Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Lostprophets Singer To Remain In Jail On Child Sex Charges
Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins and his two female co-defendants have been ordered to remain in custody until March 11th facing charges for child sexual offenses.
Watkins appeared before Cardiff Crown Court via a video link from Parc Prison in Bridgend, Wales on New Year's Eve according to Classic Rock.

As we previously reported, Watkins has been charged with conspiring with a woman to rape a one-year-old child and other crimes.

He faces one charge of conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child under 13 and four child pornography related charges.

A 24-year-old woman faces the same charges as Watkins and a 20-year-old woman faces all the charges except conspiracy to rape. Read the original report here.



Green Day Announce Rescheduled North American Tour
Green Day have announced the new dates for their previously postponed North American winter tour.

The band was forced to postpone their original planned trek after frontman Billie Joe Armstrong entered rehab.

The newly announced dates will begin on March 28th in Chicago and conclude April 12th - Quebec City, QC

"We want to thank everyone for hanging in with us for the last few months," said the members of Green Day. "We are very excited to hit the road and see all of you again, though we regret having to cancel more shows."

Frontman Billie Joe Armstrong said, "Dear friends... I just want to thank you all for the love and support you've shown for the past few months. Believe me, it hasn't gone unnoticed and I'm eternally grateful to have such an amazing set of friends and family. I'm getting better everyday. So now, without further ado, the show must go on. We can't wait to get on the road and live out load! Our passion has only grown stronger." more on this story




Whitesnake Star Breaks His Collarbone
Whitesnake drummer Brian Tichy was unable to take part in a Led Zeppelin tribute show on New Year's Eve after he suffered a broken collarbone in a mountain biking accident.

Quiet Riot drummer Frankie Banali was tapped to take his place in the all-star tribute event in Las Vegas.

Tichy broke the news to fans via a series of Twitter postings: "Typin with yor arm in a sling after u get back from er after wipin on your mtn. bike n breakin yor collarbone jus sux."

"So much for playing drums new year's in vegas with The Moby Dicks. Thanks to our bud Frankie Banali for helpin us out!"

"My year will b all uphill from here. I'll be c-in my healer wizard Dr. morovati tomoro and get this bs out the way asap."

"There's an angel on my shoulder…. But damn she's f-in heavy!!!!!"






Shinedown Members Plan Unplugged Show
Two members of Shinedown will be unplugging for the 2013 Hometown Throwdown in Memphis, TN later this month.

Vocalist Brent Smith and guitarist Zach Myers are scheduled to play an all-acoustic set on January 12th during the event at the New Daisy Theater.

Fans across North American will be able to see the full band live beginning on February 1st when they launch a tour with Three Days Grace and P.O.D. more on this story




Deep Purple Taking New Direction On New Album
(hennemusic) Deep Purple recently confirmed their 19th studio album in the U.S. will be released on April 30, 2013 (April 26 outside of North America).

In a new interview with 100% Rock magazine, frontman Ian Gillan shared an update on Purple's first album since 2005's "Rapture Of The Deep."

"It's being mixed as we speak," says Gillan. "We've finished recording. It's a new tone, it's a new direction, it's fresh stuff. I think it was all written and recorded in Nashville, and the reason we went there – not to make a country record, but because Bob Ezrin, our producer, lives in Nashville and so it made a lot of sense because he had all the studio facilities and back up and everything else. So it made it really easy."

"It was a great environment to record in and yeah, there's a bit of diversity on the record," the singer continues. "There's some sort of… defining music is just so hard; it's just really… it's hard to define." more on this story




Dillinger Escape Plan Nearly Done Recording New Album
The Dillinger Escape Plan are nearing completion of their new studio album and it appears they have hinted at a tour in support of its release.

The band has been keeping fans informed via a series of postings on Facebook. On December 19th they told fans: "While others celebrate the holidays....we are working on this new album. When others ring in the new year....we will be working on this new album. When we release this new album....others will be working to catch up. Thanks everyone for being onboard for however long you've been onboard....the next leg of the journey is about to be underway."

