Tim Abrigg Jr.'s Rock and Roll News Of The Day!: Today's Day In Rock News!

Tim Abrigg Jr.'s Rock and Roll News Of The Day!: Today's Day In Rock News!: Original Guns N' Roses Reunion Rumored For Music Festival The inevitable first rumor of a reunion of the original lineup of G...

Today's Day In Rock News!

Original Guns N' Roses Reunion Rumored For Music Festival

The inevitable first rumor of a reunion of the original lineup of Guns N' Roses has surfaced, following confirmation from Slash that he and frontman Axl Rose have reconciled.
The rumor came from the owner of the Cherry Bar in Melbourne, Australia, James Young, who said during an interview with Triple M Radio that he heard from a "heavy hitter" in the Australian music business that the original lineup of Guns N' Roses would be headlining the Soundwave Festival next year.

Metal site BraveWords reports that Young revealed the rumor before Slash confirmed in an interview with Aftonbladet TV that he and Axl are friends again.

Young told the Australian radio station, "I heard the most amazing rumor this week, from a very well informed heavy hitter in the Australian music industry, giving me the name of the headline act for Soundwave next year.

"Now we know that a mystery band has come in and saved the festival, and now owns it, so they are going to have a big say. So what mega band could it be? Well I have heard 'fantasized' on Wednesday night that it will be: Steven Adler, Izzy Stradlin, Duff McKagen, Slash and Axl Rose, the reformation of the original 1987 Appetite for Destruction Guns N' Roses lineup, can you believe it? It's incredible; I've had sleepless nights fantasizing about it."

However, this rumor would run counter to Slash's reaction in the same interview when asked about a possible reunion now that he and Axl are talking again. He said, "Oh, I couldn't answer that one, though. All right, let's get off the subject, 'cause, you know, that's an old one."



Black Sabbath Making Final Album Plans Says Gus G(Classic Rock)

Ozzy Osbourne's guitarist Gus G believes Black Sabbath are close to starting work on their final album. The metal icons last year revealed plans to make one more record before retiring.
But the details have remained unclear, with doubt over an accompanying tour, and even more doubt over whether original drummer Bill Ward will rejoin Osbourne, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler for their swan-song.

But G thinks Sabbath will roll into action in the coming months - he tells My Global Mind: "We're doing Japan in November. However, I don't think there's going to be a lot coming out of Ozzy because he's going back to Sabbath to make another one.

"That's what they've been talking about. You never really know with them, so I don't make those kinds of plans with Ozzy." Read more here.



Paul McCartney Announces North American Tour Dates

Paul McCartney has expanded his Out There World Tour yet again, announcing a new string of North American dates that will be taking place this fall.
The new set of dates will kick off on October 13th in Columbus, OH at the Nationwide Arena and will conclude on October 22nd in Buffalo, NY at the First Niagara Center.

The tour also includes stops in State College, Pennsylvania at the Bryce Jordan Center on October 15th, Toronto, Canada at the Air Canada Centre on October 17th and Detroit, Michigan at the Joe Louis Arena on October 21st.

The Out There tour has so far visited 22 cities across the world this year and features material from McCartney's entire career; from his days in the Beatles, to his first solo band Wings and up to his latest studio album "New", which was released in 2013. See the dates here.



Queen's Freddie Mercury Featured In Brand-New Charity Single(Classic Rock)

Queen icon Freddie Mercury's voice is featured in a brand-new single to be released next month in aid of his charity foundation. Little Freddie Goes To School will be premiered at the Official Freddie Mercury Birthday Party in Montreux, Switzerland on September 5, before going on general release on September 7.
It includes two recordings made during the frontman's Barcelona sessions - his late-night jam of When This Old Tired Body Wants To Sing and his a capella version of The Golden Boy.

The track was created after composer Stuart Leathem collaborated with Queen producer Dave Richards. Leatham says: "I don't write many songs - usually big modern-classical Mike Oldfield type works. I am, however, a big admirer of Freddie, and I was very lucky to call Dave my friend." Read more here.



Iron Maiden Reveal New Jumbo Jet Ed Force One For World Tour(Classic Rock)

Iron Maiden have revealed that they will tour the world next year in the biggest-ever Ed Force One, piloted by frontman Bruce Dickinson. The band's Book Of Souls world tour will see them play in 35 countries in 2016, aboard a Boeing 747-400.
Dickinson is currently in training for his license to fly the four-engine jet, which is much bigger and more powerful than previous versions of customized Maiden aircraft.

It'll take the band, crew and over 12 tons of equipment more than 55,000 miles around the planet to concerts in Australasia, Asia, North and South America, Africa and Europe.

Dickinson says: "When the opportunity arose from my friends at Air Atlanta Icelandic to lease a 747 for The Book of Souls World Tour, of course we jumped at the chance, who wouldn't? The greatest benefit of travelling in a 747 is that because of its colossal size and freight capacity we can carry our stage production and all our stage equipment and desks in the cargo hold without having to make any of the immense structural modifications needed to do this on the previous 757, the extent of which fans will have noted on the Flight 666 DVD.

"Although in reality we cannot carry much more gear the savings in complexity, time and cost make using the 747 even more practical. All we will need to do is "paint" it and move a few seats around, with the added advantage that there is much more room for band and crew - our Krew can almost get a row of seats each to catch up on sleep on the flights! Furthermore, it is marginally faster 0.85 MACH and the range of around 7000NM (13,000 km) is much greater which means we will not have to make the refuelling stops we needed to with the 757. Read more and see a photo and promo graphic for the new Ed Force One here.



Ozzy Osbourne Guests On Billy Morrison's New Album

Billy Idol guitarist Billy Morrison has announced the release of his new solo album, God Shaped Hole, which will feature guest appearances from Ozzy Osbourne, Dave Navarro and his Billy Idol bandmates Steve Stevens and Erik Eldenius.
Morrison has set an October 23rd release date for the new album, which will be entitled "God Shaped Hole", and is set to be released via his King Mob Music record label.

The album will feature five original songs and five cover tunes and was coproduced by Morrison and Eldenius and mixed by Mike Clink (Guns N' Roses' Appetite for Destruction) and John Spiker.

Ozzy sings lead vocals on the song "Gods" which he co-wrote with Morrison. Billy offered this explanation on the evolution of the album and how Ozzy became involved, "Initially the plan was simply to record an EP of covers, but as with everything, the plan grew. I had a song I had written with Steve Stevens that I wanted to sing on, so that got thrown into the pot. Erik (Eldenius) threw some ideas at me, and we started to record originals as well.

"My two best guitar mates from the two bands I'm in, Dave Navarro (Royal Machines and previously with Camp Freddy) and Steve Stevens, also both appear on the record, quite simply because they are awesome friends and did it without question, they showed up, did their thing, and supported me.

"And then I got a text from Ozzy, wondering where I had disappeared to...I told him I had decided to record a solo album, and the next text back from him was 'Well I wanna sing a song on your record!'"

Morrison adds, "The five original songs were written with the spirit of independence that was so important at one time in music, and the complete autonomy and freedom that comes with a project like this. The covers are not huge hits, and most are by bands that never received the recognition they deserved.

"This record comes from a place inside me--thanking and paying respect to bands and songs that truly made me want to play, to perform and to do it my way." See the tracklisting here.



Glenn Danzig To Guest Star On Portlandia(Radio.com)

Among the things that the television series Portlandia is known for are the guest appearances (along with the timely, nerdy humor and sendups on hipster culture, of course).
A list of the previous musicians to appear on show is as star-studded as a typical Coachella lineup: Eddie Vedder, J Mascis, St. Vincent, Joanna Newsom, Jack White, Josh Homme, Isaac Brock, James Mercer, Corin Tucker and Colin Meloy.

And for the sixth season of the popular show, a new guest is coming to the Pacific Northwest: Glenn Danzig. The beloved Misfits and now Danzig leader will be playing a role of some sort, though the specifics are not yet released.

All we know is from an Instagram from one of the series' stars, Sleater-Kinney's Carrie Brownstein, who said "Summer Goths. With Danzig. Dreams (nightmares?) do come true." Check out the image here.



Ritchie Blackmore Should Focus On Deep Purple Reunion Says Bonnet(Classic Rock)

Graham Bonnet believes Ritchie Blackmore shouldn't waste time on trying to stage a Rainbow reunion - and he should instead try to settle his differences with Deep Purple.
Bonnet, who sang on Rainbow's Down To Earth album in 1979, said last week that "practical joker" Blackmore's proposed return might not happen - but he'd do "a show or two" with him if asked.

But the vocalist believes there's an even better option available. He tells Classic Rock "If he's really intent on rocking out again, then Ritchie should contact Purple, bury the hatchet with Ian Gillan and get back with them.

"Ask yourself, what would be bigger? A Rainbow reunion with me or Joe, or Purple with Ian and Ritchie?" Read more here.



Asia Frontman John Wetton Issues Cancer Warning(Classic Rock)

Asia frontman John Wetton has posted a message online urging everyone to take preventative action against cancer as he gears up to begin chemotherapy treatment.
He will undergo his first session today (August 26th), after he confirmed in May that he'd been diagnosed with cancer and had surgery to remove a tumor.

Wetton, 66, says in a tweet: "I start chemo tomorrow. I urge everyone to be checked for cancer regularly, because cancer growth is rapid - and before you know it, agonizing." Read more here.



Soundgarden Working On Material For Next Album(Classic Rock)

Chris Cornell has confirmed that Soundgarden have begun work on their seventh studio album. It will follow 2012 comeback title King Animal, which was recorded after the band got back together two years previously.
Cornell tells Rolling Stone: "We're already working on new material for an album. I've got several other irons in the fire and things going on that I won't mention now.

"There's a lot of things coming in a addition to Higher Truth, as well as a new Soundgarden album." Cornell's new solo record Higher Truth will be released next month. Read more here.


The Faces Celebrated In The Studio

The latest episode of the syndicated radio show In The Studio: The Stories Behind History's Greatest Rock Bands takes a look back at The Faces. The show sent over the following details:
When Small Faces soulful dynamo frontman the late Steve Marriott left to form Humble Pie , drummer Kenney Jones, bassist Ronnie Lane, and pianist Ian McLagan picked up relative unknowns, singer Rod Stewart and bass player-turned-guitarist Ron Wood, both from the Jeff Beck Group.

The Faces, as they were now called, were known as much for their happy go lucky attitudes and a playful swagger to their music as for their endless trips to the pub. Rod Stewart explains:

"God, we used to drink...and that only came about because we didn't think we were very good! Look at it: you had two guys out of the Jeff Beck Group that had been fired, and you had the leftovers from the Small Faces, five losers if ever there were five losers, all thrown together! So we used to get really drunk and do the best we could, and it worked. That looseness and jangliness of all the music. It really worked!"

