Today's Day In Rock News!

KISS and Twisted Sister Singers In Bitter Feud

A new war of words has erupted between KISS star Paul Stanley and Twisted Sister singer Dee Snider, with the frontmen from the theatrical rock bands trading insults via recent interviews and an online post.
The origin of the feud began earlier this year when Snider criticized KISS for continuing to use the Space Ace and Catman personas of Ace Frehley and Peter Criss for current guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer.

Snider told Eddie Trunk (via hennemusic) "I don't see how people could accept this. Tommy Thayer? I'm sorry. It's insulting. Not only did he play with a tribute band of KISS, he's imitating Ace in his entire act! Oh, my God, that's disgraceful.

"When KISS replaced Ace and Peter, and they brought in guys (drummer Eric Carr and guitarist Vinnie Vincent) who had their own makeup and their own thing, that was acceptable. That was awesome. They were their own characters."

Paul Stanley fired back in a new interview on Podcast One's Talk Is Jericho with Chris Jericho. Stanley told Jericho, "Let me put it in the simplest terms. In this case, this guy is a wannabe, has always been a wannabe and desperately wants attention and to be taken seriously and that will never happen because he's obviously clueless that he and his whole band are a bunch of buffoons."

Snider then responded to Stanley's criticism in an open letter posted on Facebook on Wednesday where he challenged the KISS star to an old-school sing-off without any props costumes, or pyro. He wrote, "First off, thanks for giving me the attention I-as you noted-- so desperately wanted.

"Now, I've always had nothing but respect for your band, and you as a performer, but it really comes as no surprise that the feeling isn't mutual. For some reason you are oddly threatened by me. This said, your recent comments about my band and I on Chris Jericho's podcast was a typical diversionary tactic used in an attempt to change the subject, rather than answer the actual accusation or question. It's the oldest interviewing trick in the book.

"As far as my 'whole band being a bunch of buffoons' goes, that's a pretty ironic statement coming from you. The argument could easily be made that Kiss is the 'king of the buffoons', so in an odd way you've paid Twisted Sister quite a compliment. It takes one to know one.

"Lastly, on the subject of me being a 'wannabe'? Do you really think so? Well then…any time, any stage. But let's do this old school -no costumes, no pyro, no bullsh*t - let's just get up there and rock. I will bury you, son.

"Sincerely, the attention getting, wannabe, lead buffoon of Twisted Sister, Dee Snider".

He also added the following postscript: "Did I mention that I'm clean, sober, razor sharp and fully capable of defending myself from any kind of lame attack? Just ask Al Gore."


Iron Maiden Singer Regrets Not Punching Axl Rose

Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson says that he regrets not punching Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose over an incident that occurred at a 1988 concert in Quebec City.
Guns N' Roses were opening the show for Iron Maiden at the Coliseum in the Canadian city in May of that year and Dickinson says in an interview with Le Journal de Montreal (via UCR) that he was angered over remarks Rose made about the French-Canadian fans speaking French to him.

Dickinson says of his reaction to Rose's comments, "I should have come on stage and give it a punch," he said. "How could he dare to speak to my audience in this way? I always regretted not having done so."



Motorhead Resume Tour Following Lemmy's Illness(hennemusic)

Motorhead resumed their North American tour on Tuesday following a recent series of shortened and cancelled shows due to health issues faced by frontman Lemmy Kilmister.
The concert at the Pageant Theatre in St. Louis marked the group's first full concert on their 40th anniversary tour in support of "Bad Magic" since August 24th.

"St.Louis!!!! St.Louis St.Louis SAINT LOOOOUUUIIISSSS!!!!!!," posted the band. "How LOVELY it was for Motörhead to kick every single one of your asses tonight eh?!!!!!!!"

Lemmy's return to the stage followed shortened shows in Salt Lake City, UT (Aug 27)and Austin, TX (Sep 1) after the singer experienced difficulty breathing at high altitudes.

Motorhead also cancelled shows in Denver (Aug 28), San Antonio (Sep 2), Dallas (Sep 4) and Houston (Sep 5) before it was learned that Lemmy was dealing with a lung infection. Read more here.



Rick Wakeman Cancels Wakemanfest Due To Health Concerns(Classic Rock)


Rick Wakeman has called off his Wakemanfest event over health concerns. He's also dropped a piano tour from his 2015 schedule, while a Christmas performance of Journey To The Centre Of The Earth is in doubt, and plans for next year will be curtailed.
It follows what he calls a "serious health scare" that took place earlier this year, after he finally began listening to warnings from his family and management.

Wakeman says on his website: "Although my health has improved, and blood pressure heading the right way, it's meant that, on advice, I have had to take a really close look at what is currently in for the rest of this year.

"Apart from Wakemanfest, piano dates in Scandinavia currently pencilled for November and December have had to go, and the proposed Journey To The Centre Of The Earth in Tenerife at Christmas is under review." Read more here.



Ritchie Blackmore Provides More Details About Rock Show Plans(Classic Rock)

Ritchie Blackmore insists his upcoming return to the rock scene is about much more than just nostalgia. The former Deep Purple and Rainbow guitarist is planning European shows for June 2016 where he will play a set consisting of the best of his work with those two bands. It'll be his first rock shows since splitting Rainbow in 1997 to focus on Blackmore's Night.
The guitarist says the passing of Deep Purple keyboard hero Jon Lord in 2012 and the 2010 death of Ronnie James Dio - coupled with the early stages of arthritis - made him want to play rock music again.

Blackmore tells Noisey: "I turned 70 and arthritis is starting to set in. Jon's not around. So many others aren't around. You start to see your friends pass and just feel it's time to play some of the old songs. Nostalgia is a big reason to do it, but not the only reason."

He insists the 2016 shows will be limited to a run of four. He says: "I am doing four dates in June, which will be all rock. I have the band basically together and it will be Rainbow and Deep Purple. It's just having fun but it's only four dates in Europe. I don't want to do anymore because I take what I'm doing now much more seriously." Read his view of the current rock scene here.



Bon Jovi Recruit New Guitarist(Classic Rock)

Bon Jovi have added New Jersey native Matt O'Ree to their live lineup. Radio station WRAT FM confirmed the news that he'd been brought in to replace Bobby Bandiera for the band's upcoming shows in the Far East - but Phil X, who plays on Bon Jovi's "fan" album Burning Bridges, will remain the group's main axeman.
The blues-based guitarist formed the Matt O'Ree Band in 1994 and last month joined Bon Jovi keyboardist David Bryan on stage at the Rock The Farm benefit gig in the US.

