Def Leppard's Suffering From Unexplained Spasms(Classic Rock)
Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott says he's been suffering from bronchial spasms for a couple of months. He points to the band's August 7 performance at biker festival the Sturgis Rally, South Dakota for the issue - but insists it won't stop him from performing their upcoming shows, which includes dates in the UK and Ireland next month.
He tells the Belfast Telegraph: "We've three American shows left, then we've a three-week break and then we're off to Japan before the British and Irish tour. Sometimes the road is tough. I've had a bronchial spasm for about nine weeks.
"It's when you've got a cough and all the doctors can't figure out why you have it. It's one of those random things, I just cough for no reason, but luckily I've managed to avoid it onstage."
He continues: "It was brought on, I believe, by the dust and gas emissions from when we played this biker festival. They line up their bikes and rev their engines while you play and when you've got 30,000 doing it you can imagine the kind of air you're breathing in. It can't be good for you."
He says that show, coupled with the fact the band have been on the road throughout 2015, means his throat "gets a battering every night" and adds: " Sometimes you just have to suck it up and get on with the show." Read more here.
Fourth Member Of Goodbye To Gravity Dies From Club Fire(Classic Rock)
Goodbye To Gravity bassist Alex Pascu has died from his injuries in the Bucharest club fire last month, taking the death toll to 51. Drummer Bodgan Enache lost his life earlier this week, while guitarists Vlad Telea and Mihal Alexandru didn't survive the blaze at the Colectiv Club in Romania on October 30.
Vocalist Andrei Galut is the only surviving band member - he's among a total of 24 people who remain in hospital in serious conditions, while 52 others are also under medical supervision.
Meanwhle, Bucharest mayor Cristian Popescur Piedone has been released from prison, after having been arrested on suspicion of corruption in connection with the club. He was accused of allowing Colectiv to operate without appropriate safety permits.
Venue owner Alin Anastasescu and two associates were arrested and charged with homicide on November 2. Romanian prime minister Victor Ponta and his government resigned as a result of public reaction to the tragedy. Read more here.
Duff Reveals Unexpected Guns N' Roses Influences(Classic Rock)
Duff McKagan has recalled how jamming to classic funk records helped form the Guns N' Roses rhythm section's groove-fuelled style. The bass player and drummer Steven Adler jammed along to Cameo and Sly And The Family Stone albums as they were honing the band's early sound. And without that experience, McKagan says, they might never have developed the edge that made them the biggest rock band of their time.
McKagan tells Bass Frontiers: "Steven and I would play to Cameo, for Steven to get that groove. And that influenced the back groove on Appetite For Destruction. That's all from playing to Cameo, Sly And The Family Stone. Just kind of playing along to some cassette.
"And then we played ourselves, and we developed grooves. And he really became probably the best small-kit groove drummer there ever was. No rack toms. Just a floor tom and a snare and a kick drum, hi-hat, cowbell. But all you got at that point is groove. Your groove's gotta be deep, or go home. And he had a great groove."
McKagan also talks about seeing Axl Rose in action with LA Guns in Hollywood before he joined GNR. He says: "It was at The Troubadour. I got there late and saw a couple of songs. And it was just like a bull loose in the ring.
"It was, like, 'What the hell?' And he was different. He wasn't metal, and he wasn't punk - he was like his own thing. And I identified with that." Watch the full interview here.
Buddy Guy Shares His Jimmy Page Regret(Classic Rock)
Buddy Guy forgot to ask Jimmy Page an important question the only time they ever met - and he still regrets it. The blues icon has only ever come face-to-face with the Led Zeppelin guitarist at the Kennedy Center Awards in Washington, DC in 2012.
Guy tells MusicRadar: "I own the largest blues club in Chicago and I've got everybody to sign a guitar, but him. Now I can't track him down!" He recalls first encountering British blues musicians when he visited the country in 1965. "I toured with The Yardbirds and Rod Stewart was the valet," he says.
"I didn't know who Clapton, Beck, Jimmy Page, none of them was. They all were telling me they didn't know a Strat could play the blues. I laughed and said, 'What do you mean?'