The Faces would eventually hit paid dirt with "Stay with Me", the worldwide hit from their 1971 album A Nod is as Good as a Wink.... It would catapult the quintet from abject poverty to Top of the Pops seemingly overnight. But according to Stewart, Woody, and Jones In the Studio, the parallel success of Rod Stewart's solo career would be too hard to stomach for some of the band. By the end of 1975 it would be over.

Stream the episode here.



Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi Taking Part In Home Town Cancer Event(Classic Rock)

Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi will highlight the loneliness of cancer victims at a public event that is taking place in his home city of Birmingham today (August 26).
He's taking part in Macmillan Cancer Support's Not Alone campaign, which aims to offer people an idea of how isolated it can feel after diagnosis. Iommi announced he had the disease in 2012 and later admitted he'll never live another day without feeling under threat.

He said in January: "Every day I feel around for lumps and bumps. Every time I get a pain in my stomach I think, 'Oh God, it's cancer.' It's horrible. I even dream about it. But that's my life now."

He'll invite passers-by in the Bullring shopping centre to step into an isolation box, which allows those outside to see in, while there's no connection with the world from inside. Read more here.




Suicide Silence Says Music Business Is Failing Due To Greed(TeamRock Radio)

Suicide Silence have slammed the 'greed' in the music industry and say they've no problem with people listening to their material for free. The band made their 2014 album You Can't Stop Me available to stream via YouTube - and insist making money isn't what drives them.
Frontman Herman 'Eddie' Hermida tells Ramzine: "If people want to listen to the stuff you put out, YouTube does a really good job of keeping counts. And if you get enough people to watch your stuff, YouTube might want to give you some cash, but that's not why you make it to begin with. And if you are making music for that reason, then you're a f***ing idiot. Making an industry out of it is the most ass backwards thing that could ever happen to humanity."

And guitarist Mark Heylmun takes aim at musicians complaining about the lack of money through streams. He says: "What are you so mad about? Write a better record and maybe people will buy it. Listen to it on YouTube if you can't afford it and if you can afford it, go support it."

Hermida adds: "Let those idiots who are trying to f***ing squeeze every penny out of an art die. There are people who are willing to give their money to an artist who is kicking his own ass out there. The fact is there's too many people out there trying to stick their hands in our pockets, and that's where the industry is failing. And it's going to fail, because greed is never going to win." Stream the full interview here.




Parkway Drive Release 'Crushed' Video(TeamRock Radio)

Parkway Drive have released a video for their track Crushed. It's taken from the Australian metal outfit's upcoming fifth album Ire, to be released on September 25 via Epitaph.
Vocalist Winston McCall says: "This is the album for us. Every single step of the way, whenever there was gamble to take, we took the biggest one we could. If this isn't the album that can go further than anything we thought was possible with this band and this type of music, that's fine, but we can't go back from this as far as we're concerned."

Pre-orders for Ire are being taken at the band's website. Parkway Drive have a run of worldwide tour dates lined up in support of the album, including four UK show in February 2016. Watch the new video here.



Deafheaven Streaming New Song 'Brought To The Water'(TeamRock Radio)

Deafheaven have issued a stream of their track Brought To The Water. It's the first song they've revealed from third album New Bermuda, which will be released on October 2 via Anti- Records.
Singer George Clarke says: "We wanted to share Brought To The Water first because it gives a good idea of the overall sonic tone of the record. It really evokes feelings that come with uprooting and throwing oneself into the complacent, monotonous routine of adulthood."

Clarke's joined on the follow-up to 2013's Sunbather by drummer Daniel Tracy, bassist Stephen Lee Clarke and guitarists Kerry McCoy and Shiv Mehra. Stream the song here.




In This Moment Songs Get Lullaby Makeover(TeamRock Radio)


In This Moment are the latest band to have their work transformed into music for babies. Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star has released Lullaby Versions Of In This Moment, featuring eight of the band's sings including Sick Like Me, Sex Metal Barbie and Whore.
The company says is creates "beautiful lullaby versions of your favorite artists." Faith No More and Soundgarden are among the other acts to get the lullaby treatment from Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star.

Rival firm Rockabye Baby have created lullaby versions of Bruce Springsteen and Blink-182 hits. Check out the lullaby version of "Beautiful Tragedy" and see the tracklisting here.




Five Finger Death Punch's Jason Hook Humbled By Rob Halford's Praise(TeamRock Radio)

Five Finger Death Punch guitarist Jason Hook says he was humbled to see Judas Priest's Rob Halford watching his band from the side of the stage on their recent tour.
He loved the experience of travelling around Europe with the British icons - and he has one memory in particular that he'll keep for ever.

Hook tells Amnplify: "They're so nice and they're so cool - it really made it pleasant. We had dinner with them one night, we closed this restaurant in Italy. I could just imagine if someone who had walked in and seen it. If you were a music fan it would have looked like the last supper of heavy metal."

The guitarist describes Halford as a "great friend of the band" and explains: "I was walking off from our set one night and I caught up with him, and I asked him, 'Rob, what's the deal with wanting to watching this loud, obnoxious noisy show every night?' He just looks at me and goes, 'I love the band'." Read more here.



New Years Day Streaming New Song 'Relentless'(TeamRock Radio)

New Years Day have released a lyric video for their track Relentless. It's taken from their third album Malevolence, out on October 2 via Another Century Records.
They'll tour North America in October to support the release and return to the UK in November with Motionless In White. Vocalist Ashley Costello said earlier this year that the band felt it was important to add a touch of theatrical drama to their live shows.

She told Metal Hammer: "Money isn't that easy to come by these days, so if you are spending it to go see a show, then you really want to see a show. I look back to Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson and Iron Maiden and I love that they always try to give that to people.

"Obviously, we aren't in the same league as those bands but, if you are creative enough with your thinking you can give people a show. We want to give people a Broadway show in a tiny rock club." Stream the new song here.



Century Media Reportedly Sold To Sony(Classic Rock)

Sony Music has reportedly bought German hard rock and heavy metal label Century Media, it's been reported. The label is home to artists including Paradise Lost, Periphery, Queensryche, At The Gates, Fozzy, EyeHateGod and Lacuna Coil.
Full terms of the deal have still to be made public, but Billboard reports that the industry giant paid in the region of $20million for the firm. Century Media owner Robert Kampf will become CEO of the Century group and their output will continue to be distributed by RED in the US.

Sony will handle international distribution while the German firm will now become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment. Read more here.




The Sword's JD Cronise Talks High Country Cover Art(Classic Rock)

The Sword's JD Cronise says when he first saw artist Jetter Green's work, he knew instantly that he had to commission him to design the cover for their latest album High Country.
Their fifth album and follow-up to 2012's Apocryphon was released last week via Razor & Tie. The singer and guitarist tells Rabid Noise: "The cover is always really important. I always try and find an artist whose work I really admire to do it. I just happened across Green's artwork in a store and immediately I thought, "Wow, that would look great on an album cover.'"

Cronise says even in the days when digital music dominates, he thinks it's still important to make the cover artwork as striking as possible. He adds: "The idea of there being this piece of artwork associated with a piece of music - it's something that resonates with me and I really like to have that. A good album cover always compliments a good record." Read more, see the artwork and stream the interview here.



Motorhead Streaming Their Cover Of Rolling Stones Classic(hennemusic)

Motorhead have released an online stream of their cover of the Rolling Stones classic, "Sympathy For The Devil", as featured on the band's upcoming album, "Bad Magic."
Due this Friday, August 28, the band's 22nd album was recorded at NRG Studios in Los Angeles with long-time producer Cameron Webb. The set includes a guest appearance by Queen guitarist Brian May on "The Devil."

The group's Stones cover follows the lead single, "Thunder & Lightning", and "Electricity" as the third track issued in advance of the album's release. Last week, Motorhead launched a late summer/early fall tour of North America with guests Saxon and Anthrax in Riverside, CA. Stream the Stones cover here.




Third Eye Blind Go Rocky Horry For 'Get Me Out Of Here' Video

Third Eye Blind have released a NSFW video for their song "Get Me Out Of Here" which was directed by frontman Stephan Jenkins and was inspired by The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
The video stars Tara Perry and features a cameo appearance by Chris Carrabba of Dashboard Confessional. Jenkins had this to say about the video's concept, "I think the idea behind my character being haunted by flashbacks and demonized by the ghost of a girlfriend past is that relationships are kind of a nightmare".

He adds this about the Rocky Horror inspiration, "That this coincides with the 40th anniversary of The Rocky Horror Picture Show just feels so lucky as well. 'I'm Going Home' has been our walk-out music every night for years and Tim Curry is a huge influence on me as a performer."

The song comes from the band's first studio album in six years, Dopamine, which was released earlier this summer. Watch the new NSFW "Get Me Out Of Here" video here.




Metallica Release Live 'The Day That Never Comes' Video(hennemusic)

Metallica have released live video footage of a performance of their 2008 "Death Magnetic" track, "The Day That Never Comes", from Bergen, Norway on August 20.
The band's video highlight package also includes soundcheck, guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo in the meet and greet, and the group warming up in the Tuning Room before the show.

The group are also sharing audio of their 1988 cover of "Whiskey In The Jar" from the concert. The Bergen stop was the first date on a short run across Europe that sees the band playing a mix of headline and festival shows.

Next month, Metallica will perform two special concerts in Quebec City before playing a headline set at the 30th anniversary of Rock In Rio on September 19. Watch the video here.




Singled Out: The Falling Birds' Sweet Things That Kill

Today Stephen Artemis (Guitar, Vocals, Harmonia) form the eclectic rock group The Falling Birds tells us the story behind their new single "Sweet Things That Kill" from their forthcoming EP "Till We All Fall Down". Here is the story:
We had a bit of a vagrant problem at the place where we recorded Sweet Things That Kill. All names have been changed to protect the innocent. We've got this little rehearsal studio that we share with four other bands in Brooklyn. We call it "The Nest." The Nest is in the basement of a building that is right along the elevated train South Williamsburg. It's a perfect location because the train is loud as all hell so it hides the racket that we make in there until all hours of the night. The Nest is our little home away from home and we love it; but by normal people standards, it would probably be considered very creepy. Bands have been rehearsing there since Williamsburg first started to become an artist destination 20 years ago and I don't think it has been cleaned since, there are no windows, its dark... you get the picture.