The day after Christmas the band announced: "Only a couple weeks of recording to go and our new album will be finished. We're keeping our blistering pace of once every three years."

And finally on Monday they posted: "Happy New Years everyone. This year the Dillinger Bomb will surely drop on a city near you."

Could that be a hint of an upcoming tour?



Allman Brothers Band Announce 2013 Beacon Shows
(hennemusic) The Allman Brothers Band have announced the details for the 2013 installment of their annual Beacon Theatre residency.

The band will return to New York's Beacon Theatre in March for a ten show run from March 1 through 16.

The tradition of annual Spring shows started in 1989 and has become a popular musical event attracting fans from around the world. more on this story




Thin Lizzy's Scott Gorham Explains New Name, New Lineup And More
(Gibson) Thin Lizzy's Scott Gorham recently talked to Gibson.com about the legendary band's final U.K. tour. Although Thin Lizzy as a band and brand will continue for a while, Gorham is prepping a new three-guitar group.

What can you say about the new band? Firstly, Brian Downey [drums, and the sole original Thin Lizzy member in the current line-up - Editor] only wanted to play under the Thin Lizzy name. And that's fine, I totally respect that. So we have a new drummer, Jimmy DeGrasso [Megadeth, Alice Cooper, Dokken] for the new band.

The new band is me, Damon Johnson (guitar), Ricky Warwick (vocals/guitar), Marco Mendoza (bass) and Jimmy DeGrasso (drums). Brian Downey is a little tired of the road. And Darren (Wharton, keyboards) has a movie soundtrack he wants to complete, and other stuff with his own band, Dare.

Does the new band have a name? We are Black Star Riders. The plan is, we fly to L.A. second of January to start work on the album. But this is not the end of Thin Lizzy. In March 2013 we fly out to Australia to do the KISS tour as Thin Lizzy. But then, we go into rehearsal as Black Star Riders, finish the album, and we will then tour as Black Star Riders.

The producer is Kevin Shirley [Aerosmith, Joe Bonamassa, Iron Maiden] at his studio in Los Angeles. We have 17 songs, the scratchings of another three. And knowing Ricky and Damon, those three will get finished soon. So there's 20 songs to pick from.

Will Black Star Riders sound very different to Thin Lizzy? It's tough to say how the new band will eventually sound. The songs are mostly in demo format, right now. So we need to electrify it, get Kevin Shirley's input. But the harmony guitars, the twin solos — it's all there, believe me! Read the rest of the interview here.






Helloween Guitarist Wants To Revolve Issues With Former Singer
(Classic Rock) Helloween guitarist Michael Weikath wants to resolve the issues between him and former singer Michael Kiske – with a view to potentially working together again in the future.

The vocalist left the band in 1993 and Weikath believes Kiske remains upset with him, so he'd like to talk things through.

"If you read the interviews he still says he has a problem with me – so that has to be sorted," He tells Powerline. "If you ever want to do some reunion activities, in the form of public appearances with ex-members, or recordings with particular tracks, you first have to sort things out." Read more of what he had to say here.




Queensryche Give Words Of Support For Randy Gane After Heart Attack
(Classic Rock) The version of Queensryche fronted by Todd La Torre has sent a message of support to Randy Gane of Geoff Tate's Queensryche lineup after the keyboardist suffered a heart attack last week.

Gane had worked with the original band in the past before following singer Tate after his sacking. The statement says: "We in Queensryche want to send our thoughts and prayers out to our old friend Randy Gane in light of the heart attack he suffered the other night.

"He will always be a part of the extended Queensryche family and we want to wish him a speedy recovery. We ask all our fans to keep him and his family in your thoughts as we celebrate this holiday season. Look forward to a happy, healthy and musical 2013. more rock news.




