Today's Top Stories
AC/DC Icon Reveals Retirement Plans(hennemusic)
AC/DC bassist Cliff Williams says he plans to retire following the band's Rock Or Bust world tour. Florida's Gulfshore Life reports Williams plans are, in part, due to the changes the group have faced over the past few years, including the 2014 retirement of founder Malcolm Young due to dementia, a series of legal issues faced by drummer Phil Rudd, and the spring 2016 departure of singer Brian Johnson due to hearing loss issues.
"It's been what I've known for the past 40 years, but after this tour I'm backing off of touring and recording," says Williams. "Losing Malcolm, the thing with Phil and now with Brian, it's a changed animal. I feel in my gut it's the right thing."
All three longtime members have seen their roles filled by others: guitarist and nephew Stevie Young stepped in for Malcolm; Chris Slade returned to handle drums after Rudd recorded "Rock Or Bust"; and, the band accepted an offer from Axl Rose to help them fulfill their remaining 2016 tour dates in place of Johnson.
Williams joined AC/DC in 1977 following the firing of Mark Evans shortly after the group completed the recording of the "Let There Be Rock" album. Williams performed with AC/DC on the tour in support of the record before making his studio debut with them on 1978's "Powerage." Read more here.
Ex-Iron Maiden Singer Paul Di'Anno Recovering From Lung Surgery(Classic Rock)
Paul Di'Anno says a "rugby ball-sized abscess" on his lungs turned out not to be cancer. The former Iron Maiden frontman, 58, is living in a care home in his home town of Salisbury, England, as he recovers from an operation to remove the non-malignant abscess.
He expects to be in care for up to eight weeks and says that he could have to wait six months for an urgent knee replacement operation. After an interview with his friend and fellow former Maiden singer Blaze Bayley was reported on this week, fans were worried that Di'Anno was battling cancer. But he insists that is not the case.
Di'Anno tells Classic Rock: "I collapsed at home after coming back from Argentina and a scan found a massive big black shadow on my lungs. I thought I was on my way out, but it turned out to be non-malignant.
"It was an abscess that was all infected and the size of a rugby ball. It turns out I've been living with this thing in me for the last few years. The doctors said it was an airborne thing that caused the infection and I could have picked it up anywhere.
"I had to go into recovery after the operation and rather than go back to my home in Sao Paulo, Brazil, I stayed here in England and I'm now in a care home." Read more here.
Metallica's Lars Compares New Album To 'Master of Puppets'(Classic Rock)
Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich has offered a comparison between iconic 1985 album Master Of Puppets and their next release. And he's admitted his biggest regret with their third title is the amount of reverb used in the mix.
Speaking the US Library Of Congress on the occasion of Master Of Puppets being added to its permanent registry, Ulrich says: "Obviously the album has resonated with not only the Library, but with fans and critics. I'm not sure I can sit down and listen to it, though, and not yell, 'Will someone turn the reverb down!'"
He adds: "I guess there's a cohesiveness in the songwriting and the production. It works really well as a cohesive landscape, a musical territory. I'm happy it all lined up."
He recalls being "infatuated with the overdubbing opportunities and with all we could do in the studio" as they worked. Ideologies change - they go through arcs," he reflects. "At that time there was an evolution happening and people took it seriously.
"The record we're now working on is more about capturing a mood, making it sound raw and not overproduced. But it was a different vibe then and we were comfortable with it - we were excited about multi-tracks and all the gadgets." Read more here.
Latest News
Paul Stanley Thinks KISS Should Make New Album(Classic Rock)
Paul Stanley thinks KISS should make another album - even though he admits fans are "not interested" in new material. The frontman says the follow-up to 2012's Monster would only be worth making if the band felt a creative desire to do so - as fans simply tolerate new material from classic rock bands rather than anticipate it.
Stanley tells Miles Schuman: "It's only worth doing it if, artistically, you want to do it. Every time we finish an album, I kind of go, 'Well, that's it.' When we did Sonic Boom, it was because the band was so good that I just thought to not capture the band and do new material would be a shame. But once we did Sonic Boom, I said, 'Well, we've made the point.'
"Then, a few years later, it was, like, 'Wow, why don't we dig deeper and get a little closer to the roots and the people that we loved and kind of do something else,' so we did that, and then I said, 'We're done.'