"They were all looking at Gibson guitars. I went in there with a Strat and was playing in a kind of wild and crazy way, like throwing it up and catching it." Read more here.
Megadeth Have 'Cool Lineup' In Mind For North American Tour(Classic Rock)
Lamb Of God won't join Megadeth on their 2016 North American tour dates, Dave Mustaine has confirmed but he says he has a "cool lineup" in mind for the trek.
Randy Blythe and co are currently on tour with Mustaine's band in the UK, with drummer Chris Adler pulling double duty. But the Megadeth mainman told fans in a Periscope Q&A that the two bands won't join up for Megadeth's North America shows - the dates for which have yet to be confirmed.
Mustaine says: "I'm really excited about coming back to the States and doing our North American tour there. The dates are coming along pretty well. And we've got three bands we're gonna be taking out with us there.
"Not completely sure about confirming all of them, but if they do confirm, the guys that I'm thinking about - no, it's not Lamb Of God for North America - if those guys are on it, I think it's gonna be a cool lineup." Read more here.
Ritchie Blackmore's Former Singer Excited About New Rainbow(Classic Rock)
Former Rainbow frontman Graham Bonnet says he's excited at the prospect of seeing Ritchie Blackmore's latest band in action. The guitar icon recently unveiled his touring lineup for his upcoming rock shows.
And Bonnet, who previously urged Blackmore to "find the best young talent" rather than looking backwards, says he's sure the exposure the band will receive will stand them in good stead for the future.
He says on Facebook: "No one is happier than I about Ritchie's return to rock. I'm excited to see the band he has chosen as he has introduced so many amazing musician's to the world and I am sure that this will be no different.
"To this day, I thank Ritchie for giving me a career in an area of music that I might otherwise have missed." Read more here.
Beatles Session Drummer Andy White Dead At 85(Classic Rock)
Renowned session drummer Andy White has died at the age of 85 after a "massive stroke." The Scottish musician, who famously replaced Ringo Starr on the recording of the Beatles' debut single Love Me Do, died on Monday in New Jersey, USA.
His wife, the voice actress Thea White, broke the news to her husband's friend and fellow sticksman Clive Edwards - formerly of UFO and Wild Horses - in an email that has been passed to Classic Rock writer Dave Ling.
White says: "I am overwhelmingly sad to have to tell you that Andy had a massive stroke last Thursday and died this afternoon, never regaining consciousness. He so enjoyed communicating with you about your mutual drum set." Read more here.
Bad Brains' Dr. Know No Longer In Critical Condition(TeamRock Radio)
Bad Brains' guitarist Dr. Know is no longer in a critical condition, it's been revealed. Know, aka Gary Miller, was admitted to hospital last week and was said to be on life support, with Cro-Mags frontman John Joseph later reporting his health was improving.
No cause of his condition has been made available but the band have given an update via their Facebook page. A statement reads: "The family of Gary (Dr. Know) Miller and the entire Bad Brains family would like to thank everyone for their well wishes.
"We are happy to say that Dr. Know's condition is no longer considered critical. He still remains under the close care and watch of doctors at this time so please continue to keep him in your thoughts and prayers." Read the band's full post here.
Great White Singer Feel Guilty For Surviving Deadly Club Fire(Classic Rock)
Great White singer Jack Russell has recalled the debilitating survivor's guilt he experienced after the 2003 nightclub fire in Rhode Island that killed 100 people.
Great White's pyrotechnic display sparked the blaze at The Station club in Warwick. It raged out of control when non-approved soundproofing equipment went up in flames in the overcrowded venue.
This month, a deadly fire in a Romanian rock club resulted in the deaths of 45 people, with many more in critical condition in hospital. Russell plans to tell his story in an upcoming documentary on the 2003 blaze.
He tells 105.9 The Brew: "It's a story of my life intertwined with the story of the fire. It's really hard, but it's gonna give me a chance to apologise and say how I feel about it. I never had the chance to say, 'I'm sorry.'"
