Today's Day In Rock!

Guns N' Roses Set For Intimate Venue Tour
The big news that Guns N' Roses' bassist Tommy Stinson hinted at last week has been revealed and it involves the band playing some intimate venues in the United States. The news comes as dates for a European tour have leaked out.
While the band has yet to confirm the European tour, early this morning we received official word that Guns N' Roses will invade New York during fashion week with a series of intimate shows followed with additional stops through the northeast.

Six shows confirmed so far including the historic return to The Ritz (now Webster Hall), 24 years after the filming of their "Live At The Ritz" – the MTV concert continues to be one of the most sought after trades in bootleg circles, according to the announcement. more on this story


New Van Halen Songs Originated In The 1970s
(hennemusic) While David Lee Roth returned to Van Halen a few years ago for their 2007/08 reunion tour, it's the February 7 arrival of "A Different Kind Of Truth" that really seals the deal that both Roth and Van Halen are back and the material on the album is also a blast from the past according to Roth.

"It's material that Eddie and I generated, literally, in 1975, 1976 and 1977," Roth tells the Los Angeles Times. "Usually fellas in our weight division will kind of gamely — or ironically, wink, wink — try to hail back to it [but] keep a safe, mature distance from it."

Instead, Roth said, he and the band have tried to do a sort of collaboration with their past. They can't be the same people — too much has changed — but Roth said there's interesting experimentation in the era-spanning synthesis of self. more on this story


Anthrax's Scott Ian Hospitalized and Benante Leaves Tour
A veteran member of Anthrax was hospitalized this weekend while another veteran member has been forced to pull out of their current tour due to a family emergency.

Loudwire reports that Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian is battling a severe viral infection that caused him to be hospitalized in Los Angeles.

In addition, the band also has announced that drummer Charlie Benante has left the tour to be at the bedside of his terminally ill mother in New York. more on this story


Aerosmith Almost Done With New Album and Plan Summer Tour
(hennemusic) Aerosmith are putting the finishing touches on their first studio album in 8 years, and preparing to return to the road this summer, says guitarist Joe Perry.

"We're in the middle of a bunch of stuff," Perry tells the QMI Agency. "I'm out here [Hollywood] finishing up the Aerosmith record that we started last summer. Hopefully we'll have it done in the next month or so."

"And we're definitely touring this summer. We're gonna put tickets on sale in February or March and we're going on the road in June. Everybody's lined up. We're ready." more on this story



Retro Style KISS Dolls Coming
(Gibson) For those of you who missed out on the original line of KISS action figures introduced in 1977 by the Mego toymakers, this is for you. Figures Toy Company has announced a line of KISS action figures made in the image of those collectibles, according to Blabbermouth.

In addition to recreating the original 12-inch toys that were popular in the late '70s, Figures will produce the four original KISS members (Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss) in 8-inch versions.

"Our first release will have the retro look from the 1970s, but future releases will cover all time periods in KISS's almost-40-year musical career from 1973 to 2012," said Figures CFO Paul Balasco. The next editions in the works will feature the band in the Sonic Boom, Dressed to Kill and debut album eras. Both editions, which feature the band's Love Gun-era looks, will be available starting in March. more on this story



Iron Maiden May Tour This Year
There is some good news for Iron Maiden fans. The band is planning to tour at some point this year. Though the plans are not yet firm.

Loudwire reports: In a recent interview at the 2012 NAMM convention in Anaheim, Calif., Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain told 96.7 KCAL Rocks that the band has a tour in their sights.

When asked what's going on with the band, McBrain said, "Well, we're taking some time off and we're gonna go back out on tour sometime this year. We're not sure yet when." He went on to say that it probably won't be a world tour this time around, only a "little tour" and a "short run." "We're not sure yet when," reiterated McBrain. more on this story


Iwrestledabearonce Road To Metal Fest Tour
Iwrestledabearonce are set to headline the "Road To Metal Fest" which will feature support from Molotov Solution, Glass Cloud and The Greenery.

Kicking off on April 16th in Oklahoma City, OK the string of dates will lead into New England Metal and Hardcore Festival on April 21st and continue on until wrapping up in Flagstaff, AZ on May 1st.

"We're super excited about this tour and the opportunity to play New England Metal and Hardcore Fest again!" Says Iwrestledabeatonce guitarist Steven Bradley. The New England Metal and Hardcore Festival is the largest, longest running and most successful metal festival in the United States. It has presented some of the biggest and up-and-coming artists in the metal and hardcore music genres over the past 13 years. "A lot of these shows are in venues we missed in 2011, so can't wait to party with all you folks for the first time in a while. Come hang out with us and let's make mistakes!" more on this story


Motorhead Release Limited Edition Motor-Bag
(Gibson) Motorhead are putting out a limited-edition package that may contain all the motormadness any fan could want.

The Motör-Bag is available online via www.merchdirect.com/Motorhead and is limited to 4,000 copies worldwide. You get a Motörhead messenger bag, and inside you will get two double-vinyl LPs of live shows not available anywhere else.

You also get a laminate pass and a piece of The Wörld is Yours 2010-11 stage backdrop, mounted and numbered. more on this story




Celebrate Rush Day on 2-1-12
(Gibson) Last year, we were able to ring in "National Metal Day" on 11-11-11. Just a few months later, it's already time for another music holiday – "Intergalactic Prog Metal Day" or "Rush Day" on 2-1-12, according to BraveWords.

In celebration of Rush, their landmark album 2112 and all of the bands that have been influenced by Rush ever since, various radio stations, music stores and websites have special events planned.

"Rush's 2112 is probably the first album that can rightfully be called progressive metal, so it's only appropriate we blast the album from the rooftops, from our cars, from our iPods, from everywhere, to celebrate this landmark album and Rush's incredible longevity and lasting influence," said Jeff Wagner, author of Mean Deviation: Four Decades of Progressive Heavy Metal. more on this story




Ian Anderson Plans Jethro Tull Thick As A Brick Tour
(Gibson) Jethro Tull singer and flautist Ian Anderson is honoring the 40th anniversary of the album Thick as a Brick by playing the entire album live in concert. It's the first time the progressive rock epic has been performed live in its entirety since 1972, according to Ultimate Classic Rock .

However, the tour is credited to Anderson as a solo artist and not Jethro Tull as a band. The frontman recently explained why he decided to present the Thick as a Brick tour this way.

"Back in 1972, when I tried to play Thick as a Brick live on stage in the USA, it turned into the tour from hell," he said. "I decided never to do that again." more on this story




Joe Satriani 3D Movie and Soundtrack Details
Joe Satriani has released details about his upcoming concert film that is hitting theaters and the song listing for the film's soundtrack.

The live-concert film, 'Satchurated: Live in Montreal,' will be shown in both 2D & 3D HD at theaters across North America on March 1st and the soundtrack will be released on April 10, 2012 through Epic Records

Satchurated was filmed live during Satriani's "The Wormhole Tour", supporting his studio album Black Swans and Wormhole Wizards at the Metropolis in Montreal, Canada. The December 12, 2010 concert was filmed by Grammy and Emmy award-winning concert filmmakers Pierre and Francois Lamoureux. Satchurated: Live in Montreal will be released to select theatres throughout the country on March 1, 2012 for a limited engagement. more on this story


Analog Man Joe Walsh Stuck In A Digital Age
(Gibson) Joe Walsh is done with his new solo album, Analog Man. It is set for a release in May or June and will be his first solo set since 1992's Songs for a Dying Planet.

In a new interview with the San Diego Reader about the upcoming album, Walsh seems more concerned with technophobia. Of the album title, he says: "I just decided I better get with it. After all, it is the digital age. Back when it was all analog, we used to go in the studio, and studios had knobs. We used to turn knobs and say, let's see what this does. Now, we have a mouse. We [the members of the Eagles] spend hours yelling at our computers. My son comes in and he says: Dad, you're really stupid.

"I was at a Lakers game last night, and everybody there was texting. Now and then they'd look up and check the score." more on this story




Anthrax, Savage Messiah, Cerebral Bore For Hammerfest IV
Savage Messiah have confirmed that they are taking part in this year's edition of Hammerfest, which set from 15th - 18th March in Prestatyn, Wales.

Having already performed at the festival before, Savage Messiah are now the latest band to be confirmed for Hammerfest IV, joining a line-up that includes the likes of Anthrax, Skindred, Amon Amarth, Cerebral Bore and more.

Savage Messiah frontman David Silver comments: "It's fantastic for the band to have been asked back to Hammerfest for the second time - we had a great time last time, but now with a new album to promote, it's going to be even better!! We're on late, but that's not going to matter - we'll be getting the final circle pits of the festival going and we're looking forward to kickin' ass!!!" more on this story


Original Captain Beefheart Bat Chain Puller Album Coming From Zappa Family Trust
MSO sent over word that The Zappa Family Trust is making the legendary Captain Beefheart album Bat Chain Puller available in its original format for the first time ever.

Recording for the album began in 1976 and was completed but was never released on Frank Zappa's label that Beefheart was signed to at the time, due to "all the usual financial difficulties in the proverbial record business, including breach of contract with the artist, lawsuits with artist management and distribution for the label," according to sources.

Different recordings of some of the songs were released elsewhere, but this will be the first time Captain Beefheart fans will be able to hear the album the way it was intended. The release is available for pre-order here and shipping is planned for the week of February 13. more on this story


Jeff Loomis Guests on 7 Horns 7 Eyes Album
Jeff Loomis (ex-Nevermore) makes a guest appearance on 7 Horns 7 Eyes debut full-length album, Throes Of Absolution.

Century Media Records have announced a April 24th, 2012 release date for the album in North America.

In regards to the state of the band and their upcoming release, guitarist Aaron Smith comments: "7H7E has been on quite a journey since we embarked on recording this album, full of some big ups and downs-- not the least of which being signed to Century Media/Basick Records, enduring a front-man change, re-recording all the album vocals, and sharing the stage with some great bands...and let me tell you-it feels amazing for us to know that we finally get to release this thing out into the world. Many of our fans have waited patiently for years for this record to drop, likely wondering at times if it ever even will, and we can't thank them enough for sticking by us. Here's to our fans and to 2012 being a great new year for 7 HORNS 7 EYES! See you on the road!"


Vintage Blue For Valentine's Day
Vintage Blue have set a February 14, 2012 release date for their debut full-length record, Strike the Mics.

For the Strike the Mics sessions, Vintage Blue enlisted grammy-nominated producer Jamie Candiloro (The Eagles, Luscious Jackson, Willie Nelson, Ryan Adams).

