Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


AC/DC's Malcolm Young Fought To Keep Making Music
(TeamRock Radio) Malcolm Young fought to keep making music as long as he could, says brother and bandmate Angus. The AC/DC mainman was finally forced to retire earlier this year as a result of dementia, which he'd begun struggling with before the band started 2008 album Black Ice.

"He was still writing until he couldn't do it any more. You were hoping that he'd get better," Angus Young says of his brother in a new interview with Pulse Of Radio.

"The physical side, he got great treatment for that, so he's good with all of that. But the mental side has just deteriorated. He himself said, you know, 'I won't be able to do it any more.'" Read more here.




Foo Fighters Announce North American Tour
Foo Fighters have announced that they will be hitting the road for a North American tour next summer and fall in support of their new studio album "Sonic Highways."

The tour will be hitting stadiums, arenas and amphitheaters across the United States and Canada beginning with a July 4th show at RFK Stadium in Washington DC.

The Foo Fighters have revealed support acts for several of the stops on the tour including Mission of Burma who will be playing the first of two concerts at Fenway Park and Royal Blood will be supporting the Foo Fighters on most of the dates in July and August. See the tour dates here.




U2 Frontman Bono Underwent 5 Hours Of Surgery
(TeamRock Radio) U2 frontman Bono underwent five hours of surgery after being seriously injured in a cycle crash in New York. The band had originally reported that damage to his arm had forced them to cancel a US TV residency.

Now it's been confirmed the singer suffered fractures to the eye orbit in his skull, his left shoulder blade and and his upper left arm. Trauma surgeon Dean Lorich of New York's Weill Cornell Medical Centre tells Rolling Stone:

"He was taken to the operating room where the elbow was washed out, a nerve trapped in the break was moved, and the bone was repaired with three metal plates and 18 screws."





Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder Giving Away 20 Song Solo Set
(Radio.com) Pearl Jam have long been letting fans download shows they attend, and even before this process, tape trading of Pearl Jam bootlegs was a practiced endeavor for diehards.

So what makes a new, free live set that PJ frontman Eddie Vedder played for 90 fans at a Microsoft event at their Seattle headquarters so special? Well, the setlist, mainly. The 20-song solo performance is filled with rare covers, everything from lead track "Trouble" (originally by Cat Stevens) to classics like John Lennon's "Imagine" and Neil Young's "The Needle and the Damage Done." (via CoS)

Also in the set are plenty of Pearl Jam and Vedder originals, like "Just Breathe," "Better Man," and "Porch." This is a must download concert for both Pearl Jam faithful fans and classic rock lovers alike. Check out the setlist and grab the download links here.




Slayer Finish Recording New Album
(TeamRock Radio) Slayer have all but finished work on their upcoming 11th album, says guitarist Kerry King. But they're planning to lay down additional material following a run of US dates with Exodus and Suicidal Tendencies.

King says: "We just pretty much got done recording. We're going to go in for ten days at the end and record some hire stuff. We've got enough for a record - we're going to record more because we have time."

The follow-up to 2009's World Painted Blood is expected early next year. It's Slayer's first without late guitarist Jeff Hanneman, and the first to feature drummer Paul Bostaph. here.



Hulk Hogan Wanted To Join Metallica and Rolling Stones
(Classic Rock) Wrestler Hulk Hogan has revealed he appealed to Metallica and The Rolling Stones to give him a shot at vacant bass posts. And he says despite his best efforts, neither band got back to him to offer an audition.

He tells Noisey: "I had wrestled so long and it got to the point where, with no Stone Cold, Rock or HHH around, I was the only guy for a long time so I had to be everywhere. I didn't really get tired but I was like, 'Man, I'm killing myself.'

"I always loved music and was in the UK for some award show, and Jerry Hall, Mick Jagger's old lady, was walking out with me to present this award. I heard her talking on the phone to Mick about, 'Oh, you got to find a bass player and you've only got two different choices.'

