Today's Day In Rock!

Aerosmith Recording A Concept Album
Joe Bosso from MusicRadar caught up with producer Jack Douglas, engineer Warren Huart to discuss Aerosmith's forthcoming album. Here is a portion where Jack Douglas discusses the sound of the new album and we learn that it's actually a concept album:
"We're going back to the rawness. There's something special about the vintage Aerosmith vibe, and that's what we have here. It's got that '70s feel and sense of humor. It's a bit of a concept album – there's a theme running through it, but I can't really talk about that right now. But to get that edge and spirit, it made sense to capture tracks live with the band playing all out.

"The way Pandora's Box is set up, we can get that. It's a gorgeous room that was designed by John Storyk, and the board was designed by Jay Messina and myself. It's 24 tracks of Neve broadcast modules, eight tracks of API, eight tracks of old Focusrite, and then PAD built a custom eight-buss for us. So they all speak to one another. It's just like having one board – we call it 'Frankenstein.' I had a lot of my gear and my mics sent over to the place.

"Pandora's Box really allowed me to record the band like I did in the '70s. We'd sit in the production office and start with the germ of a song – just acoustic guitars and some basic ideas – and then we'd take that and go into a rehearsal room. In that room, we have small amps and keyboards, and we'll record everything we do there into my laptop. After that, once it's right, we'll take it into the big room and record it. If we need to make changes, we'll make them later."

Read the full interview and find out who Steven is working with on lyrics for the album here.

Van Halen Kept From The Top
(hennemusic) Van Halen's new album, "A Different Kind Of Truth," has debuted at no. 2 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.

The rockers were expected to battle for top spot with UK singing sensation Adele, and that's exactly how things played out.

Van Halen's album sold 187,000 copies in its debut week, while Adele enjoyed a massive sales bump due to her increased profile around Sunday's Grammy Awards, where she swept her 6 categories, including Album Of The Year for "21." Adele sold 242,000 copies during Grammy week, virtually doubling the 122,000 she sold a week earlier. more on this story

Iron Maiden and Alice Cooper North American Tour
Iron Maiden are returning to North America this year for another "history of Iron Maiden" tour, this time recapturing the set from the Maiden England concert movie filmed during the 1988 Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son Tour.

The tour kicks off on June 21st in Charlotte, NC and the first month of the trek will feature Alice Cooper as a special guest (until July 21st) and Coheed and Cambria taking over after that.

Here is the official word with the initial dates: This opening section of the World Tour is the band's most extensive visit to North America for many years and includes a number of cities the band have not played in a very long time, such as Charlotte, Atlanta, Buffalo, Indianapolis and Salt Lake City. more on this story

Pantera Reunion Rejected
The Metal Den says an unnamed source told them that Vinnie Paul has rejected a lucrative offer to take part in a one-time Pantera reunion to pay tribute to his brother Dimebag Darrell Abbott who was murdered in 2004.

Vinnie Paul had previously discounted an online campaign for the tribute show reunion by telling www.darkside.ru, "Dime was such a huge part of it that it would be just completely asinine to even consider that. He left an amazing legacy and it's going to be left untouched, it's beautiful, it's pristine and I want to leave it that way."

Now The Metal Den reports that they "learned from a source close to the camp of legendary ex-Pantera and current Hellyeah drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott that indeed a 'large sum of money' has been put on the table to reunite him with surviving Pantera members, vocalist Philip H. Anselmo and bassist Rex Brown for a one-off reunion/tribute event (with special fill-in guitarists).... This source says Vinnie Paul basically laughed the offer right off the table. " more

Green Day Start Recording New Album
(Gibson) Billie Joe Armstrong has Tweeted about Green Day, and reveals the band have officially begun studio sessions on their new album. Armstrong posted: "Happy Valentine's day! Officially started recording the new record today."

The band have previously said that their forthcoming ninth studio album will move away from the concepts of their last two records, American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown,and be more straightforward.

In November 2011, Green Day debuted a new song, "Carpe Diem," during a live show in San Francisco. The band have previously played new material at live shows, with a more aggressive sound than the pop-rock of recent albums. Working titles reportedly include "Wow, That's Loud" and "Make Out Party." The trio have been demoing material since May 2011. more on this story



Dave Matthews Band Summer Tour
The Dave Matthews Band have announced thier first North American Summer Tour since 2010.

This summer's trek will kick off on on May 18 at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in Woodlands, TX.

The tour will feature numerous two-night stands, including visits at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, NY (June 8 & 9) and the Cruzan Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach, FL (July 20 & 21). The group will begin a West Coast run over Labor Day weekend with three nights (August 31, September 1 & 2) at The Gorge Amphitheatre in George, WA, where Dave Matthews Band has headlined 40 shows since 1997. more on this story

Coheed and Cambria Giving Away New Song
Earlier this week Coheed and Cambria frontman Claudio Sanchez leaked an acoustic version of the brand new song, "Sentry the Defiant," to their fans online.

He wrote on the youtube posting "Instead of making you wait until the album is released, I thought I'd share my excitement for this song with you now. I decided with this piece to video document it's creation."

He added, "This is literally the first time I played the song through in its entirety. His name is Sentry The Defiant."

The video has received 65,000 plays in less than 24 hours and seems to be spreading. The band is also giving away a free download to the audio of the song on their website here.

Corey Taylor Talks Possible Slipknot, Mushroomhead, GWAR, Mudvayne Tour
(Banana 101.5) It may be hard to believe but vocalist Corey Taylor says that not only is a Slipknot/Mushroomhead tour possible, he'd also like to get Mudvayne and GWAR on board.

There's always been animosity between the fans of Slipknot and Mushroomhead. During one of the Q&As on Corey Taylor's recent tour he was asked about the possibility of touring with Mushroomhead.

"I would welcome it. I'd love to do something like that, you know. Especially now. I think it'd beautiful to put something like that together and just see what f—ing happens – Slipknot, Mushroomhead, GWAR and f—ing Mudvayne. Because if it's one thing I've learned, you don't hold on to stupid s—, you let it go." But what about the rivalry?

Gregg Allman Autobiography Coming
(hennemusic) Gregg Allman's autobiography, "My Cross To Bear," will be published May 1. For the first time, the founding member of the Allman Brothers Band tells the story of his life, including the music, the band, the tragedies, and the triumphs.

One of the most entertaining live bands ever to take the stage, the Allman Brothers Band defined the meaning of live rock and roll. But despite nearly a half-century of massive success, no one has ever told the inside story of the band and the brothers behind it.

"When I got out of high school, I thought, I'll take a year or two off and play the clubs, get this out of my system, and then go to med school," Gregg said last year. "More than forty years later, I figure it's finally time to write about this crazy journey that's taken me around the world and back." more on this story

Paul McCartney Wants To Keep Touring Into His 80s
(Gibson) Paul McCartney will turn 70 this year, but the former Beatle tells Rolling Stone that he doesn't think he'll be retiring anytime soon. Macca said he'd like to keep touring into his 80s.

"I can imagine it," he said. "As to whether my imagination will come true, I don't know. The last couple of years, I've gotten into guitar – so there's all sorts of little things that crop up that entice you forward, and you go, 'Hmm, I'd like that.'"

Elsewhere in the interview, McCartney said he's in a bit of denial about his age. "I'm never going to believe I'm 70, I don't care what you say," he said. "There's a little cell in my brain that's never going to believe that… You get the argument, 'Make way for the young kids.' And you think, 'F--k that, let them make way for themselves. If they're better than me, they'll beat me.' Foo Fighters don't have a problem, they're good. They'll do their thing." more on this story



Public Image Ltd Releasing First Album in 20 Years
(Gibson) Public Image Ltd will release their first album in 20 years in 2012. John Lydon says the new album is due in May/June, with a taster EP to be released in April.

"The album's done," Lydon told BBC 6 radio. "We finished it late last summer, mastered it in September." Lydon insists this is no cash-in. He reunited PiL in 2009, and says: "Everybody thinks I made such a fortune with the Sex Pistols. Unfortunately, that is not true. To make this record we had to tour extensively for two years."

The working title for the album is apparently This Is PiL. The band will whet fans' appetites with "One Drop," a four-song EP to be released on International Record Store Day, April 21. The group's new material is "folk music," Lydon told NME. "Irish folkies … think I'm mocking tradition, but for God's sake, that's been the story of my life. It's not mockery; it's called advancement. We can't all be stuck in 17th-century ditties. more on this story



Steven Tyler and Carrie Underwood Rock Aerosmith Classics
(hennemusic) Steven Tyler recently teamed up with country superstar Carrie Underwood for CMT's Crossroad series and video is now online.

The episode was broadcast live from Indianapolis during Super Bowl weekend.

Tyler and Underwood rocked out on each other's tunes: Aerosmith fans heard tracks like "Sweet Emotion," "Love In An Elevator," Cryin'" and "Walk This Way." Check out video from the special

Slash's Valentine
(hennemusic) Slash has issued the third webisode in his series of behind the scenes looks at the recording of his new solo album. This time out, the focus is on producer Eric Valentine.

"When I was doing the last solo record," begins Slash, "I was looking for a producer and I found a handful of records that Eric Valentine had done…and I loved how diverse his tastes were. I hooked up with Eric and played him some demos and, somehow, he just managed to catch on [to] exactly what was going on in my head. So…we just clicked right away."

Slash's as-yet-untitled album is due May 22, and he begins a mini-US tour on May 3 in Baltimore, with dates booked throughout the month of May. Check out the video here.

Mars Attacks Charred Walls Of The Damned
(MAR) The latest episode of the Mars Attacks podcast contains interviews with Charred Walls Of The Damned drummer Richard Christy and John Arch of Arch – Matheos.

Richard discusses the band's latest album Cold Winds On Timeless Days, what it was like to leave Iced Earth for the Howard Stern Show, his gear, and the late Chuck Shuldiner among other things.

John Arch discusses the album Sympathetic Resonance, his past in Fates Warning, his expectations for Arch – Matheos along with a slew of other things. Check it out here.

Volbeat Go No 1 in America
Volbeat has scored their first American no 1 on the Active Rock charts with their single "A Warrior's Call."

