Today's Day In Rock!

Gregg Allman Taken To The Hospital This Weekend
(TMZ) Gregg Allman had to leave a gig early on Saturday night in NYC and was taken to a local hospital because of back pain, TMZ has learned.
A rep for the legendary guitarist tells TMZ he has bulging discs in his back and suffered a flare up 30 minutes before the end of a show at the Beacon Theatre in NYC Saturday night.

The rep says Allman went to a local hospital where he was treated and released. more on this story


Gene Simmons Vs Rock Hall of Fame
(hennemusic) Despite being eligible for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999, and snagging a lone nomination in 2010, KISS have yet to make the final cut... something that clearly remains a sore spot for the group.

"It's become a joke," bassist Gene Simmons told Rolling Stone at last Wednesday's press conference announcing the band's summer tour with Motley Crue. "We've been thinking about it and the answer is simply, 'We'll just buy it and fire everybody.'"

Beneath the jokes, Gene explains some of his issues with the concept of the Rock Hall itself. "In all seriousness for the fans, for something to be called Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is such an insult to Madonna, Blondie and Tone Loc. Who the f**k knows what other disco act is in there? It's an insult to them because they don't get to be in the 'Dance Hall of Fame,' because that's what they do," Simmons says. "They're legitimate dance, disco artists. They don't belong in rock and roll." more on this story


Rod Stewart To Reunite With The Faces
(Gibson) After years of false starts, it's now confirmed: Rod Stewart will perform with the Faces for the first time in 19 years.

In an interview with Music Radar, Faces drummer Kenney Jones said Stewart and the band will perform a three-song set in Cleveland when they are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 14.

"Contrary to what some people might think, we're all still great mates and we've never said we wouldn't play together again," said Jones. "We all had dinner about a month ago and decided that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame would be the perfect time and place."

Jones said the last time Faces and Stewart rehearsed together was three years ago, and that "the magic was still there." He added that Mick Hucknall was brought in as vocalist for recent Faces gigs in part due to Stewart's busy schedule. Moreover, in a previous interview with Music Radar, Faces keyboardist Ian McLagan had indicated that Stewart's voice "had changed" since having surgery on his vocal cords.

"As to whether we'll do anything else after the Hall of Fame show, we'll just have to see how it goes," Jones added. "I'd like to think there's more to come, although it depends how everyone's individual schedules are shaping up. But we're all really looking forward to getting up on stage again. It's been far too long." more on this story




Aerosmith Doing Something 'Big' This Week
(hennemusic) Something's up in Aerosmith land. Two new posts - on the band's Facebook page and on Steven Tyler's twitter – suggest the band is getting together next week for a major news event.

Here's the tweet from Tyler's Twitter feed: "OK… NXT WEDNESDAY (((HUMP DAY)))…SEE U AT THE GROVE LA??? … SUMTHIN BIG GOING DOWN!!!...MEET ME AT THE FOUNTAIN…11:30???"

A similar message posted at the band's Facebook page reads: "Hey – something's going on big at The Grove in Los Angeles. Be at the fountain near the patch of grass, Wednesday, March 28th promptly at 12 PM. This is YOUR chance to see Aerosmith and a whole lot more!" more on this story


Red Hot Chili Peppers Want Jimmy Page To Join Them On Stage
(Gibson) Red Hot Chili Peppers are hoping they can persuade Jimmy Page to join them on-stage when they play at Knebworth Park in the U.K. on June 23.

Speaking to London's Daily Star, Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith said, "Jimmy Page has come to our shows before but we haven't had a chance to play with him. That would be really cool, so maybe that can happen. Maybe we can get Page to come out to Knebworth. I saw him come on with Foo Fighters at Wembley."

Smith went on to say performing at Knebworth held special meaning for the band. "I first heard about Knebworth when Led Zeppelin played there in 1979," he said, "so to me it's hallowed ground and pretty cool. Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, The Stones and Queen and The Who – I grew up listening to all of them. To be accepted where these guys play blows our minds. It's like a bucket list kind of thing. We can tick that one off." more on this story




Epica Lose A Member
Epica have parted ways with bassist Yves Huts and replaced him with Rob van der Loo from Mayan and Delain fame. The band had this to say:

"Yves has been with us from the start and has been of great value to the band. We want to thank Yves for his contribution to Epica's success and wish him the very best in his future career, whether musically or in a different way. We will never forget the good times we shared together on the road!

"The silver lining to this cloud is that we can already announce an awesome successor. Fulfilling duties on bass from now on will be none other than Rob van der Loo. You might know Rob from his work with Mayan or Delain. We are sure that Rob will fit perfectly as a musician and as a person, and we are looking forward to share the stage for the first time next week." more on this story


KISS, Jimmy Buffett and The Black Keys To Rock NCAA Final Four
(Turner) Jimmy Buffett, KISS and The Black Keys are set to headline the 2012 NCAA Big Dance Concert Series, in New Orleans in conjunction with the 2012 NCAA Men's Final Four.

The free, three-day music festival is produced by Turner Sports and the NCAA, and will take place at Woldenberg Park in New Orleans during the 2012 NCAA Men's Final Four weekend.

Additional artists performing at the 2012 NCAA Big Dance Concert Series include special guest Blondie, the Avett Brothers, New Orleans legend Dr. John, the Funky Meters, Big Sam's Funky Nation, Cowboy Mouth and Vintage Trouble. The specific time of each performance and final overall schedule will be available soon at NCAA.com/FinalFour.

The Big Dance Concert Series tips off Friday evening of Final Four weekend, March 30 with KISS headlining the Block Party. more on this story


Slash Debuts New Song Live
(hennemusic) Slash hit Toronto this past week to do some press for his forthcoming album, "Apocalyptic Love." The second solo effort from the guitarist is due May 22.

The album's first single, "You're A Lie," is already at radio, and fans have been given a tease of what the video looks like with an online preview.

At his first solo show to launch the new project, Slash played Toronto's intimate Phoenix Concert Theatre on Friday, where he played a mix of solo material, Guns N' Roses, Velvet Revolver and Slash's Snakepit tracks – and – the debut live performance of "You're A Lie." Check it out.


Paul McCartney Plans Deluxe Reissue of Ram
(Gibson) Paul and Linda McCartney's classic 1971 album, Ram, is getting the deluxe reissue treatment. The album, which was McCartney's second post-Beatles LP and the only album credited to both the former Beatle and his late wife, Linda, will be released in a variety of formats on May 22.

The most ambitious edition will be the Deluxe Edition Box Set, which will include a bonus DVD, 112-page book, bonus discs and assorted exclusive prints. The deluxe set will also include Thrillington, an instrumental version of Ram originally released in 1977.

In a post on his website, McCartney said: "Ladies and gentlemen, this is an album from a long, long time ago, when the world was different. This is an album that is part of my history – it goes back to the wee hills of Scotland where it was formed. It's an album called RAM. It reminds me of my hippie days and the free attitude with which was created. I hope you're going to like it, because I do!" more on this story




Thin Lizzy Added To Guns N' Roses Tour
(hennemusic) Thin Lizzy have been added to the upcoming UK tour by Guns N' Roses. The 8-show UK tour begins May 19 in Nottingham and wraps up with two shows at London's 02 Arena.

"To tour with a band the caliber of Guns N' Roses is an honor and a privilege," said Lizzy guitarist Scott Gorham. "Being on the road with a great band who are also great friends is the perfect way to go. It's like one big family, so [we] can't wait to see you all out there."

Guns N' Roses made some UK news recently when Reading and Leeds festival organizer Melvin Benn said he'd rule out booking the current GNR line-up again, following the 2010 debacle orchestrated by Axl Rose's inability to get on stage on time. Read what he had to say.


Joe Perry's Birthday Surprise for Steven Tyler
(hennemusic) Aerosmith's Steven Tyler turns 64 today. American Idol gave Tyler some birthday love Thursday night, with host Ryan Seacrest setting things up.

"We couldn't get through tonight without acknowledging somebody's birthday this weekend," began Ryan. "And a cake would be too obvious, so…this seems more appropriate."

And with that, Aerosmith's Joe Perry surprised Steven - and everyone else - by appearing center stage, with guitar in hand, to play a song for the occasion. "I couldn't decide what to get you for your birthday this year, so I guess this'll have to do," said Perry. Read more and watch the clip here.


Bob Dylan, Miles Davis and Stevie Ray Vaughan Apps Launched
Legacy Recordings have launched "The Legacy Of," a new music app available now on Spotify.

The first set of featured artists on "The Legacy Of" app are Bob Dylan, Miles Davis and Stevie Ray Vaughan. New artists will be announced and added regularly.

An artist-centric app, "The Legacy Of" reveals the depth and breadth of catalog and influence of some of history's most transformative musicians through curated playlists, handpicked album selections, biographies, photos and more. more on this story


Jerry Cantrell To Be Honored at MusiCares Event
Alice In Chains co-founder Jerry Cantrell is set to be honored at the eighth annual MusiCares MAP Fund benefit concert at Club Nokia in Los Angeles on Thursday, May 31, 2012.

Cantrell will be honored with the Stevie Ray Vaughan Award for his dedication and support of the MusiCares MAP Fund, and for his commitment to helping other addicts with the addiction and recovery process. Lasher will be the recipient of MusiCares' From the Heart Award for his unconditional friendship and dedication to the mission and goals of the organization.

All proceeds will benefit the MusiCares MAP Fund, which provides members of the music community access to addiction recovery treatment regardless of their financial situation. more on this story


Paul Rodgers Jams With The Sheepdogs
(hennemusic) The Sheepdogs capped off an exciting year Saturday as they snagged four Independent Music Awards in Toronto, and added further to their street cred when they were joined by Paul Rodgers for the event.

QMI Agency reports Rodgers' band, Free, was apparently a big influence on the '70s-and-blues-inspired Sheepdogs, who also landed on the cover of Rolling Stone last year, becoming the first unsigned act to do so.

Rodgers happened to be in town to give a public chat at Canadian Music Week earlier in the day. "Man! These guys rock!" said Rodgers, 62, half-way through their trio of Free songs together – "I'll Be Creepin'," "I'm A Mover" and the fan favourite, "All Right Now." Check it out here.


Kasabian Deliver Neon Noon Video
(hennemusic) Kasabian have released the video for "Neon Noon," the latest single from their "Velociraptor!" album.

The song is the final track on the latest album and, as guitarist Serge Pizzorno says, it's the perfect way to bring the record to a close.

"'Neon Noon' is a great way of finishing," says Pizzorno. "Like the end credits roll: spaceship comes in to land, a little pod that you've been in, just traveled the galaxy. It's got echoes of Pink Floyd." Check it out here.


The Cult Preview New Song
(hennemusic) The Cult have offered up an audio stream of their new single, "For The Animals."

The first single from the band's forthcoming album, "Choice Of Weapon" (due May 22), goes to radio stations for airplay starting Monday.

A preview of the video for the brand new single can be viewed online here.


Animals As Leaders Lose A Member
Animals As Leaders have undergone a lineup change as they prepare to hit the road at the end of this week for their first European headlining tour and a string of shows with Meshuggah.

Drummer Navene Koperweis has decided to leave the group. He explains in a statement, "Tosin (Abasi) and Javier (Reyes, guitar) are the two most generous, caring and understanding individuals I've ever met and I look forward to a lifetime of friendship with the both of them. Over the past decade I have done nothing but music. Recording, writing, playing, practicing, touring and producing. It's taken me beyond what I could have dreamt of as a kid when I started. My new goals extend beyond the drum kit and I'm the type of person who will constantly chase new dreams. You'll be seeing a lot more of me soon."

The band's mastermind Abasi says, "I've shared some of my most memorable musical experiences to date with Navene and truly consider him a brother. I commend him for following his own path in life, even if that means i'll no longer be sharing the stage with him. I feel blessed to have had the pleasure of working together and creating a lifelong friendship." more on this story


Van Halen: David Lee Roth Scream Box Plans
(hennemusic) You may soon be able to take Van Halen singer David Lee Roth with you wherever you go; or, at least, Roth's vocal yelps, whoops and screams. Dave Rogge of Brooklyn has created a new "Roth Scream Box."