"She had already told me her kids were big fans and she wanted merchandise. I said, 'Look, I used to play bass. I know all The Rolling Stones songs. Tell Mick if you guys need a bass player, I swear to god I could show up.' I got home, sent her all the merchandise - and never heard a word back."

But the lack of response from Jagger didn't deter him and when he discovered Metallica were looking for a bassist, he decided to record a demo and send it to the thrash legends. Read more here.





The Smashing Pumpkins Announce Special Tour Dates
The Smashing Pumpkins have announced that they will be supporting the release of their new studio album by playing special shows in a handful of cities in the U.S. and Europe.

The lone U.S. date announced so far for the trek will take place on December 8th at Webster Hall in New York City, but the band says that they plan to announce additional shows in Chicago, San Francisco, and other select markets.

The tour is set to kick off in Berlin on November 30th followed by shows in London on December 5th and Paris on the 6th. The band also announced that the shows will feature a lineup that includes The Killers Mark Stoermer and Rage Against the Machine's Brad Wilk.

Frontman Billy Corgan had this to say, "We're absolutely thrilled and humbled to have Brad and Mark helping us out with these shows and if our rehearsals are any indication they should be one-of-a-kind."

The Smashing Pumpkins will also be making an appearance at the KROQ's Almost Acoustic Christmas show in Los Angeles on Sunday December 14th and they will playing the Jimmy Kimmel Live! outdoor stage on December 10th.

The band will be releasing their eighth studio album, Monuments to an Elegy, on December 9th. Check out the tour dates here.




Asking Alexandria Releasing Their First DVD
(TeamRock Radio) UK rockers Asking Alexandria have announced they're to release their first DVD next month. Live From Brixton And Beyond launches on December 15 via Sumerian Records and features live performances, a short film, every promo the band have recorded and behind-the-scenes footage. A trailer has been issued for the release.

Guitarist Ben Bruce says: "At long last, we're finally releasing our first-ever DVD. We have been promising this DVD for a long time now, but trust me when I say it was worth the wait.

"There is so much unseen footage on this release, including our sold-out show at Brixton in London, our Reckless Halloween concert in Hollywood, intimate behind-the-scenes footage, the Through Sin And Self-Destruction short film and every music video we have ever recorded."

Read more details, watch the trailer and check out the tracklisting here.




Black Tusk Star Memorial Fund For Jonathan Athon
(TeamRock Radio) Black Tusk have launched a memorial fund for late bassist Jonathan Athon. Athon died in hospital this month when his life support was switched off after a motorcycle crash in Georgia, USA, left him with severe brain damage. He was 32.

Now the remaining members of Black Tusk have thanked fans for their support. Many contributed to Athon's medical expenses while he was in an induced coma. And while those costs have been covered, Athon's girlfriend Emily still needs help. She is said to be "coherent" and is expected to recover, but the medical bills are piling up.

The band say: "We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the overwhelming amount of support received in the past week. Many of you have been inquiring about Athon's medical bills and how you can help. As of now, they are covered."

"...While Athon's medical expenses have been covered, his girlfriend Emily's have not. She has undergone surgery and faces a long road to recovery both physically and emotionally." Read more here.




Rush Anxious To Write New Music
(Classic Rock) Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson says he and Geddy Lee are desperate to start writing new material. The band haven't decided on what form their 2015 return to action will take - but the guitarist hopes it'll involve recording fresh tracks.

The Canadian giants recently began considering how to end the hiatus they took after three years of constant work, and aim to settle firm plans in the coming weeks.

Guitarist Lifeson tells Radio.com: "Some days I feel like being back out on the road and taking advantage of the fact that it's our 40th anniversary. On other days I sit around messing with musical ideas and think, 'We've got to start writing.'

"I was over at Ged's the other day, in fact. We were both chomping at the bit to get together. He wants to try out his millions of new bass guitars that he's got now. So we'll do some writing, and we'll see where that goes." Read more here.




