Deep Purple, Cheap Trick, Steve Miller Among Rock Hall Inductees
Several rock acts that have long been snubbed by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will finally be inducted next year with Deep Purple, Cheap Trick, Steve Miller and Chicago leading the class of 2016.
Acts are eligible for induction 25-years after their first recording and the Rock Hall has long been criticized for snubbing iconic rock groups while inducting acts from other genres like pop, disco and rap.
Deep Purple, who gave the world one of the most iconic rock guitar riffs with "Smoke On Water", has undergone several lineup changes through the years with the most recognized being the mark II lineup of Ian Gillian, Ritchie Blackmore, Roger Glover, Ian Paice and late keyboard player Jon Lord.
Chicago power-pop legends Cheap Trick have been eligible for induction for over a decade and even top selling acts like rock-jazz hybrid Chicago (38.5 million in albums sales in the U.S. according to the RIAA) and Steve Miller (24.5 million U.S. album sales) have been passed over for over two decades.
Rap group N.W.A. will round out the class of 2016 when the induction ceremony takes place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on April 8th. HBO will later air a broadcast featuring footage from the ceremony.
Rock acts that were nominated for next year but will not be inducted include prog legends Yes, as well as The Cars, Los Lobos, Nine Inch Nails, The Smiths along with non-rock artists Chaka Khan (funk/disco), Chic (disco), Janet Jackson (pop/R&B), The J.B.'s (James Brown's band), and the Spinners (R&B).
Eagles Of Death Metal Giving Bataclan Survivors Paris Show Tickets(Classic Rock)
Eagles Of Death Metal have announced a rescheduled European tour which will see them return to Paris in February. Jesse Hughes and co were on stage at the city's Bataclan on November 13 when extremist gunmen forced their way into the venue, killing 89 people.
They put all live commitments on hold following the tragedy but they'll head out on the road early next year on The Nos Amis Tour - and those who survived the Bataclan attack are entitled to a free ticket for the band's show at the Olympia Theatre, Paris, on February 16.
Hughes says: "The people of Paris have always been incredible to us, and our feeling of love towards this beautiful city and its people has been reinforced a million times over this past month.
"Hearing the stories of the survivors, the injured and those who have lost loved ones has been overwhelming. Not returning to finish our set was never an option. We look forward to coming back in February and continuing our mission to bring rock'n'roll to the world."
In addition, they'll also play the Reading and Leeds festivals in the UK on August 26-28. See the dates here.
Killswitch Engage Reveal New Album Title And Its Meaning(TeamRock Radio)
Killswitch Engage have named their seventh album Incarnate, they've confirmed. The follow-up to 2013's Disarm The Descent - their first release after the return of Jesse Leach - is expected in March.
The frontman says the band have developed a much stronger identity over the past two years. Leach tells Revolver: "The definition of incarnate is 'in the flesh.' And this record is who we are right now. Whereas [2013's] 'Disarm The Descent' was sort of my 'comeback' album, and was about us feeling out the new vibe.
"But now, after spending a few years traveling the world together, I think we're all in a really comfortable place. We definitely have a strong sense of self as to who we are as a band."
He quit KSE in 2002 after suffering from depression, and came back after his replacement Howard Jones left for health reasons 10 years later. Leach says: "I was young and stupid, and didn't really have a sense of who I was. I didn't have confidence in myself as a person and as a singer. Now my confidence is intact - but I think there's a humility now that I didn't have before."
He says of his return: "It's been better than I ever thought it could be. It feels really good." KSE released a video for lead track Strength Of The Mind last week. Check it out here.
Nikki Sixx Says That He Is An Anti Rock Star(Classic Rock)
Nikki Sixx has described himself as an "anti rock star" and insists he's not as interesting as people might think. And he's stepped back from his previous statement that he'll never play Motley Crue songs again after the band end their touring career later this month.
The bassist plans to spend the next two years concentrating on Sixx:AM and turning it into his main project after it spent its first eight years in Crue's shadow. Sixx tells RockSverige: "I said, 'I will never play Motley Crue music again' because I wanted people to hear me. I wanted them to hear that Sixx:AM have five hit singles right now, we've got a double record coming out, we're got two years of touring. After seeing my own words in the press I was like, 'Who knows? Maybe four or five years down the line we'll do an acoustic version of Live Wire."
