie feeling. It's a song about the kind of memory you keep in your heart, and don't share with other people. The kind that can still make your stomach feel funny, even though it happened years ago.

I came up with the idea for it when I was flicking through some old photographs. I found a picture of a love heart, drawn on steamed up glass, and the memories it evoked were so strong. The whole song just grew from there. Today, it's our first single, and has a music video to go with it!

The music video was great fun to make, although it was freezing cold! Getting up at 5am with a hangover, and climbing up a mountain with all the gear wasn't the best feeling in the world, but the results are definitely worth it.

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself and check out the video right here!




Blink-182's Yelawolf Collaboration Streaming Online
KROQ are streaming a brand new track from Blink-182's new E.P. Dogs Eating Dogs. Titled "Pretty Little Girl," the track features guest vocals from Alabama rapper and Travis Barker collaborator Yelawolf.

Talk of an unnamed E.P. began circling this fall just after the band announced they had separated from long time partner, Interscope Records. "It's a great time in our band right now," Hoppus told CBS Local. "We're better amongst ourselves than we've been in years. It's a real positive, excited energy between the three of us. Getting a chance to become independent after being on a label for whatever it's been, 17 years now – it's a really cool position to be in."

Blink-182 decided to self-release the E.P. and on December 10th, unveiled the Christmas song, "Boxing Day."

"Dogs Eating Dogs will be nothing like Neighborhoods, but it's also not just a return to the band's early releases," explained Tom DeLonge to Billboard. "The band is back together, working together in a way that they hadn't been, even for years before the hiatus. We're connected and laughing and making jokes and making fun of each other, and really having strong debates whether or not we should have a whole chorus about..." Find out what that's about and listen to the song here.



Video of The Black Keys Rolling Stones Jam Goes Online
(hennemusic) The Black Keys joined the Rolling Stones Saturday in New Jersey for the fifth and final show of the band's 50 & Counting tour.

The Keys jammed the Bo Diddley classic "Who Do You Love?" with the Stones at the show, which also featured special guests Bruce Springsteen, Lady Gaga, John Mayer, Gary Clark Jr. and former Stone Mick Taylor.

There's rumors that there are more concerts to be announced as the Stones marks their 50th anniversary.

On Friday, an April 12, 2013 Coachella Festival date appeared on the official Stones App, only to be taken down hours later; April 12 is the opening day of the festival's first weekend.