Monday, September 28, 2015

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!: Guns N' Roses Star Seriously Hurt In Motorcycle Crash(Classic Rock) The Dead Daisies will be without Richard Fortus on their u...

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!: Guns N' Roses Star Seriously Hurt In Motorcycle Crash(Classic Rock) The Dead Daisies will be without Richard Fortus on their u...

Today's Day In Rock News!





Guns N' Roses Star Seriously Hurt In Motorcycle Crash(Classic Rock)

The Dead Daisies will be without Richard Fortus on their upcoming Australian tour after the guitarist was seriously hurt in a motorcycle crash. Fortus, who is also a member of Guns N' Roses, suffered multiple broken bones and a lacerated liver, but says he will make a full recovery.
He expects that he'll be back onboard for the band's scheduled appearance on the Kiss Kruise, which sets sail from Miami on October 30. His place for the Australia and New Zealand dates will be filled by Dave Leslie from Aussie band The Baby Animals.

Fortus says: "On September 17, I was involved in a motorcycle accident. As a result, I broke my shoulder blade, collar bone, six ribs, a toe, I have a bruised lung, lacerated liver and a concussion.

"Amazingly, my doctors have assured me that I will make a full recovery. I have never missed a show in my entire career and unfortunately, I will have to miss the entire Australian and New Zealand leg of this tour. I am devastated that I will not be able to play for the Australian and New Zealand fans, who have been so supportive and loyal." Read more here.



Thursday and No Devotion Singer Poisoned and Robbed Outside Venue

Thursday and No Devotion frontman Geoff Rickly revealed on Sunday that he was hospitalized in Hamburg, German this weekend after he was allegedly robbed and poisoned.
Rickly told fans via social media posts that he was robbed and poisoned outside Rock Cafe St. Pauli, the venue hosting the Reeperbahn Festival that his supergroup No Devotion were set to perform at, but were forced to cancel.

He posted the following on Sunday, "Just a little note to say that I was poisoned and robbed (outside our Reeperbahn Festival venue on Friday) and spent the night in the hospital in Hamburg. I'm recovering and will be in Paris tonight."

He also posted on his Twitter account, "Sorry to anyone that was at our show for the cancellation. The outpouring of love and support for Collect Records, No Devotion, Norman Brannon, Shaun Durkan is nothing short of remarkable."



Former Megadeth Stars Poland, Menza and Lomenzo Form New Band(Classic Rock)

Former Megadeth members Chris Poland, Nick Menza and James Lomenzo have reunited to launch a fresh project. The unnamed band have been in the studio this year working on material for their debut release, with a sonic direction that has been described by some as "Led Zeppelin meets Metallica."
Menza says: "It's got some elements of that, but I'd say we're just so far beyond everything that's been heard already. It's gonna be a conglomerate of styles. It's gonna be what we like to do best - have fun, play. Our material is gonna be really out there. It's gonna be different. It's gonna be heavy, but it's gonna be us."

Guitarist Poland was a member of Megadeth from 1984 to 1987 and appeared on the group's first two albums, 1985's Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good and 1986's Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?

Drummer Menza was on board for four albums between 1989 and 1998, while bassist LoMenzo stepped in from 2006 to 2010 before founding member David Ellefson returned to the fold. Read more here.




Slipknot's Corey Taylor In Upcoming Doctor Who Episode?

Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor has reportedly lent his signature voice to a character in an upcoming episode of the hit UK series Doctor Who, according to the Mirror.
The UK tabloid cites an unnamed "insider" as the source of the news which reports that Taylor provided a "deafening roar to alien warlord the Fisher King as he battles Time Lord Peter Capaldi" in an upcoming episode.

Producers of the show reportedly reached out to Taylor when Slipknot played in Cardiff in January. Taylor, who is said to be a big fan of the show, was given a VIP tour by producers and asked to record his signature scream for the show.

"He agreed instantly and was made up about it," the alleged "insider" told the outlet. Read more here.




Chickenfoot Working On New Album Says Sammy Hagar

Sammy Hagar reveals in a new interview that Chickenfoot, (his band with Joe Satriani, Red Hot Chili Pepper's Chad Smith, and his former Van Halen bandmate Michael Anthony), are working on a new album.
He tells Ultimate Classic Rock, "What we decided to do with Chickenfoot is casually write a record the way we're doing now. Like, Joe (Satriani) and I get together and get the song and then Chad (Smith) put drums on one song already and Mikey (Anthony) put bass on it and we did the vocals.

"We've got one f***ing finished song ('Before I Die') that to me, is the coolest song that we've maybe ever had. It's really bluesy and edgy and modern and it's f***ing cool."

He also explained the differences he sees between Chickenfoot and his other current project the Circle and why he thinks that Chickenfoot will continue, despite speculation that it was over. "I love Chickenfoot. It's just that for me, being able to play my whole career with the Circle is so important to me. I've gotta tell ya, the chemistry in the Circle is right up there with the chemistry in Chickenfoot, when Chad's in the band, Chad, Mike and I. It's the same kind of thing - it's just a little bit different.

"Chickenfoot, I think may be the most creative band I've ever been in. I think it's even more creative than Van Halen was in a sense. Joe is so prolific that Joe can write 20 pieces of music, beginning to end, bridge, chorus, solo section, intro, outro and just bring it and say, 'How do you like this?' And we go, 'Wow, that's great,' or 'Eh, it don't feel right to us - it sounds like Joe solo.' You know, whatever!

"Having a guy like that in the band that is so freakin' prolific - I've never seen a musician in my life like that - because he reads and he writes and he studies…he's a professor, so he's theorizing with music.

"I say, how about some mid-tempo thing like 'Every Breath You Take' by the Police. Joe walks in the next day and he's got it. How about something like 'Black Dog,' which was 'Soap On A Rope,' with the breaks where the vocal is and the next day Joe walks in with that. I mean, not just an idea….that whole f-in' piece and all I had to do is write lyrics and come up with a melody and that f-in' song was done. That's the way Joe is. Being in a band with that kind of creativity and the engine of Chad and Mike on the rhythm section is second to nothing.

"You know, Mike and Jason (Bonham) are bad-ass too, don't get me wrong, but I have to do another record with that band, because it's so creative." Check out the full interview here.




Def Leppard's Vivian Campbell Expects Lifelong Cancer Fight(Classic Rock)


Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell has accepted that he'll probably have to deal with cancer for the rest of his life. He was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2013 then announced last year that he was in remission - before revealing in June that it had returned. Treatment continues as Def Lep work through a North American tour.
Campbell tells the Salt Lake Tribune: "It's going very, very well, thank you. The bad news is this cancer keeps coming back. The good news is the treatment I'm doing largely continues to work, which is a big, big part of the recovery for me, to be able to continue to do what it is that defines who I am.

"I've had a couple rounds of chemo - actually, three rounds of chemo. And last October I did a stem cell transplant. I kind of naively thought that would be it, and I was done with it. I guess, given the benefit now of my experiences with this, I kinda realize that I'll probably be dealing with it for the rest of my life."

But his medical team continues to approach the issue from every possible angle. "I'm trying a process called immunotherapy, which is the latest and greatest thinking in how to treat cancer," says Campbell. Read more here.




Arch Enemy To Reunite With Original Members At Music Festival


Arch Enemy revealed in a Facebook post that they will be reuniting with original members Johan Liiva and Christopher Amott during their appearance at this year's Loud Park Festival.
The reunion performance will be taking place during the first day of the two-day festival which is set for October 10th and 11th at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

The band had the following to say, "We're very excited about returning to Japan next month for a performance at the 10th anniversary of the Loud Park festival! We will be bringing two very special guests...original Arch Enemy members Johan Liiva and Christopher Amott!"

The Loud Park appearance will kick off a busy fall touring schedule for the band which includes two shows in Greece before the launch of the Endless Forms Most Beautiful Tour of Europe that will also include Nightwish and Amorphis and will begin on November 16th in Copenhagen. See all of their upcoming tour dates here.




Iron Maiden Frontman Impressed By Lady Gaga(Classic Rock)


Lady Gaga's metal credentials have been given perhaps their biggest endorsement yet - with Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson describing her as "great" and way better than Madonna.
The pop star has won the approval of Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian and Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford in the past, and she recently revealed how she woke up at 5am to buy Maiden's new album The Book Of Souls.

And in an earlier interview, Gaga said she doesn't want to be the next Madonna, as she'd rather be the next Iron Maiden. Now the Maiden vocalist has returned the compliment. He tells Corus Radio: "I think she's great, and I agree with her - she's not the next Madonna. She's way better than that.

"Because, first of all, she can sing - she's got a belter of a voice - and she's a really good instrumentalist. She's got a great sense of drama. And anybody that could turn up to an awards ceremony dressed as a bacon sandwich gets my vote. I mean, she's great." Watch the full interview here.




Megadeth Offshoot Act Of Defiance Launching North American Tour

Act Of Defiance, featuring former Megadeth stars Chris Broderick and Shawn Drover, Shadows Fall's Matt Bachand and former Scar The Martyr vocalist Henry Derek, will be launching a North American tour next month.
The recently formed group will be coheadlining the trek with Allegaeon and marks the band's very first national tour, which they are launching in support of their debut album "Birth and The Burial."

The tour is scheduled to get underway on October 22nd in Las Vegas at Count's Vamp'd and will be wrapping up on November 15th with an appearance at the Providence Metal Fest in Providence, RI. See the dates here.




Sevendust Streaming Their Entire New Album 'Kill The Flaw'(TeamRock Radio)


Sevendust have made their 11th album entitled Kill The Flaw available to stream in full ahead of its October 2 launch. The follow-up to 2014's acoustic Time Travelers & Bonfires was self-produced by the band and recorded at Architekt Music in Butler, New Jersey with engineer/mixer Mike Ferretti.
The Atlanta outfit returned to their roots by building songs for the album from extended jam sessions. Vocalist Lajon Witherspoon tells The Aquarian Weekly: "We went in with this live effect. There wasn't anything really written for this album, so we set up on the live stage and everything was mic'd, from guitars to drums, so we were able to record while we were rehearsing pieces of songs.

"Then we would go in from 12 noon until 12 midnight and during the day, we would just get up there as the band Sevendust like when we started, which we loved to do, and just jam."

He continues: "Things came out and that's the way this album came together. It was just like the beginning of our career when we sat down and jammed together like a band and it's what I think made this album flow so easily and come out with so many cool songs." Stream the album here.




Asking Alexandria Streaming New Song 'Undivided'(TeamRock Radio)


Asking Alexandria are streaming their latest track, Undivided, ahead of next month's headlining UK tour. It comes on the heels of a video for their single I Won't Give In.
The new track comes as the band prepare to launch their first European tour with new frontman Denis Stoff. He replaced Danny Worsnop, who departed in January, and is on board as the band work on the follow-up to 2013's From Death To Destiny.

Asking Alexandria will co-headline the UK Vans Warped Tour show at London's Alexandria Palace on October 18, with Black Veil Brides sharing top spot. The group will then headline a series of UK gigs alongside Memphis May Fire, August Burns Red and In Hearts Wake.

Guitarist Ben Bruce says: "It's an incredible package. We are back and we truly are better than ever - this tour is going to be absolutely insane." Stream the new song here.




David Gilmour Tops The UK Chart With 'Rattle That Lock'

David Gilmour had an impressive first week in the UK for his new solo album, "Rattle That Lock," which gave the Pink Floyd legend his second No. 1 album debut on the chart.
Gilmour had previously topped the chart in 2006 with his album "On An Island" and The Official Charts Company, which keeps the music charts in the UK, says that he once again came out on top, handily beating Lana Del Rey's "Honeymoon," which landed as this week's No. 2.