And while the majority of Bon Jovi's gigs will take place over the coming weeks, their two scheduled shows at Macao's Cotai Arena in China later this month have been cancelled by authorities. Read more here.



Police Have Fun Promoting Foo Fighters Concert(Classic Rock)

Pun-happy coppers in Edinburgh hit the right note with Foo Fighters fans during the band's show in the Scottish capital on Tuesday night. Police Scotland's Edinburgh Division sent out a series of tweets and Facebook posts in the lead up to and during Dave Grohl and co's sold-out performance at Murrayfield Stadium, using many of the group's song titles and a mention of Grohl's previous band to lighten the tone.
The first message posted read: "Murrayfield will be a musical Nirvana tonight when Foo Fighters and their special guests Royal Blood and Honeyblood take to the stage."

That was followed by: "Gates open from 4pm and Times Like These are likely to result in traffic congestion, so don't throw a Monkey Wrench into your evening and please make sure you plan your journey in advance and leave in plenty of time. It's unlikely you will Learn To Fly, so you won't want to be stuck in traffic before the show begins." Read more and see some of the posts here.



Eric Clapton Releases 'Cocaine' Performance From New Concert Film(Classic Rock)

Eric Clapton has released a video clip from his Slowhand At 70 concert movie, featuring a performance of classic track Cocaine at London's Royal Albert Hall.
The birthday show celebrated Clapton's 50-year career and also his return to the iconic venue, where he's played more than 200 times. Screenings take place across the world from September 14.

Slowhand At 70 includes material from throughout his career, including Robert Johnson tracks that originally inspired him, work with Cream and Derek And The Dominoes, and his solo catalogue. Watch the video clip here.


Glenn Hughes Side Project Voodoo Hill Streaming New Song(Classic Rock)

Voodoo Hill have released a lyric video for their song Waterfall. It's the title track from the group's upcoming third album, due out on October 16 via Frontiers Music Srl. Voodoo Hill is a collaboration between Italian guitarist and producer Dario Mollo and former Deep Purple singer Glenn Hughes.
Mollo says: "Waterfall came about as a result of the most prolific and creative period I had in my entire career. I wrote and recorded more than 35 song ideas in a very limited amount of time, leveraging from all the experiences I gathered as a guitar player, writer and producer.

"I also wanted the songs to sound as fresh as possible, trying my best to preserve the feeling of the overall performances, so I used very old school recording methods, including recording acoustic drums in rooms with natural reverb."

Mollo adds that he wanted Hughes to be more involved in the process on this record. He says: "I sent him the songs before the final mixes in order to have his advice on the final result. That was a precious process that brought substantial changes." Read more and check out the song here.



Slayer Frontman's Cameo Featured In Horror Movie Trailer(Classic Rock)

Slayer frontman Tom Araya makes a cameo appearance in a clip from horror metal movie Hairmetal Shotgun Zombie Massacre, which recently completed shooting.
Lamb Of God's Randy Blythe and Morbid Angel's David Vincent also make cameos in the film, based on the adventures of a band called Witches' Lips, whose music has been written and performed by ex Judas Priest frontman Tim 'Ripper' Owens and Phil Anselmo collaborator Marzi Montazeri.

Creators Joshua Allan Vargas and Jvstin Whitney - who spent 11 years on the project - recently explained: "A hair metal band, while struggling to find its own identity, decides to record its first full-length album in a notorious cemetery.

"Chock full of weed, coke and booze, the band unwittingly open a gate that allows demons to possess corpses. With the odds getting slimmer, the band must battle hordes of the undead - and hope to get a record deal somewhere in the process." Watch the trailer here.



Keith Richards Releases Trailer For 'Under The Influence' Documentary(hennemusic)

Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards has issued the trailer for the documentary, "Under The Influence", ahead of its September 17 premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.
The project will then see its broadcast debut on Netflix on September 18 - the same day Richards' first solo album in more than three decades, "Crosseyed Heart", hits stores.

Directed by Morgan Neville (20 Feet From Stardom, Best Of Enemies), the film is billed as "an unprecedented look into the sounds and influences of rock and roll icon Keith Richards."

"If there's a Mount Rushmore of Rock 'n' Roll, Keith's face is surely on it," says Neville. "He has always represented the soul of rock music-for all of the light and dark shades that implies. To my relief, Keith Richards turned out to be a real man-full of humor, knowledge and wisdom. That's the real Keith we've worked to capture in our film and I'm honored to bring it to a global audience via Netflix."

"Under The Influence" visits many of the places that have inspired the Rolling Stones guitarist, including Chicago, Nashville and New York, with guest appearances from fellow artists like Tom Waits. Watch the trailer here.




Scale The Summit Release 'Blue Sun' Video(Prog)

Scale The Summit have premiered their video for Blue Sun with Prog. It's taken from the US prog metal outfit's fifth album V, out on September 18 via Prosthetic Records.
Guitarist Chris Letchford had the following to say: "People have always wanted STS to go crazy with shredding - and we finally catered to that demand on this song.

"I consider this the album's epic song. It has some of my favorite parts of the whole record. We're really tapping into prog metal goodness on this one." Watch the video here.




The Aristocrats Star Not Happy With Fans Filming Concerts(Prog)

Guthrie Govan says his performances with supergroup The Aristocrats can be compromised when people in the audience are recording the show. His main issue with fans using phones to shoot video is that the results will be seen and heard out of context.
And that makes the guitarist think twice about improvising when he's playing with bassist Bryan Beller and drummer Marco Minnemann. Govan tells MusicRadar: "I don't like the whole filming thing at all. Improvising in front of an audience carries a certain element of risk.

"I've always liked the idea of trying to create a unique moment. I find it can be disruptive to that mindset to think that whatever I'm trying to do - regardless of whether it works - could end up on YouTube hours later, without any sense of context." Read more here.




Napalm Death Release 'How The Years Condemn' Video(TeamRock Radio)

Napalm Death have released a video for their track How The Years Condemn. It's taken from their latest album Apex Predator - Easy Meat, released earlier this year via Century Media.
Bassist Shane Embury says that the self-reflective lyrics of the track were inspired by a stay in hospital several years ago, when he was forced to confront his mortality.

He says: "I thought about how lucky I was to be doing what I had always dreamed of doing, and in doing so, the awesome people, friends and loved ones that I had met and who now accompany me on this strange journey called life.