The battery-powered unit is designed to play the isolated vocal tracks of Roth singing "Runnin' With the Devil," the first song from Van Halen's 1978 debut.

Rogge says he plans to have units similar to this one on sale via online marketplace Etsy in the coming months. No word on whether Rogge will face any copyright infringement issues should he begin actually selling the item, which he says he built in his basement workshop. Check out a video demo





Brian May Would Liked To Have Been A Member Of AC/DC
(Gibson) Had he not forged his career with Queen, Brian May would like to have been a member of… AC/DC. May revealed that secret desire to London's The Independent in a wide-ranging interview, going on to add that, musically speaking, he was "the wrong sort of size and shape" for the Australian rockers.

"I'd have probably liked to be in AC/DC [if Queen hadn't existed]," he said. "But I'm the wrong sort of size and shape, unfortunately. Because it's different from Queen. Queen were very eclectic – that's the word isn't it? – and we just trampled over every boundary that there was. But AC/DC are in a sense the opposite. They know their style and it's incredibly pure and I have a great respect for that. And every single note they play is AC/DC completely."

May also said his vision of what he could do with the guitar came to fruition on Queen II, released in 1974. "When we came to Queen II, we were actually in a proper studio with time that was booked like a real, proper band," he said. "We had adventurous ideas on guitar harmonies but also vocal harmonies – just painting a huge picture, which was in our heads. Queen II is a lot of stuff. There are all sorts of guitar parts fighting each other." more on this story




Unaired KISS on Jimmy Kimmel Footage Goes Online
(hennemusic) KISS rocked Jimmy Kimmel's show Tuesday night. Fan-filmed footage of "Cold Gin" and "Shout It Out Loud" has surfaced.

The broadcast showed the band playing their classics, "Detroit Rock City" and "Calling Dr. Love," but the group actually performed an additional two songs for the live audience.

KISS were on the show to promote their upcoming summer tour with Motley Crue, which will hit more than 40 cities across North America starting July 20. Check out the unaired footage here.


Watch Kasabian's Terminal 5 Concert Online
(hennemusic) Kasabian took over Terminal 5 in New York Thursday night for a live show and concert webcast.

hennemusic carried the live feed, as the band ripped through a 17-song, 90-minute set featuring material from their four album, including the latest, "Velociraptor!"

Kasabian recently kicked off their North American tour; next week, they play shows in Boston (Tue), Montreal (Wed) and Toronto (Thu). Watch the video webcast footage here.


James Durbin Has Offer To Reluctant Fans
(hennemusic) James Durbin is gearing up to take his rock show on the road this spring and summer. New dates are being posted on Durbin's website, with some shows in April and May now listed.

James has offered an interesting challenge to music fans who might be on the fence about checking him out in concert.

Durbin invites people to contact him via his Facebook page and/or via Twitter, and say to him, "yo, Durbin, I'm hesitant about coming to your show," he tells Fox News. "If I have a guest list…" Find out what James has to offer you.


Remembering Jan Berry of Jan and Dean
(Gibson) On this day in 2004, Jan Berry of Jan & Dean died at the age of 62 after being in poor health from injuries sustained in a 1966 car crash. The duo's biggest hit was the 1963 #1 single "Surf City" (#26 in the U.K.), which was co-written by Beach Boy Brian Wilson. Gibson looks back:

Surf music pioneers Jan and Dean (Jan Berry and Dean Torrance) met at University High School in Los Angeles, where they both played football, and soon discovered that each had an interest in music. They and some other classmates eventually started getting together after football practice to sing and rehearse in Jan's parents' garage. After enough practice, they mustered the courage to perform at a high school dance under the name The Barons, and they did quite well. The Barons specialized in doo-wop songs popular at the time in the late '50s, tunes like "Get a Job," "Hushabye" and "Short Shorts."

Jan, in particular, had a strong passion for music, and he enjoyed writing and arranging music, including multi-part harmonies. Being an audiophile, his parents' garage quickly turned into a makeshift studio, complete with reel-to-reel tape machines and a piano, and over time his skills as both a producer and engineer grew mightily. He was way ahead of the curve in understanding – and conceptualizing – the possibilities presented with new and emerging technology. For instance, he learned how to utilize two machines to create an echo-delay effect, which in 1958 was no small feat. He was a student of multi-tracking and splicing pieces of numerous recordings together to create finished arrangements that were larger than the sum of their parts.

Jan's first commercial success came from the 1958 single, "Jennie Lee," which he recorded with fellow Baron, Arnie Ginsburg; the single climbed to #8 on the charts, resulting in Jan & Arnie appearing on American Bandstand. The fledgling duo recorded and released three more singles. Dean hadn't been available to record because he was serving in the army reserves. Upon Dean's return, he and Jan began making music together as a duo, eventually with a lot of the help from a couple of upstart producers – a jazz trumpeter named Herb Alpert and his songwriting partner Lou Adler.

Jan and Dean eventually signed with the Dore label, and along with Adler and Alpert, they began sifting through demos, which led them to their first hit as a duo, "Baby Talk," which climbed to #10 in 1959. Like "Jennie Lee," "Baby Talk" was recorded in Jan's garage before a full band was added to fill out the song. The song was filled with the soon-to-be trademarks of surf music – close harmonies, major and minor chords, and no small element of doo-wop and rock with plenty of falsetto thrown in on the high end. more on this story




Oasis Mom Didn't Want A New Home From Her Sons
(Gibson) Unlike some showbiz mothers, Peggy Gallagher has remained unaffected by her sons' success. According to the Daily Express, the Oasis boys tried to buy Peggy a new house when they hit it big with their Definitely Maybe album, but she wasn't interested in moving from her (government-owned) council house.

Noel, who dazzled in the '90s with his Epiphone Noel Gallagher Archtop Union Jack SuperNova guitar, told the BBC: "She gave it all up for us. I think she has great karma and two of her children became two of the biggest rock stars that England ever produced.

"All she got was a new garden gate from us. Liam offered to buy her a castle... but the gate at her council house had been squeaking and she wanted that fixed."

Today's Day In Rock!

Joe Perry, Ace Frehley, Michael Anthony, Skynyrd on New Bret Michaels CD
Bret Michaels have tapped a who's who of rock as special guests on his upcoming solo album "Get Your Rock On."
Aside from Phil Collen from Def Leppard and Sal Costa from My Darkest Days, Bret tells AZ Central he has lined up come more heavy hitters for the effort, "I put a lot of hard work into this. And everyone that's on it, I'm not only friends with but fans of. I've got Ace Frehley from Kiss and Michael Anthony from Van Halen. I redid "Nothin' But a Good Time" and played everything on it but the lead guitar and bass. Ace Frehley plays the solo and Michael Anthony plays bass. Then, "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" has Joe Perry from Aerosmith and Hugh McDonald from Bon Jovi. And it's got Loretta Lynn singing it with me. Then, Jimmy Buffett, me and him did "Margaritaville" live."

"...it's all people I know. Vinnie Paul from Pantera. They're all friends of mine. The best one -- are you ready for this? -- I remade "Sweet Home Alabama" with the guys from Lynyrd Skynyrd playing and singing on it. Gary Rossington and Rickey Medlocke are on it. I wanted them to hear what I had done. I gave it a really cool feel. And they were like, "This is awesome."" Read the full interview to learn more!


Guns N' Roses Score Surprise No. 3 Hit on Billboard Album Chart
(hennemusic) Guns N' Roses have a 25 cent digital hit on their hands. Billboard reports Guns N' Roses' "Greatest Hits" has landed at no. 3 on the new Billboard 200 album chart following a price war sale last week between two digital retailers.

The album was priced for 25-cents in both the Google Play and AmazonMP3 stores for one day last week, eventually going on to sell 85,000 copies – 12,000 more than the week before.

"Greatest Hits" came in behind One Direction and Adele, and just ahead of last week's #1, the new "Wrecking Ball" by Bruce Springsteen. more on this story


Oliveri Quits Kyuss Lives!
(Banana 101.5) Former Queens of the Stone Age bassist Nick Oliveri explains why he recently jumped ship on the Kyuss reunion, explains his side of the story concerning his legal troubles stemming from a standoff with LAPD last July and briefly touches on the circumstances surrounding his exit from QOTSA.

In a new video interview with Antiquiet, Nick Oliveri gives a very long-winded update on all the hot topic issues surrounding the bassist — of which there are several. First there is the matter of Kyuss, who reunited without former guitarist and Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme as Kyuss Lives. A lawsuit has recently been brought against the band by Homme and former bassist Scott Reeder regarding the use of the name Kyuss. Oliveri says that when Kyuss Lives was just a touring thing, Homme was fine with it — it wasn't until there was talks of a new album that it became an issue.

"Josh is a key player and songwriter in what Kyuss was and is. I don't know that without Josh there — it will be what it should be," says Oliveri of his exit from the partial reunion. "I don't want to let anyone down. I don't want to let myself down. I figure walk away with my head up high and do my own thing is the respectable thing and I think I need to do that." And about that standoff?


Motley Crue Star Distances Himself From Gene Simmons Rihanna Slam
(hennemusic) Gene Simmons stirred up some headlines this week in an effort to draw some media attention to the KISS summer tour with Motley Crue.

During Tuesday's press conference, Simmons boasted how "real" both veteran rock groups were in a live setting, adding, "Both Motley and KISS are united in one crusade: we are sick and tired of girls getting up there with dancers and karaoke tapes in back of them," said Simmons. "No karaoke singers allowed. No fake bulls**t. Leave that to the Rihanna, Shmianna and anyone who ends their name with an 'A.' This is real stuff."Crue drummer Tommy Lee has added some thoughts of his own to Gene's comments.

"Gene Simmons recently mentioned at our Motley/KISS tour announcement on Tuesday about his distaste for faking it on stage. I somehow got lumped into that by saying that I, too, am tired of all the watered-down, not-so-real performances on award shows/live concerts/etc.," Lee said in a statement. "I am a fan of Rihanna's and think she's an amazing singer/entertainer and I think you all know how much I f**king love electronic music and dance. I make and perform electronic music live. And who am I to say what's good/bad/real or fake? It is what it is, right?..." more on this story


Ziggy Stardust Revisited For 40th Anniversary
(Gibson) It's hard to believe that it's been 40 years since the release of David Bowie's landmark The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars album – especially since, according to the album, earth only had five years left. But here were are four decades later with the planet intact, Bowie retired and the 1972 concept album still hailed as a classic.

Ziggy Stardust will get a 40th anniversary reissue in a couple of months (June 4 in the U.K., June 5 in the U.S.), with editions on both CD and limited-edition vinyl, according to Pitchfork.

The vinyl release also comes with an audio DVD version, containing 5.1 mixes of the spaced-out album's tracks – along with three unreleased mixes ("The Supermen," "Velvet Goldmine" and "Super Head"). more on this story




Metallica Releasing 30th Anniversary Magazine
(hennemusic) Metallica are publishing a special edition of their fan club magazine, So What! The band have teamed up with Metal Hammer to offer fans a 30th Anniversary edition issue of the magazine, which is typically sent to MetClub members every three months.

"As we were putting together the first issue of 2012 commemorating our 30th anniversary celebration at the Fillmore Theatre in December of last year, we realized that the upcoming issue was looking so special, so unique and so unprecedented that we really should make it available to share with all our friends around the world," posted the band.

"I couldn't think of a cooler way to round out the first 30 years than how the Fillmore week played out in December," said drummer Lars Ulrich. "And I can't think of a cooler way to start off the next 30 years than immortalizing that unique, incomparable and unforgettable week in magazine form, our first So What! edition to leave the confines of our fan club." more on this story


Taking Back Sunday Headlining Warped Tour
Taking Back Sunday have been tapped as a main stage headliners of this summer's Warped Tour 2012.

This marks the first time since 2004 the band will participate in the entire tour, which begins on June 16 in Salt Lake City, UT and hits 41 cities throughout US and Canada before wrapping-up on August 5 in Portland, OR.

The band will release an exclusive 12" LP for Record Store Day on April 21st. We Play Songs is an acoustic four-song 12" LP featuring live tracks recorded at Fingerprints Record Store in Long Beach, CA and Looney Tunes in West Babylon, NY. more on this story


The Cult Preview New Song
(hennemusic) The Cult return May 22 with their new studio album, "Choice Of Weapon" and are now giving fans another taste of what is to come.

