Today's Day In Rock News!

Aerosmith Plan New Tour Leg
(hennemusic) Aerosmith wrap up their Global Warming summer tour on Sunday, but more dates are on the way according to Joe Perry.
The Bristow, VA. concert is a makeup date for a show that was originally scheduled for July 3, but was postponed following news that Steven Tyler was under doctor's orders to refrain from performing in order to provide vocal rest – just five shows into the tour.

And while the band gears up to release their new album, "Music From Another Dimension," on November 6, there's word that a new batch of tour dates on their way. "Anyday dates for 2nd leg will be announced," tweeted guitarist Joe Perry. "Also one or two new tunes from new Album." more on this story



Dave Matthews Band Plan Special Album Release Show
Dave Matthews Band will be putting on a very special album release concert at the Hollywood Bowl on September 12th, the day after their new album hits stores. Their camp sent over these details:

Every ticket purchased online for the Hollywood Bowl show will receive a digital download of 'Away From The World' (standard album) on the September 11, 2012 release date.

RCA Records will release "Away From The World" in CD, digital and vinyl formats. The new album was recorded with Steve Lillywhite, who produced Dave Matthews Band's first three studio records. more on this story



Ronnie James Dio's Childhood Home On eBay
(hennemusic) A childhood home of the late Ronnie James Dio is now for sale on online auction site eBay.

The 3-bedroom house is located in Cortland, New York, which is south of Syracuse. A street in Cortland – Dio Way – was named after the singer in 1988.

The minimum starting bid is listed as $90,000; the auction ends on August 31. The seller's description is as follows: "This is the house [Ronnie] grew up in, wrote songs in, had parties in, and played in! We bought the house from Ronnie about 3.5 years ago and have enjoyed living there but it is too small for our growing family. I am listing it on eBay in the hopes that a TRUE Dio fan can get this house and enjoy owning a piece or heavy metal history." more on this story



Alexisonfire Announce Global Farewell Tour Dates
Alexisonfire have finally announced the dates for their farewell tour with dates scheduled across the world, but they skip the U.S. for an undisclosed reason.

The tour is set to take place in December and will kick off with a show in London and they will then play dates in Brazil, Australia and a string of dates in their native Canada.

The band announced the dates on their Facebook page with this message: "As promised in 2010 – we're back for a Farewell Tour. We know that this tour doesn't reach all of you, and this list is sure to cause some disappointment, but know that we have done our best to fit what we can into this window of time. December 2012 is the only time that all 5 of us aren't committed to something in our personal or professional lives. An entire month!!!! more on this story



Beatles, Rolling Stones, CCR, Doors and More For PBS Special
(Gibson) Don't have any Saturday night plans yet? Then PBS has a show that may be of interest to you. The network's My Music series is set to present Ed Sullivan's Top Performers, featuring performances from The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Doors, Creedence Clearwater Revival and more beginning this Saturday. The show also will feature live concerts from the Mamas & The Papas, the Turtles, the Fifth Dimension, Tom Jones and the Association.

"This special takes you back to the original moments of the artists and songs when they first broke," said TJ Lubinsky, whose company TJL Productions co-produced the show, in a release. "[With] a focus on the late '60s, this collection of rock and roll classics exemplifies the defining backbeat in the soundtrack of our lives."

A multiple-CD set called Pop, Rock and Soul is also slated to arrive and feature performances from Ed Sullivan's Top Performers. The album set will feature over 100 classic songs, including famous tracks by the Beach Boys, the Lovin' Spoonful, The Who, Van Morrison and more.

As for when to catch Ed Sullivan's Top Performers the show, check your local listings for specific times. more on this story





Mayhem Festival Cruise Plans Sunk
Plans for the maiden voyage of the Mayhem Festival Cruise have been sunk for an undisclosed reason.

The metal cruise was scheduled to take place in December and feature Lamb Of God, Machine Head, Anthrax, Hatebreed, Suicide Silence, Kingdom Of Sorrow, Gojira, Periphery, Born Of Osiris, Battlecross, Otherwise, Girl On Fire, Anti Mortem, and Gyspyhawk plus DJ sets from Jdevil (Jonathan Davis Of Korn) And Dj Starscream (Sid Of Slipknot).

Organizers announced this week: Unfortunately due to circumstances beyond our control we have been forced to cancel the Mayhem Festival Cruise. more on this story



Slipknot Release More Knotfest Details
Slipknot have released the details for their first-ever Knotfest which is set to take place August 17th and 18th in Council Bluffs, Iowa and Minneapolis, MN.

Knotfest will be headlined by Slipknot and will feature sets from Deftones, Lamb Of God, Machine Head, Serj Tankian, Cannibal Corpse, The Dillinger Escape Plan, The Urge, Prong, Gojira and more. Organizers have announced the set times for all acts.

For those that can't make the trek to the Midwest, Slipknot will be offering up a pay-per-view online stream. more on this story



Jack White Explains Backing Bands In New Interview With Duff McKagan
(Gibson) Former Guns N' Roses bass player Duff McKagan already has his own column in the Seattle Weekly, and now, the musician is branching out and interviewing bands for the publication. McKagan's latest interview is with none other than Jack White, who is currently out on the road, promoting his debut solo album, Blunderbuss.

If you catch White's current tour, you'll notice he has two bands with him on the road: one consisting of all female players, and the other one made up of all male musicians. White explained that he purposely wanted to take along an interesting mix of musicians so his shows wouldn't be a "nostalgia trip."

"If it's a White Stripes song, for example, that people are hearing, I don't want to recreate something that a two-piece band did with six people in some really regular, perfunctory way, or a nostalgic way," White told McKagan in Seattle Weekly. "So it's a way for me to shake things up for myself so it stays really alive onstage, not just trying to recreate some moment from 10 years ago."

White also explained that the musicians he has out on the road all contributed to Blunderbuss. "The new songs of mine were done with these new musicians, so that was the lucky part," he said. "I could take all of them with me on the road. It's very expensive, but I'm getting a lot out of it." more on this story





UFO Returning To North America For Fall Tour
UFO will be landing in North American once again this fall to play a series of West Coast and Mid-West tour dates.

The trek is set to kick off on November 15th in Chicago, IL and is currently scheduled to wrap up December 1st in Corona, CA.

UFO will be touring in support of their latest album Seven Deadly which was released earlier this year via Steamhammer/SPV. more on this story



Sirius Black Sabbath Interview Set For Broadcast This Weekend
(hennemusic) Black Sabbath rocked Lollapalooza last weekend. Sabbath were interviewed at Lollapalooza, and SiriusXM satellite radio have confirmed the broadcast times for the session.

The Chicago stop was the third and final 2012 date for the mostly-reunited band, following an intimate homecoming show in Birmingham in May and a headline performance at Download in June.

All three appearances featured original members Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler, along with Tommy Clufetos (from Ozzy's solo band) handling drum duties in the absence of original player Bill Ward, who continues to sit things out over a contract dispute. Airtimes for the interview.



Journey's Neal Schon Sets New Solo Album Release
Journey guitarist Neal Schon will release his new solo album, The Calling, on October 22nd in the UK and October 23rd in the U.S. Nobel sent us these details:

Produced by and featuring Schon on all guitars and bass, The Calling reunites Schon with former Journey bandmate, Steve Smith, who lends his drum talents to all 12 tracks on the new album.

Schon set up shop at Berkeley's famed Fantasy Studios during a break from Journey's busy touring schedule and recorded the album, completely from scratch, in just four days. After overdubbing multiple guitar and bass parts, Schon recruited two keyboard masters to flesh out the music. Igor Len, an accomplished classical, jazz and film composer who had previously collaborated with Schon, is featured on acoustic piano throughout The Calling album. more on this story



God Forbid and Emmure Members Doing In Store Event Today
God Forbid's Doc Coyle and Matt Wicklund plus Emmure's Jesse Ketive and Mike Muholland will be holding an in-store signing event today at Guitar Center in Portland, Maine.

The appearance is in addition to their appearance tomorrow at the Trespass America Festival's stop in Portland.

Guitar Center is located at 198 Maine Mall Rd and the signing will go from 1:00 pm -2:30 pm



Saving Grace Change Lineup
Saving Grace have had another lineup change, parting ways with Mike Benson who they brought on to play bass in 2010. The group issued these details:

Benson came on board to expand the band to a five piece which saw bassist George White step in on second guitar duties.

Mike has stepped down from Saving Grace after appearing on the band's latest full length 'The King is Coming' and supporting festivals and tour dates across USA, Australia and New Zealand. more on this story



Triumph's Rik Emmett Explains His Live Musical Chairs
T-Mak World caught up with Triumph legend Rik Emmett and his musical cohort Dave Dunlop to discuss a variety of topics including Rik's current tour plans which include three different kinds of shows. In this excerpt, Rik explains what fans can expect from each:

T-Mal: Rik, on your website we see that you have three different shows – "An Acoustic Night Of Triumph", "Rik Emmett Band" and "Rik Emmett & Dave Dunlop". What is the difference between the three shows and what can people expect to hear in each one?

Emmett: The Acoustic Night of Triumph set leans heavily on Triumph catalogue, performed acoustically. The Band shows are electric, in a quartet, with a drums & bass gtr. rhythm section. Emmett & Dunlop is likely to have plenty of material from the Strung-Out Troubadours / Troubs duo where Dave and I have written several albums of songs together. Read the full interview here and read what Rik thinks of the chances of a Triumph reunion.



The Adicts Return With All The Young Droogs Album and Tour
UK punk rockers The Adicts will be celebrating their 35th anniversary by releasing a brand new album and a tour.

The band have set a September 11th release date for All The Young Droogs, their tenth studio album.

The Adicts will touring in North America in early September before heading to Brazil later that month to support the release of the new album. more on this story



Pig Destroyer Releasing First New Album in Over Five Years
Relapse Records have set an October 23rd release date for Pig Destroyer's new album, Book Burner.