Anyway so we recorded our entire album DIY at The Nest. There are always people from all the bands in and out, coming and going, grabbing stuff for gigs and whatnot so its normal to have people you don't know around. But we noticed this one person (lets call him Moses) who seemed to be hanging around more than usual and showing up at strange times. Moses was always nice, almost too nice, which is what aroused suspicion in the first place. Nobody is that nice in New York. Anyway, Moses shows up one night around 1:00 AM with a friend and asks when he can use the space. Somebody was finally like "hey Moses, by the way, who are you? Which band are you in?" Moses sort of fumbled for an answer and told us that he was "Jon's Friend." Jon is in one of the bands that shares the space. Still, his answer didn't address the question. Apparently Moses had not prepared a backstory for this situation. It got really awkward for a moment and eventually Moses and his buddy ventured off into the night.

All the bands started asking each other who this Moses guy was. As it turns out, Moses had been found sleeping there a few times. I think somebody once interrupted him in the space enjoying a sandwich. For some reason nobody ever brought this information to light. When we asked Jon about why he's letting people sleep in our shared studio (mind you, Moses is a stranger who was then living among our life savings worth of musical equipment), Jon told us that Moses is his band manager and that he needed a place to stay. I thought that was a pretty funny explanation, "Moses the vagrant band manager." Call me traditional, but it seems like a good band manager should probably be able to manage himself an apartment at the very least. No disrespect to the homeless of course. I'm just saying, if someone's going to provide your band with sound business advice, maybe that person should have things like a home (for starters).

So we told Jon that his management was no longer allowed to stay there, Moses didn't steal anything, and we recorded Sweet Things That Kill.

Tim Abrigg Jr.'s Rock and Roll News Of The Day!: Today's Day In Rock News!

Tim Abrigg Jr.'s Rock and Roll News Of The Day!: Today's Day In Rock News!: Slash And Axl Rose Are Friends Again Former Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash confirms in a new interview that he and the band's ...

Today's Day In Rock News!

Slash And Axl Rose Are Friends Again

Former Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash confirms in a new interview that he and the band's sole remaining original member and frontman Axl Rose are friends again after years of being estranged.
The two had a falling out after Slash left the group in 1996 and hadn't spoken to each other for years but during an interview with Aftonbladet TV (via Brave Words), Slash was asked "I've heard that you've made friends with Axl Rose again".

Slash confirmed that they had by responding, "It was probably way overdue, you know. But it's…. you know, it's very cool at this point. You know, let some of that, sort of, negative… dispel some of that negative stuff that was going on for so long."

This opened the door to the inevitable question about the classic Guns N' Roses lineup reuniting and Slash, who has been asked the question hundreds of times since he left the group, responded, "Oh, I couldn't answer that one, though. All right, let's get off the subject, 'cause, you know, that's an old one."

The current status of Guns N' Roses is unknown as guitarist DJ Ashba recently announced his departure and it's been reported that guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal left the group last year. Watch the Slash interview here.



Van Halen Forced To Cancel Concert Due To Illness(hennemusic)

Van Halen announced that they were forced to cancel their concert Sunday night (August 23rd) at Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey, PA because frontman David Lee Roth has the flu.
The band released the following statement: "Due to David Lee Roth suffering from the flu and the doctor recommending he rest his throat, Van Halen's concert tonight (8/23) at Hersheypark Stadium has been cancelled. Refunds will be available at point of purchase."

"To all the fans, we are SO sorry," tweeted bassist Wolfgang Van Halen. "This is such a huge bummer. We were really looking forward to this show… I wish this wasn't the situation." Read more here.


Bill Ward Slams Black Sabbath's 13 Album(Classic Rock)

Bill Ward has described Black Sabbath's latest album 13 as "a pile of sh*t." The estranged Sabbath drummer didn't play on the 2013 record, having failed to agree on the contract he was offered. Frontman Ozzy Osbourne, however, blamed Ward's absence on the sticksman's health issues. Rage Against The Machine's Brad Wilk was behind the kit for the album.
Ward says he had to distance himself from the band after the fallout, with one tactic being to totally dismiss the album that was created without him. Ward - who remains locked in a war of words with Osbourne - tells the Eddie Trunk Podcast (via Blabbermouth): "I wasn't interested in the f***ing album 13. I've heard 20 bars of it - that's all I've heard - and then I turned it off and said, 'That's a pile of sh*t,' and that's the truth.

"I wanted to make sure that I went down the line and detached myself as much as possible. I had to stop loving them, because if you're loving a dog as it's biting you and ripping your insides out, it's hard to love a dog that's doing that." Read more here.



Dave Mustaine Would Turn Down Metallica Reunion(Classic Rock)

Dave Mustaine would be honored if Metallica asked him to rejoin the band - but he'd refuse the invitation. The Megadeth mainman formed his own quarter of thrash's Big 4 after being fired in 1983.
They finally resolved their differences in time to appear on stage together in 2010, and on a handful of occasions afterwards. Mustaine was asked on Twitter: "Would you come back to Metallica if James asked you to do it?"

He replied: "I would be honoured, but I would not." Asked whether he'd consider co-writing a song with Metallica's James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich, he said: "Nice try."

And asked to describe Ulrich in one word he responded: "Friend." Read more here.



The Doobie Brothers Reunite With Michael McDonald On Tonight Show(hennemusic)

The Doobie Brothers reunited with Michael McDonald on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon last Thursday night (August 20th) and video of the performances have been posted online.
The pairing performed a medley of a pair of classics, "Long Train Runnin'" and "Takin' It To The Streets", on the program and recorded a web exclusive take on their 1979 No. 1 US hit, "What A Fool Believes."

A former member of Steely Dan, McDonald joined The Doobie Brothers in 1975 and his distinctive vocals were a defining part of the group's biggest hits of the era.

McDonald has occasionally performed with his former band in concert and appeared on 2014's "Southbound" album, which saw the group joined by a series of special guests to duet on re-recorded versions of some of their classic tracks.

The Doobie Brothers are currently playing dates across the US with Gregg Allman and a variety of guest openers. McDonald is performing solo US shows through to the end of the year following a co-headlining tour with Toto. Watch the Tonight Show performances here.




Iron Maiden's New Album Includes Song Inspired by Robin Williams(hennemusic)

Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson says the band have a song on their forthcoming album, "The Book Of Souls", that was inspired by the late Robin Williams.
"My favorite song is one I didn't write," Dickinson tells Corriere Della Sera. "It's 'Tears of a Clown,' which talks about Robin Williams. I ask myself how could he be so depressed when he always seemed to be so happy."

Williams committed suicide at his California home on August 11, 2014 after a long history of depression and health problems. Co-written by guitarist Adrian Smith and bassist Steve Harris, "Tears Of A Clown" will appear on Iron Maiden's first-ever double studio album. Read more here.




Geoff Tate's Operation: Mindcrime Album Trilogy Almost Completed(Classic Rock)

Operation: Mindcrime mainman Geoff Tate says his planned album trilogy is on schedule. When the former Queensryche frontman signed with Frontiers Music Srl in 2014, he revealed plans to record material in the spirit of his former group's 1988 and 2006 Operation: Mindcrime projects.
And, with the band's debut The Key set for release on September 18, Tate says the group are now deep into the trilogy project. The singer tells Sonic Abuse:

"The second album is recorded, so we're just getting ready to mix that right now, and the third album is mostly recorded - we've still got a couple of tracks left to do.

"We're still in the development stage with that record. But we'll be done with the whole project by October. That's my plan." Read more here.




Anthrax Eye January Release Of New Studio Album(Classic Rock)


Anthrax bassist Frank Bello says the band's upcoming album will be released in January. Drummer Charlie Benante recently revealed the follow-up to 2011's Worship Music would be pushed into 2016 because they were working on a 30th anniversary edition of Spreading The Disease. But Bello insists fans won't have too long to wait until its release.
He tells Mars Attacks Radio: "We're talking about January. We're just about to start mixing, we're getting all of the nitty-gritty stuff done but it's just about finished."

He reports they're in the process of whittling the songs down for the final tracklist - a task he's finding difficult due to the quality of the new material. He continues: "We have a lot of great songs which I'm really happy about. It's about four or five songs over what we'll put out on the record. At this stage, it's really hard to say no to some of them." Read more here.




Dokken Members In Reunion Talks Says George Lynch(Classic Rock)


Guitarist George Lynch says he's in talks with bassist Jeff Pilson about reuniting the classic Dokken lineup. They played together on five of their former band's albums between 1984 and 1997 - and have worked together in Dokken spin-off T&N.
Lynch tells Glide: "We're both incredibly busy so it's hard to find the time but every year or two, we try to make time to do some sort of project together. And the project that's on the table right now is possibly a Dokken reunion, but of course that comes and goes every couple of years so who knows."

Lynch and Don Dokken have exchanged barbed comments in the past, with Lynch saying the singer's voice wasn't "what it used to be" in May. That followed a public spat between the pair regarding the band's 1981 debut Breaking The Chains. Read more here.




Deftones New Album Release Delayed(TeamRock Radio)

Deftones have said their next album won't be released until November. The follow-up to 2012's Koi No Yokan was expected on September 25. But with the as-yet-untitled record still in production, that date has now been scrapped.
Mainman Chino Moreno tells WSOU: "I think probably November. We are rushing to get our thank yous and credits turned in. Once the music is turned in there is still some mixing and mastering to be done.

"But the recordings all done and the songs are all there - they're awesome were excited." He also reveals bassist Sergio Vega is bringing a different sound to the album. Read about that here.




Bon Jovi's 'Burning Bridges' About Bitter Split With Label(Classic Rock)


Bon Jovi have split with record label Mercury after 32 years - and frontman Jon Bon Jovi has told the whole bitter story in their song Burning Bridges. It's the title track of the band's "fan album," which has come ahead of their next fully-fledged studio release, expected next year.
Burning Bridges include the lyrics "After 30 years of loyalty, they let you dig the grave / Now maybe you can learn to sing or strum along / Well I'll give you half the publishing / You're why I wrote this song."

Bon Jovi tells Billboard: "It fulfills a commitment to Mercury Records. We've parted ways. I f you listen to Burning Bridges, the song, it's clearly spelled out."

He adds: "This hits it right in the head and tells you what happened. Listen to the lyrics. That's that." Read more here.



