Today's Day In Rock News!

Rammstein Blamed For School Shooting
(Classic Rock) Rammstein are being blamed for a school shooting incident in the US after media discovered a quote from frontman Till Lindemann on the gunman's Facebook page.
Perry Hall High student Bobby Gladden, 15, of Baltimore, Maryland, is under arrest for attempted murder after launching an armed assault on a 17-year-old schoolmate on the first day of the new term.

Gladden describes himself as a "metalhead" – but the New York Daily News branded him "a misfit obsessed with Rammstein" after looking at his social media presence. Putting the ignorant blame game aside, there was a hero in this tragic tale.



Aerosmith Going Deluxe
Aerosmith have released two songs from their upcoming album, From Another Dimension, to radio this week and announced deluxe edition details and special guests for the effort.

The album is set to be released on November 6th and is the band's first new album in 11 years and features guest appearances by Johnny Depp and Carrie Underwood.

It was recorded in Los Angeles and at the band's studio in Massachusetts; it was produced by Jack Douglas, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, with the exception of three tracks produced by Tyler and Marti Frederiksen.
The album's 15 tracks include "Out Go The Lights," "Oh Yeah," "Luv XXX," "We All Fall Down," "Street Jesus" and "Can't Stop Loving You," on which Tyler duets with Carrie Underwood. The album also includes "Freedom Fighter" which features Johnny Depp on backing vocals. more on this story



Duran Duran Sidelined By Illness
(Gibson) Having just cancelled two shows, Duran Duran have been forced to add last night's Ohio gig to the list. NME reports that the band posted this statement on their website: "Following the loss of their last two dates, in Pittsburgh and Atlantic City, Duran Duran, have announced that they are being forced to cancel (Tuesday night's) performance in Kettering, Ohio, at the Fraze Pavilion, due to keyboardist, Nick Rhodes' continued illness.

"Rhodes, who has been unwell for the past week now, has been advised by doctors today that he is not yet ready to perform, as he is still experiencing the same symptoms that have kept him from the stage for the last few nights.

"The band members are all extremely disappointed, as this is the final leg of their world tour and more than anything, they hate to disappoint their fans. Duran Duran are looking at whether it will be possible to reschedule the show within the next few days." more on this story





Iron Maiden Launching Picture Disc Campaign
Iron Maiden fans mark your calendars for Rocktober, that's when the band will be kicking off a new vinyl picture disc campaign for their albums released in the 80s starting with their self-titled debut all the way through to "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son." The band put out these details:

A series of special limited edition Iron Maiden vinyl picture disc albums are due to be released by EMI and UMe starting in October 2012. Comprised of the first eight albums of Maiden's career, all released in the 1980's, each picture disc will be packaged in a gatefold sleeve with full colour printed inner bags and the heavyweight vinyl will be cut from the original album master tapes.

The albums will be released chronologically between October and February, starting with 'Iron Maiden' and 'Killers' on 15 October 2012 followed by 'The Number Of The Beast' and 'Piece Of Mind' in November 2012.
To open the new year 'Powerslave' and the double album 'Live After Death' will be released in January, with the final two titles, 'Somewhere In Time' and 'Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son' coming out in February 2013. more on this story



Radiohead Kicking Off Austin City Limits
Radiohead will be making a rare television appearance during the new season opening of the PBS series Austin City Limits.

The show will kick off its 38th season on Saturday, October 6th with full hour of Radiohead.

The initial schedule for the new season has been announced and will include Bonnie Raitt with Mavis Staples, The Shins, and The Civil Wars. more on this story



Joe Perry and Ronnie Wood Contribute To New Slash Book
Insight Editions will release Slash: An Intimate Portrait, a new book by Guitar World senior editor Richard Bienstock and rock photographer Robert Knight, this fall.

The 144-page hardcover book will feature a foreword by Slash's close friend, Rolling Stones' guitarist Ronnie Wood, and a preface from Aerosmith's Joe Perry.

Amazon is listing a September 10, 2012 release date, while the announcement says it will be released in October with Barnes & Nobel listing an October 9th release dates.

The book will reportedly be promoted by Slash, to coincide with the release of a special edition of his 2012 album, "Apocalyptic Love". More info and preorder here.



Ill Nino Releasing New Album
Victory have set an October 22nd North American release date for Ill Nino's new studio album, Epidemia.

The band and their label have not released any additional information about the album aside from direct preorders from the label's website.

In other news, Ill Nino and Emmure will support Static X on their upcoming fall tour starting September 18 in Cheyenne, Wyoming. more on this story



DevilDriver's Dez Fafara Records Song For Sister's Cancer Battle
(Classic Rock) DevilDriver frontman Dez Fafara has recorded a track in order to raise funds for his sister's breast cancer battle.

He's collaborated with studio colleagues Greg Weiss and Logan Mader to prepare the song Dark Meadowland, which he describes as "badass."

Fafara's sister Kerri is facing years of surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, which will cost much more than her health insurance will pay. more on this story



Dokken Releasing New Album
Frontiers Records have set a September 25th North American release date for Dokken's new album, Broken Bones.

The album will be released in two configurations: standard CD and limited edition CD in digipak with a bonus DVD, which features a comprehensive "Making Of The Album" documentary.

Broken Bones was produced by frontman Don Dokken and was mixed Bob St. John (Extreme, Duran Duran, Collective Soul) and Wyn Davis (Black Sabbath, Dio, Whitesnake) and mastered by famed engineer Maor Appelbaum (Halford, Yngwie Malmsteen, Sepultura). more on this story



Kylesa Opening The Vaults This Fall
Kylesa have set a November 20th North American and November 16th European release date for their new collection, From The Vaults, Vol. 1.

The release is a twelve-song collection featuring unreleased, new and alternate versions of songs spanning their catalogue including one entirely new song ("End Truth") as well as the band's cover of Pink Floyd's "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun".

"This project has been a labor of love," explained guitarist/singer/producer Phillip Cope. "We have spent over a year going through old songs, covers, etc. and collected those we felt went well together; remixing and finishing them up. We didn't want to release something just thrown together so we put a lot of thought and time into it. I am really happy about how this came together. I think it is a good representation of Kylesa's different styles from early on to present day." more on this story



AC/DC Classic Added To National Registry
(hennemusic) An AC/DC classic is one of ten songs which have been selected for inclusion in Australia's National Registry Of Recorded Sound.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports AC/DC's "It's A Long Way To The Top (If You Want To Rock And Roll)" will be included in the National Registry.

Written by Angus Young, Malcolm Young and Bon Scott, "It's A Long Way To The Top (If You Want To Rock And Roll)" first appeared on the band's 1975 album, "T.N.T." more on this story



10 Years Plot Cutting Like Knives Tour
10 Years will be launching their Cutting Like Knives Tour this fall with support from The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus and The Last Place You Look.

The tour kicks off September 18 in Cleveland, OH and wraps up on October 28th in Mobile, AL.

"After the last touring cycle, we realized where we should strive to be, and that's to be totally fine in the club environment," says lead singer JESSE HASEK. "We don't plan to chase after arena rock or amphitheaters. If things like that happen, then so be it, but we live and die by the loyalty of the club audiences. Our fans are loyal. They travel with us, and they want us to be loyal to ourselves. That's what keeps them coming back. What we tried to do on this album is really give them what they want and what they need because they've been so good to us through the ups and downs of our career." more on this story



Sammy Hagar Day Happening Next Month
(hennemusic) Roseville, California has declared that September 15, 2012 will be Sammy Hagar Day.

The Roseville Patch reports the date also marks the opening of the Red Rocker's new restaurant and entertainment venue, Sammy's Rockin' Island Bar & Grill, in Downtown Roseville.

Hagar will perform live at the restaurant during an invitation-only event on September 15th. more on this story



Kasabian Guitarist Wants To Collaborate With Jack White
(Gibson) Serge Pizzorno, guitarist with Kasabian thinks it's time for America to embrace British rock and roll again. According to an interview with the U.K.'s Daily Star he said:

"We hit a new level this year in America, something I didn't think existed. It feels like it's time for Americans to dig British rock again."

He also mentioned he'd be very interested in collaborating with Jack White. "We like to do our own thing most of the time but there's one person I can see me working with and that's Jack White. I respect Jack, and in some way, shape or form we'd love to kick around in the studio with him." more on this story





Shiny Toy Guns Plan Fall Tour
Shiny Toy Guns will be hitting the road this fall to play a series of dates in support of their new album, III.

The album is set to hit stores on October 22nd, that night the group will kick off their tour in San Francisco.

The headlining trek will hit venues in Los Angeles, Toronto, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington D.C., New York City before wrapping up on November 1st in Chicago. more on this story



Grave, Morbid Angel and Dark Funeral Tour
Grave will be hitting the road next month to kick off a North American tour with Morbid Angel and Dark Funeral.

Grave and Dark Funeral will kick things off on September 20th in Charlotte, NC before being joined by Morbid Angel for the rest of the trek which wraps up on October 19th in San Antonio, TX.

Dark Funeral and Grave will play three additional dates on the back end of the tour without Morbid Angel. more on this story



The Groundhogs Live DVD Coming Next Month
Eagle Rock will release The Groundhogs' 'Live At The Astoria' DVD on September 18th. Here is the official word:

Filmed in London on February 20, 1998, with audio in Dolby Digital Stereo, this 12-song 81-minute excursion into the blues has guitarist/vocalist T.S. McPhee, bassist Eric Chipulina and drummer Pete Correa celebrating the legendary bluesman Howlin' Wolf [1910-1976] while on tour in support of their Hogs In Wolf's Clothing album. Starting and finishing with songs from that album, the concert—the first such Groundhogs show ever filmed—also spans 30 years worth of material.

The Groundhogs formed in 1963. Their 1968 Scratching The Surface debut, with "Still A Fool" (included here) introduced an eccentric jam-happy band of Brits who became legendary for stretching their songs to interminable lengths. They disbanded in '76, reformed in '85, and by the time of this '98 show, had honed their craft into a razor-sharp no-frills blues blast of classic rock'n'roll proportions. more on this story



Set It Off and Sparks The Rescue Fall Tour
Set It Off will be staying on the road this fall, teaming up with Sparks The Rescue for a coheadlining tour of North America which will be supported by Handguns.

The tour will kick off on November 3rd in Dallas, TX and will wrap up on December 2nd in Douglasville, GA.

Set It Off will be touring in support of Cinematics, their debut full-length record which will be released on September 18 by Equal Vision Records. more on this story



B Sides


Singled Out: Brian Boggess Group
Today Brian from the Brian Boggess Group tells us about the song "Indigo" from their brand new limited edition vinyl and iTunes release "Debut EP". Here is the story:

For me, songs don't necessarily evolve in a purposeful manner. Most of the time I just wake up with a woody to write a song. Such was the case with "Indigo," the first track from my Debut EP.

