Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Metallica: Rock's Not Dead But Some Bands Need To Die Off
Metallica frontman James Hetfield recently addressed the current state of rock and blasts the idea that rock is dead, but says that some bands have to die off.
Artisan News Service issued a new video report which included edited footage of Metallica's press conference for their Orion Festival and Hetfield addressed the idea of rock dying with, "It dying and popularity are two different things.... if it's not popular, fine. I kinda like it that way."

"I love being the underdog. I love being the thing that's not liked. I love to build it up again. That's part of the mission in life for me."

The clip then jumps to a clip of James saying, "Maybe saying, there's too many bands out there, and some have to die off so the strong survive. That's just my theory?"

Guitarist Kirk Hammett added "like lemmings" before drummer Lars Ulrich laughed and ended with "You heard it here first; there are too many bands out there. Some of them have to die off. Quote James Hetfield"

The video feature also included Marilyn Manson who compared rock to a zombie that will never die despite decades of declarations of its demise. They also talked to Slash, who took a more serious approach to answering the question. You can see what he had to say below:






Grohl Denies Foo Fighters Hiatus Reports
(Classic Rock) Foo Fighters mainman Dave Grohl has told fans to calm down after rumours spread saying the band were about to take a second hiatus.

The story arose after he told the crowd at the Reading Festival last weekend: "It's the last show of the tour and it's the last show for a long time."

Now he's said: "Relax – I was only talking to England, about England! Stop eavesdropping, internets!" More rock news.



Rolling Stones Movie Coming This Fall
With rumors swirling around about the Rolling Stones plans, we received some solid news about the group this week. There will be a new film about the rock veterans premiering on HBO on November 15th.

Rogers & Cowan sent over these details: Crossfire Hurricane, directed by Brett Morgen, provides a remarkable new perspective on the Stones' unparalleled journey from blues-obsessed teenagers in the early '60s to rock royalty. It's all here in panoramic candour, from the Marquee Club to Hyde Park, from Altamont to "Exile," from club gigs to stadium extravaganzas.

In addition to the U.S. premiere on HBO, in the UK the film will receive a theatrical release and can be seen by Stones fans in selected cinemas across the country in the fall. It will also broadcast on BBC 2 later in the year. more on this story



Deftones Set For New Album and Tour This Fall
The Deftones will release their new studio album, Koi No Yokan, on November 13th and will be hitting the road a month earlier to support the effort.

Koi No Yokan was recorded in Los Angeles, CA with Nick Raskulinecz (Alice In Chains, Foo Fighters, Rush) who also produced Diamond Eyes.

Front man Chino Moreno summed up Deftones' sound in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, saying "Obviously we're an aggressive band - not the heaviest, but there's a lot of attack. He continues, "But there's also this lush beauty that flows within everything that we do, and that's my favorite part of the band. To me, it's the epitome of what the Deftones do." more on this story



Duran Duran Forced To Cancel Tour
Nick Rhodes' illness has forced Duran Duran to cancel the final dates of their North American tour.

The band had previously canceled shows this week in Pittsburgh, Atlantic City, Kettering and Chicago and announced on Thursday that they would not be able to perform the final dates of their All You Need Is Now world tour in Canada tonight and tomorrow (Friday 31st August and Saturday 1st September in Rama, Ontario.)

Rhodes issued the following statement to fans: Firstly, I would like to personally apologise to everybody who had tickets to attend the shows which we were forced to cancel during the final week of our world tour. I know how far some of you travel to see us perform and how seldom we reach some of your cities. We never want to let you down. In this instance, it was truly unavoidable. I contracted a virus, which dragged me down and left me entirely exhausted. Although I made it clear to doctors that it was my express wish to recommence the tour as soon as possible, they all strongly advised that I needed to recover properly, which regrettably, meant resting for the remainder of this week. more on this story



Marillion Set New Album Release
Marillion will release their 17th studio album, Sounds That Can't Be Made, on September 24, 2012.

Produced by Marillion and Michael Hunter, the collection has been two years in the making, recorded at Marillion's home studio, the Racket Club, as well as Peter Gabriel's Real World Studios.

On Sounds That Can't Be Made, frontman Steve Hogarth admits "More than a singer, I feel like an interpreter expressing a journey." Listeners will indeed take a lyrical journey, from Hogarth's open-diary prose for "Montreal," to the long-lost 1992 John Helmer lyric to "Pour My Love," as well as "Gaza," the record's 17-minute epic centerpiece. more on this story



Static-X, Emmure, Ill Nino, 9 Electric and Shogun Tour
Static-X have mapped out the initial dates for the North American fall leg of their Noise Revolution Tour which kicks off next month.

