Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Green Day Star Battling Cancer
Green Day revealed that guitarist Jason White has been diagnosed with tonsil cancer, but they expect that he will make a full recovery since the cancer was discovered early.

White first began performing lead guitar live with the band in 1999. The group posted the following message on their official website about White's cancer:

"We have some news to report regarding our brother Jason White, and wanted you to hear it from us before word spread. Jason recently underwent a routine tonsillectomy, and his doctors discovered a treatable form of tonsil cancer.

"Thankfully they caught it early and he should make a full and speedy recovery. Please join us in sending him love and positive healing vibes during this time."




Guns N' Roses New Album May Include Slash Contribution
(TeamRock Radio) Guns N' Roses guitarist Richard Fortus has suggested their next album could include music written by former lead guitarist Slash - nearly 20 years after he left the band.

Speculation has been rife in recent months that Axl Rose is close to confirming the long-awaited follow-up release to 2008's Chinese Democracy.

Speaking at a workshop event last month, Fortus said: "There's so much stuff that's recorded. There's three albums worth of material, easy. Axl is very secretive - he doesn't want stuff getting out. He wants to create stuff then release it when it's ready. He's also a bit of a perfectionist, as you can imagine."

He added: "Some of the stuff comes from nothing and some of the stuff were ideas that were already there. Some of the stuff Slash did - it was the beginning of the seed of a song that's been around for a while." Read more here.




Ronnie James Dio Tribute Leads Metal Grammy Nominations
(Classic Rock) The all-star Ronnie James Dio tribute album This Is Your Life leads the nominations in the Best Metal Performance category at the next Grammy Awards.

Anthrax's version of Black Sabbath's Neon Knights and Tenacious D's take on Dio's The Last in Line will compete for the honour against Slipknot's The Negative One, Motorhead's Heartbreaker and Mastodon's High Road.

The 57th annual ceremony takes place on February 8 in LA. The period of eligibility for this year's awards cover tracks released between October 1, 2013, and September 30, 2014.

Dio's widow Wendy tweeted: "Thanks to The Grammys for nominating songs from Anthrax and Tenacious D from This Is Your Life. Ronnie James Dio for a Grammy Award!" Read more here.




Slayer Rescue Freezing Kitten
(Classic Rock) Slayer rescued a lost kitten from the streets of Indianapolis this week - and found her an owner and a name. Guitarist Kerry King and some members of the band's crew had finished dinner in Indianapolis, Indiana, ahead of the thrash icons' show in the city's Old National Centre.

The cat was being offered for sale by a homeless man. Manager Heidi Robinson-Fitzgerald tells Nuvo.net: "Assistant tour manager Jess Cortese saw a man on the street, who offered up the little kitten for a dollar.

"The kitten was freezing so Jess took it. She slept on the bus and went to the venue with her today, hanging out. One of the runners knew someone who wanted a kitten, so the little guy now has a new home." Read more and check out a photo here.





Def Leppard Return To The Studio
(TeamRock Radio) Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott has revealed the band have restarted studio work on their tenth album. He recently said the follow-up to 2008's Songs From The Sparkle Lounge would be "a lot more basic and raw" than previous outings.

Work had been slowed by the band's live commitments and guitarist Vivian Campbell's stem-cell treatment for cancer. Now Elliott tells the Belfast Telegraph:

"We're back on it now and hoping to get it finished by early spring. I was in the studio last night, actually, and I'll be in again tonight - if I don't wear my voice out."

The project was kickstarted earlier this year with a pair of marathon songwriting sessions that yielded material for 15 tracks. Read more here.




Slipknot's Jim Root Believes Paul Gray Helped Him Write New Song
(TeamRock Radio) Slipknot's Jim Root believes late bandmate Paul Gray helped him write songs for latest album .5: The Gray Chapter. The Grammy-nominated record is their first after the bassist's death in 2010, and frontman Corey Taylor has heaped praise on the guitarist for "stepping up" with his writing.

Root tells Mcall.com: "I realised when I was demoing in my garage that I was approaching the way I put arrangements together a little bit differently.

"I was exploring the fretboard, trying different places to play. I was putting spots in the songs where I could hear, like, 'This might be something that Sid Wilson would want to go over. This might be something Craig Jones might want to go over.' I also had to think about the way Corey might sing.

