Today's Day in Rock News !

Today's Day in Rock


Movie About Guns N' Roses' Duff McKagan Coming
(hennemusic) Former Guns N' Roses member Duff McKagan's 2011 autobiography, "It's So Easy (And Other Lies)", is being made into a full-length documentary feature film.
The documentary will be written and directed by Christopher Duddy ("Cougar Club") and will include exclusive rare archive footage of McKagan's early days with the original Guns N' Roses lineup of Slash, Steven Adler, Izzy Stradlin and Axl Rose.

It will also feature footage with later Guns N' Roses members Gilby Clarke and Matt Sorum, as well as other rockers including Mike McCready (Pearl Jam), Krist Novoselic (Nirvana), Nikki Sixx (Motley Crue) and more.

The film will contain rare archive footage from Marc Canter, who filmed all the early footage of Guns N' Roses behind the scenes and performances, as well as an ultimate collector's soundtrack for the fans. more on this story




Five Finger Death Punch Team With Rob Halford For New Song
Five Finger Death Punch recruited Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford as a special guests on their brand new single "Lift Me Up," which was released digitally today.

The teamed up with Halford to premiere the track at the Golden Gods Awards Show earlier this month. The song comes from the band's forthcoming double album.

The first half of that double album, The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side Of Hell Volume 1, is set to be released on July 23rd with the second part to follow this fall.

Five Finger Death Punch frontman Ivan Moody had this to say about the new song, "First and foremost, just to work alongside an icon like Rob Halford, THE Metal God, was absolutely surreal.

"The song itself was originally written about overcoming everyday obstacles and less than perfect situations. Most of us weren't born with a silver spoon in our mouth but if life dealt you all the wrong cards, you still have to play. The song's intent is to inspire; if you play that hand right you might just come out on top anyway."

As we previously reported, Five Finger Death Punch will be hitting the road this summer for this year's Mayhem Festival and they will be coheadlining the tour with Rob Zombie.

The lineup will also feature Mastodon, Amon Amarth, Machine Head, Children Of Bodom, Behemoth, Job For A Cowboy, Emmure, Born Of Osiris, Motionless In White, Butcher Babies, Battlecross, Huntress, Thrown Into Exile and City In The Sea. more on this story




Sass Jordan and Brian Tichy To Join Queensryche Tour
Geoff Tate's Queensryche have recruited S.U.N. (Something Unto Nothing)'s Sass Jordan and Brian Tichy for their upcoming 25th Anniversary Operation: Mindcrime Tour.

The band has tapped Sass Jordan to perform the part of Sister Mary on the tour they announced yesterday on their Facebook page. Apart from S.U.N., she has worked with Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, Cheap Trick, Van Halen, Carlos Santana and Joe Cocker.

Jordan's S.U.N. bandmate Brian Tichy will also be taking part in the tour. He has been recruited to fill in on drums for Simon Wright for the dates taking place in June.

The tour will be kicking off on May 16th in Milwaukee, WI at the Potawatomi Casino and will conclude on June 29th in Seattle, WA at The Moore Theater.

Tichy won't be the only fill-in musician on the trek. The band previously announced that Disturbed's John Moyer would be sitting in for Rudy Sarzo for five dates on the trek including all of the dates this month and the first two dates in June. more on this story




The Cult To Play Electric Album In Full On Upcoming Tour
(hennemusic) The Cult have announced dates for their Electric 13 tour, a trek which will see the band perform their 1987 album, "Electric," in its entirety for the first time.

The shows will include two sets: "Electric" in one, with a second featuring tracks from the band's catalog. "The Cult's life blood has always been playing live, we are between albums and decided to continue the momentum created by Choice Of Weapon, stay in people's hearts and minds," explains singer Ian Astbury.

"As Love Live was such an incredible experience we have decided that performing the Electric album, an event that has been demanded by our fans and followers as the perfect live set to play in 2013."

Dates begin July 25 in San Diego, with a US tour running into September; The Cult will then perform a series of dates in the UK. more on this story




Megadeth's Mustaine Says Fans Grow With A Band Or Stop Being A Fan
(Gibson) The new Megadeth album, Super Collider, is due next month, and frontman Dave Mustaine is pretty fond of it from the sound of this, but he understands if you're not into it, too. "I am very proud," he tells Ultimate Guitar's Steven Rosen.

"There are gonna be people who are gonna take exception with the record because they're people that wanna hear "Black Friday" the rest of their lives. And I feel for them, man. I know the first time I heard AC/DC versus what they put out now, it's a different time.

"I think that's the whole thing about if you're really a fan of the band, you grow with them or you stop being a fan. I always loved early AC/DC and I totally respect older AC/DC, but I was weaned on Bon Scott."