The tour will also feature Emmure, Ill Nino, 9 Electric and Shogun and will begin on September 19th Billings, MT.

Static-X, Emmure, 9 Electric will be kicking things off the day before with a concert in Cheyenne, WY. more on this story



Original Santana Singer All For A Reunion
(CBS Local) One of the hottest tours of the summer was The Beach Boys/Brian Wilson reunion. On the list of legendary bands who are estranged from important former (living) members, Santana ranks high. So what would it take to get the group's original singer, Gregg Rolie, back into the fold for an album and/or tour?

Rolie tells CBS Local that it should be pretty simple: "It's just a matter of putting it together and going and doing it. We've talked about it a number of times, but it never comes to fruition. I would do it, I think it's a great idea, people would love it. It could be great!"

Rolie, a founding member of Santana, played on their first four albums. The first three, Santana (1969), Abraxas (1970) and III (1971) are classic rock albums in the truest sense of the world, yielding songs including "Waiting," "Evil Ways," "Soul Sacrifice," "Black Magic Woman," "Oye Como Va" and "No One To Depend On." The fourth album, Caravanserai, saw the band go in a much jazzier direction, after which Rolie decided to leave the band. more on this story



Soilwork Recording Double Album
Soilwork have so much new music that they have been working on in the studio that they plan to release a double album.

The band is currently recording with producer Jens Bogren (Opeth, Amon Amarth, Bloodbath) and have entitled the upcoming release The Living Infinite.

Singer Björn "Speed" Strid tells fans, "So here's the scoop. Me and the boys have been waiting to share this for quite some time now: The Living Infinite will be a double album! A REAL double album, in the true sense of the word, which means no fillers and no left-overs. more on this story



Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza Releasing Final Album In October
The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza's final album, Danza IIII: The Alpha - The Omega, will be released on October 23rd.

Danza IIII contains guest vocal appearances by Whitechapel's Phil Bozeman and Obey the Brave/Despised Icon's Alex Erian. The album was engineered and mixed by Nicholas Scott (Miss May I). The artwork was created by Michael J. Windsor, known for his work with The Red Chord and Pig Destroyer, and for his book covers for bestsellers like The Da Vinci Code and Darkly Dreaming Dexter.

Josh Travis, now a full-time member of Glass Cloud with former Of Mice & Men frontman Jerry Roush, made this comment about Danza IIII: "For this album, Jessie and I were looking to create more of a visceral vibe than a completely technical vibe. There's parts that do still get a bit chaotic of course, but not nearly as much as the avid listener is used to. Everything about this record is way more to the point, with much more heart put into it rather than just seeing how many notes could be thrown into a part or seeking to create 'the heaviest sh*t ever' or any of that nonsense. The record being titled The Alpha - The Omega, to us symbolized the beginning and the end of Danza. Jessie and I hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed creating it for you all." more on this story



The Oral History of Led Zeppelin Set For Release
(hennemusic) Earlier this week, a Led Zeppelin book by British music writer Barney Hoskyns was announced for release next week. "Trampled Under Foot: The Power And Excess Of Led Zeppelin," by Hoskyns, will be published September 6.

Now, a second Zeppelin effort by Hoskyns has been announced for November. "Led Zeppelin: The Oral History Of The World's Greatest Rock Band" is set to be published November 6.

The 576-page hardcover is based on more than 200 interviews with everyone from Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones to road manager Richard Cole, their late manager Peter Grant, and many others central to the Zeppelin story. more on this story



Dispatch World Tour
Dispatch have expanded their tour plans into next year with the addition of a new European leg to following their North American trek this fall.

Kicking off on January 23rd in Vienna, Austria, Dispatch will also visit Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, and the Netherlands, wrapping up on February 4th in Dortmund, Germany.

They will be touring in support of Circles Around The Sun, which debuted at Number 24 on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart, marking the band's highest chart entry in their 16-year history. more on this story



Triumph's Rik Emmett, Mike Levine and Gil Moore In The Studio
(hennemusic) Rock radio series In The Studio: The Stories Behind History's Greatest Rock Bands heads north to Canada this week for the "Best of" Triumph as part of its Medium Rare series.