"Then I realised - that's the way Paul would work. I had an epiphany. It dawned on me that he was helping me through it. I'm not hugely spiritual or religious, but that made me think: people do live on through you." Read more here.




Ellefson Explains Megadeth's Plans Following Members' Exits
(Classic Rock) David Ellefson says Megadeth are aiming to stick to their album schedule - despite the departure of Chris Broderick and Glenn Drover last month. But he accepts the band will be off the road for most of 2015, while arguing that the split took place at the best possible time.

The guitarist and drummer both announced they'd quit on the same day, leaving Ellefson and frontman Dave Mustaine the only current members of the thrash giants. The bassist last week confirmed it wasn't the end of the band.

Now Ellefson tells the Classic Metal Show: "We're scheduled start a new record after the first of the year, to release later in 2015, and touring to take on from there. In an ironic way, if there's going to be changes, it's definitely better that it happens when you're off the road than in the middle of a tour.

"We've had that happen over the years too - members need to move on in the middle of a tour. You've really got your back against the wall. So we do have a little bit of a luxury of time right now." Read more here.




AC/DC Singer Was Unsure Band Would Continue Without Malcolm
(Classic Rock) AC/DC singer Brian Johnson had admitted he wasn't sure the band would continue without Malcolm Young. He knew he had to leave the decision to the mainman's brother Angus - and says he'd have accepted whatever the guitarist said.

The band last week released 17th album Rock Or Bust, their first without mainman Malcolm Young, who was forced to retire as a result of dementia. Johnson tells ABC Australia:

"To me it was always up to Angus. He's one of these two men who made riffs that nobody else made, since they were in school. I really thought it might not happen. If Angus turned round and said, 'I can't do it without Malcolm,' I would have understood."

He describes working without Malcolm as "a strange feeling," adding: "Your workmate you've been with for the last 35 years isn't there any more. For Angus it was more - it was his brother." Read more here.





Classic Rage Lineup Reunite As Refuge
(Classic Rock) The classic line up of Rage have reunited in a new project under the name Refuge for live performances next year. Singer and sole constant member Peavy Wagner will welcome back guitarist Manni Schmidt and drummer Chris Efthimiadis, who both joined in 1988 and left in 1994 and 1999 respectively. Together, they recorded five albums.

The formation came about following a secret show in their German hometown of Herne recently, following years of little contact. The gig was mainly promoted through word of mouth and social media - but it attracted 1200 fans.

The band say: "We are very happy to announce that we will have the opportunity to travel with you through the early years, 1988-1993, one more time in the festival summer of 2015." Read more and check out a video here.




The Faceless Singer The Latest To Leave The Band
(TeamRock Radio) The Faceless have lost a third member in six weeks after frontman Geoffrey Ficco ended his four-year tenure with the band. It follows the departure of bassist Evan Brewer and drummer Alex Rudinger in October.

The split forced the cancellation of a UK tour planned for November. Now Ficco says: "After nearly four years with the band I have decided to leave to pursue new opportunities.

"Thank you to the fans, as well as the past and present members, for the unforgettable experience." He's planning to focus on his black metal band Ys, who launched an album in November. Read more here.




Phil Anselmo Won't Mark Anniversary of Dimebag's Murder
(TeamRock Radio) Former Pantera frontman Phil Anselmo has insisted he won't mark the tenth anniversary of Dimebag Darrell Abbott's murder today. The guitarist was shot dead on December 8, 2004, in Columbus, Ohio, during a show with Damageplan. He'd formed the band with brother and drummer Vinny Paul after Pantera had split the previous year.

But Anselmo - who plays with Down in San Francisco tonight - tells Yahoo: "There is no f***ing way on this planet Earth that I am going to celebrate the death of one of my best friends.

"I won't do any Pantera songs or anything like that. Like every night I'll send out a song to Dimebag. I always send out Lifer because if there was ever a lifer in heavy metal, someone who lived it, breathed it and forged it every day, it was him.

"He is the epitome of a lifer, whether he is in the tomb or not." Read more and grab the link for TeamRock's hour long documentary about Dimebag's legacy here.