KISS and Motley Crue To Close The Download Festival
(Classic Rock) KISS are the final headline act to be confirmed for next year's Download festival. The Rock And Roll Hall of Famers will close the main stage at Donington on Sunday, June 14, following headline sets from Slipknot on June 12 and Muse on June 13.

Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley and co will play immediately after Motley Crue, who'll end their touring career later in 2015, making their Download set their last ever UK festival appearance. Also confirmed in the third batch of acts are Slash and Enter Shikari.

Paul Stanley, who fronted Kiss at Monsters Of Rock in 1988 and 1996 before headlining Download in 2008, says: "Download has become a tradition of stature that separates the pretenders from the contenders and the champs from the chimps. It will be an honor to take our turf and leave no doubt why we wear the crown." Read more here.




Volbeat's Rob Caggiano Explains The Downside To Producing
(Classic Rock) Volbeat guitarist Rob Caggiano says his work behind the production desk temporarily "ruined music" for him. The former Anthrax axeman was behind the desk on their albums We've Come for You All and Worship Music and he's also produced records by Cradle Of Filth, Ill Nino, Machine Head and his current employers Volbeat.

And pouring all his energy into producing meant he was unable to enjoy music as he spent too much time "picking apart" the songs. Caggiano tells TeamRock Radio's AOR Magazine Show: "When I'm working on music, I think about the whole picture. I think about what the kick drum's doing, what the bass player's doing.

"I got heavily into producing a long time ago and I was aways in that mode. It actually ruined music for me to a certain extent because when I was trying to just sit down with a CD and listen to it and enjoy it, I couldn't even do it. I was always picking things out and hearing all these different things.

"It took me a while to get away from that and turn that part of my brain off and chill out and listen to it for what it is." Read more here.




John Lydon Spent Thousands On iPad Apps
(Classic Rock) The Sex Pistols and Public Image Ltd mainman John Lydon has revealed he's spend thousands on iPad apps. And the singer, who launched his autobiography Anger Is An Energy: My Life Uncensored last month, says he spent the money because he wanted to get a little bit of his childhood back.

He tells The Telegraph: "I wasted 10,000 f***ing pounds in the last two years on apps on my iPad. I got into Game of Thrones, Game of War, Real Racing, and I just wanted to up the ante.

And like an idiot I didn't check myself. I've been checked now. But there's a kid in me, see? A bit of my childhood was taken from me and I'm determined to bring it back." Read more here.




Slash Worked Out Deal With Tremonti Over Myles
(Classic Rock) Slash says he and Alter Bridge guitarist Mark Tremonti have worked out a system that will allow them both to continue working with singer Myles Kennedy.

Kennedy fronts Alter Bridge as well as Slash's backing band The Conspirators. And with both acts having massive profiles to go with their recording and touring commitments, it might be expected that something will eventually have to give in regards to Kennedy's availability.

But Slash is confident that won't be the case. He tells VH1: "We've built up such a good system for making it work. I don't have any intention of disrupting what Alter Bridge is doing and I don't think Mark has any intention of disrupting what we're doing." Read more here.





Frank Turner Ready To Record New Album
(TeamRock Radio) Folk-punk artist Frank Turner will hit the studio next month to begin work on his sixth album, he's confirmed. And while he keeping specific details a secret for now, he says he's eager to start recording the follow-up to 2013's Tape Deck Heart.

"After some behind-the-scenes confusion and plan-changing, we are finally about to hit the studio at the start of next month to make the sixth record," He says on his website. "Details about where, when and with who I'm still keeping close to my chest, but it's great that it's finally getting under way."

Prior to returning to the studio, he'll release the third in his compilation series The Third Three Years on November 24. It will feature demo, acoustic and live takes on a selection of his tracks along with cover versions of material by artists including Bruce Springsteen, Queen, Tom Petty and Paul McCartney. Read more here.