Co-produced by Chris Goss (Queens of the Stone Age, U.N.K.L.E.) and longtime collaborator Bob Rock (Metallica, Aerosmith), "Choice of Weapon" was made in several studios, including the band's own Witch Mountain, as well as spots in New York City, Los Angeles and the California desert.

Earlier this year, The Cult offered up a taste of the record by posting the song "Lucifer." Now, the group is previewing the video for the album's first single, "For The Animals." Check it out


Iron Maiden Preview Steel Book Limited Edition
(hennemusic) Iron Maiden's new live set, "En Vivo!," arrives next week. Maiden were captured live on April 10, 2011 in front of over 50,000 ecstatic fans at the Estadio Nacional, Santiago during the Round The World In 66 Days leg of The Final Frontier World Tour.

The band is offering several different versions of the package, including Blu-Ray, DVD, 2CD, Digital Download, Double Vinyl Picture Disc, CD soundtrack album and Digital Download Video.

As if those options weren't enough for Maiden fans, there's also a Limited Edition double DVD in a Collectors Steel Book case; a video preview can be seen here.


Current Guns N' Roses Guitarist Wants Rock Hall Reunion Jam
(hennemusic) Guns N' Roses fans were very disappointed to hear this week's comments by Slash that the band will not reunite their classic lineup to perform at the band's upcoming Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction.

Now, a current GNR guitarist is saying he'd like to see the reunion happen. During an online video chat this week, DJ Asha was asked about his thoughts on the Rock Hall event.

"The one thing I don't understand about the Hall Of Fame is nobody's f**king talking, nobody's talking about it," he said. "I just don't, I don't get it. In my opinion, I think it's a huge honor. I think it would be awesome to see, you know, everybody [from the classic GNR lineup] get up on stage and put all the differences aside for one night and just give the fans what they want. To me, that makes the most sense." more on this story


At The Drive-In Limited Edition Set For Coachella
At The Drive-In made news earlier this year announce that they were reuniting and we now learn that a special limited edition release is planned as well. Fearless Records sent out these details:

Fearless Records announced a limited edition yellow 10" vinyl version of At The Drive-In's seminal 1999 EP Vaya, that will be sold exclusively at this year's Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival through the Zia Record's pop up shop and the Coachella Boutique.

Fan-favorite Vaya contains their much-performed tracks "Rascuache" and "198d", and sparked the band's rapid rise to prominence. This is the first pressing of this record in 12 years. more on this story


Obscura Frontman For Death To All Tour
We told you last week that members of Death were heading out on the road for the Death To All Tour 2012. Today we learn they have recruited Steffen Kummerer of Obscura to sing on the trek. They put out the following:

We are very excited to announce Steffen Kummerer of Obscura, as the second vocalist for the Death To All Tour 2012. Steffen is an unbelievable talent and we are very excited to have him involved with this tour. The first Obscura record, to us, was very reminiscent of Death's Human album, so it should be interesting to say the least. Here is the official statement about the tour from Steffen:

"It was a pleasure to get the invitation to play all of those timeless classics as a tribute to Chuck and his work. To be honest, I wasn't sure if it was a good idea at all to get this project running, due to my respect for the past. The band Death is gone and will never come back, that is the truth. These shows are a nice way to show tribute to the band and their previous work and help musicians via Sweet Relief. In the end, a good thing and definitely worth visiting one or two shows. I am glad to be involved and be part of this idea to bring this music back on stage. Let the metal flow."


Five Finger Death Punch Launch Tour Tonight
Five Finger Death Punch have returned from playing for the troops in Kuwait and are launching a North American tour tonight. SKH sent over these details:

This week, 5FDP prepares for a massive hometown headlining show at the Joint in Las Vegas, en route to more west coast headlining dates and a trek into Canada.

The band has just returned from a visit to military bases across Kuwait, where they touched down for performances and or visits on bases that included Camp Moreell, Camp Beuhring, Camp Patriot and others. This is the band's second visit overseas to perform for the troops in two years . "What a stellar way to start the spring," singer Ivan Moody shared. "Playing for the troops is always an honor and seriously humbling. Can't say enough about the experience- everyone was so respectful and warm. I hope we helped morale and it was a privilege to give back to those that give so much for us." more on this story


Nickelback Releasing Two Music Videos
Nickelback are releasing two new music videos almost simultaneously. One was released this week and the second is coming next week.

One video is for the song "Lullaby" and other is for the track "This Means War," both songs come from the band's latest album, Here And Now.

The video for "Lullaby" premieres exclusively on VH1.com yesterday for 24-hours; the video will make its broadcast debut on VH1's Top 20 Countdown on March 31, 2012. Additionally, the video for "This Means War" will premiere exclusively for 48-hours on the Xbox/Zune platform on March 27, 2012. more on this story


Motley Crue To Play New Music On KISS Tour
(Gibson) It's safe to say one of the biggest rock stories of the week is Motley Crue and KISS announcing a wild child, cross-county tour set for this summer. Motley Crue bass player Nikki Sixx is even promising the guys will pull out at least one fresh track on the run, and he says it's a good one.

"We're gonna play it on tour. We just wrote it and recorded it. We're just finishing mixing," he told VH1 Radio Network's Dave Basner.

"It's called 'Sex' and it sounds very much like it's off of the first record [1981's Too Fast for Love]. And that was definitely on purpose. I've been writing very simple riffs for the last year and focusing on how these riffs would work for Vince [Neil, singer], basically, and took it in the studio with Tommy [Lee, drummer] and Mick [Mars, guitarist] and the thing just came alive." more on this story




Weapon Begin Recording New Album
Weapon have entered the studio to record their follow up to their 2010 release From The Devil's Tomb.

The band entered the studio on March 18th to self-record the new album along with producer Terry Paholek at The Physics Lab in their hometown of Edmonton, Canada.

Continuing on the same scathing path as their previous works, the upcoming release, planned for the Fall of 2012, is said to be their most vicious and all-out evil offering to date. more on this story


Evanescence Amy Lee As A Role Model
(Gibson) Evanescence are currently touring Australia in support of their latest, self-titled full-length, and when the band tours, all eyes are on frontwoman Amy Lee.

In fact, a lot of little rockers look up to Lee, and she's totally okay with falling into that position of role model.

"I do feel a little bit of that responsibility of role model, especially with our younger fans, and I like that, actually!" she told the Telegraph. "I think that's really cool. I'm the oldest of a big family. I'm the big sister, so I kind of feel like I fall into that role sort of naturally. It's nice. It's a little bit scary sometimes, when you're like, 'Okay, I'm not perfect. I'm never going to be perfect.' But I think that's an important lesson, too, to young people to say, 'Hey, nobody's perfect.' It's important to just be independent and be okay with yourself." more on this story




Phil Collen Gets Eclectic With Def Leppard/Sex Pistols Supergroup Man Raze
(Gibson) Sure, Phil Collen rocks the six-string for blockbuster '80s group Def Leppard, but nowadays, he's also making heavy sounds in Man Raze. The supergroup features Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook and former Girl bass player Simon Laffy.

Man Raze's latest album, PunkFunkRootsRock, goes well beyond arena rock fare with a mix of sounds that's hard to pinpoint. That's the point, though. As Collen explains, the guys picked the moniker PunkFunkRootsRock because it perfectly fit the eclectic character of the album's songs.

"Paul Cook, our drummer, … he was like 'it's a bit punky, it's a bit funky,' and then he was like 'wow PunkFunkRootsRock,'" Collen told Ultimate Classic Rock. "The great thing about Man Raze is that, being in Def Leppard for 30 years this year, obviously we have a style and you can't really stray too far from it. Otherwise fans get very emotional, they get upset and so with Man Raze it's a great excuse to just go where you feel.

"There's definitely rock stuff, there's reggae stuff on there, we like blurring the lines. It's like your iPod, if you have shuffle, you just don't only listen to one type of music all day, hopefully, you've got to be a bit more diverse so that's really what that's about and the title sums it up." more on this story




Locrian Go with Relapse Records
Relapse Records have inked Locrian and plan a new album release as well as a wider format reissue. They sent out these details:

Locrian plan to enter the studio later this year for their full-length Relapse debut. Furthermore, this summer Relapse will reissue the group's most recent vinyl only release The Clearing as a 2CD/Digital deluxe album with a bonus disc re-titled as The Clearing/The Final Epoch. More details on the reissue and the new album will be available shortly.

André Foisy commented on the new collaboration with Relapse: "It's really an honor to be working with one of the labels that we grew up with and a label that's put out such a wide variety of material that we love. We plan to record our full-length album for Relapse later this year with Greg Norman at Electrical Audio in Chicago." more on this story


Hell Militia Plan New Album Release
Hell Militia have announced plans to release their first album on Season of Mist's Underground Activist division in late 2012, under their new deal with the label.

The band issued the following statement: "Hell Militia are really enthusiastic about that new signing with Season of Mist. We join many of our comrades and have known some of the SOM guys for quite a long time so it had to happen someday.

"There has been a lot of work on the new album, and it was composed in a very special way, far from everything, and even now we are still hard at work on the mix. We can't wait to have the final result in our f**king hands, for sure the sickest opus of Hell Militia..."


The Day R.E.M. Were On Top
(Gibson) On this day in 1991, R.E.M. scored their first U.K. #1 album with their seventh LP, Out of Time, featuring the hit singles "Losing My Religion" and "Shiny Happy People." Gibson looks back: Since releasing their debut album to rabid critical acclaim (and some commercial success) in 1983, R.E.M. had been steadily growing in stature in the music world. Coming out of the Athens, Georgia, college scene, the band built quite a following through the '80s, via constant touring and a string of extremely well-received indie albums.

By 1987, Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe had a Top 10 album (Document), a Top 10 single ("The One I Love") and were christened "America's Best Rock & Roll Band" on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. R.E.M. had achieved major success, and they'd done it completely on their own terms. But there's a big difference between stardom and super-stardom – and the guys were about to find out, first-hand.

In the late '80s, R.E.M. jumped from the indies to the majors, signing a lucrative contract with Warner Bros. Records, which also helped increase the overseas distribution of their albums. Their first major label release, 1988's Green, was another hit and led to the band's biggest tour yet. After a busy decade, R.E.M. took their first prolonged break and reconvened to record their next album in the fall of 1990.

The sessions found the band members experimenting with different instruments and styles, building on Green's mixture of folk, rock and pop. Songs were written using an array of acoustic instruments, including organ, harpsichord, mandolin and acoustic guitar. In addition, country and classical music influences came to the fore.

The album was shaping up to be R.E.M.'s biggest departure from rock music. Strings were heard all over the album, lending it a baroque feel. Meanwhile, leadoff track "Radio Song" featured rapper KRS-One. "Country Feedback" was a rustic, lumbering dirge and "Shiny Happy People" was pure, bouncy pop. more on this story




Singled Out: I Am The Icarus' Doom Machine
Today Daniel Godfrey from I Am The Icarus tells us about the song "Doom Machine" from their brand new album "The Father, The Heretic and The Son". Here is the story:

"Doom Machine" is a song that almost didn't make it on the record. Like much of this record it was written rather quickly. One of my goals in writing this time around was to not overthink anything, trust my instincts and just let the songs come naturally. It's also a song where the lyrics came much later and are really just bits of journal entries and a few cryptic lines meant for close friends. Most of "The Father, The Heretic and The Son" deals with my views on religion and the process of dealing with death as an atheist.

There are other songs on the record such as "Rotting Away" in which the entire song is about religion. With this song I sort of concentrated it into one line - "We're outdated obsolete as god."

Sonically the song was informed by bands I grew up listening to, specifically The Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, Nine Inch Nails and Sonic Youth. This song is very much their bastard child. I wanted a really fuzzy and layered "Pumpkins" sort of guitar sound on this song. With the exception of the lead guitar under the chorus everything remained the same as the original demo which is a true testament to keeping things simple from the get go.

Today's Day In Rock!

Slash Shoots Down Guns N' Roses Rock Hall Reunion Hopes
(hennemusic) Slash has confirmed the rumors surrounding the possibility of the original memebers of Guns N' Roses performing at their induction into to Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame next month.
"We're not playing," the guitarist tells the Toronto Sun. "I would imagine that they asked us to play but I know that we're not playing."