Gilmour had the following to say about topping the chart, "It's thrilling to get a Number 1 album, we all want to hit the top spot, however long we've been at it, I'm delighted.

"I owe a debt of thanks to Polly Samson, for writing lyrics on four Number 1 albums, The Division Bell, On An Island, The Endless River, and now Rattle That Lock, and also to Phil Manzanera, my co-producer on the last three albums" Read the report here.



Rammstein Release 'Engel' Video From In Amerika DVD(Classic Rock)

Rammstein have released a performance clip of "Engel" from their live DVD In Amerika. The package presents a 2010 concert at New York's Madison Square Garden that marked the German outfit's first US show in a decade.
The band say: "The venue's more than 18,000 seats were snatched up for the special appearance within less than 30 minutes of going on sale, heralding Rammstein's return with a frenzied fanfare on par with the German band's elaborate stage presentation."

The show is accompanied by a feature-length documentary and a 20-minute film on the making of the 2009 album Liebe Ist Fur Alle Da. The newly-released set was previewed with an official trailer and performance clips of "Rammlied" and "Ich Tu Dir Weh". Watch the video here.




The Flaming Lips Plan 20th Anniversary Clouds Taste Metallic Box Set

The Flaming Lips will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of their "Clouds Taste Metallic" with a deluxe box set reissue of the classic and acclaimed 1995 album.
The new deluxe reissue, "Heady Nuggs 20 Years After Clouds Taste Metallic 1994-1997" is set to be released on November 27th and will feature the studio album on the first disc, a second disc of bonus tracks and what the band calls "Oddities and Rarities," and a third disc featuring a live 1996 performance from Seattle.

The box set will be issued in various formats including three-CD set, a digital version, as well as a numbered, limited edition five-LP box set. The band will be releasing the vinyl LPs individually at a later date.) See the track details here.




The Temperance Movement Lose Founding Member(Classic Rock)

The Temperance Movement have announced the departure of guitarist and founding member Luke Potashnick. The announcement was made on the band's Facebook page.
"Quitting the road after years of touring is not an easy decision to make," say the band. "Luke has being playing and touring internationally for many years, but he has always preferred the studio to the stage.

"As long as TTM have been together, Luke has quietly enjoyed a writer/producer career of his own which he now wishes to fully dedicate himself to.

"We support his decision with love and gratitude for the great times we've shared in The Temperance Movement." Read more here.




Joel Hoekstra's 13 Streaming New Song 'Long For The Days'

Joel Hoekstra of Whitesnake, Night Ranger, Trans Siberian Orchestra fame, has premiered the latest single from the forthcoming Joel Hoekstra's 13's studio album "Dying To Live".
The new album is set to be released on October 16th by Frontiers Music SRL and the label has premiered the latest single "Long For The Days" on their Facebook page.

The new album was recorded by Hoekstra and all-star lineup of musicians including Jeff Scott Soto (vocals), Russell Allen (vocals), Tony Franklin (bass), Vinny Appice (drums), and Derek Sherinian (keyboards).

Hoekstra had the following to say about the track, "Long For The Days is a song about reflection and regret over a relationship gone badly. It's a good old-fashioned, classic-rock style track that captures elements of some of my favorite bands (I'll let you figure them out!).

"Vinny Appice (drums) and Tony Franklin (bass) lay it down while Derek Sherinian (keys) provides the right sounds and parts with tasteful perfection. Russell Allen delivers one of my favorite vocal performances EVER and Jeff Scott Soto sings some amazing backgrounds to support them. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing/recording it!" Check out the song here.




Slayer's Kerry Kings Finds Today's Bands Uninspiring(Classic Rock)

Slayer guitarist Kerry King says some successful young bands are missing the opportunity to inspire future musicians the way he was first moved by the giants of metal back in the day.
Growing up on a steady diet of Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath, among others, helped motivate King to form Slayer with Jeff Hanneman as a teenager.

Now, King reveals he's having trouble seeing the next generation develop into hard rock and metal role models of their own. King tells Metal XS: "We were at a festival in South America somewhere, and they feed you a live feed of the stage, so you can watch it like you're out front. And I was watching a band, and I went over to Gary Holt and I said,' Gary, if I was a kid and these were my heroes, I would never pick up an instrument.'

"They didn't compel me to wanna be them, and I think that's what's missing in younger music… There's not a vibe. You look at some bands these days, and I've got nothing against roadies, 'cause I love my crew, but these bands look like roadies. It looks like they're just up there rehearsing, and that doesn't inspire me to wanna play guitar and be just like 'em." Read more here.




Von Hertzen Brothers Release 'Sunday Child' Video(Classic Rock)

Von Hertzen Brothers have released a video for Sunday Child, taken from their New Day Rising album, the follow-up to 2013's Nine Lives. The video was filmed at Söderskär Lighthouse, 30km east of the Finnish capital.
"At the end of summer, we performed an exclusive show on a tiny island outside Helsinki," says drummer Mikko Kaakkuriniemi. "This remote, rugged and expansive location, with its 150 year old lighthouse, was a perfect match for the atmosphere and story of our new single, Sunday Child. With this in mind, the goal was to capture this magical late August day from beginning to end. The music video that followed is like a diary or a photo album of this special event and our gig right by the open sea."

Von Hertzen Brothers recently played at the Prog Awards in London, and are currently on tour. The band's New Day Rising is nominated for the Best Album award at this year's Classic Rock Roll Of Honour. Watch the video here.




Flying Colors Release Live 'Mask Machine' Video(Classic Rock)


Flying Colors have released a video of a live version of Mask Machine. It's taken from Second Flight: Live At The Z7, which was recorded in Pratteln, Switzerland, on the band's 2014 tour. The album is the follow-up to last year's Second Nature.
"It was especially exciting because we had just performed many of these songs for the first time, days before," says Flying Colors guitarist Steve Morse.

"We had a blast playing these tunes and can't wait for you to hear them... you can feel the excitement!," adds singer Casey McPherson. "I'm still trying to learn Steve's guitar parts, though."

Second Flight: Live At The Z7 is released on November 13 on multiple formats, including 4K UltraHD, Blu-ray, DVD, LP + MP3, CD, iTunes, Headphone Surround, iTunes and Pono. Read more and watch the video here.




Motorhead Already Planning Next Album Says Lemmy(Classic Rock)


Motorhead mainman Lemmy says the band will record and release their next album within two years. The band issued latest effort Bad Magic last month and the singer/bassist has been struggling with poor health in recent months, leading to their touring schedule being disrupted. But he shows no sign of letting up as he looks forward to album no.23.
As the veteran band prepare to launch their second annual Motorboat cruise this week, Lemmy spoke to Rock Overdose about their plans moving forward. Lemmy says: "Touring! We are booked until March and then into the festival season - and in two years there will be another record."

The bassist also addressed the glut of music in today's marketplace. He adds: "In my view, there are more people recording more songs than any other time in history. It is their own responsibility whether to survive if they manage to keep the spirit of rock'n'roll alive." Read more here.




3 Doors Down Announce The Better Life Foundation Concert(SKH)


3 Doors Down have announced the details for their 12th annual The Better Life Foundation concert which is set to take place on Saturday, December 5th at Horseshoe Casino in Tunica, Mississippi. We were sent these details:
The long-term mission of the foundation is to make a positive change in the lives of children in need of food, shelter, and medical assistance, and to enhance the lives of children and young adults with special needs. Funds raised are distributed to organizations and hospitals that fulfill the band's mission to enable children to develop their potential, achieve their goals, and become caring and responsible adults. Operating with the mission statement, "Changing the World, One Life at a Time," 3 Doors Down has committed their energies over the past decade to make a tangible contribution for those in need through this annual event, and continuous efforts to generate funding to support these goals.

The event is sponsored by Paul Benton. Guests 18 years and under may attend the event with someone 21 years or older, with Premier Balcony general admission seated tickets at $150 (which includes hors d'oeuvres and open bar), while general admission standing floor tickets are $50.

A VIP upgrade is available for an additional $125 which includes a meet and greet with the band, a photo with 3 Doors Down, an exclusive Hatch show print and gift bag. For more information call 251-586-2208 or go here.




Saxon Tried To Avoid Remaking 'Wheels Of Steel' On New Album(Classic Rock)


Saxon frontman Biff Byford says the band avoided trying to recreate their Wheels Of Steel sound on their upcoming new album. The British metal heroes release Battering Ram October 16 and Byford previously said the album harks back to their 80s sound. But he insists they didn't set out to lean too heavily on their 1980 hit Wheels Of Steel when they recorded the latest work with producer Andy Sneap.
Byford tells Metal Rules (via Blabbermouth): "We love the album. It's a clash between the retro Saxon and the modern Saxon. It's a massive sound. Andy Sneap's done a great job for us. Andy loves the 80s bands as well, so he's a great producer to get the best of both things going.

"We're not trying to recreate the Wheels Of Steel album. We're trying to move on a bit, but still have the essence of Saxon there. He engineered Sacrifice and mixed it. And I wanted to spend a bit more time on my vocals other than producing, so I knew everything would be safe with Andy." Watch the full interview here.




Candiria Ink Metal Blade Deal For First New Album Since 2009(TeamRock Radio)


Candiria have announced that they have signed a new record deal with Metal Blade Records. They've joined the label to release their first material since 2009's Kiss The Lie.
Guitarist John Lamacchia says: "The band is extremely excited to be a part of the Metal Blade family. We couldn't think of a better way to forge ahead with a new chapter in our career.

"We have a new album in the works and we definitely plan to hit the road in support of it. 2016 is going to be an amazing year for Candiria." Read what Michael MacIvor had to say here.




Def Leppard To Unveil Their Craft Beer On Hysteria on the High Seas

Def Leppard have announced that they will be unveiling of their new craft beer during their inaugural "Hysteria on the High Seas" cruise next January. They have also announced additional artists and activities for the cruise.
The four-night cruise will set sail from Miami on the MSC Divina on January 21st. The band revealed that Tesla star Frank Hannon and the band Kix been added to the line, as well as Rick Allen's Art Exhibit. The newly announced craft beer tasting will require an additional "small fee" which will be announced at a later date.

Previously announced performers include Cinderella frontman Tom Keifer, Last in Line (the band that features the original lineup of Dio's solo band which includes Def Leppard's Vivian Campbell, Vinnie Appice, Jimmy Bain and Claude Schnell, with Andrew Freeman taking on vocal duties), Mr. Big frontman Eric Martin, Ritchie Kotzen and Kip Winger.

Here is a list of some of the activities that will take place on the voyage:
Def Leppard Theater Performance
Def Leppard "Storytellers" Performance and Q&A
Def Leppard's Vivian Campbell in Last in Line Performance
Eddie Trunk's "Def Leppard - Behind the Music"
Daily performances from support artists on four stages throughout the ship
Support Artist "Storyteller" Performances
Support Artist Meet & Greets/Photo Ops, Jams and Q&A Sessions
Special Events, Theme Nights and much more

Find more information about the cruise here.




Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit Declared Most Iconic Song Ever(Classic Rock)

Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit has been declared the most iconic song ever written in research commissioned by Fiat. The car manufacturers were trying to work out which song to use in promotional material for the Fiat 500 and asked boffins at the University of London to help.
Dr Mick Grierson's team analyzed the tracks most often singled out by critics, with the Nirvana smash hit coming out on top ahead of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody, Guns N' Roses classic Sweet Child O' Mine and God Save The Queen by the Sex Pistols.