The 19 track effort is the Pig Destroyer's fifth-full length and first album in over five years.

The band recently completed the self-recording of Book Burner at guitarist Scott Hull's Visceral Sound Studios. You can check out studio footage here.



My Darkest Days Taking Surrender The Fall On Tour
My Darkest Days have tapped newcomers Surrender The Fall to support them on their upcoming North American tour.

The tour is set to kick off on September 17 in Grand Rapids, Michigan for a WGRD Low Dough Show and will wrap up on October 17th Buffalo, NY.

Prior to this trek Surrender The Fall will be on the road with Nonpoint and will release their debut album, Burn In The Spotlight, on September 18th. more on this story



R.E.M. Plan 25th Anniversary Edition of Document
(Gibson) R.E.M. will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the release of their fifth studio album, Document, on Sept. 1, and in honor of that centenary, the band will release a two-disc version of the album on Sept. 25.

The upcoming anniversary edition of Document will offer a digitally remastered version of the album, as well as a never before released live concert taped on Sept. 14, 1987, in Utrecht, Holland. The remastered original album will also be released in vinyl format.

Document features such R.E.M. classics as "The One I Love," "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)," "Finest Worksong" and more. more on this story





Good Old War Set For Jimmy Kimmel and Dispatch and Needtobreathe Tours
Good Old War are set to perform their song "Better Weather" on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on August 14th.

The Kimmel appearance will be followed up by fall tour plans where they will be supporting Dispatch in October and also hitting the road with Needtobreathe in late October through November.

Good Old War continue to tour in support of their third full length album, Come Back As Rain, which debuted at the top of Billboard's Heatseekers chart back in March. more on this story



B Sides


Multi-Cam Footage of Van Halen Goes Online
(hennemusic) Van Halen are currently on a summer break from their "A Different Kind Of Truth" tour but some new multi-cam footage of one of the previous stops has gone online.

On March 30, Van Halen played the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh. A fan-shot multi-cam mix of the show was posted, and now the producers have regrouped to complete a new mix of the concert.

The youtube host writes: "A few more cams were added along with some different editing choices (and i fixed some mistakes as well). There are a few more shots of AVH in this edit too!!"

"High quality camera work for most of the show captured from rows 1 and 2 and 17, and audio was recorded separately with a Sony PCM M10 unit with external binaural microphones." Watch it here.



Dream Theater Star Releases SpaceWiz App
(hennemusic) Dream Theater's Jordan Rudess has released his latest iOS app this week entitled SpaceWiz.

"We partnered with developer Tobias Miller to see if an otherworldly dream I had could be made into reality," said Rudess. "He was able to bring it completely to life."

There are over 250 on-board instruments, as well as forty-five presets and access to control external midi instruments. SpaceWiz allows the viewer to interact with and control their environment at the highest level of complexity. more on this story



Transit Release Skipping Stone Video
Transit have released a new music video for an alternative version of their song "Skipping Stone."

The acoustic version of the track was featured the band's Rise Records debut Listen & Forgive. You can watch the video here.

Transit will be joining Taking Back Sunday and Bayside on the Tell All Your Friends 10 Year Anniversary Tour.

Today's Day In Rock News!

Metal Band Furious With CNN For Labeling Them Racist
CNN's credibility takes another hit after one of their contributors lumped metalcore band Hatebreed in with racist "white power" bands and Hatebreed it not happy about it.
The author of the CNN article, Anti-Defamation League's Lonnie Nasatir was attempting to explain the "white pride" music scene that mass murderer Wade Page was reportedly a part of and included Hatebreed among the
"100 to 150 white power bands... in the United States."

Page murdered six people at Sikh temple in Wisconsin this past weekend and he reportedly had a checkered past which including being in two bands which according to mainstream media reports are part of the "white power" movement.

Once Hatebreed was listed among such bands, the group had a strong response via their Twitter account, which ultimately led to their name being removed from the report and CNN adding this update: "A previous version of this commentary incorrectly included the band Hatebreed in a list of white power bands. Hatebreed is a self-described 'hardcore metal' band. CNN regrets the error." Read Hatebreed's reactions



Jon Lord's Final Recording Set For Release
(Classic Rock) Jon Lord's final studio work, a new version of his Concerto For Group and Orchestra, will be released on September 25.

It was recorded in Abbey Road Studios and features the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic orchestra plus Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden, Joe Bonamassa and Deep Purple guitarist Steve Morse.

Lord, who died last month at 71, said of the album: "Over the years since leaving Deep Purple I've played it over 30 times, and in 2000 I did it well over 30 times with Purple on tour. I've been honing the piece. It's a marvelous and exciting prospect to have the definitive recording of the definitive score." more music news.



Tony Iommi and Ian Gillan Releasing Double Disc Rarities Album
Last year Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi reunited with Deep Purple's Ian Gillan to record together for the first since the classic 1983 Black Sabbath album, Born Again, where they recruited Jason Newsted (Metallica), Jon Lord (Deep Purple, 1941-2012), Nicko McBrain (Iron Maiden), and Linde Lindström (HIM) to help them record two charity singles: "Out Of My Mind" and "Holy Water."

Eagle Rock now announce that: "Out Of My Mind" and "Holy Water" will be featured in a special 2-disc set of rarities and recordings culled from the careers of Iommi and Gillan. The WhoCares double-CD will be released in North American on August 28.

Amongst the tracks are the two original WhoCares songs, Deep Purple's unreleased studio jam "Dick Pimple," a song from Repo Depo (a band Ian Gillan formed before the Deep Purple reunion) which never released an official song before this CD. Also included is "Zero The Hero," from the aforementioned Black Sabbath Born Again release (which is the only album to feature Gillan on lead vocals), as well as two unreleased songs from Tony Iommi featuring Glenn Hughes. more on this story



Van Halen TV Special Streaming Online
(hennemusic) Van Halen were the focus of an hour-long TV special broadcast in Japan on Tuesday and video is now streaming online. BS-TBS' "Song To Soul" series sat down for a brand new, exclusive interview with David Lee Roth and Eddie and Alex Van Halen at Dave's house, in a session that was filmed just two weeks ago.

The special also includes interviews with Van Halen producer Ted Templeman, Guitar World Editor in Chief Brad Tolinski and Margo Nahas, the creator of "1984" album cover. "Song To Soul" explored the groundwork of the band's early beginnings and the path they took through the first five albums before they released the massive 1984 smash, "Jump."

"I actually wrote it on a Prophet 10 and everytime I got the sound I wanted, the thing would start smoking," explained Eddie. "So I got rid of that one, bought an Oberheim OB-Xa. That sound actually did not exist. We made that sound popular. All synthesizers after 'Jump' came out, came with that sound in it."

"Jump was actually recorded on the first or second take, [and it] was the record version," says Alex. "And then you spend another hundred takes to justify why it was so easy to record in one time. And that goes to demonstrate how people really get in the way of the creative process; your own ego wants to be in there and justify why it's so good."

Read more and watch it here.



Sevendust and Creed Supergroup Set Album Release
There is a new supergroup on the scene, this one unites former tourmates in Sevendust and Creed into the band Projected.

The group featuring Sevendust guitarist John Connolly and bassist Vince Hornsby, Alter Bridge/Creed drummer Scott Phillips, and Tremonti Project/Creed guitarist Eric Friedman will release their debut album, Human, on September 18 via Connolly's own Yaya Papu LLC. label. A lyric video for the song "Watch It Burn" can be seen on the band's YouTube page here.

Produced by Connolly and Elvis Baskette (Alter Bridge, Puddle Of Mudd), the majority of the album's music and vocals were recorded at Studio 1119, Connolly's studio in his home office ("when it's not being used by his wife to pay the bills or his daughter to play Webkins," he jokes). more on this story



Godsmack's Sully Erna Back Following Health Issues
(Classic Rock) Godsmack singer Sully Erna has returned to full health after cancelling a series of shows with throat problems.

Drummer Shannon Larkin says: "We did a couple of shows last week and he sang great." Labelling the call-offs as "the biggest bummer of the decade," the drummer explains:

"We're not spring chickens any more. We were afraid it could damage his cords where his voice would change or he wouldn't be able to hit notes." More rock news.



Billy Corgan Slams Music Biz For Dumbing People Down
(Gibson) No one can say Billy Corgan doesn't speak his mind. In a recent chat with GMA News, the Smashing Pumpkins leader bashed the music industry, saying it "operates on a dumbing down principle."

"It's incredible to me how sophisticated people really are when you give them the opportunity to be sophisticated," he said. "[But] the music business essentially operates on … 'How dumb do we have to go to sell this record to the most people?'"

Corgan did cite one band – Radiohead – that has managed to resist pressure to bow to the lowest common denominator. "There are very few bands who are able to keep their intelligence on record, [but] Radiohead [has]," he said. "They have a very high message and are still very popular. But for the most part the charts are dominated by music that's essentially dumbed down in melody, style, tone, texture, and message ..." more on this story





New Conversations With Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page Book Coming
(hennemusic) A new book about Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page is on the way. "Light & Shade: Conversations With Jimmy Page," by Guitar World's Brad Tolinski, will be published October 23.

Over the last twenty years, Brad Tolinski, Editorial Director of Guitar World, Revolver and Guitar Aficionado magazines, has interviewed Page more than any other journalist in the world and by asking incisive questions, he's been able to gain the trust of this greatly misunderstood artist.

Sifting through over fifty hours of conversations that touch on everything from the 1960s music scene and his early years as England's top session guitarist working with artists like The Who, The Kinks, and Eric Clapton, to his wild years in Led Zeppelin, and post-Zep projects, "Light & Shade" will provide readers with the most complete picture of the media-shy guitarist ever published. Some of the harshest critics, Slash, Kirk Hammett and Billy Gibbons offer their opinions of the book.