Ritchie Blackmore Rock Return May Be A Joke Says Graham Bonnet (Classic Rock)

Former Rainbow frontman Graham Bonnet suspects Ritchie Blackmore's promise of a return to rock could be a practical joke. Blackmore last month announced he'd temporarily set aside his folk music career for a short run of rock shows in 2016. The singer, who appeared on Rainbow's 1979 album Down To Earth, would love to reunite with the guitarist - but admits it's unlikely.
Bonnet tells Metal Mythos: "I don't know if it's fact or fiction because I know what Ritchie's like. He's a great practical joker. It wouldn't surprise me if he just said this on a whim.

"But I think if he was going to get a band back together, I think he would put the original Deep Purple lineup together. That's what I would imagine rather than Rainbow. But I don't know because sometimes he's hard to read." Read more here.



Darryl Way To Reunite With Curved Air At Anniversary Show(Prog)

Curved Air have announced that they will be joined by original member Darryl Way at their upcoming 45th anniversary show in London. Way will join the current lineup on stage at Under The Bridge on September 4.
The band will be performing their greatest hits along with material from the latest album North Star. They will also play debut album Air Conditioning in its entirety.

Way says: "I'm looking forward to playing with my old band again and meeting up with our most dedicated fans." Way last performed with the band in 2009 and has worked as a solo artist since. Read more here.



Nightwish Expand 'Endless Forms Most Beautiful' For Special Edition(Prog)

Nightwish will release a tour edition of eighth album Endless Forms Most Beautiful, to mark their run of European shows. Their first title with singer Floor Jansen was launched in March - and the new edition will be issued on October 30 via Nuclear Blast.
Nightwish say: "It will include a DVD with lots of great bonus material including 21 making-of episodes, two previously unreleased live clips, five special clips, Elan and Endless Forms Most Beautiful official videos, and photo gallery."

Pre-orders are now being taken via Nuclear Blast. Nightwish's European tour launches this week and includes a stop at London's SSE Arena, Wembley, on December 19. Mainman Tuomas Holopainen recently said he was flattered to influence other artists - although he revealed he's yet to hear another band his own. Check out the track details and cover art here.


Neck Deep and Guitarist Lloyd Roberts Part Ways(TeamRock Radio)

Neck Deep have confirmed that Lloyd Roberts has left the band. The move follows online allegations directed towards the guitarist over the course of the weekend.
The band say in a statement: "Whilst the full facts of the matter at hand are still unclear, our guitarist Lloyd Roberts has decided to step down from Neck Deep to focus on his family, as he does not feel comfortable having his reputation, or that of the band, sullied further by these accusations.

"We sincerely apologize to anyone who has been caused distress or been affected by any of these events. As a band, we absolutely treasure our fans, we would not be anywhere without them, and we would never want them to feel disrespected or taken advantage of." Read more here.



Aerosmith's Steven Tyler To Rock The Pilgrimage Festival(hennemusic)

Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler will perform with country band Loving Mary at the inaugural Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival in Franklin, Tennessee next month.
Created by Better Than Ezra's Kevin Griffin, the September 26/27 event mixes roots, indie rock, jazz and country music over the weekend with performances from Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow, Wilco, Weezer, Cage The Elephant and more. "Greetings pilgrims," says Tyler. "The search has ended. Dance around the fires with Loving Mary and me at Pilgrimage music festival."

Tyler has been in Nashville since January working with songwriters on material for his upcoming debut solo album on Big Machine Records' affiliated label Dot Records.

The singer issued the project's lead single, "Love Is Your Name", in May. Written by Lindsey Lee and Eric Paslay, the song peaked at No. 19 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart. Check out the video here.


Metallica Star Explains The Band's Jazz Influence(Classic Rock)

Robert Trujillo says the correlation between jazz and metal is clear - if you know where to look. The Metallica bassist says jazz's influence can be heard on his band's records, as well as on classics by Black Sabbath. And while he admits most metal musicians don't have the same level of skill as jazz impresarios, he says even the slightest flavour of it can spice up any rock track.
Trujillo tells Gitarre & Bass: "Lars Ulrich is not a jazz drummer, but he grew up listening to jazz. His father, Torben, loved jazz. Jazz musicians used to stay at their house.

"Lars grew up infatuated with the British wave of heavy metal and that's his first love, but as a child, he grew up with all this jazz around him. So you listen to a Metallica song, and you listen to the drums, and they're not necessarily swinging, but the arrangements are different.

"It's more in tune with jazz arrangements. It's not a traditional rock'n'roll production, in terms of the drums. So it's really interesting how there's this fusion between styles. And those are the things that make it different. A lot of people - like you average heavy metal fan - may not understand it." Read more and watch the full interview here.




Jared James Nichols Releasing Highwayman EP Next Month(Classic Rock)

Jared James Nichols has announced he'll release a five-track EP next month. Highwayman is scheduled for release in mid-September and features Nichols' take on Grand Funk Railroad's We're An American Band, along with his version of Humble Pie's 30 Days In The Hole.
Guitarist and vocalist Nichols is joined on the EP by bandmates bassist Erik Sandin and drummer Dennis Holm, while Jessica Childress and Ben Tileston both guest on the record. It is produced by Anthony Joe Perry - son of Aerosmith's Joe.

Nichols issued his debut album Old Glory And The Wild Revival earlier this year. He'll support Glenn Hughes on his October UK tour, which kicks off in Southampton on October 17. Read more here.



Video From AC/DC's Tour Kick Off Show Posted Online(hennemusic)

AC/DC kicked off the North American leg of their Rock Or Bust world tour at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA outside of Boston on Saturday and video from the show has been posted online.
The band's 20-song set opened with the title track to 2014's "Rock Or Bust" and mixed a heavy dose of classic tracks with three songs from the latest album.

The tour marks the return of guitarist Stevie Young and drummer Chris Slade to the lineup following the retirement of founder Malcolm Young and a series of legal issues faced by longtime member Phil Rudd.

AC/DC's next scheduled show is August 26 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. The 14-date run will wrap up at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on September 28. Watch the video from the kick off show here.



Tom DeLonge Releases New Angels & Airwaves Song 'Into the Night'(Radio.com)

Since Tom DeLonge's rather brutal break-up with Blink-182, the musician has kept busy, steadily releasing material as Angels & Airwaves. And in addition to music, the first of a planned trilogy of novels co-written with author Suzanne Young, titled Poet Anderson 'Of Nightmares, is due out on October 6.
To coincide with the book release, DeLonge also has a new EP to release as Angels & Airwaves, called …Of Nightmares, and directly tying in to the novel series. The first taste of the release comes in the form of a song titled "Into the Night."

DeLonge spoke to RS about the novel, noting that it follows a lucid dreaming protagonist. "He realizes that he has the power to meet people in their dreams and guide them through their nightmare," DeLonge says. "But in the dream world, there are forces of light and darkness that are constantly at each other's throats for the possession of the dreamer themselves. A Poet, also known as a guide, can help navigate this war."




The Dead Weather Release 'I Feel Love' Video(Radio.com)

Alison Mosshart, Jack White and the rest of the Dead Weather are back with a brand new video for their latest single, 'I Feel Love." The video starts with a stark black and white shot of Mossheart forcing her way down a deserted street amid heavy wind--the band's name taken quite literally.
Cars are pushed backward but the gusts, and Mossheart is lifted off the ground, struggling to keep her feet planted. These images are interspersed with contrasting scenes shot in blue and red light, as Mossheart pours her heart out on stage. It's a dramatic video, fitting the song's heavy, raucous mood. Jack White's shredding is as snarling as ever, and Mosshart's vocal holds nothing back.

If you like what you hear, then mark your calendars--The Dead Weather are releasing their first new album in several years, Dodge and Burn, on September 25. Watch the video here.



Coheed And Cambria Release 'You Got Spirit, Kid' Video(Prog)

Coheed And Cambria have released a video for their track You Got Spirit, Kid. It's taken from their eighth album The Color Before The Sun, released on October 9 via 300 Entertainment.
Sanchez said: "I want people to know that Coheed can write that sort of record. I've always said there's never been a limitation on the band - it makes no sense to me to draw a line in the sand and never cross it."

The Color Before The Sun will be available via CD, digital download, and a limited-edition deluxe box set. It's Claudio Sanchez an co's first non-concept album. Watch the new video here.



Soilwork Stream New Song 'Enemies In Fidelity'(TeamRock Radio)

Soilwork have issued a stream of their track Enemies In Fidelity. It features on their latest album The Ride Majestic, due on August 28 via Nuclear Blast. It's the band's 10th album and it was produced by Jens Bogren, who handled work on their previous studio outing The Living Infinite in 2013 and their 2010 record The Panic Broadcast.
Mainman Bjorn 'Speed' Strid tells Loudwire: "Enemies In Fidelity is a very melodic and atmospheric beast. This was one of the first songs that I wrote for the new album and it holds a lot of surprises.

"The chorus almost sounds as if Simon and Garfunkel started a black metal band. That's the way we like it - playful, dark, intense and melancholic. It definitely stands out but also gives you an overall idea of what Soilwork currently is about."

He continues: "The lyrics deal with whether you should escape or succumb to the suffering that you might experience in your life in order to find new strength. The ambivalence. The guilt and the respect towards your own existence. Being awakened and finding satisfaction through frustration and anger, to a point where it almost becomes addictive." Stream the new song here.


Stratovarius Release Documentary For New Album 'Eternal'(TeamRock Radio)

Stratovarius have issued a behind-the-scenes documentary showing their work on 15th album Eternal. The follow-up to 2013's Nemesis is set for release in Europe on September 11 and in North America on September 18 vi earMusic.
Frontman Timo Kotipelto says: "There's more reflections from past Stratovarius albums. Some parts are more power metal but some parts of Eternal might be more like more modern metal."

Drummer Rolf Pilve adds: "We renewed our sound on this record. There are some quite unusual songs that you probably haven't heard before on our records." Watch the documentary here.



Bring Me The Horizon Stream New Song 'True Friends'(TeamRock Radio)

Bring Me The Horizon have released a lyric video for the song "True Friends" a track from their upcoming album That's The Spirit, which is set to be released on September 11th.
Inspired by a quote from Oscar Wilde, Sykes and co. are taking aim at their 'true friends' with the latest single that features no harsh vocals from Oli Sykes.

As previously reported, Sykes said of the upcoming record: "This time round the challenge wasn't just for people to be impressed that a screamer's learned to sing. We had to come back with something that would be impressive for people who had no idea of the history of the band." Stream the new song here.



Precious Child Recruit America's Next Top Model Star For New Video

Precious Child recruited America's Next Top Model Cycle 20 actress Nina Burns to appear in their new video for the single "I Fall". That track comes from the Baltimore band's debut album "Bloody Knees"
Frontman Precious had this to say about the clip, "This is one of the most intense things I've ever done. I had no idea that a video shoot would be so involved. When we were initially discussing it, I was pretty unsure about how well the video would turn out."