"To my loved ones I realized I had been selfish and it was time for a change, a realization that we are not invincible nor are we indestructible." Watch the video here.



David Bowie Albums Being Released On Limited Edition Colored Vinyl(stache)

A special reissue campaign has been launched for selected David Bowie albums, which sees three of his classic albums released on high-quality, colored vinyl. We were sent the following details:
A limited edition colored version of Heathen was just released, while its successor, Reality, will be released 9/25. Heathen's predecessor, Hours..., will be out 11/20.

2002's Heathen marked a reunion with producer Tony Visconti, who was at the helm for most of Bowie's classic '70s albums. It wound up achieving the highest U.S. chart position of any Bowie album since 1984's Tonight. Guest performers on Heathen include icons Pete Townshend and Dave Grohl. The new reissue of Heathen is pressed on blue vinyl.

Reality was released barely a year after Heathen. The Bowie/Visconti partnership was once again active for this critically acclaimed album. The BBC took notice, placing Reality"among (Bowie)'s very best works." The album contains nine original tracks as well as covers of Jonathan Richman's "Pablo Picasso" and George Harrison's "Try Some, Buy Some." Reality is being reissued on clear vinyl.

Hours... was released right before the turn of the millennium, and was groundbreaking at the time for its utilization of then-new internet technology. It was the first album to be made available as a digital download before being released in stores, underscoring Bowie's cutting-edge persona. The single "Thursday's Child" received airplay on alternative radio, and Bowie performed it on Saturday Night Live. This new, limited version of Hours...was pressed on translucent blue vinyl. A remastered CD version of Hours... is currently available, enhanced with 5 bonus tracks and an elaborate 10-panel digipak.

All three albums are being pressed on 180-gram vinyl, and contain tri-fold covers, spotlighting each album's incredible artwork.

Heathen, Reality, and Hours... have all been mastered by Joe Reagoso (Jeff Beck/Deep Purple) and will be available at your favorite physical and online retailers. Additionally, they are available via Friday Music's David Bowie store, which you can find here.




Bon Jovi's Chinese Tour Dates Canceled By Authorities(Radio.com)

Bon Jovi is huge in China, and Chinese fans were looking forward to the band's first dates in the country, which were supposed to have taken place next week. However, the shows have been canceled without explanation.
CBSN reports that it is believed that the shows were cancelled because the group has used the Dalai Lama's image on the band's video screens on a past tour.

Bon Jovi's 2009 video "We Weren't Born to Follow" featured imagery from the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests against the Chinese government, which probably didn't help Bon Jovi's case. Read more here.



Ringo Uncovers Motherload of Beatles Negatives(Radio.com)

Ringo just hit the motherload of Beatles memorabilia. The former Beatle was recently forced to move some of his things in storage when he came across thousands of undeveloped negatives.
The majority of the negatives contained images of Starr's former band mates, George, Paul and John, including their first visit to the United States in 1964.

Sure, early photos of The Beatles aren't hard to find, but the ones available to the public were mostly taken by the media. Ringo's photos obviously come from a different perspective.

Never to be duplicated, the drummer's photos were taken while the band was living in their natural habitat, and Ringo's convinced that his former band mates have or had similar personal collections of their own. Read more here.



Foo Fighters Rock Cover Of 'Molly's Lips' In Scotland(Radio.com)

Although he was the drummer in one of the biggest rock bands of the past quarter century, Dave Grohl has mostly steered clear of the Nirvana catalog at Foo Fighters concerts. Other than "Marigold," a Nirvana B-side that he wrote and sung (and which didn't feature Kurt Cobain), Grohl has never played any Nirvana material in his current band.

That changed for a few seconds on Tuesday night, as the Foo Fighters played in Edinburgh, Scotland, the hometown of legendary punk band the Vaselines.

Nirvana covered that band's classic "Molly's Lips," and on Tuesday night the Foo Fighters played it as well, adding it to the long list of covers they've done on this tour, along with Queen and David Bowie's "Under Pressure," and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' "Breakdown." Read more here.




Bring Me The Horizon Streaming New Song 'Avalanche'(Radio.com)

Bring Me The Horizon have debuted yet another track from their forthcoming album, That's The Spirit, which hits stores this Friday, Sept. 11. Earlier this week, BBC Radio 1 host Annie Mac premiered the new track, titled "Avalanche."
"Avalanche" serves as the fourth track BMTH released from the album after "Happy Song," "That's The Spirit" and "'Throne." Earlier this year the band parted ways Epitaph for a move to Colombia Records here in the U.S.

So, the band is finally represented by the same company (Sony) on both sides of the pond. This, coupled with their more refined sound could lead to wider audiences. The Sheffield band's labelmates now include AC/DC, One Direction and System Of A Down.

Supporting BMTH on all headlining dates will be Atlanta metalcore band, Issues. The 18-city tour will crescendo with three festival performances ending with San Bernardino, California's Knotfest on October 25. Check out the new song here.



Diatessaron's New Album 'Sunshine' Streaming Online(Prog)

Diatessaron have streamed their second album Sunshine exclusively with Prog. The 11-track album will be released tomorrow, September 11 and follows the launch of lead track All The Way in July.
They say: "Sunshine has been an absolute thrill to create - it's a personal, poetic, beautiful record with a depth of sound we'd never been able to capture properly with our previous recordings."

The Canadian outfit describe their work as classic prog, influenced by iconic groups of the genre including Genesis, Rush, King Crimson and others. Stream the full album here.




Iron Maiden Billboard Censored In Germany(hennemusic)

A billboard promoting Iron Maiden's newly-released album, "The Book Of Souls", has been covered up by a group of angry parents in the Kreuzberg district of Berlin, Germany.
Stern.de reports the cover artwork from the band's first-ever double album - designed by Mark Wilkinson and featuring the group's mascot Eddie - has been censored by concerned parents who say the image has no business being advertised close to schools in the area.

The group hung a handwritten sign over the billboard with the message (roughly translated): "In the immediate vicinity are several kindergartens and a primary school. This poster here has nothing to FIND!" Read more and see a photo of the billboard here.



Joe Louis Walker Streaming New Song 'One Sunny Day'(Classic Rock)

Joe Louis Walker has debuted his lyric video for One Sunny Day with TeamRock. It's taken from upcoming album Everybody Wants A Piece, to be launched on October 9 via Provogue.
Walker says: "I'd like to be known for the credibility of a lifetime. Sometimes I feel I've learned more from my failures than from my success. But that's made me stronger and more adventurous, and helped me create my own style.