"To a man, Vintage Blue believes the music on our album is truly us," says singer/lead guitarist Bassett. "It speaks to our lives, our loves and our passion. We truly love what we gained from the process and look forward to making music for many more years to come. We could not be more excited to have listeners get to know the guys behind the sound." more on this story


SPV / Steamhammer Tribute Riot's Mark Reale
SPV / Steamhammer has released a statement about the recent death of Riot guitarist and founding member Mark Reale. The label had this to say: With deep sadness we have to say goodbye to one of the most underrated guitar players and composers on this planet: Mark Reale.

With albums like "Fire Down Under" or "Thundersteel" he created timeless metal music which will stand the test of time for many more decades.

Last years studio album "Immortal Soul" on remains his legacy, and what an album it was: RIOT were back for the attack! more on this story


Steve Vai Receives Les Paul Award
(hennemusic) Steve Vai was honored with the prestigious Les Paul Award at the 27th annual Technical Excellence & Creativity Awards on January 20th in Anaheim, CA as part of the NAMM 2012.

The Les Paul Award is an annual prize given to a musician/recording artist whose work has epitomized the marriage of music and technology.

The 2011 honor was co-presented to Vai by Les Paul's son, Russ Paul, and bassist Billy Sheehan. Check out video here.


Singled Out: Mariana's Trench's Haven't Had Enough
Today Ian from Mariana's Trench tells us about the video for their song "Haven't Had Enough" from their recently released album "Ever After". Here is the story:

"Haven't Had Enough" is our first video released from our latest album 'Ever After.' The album itself is a concept album that is one continuous piece from beginning to end, meaning that each song on the album is joined together with interludes. The album theme is that of a dark fairy tale, kind of Tim Burton-esk.

Like the album, our videos for 'Ever After' are all going to follow a concept and will be centered around a dark fairy tale. In the video for "Haven't Had Enough," the band gets trapped in the fairy tale world by the evil Queen and we essentially become her pawns, unbeknown to us of course! (Look at me, I used unbeknown in a sentence and I'm a drummer, not bad...) We are manipulated by the Queen and tossed between her worlds but with the snap of her fingers, our minds are erased and we're back to the beginning yet again. Kind of like most of my relationships.

We go from Old France to a 50s diner to Ancient Egypt to Zombie Land and end up in the end in an unknown Toy Land.

Today's Day In Rock!

Skid Row Wants Sebastian Bach For New Album
Skid Row want Sebastian Bach to sing on their new album. But it's not the Skid Row you are thinking of.
The Skid Row that once featured the late guitar great Gary Moore wants Bach on their new album. Brendan 'Brush' Shiels of the original Skid Row recently made news by publically calling on Jon Bon Jovi to return his band name to him, and is now making headlines by inviting the former frontman of the "other" Skid Row to team up with him on a new album.

Loudwire reports: Shiels addresses Bach directly in his latest video, saying, "In my opinion, you're one of the greatest frontmen in American rock of all time." He continues to lays it on pretty thick, "For me, you're up there with Ozzy Osbourne, Jon Bon Jovi, Steve Tyler from Aerosmith. Man, you've got it all." He sweetens the deal. Find out how and check out the video here.

Hulk Hogan Almost Joined Metallica
(Gibson) Professional wrestling legend and reality TV star Hulk Hogan was nearly a member of Metallica. The Hulkster revealed in an interview with The Sun that he used to be a good buddy of drummer Lars Ulrich.

"I used to be a session musician before I was a wrestler," he said. "I played bass guitar. I was big pals with Lars Ulrich and he asked me if I wanted to play bass with Metallica in their early days but it didn't work out."

In the interview, Hogan also discussed that he's a big fan of The Stone Roses. "I love the Stone Roses," he said. "They're getting back together, right? That's cool man. I used to work out to some of their songs." more on this story



Slipknot Clown and Five Finger Death Punch Singer In Hard Rock Musical
(Banana 101.5) Joining Slipknot percussionist Shawn "Clown" Crahan in the cast of 'The Devil's Carnival' — Darren Lynn Bousman's sequel to the hard rock/horror musical 'Repo: The Genetic Opera' — is Five Finger Death Punch vocalist Ivan Moody.

'The Devil's Carnival' may sound like a musical by way of Rob Zombie, but is actually from the man who wrote and directed 'Saw 2′ and directed the two following installments — Darren Lynn Bousman. His first outing in the musical genre was the 2006 10-minute short film 'Repo: The Genetic Opera,' which Bousman expanded to a full length feature two years later.

Given that the sequel is a hard rock musical, the producers have added some pedigree with the casting of well-known metal artists Shawn "Clown" Crahan (Slipknot) and Ivan Moody (Five Finger Death Punch). More including video

Full Tool Concert Online
(Banana 101.5) Miss Tool? Until they finally hit us with the long awaited follow-up to '10,000 Days,' we will have to make due by watching a surprisingly good quality fan-shot video of their recent performance in Reno, Nevada.

If your city wasn't among the lucky ones to have a stop on Tool's current tour, we have the next best thing — a recording of their January 14th gig in Reno, Nevada that actually has decent sound quality.

The band has yet to unveil any new songs but have been dusting off some older tracks for their set including 'Hooker With a Penis' and 'Ticks and Leeches.' Check out the live recording here.


Motley Crue To Surround Fans in Vegas
(hennemusic) Motley Crue kick off their Las Vegas residency at the Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on February 3. The Crue become the first hard rock group to play a residency in Sin City at this level, and singer Vince Neil talked to Vegas.com about how thrilled he is with the project.

"For me being a Vegas resident, it's a dream come true," says Vince. "For one thing, it's really cool to be able to put on a show that we've always dreamed about."

"It's just not going to be your regular show where the stage is set up on one end of the building, and the rest of it's seats," Neil explains. "We're going to pretty much encompass the whole venue. We could be playing in the back of the place, above you, on the side of you. We're using the latest technology in visuals. We really made the effort to do something that no one's ever really seen before." more on this story


Metallica Can Cure The Blues
(Gibson) Feeling blue? Crank up some Metallica, and you'll feel better in no time! In a her latest book, Your Playlist Can Change Your Life: 10 Proven Ways Your Favorite Music Can Revolutionize Your Health, Memory, Organization, Alertness and More, Columbia University professor Galina Mindlin asserts that rocking out to songs with a certain number of beats per minute can generate specific mental states, such as productivity and relaxation, according to DNAinfo.com. Lo and behold, Metallica's hard-rocking tunes fall into that category.

"It's [about] how music affects you – how it can improve your memory, how it can relieve anxiety, enhance your mood, how we can use playlists for specific tasks," Mindlin said. "Using music with certain frequencies, you really can create the desired state of mind."

As for other jams that might lift your mood, Your Playlist Can Change Your Life lists sample playlists, but Mindlin warns that selecting specific songs is a very personal experience. "What's right for you might not be right for someone else," she said. "Some people love the classical genre, but some people get excited by pop. The idea is to activate as many brain areas as you can." more on this story



Halcyon Way Lose Member
(Freeman) Halcyon Way announced that they have parted ways with rhythm guitarist Zane.

Zane spoke about his decision to leave the band: "After 6 years in one of the greatest metal bands ever, I have decided to leave for the sake of family and personal health. I have enjoyed my time in Halcyon Way and it has been a life defining tenure. Me and the guys all remain brothers and I look forward to everything Halcyon Way has to offer the metal world in the years to come. It was a true privilege to write and contribute to the band, and to hear what was in my head fleshed out on the albums was a joy all its own. See all of you guys in the front row at the next HW show! I'm currently working on a project called "Bishop Lake" with an EP due out in Spring 2012. I also have a horror punk/metal band called School For Morticians slated to break wind sometime in mid 2012."

Guitarist Jon Bodan shared his thoughts on Zane leaving: "As much as it pains us that our brother Zane has had to step away from Halcyon Way, we have nothing but respect for his decision and wish him nothing but the best. We've gone to war with him for a long time, and he will truly be missed. Keep an eye out for his new projects as I'm sure they're going to be killer! We would also like to thank Eric Roberts, Rob Fisher from Void Of Reason, and Mike Perrone for filling in with us on several live dates when Zane's situation was a little unclear - you guys were a big help to us and we appreciate it." wanna take his place?


Another Taste of New Van Halen Online
(hennemusic) Van Halen have offered up a new preview of a track from their forthcoming album, "A Different Kind Of Truth," due February 7.

The 90-second "Blood And Fire" clip presents a portion of the new song, the basis of which comes from "Ripley" - an unreleased track from the soundtrack to the 1984 movie "The Wild Life" - composed and performed by Eddie Van Halen.

"Ripley" was originally a leftover song from the "1984" sessions; it was written on a Ripley guitar, designed by Steve Ripley. Each string on the guitar can be sent to different sides of the speaker through the use of its individual string pan pots. Check it out here.

More on Van Halen - Van Halen Music - Van Halen Tour Dates/Tickets - Van Halen CDs, vinyl and rarities
The Ronnie Wood Show Comes To America This Weekend
Attention American Rolling Stones fans, The Ronnie Wood Show in North America will launch this weekend, January 29 on Q104.3/WAXQ-FM in New York.

Premiere Networks sent over these details: The one-hour, U.K.-based radio program is available to rock music stations on weekends from 6 a.m. to midnight.

Produced by Somethin' Else, the critically-acclaimed radio show features Ronnie Wood -- who is best known as a member of The Birds, The Jeff Beck Group, The Faces and The Rolling Stones -- as he plays a variety of music from his favorite new and established artists, while sharing personal stories from his legendary music career. From living with Jimi Hendrix to partying with Janis Joplin, listeners are treated to Wood's inside view of the world of rock & roll, which he often illustrates by playing his guitar. In addition, he welcomes friends, music artists, celebrities and others such as Slash, Kenney Jones and Mary Wilson. more on this story


Rory Gallagher Revisited
Sony Music and Capo Records and Legacy celebrate the 40th anniversary of Rory Gallagher's solo career with an extensive reissue campaign.

They have reissued the first six original Rory Gallagher albums "Rory Gallagher" (1971), "Deuce" (1971), "Live! In Europe" (1972), "Blueprint" (1973), "Tattoo" (1973) and "Irish Tour '74" (1974). The reissues have been released digitally and on CD and will be issued on vinyl on February 20th.