Triumph members Rik Emmett, Mike Levine and Gil Moore sit down with host Redbeard for an honest, heartwarming and hysterically funny interview about how this three-piece Toronto outfit made it in North America, first as an upstart live act and then
as platinum selling recording artists.

After years of playing in bands with multitudes of members, Triumph intentionally designed themselves as a trio. "The idea was really practical that we only wanted three musicians," says Moore. "We thought,' there's never going to be a tie vote'. (Laughs) That sounds crazy but that was part of it. The whole idea about what we wanted to do musically, we were looking at bands like ZZ Top, Cream, Zeppelin…generally dealing with no rhythm guitar and no keyboards. That was part of the philosophy of what we wanted to do musically. We knew the limitations. I use to always say,' In a three piece band there is no place to hide'." more on this story



Liverpool Residents Wish Beatles Fans Would Let It Be
(Gibson) The original Liverpool homes of The Beatles are increasingly becoming tourist destinations. Dozens of companies are now offering tours of the Fab Four's former haunts across the northern English city. But many Liverpool residents would wish tourists would – ahem - let it be.

They say their peace is being shattered with tourists arriving at all hours of the day and night. Local paper The Liverpool Echo spoke to Kathleen Hughes, 74, who lives in George Harrison's birthplace, Arnold Grove in the Liverpool district of Wavertree. She said she was scared by the "hoards of people outside my door". Retired care-worker Kathleen added: "The tour taxis come zooming up the street and in the summer there are hundreds of them every day. At the weekend they are turning up constantly, even as late as two o'clock in the morning.

"I live on my own and sometimes it's really frightening with the flashes going off through my windows. It's horrible having strangers sticking their faces in my window and knocking at all times of day.

"If the door's open some of them some are so cheeky they just walk straight into the house as though it's a museum." more on this story





Stolen Babies Map Out Fall Tour Plans
Stolen Babies plan to hit the road next week for the Epic Kings & Idols Tour featuring coheadliners Devin Townsend Project, Katatonia, and special guests Paradise Lost.

The tour kicks-off in Seattle, WA at Studio 7 on September 4th and travels throughout the United States until September 24th when it comes to a close in Baltimore, MD at Rams Head Live.

In addition to the tour, Stolen Babies also plan two dates scheduled before tour kick-off and several one-off headline dates during and after. more on this story



Black Tusk Plan Release Party Weekend
Black Tusk have added three new special headline dates in addition to their upcoming North American headline tour.

These dates are part of the release party weekend for the new Split 7" that Black Tusk recorded with fellow Savannah metallers Dead Yet? The 7" is being released on Hyperrealist Records.

These dates are scheduled for the weekend of September 21st in Jacksonville, FL, Savannah, GA, and Columbia, SC. more on this story



Seven Kingdoms Releasing New Album This Fall
(Freeman) Nightmare Records have set an October 9th release date for the new Seven Kingdoms album, The Fire is Mine.

In May of 2012 the band entered Morrisound Studios to create a record powerful enough to hang with the best in metal. With legendary producer Jim Morris (Iced Earth, Obituary, JOP, Jag Panzer etc) at the helm and much more experience gained, SEVEN KINGDOMS created their next melodic power thrash opus.

Today Seven Kingdoms revealed the tracklisting for The Fire is Mine which is set for an release on. more on this story



A Sound Of Thunder Offering EP To Kick Start New Album
A Sound Of Thunder are now offering their new Queen Of Hell EP exclusively through Kickstarter.com as a reward to fans that help fund their new album.

The EP serves as a follow up to the 2012 studio album "Out of the Darkness" and teaser for the band's next studio album Time's Arrow, due in spring 2013. Queen Of Hell was produced by Kevin "131" Gutierrez (Shinedown, While Heaven Wept, Deceased) at Assembly Line Studios in Virginia.

According to guitarist Josh Schwartz, "we had too much great material for our next album and weren't willing to shelve it, so the EP was a no-brainer. It gives us a great reward to offer the fans who support our fundraising campaign for the next album, and reduces the wait time for new music from the band." more on this story



The Peach Kings Plan Album Release Shows
The Peach Kings will be celebrating the release of their new EP, Handsome Moves, on September 6, 2012 with a run of bi-coastal shows.

The duo will be playing 3 special shows in New York City and one show in Los Angeles.

They describe their sound as "gypsydelic," which is just what it sounds like. Stemming from their inability to choose one genre of music to play, they coined the term in order to reflect their own personal view of the band. "Gypsy-" because they were inspired by playing outdoors and "-delic" because it contains just a hint of strange. more on this story



Pig Destroyer Releasing New Album in Multiple Configurations
Pig Destroyer will be releasing their new album, Book Burner, on October 22nd in various configurations.