J.O.S. Giving Away Their New EP
UK rockers J.O.S. are giving away their new eponymous debut EP and we reached out to the band to find out why they decided to give it away and also to get a feel for their sound and their influences.

The band explain why they decided to offer the EP for free, "We're currently living in an age where people stream their music for free and where big acts give their music away for nothing. Whether you think this devalues music or not, what it has done has changed how people view the worth of music.

"Where people are more than happy to continually fork out for apps on their iPhone, spend nearly £4 for a coffee in Starbucks, or spend a fiver at McDonalds, if any artist dare suggest that people should pay for their music, that might connect with them on a profound human level or even change their lives, they are shot down for being a money crabbing pariah.

"In this climate it makes it very difficult for an unsigned band, such as J.O.S., to sell their music. As we're looking to reach out to as many people as possible giving the EP away for free seemed like a sensible thing to do under the circumstances."

We also asked them about their sound and their influences. They had this to say, "Even though we happily wear our influences on our sleeve, the J.O.S. sound is definitely unique. Our sound is a combination of rock, grunge, and punk, but at the heart of everything we do is melody. So even though we love heavy bands like Guns n' Roses, Nirvana, and The Offspring, we also love melodic bands like The Beatles and Queen, and our sound reflects that.

"So much so, where a lot of modern bands recoil at the idea of their songs being accessible to a mainstream audience and do their best to turn away from that, we feel that this only results in a vacuum which is inevitably filled with the kind vacuous pop music we see the charts riddled with today. As result we don't have such misapprehensions.

"For J.O.S. you can be heavy and melodic. For J.O.S. you can be mainstream and sincere. None of these concepts are mutually exclusives. They weren't mutually exclusive for The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and Nirvana and they're certainly not mutually exclusive concepts for J.O.S."

You can stream and download the new EP here.




Extreme Announces Pornograffitti 25th Anniversary Tour
(hennemusic) Boston rockers Extreme have announced dates for the US leg of their Pornograffitti Live 25th Anniversary tour which they will be kicking off early next year.

The 10-date run will see Extreme performing their classic 1990 album, "Pornograffitti", in its entirety along with a greatest hits set. The tour begins on January 16th in Uncasville, CT and concludes on January 31st in Battle Creek, MI.

The band's second album, "Pornograffitti" featured two hit singles, "More Than Words" and "Hole Hearted", both acoustic-based numbers…while most of the album was a mix of hard rock and funk.





At The Gates' Tomas Lindberg Excited About Their 'Ultimate' New Record
(TeamRock Radio) Tomas Lindberg says the new At The Gates album is their "ultimate" record. The band's fifth album At War With Reality was released last month. It's a concept album - which Lindberg described as an "intriguing" and "challenging" way to make a comeback 19 years after their last album, 1995's Slaughter Of The Soul.

Frontman Lindberg tells Full Metal Jackie: "I guess the start of the writing process was a little bit scary when we tried out the direction, but as soon as things started to come together I wanted this to be the ultimate At The Gates record and it proved to be just that, musically.

"But lyrically, it was so hard to grasp everything within one concept, so I just, what would take the listener by surprise? What would really challenge them as a comeback record? No one has really done a concept record as a comeback record.

"And I thought this might be really intriguing for the fans and showing them that this is a real album. It's not just, like, the best of At The Gates riff collection, it's actually a real album." Read more here.





Ensiferum Confirm New Album Details
(TeamRock Radio) Ensiferum have confirmed their new album One Man Army will be released on February 23 next year. The Finnish folk metal outfit have wrapped up recording of their sixth album at Astia Studio in Lappeenranta, Finland with producer Anssi Kippo in the last few weeks.

Singer/guitarist Petri Lindroos says: "We worked hard and long days one after another while Kippo kicked our asses to make us do the very best, and you can hear that in this album. It's a killer album with killer sound. I'm very proud to a part of this masterpiece."