The first single from Super Collider — the title track, in fact — was released a few weeks ago, and the band has just finished shooting the video for the song.

The video features actress/model/singer/songwriter Hunter Elizabeth, who says the video is "about a high-school couple still loving each other after all the years after graduation, and at the 10-year reunion, both characters find themselves successful (a model and a mathematician) and still very in love." more on this story






Black Sabbath Expand Fall Tour
(hennemusic) Reunited metal legends Black Sabbath have announced the addition of three more shows to their fall tour of Latin and South America.

Joined by openers Megadeth, Sabbath will play Buenos Aires, Argentina on Sunday, October 6 (tickets on sale May 27); Bogota, Colombia on Saturday, October 19 (tickets on sale May 30); and Mexico City, Mexico on Saturday October 26 (tickets on sale May 22).

The 9-date tour kicks off in Santiago, Chile on Friday, October 4. The dates are in support of Sabbath's forthcoming new album, "13," due June 11; Megadeth issue their new record, "Super Collider," on June 4. more on this story



Baroness Announce Summer Tour Dates
Baroness have extended their Yellow & Green North American tour with a new summer leg that will cover cities across the Midwest and the West Coast.

The new tour is set to kick off on August 5th in Columbus, OH at the A&R Music Bar and will conclude on September 4th in Vancouver, BC.

The first leg of the tour will begin on May 24th in Philadelphia, PA at Union Transfer and will conclude on June 16th with an appearance at this year's Bonnaroo festival in Manchester, TN.

Guitarist had this to say about the trek, "It's hard to find the words to express how excited we are to announce this tour. Seven months ago, who knew when it would be or even if we could get back on the road. But here we are, picking right back up where we left off. A heartfelt thanks to everyone's unconditional love and support for us through, let's hope, the hardest time this band will ever see. We told you we'd be back so let's do this thing!"

The group also discuss their harrowing tour bus accident and share rehearsal footage with their new members, Nick Jost (bass) and Sebastian Thomson (drums), in a new online video more on this story




Judas Priest Delay Epitaph Screening
(hennemusic) Judas Priest have announced a delay and rescheduled date for the UK screening of their new live DVD, "Epitaph," originally scheduled for this Wednesday, May 15 at London's Forum in Kentish Town.

"Due to technical issues arising from putting on this special one-off screening of Judas Priest 'Epitaph' at The Forum," said the band, "the show has now been moved to Friday May 24. This will ensure that we are able to put on the biggest show possible! We are sorry for the inconvenience and all tickets for the original date will be honored or refunded."

"Epitaph" will receive its world premiere on Tuesday (May 14) at New York's Clearview Chelsea; the event will be hosted by That Metal Show's Eddie Trunk, who will be joined by Priest singer Rob Halford and guitarist Richie Faulkner. more on this story




Red Hot Chill Peppers' Chad Smith Launches Online Series
(Classic Rock) Red Hot Chill Peppers drummer Chad Smith has launched (and we quote) "the first in a series of intimate conversations with some of the most inspirational musicians of all time".

In Conversation, presented by MusicRadar.com, is a new podcast interview series in which Smith sits down for wide-ranging, one-on-one chats with some of the word's top players.

A few days before Rush were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, Smith collared Lifeson for a laugh-filled, leisurely dinner at the Sunset Marquis in West Hollywood, California.

"The invisible interview – that's what I call it," Smith says. "Friends, thoughts, information – why do you do what you do? Admiration, respect, insight and maybe a surprise." more on this story




Killer Dwarfs Reuniting For Tour and Release of Their 'Lost' Album
The Killer Dwarfs will be launching a reunion tour that will hit North America and Europe in support of the release of their long lost album "Start @ One."

The album was recorded in 1993 at Powerlines Studios in Toronto, Ontario, Canada with producer/engineer Fred Duvall but the album was never released.

The band announced that the original master tapes for the album are currently being digitally remastered and they plan to release the album in early July to celebrate its 20th anniversary.

The group will announce the album's release date as well as the dates to their reunion tour in the coming weeks and they also announced their intention to record a live CD and DVD during the trek. more on this story




Queen's News Of The World 35th Anniversary On In The Studio
In The Studio host Redbeard this week is celebrating the 35th anniversary of Queen's News Of The World album with a special edition of his show.

He had this to say, "With the release of News Of The World, Queen had succeeded as four real 'mates' on an international scale, which would continue only to increase for the next decade.

"With four writers, the band had a surplus of strong songs, while Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury possessed such an operatic voice that it's easy to forget that both Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor also sang lead on select songs.