Daniel Gallagher, Rory's Nephew and producer of the re-issues states, "It's fantastic that 40 years since the original release of these albums the interest in Rory's music is still so strong and vibrant that we can celebrate the man's music by re-issuing his first six classic solo albums. We've aimed to release them in the spirit of the original release by going back to the vinyl artwork and original 1/4" tapes so that they look and sound exactly as Rory intended. It's also great to see in a digital world that the demand for a physical copy of Rory's music means we can release these albums on vinyl for the first time in over 30 years." More details here.

Rival Sons' New Album Being Reissued
Rival Sons are joining the "let's rerelease our new album with some bonus features" club as Earache have announce the release of a "special redux version" of their 2011 album, Pressure & Time, on March 12th.

Pressure & Time is being released as a limited edition CD version with two bonus tracks - "Company Man" and "This Life on the Road" - plus a bonus DVD featuring the following videos: * "Gypsy Heart", "Pressure and Time" and "Soul" live from High Voltage festival 2011 * "Pressure and Time" live backstage at Werchter festival 2011 * "Pressure and Time", "All Over the Road" and "Get What's Coming" official music videos * Pressure & Time promotional trailer

Rival Sons guitarist Scott Holiday comments: "After a year of solid touring all over the UK, Europe and the States for Pressure & Time, we ended up amassing a bunch of new stuff to share. We thought it would be cool to compile a handful of live and promo videos, plus a cool limited repackaging and offer it up to fans. We've also been able to throw a couple more studio tracks on there! How can any Sons fan resist?! Super limited... super awesome. Go get it." more on this story


Suicide Silence's Mitch Lucker Guest on The Devastated's New Album
Suicide Silence frontman Mitch Lucker is a guest vocalist on the The Devastated's new album.

The Devastated new album Devil's Messenger , will hit stores on February 14th and feature Lucker on the song "Spit Vitriol."

Mitch Lucker had this to say about his guest appearance on the album: "Greg, the vocalist, has been a close friend for years. When he reached out to me for the part I was ecstatic! His band is amazing and I can't wait for this record to drop. It's the best shit I've heard in a long fucking time; super original and crushing from start to finish." more on this story


Preview Joe Satriani's Movie
(hennemusic) Joe Satriani continues to juggle his Chickenfoot gig with his solo work. Joe will be releasing his concert film, "Satchurated," in select US theatres in March.

"Satchurated" was filmed live on "The Wormhole Tour" in support of Satriani's new album "Black Swans An Wormhole Wizards," at the Metropolis in Montreal on December 12, 2010.

"Satchurated" will be the first 3D theatrical concert film release with 7.1 Dolby Surround Sound for the ultimate cinematic experience.

A preview clip from the film has been released. Watch it here. more on this story


America Getting Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
On Monday, February 6th the legendary rock band America will receive their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

We were sent these details: The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce will honor America with the 2,459th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Grammy Award-winning duo is celebrating Grammy Week in big style. First off, they'll be inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame Monday, February 6, just outside the Musician's Institute at 6752 Hollywood Boulevard, in the company of the Walk of Fame stars of Al Jolson, Hal David, Rush, Motley Crue, Ozzy Osbourne and Journey.

The next evening, Tuesday, February 7, the Best New Artist Grammy winners of 1972--known for iconic hits like "Ventura Highway," "Sister Golden Hair," "Horse With No Name" and "Tin Man," among many others--will perform downtown at Los Angeles' Grammy Museum, where they'll treat the crowd to classic hits and have a Q&A session with the intimate audience. more on this story


Styx Grand Illusion & Pieces Of Eight Live Next Week
Next week Eagle Rock will release Styx 'The Grand Illusion & Pieces Of Eight Live' on DVD/2 CD Set and we have a little taste for you.

Filmed on November 9th, 2010 at the historical Orpheum Theater in Memphis, TN, this show captures Styx performing their classic multi-platinum seventies albums "The Grand Illusion and "Pieces Of Eight" live in their entirety for the first time. These iconic albums established Styx as a globally successful rock band and defined the AOR genre for a generation of Americans. Check out a video of "Blue Collar Man" here.

Bonus Features: "Putting On The Show" - an in-depth look at the people and equipment required to stage this epic concert. You can also catch Styx on the road this winter in markets across North America. more on this story



Wilco Get Animated With Popeye
(Gibson) Wilco are going Gorillaz. Kind of. In the alt-rock band's latest music video for "Dawned on Me," the Chicago gents joined up with King Features to get animated beside Popeye, Olive Oyl, Bluto and the whole Popeye crew. Watch the Darren Romanelli-directed video at the bottom of the page.

Wilco drummer Glenn Kotche recently checked in with the Los Angeles Times blog to talk about his experience replacing Wilco's original drummer, Ken Coomer, in 2001. "Those guys at that point would be in the studio at 5 a.m., and then I had my first drum lesson at 7 a.m. out in the suburbs, so I was getting no sleep," he explained. "When they asked me to join, I had no expectations of anything. I thought, 'Here's this band, and I don't even know if I'm the right fit.'

"I was wary of touring that much, and I thought the fans would hate me because I replaced Ken. Then the label dropped us. The future was pretty uncertain. People always say, 'That must have been so crazy,' but you know what? Not really. It was a functional situation. It was business as usual. This is how bands are. There's usually a couple freaks and there's a lot of drama and things don't always go the way you want them to go. Worst-case scenario, we would have been on an indie label." more on this story




Etta James Music Sales Jump Following Her Death
(Gibson) Sometimes you don't know what you have until it slips away. That seems to be the case with the late Etta James' soulful songs. As reported by Billboard, James scored her highest-charting album ever on the Billboard 200 chart this past week with The Best of Etta James – 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection, which rose from #162 to #46 with 8,000 copies sold, as reported by Nielsen SoundScan. That's up 149% over the preceding week. Until now, the R&B/blues crooner had never surpassed #68 on the pop album charts, when At Last hit that spot in 1961.

According to Billboard, for the week ending Sunday (January 22), James' total catalog of albums moved 30,000 units. That's a 378% increase over the week before, when her albums sold just over 6,000. James also entered the Billboard 200 chart at #59 with her 1997 greatest hits set, Her Best, selling 7,000 copies, which is up 4,226% from the week before. At Last! the album hit #96 on the chart with 5,000 units sold, up 907%.

"At Last" is likely James' signature tune, although she wasn't the original singer. That song was James' highest-charting of the week, pushing 63,000 downloads, with a weekly gain of 1,361%. For the week, James' catalog of songs sold a total of 118,000 downloads – with over half of those "At Last's" numbers – for an overall gain of 1,091%. more on this story



Flaming Lips and Wilco Star o Heavy Beatles Cover
(Gibson) It's no secret that the Flaming Lips are big Beatles fans. If you recall, late last year the alternative group posted a psychedelic cover of The Beatles' track "I Am the Walrus" on YouTube, and the patterned rendition has scored over 100,000 hits to date.

Now, the Lips are getting into Beatles-mania all over again and putting their stamp on the Beatles' nugget "I Want You (She's So Heavy)," which they played live during their New Year's Eve 2012 show in Oklahoma City.

George Salisbury – director and graphic designer for the Flaming Lips – recently tweeted a link to the fresh Lips cover. Coupled with Wilco guitarist Nels Cline on stage, the Flaming Lips serve up an authentic interpretation of The Beatles' landmark, except for the small fact the song is a whopping 17-plus minutes long. more on this story




Tribute To Riot's Mark Reale
The founding member and guitarist for legendary hard rock band Riot, Mark Reale, died Wednesday after a long battle and complications from Crohns disease, according to MarkReale.com.

The site had this biography/tribute to Mark: Mark was born June 7th 1955 in Brooklyn New York at a time when rock and roll was flourishing with many new sounds. Early in his life, his first interest had been the movies. ever so curiously, he had shown an interest in films. But then, songs he heard on the radio began to change that. He quickly began to love music from the Beatles and Cream. Mark lists George Harrison and Eric Clapton as great influences. When he was 7 years old his grandfather bought him his first basic guitar to practice on and later his father bought him a new guitar and amp, his passion had begun.

In the early to mid 70's his influences included the likes of Edgar Winter, Ronnie Montrose and Rick Derringer. He also loved a range of bands and artists from Al Di Meola to Deep Purple. In 1975 Mark formed his band RIOT, then at a block party Mark's father found vocalist Guy Speranza. Read the rest of the tribute here


Brian Jonestown Massacre and The Black Lips For Austin Psych Fest
The initial lineup for the Austin Psych Fest 2012 has been announced for the event which will take place on April 27-29, 2012.

Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Black Angels and The Black Lips lead the lineup. e were sent the lineup details and this: The 5th annual festival will be held at Emo's East & Beauty Ballroom.

After last years setting, the Seaholm Powerplant, started redevelopment, the search began for a new home for the fest. After the Black Angels / Wooden Shjips show at Emo's East & Beauty Ballroom on New Years Eve, it was immediately obvious that the perfect location for the festival had been found. lineup


Jeff Beck Helped Stevie Wonder Hit The Top
(Gibson) On this day in 1973, "Superstition" gave Stevie Wonder had his second no 1 single in the U.S., 10 years after his first #1. Gibson looks back: Although the multi-talented Wonder wrote, produced, played and sang on the single, he wasn't responsible for one key detail – the song's distinctive beat.

It was none other than guitar legend Jeff Beck who created the drumbeat while working with Wonder on the R&B star's album, Talking Book. After finishing writing "Superstition," Wonder actually offered it to Beck. Sensing a hit, Wonder's manager requested that his artist should record it first. Instead, Wonder offered Beck an alternate classic, "Cause We've Ended as Lovers," which the guitarist recorded on 1975's Blow by Blow.

When recording "Superstition" at Electric Lady Studios in New York, Wonder played drums, clavinet, bass and sang, with the horns being performed by other players. The song was released in the fall of 1972 as the lead single off Talking Book, the second album in Wonder's so-called "classic period" (during which Wonder gained complete artistic control as a Motown artist).

"Superstition" rocketed up the charts, eventually landing the #1 spot on the Billboard charts. The single marked his second #1 hit and first chart-topper in nearly 10 years, following "Fingertips – Pt. 2" in 1963. Although Wonder had been popular throughout the '60s, with classic hit singles such as "Uptight," "For Once in My Life" and "My Cherie Amour," he hadn't replicated the blockbuster success of his debut single until then. more on this story




American Idol Helping Aerosmith Reach New Fans
(hennemusic) Steven Tyler continues to make the rounds promoting the new season of American Idol.