Black Star Riders Reveal New Album Details
(TeamRock Radio) Black Star Riders have unveiled the album artwork and multi-format tracklist for the follow-up to debut All Hell Breaks Loose. The Thin Lizzy offshoot's 10-song work will be released on February 23 via Nuclear Blast.

Frontman Ricky Warwick says of the sleeve art: "It's a bit of a continuation from All Hell Breaks Loose. people will see the link - it's very rock'n'roll. It's going to look cool."

He recently said of the attitude behind the album: "Life's not fair. Never has been, never will be. Sometimes you have to live with a killer instinct just to survive in the pursuit of happiness. Nobody can do for you what you should be doing for yourself." here.




Police Close Investigation of Sound Of Contact Frontman
(TeamRock Radio) Simon Collins has confirmed the police investigation over his arrest on suspicion of drug offences has been closed. The Sound Of Contact frontman, son of Genesis' Phil Collins, was detained in Wiltshire in July in relation to the dealing of class A drugs.

In a statement to TeamRock, Collins says: "Being arrested was in itself a very confusing experience. To find myself implicated in something so serious has made the last few months extremely difficult, both personally and professionally.

"I am grateful to finally be able to tell you all that these claims were completely untrue, and I am pleased to confirm that the matter in relation to myself was closed by the police at the end of September. No charges were filed against me." Read more here.




Big Plans For Ronnie James Dio Death Anniversary
(TeamRock Radio) Three days of celebrations are being lined up to commemorate the fifth anniversary of Ronnie James Dio's passing. Dio died of stomach cancer on May 16, 2010 - and on May 15, 16 and 17 next year, his widow Wendy Dio is holding a series of events in Los Angeles which she hopes fans from around the world will attend.

She tells Lucas H Gordon: "Next year is five year's since Ronnie's passing, May 16. So we're gonna do a very big thing for the fans. Everybody can come from all over the world. We're gonna do a big memorial in Forest Lawn in LA where he is buried.

"The day before that, we're going to do celebrity bowling here because we want to have things for the fans coming from all the world to do." Read the details about the other plans here.




Tygers Of Pan Tang Plan Limited Edition Release
(Classic Rock) Tygers Of Pan Tang have revealed they are to release a limited edition CD featuring re-recorded versions of some of their classic songs. The NWOBHM act release The Tygers Sessions: The First Wave on February 28 via Skol Records.

It features 11 tracks re-recorded for the anniversary EP releases The Spellbound Sessions and The Wildcat Sessions, which were originally available through the band's fan-club and website only, and quickly sold out.

Guitarist Robb Weir says: "I am very proud of the band's history as well as the current lineup. We should never forget the Tygers history and hope this shows we will always recognise the early days of the band." Read more here.




Foreigner Revisit Classic 4 Album
(Gibson) Foreigner will release The Best Of Foreigner 4 & More in the U.S on December 16. It was released in the U.K on Dec. 5. The album features original guitarist Mick Jones and current singer Kelly Hansen and includes new live versions of songs from their 1981 album 4, their only No. 1 album.

In addition to re-recorded versions of '4′ songs such as "Juke Box Hero," "Waiting for a Girl Like You" and "Urgent," The Best of Foreigner 4 & More includes other hits from the band, such as "Feels Like the First Time" and "I Want to Know What Love Is."

Many of the songs were recorded at Borgata Hotel's Music Box in Atlantic City in October 2014. "Our music has touched a lot of people worldwide," says Mick Jones. "And we've unwittingly weaved our music into the fabric of people's lives."








Morgoth Replace Singer, Announce New Album
German death metal group Morgoth revealed that they parted ways with singer Marc Grewe and already working with a new vocalist who will appear on their forthcoming album and at their upcoming concerts.

The band will be releasing the album, entitled Ungod, in spring of next year. Here is what the band had to say, "Today we must bring you the unfortunate news that we have parted ways with our longtime vocalist Marc Grewe.

"The chance for a further cooperation between us simply wasn't possible anymore. This has been an extremely tough decision for us to make, and one that was not made easily, but we believe it to be the best for the band at this stage.

"That said, we are already working with a new vocalist on our upcoming album. The record will be entitled Ungod and will be released in spring 2015 via Century Media Records.