Rush, Rival Sons and ZZ Top Releases Named Top Albums of 2012
(Classic Rock) Classic Rock announced their Top 40 albums selections for 2012 with relative newcomers Rival Sons just missing the top spot. Here are the Top 3:

3. ZZ Top: La Futura: After a lean period lasting longer than most bands' entire careers, ZZ Top hooked up with producer Rick Rubin to cut their best album since 1983's Eliminator. La Futura delivered soulful blues and high-octane boogie as only these good ol' boys know how.

2. Rival Sons: Head Down: Anyone still doubting the relevance of classic guitar music in 2012 needed to look no further than this storming Californian four- piece. Head Down was unreconstructed rock'n'roll in the raw, borne aloft by euphoric Motown grooves and the kind of timeless riffs patented by John Fogerty circa Green River.

1. Rush: Clockwork Angels: In a year that has a special resonance for Rush, promoters offered big money for a tour based on the band's landmark 70s album 2112. But rather than trade on the past, Rush moved forward with their most ambitious project to date: a first full concept album, and a genuine late-career masterpiece. See who else made the list here.




The Absence Lose A Member
The Absence announced on New Year's Day that they have split with guitarist Peter Joseph.

The group issued the following statement: "As most of our friends and fans know the last year has brought The Absence some ups-and-downs, and most of us have emerged a much stronger and dedicated group at the end of it all.

"We owe as much to our fans who have always offered us amazing amounts of support and we are genuinely excited about what is coming next. We have done a lot of work to get ourselves to the point where we are able to begin delivering new music, merchandise, and even a killer new live show, but the work that is left to do must be done quickly and will require unquestionable reliability, dedication, input, and above all else a mutual sense that we are in this together.

"At this time we are sad to say that The Absence will be parting ways with guitarist Peter Joseph. We will not be announcing a replacement at this time; we will have more information as things progress and we are able to sort everything out over the coming weeks. more on this story




Amon Amarth Ready To Begin Recording New Album
Amon Amarth have started the new year with news that they have completed writing the songs for their next album.

The band also confirmed that they will be taking part in the Nummirock Festival 2013 which will take place 20-22 of June 2013, on Nummijärvi in Kauhajoki, Finland.

The group broke the new album news with their New Year's greeting: "We want to thank everyone that has supported and helped us in 2012," they wrote. "2013 will be another intense year for Amon Amarth, and looks like it will be slightly unpredictable and mischievous…"

"We've just finished writing all the songs for the next full-length album, and we're ready to enter the studio to start recording them in the new year.

"Wishing everyone a fun and successful 2013!"




Robert Downey, Jr. Helps Black Sabbath Score A No. 1
(hennemusic) Black Sabbath have a UK no. 1 on their hands. UK retailer HMV has compiled a list of its best-selling classic rock shirts, with Sabbath coming in at number one, while Led Zeppelin take the second and third spots, reports Belfast Telegraph.

Sabbath's US tour shirt from 1978 landed at #1 following a sales surge after it was worn by Robert Downey, Jr. - who plays Iron Man's alter ego Tony Stark - in the hit movie "Avengers Assemble".

"More often than not, rock T-shirts used to be something you'd wear to gigs to see your favourite bands, but over time demand has broadened and they've since become a bit of a fashion-statement in their own right," said HMV's Gennaro Castaldo. "Some performers can quickly come and go with the trends, but one genre that has an enduring appeal and seems to remain eternally popular with fans is classic rock and metal." more on this story




Leng Tch'e Plan New Album and Tour
Leng Tch'e poked fun at the end of the world Mayan calendar predictions on December 21st while also breaking some big news for fans: they are planning their next album and tour. Here is what they had to say:

They told fans via Facebook on Dec. 21st: "Well apart from a bunch of New Age authors laughing all the way to the bank, the world is still the same as yesterday. A beautiful place occasionally ruined by a**holes. But that doesn't mean 2012 wasn't a great year for us! We started off by joining Origin and Psycroptic for the most brutal tour of the year, followed by a succesful summer festival season. Serge still doesn't remember half of what happened at Obscene Extreme Festival.