The vocalist says he experienced months of horror in the wake of the tragedy. He adds: "I was almost catatonic for three months. I couldn't stop crying. It was horrible. I'll never be over it and I don't think I ever should. I think I owe it to my fans that lost their lives to never forget them.
"It was like the 9/11 of rock'n'roll. I feel a guilt. I have this survivor's guilt, why did I get to live when so many other people didn't? I feel guilty for people coming to see me play and losing their lives." Read more here.
Lamb Of God Release 'Erase This' Video(TeamRock Radio)
Groove metal powerhouse Lamb Of God are premiering their new lyric video for the song "Erase This" exclusively with Metal Hammer. The track comes from their album VII: Storm und Drang.
"Lyrically, Erase This deals with negative people and how they can drag you down without you even necessarily realising it," says guitarist Mark Morton. "It's about people you may even be close to, but who are stuck in their own self-pity and woe-is-me, kind of victim status.
"That kind of energy can spread like a virus. Most of us as humans have been on both the giving and receiving end of that kind of attitude, but the older I get, the more I try to focus on not allowing that type of vibe to enter my mindset." Watch the video here.
Foo Fighters Beat Rush For Classic Rock Award(Classic Rock)
Foo Fighters have been named winners of the Film (Or DVD) Of The Year prize at the Classic Rock Roll Of Honour. The Foos were up against Rush - R40, Cobain: Montage Of Heck, Love And Mercy, The Wrecking Crew, Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me and Joe Bonamassa - Muddy Wolf At Red Rocks.
Dave Grohl and co scooped the award - voted for by Classic Rock readers - for their Sonic Highways series which documented their recording of the album of the same name.
The album was released last year as the eight-part HBO series was being aired. The show was later broadcast in the UK on BBC Four and is available on DVD and Blu-ray.
Classic Rock editor Sian Llewellyn says: "The fans have spoken, and Sonic Highways has taken the prize for best film. Dave Grohl and the guys put together an excellent series that gave viewers a remarkable insight into the workings and history of eight great musical cities in America." Read more here.
Leslie West Streams New Song Featuring Queen's Brian May(Classic Rock)
Leslie West has released his cover of soul-blues classic Going Down, taken from forthcoming solo album Soundcheck, which is scheduled to be released on November 27th.
He invited Queen guitarist Brian May and vocalist Bonnie Bramlett to guest on his take on the Don Nix song, popularised by Freddy King and also recorded by Jeff Beck.
Mountain man West says: "I've been playing this song onstage for a long time, slow and quiet, then I build up and use the volume knob to create violin-like swells.
"I love the way my bass player Rev Jones plays it with me, so I wanted to get it on the album. I took the opportunity to play some different melodies over the chord progression." Stream the new song here.
Slayer Launching Classic Album Reissue Campaign(Classic Rock)
Four classic Slayer titles are to be re-released on vinyl on January 15. Show No Mercy (1983), Live Undead (1984), Haunting The Chapel (1984) and Hell Awaits (1985) will be issued under the Metal Blade Originals series on regular black vinyl and limited-edition colored pressings.
Each will be presented in heavyweight cardboard sleeves, and come with branded stickers, prints and poster artwork. Hell Awaits, Show No Mercy and Live Undead will also launch with a 250g insert.
All four titles are available to pre-order. Slayer released their 11th studio album Repentless this year and will return to the UK later this month for a run of dates with Anthrax. Check out the details for the reissues here.
Katatonia Working On New Studio Album(TeamRock Radio)
Katatonia have confirmed they're in the studio to work on the follow-up to 2012's Dead End Kings. The Swedish metal outfit - who this year unveiled live package Sanctitude - have hired live drummer Daniel 'Mojjo' Moilanen as a full-time member and say their next album will be released in 2016.
Vocalist Jonas Renkse says: "We first met Mojjo back in 2009 where his band at the time, Engel, had joined up with us and Paradise Lost on a UK tour and we soon realised we shared the same musical background and ideals.
"We stayed in touch over the years and when Daniel Liljekvist quit Katatonia in 2014 we decided to give Mojjo a call. He has now been with us for well over a year, so far only as a live member, but now is the time for him to join the Katatonia album cycle and most importantly - make his own impression on our new material. We can't wait to see what this will lead to." Read more here.