"I'd like to think that when someone puts on one of my records they would know from the first notes, 'That's Joe Louis Walker.'" Walker is currently touring North America, with European dates in October. Check out the new song here.




Tommy Castro and The Painkillers Announce New Album(The Blues)

Tommy Castro and the Painkillers will release second album Method To My Madness on October 23, the mainman has confirmed. And he describes the follow-up to 2014's The Devil You Know as a return to his "basic ingredients" of blues and soul, while still presenting something different from his past works.
Six-time Blues Music Awards winner Castro says: "I've always been a blues guy - it's what I'm meant to do. But I'm always listening and reacting to what's going on in the outside world, experimenting with my guitar tone and my songwriting to keep my music fresh.

"With the new album I went for the energy of connecting with my band. We kept everything raw, capturing the feeling of playing live." Read more including the tracklisting here.


Primal Fear Release Preview Of New Album 'Rulebreaker'(TeamRock Radio)

Primal Fear have issued a teaser for their 11th album. Titled Rulebreaker, it's due for release on January 29, 2016, via Frontiers Music. It's the follow-up to 2014's Delivering The Black.
The German outfit announced a number of lineup changes earlier this year, with the band recruiting former UDO drummer Francesco Jovino to replace Aquiles Priester. Founding guitarist Tom Naumann also rejoined as a full-time member.

The lineup is completed by singer Ralf Scheepers, bassist Mat Sinner and guitarists Magnus Karlsson and Alex Beyrodt. Watch the new album teaser video here.



Tremonti Announce UK Leg Of European Tour(TeamRock Radio)

Tremonti have added five UK dates to their European tour. Mark Tremonti and co will play Birmingham, Edinburgh, Manchester, Bristol and London in December, supporting second album Cauterize, which was launched in June.
Alter Bridge guitarist Tremonti recently said of the work: "It's mostly influenced by a mix of being in the back of mum's car, listening to 70s soft rock and then growing up, then being a Slayer fan and Celtic Frost fan.

"I love black metal, speed metal, the thrash movement. You mix that with 70s soft rock so you've got the melody combined with the thrash - that's what I love." See the dates here.


Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! Announce UK Winter Tour(TeamRock Radio)

Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! have announced a winter UK tour. The seven-date December run has been set up in support of their third album Get Lost, Find Yourself, released in May via Fearless Records.
The band say: "We're super stoked to announce that we're finally getting back to the UK. This is gonna be our first time headlining in two years over here and we'll be playing a lot of old and new songs for you guys. We hope you're ready to party hard and have a good time because we are!"

Prior to the new UK dates, the French outfit will play in Japan and Australia before heading to Europe in October, which includes an appearance at London's Alexandria Palace on October 18.

Tim Abrigg Jr.'s Rock and Roll News Of The Day!: Today's Day In Rock News!

Tim Abrigg Jr.'s Rock and Roll News Of The Day!: Today's Day In Rock News!: Bruce Dickinson Believes Sex Virus Caused His Cancer Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson says in a new interview that he believes...

Today's Day In Rock News!

Bruce Dickinson Believes Sex Virus Caused His Cancer

Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson says in a new interview that he believes that his throat and mouth cancer was caused by a virus that is contracted via oral sex.
Dickinson made the revelation during a Sirius-XM interview where he said, (via Ultimate Classic Rock, "It's a virus - HPV, human papilloma virus. They all are. I'm almost willing to bet, anytime you hear about somebody who gets tonsil cancer, throat cancer, lung cancer, whatever it is, if they're not heavy smokers and they're not massive, heavy drinkers, it's almost inevitably [HPV]."

He continued, "There's a five hundred percent increase in this type of cancer in men over 40 - five hundred percent increase. It's massive. It's the same virus that causes cervical cancer. The diagnosis is the same. It's the same words they use.

He went on to address the fact that some people have already discounted a similar claim made by actor Michael Douglas about the cause of his cancer, "everybody makes the jokes about Michael Douglas, 'cause he was having oral sex and it's just, like, okay, we need to get over that one, guys, because this is kind of serious. There's hundreds of thousands of people at risk for this."




Def Leppard Release New Album Teaser Video(hennemusic)

Def Leppard have issued a 10-second video teaser promoting the fall release of their upcoming self-titled album. Expected in October, the UK rockers have been in the studio working on the follow-up to 2008's "Songs From The Sparkle Lounge" after completing some marathon songwriting sessions last year.
Frontman Joe Elliott recently revealed the project is essentially done. "Yeah, it's finished. We're just doing simple, last-minute adjustments," says Elliott. "The first song is going to go to radio [this] month. It's a 14-track, 55-minute album. It's just called 'Def Leppard' because that's what it sounds like. It doesn't sounds like any one specific era of Def Leppard. It's got everything.

"You'll listen and you go 'Oh, that sounds like Def Leppard' or you'll go 'That is Leppard, but sounds a bit like Led Zeppelin or Queen but you can hear the AC/DC or the Crosby, Stills and Nash coming through.'

"We have not shied away from anything that's influenced us in our growing up periods of our life. Just because we've made the kind of music we've made doesn't mean to say we don't like all of this other stuff." Watch the video here.



Motorhead Cancel Live Shows Until Lemmy's Health Improves(Classic Rock)

Motorhead cancelled their scheduled appearance in Texas last night and won't return to live action until Lemmy is "properly rested." The band pulled out of their show in San Antonio - their second gig cancellation in the space of a week after a performance in Denver was called off earlier. Frontman Lemmy has also cut two shows short in that time, firstly in Salt Lake City last week and then in Austin on Tuesday.
Lemmy walked off stage four songs into the Salt Lake City gig last week, blaming breathing difficulties on the altitude. He managed just three tracks in Austin. The San Antonio show went ahead without Motorhead, as Saxon stepped in to headline.

In a statement, Motorhead say: "As you might have heard, Motorhead again had to abbreviate a performance due to Lemmy not feeling well. This is a direct follow-on from the altitude issues in Colorado and, clearly, Lemmy tried to get back at it too quickly.

"Lemmy will resume duties the moment he is properly rested and firing on all cylinders again." Read more here.




Tom DeLonge's Angels And Airwaves Get Experimental With New EP(Radio.com)

Angels & Airwaves are set to release their new 4-song ...Of Nightmares EP tomorrow (September 4) and it's one of the band's most experimental works to date.
The new disc serves as a companion to Poet Anderson …Of Nightmares, the first of three Poet Anderson novels by Tom DeLonge and New York Times best-selling young-adult fiction author Suzanne Young.