Several years ago I was on a bit of an avant jazz bender chasing it down with a shot of prog even though I generally play in a more traditional rock idiom. The song opens with a compositionally unusual riff in 6/4 time which sort of naturally popped out based upon influences or being under the influence at the time. I was surprised when it drew a bit of attention from other NYC musicians and even considerable confusion as to what exactly I was playing. It sounds heavy and a little threatening. I thought it would be intriguing to follow up with some sweet jazzy major sevens mixed with simple power chords on the verse. The chorus is another series of power chords where I threw in a quick outside C# to spice things up the way some people put ketchup on spaghetti. A few Texas pull-offs tossed in for good measure, I felt like I had a tasty dish.

Lyrically, "Indigo" is not a specific linear narrative. It's a moon in the gutter urban noir...a collage of snapshots skipping through puddles of fantasy, romance and nightmare. On the surface it's about a street prostitute, but it's more of a word poem that depicts the mood or tone of New York City as seen through the eyes of a fictional individual. As much a portrait of the city as it is of a person. A bit of urban ennui reflected off surfaces of rain and neon. There's an abrupt shift in perspective in the last line of the chorus as a reminder that there's always a human being behind individuals too easily dismissed and marginalized simply as a stereotype.

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



Robert Plant Honors Delta Blues Influence On Led Zeppelin
(Gibson) Robert Plant performed at the Sunflower River Blues and Gospel Festival recently with his band The Sensational Space Shifters. The festival is held in Clarksdale, Mississippi, which also happens to be part of the name of Jimmy Page and Robert Plant's 1998 album Walking into Clarksdale, which is the only album of all new material that the duo has recorded together since the end of Led Zeppelin.

Plant decided to address Led Zeppelin's delta blues influences while at the festival. Said Plant: "So much Zeppelin did come from here. Almost subconsciously, just through the floor of the room where we were recording. With Jimmy's enthusiasm and knowledge and record collection, between the two of us, on that level, we had such a mutual preference towards that stuff, and the wild side of rock 'n' roll."

Plant continued by acknowledging the importance of his old band, and how Zeppelin continue influencing newer acts "It's all a long way back, even to go back to Led Zeppelin or the Stones or whatever, but it did shape, and still does shape, the music from around here. It goes through to the Black Keys, to Jack White, to all over the place. There's nothing new under the sun - you just get a can of paint out." more on this story





Coheed And Cambria Release Domino the Destitute Video
Coheed And Cambria have debuted the new music video for their new single "Domino the Destitute."

Directed by Robert Schober (Metallica, Mastodon, Disturbed), the eight-minute long epic tells the story of Domino the Destitute, a boxer who is fast on the rise, but who's career comes crashing down in dramatic fashion. Shot in black and white, the video uses classic cinematography and powerful fight scenes, against a powerful performance delivered by Coheed and Cambria throughout the video. Watch it here.

The song comes from the band's forthcoming album, The Afterman: Ascension, which is set for release on October 9, 2012. more on this story



Boots And Bonnets Once More For AC/DC Frontman Brian Johnson
(Gibson) You might think that English is the same wherever you go, but Brian Johnson of AC/DC can tell you that it is not.

Classic Rock reports that the singer, who resides in the United States, has to be careful with how he expresses himself when he visits his native Gateshead in north east England.

Johnson recently told Sunday Sun "The trouble is, with living in America, I'll go back to Newcastle, got to a garage and I'll ask for gas. Oh my God, the hell I've got: 'Oh, you've changed, son!' I've got to be real careful not to call a car bonnet a hood, or a boot a trunk. I walk on eggshells." more on this story





Anthrax Audiobiography of Among the Living Goes Online
Anthrax's hit album Among the Living is the focus of Google Play's latest "Audiobiography" episode.

Anthrax's Scott Ian and Joey Belladonna recently pulled back the curtain exclusively for Google Play, discussing at length stories behind the making of their Gold-certified 1987 album.

The album includes some of the band's most popular tracks - "I Am The Law," "Indians," and Caught in a Mosh."

Today's Day In Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Rolling Stones Recording In Paris
(hennemusic) The Rolling Stones have been hinting that they'll have soon have some news for fans as the band approaches its still-to-be-announced 50th Anniversary tour.
According to Mick Jagger, the Stones have been working in a Paris recording studio.

Late last week, Jagger posted a photo of him in the studio, surrounded by guitars and amps, along with the news: "Had fun in the Paris studio this week!" See the photo here.



Journey Sidelined By Hurricane Warning
(hennemusic) The impending threat of Tropical Storm Isaac is affecting many things in the U.S. Gulf region, including a Journey concert scheduled for Tuesday at the Cajundome in Lafayette, LA.

On Monday afternoon, the band issued the following statement: "Due to the terrible weather situation, we have had to postpone tomorrow's show in Lafayette, LA. We should have new date details for you before the end of today."

The governors of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama all declared states of emergency on Sunday as a hurricane warning went into effect for the northern Gulf Coast from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle due to the potential threat of Isaac's impact. more on this story



The Who's Roger Daltrey Auctioning One of Kind Tour T-shirt
Roger Daltrey donated a signed t-shirt that he wore onstage during The Who's 1976 US tour that went up for auction in the UK late last week.

According to the listing: 100% of proceeds from the sale of this item will so to Teenage Cancer Trust to help young people fight cancer

Mission statement: Teenage Cancer Trust is the only UK charity dedicated to improving the quality of life and chances of survival for young people with cancer aged between 13 and 24. The charity funds and builds specialist units within NHS hospitals where young people are treated together by teenage cancer experts in a place designed just for them. You can bid here.



Baroness Frontman Released From The Hospital
Baroness frontman John Baizley has been released from hospital where he was treated for a broken arm and leg, suffered during the band's bus crash earlier this month in the UK.

The group took to their Facebook to announce that all remaining 2012 tour dates have been canceled and aside from Baizley's release, Allen Blickle and Matt Maggioni, who each suffered fractured vertebrae, have arrived back in the United States.

Pete Adams was previously treated and released from the hospital and returned home to the U.S. Facebook link



The Offspring Kicking Off Tour This Week
The Offspring will be kicking off their North American tour this Thursday, August 30 in Rockford, IL.

The tour includes performances at The Fillmore Auditorium in Denver (September 27), Terminal 5 in New York City (September 19), the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles (October 5) and San Jose Civic in Northern California (October 2).

Supporting them at various engagements are Dead Sara and Neon Trees. Also on their itinerary: a headlining slot on the first night of Riot Fest in Chicago (September 14). more on this story



James Iha Streaming New Song Online
Smashing Pumpkins cofounder James Iha has debuted "Speed Of Love," the first single from his forthcoming album online.

The new album, Look To The Sky, will be released on September 18 and was written and recorded at Stratosphere Sound in NYC, a studio owned by James and Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne

Look To The Sky, out September 18, was produced by James and Nathan Larson of Shudder To Think and features special guests Karen O and Nick Zinner of The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Sara Quin of Tegan and Sara, Nina Persson of the Cardigans, Schlesinger and Tom Verlaine, frontman of New York rock band Television.

Over the years, James has been a member of A Perfect Circle, collaborated with Hanson, Cheap Trick and Fountains of Wayne to form supergroup Tinted Windows and was of course the co-founder and long-time guitarist of Smashing Pumpkins. Listen to the new song here.



Iron Maiden's Steve Harris Explains Origins of Solo Album
(hennemusic) Iron Maiden founder and bassist Steve Harris recently announced the September 24th UK release (Sept. 25 in North America) of his debut solo album, "British Lion."

In a new session with Classic Rock magazine, Harris explains the origins of the album: "How it started was that Graham Leslie came to me with a cassette of songs – which shows how long ago it was! – and I thought they were really good, so I said I'd try to help his band do something," says Harris. "I ended up managing them and producing them and writing with them, although I kept that fact under wraps, to the point where even some people in the band didn't know. Anyway, when that band imploded I thought, 'Well, I've got to do something with this', because I thought the songs were so strong."

"Over the years I've kept in touch with Richie [vocalist Richard Taylor] and Graham, and then Richie was working with another guitarist called David Hawkins, who's a really talented guy, and so we started writing songs together," Steve continues. "So on the album there are six songs written with Richie and David, there's one with just me and Richie, and the others are me, Richie, Graham and a couple of other guys that were around at the time." more on this story



Nonpoint Releasing New Album in October
Razor & Tie have set an October 9th release date for Nonpoint's new self-titled album.

The album was produced/mixed by Grammy Nominated Producer, Johnny K (Disturbed, Staind, Megadeth) and also features some additional production and mixing from Brian Virtue (30 Seconds To Mars, Chevelle).

Front man Elias Soriano explains the new album, "We wanted this record to be a punch in the face. There was a lot of stuff I wanted to artistically vent about. It's a fresh start for us, "We felt like having a self-titled record says it all. We hit the reset button, and there's life again. You can hear it musically. We're not going anywhere." more on this story



Pinback North American Tour Dates
Pinback will be hitting the road next month for the first in a series of North American tour dates.

The tour will kick off with the west coast leg on September 12th followed by an east coast leg in November

The trek is in support of their upcoming album Information Retrieved, which will be released on October 16th. more on this story



Tony Iommi and Ian Gillan's WhoCares Album Released Today
(Gibson) Tony Iommi and Ian Gillan's WhoCares album, already released in Europe, will hit the streets in North America today, August 28.

Iommi and Gillan were bandmates during Black Sabbath's Born Again era in 1984, and they renewed their collaboration when they released the single "Out Of My Mind" last year to rebuild and help a music school in Gyumari, Armenia. That track featured Jason Newstead (ex-Metallica), Nicko McBrain (Iron Maiden), Linde Lindström (H.I.M.) and late Deep Purple legend Jon Lord.

The WhoCares album features rarities and unreleased material featuring Iommi and/or Gillan, including a Deep Purple performance of "Smoke On The Water" featuring Ronnie James Dio and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, several tracks by Iommi and Glenn Hughes, and "Anno Mundi," one of the best but most overlooked Black Sabbath songs ever, featuring Tony Martin on vocals. more on this story





For Today Plan Fall tour
For Today will be returning to the road this fall for a North American headlining tour that will feature support from Impending Doom, Sleeping Giant, the Chariot, Texas In July and Hundredth.

The tour kicks off October 11th in St. Petersberg, FL and runs through the middle of November making stops throughout the country. For Today will also head to Europe this winter for a string of headlining dates.

They are touring in support of Immortal, produced by Will Putney (Lamb Of God, Suicide Silence) features 11 new tracks and includes special guest appearances from Sonny Sandoval of P.O.D., Jake Luhrs of August Burns Red and Tommy Green of Sleeping Giant. more on this story



Ringo Is The World's Richest Drummer
(Classic Rock) Ringo Starr is the richest drummer in the world, says pop culture analyst website Celebrity Net Worth.

His total value is believed to be $300m, making him $50m richer than Phil Collins, $75m better off than Dave Grohl and $100m wealthier than Don Henley.

Those first four spots are taken by stickmen who've also fronted bands, with the top-ten rounded out by Lars Ulrich, Charlie Watts, Larry Mullen, Roger Taylor, Joey Kramer and Chad Smith. Check out the list here.