Singer Michael Poulson shares, "I'm really honored that "A Warriors Call" has reached #1 on America's Active Rock Radio chart! We're the first Danish band to achieve that, and with a song written for boxing champ Mikkel Kessler. Going #1 and topping acts like Foo Fighters and Nickelback, we never dared to believe! Volbeat would like to thank Universal Republic, all the radio stations, listeners and fans for their support!" Universal Republic Chairman Monte Lipman offers, "Volbeat never stop working, and their tireless efforts are paying off. This is a landmark for what I consider to be one of the most daring bands in hard rock."

Beyond Hell / Above Heaven debuted at number one on the sales charts in Denmark, Finland and Sweden, and Top 10 in a half dozen additional countries. In the U.S., it continues to see strong sales on a weekly basis. Since the Danish metal quartet's formation in October, 2001, VOLBEAT has steadily risen to become one of the major attractions in the European scene. This success has followed as a headliner in the U.S., with the band selling out venues across the country including New York and Los Angeles. more on this story

Derelict Album Release Set
Derelict have announced the release date for their new album, Perpetuation, and a record release show.

"We're releasing the album on April 20th, 2012!", states Derelict vocalist Eric Burnet.

"The date coincides with our Montreal CD release show, which will kick off a run of similar events around Quebec and Ontario, followed by some tours in the Summer and Fall". more on this story

Wishbone Ash Member Releases Music Software
(Glass Onyon) Wishbone Ash drummer Joe Crabtree has developed new software for the drummer and musician.

Crabtree, who has been creating music software for a number of years, is excited to introduce the RhythMachine, OctopuSequencer, Pyramid and PolyNome.

RhythMachine is a tool for generating rhythms and melodies and orchestrating them on the drum kit or pitched instruments. It can be used for ear training, creating vamps to solo over or generating grooves and fills. "I began work on my first piece of software, the RhythMachine, back in 2008," Joe explains. "It was inspired by some lessons I took in New York with Robby Ameen. In my lesson with Robby we were playing double drums – both playing a songo groove with a left foot clave. We'd play 3 bars of groove, then Robby would keep the clave going and play a 1 bar melodic fill on the toms. We'd go around the 4 bars again and my challenge was to mimic what he had played. It was challenging and I wanted to develop some software that would replicate that scenario. I wrote RhythMachine to do exactly this." more on this story

Exhumed Tour Dates Aborted
Exhumed have been forced to cancel their dates in Brazil this week with Aborted due to visa issues.

Vocalist/guitarist Matt Harvey explains "We are totally weakened to have to cancel our Brazilian dates. Due to our visa applications getting rejected, we cannot legally enter the country at this time -- in fact, they threatened to ban us from being there for a decade.

"We are doing everything we can to reschedule these dates as soon as possible. Due to the bulls*** policies of U.S. immigration/customs and Brazilian customs' policy of reciprocity, our visas were refused by the Brazilian consulate before even being processed. more on this story

Prong with Crowbar and Witchburn Tour
Prong are hitting the road in April for a North American tour with Crowbar and Witchburn.

The tour will kick off on April 5th in Dallas, TX and runs through April 21st in Detroit, MI. T

Prong will be touring in support of their new album Carved Into Stone, which is due out April 24th in North America on Long Branch Records. more on this story

Cheap Girls Album and Tour Coming
Cheap Girls have added dates to their upcoming Spring headline tour of North America in support of their forthcoming album, Giant Orange, which hits stores next week.

The tour kicks off on Thursday, March 1, in Cleveland, OH, at the Grog Shop, the tour, which will also feature The Sidekicks on the entire run as well as The Menzingers after March 24, will take in nights at notable venues across the U.S. such as Asbury Lanes in Asbury Park, NJ, on Sunday, March 4, Knitting Factory in Brooklyn, NY, on Tuesday, March 6, and the Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco, CA, on Monday, April 2.

The tour will also include a stop at the SXSW Music Festival in Austin, TX, during March and culminate in a performance at The Atlantic in Gainesville, FL, on Friday, April 13. more on this story

Remembering Doris Troy
(Gibson) On this day in 2004, Singer Doris Troy died. She had been a session singer with Dionne Warwick, sang on Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon and released an album on The Beatles' Apple label. She also had a 1964 U.K. #37 single with "Whatcha Gonna Do About It" and a 1963 U.S. #10 hit, "Just One Look." Gibson looks back:

Bronx-born, she broke though in the U.S. as a backup singer and hitmaker/songwriter but found her greatest success in England, signing with The Beatles' own label, Apple, at Harrison's urging.

Harrison was a fan of her 1963 hit "Just One Look." The song was covered in England by The Hollies and Troy started visiting Britain, where her profile began to grow. She played several London gigs with a young Reg Dwight (later Elton John) on piano.

She would go on to sing on The Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want," Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord" and Carly Simon's "You're So Vain," and was both a writer and singer on Billy Preston's Apple album.

It was while recording with Preston that Doris first met Harrison. In an interview from 1970, George recalled, "I first met Doris on this Billy Preston session. Doris had come over to England with a few demo tapes, because she'd decided that she wanted to live in England and try and do it from here like, I suppose, the thing that Jimi Hendrix did. She came on a session, and she's been there ever since!" more on this story



Keith Moody Singled Out Week: Lay It Down Easy
Keith Moody released his new album, "Dreaming Out Loud" , this week. To celebrate we asked him to tell us about some of the songs from the album. Today he tells us about, "Lay It Down Easy". Here is the story:

This tune is simply about having courage, and not letting anyone tell you what your direction or destiny may be. The myth that Columbus was told the world was flat is a good personification of this theme, especially after writing the first verse as if it were a conversation or friendly advice. I know when I give or receive advice I like to hear a little story to help drive the point home. The tune has a good hit the road vibe to it too, which I thought was important. I wanted this song to be a personal sound track or anthem for taking the first steps to start new journeys

VAN HALEN DEBUT AT #2 IN USA:

A David Lee Roth fronted Van Halen have once again had world domination plans foiled by a long standing current #1 record. Back in 1984, the band's album of the same name just missed out on reaching number one due to the phenomenal success of Michael Jackson's Thriller opus (going on to be the #1 selling album of all-time).
Now in 2012, the band's new album A Different Kind Of Truth has been held out at #1 by the continuing stellar run by Adele with her album 21. Adele posted a 102% jump on previous weeks sales due to advance-Grammy publicity and sold another 241,000 units.
Van Halen will instead debut at #2, with 187,333 units reported sold - a little short of their label Interscope's original hopes (200-250k), but in line with revised expectations of 180k+. Nevertheless, it's the best result for a classic rock band in quite a while and something for the band to be proud of.

Today's Day In Rock!

Original Guns N' Roses Lineup For Rock Hall Induction
(Banana 101.5) There is now confirmation that the Guns N' Roses members from the Appetite for Destruction-era will all be on hand for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
While singer Axl Rose has made it pretty clear that he is happy with the current GN'R roster and doesn't want to offend them, it appears that the one-off reunion performance may actually go down at the Rock Hall ceremony this April. Dizzy Reed, current GN'R keyboard player and longest active member besides Axl, recently told Billboard:

"I know that all the original band is going to be there. I don't know exactly what's going to go down. It's one of those things I'm sure will all come together and be really cool. I'm just going to go in with a good attitude and a clear head and a grateful heart."

The original GN'R lineup — consisting of Axl Rose, Slash, Duff McKagan, Izzy Stradlin, and Steven Adler — have not shared a stage together since April 7th, 1990. more on this story

Lost Joy Division and New Order Tapes Discovered
(Gibson) Food star, restaurateur and "Naked Chef" Jamie Oliver recently made a startling discovery. Oliver and company were excavating an old bank in Manchester, England, when they found master tapes to tracks by Joy Division and New Order, according to NME.

Oliver and his cohorts were working on the bank to transform it into a new restaurant. The tapes come from many sessions of the legendary, Manchester-based bands. In addition to that amazing find, Oliver also found guns, gold and jewelry buried with the tapes.

So what does the celebrity chef have planned for his newfound loot? Well, nothing. Oliver turned over everything (valued at $1.7 million) to the British Treasury. more on this story



Radiohead, Phish, Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Beach Boys Bonnaroo
(Gibson) Tennessee's annual music festival, Bonnaroo, has announced this year's lineup.

The festival takes place June 7-10 near Manchester, Tennessee, with rock and roll heavyweights Radiohead, Phish, Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Beach Boys all set to appear.

Other acts lined up for the festival include The Avett Brothers, The Shins, The Roots, Alice Cooper, Ludacris, Ben Folds Five, The Civil Wars, Two Door Cinema Club, Gary Clark Jr. and many, many more. more on this story



Van Halen Classic Lands Student in Hot Water
(hennemusic) An Oakland University student in Rochester, Michigan has been suspended after writing about his attraction to one of his professors in an essay titled "Hot For Teacher" that was based on a song by Van Halen.

WXYX reports aspiring writer Joseph Corlett says he was never warned that writing about his attraction to his professors who are women crossed the line in his Advanced Critical Writing class.

Corlett says the same professor who was offended had previously praised him for his written work that detailed his attraction to women. More including a video news report

Marilyn Manson Album and Tour Coming
Press Here sent over word that Marilyn Manson will be hitting the road this spring for the first North America tour since 2009.

The tour will kick off on April 27th and the first set of confirmed dates run until May 20th.

Marilyn Manson will be touring in support of the upcoming release of "Born Villian" this spring. An official announcement about the album release will be made soon. more on this story


Halestorm Release Anti Love Song Video
(Banana 101.5) Halestorm gave fans the official music video for their anti-love song 'Love Bites (So Do I)' for Valentine's Day.

Halestorm release their sophomore effort 'The Strange Case of…" on April 10th and hit the road with Staind and Godsmack as part of the Mass Chaos tour three days later. Frontwoman Lzzy Hale recently described the band's new single 'Love Bites (So Do I)' to Noisecreep:

"The song is my little stab against the media's portrayal of love. Your heart cannot be measured or judged by the quizzes in magazines and scenes in movies. So for both boys and girls I tell you this, love who and how you want, and for god's sake when love bites, bite back! That bitch can eat her heart out!" Read more and check out the video here.