A staff member at Envision Radio Networks leaked the news recently while posting under musical director Paul Shaffer's twitter account; an Envision management type called the tweet "inadvertent" while not denying its accuracy. more on this story


Gene Simmons Slams Rihanna
(hennemusic) The KISS/Motley Crue summer tour double bill was officially announced this week at a press conference in Hollywood.

The veteran hard rockers will hit more than 40 cities across the continent starting July 20 in Bristow, Virginia, with shows scheduled through to September 23.

Dubbed "The Tour," the show will feature 90-minute headlining sets by both bands, with KISS bassist Gene Simmons declaring the trek the real thing. "Both Motley and KISS are united in one crusade: we are sick and tired of girls getting up there with dancers and karaoke tapes in back of them," said Simmons. "What you're going to hear on stage is live music. All the bombs are real, all the music is real, the guys you see onstage playing their instruments are playing their instruments. No karaoke singers allowed. No fake bulls**t. Leave that to the Rihanna, Shmianna and anyone who ends their name with an 'A.' This is real stuff." more on this story


Rolling Stones Movie Details
Eagle Rock Entertainment are helping the Rolling Stones celebrate their 50th anniversary with the upcoming release of a new documentary. We were sent these details:

The film features remarkable revelations from the world's most legendary band. This is the first film to ever trace the evolution of the Rolling Stones' from 1963, making it the ultimate Stones experience. The film will be showcased in September as part of the Rolling Stones 50th anniversary celebrations.

"We are thrilled to continue our relationship with the Rolling Stones and help to bring this extraordinary documentary film to millions of fans," said Terry Shand, Eagle Rock chairman and CEO. more on this story


Kasabian Streaming Live Tonight
Kasabian are in the midst of their first North American tour in five years and will be streaming a live show from New York City tonight. Here are the details:

Kasabian kicked off their first North America live dates in five years on March 12th at South Side Music Hall in Dallas, TX. The near 20 date tour comes in support of their recently released fourth full length album Velociraptor!, which came out this past September on Columbia Records.

The band is also the second act selected to take place in a series of streamed concerts resulting from a partnership between Youtube and Bowery Presents and viewable on either Bowery Presents Youtube page or Kasabianlive.com this Thursday night (3/22) from their show at Terminal 5. Check out a preview for the show here.


Joe Walsh Streaming New Song
(Sub) Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh returns with Analog Man, his first solo album in two decades to be released on June 5th, 2012 from Fantasy Records/Concord. Analog Man is both modern and timelessly soulful, packed with Walsh's beloved wit, charm and chops; it delivers an incredibly raw and intimate sound.

"It's been 20 years and I have a lot to say," said Walsh. "These songs come from the heart." Walsh, best known for his powerful guitar licks, joined the Eagles in 1976 and is credited for bringing a harder rock sound to the band with the acclaimed Hotel California, The Long Run and Eagles Live. A singer-songwriter and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Walsh has entertained for more than four decades, not only as a solo artist, but as part of admired bands like The James Gang and Barnstorm.

As a self-proclaimed Analog Man, also the album name and title track, Walsh refers playfully to the new digital age; one in which he has adapted to, but notes in the song, "I am what I am – I'm an Analog Man." Walsh developed the album over the last 10 years, drawing on personal experiences to breathe life into each track. "I just really feel like it's all come together and finally I feel like a complete person and a complete musician," said Walsh. "I think there is some confidence in there that I never had. That's what I was hiding." Walsh credits his wife of four years, Marjorie, for encouraging him to be the man and artist he is today and fondly dedicates this album to her. more on this story


Unusual Interview For Jack White
(Gibson) Jack White not only launched his new album, Blunderbuss, in London this week but he was interviewed by the Mayor of Lambeth, who was decked out in her mayoral robes, chains and all. Mayor Christiana Valcarel told White, "You are a genius, man, you are a talent."

According to Terry Staunton of Music Radar, White talked about the making of the album and how living in Nashville affected the project.

"If I didn't live in Nashville, I don't think I would have ended up making this record. I've been producing other people for my record label Third Man for the last three years, and through that I've collected a humungous family of people – pedal steel players, violinists, harpists, everything there is in town," he said."

"It was a new challenge for me, and if I hadn't been in Nashville, where there's such a plethora of people you can choose from, it would have been a very different record. There's so much talent in that neighborhood." more on this story




Gym Class Heroes Spy Mystery Video
(FTM) Warner Sound, the new Youtube Channel from Warner Music, has posted the first video in one of their new series called Staged.

Staged takes lyrics from one of Warner Music's favorite songs and dramatically re-interprets them in a short film.

The first one is from Gym Class Heroes: Moscow, 1963: An American secret agent finds himself outmatched in a high stakes poker game. While he must rely on his deadly skills and dangerous charm, his sinister rival and a gorgeous femme fatale have plans of their own.

Starring: Brandon Olive as Hero, Amy Vorpahl as Femme Fatale and Special Guest Star Creed Bratton as Villain. Watch it here.


Nonpoint Preview New Music Online
(Banana 101.5) Nonpoint announced the departure of guitarist Zach Broderick and founding bassist Ken MacMillan last Novemeber, shortly after announcing a new record deal with Razor & Tie and just days prior to announcing their replacements. With new guitarists Rasheed Thomas and Dave Lizzio and new bassist Adam Woloszyn in tow, the band quickly began work on a new album with a projected spring 2012 release.

With the first official day of spring behind us, it appears that Nonpoint still may hit their goal as they excitedly posted on Facebook that today (March 21st) would be the final day of recording: "Today the record will be finally tracked. Yesterday they started mixes, I got to hear a test mix and I was very blown away. I know a lot of you and impatiently waiting but the wait will be worth it. We hope to be able to let you hear a track but picking that track will be the most difficult!!!!"

As for the former members of Nonpoint, they've joined forces with guitarist C.J. Pierce and drummer Mike Luce of the now singer-less Drowning Pool to form Voodoo Corps. Check out a demo teaser of the new Nonpoint here.


Randy Rhoads Family, Friends and Fans Gather To Mark 30th Anniversary
(Gibson) More than 350 friends, family, fans and rockers have gathered to pay tribute to Randy Rhoads. It is now 30 years since rock guitarist Rhoads, sideman to Ozzy Osbourne, was killed in an airplane crash. Rhoads was just 25 years old.

The 30th anniversary marking his death (March 19) and celebrating his life attracted well-wishers to a marble mausoleum bearing the Rhoads name at San Bernardino's Mountain View Cemetery. Rhoads's professional life was all too brief, but his talent continues to inspire.

Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello said he was a huge fan. "In fact, I named my first son, Rhoads," Morello said. "His commitment to the instrument and his musicality were very inspiring to me."

Kelle Rhoads, Randy's older brother, said the annual memorial was difficult, but because people came from all over, the family wanted to continue doing it. The memorial gatherings for Rhoads still happen each year. "So many musicians have passed on, yet Randy's life is still celebrated," said Kelle, who played drums in his brother's first band, called Violet Fox after their mother's middle name. more on this story




The Flaming Lips Tap Nick Cave, Coldplay, Ke$ha For Special Release
(Gibson) The Flaming Lips like the unobvious. The Wayne Coyle-led band now have a new project called The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends. It includes disparate playmates such as Yoko Ono, Nick Cave, Chris Martin of Coldplay, Ke$ha and many more.

Some of these tracks have already appeared on previously released, extremely limited edition color vinyl 12" EPs released in past months. But soon there will be a full double album.

The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends will be pressed on two high-quality, multi-color vinyl discs housed in separate custom art jackets. Apparently, no two discs will look exactly alike. The double album will be limited and released exclusively for Record Store Day. more on this story




KISS Rock Classics On Kimmel
(hennemusic) KISS rocked a couple of their classic songs on Jimmy Kimmel's late night show on Tuesday night.

The current version of KISS played two classics from the band's original lineup days: "Detroit Rock City" and "Calling Dr. Love".

The band's appearance was designed to promote their upcoming summer tour with Motley Crue, which will hit more than 40 cities across North America starting July 20. Check out video of the performances.


Slash Documentary Goes Online
(Gibson) The seventh and final installment in a series of "webisodes" featuring behind-the-scenes footage from Slash can be seen online. The cameras have been constantly rolling for the making of Apocalyptic Love, the second solo album from the Gibson Les Paul legend.

The album drops May 22 on Slash's own label, Dik Hayd International, distributed through EMI, and follows his 2010 debut album, Slash, and his November 2011 first-ever live solo album, the two-CD/DVD set Made In Stoke 24/7/11.

The debut Slash album debuted on The Billboard 200 chart at #3 (#1 on the Rock chart, #1 on the Independent chart, and #1 on the Hard Music chart) and, digitally, the album also became the #1 overall digital album and hit #1 on iTunes in 13 countries.

For the sophomore album, Slash – along with Myles Kennedy (vocals), Brent Fitz (drums) and Todd Kerns (bass) – teamed with producer Eric Valentine, who also produced the first Slash disc. All the songs were written together by Slash and Kennedy, and cameras have been rolling throughout the entire making of the album. Watch it here.




All-Star Tommy Bolin Tribute Coming Next Week
A new tribute to Tommy Bolin, Great Gypsy Soul, will be released on 429 Records on March 26th in both a widely available single CD format and double CD with 39 minutes of bonus material available only at Amazon.com.

Peter Frampton, Warren Haynes (a key supporter of the project), Nels Cline, Steve Lukather, Steve Morse, Brad Whitford, Joe Bonamassa, John Scofield, Derek Trucks, Glenn Hughes and Myles Kennedy all contribute to this project.

A special event will be hosted by Amazon.com on Sunday, March 25th just prior to wide release-Amazon will offer a one day $3.99 "Daily Deal" special on the single CD in their MP3 store. more on this story


Janus Maps Out Spring Tour Dates
Janus are heading back out on the road for a handful of headlining shows before joining up with Cavo for a month-long trek.

It all kicks off with a hometown show in Chicago at the Cubby Bear on March 28. Dates with Cavo begin April 7.

Janus will be touring in support of their sophomore album, Nox Aeris, which is due out March 27 on Realid Records. more on this story


Bob Wayne Sets May Album Release
(CM) Bob Wayne will release his fifth studio album, Till The Wheels Fall Off, in North American on May 22nd.

Bob Wayne is beyond thrilled to get his new music out to fans and get back out on the road. "Till the Wheels Fall Off....it's not just a clever name!!! It's a way of life!! I'll be going to shows, supporting live music and hitting the Highway till the wheels fall off this Mother trucker!!"

Bob Wayne teamed up once again with Andy Gibson of Hank III for production on Till The Wheels Fall Off. Gibson produced Bob Wayne's previous foot-stomping album, Outlaw Carnie (2011). more on this story


Coffinworm Plan Special Reissue
San Francisco-based label The Flenser will be partnering Coffinworm for the first-ever vinyl release of their now-classic 'Great Bringer of Night' demo from 2009.

A release date was not provided but we were sent these colorful details: Coffinworm play ugly music for hateful people. The doomhauling quintet first came crawling out of the primordial ooze of Indianapolis' D.I.Y. underground in 2007, and have kept themselves busy doing the devil's work ever since. Their virgin offering, 2009's self-released three-track demo, demanded attention, and got it, as the press and fans of the heavy started to discover 'Great Bringer of Night.' Coffinworm had given volcanic birth to a wretched, heaving slab of noxious, blackened death sludge of the lowest order, one that eventually led to their signing with Profound Lore and invitations to perform a number of high-profile live actions across the country. Hellish, depraved, and heavy as a neutron hammer, Coffinworm had truly created a monster.

It all began here, though, and The Flenser have committed to dragging this filthy gem out into the sunlight to give it the treatment it so richly deserves, and adding the original versions of two extra songs that had found their way onto the band's Profound Lore debut. Sludge, tortured doom, snarling black metal, knuckle-dragging death metal and a few handfuls of crusted-over punk meld together into one of the nastiest, most misanthropic, most wonderfully ugly albums you'll ever hear, ripe for fans of Burning Witch, Eyehategod, Noothgrush, Darkthrone, and Corrupted. more on this story


Devin Townsend Releasing DVD Box Set
Devin Townsend will be releasing a new DVD box set, By A Thread -Live in London 2011, on June 18th in Europe and June 19th in North America through HevyDevy Records / InsideOut Music.