Steel Panther Set North American DVD Release Date
Steel Panther have set an October 22nd North American release date for their upcoming DVD, The British Invasion.

The DVD will be first be released on September 28th in Australia and New Zealand followed by the October 22nd release in North America, Europe, Asia and the rest of the world, according to BW&BK.

The DVD features the band's set during a concert at London's Brixton Academy during their 2010 tour. The disc will also feature a documentary. You can get a preview of what's to come here.



Neurosis Release New Album Details
Neurosis have set an October 30th North American release date for their new album, Honor Found In Decay. Their camp sent over these adjective filled details as well as the tracklisting:

Neurosis forged the songs on Honor Found In Decay with the revered Steve Albini, marking their fifth collaboration with the engineer in their longstanding relationship. Their monolithic sound captured at Electrical Audio studios, Chicago, the seven tracks were then mastered by John Golden at Golden Mastering in Ventura, California.

Aesthetics have always been paramount for Neurosis and with Honor Found In Decay, Steve Von Till, Scott Kelly, Noah Landis, Jason Roeder and Dave Edwardson's musical vision is brilliantly evoked by Neurosis' visual guru Josh Graham. And with that, we proudly unveil the cover art and track listing for this prodigious album, which is shaping up to be one of the biggest releases in the band's extensive history. more on this story



TV News Show Host To Front Prog Awards
(Classic Rock) By night Gavin Esler presents one of the BBC's hardest-hitting current affairs shows. Later that night you might find him relaxing by listening to Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull or maybe even Testament.

But there's one night he won't be doing either. On September 5 he'll be hosting the inaugural Progressive Music Awards at London's Kew Gardens, run Classic Rock Presents Prog. "It's been a long time coming," Esler tells the Guardian. "For me, prog has always been essentially British – it combines all our great and eccentric genius. It's time our quiet little secret was shouted about a bit more."

The journalist started with the BBC in 1977 and in the following decade he was in charge of the corporation's coverage of news in North America. He won a Royal Television Society Award for his work, and later received a Sony Gold Award. He's interviewed a number of world leaders and he's the author of five novels. more on this story



Titans Eve To Support Arch Enemy
Titans Eve are about to set out on their very first European tour where they will be supporting Arch Enemy.

The tour will see Titans Eve perform in Switzerland, Austria, Germany, France and Spain for the 10 show dates in support of their sophomore album, 'Life Apocalypse'.

"Titans Eve has been trying to make Europe part of its touring circuit since we started. We never dreamed it would be Angela Gossow of Arch Enemy that would open the gate for us. Touring with them this fall will be truly awesome, and unstoppable." comments vocalist / guitarist Brian Gamblin. more on this story



Killinger Added To Black Label Society Tour
Killinger have mapped out some live plans in Canada this fall including a support slot on Black Label Society's upcoming tour in late October and early November.

Prior to the commencement of these dates, Killinger will be play two benefit shows in support of The Alberta Diabetes Foundation in Calgary and Edmonton, respectively.

The Black Label Society shows will kick off on October 27th in Winnipeg and the trek will wrap up on November 4th in Vancouver. more on this story



Forever's Edge Tap Clay Barton and Noah Martin For New Album
(Sub) Forever's Edge have announced the return of singer Clay Barton (Suspyre) for their sophomore album, Hereafter, as well as bassist Noah Martin (Arsis).

Clay Barton comments: "When I was first approached about being a part of the second album I wasn't sure if I was going to have the time or energy to put forward what was needed from a vocalist, but when I started hearing the rough mixes I knew that it had a chance to be something very special. Sal has always been nice enough to give me the freedom to be creative and that makes recording his albums a much more enjoyable experience. If you aren't having fun with a project, it comes across in the music for everyone to hear. My hope is that when everyone hears the album they experience not only the music, but also experience a little bit of the fun that went into recording it."

Noah Martin comments: "I'm glad to have done this recording session with friends, the majority of whom I've known for nearly ten years. It's definitely an effective gelling of musicians, Their music seems to capture the riffs of say, Iced Earth, the length and complexity of Blind Guardian's arrangements, and the grandeur of Symphony X. It's been hectic finishing both this and the Arsis album. Much thanks to the guys for asking me to play on their album, being patient, and even giving me a bass solo." Facebook link.



B Sides


Singled Out: Viasava
Today Viasava guitarist Gogi Randhawa tells us about "New Frontier" from their brand new album "One Year Down". Viasava is fronted by Dustin Lowery, the younger brother of Clint (Sevendust) and Corey (Eye Empire, Dark New Day). Here is the story:

"New Frontier" was a fitting first single for us because it pretty much encompasses everything we were feeling when getting this band together and writing the songs – all the while, thinking about the uncertainty the future holds. The song wrote itself pretty quickly musically. I had just started playing the intro guitar riff while messing around during a writing session, and Dustin almost immediately started singing that intro vocal melody. Honestly, the rest was kind of a blur for the next thirty minutes, but the song was pretty much done not long after we started with it. We listen to the demo version we recorded that day and it's kind of scary at how similar it is to the final product.

Lyrically, the song kind of encompasses everything everyone is feeling as we start this journey known as "Viasava." We've all been doing this music thing for a while and have collectively dealt with the good and the bad that comes with it. The landscape of the business has changed so much in such a short amount of time, and the risk is greater than it ever has been. I think we really just tried to convey everything we were feeling about the journey we were about to take – the passion for what we do, the excitement, the anxiety, the fear, the need for acceptance and confidence from those that love us. For us it wasn't really a choice...music is just something we all feel compelled to do and its not easy to shake off. So we had to just jump in head first and go for it without over-thinking it or putting too much reason into it while at the same time reassuring ourselves that we would be fine and come out of this whole experience okay. I think in some weird way it may be our constant message to ourselves that we don't have a choice but to make this work out.

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



Things You Might Not Know About AC/DC's Angus Young
(Gibson) It's been nearly four decades since Malcolm Young invited his kid brother, Angus, to join a new band he was putting together. Who could have imagined, at that time, that all these years later AC/DC would still be churning out some of the world's greatest riff-rock? Here are some things you may not know about Angus.

He still owns the very first Gibson SG he bought – 42 years ago. Young purchased a late '60s Gibson SG from a music shop located within walking distance of his family's home in Sydney, Australia, when he was just 16 years old. To this day, it remains one of his main go-to guitars. "I think it was the little devil horns [that sold me]," he told the New Zealand Herald, in 2010. "I've still got it and it's still my favorite guitar of them all."

His main pre-AC/DC job prepared him well for the band's bawdy lyrical content. Young left school before his 15th birthday. Not long afterwards, he took a job working as a typesetter at a "men's" magazine that sported the title, Ribald. Malcolm, incidentally, had by then put in a couple of years doing sewing machine maintenance for a company that manufactured bras.

His older sister, Margaret, suggested something even more important than Angus' trademark schoolboy uniform. Most AC/DC fans know that it was the Young brothers' sister, Margaret, who encouraged Angus to wear his schoolboy get-up on-stage. But fewer fans realize that it was also Margaret who christened her siblings' band "AC/DC" after noticing the letters on a vacuum cleaner. According to biographer Susan Masino, Angus and Malcolm liked the fact that the letters denoted power and electricity. Read 7 more things you might not know about Angus here.





A Life Once Lost Streaming New Song Online
A Life Once Lost are streaming their brand new track, 'Madness is God', on their Facebook page.

The track is available now at the band's Facebook page under the BandPage tab. "Like" the page and listen now here.

The song comes from their new album Ecstatic Trance, due out in North America on October 23rd and internationally on November 16th via Season of Mist.

Today's Day In Rock News!

AC/DC Frontman Lands Radio Show Gig
(hennemusic) After years of being played on the radio daily, AC/DC singer Brian Johnson is now set to host his own radio series.
"Brian Johnson's Rockers and Rollers" will kick off on BBC Radio 2 on Thursday, August 30 at 10pm.

The series, which runs for six weeks, will provide a soundtrack to Brian's life featuring music from ZZ Top, Led Zeppelin and The Sensational Alex Harvey Band – and there'll be plenty of car talk too. more on this story



Vince Neil's Motley Valet Meltdown Caught On Video
(TMZ) Vince Neil exploded on a group of parking attendants at the Planet Hollywood in Vegas last week -- banging on windows and screaming "GIVE ME MY F**KING CAR" ... and the outburst was all caught on tape.

It's unclear why the Mötley Crüe singer was so [angry] -- and he was REALLY [angry] -- but according to sources on scene, Vince flew off the handle when the valet refused to return his Rolls-Royce.

In the video, you can see Vince walk over to the valet booth, yelling, "Give me my f**king car! Give me my f**king car! Give me my car!" -- and then bang on the window.

Vince continues, "Call the police! This is my car. What the f**k is wrong with you?"

We're told the parking attendants wouldn't hand over the vehicle because Vince couldn't produce a parking ticket. You can hear Vince respond in the video, saying, "They didn't give me a f**king ticket!"

According to sources, police were called to the scene -- but by the time they arrived, Vince had already taken off ... and the valet company decided against filing a report. So that's that.

Calls to Vince Neil's camp were not returned. Watch the video here.



Aerosmith Release New Album Trailer
(hennemusic) Aerosmith have released the official trailer for their forthcoming album, "Music From Another Dimension."

Due November 6, it's the Boston band's first studio album since 2004 and first project of new material since 2001's "Just Push Play."

Aerosmith recorded the album with producer Jack Douglas, who worked on such band classics 1974's "Get Your Wings," 1975's "Toys in the Attic," and 1976's "Rocks"; the veteran producer reunited with the band on its 2004 collection of blues standards, "Honkin' on Bobo."

"[The new album] was the first time that we got together as a band in a room, with a producer, and started cranking stuff up," says Joe Perry. "It's basically been the same way we've made records all along. It feels good." watch it here.



$5 Metallica Tickets Being Scalped For Much More
(hennemusic) After two shows in Vancouver over the weekend, Metallica are filming one last concert on Monday night as part of the group's upcoming 3D movie.

The band put tickets on sale for $5, with proceeds to benefit the Greater Vancouver Food Bank.

According to the Vancouver Sun, scalpers are offering the charity event tickets for as much as $50 or more on Craigslist. more on this story



Green Day Debut New Songs At Surprise Appearance
(hennemusic) Green Day had a few surprises for their UK fans over the weekend. The band played an unscheduled set at the Reading Festival on Saturday, with frontman Billie Joe Armstrong tweeting the news just before the group hit the stage.

"Green day - READING FESTIVAL CONFIRMED!! On stage in 45 minutes! In the NME / RADIO 1 tent. 11am!! Be there!" tweeted Armstrong.

The band's hour-long set covered most of their career, and included the debut of "Stay The Night," a new track from the forthcoming "Uno" album due out next month, as well as the project's lead single, "Oh Love." Watch video here.



John Lennon's Killer Denied Parole
(Classic Rock) Mark Chapman has been denied parole for the seventh time, and will remain in jail for the murder of John Lennon in 1980.