Dr Grierson tells the Daily Mail: "We looked at a range of measures for each song and compared them to see if there were similarities in these recordings which occur less in other songs.

"We found the most significant thing these songs have in common is that most of them use sound in a very varied, dynamic way when compared to other records.

"This makes the sound of the record exciting, holding the listeners' attention. By the same token, the sounds these songs use and the way they are combined is highly unique in each case." See the top 10 list here.




Big Big Train Release Live 'Victorian Brickwork' Video(Prog)


Big Big Train have released a video of them performing Victorian Brickwork live in London. The performance was captured during the band's show at King's Place last month, one of three shows at the venue - the band's first gigs in 17 years.
Keyboard player Danny Manners says: "We were overwhelmed with the audience response to what were the band's first gigs in 17 years, and how far some of them were willing to travel from all over the world. We hope the video will give the wider public a taste of what Big Big Train is like live."

BBT will release a live-in-the-studio DVD, Stone And Steel, in the coming weeks and are currently working on a new album called Folklore, set for release next year. Watch the video here.




Singled Out: Stroamata's SocialBrooklyn alt-rock band Stroamata recently released their latest single "Social" and we asked the band's Rob Morrison and Alex Markowitz to tell us the story behind the track. Here is the story:
Rob Morrison (main songwriter on Social): As people become more easily connected, they are simultaneously ostracizing themselves by seeing fewer friends in person and taking more photos of themselves than ever before. "Social" lyrically tries to depict this dichotomy of concurrent self-obsession and self-imposed isolation. Musically, the different instruments meld together but also show-off, themselves wanting to be appreciated on their own, separately rather than as a piece of a whole. That aside, it's a rocker of a tune and grooves hard. Makes the head bob almost to headbanging levels.

Alex Markowitz: Some songs just come together in a few minutes. I know everyone has read an interview or a blog where a musician goes on about how long writing a song takes, saying sometimes it's years before a song comes together. I also know we have heard stories where bands have come up with "mega-hit" songs just by screwing around in the studio. Social just came together in a matter of minutes. Rob came in with the song, and within a few minutes the basic form, beat and feel of the song just erupted from the band. I wish I could describe the pride I feel for my band members, and the years of work we have put into making music when a song just appears from the ether, but I cannot find the words. Songs like this are the reward for our dedication to each other and our music! Of course... we hope other people enjoy it too!

Thursday, September 24, 2015

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!: Metallica and Motley Crue Feud Reignited By Tommy Lee The old animosity between Metallica and Motley Crue has been reignited afte...

Today's Day In Rock News!







Metallica and Motley Crue Feud Reignited By Tommy Lee

The old animosity between Metallica and Motley Crue has been reignited after Motley drummer Tommy Lee mocked Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich with a Twitter photo following appearances by both bands at this year's Rock in Rio festival.
The bad blood between the groups date back to their early days when Motley Crue were the kings of the glam scene on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood and Metallica were one of the pioneers of the thrash metal scene but were forced to relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area from Los Angeles to find a more receptive audience.

One of the most notable exchanges in feud included Ulrich accusing the Crue of using a backing tape during their appearance on the 1997 American Music Awards which caused Nikki Sixx to respond, "Dear, Sweet, Fat, Balding Larz (love the make up babe!). Taking your ever moronic soapbox position on a subject that's NONE of your f***ing business has made you to be an a**hole as usual.

"Considering that me and Tommy know that your live tapes have been re-recorded, And ALL your instruments were repaired in Pro Tools (and had the balls to lie to your fans and call it a 'live' album)...People in glass houses should NOT throw rocks!!! considering you decided to take your bullsh*t to the press, we feel its only fair to return the punch!! You are such a poseur and thanks for releasing that 'load' of sh*t CD of yours...you made more room for us."

Now, Tommy Lee has poked fun at Lars' drumming ability by posting a photo on Twitter that was created by a N.W.A biopic Straight Outta Compton meme generator that that shows the words "Straight Outta Tempo" over a photo of Ulrich. See his post below:






Scott Weiland Reportedly Sued By Lawyers For $50,000

Former Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver frontman Scott Weiland is reportedly being sued by the law firm for alleged unpaid fees in the legal fight that followed his firing from STP.
G&M Law reportedly filed a lawsuit against the singer claiming that Weiland owes them $50,000 for legal services they provided for him in 2013, according to a report from the gossip site TMZ.

The firm represented Weiland when he was sued by his former bandmates and they also filed a countersuit on his behalf. He dropped the firm in 2014 and they reportedly claim that he failed to pay his balance with the firm.

Weiland and the band eventually settled their dispute, with Stone Temple Pilots retaining their name but with Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington filling the lead vocalist role.




AC/DC Upsets Chicago Cubs Manager(Radio.com)

The Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon is none too happy with AC/DC. Apparently there were some Dirty Deeds done at historic Wrigley Field when the band played a show there last Tuesday, and not all of them occurred on stage.
"Since the AC/DC concert we've had a little bit of trouble," Maddon told ESPN. "I don't know if they [the band] were out there taking ground balls in 9-inch heels."

The grounds crew at Wrigley replaced the grass that was in the outfield during AC/DC's Rock or Bust tour stop with brand new sod, but according to ESPN, a number of players have expressed concern over the condition of the field. Read more here.



Pink Floyd Reunion Would Be Impossible Says David Gilmour(Gibson)

David Gilmour just released a new solo album called Rattle That Lock, and to help promote the release, he did a rare U.S. television interview last weekend on CBS This Morning.
In the interview, the former Pink Floyd singer and guitarist talked about why he will never, ever do a Pink Floyd reunion. Gilmour said he's been finished with Pink Floyd "for a long time" and that following Pink Floyd band mate Rick Wright's passing, it would be "impossible" to do a proper reunion.

He added "there would be no great joy in it" for him if he did do a reunion at this point. Gilmour concluded that the group "ran its course in a wonderful way. I don't miss it."

A song off Gilmour's solo album called "A Boat Lies Waiting" is actually a tribute to Wright, who passed away of cancer in 2008. Read more here.






Slaves Singer Jonny Craig Speaks Out About Warped Tour Drama(TeamRock Radio)

Slaves singer Jonny Craig has opened up on the band being kicked off this year's Vans Warped Tour. The Californian group (not to be confused with the British two-piece) were ejected from the tour in the wake of allegations that Craig was not sober and that he sexually harassed a member of their merchandising staff.
In the midst of these allegations, guitarist Alex Lyman was attacked and stabbed by a man who later faced a hate crime charge. Craig says that while he had been drinking, he wasn't taking heroin and hasn't done since forming Slaves in 2014.

He tells TeamRock Radio's You Heard It Here First with Sophie K: "At first we were like, okay, this is probably the stupidest thing that's ever happened to us. I used to put a needle in my arm, so if I want to have a beer I think I'm entitled to be able to be able to respect myself.

"They're sitting there calling my band enablers and all this sh*t. Those people have literally been here since the moment I started this band and have kept me clean." Check out the full interview segment, including his comments about the sexual harassment claims here.




Rob Zombie Teams With Mila Kunis For TV Horror Comedy Series(Classic Rock)

Rob Zombie has been named co-producer and director of an upcoming TV comedy horror series. Deadline report that the show entitled Trapped has been commissioned by US network Starz in conjunction with Mila Kunis' Orchard Farm Productions.
It was created and written by Arrested Develpoment co-producer Joey Slamon and focuses on a family who find themselves under siege from a murderous cult.

Zombie says: "Me and my pal Mila have some crazy sh*t planned." Orchard Farm's Susan Curtis, Cami Curtis and Lisa Sterbakov will also be onboard as executive producers. Read more here.



Alexisonfire Are Officially Back But Have No Immediate Plans(TeamRock Radio)

Alexisonfire have distanced themselves from announcing a full-blown comeback. Guitarist Wade McNeil said during a performance last week in Toronto that the band were "officially back."
However they've now played down hopes of a permanent reunion via Facebook. "It was an unforgettable summer. All of us are extremely grateful to have such loyal and dedicated fans who were willing to stick with us. That being said, we feel the need to clarify something.

"'Alexisonfire is officially back' may well be true, but it seems some may be reading more into this than they should. The truth is, nothing has really changed. We all have our own careers and families which require our attention and as far as Alexisonfire is concerned, there are no immediate plans.

"What 'Alexisonfire is back' does mean is that the five of us are back in each other's lives and are as good friends now as we've ever been. If we're lucky, we'll see you out there again. Thank you for sharing in the moment with us." Read more here.




Asking Alexandria Release 'I Won't Give In' Video(TeamRock Radio)

Asking Alexandria have released a video for their single I Won't Give In. The band are working on the follow-up to 2013's From Death To Destiny - which will be their first with new frontman Denis Stoff and fourth overall. Stoff replaced Danny Worsnop, who departed in January.
Guitarist Ben Bruce says: "We spent the summer collecting footage for our new music video for our current single I Won't Give In. This video showcases just how strong our family is.

"The love and support everyone has shown us over the years is incredible and this video truly captures the bond we share with our fans and with each other. I know you guys will enjoy watching this video as much as I have enjoyed watching it."

Bruce also revealed that a new song will be unveiled in the coming days. Watch the video here.




Corey Taylor Reveals New Stone Sour EP Release Plans(TeamRock Radio)

Stone Sour's second in a series of three cover EPs will be out in October or November, frontman Corey Taylor has revealed. Straight Outta Burnbank is the follow-up to this year's Meanwhile In Burbank... and features Halestorm's Lzzy Hale singing a version of the Rolling Stones' Gimme Shelter as well as takes on material by Iron Maiden, Slayer, Motley Crue and Bad Brains.
Taylor tells Lazer 103.3 (via Blabbermouth): "It's done, it's mixed. We've got the artwork all together. It's looking to come out either October or November. So that's where that's at. And it's awesome. It's really good.

"We're actually more into this one than we are Meanwhile In Burbank. And that's nothing against the first one; the first one's super solid. This one is so diverse, but it all feels really good." Read more here.



Bruce Springsteen Does Surprise Birthday Jam With Jackson Browne(Radio.com)

Bruce Springsteen took to the stage Tuesday night (Sept. 22) with Jackson Browne for a New Jersey jamfest, just in time to celebrate the Boss' birthday.
While Springsteen turned 66 years-old Wednesday, it was the crowd at the Browne show in Red Bank, NJ that received a pretty awesome gift in the form of a Bruce surprise appearance.

The set began with Browne calling for Teresa Williams, his wife, to come to the stage. "I want Teresa on this song," he said, orchestrating the big reveal. Then came the introduction of the Boss and they dove into into rendition of 'Take It Easy," the Eagles classic, which Browne co-wrote.

Check out the performance here.



Atreyu Release 'Do You Know Who You Are?' Video(TeamRock Radio)

Atreyu have released a video for their track Do You Know Who You Are? The song comes from their comeback album Long Live, released last week via Spinefarm Records.
It's Alex Varkatzas and co's first studio release since 2009's Congregation Of The Damned and comes after a three-year hiatus the band insisted they needed to take to refocus.

Guitarist Dan Jacobs said: "Because the only outlet we had was Atreyu, the sound started really altering. Stepping back and being able to do our own things, we could get that out of our system, find a comfortable place to have that outlet, and not let it affect the integrity of our sound.

"The reason we're able to come back now, be who we are, sound the way we do and be confident about what we're doing, is that that's not in the way any more." Watch the video here.




