Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Gaza Singer Denies Rape Allegation
Gaza and their frontman Jon Parkin have publicly denied a rape allegation against the singer which was posted online this week. They issued the following:
"We have worked hard to establish a good reputation for almost ten years now and we're not about to let an errant accusation unravel that. For those quick to judge, I ask how you would feel if you were forced to face such an accusation? There is no perfect way to handle this, but we're going to take every measure to preserve the most important thing we've created in that time; our reputation. We take this very seriously. The last sentence in Jon's statement is one that cannot be stressed enough."

Parkin had this to say, "Let me first say that this rape allegation is entirely untrue. Throwing this sort of accusation up on the internet is reckless and completely slanderous. Two of my very close friends have been raped and it was devastating to watch them go through the recovery process, one of which I spent a summer helping through counseling. I went with her to the clinic to get her AIDS test results. Rape infuriates me, and I never see red like I do when I hear about it. This is not a subject or an accusation I take lightly. Anyone who knows me personally knows that I could never and would never force myself on anybody.

"I'm sorry that you all have to be part of this drama, but this has to be addressed. This mess in no way has anything to do with the band and I'm sorry for the other members as this is a black mark on us that is undeserved and untrue. more on this story



Three Days Grace Explain Adam Gontier's Departure From The Group
Three Days Grace have revealed more details about frontman Adam Gontier's departure from the group. As we previously reported, they have recruited My Darkest Days' Matt Walst to handle vocals on their upcoming tour.

When that was announced the band made a brief statement about the change but now they are telling fans more of their side of the story. They posted the following message on their Facebook:

"It had been our desire to keep an internal band matter just that, internal. However, after public statements by Adam we feel the need to give our fans the facts. Here's the exact timeline of events over the past few weeks.

"On December 21, 2012, Neil and Brad (via email), our manager and business manager (via federal express) received a letter from Adam's lawyer stating, "Please be advised effective immediately Adam is terminating his involvement with the band Three Days Grace. Adam has been wrestling with a health issue, outlined in the attached letter (a doctor's letter dated December 14), which would have precluded him from touring with the band in 2013 and he wants the group to continue moving forward as they see fit while not holding them back."

"As you can imagine, this came as a complete shock to us. We had just played a series of shows in Hartford and Peterborough the preceding week with no mention from Adam of any health issues or that this resignation letter was coming. We had no idea then that the December 15th Hartford show (which we played one day after the date of the doctor's note attached to Adam's lawyer's letter) would be our final show with Adam as lead singer. Read the rest here.




Guns N' Roses Heading Down Under
(hennemusic) Guns N' Roses have announced their 2013 Australian tour and will play shows in Perth, Sydney, Newcastle, Melbourne and Brisbane.

The rockers will be joined for a series of March shows by special guests ZZ Top and Australian rock legends Rose Tattoo.

"I can't wait for these shows next March," says promoter Andrew McManus. "Axl Rose is a legend and I can't wait to see Guns N' Roses play to their legion of Aussie fans again. I'm so proud to be bringing them back to Australia and am looking forward to a great tour with fellow rockers ZZ Top and Rose Tattoo." more on this story




The Replacements Dunlap Not Recovering From Stroke
(Classic Rock) The Replacements guitarist Slim Dunlap will never recover from the massive stroke he suffered last year, reports his wife.

The musician's plight was behind the reunion EP recorded by Paul Westerberg, Tommy Sinson and Chris Mars in September, which has been released as the first of a series of limited-edition vinyl records to raise funds for Dunlap's care.

"On February 19 Slim suffered a massive right-brain stroke complicated by a fall, which caused a heamorrhage in the left brain and was further complicated by extensive brain swelling," Chrissie Dunlap says. "He was hospitalised for nine months. His recovery has been slow, hindered by pain, paralysis of the left side, and the inability to swallow."

"Insurance does not pay for long-term care, and the general prognosis for Slim is that he will likely need around-the-clock care for the rest of his life."

Producer Peter Jesperson, who masterminded the Replacements' work on Songs For Slim, says he is not recovering.




Bad Religion Stream New Album and Will Webcast KROQ Event
(Radio.com) To celebrate the release of Bad Religion's 16th studio album, True North, the band will webcast their performance Tuesday, January 22 live from the Red Bull Sound Space at KROQ.