Evans Blue Want You For New Video
(Banana 101.5) Evans Blue vocalist Dan Chandler posted a video detailing how you can be a part of their upcoming video for the single 'This Time It's Different' from their upcoming release 'Graveyard of Empires.'

Evans Blue release their second album with singer Dan Chandler (fourth overall) on April 17th. Their new single 'This Time It's Different' is currently climbing the rock charts and the band is looking to make a music video featuring you. "It was so awesome how the 'Say It' fan video came together on our last album that we wanted to do it again for 'This Time It's Different,'" says Chandler of their previous fan video. "There's nothing better than seeing our fans rock out to our songs!"

A new message posted to their Facebook page invites fans to break out their cameras and rock as hard as they can. Submissions are due Monday, March 19th and further details can be found on the Evans Blue Facebook page and in the video here.


Ozzy Expels Eddie Trunk from The Boneyard
(Gibson) That Metal Show host Eddie Trunk has shifted his SiriusXM radio show Eddie Trunk Live from The Boneyard to Hair Nation from Monday, after control of The Boneyard was handed over to Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne.

Hair Nation is on Channel 39 on both Sirius and XM. The new program will run from from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET. Trunk says his show will remain exactly as it was on the new channel.

"The show will be identical mix of music, guests, calls, requests of hard rock and metal, just a new channel," Trunk says. more on this story



Hellyeah Tour and Album Coming
Hellyeah's third album, Band of Brothers, is set for worldwide release in early June and the band will be announcing North American tour plans soon. They are confirmed to tour Australia and Japan in the coming months.

The album was recorded in Dallas at drummer Vinnie Paul's home studio, VP's Upstairs Studio, and was produced by the band and Jeremy Parker (Godsmack, Evanessence), who also served as engineer.

Frontman Chad Gray comments, "I'm really excited about what we've done on this new album. I've always separated Mudvayne and Hellyeah as much as I could, even though it was my voice. Melodies, lyrics and just the overall style of writing were different. With Band of Brothers, I just quit being afraid of who I am in relation to this band. I think we've all really gotten back to the original roots of what we've done individually and brought it together on this album. As an artist, as long as you're painting with your own brush, no one can compare or challenge you. I just painted with a bigger, heavier brush than I had with Hellyeah in the past. I think this is what fans have always expected to hear from us, and now were giving it to them." more on this story


Journey Release Video Featuring Michaele Salahi
(hennemusic) Journey have released their new video for "Resonate," a track from the band's 2011 album, "Eclipse."

Filmed in San Francisco and Los Angeles, the video captures some of the band's favorite live moments during the Eclipse Tour.

The clip also features guitarist Neal Schon romping with girlfriend Michaele Salahi, wife of Tareq Salahi and star of the canceled "Real Housewives of D.C." Watch the video here.



On Stage Birthday Surprise for Motley Crue's Vince Neil
(hennemusic) Motley Crue continue their Las Vegas residency at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel. Last week, Crue frontman Vince Neil turned 51 (February 8) and celebrated with bandmates and fans at the group's February 9 concert.

The Crue surprised Vince with a 3-foot-tall, guitar-shaped birthday cake. According to the Las Vegas Sun, the cake featured some of the group's album covers and a replica of Vince's 1932 Ford Coupe hot rod, which is on display in the front Hard Rock lobby.

Tommy Lee brought Vince on board his drum kit for a birthday roller coaster ride, a trip normally reserved for fans at each show. Check out the birthday video here.


Jack White Releases New Solo Video
(hennemusic) Jack White is gearing up for the release of his debut album, "Blunderbuss." A "Jack" of all trades, White directed the video for the first single, "Love Interruption."

As on the single, the clip features back-up vocalist Ruby Amanfu, clarinet/bass clarinet player Emily Bowland and Brooke Waggoner on wurlitzer electric piano.

Due April 24, "Blunderbuss" was produced by White and recorded at his own Third Man Studio in Nashville. Check out the video here.


Joe Bonamassa Releasing New DVD in March
(Gibson) Joe Bonamassa: Beacon Theatre Live From New York DVD will be released on Monday, March 26.

This is a follow- up to 2009's Live from the Royal Albert Hall, and includes contributions from special guests Beth Hart, John Hiatt and Paul Rodgers.

Hart joins Bonamassa for "I'll Take Care of You" and "Sinner's Prayer," from the recently released Don't Explain album. John Hiatt, a legendary singer-songwriter, joins Bonamassa for "Down Around My Place" and "I Know a Place." Paul Rodgers (Bad Company and Free) performs "Fire And Water" and "Walk in My Shadows" with Bonamassa.

The Beacon Theatre release coincides with Joe Bonamassa's U.K. Arena tour. Dates include Brighton Centre (March 23), Sheffield Motorpoint Arena (March 24), Newcastle Metro Arena (March 25), Edinburgh Usher Hall (March 27), Liverpool Echo Arena (March 28), Bournemouth BIC (March 30), Birmingham NIA (March 31), Capital FM Arena Nottingham (April 2), Glasgow Royal Concert Hall (April 4), and Blackpool Opera House (April 5). more on this story




Dark New Day Trading Fans A Bonus Track For A Photo
(ABCPR) Dark New Day which features Clint Lowery (guitarist from Sevendust), Will Hunt (drummer from Evanescence), Troy McLawhorn (guitarist from Evanescence), Brett Hestla (lead singer/guitarist from Virgos Merlot) and Corey Lowery (bassist from Stereomud and Eye Empire), will release their sophomore album, New Tradition, February 28 on Goomba Music (distributed by eOne Music).

To make the release extra special, the band is offering a bonus track to fans who buy the full album and send in a photo of themselves holding the CD or a digital photo of their purchase online. A MP3 of "Rising Sun" will be available for a limited time only (February 28 through March 6).

Photos can be e-mailed to DND@goombamusic.com or mailed to Goomba Music, 6348 N. Milwaukee Ave., Suite 301, Chicago, IL 60646 (must be postmarked by March 6). Goomba Music will then e-mail the song to the fans directly.

"'Rising Sun' is a cool tune in the history of DND," explains drummer Will Hunt. "We actually said before writing it, in not so many words, let's write as basic a rock song as we can for the sake of doing it because we can. It's kinda getting back to our formidable 'roots.' It's really just about getting in your car, crankin' up some jams, and headin' out to get rowdy with your friends. Very different for us lyrically and stylistically."

New Tradition is the follow-up to 2005's debut album, Twelve Year Silence, which was released on Warner Bros. Records. more on this story



311 Have Big Plans
(Gibson) 311 have big plans for the next couple of months. First, the band will celebrate "311 Day" over the course of two shows at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on March 10 and 11. The concerts will each feature extended, 3-hour-long setlists and "state-of-the-art production."

Later this year, 311 will again take part in the 311 Caribbean Cruise. The trek sets sail on May 10 from Miami and will travel to Half Moon Cay through May 14. 311 will play four shows during the cruise, including one concert on the beach.

Other acts performing on the cruise include The Dirty Heads, Shwayze & Cisco, Ballyhoo, 2 Skinnee J's, Shootyz Groove, Passafire, Full Service, Outlaw Nation, DJ Soulman, DJ Trichrome, Trailer Park Ninjas, Exes of Evil and Moral Defect. more on this story




Hoodoo Gurus Release New Video
(hennemusic) The Hoodoo Gurus are celebrating 30 years of recorded history with the March 16 release of "Gold Watch: 20 Golden Greats."

30 years on from the release of the debut Hoodoo Gurus single, "Leilani" [1982] and the Aussie rockers offer an all-new, career-spanning greatest hits album.

"Gold Watch" opens with the new single, "Use-By Date," and features 19 of the band's biggest hits such as "My Girl," "Bittersweet," "What's My Scene?," "Come Anytime" and more.

The band has released the video for the new single, "Use-By Date." Watch the video here.


Kasabian Rock Letterman
(hennemusic) Kasabian did some pre-promotion on Monday night for their upcoming North American tour, which starts March 12 in Dallas.

The band performed on The Late Show with David Letterman, delivering the track "Days Are Forgotten" from their new "Velociraptor!" album

Stars in their native UK, Kasabian have yet to break through in the States but, as singer Tom Meighan told CraveOnline a few months ago, "The theory is we haven't toured America for 4 years, and our record label wouldn't back us and we've parted company with them," explained Tom. "We're going to go to a new record label, we're fresh, we've got new ideas, and we've got a new team backing us now. Basically we had no backing, that's why we haven't been to America for a long time (since 2006)."

Read more and watch the Letterman performance here.


The Polyphonic Spree Expand Tour Plans
The Polyphonic Spree are continuing their "You + Me" tour and have announced dates for the West Coast leg.

New Fumes, the project of former Spree member and Flaming Lips collaborator Daniel Huffman, will support all dates.

The 21-member Spree wrap up the southern leg of the tour this week with shows in Houston (Feb 14), Austin (Feb 15) and their hometown of Dallas (Feb 16). more on this story



Steel Panther Will Dump Your Girl or Boyfriend For You
(hennemusic) To celebrate Valentine's Day, Steel Panther recorded a
public service announcement where they dump your girl/boyfriend for you.

The clip could come in handy if you want to end your relationship but don't have the nerve to do it yourself.

The video is in the spirit of the title of the band's new album, "Balls Out." Steel Panther are currently touring the States before heading down under for a series of shows in Australia that kick in at the end of the month; from there, it's off through Europe and the UK before returning home in April.



Lamb Of God Change Up Tour Plans
(Adrenaline) Lamb Of God has been asked to appear June 26th at the Hove festival in Norway.

Their appearance at the festival will necessitate the rescheduling of the June 26th Zagreb, Croatia show at the Boogaloo and the June 27th Ljubljana, Slovenia show at Kino Siska.

Both shows will be rescheduled to be part of Lamb Of God's planned European/UK tour for February/March 2013 in support of their new album 's Resolution.


Taproot Look Back
Taproot are preparing to release a new album and are celebrating their 15th anniversary as a band this year.

In honor of the occasion, the band has released a video that spans their career and includes live footage from their first tour with Papa Roach to Ozzfest and more.