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KISS To Appear On Rockline With Bob Coburn
(hennemusic) KISS are on the road this summer with Motley Crue as the two classic rock acts perform across North America.

KISS were set to enjoy a day off this Monday, August 13 between shows in southern California, but now they've been confirmed to appear on the nationally syndicated radio show "Rockline" with host Bob Coburn.

The 90-minute program airs on Monday at 8:30 p.m. PT / 11:30 p.m. ET. The program will be streamed on the "Rockline" web site for two weeks beginning the afternoon after the live broadcast. more on this story

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Public Ceremony For Late Riot Guitarist Mark Reale This Weekend
(Classic Rock) Riot guitarist Mark Reale's headstone will be laid over his grave in a public ceremony on Saturday.

Reale died aged 56 in January after a lifelong fight against Crohn's disease, which had left him unable to complete his parts on Riot's album Immortal Soul, and forced him to abandon plans for a number of live shows.

The ceremony takes place at Holy Cross Cemetery, San Antonio, Texas, at 10am. More rock news.

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Murder By Death Plan Fall Tour With Say Anything
Murder By Death will be following up their summer headline tour by returning to the road to support Say Anything for a North American trek this fall.

The tour will begin on October 4th at the House Of Blues in Anaheim, CA and wrap up on October 28th at Korova in San Antonio, TX.

Murder By Death's current headlining tour runs through August 25th at the Metro in Chicago, IL. more on this story

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Steve Miller Band's First Five Album Remastered For Reissues
(Noble) Edsel Records plan a UK reissue of the first five albums by the Steve Miller Band, originally released between 1968 and 1970.

The reissues will be issued in special digitally re-mastered digipak editions on Monday 8th October 2012. The albums include Children of the Future (1968), Sailor (1968), Brave New World (1969), Your Saving Grace (1969) and Number 5 (1970).

The CD booklets included in the Special Digipak Edition releases feature original artwork, song lyrics, exclusive liner notes written by the San Francisco Chronicle's Joel Selvin based on new 2012 interviews with Steve Miller, plus rare photos from Miller's personal archive. All five digitally re-mastered CDs are housed in six panel digipaks. more on this story

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Les Claypool Auctioning His Bass To Help His Baby Nephew
Big Hassle sent over word that Les Claypool of Primus will be auctioning one of his primary basses to benefit his baby nephew Matthew, as well as Matthew's family.

Two years ago, two-month old Matthew was diagnosed with a rare form of infant leukemia. Matthew is currently undergoing bone marrow transplant therapy at St. Jude's Hospital in Memphis, TN. "Watching my younger brother and his wife go through one of the most heart aching situations that any parent can endure has been gut-wrenching," Claypool said. "On top of that there is the unbelievable expense of the treatments ($80,000 for one particular shot alone and Matthew needed two of them). I do what I can financially and the fellows in Primus have been very generous to do performances as well as create special merchandise items for Matthew's cause but unfortunately we are just pushing against a tide of debt that my brother will be dealing with for many years." The Ebay auction is currently live, here.

The bass available for auction is the final prototype of the Les Claypool brand Pachyderm, which he has been playing live for the past year and is the design that all future Pachyderm basses will be modeled after. more on this story

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Metallica, Iron Maiden, Chickenfoot Tribute Deep Purple Classic
(hennemusic) Deep Purple's landmark 1972 album, "Machine Head," is getting the tribute treatment.

"Re-Machined: A Tribute To Machine Head" is a compilation CD featuring re-interpretations of songs by Metallica, Iron Maiden, Chickenfoot, Black Label Society and more.

The disc will be made available on September 4 with Classic Rock magazine's upcoming Deep Purple fanpack. Now, the band has confirmed that "Re-Machined" will be released commercially on September 25. more on this story

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Vampires Everywhere!, Alesana, In Fear And Faith Tour
Vampires Everywhere! are teaming up with Alesana, In Fear And Faith, Glamour Of The Kills and All Human this Fall fir the "Inked Music Tour".

The near-month-long run will travel across the US, kicking off in New York City on October 10th and wrapping up in Charlotte, NC on November 7th.

"We are genuinely excited to be on tour with our good friends in Alesana once again," exclaims vocalist Michael Vampire. "I have an amazing feeling about this tour... I'm sure it will be epic. So excited to see all our fans again.. Especially after seeing so many new faces at our stage on the... Warped Tour. See you in the fall, and be ready for some rock n' roll!" more on this story

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Threat Signal Replace Alex Rudinger
Threat Signal have officially named Joey Muha as the replacement for drummer Alex Rudinger, who left the group earlier this year.

The band kept the announcement short and sweet last week with this Facebook post: "We would officially like to welcome a new drummer into the TS camp. Hailing from Port Dover, Ontario, Canada, Joey Muha.

"Everybody give Joey a warm welcome! You can catch us on tour this October supporting the legendary Death Angel!" Check out Joey's Facebook to learn more about him.

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Edgar Winter Discusses Tour With Johnny Winter, Leslie West, Rick Derringer
(Classic Rock Revisited) Edgar Winter has signed on to be part of the Rock & Blues Tour, which will be touring across the USA this summer. Joining Edgar on the trek will be his brother, Johnny Winter, Leslie West, Rick Derringer and Kim Simmonds.

Classic Rock Revisited caught up with Edgar and he discusses his relationship with his older brother, how being an albino has been both positive and negative in his life, how he quit drugs and how the songs "Frankenstein" went from being a fifteen minute jam to a number one hit. Here are a couple excerpts:

Classic Rock Revisited: I want to talk about this tour you are going on, The Blues Rock Tour with Johnny Winter, Leslie West, Rick Derringer and Kim Simmonds.

Edgar: Are you ready to rock and roll? They have done this in years back and they used to call it Hippifest. It just seems like a dream lineup. I always get so emotional when I get to play with my brother, Johnny, as he is my all time musical hero. When it was suggested to everybody, we all jumped at the opportunity.

Rick is part of our extended family. He played in my first band, White Trash, after the original guitarist, Floyd Radford, left. He, then, played with me in the Edgar Winter Group after the original guitarist, Ronnie Montrose, left the band. Rick produced a lot of my early albums, as well. We've been fast friends for years. What could be better than all of us getting together for this particular tour?

Classic Rock Revisited: This seems like a great opportunity for some great jamming with each other on stage during each other's set.

Edgar: I am sure there will be some of that. I am certainly going to invite Rick to sit in. I do about fifteen, to twenty, shows a year with Rick. Johnny and I recently played The Blues Cruise with his band, which was a lot of fun.

There was a period of twenty years, or more, where Johnny and I had not played together. Thankfully, that is no longer the case. I am certainly up for jamming and I will do everything I can to make that happen. Read the full interview here.

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B Sides


Video of Aerosmith and Johnny Depp Jam Goes Online
(hennemusic) Aerosmith's Global Warming tour pulled into the Hollywood Bowl on Monday and the band invited a special guest to join them on stage.

"We're going to need a little help out here," said frontman Steven Tyler. "Johnny Depp, are you in the house?"

The movie star and longtime musician joined the Boston band for their cover of "Train Kept 'A Rollin," the final song of the night. Watch video here.

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Soul Singer Kendra Morris Covers Metallica Classic
(hennemusic) Soul singer Kendra Morris is gearing up for the release of her debut album, "Banshee." The record of all-original material is due August 28.

Morris has been sharing covers of songs each week, including versions of tracks by Pink Floyd and Chris Isaak.

Her latest cover is Metallica's "Ride the Lightning," produced by Jeremy Page. Check it out here.

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The Toadies and Evans Blue Unplugged
WJRR in Orlando have release video of two recent unplugged performances and Q&A sessions.

The first one took place on July 27th and featured the Toadies playing some acoustic songs including some new songs. You can watch that here.

Then last Friday, August 3rd Evans Blue joined WJRR at the RP Funding Theater for a private acoustic performance and Q&A. You can watch that here.

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Sites & Sounds: Knot Fest, St. Barth Jam Musik Festival and More
These late summer music festivals will keep you rocking and dancing plus it is Carnival time in the Caribbean!

Mount Cinnamon Resort's "Go Carnival" Package
Grenada, West Indies August 13-14

Steel pan music rings out throughout Grenada during Carnival when the island comes alive with colorfully-costumed celebrants enjoying all the dance and good cuisine that the season brings. The Mount Cinnamon Resort & Beach Club at Grand Anse Beach is offering a special Go Carnival package that gives guests an opportunity to party with locals and get thoroughly immersed in Carnival. For $350 a night you'll get a suite for four people and your own costume to wear during the two-day event, including at the J'ouvert and Pretty Mas parades. The package also includes entrance to a pre-party, entrance to the resort's own celebration and an after-Carnival massage.
www.mountcinnamongrenada.com
www.grenadagrenadines.com


St. Barth Jam Musik Festival
August 15 – 18, St. Barths

St. Barthelemy, the popular Caribbean getaway commonly referred to as St. Barths or St. Barts is ready to cut loose with its annual St. Barth Jam Musik Festival. The island's own Sakyo will headline the first day of the party and groups from throughout the Caribbean will also perform, including Jamaican reggae mainstays Inner Circle, Destra Garcia from Trinidad & Tobago, Haitian act Emeline Michele, Guadeloupe-based Soft and Como Antes and La Bande a Pipo, both from Martinique. France's Morik is also on the bill as is a collective known as Artiste de la Guadeloupe.
www.sbjam.com www.st-barths.com

Knot Fest
August 17/18, Council Bluffs, Iowa/Somerset, Wisconsin
This festival is a little unusual in that it takes place in two different places with the Friday, August 17 show happening in Council Bluffs and the Saturday, August 18 finale going down in Somerset, Wisconsin which is just over the border from greater Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota. Slipknot curates and headlines the line-up which will also feature Lamb of God, Deftones, Machine Head, Serj Tankian, Cannibal Corpse, The Dillinger Escape Plan, The Urge, Prong and Gojira. Fire breathers and "nightmarish creatures on stilts" will also add to the fun. www.knotfest.com

Suwannee Valley Flood Jam
August 17 – 18, Live Oak, Florida
This past June Tropical Storm Debby made a mess out of several Florida counties, affecting 10,000 people and forcing 1,500 families out of their homes. This event to be held at the Suwannee Music Park is a relief effort for these folks and will feature performances from Peter Rowan, The Lee Boys, Jamie Davis, the Swingin' Johnsons, the Heavy Pets, Donna the Buffalo, the Legendary JC's, the Funky Seeds, DJ Triclops, Vlad the Inhaler, C-Minus and about a dozen others. www.musicliveshere.com

Vermont Reggae Festival's Fountain of Stars
August 17 – 18, Rochester, New Hampshire
Despite the name, the Vermont Reggae Festival actually takes place in New Hampshire. The "fountain of stars" scheduled to perform includes 10 Ft. Ganja Plant, Umar Bin Hassan, Yami Bolo, Lambsbread, King Ujah, Thunder Body, Alex Marley, Kevin Kinsella, Jah Cutta, Mosaic Foundation and more. www.vermontreggaefestival.com
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More on Slipknot - Slipknot Music - Slipknot Tour Dates/Tickets - Slipknot CDs, vinyl and rarities
Metallica Share More Live Footage From Mexico
(hennemusic) Metallica have wrapped up their series of seven concerts in Mexico City.