Before DeLonge's much talked about split from Blink-182, he had been working feverishly on "four major franchises" one of which is Poet Anderson; a multi-media adventure about the connection between dreams and consciousness, with a lead character inspired by his own 9 year old son Jonas.

Following last December's release of the award-winning animated short film, Poet Anderson: The Dream Walker, DeLonge delivered the full-length The Dream Walker album, followed shortly thereafter by the comic book series of the same name. Now, with the release of the first novel set for October 6, his band Angels & Airwaves are giving fans something to listen to as they read along.

"The book was going to come out as an enhanced novel where you can listen to the music as you read," DeLonge tells Radio.com. "So we needed music that wasn't going to distract you, but we also wanted this to be an EP where we weren't going in just to write completely normal songs. We wanted music to be experimental and artistic."

Speaking about how the EP's tracks came together, DeLonge explains that each song began as a single sound--something that inspired the rest of the melody--something that served as the initial building block. "It was always something small, some little beeping synth thing," says DeLonge. "This was definitely exploration in the studio. It wasn't going in and hammering out ideas that were already in mind." As an example, the song "Home," which DeLonge jokes as having the "worst title ever," was inspired by a hypnotic droning sound that he saw at an art installation. He notes the sound "always resonated with me." Read more here.




The Kinks Reunion Still Possible Says Dave Davies(Classic Rock)

The Kinks guitarist Dave Davies fears the chance of a reunion has reduced to an "outside shot" - but still hopes it can happen. Speculation increased that he and brother Ray could settle their differences after the pair staged a private reunion last year, and even played music together. Both later spoke positively about going back to work.
But Dave tells Rolling Stone: "I'd say there's an outside shot. But where there's life, there's hope. I know Ray has a lot coming up, and I do as well, so we'll see how things span out.

"A lot depends on how Ray and I feel by the end of the year, physically, emotionally and psychologically. I wish I could give a more definitive answer - but I don't want to jump the gun." Read more here.



Pantera Sock Puppet Parody Features Cameo From Vinnie Paul(TeamRock Radio)

Vinnie Paul makes a cameo appearance in a sock puppet parody of Pantera classic Walk. The former Pantera and current Hellyeah drummer pops up towards the end of the video by sock puppet band Hamptera.
It features the group singing about the inconvenience of socks sliding down the wearer's foot and includes lyrics like, "Each step is shifting down your shoe," and, "Re-adjust, sock, slipping' away."

An audience of socks headbangs along to the track before Paul's cameo. The people behind the Sock Puppet Parody previously took on tracks by Slayer, Drowning Pool and Immortal. Watch the Walk parody video here.



Marty Friedman Streaming 'Jasmine Cyanide' From Upcoming Release(TeamRock Radio)

Marty Friedman has released a lyric video for his track Jasmine Cyanide. The song is taken from the upcoming digital deluxe re-issue of his 2014 solo album Inferno, due for release via Prosthetic on September 4.
Jasmine Cyanide and Ballad Of The Barbie Bandits are exclusive bonus tracks on the re-release and ex Megadeth guitarist Friedman says the former was the first song written for the album, before he decided to exclude it.

He says: "This was a big collaborative effort with the band Skyharbor, Danko Jones and myself. Dan Tompkins came up with the brilliant lyrics and melody line. Danko Jones heard Dan's amazing vocal tracks in the LA studio where I was working, because I had enlisted Danko to sing backups to Dan's lead vocals.

"Once we got started with that, Danko had a few vocal and lyrical ideas that I really liked and I couldn't ignore, so Danko and I did a rewrite on the spot. I love the song, but it didn't fit anywhere in the sequencing of the album nicely, so it didn't make it to the final album, and it found its way to the Japan bonus tracks." Watch the lyric video here.



Lynyrd Skynyrd Perform First Two Albums On New DVD and Blu-Ray

Eagle Rock have announced the release of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin'nérd & Second Helping - Live From Jacksonville At The Florida Theatre" on DVD, Blu-Ray and digitally on October 23rd and they have also revealed an online video clip from the package as a preview.
The new release was filmed during two special concerts earlier this year where the southern rock legends performed their first two studio albums in their entirety for the very first time. A preview clip of the performance of "Gimme Three Steps" can be seen here.

In addition to the standard versions that will be widely released, there will be a special version that will feature a DVD and 2-CDs that will be released exclusively at Walmart. Check out the tracklisting here.




Public Image Ltd Launching What The World Needs Now Tour

Public Image Ltd have announced they will be launching a North American tour this fall in support of their new album, "What The World Needs Now", which is set to be released tomorrow, September 4th.
The band has not played North America in three years but that will all change on Halloween night when they perform at this year's Voodoo Music + Arts Experience in New Orleans, LA.

PiL will then launch a headlining tour the next night, November 1st, in Memphis at the New Daisy Theatre and they will conclude the trek on November 29th in Los Angeles at the Fonda Theater. See the tour dates here.




Operation: Mindcrime Stream New Song 'The Stranger'(Classic Rock)


Operation: Mindcrime have released a lyric video for their track The Stranger. It's taken from the group's upcoming debut album The Key, issued on September 18 via Frontiers Music Srl.
The album marks Geoff Tate's first release since reaching a legal settlement with his former colleagues in Queensryche. The Key is the first in a trilogy of records that explores "international politics, the world economy and social ethos."

Tate revealed last month that the band have already completed much of the work on the second part of the trilogy. They previously released videos for the songs Burn and Re-Inventing The Future. Stream the new song here.




Garbage Celebrating Self-Titled Debut's 20-Year Anniversary With Reissue(Radio.com)

With a 20-year anniversary tour already announced for this fall, alternative rock icons Garbage have announced a reissue of their seminal 1995 self-titled classic.
Garbage will be available in a standard edition, deluxe edition, and, for the die-hards, a super deluxe edition. The super deluxe contains all 12 original tracks + 9 G-sides (Garbage's cute way of saying B-side) + 29 remixes + 12 alternate versions.

For vinyl enthusiasts, the release will have a standard double-LP offering and a limited edition three LP set, which will also include a fanzine and an autographed photo of the band. Check out the list of unreleased tracks that will be available here.




Autopsy Announce 4-Disc Set and Special Vinyl Release

Autopsy have announced two special releases this November via Peaceville Records including a limited edition four-disc set and a special Black Friday vinyl release of a new album.
The four-disc set, entitled "After The Cutting", is set to be released on November 13th and includes a book written by Dennis Dread along with new tracks, rarities and classic songs from the group.