The set contains the unique, sold-out UK shows from last fall where he performed all four Devin Townsend Project albums: Ki, Addicted, Ghost, and Deconstruction.

By A Thread - Live in London 2011 contains all four shows on four DVDs, plus a 5-CD set (the four albums and one disc with all of the encores).


The Day Pink Floyd Took Another Brick In The Wall To The Top
(Gibson) On this day in 1980, Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)," started a four-week run at no. 1 on the U.S. singles chart. Also no. 1 in the U.K. Gibson takes a look back: By the end of the '70s, Pink Floyd had been around for more than a decade, morphing from Syd Barrett's psychedelic project into a progressive rock behemoth fronted by Roger Waters and David Gilmour. Although they had become hugely successful around the world, the band had never really conquered the pop charts and, seemingly, weren't interested in such a pursuit. Their expertise was geared to album-oriented rock (i.e. the classics The Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here) and dense, winding, multi-part epics (such as "Echoes" or "Dogs"). But that was about to change.

Following Pink Floyd's 1977 In the Flesh tour, Waters began working on material that dealt with abandonment and isolation – partially inspired by uncaring concertgoers and his own personal history. The bassist and songwriter's desire to build a wall between him and the audience was channeled into Floyd's 1979 album, The Wall, a dark rock opera that marked a departure from the band's recent albums (certainly in structure, if not in tone).

In working on the album, Waters decided to create three parts of a song that would become "Another Brick in the Wall." Sharing the basic melody and refrain, the three parts came at different points in the story, all bringing the main character (named Pink) to isolate himself from other people. Originally, all three parts were meant to be relatively brief, with one verse and one chorus each. Parts 1 (about the death of his father) and 3 (about drugs and the end of a relationship) kept to that idea, but Part 2 ended up a little different. The middle composition, dealing with an imaginary children's revolt against abusive schoolmasters, grew in stature during the recording process.

The credit for this goes to Bob Ezrin, a producer who had worked with Alice Cooper, KISS and Peter Gabriel and was brought in to helm The Wall sessions. Upon hearing the rough version of "Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)," Ezrin recognized that the song had the potential to be a hit. His suggestion was met with harsh resistance from Waters and the band. more on this story




Singled Out: Electric Sun's Don't Look Back
Today Electric Sun tells us about the song "Don't Look Back" from their EP The Gilded Cage. Here is the story:

It might have been the first song written for The Gilded Cage, which set the tone musically and lyrically for the EP's mood. I describe the sound of the song as loud, fuzzy, and crisp.

The lyrics came secondary, and reflected the size and positivity of the melodies. I wanted a feel-good/anthemic track that is as appropriate in front of 200 people in a NYC club as a chanting European soccer-sized arena crowd. Ole Ole!

KISS & MOTLEY CRUE - "THE TOUR":

Los Angeles, CA (March 20, 2012) – Rock 'n Roll doesn't get any bigger than this! Kiss and Mötley Crüe... On the same stage... On the same night. This spectacle of spectacles announced today, Kiss and Mötley Crüe are uniting to launch The Tour of 2012. The summer's biggest, baddest rock tour will level 40+ cities nationwide starting July 20th. The Live Nation promoted tour will go on sale beginning Friday, March 23rd at Ticketmaster.com and LiveNation.com. Both bands will have fan club pre-sales beginning Wednesday, March 21 at 10am.
Citi® cardmembers will also have access to presale tickets beginning Wednesday, March 21st at 2pm local time through Citi's Private Pass® Program. For complete presale details visit www.citiprivatepass.com.

With combined album sales of almost 200 million, KISS and Mötley Crüe are more than just iconic; they remain today as the dominant powerhouses of rock music tallying 30+ chart-topping hits, countless sold out tours and awards and accolades from around the world. Known for their elaborate and spectacular stage shows, each band plans to give fans the ultimate summer concert experience with the most impressive lighting and sound production ever and their signature over-the-top pyrotechnics. This is the first time Kiss and Mötley Crüe will share a stage since 1982.

KISS consists of Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer. Mötley Crüe consists of Vince Neil, Mick Mars, Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee.

These veterans of the music business are still at the height of their popularity. KISS is the juggernaut of them all, with 3,000 licensed merchandise products, including the KISS golf course in Las Vegas and a new album. KISS has broken box office records set by The Beatles and Elvis. Mötley Crüe is the first rock band in history to have just completed an epic sold-out Las Vegas residency at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. The band is best known for continuing to reinvent not only their live show (with mind blowing elements such as Tommy Lee's 360 drum roller coaster) and music (brand new song due out this spring), but remain on the cutting edge via social media interaction. Mötley Crüe's New York Times bestselling book The Dirt is currently being adapted into a major motion picture. Last month, the band was featured in one of the highest rated Super Bowl ads of all time for the KIA Optima.
For tickets & VIP packages, including opportunities to meet Kiss and Mötley Crüe, please visit www.KISSonline.com or www.Motley.com.

Today's Day In Rock!

KISS and Motley Crue Confirm Tour Dates
Last week we told you that Kiss and Motley Crue are teaming up for a summer tour of North America and now we have more details including the name of the outing and the dates.
Dubbed THE TOUR, the trek is set to hit 40+ cities starting on July 20th in Bristow, VA. Tour promoters Live Nation had this to say: Known for their elaborate and spectacular stage shows, each band plans to give fans the ultimate summer concert experience with the most impressive lighting and sound production ever and their signature over-the-top pyrotechnics. This is the first time Kiss and Motley Crue will share a stage since 1982.

Kiss consists of Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer. Motley Crue consists of Vince Neil, Mick Mars, Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee. more on this story


Of Mice and Men Singer Hospitalized
Of Mice & Men frontman Austin Carlile was hospitalized on Monday night with heart issues. Carlile was previously hospitalized in 2009 after he collapsed onstage in Spokane, WA. He was born with a heart disorder and had corrective surgery in 2010 according to Lambgoat.

He told fans about the latest hospitalization via twitter yesterday. He wrote: "Thank you @ESPN for keeping me sane this evening. Been at this hospital since 3:45 am because my heart is an idiot... They are keeping me again over night to do more tests in the morning and monitor me throughout the evening. I'm exhausted."

He later wrote, "So ready to get out of here. I look like death.... But I'm alive :) Thanks to all of you for the love and support. Means the world to me and you all know it." Read the latest tweets from Austin here.


New Pink Floyd Milestone
(hennemusic) Pink Floyd's 1973 masterpiece, "The Dark Side Of The Moon," has reached a new milestone on the US charts.

Currently sitting at #137 on this week's Billboard 200, the music industry magazine reports the album has extended its record-setting run to 800 weeks on the chart – roughly the equivalent of about 15 years and five months.

Floyd's chart record is far ahead of the second place album in this category, "Johnny's Greatest Hits" by Johnny Mathis – which clocks in at 490 weeks. more on this story


Van Halen Interviews Van Halen
(hennemusic) Prior to the February 7 release of "A Different Kind Of Truth," Van Halen shared video of some interesting interview sessions. Singer David Lee Roth sat down with Eddie and Alex Van Halen to reminisce about their early days together, their original inspirations and family histories, providing fans with an inside look at the formation and growth of one of rock's biggest bands.

Van Halen recently offered up more footage from the sessions: same setup, as the three members chat amongst themselves about a range of topics – this time, in an extended format, clocking in at 15 minutes. "Tone is one of the most important things about this band," offers Roth. "It's one of the things that really separates this band from everybody else in our genre."

"It's our voice," says Eddie. "It's my voice. A lot of it has to do with the way I play – you can't remove it whether you like it or not. Like in the old club days, I remember you guys saying 'why can't you make it sound like the damn record?' I'd go, 'Sorry!'" more on this story


Beatles Yellow Submarine To Sail Again
The Beatles Yellow Submarine is set to sail again this May with a new release of the film and soundtrack.

The classic 1968 animated feature film has been digitally restored for DVD and Blu-ray release on May 28 (May 29 in North America) and the film's soundtrack album will be reissued on CD on the same date.

Apple put out these details: Currently out of print, the film has been restored in 4K digital resolution for the first time by Paul Rutan Jr. and his team of specialists at Triage Motion Picture Services and Eque Inc. Due to the delicate nature of the hand-drawn original artwork, no automated software was used in the digital clean-up of the film's restored photochemical elements. This was all done by hand, frame by frame. more on this story


Chris Rock to Induct Red Hot Chili Peppers Into Rock Hall
(Gibson) Typically, at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony, acts get inducted by people who fit into one of three categories. Either it's a younger artist who was influenced by the inductee (Metallica for Black Sabbath), an older musician with an appreciation for the "new guys" (Bruce Springsteen for U2) or a musical contemporary of the act (Eric Clapton and The Band).

Things are going to be a little different this time around with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who have never been ones for falling into one distinct category. They will be inducted into the Rock Hall by comedic superstar Chris Rock. The choice is not completely out of left field – Rock is good friends with the band and directed one of their videos. Regardless, Rock's speech is the odds-on favorite to be the funniest of all time.

Other presenters include Public Enemy's Chuck D (for the Beastie Boys), John Mellencamp (for Donovan), Bette Midler (for Laura Nyro) and Steven Van Zandt (for the Small Faces/Faces). Robbie Robertson will welcome producers Tom Dowd, Glyn Johns and Cosimo Matassa into the Hall, while Smokey Robinson will helm a tribute to legendary backing groups, including the Miracles.

There is no word yet on who will be inducting Guns N' Roses, just to add to the mystery surrounding which band members will appear and perform at the event. more on this story




Zakk Wylde Posts Children's Book Promo
Former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist and Black Label Society mainman Zakk Wylde has launched a new promotional video online previewing the release of his new children's book.

The book, "Bringing Metal to the Children: The Complete Berzerker's Guide to World Tour Domination," hits stores on 04/10/12.

To get fans and parents ready for this heavy release, you can watch him bring them metal to the little ones here.


Rob Zombie Star Recording With Steven Adler
First Slash and now we learn Rob Zombie / ex-Marilyn Manson guitarist John 5 will be making a guest appearance on the new Adler album, the debut album from the new group feature former Guns N' Roses drummer Steven Adler.

His camp sent over these details: The session is scheduled to take place today (Wednesday, March 21st) at a studio in Los Angeles.

Adler is the new band led by former Guns N Roses drummer Steven Adler. The line-up features frontman Jacob Bunton (Lynam, Mars Electric), and Lonny Paul (Adler's Appetite). "I love the music that we're creating!" states Adler. I haven't been this excited about my band since the GNR days. Jacob is exactly the singer I have been searching for. He has an amazing range and is a great writer and frontman. Lonny is an amazing guitarist and songwriter and the vibe is perfect!" more on this story


Duff McKagan Talks Other Lies on Morning TV
(hennemusic) Duff McKagan's 2011 autobiography, "It's So Easy (And Other Lies)," was released on paperback Tuesday.

It's a candid account of Duff's life and times, in and out of music, including his struggles with addiction, which he eventually overcame.

McKagan is making the rounds to talk it up, and joined the team at Fox's "Good Day L.A." program to discuss the project. Check it out here.


Demon Hunter Release My Destiny Video
Demon Hunter have released a new music video for their song "My Destiny" on their official website.

This is the first video released from the group's forthcoming full length album, True Defiance, which is due in stores April 10th.

The video was directed by Robby Starbuck whose credits include August Burns Red, Smashing Pumpkins, etc. Check out the video


Matthew McConaughey Jams With The Cult
(hennemusic) The Cult rocked SXSW in Austin twice over the weekend. The first show, on Friday night, was followed a second – and free – concert on Saturday.

The Cult's free show was part of the 25,000-capacity Auditorium Shores Stage Concert Series, and were joined by a special guest: actor Matthew McConaughey, who jammed on bongos for a couple of songs – including the band's 1984 classic, "Spiritwalker."

At both shows, The Cult performed a few tracks from their forthcoming album, "Choice Of Weapon," due May 22. Check out video here.