Book Burner will be released as a CD, Deluxe 2xCD, LP, Deluxe 2xLP, Cassette, Digital and an extremely limited ultimate edition dubbed "The Order Of The Godless Swine."

The deluxe editions will each contain a bonus disc of punk covers and a short story, titled The Atheist, penned by frontman JR Hayes. The Atheist is a post-apocalyptic tale about a decaying world taken over by the violence of religion that showcases the renowned lyricists' unsurpassed style for the first time as prose. The deluxe 2xLP will also contain an etched b-side featuring artwork by Wormrot frontman Arif Rot. more on this story



B Sides


Singled Out: Thoughts In Reverse
Today Thoughts In Reverse singer Brian Magee and guitarist Scott Garland tell us about the song "Judged By Twelve, Carried By Six," from their new EP "Sightings". Here is the story:

Singer Brian Magee: When we wrote "Judged By 12, Carried By 6," I was in a very vengeful and angry place, so lyrically I put out everything that I was feeling at the time. Basically, like everyone on earth, I was taken advantage of by someone I called a friend and my way of coming to terms with the situation was to write out what I never got the chance to say. For me, being able to get my inner thoughts and aggression out was what I needed to move on from that event. Musically, I interpreted the song in a very bitter way, but also, it made me feel really hostile, so I let all that pent up emotion flow accordingly. What came out is just the words of a pissed off dude thirsty for closure.

Guitarist Scott Garland: We feel when listening to a CD, if the first 30 seconds of a song doesn't get your attention then you probably won't want to listen to the rest, so when writing "Judged By 12, Carried By 6" we wanted a solid, hard-hitting song to start the EP on. We incorporated our heavier side with breakdowns, noise chords, a few catchy parts and the all essential gang-vocals to create an energetic and memorable song. We were looking to just write a song that would get people amped up and open the EP with an "in your face" vibe. "JB12, CB6" came together fairly easily for us because we all had an agreement to bring together our heavier aspects and tie in mean, crushing vocals for a more pissed off sound. Overall "Judged By 12, Carried By 6" is one of our favorite songs to play live and we almost always open with it so we start off our set with raw energy and something heavy for the kids.

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



Dave Matthews Band Release Mercy Video
Dave Matthews Band have premiered their brand new music video for their latest single "Mercy," and the fans helped make the clip.

After the band invited fans to take part in the creation of the video, 14,334 responded, submitting original photos and videos. Those who contributed to the process were rewarded with an early look at the resulting clip, directed by James Frost (Radiohead, OK Go), before it premiered yesterday on Vevo. The "Mercy" video can be seen here

"Mercy" is the first single from Dave Matthews Band's forthcoming album, Away From The World, which is set for release on September 11. more on this story



Don Felder Recounts Working With Tommy Petty, Stephen Stills and Duane Allman
(Gibson) Don Felder has been speaking about his new solo album Road To Forever. It is his first solo album since 1983. Speaking to MusicRadar's Joe Bosso, Felder recounts his childhood guitar influences and friends, including some names you may not know Felder knew. (Read the full interview here.)

"I grew up in Gainesville, Florida, and there was an unusual number of unique talents that grew up there," says Felder. "Stephen Stills and I had a band together when we were 14, 15 years old. Tommy Petty is a few years younger than me – he was one of my guitar students. Duane and Gregg Allman lived in Daytona, but they would come to Gainesville and play in all the battle of the bands against us. They did all the fraternities and parties at the University of Florida.

"I first encountered electric slide guitar from Duane Allman. I became very good friends with him; in fact, I sat on the floor of his mother's house in Daytona, and he showed me how to play slide guitar, the tunings and positions. I never wanted to emulate and copy Duane, but I learned my foundation from him. He was brilliant, of course. I stole everything I could from him – and Petty stole everything he could from me!" more on this story





Whitesnake TV Launched
(hennemusic) Whitesnake have launched their own online TV channel, WSTV. "I want my...I want my...I want my Snake TV!!!!" wrote singer David Coverdale in announcing the channel on the band's website – with a nod to the opening of "Money For Nothing" by Dire Straits.

The premiere episode on the new channel features Coverdale in an extended interview with his granddaughter Georgina.

"She's going to ask me questions now for an interview for her school," David explains. "We thought it would be fun to film it so you can share in it, as well."