"Lately I've been thinking, yeah, we should do another. But there's no secret that when anybody who's considered classic or of our generation does a new album, most people are not interested in hearing that stuff - they tolerate it at best." Read more and watch the full video clip here.
For Today Breaking Up After Farewell Tour(TeamRock Radio)
For Today will split after 11 years together. The Iowa hardcore outfit have announced a farewell tour across North and South America, with European dates to be revealed soon.
For Today say: "When we started this band in 2005, we never imagined that our music would make it out of Sioux City, Iowa, let alone take us all around the world multiple times. Our lives have been hugely impacted by the time we've spent making music and touring.
"We met our wives, had kids and moved to different States because of For Today. It's been an incredible experience, but we feel like now is the time to close this chapter of our lives and move on.
"There's no behind-the-scenes drama happening or disagreements between band members. We're all still best friends and will continue to be long after the band is over." Read more here.
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Releasing 12 Previously Unreleased Solo Albums(TeamRock Radio)
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez will issued 12 previously unreleased solo albums over the coming months. Each album will be available on digital formats and CD, while a limited edition CD/LP box set will be announced in the near future.
The At The Drive-In and Mars Volta man recorded them between 2008-2013 and the collection will be issued by Ipecac Recordings on a bi-weekly basis, starting with the July 15 launch of Sworn Virgins.
Ipecac co-owner Greg Werckman says: "We had all admired Omar's work from afar and then recently got to know him up close. It was so great to find out that as talented as he is, he is an even better human being and we love having him as part of the Ipecac family."
Rodriguez-Lopez adds: "It's crucial in this day and age to be able to surround yourself with like minded people that you can share an ethos with. I feel grateful and fortunate enough to have found this with such amazing people: Mike, Greg, Shawn, Marc and the Ipecac family. After throwing around many different project ideas, this seemed like the best place to actually begin, on what will surely be a long-lasting collaboration." Read more here.
Tame Impala Pelted With Cushions During Concert(Prog)
Tame Impala were pelted with cushions at their show in Lyon on Monday night. Kevin Parker and co were playing at the French city's Theatres Romains De Fourviere when the crowd, who had been given cushions to sit on, began launching them on to the stage towards the end of the band's set.
Tame Impala posted a short video clip of the incident on their Instagram account with the caption: "Get showered in cushions by 4000 French people."
They later posted a picture of the covered stage, saying: "Crowd standin' there all guilty like a puppy dog sittin' next to a pile of poo." Read more and watch the video here.
Jeff Beck Streaming New Song 'Right Now'(Classic Rock)
Jeff Beck is streaming his track Right Now exclusively with Classic Rock. It's taken from Beck's upcoming 11th album Loud Hailer, which is due for release on July 15 via Atco Records. Loud Hailer is Beck's first new album in six years.
Beck is featured in the upcoming new issue of Classic Rock magazine, which is out next week. In the interview, he reveals that he and Loud Hailer collaborators Carmen Vandenberg and Rosie Bones got together last December and "sat down by the fire with a crate of prosecco and got right to it."
He adds: "The songs came together very quickly - five in three days." One of the tracks, The Ballad Of The Jersey Wives, is about the widows of the 9/11 victims.
Beck adds: "We don't actually make reference to 9/11. The songs are about a general disgruntlement and dissatisfaction with things." Read more and stream the song here.
Alter Bridge Reveal New Album Details(hennemusic)
Alter Bridge have revealed that their upcoming fifth album will be titled "The Last Hero." The follow-up to 2013's "Fortress" was recorded earlier this year with producer Michael 'Elvis' Baskette.
The band hosted a listening party and live performance at The Beacham in Orlando, FL on Wednesday where fans were given a first listen to the project.
The event marked Alter Bridge's first live show of 2016, and they will now head out on a summer tour of North America beginning July 9 in Syracuse, NY.
The group just announced dates for a fall run across Europe, where they'll play 24 shows in support of the new record starting November 4 in Bilbao, Spain. Read more here.
Bumblefoot Knew About Guns N' Roses Reunion(Classic Rock)
Former Guns N' Roses guitarist Ron 'Bumblefoot' Thal knew that Slash and Duff McKagan were returning to the band when he decided to quit. But even that didn't keep him from making the decision to move on - because he believed the time was right.