Tune in beginning at 3PM PT / 6PM ET / 11PM GMT / 10AM (Jan 23) Sydney, as Nicole Alvarez sits down with the timeless Southern California punk band for a Google+ Hangout Q&A session, followed by a live performance. Graffin, Gurewitz and the crew will field questions from the studio audience and fans watching online.

For fans in the Southern California area, tickets to this private event can be won though Friday, January 18. Find out how and stream the full album here.




Def Leppard Tease Viva Hysteria
(hennemusic) Def Leppard are sharing a new preview/trailer for their first-ever Las Vegas residency.

Leppard 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.

"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," guitarist Phil Collen said recently. "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." Watch it here.




Rush DVD Release Leak Was Not Correct
(Classic Rock) Rush are not planning to release their Clockwork Angels Live DVD in May, according to the industry website which originally posted the news.

MusicTap believed their information to be correct because they'd previously received correct details about Rush's 2112 deluxe reissue from the same source.

The site operator explains: "From a more trusted source, I was told that the DVD does not have a release date in place. I was told that it would be made available likely in the fall of this year, corresponding to a train of logical thought that played out in many Rush forums, rightly so as it turns out." more.




Offspring and Dead Sara Unplug For Duet
(Radio.com) Imagine being in a relatively new band being asked on tour by a group of elder statements like Huntington Beach, CA punksters, The Offspring. That dream became a reality for LA hard rock outfit Dead Sara.

Over the course of the 2012 summer tour, Offspring frontman Dexter Holland had his eyes open for a way to work in Dead Sara singer Emily Armstrong into his set. "When we started building our own set list, I realized the stripped-down version of 'Gone Away,' which we've been doing for a few years, would fit Emily's voice really well," Holland told Rolling Stone. "It turned out to be a special moment in the show each night."

The Offspring's crew videotaped their October 5, 2012 duet at the historic Hollywood Palladium. Long time producer Bob Rock, mixed in the audience sing-along for a unique take on an alt-rock classic. Check out the video here.




Dark Empire Name New Guitarist and Plan Free EP Release
Dark Empire have officially replaced Andrew Atwood by naming Christian Colabelli the permanent second guitarist in the group and plan to release a free EP later this year.

Colabelli had this to say, "It's an honor to be an official member of Dark Empire. Since I've known Matt, we've had a mutual respect and admiration for each other's playing. When he initially asked me to fill in on guitar for live performances, I quickly recognized the chemistry, power, and potential of the lineup and was amazed at how natural it felt. I know Matt and I will challenge each other as guitarists and I expect huge accomplishments for Dark Empire in 2013."

Matt Moliti adds: "I'm really excited to have Christian a part of Dark Empire. His technical ability and songwriting skills are definitely going to take things to the next level, and fans can now expect a dual lead guitar attack reminiscent of bands like Racer X and Cacophony on the new material. Yes, we have already started writing some new riffs with the intention of releasing a free 5-track EP by the end of 2013."

They have released viewed of Christian and co-guitarist Matt Moliti running through some new riffs the band is preparing for the free EP. Watch it here.




Rival Sons Were Rushed But Didn't Compromise On New Album
(Classic Rock) Rival Sons drummer Michael Miley admits the tight timescale associated with recording their album Head Down led to tension within the band.

He tells Alternative Addiction "When you only have about three and half weeks, you kind of have to get it done. When the gun is to your head, you move. We all trust each other enough musically and musicianship wise that we can pull it off.

"So far we feel we haven't compromised our artistic integrity and thankfully we've received some nice praise for it." More rock news.




Radiohead's Greenwood Returns To Orchestra Composition
(Gibson) Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood is now working as a classical composer for the Australian Chamber Orchestra. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that, following Radiohead's Australian dates of November 2012, Greenwood stayed in Sydney to work on a composition commissioned by the orchestra.

"I've been spending an awful lot of time in dressing rooms the last six months working on this and trying to imagine [it]," Greenwood says. "That's why I turned up with three quarters of it on paper already, because I'd rather make a lot of mistakes and edit away rather than work with a skeleton and add to it."

It is not Greenwood's debut working in the symphonic sphere. He served as a composer-in-residence with the BBC Concert Orchestra in 2004-'05. The Australian Chamber Orchestra previously played his orchestral work Popcorn Superhet Receiver back in 2010.