The band are continuing to share some behind the scenes and concert footage from Mexico, including material filmed at their third show on August 1.

Fans can check out video of Metallica rocking "Of Wolf And Man" in the Tuning Room and "Cyanide" from the show.

Today's Day In Rock News!

The Gap Accused of Judas Priest Theft
(Classic Rock) US clothing retailer Gap is selling a kids' t-shirt featuring graphics stolen from Judas Priest, says Mastodon guitarist Bill Kelliher.
He's pointed out that a two-tone shirt bearing a metal eagle on an orange oval background looks dramatically similar to the album cover of Priest's Screaming For Vengeance album, due for its 30th anniversary release in September.

Kelliher says via his Tumblr feed: "Leave it to the Gap to steal ideas for kid t-shirts. Seriously poor taste." It's not the first time Gap have been accused of plagiarism.



Geoff Tate Wants Face To Face Summit With Queensryche
(Classic Rock) Sacked Queensryche singer Geoff Tate has called on his former bandmates to sit in a room with him and explain their actions over the past few months.

He was dismissed by colleagues Michael Wilton, Eddie Jackson and Scott Rockenfield in June following months of speculation, and replaced by Crimson Glory frontman Todd La Torre.

Since then a series of acrimonious statements have appeared. But in an upcoming episode of That Metal Show, Tate insists he's still unsure of why things happened the way they did – and he'd like to be told.

Presented Eddie Trunk has revealed a quote from the interview in which the singer says: "I'd like to sit in a room with those gentlemen and have them tell me face-to-face what the situation is. Explain their actions." more on this story



Matt Sorum Responds To Mike Portnoy Guns N' Roses Criticism
(Classic Rock) Former Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy got a reply from the horse's mouth when he criticised the performance of Matt Sorum on Guns N' Roses' 1991 hit track November Rain.

Portnoy said via Twitter: "November Rain is an all-time classic song… but why on earth did Matt Sorum play the same exact fill every four bars? 23 times, to be exact!"

Later, Sorum responded: "That fill was Axl's idea as a musical phrase that carried on through the trilogy, Don't Cry and Estranged. Those albums, Use Your Illusion I and II, have sold 20 million combined.

"Remember, kids, drumming isn't all about fancy fills and splash cymbals. Ask Charlie Watts, Ringo and Phil Rudd." more on this story



Green Day Surprise Fans With Club Show
(Gibson) Green Day played a surprise gig for their fans at The Echoplex in Los Angeles earlier this week. Tickets for the event were released on the day of the show, and according to NME.com, fans started to line up outside the venue at 5 a.m.

The concert was part of the promotion of Green Day's upcoming album trilogy, ¡Uno!, ¡Dos! and ¡Tré!, which are scheduled for release starting with ¡Uno! on September 24, and ending with the release of ¡Tré! in January next year. The California punk rockers, led by Billie Joe Armstrong, who is often seen wielding his Gibson Les Paul Junior, opened with a couple of well-known Green Day hits, "Welcome to Paradise" and "American Idiot" before playing material from ¡Uno!, among them first single "Oh Love."

For almost two hours fans were treated to songs from the band's entire catalog, with drummer Tré Cool taking the mic for the song "Dominated Love Slave" from Green Day's Kerplunk album. more on this story





Metallica, Linkin Park, Blink-182, A Perfect Circle For Soundwave
(hennemusic) Metallica will be headlining Australia's Soundwave festival in February and March of 2013.

Joining the metal icons on the bill are Linkin Park, Blink-182, A Perfect Circle, The Offspring and many more.

The festival is trying to rebound from its cancellation last year, when Van Halen were scheduled to headline the traveling event; reports suggested a second headliner pulled out about a month before the tour was to start last September, causing the organizers to shut it down. more on this story



Deep Purple Releasing Machine Head Box Set
(hennemusic) Deep Purple will release The 40th Anniversary Edition of their 1972 album classic, "Machine Head," on October 8.

The new box set features 5 discs and will be accompanied with fully illustrated 60 page hardback booklet, housed in a luxury box.

Contents include: * CD1: "Machine Head" original album 2012 remaster * CD2: 1997 remix by Deep Purple bassist Roger Glover * CD3: Original album Quad SQ stereo (2012 remaster) * CD4: "In Concert '72" - 2012 Mix (recorded live at Paris Theatre, London on March 9, 1972) * DVD: 2012 high-resolution remaster and surround mix. more on this story



Tom Waits Big Announcement Was A Video
(hennemusic) Tom Waits has unleashed his latest video. The launch of "Hell Broke Luce" has been teased by Waits over the past week, with mysterious preview images offered up along with the caption "coming August 7."

Fans and media alike speculated that the tease might mean a tour announcement, but Tom himself put that to rest when releasing the video.

"As most of you guessed, it's a tour... a tour de force!," said Waits. "[Director] Matt Mahurin has created an apocalyptic war dream to accompany the song 'Hell Broke Luce.' Kathleen [Brennan] and I envisioned it as an enlightened drill sergeant yelling the hard truths of war to a brand new batch of recruits. The video grew from the gnawing image of a soldier pulling his home, through a battlefield, at the end of a rope."

"I think you will agree, it's uplifting and fun," added the singer. Watch the video here.



August Burns Red Releasing Headbanging Christmas Album
As August Burns Red get ready to kick off their North American headlining tour on August 31st, the band is already looking ahead towards Christmas with the news that they will release their new Christmas album, Sleddin' Hill, A Holiday Album, on October 9th.

Their camp sent out these details: The 13-track release features not only fresh takes on classics such as "Jingle Bells," "Winter Wonderland" and even "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer," but also original compositions that are destined to become future headbanging holiday favorites. The album also compiles remixed and remastered versions of the band's previous holiday hits, like "O Come, O Come Emmanuel," "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and "Little Drummer Boy." Rounding out the collection is an updated version of the band's rendition of "Carol of the Bells," heard in Frank Miller's (300, Sin City) movie The Spirit and Seth MacFarlane's (Family Guy) American Dad.

"The idea of doing a full Christmas album has been floating around in the ABR camp for a few years now, but what always held us back was finding the time and energy to write an additional full-length in between touring and writing our regular records," explains guitarist and principle songwriter JB Brubaker. "After finishing [2011's] Leveler I finally felt inspired enough to tackle the Christmas album idea." more on this story



This Or The Apocalypse To Release New Album Next Month
This Or The Apocalypse have set a September 25th release date for their new album "Dead Years".

"'Dead Years' is full of some of the most painfully honest material we've ever written," says frontman Ricky Armellino.

This will be the band's first release since "Haunt What's Left," produced by Josh Wilbur and Lamb Of God's own Chris Adler in 2010. more on this story



Dio Full Album Preview Goes Online
(hennemusic) "The Very Beast Of Dio Vol. 2" is set to be released on October 9th but fans can now preview the album in full via Ronnie James Dio's official website here.

The companion compilation to the original, gold-certified "Very Beast Of Dio," the new package will feature 17 songs, including three bonus tracks.

"The Very Beast Of Dio Vol. 2" picks up exactly where the first volume left off — from 1996 onward. And in addition to featuring such latter-day Dio classics as "Killing The Dragon", "Push" and "Fever Dreams", the compilation will also include several rarities that fans have long requested on a single disc — "Electra" (which previously was only a part of the ultra-rare "Tournado" box set), "Prisoner of Paradise" and "Metal Will Never Die". more on this story



Johnny Winter Wants Clapton, Guy, Knopfler, B.B. King For New Album
(Gibson) Blues guitarist Johnny Winter is planning to record a follow-up to last year's Roots album, according to Billboard.

Roots was very well received, and features Winter playing his favorite blues songs together with a guest musician on each track. Winter collaborated with Derek Trucks, Sonny Landreth and Vince Gill, among others.

With the success of Roots, Winter is now putting together a list of the musicians he would like to collaborate with on a follow-up album. Winter told Billboard: "I haven't picked the songs yet, but I'd like to have Billy Gibbons play. I'd like o have Dr. John play. I'd like to have Mark Knopfler play on something. I'd like to have Clapton, B.B. King, Buddy Guy." more on this story





Neil Young, Foo Fighters and The Black Keys For Global Fest
(Gibson) On September 29 the Global Festival will take place on Central Park's Great Lawn in New York City, according to Rolling Stone.