Motorhead Releasing Their Own Brand Of Whisky(Classic Rock)

Motorhead have unveiled their own branded whisky. The tipple adds to the band's Motorhead Drinks line which already includes beer, wine and vodka. Motorhead Whisky launches on October 1, but only in Sweden for the time being.
Lemmy and co have collaborated with Swedish award-winning distillery Mackmyra on the drink, which is said to have strong bourbon influences. The frontman - who recently said he had switched from his usual drink of bourbon and Coke to vodka and orange - says: "Life is less painful with Motorhead Whisky. I may consider having a sip now and then."

The drink is described as an "alert and vital - almost cocky - perfectly balanced whisky with nice caramel and typical vanilla notes from American oak." Motorhead are said to have played an active role in both choosing casks and blends.

Drummer Mikkey Dee adds: "We think it's great fun to launch a whisky in collaboration with a Swedish, world-famous distillery, Mackmyra. The whisky is incredibly good, with full character and fully flavored with a superb bourbon touch, as it's been aged in new American oak casks." Read more here.



Blessthefall Release 'Walk On Water' Video(TeamRock Radio)

Blessthefall have released a video for their track Walk On Water. The American outfit previously issued a lyric promo for the track, taken from fifth album To Those Left Behind. It was released last week via Fearless Records.
The video was directed by Raul Gonzo who's worked with artists including Enter Shikari and All Time Low - and vocalist Beau Bokan has praised his visual interpretation of the song.

He says: "We wanted to work with a director who was awesome at artistic imagery and could portray the feeling and raw emotion of this song on film." Watch the video here.



Killswitch Engage Making Their 'Most Diverse Record Yet'(TeamRock Radio)

Killswitch Engage predict their seventh album will be their most diverse to date. They were forced to pause the recording process earlier this month as frontman Jesse Leach battled a throat infection - but they report that work on the follow-up to 2013's Disarm The Descent is back on track, and on course for a 2016 release.
Killswitch say: "It's been a while but have no fear, we are making some real progress on the new album. If all goes well we should have this wrapped up early winter late fall. So far every song has its own life and style - it's shaping up to be our most diverse record yet.

They thank fans for their patience and add: "We want to make sure this record is everything we know it can be. We've put blood, sweat and more blood into this one." Read more here.



Walter Trout Streaming New Song 'Tomorrow Seems So Far Away'(Classic Rock)

Walter Trout has premiered his track Tomorrow Seems So Far Away with TeamRock. It's taken from his album Battle Scars, set for release on October 23 via Provogue Records, which will be followed by a UK tour in November.
The song is inspired by Trout's battle to survive as he waited for a liver transplant. His wife Marie says: "I came up with many attempts to try to help us both endure.

"We would talk about the phone call about a new liver as coming 'tomorrow,' no matter what, to trick us into being optimistic. It didn't always work - but 'tomorrow' became a sort of message of hope between us as we waited for that call." Check out the song here.



Downes Braide Announce New Album(Prog)

Downes Braide Association are gearing up to release their second, Suburban Ghosts. The duo of Yes and Asia keyboardist Geoff Downes and songwriter Chris Braide will launch the record on November 6 via Cherry Red Records. It's the follow-up to DBA's 2012 debut Pictures Of You.
Braide says:"Suburban Ghosts is an album about isolation and loneliness in small town suburbia. A blank town under a sky full of stars, the same blank town you left behind.

"Now everyone has long gone, you're haunted by images of those former frost covered school gates and the laughter of children in the park and of the lovers you had once loved. The alternative life you could have lived.

"You see a photograph that reminds you how fragile we are. Somebody close to you whom you should have been there for. But it's too late to go back now. It's time to let them go, those suburban ghosts." Read more here.



Steve Hackett Release Tour Preview Video(Classic Rock)

Steve Hackett has released a video showing behind-the-scenes preparations for his upcoming UK dates. The former Genesis guitarist will perform 19 shows across the country on the Acolyte To Wolflight tour next month, playing music spanning his 40-year career, including tracks from his latest solo album Wolflight.
He says: "We'll be performing a whole bunch of songs which are old, new and some Genesis things: Can-Utility And The Coastliners, Get 'Em Out By Friday, Cinema Show, The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway - a whole bunch of things that really haven't been heard for a very long time.

"I think it's the most ambitious show that I'll have done to date. We're head down in rehearsals trying to remember every note but I'm really looking forward to it. The challenge is on." Read more and watch the video here.




Foo Fighters Jam With Jane's Addiction's Perry Farrell and Chris Chaney(Radio.com)

Covers from the Foo Fighters just keep coming this week. So far the band has performed with Yes' Jon Davison, Stevie Nicks, HAIM and Jack Black. On Tuesday night, they kept the special appearances rolling by performing Jane's Addiction songs with Perry Farrell and Chris Chaney.
It was the band's second night at Los Angeles' Forum, and they invited the Jane's Addiction frontman to join them on stage for a few tracks like "Had a Dad" and "Been Caught Stealing."

Dave Grohl gave a moving speech about Farrell's influence on Foo Fighters' music, 'I can honestly say that we would not f--ing be here right now without this person," he said. 'This person is responsible for creating a movement and putting a fire under a evolution which eventually exploded and made my band and a lot of other bands come up into the mainstream and let people know what real f--ing music is all about. Because ladies and gentlemen, if it weren't for Perry Farrell we wouldn't be here right now. How many f--ing Lollapalooza's did you go to?"

As if that wasn't enough, earlier in the show Jane's Addiction bassist Chris Chaney appeared to play "Cold Day in the Sun." Watch the video with Farrell captured by FunFooFilms here.



Modern Baseball Release 'Rock Bottom' Video(TeamRock Radio)

Modern Baseball have released a video for their track Rock Bottom. Last month, they took time out from touring and cancelled their appearance at the Reading and Leeds festivals so vocalist and guitarist Brendan Lukens could focus on addressing his mental health issues.
He said: "I've spent most of my life struggling with anxiety and depression, and after the last few months it's evident that it's time to put everything else aside to focus on making steps towards positive mental health.

"Thank you to everyone who has been so understanding through all of this - the continuous support Modern Baseball and myself have received since 2011 is so amazing." Watch the video here.



Royal Blood 'Figure It Out' On Late Night TV(hennemusic)

Royal Blood performed their single, "Figure It Out", on CBS-TV's The Late Late Show with James Corden on Tuesday night and video of their performance has been posted online.
The track is the fourth single issued from the band's 2014 self-titled album, which debuted at No. 1 on the UK album charts upon its release on its way to becoming the fastest-selling British rock debut album in the UK in three years.

The duo of bassist/singer Mike Kerr and drummer Ben Thatcher picked up the Best British Group Award at the BRIT Awards in London in February; the honor was presented to them by fan and Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page.

Royal Blood recently performed at Brazil's Rock In Rio festival and will launch their latest series of US tour dates at The Observatory in Santa Ana, CA on September 24. Watch the TV performance here.


John Mayer Teases Fans With Grateful Dead's 'Tennessee Jed' Clip(Radio.com)

John Mayer revealed a 15-second clip teaser of The Grateful Dead's "Tennessee Jed" on Wednesday. The song comes as a result of Mayer heading into the studio to rehearse for an upcoming run of shows.
The concerts are set to kick off at Times Union Center in Albany on October 29 before heading to New York City for a handful of shows around Halloween.

Performing as Dead & Company, the project features Mayer and 3/4ths of the original Dead members, Bob Weird, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann. Oteil Burbridge, bassist for the Allman Brothers, and Ratdog keyboardist Jeff Chimenti round out the group.

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

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!: Foo Fighters 'Kicked Off' TV Broadcast Says Dave Grohl Dave Grohl says that the Foo Fighters were "kicked off" ...

Today's Day In Rock News!







Foo Fighters 'Kicked Off' TV Broadcast Says Dave Grohl

Dave Grohl says that the Foo Fighters were "kicked off" Sunday night's television broadcast of the Emmy Awards, despite the band winning two awards this year.
Frontman Dave Grohl tells gossip site TMZ that the band was scheduled to perform during the televised prime time awards show but their performance was cut from the show. He tells the site (via ABC), "We were supposed to play on the Emmys, and we were gonna play on the Emmys, but they kicked us off." He was then asked why they were cut and responded, "I can't tell you."

The Foo Fighters camp then released the following statement to Rolling Stone explaining the reason their performance was pulled because the television network would not allow them to perform a full song.

"The band and the Academy were extremely happy and excited to have Foo Fighters play as the first ever rock band on the Emmys," they said.
Fox then refused to allow the band to play a full song from the Emmy-winning Sonic Highways. That is why the band decided not to perform."

The band took home two Emmy Awards this year for their acclaimed documentary series "Sonic Highways". The series won Outstanding Sound Editing For Nonfiction Programming (Single Or Multi-Camera) and Outstanding Sound Mixing For Nonfiction Programming (Single Or Multi-Camera) at an earlier ceremony.




Rolling Stones' Keith Richards Admits To Retirement Ploy(Classic Rock)


Keith Richards has owned up to pretending he was going to retire in order to secure the services of everyone he wanted for his solo album. Crosseyed Heart was released last week, alongside a Netflix documentary about the Rolling Stones guitarist's life.
In a US TV interview, host Jimmy Fallon asked him about saying in the studio: "I don't know, maybe I'll just retire." Richards replied with a laugh: "Yeah, I did say that - but actually it was a ploy. If I threaten to retire, suddenly guys will come out of the woodwork."

Crosseyed Heart features longtime collaborators Steve Jordan and Waddy Wachtel plus guest spots from Bobby Keys, Norah Jones and others. Richards last week confirmed that the Stones have made "definite plans" to record an album next year. Watch the interview here.



Metal Stars Help Cover Dio Classic With Metal Allegiance Supergroup(Classic Rock)

Supergroup Metal Allegiance have released a video for their cover of Dio classic We Rock, which appears only on the deluxe edition of Metal Allegiance's self-title album.
The song features vocals by Tim 'Ripper' Owens (Judas Priest/Iced Earth), Steve Souza (Exodus/Testament), Chuck Billy (Testament), Alissa White-Gluz (Arch Enemy/ The Agonist), Chris Jericho and Mark Osegueda (Death Angel).

While the music is provided by Mike Portnoy, David Ellefson (Megadeth), Alex Skolnick (Testament), Andreas Kisser (Sepultura), Phil Demmel (Machine Head) and Gary Holt (Slayer/ Exodus).

The video also features a number of the other artists who appear on the record. Watch the video here.




Blink-182's Mark Hoppus Teases New Music Work With Matt Skiba(TeamRock Radio)


Blink-182 bassist Mark Hoppus has offered a sneak peak at the band's studio progress with Alkaline Trio frontman Matt Skiba. He's been working with Hoppus and Travis Barker since Tom DeLonge fell out with his bandmates at the beginning of this year.
In one of two Instagram posts, featuring Skiba playing a guitar, Hoppus says: "Matthew is making the rock and roll style music with a plank of wood."

In March drummer Barker said: "If we did make an album with Skiba it would be unreal. There's a vibe in the rehearsal room that we haven't had in a long time."

But earlier this month DeLonge said he was "willing and interested" in rejoining Blink, adding: "I think about that band every day." See Mark's post here.




Bullet For My Valentine and Asking Alexandria North American Tour


Bullet For My Valentine are planning another British Invasion of North America next year. The UK band announced the details of a tour that will also feature Asking Alexandria.
The British Invasion Tour is scheduled to kick off on February 2nd in San Diego, CA at the House Of Blues and will be concluding on March 7th in Montreal, QC at the Metropolis.