Taproot will release their new album, The Episodes, on April 10th, 2012, via Victory Records. Check out the retrospective video here.


Sons Of Aeon Ready To Record New Album
Lifeforce Records sent over word that Sons Of Aeon (featuring members of Ghost Brigade, Swallow The Sun, Code For Silence and Endstand) have pretty much finished the writing process for their debut album with the label, which is set to be released later this year.

Guitarist Tapio Vartiainen updates fans with this message: "It's an odd case, this Sons Of Aeon. Here I sit and try to write news about our debut album and to start with, I don't really even know how to describe our sound to strangers.

"There's so much different things going on...it's tricky to find the right words that'd make the songs justice. It's very intense and it's very musical, that's for sure. more on this story


Imminent Sonic Destruction Giving Away Song
Imminent Sonic Destruction are celebrating next week's release of their debut album, Recurring Themes, with a free song.

The band is give away a free non-album bonus track to fans who "like" them on Facebook. The instrumental "Swamp", which has been a staple of ISD's live set for years and showcases their musical ability, can be downloaded for free from their Facebook page after clicking the "like" button.

Imminent Sonic Destruction, Detroit's Premiere Progressive Metal Band will be releasing Recurring Themes on February 24th 2012. The album was produced by Roy Z (Halford, Bruce Dickinson), and features nine original tracks that showcase the band's vocal harmonies soaring over original progressive-metal riffing, melodic compositions and the rhythms of ex-Tiles drummer, Pat DeLeon. Facebook link.



Attaloss Set New Album Release
(RRM) Attaloss are set to release their new self-titled album on April 10, 2012, via Rock Ridge Music

Their new record showcases two sides of the band, the high energy blown out rock side and the stripped down acoustic side. Although the band name is a play on a common phrase many of us hear every day, there is an underlying message of optimism: "Even in these tough times, we must have hope for a better tomorrow," states singer Danny Aguiluz.

Danny, Chris, Lorenzo, and Dakota all left their respective hometowns and moved to Los Angeles to chase their rock and roll dream. Once they decided to join forces together they began the arduous task of trying to come up with a band name. After kicking around hundreds of potential names, they got news that their rehearsal studio was broken into and all their music gear was stolen. "Getting news like that was such a kick in the gut that we literally were at a loss for words. We realized in that moment that we had our band name," said guitarist Chris Johansen who immediately began tracking down the thief. With Chris' help police apprehended the suspect a few months later and the band's gear was recovered mostly intact. Instruments in hand, they recorded the first five songs on the album in early 2011 and set out on tour around the country playing shows with such acts as Neon Trees, Smashing Pumpkins, and Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy. Realizing they weren't quite capturing their recorded sound live, they added guitarist/vocalist Matt Geronimo and headed back into the studio to record the acoustic half of the record as a five piece. more on this story



Black Tusk Map Out Tour Plans
(Freeman) Black Tusk have expanded their upcoming tour plans including an appearance at this year's Roadburn Festival on Thursday April 12th in Tilburg, Holland.

Coinciding with this special appearance, Black Tusk will be providing direct support to label mates Red Fang. The tour will kick off April 5th in Segrate, Italy and wraps up on May 5th in Essen, Germany.

Also in support of their latest release Set the Dial, Black Tusk have lined up a slew of North American tour dates. This run will feature headlining tour dates with support coming from East of the Wall, label-mates Royal Thunder and Hull, plus a string of dates supporting Prong and select shows with Intronaut and Skeletonwitch in March. more on this story


Lionheart Undisputed Tour Coming
Lionheart will kick off a headlining tour in Texas on March 18th in support of their forthcoming album.

The band will have different groups supporting them at various stops on the tour including Volumes, No Bragging Rights, Naysayer and King Conquer.

Lionheart will be touring in support of their new record, "Undisputed", which will be release this spring via Mediaskare Records. The effort was recorded and produced by Matt Hyde (Hatebreed, Slayer) and Nick Jett (Terror). more on this story



Remembering Little Walter
(Gibson) The greatest harmonica man to ever blow the blues, Little Walter died in his sleep on this day in 1968. He was only 37 years old, but Walter looked much older, his body and soul battered and bruised from hard loving and too many defeats.

Just exactly how he died is another of rock and roll's great mysteries. And the rumors were always going to spring up surrounding Little Walter, one of the more colorful characters in the tough world of Chicago blues.

Well-known for his quick temper, Little Walter was a fighter and a brawler who took more beatings over the years then he ever delivered. Some say the final straw was a head-blow from the brother of one of Walter's many lady friends. Others say he was smacked over the head with a lead pipe over a bad gambling debt.

Muddy Waters, whose common sense and level headedness rivaled his prodigious musical talent once said, "He's real tough, Little Walter, and he's had it hard. Got a slug in his leg right now!" more on this story




Keith Moody Singled Out Week: New Distraction
Keith Moody released his new album, "Dreaming Out Loud" , this week. To celebrate we asked him to tell us about some of the songs from the album. Today he tells us about, "New Distraction". Here is the story:

This song is about dealing with memories. This is one of my favorite subjects to write about. I feel everybody has those people or things that stick with them. Passion has that way of affecting people. But still you know you have to move on. Everyone deals with these situations differently, but eventually you need a "New Distraction" whether it is a new project, a new friend, whatever it takes to get past the memory. It would be different for each individual and it could be healthy or not so healthy depending on the personality.

Today's Day In Rock!

Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Sabbath, KISS, Def Leppard, Motley Crue Supergroup Tour
(Gibson) An all-star squadron of hard rock stars including members of Guns N' Roses, Def Leppard, Motley Crue, KISS and Metallica will take part in an unprecedented South American tour called Titans of Rock.
Artists participating in the tour include – get this – Duff McKagan (Guns N' Roses, Velvet Revolver), Joe Elliot (Def Leppard), Gilby Clarke (Guns N' Roses, Rockstar Supernova), Ed Roland (Collective Soul), Steve Stevens (Billy Idol), Gene Simmons (KISS), Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Black Country Communion), Matt Sorum (Guns N' Roses, Velvet Revolver), Jason Newsted (Metallica, Voivod, Rockstar Supernova), Sebastian Bach (Skid Row) and Vince Neil (Motley Crue).

The news was broken by Steve Stevens on his Facebook page. Stevens didn't mention Gene Simmons initially, but confirmed the KISS demon's involvement in a reply to his original posting.

The tour will take in dates in Peru, Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, Guatemala and Costa Rica. There is no word yet on whether the tour will expand to dates in North America, but one thing's for certain: it's going to generate more YouTube traffic than "Charlie Bit My Finger" and Rebecca Black's "Friday" combined. more on this story



Axl Rose Had Stage Fright Says Former Guns N' Roses Manager
(Gibson) Manager and producer Alan Niven is currently telling his side of the Guns N' Roses story in a three-part interview with Metal Sludge.

In Part 2 of the interview, published over the weekend, Niven talked about the band's big breakthrough, which came on the back of a strong live reputation and a few late night MTV plays. "MTV put the band on overnight, when you had to use an alarm clock to see the videos," Niven said. "But even in overnight, 'Welcome to the Jungle' got a reaction, so MTV started moving it up. By March of '88, it had gone gold. Then on April 7, 1988, it went platinum."

Niven also opened up about talking Axl Rose through his stage fright, which threatened to cripple the crucial tour with Aerosmith that proved to be a key turning point for the band. "He's a singer, and singers who have to go out there three, four or five times a week, they invest their spirit in what they're singing," Niven said. "The guitar players have something in their hands. They're not naked. The singer is out there naked, and sometimes that's hard to do. Obviously, Axl still has problems with it because he's still late." more on this story



Metallica, Slayer, Motorhead, Mastodon Festival
(hennemusic) Metallica have announced their final 2012 summer vaction tour date. Here's the news, as posted by the band: "This is it, our final addition to the summer vacation in Europe with a Sonisphere date at Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland on May 30, 2012.

"You guessed it, the 'Black Album' will be performed in its entirety (yeah, yeah, that 20th Anniversary thing) and the line-up for the day is out of this world as Slayer, Motorhead, Mastodon, Gojira, and Eluveitie will all be joining us!"

The Metallica European tour kicks off May 7 in Prague and wraps June 10 in Nickelsdorf, Austria…..following that, the band headline their own Orion Music + More Festival for two dates in Atlantic City June 23 and 24. more on this story

Van Halen Go Top 10
(hennemusic) Van Halen's new album, "A Different Kind Of Truth," entered the UK charts with a No 6 debut this week.

All eyes are on the Billboard charts as Van Halen wait to see if they secure a US #1 debut.

Industry sources suggest that "A Different Kind of Truth" could be a #1 album for the band, with speculation that it may sell about 180,000 to 200,000 copies in its first week, lining up a battle with Adele. more on this story

Fear Factory Recruit Chimaira and Six Feet Under Member
Fear Factory have replaced departed bass player Byron Stroud with former Chimaira and Six Feet Under bassist Matt DeVries.

DeVries says of joining the group: "I have been asked by Dino and Burton to join one of my favorite bands. I have been a fan of Fear Factory since 1992 and I could not be more excited to be part of this incredible band. We have shared the stage many times together and now I'm beyond stoked to be on the same stage playing together. Thank you to all my fans worldwide for sticking by me and I will be seeing you all on the road very soon."

Guitarist Dino Cazares and vocalist Burton C. Bell note: "We are very excited to have Matt playing bass for Fear Factory. We feel he is a great addition to our touring lineup. He has been a friend for a very long time and he's a great musician who will be a perfect instrument in the FF machine." more on this story

Avenged Sevenfold Set New Tour Dates
Avenged Sevenfold will hit the road for new tour dates this spring including a spot at Metallica's music festival and a tour of the Far and Middle East.

The tour begins April 16th in Tokyo, Japan, for a tour that will culminate in a special show in Dubai, UAE on May 4th. "We are excited to go back to the Far and Middle East," said Avenged Sevenfold front man M. Shadows. "We played to some of the most amazing crowds when we toured the album there, and we can't wait to bring our live show back to our friends in those regions."