The festival will feature Neil Young, Foo Fighters and The Black Keys. John Peets, manager of The Black Keys, said:

"All of us come from Ohio, so we grew up around working-class, hard-working people, but getting a global view makes you want to give back even more." more on this story





Unearth Headed To Southeast Asia
Unearth have expanded their world tour plans with word that they will be spending Rocktober in Southeast Asia.

The band is set to play dates in China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Manila, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta, in support of their latest album Darkness in the Light.

The tour will begin on October 11th with a guitar clinic and signing session at the Shanghai Music Expo. On October 20th, Unearth will support Soulfly as part of the Rockaway Festival in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. more on this story



Texas In July Set Special Guest Filled Album Release
Texas In July have called on their musical friends to guest on their new self-titled album, which will be released on October 9th.

The new album will feature guest appearances from drummer Matt Greiner of August Burns Red, vocalist Dave Stephens of We Came As Romans, and vocalist Chadwick Johnson of Hundredth.

Texas In July was recorded in Belleville, NJ at The Machine Shop Studios, with producer Will Putney (For Today, Chiodos). The band's first single will be "Bed of Nails," which will be released on September 11 via digital retailers. "This track is collectively one of our favorite songs that we have ever written as a band," explains lyricist/bassist Witkowski. "For the most part, "Bed of Nails" was written in the studio. It came together so smoothly and, surprisingly, pretty early on in writing/recording process and quickly became a favored track. We think of it as our hybrid song - it has many contrasting musical parts, as well as a heavy hitting vocal chant near the tail of the song. I really think people are going to be pleased to hear this song. I would love to see this track become our next "Hook Line and Sinner". It's very memorable, and feels like the perfect track to be released as the first listen for the upcoming record." more on this story



Early Graves Set New Album Release
Early Graves have set an October 30th release date for their new studio album, Red Horse.

Red Horse marks Early Graves return since the tragic death of founding singer Makh Daniels two years ago, and the next chapter of the band's career with close friend, John Strachan, of the Funeral Pyre, taking over vocal duties.

The band recently released a rough demo of "Days Grow Cold," their first with Strachan, on No Sleep Records Summer Compilation. Listen here.



New Book About Frank Zappa Band's Ike Willis Coming
A new biography about Frank Zappa's guitarist and vocalist Ike Willis is set to be released in December to coincide with the holidays and Frank Zappa's birthday. Glass Onyon sent over these details:

The Ike Willis Book will chronicle the life and times of Ike Willis, who played guitar and sang with Frank Zappa for fifteen years.

Ike Willis is featured on a number of classic albums including Joe's Garage, Tinseltown Rebellion, You Are What You Is, Them or Us and Shut Up & Play Yer Guitar. Mr. Willis has lived a long, star-studded, rock-and roll version of "the American dream" before, during and after his time with Frank Zappa. Since Zappa's death in in 1993, Willis has continued paying tribute to the incredibly detailed and academic arrangements of Zappa's original music while performing in Europe and South America with a variety of tribute bands including Project/Object at the Zappanale festival in Germany for the last three years. more on this story



How Les Paul Inspired Eddie Van Halen
(hennemusic) On a break from his band's "A Different Kind Of Truth" tour, Eddie Van Halen sat down with the Guitar Center to talk about his line of EVH Gear and his need to explore and expand the reach of his instruments.

After years of product endorsements by a variety of equipment manufacturers, Eddie launched EVH Gear out of necessity, along the lines of how guitar inventor – and innovator – Les Paul got started. "When I first met Les, I was amazed at how much we had in common," explains Eddie. "Our approach – we didn't like anything that existed – so, we became friends because we'd always piss and moan about, 'Why doesn't this do what I want? Why doesn't that do what I want,' so we became very close friends. Not a year would go by where we wouldn't talk and just have it out about other people's gear and just cartoon on stuff. Everything we did was out of necessity. Nobody else made what we needed."

Van Halen now has a complete line of guitars, amplifiers and more. "I guess because I've developed enough designs to warrant a line and a brand rather than just have a signature model with a guitar company," he says. "Another reason is that most guys don't build their own amps and they play a personalized version of a company's standard issue guitar. I build my own guitars and amps. These are the tools I need to do my job." more on this story



Jackyl Frontman Makes Rock History
On July 31st, Jesse Dupree and his son Nigel made rock and roll history when they become the first father and son team to release albums on the same day.

The new Jackyl, Best in Show, celebrates the 20th anniversary of the band and Classic Rock Revisited spoke with Jesse about it. Here is a little excerpt where he discusses his musical son.

Jeb: Have you been tempted to collaborate with Nigel? Jesse: He is like any man out there, I need to let him have his space and I need to let him feel comfortable to make his own way. He doesn't want to ride his old man's coattails.

He is in a special place with his songwriting right now. I think when the time is right, and it happens naturally, then it will happen. It is not like we've not thought about it; we've even talked about it. I don't think we will do it just for the sake of doing it. We don't want to force it.

Jeb: Us old bulls need to let the young ones have room to run. Jesse: Exactly. I am still having a hard time realizing that he is 22 years old. When I think of us writing songs together I am thinking they will be called, "Are We There Yet?" or "Mama, I'm Through Come Wipe Me." I am just blown away that he is grown and doing so well. He has a monster guitar sound and a great band and he's doing good. Read the full interview here.



Mad Men Star Jams With The Jesus and Mary Chain
(Gibson) Mad Men's Jessica Pare recently joined The Jesus and Mary Chain on stage as guest vocalist on the songs "Just Like Honey" and "Sometimes Always" for shows in Buffalo and Toronto, as reported by NME.com.

This was not the first time that the band collaborated with an actress. In 2007, Scarlett Johansson took the stage with the Scottish rockers for a rendition of "Just Like Honey," which was featured in Sofia Coppola's film Lost in Translation.

Fans of the TV drama series Mad Men already know that Jessica Paré, who just finished her first season as part of the main cast, can sing, as she demonstrated in the first episode of season 5. more on this story





B Sides


Singled Out: Perzonal War
Today Matthias Zimmer from Perzonal War tells us about the song "Incarnation" from their brand new release "Captive Breeding". Here is the story:

"Incarnation" is a song from our new album Captive Breeding. Listening to the number makes obvious that the song is influenced by the bay area bands from the 80´s. It is not completely old-school but it has enough elements that let see the roots of "old" trash metal! Slow and groovy beginning, wild and chaotic ending.

Although we have a trash scene in Germany with bands like Kreator, Sodom or Destruction our main influences have been the great bay area bands. Not only the big ones; also great music from Forbidden, Death Angel or Testament.

When I think of the lyrics of "Incarnation" I have to mention the X-files. For I am a great fan of Scully and Moulder it was obvious to write about this topic sooner or later. In our case it was later… 16 years of Perzonal War, 7th album =)!

Two years ago I bought (after a break of years) the first DVD season… after the first season was over the next had to be bought until I had all of them. It is still great stuff and I really like the America of the 90´s that can be seen in the movies. It might sound strange but for us in Germany it is really exotic. I really like the shape of the cars, the houses and the whole look and atmosphere of this period. It reminds me of the days when I was a teen hahahaha.

So the whole song deals with conspiracies, mysteries, unanswered questions, etc. I think Megadeth had kind of the same thing in mind when they wrote Hanger 18.

Regarding the Perzonal War songs in general most of them deal with lyrics that are inspired by "real life". So "Incarnation" is a bit different from the rest and you hopefully enjoy it. Check it out and stay METAL!

Learn more about the album right here!



Iron Maiden Release New Video Tour Report
(hennemusic) Iron Maiden are in the home stretch of the North American portion of their "Maiden England World Tour."

The trek will hit more than 30 cities before it wraps up on August 18 in Houston, TX.

Maiden played 9 dates in Canada in July alone, with swings through Ontario and Quebec followed by a series of shows out west later in the month.

The metal legends have put together a road report from the Canadian leg of the tour for fans to check out. Watch it here.



Metallica, El Diablo Gato Creeping Death, And Fuel
(hennemusic) Metallica are wrapping up their series of concerts in Mexico City this week and are sharing some behind the scenes and concert footage from the trek.

The band debuted a new stage set, which they described as "a brand new show that features your favorite iconic elements spanning our entire 30 year touring career all on a massive stage that is twice the size of the World Magnetic set up... we think it's something that needs to be seen to believed!!!"

Metallica have released more video footage, including material filmed on July 30. Fans can check out footage of James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich in the meet and greet, "Breadfan" in the Tuning Room, El Diablo Gato singing "Creeping Death" in Tuning, and "Fuel" from the show here.



Lynyrd Skynyrd Take A Stand In New Studio Video
(hennemusic) Lynyrd Skynyrd will release their first new album in three years, "Last Of A Dyin' Breed," on August 21 and are giving fans an inside look in part 2 of their 'in the studio' video series.

Part 2 features interviews with Skynyrd's Gary Rossington. Rickey Medlocke and Johnny Van Zant. "It's kinda fun because we try to play for our fans all the old, great, original band stuff that they like to hear," explains Rossington, the band's sole remaining founding member. "But it's really fun playing new stuff."

"We're in an election year and all the politicians preaching, saying they're gonna do this and do that and most of the time they do nothing," says Van Zant. "So it's just about the good people that made this country of ours, who work hard and try to keep it going. But it's a hard time for America, so we need you politicians to stand up and do the right thing for us common folk."

Today's Day In Rock News!

Aerosmith Album Target Doubt
(Classic Rock) Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry says the band's record label don't understand how to market upcoming album Music From Another Dimension.
He explains: "I don't really know who this record is going to appeal to. Certainly there are classic rock stations for classic rock bands to play their classic songs. These are brand new songs. Will they be classics in 20 years? I guess we'll find out in 20 years."

But he adds: "All I know is that when I listen to them, they sound like Aerosmith songs." More music news.