The parole board told him: "Despite your positive efforts while incarcerated, your release at this time would greatly undermine respect for the law, and tend to trivialise the tragic loss you caused as a result of this heinous, unprovoked, violent, cold and calculated crime."

Chapman becomes eligible again in two years. More rock news



Papa Roach Leave Uproar Festival For Medical Reasons
Uproar Festival mainstage schedule will be adjusted to allow longer performances from Shinedown, Godsmack, Staind and Adelitas Way following the departure of Papa Roach from the tour for medical reasons. We were sent this information:

Papa Roach singer Jacoby Shaddix has been diagnosed with a nodule on his left vocal cord, and at the advice of his physician he will undergo corrective surgery to remove the nodule and prevent further damage.

"It's no secret that I've been having issues with my voice lately. I was hoping to be able to go out there and kill it on this tour by resting and doing vocal exercises, but my voice has just gone out on me. I hate to let our fans down, but unfortunately surgery is the only way to fix it," Shaddix said. "The last thing we want to do is give our fans less than 100% every night. We know they'll understand and we'll be back better than ever." more on this story



Linkin Park and Incubus TV Special
Linkin Park and Incubus will be broadcasting their sets live from the Carson, California stop of their current tour on AXS TV.

This one-night only concert event will air Saturday, September 8th all starting at 10pm ET / 7pm PT exclusively on AXS TV.

"If you couldn't make it out to the shows, this is the closest experience you will get," said lead singer Chester Bennington. " This has been an incredible tour, and we're excited for our fans to see it in the highest quality." More info.



Black Country Communion Reveal More Album Details
(hennemusic) Black Country Communion have revealed more details about their forthcoming new album. Due October 30, the band has confirmed it will be titled "Afterglow," and have posted the cover artwork.

Black Country Communion is made up of bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple, Trapeze, Black Sabbath), blues rock guitarist/vocalist Joe Bonamassa, drummer Jason Bonham (Led Zeppelin), and keyboardist Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater).

"Afterglow" was produced by Kevin Shirley, who also worked on the band's first two efforts. more on this story



Dirge Within Having Issues With Their Singer
Dirge Within took to their Facebook page on Friday to address the issues they have been having with their singer Jeremy "Jerms" Genske. Here is what they had to say:

"As a few of you have been inquiring, we feel the need to be honest with our fans. We did have a fill in singer last night at the House of Blues Chicago with Static-X. There have been many events leading up to our singer's departure from the band, although he has not contacted any of us yet and officially quit. Jerms has been absent from many practices while the rest of the band has been hard at work rehearsing and preparing for shows. He refused to be in certain scenes in our latest video unless his girlfriend could also be in the video, which the rest of the band did not agree with. He has made it very difficult for us to work with him and has not shown interest in being a part of this band. We were told by Jerms that he could not play this show due to personal reasons.

As a band, we decided that we wanted to be there for our fans and continue on to play the show last minute using fill in singer "Adam Gilley" from Product Of Hate. We were asked personally by Wayne Static to play this show and no one in the band wanted to miss out on playing such a killer show with good friends. We have had to decline three shows prior due to Jerm's personal schedule and the band did not feel like he has been honest with us. This band respects our fans and will continue to put forth are best efforts as we always have, in order to deliver an amazing show and music."




Between the Buried and Me and Animals As Leaders Down Under
Between the Buried and Me have tapped Animals As Leaders to support them of their upcoming tour of Australia and New Zealand.

Beginning Nov. 13, the bands will play throughout each major city in Australia and will commence in New Zealand.

Before heading to Australia, Animals As Leaders will also headline the Rock Party Festival in Long Beach, Ca. on Sept. 29. more on this story



Paul Weller Sick Of Seeing Bands Reunite
(Gibson) With a spate of anniversary reunions happening, and more on the horizon, The Jam founder Paul Weller has said that he is opposed to bands reforming.

Talking to the Daily Mirror in England he said: "It drives me potty to be honest and I'm sick of seeing it. It is big business at the moment and I find it really disappointing and I think all the time that is spent on bands reforming and nostalgia.

"What about new bands, or young bands, coming in which don't get a look in." He said. "I don't know what the reason is. Why is it so prevalent? Is it because people stick to what they know or what they are comfortable or safe with?" He has more to say.





Glenn Hughes, Steve Vai and Chad Smith Rock Deep Purple Classic
(Rock Guitar Daily with Tony Conley ) Tony received a guided tour from producer Fabrizio Grossi of the Deep Purple classic track Highway Star as performed by Glenn Hughes, Steve Vai, Chad Smith, and Lauchlan Doley for the soon to be released Re-Machined: A Tribute To Deep Purple album.

Tony asked Fabrizio about tracking the guitars: "We recorded for, I would say about a couple days in total. All the guitars were done at the Melody Hut, Steve's new studio, which is nothing less than a guitar sanctuary! I love his work on this because it was respectful enough with Ritchie's landmarks parts, but able to turn the whole thing around and make it sound just like Vai.

"For long time I've wanted to hear him on a power vocal track, and this was just the confirmation of why I've always been drawn to his music. It's not just the guitar playing, but it's the overall orchestration concept of guitar overdubbing behind this man, that makes him who he is." Read the full interview here.



Neil Young and Crazy Horse Set New Album Release
(hennemusic) In June, Neil Young and Crazy Horse returned with "Americana," the group's first album together since 2003's "Greendale," and their first with the full Crazy Horse line-up of Billy Talbot, Ralph Molina and Frank "Poncho" Sampedro since "Broken Arrow" in 1996.

Now, the band have announced a second album, "Psychedelic Pill," will be released in October, the same month the group begins its full North American tour.

The new project was recorded right after "Americana" at Audio Casa Blanca. A double-CD and triple-vinyl will be released due to the lengths of many of the songs, some of which were previewed in Crazy Horse's live performances earlier this month at Red Rocks. more on this story



Robert Plant Gets His Big Voice Back and Plans New Album
(Gibson) In a new interview with the U.K. newspaper The Daily Telegraph, Robert Plant has revealed that he is ditching his recent "country" vocal style, which he employed on recent Band Of Joy and Alison Krauss collaborations.

Plant says: "That was the great thing about the adventures with Alison, and singing with Patty and Buddy, that I started singing differently. Somebody said to me in London when we played the Forum recently, 'You had your big voice back.' I put the big voice away for quite a long time because I thought; we know how to do that. So it was good to get it out again. It's all the same really, you just have to use the right colors for the right picture."

Plant's next album is underway. It will under the name Sensational Space Shifters. No songs are yet named. But Plant does say there will be "12 tracks, 11 originals and no sentimental stuff." more on this story





Tom Waits Set To Appear On The Simpsons
(hennemusic) Tom Waits is set to appear on an episode of The Simpsons, which returns to Fox for its 24th season on September 30.

Waits will appear – but won't sing - in the episode entitled "Homer Goes to Prep School." The episode will air sometime in December.

Yahoo reports Waits will playing himself as someone who helps introduce Homer to a community of survivalists. more on this story



Stryper Releasing New DVD in October
MVD have set an October 23rd release date for Stryper "Live In Indonesia At Java Rockin' Land" on DVD.

"This show was an unexpected, but welcomed, addition to our tour schedule," said Michael Sweet (singer, guitarist, songwriter).

"It was added last minute and we scrambled to make it happen, but I'm glad it worked out. It was an opportunity to go to a primarily Muslim country and share our faith. Java Rockin'Land was a highlight moment of our career and I'm thrilled that we were able to capture its on video. It's definitely one of the better live performances by the band in a long time, and the fact that it was captured on video makes it even more exciting. I think the fans are going to really enjoy it." more on this story



Motorhead Launching Motorheadphones
(hennemusic) Motorhead will launch a complete assortment of headphones and earphones this fall.

The first generation's assortment will consist of nine products in total, three headphones, and six in-ear models. All will be sold under their new brand name Motörheadphönes.

"No weak-kneed, lily-livered, tin-pot and skinny sounding little pieces of garbage, no, that ain't Motorhead's style," says the band. "These are headphönes designed to deliver everything louder than everything else BUT with the sort of range, clarity and TRUE rock reproduction you'd expect from a band of road warriors who have been at the top of the tree year after year. Because, like üs, these don't f**k around... remember, if it's too loud, you're too old." more on this story



B Sides


Video Of Black Sabbath's Full Lollapalooza Set Goes Online
(hennemusic) Fan-shot video of Black Sabbath's full set at Lollapalooza earlier this month has surfaced online.

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. Watch it here.



Pink Floyd Were Part of Apollo 11 Moon Landing Broadcast
(hennemusic) The world stood still on July 20, 1969, when Apollo 11 landed on the moon. The first manned mission to do so was led by astronaut Neil Armstrong, who passed away on Saturday at the age of 82 following complications from heart surgery a few weeks ago.

The 1969 event was televised to an estimated global viewing audience of 600 million, a sixth of the world's population at the time. In the UK, all three TV channels - BBC1, BBC2 and ITV - ran coverage on and off over the mission's 8-day period.

Pink Floyd were a part of the BBC broadcast, as guitarist David Gilmour wrote in The Guardian in 2009. "We [Pink Floyd] were in a BBC TV studio jamming to the landing. It was a live broadcast, and there was a panel of scientists on one side of the studio, with us on the other. I was 23," wrote Gilmour. "The programming was a little looser in those days, and if a producer of a late-night programme felt like it, they would do something a bit off the wall," he explained. more on this story



Wolfgang Van Halen On Hand For His Mom's Walk of Fame Induction
(hennemusic) Actress and rock and roll mom Valerie Bertinelli was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame last Wednesday.

Bertinelli, a fixture on American television since the mid-1970s, received the 2,476th star on the Walk of Fame at a ceremony held across the street from Grauman's Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard.

Valerie was joined by her family - including son and Van Halen bassist Wolfgang Van Halen - as well as her "Hot In Cleveland" co-stars Betty White, Jane Leeves and Wendie Malick.

Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Metallica $5 Dollar Concert
Metallica are holding a concert on Monday where they are charging just $5 for admission and giving the proceeds to charity. Why are they doing it? Here is what they had to say:
You may have heard us mention just once or twice (or 700 times!) that a Metalli-3D movie is in the works... we now need your help to finish filming it!! This Monday, August 27, we will be shooting what we hope will be the final live portion of the movie and have our last chance for quite some time to play on the gigantic, massive over-the-top stage that we rolled out in Mexico City, took to Edmonton and end our film excursion/mini tour with in Vancouver. As we have been saying a lot recently we would love to have you join us and be a part of our movie making adventure.

Here's how it works: We will be running though the full live show one last time at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, but unlike the Friday and Saturday shows there will be lots of breaks in it to allow for cameras and lights to be repositioned as the director sees fit. Since it is way more fun for us to have YOU there, tickets will be available for just $5 (no extra fees or service charges!) and all the proceeds will benefit the Greater Vancouver Food Bank. Grab ticket info here.