The band will also be celebrating Black Friday (November 27th) with the special vinyl release of "Skull Grinder." The album features seven new songs that are featured on the "After The Cutting" box set. The band plans to release the effort on CD next year.

Autopsy had the following to say about the releases, "We at Autopsy HQ are pleased to have the opportunity to once again torture your minds and ear holes through the medium of recorded brutality. The band went back to Fantasy Studios in Berkeley in late July to record a brand new release called 'Skull Grinder.' Musically, it's just what you'd expect from us; no style changes, wimp outs, sell outs, settling down or caving in. Add to that acknowledgement of the obvious, some of Wes Benscoter's sickest art yet to (dis)grace the cover, and you have a new sledgehammer to the bowels with no apologies offered whatsoever.

"In case that isn't enough to bring the taste of bile into the back of your throat, let it be known that there is also a four-disc set on the way titled 'After the Cutting,' packed with hours of horrifying music, cover art from none other than Kev Walker as well as an extensive book written by Dennis Dread, riddled with interviews, photos and other assorted uncleanliness. The release date for both of these monstrosities is slated for this coming November. More details are forthcoming..."




Black Stone Cherry Release Video From First Ever Live DVD(Classic Rock)

Black Stone Cherry will release their first ever live DVD next month. Thank You: Livin' Live is issued via Eagle Vision on October 30. The gig was shot on the band's Magic Mountain tour in Birmingham, England, in 2014. A video of their performance of White Trash Millionaire at the LG Arena show has been made available as a teaser.
The set is available to pre-order on DVD or Blu-ray and in a range of bundles with extras including CDs, t-shirts and other items. As well as the live show, the film includes interview material and additional live tracks shot at this year's Download.

Guitarist Ben Wells says: "We are beyond excited to bring you this live DVD. Growing up watching my Elvis and Aerosmith DVDs and VHS tapes, I never thought I would be in a band that would one day be releasing one - and in an arena at that."

Frontman Chris Robertson adds: "I remember our first gig headlining in Birmingham at the Barfly and I thought about that night many times as we were filming this DVD. It was truly an amazing experience that we will cherish forever and we have to give all the credit to the amazing fans for showing up and making it all possible." Watch the White Trash Millionaire video from the release here.




Slayer's Tom Araya Explains His Respect For Anthrax(Classic Rock)

Slayer's Tom Araya says he can't wait to hit the road with Anthrax and that he admires Scott Ian and co for never changing who they are. The singer and bass player recalls meeting Anthrax for the first time on the 1990/1991 Clash Of The Titans tour. The two bands will tour together again later this year.
Araya tells the Metal Hammer Magazine show on TeamRock Radio: "They've never changed, they've always been the same guys. Which is a rarity because a lot of people change. It will be great to see them and do another tour with them. They have good humor, it'll be fun."

Amaya adds that he has also stayed pretty much the same, other than that he tends to avoid the spotlight when he's not on stage. He adds: "One thing that has changed is that I shy away from publicity. I don't make appearances. I won't go to a club, I feel uncomfortable. I'm a bass player and I play in this band called Slayer. And that's the extent of how I feel about what I do." Read more here.




Foo Fighters and Social Distortion Lead Love Ride Festival Lineup

Southern California punk legends Social Distortion have been added to the bill of this year's Love Ride Festival benefit concert which is being headlined by the Foo Fighters.
The festival is set to take place Castaic Lake in Southern California (41 miles North of Los Angeles) on October 18th and is being staged to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project.

Social Distortion's Mike Ness had the following to say, "We've wanted to be a part of the Love Ride for years now, so we are stoked that our friends the Foo Fighters asked us to be involved for the final ride; which makes it bitter sweet.

"Founder Oliver Shokouh and the Love Ride Foundation have done an amazing job over the years raising money and awareness for many great organizations, so we're looking forward to contributing to this year's effort and doing our part in raising awareness for the Wounded Warrior Project. This incredible group of people assists our wounded service members with their injuries, illness', create support networks, help with their transition back into civilian life and more. We're honored to be performing this year and we're looking forward to a great day of rock 'n' roll for a great cause." Find more details about the event here.




Tool Surprise Fans With Unusual Limited Edition Item(Radio.com)

Tool fans are chomping at the bit to any news about new music from the band. After all, it's been over nine years since they released 2006's 10,000 Days.
Fans hoping for an update on the effort were surprised by a post on the band's official web announcing a different type of new release: a limited edition Tool blanket.

The post poked fun at the band's lag between albums asking, 'Can I have your full attention please, yes You - checking to see if this is new album news? It's not, but I am certainly excited to announce that More Tool MULTI-PURPOSE BLANKETS have been produced - 3 DIFFERENT ONES in fact - all in VERY LIMITED QUANTITIES!" Each different version of the blanket will cost you $200.

The blankets are made from recycled Tool shirts and are 'comfortable for home use and durable enough for festivals."They have been made in the USA and feature a fleece bottomside and polyester thread and reinforced double stitching. Check out a photo of one of the blankets here.




Ghost's Acoustic Performance Of 'If You Have Ghosts' Goes Online(hennemusic)

Ghost performed an acoustic version of Roky Erickson's "If You Have Ghosts" at HardDrive Radio studios and video from the session has surfaced online.
The Swedish band covered the tune as the title track to their 2013 Dave Grohl-produced EP after it originally appeared on Erickson's 1981 album with The Aliens, "The Evil One."

Ghost recently launched their third album, "Meliora", with an unplugged tour of US record stores. The follow-up to 2013's "Infestissumam" was produced by Klas Åhlund and mixed by Andy Wallace and sees the debut of vocalist Papa Emeritus III alongside the Nameless Ghouls.

"Meliora" delivered Ghost their first-ever US Top 10 when the album debuted on the Billboard 200 at No. 8 with opening week sales of 29,000 copies.

Ghost will begin the Black To The Future North American tour at The Fillmore in Washington, DC on September 22. Watch the video here.



Prog Supergroup Waken Eyes Announce Album and Stream Preview(Prog)

Prog supergroup Waken Eyes, featuring members of the Aristocrats, Symphony X and Darkwater, announced that they will release their debut album Exodus on October 30th.
The lineup features vocalist Henrik Bath (Darkwater), guitarist-keyboardist Tom Frelek, bassist Mike Lepond (Symphony X) and drummer Marco Minnemann (Aristocrats, Steven Wilson)

Frelek says: "The album is about being fearless - every song has something to do about fearlessness. It's an album for those who struggle to stand up for themselves and can't be heard." Check out the album teaser video here.