Steven sat down with Access Hollywood this week to talk about all things Idol, including what it means to his expanding fan base.

"It's about getting our music heard by people," explains Tyler. "We write the songs because we want the people to sing it…and, so, the younger the better. And because of the internet and TV now, it's like 'forget about it' – I can't go anywhere – and I kinda like that." Check out the interview here.


Talking Ace Frehley
Ace Frehley band guitarist Todd Youth is the featured guest on episode of the Talking Metal podcast.

Todd is currently in the Ace Frehley band and is an ex-member of Danzig, Murphy's Law, Glen Campbell's band, D'Generation and Chrome Locust. He has also been a touring member of Motorhead.

The interview with Todd starts 56 minutes into the podcast (episode 376), you can logon and check it out here.


Singled Out Classic: Norman Greenbaum's Spirit In The Sky
Today Norman Greenbaum tells us about his classic rock hit from 1970 "Spirit In The Sky" which has sold two million copies has been featured in 47 movies and dozens of commercial ads and TV series during the past four decades. Here is the story:

When asked why does 'Spirit In The Sky' still resonate with the music listener today? Norman explains, "A few reasons: It's just a great song, with a terrific production that has stood the test of time, still sounding as vibrant today as 40 years ago. It also sounds great in the car, yep, car radio. When we mixed it, we made sure it sounded as great on car stereos as it did on home systems. It has an unforgettable opening musical riff, at times referred to as 'the heavy duty industrial fuzz tone'. It gives people chills listening to it. Plus, when it was included on Rock Band 2 it brought a new generation into the mix. Now that the song is aging in years, but not excellence, many fans have aged with it and now recognize it not only as a great song that reminds them of their life back then, such as taking their first date to my concert, 'Spirit' being the first album they ever bought, their parents screaming to turn the volume down, love making in the back seat to it and my favorite, naming their car 'the green-bomb', and as a song to take with them as we near the time to go up to the Spirit In The Sky. Because I answer my own e-mail, many people relate to me the circumstances of a loved one passing and how my song has brought them solace and each time they hear my song, either on the radio, in a movie or on TV, they are reminded that their loved ones are OK and looking down on them."

The story behind the song "Spirit In The Sky" is an interesting one. The original idea for the song came from Norman watching a performance on TV one night by country legend Porter Wagoner, who was singing about a preacher. This inspired Greenbaum to write a religious rock song. Although many have believed through the years that Norman, born of Jewish heritage, was a 'born again Christian', in truth, this is not the case. He made the decision to challenge himself to writing a gospel lyric, hoping he wouldn't flub it and meticulously crafted music that went on to surpass everyone's expectations. The guitar riff to 'Spirit In The Sky' undoubtedly is just as important to the song's success as the words and music. "My riff is a take on old blues riffs, common in the '20s and '30s," Norman explains. "Although a few other songs have similar riffs, my riff really stands out, as I infused a few original notes and changes the others do not have. Plus, the fuzz just ripples your mind. It is a sound that has never been reproduced, another reason the song stands so well."

Today's Day In Rock!

AC/DC Delayed By Illness
(hennemusic) AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson has revealed that the group's plans for a new album have been put on hold due to a band member's health issues.
"One of the boys is a little sick and I can't say anything, but he's getting better," Brian tells Mike "Cowhead" Calta of "The Cowhead Show." "He's doing wonderful. Full recovery fully expected."

Johnson is hopeful that the group will be able to reconnect and hit the studio sometime this year. "It's a wonderful thing when we get in a room," says Brian. "Whenever the boys get back together, I get all excited. The boys, after a while, pick the guitars up, Phil [Rudd] will make his way to the drums, Cliff [Williams] will pull his bass out and then all of a sudden this noise comes out and I sit there with just this big old grin on my face." more on this story


RIP Riot Guitarist Mark Reale
(Rock News Desk) Riot guitarist and founder Mark Reale has died after a near lifelong battle against Crohn's Disease.

The last remaining founding member of the band was rushed to hospital on January 11 following a brain haemorrhage. He'd been in a coma ever since and passed away without regaining consciousness.

Last week the band told how Reale wasn't well enough to play on their upcoming album, saying "Guitarist Mike Flyntz recorded a major portion of the guitars on the album with Mark's creative direction while he was unable to perform."

He collapsed while rehearsing for a brief run of live shows, which the band went on to play without him while asking fans for prayers. more on this story


Van Halen Top Billboard Chart
(hennemusic) Van Halen's new single, "Tattoo," has hit #1 on Billboard's Hard Rock Singles chart.

The track also earns the title of #1 Most Played Song at Classic Rock Radio in its first week and the #1 Most Added song at Mainstream and Active Rock Radio.

Since its January 10 release, "Tattoo" has been played on more than 160 stations across the States. more on this story


Slipknot and Slayer To Lead Mayhem Festival
The rumor is true; Slipknot is set to head-up the 2012 Mayhem Festival with metal heavyweights Slayer playing the second slot and a to-be-announced big name act filling the third slot.

The second stage will be feature Anthrax, The Devil Wears Prada, Asking Alexandria, As I Lay Dying, and Whitechapel when the 26 date North American tour kicks off on June 30th in San Bernardino, Ca. As for the special guest taking third slot, it won't be officially announced until March 5th but our news partner Banana1015.com speculates that the additional act will be Motorhead.

Members of Slipknot and Slayer reacted to the announcement. Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor said "You knew we'd be back. Now, you know we're coming. This will be a tour people will scarcely want to miss. It will definitely be a show to remember. Can't wait to see the states again from behind a mask." more on this story


Blink-182 Working On Next Album
(Gibson) Although Blink-182 have been on a break since their summer tour, and the release of their new record Neighborhoods, the band have designs on their next record. Bassist Mark Hoppus said that while guitarist Tom DeLonge has been touring with side project Angels and Airwaves, he's been putting together new songs.

"I'm sure these will all be Blink songs at the moment," Hoppus told Kerrang! "I don't have any plans to write songs with anybody else right now. If I do, it'll be a collaboration or a one-off thing, but everything I'm writing right now is for Blink-182."

Hoppus said that the songs are in the early stages and likely will change plenty when the entire band begins working on them. "It's really too early to tell. At the moment all I've got is a bunch of chord progressions and ideas," he said. "It's more me playing my guitar and coming up with little ideas and melodies. By the time it goes to Tom and Travis [Barker] and we work on it as a band, who knows what it will sound like." more on this story



Steel Panther Banned
(hennemusic) In a move that's sure to help the band sell more (music, tickets, merchandise, etc.), a poster promoting Steel Panther's "Balls Out" album has been banned in the UK.

XFM London reports the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the country's independent regulator of advertising across all media, has deemed the poster art – the "Balls Out" cover - unsuitable for public display.

The ad attracted a number of complaints to the ASA, including one from Imkaan, a charity for women from ethnic backgrounds who have been victims of abuse and violence. The charity said the ad was offensive because it was demeaning to women and overtly sexual in nature. more on this story


3 Inches Of Blood Recruit Fear Factory Member
3 Inches Of Blood have announced that their new bass player is Bryon Stroud of Fear Factory and formerly of Strapping Young Lad.

Century Media sent over these details: Stroud and 3 Inches Of Blood have been working together on a variety of things, and Stroud is beyond pleased shift his involvement to a creative level. "I am super stoked to let everyone know that I have joined my brothers in 3IOB," exclaims Stroud.

"We are busy rehearsing for touring of the new record Long Live Heavy Metal . The band asked me to come on board as manager last year. We rehearse in my bike shop, I've toured with them in the past and being involved in many aspects of the new record has been extremely gratifying for me. I'm looking forward and see a great future for this band. I'll see you all on tour this year." more on this story


Theory of a Deadman Spring Tour With Pop Evil And Stellar Revival
Theory of a Deadman will be hitting the road in April for a North American headlining tour.

The trek is set to kick off on April 9 in Tallahassee, FL and will feature support from Pop Evil and Stellar Revival.

Theory of a Deadman will be touring in support of their fourth studio album The Truth Is… which was released last July by Roadrunner Records. more on this story



The Polyphonic Spree Release New Song
The Polyphonic Spree have released a new single called "What Would You Do?," ahead of the kick off of their comeback tour.

"What Would You Do?" will be available digitally in both MP3 and FLAC lossless formats, as well as a regular black 7" vinyl release and a limited-edition colored 7" vinyl release that includes a signed and numbered silkscreened print/cover by GRR house artist Nevada Hill. The vinyl releases will include a surprise B-side from the Spree, not available elsewhere. All formats are available here.

The Polyphonic Spree will kick off their first tour since 2007 in Tulsa on Feb 6. An initial run through the Southeast continues through Feb 16; West Coast and East Coast dates are coming later in the spring. more on this story


Bachman and Turner To Appear In New Will Ferrell Movie
(Gibson) Bachman and Turner have landed roles in a new movie starring Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis. The classic rockers will appear and perform in Dog Fight, a film being directed by Jay Roach (Austin Powers), according to Winnipeg Free Press.

In the film, Ferrell and Galifianakis play North Carolina congressional candidates battling for the same seat. Guitarist Randy Bachman and bassist Fred Turner show up to play their hit "Takin' Care of Business" at the winner's celebration rally. "It was really hard work, long days and about 200 people on set," the band's manager Gilles Paquin said. "But it's one of the biggest movies of the year and it's great positioning for the band."

The movie also stars John Lithgow, Dan Aykroyd and Dylan McDermott, and is due to be released later in 2012. more on this story




Alice Cooper Guests On His Son's New EP
(Gibson) Runaway Phoenix, a hard rock band fronted by Alice Cooper's son, has released their first EP. Titled, simply, The E.P., the 6-song disc features Alice himself as a guest on the opening track, "Tug of War."

Formed in 2002, the Phoenix, Arizona-based group describes their sound as "AC/DC meets The Yardbirds who slept with Led Zeppelin who had an illegitimate love child." Other influences cited by the band include The Who, Neil Diamond, Audioslave and, of course, Alice Cooper.

Dash Cooper, who handles lead vocal duties for the group, isn't the only member of the Cooper clan who's entered the entertainment business. Actress/singer Calico Cooper has been a guest on several of her father's albums, and has long been an integral part of his stage show. Calico's younger sister, Sonora Cooper, is said to have similar aspirations. more on this story




Coldplay and Mumford & Sons For Secret Policeman's Ball
(Gibson) Coldplay are set to join Mumford & Sons as part of the lineup to be featured at this year's edition of The Secret Policeman's Ball. The British-based music and comedy festival will be staged at New York City's Radio Music Hall on March 4.