Mastodon's Bill Kelliher Celebrates Personal Milestone(TeamRock Radio)
Mastodon guitarist Bill Kelliher has gone just over a year without a drink, he's reported. He's fought back from a debilitating addiction that nearly cost him his life when his liver came close to failing.
And he's now able to face the challenges of his mother's brain tumour and other family responsibilities without relying on drink to see him through.
Kelliher tells the Democrat And Chronicle: "It's been a struggle for many years. Everyone tells me the first year is the most difficult, when you've been an alcoholic most of your life. For me it was a choice when I gave up the booze. I didn't have to be that guy who needs a depressant to cope with life."
He adds: "Being sober, I could hold it together when I saw my mom that first day, in a kind of vegetative state. My brother was losing it and I just told myself, 'I've got to stay strong.'
"She was in really rough shape - she couldn't remember anything. The tumour was removed, they seem to think they got it all. Otherwise she's a very healthy woman. I'm going to spend as much time with her as I can." Read more here.
Charlie Simpson Reunites With Busted(TeamRock Radio)
Fightstar mainman Charlie Simpson has rejoined Busted for a 13-date arena tour of the UK and Ireland. Simpson left the pop punk boyband in 2005 and vowed never to return. But at a press conference in London, Simpson joined Matt Willis and James Bourne to announce the 2016 tour, which kicks off at Wembley Arena on May 11.
Explaining his decision to rejoin the group, Simpson says: "Staying in the band at that time could have risked our friendship. I've lost count of the number of times where I've said publicly I wouldn't do this again. But I have changed my mind."
The trio also confirmed they were working on new material. Willis and Bourne are also members of McBusted - a hybrid group featuring members of Busted and McFly. It's not clear what Busted's reunion means for McBusted's future. Read more including the tour dates here.
Obscura Announce New Album Akroasis(Prog)
Obscura have confirmed their fourth album will be called Akroasis - and it's set for release on February 5. It'll be their first material since 2011's Omnivium and will be issued via Relapse Records.
Frontman Steffen Kummerer says: "With Akroasis, we produced our grand opus featuring eight songs of fluent arrangements, odd time signatures never heard before in metal, and the most high end production in the history of the band.
"Without question Akroasis is the heaviest, most complex record we have made to date. We cannot wait to perform live again and bring this excellent music to stages around the globe."
The 10-track features guitarist Tom Geldschlager, who left the band during recording session back in July. And while he'll be fully credited on the album, he's been officially replaced in the lineup by Rafael Trujillo. Read more and check out an album teaser here.
Three Days Grace Announces 2016 European Tour(TeamRock Radio)
Three Days Grace have announced an 11-date European tour. The run of shows begin in Manchester on January 13 - the first of three planned UK appearances. The Canadian outfit have scheduled the shows in support of their fifth album entitled Human, released in March this year.
Former My Darkest Days singer Matt Walst replaced longtime vocalist Adam Gontier in 2013 and appears on the band's latest record. He told TeamRock: "I think a lot the Three Days Grace fans are digging something new - I think it's gone over really well.
"We couldn't be much happier with the fans' response. But you're always going to get haters. Mostly on the internet, behind the screens." Check out the upcoming tour dates here.
Devin Townsend Announces Deluxe Casualties Of Cool(Prog)
The self-titled debut album from Devin Townsend's side project Casualties Of Cool is set for a deluxe reissue. Originally released in 2014, concept album Casualties Of Cool will be re-released and bundled with a live DVD on January 15.
The DVD features a full set filmed at London's Union Chapel during the short run of shows that took place around the album's launch. Townsend worked with vocalist Ché Aimee Dorval on the country folk rock record, which was backed by a successful crowdfunding campaign.
He said: "My childhood was full of that type of music. At Christmas my grandfather would insist on the whole family sitting around singing uncomfortably along to Johnny Cash songs and Irish stuff like the Clancy Brothers. It was a big part of my childhood, it's not like I'm putting on a new hat here."