Bullet For My Valentine are launching the tour in support of their new studio album, "Venom," which score the band a No. 8 debut on the Billboard 200 Chart and claimed the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hard Rock Albums Chart. See the dates here.




Fans Petition The Grateful Dead To Play Super Bowl 50 Halftime Show(Radio.com)


The Grateful Dead have been making the most of their 50th anniversary following the highly publicized Fare Thee Well shows and the upcoming Dead & Company tour with John Mayer. Now a fan is trying to help the band celebrate their milestone on a huge stage.
A fan named Douglas Machado has started an online petition to have the iconic band play the halftime of the Super Bowl. The website states: "For 50 years, the greatest of the great in the music industry have graced the Super Bowl stage, dazzling us with their artistry just as the league's best have dazzled us with their athleticism.

"To commemorate 50 years of Super Bowl history, what better group of musical engineers to set precedence during such an occasion, who are also celebrating 50 years of historical excellence, than the remaining members of The Grateful Dead!"

While it sounds like a far-fetched plan, it would be a tremendously serendipitous event for a myriad of reasons. Both the Grateful Dead and Super Bowl are celebrating their 50th anniversary in 2015. Also the big game is taking place at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., just one hour South of the band's stomping grounds of San Francisco and where they kicked off their Fare Thee Well shows in epic fashion. Read more here.




Late AC/DC Frontman Bon Scott Subject Of New Book(Classic Rock)

A book on late AC/DC frontman Bon Scott written by three of his close friends will be released next month. Live Wire has been penned by Scott's roadie John D'Arcy, John's wife Gabby and the vocalist's 'soulmate' Mary Renshaw. It's released on October 14 via Allen & Unwin.
The publishers describe the book as a "deeply personal and revealing portrait" of Scott and add: "We learn what it was like to be his friend, live and tour with him, and be part of the close-knit world from which one of biggest bands of all time emerged."

They continue: "With Bon there was always sex, drugs and rock'n'roll, but Live Wire also demonstrates the humour, intelligence and warmth of the man. From his early days with The Valentines, living in rundown apartments in inner Melbourne, to the legendary early years of AC/DC, this is the story of Bon, told by three of the people who knew him best." Read more here.




Cynic To Play Festival Despite Sean Reinart's Break Up Claims(Prog)


Cynic will play as planned at next month's Euroblast festival without Sean Reinart, co-founded Paul Masvidal has confirmed. Drummer Reinart this month said the band was over, saying the tensions between he and Masvidal made it impossible to continue, and that all their upcoming tour dates had been cancelled.
Masvidal responded by saying the break-up was news to him. He's now reported that Trioscapes drummer Matt Lynch will join them for the festival set in Germany on October 3, and that it's part of plans to continue as Cynic.

Masvidal says: "We worked really hard to turn things around with this European tour, but it wasn't possible despite efforts from many people. I know many of you have gone through considerable costs to attend our shows and I'm so deeply sorry for the inconvenience, expense and whatever trouble it may have caused you.

"I want you to know that we will make it up to you, somehow, someway." He adds that the band are "grateful" to have retained the Euroblast headline set. Read more here.




Chelsea Grin Announce Lineup Change

Chelsea Grin have announced that they have officially recruited Stephen Rutishauser (Speeve) to be a permanent member of the band, replacing Jason Richardson, who left the band to focus on his solo career.
The band had the following to say, "We would like to welcome Stephen Rutishauser (Speeve) as an official member of the band. Stephen has been playing with us for over a year now and has fit perfectly in the band. Stephen has been a long time friend of the band and wrote the song Nightmares which was featured on Ashes to Ashes.

"Along with the addition of Stephen, comes the departure of Jason Richardson. Us and Jason have split amicably, with the decision being based on musical differences and how we envision our next record sounding.

"Jason has been an asset to Chelsea Grin for years now, but will be focusing on his solo material and we thank him for his time with us. Jason recently launched an Indiegogo campaign to fund the new solo record.

"Our new record will be out next summer and we promise you it will be our most extreme release to date. We are back."




David Gilmour Reflects On Tragic Pink Floyd Founder Syd Barrett(hennemusic)

David Gilmour recalled his friendship with late Pink Floyd founder Syd Barrett in a new interview with CBS This Morning as he promotes his fourth solo album, "Rattle That Lock."
"He was an extraordinarily funny, witty, intelligent, gregarious guy," said Gilmour about Barrett. "We had hitchiked around the south of France, and stayed in campsites and busked on the seafront and been arrested for our troubles in St. Tropez. We were friends from about 14."

Gilmour ultimately replaced Barrett in Pink Floyd in early 1968 after the band watched his decline in mental health due to an excess of drugs. "It felt tragic because it felt permanent," explained the guitarist. "It felt that whatever was happening to him was a rapid deterioration of his mental faculties."

The session also saw Gilmour and wife/author/lyricist Polly Samson discuss the making of the latest release, with the guitarist speaking at length about his history with his former band.

Gilmour launched his Rattle That Lock world tour in Pula, Croatia on September 12 following a September 5 warm-up show in Brighton, UK. A sold-out 11-date European tour wraps up early next month with five shows at The Royal Albert Hall in London, with a South American run set for December. Watch the interview here.




Killswitch Engage Frontman Pens Domestic Violence Song(TeamRock Radio)

Killswitch Engage frontman Jesse Leach has written a song about domestic violence for the band's next album after he became involved in a neighbors' incident.
He's also voiced his support for the black dot campaign, which urges victims to draw a mark on their hand to alert those who can help without drawing the attention of their attacker.

Leach says: "The black dot lets professionals know you're a really vulnerable domestic violence survivor and that you need help, but can't ask because your abuser is watching your every move. Help pass this information around - if it gains enough attention it could truly help someone in need."

He adds: "This issue means a great deal to me as I know survivors and victims. In fact, I have written a song for the new record that's about this precise topic."

The frontman recalls having to "carefully intervene" in a situation with a woman who lived next door to him, after he heard her "scream and cry as she was hit repeatedly." Read more here.




Wishbone Ash Announce Limited Edition Release(Classic Rock)

Wishbone Ash have launched a straight-to-vinyl live album, recorded as it was played, with just 750 copies available and Andy Powell and co have confirmed a UK tour for October and November.
The vinyl record, Live At Metropolis, was recorded at the London venue in May. The band explain: "As soon as the cutting needle hit the acetate, we started performing side A -and didn't stop until the needle was lifted. The process meant that even the gaps between songs were live."

Powell - who won a legal battle with Martin Turner over the band's name last year - says of the tour, "We're looking forward to reconnecting with fans from the past who are just catching on that we've been touring non-stop for 46 years. And for our faithful fans who've walked with us consistently, we have some special things in store." See the tour dates here.




Sabaton Singer Walking 342 Miles After Losing Drunken Bet(TeamRock Radio)


Sabaton singer Joakim Broden is walking 342 miles (552km) to the band's next show after losing a drunken bet. The frontman was in his hometown of Falun, Sweden when he laid a wager with bandmates at a party, agreeing that the loser would have to reach Norway's Trondheim Metal Fest on foot.
Now he's on his way, walking between four and eight hours a day. Broden tells TRD: "I won't go into details on exactly what happened - but I can say that it was fun and a bit silly. It started almost as a joke, but it evolved to be quite serious."

But he's been getting some help along the way, he reveals: "I've made contact with some fans via Facebook, who have served up food and given me shelter.

"I'll be visiting some buddies in Oslo, then I'll be driven back to Vormsund later so I can continue the journey." Brodan's on track to make it to Trondheim in time for their October 1 performance. Read more and watch the video here.




Sharks' Chris Spedding Playing One-Off Andy Fraser Tribute Show(The Blues)

Chris Spedding will play a one-off show in London next month, in tribute to late bandmate Andy Fraser. Guitarist Spedding formed Sharks with the Free bassist in 1972 but they split two years later. The pair played a number of shows together in 2013, before Fraser's death in March this year.
Spedding, who played his first London show in 10 years in January, has announced that he will perform at Nell's Jazz And Blues, West Kensington, on October 16.

He'll be joined by former Sharks singer Steve 'Snips' Parsons and later keyboardist Nick Judd, and they'll play a selection of the band's tracks together. Read more here.




Radiohead Frontman Tom Yorke's Broadway Music Previewed(Prog)

A short clip of Tom Yorke's Broadway music has been revealed in a promo video for the play Old Times. The Radiohead frontman wrote the score for the Roundabout Theatre Company's production, based on Harold Pinter's script and starring Clive Owen.
It's described as an "unsettling drama of desire and blurred realities" and a "haunting and passionate" work. It's currently in preview and officially opens in October for a 10-week run.

Yorke and Radiohead continue work on their ninth album, with no completion or release date announced. Check out the Old Times TV spot featuring Yorke's music here.




Dialects Stream New Song 'It's Not A Ghost.... It's Gravity'(Prog)

Dialects have premiered their track It's Not A Ghost… It's Gravity with Prog. It follows the launch of debut EP Let The Kids Light These Lanterns and comes ahead of a UK tour with Waking Aida.
The track is released as a single on October 23. Dialects say: "It's Not A Ghost… It's Gravity follows on from where our EP story ended. Our two characters return to their utopian home, and during the journey they see what the future holds for them by means of a clairvoyant message.

"Musically it's a massive step forward for us. It's the next logical step to release this song, and show how our sound is developing." Stream the new song here.



Parkway Drive Frontman Believes New Album Will Be 'Divisive'(TeamRock Radio)


Parkway Drive frontman Winston McCall says the band's 5th album, Ire, will be "divisive" among fans. And he's admitted the band weren't certain they were going in the right direction with their modified approach to the follow-up to 2012's Atlas.
The vocalist is keen to gauge reaction to Ire, which is launched on September 25 (Friday). "I'm interested to see what people love about the band and what they believe the band stands for," he says.

"It's always been our approach that we create what we want to create. If people like it, that's fantastic. If they don't, they don't." He adds: "We definitely have anticipated that this album is going to be really divisive with people, simply because it's different." Read more here.




Crossfaith Releasing Comic Book Based On Xeno Album Concept(TeamRock Radio)

Crossfaith have announced they'll release a comic book based on the story of their latest album, Xeno. The band's fourth album was released last week - and the Japanese outfit have revealed the first page from the publication.
Singer Koie Kenta says: "One night, keyboardist Tamano Terufumi and guitarist Takemura Kazuki were working together at a motel and they showed me the title track Xeno. It blew my mind, so I started writing a story to match the fact there were so many different types of songs on the album.

"I created two characters - one guy who wants to destroy the world, and a female cyberbrain both called Xeno. He can't stand to live in this world because he thinks humans have ruined it, and she wants to learn what it is to be human. She dives into his mind, and the story starts from there." Check out the preview of the comic book here.



Foo Fighters Rock Rush's 'Tom Sawyer' With Yes Frontman(hennemusic)


The Foo Fighters were joined by Yes singer Jon Davison for a cover of the Rush classic, "Tom Sawyer", during their concert in Anaheim, CA on September 19th and video of the jam has been posted online.
The Anaheim show is part of the Foo Fighters current North American tour in support of "Sonic Highways." drummer Taylor Hawkins offered the following introduction, "He's one of my best friends of all time. I've known him since second grade."

The Yes frontman then explained that he and Hawkins shared a love of Rush. "I have to say that Taylor and I were the biggest Rush nerds in high school. Mullets and everything."