He adds that Sixx:AM will "never lean on Motley Crue" but continues: "I wrote the songs, so I guess I'm entitled to play them if I want. I just want some distance."
Asked about the biggest misconception people have about him, Sixx says: "I think people might think I'm a little more exciting than I am. I'll be honest - I'm really quite boring.
"I'm always looking for something, and because of that I'm not really that rock'n'roll. I'm the anti rock star." Watch the full interview here.
Act of Defiance Unplug For 'Birth And The Burial' Performance(Classic Rock)
Act of Defiance performed a live acoustic rendition of Birth And The Burial for the radio show Nights with Alice Cooper. It's the title track from the supergroup's debut album, which was released on August 21 via Metal Blade Records.
The band is made up of former Megadeth drummer Shawn Drover and guitarist Chris Broderick, Scar the Martyr singer Henry Derek Bonner and Shadows Fall bassist Matt Bachand.
Drover says of song Birth And The Burial: "I was really pleasantly surprised that it turned out as well as it did. The cool thing to me is that when you strip the song down and take everything away, it's still a good song. It still has the elements of being a good song whether in a heavy metal format or an acoustic format."
Act of Defiance will wrap up 2015 supporting Killswitch Engage on a handful of holiday shows in the US at the end of December. Watch the unplugged performance here.
The Winery Dogs Release 'Fire' Video(Classic Rock)
The Winery Dogs have released a video for their single Fire. The track is taken from the band's second album Hot Streak, which was released in October via earMUSIC.
Singer/guitarist Richie Kotzen tells Billboard: "It's an idea I had floating around for a while. When we were writing for Hot Streak, I remember sitting around with the guys and playing the chord changes and kinda humming the melody.
"Billy and Mike made some really great suggestions for the arrangement and I went and took it and wrote some words for it, and we cut the song." Watch the new video here.
Pink Floyd Icon Syd Barrett To Be Focus Of Cambridge Live Event(Classic Rock)
The life of Pink Floyd icon Syd Barrett is to be marked with a public artwork at the venue where he played his last shows. Cambridge Live - the arts and culture charity set up by Cambridge City Council - has announced plans to work with Barrett's family to commission either a painting, sculpture or other art installation to be placed at the city's Corn Exchange, where he played his last live concerts in 1972 as part of the short-lived band Stars.
It'll be unveiled in 2016 to mark the 10th anniversary of Barrett's death and also the 70th anniversary of his birth. Roger Keith 'Syd' Barrett co-founded Pink Floyd in 1965 along with Nick Mason, Roger Waters, and Richard Wright.
He left the band in 1968 and embarked on a solo career. He died of pancreatic cancer on July 7, 2006, at his home in Cambridge. Syd's sister Rosemary Breen says: "We welcome this opportunity to commemorate Roger. He was bright, funny, quirky and witty and was an artist not just in terms of 'music' or 'paintings' but in a much wider sense. We look forward to working with Cambridge Live to create a lasting memory of an inspiring man." Read more here.
Vardis Bassist Terry Horbury Dead At 65(Classic Rock)
Vardis bassist Terry Horbury has died after a short battle with cancer. He passed away at the Chelsea And Westminster Hospital in London on Tuesday. He was 65.
The band's frontman Steve Zodiac paid tribute to Horbury, praising his "kindness and integrity." He says in a statement: "Terry was a gifted musician and an exceptional man, whose talent for bass guitar ran deep throughout a 50 year musical career.
"His genuinely gentle, honest demeanour was obvious to all who met him, and his imaginative ideas and creative instinct were second to none. Terry had no ego and was always a man of truth, peace, kindness and integrity, with no other agenda but to care for nature, animals and play music.
"Terry was a truly great person - a gentleman, wit and artist who was musically at the top of his game this past year. His physical presence at his last public performance at Bush Hall less than five months ago was a sight to behold, making the speed with which he was taken from us all the more shocking." Read more here.