Marshall Tucker Band's Member Stuart Swanlund Dies
The Marshall Tucker Band sent over the sad news that longtime member Stuart Swanlund died in his sleep of natural causes at his Chicago home this past Saturday, August 4, 2012. They provided these details:

Swanlund joined The Marshall Tucker Band in 1985 where his slide guitar work added a new dimension to the band – on newer material as well as standards like "Searchin' For A Rainbow," "Can't You See," and "Fire On The Mountain."

"Stuart, or 'Stubie' as we called him, was the longest standing member of The Marshall Tucker Band from 1985, onward," says Marshall Tucker Band founding member Doug Gray. "He recently took a hiatus from the road due to health problems and even with those issues, Stuart's enthusiasm onstage never waivered. Our thoughts and prayers are with Stuart's family and those who knew him. We have lost a great friend." more on this story



Lamb Of God's Randy Blythe Speaks Out After Release From Czech Prison
Lamb Of God frontman Randy Blythe has addressed fans following his release on bail from a prison in the Czech Republic. Here is what he had to say:

Greetings. This is D. Randall Blythe, checking in from my beloved hometown of Richmond, VA, United States of America. I was recently released on bail from Pankrác Prison in Prague, Czech Republic, after over a month of incarceration. Now that I am out for the moment, I would like to say a few things.

1. While in prison, I had minimal knowledge of how my case was viewed anywhere but the Czech Republic. I was told by my attorney that I had a lot support from peers in the music industry, my hometown, fans, and of course my family. I cannot express how emotional it made me upon my release to read about even a fraction of the voices that were raised on my behalf. From legends in my music community, to fans across the world, and even people who were previously unaware of my existence but sympathized with my plight- I am truly humbled. I cannot thank you enough for your thoughts and prayers. I would especially like to thank the people of Richmond, VA, for standing by me. In the 48 hours I have been home, many people I have never met before have stopped me on the street, waved and smiled as I passed by, or said hello in a restaurant. All have said "We are glad you are home, Randy". You all make me proud and grateful that I call Richmond home. more on this story



Judas Priest Planning New Music
(hennemusic) Judas Priest wrapped up their farewell Epitaph tour in May, and now the band is planning to regroup to start to work on some new music.

Frontman Rob Halford tells Billboard that the group is "ramping things up to get back into full writing and recording mode" back in England. He and guitarist Glenn Tipton have "a tremendous amount of material in the vaults already," and they expect new guitarist Richie Faulkner, who replaced co-founder KK Downing in 2011, to make a contribution as well.

"As we were proceeding on this world tour he was taking this little mini-studio into his dressing room and we could hear him riffing away," Halford recalls. "It's going to be really thrilling moment to get together in a new writing dimension, Glenn and myself and Richie, putting all of these ideas together. We'll see what we can do over the next couple of months, look at everything, lay it all out and then start the hard work of picking out the best material." more on this story



Travis Barker To Over Come Fear After Nearly Dying In Plane Crash
(Classic Rock) The promoter of Blink-182′s Australian tour has said all three members of the band will appear during the shows.

His statement seems to confirm drummer Travis Barker's vow to beat his fear of flying, which originally forced him to say he wouldn't be attending.

Barker nearly died in a plane crash in 2008 which killed four others and led to the later death of his friend DJ AM. More music news.



Taking Back Sunday Map Out Tell All Your Friends Anniversary Tour
Taking Back Sunday will continue celebrating the 10-year anniversary of their debut, Tell All Your Friends, with a new North American tour.

The two-month full US tour, which will feature special guests Bayside as main support and a variety of openers along the way, will begin in Cleveland, OH, on October 4 and will run through November 23, where the band will make an appearance at New York City's Terminal 5.

Along the way, the tour will visit major markets across the U.S. including Chicago, IL, on October 6, San Francisco, CA, on October 21, Los Angeles, CA, on October 25, Washington, DC, on November 11 and Philadelphia, PA, on November 14. The tour will feature Tell All Your Friends in its entirety as well as other favorites from the band's extensive catalog. more on this story



Lynyrd Skynyrd Release New Three-Disc CD/DVD Set
Lynyrd Skynyrd fans are advised to head to Walmart today as the band are releasing a brand new three-disc CD/DVD set, Southern Surroundings, exclusively at the retailer today, August 7, 2012. Their camp sent over these details:

The deluxe collection will include a CD featuring 14 of the band's greatest hits, featuring "Sweet Home Alabama," "Saturday Night Special," "That Smell" and a live "Free Bird"; a seven-track DVD-Video from a live performance on BBC's Old Grey Whistle Test, and a 10-song DVD-Audio/Video boasting 10 classic songs newly mixed in 5.1 surround sound by Grammy-winning producer Elliott Scheiner.

The BBC DVD features live performances of "Double Trouble," "I Ain't The One," "Call Me The Breeze," "I Got The Same Old Blues," "Every Mother's Son," "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Free Bird" from a performance originally broadcasted on November 11, 1975. more on this story



John Butler Giving Away His Ocean
John Butler today celebrates 12 years of touring and playing his noteworthy track "Ocean," by issuing an official video and giving away a re-recording of the track, tying into his latest live double-disc release, Tin Shed Tales.

This special re-recording was captured in 'The Compound', his studio in his hometown of Fremantle, Western Australia in February 2012. Having performed the track to a worldwide audience over the past 12 years, 'Ocean' is today available FREE as an MP3 or as a video stream. Get it here

John Butler had this to say: "OCEAN" is a very interesting aspect of my life. It is part of my DNA. It conveys all things I can't put into words. Life, loss, love, spirit. As I evolve so too does "Ocean".

The song was first recorded as part of my first album/cassette, "Searching For Heritage", which I sold when I busked, then for my first self-titled studio album 12 years ago.

The song has been watched online incredibly over 25 million times in various formats, nearly always live, be it from Music Max Sessions or from one of the many festivals I have had the pleasure to play.

I'd like to thank you for your continued support over all these years; it means so much to me. I would like to thank you by offering this first studio recording of "Ocean" in over a decade as a free download. I recorded it in my favourite studio, The Compound here in Fremantle, Western Australia, a studio you helped me build.

This marks just another fleeting moment in a career that is very much ongoing. I look forward to bringing you many new songs and albums into the future and continuing this amazing journey with you ALL.

Thank You,
JB



Gibson Settle With Feds
(Gibson) After many weeks of negotiation, Gibson has settled all issues with the US government and the Department of Justice. CEO, Henry Juszkiewicz commented, "We felt compelled to settle as the costs of proving our case at trial would have cost millions of dollars and taken a very long time to resolve. This allows us to get back to the business of making guitars. An important part of the settlement is that we are getting back the materials seized in a second armed raid on our factories and we have formal acknowledgement that we can continue to source rosewood and ebony fingerboards from India, as we have done for many decades."

Despite the fact that, "...the government acknowledges that Gibson has cooperated with the Government and the investigation conducted by the Fish and Wildlife Service", Gibson was subject to two hostile raids on its factories by agents carrying weapons and attired in SWAT gear where employees were forced out of the premises, the production was shut down, goods were seized as contraband, and threats were made that would have forced the business to close.

CEO, Henry Juszkiewicz commented, "We feel that Gibson was inappropriately targeted, and a matter that could have been addressed with a simple contact a caring human being representing the government. Instead, the Government used violent and hostile means with the full force of the US Government and several armed law enforcement agencies costing the tax payer millions of dollars and putting a job creating US manufacture at risk and at a competitive disadvantage. This shows the increasing trend on the part of government to criminalize rules and regulations and treat US businesses in the same way drug dealers are treated. This is wrong and it is unfair. I am committed to working hard to correct the inequity that the law allows and insure there is fairness, due process, and the law is used for its intended purpose of stopping bad guys and stopping the very real deforestation of our planet".

Gibson will publish the agreement and the attached Statement of Facts that both the Government and Gibson agreed to so anyone can independently draw their own conclusions here.





Five Finger Death Pitch For Singer Of New Offshoot Band
(Classic Rock) Former Five Finger Death Punch bassist Mark Snell has formed a new band called My Acumen.

The group features former bandmate Darrell Roberts, Zach Broderick of Nonpoint and Jeff Fabb of In This Moment.

Snell is currently recruiting a frontman for the outfit and hopes to discover "fresh new talent," saying: "We don't care if you're tall, short, fat, skinny, black or white. We want someone who wants to be in the project and will be very positive about it. But we're not looking for a screamer – can you sing like Chris Cornell?" Email skylynemedia@gmail.com for more information. More music news.



Aerosmith's Joe Perry Gets Military Air Briefing
(hennemusic) Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry visited the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs on August 1 before the band performed in Denver.

The U.S. Army reports Perry received an overview brief of the command's Friendly Force Tracking Mission Management Center (MMC) from Joe Piscitelli, an SMDC employee. "This is the real deal," Perry said during the briefing. "It's really amazing what you are doing here."

Piscitelli, who works MMC operations support training and security for SMDC, is credited with naming Perry's album, "Have Guitar, Will Travel," during a 2009 contest that included nearly 2,000 suggested titles. more on this story



Sebastian Bach In Contract Dispute With Guitarist
(hennemusic) Sebastian Bach guitarist Nick Sterling is sitting out the last couple of shows on the singer's current North American tour due to an apparent contract dispute.

"Unfortunately, I will not be performing tonight at Nokia Live," Sterling wrote on his Facebook page before Sebastian's Los Angeles concert on Friday. "There were some contractual issues that we just couldn't work out. No hard feelings."

Friday's concert was being broadcast live by AXS TV, formerly known as HDNet. more on this story



Lollapalooza Headed To Israel
Lollapalooza is expanding to Israel and will debut in the country at Tel Aviv's Yarkon Park, on August 20-22, 2013. Organizers sent over these details:

Israel will join Chile and Brazil as the third international location for the legendary festival, in addition to the US festival in Chicago.