3 Inches Of Blood Preview New Album Track
3 Inches Of Blood are currently streaming their new song, "Metal Woman" on their official Facebook page.

"Metal Woman" is the third new track to be revealed off the upcoming album, Long Live Heavy Metal due out next week on March 26.

In support of the release, 3 Inches Of Blood will be heading out on the "Metal Alliance Tour 2012" with Devildriver, The Faceless, Dying Fetus, Job For A Cowboy, Impending Doom and Wretched. Check out the new song here.


Howl Recording New Album With Zeuss
Howl have entered the studio to record their sophomore album which is being recorded, mixed and mastered by Zeuss at his own Planet-Z Recordings and is expected for a Fall 2012 release.

Howl who built a reputation for their unforgiving Mastodon meets Lamb of God pummeling attack, previously released a full-length and EP via Relapse Records. More details on the upcoming release will be announced shortly.

Howl guitarist/vocalist Vincent Hausman commented on the new recordings: "This is the meanest and heaviest thing we've ever done, and we feel like the songwriting is a big step forward since 'Full Of Hell.' We're super psyched to team up with Zeuss, because we feel like he'll properly capture this monster of a record."


Rise To Remain Deliver Talking In Whispers Video
Rise To Remain are streaming their new music video for their song "Talking In Whispers" online.

The track comes from the band's debut album City of Vultures and was shot in the band's hometown of London, UK. The band recently finished their biggest UK headlining tour and will be heading out on the Vans Warped Tour this summer; the first time touring in the US.

Rise To Remain has been busy recording some additional material that will be included on the US release of City Of Vultures which is set for a June 5th release date. Check out the video here


Skeletonwitch Kicking Off North American Tour
Skeletonwitch are kicking off some North American tour dates this week in support of their latest album, Forever Abomination.

After a warm-up show in Cleveland on Friday, the band will join forces with The Black Dahlia Murder, Nile and labelmates Hour Of Penance for a four-week tour that concludes at the New England Metal And Hardcore Festival. This marks the group's first North American touring action of 2012.

In other Skeletonwitch news, the final color variant of the forthcoming Breathing The Fire vinyl reissue -- which, unlike the sold-out initial pressings of the album, comes in a gatefold Stoughton "tip-on" jacket -- has arrived at Prosthetic's warehouse. more on this story


Anniversary of the First Rock Show
(Gibson) The first rock and roll concert didn't have a light show. It didn't have a massive sound system or a smoke machine. Fans didn't hold up cigarette lighters or cell phones, and there was no t-shirt booth. There was no encore. In fact, only one song was even played. But it did light a fire in the hearts and feet of tens of thousands of teenagers and served as the opening shot of an unstoppable revolution in the history of popular music.

The Moondog Coronation Ball was the brainchild of Alan Freed, a Cleveland disc jockey who was making big waves on WJW radio in 1951. The 29-year-old Johnstown, Pennsylvania native had come to WJW in February 1951 as the host of a classical music show. But by July, clued in by a local record-store owner named Leo Mintz that kids were buying tons of traditionally black rhythm and blues music, Freed shifted to rhythm and blues and adopted a cool, fast-talking, on-air persona called the King of the Moondoggers. It may have stirred up a few fuddy-duddies in the white community, but the ratings didn't lie. The Ol' King of the Moondoggers was racking up big ratings and soon other stations were adopting similar formats.

With record sales and radio ratings up and kids all over town jumping and hopping to the music Freed was calling "rock and roll" — a slightly racy term that also referred to having sex in a moving automobile — Freed and Mintz thought it was time to take things to the next level. Working with a local promoter named Lew Platt, Freed planned a show that would take this music, that previously only existed in smoky night clubs, to a larger arena, literally — the 10,000-capacity Cleveland Arena, home of minor league hockey team, the Cleveland Barons and, later, the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers.

Mintz sold the tickets at his Rendezvous Records store, originally printing 7,000 tickets ranging from $1.50 to $1.75. He then left on vacation, leaving the task to his brother-in-law (dubbed "Uncle Miltie" by Freed), who printed out 2,000 more tickets when he'd run through the first batch. And elsewhere in the city, other industrious people were printing their own counterfeit tickets… at a disturbing rate.

The show itself was to feature a prime selection of traveling rhythm and blues bands, including Billy Ward and His Dominoes, Paul Williams and His Hucklebuckers, Tiny Grimes and the Rockin' Highlanders, Danny Cobb and Varetta Dillard. more on this story




Noel Gallagher's Special Record Store Day Edition
(Gibson) Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds will produce a four-song EP featuring B-sides from Gallagher's new band for a special limited edition EP for Record Store Day.

The tracks are: "The Good Rebel," "Let the Lord Shine a Light on Me," "I'd Pick You Every Time," "Shoot a Hole into the Sun."

The limited edition EP will be numbered and issued on white vinyl. Look for the EP in the U.K. on Record Store Day, Saturday, April 21. more on this story




Fabulous Thunderbirds and Muddy Waters Son Lead Simi Valley Cajun & Blues Fest
(conqueroo) The 23rd annual Simi Valley Cajun & Blues Festival is set to take place over Memorial Day weekend, May 26-27, at Rancho Santa Susanna Community Park, 5005 Los Angeles Ave., in Simi Valley.

The festival features two full stages for each of its musical genres. Music will proceed non-stop each day from 12 noon until 8 p.m.

Musical headliners on the Blues Stage will include the Fabulous Thunderbirds featuring Kim Wilson; Candye Kane, flanked by guitarist Laura Chavez, in a rare Los Angeles area appearance; a Muddy Waters Tribute featuring blues legend James Cotton, Paul Oscher and other members of the Muddy Waters band, and Muddy's son Mud Morganfield; Rod Piazza & the West Coast Sheiks; Big Pete; Terry Hanck; Shawn Pittman; and the Mannish Boys with special guests. Oscher will also perform his own set. Certain to steal the spotlight will be "next generation" Americana-influenced bluesman Nathan James & the Rhythm Scratchers, joined by James Harman. The festival's blues lineup was curated by Randy Chortkoff, founder of the respected L.A. blues label Delta Groove Records

Today's Day In Rock!

Guns N' Roses Snubbed
(hennemusic) The annual Reading and Leeds festivals are on schedule for late August this year, as usual, with headliners Foo Fighters, Kasabian and The Cure.
While talking up this year's events, organizer Melvin Benn tells NME that he has ruled out booking the current line-up of Guns N' Roses again, but says he'd love to get the band's original line-up to play the event.

"I wouldn't have the current line-up, certainly not at the moment. It doesn't feel right," said Benn. "Of course if it was the original line-up, I would definitely consider it and if they could tell the time, it would be fantastic," he added. "With the original line-up it would be something very special. We'd have to give them all a watch each, but we'd certainly try to get them if they reformed." more on this story


Tool To Begin Recording New Album
It may have felt like 10,000 Days since Tool has released a new album (it's only been 6 years), but fans won't have to wait much longer for a new release from the band.

Drummer Danny Carey tells Vic Firth in a video interview, "I'm hoping we'll get in the studio by June or July and start tracking, that's the plan anyway."

He also assures fans that they won't have to wait a long time after the band enter the studio as their tracking typically only takes two or three months and then it takes about a month for mixing and mastering. So it may be possible that fans might have a new album by the end of the year, or early next year. Check out the interview here.


KISS Playing Free Concert
(hennemusic) March Madness continues to works its way towards the Final Four showdown and fans will have some big names bands rocking free concerts for the weekend.

The Times-Picayune reports that, as part of the NCAA Final Four weekend, KISS, the Black Keys and Jimmy Buffett are slated to perform free concerts in Woldenberg Park along the Mississippi River in downtown New Orleans.

KISS will kick off "The Big Dance Concert Series" on Friday, March 30, which is part of a full slate of festivities throughout the college men's basketball championship weekend. more on this story


Metallica Tease Orion Festival
(hennemusic) Metallica have issued a second trailer for their upcoming Orion Music + More festival.

Happening June 23-24 at Bader Field in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Orion Music + More is Metallica's first attempt at hosting their own multi-day festival event.

In addition to more than 30 artists on the bill, Metallica will headline both nights, each with its own cool angle: they'll play their classic "Black" album in its entirety on one of the nights for the first time ever in the U.S., and perform the "Ride The Lightning" album on the other night. Check out the video here.


Kittie's Original Lineup Talking Reunion
(Gibson) Kittie – the Canadian all-female metal band who went gold with their 1999 debut Spit – are considering a reunion of their original lineup to perform their debut album.

The band posed a question on their official Twitter account on the weekend: "If we did shows with the original lineup and played all of 'Spit' in its entirety, would you come? And where?"

The band also added via Facebook, doubtlessly to head off speculation about the job security of current members Trish Doan and Tara McLeod, "It should be mentioned that if it were to happen, it wouldn't be a permanent thing, or even a tour for that matter. Just a few select dates, and Kittie will still remain the Kittie we are now." more on this story




Jack White Expands Solo Tour
(Gibson) Jack White has announced additional solo tour dates, wrapping around previously announced festival dates.

Before, between and after White plays the Hangout Music Fest in Gulf Shores, Alabama, and Sasquatch! Music Festival in George, WA, he'll perform another 10 shows.

The tour comes in support of White's forthcoming solo debut album, Blunderbuss, due out on April 24. At his recent shows, the singer-guitarist has mixed together selections from the Stripes, Raconteurs and Dead Weather catalogs, in addition to stuff from the new album. more on this story




Slash Previews New Video
(hennemusic) Slash has offered up a preview of the video for "You're A Lie," the first single from his forthcoming album, "Apocalyptic Love."

The guitarist's band – Myles Kennedy, Todd Kerns and Brent Fitz - have formed a cohesive unit and are now going by the handle "Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators."

Prior to the new album's May 22nd release, Slash and the band will play a show in Toronto before appearing at the Revolver Golden God Awards in Los Angeles on April 11. A mini-tour of the States starts May 3 in Baltimore. Check out the preview here.


Crosby, Stills & Nash Plan Summer Tour of North America
Crosby, Stills & Nash put out word yesterday that they plan to hit the road this summer for a North American tour.

The trek is set to kick off on June 7th at the Tower Theatre in Philadelphia, PA, and will conclude on September 29th in San Diego.

The players accompanying Crosby, Stills & Nash on their 2012 tour are: Todd Caldwell (organ), Shane Fontayne (guitar), Steve DiStanislao (drums), Kevin McCormick (bass), and James Raymond (keyboards). more on this story


Garbage Giving Away New Song
Garbage are giving fans a free download of "Blood For Poppies," the debut single from their forthcoming album, "Not Your Kind Of People," which hits stores on May 15th

"We decided to give the track to our fans first," said the members of Garbage. "We've always had the most amazingly loyal fans, and we wanted to show them just how much they mean to us by setting it free to them first."

The band also plans to release "Blood For Poppies" as a limited edition, white vinyl 7-inch for Record Store Day (April 21st). The 7-inch will feature the track and an exclusive remix by drummer Butch Vig. Grab the download here.


The Strange Case of Alice Cooper Coming To DVD
Shout! Factory have set a May 22nd release date for the DVD version of "The Strange Case of Alice Cooper."

The film was originally released on VHS and hasn't officially been available for 30 years. Amazon had these details: The Strange Case Of Alice Cooper is more than a concert film. It is the warped tale of one man's descent into madness, a theatrical rock 'n' roll spectacle that could only emerge from the twisted imagination of Alice Cooper.

Filmed during a stop on the Madhouse Rock Tour in 1979, Strange Case was inspired by Alice's stay in a New York sanitarium and the people he encountered there. Vincent Price introduces the proceedings as ghoulish doctors and transvestite nurses cross paths with dancing bottles of alcohol. All the while, Alice performs songs off his album From The Inside, as well as many of his most well-known and best-loved hits. more on this story


Orgy Cancel Tour
Jay Gordon's current incarnation of Orgy have canceled the last 5 dates of their comeback tour "due to the high demand for new music," according to the band.

The band informed fans via their website that they were canceling shows in Sacramento, Tacoma, Portland, Oakland and Tempe.