Clutch Wanted Tommy Lee John To Guest On New Album(Classic Rock)

Clutch frontman Neil Fallon says he wanted actor Tommy Lee Jones to voice the opening track on upcoming album Psychic Warfare. The Affidavit features ambient noise and Fallon's spoken word as he plays the role of a detective. But he really wanted the star of No Country For Old Men and the Men In Black films to voice the part.
Clutch were keen to come up with an opening to the record rather than launch right into the track X-Ray Visions. After dismissing the idea of an instrumental opener, the settled on a piece that links to the second track.

In an album commentary video issue via the band's YouTube page, Fallon says: "When we got the mixes of the record we were on tour and we got to talking about how we could intro the record, other than just starting cold with X-Ray Visions.

"The subject of ambient noise came up. A couple of days later the bus was parked in Memphis, Tennessee, in front of The Peabody Hotel and I believe it was a jazz and blues awards ceremony that was going on. The place was just rammed.

"I walked into the lobby with my iPhone and made these circuits around the bar and lobby and recorded the conversations, the sounds of ice and drinks and clinking china."

He continues: "A couple of days later we listened to the ambient noise and it was hard to justify by itself, so I listened to the first words of X-Ray Visions and realized this could be a statement of sort.

"The person you hear speaking - I wanted to get Tommy Lee Jones to do it but I'm sure he's busy. I did my best to mimic the man, terribly. It's a private investigator or detective asking the character in X-Ray Visions what the hell happened." Watch the video here.



Runaways' Jackie Fox Reacts To Chrissie Hynde's Rape Comments(Classic Rock)

Ex-Runaway Jackie Fox has spoken out over Chrissie Hynde's comments about rape this past weekend. Pretenders vocalist Hynde drew controversy by suggesting that women could sometimes be at fault over sex attacks, citing her own experience of being the victim of a biker gang assault at the age of 21, while under the influence of drugs.
In July Fox said she'd been raped by Runaways impresario Kim Fowley in a hotel room in 1975, while members of the band and their entourage looked on.And while she refuses to criticize Hynde personally, she's critical of the message she may have sent.

Fox, real name Fuchs, tells Yahoo: "It bothers me, because I don't know that she's gone out there and talked to rape victims. If you had seen the messages that people sent me, so many of them were about 'I've always thought it was my fault.' We already think that anyway.

"So this is just telling people who've gone through this experience of being raped or abused, 'Yeah, you're right, it is your fault.' But there's no such thing as asking for it. And poor judgment is not an invitation to rape, nor an excuse for it." Read more including Hynde's comments that sparked the controversy here.




Angra Release 'Black Hearted Soul' Video(Classic Rock)

Angra have released a video for their track Black Hearted Soul. It's taken from the band's album Secret Garden, which was released in January, and features Megadeth guitarist Kiko Loureiro.
Loureiro replaced Chris Broderick in Dave Mustaine's crew and will appear on that group's 15th album. Angra said they were proud of their friend for landing the job in Megadeth, but recently admitted they would have to continue without him.

Founding guitarist Rafael Bittencourt told Revolver: "At this moment, Kiko is managing to finish the Secret Garden world tour with us, coupled with touring with Megadeth. Soon, that won't be possible, so he will be taking Megadeth as a priority, most probably as his exclusive band.

"Since we won't be able to count on having him with us very soon, the solution will be to find a substitute for him." Watch the new video here.



Casablanca Release 'Closer' Music Video(Classic Rock)

Casablanca have released a video for Closer, taken from the band's new album Miskatonic Graffitti, the follow-up to 2013's Riding A Black Swan. The band include Ryan Roxie, who's played with Slash's Snakepit and Alice Cooper, and Sahara Hotnights drummer Josephine Forsman.
"Closer is about the couple Mat and Josie who find themselves confronted and chased by something or someone who've slipped through the passage to The Mountains, and seems to wanna kill 'em," say the band. "The story takes sudden turn, when Sgt Doom joins in. A classic horror story that ends in favour of the victim while the perpetrator ends up facing a cruel death."

"When Casablanca said they wanted a video that was part Lovecraft part Twin Peaks we couldn't pass on the opportunity to work with such cool influences - and great music too!" adds director Alex Taylor. "We used the opportunity to channel found footage horror films through our love of 70's horror like Evil Dead to make something that's hopefully as much fun to watch as it was to make."

Miskatonic Graffitti is released on September 25 on Despotz Records, and tells the story of The Originals, a group of creatures who pre-date H.P. Lovecraft's Old Ones and refuse to give up on their dreams of sex, love, rock and fast cars, despite the impending collapse of civilization. Watch the video here.




Tony Banks Looks Back At Evolution Of Genesis' Complex Stage Shows(Classic Rock)

Genesis keyboardist Tony Banks has reflected on how his band began developing their complex stage shows. The veteran musician will be named this year's Prog God at the Progressive Music Awards this week.
He spoke to BBC Radio 2's Steve Wright alongside Matthew Wright, who'll present the annual ceremony at London's Underglobe today (September 3). Asked about prog music's celebration of elaborate performance, Banks said: "When we first came on the scene we tried to do as little as possible - I continue to do that! Fortunately, some other people in the group managed to get it together. Peter Gabriel became fantastic as a performer.

"I think he realized that when he was up there he had to do something. We had quite long instrumental sections and breaks between songs, he had to have something to do. Simple things like the flower became such a visual statement for Genesis."

He joked about his fellow 1970s prog giants: "We hated all the other ones - they were the competition. We hated the really successful ones most, Yes, ELP and that lot." Read more here.


Kitten Pyramid Premiere 'High Five Scuba Dive' Video(Prog)

Kitten Pyramid have premiered their video for High Five Scuba Dive with Prog. The track features guest guitar by Matt Stevens, and it's taken from their EP of the same name, set for launch on October 23, to tie in with a UK tour supporting Tom Robinson.
The video tells the story of mainman Scott Milligan's late uncle, who started work with an ice cream van company before being diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.

Milligan says: "By this time he had started experiencing episodes that left him unable to work. More often than not he picked the ice-cream van up, drove it straight home and went to bed without doing his rounds - much to the disappointment of the local kids."

The story will be developed in the feature film Uh-Oh!, which shares its theme and title with Kitten Pyramid's 2014 debut album. Watch the new video here.