Bret Michaels Taking Part In Celebrity Apprentice All-Stars
Poison frontman Bret Michaels revealed in a new video tour diary that he will be taking part in All Star Celebrity Apprentice.

BW&BK reports that Michael's new Adventures From The Road video ended with the following words:

"Be sure to watch and root Bret on as he fights his way to the top on All Star Celebrity Apprentice."

The show is expected to air next Spring. You can see the video and read more here.



Def Leppard's Joe Elliott Explains Vocal Issues
(hennemusic) At a recent show in Saratoga Springs, NY, Def Leppard did not perform an encore, which caused a buzz amongst fans searching for a possible explanation, frontman Joe Elliott addressed the issue Thursday with the following post on the band's website:

"OK, just to nip in the bud any Twitter/Facebook rumours you may have read regarding our recent performance at Saratoga Springs where the band didn't do an encore, here's the deal...

After the Boston gig, which was the first show on the whole tour where it was actually cold afterwards, I caught a hacking cough which just ripped the hell out of my voice. Despite all the usual stuff singers do such as lemon tea, steam, etc. it just wasn't going to heal overnight, but with sufficient rest and plenty of warming up I thought I might manage to do the following show in Saratoga Springs. I was tough and I was ploughing through it as best I could, but by the time we got to 'Photograph', there was barely anything left in the tank and it was starting to hurt, so I decided after struggling through 'Sugar' that I had to make a decision... do the encore and risk doing so much damage that we might have to cancel a bunch of shows, or blow out one song and sort out a doctor to have a look at me, which we did the following morning.

The result being after a couple of cortisone shots, I seem to be mending quite nicely!! Read the rest of his comments here.



Kings of Leon Planning Next Album
(Gibson) It's been two years since Kings of Leon released a new album, but bassist Jared Followill says the wait may soon be over.

Speaking to BBC Radio 1, Followill said the band hopes to enter the studio in the not-so-distant future. "We've been meeting with producers every day, so we're starting to get the ball rolling on album six," he said. "I don't know what I can say, but we're definitely planning on starting the record at some point in the near future."

In the meantime, Followill has been busy with Smoke & Jackal, his side project with fellow Nashville native Nick Brown. The duo's debut album, EP1, is set for release on October 16. Followill says the side project has sparked new ideas that he will bring to the next Kings of Leon album. "Doing the side project got my creative juices flowing again," he said. "Just doing something completely different, I feel like it can bring more creativity to our band." more on this story





Why The Kinks Used Jimmy Page and A Common Myth Debunked
The producer of one The Kinks biggest hits debunks a common myth about Led Zeppelin legend Jimmy Page's role in the recording of "You Really Got Me," and explains the real reason Jimmy was brought in to record with the band.

Finding Zoso this week published an extensive interview with producer Shel Talmy, who not only produced early albums by The Kinks and The Who but also worked with David Bowie and had a favored studio guitarist by the name of Jimmy Page.

Below is a small excerpt from the interview where Talmy is asked to rate The Kinks Dave Davies as a guitarist, but we also learn the truth about why Jimmy Page recorded with the band and a common myth is struck down:

FZ: How would you rate Dave [Davies] as a guitarist?

ST: I think he's one of the more under-rated guitarists there are. He was an extremely good guitarist.

FZ: He doesn't quite get the credit that he deserves.

ST: Never, I don't think he ever got the credit. His inventions of the solos and stuff, I mean, Jimmy Page did not play the solo on "You Really Got Me" which I've said about 5,000 times to people who insist that he did. The reason I used Jimmy on The Kinks stuff is because Ray didn't really want to play guitar and sing at the same time. In fact, Jimmy was playing rhythm guitar.

The interview is filled with great exchanges like the above, read it in full here.



Gregg Allman, Dierks Bentley and More To Honor Levon Helm
An all-star casts of musicians will be gathering together in October to pay tribute the late Levon Helm the only way they know how- with a live concert.

The "Love For Levon," benefit concert will take place at the Izod Center in Rutherford, NJ on Wednesday, October 3, 2012.

The event will also feature collaborations and performances by Gregg Allman, Dierks Bentley, Marc Cohn, Patty Griffin, Warren Haynes, John Hiatt, Bruce Hornsby, Jorma Kaukonen, Ray LaMontagne, John Mayer, Robert Randolph, Mavis Staples, Joe Walsh, Lucinda Williams, The Levon Helm Band and many more including Eric Church who had this to say about the event: "I can't possibly overstate what Levon Helm meant to my music or my life. He was a giant. A man among boys. I miss him personally, but that pales in comparison to how much music will miss his presence," says Church. More info here.



Foo Fighters Use AC/DC Defense
(Gibson) More developments in the Foo Fighters noise in Belfast story and the band respond by quoting rock and roll legends.

The Daily Express reports over that one hundred complaints made their way to the Belfast City Council while the police received some 20 complaints after the Foo Fighters played a loud show at a Belfast festival.

In response, the band have simply quoted AC/DC on their Facebook page: "A wise man once said... 'Rock and Roll ain't noise pollution. Rock and Roll ain't gonna die.'" more on this story





How The Darkness Got Jimmy Page's Guitar
Gibson caught up with The Darkness guitarist Dan Hawkins to discuss their comeback album but we also learn about how Dan got his hands on Jimmy Page's guitar.

Gibson: And you have a Gibson Custom Shop "Black Beauty" Les Paul especially made for Jimmy Page – but he returned it because it was too heavy for him? And you got it?

Dan Hawkins: Yep. I call that my "Love is More Than a Feeling" guitar. It wasn't on that first album track, but it's on both other albums since and live for the song. I had the Bigsby taken off, and a hardtail put on. I had a Fishman Powerbridge pickup put on so I could switch to an acoustic sound.

It's had an interesting life already, that Les Paul. I was waiting for delivery of a different humbucker to fit on it, but my then-guitar tech said he had a 'bucker that he'd taken out of one of Angus Young's SGs. He fitted Angus's old pickup, it sounded awesome, so I left it in. It's become my Page-enstein Les Paul.




Paul Stanley Says New KISS Album Won't Be Recycled Old Stuff
(Gibson) KISS promises there will be no recycled riffs on their forthcoming new album, Monster, set for release October 16.

Speaking to Billboard.com, singer-guitarist Paul Stanley said, "I'm a big believer that when people recycle old stuff, they should leave it where it was. When you hear bands that are lifting riffs that they had 15, 20, 30 years ago, I think, 'My God. Can't they come up with anything new?'"

Stanley went on to describe his 40-year-plus relationship with bassist Gene Simmons as "a marriage where thankfully I don't have to see him naked." Asked if KISS will one day be celebrating their 50th anniversary, Stanley replied, "All bets are off at this point. We're in uncharted waters. I never thought we'd be here today. Forty years ago, if you told me I'd be doing this now and loving it and doing it with pride, I'd tell you that you were crazy." more on this story





Original Further Seems Forever Lineup Reunite For Album and Tour
The original lineup of Further Seems Forever will release a new album and hit the road in Roctober.

Rise Records will release the band's new studio album, Penny Black, on October 23rd.

The band announced the initial dates for the supporting tour where the original lineup -- Chris Carrabba (vocals), Joshua Colbert (guitar), Chad Neptune (bass), Steve Kleisath (drums), and Nick Dominguez (guitar)-- are set to perform in Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Anaheim, performing together for the first time since the band's 2001 debut album, The Moon Is Down. more on this story



Dream Theater Record New Live DVD
(hennemusic) Dream Theater played two shows in Buenos Aires this week and the action was captured for a forthcoming live DVD.

The August 19 and August 20 concerts at Estadio Luna Park were professionally filmed and recorded for the band's next live DVD, to be released sometime next year.

Part of the group's latest world tour in support of "A Dramatic Turn of Events," the concerts were filmed by Over the Edge Productions with Mike Leonard in the director's chair. more on this story



The Smashing Pumpkins Plan Fall Tour
The Smashing Pumpkins will be hitting the road this fall for an arena tour of North America.

The band released the tour routing for the trek which is set to kick off on October 10 in Seattle, WA.

The concerts will be broken up into two parts; during the first half the band will perform their latest album Oceania in full and for the second half of the show they'll play classics and deep cuts. more on this story



Evergreen Terrace Working On New Music Not Breaking Up
Evergreen Terrace guitarist and vocalist Craig Chaney took to Facebook yesterday to assure fans that the band is not breaking up.

The speculation stems from co-founder Josh James' announcement that he was leaving the group to devote his full attention to his new band, Stick To Your Guns.

Chaney reassured fans on the band's Facebook page with this message: "For all those curious about the future of Evergreen Terrace, here's an update: We are writing new material which we will record and release. We will also be playing shows. Thank you for sticking by us throughout the years and during this transition. You keep us going. More news to come." more on this story



Classic 1975 Concert From The Who Set For DVD Release
A concert DVD featuring The Who's classic lineup of Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey, Keith Moon and John Entwistle is set to be released. Eagle Rock have set an October 9th release for The Who Live In Texas '75. Kayos sent over these details:

Filmed in Houston, Texas 11/20/75, it was right at the start of a massive tour of the U.S. to promote The Who By Numbers, their seventh album in their 10th year of existence. With Dolby Digital Stereo sound, this 117-minute 25-song bomb blast—previously only available as a muddled bootleg—has been pridefully restored to its rightful visual and sonic superiority by longtime Who collaborator Jon Astley.

Filmed only five years after what arguably is the greatest live album in rock, Live At Leeds, The Who Live In Texas '75, lives up to and in some ways actually surpasses its predecessor's greatness. The Who, at that particular point in time, had achieved an unerring almost magical mystical chemistry. Between the windmilling antics of guitarist Townshend, the mic wire lasso of lead singer Daltrey, the crazed bombastic danger of drummer Moon (1946-1978) and, of course, their secret weapon, genius bassist John Entwistle (1944-2002), this was a truly revolutionary band who changed all the hard rock rules. Even the punks, in the anti-rock star era of the late '70s, loved The Who. more on this story



Yakuza Set New Album Release
Yakuza have announced some details about their next release, which is entitled 'Beyul.'

'Beyul' will be released on October 16 on CD and digitally with a vinyl version arriving the following month.

The seven track album was produced by Sanford Parker (Nachtmystium, Minsk, Twilight). more on this story



Robert Plant and The Sensational Space Shifters Heading South
(hennemusic) Robert Plant and The Sensational Space Shifters have announced a fall tour of South America.

The series of dates start October 18 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and wrap on November 9 in Lima, Peru.

Robert debuted his new band in May at the Guildhall in Gloucester, UK. and the lineup includes: Robert Plant – vocals, harmonica the rest and the dates.



Amorphis Beginning Next Album
Amorphis will be hitting the studio next month to begin recording their next album, which they expect to be released in March or April of next year. They sent out these details and comments:

The follow-up to 2011's The Beginning Of Times will be produced and mixed by no less than Hypocrisy, and Pain mastermind Peter Tägtgren. Peter has worked with some of the biggest bands in the past, such as Children of Bodom, Celtic Frost, Immortal, and Dimmu Borgir, among others.