Metallica have asked Avenged Sevenfold to perform at the first ever Orion Music + More at Bader Field in Atlantic City, NJ, on June 24th. M. Shadows had this to say: "We really hadn't planned to play the United States in 2012. But after Lars called to describe their plans for Orion and asked us to join them, we decided there's no way we would miss it." The band toured with Metallica in 2006 as part of Metallica's "Escape From The Studio Tour" and that year M. Shadows and Metallica's James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich were featured together on the cover of Revolver Magazine. 3 years later, Avenged Sevenfold toured with Metallica on their "World Magnetic" tour. more on this story

Slash Issues Studio Update
(hennemusic) Slash's as-yet-untitled album is due May 22 and the Velvet Revolver/ex-Guns N' Roses guitarist issued a new video update from the studio.

"The way everything started with this record," explains Slash, "was when the tour ended and Myles [Kennedy, Alter Bridge singer] took off on the road, I got [drummer] Brent [Fitz] and [bassist] Todd [Kerns] together and took them to Mates rehearsal studio…which is a studio in the valley that I've been using since the late 80s. That's, basically, where we did pre pre-roduction, where you just rehearse the s**t out of the songs until you can perform them live, which is how I wanted to record the record."

Slash updated fans on the record's progress this week, saying "The rough mixes sound great. It's a really solid record. [I] can't wait to get it out there!" Full mixing starts Monday, February 13. Check out the video here.

Zakk Wylde, Steve Vai, Matt Sorum, Warren Haynes Going To Rock Camp
Warren Haynes (Allman Brothers), Zakk Wylde (Ozzy Osbourne), Steve Vai (guitar legend), Matt Sorum (Guns N' Roses), Felix Cavaliere (The Rascals), Lita Ford (The Runaways), and more are headed to Rock Camp this week.

The next installment of the Rock Camp is taking place in Hollywood, CA on February 16th-20th. We were sent these details:

Campers will record an original song at world class recording studio with Led Zeppelin's and the Beatle's producer, Eddie Kramer, and take home a professionally produced DVD and mp3 of their final performance. They'll also cruise through the sunset strip jamming with rockstars and performing live at major venues in Hollywood including the Gibson Showroom in Beverly Hills and the legendary Whisky-A-Go-Go.

Now in their 15th year, Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp™ was created by veteran music producer David Fishof to be the ultimate music-making experience. Providing once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for musicians of all skill levels, campers get the life changing experience of jamming with legendary rock stars, write and record an original song and play live on stage at a major concert venue in front of family and friends. http://www.rockcamp.com/

Paradise Lost Giving Away New Song for Valentine's Day
Paradise Lost's new album, Tragic Idol, is a couple months away from release but you can hear a new song today!

As a special Valentine's gift, the band is giving fans a free download their new song, "Crucify", today (February 14th). Grab it here.

The album was recorded at The Chapel Studios in Lincolnshire, England. Vocals were recorded at the Fascination Street Studios in Orebro, Sweden by Jens Bogren (Opeth, Katatonia, Devin Townsend Project), who also produced, mixed, and mastered the album. Tragic Idol is scheduled for a worldwide release through Century Media Records on April 23rd, 2012 in Europe and April 24th, 2012 in North America. more on this story

God Forbid Return With New Album Next Month
God Forbid have set a March 26th release date for their sixth full-length album, Equilibrium.

The forthcoming effort is their first for Victory Records and was produced by Mark Lewis (The Black Dahlia Murder, Whitechapel), Jason Suecof (Bury Your Dead, Chimaira) and mixed and mastered by Jens Bogren (Opeth, Amon Amarth).

"With the new album, we focused on writing tight, hook-y metal songs," commented guitarist/vocalist Doc Coyle on the creative process for Equilibrium, "There are some really fast, super heavy, groovy songs – some of the catchiest, most melodic songs we've ever written. We wanted a modern, but organic-sounding album that was tight but still captured the intensity of the band. The album sounds huge!" more on this story

Peter Frampton's Comes Alive Les Paul Making Comeback This Week
Peter Frampton will play his restored 1954 Gibson Les Paul for the first time in 32 years at the Beacon Theater in New York on February 18th.

Sacks &Co sent over these details: His long-lost guitar was recently discovered on the Dutch Caribbean island of Curaçao after its disappearance in a plane crash 32 years ago. Frampton was reunited with the guitar in an emotional meeting in Nashville this past December.

Now, with the help of the Gibson Guitar's Custom Shop, Frampton will debut the recovered guitar during his NYC stop on his world tour celebrating the 35th anniversary of multi-platinum selling live album Frampton Comes Alive!. more on this story

Walter Trout Going Back To His Roots
(Gibson) Blues rock guitarist Walter Trout will release a new studio album, Blues for the Modern Daze, which represents a return to his hardcore blues roots.

The album is Trout's first fully fledged blues album in 23 years as a bandleader, drawing on his experiences playing with legends such as John Lee Hooker, Big Mama Thornton, Finis Tasby, Pee Wee Crayton, Lowell Fulsom, Percy Mayfield and Joe Tex when he first arrived in Los Angeles in 1973. By 1981 Trout had joined Canned Heat, and soon went on to play with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, joining a lineage that includes Eric Clapton, Peter Green and Mick Taylor.

"My main inspiration for this album was the country bluesman Blind Willie Johnson, an early blues innovator who recorded such timeless gospel informed blues numbers as 'Soul of a Man' and 'Nobody's Fault But Mine,'" Trout says. "His music is beautiful, primal, direct and deeply spiritual. The album explores a side of my music that's rooted in my first musical love, and it reveals something about me, too. It sums up the thoughts and attitudes of somebody who is getting a little older and is feeling like he's a part of another era, with different values and a different perspective on life that's prevalent today."

Blues For The Modern Daze is released by Provogue Records (a division of Mascot Label Group), in the U.K. on Monday, April 23, followed by U.S. release on April 24. more on this story



Queen Classic with a Twist For TV Ad
(hennemusic) A new television advertisement for a Las Vegas hotel features a Queen classic.

The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas premiered their new commercial during The Grammy Awards on Sunday.

The "Just the Right Amount of Wrong" campaign ad features Queen's classic "Bohemian Rhapsody," and the song is delivered with a twist. Watch it here.

StoneRider Releasing Double LP This Month
(FP) StoneRider have set a February 28th release date for their sophomore album Fountains Left To Wake.

In keeping with the band's fondness for 70's era double-LP's Fountains Left To Wake will mainly be issued as an audiophile double-LP.

The band, comprised of Matt Tanner on guitar and vocals, Neil Warren on bass and Jason Krutzky on drums and vocals, takes a very direct musical approach on the album and the result is a genuine document of Georgia rock and roll. Fountains Left To Wake contains moments of homage to the state's rich musical heritage with boogie-woogie piano nods to Little Richard and the soulful influence of Otis Redding. more on this story

Journey Flashback for State Farm
(hennemusic) A Journey classic is being featured in a new tv campaign for State Farm insurance.

A customer calls up his SF rep to discuss plans and the two end up talking about the band. "We just had ourselves a little Journey moment there," says the caller. "Saw 'em in '83 in Fresno…place was crawling with chicks."

"Any Way You Want It" originally appeared on Journey's 1980 release, "Departure." Written by frontman Steve Perry and guitarist Neal Schon, the single peaked at #23 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Watch it here.

Big Up Festival On Hold
We were sent this news: The Big Up Music and Arts Festival will be taking a one-year hiatus.

The festival organizers have stated that unforeseen circumstances have driven the need to take the summer of 2012 off, and insist that plans are underway for a large scale festival event for 2013.

The Big Up Music & Arts festival held on July 28, 29 and 30, 2011, at Sunnyview Farm in Ghent, New York, attracted some 5,000 festival-goers from all over the country, featured a revolutionary mix of live entertainment, arts and activities. Over 70 musical acts from all over the world performed throughout the three-day event including Big Gigantic, EOTO (featuring String Cheese Incident players Michael Travis and Jason Hann), Tipper, Abakus, Digital Tape Machine (featuring Joel Cummins and Kris Myers of Umphrey's McGee), RAQ, Ott and Marco Benevento. more on this story

The Day The Who Went Live at Leeds
(Gibson) On this day in 1970, The Who appeared at Leeds University, England. The show was recorded for the band's forthcoming Live at Leeds album. Gibson looks back: Leeds University, Leeds, England. It was Valentine's Day, 1970 and The Who were about to enter the '70s with one of the greatest live performances in rock and roll history. Fortunately, the band had already decided to record the gig. It was one of the best decisions Pete Townshend ever made.

The Who were back in England after an impressive U.S. tour, a climactic appearance at Woodstock and the universally lauded and pioneering Tommy album. As musical contemporary Rick Wakeman recalls, "The Who were at the time the loudest band in the world. They had just conquered America, played at Woodstock and Tommy was being hailed as a work of genius. And what did they do? Arrived at Leeds Uni and recorded what I reckon to be the best live album ever."

The Who had more than 80 hours of tapes from assorted U.S. shows that they'd recorded but Townshend and Co. couldn't face the chore going through all those tapes and, fearful of bootleggers, destroyed all the American recordings.

A live album would come from two new shows. Using the same engineers who worked with Ginger Baker and Cream they would record two gigs. One in Leeds on Valentine's Day, the other at Hull the following night. Both were recorded but, as Roger Daltrey explains, only the first was usable.

"We recorded the next night's gig too – at Hull. To be honest, that was a great gig too – but when we listened back to the tape we hadn't recorded the bass!" more on this story



Keith Moody Singled Out Week: Long Way Up
Keith Moody releases his new album, "Dreaming Out Loud", this week. To celebrate we asked him to tell us about some of the songs from the album. Today he tells us about, "Long Way Up". Here is the story:

Long Way Up is realizing you are at point of no return. And while it may be tough sledding ahead; you have already gotten through things of equal difficulty in the past. With this realization, you gain a "vulnerable strength". There is also an undercurrent of the cynicism that comes with getting older and wiser. I think everyone has that period in their life, where you have to look at yourself and say "Why did I believe that? And you make a resolution to try and avoid it in the future." It 's that Art of War kind of epiphany "What doesn't kill me makes me stronger sort of thing" My initial inspiration was my career and the climb all musicians are on, but I also drew from the angst surrounding the supposed decline of Western Society and the bleak outlook for the American Dream and ideal. I guess on both fronts you have to just say hey it's been a long way up just to come back down, and things may frustrate me, but I must keep climbing and moving forward, why go back?