The concert, which had its inception in 1976, benefits the human right group, Amnesty International. As reported by the Associated Press, Amnesty International spokesperson Andy Hackman said the organization wanted to present the event on a grander scale this year, to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of the human rights group.

"That phrase, 'human rights,' has lost meaning in some ways," Hackman said. "That's why we want to demonstrate the power and the joy that free speech can bring to us all. It's really just using these amazing, talented people to demonstrate the power [and] what a force of good free speech is." more on this story




Neil Young Hopes To Release Two New Albums With Crazy Horse This Year
(Gibson) Neil Young has confirmed that he's completed a new album with Crazy Horse, and that a second album with the band is "in progress." The veteran rocker said he hopes to release both discs this year.

Young made the revelation at the Slamdance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, were he and director Jonathan Demme are presenting Journeys, their latest concert documentary, which was filmed in Toronto in May 2011.

Members of Crazy Horse last recorded with Young on his 2003 album, Greendale. The last Young album on which the entire band was featured was 1996's Broken Arrow. In a 2005 interview with Performing Songwriter, Young described his work with Crazy Horse as "cosmic," and as something he treated with "a special kind of respect." "My work with Crazy Horse stands alone, in its own way," he said. "Sometimes it needs to be replenished, sometimes it needs to be revisited, and sometimes it needs to be left alone." more on this story




Iggy Pop Will Be This Year's Record Store Day Ambassador
(Gibson) Iggy Pop has agreed to take on the role of official ambassador for Record Store Day 2012.

Set to take place on April 21, Record Store Day celebrates the virtues of independent record store establishments, and is marked by special shows and one-day sales events.

In a prepared statement, Pop said, "I got my name, my musical education and my personality all from working at a record store during my tender years. Small indie shops have always been a mix of theater and laboratory. In the '50s and '60s the teen kids used to gather after school at these places to listen free to the latest singles and see if they liked the beat. You could buy the disc you liked for 79 cents and if you were lucky meet a chick. Clerks in these places became managers (like Brian Epstein), label heads (Jac Holzman) and Faces on album covers (like me)." more on this story




Robbers On High Street Set EP Release
Robbers On High Street will release a new EP, entitled Anything Could Happen, on April 17th.

It will be release both digitally and as a limited edition, hand pressed vinyl. CD fans need not apply.

The EP was originally only available via PledgeMusic to those who pre-ordered the group's third LP, Hey There Golden Hair and pledged for other exclusive items, according to Tijuana Gift Shop. more on this story


Middle Class Rut Announce Dates With Chevelle and Janus
Middle Class Rut have announced a series of tour dates with Chevelle and Janus in February and March.

Beginning February 24 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the band will make their way around the Midwest and East Coast, with stops in New York, Providence, Atlantic City, Nashville, and more.

Middle Class Rut is touring in support of their debut album, No Name No Color. more on this story


The Casualties and Toxic Holocaust Hardcore Road Warriors Tour
The Casualties have tapped Toxic Holocaust to support them on their Hardcore Road Warriors tour of North America which kicks off on February 27th.

Jake (guitars) states: "Hey everyone, so 2012 kicks in with the best line-up of heavy hardcore punk and thrash bands to tour yet. We are honored to share the stage with The English Dogs after listening to them on vinyl for so many f**kin years. Equally as brutal as that is doing even more dates with our new booze hound friends Toxic Holocaust! It's gonna be one big tornado of destruction to say the least.

"All you subculture maniacs will also be happy to know that after a year of riffing out songs and recent months rehearsing religiously we are happy to announce that The Casualties will be recording a new album this April for a summer release. Close friends that have heard demos said that these songs are faster, harder and a great sound to end the world to. See you all on the road soon. Over and Out." more on this story


Dir En Grey North American Tour and Reissue
Dir En Grey have announced North American tour plans both solo headliners and as part of The Still Reckless Tour and have also announces plans for a U.S. reissue of their album Uroboros.

MSO sent over these details: The Still Reckless Tour also featuring Asking Alexandria, Trivium, I See Stars, Motionless In White and The Amity Affliction. They have also plotted a pair of solo headlining shows in Seattle, WA on 3/7 and St. Petersburg, FL on 3/20

The band has plans for the U.S. release of Uroboros [Remastered & Expanded], a reissue of their experimental 2008 album which brings fans 14 tracks, including the long version of "Sa Bir" that was only heard live before; the exclusive version of "Bugaboo" that was previously only available on the limited first press analog release; "Dozing Green" and "Glass Skin" with Japanese lyrics; and "Hydra -666-" the coupling track on single "Dozing Green." With the return of sound engineer Tue Madsen, who worked on the band's latest album Dum Spiro Spero, the sound of Uroboros is reborn. [release date not mentioned in the announcement.] more on this story

More on Dir En Grey - Dir En Grey Music - Dir En Grey Tour Dates/Tickets - Dir En Grey CDs, vinyl and rarities
Reborn of Death Tour with Suffocation, Cerebral Bore, Cattle Decapitation and More
Cerebral Bore are heading to the UK in March for a tour with Suffocation, Cattle Decapitation, Hate, Blood Red Throne and Sephirah.

The "Reborn of Death" 2012 European tour is scheduled to kick off on March 13th in London, just days after Cerebral Bore finish up a North American trek with Goatwhore and Hate Eternal.

Cerebral Bore guitarist Paul McGuire comments: "We will be setting off for this tour roughly 12 hours after arriving home from our US tour, so we are either going to be on top form, or worn out and dead! Bet your tits it's not gonna be the latter - we're gonna pummel it nightly, and maybe even treat our fans to some brand new material!" more on this story


Former Mortiis Star To Debut at Art Fair
TCM sent over some news which should be of interest to UK based fans of Mortiis: Former drummer Svein Traserud (a.k.a. Leo Troy) who left the band in 2007 to pursue his interest in the contemporary arts, will make his UK debut at the third Parallax AF International Art Fair in London in February.

He will be exhibiting a range of his works at the event which takes place at Chelsea Town Hall, Kings Road, London, UK from Thursday 16th to Saturday 18th February 2012. Entry is free to the public.

The Parallax AF International Art Fair showcases modern artists from around the world and will this year feature works from the UK, USA, West & East Europe, Asia, South America, Turkey, UAE and Oceania.

Today's Day In Rock!

Van Halen Premiering New Song On TV Tonight
(hennemusic) Van Halen will debut a new song from their forthcoming album, "A Different Kind Of Truth," Wednesday night on the CBS television series CSI.
The VHND reports fans will get to hear clips of two songs off VH's new album; the first single, "Tattoo," and the as-yet unheard "Stay Frosty."

Earlier this week, Van Halen added three more shows to their North American tour; new dates include Manchester, New Hampshire; University Park, Pennsylvania; and St. Louis, Missouri. more on this story

Blink-182's Travis Barker Threatens Legal Action Over Nude Photos
(Banana 101.5) Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker is threatening a gossip website with legal action after they posted some leaked pictures of Barker's "drumstick."

The website MediaTakeOut.com posted nude pics of an "unnamed musician" that they received from a female admirer. The anonymity was canceled out by the instantly recognizable tattoos that were also visible in the pic and it didn't take long for word to get out that Barker was the musician in question.

TMZ reports that Barker's attorney has served the website with a cease and desist letter in hopes that they won't have to take further legal action to remove the photos. more on this story

Godsmack, Staind, and Halestorm Plan Mass Chaos
(Banana 101.5) Godsmack, Staind, and Halestorm have dubbed their upcoming join venture the Mass Chaos Tour and have announced the specifics of the 20-date trek.

The tour will be co-headlined by Godsmack and Staind with support from Halestorm and will kick off in April.

Godsmack is planning a live release that may include studio recorded cover songs, while Halestorm will release their next album 'The Strange Case of…" on April 10th. more on this story

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Tour
(Gibson) The Boss is back with a vengeance in 2012. Bruce Springsteen is releasing a new album. He's giving the keynote address at South by Southwest. And now, he's announced he'll be hitting the road for a string of U.S. dates with the E Street Band, according to Rolling Stone.

Bruce Springsteen and pals will begin a 19-date tour on March 18 at Phillips Arena in Atlanta. The trek will wind its way up the East Coast, including multiple dates in New Jersey and at Madison Square Garden, before hitting New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and wrapping up May 2 in Newark. The group will tour Europe in the summer and return for another North American trek in the fall.

It will be the first E Street Band tour without saxophonist Clarence Clemons, who died last year. There's no word on if Clemons spot in the group will be filled by another player. Springsteen's new studio album, Wrecking Ball, will be released on March 6. more on this story



Mayhem For Slipknot?
(Banana 101.5) An Ibanez guitar representative may have leaked some top secret info at this weekend's National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) when he casually named Slipknot as a headliner on Mayhem Fest.

Every year thousands of aspiring and professional musicians converge on NAMM in Anaheim, California — it's sort of like Comic-Con for musicians. NAMM gives vendors a chance to show off their latest instruments and often times well-known musicians appear to endorse their own signature series products. A rep for Ibanez guitars was showing off Slipknot guitarist Mick Thomson's signature axe when he volunteered a bit too much info on where the guitar will soon be played.

In a video you can see Ibanez rep Russ Rosenfeld accidentally say that Slipknot is headlining this year's Mayhem Festival, which kicks off in late June. Read more and check out the video here.

Joy Division Fans Vs Mickey Mouse
(Gibson) The Walt Disney Company has drawn the ire of some Joy Division fans for using the band's iconic Unknown Pleasures album cover as the basis for a T-shirt design featuring Mickey Mouse.

But Disney is free to use the image since the original cover is in the public domain and was never actually owned by Joy Division. It was taken from the Cambridge Encyclopedia of Astronomy. It depicts CP 1919, the first radio pulsar ever detected (in July 1967 by Jocelyn Bell Burnell).

Factory Records co-founder Peter Saville told The Guardian last year that the image was the only time the band gave the label an album cover suggestion. "They gave me the title too but I didn't hear the album," Saville said. "The wave pattern was so appropriate. It was from CP 1919, the first pulsar, so it's likely that the graph emanated from Jodrell Bank, which is local to Manchester and Joy Division. And it's both technical and sensual." more on this story



Black Sabbath Come Full Circle
(hennemusic) Black Sabbath have updated fans about the progress on their new album and announce that things have come full circle for them.