But the Australian Chamber Orchestra's artistic director Richard Tognetti is delighted to have Greenwood back on board. He says, "I think the amazing thing about Jonny is he might be a world first [because of] this incredible acumen that he has for being able to write for an orchestra coming from the background of being in a band." more on this story






Dave Grohl and Corey Taylor Reflect on Sound City
(Radio.com) Dave Grohl has a barrage of awesome artistic projects in his arsenal and he has carved out enough time to direct a documentary called Sound City based on the iconic San Fernando Valley-based Sound City Studios.

Grohl said that when the record label asked Nirvana to record 1991's Nevermind, they sent them to the then-expensive a $600-a-day "really cheap dump in the Valley" that also happened to house a gorgeous sounding, one-of-a-kind old analog Neve board and an exceptional organically-acoustic room. In the digital boom of the early '90s, finding that sort of rich, old-school sound was rare, but once Nevermind was released other bands like Tool, and Slipknot wanted to record their albums at Sound City Studios.

Imminent closure of the space was halted when business started booming and Grohl credits the studio with shaping the way modern music sounds now through the medium of Nevermind.

"Had we recorded that record in a different way," Grohl elaborated, "The music wouldn't have sounded the same. And if it didn't sound the same, it might not have had the same impact."

"The thing about that Neve board is that it has such a personality," agreed Taylor, who recorded Iowa with Slipknot on that board. "No two albums sound the same coming out of that board because of the different love that you put into it, the different variables."

Read more, stream the interview with Grohl and Taylor and listen to their new song here.




Deep Purple's Ian Gillan Remembers Claude 'Smoke On The Water' Nobs
(Classic Rock) Deep Purple frontman Ian Gillan has paid tribute to 'Funky' Claude Nobs, who died last week after a skiing accident.

The co-founder and organiser of the Montreux Jazz Festival was immortalized in Purple's 1973 song Smoke On The Water and Gillan also regarded him as a close friend.

The singer recalls a recent meeting with Nobs: "I had just checked in to The Palace Hotel in Montreux prior to our appearance at the festival. The elevator doors opened and out whooshed Claude on a scooter; had it been anyone else I would have been surprised. Flying by, he waved over his shoulder and called out 'Hi, Ian, see you later!' – then he was gone.

"No doubt on his way to move things along in the right direction, because the Montreux Jazz Festival was his baby. He mothered it from infancy to what it has grown into: internationally, the most highly respected and enjoyable annual event of its kind."

The pair first met after the casino fire in 1971 that inspired Purple's classic track "Smoke On The Water." Read about that here.




Airborne Toxic Streaming New Song Online
(Radio.com) Airborne Toxic Event have released "Timeless," the first single from the band's upcoming third full-length release, Such Hot Blood, due out this spring.

"There's nothing like Nashville for starting new in music." said the band in a statement regarding the new album, which was recorded in "Music City."

"It gets in your blood, the rhythm of the place, the people. Making a record with Jacquire King at Blackbird Studios was the most challenging and all-encompassing experience we've ever had as a band," he added, referencing the producer known for his previous work with such acts as Cold War Kids, Modest Mouse and Kings of Leon. Read more and stream the song here.




Cold War Kids Tease New Album and Stream New Song
(Radio.com) Preparing to release their fourth studio album and newest since 2011′s Mine Is Yours, indie darlings Cold War Kids are streaming their first single, "Miracle Mile," from the upcoming Dear Miss Lonely Hearts.

Due to hit stores April 2, the new album was produced by Lars Stalfors, known for his work with The Mars Volta, Matt & Kim and Funeral Party. It's also the first Coldwar Kids album to feature guitarist Dann Gallucci, formerly of Modest Mouse and Murder City Devils.

Videotaped in and around the band's San Pedro, CA studio during the album's recording process, Cold War Kids provide fans with a little peek into the album via the first two of a series of trailers. Additional trailers will roll out, once a week through the album's launch. Watch the trailers and stream the new song here.




Holy Grail Streaming New Album in Full
(Classic Rock) Holy Grail have made their second album Ride The Void available for streaming at Classic Rock Magazine

The band, formed from the ashes of an early White Wizzard lineup, release the record on January 18 via Nuclear Blast Records. It will be available on CD, black double-vinyl and strictly limited transparent double vinyl.

The follow-up to 2010′s Crisis In Utopia was produced by Matt Hyde, with artwork by Dylan Cole, known for his contribution to The Lord Of The Rings movies. Stream the album here.