"We had to face the fact that if we want to develop our music and sound we need a producer who has a vision and whom we can accept as an authority," commented Amorphis guitarist and founding member Esa Holopainen. "I know that we're not the most flexible guys when it comes to letting outsiders into our camp for telling us how to do things. We spent one evening at our management office, talking about the right producer and the recording sessions in general. As usual, the best decisions are not far to seek. We've been talking to Peter about him producing Amorphis for ages. I think the first time we spoke about this was when we met first at the Nuclear Blast festival tour in 1994, and it was in Helsinki around a year ago when we last speculated about the idea. We've been following Peter's career - he's developed as a musician and especially as a producer over the years. Plus he's one of the true survivors from the 90's death metal scene who is still around just like us, so we share kind of an old school mental level." more on this story



No Bragging Rights Set October Album Release
No Bragging Rights shared good news with fans on Facebook on Wednesday: their new album is coming soon.

The band posted an update on the social networking site adviings fans that their new studio album, "Cycles," will be released on October 16, 2012.

Frontman Mike Perez commented: "We cannot wait to get this album out to our friends and fans. We are very proud of the sound and even more proud of the message behind it. We're looking forward to playing these songs live and seeing everyone at the shows." Facebook link



Jake Shimabukuro's Collaboration With Alan Parsons Set For Release
Jake Shimabukuro has set an October 2nd release date his new album 'Grand Ukulele,' which is a collaboration with producer Alan Parsons (The Beatles' 'Abbey Road' and Pink Floyd's 'Dark Side Of The Moon'). We were sent these details:

'Grand Ukulele' is the follow-up to 2011's 'Peace Love Ukulele,' for which critics lauded Shimabukuro as the "Jimi Hendrix of the ukulele" (Guitar Player) and "the greatest living ukulele player" (Boing Boing).

Shimabukuro "fuses a multitude of genres" (Billboard) on the new LP, which can be heard on album highlight "Island Fever Blues," merging classical & blues over a fast-paced flamenco beat. more on this story



B Sides


Steel Panther Preview New DVD
(hennemusic) Steel Panther have offered up the first full-song preview of their forthcoming live DVD, "The British Invasion."

Fans can now watch Panther rocking out on "Party All Day (F** All Night)" from the DVD which will be released on September 28th in Australia and New Zealand, with release dates for North America, Europe and Asia to be announced soon.

The band was captured in concert in London, England in 2010 for the set, which was directed by Daniel E. Catullo III, who has previously worked with artists like Rush, Chickenfoot, Godsmack and Alter Bridge. Watch the video here.



The Cult Deliver Honey From A Knife Video
(hennemusic) The Cult have released the music video for their new single, "Honey From A Knife."

Directed by Rick Rodgers and produced by The Cult's Ian Astbury and New York City-based film company Mechanizedmules.

The clip was shot on location in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan. Watch it here.



Metallica Share Live Master Of Puppets and Behind The Scenes Footage
(hennemusic) Metallica have posted official footage from the eighth and final date of their recent concerts in Mexico City.

The August 9th video includes bassist Rob Trujillo and drummer Lars Ulrich at the meet and greet, the band's pre-show huddle, and "Master Of Puppets" from the concert.

Released March 3, 1986, "Master Of Puppets" was Metallica's third studio album and major label debut. Watch the live video here



Please Don't Ask Slash About Guns N' Roses
(Classic Rock) Slash is so keen to move on with his solo career that he now issues journalists with seven rules ahead of interviews.

The no-go areas are designed to underline the guitarist is looking forward and not back as he begins work on this third album with his band, fronted by Myles Kennedy.

The New Zealand Herald reveals the rules are: Guns N' Roses is a topic that Slash can briefly touch on.

You can briefly discuss the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction – but only to the extent of the honour of that.

You can't talk about the ceremony itself and Axl not showing up and their performance etc.

No questions about Axl whatsoever.

Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Aerosmith Streaming New Song Online
(hennemusic) Aerosmith have posted streaming audio of their new single, "Lover A Lot," online. The track comes from their forthcoming album, "Music From Another Dimension" due November 6.
Bassist Tom Hamilton recently teased that new songs would be on their way now that the band has wrapped up their summer Global Warming tour.

"We're in Bristow, Virgina," said Hamilton on August 12. "It's the last show of this leg of the tour we've been on all summer. We're going to go and chill for a while – and while we're taking a break – a couple of new songs from the new album are going to come out at the end of August." more on this story



Rolling Stones Eye Big Announcement
(Gibson) Are The Rolling Stones finally ready to unveil some big tour plans commemorating their 50th anniversary? Maybe.

The legendary band are hinting that fans better keep checking the group's Facebook and Twitter pages over the next few days, stating that they are about to announce some big news via their social networking pages.

Say you're mobile and want to check out the news there? No problem. The Stones also have posted a mysterious image of a two eyes over a dim background with direction for fans with either an Android device or iPhone to score a free app called uView. Once fans download the app, the eyes start blinking and a few words appear: "Keep your eyes peeled." more on this story





Megadeth Begin Work On New Album
(hennemusic) Megadeth are drawing near the end of their world tour in support of their 2011 release, "Thirteen," and are headed back to the studio to begin work on their next album.

"[Producer] Johnny K. is arriving tomorrow to start pre-production on our new record," tweeted Dave Mustaine on Wednesday. "This should be a very interesting record."

Johnny K. worked on "Thirteen," which debuted at No. 11 on the Billboard 200 album chart with sales of 42,000 in its first week. "[Thirteen] is the culmination of my work over the 13 records I recorded," said Mustaine last fall, prior to the album's release. "There are moments on 'Thirteen' that capture my every emotion, and other moments where I am releasing feelings I never knew existed! My proudest moments of my musical career are captured on 'Thirteen.'" more on this story



Flesh Eating Disease Not Stopping Slayer
Jeff Hanneman's flesh eating disease (necrotising fasciitis) has not delayed work on the new Slayer album.

Slayerized transcribed part of a recent video interview Artisan News conducted with Kerry King and when asked if Hanneman's condition was delaying the recording of the new album, King answered:

"Not yet. We've recorded very little. We got a little bit done. We had a 12-day window where we hijacked [producer] Greg Fidelman from METALLICA and worked with him a little bit. So we've got two [new songs] done; they've gotta be mixed. We've got two other ones that need vocals and leads. [There are] three other demos and three other [tracks] we still have to demo. But [this summer's Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival tour] is the last thing we're doing, so hopefully we'll get [the rest of the album] done before we pick up and tour again in October."

Slayerized note that "Jeff did not take part in the recent recording sessions, but his absence did not affect the new album's scheduling since Kerry typically records all the basic guitar parts himself." You can read more and watch the full interview here.



Santana Postpones Tour Dates
Santana has postponed three tour dates taking place this weekend in Florida for an undisclosed reason, though it is most likely due to tropical storm Isaac which may reach hurricane strength and hit Florida on Monday.

The concerts were to take place tomorrow, August 24th, Saturday, August 25th at the Hard Rock in Hollywood, FL Sunday, August 26th at the Ask Gary Amphitheatre in Tampa, FL

Michael Vrionis, President of Universal Tone Management, says, "It is with great regret that the upcoming performances featuring Carlos Santana and the Santana Band have been postponed due to circumstances beyond our control. Universal Tone Management is working diligently to reschedule these performances. We would like to thank all of the fans in Florida for your patronage, and we look forward to bringing you the music of Carlos Santana in the very near future." more on this story



Foo Fighters Too Loud For Belfast
(Gibson) The Foo Fighters, in the U.K for the Reading Festival this weekend, drew some noise complaints at a Belfast festival gig on August 21.

Evidently, the band cranked up the volume so much that they could be heard four miles away.

NME.com reports that local councilor Claire Hanna received some complaints over the noise. "It was exceptionally loud," she said. "I welcome that we have concerts of this level but we do have to balance it with the right of people to enjoy a quiet night at home. Most residents understand that people want to enjoy a night out but a second night at the same level might provoke a few more calls." more on this story





Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour Hoping To Take You Away Again
The Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour is coming to take you away again at home in October and in theaters in late September. Apple Corp sent out these details:

Apple Films has fully restored the long out-of-print, classic feature film for October 8th release worldwide (October 9th in North America) on DVD and Blu-ray with a remixed soundtrack (5.1 and stereo) and special features. For the first time ever, there will be a limited theatrical release in certain territories from September 27th.

Songs You'll Never Forget, The Film You've Never Seen, And A Story That's Never Been Heard. In 1967, In The Wake Of The Extraordinary Impact Of The Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Album And The One World Satellite Broadcast Of All You Need Is Love, The Beatles Devised, Wrote, And Directed Their Third Film, Magical Mystery Tour, A Dreamlike Story Of A Coach Day Trip To The Seaside. more on this story



Pop Singer Wants To Turn Dylan and Radiohead Studio Into Shops and Offices
(Gibson) British pop singer David Gray is in dispute with his London community. According to the Independent newspaper, Gray has plans to convert famed recording studios The Church into shops and offices.

The studios, which once belonged to Dave Stewart, have seen a plethora of top acts record there, from Bob Dylan to Kaiser Chiefs and Radiohead.

Local resident Steve Watson wrote to Haringey council saying: "The studios have been a part of Crouch End's artistic and creative heritage for decades." more on this story





The Killers Used Five Different Producers On New Album
(Gibson) When it comes to producers, The Killers like to play the field. On the band's upcoming studio album, Battle Born, the Las Vegas rockers used five producers, all for just one album.

Singer Brandon Flowers says that the group preferred to use several producers – which included Pearl Jam producer Brendan O'Brien, U2 producer Steve Lillywhite and Madonna producer Stuart Price – because it helped keep their egos in check and gave them a constantly evolving view of their music.

"Our attitude was, let's wait until we're ready and then we'll find the right producer," Flowers told SPIN. "But once we started calling people, they had other bands booked. So we learned something from everyone and applied it to what we did next. We're a bunch of strong personalities, so there's not gonna be one guy that's gonna come in and overtake things."

Fans will get to see if the onslaught of producers was worth it when Battle Bornhits stores and online outlets on Sept. 18. more on this story





Linkin Park's Debut Hits 10 Million In U.S. Sales As Band Expands Tour Plans
Linkin Park have two reasons to celebrate this week. They announced plans to head Down Under early next year and their debut album hit a sales milestone that very few bands achieve.

The band announced on Wednesday that they will be heading to New Zealand and Australia in February and March. On February 21, they'll be playing at Vector Arena in Auckland, New Zealand. They'll then head to Australia for Soundwave Festival.

Also on Wednesday, Billboard reported that the group's debut album, "Hybrid Theory" has surfaced the threshold of 10 million copies sold in the U.S., enough to earn them a very rare diamond certification. You can read the Billboard report here.