One Man Army is the follow-up to 2012's Unsung Heroes, and bassist Sami Hinkka says it contains no filler. "The material is pretty diverse and each song tells a tale of its own instead of being a crappy copy of previous song - so no fillers included." Read more here.




Amaranthe Feared Fan Reaction To New Album
(TeamRock Radio) Elize Ryd says Amaranthe feared their new album would be too much of a departure for some fans to accept. Ryd says the band write to please themselves, but always try to think about the fans' perspective too. And on new album Massive Addictive she is relieved that they appear to have struck a perfect balance.

Ryd tells Rabid Noise: "Sometimes you're just hoping, 'If I like it this much hopefully others will like it the way I do.' I try to make songs that I enjoy myself. I did like this album very much, but it's also a change from the previous two so we were a little bit afraid that people wouldn't like it, or think it was too big of a chance.

"But I think we found a pretty good balance there to make it new but still keep the Amaranthe sound. We couldn't be more happy than we are now, we've had very good reviews." Read more here.







Metallica Hit The Lights On Late Night TV
(hennemusic) Metallica kicked off their week-long residency on CBS-TV's Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson Monday night, with the full episode devoted to the band.

Frontman James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich joined Ferguson for an extended interview before the group performed their 1983 classic, "Hit The Lights."

Metallica are asking help from fans as they prepare deluxe reissues of their first two albums - 1983's "Kill 'Em All" and 1984's "Ride The Lightning" - for release in 2015.

"We want it all!," posted the group. "Did you manage to sneak a video camera into a show long before they fit in your pocket? Maybe your old instamatic camera for some snap shots? A cassette Walkman with a microphone? We're looking for anything and everything... audio, video, photos, fliers, ticket stubs, the set list you picked up off the floor, and in general any mementos you may have from that around that time."

"Make your mark on these albums by e-mailing us at submissions@metclub.com to share your story and receive more info about submitting photos, videos, audio recordings and other mementos."







Jimmy Page Explains Title Of Led Zeppelin IV
(hennemusic) Led Zeppelin mastermind Jimmy Page recently took part in a Q&A session with fans at a SiriusXM Town Hall as he promotes the band's latest reissues, "Led Zeppelin IV" and "Houses Of The Holy."

Page was asked why the band's iconic fourth album went untitled. "It was the right way to deal with things at that time," said Page. "You wanted to do things a lot of other people hadn't done.

"Although, there was a lot of friction with the record company 'cause the way they saw things was as things run normally. But the fact of having that album out and the old man with the sticks and the picture frame [on the album cover] is so iconic that it was the right thing to do."

The guitarist also shared some of the creative process behind the album's opening track, "Black Dog." "In effect, John Paul Jones had a riff, and that's the sort of riff that you know of Black Dog," revealed Page.

"But that's what it was, it was just a riff. He was sort of playing it over and over. It was tricky to play. Once I could play it with him, I said, 'Okay, well let's try this with a call and response.' So with Robert [Plant] singing and then the riff. And then all the other bits outside of the riff - those are all the bits that I put into it. So really, if you're asking me what my part of it was, it was actually taking it from a riff and making it into a piece of music."




Jimmy Fallon and The Roots Become U2 On The Tonight Show
(hennemusic) Jimmy Fallon and The Roots filled in for U2 on The Tonight Show Monday following news that the band were forced to postpone their planned week-long residency on the NBC late night program this week after frontman Bono broke his arm bicycling in Central Park on Sunday.

"The show must go," said Fallon. "It's just happened yesterday and it's never happened before to us, so I was thinking, 'who do we get to come on the show'. And then I realized that we already have the best band in the world - The Roots - are here every single night. And Bono's wardrobe is here because he was going to wear it tonight but obviously he's not going to need it now. So I thought 'let's have some fun with it."

Fallon donned Bono's gear and teamed up with The Roots for a performance of U2's 1988 hit, "Desire." U2 revealed news of Bono's accident to fans on Sunday.