Today's Day In Rock!

Foo Fighters Dominate Rock Grammys
The Grammy Awards have never really been about rock, America's best selling genre of music. But there were some big names in rock who performed on Sunday.
The show's big finale was led by Paul McCartney with a medley of "Golden Slumbers"/"Carry That Weight"/"The End," where he was joined by Foo Fighters Dave Grohl, The Eagles Joe Walsh, Rusty Anderson, and Bruce Springsteen.

When it came to rock awards at the Grammy Awards, the Foo Fighters ruled the night winning five of Grammys on Sunday. more on this story

Rolling Stone Turned Down Spot in Led Zeppelin
(Gibson) The Rolling Stones' Ronnie Wood has claimed that he turned down the chance to join Led Zeppelin. Speaking on his U.K. Absolute Radio show, the guitarist said that his old manager Peter Grant sounded him out about joining the group when they were still known as The New Yardbirds. But Wood declined, as he thought they were a "bunch of farmers."

"Peter Grant used to manage myself and Jeff Beck and Rod Stewart and Mickey Waller and Nicky Hopkins back in the good old days," Wood recalled. "[Peter] was behind a band that was going to be called The New Yardbirds."

Wood added: "I had an offer to join, and I said 'I can't join that bunch of farmers'. Anyway, they eventually changed their name and turned out to be Led Zeppelin, and he managed them as well." more on this story



Slash Solo Tour
Velvet Revolver/former Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash is hitting the road for a North American solo tour.

The solo tour is set to kick off on May 3 in Baltimore and will include three festival appearances: Saturday, May 5 at Carolina Rebellion, Saturday, May 19 at Rock On The Range and Friday, May 25 at Rocklahoma.

Before the tour begins, Slash will make a special appearing this Saturday, February 18, when he joins Stevie Wonder, Chris Cornell, Lenny Kravitz, LL Cool J, Snoop Dogg, actors Anthony Hopkins, James Gandolfini and more at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas for a 70th birthday celebration to honor boxing legend Muhammad Ali. more on this story

Megadeth Unplugged
(Banana 101.5) Megadeth are well known for their mastery in the art of shred but aren't usually a band you think of when it comes to going, as we call it in the MTV generation, "unplugged." That's because they don't do it that often — hardly ever in fact.

Some lucky fans at The Palace of Auburn Hills last week got a chance to watch as Megadeth went from 11 to 0 (figuratively speaking) for a special acoustic set. Dave started the performance with the disclaimer "Some of the songs we haven't played in years and years and years — so just have fun with this. Try not to be too critical, because I'm not gonna be."

Watch Megadeth fire through unplugged versions of 'Public Enemy No. 1,' 'Angry Again,' 'A Tout Le Monde' with Cristina Scabbia of Lacuna Coil, 'Symphony of Destruction,' and 'Use the Man' here.

Gary Cherone Tells Van Halen Secret
(Rock News Desk) Gary Cherone knew Van Halen weren't planning a reunion with David Lee Roth when the original lineup appeared together in 1996 – because Eddie Van Halen had already hired the Extreme singer.

Anticipation exploded when Roth walked on with his former bandmates at the MTV Music Video Awards, telling an excited crowd: "This is the first time we've stood on stage together in over ten years."

Many believed Van Halen and Roth were about to get back together – but Cherone knew better."I got on the phone with Eddie Van Halen a few times and we wrote a song over the telephone. I flew out for the weekend and we just hit it off. We started writing the moment I got off the plane and he actually asked me to join the second day I was there," He tells Rolling Stone. "I remember one morning getting up to go to the studio, and no one told me all this press was interviewing the Van Halen guys because of the Video Music Awards. They told me, 'Gary, no one knows you're in the band'. I remember bumping into a photographer who knew me from Extreme – he goes, 'What are you doing here?' I go, 'Nothing'." More on this here.

Dave Grohl Releases Sound City Studio Film Trailer
(Banana 101.5) Dave Grohl has finally given us a taste of his upcoming documentary on Sound City Studios, check out the first official teaser trailer.

It's still not clear exactly what we can expect out of Dave Grohl's upcoming 'Sound City' but we have a much better idea now that a trailer has been unveiled. "I decided to make a film about that feeling when you put five guys in a room, hit "record" and the hair on the back of your neck stands up," Grohl previously told Rolling Stone. "Expect some epic jam sessions."

In addition to the previously announced "jam sessions" with Corey Taylor, Cheap Trick, and members of RATT — it appears that 'Sound City' will include interviews with artists who previously recorded at the legendary studio prior to it's closing last year. In the preview you can see interview segments with Trent Reznor, Tom Petty, Stevie Nicks, Rick Springfield, and Krist Novoselic just to name a few. Check out the trailer here.

Kid Rock Fires Back at 'Made in Detroit' Criticism
(Banana 101.5) Kid Rock's 'Made in Detroit' clothing brand made headlines this week after it was learned that the company uses materials not made in Detroit. Kid Rock fired back with an angry response to those claims.

We chose to pass on reporting this earlier in the week and boy did we make the right choice. It just didn't seem right covering a story that was so negative towards someone like Kid Rock, who has done so much for Detroit and constantly gives back to the community. We felt it would be in poor taste until all the facts were on the table. Now we're really glad we did, as Kid Rock has responded angrily at the "irresponsible" reports made initially by Susan Tompor of the Detroit Free Press. Rock's statement reads:

"I have always said that I do care what people in my hometown think of me, and the hatchet job you have just written about The Made In Detroit company in The Detroit Free Press has made me so upset that I am left with no choice but to defend myself and my company. I purchased MID out of bankruptcy and asked a friend of mine (Tom Dubak) to give up the security of a good paying job at a car dealership for a chance to help revitalize this brand. The goal of MID is to re-instill a sense of Detroit pride, give back to the community, try to create jobs in our home state and maybe one day build our own facility somewhere close to the riverfront in Detroit. We have succeeded in most of the this and have big plans for the future, not to mention the scholarship fund we have created at Wayne State, the numerous sponsorships we do every year and the hundreds of thousands of dollars we have given to local charities (all of which somehow had no place in your attempt to slander us in your article).

"You failed to say that the majority of our products are in fact Made In America. Let me address the small number of MID products not made in America..." Read the rest here.

Bruce Springsteen Delivers We Take Care Of Our Own Video
(hennemusic) Bruce Springsteen has released the video for "We Take Care Of Our Own," the first single from his forthcoming album, "Wrecking Ball."

The album is due March 6 and, a couple of weeks later, Springsteen and the E Street Band begin their 2012 tour in Atlanta on March 18.

The theme of the single is a reality for Bruce, as he has just announced the addition of the late Clarence Clemons' nephew, Jake, to the band's touring lineup, as Springsteen tried to fill the void left by the loss of the veteran saxman. Jake will handle sax duties, along with Eddie Manion, while the band is filled out with a horn section and backup singers. Check out the video here.

Guns N' Roses Kick Off Up Close And Personal Tour
(hennemusic) Guns N' Roses launched their Up Close And Personal Tour Friday night at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City.

The nearly 3-hour show was the first of 7 intimate theatre shows GNR are doing this month.

"If you closed your eyes, you could almost imagine you were seeing Guns N' Roses on the Sunset Strip in 1987. Axl sounded that good," writes Andy Greene of Rolling Stone. "Then you open your eyes, and see a 50-year-old Axl in a black cowboy hat and sunglasses singing alongside some guy named Bumblefoot and you're brought right back to reality." Check out video from the gig here.

Shinedown, Five Finger Death Punch for Spring Fling
105.7 The X in Peoria have tapped Shinedown, Five Finger Death Punch, Kyng, and New Medicine for their The X Spring Fling.

The concert is set to take place on May 18th at the U.S. Cellular Coliseum in Bloomington, Illinois. Doors open at 5:30pm, the ROCK begins at 6:30pm!

General admission floor tickets are $43.00, and reserved seats are $38.00. Official on-sale is February 17th. More info here.

Rush's Clockwork Angels Inspires New Novel
(hennemusic) While Rush complete work on their new album, "Clockwork Angels," word is that a companion project is also coming together.

RushIsABand reports Colorado-based sci-fi author Kevin J. Anderson has announced, via his Facebook page, that he will be writing a novelization of the new Rush record.

"After dropping hints for a while, finally the big announcement, a new project unlike any other I've ever done...and something that I consider very cool," writes Anderson. "Most of you are aware of my long-standing friendship with Neil Peart, the drummer and lyricist from the legendary rock band Rush, as well as how much Rush has influenced my work. My first novel, 'Resurrection, Inc.', was closely inspired by the Rush album 'Grace Under Pressure', and I can point to dozens of other novels and stories that bear a clear Rush influence." more on this story

Graham Coxon Says Blur Will Release New Album
(Gibson) Blur guitarist Graham Coxon says that fans can expect a new Blur album. However, he doesn't specify exactly when the reunited Britpoppers will begin work on a forthcoming release. In a couple weeks, Blur are being honored with the Outstanding Contribution to Music award at this year's Brit Awards.

"It's pretty nice to be getting the Brit award," Coxon told NME. "We haven't planned the rehearsals yet, but there will definitely be another Blur album."

The guitarist, currently promoting his solo disc A+E, said that the band's 2009 reunion ensured the band's future. "2009 was an amazing healing experience for us. We were really swept away with it and got a lot out of our systems," he said. "We realized how much we still had in common, that we are good friends, that we are brothers. We're always going to meet up and want to play things. We do like recording. Eventually, even if things aren't around the corner, Blur will do more recordings together. We all love each other and still like making music so that's not a bad start." more on this story



Van Halen M&M Legend Explained
(hennemusic) Van Halen and brown M&M's will forever be linked in pop culture. Most people have heard that there's a connection between the two, without knowing the details.

The story begins with Van Halen adding a clause to their tour contract that required M&M candies backstage with all of the brown ones removed.