Lollapalooza Israel will be the first-ever large-scale international music festival in the country and will provide the same world-class experience that fans across the globe have come to expect, beginning with the location. The festival will take place just a few minutes from vibrant downtown Tel Aviv, in The Yarkon Park, which stretches for hundreds of acres along the Yarkon River and is the largest and most popular park in Israel. Tel Aviv is widely recognized as an international culture capitol and is known across the world for its art, architecture, and bustling nightlife. more on this story



Skeletonwitch Abomination Fall Tour Expanded
Skeletonwitch have expanded their upcoming "U.S. Abomination" headlining tour.

The have also announced some venue changes and additional special guests added to select shows.

Skeletonwitch will be touring in support of their latest release, "Forever Abomination". Grab the new dates and support info here.



Former Demon Hunter Guitarist Shoots Down Satanic Accusations
Former Demon Hunter guitarist Ryan Helm has addressed speculation that his new group Damien Deadson is satanic.

Helm had this to say: "Normally I would not even address such petty ridiculous accusations, but this rumor has gotten so out of control that it is starting to affect me on a financial level.

For the record; I, Ryan Helm am not a Satanist, and neither is my band Damien Deadson. None of the lyrical content or meaning is Satanic, or even remotely evil or even promotes evil or harm spiritually or physically.

"Hopefully this can put to rest any doubts, fears, and rumors of me, my band, and band mates being Satanist. Now, can we all just get back to playing metal?"



Led Zeppelin 2 Fall Tour
Led Zeppelin 2, the tribute band fronted by Yakuza's Bruce Lamont, will be hitting the road this fall for a North American tour.

The tour is set to commence on September 5 in Toledo, Ohio and roll through nine cities, including two nights in Allston, Massachusetts, with additional dates to be added soon.

Comments Lamont: "We're super stoked to hit the East Coast this Fall. We have some songs we're gonna debut for the first time and other surprises. See you out there!" more on this story



Hank3 To Kick Off North American Tour Leg This Week
Hank3 will kick off the third leg of his 2012 North America tour on Friday, August 10th in Fort Worth, TX.

The tour begins at the Rail Club and will hit several western states up until September 4th when it comes to a stop in Boulder, CO at the Boulder Theater.

Late last year, Hank3 released four new records to fans simultaneously—an action unprecedented in his career. These titles include Ghost to a Ghost/Guttertown, Attention Deficit Domination and 3 Bar Ranch Cattle Callin. Hank3's U.S. tour is his chance to commemorate these new albums. more on this story



Jane's Addiction Expand North American Theatre of the Escapists Tour
Jane's Addiction have added a new Rocktober leg to their North American Theatre of the Escapists Tour.

The band has announced several new west coast dates to the trek, expanding it until October with a final hometown show in Los Angeles at a to-be-determined venue.

The tour will wrap with 6 shows in California, including stops in San Francisco, Santa Barbara. more on this story



Tiger Army Expand Octoberflame
Tiger Army are taking things up a notch for the fifth installment of their Octoberflame, expanding the annual event this year to include six dates in five cities, including the Bay Area, Southern California and Arizona.

"I can't believe it's coming up on five years since the first Octoberflame," commented bandleader and founding member Nick 13. "I feel like there's a real legitimacy in hitting the five-year mark with any kind of a festival, as so many never make it past the first few."

Octoberflame V kicks off with a two-night stand in San Francisco, followed by shows Santa Cruz, Los Angeles, Pomona and Tempe. This will be the first time Tiger Army has performed in the Bay Area in four years and their first show in LA since 2009's Octoberflame II. more on this story



B Sides


Singled Out: Wake Up Lucid
Today Ryan Bana from Wake Up Lucid tells us about the title track to their brand new album "Feel It" which hit stores today (8/7). Here is the story:

Feel It is a song that we had been trying to figure out for about a month. We had tried doing different arrangements and different beats to figure out what would really make it feel complete. We all liked the rhythm that it had but it still didn't feel like the energy that the song had was coming through.

I think it was the third track that we recorded the first day and we did 2 or 3 takes of it and it just felt like something was still missing. As an experiment we turned everything up to 10, every pedal I had was clicked on and at full volume and there was just this screeching feedback as we waited to start. We ran through it and the whole vibe in the studio changed, you could feel the electricity throughout the room. The guitar pickups were so hot they picked up the vocal and you could hear the line "Hello can you hear me, can you feel it now" come through the guitar amps. This is the take that is on the record.

This changed the whole session and that was the energy we wanted the entire record to have, that one experiment just shaped the whole sound we were going for. We re-recorded the first two songs from that day and decided right there this record had to be called Feel It.

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself and learn more about the album right here!



Steel Panther Preview New DVD
(hennemusic) Steel Panther are offering fans a preview of their forthcoming DVD, "The British Invasion."

The mostly Spinal Tap-like footage features on and off stage action, including a behind the scenes look at the band.

Panther will announce a release date and more details – including track listing – soon. Check out the preview here.



Watch KISS Shout It Out Loud
(hennemusic) KISS continue their summer tour of North America with Motley Crue. On Wednesday, the pair of classic rockers pulled into Louisville, Kentucky for a show at the KFC Yum! Arena.

KISS have issued video of their Louisville performance of "Shout It Out Loud," their classic from the 1976 album, "Destroyer."

KISS are releasing an updated version of the album – "Destroyer: Resurrected" – on August 21. Watch the video here.



Video From The Black Keys' Lollapalooza Performance Goes Online
(hennemusic) The Black Keys rocked Lollapalooza 2012 on Friday night in Chicago and video from the set has been posted online.

The Keys delivered an energetic 90-minute performance at Grant Park, a stop on their "El Camino" tour.

The Keys head to Europe for a series of dates starting August 9 at the Way Out West festival in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Today's Day In Rock News!

Velvet Revolver Find Perfect Singer... But
Velvet Revolver may have found the right man to replace Scott Weiland in the group, but logistics have kept the union from happening.
When asked about the status of the group, Slash tells Aquarian, "Unfortunately, as for Velvet Revolver, we'll remain on a hiatus until we find the right singer to replace Scott."

He then explains how Ours frontman Jimmy Gneeco could have had the job if the logistics would have worked out. "Jimmy Gnecco is an amazing singer and we really wanted to work with him. The unfortunate thing was that our schedules conflicted. Whenever we wanted to fly him out to work with us, he was already engaged in something else, but Jimmy was without a doubt the type of singer we were looking for!"

Perhaps they will work it out in the future? You can read the full interview with Slash here.



Ex-QOTSA's Nick Oliveri Avoids Jail For SWAT Standoff
(TMZ) Former Queens of the Stone Age bassist Nick Oliveri just dodged a major bullet after his 4-hour standoff with a S.W.A.T. team last year -- cutting a MAJOR deal with prosecutors that will keep him out of jail.

Oliveri's lawyer tells TMZ, "Mr. Oliveri agreed to plead to one count of possession of cocaine and a dismissal of the remaining SIX felony counts."

If you recall ... Oliveri was arrested last July in L.A. after a fight with his GF resulted in a S.W.A.T. standoff. Cops eventually searched his home, and claim they found a loaded shotgun along with cocaine and methamphetamines.

The musician had faced up to 15 YEARS in the slammer for the combined charges -- but under the deal, he'll only get 3 years felony probation. Oliveri also agreed to 52 weeks of anger management and 200 hours of community service.

A judge signed off on the deal today, claiming if Oliveri stayed clean during the length of his probation, he'd expunge the entire case from Oliveri's record. Not bad. more on this story



Fan Dies At Wacken and Lollapalooza Evacuated
(Classic Rock) A metal fan has died of carbon monoxide poisoning at Germany's Wacken Open Air festival, organisers have said. The as-yet unnamed person fell asleep under a tarpaulin on a truck and breathed in the poison gas pumped out by a generator, which was also under the tarpaulin.

A statement says: "Friends of the deceased discovered the body under the canvas. Emergency services couldn't successfully resuscitate the person."

Meanwhile, the Lollapalooza festival in Chicago was evacuated for three hours at the weekend due to a powerful thunderstorm. Several bands' sets were cancelled in the delay, but authorities allowed the event's curfew to be extended so headline act the Red Hot Chili Peppers could play. more on this story



Van Halen Turn Down Tour Offer
(Classic Rock) Van Halen have pulled out of plans to tour Australia for the second time in recent months.

Promoter Patrick Prendergast says: "They have passed on playing this year, which is a shame."

Last year they withdrew from the country's touring Soundwave festival in order to complete comeback album A Different Kind of Truth. More rock news



Tony Iommi and Ian Gillan Charity Single A Success
(Classic Rock) Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi has thanked fans for buying his WhoCares charity single and album, made in conjunction with Ian Gillan and others.

As a result of fundraising efforts a new school will commence construction in Armenia on August 15.

Iommi says: "This is just the beginning, so please continue to support us. The album will be available in the US at the end of August." More rock news



Lamb of God's Randy Blythe Vows To Clear His Name
(Classic Rock) Lamb of God vocalist Randy Blythe has vowed to return to the Czech Republic and face a manslaughter trial if he's called.

He was set free on Thursday after five weeks in jail and arrived home in the US last night. He'd been arrested in June in connection with the 2010 death of fan Daniel Nosek at a Lamb of God concert in Prague.

Nosek died a month after the show, during which he'd rushed the stage at least three times. It's alleged he sustained a head injury after being pushed off the platform, and that later led to the brain haemorrhage that killed him. There appears to be no evidence that the injury was sustained at the concert, or that Blythe was involved in any way.

Although never charged with any crime, prosecutors objected to his bail twice. A final 16-hour hearing saw the court overruling all protests and setting him free. Randy had a lot to say.



Iron Maiden Slowing Down With Age
(Classic Rock) Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain admits the band aren't playing their old songs the way they used to, because they're not able to.

Maiden's current set includes songs they wrote 25 years ago, many of which they haven't played in nearly as long, including the Seventh Son title track. That involved a bit of homework for the band – and a stark realisation for McBrain.