"We tried to learn a Yes song but we didn't have enough time," Hawkins explained, with Dave Grohl adding, "They're too f***ing hard!" Check out video of the jam here.




Steven Tyler Jams Aerosmith Classic With The Cadillac Three(Radio.com)

The Cadillac Three temporarily expanded into the Cadillac Four, when Steven Tyler joined the country band on stage for a rendition of "Sweet Emotion" on Saturday (Sept. 19).
During a show at the Cannery Ballroom in Nashville, Cadillac Three frontman Jaren Johnston took to the stage to deliver a surprise to the hometown crowd.

"I figured since we were in Nashville, Tennessee, our hometown-born and raised-I been hanging out with guy he's been in town a little bit. He's the reason we are in a band, the reason we started playing music from the beginning. I wanna introduce you to my friend Steven Tyler."

To the howls from the crown, the Aerosmith icon took to the stage, eager to get to business. "Let's cut right to the chase," he said. "You wanna hear some more. You f-ing sure? How about from the Cadillac Four."

He held up a Cadillac Three t-Shirt with the "three" crossed out and replaced with a bold number "4" before diving into "Sweet Emotion." Watch it here.




The Lebrewski Cruise Initial Lineup Revealed(MSO)

The initial lineup for The Lebrewski Cruise has been announced. The four-night cruise is scheduled to take place aboard the Norwegian Pearl and will set sail from Miami and March 1, 2016.
The String Cheese Incident's Kyle Hollingsworth will act as the host for the festivities as well as a performer. The cruise is set to visit ports in Nassau/Paradise Island and Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas and will include "daily craft beer tastings; celebrity brewers participating in Q&A's, meet & greets and); live performances from over 20 renowned bands," according to the announcement.

The initial lineup includes Kyle Hollingsworth Band; Michael Kang of The String Cheese Incident; Jason Hann, also of The String Cheese Incident and his band, Rhythmatronix; Roger Clyne and The Peacemakers; The Samples; Jared & The Mill; Eufórquestra; Young Dubliners; Tyler Bryant & the Shakedown; Hollis Brown; Alpha Rev; Andy Frasco and Raelyn Nelson.

The cruise will also feature several Southern Rock artists including Molly Hatchet; The Fabulous Thunderbirds; Blackfoot featuring Rickey Medlocke of Lynyrd Skynyrd; Doc Holliday; Stolen Rhodes; Sour Diesel Trainwreck and Thomas Wynn & the Believers.

Check out Kyle Hollingsworth's announcement video here.



Joe Satriani Announces North American Surfing To Shockwave Tour(hennemusic)

Joe Satriani has announced dates for the first North American leg of his 2016 Surfing To Shockwave tour. The 45-date run will see the guitarist perform an evening of music spotlighting his 30-year career while marking the anniversary of his 1986 debut, "Not Of This Earth", and promoting his latest effort, "Shockwave Supernova."
The tour opens February 25 at Seattle's Paramount Theatre with tickets going on sale starting September 25. "Shockwave Supernova" was recorded late last year at Skywalker Sound in Lucas Valley, CA; the guitarist co-produced the project with John Cuniberti.

Last week, Satriani launched a European tour in support of his 15th album, which delivered the legendary axeman his highest US chart debut at No. 19 on the Billboard 200. The feat ranks as the highest charting all-instrumental rock album on Billboard's chart in the SoundScan era. See the dates and the announcement video here.




Symphony X Announce European Tour(Prog)

Symphony X have announced a 28-date European tour. The run of headline shows kicks off in the UK on February 12 next year, and will wrap up in the Netherlands on March 20.
The gigs have been organised in support of their ninth album Underworld, released in July via Nuclear Blast. Guitarist Michael Romero says: "We are excited about getting back out on the road and look forward to playing the new material for our fans and friends in Europe."

Earlier this year, Romero spoke to Prog about the follow-up to 2011's Iconoclast. He said: "It's pretty diverse. It's a good balance of everything we've done, but also a little bit different because we're trying to fine-tune the songwriting and really pay attention to the melodies and the arrangements and flow." See the tour dates here.



Thunder, Terrorvision and King King Announce Winter Tour(Classic Rock)

Thunder have confirmed a five-date UK tour with support from Terrorvision and King King. The arena shows in February will follow the launch of a three-disc pack entitled All You Can Eat, based on this year's top-10 album Wonder Days.
It includes a live album, studio session and a documentary about the making of their 10th studio title. Frontman Danny Bowes says: "The shows in March were incredible and the new songs went down just as well as the Thunder favourites. We can't wait to do it all over again."

Terrorvision bassist Leigh Marklew adds: "We were discussing the idea of getting back in the ring in 2016 - when the call came from Thunder the timing was perfect. We agreed it would be a great way to come back." Read more including the dates here.




Solace In Nightmares Release 'SinPhony' Video(TeamRock Radio)

Solace In Nightmares have issued a video for their track SinPhony. It features guest vocals from Orestea's Lisa Avon and is the opening song on their debut EP entitled Secrets.
Guitarist Matt Seaborne had the following to say: "Over the past few months we have been working so hard on writing, demoing and perfecting every song for this EP.

"I can't wait to share this with you all and for everyone to be a part of the experience. For everyone who has stuck by us, I have put everything into writing this EP so I can give something back to you all."

Secrets is released on October 31 to mark the band's first anniversary together. Watch the video here.




Iamthemorning Funding New Studio Album With Live Release(Prog)

Iamthemorning will release a live album via Kickstarter to help them fund the recording of their third studio record - and escape from what they call a "terrible debt hole."
Russian duo Marjana Semkina and Gleb Kolyadin launched Belighted via Kscope last year - but say they're out of pocket after miscalculating the associated costs.

They hope sales of live title From The House Of Arts can help fill the shortfall, along with aiding their next project. Iamthemorning say: "Belighted left us in a terrible debt hole, despite the crowdfunding campaign.

"The main reason was that we had no experience running campaigns, and we couldn't make proper calculations of what we actually needed." Read more here.




Bring Me The Horizon Bring The Humor To Reddit AMA Session(TeamRock Radio)

Bring Me The Horizon approached a Reddit AMA season last week with more than a touch of humor and dished out a string of tongue-in-cheek replies.
The British rockers were on hand for the latest in Reddit's Ask Me Anything series and they were clearly in the mood for fun. Asked to explain the meaning behind their song Follow You, they band say: "It's about Twitter. Next album we're gonna have a song called Un-follow You. It's a two-part opus."

Many of the fans taking part in the AMA seemed unimpressed with BMTH's light-hearted tone, accusing them of failing to take it seriously. Read about some of the more NSFW replies here.




Bluesfest Announces 30 Free Shows(The Blues)

Organizers of this year's Prudential Bluesfest have added 30 free shows to the paid-for events at London's O2 on November 7-8. Evening headline acts the Dave Matthews Band, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Jo Harman, Tom Jones, Van Morrison and Matt Schofield were announced previously.
Now a stack of named acts including the Boom Band, the Bluejays, Bernie Marsden and Big Boy Bloater have been confirmed for daytime events in the venue's main foyer, the Brooklyn Bowl and an acoustic stage.

Bluesfest director Leo Green says: "It's thanks to our new partnership with Prudential that we've not only been able to come up with such a broad, far-reaching daytime program for this year's event, but that for the first time we're also in a position to offer up tickets to all of these shows for nothing. Read more and see the lineups here.




Singled Out: Maxime Solemn's Fight The Light (Metalcore With Violin)

Belgian musician Maxime Solemn has created a new genre called Violincore that mixes metalcore with the violin. Intrigued, we asked Maxime to tell us about genre's inspiration and the new song and video "Fight The Light". Here is the story:
The very reason I started playing music, was someone telling me that I couldn't. He said I didn't have the talent for it. This made me so stubbornly frustrated that I picked up an instrument just to prove him wrong. After 3 weeks of playing, I completely fell in love with music and have been passionate ever since.

Because of that encounter, my goal right now, is to prove that talent does not exist. When I started, I was a total mess. I was practically tone-deaf and couldn't hold a rhythm to save my life, yet through practice I learned all these things.

That's where my new song, Fight The Light, comes in. Fight The Light is about people fighting the light that lies within others. The burning passion, if you will.

It's about people who try to talk down on creative minds, in order to make them insecure and eventually see them fail. (I'm not saying that person at the time was like that though. He was an amazing guitarist).

I want to see a world where everyone with a creative vision, tries to make that vision a reality, without believing other people's negative judgments and giving up because of that.

I want to see a world where people stop believing in talent, start believing in their potential and just work.

Friday, September 18, 2015

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!: Guns N' Roses, Aerosmith, Sabbath Stars Jam With Alice Cooper(hennemusic) The Alice Cooper-led supergroup Hollywood Vampires...

Today's Day In Rock News!







Guns N' Roses, Aerosmith, Sabbath Stars Jam With Alice Cooper(hennemusic)

The Alice Cooper-led supergroup Hollywood Vampires delivered their live debut at The Roxy on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood on Wednesday and video from the show has been posted online.
Cooper, Johnny Depp and Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry put the band's self-titled debut album and live lineup together with the help of several high-profile friends, including bassist Duff McKagan, drummer Matt Sorum, guitarist Tommy Henriksen and pianist/guitarist Bruce Witkin.

The group were joined at The Roxy by guests Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler, Jane's Addiction frontman Perry Farrell and his wife Etty Lau, drummer Zak Starkey and pop singer Kesha.

The Hollywood Vampires live debut featured tracks from the newly-released covers record, including tunes by The Who, John Lennon, T. Rex and more. Butler sat in for a scorching version of Jimi Hendrix's "Manic Depression", while Kesha shared vocals with Cooper on Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love." Check out video here.



The Who Postpone North American Tour, Mystery Illness Revealed

The Who announced on Friday that they have been forced to postpone the North American leg of their The Who Hits 50! Tour, to allow frontman Roger Daltrey time to recover from an illness.
The news follows the band postponing the first four dates of the tour after Daltrey came down with a mystery illness. He has since been diagnosed with viral Meningitis and ordered to rest by doctors.

He had the following to say, "We are very sorry to disappoint our fans in this way. For the last four weeks, I have been in and out of the hospital and have been diagnosed with viral Meningitis.

"I am now on the mend and feeling a lot better but I am going to need a considerable time to recover. The doctors tell me I will make a complete recovery, but that I should not do any touring this year."

Guitarist Pete Townshend adds, "We are rescheduling all the shows for next Spring 2016. We apologize to all our fans who have supported us in the last 50 years. Once Roger is completely well we will come back stronger than ever and Roger and I will give you all a show to remember." See the dates here.



Iron Maiden Feared Bruce's Cancer Would End The Band(Classic Rock)

Nicko McBrain has told how he thought Iron Maiden were finished after hearing Bruce Dickinson had cancer - but the thought only lasted a moment. And the drummer has revealed why he was happy to leave his mistakes in the final version of lead track Speed Of Light.
Maiden recorded 16th album The Book Of Souls last year, while frontman Dickinson suspected he was ill but decided not to seek medical attention until work was finished.

McBrain tells Overdrive: "Do you know that none of us knew he was poorly until after the record was done? He performed that whole album, knowing that something wasn't quite right with himself - but didn't get diagnosed till after we'd finished the tracks.
"So The Book of Souls is very special to me and all the rest of the guys. We weren't aware, and neither was he, that he had the tumor." He adds: "I'd be a liar if I didn't think for a minute, 'That's Iron Maiden finished.' I thought more about the possibility of losing my friend than anything else, to be honest.