Motley Crue's Nikki Sixx Launching Bass Guitar Line
(hennemusic) Motley Crue's Nikki Sixx is getting his own signature bass line from Schechter Guitar Research.

"It was an exciting and creative process to work with Schecter on the new Schecter Sixx Signature Series Bass," explains Nikki. "It was important to all of us to design a bass that would feel right as well as sound amazing in the hands of all players, not just me. Every detail about the new Schecter Sixx comes from all of our collective experiences - whether it's my 30 years of playing live and recording or Schecter's unprecedented standards for making quality instruments for players of all genres. Simply said, this bass rocks!"

"I really felt as if we instantly gelled and were looking to accomplish the same goal with this project," adds Schecter's Executive Vice President, Marc LaCorte. "Above all, it was so refreshing to see an artist of Nikki's stature be so involved and genuinely concerned about every detail in the creation of this instrument." more on this story




Junius Announce Headline Tour Dates
Junius have added a number of headline dates to their upcoming tour schedule which include the previously announced trek with Caspian.

The headline tour dates will kick off on March 6 in San Francisco following the Caspian tour and will feature support from Silver Snakes. The headline trek will then include dates leading up to this year's South By Southwest Festival in Austin, Tx.

The group also plan two additional headline shows prior to their tour with Caspian, including a Valentine's Day performance in Brooklyn, NY. more on this story





Gus G. Having An Amazing Time With Working With Ozzy Osbourne
Guitarhoo! recently spoke with Ozzy Osbourne and Firewind star Gus G. and they sent a little except over.

In this interview Gus takes out some time to chat about his early years as a musician at Berklee College, landing the gig with Ozzy, writing with Firewind, his favorite songs from previous Ozzy Guitar Gods, and much more.

Gus on touring with Ozzy: "It's been an amazing ride so far! The whole tour was just incredible. Playing around the world in the biggest venues and headlining the biggest festivals, being a part of such a big production and playing with Ozzy, it's just mind blowing.

"We had great times on this tour, we really worked all as a team and I think we did some great gigs. Of course every moment you spend with Ozzy is precious. The stories, the advices, the jokes and of course all the gigs, it was just fantastic. Ozzy's an amazing person, it's hard not to love this guy" Read the full interview here.




Eric Burdon Releases Water Lyric Video
(Classic Rock) Eric Burdon has released a lyric video for his track Water. It's taken from the former Animals frontman's solo record 'Til Your River Runs Dry.

And while he deals with a number of issues on the album, the single concerns the future of one of our most precious commodities.

Burdon tells Rolling Stone: "Some people are squandering it while others have too little clean water to drink. At the same time we have tsunamis and cities under water. And yet we still ignore Mother Nature's warnings." Read more and watch the video here.




A History Of Black Sabbath's Drummers
(Radio.com) Black Sabbath recently announced their new record 13 will be released in June, and revealed that former Audioslave drummer Brad Wilk played on the album. So it's the perfect time to review some of the many musicians who bashed the skins for the metal legends over the decades. We could give our takes on them… but we thought we'd leave that to the band's guitarist, leader and the only guy to play on every Sabbath album, Tony Iommi (via his autobiography, Iron Man: My Journey Through Heaven And Hell With Black Sabbath).

WHO: Bill Ward, the founding drummer. For many fans, he's the only guy who belongs behind the kit.

ERA: He's the original, and played on all the albums during the "Ozzy era," from 1970′s Black Sabbath through 1978′s Never Say Die. He lasted a little longer than Ozzy, staying for the first album of the "Dio Era," 1980′s Heaven And Hell. He reunited with the band for 1983′s Born Again (featuring former Deep Purple singer Ian Gillian), and has been with the band on and off since they got back together with Ozzy in 1997. Read more about Ward's recent history of battles with his former band here.

B.S. (Before Sabbath): There is no "before Sabbath" for Bill Ward!

A.S. (After Sabbath): Other than a few solo albums, he hasn't done much outside of Sabbath.

WHERE IS HE NOW: Hosting an internet radio show Rock 50.

TONY SAYS: "He was good, but he had his own style, he created his own thing. Very unorthodox. Bill wouldn't play a straightforward beat, he always put some little bits in, like a percussionist. He would hear these symphonies in his head and try to play like he had eight hands." Also: "We called Bill 'Smelly.'"