"More details about the recordings and a string of new shows for next year will be revealed soon. Please notice: All upcoming confirmed shows will be performed as planned!"




Queen's Brian May Warns Of Asteroid Danger
(Classic Rock) Queen guitarist Brian May says it's only a matter of time until humanity is destroyed by a giant asteroid hurtling into the earth. More than 100 people have joined the call for governments and private business to do more to track and detect asteroids.

May - who has a doctorate in astronomy - is one of a group of scientists who are calling for efforts to be increased to detect asteroids capable of causing widespread destruction of the planet.

May tells the Financial Times: "The more we learn about asteroid impacts, the clearer it becomes that the human race has been living on borrowed time. The campaign launched this week is intended to raise awareness and put pressure on governments to act." Read more here.




Wilko Johnson Missed Out On Album With Roger Daltrey Success
(TeamRock Radio) Wilko Johnson says he wasn't able to fully understand what was going on when Going Back Home, his album with Roger Daltrey, was declared a success.

He was being prepared for lifesaving surgery on his pancreatic cancer when he was told of the award-winning record's sales success. Johnson tells the BBC: "When it was being released I was already in hospital. The surgeons at Addenbrookes Hospital had determined they could operate so I'd said, 'Okay, have a go.' I was lying in a bed full of tubes and morphine as it was being released.

"I remember people coming in and telling me, 'It's really selling - it's been really successful,' and me going, 'Really good man,' while not really quite aware of what was going on."

Read more here.




The Gift Announce Christmas Show
(Prog) The Gift have confirmed that they will be performing a Christmas show on December 21 at The Bedford in London - part of the venue's MidWinter Madness event.

The symphonic prog outfit will be joined by A Formal Horse, Red Letter and The Far Meadow. Their next UK show takes place on April 25 at the Matchroom in Plymouth, as a double-header show with Synaesthesia.

The Gift launched second album Land Of Shadows in April this year via Bad Elephant Music. Prog hailed its "sense of honesty" and added: "A long time coming, it may not break new ground, but it successfully evokes the spirit of prog gone by." More including a song stream here.




Theory Of A Deadman Announce Intimate UK Tour
(Classic Rock) Theory Of A Deadman will return to the UK for six shows in April, they've confirmed. They will be touring in support of their fifth album Savages, which was released earlier this year.

The Canadian outfit aim to keep ticket prices low for the run of intimate shows, following their recent arena tour with labelmates Black Stone Cherry.

Frontman Tyler Connolly says: "We're super-excited to be coming back. Some of our fondest memories are over there, and the fans are seriously the best. We've tried to keep tickets cheap so everyone can go." Read more and see the dates here.




The IT Crowd Star Matt Berry Announces One-Off Concert
(TeamRock Radio) The IT Crowd star and prog musician Matt Berry is set to play a rare, one-off concert at The Forum in Kentish Town on February 13. The comedian, writer and multi-instrumentalist - who's currently playing the lead role in sitcom Toast Of London - will be joined by his band, The Maypoles, who feature the former Bluetones frontman Mark Morriss on guitar.

Berry says: "It's difficult to find the time to play the music between the comedy, so every break from filming leaves me itching to record or perform new material. Whenever I get the opportunity, I jump at it."

He'll perform a set of songs taken from his five studio albums, including 2011's Witchazel, 2013's Kill The Wolf and his latest release, Music For Insomniacs. Read more including details of a special release here.





Sammy Hagar Unplugs For Depeche Mode's Personal Jesus
(hennemusic) Sammy Hagar has released a stripped-down, acoustic version of the Depeche Mode classic, "Personal Jesus." While the Red Rocker previously issued a full electric take on the track as part of his 2013 album, "Sammy Hagar & Friends", the acoustic offering is now available via iTunes as part of an exclusive 12-song Bonus edition of his new album, "Lite Roast."

"For those who have already purchased the album," says Hagar, "you can grab just the new track on it's own." Download "Personal Jesus" from iTunes here.

Released in October, "Lite Roast" sees the singer teamed with Waboritas guitarist Vic Johnson to deliver stripped-down versions of tunes from his career.