"Many years ago it was part of the Van Halen contract as we toured through the arenas in the 80s," explains frontman David Lee Roth, "that there would be no brown m&m's found in the backstage area or the promoter would forfeit the entire show at full pay. This was touted wildly and widely as simple rock star misdemeanor excess and being abusive of others simply because we could…and who am I to get in the way of a good rumor?"

"In fact, the reality is quite different…." Dave explains in a video here.

The Battle For Stratovarius
(Rock News Desk) Former Stratovarius leading light Timo Tolkki has slammed the current incarnation of the band as a "simple franchise" without soul, and says it will split within the next five years.

His outburst comes after the outfit responded to his request to use a variant of the band name with what he calls a "vicious" lawyer's letter.

The drama arose after the guitarist, songwriter and producer opened discussions with other former band members about working on a follow-up to 1994 album Dreamspace. Tolkki, who left the power metal band in 2008, tells Rock Overdose: "Me, Tuomo Lassila, the founding member of Stratovarius, and Antti Ikonen have talked about making an album called Return to Dreamspace. I wrote to Stratovarius and asked if we could use the name for this one album because there is the founding member of the band involved, who invented the name. We got a vicious letter from their lawyer, saying we'd be sued immediately if we used the name." And about that prediction for the band?

Bush Release Baby Come Home Video
(Banana 101.5) Bush have released the follow-up to their no. 1 single 'The Sound of Winter' and for the video, they've strung together a bunch of seemingly random ideas, the largest of which being the band performing 'Baby Come Home' in what appears to be a warehouse.

The new video for Baby Come Home features Gavin Rossdale driving Morpheus' car, ballet dancing, and star shaped balloons. It's pretty random but still makes for a fun music video.

The clip also had us asking these questions: What is up with the ballet sequence in the middle? Why does Gavin always wear his hair in a bun? Where did those balloons come from? What is that safety pin for on Gavin's shirt? Why does their guitarist put on a vest in the middle of the song? What kind of camera angle is that? Does Morpheus know the lead singer of Bush stole his car? Watch it here.

Bill Ward's Son Addresses Black Sabbath Reunion Controversy
(hennemusic) The Black Sabbath reunion recently hit a snag when drummer Bill Ward went public to advise fans that he had been presented with an agreement that he did not feel comfortable signing, while also disrespecting his role as one of the founders of the legendary metal pioneers.

Ozzy, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler responded with their own statement, saying "we have no choice but to continue recording without him although our door is always open." Now, Ward's son, Aron, has posted a lengthy Facebook message responding to rumors and speculation that his father has done something wrong, or that he's simply "greedy" because he received a contract that, in good faith and conscience, he could neither sign or live with.

"My dad hasn't 'declined' playing with Black Sabbath or 'threatened' to pull out of this reunion. As he stated, his bags are packed and he's ready to go. He says it loud and clear, he definitely wants to play on the album and he definitely wants to tour.

"Up 'till about three weeks ago, he was working extremely hard and close with the other three on this album/reunion tour. He was in very good spirits and sounded excited to be writing with Tony, Geezer and Ozzy again.

"'Don't be so greedy': he is by no means greedy, man. If he was, he would have settled with whatever contract given him. It's kind of obvious someone else is greedy. Wake up." More from Aron here.

Grammy Nom Helped Sum 41's Ill Frontman Deryck Whibley
(Rock News Desk) A Grammy Award nomination for Sum 41's song Blood In My Eyes has lifted the spirits of frontman Deryck Whibley, whose health issues regarding his back forced the band to cancel a tour.

Bassist Jason 'Cone' McCaslin explains: "I could tell after talking to Deryck that it kind of rejuvenated him a little bit. I think we've just gotta give him enough time to get it sorted out completely.

"I give the Grammys some credit for discarding what we've done in the past and actually looking at the song." (Brandon Sun) more rock news

Battle of the Sexes for Noel Gallagher
(Gibson) Noel Gallagher has unveiled the video for his latest single, "Dream On." It is a something of a bizarre video concept, with Gallagher acting the role of referee in a male/female boxing match.

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds has been a hit album, particularly in Europe where it has reached platinum status. "Dream On" will be released on March 12 and is the fourth single from the record, just four months after the album was released.

The b-side of the single will be "Shoot a Hole Into the Sun" – the first track to be released from the work Gallagher has recorded with the electronica outfit Amorphous Androgynous. That collaboration album is due later in 2012. more on this story



Monkees Peter Tork Turns 70
(Gibson) The bass-playing Monkee, Peter Tork, was born on this day in 1942. He was the folkie of the group, an east coast multi-instrumentalist who played with such Greenwich Village luminaries as John Phillips, Steven Stills and Dave Van Ronk.

In 1965, he landed in Hollywood, along with every other folkie musician looking to play a part in the Troubadour/Whiskey/Sunset Strip musical revolution that was happening in Los Angeles.

Bob "Five Easy Pieces" Rafelson was working on a cutting-edge new TV show loosely inspired by The Beatles' movies and music. Steven Stills chatted with Rafelson at a social function but was told he wasn't photogenic enough for TV. But he liked the concept and told old Greenwich Village buddy Tork about the gig. Tork went along, auditioned and came up with the "dummy" character. "That was my creation," he told Mojo magazine in 1998. "They liked it and that was the role I played on the series."

The Monkees of course became a pop phenomenon, outselling The Beatles in 1967 with an infectious brew of bubblegum and rock and roll. Shot on 35mm film with fast edits, and two free-form music video clips every week, their Emmy-winning show was innovative and different. more on this story



Keith Moody Singled Out Week: One Big Ending
Keith Moody releases his new album, "Dreaming Out Loud" , this week. To celebrate we asked him to tell us about some of the songs from the album. Today he tells us about, "One Big Ending". Here is the story:

The inspiration for this song is the idea that you have to fight for your soul. In a very apathetic world, you can easily just follow the "plan" and if you have a tangible view of what your dream is you can become an outcast, especially if the dream is simply to go for what you need to be happy. Those things are different for everyone, but I feel that most fear admitting to themselves what those things really are. The "heroine" of the story is told from the time she is small that "Look this is how life is…this is what you're supposed to do". She doesn't see it that way and refuses to succumb to the pressure of living the way everyone else seemingly expects and thinks she should. In my world you were expected to stay the course which was college, marriage and then kids. If you wanted something different, or even wanted these things in a different order, you are really somewhat tolerated by those around you and not truly accepted. I believe this is a microcosm of American society and one of its great flaws. I travel a lot and realize that the "plan" is different for the masses in different regions, but I feel the last barrier to personal freedom is just allowing everyone live their life their way, free of judgment and pressure. God only gives us one life and we aren't guaranteed how long we get, so it is very important to seek those things we need to be happy and let everyone else seek theirs. The song embodies in this woman's story a sort of victory anthem for doing your own thing, living your life your way and being victorious in finding those things that make you happy.

Van Halen Album Review-Melodicrock.com

Van Halen A Different Kind Of Truth Interscope

· Produced By: John Shanks/Ross Hogarth/Van Halen
· Running Time: 50
· Release Date: 2012
· Released: WORLD
· Musical Style: Hard Rock


The monkey is off their back. They did it. It only took three attempts and a decade or so, but something most thought would never happen – a new studio album with original vocalist David Lee Roth – has been completed, delivered and actually released.
And what's even better – it's damn good!
David Lee Roth returned to the Van Halen fold in 1996 long enough to record two acclaimed new studio tracks before things went pear-shaped. There were additional attempts to make new music in secret in 2000 and again 2006. In 2007 Dave officially rejoined and toured into 2008 with the band before retiring again to figure out what was next.
And 'next' was to be the only move the band could make. The only move fans would let them make. After 3 years of album making rumors, the news it was happening finally settled somewhere into 'fact' during 2010.
Without any real insight from the band thus far, how this album was actually and eventually made will, I think, remain an eternal mystery in the same realms as 'how did the pyramids of Giza get built' or 'what exactly makes those crop circles'?
The Van Halen trio (Ed, Al and Wolfgang) seemingly wrote and recorded during 2010 with Ross Hogarth, while 2011 sessions were helmed by John Shanks, then mixed and mixed again by Hogarth. Sadly the album's liner notes give no further insight into what, when and how.
David Lee Roth was long rumored to be recording his vocals elsewhere and no evidence has been submitted to suggest the guys made this record in an old-school, all-for-one in-the-studio team environment.
Whatever they had to do to get it done I guess is ok, as the result sounds like a team. It sounds like a Van Halen record and is something the band's original fans have been waiting since 1984 for.
Further conjecture over the making of the album is pointless without any further insight, so it is perhaps more constructive to just look at the result. And let's face it – that's all we really care about as fans.

A Different Kind Of Truth is heavy. It's energetic. It's bold. And it delivers. And none of those things were a given. How many of us doubted the guys could recapture the best of their past and infuse it with new energy? Me for one…I wanted this to be good….I wanted it to be great. But I just couldn't see how it could be given the dysfunctional nature of the band. But I need not have worried. And it seems the fanbase has also been really invigorated by how good this album is.
Every track has its place and there's not a dull moment to be had. No filler! Not one single track. Even with each of my favourite Van Hagar albums, there was normally one song I didn't buy into. But not here. An nor there should be after such a long wait!

The album is surprisingly heavy, very upbeat and has energy beyond description. This is not a 'chorus' album. And I guess that might be the one point that some fans or casual VH listeners might grasp on to and bitch about. But the old school VH fans know better. Van Halen never were a chorus band until they started evolving with 1984 and then into the Sammy Hagar era.
Hagar brought a different style of songwriting to the band – the anthemic choruses came, but at the same time, other Dave fuelled elements departed. Early Van Halen was about swagger. It was about attitude and it was about groove. It was about smart ass lyrics and free flying guitar parts and songs that chopped and changed without notice.
Fans of Van Hagar might feel a little alienated, but you know what….that would normally include me. I love Dave solo, but for me it was always the passion and direction of the Hagar era albums that appealed to me like few other bands did. But with that said, I'm so appreciating what has been delivered here and my admiration of David Lee Roth has never been higher.