"This year also marks the 10th anniversary of our debut album "Death by a Thousand Cuts". Yes we are getting old. And yes, it's still sold out.

"But that's not all, we're nearly finished with the songwriting of our next album! Preproduction will start in february and hopefully we can finish our next masterpiece of brutally grooving grindcore by summertime. Which means we'll bring this retarded circus back on the road in late 2013. In the meantime, check out our tour diary from this year..." Watch it here.




Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page Ends Year With Celebration Day Reflection
(hennemusic) Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page has started 2013 by issuing his look back at activities from 2012:

"Hi y'all. Well 2012 is nearly at a close... and what a year it's been for JP. The eagerly awaited London O2 concert was released on what could be described as a 'celebration day' - some five years after the event."

"Celebration Day" was launched with a worldwide theatrical release on 1,500 screens in over 40 territories on October 17; more screenings were scheduled due to fan demand. more on this story




Your Chance To Die Begin New Album
Your Chance To Die have begun working on their third full-length album which they plan to release this year.

Vocalist Missi Avila offered these comments about the effort, "Most of the info on the new album is top secret, but what we can say is it will be released in the first half of 2013. It will be our third full length record, the second with Red Cord Records.

"The new album will be different than anything we have put out in the past, more technical and darkly ambient. It shows our growth and maturity as a band and is something we are all extremely proud of and excited to release. more on this story





Singled Out: IAMDYNAMITE
Today Chris Phillips from IAMDYNAMITE's from tells us about their new single "Where Will We Go," which comes from their debut album "Supermegafantastic". Here is the story:

Where Will We Go was written as a completely different song originally. For awhile we called it DBC because it was Parts "D", "B", then "C", neither of us have any recollection of what part "A" was. We thought it was a straight forward beat and we had cranked up the speed to make it a more driving song.

It has been a fun song to have created and we are proud to share it with everyone. Spoiler alert!! It's usually our opening song so do be late to shows!

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




Rolling Stones, Black Sabbath, Van Halen Named Artists To Watch in 2013
(hennemusic) The calendar has flipped into the New Year, and hennemusic has a look at the rock forecast for 2013.

01 - Rolling Stones: The Stones teased fans with a 5-date fall tour and there is plenty more where that came from. The band will tour in 2013 as they continue to mark their 50th anniversary; an April headlining date at Coachella was recently "leaked" by the group.

02 - Black Sabbath: The metal legends hit a few roadblocks in 2012: guitarist Tony Iommi was diagnosed with cancer and underwent chemotherapy; a full tour schedule was reduced to three shows following Iommi's news and treatment; and, a contract dispute prevented drummer Bill Ward from rejoining his bandmates for live dates and the creation of new music. Sabbath are moving forward, nonetheless: a new album, produced by Rick Rubin, is scheduled for April, and the band begins touring with shows down under that same month.

03 - Van Halen: Another band that hit a major roadblock in 2012, with guitarist Eddie Van Halen undergoing surgery for a severe bout of Diverticulitis, an event that put the band on the sidelines for the last 6 months of the year. VH will return to live action in 2013, with a series of rescheduled Japanese dates set for June. Beyond that, bassist Wolfgang VH will tour with Alter Bridge/Creed guitarist Mark Tremonti's solo band throughout February but, other than that, nothing else has been revealed about VH's plans for the year. See the rest of the Top 10 here.




Suffocation Preview New Album With Trailer
Nuclear Blast have posted a new Youtube video trailer for Suffocation's forthcoming studio album.

The new album is entitled "Pinnacle of Bedlam," and is set to be released on February 19th.

The trailer contains scenes from a bonus DVD which documents the making of the album. You can watch it here.





Provoke, Destroy Release First Song With New Singer
Provoke, Destroy has released a new lyrics video of their new single, "Hourglass," which has been released on iTunes.

The track is the first song released by the group featuring their new vocalist Mason Ewbank. You can watch the lyric video here.

The single was recorded by Andrew Baylis (Honour Crest, Camisado) and follows the June release of the band's second EP Rosewell.