"When I first saw the video, I surprised myself and cried. I myself have dealt with my share of darkness and understood the message of the video quite well." Watch the video here.



Anna Von Hausswolff Announces Album And Releases New Song(Prog)

Anna Von Hausswolff will release her latest album The Miraculous on November 13. It's the follow-up to her 2012 Ceremony release and will be issued via City Slang. She's also published the 10-minute track Come Wander With Me/Deliverance.
Von Hausswolff explains: "Come Wander With Me was presented to me by a friend and I decided to make a cover of it. It deals with the idealisation of a world that you yearn to know, and the fear and frustration that one might never be able to fully exploit that place due to physical and emotional limitations.

"It's about longing and dreaming, while facing the reality of obligations and doubt." She continues: "Every time we played it, it grew bigger and another song started to take shape. That song became Deliverance."

The album was recorded in Sweden and features the Acusticum Pipe Organ. The instrument includes built-in glockenspiel, vibraphone, celeste and percussion, and boasts 9000 pipes. Read more and listen to the new song here.




John Lennon Recalls Meeting Paul McCartney In Animated Interview(Radio.com)

On the latest Radio.com Minimation, where they comb through the CBS Radio archives and animate interviews with legendary artists, they review an interview from 1975 with John Lennon while he was promoting his 'Rock 'n' Roll' album. This was animated for Radio.com by Jeff Schweikart.
In 1975, John Lennon was reconnecting with his roots via his Rock 'n' Roll album, which saw him covering some of his favorite songs from the genre's early days. "You might call it 'Oldies but goldies,' I was calling it 'Oldies but moldies,'" he joked.

"Some of them were the first songs that I learned that were rock and roll," he said. One of those songs was Gene Vincent's "Be-Bop-A-Lula," and he notes that the first time that he ever performed it in public was the day that he met his future Beatles-mate, Paul McCartney.

Years later, Paul would record his own version of the same song, which opened his MTV Unplugged album. Watch the video here.



Pop Evil Frontman More Focused After Cleaning Up(Classic Rock)

Pop Evil frontman Leigh Kakaty says giving up alcohol has allowed him to better focus on the band's career. They've just released fifth album Up via eOne Music, the follow-up to 2013's Onyx, and previously issued the tracks In Disarray and Footsteps from the record.
Kakaty tells Loudwire: "Once you're sober and you're seeing straight, you understand the responsibility and you really focus on the music and what it should be. It's definitely been a huge eye opener for me and the band. We wanted to refocus our whole image and how we are on and off stage."

He says it's "an honor and a privilege" to make music for a living, and reports calling their latest album Up was a reflection of the band's positive outlook. Read more here.



Singled Out: Fable Cry's Dead Or Alive (For Now)

Today Zach Ferrin's from Fable Cry tells us about their new track "Dead or Alive (for Now)" from their brand new album "We'll Show You Where the Monsters Are" which they are releasing this week (August 25th). Here is the story:
I've been asked to talk about this new song of ours and honestly there's always too much to say. The song itself is interesting, but the impact that it had on this band and the story behind its creation is just as important and I've decided to spare your eyes by only going into great detail on one of these fronts... Enjoy!

When I really think back on it, "Dead or Alive (For Now)" took so long to write it might have been forgotten about. I say that because it's dramatic and interesting to think of a song that was nearly forgotten about but had its old dusty fetal bones dug up, dusted off, and brought to a new life. Truthfully, I had not plans of forgetting about it, I'm just trying to express that it took me a really long time to finish, and I'll tell you why:

I love making music, more than almost anything, except for sharing that music - I like that even more. So with every song that I write, much of the inspiration and push comes from knowing that one day I'll be able to share it. The sooner I know I can share a song, the sooner I want to finish it. The first single on this album, "Fancy Dancing", had two thirds of the lyrics finished before we started making plans to release a video for it in time for last Halloween. I finished final touches on the lyrics the night before we went into the studio because I HAD to. We finished the instrumentation IN the studio, because we HAD to. We celebrated with candy and pizza afterwards because we HAD to. You get my point. When I first started writing "Dead or Alive (For Now)" two years ago I didn't really have to finish it yet. And, given the fact that Fable Cry was still just a duo, I didn't feel like I even could finish it no matter how hard I tried (don't worry, just saying that for dramatic effect again).

Up until that point, we had always written songs that we could pull off live with just the two of us, recording our first album with tons of instruments, and playing musical chairs during our shows. As we started writing songs for this new album, we noticed that with just the two of us, they were sounding like simplified acoustic cover versions of what they could be - like the Dinosaurs and that fungus in your fridge, we were evolving. For a while, we ignored this fact, but when I started writing this very song that we are now talking about I had to do myself, and all who may hear it, a favor by making a solemn vow that it would not see the light of day nor moon of night until it got the proper respect it deserved. This led to the realization that expanding the band was just the remedy we needed! And that's right around the time that my now current band mates out of nowhere started falling from the sky and crawling from the earth to join this little ensemble. So clear back when I first began writing it, I asked myself privately whether this song that I loved so dearly would ever be properly heard. And after showing it to the band, learning it, tweaking it, recording it, and now releasing it, I heard myself answer myself proudly, "yep".

So we hope that you enjoy this song that turned out to be the catalyst for making us what we are now. It is a fun and spooky little number that double dog dares you to look inside of yourself and see what monsters may be hiding there... Enjoy!

Tim Abrigg Jr.'s Rock and Roll News Of The Day!: Today's Day In Rock News!

Tim Abrigg Jr.'s Rock and Roll News Of The Day!: Today's Day In Rock News!: Police Search Home Of KISS Star Gene Simmons The home of KISS star Gene Simmons was searched by the Los Angeles Police Department&...

Today's Day In Rock News!

Police Search Home Of KISS Star Gene Simmons

The home of KISS star Gene Simmons was searched by the Los Angeles Police Department's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force on Thursday, according to local TV station KTLA.
LAPD's Mike Lopez told the media outlet that Simmons and his family cooperated with police and they are not considered suspects in their investigation.

A representative for Simmons told KTLA in a statement that the police task force was at Simmons home on Benedict Canyon Drive in Beverly Crest "to discuss a crime that may have occurred on their property last year while Simmons was away on tour with KISS."

The representative reiterated: "Neither Mr. Simmons nor any member of his family is a person of interest in the investigation." Watch the station's television news report about the search here.



Dave Grohl Has 'Social Anxiety' About Emmy Awards(Classic Rock)

Dave Grohl has admitted he suffers from social anxiety and that he is nervous ahead of next month's Emmys ceremony. The Foo Fighters frontman is used to performing in front of crowds of thousands, but he is not especially looking forward to the glitzy Los Angeles event, where the Foos TV series Sonic Highways is up for four awards on September 20 - Outstanding Informational Series, Outstanding Directing, Outstanding Sound Mixing and Outstanding Sound Editing.
Grohl tells Gold Derby: "I have a little bit of social anxiety. It might seem hard to imagine, but in rooms like that, I kind of clam up. I mean put me at the f***ing Grammys, and I know everybody there, and I've got a bottle of whiskey in my hands the whole time, but we'll see what happens.

"It's just going to be such a crazy night, I just can't imagine. I think I'll feel like that kid who is the new kid at school, the first day at school. I'll probably just sit down, with my back up against the wall, just nervous, and waiting to see who is going to want to talk to me." Watch the full interview here.




Lady Gaga Says She Is The Next Iron Maiden(Classic Rock)

Pop superstar Lady Gaga has spoken of her love for Iron Maiden - and praised the "importance and scope" of heavy metal. The singer features in an upcoming issue of CR Fashion Book wearing a Maiden Number Of The Beast t-shirt. And she tells the publication that she doesn't want to be the next Madonna - she'd rather be the next Maiden.
Gaga says: "They're one of the greatest rock bands in history, in my opinion. Some people really don't know the importance of metal and the scope of it. Those guys were filling stadiums, and they still are.

"And it's because of the culture of the music, the poetry that's so powerful, that whenever the fans come together they unite in the essence of what Iron Maiden is all about. I always used to say to people, when they would say, 'Oh, she's the next Madonna.' No, I'm the next Iron Maiden."

She also tweeted a picture of her wearing the t-shirt. See the photo and read more here.




Metal Allegiance Release 'Dying Song' Video Featuring Phil Anselmo(Classic Rock)

Metal Allegiance have released a video for their track Dying Song. It's lifted from the supergroup's self-titled debut album which is set for release on September 18 - and it features Down and Superjoint vocalist Phil Anselmo.
The project has been formed around the core group of Megadeth bassist David Ellefson, Testament guitarist Alex Skolnick and Winery Dogs drummer Mike Portnoy.

Anselmo says: "It's always my pleasure to jam with such esteemed musicians and brothers, and my contribution to this project is further proof of that fact."

The metal collective previously released Can't Kill The Devil featuring Testament frontman Chuck Billy and a studio clip of Lamb Of God's Randy Blythe recording Gift Of Pain. Watch the video here.




Trivium Release 'Blind Leading The Blind' Video(TeamRock Radio)

Last week Trivium unveiled new track Blind Leading The Blind, and now they've unveiled the official video for it! The song is taken from Trivium's upcoming seventh album Silence In The Snow, released on October 2 via Roadrunner.
Based in a dirty biker bar, Trivium have seemingly been replaced by older gentleman onstage. But if you're eagle-eyed enough, you can spot the band in the bar (look out for the badass eye patch!)

Trivium mainman Matt Heafy has previously states that the album was inspired by Ronnie James Dio's Heaven & Hell. "When I watched them live, it was something that really spoke to me, especially the song Heaven and Hell. I'd never heard metal summarized so well like that." Watch the video here.



Jimmy Page Wouldn't Change Led Zeppelin's Approach Today(Classic Rock)


Jimmy Page says he wouldn't change a thing about how Led Zeppelin recorded their greatest works. The guitar icon has finished his massive Led Zep back catalogue remastering project and says he's ready to start playing the guitar again.
And while he respects modern studio techniques, he insists the most important thing for him is capturing the performance rather than chasing perfection.

Asked if he'd have done anything differently with Led Zep's recording methods if he'd had today's technology available, Page tells UCR: "My approach would still be to capture the performance of an artist. That's what all of this stuff is - the Led Zeppelin music and the music of the 60s and 70s of other artists - it's capturing the essence of why you're doing that particular track, the character of that track and the collective performance of the musicians and of their overdubs.