"What really impressed me then and now is how appreciative Brian May is of the fans, the countless deejays, and journalists for supporting Queen's efforts over the years.

"Brian would later suffer a broken marriage, separation of his kids, and the passing of both parents, but nothing short of the untimely death of Freddie Mercury in 1991 could silence the original band. And even that wasn't permanent." Check out the special here.




William DuVall Still Settling In With Alice In Chains
(Classic Rock) Alice In Chains frontman William DuVall says he's "still settling in" with the band, even though he's been with them for seven years now.

He joined in 2006 following the death of Layne Staley four years previously, and made his first studio appearance with them on 2009′s Black Gives Way To Blue. His second album with the band, The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here, is due on May 27.

DuVall tells GuitarPlayer.com: "I would say we're still settling in – it's always work in progress. There are a lot of things that we have in common, then there are a lot of things that set us very much apart from one another."

He describes his role as "everything from writing riffs to providing counterpoint to what Jerry Cantrell is doing, to doubling what he's doing, to playing solos. It's really everything that you would expect from a two-guitar band." more on this story




The Quireboys Announce New Album and Lose A Member
(Classic Rock) The Quireboys have confirmed their seventh studio album, Beautiful Curse, will be released on June 24. At the same time, drummer Matt Goom has announced his decision to leave the band.

The follow-up to 2008′s Homewreckers & Heartbreakers will be preceded by a single Too Much Of A Good Thing, which can be heard below.

Guitarist Paul Guerin tells RushOnRock: "Twelve tracks in twelve days sounds like a walk in the park. But considering we only had four completely written tracks, we had our work cut out. Once the tracks were finalised and arranged the songs were pretty much recorded live, with the solos going down live rather than overdubbed later.

"We really took this album to the wire – the last note was recorded at 17.15 and at 17.20 we were on the tour bus. We hope you love it as much as we do." And now about Matt Goom




Ray Jackson Launches New Lindisfarne
(Classic Rock) Original Lindisfarne frontman Ray Jackson has launched a new version of the band and confirmed a series of shows in December, with plans to tour further afield in 2014.

The lineup features guitarists Dave Hull-Denholm, Charlie Harcourt and Steve Daggett alongside bassist Ian Thomson and Roxy Music drummer Paul Thompson. Every member asides from Thompson has been in a previous version of Lindisfarne, although not all at the same time.

The move came after Jackson performed for the first time with Hull-Denholm in 2012, at the unveiling of a memorial plaque to co-founder Alan Hull, who died in 1995.

Earlier this year Jackson announced a one-off Christmas show in Newcastle City Hall, to help save the venue which was threatened with closure at the time. The speed of ticket sales encouraged him to take the idea further. more on this story




Flash Releasing First New Album in 40 Years
Veteran British prog group Flash, featuring founding members Ray Bennett & Colin Carter, have announced a May 21st release date for their new self-titled album.

The album will be the group's first new album release in 40 years. Ray Bennett had this to say, "First and foremost, I think the new album turned out really well. No, that's being somewhat modest... I think it's brilliant. I wouldn't be happy with anything less. The goal for me, and I think Colin would agree, is to put an album together that's always a turn on. Not just in the beginning when you are all excited about the newness of it, but always. I realized somewhere back in time that it is possible to have that. It's really just as the old saying goes... 'a thing of beauty is a joy forever'. I think this CD is always going to shine."

Colin Carter adds, "It's left brain / right brain rock. Enough skill, detail and finesse to tease the intellect, mixed with enough raw power to send you skidding out of control across the stage on your knees and crashing into amps. Watch out for the splinters!"

Glass Onyon sent over some background information: Founded by lead vocalist Colin Carter, original YES member, guitar legend Peter Banks, bassist Ray Bennett and drummer Mike Hough, Flash released three critically acclaimed albums in the 1970's and undertook several successful tours of the US and Europe. In the USA, the single "Small Beginnings" reached #29 in the Billboard charts, and the first album 'Flash' made the top 50, propelling the band into major venues on their first tour. In the US, Flash went from intimate venues like the Whisky A Go Go, to large concert halls like New York's Avery Fisher Hall, to the wild crowd of 300,000 music fans at the Soda Pop Festival in Indiana. Flash also made high profile performances on TV shows in Europe and the US, including 'The Midnight Special' and the Wolfman Jack hosted 'Superstars Of Rock'. more on this story




Joanne Shaw Taylor Plans Fall Tour and Live CD and DVD Release
Blues rocker Joanne Shaw Taylor will be launching a four-date headline tour of the UK this fall with support from British Blues Awards 2012 'Best Band' and 'Best Album' winner King King.