Here was the reason they gave: "so the band can get into the studio. These markets will be rescheduled for the second leg of the tour, which is expected to begin in the middle of May (exact dates TBA), along with new markets that the fans have been asking for.

"The newly reformed band—founding member Jay Gordon (vocals) along with Carlton Bost (guitar), Ashburn Miller (guitar), Nic Speck (bass) and Jamie Miller (drums)–apologize for the inconvenience to the fans but promise the wait will be well worth it.

"The Hollywood, CA rockers are excited to record new music and get a single out to radio before they hit the road again."

The band will perform their scheduled dates this week in Southern California, Wed in Los Angeles and Friday in Santa Ana (Orange County). more on this story


Skid Row's Sabo Takes High Road Over Sebastian Bach
(Gibson) Skid Row guitarist Dave "The Snake" Sabo has opened up about the collapse of the band's original recording lineup, in an extensive interview with Legendary Rock Interviews.

On the departure of vocalist Sebastian Bach, Sabo explained that growing tensions within Skid Row were exacerbated by the diminishing returns for hard rock bands amidst the alternative and grunge revolution of the mid-'90s.

But Sabo still has fond memories of Skid Row's time with Bach. "I've always said that he's a great singer, a great frontman and a great showman," he said. "I've always wished the best for him if for no other reason than the fact that we had 10 or so years with him where we all accomplished so much. I'm really, really proud of that and don't feel the need to slag him or anyone else." more on this story




Rush Clockwork Angels Inspired Book Set For Release
(hennemusic) Colorado-based sci-fi author Kevin J. Anderson announced last month that he is writing a novelization of the forthcoming new Rush album, "Clockwork Angels" now Amazon has listed a September 1st release date.

"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," posted Anderson. "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.

"For more than twenty years, Neil and I have wanted to collaborate on something MAJOR, a way we could tie together our imaginations, and at last that's happening. more on this story


Becoming the Archetype Set New EP Release
Solid State Records have set an April 17 release date for a new digital remix EP from Becoming the Archetype entitled, Celestial Progression.

SSR had these details: Crafted by Nashville electronica collective Born of Water and Chicago producer Giant Robot (who also contributed sitar to Celestial Completion), the six-song EP finds Becoming the Archetype once again defying expectations and stretching the boundaries of metal music with a challenging and rewarding set of remixes that range from adrenaline-pumping to industrial to atmospheric.

"I've been a fan of good remixes of heavy music for a long time," says Becoming the Archetype guitarist Seth Hecox. "The great thing is that I told these guys to make the songs their own thing, and that's exactly what they did. Each remix sounds like its own song and each remix is very exciting to listen to, bringing out a different emotion." more on this story


Triumph Reunion Concert Coming To DVD and CD
(hennemusic) A new live package from Canadian rockers Triumph is on the way. The tentatively titled "Live at Sweden Rock Festival" set will consist of a DVD and CD, with a release date targeted for later this spring.

After 20 years apart, the long-awaited Triumph reunion (of vocalist/guitarist Rik Emmett, bassist/keyboardist Mike Levine, and vocalist/drummer Gil Moore) took place at Sweden Rock Festival, on June 7, 2008.

Now, the band is putting the finishing touches on the DVD of that historic performance. No word on the final track listing, but the band's setlist from the Sweden Rock Festival performance is here.


The Academy Is' William Beckett Going Solo
(FCM) Former The Academy Is frontman William Beckett plans to release a series of solo EPs in 2012.

The first release, Walk the Talk, will be available on April 17 through YIKE Records, with two additional EPs to be released in July and October.

Beckett will take his new tunes on the road this spring, with a headlining tour beginning May 4 in Minneapolis. more on this story


Shinedown To Rock Kimmel
Shinedown are set to rock Jimmy Kimmel Live's outdoor stage next Monday, March 26th.

The band will be appearing to promote their new album, Amaryllis, which is set for release the following day. LA area fans can RSVP to attend the free concert here.

March 27th also marks the kick off of the band's headlining run for this year's Avalanche Tour, which begins that night in Anaheim, CA.


KISS Open Miniature Golf Course
(Gibson) KISS's new album, Monster, may still be several months away, but the band has just launched a monster of a different kind: KISS by Monster Mini Golf, a rock 'n' roll-themed attraction in Las Vegas.

As reported in 2010, Kiss By Monster Mini Golf is a custom-designed, indoor, glow-in-the-dark, 18-hole miniature golf course – which also features a state-of-the-art arcade, the largest KISS gift shop in the world, a KISS Gallery, the "Hotter Than Hell" Wedding Chapel, a private VIP Room, KISS-themed event rooms and the "Rock 'n' Roll All Nite" Café.

As KISS vocalist/guitarist Paul Stanley asked 8 News NOW, "It's great to hit a ball through a windmill, but wouldn't you rather hit it through one of my boots, especially with the black lights and everything glowing? It's very, very cool." more on this story




Wolfgang Van Halen Added To D'Addario Roster
(hennemusic) D'Addario has announced that Van Halen bassist, Wolfgang Van Halen, has joined their artist roster.

As the bassist for Van Halen, one of the most wildly successful rock bands of all time, Wolfgang's musical prowess shines on the band's latest album, "A Different Kind of Truth" and its current tour.

Wolfgang has been a part of his father's vision for the legendary band for some time, with the 1991 instrumental "316" being named in his honor, after Wolfgang's birthday (he turned 21 last week). Later, his father named a custom guitar after him, the EVH Wolfgang. more on this story


Neil Young & Crazy Horse Set New Album Release
(hennemusic) There's been a buzz for some time now about new music from Neil Young & Crazy Horse, and now the details have been confirmed.

Rolling Stone reports Neil and Crazy Horse will release their new album "Americana," on June 5th.

It's their first album together since 2003's "Greendale," and their first album with the full Crazy Horse line-up of Billy Talbot, Ralph Molina and Frank "Poncho" Sampedro since "Broken Arrow" in 1996. more on this story


Absu Cancel Tour
Absu have been forced to cancel their Brazilian tour with Inquisition this week due to visa issues.

Absu's vocalist/percussionist Proscriptor McGovern made the following public statement:

"First of all, we bitterly regret having to cancel our Brazilian tour being our debut South American appearance. Due to visa applications being inadequately processed, we cannot legally enter the country at this time; however, we are presently working with our agency to solidify rescheduling for the middle of October. We sincerely apologize to the Brazilian followers of ABSU who wanted to witness the band for the first time."


The Day Elvis Presley Got Stuck On You
(Gibson) On this day in 1960, Elvis Presley started his first recordings since being discharged from the U.S. Army. A 12-hour session in a Nashville recording studio produced his next #1 single, "Stuck On You." Scotty Moore and Bill Black, who had quit Presley's touring band in 1957, were in the studio with him for the last time. Gibson takes a look back:

In early 1957, Elvis Presley was on top of the world. On January 6 he appeared, for what would be the final time, on the The Ed Sullivan Show (the producers and network big-shots made sure to shoot The King from the waist up). Recognizing that his pulsating pelvis would not be shown, Elvis spiced up his wardrobe from the previous drab duds he'd worn on the show and let his long hair fall over his face. He ended his appearance by showing the world a bit more of his range by singing the spiritual "Peace in the Valley," a choice that went against Sullivan's wishes. Still, Sullivan concluded by telling the millions watching that Elvis was "a real decent, fine boy."

Two days later on January 8, 1957, the Memphis draft board announced that Elvis would be classified 1A and that the chances were good he'd be drafted into the U.S. Army within the year. Still, the #1 hits followed, including "Too Much," "All Shook Up" and "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear." He was becoming a sensation in places where his music was not officially released, including the Soviet Union. He purchased Graceland, an 18-room mansion in Memphis where he and his parents could live. The soundtrack to his third film, Loving You, became his third consecutive #1 album.

Still, not everything was as smooth as a grilled peanut butter, banana and bacon sandwich. One person who was not too keen on the rock and roll phenomenon was Frank Sinatra, who said the music was "brutal, ugly, degenerate, vicious… It fosters almost totally negative and destructive reactions in young people. It smells phoney and false. It is sung, played and written, for the most part, by cretinous goons. This rancid-smelling aphrodisiac I deplore."

Elvis responded to the Chairman's harsh words, saying, "I admire the man. He has a right to say what he wants to say. He is a great success and a fine actor, but I think he shouldn't have said it. This is a trend, just the same as he faced when he started years ago."

On December 20, 1957, Elvis received his draft notice from the army. He was given a brief deferment to finish shooting the movie King Creole, then on March 24, 1958, he was inducted into the army as a private at Fort Chaffee in Arkansas, which whipped the media into a frenzy. Fans and photographers turned out in droves as Elvis stepped off the bus to begin serving his country. Amidst the hoopla, he informed the world that he was looking forward to serving and that he didn't wish to be treated any differently from any of the other young men he'd be serving with. more on this story




Singled Out: Automatic Static's I'm So Worn Out, I'm So Far Gone
Today Automatic Static mainman Z Rokk tells us about "I'm So Worn Out, I'm So Far Gone" from their brand new album "Number IV," which was released today. Here is the story:

"I'm so worn out, I'm so far gone" was a concept song for me which I don't think I have ever tried before this new album "Number IV." I saw the recent news stories about a certain reality star getting divorced after only a couple months of marriage and just laughed at the television and it inspired me to write a song that lyrically came from the inner demon of someone's head that was in that frame of mind. The first lyrics "bring me the stones bring me the flashbulbs baby, give me the money, give me all that I can get," are pretty obvious. They basically reflect the true motives of what I felt the star in question really thinks. Of course I cannot say for certain yet the rest of the actions following pretty much supported it. I am always trying to get new ideas for lyrics as it can definitely make or break the song and the listener enjoying the relationship they have to it.

The chorus starts out with " I have no soul I'm pretty, I won't feel bad for you," which again reflects the inner motives of the person in question as its a sad thing when being pretty and having sex tape can make you rich. I started writing and felt like it was pretty amazing that the situation that inspired me to write the song and the person(s) that were involved really weren't famous for doing anything at all except being wealthy. Weird, yet very common these days.

The next verse is the subject feeling desperate for their own survival and hoping that because of this circumstance and the negative exploits they are going through, they don't want it to affect their fame. "Please don't think twice, i need your eyes glued to me, don't turn the channel as you may realize you can't be me." The obvious meaning being that if you only thought for two seconds a viewer might realize that what they are watching is the slow train wreck that is reality TV and especially the stars of it. I am always amazed at people's in ability to let go of the cancer of insecurity and self hatred we participate in when we support people doing crazy negative things to themselves or others for the sake of entertainment. I'm no saint, nor am I perfect yet I definitely would never want to exploit pain as a form for entertainment, especially not emotional pain. It's a sad thing.

Most all of the lyrics in Automatic Static tunes tend to be much like a personal therapy session for myself and i use my lyrics as a way to get things off my chest that i would rather never say to the public or the person or persons that inspired the lyrics pin the first place. I think i am more than likely in the same boat as a lot of artists and lyrics can be a way to work through getting your frustrations or feelings out. I use metaphoric ways most of the time yet on every record i try and expand what I did the last time and get better at my craft and this new Automatic Static album "Number IV," I wanted to be a little more literal lyrically speaking and try being more obvious to the listener and watch the reactions. I'm hoping that my fans and new fans enjoy the new record and Ill continue to have the inspiration to do more.

BON JOVI LIVE FROM CLEVELAND FROM 1984:

BON JOVI LIVE FROM 1984:
A new Bon Jovi live album recorded by King Biscuit back in 1984 is now available. Rockin' In Cleveland 1984 is listed on Amazon UK among other places and features the track listing: 1. Intro 2. Breakout 3. Come Back 4. Roulette 5. She Don t Know Me 6. Shot Through The Heart 7. Love Lies 8. Guitar Solo 9. Get Ready 10. Runaway 11. I want To Take You Higher.

Today's Day In Rock!

Jimmy Page To Release Lucifer Rising Recordings
(hennemusic) Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page is releasing the rare recordings he made for Kenneth Anger's movie "Lucifer Rising."
Page posted the following details on Facebook: "On March 20, the Spring Equinox 2012, the title music for 'Lucifer Rising And Other Sound Tracks' will have its premiere and release. The title music, along with other musical pieces recorded at my home studio in the early Seventies, have been revisited, remixed and released for the first time.