Asked if he knew about the reunion, he tells Loudwire: "Yeah, I did." But he hasn't seen the latest lineup perform. "That would just be weird," he says. "It's like going to watch your ex-girlfriend get married. I moved on, they moved on, I hope everybody's happy, that's all."
In 2012 Bumblefoot brought young fan Chloe Paris to a rehearsal, where she sang with the band. He recalls: "The things I remember the most was when something bad happened and it turned into something good.
"There was a sweet girl, and all the kids in school picked on her. I brought her into a rehearsal and she was a big fan of the song Catcher In The Rye. She's pretty much the only other person who sang with Guns N' Roses." Read more and watch the full video clip here.
Anderson, Rabin & Wakeman Reveal Full Band Lineup(Prog)
Anderson, Rabin & Wakeman have identified the other members of their band - bassist Lee Pomeroy, drummer Louis Molino III and multi-instrumentalist Gary Cambra.
The six-piece are gearing up for a tour of the US and the UK, which will include rearranged Yes material along with new music that's being written at the moment.
Wakeman says: "I have played with arguably the greatest bass players ever - Chris Squire, John Entwistle and Lee Pomeroy. I can't wait to play with Lee again!"
Molino has previously worked with Rabin, Roger Hodgson, The Tubes and others, while Cambra is also a Tubes collaborator and a composer for movie and TV soundtracks. Read more here.
Apocalypse Blues Revue Stream New Song 'The Tower'(TeamRock Radio)
The Apocalypse Blues Revue are streaming their track The Tower exclusively with TeamRock. The band is centred around Godsmack men Shannon Larkin and Tony Rombola, who are joined in the lineup by vocalist Ray 'Rafer John' Cerbone and bassist Brian Carpenter.
They'll release their self-titled album on August 26 via Provogue/Mascot Label Group. Larkin said of the project: "As far as blues goes, Apocalypse Blues Revue is a little heavier, a little darker, and has some punk rock attitude in the lyrics.
"We wanted to make something deep that will provoke thought. It had to be evil though. We're not trying to make it happy. It's called blues for a reason. It was also an opportunity to show the world what a phenomenal guitar player Tony is." Stream the song here.
Joe Bonamassa Knows Where Stolen Eric Clapton Guitar Is?(Classic Rock)
Joe Bonamassa says he knows the location of the guitar stolen from Eric Clapton after he'd used it to record the Bluesbreakers' Beano album. The Les Paul Sunburst vanished from a Cream rehearsal in 1966, soon after work had been completed on the LP officially known as Blues Breakers With Eric Clapton.
The instrument has since become something of a legend among equipment fans. The Gibson company made a Beano replica in 2010. Bonamassa - an avid gear collector - tells Guitarist: "It's in a collection on the East Coast of America. That's all I can tell you and that's all I will say.
"It still exists. I haven't seen it, but I have it on good authority from people who have." He adds: "I don't know if Clapton would even want it back at this point. Would he even recognize it 50 years on? I guess so." Read more here.
Airbourne Streaming New Song 'Breakin' Outta Hell'(TeamRock Radio)
Airbourne have made their new single Breakin' Outta Hell available as a stream exclusively through Metal Hammer. The single will be released on July 8.
It's the title track of their upcoming album which will be released on September 16 through Spinefarm Records. Their fourth studio album also sees the band team up with Bob Marlette, who produced their 2007 debut Runnin' Wild.
The band were recently announced as guests on Volbeat's European tour and kick off a long run of summer festivals and headline shows on July 11. Stream the new song here.
Syd Barrett To Be Celebrated At Film Festival(Prog)
A series of films will be shown at this year's Cambridge Film Festival to celebrate the life of late Pink Floyd icon Syd Barrett. Cambridge Live have teamed up with the Cambridge Film Trust for the event and will screen the documentary Get All That Ant? which features stills and archive footage taken during the 60s and filmed in Barrett's hometown of Cambridge, London and San Francisco.
The majority of footage has never been seen before and features live performances and stills featuring artists including Pink Floyd, the Rolling Stones, The Doors and Donovan.
Filmmaker Anthony Stern says: "The film came about after a diagnosis of Parkinson's encouraged me to make sense of the last 50 years of my life. Delving through my cellar, I found suitcases full of tapes, film reels and over 7000 still photographs from the period 1963-1970.