The tour dates include London at o2 Shepherd's Bush Empire on November 28th, Birmingham at Town Hall on the 29th, Holmfirth at the Picturedrome on the 30th and Sage at Gateshead on December 1st.

Taylor's recent Borderline concert was filmed for a live DVD/CD that will be released to coincide with the tour. The live recording will be released as part of Ruf Records' ongoing Songs From The Road 2 disc DVD/CDs. Previous releases in the live series include Luther Allison, Jeff Healey, and Savoy Brown.





Singled Out: Heart In Hand
Today Ed Hartwell from Heart In Hand tells us about the title track to their brand new album "Almost There," which is being released today. Here is the story:

This is the title track of our second full length, and was actually the first song that was written for this album, we played an only slightly different version of it a few times on the last Europe tour we did in April 2011. Ollie (guitar), Charlie (Vocals) and I got the title tattooed by a friend we met on said tour in Belgium during that 2 week trip, before we even knew it would be the album title. We just thought it was a nice positive message, with enough ambiguity to be applied pretty much anywhere in anyone's life. I guess it's intended to be a reminder to give anyone that last push to complete something, where they might have given up without it. We later decided it'd be a fitting title for the album, hoping that maybe it'd be a reflection of our musical career and we could take it to the next step! (We'll see)

The songs middle section quietness down and kicks back in with Char saying "So don't forget, never give in, never give up" I guess that further contributes to the overall message, and as simple as that is lyrically, I think it actually works better by being so direct and to the point, rather than playing around with metaphors and stuff.

We had a bit of an issue with is musically in the early months of its existence; We were playing it live occasionally, seeing how it felt etc for a couple of months, when suddenly a band who were getting a lot of attention released this new video with pretty much the exact same lead part in the intro! They will remain nameless, and there was no way it was intentional, just an unfortunate coincidence for us. It was no biggy though, Ollie just wrote a better intro!

The breakdown in the middle has this harmonized lead part under it, and after listening to a pre-production demo we recorded at our drummer's house, we decided it actually sounds like the kind of harmony church bells would play. That makes me enjoy it more.

We just did a video for it in this lame dance hall in Bournemouth, but after playing around with the lighting, managed to make it look really cool. We suited up, cuz why not?

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




Mike Portnoy, Billy Sheehan and Richie Kotzen Supergroup Release Video
(Classic Rock) The Winery Dogs, featuring Mike Portnoy, Billy Sheehan and Richie Kotzen, have released a video for their track Desire, taken from their self-titled album.

The project was the result of a failed collaboration between ex-Dream Theater drummer Portnoy and former Thin Lizzy and Whitesnake guitarist John Sykes. The pair found their work ethics clashed and went their separate ways, leading Portnoy to continue work with new collaborators.

Last year he told Eddie Trunk: "It's a classic rock kind of power trio sound. If you picture Zeppelin, Cream, Grand Funk – if you take that sound of the early 70s then you sprinkle it with Soundgarden, Alice In Chains, Black Crowes or Lenny Kravitz, it's in that vein.

"You've got the phenomenal playing that Richie and Billy do – and I could play a couple of things on the drums as well…. All three of us are singing; Richie is the lead vocalist, but I and Billy are also singing." Check out the video here.




Thirty Seconds To Mars' Radio Memories
(Radio.com) Welcome to Radio Feedback, Radio.com's weekly feature where we ask artists to wax nostalgic on the first time they heard themselves on the radio. This week they speak with Thirty Seconds To Mars.

Jared Leto has always thought the radio was the best way to discover new music. "Radio's pervasive," he told Radio.com. "You're not always in control. You can be in a friend's car. You can be in a taxi. You can be walking by a store or you can be in a lobby somewhere and you can hear something new."

Or you could be sitting in a parking lot at a Home Depot. That's where the guys of Thirty Seconds To Mars were when they heard themselves on the radio for the very first time. "I remember being in Florida," Leto said.

"Wasn't it Jacksonville?" drummer (and Jared's brother), Shannon Leto asked. more on this story




Van Halen's David Lee Roth Shares His Personal History With Wrestling
(hennemusic) Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth talks about his personal history with, and connection to, professional wrestling in the latest episode of The Roth Show.

It's the 15th edition in the online show's series, which provides the singer with a creative outlet while Van Halen are off the road. The group recently headlined The Stone Music Festival in Australia, and are scheduled to play four concerts in Japan in June.

Van Halen will perform at the RockUSA Festival in Oshkosh, WI on July 20, and have recently announced that they'll play the California Mid-State Fair in Paso Robles, CA on July 24.