"In those days, if you were doing vocal overdubs, you'd go for it and you might maybe make it up with a couple of drop-ins, but that's it. You go for the full performance, not compiling it word by word. So, what it is is that you had to be direct, you had to make your mind up and be positive and deliver."

He continues: "You didn't have the option of having 50 different options of what you could do and take it easy. Don't take for a moment what I'm saying is that I don't really appreciate all of the stuff that goes on with computer mixing, because I think it's brilliant. But as far as performance, it's a different thing altogether." Read more here.



Kurt Cobain's Daughter Pushed For Controversial Scene In Movie(Classic Rock)


Montage Of Heck director Brett Morgen has hailed Kurt Cobain's daughter Frances Bean Cobain for making his job as easy as possible. She was the one that convinced the Nirvana frontman's mother that a controversial scene showing Cobain clearly high on drugs was the right thing to do.
In the scene, Cobain is seen with baby Frances in his arms, barely able to keep his eyes open while under the influence of narcotics. Kurt's mother Wendy was not happy with the picture it painted of her son.

Morgen tells Billboard: "When Kurt's mother voiced some concerns about the way she was depicted, and the way Kurt was seen in the latter stages of his life, it was Frances who called and said, 'Grandma, this is not your film. This is Kurt's film, and how you experience things is quite different than the way Kurt experienced things.'

"I think the point was if we allow our mothers to dictate the content of our biographies they would be pretty nice. Of course the mother doesn't want to show her child in any light that's less than favourable. But it was Frances' desire to not hide the truth, and I think that both Frances and I arrived at the same point, which was we were not trying to tear Kurt down or put Kurt down, nor were we trying to put him on a pedestal.

"We were simply trying to look him in the eye, to empathize, to find a point of entry in which we can understand how he experienced life." Read more here.




Walter Trout Announces Battle Scars Album and Releases New Song(Classic Rock)


Blues icon Walter Trout has announced that he'll release his latest album on October 23. It's titled Battle Scars and will be issued via Mascot Label Group's Provogue Records. It's his first release since the liver transplant that saved his life last year.
Trout, who returned to action in June with a performance at London's Royal Albert Hall, says: "I'm thrilled about this album, about my life and about my music. I feel that I'm reborn as a songwriter, a singer, a guitarist and a human being. I have a new chance at being the best musician and the best man that I can be. And I'm incredibly happy and grateful."

He's released a stream of album opener Almost Gone. Trout says of the track: "It captures the strength I got from my wife, urging me to go on fighting when I was in pain and on the verge of death. I looked into her eyes and she gave me the power to carry on. That experience is reflected in my playing on the song." Stream the song and read more here.



The Spitfires Streaming New Album 'Response' Online(Classic Rock)

The Spitfires have made their debut album available to stream exclusively via TeamRock. The Watford four-piece released the new album, entitled Response, today (August 21).
They will issue 4AM as a single on August 14. Frontman Billy Sullivan says: "4AM was one of the later tracks to be written for the album. It's just about being skint and how it makes general living a struggle.

"Your girlfriend thinks she deserves better than you, the landlord's driving you mad because you haven't paid the rent and in the end you lay awake at night thinking about it. Lyrically I'm not trying to be sophisticated or particularly clever - just painting a picture of mundane life." Stream the album here.




Escape The Fate Announce New Album 'Hate Me'(TeamRock Radio)


Escape The Fate's fifth album will be released in October ahead of a 2016 European tour. The Las Vegas band will issue Hate Me on October 30 and they've released the tracklist and sleeve art. Their European tour kicks off in Manchester on January 28.
Singer Craig Mabbitt says: "Lyrically, a lot of these tracks are based around the hate we've received over the years and just embracing that and using it to our own advantage.

"I've had to step up to the plate lately, for the fans as much as anything else, because they take the name Escape The Fate very seriously and I owe them something for that, for all the support they've shown us over the years.

"It's very humbling for me to be able to listen to this collection of songs and think about where we've come from and what we've been through to get to this point."





Traffic's John Barleycorn Must Die 45th Anniversary Special Goes Online(ITS)


Syndicated radio show In The Studio: The Stories Behind History's Greatest Rock Bands celebrates the 45th anniversary of Traffic's John Barleycorn Must Die in this month's installment of their the Medium Rare "online-only" rockumentary series. We were sent these details:
The trinity from which came the legendary first three Traffic albums Mr Fantasy, Traffic, and John Barleycorn Must Die included former Spencer Davis Group teen prodigy singer/organist/guitarist Steve Winwood, reed man Chris Wood, and drummer Jim Capaldi. Guitarist/singer Dave Mason, a former Spencer Davis roadie, shared a talent for melody with the other three on the first two Traffic albums, but little else personality-wise, and was cut loose for the second and final time before the second album hit store shelves.

Meanwhile Winwood, Capaldi, and Wood incorporated such diverse musical influences as Memphis soul, old English folk, light psychedelia, Latin rhythms, and unapologetic jazz. Traffic was delivering World Music decades before the term was coined.

On the topic, reported by some journalists that Traffic's Barleycorn... album actually started as a Steve Winwood solo album, Winwood had this to say to InTheStudio host Redbeard.

"When we were doing John Barleycorn album we never actually cut anything as a solo album... I actually never got around to making that album (a solo album). It wasn't like we kinda went halfway through an album and then suddenly said, well this will be a Traffic album instead of a Steve Winwood album. As soon as we got in and played we quickly realized it was a Traffic album." - Steve Winwood




Jeff Tweedy Already Halfway Done With Next Wilco Album(Classic Rock)

Wilco have material ready for their next record - despite recently releasing their 9th album Star Wars. Its sudden appearance surprised fans when the band made it free for a limited time last month. And now it's been confirmed they've completed 50% of the follow-up.
Frontman Jeff Tweedy tells Rolling Stone: "Usually, by the time the record comes out, I hate it. I hate talking about it. I hate all the people that have weighed in on it. I think it's done a disservice to our records, the way they've been heard in dribs and drabs. A lot of people think they've heard a whole record after just hearing one song.

"That's not the way Wilco records work. I'm thrilled. I got to put it out and basically kind of stay home - and now I'm about halfway done with the next record." Read more here.



Sikth Announce New Mini-Album 'Opacities'(Prog)


Sikth have revealed that their upcoming mini-album will be titled Opacities. The six-track is scheduled for a November release - and they've unveiled the cover art which was designed by Dan Mumford.
Mainman Mikee Goodman says: "I really love what Dan has done here. There is a clear divide under the cityscape between the bright over indulgent lights of the riches and then the squalor underneath.

"The concept of Opacities comes from the layers we see beneath the surface - the undertone of the city. It can relate to anything though whether it be humans or whatever. It's also inspired by the hypocrisy in modern culture." Read more and see the cover art here.




Crippled Black Phoenix Reveal New Lineup and Song(Prog)

Crippled Black Phoenix have unveiled a revamped lineup and made a new track available for free download. Last year, the band's founder Justin Greaves said he was "retiring" the name after a spat with former member Karl Demata. Greaves branded Demata a "thief" for supposedly stealing the group's name from him.
Demata went on to form VLY with Chris Heilmann, also formerly of CBP. Now Greaves has named his new CBP lineup and made their track Childhoods End available to download for free via Dropbox. It can also be streamed via TeamRock below. The band have also announced a winter tour which includes four UK dates.

The band tell TeamRock: "Since December last year, despite a short period of time for some much needed energy recovery, CBP has moved on and become stronger. Now boasting more Swedish blood and heavy psychedelics from new guys Jonas Stallhammar, of Bombs Of Hades, on guitar and Hawkwind's Niall Hone on bass.

"Along with Justin Greaves, Daniel Anghede, Mark Furnevall, Ben Wilsker, Daisy Chapman and Belinda Kordic, the order of vigilantes are looking forward and preparing for the tour this coming November and December." Read more and check out the new song here.




Effa Lente Streaming New Album Online(Prog)

Effa Lente's debut album is available to stream in its entirety. The Effa Lente Configuration: Parts 1-4 is one track, masterminded by Irish multi-instrumentalist and former Graveyard Dirt guitarist David Alfred Reilly.
He says: "There were many times during the writing and recording of this album that I thought that it would never be finished. And even if it was finished, would I know it? That, I think, is the hardest part. But, as they say, it is never finished, you just stop working on it. So I did, and here it is."

The 45-minute record is inspired by a Quentin Tarantino movie. Reilly says he thought to write a piece of music where, much like a movie, the resolution of various parts wouldn't necessarily happen immediately.

He adds: "They could happen somewhere later in the piece. And also, not everything in the music would be about the plot, it would go off at various tangents in between the main events. Again, just like the movie." Stream the album here.



Mastodon's Bill Kelliher Releases Instructional DVD(Prog)

Mastodon's Bill Kelliher has released an instructional DVD detailing his guitar techniques. The release is titled "Bill Kelliher: The Sound And The Story".
The film goes into the highs and lows of his career and shows how he plays a range of Mastodon tracks, including Sleeping Giant, Hand Of Stone, Ember City, Circle Of Cysquatch, Black Tongue and All The Heavy Lifting.

And he reveals that when he decided he wanted to play music for a living, he had to go all in. He says: "You have to sacrifice a lot of things - you just can't be a musician on a weekend. You can't be anything just on a weekend and expect to make money or to be any good at it." Read more here.



Slash Keep It Old School With Upcoming Horror Movie(Classic Rock)

Slash insists he'll avoid CGI effects on his upcoming horror movie The Hell Within. He thinks using computer technology to induce fear in films is an easy way out - and he'll stick to more traditional ways to shock audiences.
He says: "There are a lot of people out there doing it but at the same time, CGI has definitely become the most common that you see. Most horror fans hate CGI - they like to see the artistry of people making that illusion happen, so I'm very proud to stick to the practical effects."

The Hell Within will be directed by Dennison Ramalho and was written by Jeff Buhler. Slash will oversee production under his SlashFiction banner. It's tentatively scheduled to go into pre-production in January 2016. Watch the full interview here.



Mike Flanigin Became Pro Musician By Accident

The Blues Organ player Mike Flanigin has just released his debut album featuring ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons - yet he admits he became a full-time musician by accident.
Flanigin tells the Austin Chronicle: "I still can't believe I ever became a musician. I never aspired to it. I didn't really know it was possible - I just kind of backed into it by accident."

Flanigin joined his first band when he was 24 as a guitarist in 1990. "There were a million gigs in Dallas and they all paid $250, split four ways," he says. "All of a sudden, I'm a musician. Nobody is more surprised than I am."