This album is more a reflection of the classic vibe the band had in their early days. And why not – at least 7 of the album's tracks were molded at least in part from the band's first demos in the mid-late 70s. The band reached into the past to bridge the gap between Dave fronted records. It was a move that could have backfired, but it works.
Here today the songs sound as fresh as they possibly could be. David Lee Roth's vocals have been carefully molded into the groove of the album - it's the best I've heard him sing since Eat Em And Smile. And the Van Halen's are simply stunning. And to top it all off - ADKOT features a monster sound and a clear mix. The guitars have real and immediate impact and the music is a finely balanced mix of old classic familiar Van Halen along with and some fresh and recent Van Halen too.
It is everything Dave Halen fans have been waiting since 1984 for, but I think there's plenty there too for Van Hagar fans. For Van Halen fans, period.

A Different Kind Of Truth is the album Van Halen had to make. Not only did they have to put the failed Van Halen 3 album behind them, they had to deal with the ghost of Sammy Hagar and the incredibly unpopular decision to move on without founding member Michael Anthony. Given the choice, I don't think any fan would vote otherwise than for Mike's return, but it simply wasn't going to happen.
Yes, he is missed and his backing vocals are something that this album could have further benefitted from.
But one must accept this decision out of fairness for his replacement – Eddie's son Wolfgang. Wolf was placed in the unenviable position of replacing an iconic member of an iconic band and feigning off credibility issues due to how he got the 'job'. But looking at it without emotion, what father wouldn't love to play alongside his son?
If Wolfgang has struggled to pay his dues up until this point, I'd say that he's now ready to stand on his own merit. There are no album credits either way – all songs (presumably written and performed) by VanHalen/Roth.
So we must presume that's Wolf on bass and if so as I believe it is, he totally rips on this album. The bass presence is huge and album's almighty swagger is thanks in part to those bass parts and the rhythm section as a whole.

Alex Van Halen proves once again what an integral part of the Van Halen sound his drumming is. He is all over this album with more drum fills and slamming beats than I think I have ever heard from him, at least since the 5150 album anyway. Totally immense and the recording of his parts is also amongst the best I have heard. There's a raw/live energy to the whole record, but the drumming in particular just explodes with life here.
David Lee Roth's part in this album must also be spotlighted. He may not make much sense in real life, but on record, the clarity is all-so-clear. He was part of the classic Van Halen sound and to recreate that, the band was to have to walk a fine line between recapturing the old (some 30 years back now!) without sounding dated, out of place or irrelevant and also try and inject some freshness to his approach. And I think they have successfully done that.
The lyrics on this album are pure and classic Dave. There's no one like him on Earth and not for the first time I am really appreciating his take on life. Vocally I am also very impressed. However, I do believe that Dave's vocals may have held this album up as rumored. He has a mammoth job of keeping up with the band here and if it proved hard to achieve, I am not surprised.
But however his vocals were recorded and crafted into the mix, I applaud the result. Whether he's growing along in a more spoken word style or striving for some impossibly high style licks, his efforts are convincing and match the music – even when the band moves out of classic VH style and moves into a more contemporary sphere.

That brings us to Eddie Van Halen, the man himself. Well, whatever myth you believe or whatever state of mind you think he might be in; the man can rock. Eddie sounds more alive now than I have heard him in years. Well…it's been years since we last heard him on record. But he totally delivers on this album. Eddie is a man possessed on this album. It is his guitar work that makes this album what it is. Let's face it – if he wasn't on-song, it wouldn't matter what anyone else delivered.
But he is…on fire…and more. This is a smoking display of guitar riffs and tricks and importantly – just a beautiful tone throughout. Eddie moves between the old, the middle ground and the new with ease and merges it all together for a seamless, cohesive all-out assault on the senses. His soloing is beautiful, the riffs totally in your face and the structure of the songs maximizes the value of the guitar in each track. One of my favourite guitarists ever is back!

The production is typically low on top-end tones, preferring to stick to a rawer, live feel that at times reminds me of the For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge sonic – an album that strangely enough was anything but raw or live-in the-studio.
The album mixes classic early Van Halen with parts of the Van Hagar catalogue and even a little Van Halen 3, which is probably down to the own natural evolution of the band's sound when not reverting to the old demos used in part on the album.
And even when these original 70s tracks have been reworked, they are reworked into a contemporary vibe and with energy to match the rest of the album.

Track by Track:

Tattoo – the song that told the world the band was back, but the world wasn't convinced! And neither was I. Fun yes, but standing on its own, somewhat unconvincing. Who knew that the most commercial and perhaps weakest track of the alum would be the ideal single and lead track? I still find it an odd kind of opening track, but placed up-front it does get it out of the way and it does have its place. I love the verse hook for example and the solo is still cool. Anywhere else on the album and the momentum of the pounding energy might have been ruptured. The song was reinvented from the original demo called Down In Flames, but to me doesn't sound like an old school number at all. It's also the only song with any hint of keyboards.

She's The Woman – a song that closely matches the original demo of the same name kicks the album into a higher gear and immediately signals the band are here with a message. It has a great presence and a dirty riff to kick it off. A simple chorus in typical Van Roth style. Heavy groove and a sweet instrumental bridge into the solo and a pounding rhythm section. EVH states unequivocally – I'm back!

You And Your Blues – The first of the 'new' compositions and one that for me merges the sound of Van Hagar and Van Roth. The chorus is classic era and the verse and that dark, dirty guitar riff could have come straight off Balance. I love the intro and the move into a big sonic blast. Dave sounds amazing. Classic VH meets darker dirty style like Humans Being or From Afar even. A monster song and fast solo there, some big harmonies and generally a cool anthemic blast. Alex's drum sound is killer and really drives the song.

China Town – What a classic! Shreds from the first note and then BAM BAM BAM, the drums bang in and hit overdrive in a triple-timed frenzied rush. Fast and furious folks. A short Dave style chorus (typical throughout the album) gives minimal respite from the onslaught. The guitar sound is more like Balance to these ears. Furious solo and drum flurry then back to a steady old school Dave, before the song finishes exactly as it started.

Blood And Fire – Another favourite of mine if I had to pick them. The style feels old school, but the sound is more contemporary. It's a cool blend. And the fast pace of the album continues. A simple, but instantly memorable chorus and some nice heavy riffing around the song. Has a 1984 feel to it, especially with the guitar picking. Surprise melodic bridge intro some tasty picking and a blazing heavy solo! Feels like the tempo picks up even more as it goes, yet it doesn't in reality. Apparently a left over demo from the 1984 album called Ripley – it makes perfect sense.

Bullethead - Fast and furious again and WTF was that guitar intro??!!! Another old 70s track reworked in relative comparison with the original. Absolutely furious tempo and riffing throughout and another stand out solo. Alex goes mad on drums and the bass sizzles along with intent and real groove. A simple fast one word chorus - classic Dave. But heavy and fast! Song includes the album's title in the lyrics. Fast, hard rocking fun.

As Is – I'm loving this tune too, despite that bizarre count-in! This is one brutally heavy riff. Perhaps the heaviest riff I have ever heard from Eddie. And once that extended intro disappears, it's more double-timed hard rock fury. This super-fast rocker has a Hot For Teacher vibe. How old are these guys again? Great little chorus and a big BIG sound. Strong harmony vox from DLR - who continues to sound incredible. What a solo! Fast furious shredding before diving back into a Metallica heavy riff and then a Hot For Teacher style spoken bridge. And the close out is amazing. Guitars everywhere and supremely dark and heavy.

Honeybabycutiedoll – This is one of those twisted musical interlude tracks that Van Halen just has to have. And normally drives me nuts…or to the skip button at least. But this is just so good. The first half of the song tries to be normal, with Dave talking over a hard riff and a short melodic chorus popping up a couple of times. But from then on it's all Eddie. This could be the most bizarre guitar sound I've ever heard from EVH. Another uptempo track, a real groover. And boy, those riffs are heavy.

The Trouble With Never – is yet another uptempo rocker featuring more classic DLR lyrics and a chorus that has those wonderful backing vocals back again. Dave is having a blast and the groove of this album is unreal. This is a big commercial rocker that follows the last track perfectly. I could see this as a single.

Outta Space – this is another reworked 70s track, originally titled Let's Get Rocking. The riff is so familiar when you play it, but the rest of the song has a new life. That guitar sound and drum pattern is so old school VH. Dave takes the vocal into a high range, nice to hear. Another slamming display of rhythm.

Dave fans are going to love this. Stay Frosty – is just brilliant and so Van Roth. An acoustic blues intro while Dave's quirky lyrics grab your attention. More spoken word stuff before...BAM!, the song turns ultra-heavy and launches into a monster groove. Mammoth close out with Alex going nuts on drums. Swagger and style you just can't manufacture.

The last two songs have a very familiar feel. Both are reworked 70s demos (Big Trouble and Put Out The Lights respectively) and both just have that simple classic early Van Halen feel.
Big River - More groove and lots of fantastic riffing. Dave goes for a big vocal again and the song is again pretty fast and in your face again. Simple chorus as is the norm. God the guitar sound is just HUGE!!!! Another great solo and a bit longer this time, mixing riffs and picking.
Beats Working – Great way to close the album. A hard edged riff and matching drum beat. Fun rocker with more reminders of 1984. The longest track on the album at 5 minutes and more or less defies explaining!

The Bottom Line
What can I say in closing that hasn't already been said? To those too lazy to read the whole thing – Van Halen are back, and bigger and heavier than could possibly have been imagined. The individual musical performances within this album are sublime and mesmerizing and despite the use of some older demos to create a foundation, the album sounds fresh and invigorating.
David Lee Roth is on record stating: "People want the reunion….No one will pay respect to what any of us do [musically] until we get the reunion out of the way."
That's precisely it. They have now done that and done themselves, their fans and the Van Halen name proud. It needed to be good, thank God it's even better than expected.
But where to from here? This might be the last Van Halen album….let's hope to hell it's not. It might be the last with Dave. Who knows. Whatever the future presents, at least they proved ALL critics wrong with this monster record.

In 1995 the band released a killer song called Humans Being. I loved it. I loved the album previous to it - Balance. I couldn't wait to hear what was next. Now I know...

"When you turn on your stereo, does it return the favor?" It does now Dave…it does now!