"Lite Roast" was inspired by the rehearsals for Sammy's appearance at the Acoustic-4-A-Cure benefit show in May, which raised funds for the Pediatric Cancer Program at the University Of California, San Francisco UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital.

Check out the electric version of "Personal Jesus" from the "Sammy Hagar & Friends" album here.




Paul Di'Anno Streaming Track From Iron Maiden Tribute Album
(hennemusic) Former Iron Maiden singer Paul Di'Anno is sharing a preview of "Running Free" from the upcoming release, "A Tribute To Iron Maiden - Celebrating The Beast Vol. 1 (The Evil That Men Do)."

Di'Anno contributes four classic Maiden tunes to the collection, including "Wrathchild", "Phantom Of The Opera" and "Iron Maiden" - all songs he originally recorded during his tenure with the band from 1978-1981.

Di'Anno was the voice and frontman for Maiden in their formative years; he appeared on the band's first two albums, 1980's "Iron Maiden" and 1981's "Killers", as well as 1981's "Maiden Japan" live EP.

Due January 23, "A Tribute To Iron Maiden - Celebrating The Beast Vol. 1 (The Evil That Men Do)" also features covers by Doogie White (Michael Schenker Group), Steve Grimmett (ex-Grim Reaper), Steve Overland (Overland, FMUK) and Gary Barden. Watch the video here.




Hellyeah Guitarist Challenges Rising Bands To Be Better
(TeamRock Radio) Hellyeah guitarist Tom Maxwell has challenging rising-star bands to make stronger albums instead of concentrating on a handful of radio-friendly singles.

And he thinks many young musicians don't try hard enough to establish their own sonic identity - which is one reason why record sales continue to plummet.

Maxwell tells KJAG: "I listen to radio and I'm hearing bands, and I can't differentiate who they are. There's a thousand Nickelback bands. There's a new Slipknot band showing up every once in a while. And it's just sh*t - unfocused with no passion."

He believes the problem is: "Most of these new bands are writing for that single. They want to chart." But he warns: "There's a lot of competition out there. Unless you have something that really speaks volumes and can separate you from the rest of the pack, you're just going to follow the sheep."

Maxwell thinks the solution is for up-and-coming artists to "so some soul-searching musically." Read more here.




Metal Supergroup Serious Black Release New Song, Set Album Release
(TeamRock Radio) Power metal supergroup Serious Black have confirmed details of their debut album and released a lyric video for the track I Seek No Other Life. They will release debut album As Daylight Breaks on January 20.

Formed over the past year by Masterplan guitarist Roland Grapow and ex-Visions Of Atlantis bassist Mario Lochert, the band also comprises ex-Blind Guardian drummer Thomen Stauch, Edenbridge guitarist Dominik Sebastian, former Dreamscape keyboardist Jan Vacik and ex-Tad Morose vocalist Urban Breed.

A statement from the band says: "Initially, it turned out to be quite a task to bring these full-time musical workaholics together in one studio at the same time. Needless to say, when they arrived at the Dreamsound Studios, Munich, none of the blokes had any idea, yet, where exactly their musical venture would take them.

"Serious Black is different to many of the so-called 'all star' bands because, in fact, they are a real band." Check out the lyric video here.



Jesse Leach Was Reluctant To Reunite With Killswitch Engage
(TeamRock Radio) Jesse Leach has revealed that he initially turned down the chance to rejoin Killswitch Engage because he worried he'd "feel like a fraud." Leach returned to the band after his replacement Howard Jones left in 2012 to address health issues concerning his Type 2 diabetes and bouts of anxiety.

But when he was first asked by lead guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz to come back, Leach refused because he wasn't sure he could sing Howard's songs. He tells The Jasta Show: "I turned it down initially thinking that I couldn't sing Howard's songs. I didn't know if I could mentally wrap my head around a song like My Curse.

"I couldn't really relate to it at the time. I thought to myself if I went on stage and tried to sing those songs I feel like a fraud. I think Howard has an incredible voice, very powerful."

Read more here.




Obituary Reaching A New Generation
(TeamRock Radio) Obituary say they are amazed by the number of young fans turning out for their joint tour with Death To All. Bass player Terry Butler says the presence of youngsters at their shows is a sign that the rock scene is in good health.