Motorhead Release 'When The Sky Comes Looking For You' Video(hennemusic)
Motorhead have released a video for "When The Sky Comes Looking For You", which is the latest track the legendary hard rock and rollers have released from their "Bad Magic" album.
The project scored the band's highest US chart position in their career, debuting at No. 22 on the Billboard 200 with opening week sales of 11,000 copies upon its release in August.
Motorhead just wrapped up a 40th anniversary European tour, which saw the group forced to cancel three dates last month as guitarist Phil Campbell was hospitalized for an unknown condition.
Campbell's issues followed a string of cancellations and shortened concerts on the band's North American summer run after bassist Lemmy Kilmister dealt with a lung infection brought on by playing at high altitudes.
Motorhead will open 2016 with a 6-date UK tour before performing more shows across Europe. Watch the new video here.
Scorpions Release 'Arizona' Video From Black Out Deluxe Edition(hennemusic)
The Scorpions have released a video for the song "Arizona", which is a track from the recently released expanded reissue of the group's 1982 album "Blackout."
The original outtake clip is one of the extras featured on the project, one of eight albums featured as part of the band's 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition series. In addition to "Blackout", the German rockers also reissued expanded versions of 1977's "Taken By Force", "Tokyo Tapes" (1978), 1979's "Lovedrive", "Animal Magnetism" (1980), 1984's "Love At First Sting", "Savage Amusement" (1998) and 1985's "World Wide Live."
Along with dozens of unheard studio tracks and live recordings, all CD releases are equipped with extended booklets featuring rare photos and, single covers, backstage passes and additional liner notes, while five of the eight albums include a DVD with live concert footage, TV performances and interviews from the period.
Scorpions recently completed the European leg of their 50th anniversary tour, and will enjoy a break over the holidays before returning to the road for more shows beginning February 17 in Odessa, Ukraine. Watch the video here.
The Cult's 'Deeply Ordered Chaos' Lyric Video Inspired By Paris Attacks(hennemusic)
The Cult have released a lyric video for "Deeply Ordered Chaos", a track from their forthcoming album "Hidden City." Directed by frontman Ian Astbury and Juan Azualy, the clip for the song tackles the subject of the multiple terrorist attacks in France over the past year.
"'Deeply Ordered Chaos' was written after events in Paris in January this year," Astbury tells Billboard. "We chose to depict scenes of wild life and outer space to provide a counterpoint to the wave of violent images we are constantly bombarded with and acknowledge the profoundness of being. This is also in response to events in Paris on Nov. 13.
"I have performed at Le Bataclan on four occasions and am deeply shocked and moved by what occurred that evening and have empathy for all those that have been affected by these twisted and hollow actions."
The song's title came from the late Irish painter Francis Bacon, who stated "I believe in deeply ordered chaos." "His work and philosophy have had a profound affect on my life," adds Astbury.
Produced by Bob Rock and due February 5, The Cult's 10th studio album is the third and final installment in a trilogy of recordings that began with 2007's "Born Into This" and 2012's "Choice Of Weapon." Watch the video here.
Lords Of Black (Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow) Announce New Album(Classic Rock)
Lords Of Black have confirmed the upcoming release of their second album. The band fronted by Ronnie Romero - who will perform with Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow band for his 2016 return to rock shows - will issue II on March 18 via Frontiers Music Srl.
Guitarist Tony Hernando says: "The new album, being the follow-up to a first record that was so greatly received, had to get to a higher place. After an intense year of writing and producing, along with the live performances, we came up with songs that are still deep and complicated in some arrangements, but have been written with the live performance in mind.
"The quest was to come up with something that artistically was meaningful for us as musicians and at the same time could catch the attention of the listeners. We really hope you enjoy this new album and come with us for a great ride!"
II includes The Art of Illusions Part III: The Wasteland - the conclusion to the trilogy that began on the debut album. Also featured is Cry No More, which is inspired and dedicated to the late Thin Lizzy man Phil Lynott. Check out the trailer here.
Halestorm Release Unplugged 'Apocalyptic' Performance(Classic Rock)
Halestorm have released a video of them performing an acoustic version of Apocalyptic. It was recorded in a session at Atlantic Records in New York earlier this year.