His switch to his main instrument, the Hammond B-3, also happened by accident when he was playing at an Austin club on steel guitar and spied a little used old Hammond on stage. Read more here.



Goldray Crowdfunding Vinyl Release And Premiere New Video(Prog)

Goldray have launched a crowdfunding campaign to release their self-titled mini-album on vinyl. In addition, they've issued a video for a new edit of their track Outloud.
Reef guitarist Kenwyn House teamed up with Leah Rasmussen, Geoff Laurens and Chris Hardwick for the psych-rock project's debut, which was released last year.

And they've once again turned to PledgeMusic, this time to help them raise cash to fund a limited run of records. The band say: "As well as the vinyl, we'll have limited-edition prints of the redesigned album artwork, handwritten lyric sheets, and even the opportunity to get your name credited on the mini-album."

Goldray plan on releasing their full-length debut early next year. Watch the new video here.




Queen Kwong Release 'Get A Witness' Video(TeamRock Radio)

Queen Kwong have released a video for their track Get A Witness. It's the title track from the band's upcoming debut album, due out on August 28 on CD, vinyl and digital via Dissension Records.
Fronted by Carre Callaway and backed by NIN mainman Trent Reznor, the Los Angeles band features Limp Bizkit's Wes Borland on guitar, former Marilyn Manson bassist Fred Sablan and Awolnation drummer Hayden Scott.

Queen Kwong play at this month's Reading and Leeds festivals and also at London Brixton Academy on August 27 and Old Blue Last, also in the city, on August 31. Watch the video here.



Gentlemans Pistols Streaming New Song 'The Searcher'(TeamRock Radio)

Gentlemans Pistols have released a lyric video for their track The Searcher. It's the first song taken from Carcass man Bill Steer and co's album Hustler's Row which is set for release on October 16 via Nuclear Blast.
The band said of the follow-up to 2011's At Her Majesty's Pleasure: "We tried to make a record that we would want to listen to. One that was heavy but melodic, intense but catchy, thoughtful but unruly. A record for reprobates and romantics, for gentlemen and hustlers."

The album is available to pre-order, including a limited run on white vinyl. Carcass will share a bill with Obituary, Voivod and Herod on the UK leg of the Deathcrusher Tour in October. Stream the new song here.




Singled Out: The Black Atlas' Black MilkDoom

Rock artist The Black Atlas recently released his new solo EP "Devils" and to celebrate we asked him to tell us the story behin the song "Black Milk". Here is the story:
I was about halfway through a pot of French press coffee, sitting at a bar on Long Island, waiting for the rain to let up. I remember that I hadn't eaten anything since the previous afternoon. That would account for why I began to feel disoriented.

I reached out for a cocktail napkin and asked the bartender for a pen. The words I began to write were not lyrics. They were questions. I was making a list of questions that suddenly appeared in my head. As I listed them, I grew more anxious and frustrated. It seemed like nonsense at first, but I felt I had to get them on paper, in front of me, to understand them.

Then, looking at my cup of coffee, I remembered the poem Death Fugue by Paul Celan. "Black Milk of morning, we drink you at dusk time." In the context of the poem, there seems to be a connection between the drinking of the "Black Milk" and human suffering. I put my pen down for a moment, and finished my coffee.

I might guess that I came in contact with something that day that was very deeply buried in my mind, something very abstract. Or, I had way too much coffee on an empty stomach.

Tim Abrigg Jr.'s Rock and Roll News Of The Day!: Today's Day In Rock News!

Tim Abrigg Jr.'s Rock and Roll News Of The Day!: Today's Day In Rock News!: Original Guns N' Roses Member Joins Hollywood Vampires Supergroup(hennemusic) Alice Cooper has announced three live dates for...

Today's Day In Rock News!

Original Guns N' Roses Member Joins Hollywood Vampires Supergroup(hennemusic)

Alice Cooper has announced three live dates for his all-star covers outfit, Hollywood Vampires and has added former Guns N' Roses rhythm section of Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum to the live lineup of the group that also features Aerosmith's Joe Perry.
Set to release their self-titled debut album on September 11, the project led by the trio of Cooper, Perry, and Johnny Depp will be rounded out in concert by McKagan, Sorum plus guitarist Tommy Henriksen and pianist/guitarist Bruce Witkin.

Hollywood Vampires will perform two shows at The Roxy in Los Angeles on September 16 and 17 and play Brazil's Rock In Rio on September 24. Conceived by Cooper, the Hollywood Vampires project celebrates the spirit of the original drinking club of the same name that gathered at the upstairs bar of the Rainbow Bar & Grill on Sunset Strip, Los Angeles from 1972, of which Cooper was a founding member.

Attendees would include high-profile musicians like John Lennon, Harry Nilsson, Keith Moon, Bernie Taupin, Jim Morrison and Mickey Dolenz. The album, which presents covers of classic tunes by T. Rex, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, The Who, The Doors and more, sees contributions from an all-star lineup that includes Sir Paul McCartney, Perry Farrell, Dave Grohl, Joe Walsh, Slash, Robbie Krieger, Zak Starkey, Brian Johnson and Kip Winger. Read more and watch the teaser video here.



Rigor Mortis' Bruce Corbitt Fighting For His Life In Hospital(TeamRock Radio)

Warbeast and Rigor Mortis frontman Bruce Corbitt has posted a video update from his hospital bed where he is being treated for a heart condition. The singer this week revealed he was fighting for his life after undergoing emergency heart surgery in Dallas, Texas, and later suffering a terrifying reaction for which doctors have so far been unable to find an explanation.
In a video uploaded to Facebook, Corbitt thanks fans for their support. He says: "It's been a tough battle but you know damn well I'm still here. I love my daughter Chyna, my dad and my mum and all of you. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. I will be back onstage soon.

"I didn't know if I was gonna make it, but I called my daughter last night and just hearing her voice was the best thing to help me get through it. I love all of you and I hope to see all of you soon."

In a separate written post, Corbitt says he hopes to be out of hospital some time today and gives more detail on the nature of his post-surgery reaction.

He says: "Doctors, nurses and even my own cardiologist have no idea either what was going on. My cardiologist has done this surgery thousands of times and says he's never had a patient that this happened to.

"The truth is that I could not breath when I tried to lay down flat. I also had these strange spells suddenly appear out of nowhere even if I was feeling great or in good spirits. I can only describe as it felt like I was about to die, not anything like the hundreds of panic attacks I've had in my life" Read more and watch the video here.



Slayer Wasn't Popular Enough To Headline Mayhem Tour?(Classic Rock)


Cannibal Corpse drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz says the Mayhem festival might have been more successful if organizers had booked a bigger headline act than Slayer.
Co-creator John Reese stated earlier this month that the touring festival had now come to an end after eight years as a result of a war of words between his colleague Kevin Lyman and Slayer's Kerry King. Lyman blamed "old, fat and bald" metal acts for ruining the genre's reputation.

Cannibal Corpse played the event last year and Mazurkiewicz says there was a notable difference between the lineups. Mazurkiewicz tells Metal Shop: "It just looks like this year it wasn't strong enough to play to the masses. In the United States, metal is very big, but I think having a band like Slayer headline Mayhem may not have been the greatest idea. For us, it's great - Slayer are our idols and our kings - so for them to headline Mayhem is amazing. But in the scheme of popularity and record sales, it was a downsize in a way.

"When we played it, we were with Avenged Sevenfold headlining, and they are a huge band in America right now, so for that reason alone there should be more people coming to the show. There was Korn, as well, and you a great whole second stage."

He adds: "It was downsized this year and I think that was the big downfall. If they had a bigger band to headline then maybe it would have been more successful." Read more here.


Ghost Concert Plans Foiled By The Pope(hennemusic)

Ghost have been forced to reschedule a concert in Philadelphia due to security measures that will be in effect for a visit by the Pope. As a result of the lockdown, Ghost's September 26 date at Union Transfer has been rescheduled to September 29.
Philadelphia is hosting the World Meeting Of Families on the September 26 and 27 weekend, an event that will see much of the city shut down to traffic, including all the major highways in and out, bridges, and a several square mile grid of downtown restricted to travel on foot. The fallout is that many of the city's museums, theaters, and concert venues will close.

Ghost's appearance during the Pope's visit was intentional, says Promoter Sean Agnew. "The band wanted to get really creative, and have their own Ghost motorcade where the singer would go around the city," said Agnew.

"We had these great ideas to create an alternative to the Pope. But more and more stories started to come out about the lockdown. We had to scale back." Read more here.




Kurt Cobain Soundtrack To Include 'Mindblowing' Unreleased Song(Classic Rock)


The soundtrack for Kurt Cobain biography Montage Of Heck will be released in December. Director Brett Morgen says the album - essentially a Cobain solo record - will be issued on December 6, the same day as the Cobain: Montage Of Heck DVD hits the streets.
The critically-acclaimed film was made with the full cooperation of Cobain's widow Courtney Love and features intimate and troubling scenes of the Nirvana icon as he battled his addictions in the run-up to his suicide.

Morgen tells Deadline he discovered "hours upon hours of never before heard Cobain music" as he trawled through archive recordings while making the documentary. He adds: "I could not possibly understand how this existed and nobody had encountered it before."

The film includes a previously unheard, 12-minute Cobain track that Morgen described as "mindblowing." Read more here.




Marty Friedman Would Rather Chew Glass Than Listen To Hendrix(Classic Rock)


Former Megadeth guitarist Marty Friedman says he'd "rather chew glass" than listen to Jimi Hendrix. Friedman stresses that he respects the iconic guitarist's huge influence on many of his heroes, but he says he just doesn't get what all the fuss is about. And he reveals he's never been a fan of Bob Dylan's playing either.
Friedman tells Ultimate Guitar: "I'd rather chew glass than listen to Hendrix. I never got Hendrix. When I think of Hendrix, an image comes in my mind about a lot of hippies rolling around in mud tripping on acid and it just doesn't turn me on at all.

"And all that noise and feedback and I'm like, 'Play in tune.' I'm a big tuning guy and that's probably why I don't like Dylan because things go out of tune and it kills me.

"But then again, all of my favorite guitarists hail Hendrix. I'm a big Uli Jon Roth fan and he's the most beautiful guitarist. He probably loves Hendrix as much as Hendrix's own mother does. All the guys I respect love Hendrix so I know there's something there. It's just that I never got it because it never fit into my experiences." Read more here.