Butler tells Relapse Records: "What's killer is that there's 10-year-old kids walking up with their Leprosy shirts on, which is amazing to me. Whether their father turned them on to it or whatever, the young crowd is there."

Guitarist Trevor Peres adds: "Yeah, there's been a bunch of kids on this tour. You see them all in the front row." Read more and stream the full video interview here.





Soilwork Sound 'Better Than Ever' On New Songs
(TeamRock Radio) Soilwork frontman Bjorn 'Speed' Strid says the band are sounding "better than ever" on demos for their upcoming ninth album. Strid uploaded a picture of himself to Facebook, in which he is listening to the tunes on his laptop while enjoying a cold beer.

He says: "Listening to new Soilwork demos with a beautiful brew in my hand. All I can say is, we're better than ever, folks. It might be the alcohol but I'm feeling it for real. Pretty damn sure you will too."

The band signed with Testament frontman Chuck Billy's Breaking Bands LLC management company recently. Billy said: "I remember finding Soilwork while browsing on my computer and was hooked on them from the first listen." Read more here.




Cowards Premiere New Song
(TeamRock Radio) TeamRock are premiering "Beyond My Hands," the new track from sludgey hardcore racket-makers Cowards, taken from their upcoming album Rise To Infamy.

The Parisian noisemongers are gearing up to release their second full-length in Feburary on Throatruiner Records - and TeamRock has the exclusive first play of the single!

If you're a fan of having your ears pummeled into dust and vocals so harsh you have to wonder if their frontman moonlights as a glass eater. Punishingly beautiful. Stream the song here.




Warren Haynes Reveals Tribute To Ian 'Mac' McLagan
(The Blues Warren Haynes has released a live video clip as a tribute to Faces and Rolling Stones keyboardist Ian 'Mac' McLagan, who died last week after suffering a stroke.

Haynes says: "I'm saddened by the news of Ian's passing. I had the pleasure of recording with him for my last solo album and performing with him numerous times.

"Here's a clip of Ian with the Warren Haynes Band, live at the Moody Theater in Austin. He'll be missed." Check out the video of the performance of "Hattiesburg Hustle" here.




Poison Idea Reborn With New Lineup, Plan Next Album
(TeamRock Radio) Portland punks Poison Idea will release their seventh studio album Confuse And Conquer on the Southern Lord label next year. The album will be their first full-length since 2006's Latest Will And Testament.

It will also be the first album since the death of guitarist Tom 'Pig Champion' Roberts the same year. It also marks the return of bassist Chris 'Spider' Carey and new members Brandon Bentley and Nathan 'Skinny' Richardson.

The band say feel that the positive attitude in the recording process has been like a rebirth. Vocalist Jerry A says: "We've been screwing around for too long. We had to hang back and see whose heart was really in this thing we've been doing for 30 years and who was bullsh*tting.

"Everybody in the band now lives to play and make music. That comes first. It always has, it just took a long time to filter out the flakes and keep the diehards. Read more here.




Manic Street Preachers Can Never Repeat Holy Bible Album
(Classic Rock) Manic Street Preachers bassist Nicky Wire doesn't think the band will ever match the energy of their classic 1994 album The Holy Bible. The Welsh rockers are set for a run of shows in which they will play the entire album back-to-back.

Wire tells the NME: "I haven't played The Holy Bible through for a long time. And then sitting down... I guess the power of it did actually really resonate with me and actually did make me think, with a slight tinge of sadness, just as a band, it'd be impossible to really be that brave with that much conviction ever again."

The Manics had previously been hesitant in performing the album, as it was their last work before the disappearance of guitarist Richey Edwards the following year. Read more here.



Skarlett Riot Announce New Album
(TeamRock Radio) Skarlett Riot will release their second album We Are The Brave on February 16 and will be preceded by the single Rising on January 19, for which they have filmed a video.

The Scunthorpe rockers will also support Ozzy and Firewind guitarist Gus G on his UK tour in February. They tell Metal Temple: "We find it difficult ourselves to put a category on our sound.

"We like to just say 'rock' because we kind of mix rock, metal, pop all together to make something else. We like to feel we're original because obviously everything's been done before."