"I did question his mortality at one point, and thankfully that didn't last long. I got down on my knees and said a prayer, picked my thoughts up and got positive, thinking to myself, 'If anyone can beat this, it's Bruce!'" Read more here.




Bolt Thrower's Martin 'Kiddie' Kearns Dead At 38(Classic Rock)

Bolt Thrower drummer Martin 'Kiddie' Kearns has died suddenly at the age of 38. The Coventry death metal outfit's sticksman passed away peacefully in his sleep after taking unwell at rehearsal.
In a statement, Bolt Thrower say: "With the heaviest of hearts, and still numb from shock, we have to share the very sad news that on Monday, Bolt Thrower lost our powerhouse drummer, Martin 'Kiddie' Kearns.

"After the first rehearsal for our upcoming tour of Australia, Kiddie suddenly felt unwell which continued throughout the night, and the next day he passed away peacefully in his sleep.

"He was a fantastic dad, husband, son, friend, but to us he was always Kiddie, the same 17-year-old Coventry kid whose drumming style and personality blew us away when he first walked into our rehearsal room more than 20 years ago." Read more here.



Killswitch Engage Recording Halted By Jesse Leach Throat Problems(TeamRock Radio)

Killswitch Engage were forced to take a day off from recording their next album as frontman Jesse Leach battled a throat infection. The singer has shared "gross" pictures of the inside of his throat, showing white lumps that his doctor diagnosed as strep throat. But Leach initially feared it could be something more serious.
In an Instagram post, he says: "I have had a bit of blood come out of my mouth on the last tour, that freaked me out. Also, as of yesterday, I felt physically off and my throat was feeling irritated. I looked in the mirror with a light and saw the white splotches and kind of freaked.

"I am aware white splotches usually mean an infection, but I cannot help thinking the worse when it comes to my voice - as it is super important to my life. So it contributed to an already mentally and physically off day yesterday. Turns out it is strep throat with some swollen folds."

Leach thanked his doctor for his quick action, and adds: "I'm on the appropriate medications and will only have a one-day set back for recording." Read more and see the post and photo here.




Dio Members Form New Supergroup(Classic Rock)

Former Dio members Vinny Appice and Craig Goldy have joined forces in supergroup Resurrection Kings. The band - which also features former Lynch Mob singer Chas West and ex Dokken bassist Sean McNabb - will issue they debut album next year via Frontiers Music Srl. Appice also worked with Black Sabbath while Goldy was a member of Rough Cutt.
The record label says: "Coming in 2016, the Resurrection Kings. Are you excited to hear a band featuring alumni from Black Sabbath, Ronnie James Dio, Dokken, Lynch Mob and a host of other awesome bands?"

Goldy last year revealed he was putting together an as-yet-unnamed supergroup. That act features Mark Huff, Wayne Findlay, Chris Moore and Dario Seixas. See the announcement post with group photo here.




Scorpions Documentary 'Forever And A Day' Coming To Theaters

Scorpions have announced that their "Forever And A Day" documentary will be the subject of a special screening event at movie theaters across the U.S. next month.
The film is set to be screened on Wednesday, October 14th at various theaters across the country. Some markets will have screenings on alternate days, and Albany, New York is listing screenings over a 7 day period. You can see a list of theaters here.

Here is the synopsis: "Filmmaker Katja von Garnier accompanied the Scorpions on their 'Final Sting' dates - originally the band's farewell tour around the globe, from Bangkok via Los Angeles to Moscow, the resulting documentary 'Forever and a Day' is a moving portrait of their unique history, packed with candid moments and Scorpions' memories, culminating with the decision to scrap their retirement plans." Watch the trailer here.

Fans in various cities across North American still have the chance to see the band live on the remaining dates of the first leg of their tour which will be concluding on October 9th in Seattle. See the tour dates here.



Motorhead's Lemmy Kilmister To Receive Lifetime Achievement Award(hennemusic)

Motorhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister will be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award as part of Bass Player Magazine's Bass Player Live event in Hollywood in November.
Set for the weekend of November 7 and 8 at SIR Studios, the 8th annual event features exhibits by top gear manufacturers and clinics by world-class bassists culminating in an An All-Star Concert featuring this year's award recipients at the Musicians Institute on November 7.

Kilmister will appear at the concert alongside fellow Lifetime Achievement Award honoree and studio session legend Nathan East (Whitney Houston, Lionel Richie, Eric Clapton). A posthumous Bass Player Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to the family of the late Louis Johnson.

Clinic appearances include Duran Duran's John Taylor, Ben Kenney of Incubus, session legend Chuck Rainey, The Mars Volta's Juan Alderete, gospel bass master Andrew Gouche, Tal Wilkenfeld (Jeff Beck, Herbie Hancock), Bill Dickens and former American Idol and The Tonight Show With Jay Leno bandleader Rickey Minor. Read more here.



Swallow The Sun Announce 'Songs From The North' Triple Album

Swallow The Sun have announced that they will be released a new triple disc album, entitled "Songs from the North I, II & III." Century Media will be releasing the title on November 13th.
The triple album will be released as a Special Edition 3CD Box containing 3 Digipaks and a booklet, Ltd. Deluxe Edition 5LP+3CD Box with each album in a gatefold sleeve and as digital album.

Juha Raivio explains why they went with a triple album: "Making a triple album in this godforsaken digital and modern day and age...Many will say it's madness. I say it is to bring worth, heart and respect back into the music and to the album format where it belongs. This should never turn into a shallow fast food industry where music is only downloaded one song at a time.

"These albums hold life, death, gloom, beauty and despair in their deepest levels and forms. The three chapters are different but connected, one long journey through these songs written up here in the North. Music is holy, albums are holy. See you on the other side friends." See the tracklistings here.




David Gilmour Rocks Pink Floyd Classic In Soundcheck Video(hennemusic)

David Gilmour is sharing video of his soundcheck of the Pink Floyd classic, "Wish You Were Here", in Pula, Croatia on September 12 on the opening night of his Rattle That Lock world tour.
The short clip features audio of Gilmour's rehearsal while fans gather outside the city's Arena - an ancient Roman Amphitheatre built between 27BC and 68AD - to sing along as they wait for gates to open.

The first night of a sold-out 11-date European tour in support of Gilmour's upcoming fourth solo album mirrored the setlist from the guitarist's September 5 warm-up show in Brighton, UK, mixing material from the new record alongside solo and classic Pink Floyd tracks.

Gilmour worked on the project with co-producer Phil Manzanera and wife and lyricist Polly Samson. Due September 18, "Rattle That Lock" will be available in a CD edition with clothbound, foil-blocked cover, including a 22-page booklet, and also on heavyweight vinyl, digital download and a deluxe box edition, which includes 4 Barn Jam films, 4 non-album audio tracks, 4 documentaries, and 2 promo clips. Watch the video here.




The Kinks Guitarist Dave Davies Curates New Compilation(Classic Rock)


The Kinks guitarist Dave Davies has curated the tracklist for upcoming compilation album Sunny Afternoon, which is set to be released on October 16th.
The new collection features the original recordings of every song used in the acclaimed West End musical of the same name, based on the iconic band's career. Davies has also added a selection of works he feels to be in context, alongside interview and live session recordings.

Sunny Afternoon has won four Olivier Awards since it debuted last year, including Best New Musical and Outstanding Achievement In Music. Check out the track details here.



The Temperance Movement Stream New Song 'Three Bullets'(Classic Rock)

The Temperance Movement have released a stream of their track Three Bullets, taken from upcoming second album White Bear. The follow-up to their 2012 self-titled debut is set for release on January 15.
Guitarist Paul Sayers reports: "It's is a real step on for us, sonically and artistically. Playing so many shows together over the last three years allowed us to develop a really clear idea of where we wanted to go with our next record.

"When it came to making this album we had a bit more time and space to let our creativity go. I'm incredibly proud of what we achieved." Check out the new song here.



Four Year Strong Hunt For Aliens While One Tour(TeamRock Radio)

Four Year Strong say they believe that extra-terrestrial life exists outside the solar system. And they reveal they've even gone out of their way while on the road in the US to visit Roswell, New Mexico - the site of an alleged UFO incident in 1947.
Guitarist Dan O'Connor tells Substream: "We've been into aliens forever. We've always talked about doing a whole line of alien stuff for tour and making stuff really weird and based around the whole freaky alien thing.

"We have weird, spacey music at the beginning of our set and we finally got to do the sci-fi/alien tour theme, which we're really excited about. He adds: "Just this past year on one of our tours, we made it to Roswell, New Mexico, which is super-cool. They have all sorts of cool alien museums about the crash that happened there." Read more here.



King 810 Release 'Vendettas' Video(TeamRock Radio)

King 810 have released a video for their track Vendettas - which appears on the band's collaborative mixtape Midwest Monsters 2. The mixtape sees the Michigan metal outfit working with DJ Drama and features guest appearances from Freddie Gibbs, Zuse, Trick Trick and Game Spittaz.
On Vendettas, frontman David Gunn says: "The song is a bleak anthem that embodies not only the voice of the people, but the common agendas or vendettas that we as a people may have against the rest of the world or any opposition.

"We linked up with our little brother Zuse from Jamaica to prove this is not a domestic threat, but a worldwide movement." King 810 released their debut album Memoirs Of A Murderer last year, but their touring plans were thrown into chaos after the arrests of Gunn and bassist Gene Gill on assault charges. Watch the video here.



Leaves' Eyes Stream New Song 'King Of Kings'(TeamRock Radio)

Leaves' Eyes have issued a lyric video for King Of Kings. It's the title track from Liv Kristine and co's sixth album, released last week in Europe and out tomorrow (September 18) in North America.
Leaves' Eyes recently released a video for The Waking Eye exclusively with Metal Hammer and revealed that touring guitarist Pete Streit had joined the band on a permanent basis. He's taken over from Sander van der Meer who's been battling health issues.

The band will hit the road in October to support the follow-up to 2013's Symphonies Of The Night in October, including seven UK dates. Stream the new song here.




Skindred Frontman Benji Webbe Recovering From Surgery(TeamRock Radio)

Skindred have cancelled a festival appearance this weekend as frontman Benji Webbe is recovering from surgery. The band say he contracted an illness while on holiday in Jamaica recently, but they haven't provided any further details.
As a result, they won't appear as planned at the L'Boulevard Festival in Casablanca, Morocco, this weekend. Skindred released the following statement:

"We have unfortunately had to cancel due to Benji being taken ill. Following a surgical procedure he is now on the road to recovery, but sadly won't be able to perform at this event." Read more here.



Slayer's Kerry King Had To Tell Jeff Hanneman He Couldn't Return(TeamRock Radio)

Kerry King isn't sure that late bandmate Jeff Hanneman would ever have been good enough to return to Slayer. He'd been out of action for two years when he died in 2013 of alcohol-related illness, while an attack of necrotising fasciitis had destroyed the muscles in his left arm.
And even though he attended rehearsals ahead of each tour he missed, he had to be told he wasn't capable of rejoining his colleagues on the road. King tells Guitar World: "From seven months after he got hurt, we had him come to rehearsal, trying to get him back in. He was trying, but he just wasn't there.

"The hardest thing I ever had to say was, 'You're not ready.' That dude's been my sidekick for 25 years - and I have to tell him he can't go on tour in the band he's been in all his life. That sucked."

King doesn't know if the situation left Hanneman hurt. He continues: "I said to Jeff, 'As much as people are going to see you up there and not grasp, or forget, that the playing is not perfect, I don't want that on YouTube for you to live with.'" Read more here.