They write, "The guys have moved writing sessions from Los Angeles to Birmingham, England. Sabbath has gone back to where it all started and it's been just amazing. This is where the writing of the album will be completed. Funny how it all goes full circle sometimes."

Sabbath moved the sessions following the recent news that guitarist Tony Iommi has been diagnosed with the early stages of lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphocytes, a type of cell that forms part of the immune system. more on this story

John Sykes Pulls Out of Mike Portnoy Project
(Gibson) Former Whitesnake guitarist and Gibson signature artist John Sykes has pulled out of his planned collaboration with ex-Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy.

MelodicRock.com reports that no official reason has been given for Sykes' departure, but it is understood that a new guitarist will be brought in to the project, along with a yet-to-be-named bass player.

Portnoy isn't exactly looking for work at the moment. In addition to his current band Adrenaline Mob, the drummer also is working with guitarist Steve Morse, multi-instrumentalist Neal Morse of Spock's Beard, Dixie Dregs bass player Dave LaRue and vocalist Casey McPherson (Alpha Rev, Endochine) in a new band called Flying Colors. An album is currently in the recording stage, and is due on March 27. more on this story



Creed's Mark Tremonti Releasing Solo Album in An Unusual Way
(Gibson) Creed and Alter Bridge guitarist Mark Tremonti will release his debut solo album, All I Was, in the spring [in an unconventional way].

The album features Tremonti – an accomplished shredder, especially after hitting the woodshed with Rusty Cooley – on lead vocals as well as guitar, while Eric Friedman provides backing vocals, bass and guitar. Garret Whitlock handles the drums.

Tremonti has finished tracking the majority of his guitar parts, and mixing will begin in February. Tremonti recently said the album would likely have a unique distribution model. "We're trying to do it different," Tremonti said. "We're trying to every month put out two songs with, you know, your ringtones, your T-shirts, with – I'm gonna do instructional DVDs and the other guys will do instructional stuff, tutorials on how to play the songs and whatnot. After six months we'll release the whole album, and if everybody downloads the songs along the way, they'll get a signed copy of the whole record. We'll do everything we can to make it appealing to people." more on this story



Joe Cocker Returns With Hard Knocks
429 Record have released Joe Cocker's 21st album, entitled Hard Knocks, this week. They had the following to say about the disc:

"Hard Knocks" is a collection of 9 all-new songs plus a cover version of the Dixie Chicks' "I Hope." Produced by Matt Serletic (Matchbox 20, Carlos Santana), "Hard Knocks" has the timeless "Cocker" sound fusing soul, pop and rhythm and blues into an undeniably infectious mix of a singularly unique contemporary style.

The first single, title track "Hard Knocks," has been racing up the AC Radio charts reaching #19* last week. Cocker will also be interviewed on a forthcoming edition of NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday—date TBD. more on this story

Gwar Set For Tour With Municipal Waste and Corey Smoot Tribute Show
Lock up your garden gnomes because Gwar have announced the initial dates of the second leg of their "Return of the World Maggot Tour".

The tour kicks off with a special tribute show for fallen band mate and friend Cory Smoot, AKA Flattus Maximus, in Richmond, VA, at The National Theater on Friday March 16th. All proceeds from the Richmond show will benefit the "Smoot Family Fund" which has been established to help support Cory's widow and their unborn child.

Municipal Waste and California's Ghoul will join the mayhem for the full run and egacy of Disorder will join the tour on March 20th in Boston and the tour will run through April 11th in Fort Collins, CO. more on this story

Local H Recruit Sanford Parker For New Album
Local H are hard at work on their next album at Engine Studios with metal producer Sanford Parker (Bloodiest, Pelican, Yakuza), with whom Lucas recently worked on his second solo album.

The new Local H album, tentatively titled Hallelujah! I'm A Bum, will be out this summer.

"Sanford's awesome," Lucas says. "He's been at the forefront of the most interesting things happening out of Chicago for a while, and it's truly an invigorating experience to work with him. And, if he would quit fucking feeding me all this whiskey, I'd be alright."

Local H has been road-testing the new songs for the past year. Songs slated for recording include audience favorites "Another February" and "Paddy Considine."

Lucas has been documenting the recording sessions, posting a series of iPhone videos that reveal snippets of songs on the band's


Extreme Plan Pornograffiti Concerts
(Gibson) Extreme will perform their 1990 breakthrough album Pornograffiti in its entirety in Japan later this year.

The band quietly unveiled Japanese dates over the weekend on their official website. They will play consecutive nights at the Tokyo Dome City Hall on April 16 and 17, and at Namba Hatch in Osaka on April 18. Although no other dates have been announced, it would be rather unusual for the band to go to all the trouble of re-learning all of the material for only three shows.

The album's full title is Extreme II. Pornograffitti (A Funked Up Fairy Tale). It peaked at #10 on the Billboard 200, and included the song "More Than Words," which hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1991. The album's other acoustic-based track, "Hole Hearted," reached #4. But the majority of the album's tracks were post-Van Halen rockers, including "He-Man Woman Hater," which features intro and outro solos by Dweezil Zappa. At the time Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt also contributed to Dweezil's solo album Confessions, including a ripping solo on a cover of the Bee Gees' "Staying Alive." more on this story



Judas Priest's K.K. Downing Going Into The Hotel Biz
(Gibson) K.K. Downing, who left the veteran metal band Judas Priest last April, is embarking on an ambitious project to build a hotel on his sprawling estate in England.

According to the Shropshire Star, Downing has proposed a 63-room hotel with pool, spa and restaurant be built on his 320-acre Astbury Hall estate. Downing said: "I am speaking to various corporations about investment and I'm optimistic we can start pushing through with the plans for development this year.

"The next step is putting together all the costing of everything, which includes the golf, practice areas and purpose built clubhouse – as well as the hotel, leisure and spa facilities. more on this story



Mychildren Mybride Plan New Beginning With New Album
Solid State Records have set a March 13th release date for Mychildren Mybride's new self-titled album.

Guitarist Robert Bloomfield calls the album is a new beginning for the band, adding, "I really do feel we found our sound. It's definitely MCMB still, but with this new flare that we've all loved and understood but never figured out a way to translate it to our music."

"I feel like everything we've done as a band all comes together in this one record," Bloomfield says. "Everything we've learned along the way. We put all our love and hate into it. It's the best album in our career so far."
In celebration of the release, the band will be setting sail on a two-month trek alongside FOR TODAY, A SKYLIT DRIVE, STICK TO YOUR GUNS and MAKE ME FAMOUS that includes dozens of stops throughout the U.S. and Canada, culminating in a spot at the infamous New England Metal and Hardcore Festival in Worcester, MA. more on this story

The Apples in Stereo Reissue Classic Album on Vinyl
Yep Roc Records have reissued The Apples in Stereo's classic debut album, Fun Trick Noisemaker, on vinyl this week.

Originally released in 1995, the album has not been available on vinyl in more than 15 years. The reissue includes all of the original artwork, liner notes, rephotographed paintings by Steve Keene, and a four-color poster insert.

Upon its original release in the spring of 1995, All Music Guide called The Apples in Stereo's debut full length "one of those records that marks a sea change in musical attitudes." Fun Trick Noisemaker facilitated that shift by moving the focus away from the negativity of the grunge era, towards a sunnier, more psychedelic vision of rock music. more on this story

The Veer Union and My Darkest Days Spring Tour
The Veer Union are teaming up with fellow Canadians My Darkest Days to head south for a series of Spring tour dates in the United States.

The late March/early April run will mark The Veer Union's first US dates in over a year and will kick off on March 30th in South Bend, In.

"We are excited to announce we will be hitting the road with the boys in My Darkest Days in late March," said vocalist, Crispin Earl. "The last live show that we played in the USA was in Kansas City in 2010, and it was a party. Can't wait to 'Get that money, smack that money' in 2012!" more on this story

Running Wild Return With New Album
(Freeman) Running Wild have reunited and will release their brand new album "Shadowmaker" in Germany on April 20th, in Europe on April 23rd and in the US/Canada on April 24th 2012 on SPV / Steamhammer.

The album will be released as a limited first edition in a black jewel case with silver printing and slipcase plus a 40 min bonus DVD with a making of and a track by track commentary by Rock N´Rolf. The double gatefold LP will come with printed inner sleeves and clear vinyl. There also will be a box set limited to 1.000 copies worldwide. It contains 2 LPs, the black jewel case with the DVD, a poster, a sticker, a postcard and a 30 page book in LP size about the history of the band.

The cover of "Shadowmaker" is the most unusual in the history of the band, but when you listen to the title track and read the lyrics, you will understand the meaning of it. It was created by Rock N´Rolf and Jens Reinhold (Evergrey, Freedom Call, Virgin Steele etc...), who also will do the complete artwork for all configurations. more on this story

Kid Rock Guitarist Kenny Olson Going Solo
Kenny Olson, Kid Rock guitarist and founding member of Twisted Brown Trucker Band, is going solo.

Foxy Music/Firebird have announced a February 7th release of Olson's debut solo album, Kenny Olson Cartel.

To give fans a taste of what is coming, the album's first single "Up All Night," is being offered as a free download here.

Singled Out: Blessed By A Broken Heart's Forever
Today Blessed By A Broken Heart drummer Slater and guitarist Sam Ryder tells us about their new song "Forever" from their brand new album "Feel the Power," which hit stores this week. Here is the story:

Slater: Forever has got to be my favorite track on the record. It's just so melodically infectious. The life of the song has an interesting story. I couldn't sleep one night, tossing and turning in my bed, and this riff came to mind. Usually when I write, I'm in the studio with a piano or a guitar bangin' it out, but this time, the progressions, melodies, and even the arrangement was all magically coming together all in my head. It was 4am, but there was no way I was gonna sleep and possibly forget this potential smash hit come the next morning…So, I went downstairs to my recording studio, fired up the rig, and just hit record.

Everything was just flowing out of me, and the song was completely demoed out in a few hours. It's the most technical & melodic composition I have ever composed, yet was also the fastest song to ever come together. Ironic? The guitars and big synth allowed the song to keep that turbo 80s vibe, but the feel, progression, and arrangement made the song pop radio worthy.