"This film is a homage to that time, capturing the dreams, memories and reflections that sprung from a moment when we really thought we could change the world. Fifty years on, I'm starting to think these values are starting to reemerge." Read more here.
Five Finger Death Punch Had Their Pick Of Record Deals(TeamRock Radio)
Five Finger Death Punch's Jason Hook says the band had their pick of record deals because they had "offers across the board from every label." The band signed with Rise Records in May following a legal dispute with their former label Prospect Park - whose roster includes acts such as The Devil Wears Prada, Of Mice And Men and Cane Hill. The guitarist describes the company as "hard-working" and "focused."
Hook tells Scotty Mars: "The nuts and bolts of it is that it takes a good, focused team to do all of the things that need to be done for a record and its cycle. And we're not delusional about knowing that a good team and a good label is just healthy and good for us.
"Rise is a very hard-working, no-bullcrap, focused label, and they work hard. I mean, let's face it - we could have basically picked anybody. We had offers across the board from every label." Read more here.
A Day To Remember Frontman Was Terrified Making New Album(TeamRock Radio)
A Day To Remember frontman Jeremy McKinnon approached the band's sixth album Bad Vibrations with terror - and that's how the record got its name.
His concerns came from having no material to present to his bandmates when the time came to start work on the follow-up to 2013's Common Courtesy, which will be released on August 19.
McKinnon tells RockSound: "The record is called Bad Vibrations because that's what I was feeling at the time, stuck in this weird, high-stress mindset every day. I was terrified. I went in to record with nothing much to offer - hardly anything that I was excited about."
He adds: "I've never had a problem with pushing other people's expectations aside, but it became a real issue. Thankfully the other guys stepped in and brought some great stuff to the table." Read more here.
Led Zeppelin Manager Peter Grant 'Was A Big Softie'(Classic Rock)
The late Led Zeppelin manager Peter Grant was "a big softie" at heart, his son Warren says. The iconic music mogul carved a reputation as one of the most divisive and powerful figures in the industry before he died of a heart attack aged 60 in 1995.
But Warren - who is set to make a documentary about his father's life with the late boss's longtime friend, Atlantic Records executive Jerry Greenberg - says Peter was actually a "real people person" who treated everyone the same. The 49-year-old says this memory of his father has shaped his career as a manager of tribute band, Hats Off To Led Zeppelin.
Warren tells Billboard: "Dad was a big softie, let me tell you that. He knew when to push people's buttons at what point in time, or what needed to be done to get the job done. His no.1 thing was to protect that band, and he would use whatever means he needed to make sure that his band had what they needed to be brilliant at what they do."
He adds: "Dad was a real people person, you couldn't tell whether he was talking to the head of a department or a manager or promoter or just the person that was coming in during the patron, or the chauffeur, he would look after everybody the same." Read more here.
Deftones Frontman Explains Their Setlist Choices(TeamRock Radio)
Deftones say they don't feel pressured to play newer material in their shows before they feel ready. Despite that they face criticism from across their fanbase depending on the material they choose to play, Moreno says the band find comfort in the slow rehearsal process.
Moreno tells No Brown M&Ms: "There's this handful of fans that study every setlist in every city we play. They say, 'Why dont you play this?' The bulk of the stuff we play is the stuff that we play well. We want to play a good show.
"Not that we couldn't play other songs well, but the idea is that, as soon as we feel very confident, we can slowly start bringing them into the set and swapping songs out. But if we don't play it live, it's because it's not well-rehearsed yet. Why force it in there if it's not ready?" Read more here.
The Breakout Tour Singled Out Week: Gladiators
We are celebrating the kick off of The Breakout Tour tonight (7/8) featuring metal up and comers The Machinist, Gladiators and The Blessing Of This Curse. Today, Josh Krantz from Gladiators tells us about the title track from their album "Plexus". Here is the story:
Plexus was inspired by new age philosophy and psychology all tightly knit into one package. The notion of a plexus is a mass gathering of nerve endings in one's body. Ironically, just about everything in our universe is connected in one way or another and that was the main theme behind our song. We promote the idea that whether you are predominantly positive or negative, however you choose to think and be is exactly how your life will turn out.
Gladiators is heavily influenced by a blue collar work ethic and our goal is to rub that off on our fan base and listeners any way that we can. "Plexus" has a spacey feel to the song so metaphorically speaking the connections and choices we make on a daily basis are endless.
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