They previously unveiled performances of What Sober Couldn't Say and This Modern Love from the same session. Apocalyptic appears on the band's latest album Into The Wild Life.
In a track-by-track breakdown of Into The Wild Life for TeamRock, guitarist Joe Hottinger said of Apocalyptic: "We were initially going to lead off the album campaign with Amen, and then our label said we should go with Apocalyptic - and they were totally right because this was more a seamless transition between the last album and this one.
"We wanted to lead the listeners in subtly, and I'm glad that we did. The response to this song's been great when we play it live." Check out the video here.
Chris Squire's Death Cast Doubt On Future For Yes(Classic Rock)
Billy Sherwood has confirmed the future of Yes was in doubt following the death of Chris Squire. He passed away in June after a battle with cancer, and drummer Alan White soon said the band would keep going because that's what the late bassist had asked them to do.
But Sherwood - who'd been standing in for Squire since his illness was announced - has owned up to concerns about whether he'd be accepted. He tells Classic Rock Revisited: "No one was sure if Yes was going to continue, with me at the tip of that spear. I wasn't sure. Will these people accept me here? I understand the pain - but will this work? To my surprise, I'm very happy to say the majority of Yes fans are rallying behind the band right now."
He recalls the comforting experience of the band's most recent Cruise To The Edge event, referring to "lots of love and well-wishes for Chris and his family" and "the same emotions and feelings for Yes moving forward and me doing what I'm doing."
Sherwood - who's on his third stint with Yes - admits he didn't realize he was being lined up to permanently replace Squire when the pair first spoke about it.
"It was about filling in for him. But as things progressed and he got closer to his mortality, I think he was more in touch with reality than I was. In his way he was prepping me for, you know, 'You are going to take this. Do you promise me you're going to do this? Tell me you're into it.' All these things." Read more here.
Metallica's James Hetfield 2015 Favorites Includes Justin Bieber(Classic Rock)
James Hetfield has published a handwritten list of his favorite things that happened to him in 2015. The Metallica frontman cites staying alive, watching his children grow up, having fans join him onstage at numerous concerts and shooting a sniper out a moving helicopter among his best memories of the year.
His favorite music moments included Baroness's upcoming album Purple, getting his "best" guitar sound yet, Pepper Keenan's return to Corrosion of Conformity, meeting Robert Plant - and Justin Bieber being photographed wearing a Metallica T-shirt.
The pop star faced backlash on social media from metal fans after appearing on the Ellen Show wearing the top last month, as well as posting a photo of himself wearing it on Instagram in June.
But Metallica said in a 2013 interview with Q Magazine that they were fans of the singer. Hetfield said: "Are we Beliebers? Yes." Drummer Lars Ulrich added: "Is it possible to have respect for him without being a Belieber? I think the kid's really talented and obviously to go through what he's going through at that early age must be a mindf***. So the fact that he still goes out there and does it, I admire that and I think he's super talented, so I guess I am kind of a Belieber." See Hetfield's list here.
Paul Nelson Band Streaming Cover Of Freddie King's Christmas Tears(The Blues)
The Paul Nelson Band have streamed their version of Freddie King's track Christmas Tears. The video appears ahead of the debut album from the outfit put together by the late Johnny Winter's long-time guitarist. They confirmed earlier this month that Badass Generation would be released on February 5.
Nelson said: "Johnny's influence will always be a part of me. There are many times when I pick up my guitar and I feel his music. I know he's with me in a way - but I also have influences from so many other places. Have I now spread my wings? Absolutely. I'm a musician. I have to keep on writing and performing, and never stop."
The lineup features vocalist Morten Fredheim, bassist Christopher Alexander and drummer Chris Reddan, and Gov't Mule keyboardist Danny Louis makes a guest studio appearance. Stream the song here.
Colt 45 Release Charity Single To Benefit Flood Relief In Cumbria(TeamRock Radio)
Colt 45 have released a charity single to raise funds for those affected by the recent floods in their home county of Cumbria. The rockers will donate all proceeds from sales of their track I Remember When The Rain Came Down to the Cumbria Flood Appeal. The area faces months of rebuilding after Storm Desmond wreaked havoc this month. It was declared a "major incident" by police as the towns of Carlisle, Appleby, Keswick and Kendal faced the brunt of the rainfall.