Murderdolls Unlikely To Make Another Album(TeamRock Radio)

Wednesday 13 doubts he'll record another Murderdolls album. He and ex Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison formed the core of the group and released Beyond The Valley Of The Murderdolls in 2002 and Women And Children Last in 2010.
But as for the chances of a third album, 13 says it's not likely as they "went out on a high note" with their 2010 release. He tells Music Mania: "I would say right now, no - but I also said that about the second one. We had a good run with the first and the second and unfortunately it just didn't quite work out that last time touring-wise. We just stepped away from it, and that's kind of where it is. So I don't know if it will ever get revisited."

He says he has no ill feelings towards Jordison and adds: "I feel like we went out on a high note. We came back out and did one more record for everybody to seal the deal on it and kind of sealed our fate at the same time." Watch the full interview here.



Keith Richards Solo Albums Getting Digital Release(hennemusic)

Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards will reissue his solo albums "Talk Is Cheap" and "Main Offender" for the first time via digital outlets this Friday, August 14.
Richards' first solo album, 1988's "Talk Is Cheap" gave birth to Keith's X-Pensive Winos band featuring Steve Jordan, Waddy Wachtel, Ivan Neville, Charley Drayton and Sarah Dash.

The project included guest appearances by Patti Scialfa, Bootsy Collins, Bernie Worrell, Maceo Parker, ex-Rolling Stone Mick Taylor as well as Willie Mitchell and the Memphis Horns.

1992's "Main Offender" reunited much of the lineup from the debut and produced the hits "Wicked As It Seems" and "Eileen." The reissues come as Richards prepares to release his first solo album in more than 20 years, "Crosseyed Heart", on September 18. Read more here.




Bullet For My Valentine Release Army of Noise Video(TeamRock Radio)

Bullet For My Valentine have released a video for their track Army Of Noise. The tune appears on the band's fifth album, Venom, which will be released on August 14 and the video features footage shot on their recent South American tour.
The group say: "This one's for you, our Army Of Noise. This video was shot during our recent trip to South America, which ruled." The song follows previews of Raising Hell, No Way Out, You Want A Battle? (Here's A War) and the Venom deluxe edition bonus track Playing God.

Venom is the group's first project with bassist Jamie Mathias, who replaced Jason James. BFMV are currently on a North American tour with Slipknot and Lamb Of God, and return to the UK in September. Watch the new video here.




Pop Evil Premiere 'Footsteps' Music Video(TeamRock Radio)


Pop Evil are debuting their video for Footsteps exclusively via TeamRock. Footsteps is the opening track on the band's upcoming album Up, released on August 21 via eOne Music.
The video is directed by long-time collaborator Johan Carlen. Frontman Leigh Kakaty says: "We challenged ourselves to come up with something different for the viewer.

"Johan Carlen brought our vision to a whole new light, as it is reflected through this amazing piece of art." Pop Evil previously released a video for the track In Disarray. Watch the new video here.




Cathedral and Electric Wizard Stars Form With The Dead Supergroup(Classic Rock)


Members of Cathedral and Electric Wizard have joined forces in a new project called With The Dead. Electric Wizard bassist Tim Bagshaw and drummer Mark Greening are joined in the band by Cathedral singer Lee Dorrian.
The UK-based trio will issue their self-titled debut album on October 16 via Rise Above Records. In a statement, the label says: "Like the product of some sort of alchemical alignment or a diabolical modern demon summoned by a whispered incantatory spell, With The Dead formed on All Hallow's Eve 2014.

"They worked quickly and the result is a six-track, self-titled debut broadside that draws on the members' rich musical legacy but without ever taking a backward step.

"Rising like a fecund creature from the fetid bogs of old England, With The Dead is a malevolent beast that lurches and staggers, flattening everything in its path." Read more here.



Bostaph Honored That Hanneman Wanted Him Back In Slayer(Classic Rock)

Paul Bostaph says it was "an honor" to know that Jeff Hanneman wanted him back behind the Slayer kit. Guitarist Hanneman died at the age of 49 following a two-year illness caused in part by his drinking, which was cited in his official cause of death.
After the band parted ways with Dave Lombardo, they turned to Bostaph, who had previously been a member from 1992 to 2001. And one of Hanneman's last actions with the band before his death in 2013 was to insist on Bostaph getting the job.

The drummer tells Soundcrave: "I never got a chance to see Jeff before he passed, but it was an honour to know that he wanted me back. It was humbling that they wanted me there."

Bostaph has since recorded his parts for the band's upcoming 11th album Repentless, due out on September 11. Watch the full interview here.




Status Quo's John 'Rhino' Edwards Announce Solo Album(Classic Rock)

Status Quo bassist John 'Rhino' Edwards will release his second solo album on October 23. Rhino's Revenge II will be issued via Molano Music and comes 15 years after his debut solo record.
Edwards is joined on the recording by his sons Max and Freddie who play drums and guitar respectively. His daughter Mae also contributes backing vocals, while multi-instrumentalist Matthew Starritt also guests on the 12-track album which was recorded in 11 days.

Edwards says: "We went flat out, so we didn't have time to get precious about anything. I play Rhino Rock, Thug Rock, Animal Rock, Heavy Rock, Pop Rock, but with the main focus on the lyrics and the songs. It's rabble-rousing rock'n'roll."

Hear the tracks Tomorrow Is Today and Famous here.



Deep Purple Release Video Preview Of Upcoming Live Releases(hennemusic)

Deep Purple have released preview videos of their performances of classic tracks from a pair of forthcoming live albums, "From The Setting Sun... (In Wacken)" and "…To The Rising Sun (In Tokyo)."
Due August 28 (September 18 in North America), "From The Setting Sun… (In Wacken)" sees the group captured in concert at Germany's Wacken Open Air Festival in 2013, while "…To The Rising Sun (In Tokyo)" presents the group live at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo in April of 2014.

Deep Purple are previewing video of "Space Truckin'" compiled from both packages and "Perfect Strangers" from the Tokyo set. "One band, two crowds, two countries - a tale of two cities indeed," says bassist Roger Glover. "From Germany's Wacken Open Air Festival, one of the biggest metal festivals in the world - and a city unto itself - to Japan and the stately Nippon Budokan, the most revered venue in Tokyo. Each with its own distinct personality."

"From The Setting Sun… (In Wacken)" and "…To The Rising Sun (In Tokyo)" will be available on 2CD+DVD, DVD, Blu-ray (Tokyo performance), Blu-ray 3D (Wacken performance) and 3LP Gatefold.

Deep Purple will wrap up a summer tour of North America this weekend. Watch the preview videos here.




Chris Cornell Streaming New Song 'Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart'(hennemusic)


Chris Cornell has released a lyric video for "Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart", which is the lead single from his forthcoming fourth solo album, "Higher Truth."
Due September 18, Cornell began recording the project in mid-January with producer Brendan O'Brien before heading to Australia with Soundgarden in February to perform as part of the Soundwave Festival series; he completed the record upon his return to Seattle in March.

The Soundgarden frontman will launch the record with a 6-week theater tour of North America that will see him perform material from his entire career.

Cornell will follow the North American shows with a tour of New Zealand and Australia starting in late November. The singer will regroup with Soundgarden to record and release a new album in 2016. Check out the new song here.


Just A Matter Of Time Before Mudvayne Record New Album(TeamRock Radio)

Greg Tribbett says he holds out hope that Mudvayne could record another album. The guitarist says a follow-up to 2009's self-titled album could be on the cards, once the various members can align their schedules.
Tribbett works with Audiotopsy, while frontman Chad Gray is a member of Hellyeah. Tribbett tells Metal Wani: "Like they say, never say never. We all talk.

"It's just a matter of time, I think. But we'll see. It could happen in the future, that's all I can say about it. I'm gonna be touring with Audiotopsy for the next couple of years, and I know Chad's doing another record with Hellyeah." Read more here.



Korn's Jonathan Davis Appearing On New Sunflower Dead Album(TeamRock Radio)

Korn frontman Jonathan Davis will guest on the upcoming album by Sunflower Dead, it's been confirmed. He'll take over vocal duties on It's Time To Get Weird - the title track on the Californian outfit's second album, out on October 30 via the band's own Bloody Bat Records label.
In addition, Korn bassist Reginald 'Fieldy' Arvizu's side project Stillwell have finished work on their as-yet-untitled second album which they're expected to release later this year.

Arvizu says: "It took me on a crazy ride of emotions. I don't want to put it in a category but it's definitely not anything like our other bands that we're in." Read more and watch the album teaser here.


Jon Spencer Clears Up Misconception About Blues Explosion Album(Classic Rock)

Jon Spencer has denied that his Blues Explosion's latest album Freedom Tower is a eulogy to a lost New York. It was released earlier this year, and he says it's actually a celebration of the city the band have called home for a quarter of a century.
He tells UnderTheRadar: "It's not meant to be a nostalgic trip, it's not meant to be a lament. I don't think we should try to reverse the progress or turn back the hands of time.

"New York City has changed a great deal, probably everything I feel in love with about the city is gone. But a city has to change. Not all of the record is about 'What happened to the city I loved? Where did this place go?'" Read more here.




District 97 Release 'Snow Country' Video(Prog)

District 97 have released a video for their track Snow Country. It's taken from the band's third album In Vaults which was released in June via Laser's Edge. They previously issued Takeover from the record. It was made possible thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign which saw the group raise $20,000.
Drummer Jonathan Schang tells Prog: "It's a model bands have been using for a while now, but I was dubious because I thought it would be like begging for money.

"I tested the waters with our fans and what I actually found was that they take a lot of ownership over the band - they want to help propagate its future.

"So instead of looking at it as going down on bended knee and asking for money, I've come round to seeing it as giving them an opportunity to be partners with us, and to help us bring some music into the world that hopefully people will enjoy." Read more and watch the video here.



Roger Dean To Appear At Rick Wakeman's Wakemanfest(Prog)

Artist Roger Dean will appear at Rick Wakeman's inaugural Wakemanfest in Lincolnshire this October. Running October 30 to November 1, Wakemanfest was conceived by Rob Ayling of Gonzo Multimedia as a three day event that would revolve around people Rick Wakeman has worked with over his 40 years in the music industry.
Dean's fantasy landscape art has appeared on album covers by Yes, Asia, Uriah Heep and many others, with his work dating back to 1968. His first design for Yes was 1971's Fragile and his creation of the classic Yes 'bubble' logo first appeared on 1972's Close To The Edge. The artist's links to the band were developed further with contributions to his brother Martyn Dean's stage set designs for the group.

Dean says: "I don't really think of myself as a fantasy artist but as a landscape painter." He will showcase his art and hold a question and answer session at Wakemanfest on Saturday, October 31 from 3.40pm to 4pm