Miss May I Look Back On A Year From Hell That Almost Ended Them(TeamRock Radio)

Miss May I have opened up on the year from hell that nearly put paid to their music career. The Ohio group hit the skids in 2014 as they struggled to make ends meet and dealt with drummer Jerod Boyd's divorce. It all came to a head when frontman Levi Benton was evicted form his house as the band were writing fourth album Rise Of The Lion in Seattle - 3000 miles away from home.
Benton tells Metal Hammer magazine: "I lost my house. It was to do with our contracts, but it happened while we were in the studio and my wife had to move out while we were writing Rise Of The Lion.

"So she's bawling her eyes out down the phone, and I didn't even get to go home while she and my whole house were just uprooted and moved. My whole life turned upside down.

"It was impossible. I was so mad about it. The whole of our career has been all happy smiles and flowers and stuff, and then last year just came out of nowhere."

According to the vocalist, the group had to ask themselves, 'Do we really wanna do this, do we wanna do the band?' Read more here.



Iron Maiden Release Book Of Souls World Tour Video(hennemusic)

Iron Maiden have released a promo video for the 2016 The Book Of Souls world tour in support of their new album of the same name. The trek will open with three concerts in the US in late February before hitting Central America for dates in Mexico, El Salvador and Costa Rica.
Shows in South America follow before a return to the States at the end of March for ten more cities and a two-week run across Canada. Iron Maiden will then perform in Japan and China before playing dates in New Zealand and Australia and a stop in South Africa, with an extensive summer European leg starting in late May.

The band have announced specific shows for Australia and New Zealand so far, with dates in other territories to be revealed. The 7-show run - with guests The Raven Age - will open in Christchurch, NZ on April 29 and hit Auckland on May 1 before playing 5 dates in Australia. Watch the video here.



Chris Cornell Streaming New Song 'Worried Moon'(hennemusic)

Chris Cornell is streaming "Worried Moon" as the latest track from his forthcoming fourth solo album, "Higher Truth." Due September 18, the Soundgarden frontman worked on the project with producer Brendan O'Brien in Seattle.
Cornell will launch the record with a 6-week theater tour of North America with $1 from every ticket sold going to the Chris And Vicky Cornell Foundation, a charitable organization that helps to protect the most vulnerable children facing problems such as homelessness, poverty, abuse or neglect.

The singer recently revealed that Soundgarden have begun work on the follow-up to 2012's "King Animal." "We're already working on new material for an album," Cornell told Rolling Stone. "And then I've got several other irons in the fire and things going that I won't mention now. There's a lot of things coming in addition to 'Higher Truth', as well as a new Soundgarden album." Watch Cornell's new song here.



Coldrain Release Video For New Song 'Gone'(TeamRock Radio)

Coldrain have released a video for their track entitled Gone. It's taken from the Japanese outfit's fourth album Vena, out on October 23 via Hopeless records.
Frontman Masato Hayakawa says: "Gone is about giving someone you love everything you have and holding on to them until it just falls apart. The feeling you get when you feel so distant from someone despite them saying they're there for you and they care about you.

"I feel a lot of people have had this kind of experience. The anger, frustration and mixed emotions are what we put into this song and video." Watch the video here.



Gazpacho Announce New Album Molok, Stream First Song(Prog)

Gazpacho will release their ninth album, Molok, on October 23. And they've launched a stream of lead track Know Your Time from the follow-up to 2014 studio album Demon and later live package Night Of The Demon.
Keyboardist Thomas Andersen says: "Molok is about a man that, sometime around 1920, decides that wherever anyone worships a God, they always seem to be worshipping stone in some form. Whether it's a grand cathedral, the stone in Mecca or Stonehenge, God seems to have been chased by his worshipers into stone, never to return.

"This harkens back to Norwegian folk myths, where, if a troll was exposed to sunlight, it would turn to stone. But it also reflects the way God has been incommunicado for a very long time."

The record features a guest appearance by Norwegian music archaeologist Gjermund Kolltveit, who plays recreations of stone age instruments on the closing track Molok Rising. Read more and stream the song here.




Circuline Release Video For 'Return' Title Track(Prog)

Circuline have released a video for the title track from their debut album titled Return with Prog. It was filmed earlier this year at the Bearsville Theatre, New York, when the band opened for Glass Hammer.
Additional footage was taken from their appearance at the Enigma Dance Hall in Milan, New York. Vocalist and keyboardist Andrew Colyer had the following to say about the track:

"Return was the first song that drummer Darin Brannon, guitarist Bill Shannon and I wrote for the debut album. We spent a long time working out all of the different parts, whittling and editing until everyone was satisfied." Watch the video here.



Primordial Leads Additions To Damnation Festival Lineup(TeamRock Radio)

Damnation organizers have announced the final batch of bands to appear at this year's festival. Irish metal outfit Primordial will headline the Terrorizer Stage at the event, which this year takes place over four stages at Leeds University Union on November 7.
Savage Messiah, C.R.O.W.N and Talons are also onboard, while Ghold, Ohhms, Undersmile, Tacoma Narrows Bridge Disaster complete the 27-band bill.

Primordial frontman Nemtheanga says: "We are delighted to return to Damnation Festival this year to headline the Terrorizer stage. Our last show there in 2012 was a great one and we look forward to more of the same this time around as we continue to support our Where Greater Men Have Fallen album." Read more including the full lineup here.



VLY Release 'Circles' Music Video(Prog)

VLY are premiering the video for their track Circles exclusively with Prog. The song is taken from the group's upcoming debut album, I, released on September 25 via Laser's Edge.
The group is led by former Crippled Black Phoenix members Karl Demata and Chris Heilmann alongside singer Keith Gladysz of Diet Kong and Typical Reptiles, keyboardist Elisa Montaldo of Il Tempio Delle Clessidre and drummer Mattias Olsson, formerly of Anglagard.

Demote says of bandmate Montaldo: "The first time I heard Elisa play, I knew we had to be in a band. Her innate melodic approach and instinctual understanding and knowledge of 'anything prog' is simply remarkable."

Montaldo adds: "Karl asked me to join the project at the very beginning. My idea of prog is somehow more vintage, more typical 70s Italian style. After various experiments on arrangements and sounds, I went to Karl's studio to record most of the keyboards, where we found the right balance." Watch the video here.



In This Moment Announce UK Winter Tour(TeamRock Radio)

In This Moment have announced a UK tour for January next year. Maria Brink and co are continuing to support fifth album Black Widow - and they promise to present a "unique and theatrica live show" at each stop.
Brink says: "We're so happy to finally announce our return to the UK. We can't wait to 'become the show' with our UK Blood Legion and feel all your passion."

Guitarist Chris Howarth recently discussed the band's step up to being a headline act, saying: "We can show everybody, 'This is Black Widow - this is the new show.' There are no restrictions from the other bands, so we do what we want to." See the dates here.



Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson and Martin Barre Lead A New Day Festival(Classic Rock)

Ian Anderson and Martin Barre have been confirmed for next year's inaugural A New Day festival. It takes place at Mount Ephraim Gardens, Faversham, Kent in the UK on August 5-7 2016, with Anderson's solo outfit performing on the Saturday and the Martin Barre Band appearing on the Sunday.
Other acts confirmed are Caravan, Focus, The Enid, Curved Air, Karnataka, A Formal Horse, Wilko Johnson, the Blockheads, Nine Below Zero, John Otway, Stray, Heavy Metal Kids, Tommy Justice and Jackie Lynton. More names will be announced in due course.

It's been set up by the team behind annual music event Weyfest, and the independent Jethro Tull magazine which shares its name with the festival. Read more here.



Panic Room Announce The Wildfire Tour(Prog)

Panic Room have announced a run of seven shows across the UK this October. The Wildfire Tour has been set up in support of upcoming acoustic album Essence, with the band confirming they'll open with an acoustic set followed by a "monumental" electric show.
Essence was made possible thanks to a Kickstarter campaign and will feature two new tracks and 10 reworked songs. It's available to pre-order from the band's website and their first material since 2014 Incarnate will also be available to purchase at the live shows.

The band said in a statement: "Thanks to the incredible support and confidence you've given us, we were afforded a freedom of creativity that has far exceeded our initial idea.

"We set out to capture some truly unique acoustic versions of your favorite songs. We have enjoyed the process of reincarnation so much that a lot of extra magic has been breathed into the album." See the tour dates here.



Scorpions Release 'Savage Amusement' Reissue Preview Video(hennemusic)

The Scorpions are sharing a video preview of the upcoming expanded reissue of their 1998 album "Savage Amusement" as part of the band's 50th Anniversary Deluxe Editions series.
The follow-up to 1984's "Love At First Sting" peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 on its way to selling more than a million copies in the States alone. The project was led by the single "Rhythm Of Love", which featured backing vocals by Canadian rocker Lee Aaron.

Due November 6, the expanded reissue of "Savage Amusement" includes six previously unreleased demo tracks and a companion DVD with videos, interviews and the documentary "To Russia With Love."

The project is one of 8 expanded albums issued the same day, including "Taken By Force" (1977), "Tokyo Tapes" (1978), "Lovedrive" (1979), "Animal Magnetism" (1980), "Blackout" (1982) and "Love At First Sting" (1984) - as well as 1985's "World Wide Live." Watch the video here.




Alice Cooper Appears On Late Late Show With James Corden(hennemusic)

Alice Cooper appeared as a guest on CBS-TV's The Late Late Show with James Corden on Tuesday. The rocker spoke about touring with Motley Crue and - among other things - his phobias, before joining fellow panelist Pauly Perrette of NCIS to give Corden an official Alice Cooper makeover.
Alice is promoting his newly-released all-star covers project, Hollywood Vampires, which sees him joined by Johnny Depp and Aerosmith's Joe Perry for an album of covers of tracks by T. Rex, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, The Doors and more.

The project includes 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. Watch videos from Cooper's appearance on the show here.



Singled Out: Every Hour Kills' Almost HumanSacha Laskow of modern melodic metal band Every Hour Kills tells us about the song "Almost Human" from their brand new self-titled EP , which was released today (Sept. 18). Here is the story:
This song was the last one written for the EP and probably ended up my favorite. It all started with the main intro riff which was meant to mimic a bouncy synth in an EDM groove. Then when you put it next to a thrash beat obviously it gives a different vibe entirely. The other riffs then stemmed out from there, my favorite part is probably the drop on the middle right before the #Djentstep breakdown; it's fun to play and I just dig the groove and chaos. Vocally we collab'd with some producer friends in New Jersey - Danny and Santino at FireRaven productions to really polish up the hooks and the flow.

Jerrod came up with the bulk of the lyrics and the song is basically about addictions, vices and demons. How when you struggle against those foes you can feel totally alone at times and thus 'Almost Human'. A bit depressing perhaps but there's an uplifting side as well, 'The stars will align to show us a better way'; that once we flip that switch in our minds we can eventually 'let go' and release the things that drag us down.

Lastly we got to make a video with director Doug Cook to really showcase the song. In his mad scientist mind he created a very visual representation of the loneliness, in this case pushing it through the lens of technology as well. The robotic cameras being the only presence besides the band and filming us going crazy with energy trying to escape this small mechanical box of a room. Meanwhile the director sits outside and moves the cameras, watching, maybe even fapping (right Doug?).

PS here's a little extra tidbit for the music nerds, the vocal stem only from the track so you can hear some of the layers and other sh*t going on in the vocals

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