"I'd listen and go, 'Gosh, I can't believe we played that song that fast.' We still have a lot of energy, but as a player I've realised we couldn't play at that speed today and make it work," He says. "We were younger and it was a lot more crazy. We're a bit more refined with where we go with tempos now. There are still nights when I go a bit quick and the rest of the band moan." A lot more from Nicko



Jack Russell Fires Back At Former Great White Bandmate
(Classic Rock) Former Great White singer Jack Russell has lashed out at ex-bandmate Mark Kendall, saying the guitarist's messages of goodwill are fake. And he's ordered Kendall to stop suggesting the frontman is still drinking.

Russell now fronts his own outfit, Jack Russell's Great White, after health problems related to his alcohol addiction sidelined him in 2010. That led to his sacking from the band he co-founded in 1978 as Dante Fox.

He's previously slated his former group as a whole – but now he's turned his ire on Kendall, the man he started out with. In an angry outburst on Facebook, Russell says: "In an interview he insinuates and/or alleges that I am not sober. Ordinarily I do not let such idiotic comments bother me – but at this point I have had enough. My AA sponsor will verify that I am sober. I will take my one-year cake and coin on August 10." He's just getting warmed up.



Rolling Stones Documentary To Air Later This Year
(Gibson) The "will they / won't they?" talk of a Rolling Stones tour continues. One fact is there's a new Stones documentary movie out by the end of 2012.

HBO are making a new movie about the rock veterans, helmed by documentary filmmaker Brett Morgan, best known for The Kid Stays in the Picture. "Nobody has put the story together as a narrative," Morgan tells Rolling Stone. "We've been looking under every rock, going through their archives. It will be music never heard before, and I've conducted 50-plus hours of interviews so far. By the time we're done, they will be the most extensive group interviews they've ever done."

The as yet untitled movie will air on US TV this winter and will undoubtedly get a wider release around the same time. It could well be a teaser for a full 2013 tour. more on this story





Kittie To Release Retrospective
The female metal group Kittie will be releasing a new retrospective compilation next month.

eOne Music have set a September 11th release date for the set which will be called "Not So... Safe."

The retrospective will feature tracks from their records, "Spit," "Oracle," "Safe," "In The Black," and "I've Failed You." more on this story



The Dan Reed Network Plan Reunion
(Classic Rock) The Dan Reed Network will reunite for a one-off show on New Year's Eve in their home town of Portland, Oregon.

Frontman Reed says: "It will honour the 25th anniversary of the band and celebrate the energy shift in December 2012. It will be a true joy sharing the stage with the guys again."

The show will be filmed for a DVD release by guitarist Dan Pred. More rock news



Why Herman Rarebell Left The Scorpions
(Classic Rock) Drummer Herman Rarebell says he left the Scorpions in 1995 because he didn't think the band's material was strong enough.

He explains: "One of the reasons I left was the album Pure Instinct. That was a really bad album, followed by an even worse record, Eye II Eye. I kept saying to stop experimentation and write songs that Scorpions fans would expect."

But he adds: "The last one, Sting in the Tail, is really good." Rarebell is currently a member of Michael Schenker's touring band. More rock news



Isis Set New Rarities Release
Ipecac Recordings have set a November 6th release for a new Isis retrospective featuring unreleased rarities, remixes and videos, entitled Temporal.

Temporal spans the groundbreaking band's entire discography with inclusions from Mosquito Control to the band's final full-length album, Wavering Radiant.

"It was fun and also very nostalgic collecting material for this release," commented Aaron Harris. "I hear our catalogue differently now that I'm not living with these songs day to day. This is a special collection of outtakes, demos, unreleased tracks and videos; some of which I think we even forgot about.



Deep Purple Recording With Bob Ezrin, Will Play Major Metal Fest
(hennemusic) Just as the 23rd Wacken Open Air drew to a close, organizers released details on some of the confirmed artists for 2013, including the first-ever appearance by Deep Purple.

The rockers are currently in the studio in Nashville working on a new album. "We're producing an album with Bob Ezrin, who's done KISS, Pink Floyd, Peter Gabriel, Alice Cooper, and he also worked on the last Kansas album, when I was with Kansas," guitarist Steve Morse told Glide magazine recently.

"So he's one of my favorite producers and that's going to be our studio album. It's probably going to be more of an extravaganza." more on this story



Blur Play Reunion Show at London Club
(Gibson) Blur continued their comeback with an intimate show at London's 100 Club on August 2. The 100 Club, in London's Oxford Street, became renowned from the '60s to the punk era, and was recently saved from closure. It holds just 350 people.

Blur's show took place as part of the on-going series of "Converse Represent" shows at the iconic venue, which has also seen performances by Paul Weller, among others.

Blur concentrated on older "Britpop" era material from the early 1990s. From 1993's Modern Life is Rubbish album alone, the band played "Advert," "Colin Zeal," "Oily Water" and "For Tomorrow." After just an hour, Blur closed with new track "Under the Westway." They didn't play an encore. more on this story





B Sides


Singled Out: Jimmy at the Prom
Jimmy at the Prom's new song "Escape" caught our attention with their unique sound which seems to cross The Mars Volta with The Doors (you may very well hear something completely different!), when we found out a member of Alice Cooper's band produced the song it became even more interesting. So we reached out to see if we could get the story behind the track. Here is what they told us:

Jimmy at the Prom is a band formed by Matt Turner and Sean Williamson with the vision of bringing "prog" and "arena" rock a little closer together. Both players have run the gamut of side men to session players, and tour dogs for the better part of the last decade.

Now writing collectively, J@TP has released the single Escape. This track in particular revolves around the main riff in 3/4, brought to the table by Williamson, and arranged by both Williamson and Turner. Initially recorded at The Riverside Theater in Milwaukee WI, the song has now taken a different flow with the help of Chuck Garric, bassist of Alice Cooper and frontman of new project Beasto Blanco.

After the Riverside sessions, Turner reached out to Garric to produce the track that would be to released on vinyl. "I wanted to bring in Chuck because he's a rock solid player and has a great ear for what a song should be" says Turner.

"Escape is about detaching from the things that are bringing you down or drawing away from the positives in your life," adds Williamson, "whatever they may be...even yourself; and it's meant to go beyond the context of real life and into the story of "Jimmy" at the Prom that takes place within the artwork by Steven Bossler." A common feeling of an adolescent with a mowhawk trying to fit in, he's unwilling to conform to the hand society has dealt him. "Jimmy" is escaping from the tv in the cover art and conveying a strong message by doing so," adds Williamson.

This imagery is explored even further in the music video to "Made of Wax," a partially animated piece done by Dave Kiehl and edited by Bryan Mir of Blend Studios. "Jimmy" is as fictional as you want him to be.

Plans are in the works to get even more involved with Chuck both on the producer and touring level. "A full length album with Chuck's insight will be key in shaping and perfecting our sound," says Turner. "Playing with his band Beasto Blanco out on the road will help too," adds Williamson, as the bands plan on joining forces in the near future.

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself right here!



Video of Black Sabbath's Lollapalooza Set Goes Online
(hennemusic) Black Sabbath played their third and final show of their planned 2012 reunion Friday as headliners at Lollapalooza in Chicago. Video of Sabbath's performance has surfaced for fans to check out.

Once again, Sabbath's Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler were filled out with drummer Tommy Clufetos (from Ozzy's solo band) handling drum duties in the absence of original sticks man Bill Ward, who continues to sit things out over a contract dispute.

After concerts in Birmingham (May) and at Download (June), Lollapalooza was the only North American date on the schedule for the partial Sabbath reunion. Watch the video here.



Watch Metallica Ride The Lightning In Mexico
(hennemusic) Metallica recently launched a series of concerts in Mexico City. Metallica kicked off the dates with a new stage set and an explosive performance.

The band are now sharing some footage from the July 28 show, including video of "Creeping Death" in the tuning room and "Ride The Lightning" from the concert.

Opening night at the city's Sports Palace lived up to the band's pre-show hype, which billed the event as "a brand new show that features your favorite iconic elements spanning our entire 30 year touring career all on a massive stage that is twice the size of the World Magnetic set up... we think it's something that needs to be seen to believed!!!" Check out the video



Rush's Neil Peart Makes Anthrax Drummer's Day
(Classic Rock) Troubled Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante was blown away when Rush counterpart Neil Peart said he knew about the thrash band's plans to cover the Canadians' track Anthem.

Guitarist Scott Ian reports: "Neil said to Charlie: 'That's so cool. We put the clip of you playing drums up on our website.' Charlie, I swear to God, the glow that was coming off him – I'd never seen anything quite like it."

It's thought a number of covers will be included in a re-release of recent Anthrax album Worship Music. [Artisan] More rock news



Video of Red Hot Chili Peppers' Lollapalooza Set Goes Online
(hennemusic) The Red Hot Chili Peppers rocked Lollapalooza at the end of a chaotic Saturday for concertgoers in Chicago.

The festival site was evacuated mid-day due to severe thunderstorms. After a 2.5 hour delay, the gates re-opened to the public.

Fans return to catch acts on several stages before the Peppers closed out the evening. Watch video of their performance here.



Watch Jack White Rock Lollapalooza
(hennemusic) Jack White had the honor of closing this year's Lollapalooza festival on Sunday night in Chicago.

It was a weekend of extreme heat, a storm that caused the first full-scale evacuation at the site's Chicago event on Saturday, and headlining sets by Black Sabbath and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Organizers announced the weekend drew a record-tying 270,000 fans to the city's Grant Park. Watch some video from White's set here.



Video Of Scorpions Wacken Fest Performance Goes Online
(hennemusic) The Scorpions rocked Germany's Wacken Open Air festival on Saturday and video of their set has surfaced online.

The annual heavy metal event takes place in the small town of Wacken in Schleswig-Holstein in northern Germany.

The festival gig was part of the band's Final Sting world tour, which sees the group performing its final live dates.