"There will be a standard release on heavyweight vinyl. In addition there will be a special run of 418 numbered copies. The first 93 copies will be signed and numbered." Read the twisted history behind the soundtrack


Zakk Wylde Tributes Randy Rhoads
(Gibson) Today, March 19 marks the 30th anniversary of guitar legend Randy Rhoads's death in a plane crash. Zakk Wylde, who's a huge admirer of Rhoads's work, recently spoke to MusicRadar.com about the guitarist's legacy.

"The testimony to Randy's greatness is the fact that we all still remember. Whenever my buddies and I get together, we can't help but talk about Randy Rhoads," Wylde said. "Let's say he didn't have to go up to God's tavern when the good Lord needed him. Let's say he just walked away from it all and went back to teaching, which he was thinking of doing; he wasn't all that comfortable with the fame thing and playing big places. He'd still be a total legend for what he did on those first two Ozzy Osbourne records. What he achieved in just a couple of years is right up there with the best of the best. He did on two albums what most guys can't do on 20. That's pretty remarkable."

Wylde went on to talk about Rhoads's influence on his playing. "He had unbelievable technique and could do all the things on the guitar that are astounding," he said. "His scales, the diminished scales he used – unreal. But it was his writing and the way he composed his solos – I mean, his solos were songs within the songs… He was way ahead of what everybody else was doing." more on this story




Rolling Stones Jagger and Richards End Feud
(Gibson) Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones have reconciled their disagreements. The two British rock stars have had several bust-ups over the years but Richards' autobiography caused new problems. Jagger and Richards spoke to the Daily Mirror about their relationship.

Richards said: "As far as the book goes, it was my story and it was very raw, as I meant it to be. But I know that some parts of it, and some of the publicity, really offended Mick and I regret that. What some of our detractors forget is that although we look like old codgers living an ocean apart we are still at bottom the boys on platform 3 at Dartford station.''

The Daily Mirror, then notes that Jagger jumped in with, "Er... actually, Keith, it was platform 1.'' Jagger also said: "In the 1980s, for instance, Keith and I were not communicating very well. I got very involved with the business side of the Stones, mainly because I felt no one else was interested. But it's plain now from the book that Keith felt excluded, which is a pity. Time, I reckon, to move on." more on this story




Call Him Dr. Alice Cooper
(hennemusic) On Friday, Alice Cooper delivered the Graduation Commencement Speech to 600 rowdy and dangerous graduates from The Musician's Institute in Los Angeles.

Alice opened by saying, "First of all, the fact that I am here as your keynote speaker raises a lot of red flags. It shows an obvious lack of judgment on your part."

Alice also received an Honorary Doctorate from The Musician's Institute ("Doctor Of Music"), the second Doctorate award he has received in his career. "One more of these and I can write prescriptions," joked Alice.

Read highlights from the speech here.


Van Halen's Full Montreal Concert Streaming Online
(hennemusic) Van Halen's "A Different Kind Of Truth" tour hit Montreal last week for the first of a series of Canadian dates and video of the full concert is streaming online.

The band delivered its 24-song show with high energy, opening with their 1981 classic, "Unchained."

VH have been changing up rare tracks in the set throughout the tour, and Montreal fans were treated to 1979's "Outta Love Again," as well as "Hear About It Later" from "Fair Warning." Check out the video here.


Collective Soul Plan Full Dosage Tour
Collective Soul will hit the road in May for a North American tour where they plan to play their 1999 album Dosage in its entirety.

The band's fourth album, Dosage includes major hits like "Heavy," "Run," and "Tremble For My Beloved" which was featured in the Twilight movie and soundtrack.

In addition to Dosage, they will perform other songs from a catalog including "Shine," "December," "The World I Know," "Where The River Flows" and many others. more on this story


Vince Neil, George Lynch, Stu Hamm, Brad Gillis On New Ozzy Tribute
Versailles Records have set a June 5th North America release date for a 3-disc tribute to Ozzy Osbourne. The label sent over these details:

'No More Tears: A Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne- 1971-2012' features rock and metal superstars and many of the hottest rock and metal bands on the rise from around the globe covering Ozzy's Black Sabbath and entire SOLO catalog performed in full-length, hit by hit chronological order over the course of a 3-CD set!

The Tribute will feature exclusive liner-note commentary from a wide range of record producers who worked with Ozzy in the studio, including Ron Nevison, Duane Baron, Keith Olsen, and Michael Beinhorn; and the track listing features star-appearances from Vince Neil (Motley Crue), George Lynch (Dokken, Lynch Mob), Stu Hamm (Steve Vai band), Gregg Bissonette (Joe Satriani, Spinal Tap, David Lee Roth band), Derrick LeFevre (Lillian Axe), Chris Poland (Megadeth), Mark Slaughter (Slaughter, Vinnie Vincent Invasion), Brad Gillis (Nightranger, Ozzy Osbourne Band), Gary Moon (Three Dog Night, Nightranger), Eric Singer (Kiss, Black Sabbath, Badlands, The Cult), Paul Taylor (Winger), Keri Kelli (Alice Cooper Band, Slash's Snakepit, LA Guns, RATT), and Richard Kendrick (Near Life Experience). more on this story


KISS' Peter Criss Releasing Autobiography
(hennemusic) Original KISS drummer Peter Criss will release his autobiography, "Makeup To Breakup," on October 23.

"From sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll to multiple brushes with death, 'Makeup to Breakup' will be Peter Criss' unvarnished and eye-opening life story," according to the publisher's press release.

"I am so blessed that I am finally going to write my autobiography, and I hope you enjoy the ride," Criss said in the release. "The best of all is I get to share my true feelings of my love for God, family, friends and fame. It's been a wonderful life." more on this story


Willie Nelson Sets New Album Release
Legacy Recordings have set a May 15th release date for Willie Nelson's new album, Heroes.

The album will feature new songs and re-imagined classics performed by Willie Nelson. Legacy sent out these details:

Heroes is essential Willie Nelson, a seamless collection of top-flight pop-country songs (including covers from the 30s and 40s and new songs by Willie, his sons, Lukas Nelson and Micah Nelson, and more) performed with the easy-going homespun warmth and honesty that have become his trademarks. more on this story


Shinedown Releasing Complete Album Experience For The Ipad
Shinedown have set a on March 27th release for For Your Sake: Inside the Making of Shinedown's Amaryllis a new ebook that is being billed ad the first ever complete album experience for the iPad.

The 75 Page iPad eBook will be released to coincide with the release of the band's new album, Amaryllis.

The eBook features photos in interactive galleries, videos and detailed commentary from the band. more on this story


Guns N' Roses and Sebastian Bach Jam Goes Online
(hennemusic) More video from the final date of Guns N' Roses' "Up Close And Personal" tour has surfaced.

The month-long series of shows, in intimate theatres, gave GNR fans a chance to see the band in smaller venues than the standard arena-sized event.

The trip wrapped up last week at House Of Blues in West Hollywood, where the band was joined by Axl Rose's pal Sebastian Bach on the "Appetite For Destruction" rocker "My Michelle." Check it out here.


Green River Ordinance and Graham Colton Tour
Green River Ordinance are set to kick off an extensive North American tour on March 29 in Houston, TX, crossing the country with special guest Graham Colton.

Green River Ordinance will be touring in support of their latest album, "Under Fire" which was released on February 28th.

"Our primary purpose was just to make the most authentic and honest music possible," says Jamey Ice. "We also tried to push ourselves to think outside of our traditional instruments. We used all sorts of random percussive instruments and unique drums; we used banjos, mandolins, baritone guitars, 12 string guitars upright bass, accordion, lap steel, old vintage amps and old vintage guitars. We tried to push ourselves to explore more, even if it meant forfeiting safe and traditional structure and instrumentation." more on this story


King's X Jerry Gaskill Recovering
King's X drummer Jerry Gaskill continues his recovery from a heart attack suffered late last month.

Jerry's medical condition is improving - he is no longer in ICU, but is still hospitalized battling pneumonia. He can sit up, and is showing signs of recovery that have his family and the band encouraged.

As we previous reported, King's X are offering a download of a previously unreleased 1991 concert to fans who donate money to help offset the drummer's medical and personal bills. more on this story


The Beatles Headed To TouchTunes Interactive
(Sub) The music of The Beatles will soon be featured across TouchTunes Interactive Networks network of over 50,000 digital jukeboxes.

Starting April 1, 2012, TouchTunes will add The Beatles' 13 legendary studio albums to its catalog.

"It is a privilege to partner with EMI and Apple Corps Ltd. to make available the sound recordings of the most celebrated band of all time," said Charles Goldstuck, CEO of TouchTunes Interactive Networks. "The important addition of The Beatles to our network represents a milestone, not only for our company, but for our industry." more on this story


Remembering Randy Rhoads 30 Years Later
(Gibson) On this day in 1982, Ozzy Osbourne's guitarist and former Quiet Riot member Randy Rhoads was killed when the plane he was riding in crashed. After driving much of the night, the band had stopped near a small airstrip. The tour bus driver, Andrew Aycock, talked the band's keyboardist, Don Airey, into taking a test flight in a '55 Beechcraft Bonanza, the joyride ended, and the plane landed safely. Then Aycock took Rhoads and Rachel Youngblood on another flight and attempts were made to "buzz" the tour bus. The left wing clipped the bus, which sent the plane spiraling into a nearby house and bursting into flames. Gibson takes a look back: Since teaming up with Ozzy Osbourne and playing a key role in the Prince of Darkness's post-Sabbath solo success, Rhoads was flying high. Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman had put Ozzy back in the limelight and the band were in Knoxville for a show at the Civic Coliseum on March 18, 1982. It was Randy Rhoads' last gig.

After the show, the band left Tennessee for Florida where they were playing a festival in Orlando. Stopping for a rest break and to run some repairs, the caravan stopped at some property in Leesburg, Florida. There were just two houses on the property. One of them belonged to Ozzy's bus driver, Andrew Aycock.

Early on the 19th, while the entourage was resting, Aycock rose and—being a pilot—took advantage of the property's airstrip and collection of airplanes. Aycock took keyboard player Don Airey and tour manager Jake Duncan for a flight on a '55 Beechcraft Bonanza F-35. After that, Aycock took off again, this time with Randy and hairdresser Rachel Youngblood. After that jaunt, Aycock took Rhoads on another flight. It was a terrible mistake. more on this story




Black Tusk Holding In Store Event Today
Black Tusk will be holding an exclusive in store signing event today, March 19th, in Hollywood, CA at 6:00 PM.

The signing will take place at Sound Check Hollywood, which is located at 8872 Sunset Blvd. website

Black Tusk are currently on tour in support of their new album Set the Dial. This run features 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


Singled Out: Cold Fronts' Ready To Go
Today Craig Almquist from Cold Fronts tells us about the song "Ready To Go" from their brand new EP release "Pretty American". Here is the story:

I wrote Ready To Go when I was living in Brooklyn during the summer. I was feeling pretty isolated in terms of my living situation, and was getting extremely nostalgic for Philadelphia and all my friends. I wrote the opening riff and then was just kind of freestyling the lyrics into garage band and picking out what stuck. Usually thats how I write a lot of the lyrics to songs.

The lyrics itself are really about my friends, relationships, and my neighborhood in Philadelphia. I had also just started hanging out with Shaky Jake (our guitarist) in Harlem and we were getting each other amped on the idea of starting a rock band and writing riffs.

DENNIS DeYOUNG SAYS YES TO STYX POSSIBILITY:

Classic Rock Revisited have a nice long interview with the always entertaining and insightful Dennis DeYoung. Within the interview Dennis states his desire to once again perform with Styx:
Jeb: After all the BS that has gone down, would you want to play with the band again?
Dennis: Here's the thing: I have never ever said one bad thing about the music that we created. You want to know why? It's because I don't believe it. I think the music we created is something to be proud of – some better than others as we've already discussed.
Jeb: So if Tommy or JY called you on the phone today and asked you to rejoin Styx as a touring and recording member of the band, would you join Styx again?
Dennis: Yes.
Read the full interview: www.classicrockrevisited.com/interviewdennisdeyoung.htm.