"It looks like we will have to do our Tonight Show residency another time - we're one man down," posted the group. "Bono has injured his arm in a cycling spill in Central Park and requires some surgery to repair it. We're sure he'll make a full recovery soon, so we'll be back! Much thanks to Jimmy Fallon and everyone at the show for their understanding."

Watch video of the performance here.



Joe Walsh Jams With The Foo Fighters
(hennemusic) Joe Walsh joined the Foo Fighters at their November 14 Los Angeles club show at The Roxy. The Eagles guitarist was on hand to perform "Outside" from the band's newly-released set, "Sonic Highways." Walsh appears on the album version, which was written and recorded in Joshua Tree, California.

Walsh then performed his 1985 classic, "Rocky Mountain Way", before he and the Foos were joined by Jane's Addiction frontman Perry Farrell to play that group's "Mountain Song."

Produced by Butch Vig, "Sonic Highways" was recorded in 8 American cities - Austin, Chicago, Los Angeles, Nashville, New Orleans, New York, Seattle and Washington, D.C.




AC/DC Praise Fans In New Behind The Scenes Video
(hennemusic) AC/DC are raving about the support they receive from their fans in a new clip featuring behind the scenes footage from their recent video shoot in London.

"The fans are a big part of what we do," says lead guitarist Angus Young and frontman Brian Johnson adds, "They are a member of the band by default".

The London set saw fans come in from all over the world to be a part of the video for the title track to their forthcoming album, "Rock Or Bust", due December 2.

"[The video] was greatly, greatly helped by the fans," explains director David Mallett. "And one chap - complete with an Angus outfit - flew from South America to watch AC/DC make a video for three-and-a-half hours…and then he flew home to South America."

"Why are AC/DC fans loyal to AC/DC?", asks Mallett. "Because AC/Dc are loyal to the fans." Watch the behind the scenes video here.




Prince Releases Funknroll Clip
(Classic Rock) Prince and ThirdEyeGirl have released a lyric video for the track Funknroll, a song which appears on both the albums the singer has released earlier this year.

Funknroll, which was first heard on the Arsenio Hall show in March, was featured on Prince's Art Official Age and Prince & ThirdEyeGirl's Plectrumelectrum, both of which came out in September.

This version of Funknroll is from the latter. The albums marked the singer's return to Warner Brothers, nearly 20 years after he left the label in 1995. Check out the video here.



Billy Corgan Covers Joy Division Song with Peter Hook
(Radio.com) Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart" is a kind of crown jewel for musicians to cover. It's been taken on by everyone from Björk to U2, New Order, the Cure, Thom Yorke and Atoms for Peace, Fall Out Boy, Arcade Fire-the list goes on.

But if anyone has the "right" to cover it, that would be former bassist Peter Hook and his new band The Light. During their show at Chicago's Metro on Friday night, the band closed out their encore with a special rendition of the song featuring guest appearances from local resident Billy Corgan and his Smashing Pumpkins bandmate Jeff Schroeder.

The crowd predictably went nuts when Hook and co. strummed the iconic opening chords of the track. Corgan handled the vocals, doing his best Ian Curtis impersonation.

Corgan and Schroeder's appearance wasn't entirely due to The Light playing in their hometown. Back in 2001, Corgan supported New Order on tour. New Order grew from Joy Division following frontman Curtis' death.






BTBAM's Thomas Giles Releases Siphon The Bad Blood Video
(TeamRock Radio) Thomas Giles has released a video for his track Siphon The Bad Blood. The song is taken from the Between The Buried And Me frontman's upcoming solo album Modern Noise, out on November 25.

The new effort is Tommy Giles Rogers Jr.'s second solo album under the name Thomas Giles. He has also released an electronic record under the moniker Giles.

Between The Buried And Me released live studio DVD Future Sequence: Live At The Fidelitorium in September. Watch the Siphon The Bad Blood video here.