I was so stoked on this song being "the one," I had to tag team up with Shred Sean to get his shred touch all over it. So, I immediately flew up to New York City with my mobile recording rig in a suitcase. I got off the plane, we went to his parents Deli to get some fuel, and went back to his lower east side pad to join forces on this one. He laid down some sick leads over the meat and potatoes, and then slapped his special shred sauce all over the chorus by composing the lead vocal melody on the chorus. Then it was time for the solo… I just looped the section, hit record, and he did what he does best. The most fun was the last part of the solo where the synth leads dual up with the shred… very "Dragonforce" like. It's the climax of the song.. and explodes into the soft bridge.

Although the solo shows the virtuoso of his playing, the slow bridge solo was our favorite. Blessed had never had a slow section with smooth & sexy shred. He laid it down and called it "The Sex." When he laid down the sex solo over the synth pads, we felt like we composed a musical movement from an 80s romance flick. Its cheese, but in a serious way.

The song was so busy musically…with leads + synth + pads, we thought it would be impossible to write vocals over it, and the song was gonna stay instrumental. We titled it "feel the power."

A few months later, Sam Ryder joined the band and loved the song. So his first assignment & challenge was to make sick lyrics and vocals for the tune. We told him that if he could do it, then he was officially in the band…

Marc Canter penned "Reckless Road" - now he talks to Metal Sludge about his family deli history & music from Elvis Presley to Guns N' Roses!

Marc Canter penned "Reckless Road" - now he talks to Metal Sludge about his family deli history & music from Elvis Presley to Guns N' Roses!
By Gerry Gittelson
Metal Sludge Contributor


HOLLYWOOD, Calif. -- Rock and roll is not just about great bands and great music, it’s also about great places in hang out, especially in Los Angeles, the rock capital of the world.

For the longest time, a top rock and roll hangout, besides the Rainbow of course, has been Canter’s Deli on Fairfax Avenue a few blocks off the Sunset Strip – for decades the only decent 24-hour eatery near Hollywood.

After a evening filled with sex, drugs in rock and roll, it was always nice to enjoy Canter’s trademark soups, pastrami and baked goods as the morning sun beckoned.

From Elvis Presley to Marilyn Monroe to Ringo Starr to Muhammad Ali to Led Zeppelin to Van Halen to Prince to Guns N’ Roses (the deli’s pet band when they were just starting up), they’ve all been regulars at the famed restaurant founded in 1924 before eventually moving to its current spot in 1948.

Marc Canter, the youngest family descendent who’s been working at Canter’s all his life, is a huge rock fan, not to mention a noted live photographer and author of the book Reckless Road, which chronicles Canter’s life with Guns N’ Roses and the band’s meteoric rise to fame.

Canter was Slash’s best friend growing up, but even more so, Canter always believed in Guns N’ Roses, even backing the band financially in the beginning before the group eventually signed with Geffen and sold millions of records.

In this exclusive interview, joined in by legendary scenemaker Rodney Bingenheimer – who happened to being hanging out at Canter’s that night – Mark talks in Part 1 about how the Jewish deli has become synonymous with the music industry in-crowd all these years. In Part 2, it’s all about Guns N’ Roses, and Metal Sludge readers are going to LOVE some brand new details about the band – then and now.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

METAL SLUDGE: Canter’s has been around a long time. What’s the secret to success?

Marc Canter: Well, it was the original 24-hour place. There were only one or two others, and they were downtown, and we were in Hollywood. We catered to a lot of film industry folk. They’d work till 10 at night, and come, or they’d go out and have fun, then come here at 1 or 2 in the morning. Plus, CBS was across the street, and there was a big Jewish crowd.

METAL SLUDGE: And really good food, too. What’s always been the most popular items?

Marc Canter: A lot of corned beef and pastrami, lox on a bagel, matzo ball soup. We gave a Matzo ball the size of a baseball, and that was our gimmick – the biggest matzo balls. In the 60s, it was sort of a hippie haven. I remember my grandpa installed special lights so no one could smoke pot in the dark corners, because that wouldn’t be good for business. But every morning, the bakery, everything that had sugar in it, was sold out by the morning. There would always be a few things leftover, but never anything with sugar in it. [laughs]

METAL SLUDGE: Who would come in during the early days?

Marc Canter: Well, in like ’58 and ’59, Elvis Presley would play the old Pan Pacific Auditorium, and everyone would come here after. Jeff Beck still comes here. I bumped into him the other day, and he was saying how after the Yardbirds would play the Whisky, and back then he and the guys would always come to Canter’s. It was a great place, a lot of rock and roll bands.

You can ask Rodney Bingenheimer, you know Rodney on the Roq. He’s right over there [pointing]. He has his own table, he comes in every night. [Rodney Bingenheimer joins].

Metal Sludge: Rodney, you come here every night? That’s weird, I remember you used to come to Denny’s on Sunset every day at 1 p.m. But there’s no more Denny’s.

Rodney Bingenheimer: Yeah, I like the barley soup. You know what they say: All roads lead to Canter’s.

Metal Sludge: Who have you seen here?

Bingenheimer: Echo & The Bunnymen, the Go-Go’s, the Bangles. I used to meet Susanna Hoffs right there [points]. Nick Cage had his first date with Lisa Marie Presley here. Michael Jackson, I remember he was here in 1982 but he was hiding.

Metal Sludge: What about Van Halen?

Marc Canter: Van Halen used to come on a daily basis, especially David Lee Roth. David Lee Roth is a really good tipper.

Metal Sludge: Really? Who else is a good tipper?

Marc Canter: Ace Frehley. He’s the best. Last time he was here, his bill was 56 dollars, and he tipped to make it 112. He could have left a $100 bill, but he made a point to give double the check. That’s the ultimate, especially when you consider he kind of got the short end of the stick in Kiss.

Metal Sludge: What about the others in Kiss?

Marc Canter: Gene Simmons comes all the time, but he never sits in the restaurant. He always orders stuff to go, stuff from the bakery, and picks it up. Yeah, he was here all the time but never sits down. I haven’t seen him in two or three years though, but I’m not always here at night anymore.

Metal Sludge: This is very interesting stuff. Was there ever a big star who ran out without paying their bill?

Marc Canter: Rodney Dangerfield. But he didn’t mean to, he was just too drunk. He ate, he had his check in his hand, then he ordered some stuff from the (takeout) deli, he paid for that food, but he walked out with the check. He got all the way to his car, and the waitress tracked him down, and he was like, “Sorry about that, here’s 50 bucks.”

Metal Sludge: What about the healing powers of chicken soup. Do you believe in it?

Marc Canter: Absolutely. The first thing is the placebo effect, because so much of it is psychological. If you think chicken soup is good for you and it’s going to make you feel better, then of course your brain is going to do that. But second, if you’re tired, or if you’re sore, chicken soup is comfort food. Maybe there’s no medical evidence, but it works. I mean, doctors from Cedars come in here and get it, so maybe it’s not just myth.

Metal Sludge: Has the paparazzi ever been an issue here?

Mark Canter: Mick Jagger once got caught by the front door here. He was just passing by and maybe he ducked in here to hide, but when he got here, he ordered a chicken soup and a cup of tea. I think the only one we’ve ever had to use the backdoor for was Taylor Swift. With twitter and all that stuff, sometimes they just have you. It was weird.

Metal Sludge: Canter’s does have a lot of history.

Marc Canter: Yeah, I think it really came alive in the 60s. A lot of people were afraid of hippies, but we gave them respect. Ray Manzarek from the Doors told me some great stories from back in the day. And Gary Busey, I bumped into him recently, and he told me he signed his first record deal in 1966 at Canter’s.

The best was Frank Zappa. He would come in late at night with three or four people, and the party at his table would build. An hour or two into it, some of the guys from the Turtles would come in, or Mamas and Papas. And the table would keep revolving, and Frank would leave and come back the next day, and his table would still be going but with different people, and he would sit back down again.

Rodney Bingenheimer: I was here. I remember a lot of this stuff. Kim Fowley and Andy Dick. I was here with Kato Kaelin, from the O.J. Simpson case, and the song came on, “Hey Joe, What’s that glove in your hand.” I’ve been here with Dylan, both Dylans, Bob Dylan and Jacob Dylan from the Wallflowers.



Metal Sludge: OK, we’re going to save the Guns N’ Roses part for Part 2, ‘cause we know you were a key part of the early rise of Guns N’ Roses and that the band spent a lot of time at this restaurant and ate a lot of meals here. But real quick, every guy in Guns N’ Roses, what was their favorite thing to order, their favorite entrée that they ordered every time?

Marc Canter: OK. Well, Slash used to always, always, always have the pastrami, but now he only has corned beef. Axl would always order tuna sandwich or sometimes pastrami. Steve Adler always ordered pastrami “Brooklyn-style,” which means cole slaw and Russian dressing on the sandwich. Duff was always the barley soup. Sometimes he got other entrees, like burgers or a few other things, but he always has the barley soup. Izzy I don’t remember, but I think pastrami. They all like pastrami because sometimes, they wouldn’t come in but I would bring them a bag of sandwiches, and it was always a bag of pastrami sandwiches. Pastrami, they never turned it down. That much I know for sure.


Stay tuned for Part 2.

In the mean time, order the bookReckless Road direct from Marc Canter himself.

Gerry Gittelson can be reached gspot@metalsludge.tv

Today's Day In Rock!

Van Halen Expand North American Tour
(hennemusic) Van Halen have added three more shows to their upcoming North American tour in support of their forthcoming album.
New dates include Manchester, New Hampshire; University Park, Pennsylvania; and St. Louis, Missouri.

The band has confirmed a total of 48 shows kicking off February 18th in Louisville, Kentucky through June 26th in New Orleans, Louisiana. more on this story


KISS' The Elder Movie Finally Being Made?
(hennemusic) A film inspired by the 1981 KISS concept album "(Music From) The Elder" may be coming to the big screen.

The album was intended to be the soundtrack to a movie — a movie which, due to the relative commercial failure of the album, was never made.

30 years after the album's original release, U.K.-based writer, musician and independent filmmaker Seb Hunter has announced plans to produce a "post-apocalyptic road movie" based on '(Music From) The Elder'", with production slated to begin this summer. more on this story



Guns N' Roses Have Big Plans
(hennemusic) Guns N' Roses wrapped up their Chinese Democracy tour with two shows in Las Vegas at the end of 2011.

In a new interview with Philadelphia 76ers reporter Matt Cord, bassist Tommy Stinson sheds some light on what's next for the band.

"I can't say officially, but we're leaving again in two weeks," said Stinson. "We're playing some stuff. It's all big stuff. When I call you in two weeks and tell you, you're gonna go, 'I wanna come!' It's gonna be awesome though." More from Tommy here.



Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder Set For Solo Tour
(Banana 101.5) Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder will be taking his solo act on the road for a brief tour beginning in April.

His first true solo outing came in the form of 2008′s 'Into the Wild' soundtrack, for which Vedder performed every song. He followed the well-received soundtrack with the first Eddie Vedder album 'Ukulele Songs' this past May and embarked on a brief solo tour early last summer.

Vedder's camp announced today that he will again tour the U.S. unaccompanied by Pearl Jam this spring. At last report, the band was set to finish recording their tenth record around the same time Vedder will embark on the 13-date tour. more on this story


Metallica Add More Black Album Tour Dates
Metallica's summer vacation just keeps getting longer with the band announcing two additional dates to their upcoming summer trek where they will be playing their self-titled (Black) album in full.

On Monday the band had these details: We'll be kicking off our European trek this year by starting in Prague, Czech Republic on May 7, 2012 at Synot Tip Arena, followed the very next day by a visit to Belgrade, Serbia at Usce Park on May 8th.

Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the 'Black Album' is on the agenda (of course!) in keeping with the theme of the summer, and these will be the first two performances of it in its entirety. more on this story


Ozzy Misses Zakk Wylde Roast
(Gibson) Zakk Wylde was roasted at Guitar World's Rock and Roll Roast at City National Grove of Anaheim on January 19.

Rolling Stone reports Wylde was targeted by Corey Taylor, Duff McKagan, Anthrax's Scott Ian, Chris Jericho and others. Taylor told Rolling Stone: "We've all known each other for a while, we all love each other. So let's just rip the crap out of each other."

Sharon Osbourne was happy to host the event and explained that she's known Zakk for many years. She said: "I've known him since he was 18. He calls me 'mom,' and I feel like his mom. So I can be disrespectful, horrible, mean to him for two hours and get away with it."

Since Ozzy was unable to make the event, because he's busy working on the new Black Sabbath album, Sharon passed on his thoughts about Zakk. "Ozzy is very proud of Zakk – very, very proud. He's proud of the man he's become – he's sober and fabulous."




Pulp Coming To America
Pulp reunited last year but American fans will get their first chance to see the group this spring when they make a limited number of appearances in the U.S.

Pulp announced this week plans to play Coachella, The Warfield in San Francisco, and Radio City Music Hall in New York.

The shows will involve all the original members of the band -- Nick Banks (drums), Jarvis Cocker (vocals, guitar), Candida Doyle (keyboards), Steve Mackey (bass), Russell Senior (violin, guitar) and Mark Webber (guitar) -- and they will be playing songs from all periods of their career. more on this story


Five Finger Death Punch and Soulfly Tour
Five Finger Death Punch are hitting the road in March for a North American tour focused on Canada and the Western United States.

Five Finger Death Punch have tapped Soulfly as direct support, and the tour will also feature Windowpane and Persist.

5FDP will headline Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg and more, while also playing a special Las Vegas hometown show alongside other western-US markets. more on this story


Lamb Of God Announce New Resolution Tour Leg
Lamb Of God plan to head across the Atlantic this spring for the European leg of the Resolution tour.

The tour encompasses all of the major European festivals as well as a number of headline theater and club shows.

In addition to Europe, the tour will include Lamb of God's return to India and Israel, which were two highlights on the 2009/2010 Wrath tour. more on this story


Portugal. The Man and The Lonely Forest For Jagermeister Tour
Portugal. The Man have been announced as the headliners as this year's Jagermeister tour that will feature support from The Lonely Forest.

The North American trek is set to kick off on April 3rd and will hit 26 cities across the United States.

John Gourley, lead singer of Portugal.The Man said, "We were planning on taking a short break from the road, but Jägermeister presented an opportunity for us to visit a handful of cities that we have not been to in ages, so we jumped at the chance to play these shows." more on this story


Puscifer To Rock Kimmel
Puscifer will be performing on Jimmy Kimmel Live on February 16th ahead of the kick off of their North American Tour.

The second leg of the band's North American tour in support of their latest album, Conditions of My Parole, will kick off on Feb. 23 at The Long Center for the Performing Arts in Austin, Tex.

Puscifer's touring band members are Maynard James Keenan, Mat Mitchell, Josh Eustis, Carina Round, Matt McJunkins and Jeff Friedl. more on this story


Alice Cooper To Drop The Puck For Phoenix Coyotes
(hennemusic) Longtime Phoenix resident Alice Cooper will be the guest of honor at a Phoenix Coyotes home game next month.

Alice will be on hand to drop the puck for the February 18 match between the Coyotes and the Dallas Stars.

The Coyotes will be giving away Alice Cooper bobbleheads to the first 10,000 fans in the door as part of military appreciation night. more on this story



Janus Announce New Album and Tour With Chevelle and Middle Class Rut
Warner Music Group's Independent Label Group have set a March 27th release date for Janus' sophomore album, Nox Aeris, and the band is hitting the road with Chevelle and Middle Class Rut on February 24th.

The record's title, which is Latin for "night air," comes from the 14th Century, a period where a third of the European population was killed off by the plague. Then, people believed going outdoors at night would cause them to succumb to the Black Death. While writing Nox Aeris, Janus found this idea to be an apt metaphor for their own journey, preconceived notions of their own being flipped around as they became a bigger, more established band since the release of Red Right Return. Nox Aeris reveals who Janus is and what they've gone through.

The album's first single "'Stains' explores what can happen when you don't follow your heart, the marks left on your spirit when you become someone you're not. "It embodies what I was trying to say on the record," says singer David Scotney, "it's a dark point of view, but represents a cathartic process of self-healing." more on this story


Ben Kweller Taps Sleeper Agent For Tour
Ben Kweller has invited Sleeper Agent to support him on a spring tour of North America.

The tour is set to kick off March 20th in Hartford, CT and will wrap up on May 1st in Denver.

Sleeper Agent have also announced that they will perform both weekends of the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival on April 15th and 22nd. more on this story


Limited Edition Alex Harvey Book Coming Next Month
Alex Harvey: Last of the Teenage Idols, a limited edition photobook is set to be released on February 4th. Here are the official details: In 1974 a young photographer in Cleveland, Ohio, met the Sensational Alex Harvey Band – and the encounter led to a lifelong, award-winning career. Twenty-five years later a young journalist met the surviving members of SAHB – and that encounter led to another award-winning career.

Alex Harvey, known to many as 'the last of the teenage idols,' took his band from the slums of 1960s Glasgow to the stages of the world. Their unique brand of Vaudeville-inspired concerts and theatrical musical compositions made them one of the most respected live acts of the era.

Their onstage energy was so powerful it brought fans of Slade, the Who, and many others to heel. They opened the Reading festival in 1973 and headlined it in 1974 – the first band to perform such a feat. They even survived the punk revolution, when leading lights including the Sex Pistols proclaimed their admiration for Alex. SAHB were the darlings of the celebrated TV show The Old Grey Whistle Test and, in the mid-1970s, they were the biggest-grossing live act in the UK. more on this story


The Belle Brigade, Good Old War and Family of the Year Tour
The Belle Brigade plan to hit the road this spring with Good Old War and Family of the Year.

The North American trek will also include a stop at this year's SXSW festival in Austin, Texas.

The tour will kick off on March 8th in Knoxville, TN and will wrap up on April 27th in Philadelphia, PA. more on this story


Here's Little Richard Getting Expanded Reissue
(Conqueroo) Here's Little Richard, Concord Music Group's expanded reissue of the original Specialty Records album from 1957 is set to hit stores on April 17, 2012.

Rock 'n' roll may date back to Jackie Brenston's "Rocket 88" in 1951 and perhaps further to blues/swing hybrids of the 1940s. But many would contend that Little Richard's "Tutti Frutti," recorded at Cosimo Matassa's studio in new Orleans in September 1955, was the first great rock 'n' roll record. "Tutti Frutti" kicks off Here's Little Richard.

In addition to the original recordings of Little Richard's best known hits — "Long Tall Sally," "Ready Teddy," "Jenny Jenny," "Rip It Up," "Slippin' and Slidin'" and more — the Concord remastered reissue features two bonus tracks (Specialty demo recordings of "Baby" and "All Night Long") and two videos (screen tests of "Tutti Frutti" and "Long Tall Sally"). The set contains liner notes by R&B musicologist Lee Hildebrand, as well as the notes from the original LP. more on this story


Scale The Summit Kick Off Tour This Week and Announce Vinyl Release
Scale The Summit will be hitting the road for their first-ever headlining tour this week and have also announced a special vinyl release.

The Their Strings Are Voices tour kicks off in the band's hometown of Houston on Friday, and will wrap its way through the U.S. before concluding on February 20 in Shreveport, Louisiana. Support will be provided by Elitist at most shows.

Prosthetic Records will release Scale The Summit latest album, The Collective, on vinyl next month. more on this story


NME Dub Noel Gallagher Godlike Genius
(Gibson) Former Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher will be given the Godlike Genius Award at the 2012 NME Awards.

The leader of Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds will be celebrated at the ceremony on February 29 at London's O2 Academy Brixton, according to NME.

In response to the accolade, the guitarist/songwriter/vocalist said: "I would like to thank NME for bestowing upon me such a great accolade. I have dreamt of this moment since I was 43 years old. I accept that I am now a genius, just like God." more on this story




Singled Out: Primal Fear's Born Again
Today Ralf Scheepers from Primal Fear tells us about "Born Again" from their brand new album "Unbreakable," which was released today. Here is the story:

In the morning before going to the funeral of a football mate (socker) and schoolmate of mine, I remembered that I still needed to write some lyrics and to find a melody line for our song "Born Again" for the UNBREAKABLE album.

Actually right at that same day in the afternoon I sat down and wrote the very lyrics of that song. I was just brainstorming and it was obvious to me to write about my feelings I had that sad day, so I let it all flow out of me. I was in deep mourning and I transformed my sorrow into words……. I didn't actually write about my buddy specifically but turned the story into a general feeling and the great question behind it all if there is a life after death…. I think the theme of the song and the perfect atmosphere of the track, which was written by Mat and Magnus simply are like chalk and cheese to the melody and the lyrics.

I often do this when I write lyrics. I combine all my experiences and real happenings with invented stories around it to avoid the fact to be too personal etc… I think personal stories belong to appear on solo albums as there is one name on the album cover and people can relate the songs and lyrics of the solo artist to the human being behind it.

It's quiet different, so there might be no formula which works always…. It's a bit of everything in the end….just like you use different spices to prepare a good meal.