Two Joe Strummer Remastered Special Editions Coming
Hellcat Records are celebrating what would have been Joe Strummer's 60th year with remastered special editions of two of Strummer's albums on CD and Vinyl on September 25th. We were sent these details:

'Global A Go-Go' and 'Streetcore' were recorded between 2000 and Strummer's untimely death in 2002, it was during this period that Strummer wrote, recorded and toured with the band he dubbed "The Mescaleros." These records capture the one time Clash front man amidst an undeniable creative resurgence. In a review of Streetcore, The Guardian called the record Strummer's "best work since the Clash's London Calling."

Strummer was the voice of a generation in the late 1970s and early 1980s, becoming a punk icon during his career with The Clash. After The Clash disbanded in 1985, Strummer only began working and recording with a band of his own again in the few years before his death. more on this story



Josh James Leaves Evergreen Terrace
Evergreen Terrace cofounder Josh James has left the group to devote his full attention to his new band Stick To Your Guns. Here is what he had to say about the change:

"In 1999, a few friends and I started Evergreen Terrace. The band has been a huge part of my life, but it's time for me to move on.

"Earlier this year, I joined Stick To Your Guns, and I couldn't be more stoked. It's been a natural and exciting progression for me. I really believe in the band and the message. more on this story



Lynyrd Skynyrd Return To Rock Roots With New Album
Lynyrd Skynyrd released their latest album, Last of a Dyin' Breed, this week and our friends at Classic Rock Revisited caught up with Gary Rossington to discuss the album and in the excerpt below they discuss how they tried to capture the classic Skynyrd feel for the new album:

CCR: I think this album has the classic Skynyrd hard rock sound. I am talking about songs like "Last of a Dyin' Breed," "Mississippi Blood" and "Honey Hole." There is some harder edge stuff with some kick ass guitars going on.

Gary: That is what we wanted to do on this album. We wanted to go back to the old roots of the original band and do more rocking, as opposed to being more Country flavored; that is our favorite stuff anyway. We like songs that tell a story that have a good beat and some dual guitars in there. We tried to do it right, like the old band always did.

CCR: You are the last of the founding members of the band. With all of the different lineups how are you still able to get the true spirit of Lynyrd Skynyrd in your new music?

Gary: We just do it the way that we've always done it. Once we get the material written, then we just go in the studio and get at it. For our diehard fans, who will like it, and buy it anyway, we want to make it the best we can for the name of Skynyrd and for our brothers that are no longer with us. We keep their memory alive and I really believe their spirit is in these songs.

You mentioned "Mississippi Blood" and I will tell you that if Ronnie and Allen, and the other guys were here, they would say, "You are doing it right." Read the full interview here.



Bon Jovi's Richie Sambora To Give Fans His Aftermath of the Lowdown
(Gibson) Bon Jovi axeman Richie Sambora is prepping to release his third solo album, Aftermath of the Lowdown, and the guitarist says the set reflects the ups and downs he's experienced over the past several years. That, of course, includes his divorce with actress Heather Locklear and his struggle with substance abuse.

Sambora says that because of the very personal nature of the new album, a wide range of fans can relate to the songs' subject matters. "The stuff that I've gone through isn't that alien," he told Rolling Stone. "The stuff that I've gone through, anybody can go through in their lives and they probably will. Ups and downs and things like that."

Sambora added that the collection of songs came together quickly and naturally. Following a short vacation with his daughter, Sambora came home rested and ready to write, which is exactly what happened. "Once I started writing, I really liked the material and it was authentic, passionate and honest…" he said. "So there was a bit of magic happening right off the bat."

Aftermath of the Lowdown is set to hit stores on Sept. 18 more on this story





Fan Buys Sammy Hagar's Shelby Mustang
(hennemusic) Red Rocker and car collector Sammy Hagar has sold his Shelby GT500 Coupe 2007 Mustang to a fan.

Hagar first put the car up for sale on Saturday, writing "I bought another car recently and have run out of space! Instead of letting one sit outside I've chosen to sell one and chose this beast! But, I don't want to put it up on Barrett-Jackson and see it get marked up - I'd rather see a Redhead driving it and sell it at blue book! I bought this Shelby new and have driven it very little (low miles), plus it's been driven by Mike Anthony and Chad Smith during the recording of Chickenfoot III."

A deal was done and confirmed by Hagar less than 48 hours later. "The Shelby is sold- thx for all of the offers!," Sammy tweeted. "I'm going to hand over the keys to one happy Redhead! Will try to snap some photos and share!" more on this story



Iron Maiden Continue To Support Burr's MS Fight
(hennemusic) Iron Maiden actively support many charities and fund-raising events, but unlike some entertainers, they rarely speak about their efforts in this area. But there is one that remains close to the band's heart.

"One of the things I can talk about, because we started it off, is our old drummer, Clive [Burr] has MS [multiple sclerosis], so we started The Clive Burr Trust," Maiden bassist and founder Steve Harris told SamaritanMag.com recently. "Another friend of mine [Ralph] also has got it. He's in a wheelchair. We went to school with him, my oldest friend since I was 5 years old, so we helped him, but we don't normally talk too much about it."

The band continues to raise money for Clive Burr MS Trust Fund periodically. "The fans know about it and they contribute to it, and every now and again we'll do a show and just donate all the money," says Harris. "When we need to top it up, we do something." more on this story



B Sides


Singled Out: Scarlet Smile
Today Scarlet Smile lead vocalist / guitarist Sam Varga tells us about the song "Take" from their latest EP, "Life in Lights." Here is the story:

I began writing "Take" (although at the time it was a completely different song musically) as a way to tell myself the things I needed to hear. My father had been going through an extremely difficult time and it had seemed to be taking a toll on him. My father is a true martyr for his family, and without his perseverance and unfaltering faith we would have no foundation. I unconsciously selected him for the voice in the song; needing both guidance and reassurance in my life and knowing that he was alright in his. Therefore the lyrics in the song became what I wanted/needed to hear from him at the time. My first stab at the song was disconnected and too broad. One of our friends sang the first word "take" while mumbling along with a melody. We loved the way it sounded, and decided to base the song off of it. We messed around with different uses, finally deciding to play off of the line "take from me", going a step further with meaning as to what parents really mean when they say that. They are not merely giving you advice, but offering up all of their memories, lessons, experience, and pain. With this in mind, the band finally found a good place to be able to really work together and come up with the ideas and lyrics to make the song what it is. The writing went down to the wire, and we ended up finishing the song the night before we went into the studio. We hope you like it.

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



The Black Keys Add More Tracks To Rock Band 3
(Gibson) Harmonix, the company behind the Rock Band video game brand, has announced that they are adding more tracks from the Black Keys to their popular game Rock Band 3.

The new, three-track "The Black Keys Pack 02" content pack offers a few of the Keys' latest, greatest hits: "Tighten Up" and "Howlin' for You" from 2010's Brothers, plus "Lonely Boy" from their 2011 release, El Camino.

Gaming fans can pick up "The Black Keys Pack 02" beginning this week for Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii. more on this story





Slash Helps Launch Wildlife Conservation Foundation
(hennemusic) On Wednesday, Slash was on hand to help launch the Bob Irwin Wildlife Conservation Foundation at the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Brisbane, Australia.

Slash says he first met Bob, the father of the late crocodile hunter Steve Irwin, a couple of years ago at a music festival.

"He [Bob] brought some animals down to Soundwave, so we got to actually meet, so I was really starstruck," said the guitarist, a well renowned animal lover and supporter. Read more and watch video here.



Quick Licks Van Halen Vol 2 DVD Released
LickLibrary have released the new Quick Licks Van Halen Vol 2 DVD, which features more than thirty guitar licks in the style of Eddie Van Halen. They sent over these details:

Following the success of Quick Licks Van Halen Vol 1, this new guitar tuition DVD brings you a whole arsenal of new licks in a series of professional guitar lessons beautifully explained by popular tutor Jamie Humphries.

Quick Licks Van Halen Vol 2 features guitar lessons with all the techniques you'd expect on a Van Halen DVD, such as tapped harmonics, tremolo picking, whammy bar dive bombs and much, much more. Included on this DVD is a solo in the style of Eddie Van Halen that uses a range of Eddie's trademark licks, which you can learn and then practice along with the backing track included.

iGuitar columnist and UK session player, Jamie Humphries, talks you through all the lessons, breaking the concepts down easily understandable chunks. And at the same time you will be able to clearly see what both his hands do on the fret board and strumming with the all-important LickLibrary split screen presentation.

A DIFFERENT KIND OF TRUTH SALES SURPRISE:

The question being asked by many Van Halen fans is just how many units has the band's latest studio album sold since its release in February of this year. A Different Kind Of Truth won widespread praise from fans and critics alike. It certainly remains a favourite of mine.
But that said - sales have been relatively stagnant after the initial release. As of last week, the album had sold a total of 400,620 units in the USA.
There is no real way to gauge total international sales, but if you take the USA alone, for comparison Van Halen 3 has scanned 515,322 [no mention of how many of those are in used CD bins] and the first Chickenfoot album has scanned 532,092 units to date. I don't yet have numbers for the second Chickenfoot album which was released just prior to the Van Halen album. Interesting numbers.

Today's Day In Rock News!

Nickelback's Chad Kroeger To Marry Avril Lavigne
Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger has reportedly popped the question to pop singer Avril Lavigne.
Kroeger asked Lavigne began a romance when they came together six months ago to co-write a song for Lavigne's forthcoming album, accord to People.

The entertainment publication reports that a Lavigne "rep" and/or "pal" has exclusively told them that Kroeger proposed on August 8th. You can read their report here.



Kid Rock Surprises Wounded Veteran and Wife With New Home
(Banana 101.5) Kid Rock recently teamed up with Pulte Homes and Operation Finally Home to surprise a wounded warrior and Mount Clemens, Michigan native, Davin Dumar and his wife with a brand new home.

Army Sgt. Dumar served in Afghanistan, where he lost a leg and severely injured his arm, was selected by Operation Finally Home Again thanks in part to Kid Rock, who personally called the founder of the charity to talk about Sgt. Dumar.

The charity has been custom building homes for wounded veterans for seven years and will finish customizing the new Dumar home soon. more on this story



All Star Deep Purple Tribute Behind The Scenes Video Released
(hennemusic) Information about the forthcoming Deep Purple tribute album, "Re-Machined: A Tribute To Machine Head," has been coming out a little at a time, including preview video clips and a few full songs. Now, a full-length behind-the-scenes look at the album has surfaced.

Fans can dig deep into the project, with studio footage and interviews with Metallica, Jimmy Barnes, Chickenfoot, Steve Lukather, Glenn Hughes and many more of the players involved.

"All the stuff that we do, and have been doing for the last thirty years," says Metallica's Lars Ulrich, "and the bands in the 80s and 90s and in the last decade… it all traces back to Deep Purple…and, obviously, to a degree, Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin – but Purple had their own niche in that trio."





New Motorhead Book Coming Next Week
Cleopatra have set an August 28th release date for Alan Burridge's new book Motorhead: Live To Win. They sent over this synopsis:

Live To Win is the full, in-depth Motörhead story, with previously unpublished, revealing facts, rare and early photos, and is fully approved and endorsed by Lemmy (who also contributes to the introduction).