Radiohead's Philip Selway Releases Around Again Video
(Prog) Radiohead drummer Philip Selway has launched a music video for the track Around Again. The song comes from his second solo album Weatherhouse which launched in October via Bella Union. It's the follow-up to 2010's Familial.

Selway is joined on the record by multi-instrumentalists Adem Ilan and Quinta and he previously stated the album was "generally darker and fuller" than his debut solo outing - and he revealed they wanted to cover a variety of instruments on his latest recording.

He said: "From the outset we wanted the album to be the three of us, and we covered a lot of instruments between us. Different musicians stretch you; I felt stretched on Weatherhouse, but very enjoyably so."







Former Iron Maiden Singer Hated By Fans?
(Classic Rock) Former Iron Maiden frontman Blaze Bayley says some Iron Maiden fans hated him for taking over vocal duties from Bruce Dickinson. He joined the metal giants in 1994 and recorded two albums - 1995's The X Factor and 1998's Virtual XI. But he says a section of the group's fans were against him from the start as they blamed him for the departure of Dickinson.

He tells Mitch Lafon: "When I joined the band, there were a lot of people who just resented me and actually hated me for being in Maiden. They blamed me for Bruce leaving, which is a classic girlfriend problem, where you blame your friend for your girlfriend leaving or whatever. But a lot of people didn't want to listen to me.

"It was a very different time for Maiden. The music business was changing, MP3s were coming, the hardware was starting to disappear, CD sales were down for everybody worldwide. And it was a time when a lot of old-school Maiden fans didn't want Blaze Bayley to be the lead singer. " Read more here.



Nothing Release Chloroform Video
(TeamRock Radio) Just days ahead of the launch of their debut UK tour, shoegazey soundscapers Nothing have released a new music video for the song Chloroform.

Taken from the split 12" with Whirr, out now on Run For Cover Records, the video was directed by Don Argott (the man the Lamb Of God As The Palaces Burn documentary) and features a heavy bout of kidnapping.

The new split record features two new tracks from Nothing recorded with Will Yip who has worked with everyone from Cradle Of Filth and Title Fight to Schoolly D and Paint It Black. Check out the tour dates and watch the video here.




Singled Out: Winter In Eden's With Intent
Today Steve Hauxwell from UK symphonic rockers Winter In Eden tells us about the song "With Intent" and its new video, which comes from their brand new album "Court of Conscience". Here is the story:

'With Intent' was one of the first tracks we wrote for 'Court Of Conscience' and it is also one of my favourites to play live, so it seems fitting to explain it a little more.

Unlike some bands, all the members of Winter In Eden contribute to the writing process but the initial idea can come from any one of us. In this case, it came together really quickly with Sam hammering out a guitar riff and Steve J (keys) soon had a counter melody floating over the top. At the time, it kind of resembled the theme tune from an old children's TV show that aired in the UK and as such, the song quickly earned a working title of the same name. Incidentally, we are already writing for the next album and have another track with the same working title … that TV show must have been a major influence on all of us for some unknown reason!!

Anyway, back on topic … as the track developed the arrangements changed slightly (as they often do) but Vicky had the vocal melody nailed and already knew what the lyrics would be about. 'With Intent' is all about a stalker! Most of the time, when people think of stalkers they think of male stalking female but it could easily be the other way too. It could be someone who's known to you, someone you may have had a relationship with or a total stranger. We wanted the track to musically demonstrate both the light and the dark, the innocent and the sinister side of stalker and victim. Luckily for us, Ruud Jolie (Within Temptation) who produced the album, had some great ideas to make the heavy middle eight section sound aggressive and dark to contrast with the lighter, more up-beat chorus. Vicky also likes to make her lyrics slightly ambiguous, rather than to lay it all out. So you'll need to listen and make up your own mind as to who the stalker is.

The video which accompanies the track, depicts a young girl being stalked by ghostly figures after she finds a pocket watch, but is that really who this track is about? Or is there another, more down-to-earth but equally unfavourable meaning?