A video for the track Mountaintop has been released to celebrate the upcoming reissue. It can be viewed here.
Gentle Giant Score Chart Hit With Octopus Reissue(Prog)
Gentle Giant are celebrating after their reissue of 1972 album Octopus entered the BBC Rock Chart at no. 34. The reissue is is available to purchase on CD, Blu-ray and digitally.
The band's fourth album was remixed by Steven Wilson and released in late October with bonus material and new sketches by artist Roger Dean who created the original cover art.
Singer Derek Shulman says: "Everyone in the band is delighted to hear that the music that we created in 1972 seems to be even more popular in 2015. To see Octopus in the top 40 is such a pleasant surprise.
"Steven Wilson remixed the music in 5.1 with his usual respect and care." Read more here.
Agent Fresco Release 'Howls' Music Video(Prog)
Agent Fresco have released a music video for their track Howls. It appears on the Icelandic outfit's latest album Destrier, released in August via Long Branch Records.
The video was filmed at the band's sold-out show at the Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavik earlier this year. Agent Fresco singer Arnor Dan Arnarson says: "Baldvin Z, the award-winning director who also directed our video for Tempo, initially called me to congratulate us on our new album and our talk led us quickly to the idea of a new collaboration.
"I knew that we had to work with the song Howls and we both thought it would be fun to try and use that triumphant sound and visually captivate the magical atmosphere before and during our sold-out concert, where Destrier was performed in its entirety by a total of 15 musicians."
He continues: "This video is meant to be a tribute to our dear friends who joined us on stage and to the audience who made this an unforgettable experience."
The whole concert was filmed by Icelandic TV network Stoo 2 and will be aired in the group's homeland later this year. Watch the video and see upcoming tour dates here.
Hands Like Houses Postpone Winter Tour(TeamRock Radio)
Hands Like Houses have postponed their winter UK tour until next year. The Australian rockers were due to play 11 dates, starting in Leeds on November 30. But they've pulled the entire run to concentrate on completing their third album, Dissonants. Rescheduled dates will be announced in due course.
The band say: "It's with a little bit of sadness but mostly a healthy dose of cool, collected optimism, that we will be postponing our UK leg of the Dissonants world tour to the start of 2016.
"This year has been a huge lesson in patience and perseverance as we've applied the finishing strokes to our third studio album, the largest lesson of all being that it is more important to get something right than simply to get it done.
"We are exceptionally proud of this album and the work that has gone into it, and we feel that the tour would be incomplete without having these new songs available for you beforehand, to enjoy, and to get excited about experiencing live." Read more here.
Maybeshewill Announce Farewell Tour and Final Show Details(Prog)
Maybeshewill have announced they'll play a short run of shows before splitting up after their final gig at London's Koko in April. They revealed their plans to go their separate ways in September and have outlined three more farewell performances - including a night in their home town of Leicester.
The band say in a statement: "There are a million places we wanted to go back to but there are only so many places we can squeeze in to the time available to us.
"We'll be hitting Glasgow for you guys in Scotland, and Leeds for those of you in the north. We're making our penultimate show a home town affair in Leicester for the city that set us on this path, and which has been our home and safe harbour for the duration of our existence.
"We've always been proud to call ourselves a Leicester band and it will undoubtedly be an emotional show." Read more here.
Chris Cornell's Jimmy Kimmel Live Performance Goes Online(hennemusic)
Chris Cornell performed his single, "Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart", on ABC-TV's Jimmy Kimmel Live on Tuesday. The singer also offered a taste of the tune "Josephine" from his latest album, "Higher Truth."
The Kimmel appearance comes on the heels of a North American tour that saw the Soundgarden frontman launch the project with a series of acoustic-based theatre shows.
Cornell made his acting debut in the Jesse Hill-directed video for "Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart", which also saw cameos by Eric Roberts (Runaway Train, Heroes, The Expendables) and W. Earl Brown (Deadwood).
Up next, the singer will begin a month-long tour of New Zealand and Australia in Christchurch, NZ on November 20.
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