Motörhead formed in England in 1975 by bassist/singer/songwriter Lemmy Kilmister, and was an early part of the NWOBHM, the movement to reinvigorate loud music. With a big dose of punk, Motörhead's sound pioneered speed metal, and continues with consistency to support, elevate, and encourage the genre around the world. The band has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide, and just finished a North American tour. more on this story



Soundgarden Tease New Track and Announce Album Title
(hennemusic) Soundgarden have revealed the title of their new album will be "King Animal."

The band's first studio release since 1996's "Down On The Upside" is tentatively due November 13.

The Seattle rockers also shared a preview of "Worse Dreams," one of the new tracks on the project. Check it out here.



Stone Sour Layout Initial World Tour Plans
Stone Sour have mapped out the first leg of their world tour plans with dates scheduled on five continents.

The tour is in support of their forthcoming House of Gold & Bones and the initial leg includes their first European tour in two years as well as festival appearances at Loud Park in Japan and Soundwave in Australia (with Metallica and Linkin Park).

Corey Taylor says, "It's gonna be awesome to bring the House of Gold and Bones to the fans live. We're all psyched to come to Japan and South America right away as well- they're some of the best fans in the world! We gave people a taste of Part One, now we're gonna bring them the best Stone Sour show they've ever seen. Get ready: it begins soon…" more on this story



The Smashing Pumpkins To Rock Leno This Week
The Smashing Pumpkins are set to perform their song "The Celestials" on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno tomorrow night, August 23rd.

This will mark the band's first national television performance since the release of their latest album, Oceania.

The band just completed a tour of Australia, New Zealand and South Korea that ran from July 26-August 14. They headlined festivals and, at their own shows, performed Oceania in full, followed by a set of classics and deep cuts. The band is expected to announce their North American tour plans soon. more on this story



Gorgoroth Fire Lead Singer
Gorgoroth have fired their singer Pest and have lined up a guest singer for their next tour and a separate singer for their new album. The band had this to say about the turn of events:

"Out of respect for and loyalty to Gorgoroth's audience and collaborators, Infernus has kicked Pest out of the band, effective immediately. This after Pest informed the band that he would not be prioritizing doing the upcoming Latin American tour after all, just two weeks before the band was set to depart for Brazil.

"Infernus has decided that the tour will go on as planned, though, and Hoest of Taake will replace Pest as vocalist on the tour starting on September 7, 2012. more on this story



Soilwork Begin New Album This Week
Soilwork will enter the studio with producer Jens Bogren (Opeth, Amon Amarth, Bloodbath) on Thursday (August 23rd) to begin recording their new album.

The new album, entitled The Living Infinite, will also mark the recording debut of long-time touring guitarist David Andersson (Night Flight Orchestra).

"It's been a pretty long time coming, but as we speak I'm sitting here smiling my ass off listening to the demos that will forge into The Living Infinite," commented the group's vocalist Björn "Speed" Strid. "I've been feeling pretty damn restless from this break to be honest with you, therefore it is with great excitement that I've approached this new album. As soon as we started working on songs in March, all my focus and energy went into building this new beast. We're finished writing songs and I'm currently laying down demo vocals and I'm having a blast. I feel very inspired. more on this story



Cinderella's Tom Keifer Releasing Solo Album
Cinderella frontman Tom Keifer plans to release his debut solo album next spring under a new partnership with Merovee Records (a joint venture with Worldwide Pants, Inc.). His camp put out these details:

The as-yet-untitled collection of 14 new songs ranges from intimate, organic, acoustic tracks to driving hard rock. It embraces the blues, rock and country roots.

The upcoming release is a raw, introspective look at the roller coaster ride that has been Keifer's life for the past 15 years. From being told that he would never sing again as a result of a partially paralyzed left vocal cord, to the emotional and personal battles that followed, his solo debut is a story of perseverance, a testament to the power of passion and will, when combined with a true love of music.



Minus The Bear Release New Video and Streaming New Album Today
Minus The Bear have released a new music video for their new song "Steel and Blood" and are streaming their forthcoming album online today.

"Steel and Blood" comes from the band's forthcoming fifth album, Infinity Overhead, which will be out next Tuesday, August 28 on Dangerbird Records. The LP will be streaming in full on MinusTheBear.com all day today.

Filmed in the band's hometown Seattle and directed by Daniel Brown (Portugal. The Man), the tension-filled video follows a reckless, young couple in a destructive relationship of sex and violence. more on this story



Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven Campout Music Festival Details
Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven have announced the details of their 8th annual Campout Music Festival:

Campout 8 will take place September 13th, 14th and 15th at Pappy & Harriet's Pioneertown Palace in the High Desert of Southern California. The locale of this fest ties in perfectly with Cracker's own history as their signature album Kerosene Hat was recorded here back in 1993 in the now-closed movie soundstage next to the Palace.

This year's bill features Chris Shiflett & the Dead Peasants (of Foo Fighters), Gram Rabbit, Calamity, The Dangers, Lightning Starts Fire, The Piggies and Niantic. Along with full band performances from both Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven (the latter previewing new music from their forthcoming studio album), there will also be a number of performances from various members of both bands, including Jonathan Segel (performing material from his recent All Attractions double album), Victor Krummenacher, a special David Lowery/Johnny Hickman semi-acoustic Cracker duo set, as well as Johnny Hickman (performing material from his recent Tilting LP). more on this story



Cerebral Bore Wrapping Up Summer Slaughter and Preparing For Fall Tour
Cerebral Bore are wrapping up the Summer Slaughter tour With Cannibal Corpse, Periphery, Job For A Cowboy and Goatwhore and are getting ready to head to Europe for a tour with Dying Fetus.

Cerebral Bore guitarist Paul Mcguire comments: "We are now heading into the last week of Summer Slaughter, and so far it has been a truly awesome experience. We have gotten to know all bands on the tour as well as their crews, and it's gonna be pretty sad when the time comes to part ways.

The biggest thing for me personally has been getting to know and tour with the guys from Cannibal Corpse. These guys are my heroes, so there is a lot of room to be disappointed... but they have been amazing. We have gone out drinking with them, they've invited us onto their bus many times, fed us, watered us and supported us by wearing our shirts and watching stage-side. A real dream come true for all of us and we can't thank them enough. It's not over yet though, and we have a bunch of west coast shows still to come - the energy levels are still at max and we are raring to go, so bring it on!" more on this story



Jack White Taking His Show Across The Pond
(Gibson) Jack White has just announced a number of shows in the U.K. and Ireland in the fall, as part of his tour in support of Blunderbuss, White's first solo album.

The U.K./Ireland leg of the tour kicks off on October 31 in Dublin before heading to London, Bridlington, Blackpool, Birmingham, and finally Edinburgh on November 8.

The show in Blackpool is set to take place in the Empress Ballroom Arena, which is the same venue in which The White Stripes filmed their DVD Under Blackpool Lights. more on this story





B Sides


Singled Out: Tall Dark Stranger
Today Dee Allen a.k.a. Tall Dark Stranger tells us about the song "Angel of Seduction" from the album "There It Is" which features guest appearances by Ty Tabor (King's X), Josh Henson (Kellie Pickler), Duane Allen (Oak Ridge Boys) and more. Here is the story:

The title phrase popped into my head after meeting a very attractive girl while going to pay my rent. We spoke briefly, and she seemed receptive, and was "my type" appearance-wise, so of course I got all excited about getting together with her. We exchanged numbers. Within a day or two, I got a call from her number, and some dude opens the conversation with "You don't want to know me." (Dramatic much?) He said he was her fiance, and started asking if I was the guy he had caught her in bed with recently. Wowwwwww. She called shortly after that, but at that point I couldn't believe a word she said, so that was the end of it.

It struck me that this woman was so self-centered, and her actions so destructive, that the thought crossed my mind, "Maybe this is spiritual warfare, and she's some kind of demonic spirit in human form". So then, boom, "Angel of Seduction". I did a bit of research on angel lore, and chose to mention the angel Zadkiel, but couldn't find a pronunciation, so if I'm saying it wrong…. sue me, go write your own angel song.

Musically, the idea was to see if I could use the same chord progression through the whole song, but keep it interesting by changing up the arrangement every few bars. It walks the line between heavy and danceable; one friend described it as "Nine Inch Nails meets Duran Duran". The guitar part in the chorus is a nod to one of my heroes, Paul Stanley. It's a close approximation of his live intro to "Black Diamond".

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



Judas Priest Share Us Festival Footage
(hennemusic) On September 4, Judas Priest will release the "Screaming For Vengeance Special 30th Anniversary Edition" package which will feature not only the remastered original album plus bonus tracks, but also a live DVD from the 1983 US Festival show, filmed in San Bernardino, CA on May 29, 1983.

The US Festival live DVD was filmed on Heavy Metal Day, which was headlined by Van Halen. It set the single-day concert attendance record for the U.S. with an estimated 375,000 people. "On the day that we performed, we flew in by helicopter — and the first sight we saw was that of thousands of abandoned cars piled up around the crests of the hills that surrounded the festival arena, which as we went over took our breath away," said Priest in a statement. "For there, below us, spread throughout hundreds of acres was a massive crowd — over three hundred thousand strong! The summer heat was raging and combined with the hot Santa Ana winds made for a scorching metal furnace on stage."

Priest have offered up a preview of their US Festival performance, as they rock through the opening numbers of their set - "The Hellion" and "Electric Eye." Check it out here.



Metallica Streaming Orion and And Justice For All Live Video
(hennemusic) Metallica have posted official footage from the seventh show of their recent 8-date run in Mexico City.

The August 7th video includes the band running through "Orion" in the Tuning Room and the title track to their album, "…And Justice For All," from the concert.

The 1988 'Justice' release was the band's fourth studio album, and first full record since the passing of bassist Cliff Burton, who died in a bus crash on tour two years earlier. Check out the video here.



Marilyn Manson Releases Slo-mo-tion Video
Marilyn Manson has released a new music video for his latest single release "Slo-mo-tion".

The clip, which was directed by Manson himself, is the second to be released from his latest album Born Villain. Watch it here.

Manson will also hit the road with Rob Zombie this fall, co-headlining The "Twins of Evil" Tour. The tour kicks off September 28th in Phoenix and concludes state-side on Halloween in Dallas. more on this story



Metric Streaming First Part Of Documentary Online
Metric has posted the first of four episodes of their Synthetica mini-documentary.

The documentary is said to be the ultimate behind-the-scenes look at the creation of Metric's fifth full-length studio album, Synthetica.

Episode 2 will be shared later this week with episodes 3 and 4 to follow next week. For now you can watch episode one here.



The 69 Eyes Release Album Video Trailer
The 69 Eyes have released the second video trailer for their forthcoming album, X.

The album is set to be release in North America on October 9, 2012 via Nuclear Blast. Check out the trailer here.

The 69 Eyes recently shot a music video for the album's first single, "Red," with renowned producer, Patric Ullaeus (Dimmu Borgir, Dream Evil, Keep Of Kalessin), which will premiere in the coming weeks.