Colt 45 say: "We've all been affected by the terrible floods in Cumbria previously in 2005 and 2009 and now, again, right before Christmas this year. The community spirit here in Carlisle and Workington has been amazing - everyone's helping each other out with the clean-up, sorting through destroyed possessions and trying to prepare for as normal a Christmas as possible.
"We've been lucky this time to not be directly hit ourselves, and our rehearsal room just about survived, but we have close family and friends whose homes and belongings have been destroyed - some for the second or third time in 10 years." Read more and stream the track here.
Devil You Know Release 'Your Last Breath' Lyric Video(TeamRock Radio)
Devil You Know have issued a lyric video for their track Your Last Breath, It features on their second album They Bleed Red, launched last month via Nuclear Blast
The album is the follow-up to 2014's The Beauty Of Destruction and Your Last Breath follows the release of singles The Way We Die, Stay Of Execution and their cover of Survivor classic Eye Of The Tiger.
Howard Jones, Francesco Artusato, John Sankey and Ryan Wombacher had three Soundwave shows scheduled in Australia next month, which was just canceled by organizers. Stream the track here.
Australia's Soundwave Festival Cancelled Due To Poor Ticket Sales(TeamRock Radio)
Australia's Soundwave festival has been cancelled little more than a month before it was due to get underway. The three-day, three-city event was scheduled to take place in Brisbane on January 23, Sydney a day later and Melbourne on January 26, but promoter AJ Maddah has announced he's pulled the plug due to "poor ticket sales." It'll also not go ahead in 2017, with this year's Soundwave seemingly the event's swan song.
In a series of Twitter posts, Maddah says: "I am devastated to have to announce the cancellation of Soundwave 2016 due to poor ticket sales. I am very sorry. I tried my best.
"Thank you to all the fans, bands and people who supported the event for the last 12 years. I wish we could have ended it on a better note. Great triumph for the internet hate squad and the trolls. Congratulations guys. Only thing is, you are now fast running out of targets." Read more here.
The Contortionist Release 'Language (Rediscovered)' Performance Video(Prog)
The Contortionist have released a video of them performing their track Language live. It features on the "Rediscovered" edition of their 2014 Language album which contains three other live cuts along with the original recordings.
They previously issued a promo for The Parable. Vocalist Michael Lessard told Prog: "We wanted to sit down with the songs that we've spent the last 14 months playing around the world, and give people a chance to see them in a new light. It's been a pleasure getting a chance to rediscover these tracks and we hope everyone enjoys."
The Contortionist recently wrapped up a North American tour with Tesseract and will return to Europe for a run of dates in February. Check out the new video clip here.
Pantera Box Set Promo Video Released(TeamRock Radio)
An unboxing video showing off the vinyl version of Pantera's box set has been released. Released via Rhino Records, the set is also available in a 5CD package. It is available via Amazon.
The vudei clip shows the five colored albums and one 7-inch single that come with The Complete Studio Albums 1990-2000, which was released this week.
The vinyl package contains Cowboys From Hell, Vulgar Display Of Power, Far Beyond Driven, The Great Southern Trendkill and Reinventing The Steel, as well as a 7-inch featuring non album tracks Piss and Avoid The Light. Watch the video here.
Faith No More Release 'Separation Anxiety' Video(Classic Rock)
Faith No More have unveiled a promo for their track Separation Anxiety. The video features clips from the 1955 horror film Dementia - also known as Daughter of Horror.
The track is from their seventh record Sol Invictus - their first release since 1997's Album Of The Year. This year the band embarked on a world tour and headlined festivals including Sonisphere, Download, Riot Fest, Bumbershoot and Rock In Rio to promote their latest studio work.
Bassist Billy Gould says: "When we split up, we explored what we could do on our own. During that time, we each developed what was a natural part of ourselves. Now, coming back, we have a wider perspective so we can do things we didn't even think of back in the day.
"If we were to decide to do country-western music, it would still sound like a Faith No More album. Together we have a strong collective identity, and when we work together it makes its own animal."
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