Skindred Release 'Under Attack' Video(TeamRock Radio)

Skindred have premiered their new music video for new song Under Attack, a track that comes off the band's new studio album "Volume", which is set to be released on October 30th.
Speaking to Hammer about the video, drummer Arya Goggin says: "With the Under Attack video we wanted the band in a small space with our fans. Down and dirty. The song is such a riffing track so we wanted a video that would compliment it.

"Hanging out with fans and then going mental with them throughout the day was great fun. You can't fake that energy, and that's what the cameras captured." Watch the video here.


Singled Out: Eat the Gun's Howlinwood

Today Hendrik Wippermann from Eat the Gun tells us about the title track of their brand new album "Howlinwood," which is set to be released in North America tomorrow (September 4th). Here is the story:
I always wanted to write a song that is dedicated to my love for being a musician. It's hard to do that without coming up with something that sounds rather cheesy or self-absorbed. So I tried to find something that describes the unique atmosphere music creates.

Like most times, inspiration surprised me with a fantasy name: Howlinwood. I thought about its meaning for a while and found it to be great name for an imaginary city where music is the center of all things. I asked myself why I would want to live in Howlinwood and came up with a simple rhyme that later became the song's chorus: "Take me to Howlinwood, where the music plays and life is good".

To me music is like a parallel universe or a second world I inhabit. It's a great place to hang out because everyday life just fades away and there's nothing else but music to care about.

The lyrics mainly deal with the realities of everyday life like unfulfilled dreams, the lack of freedom, or the striving for independence. All the things that make us want to break out and run free sometimes.

It doesn't matter if you're a musician or a music fan, we're all addicted to this special atmosphere that only music is able to create. It sets you free…ok, this definitely sounds a little cheesy but it's simply true.

Tim Abrigg Jr.'s Rock and Roll News Of The Day!: Today's Day In Rock News!

Tim Abrigg Jr.'s Rock and Roll News Of The Day!: Today's Day In Rock News!: Guns N' Roses Reunion Rumor Addressed By Festival Promoter(hennemusic) Soundwave Festival promoter AJ Maddah has made his firs...

Today's Day In Rock News!

Guns N' Roses Reunion Rumor Addressed By Festival Promoter(hennemusic)

Soundwave Festival promoter AJ Maddah has made his first public comments on rumors that Guns N' Roses will reunite to headline the Australian event next year.
James Young, the owner of Melbourne's rock and roll Cherry Bar, told Triple M radio last week that he had heard rumors within the industry that a GNR reunion would take place, just days after Slash revealed that he and Axl Rose were on friendly terms again.

"It's been nice for me personally to share this fantasy for a few days along with the fans but it is not happening for SW16," Maddah tells Music Feeds. "I sure hope those guys do get back together again as there has never been, or as far as I am concerned ever will be such a potent force for rock'n roll than the original GNR in full flight.

"If it does happen, it is going to take longer than 6 months for the band to be ready to tour. I think it'll take a hundred lawyers 6 months just to get the 5 of them into a rehearsal room together.

"But if - by a miracle - it does happen, then of course, I'll throw everything I can to be involved and it would be my last act as a promoter as after that I'll have nowhere to go!" Read more here.


KISS Drummer Eric Singer Slams Copycat Accusations(Classic Rock)

Kiss drummer Eric Singer says he finds it "ridiculous" when he hears accusations that he's expected to play, sing and act like original sticksman Peter Criss.
He does wear the Catman makeup mask that Criss used - but he insists that's where the similarities end. Singer tells Michael Cavacini: "I've heard people say that I was told to sing, play and act like Peter Criss. That's completely ridiculous. I've never once been told to do that. Never. Look at any of the shows I've done. I don't play anything like Peter Criss."

A section of Kiss fans will always long for the return of Criss and co-founding guitarist Ace Frehley. But Singer believes Kiss are as good a live act as they've ever been with him and guitarist Tommy Thayer on board - and that should be enough to appease followers.

He says: "If a band can't continue on because somebody quits, can't play any more, whatever the reason is, that shouldn't prevent the remaining members from continuing, if that's what they want to do." Read more here.



Pretenders' Chrissie Hynde Sparks Rape Controversy(Classic Rock)

Pretenders singer Chrissie Hynde has caused controversy by suggesting women can be at fault for some rapes. She's discussed her opinions after she revealed her own experience of being the victim of sex attacks.
Writing in her autobiography Reckless, the 63-year-old told how she'd been been kidnapped by members of a motorcycle gang while under the influence of drugs at the age of 21, and forced to perform sex acts.

Hynde tells the Sunday Times: "Technically speaking, this was all my doing and I take full responsibility. If I'm walking around in my underwear and I'm drunk, who else's fault can it be?

"If I'm very modestly dressed and I'm keeping to myself, and someone attacks me, then I'd say that's his fault. But if I'm being very lairy, putting it about and being provocative, then you're enticing someone who's unhinged. Don't do that. That's just common sense."

She adds: "I don't think I'm saying anything controversial, am I?" Read more here.




Lamb Of God's Randy Blythe Calls Out Culture Of Hate Online(TeamRock Radio)

Randy Blythe says the internet has warped the way people view the world and he can't believe the things that are deemed acceptable these days. The Lamb Of God frontman insists he "not a luddite," but he can't understand how technology has allowed us to become so accepting of some of the views aired online.
He tells Revolver: "If you think about the type of sh*t you can talk on the internet anonymously, this would never, ever happen 30 years ago. Think about Justin Bieber.

"I can't name a single Justin Bieber song. I don't really know what his music sounds like. But I'm sure it's not good. He's not writing anything life-changing. But if you Google 'I hate Justin Bieber,' or 'Kill Justin Bieber' - and I did this one time - there's thousands of hits that come up.

"And I read all these comments from anonymous people, some of whom are probably 14-year-old kids. And they're writing stuff like, 'I hope he dies. I wish he'd catch on fire. Someone should murder him.'

"They're doing this in a public forum, and this is the norm. There are no repercussions. So, yes, Justin Bieber probably sucks. But does he deserve to die? Dude, he's a f***ing Canadian pop singer. When I was a kid, if I had a problem with someone I'd go to his f***ing face and deal with it. It's insane to me that this type of sh*t is accepted now. It's f***ing nuts." Read more here.



Protest The Hero's Original Lineup Reuniting(Prog)

Protest The Hero have brought back drummer Moe Carlson and bassist Arif Mirabdolbaghi for a run of live shows to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their debut album Kezia.
Carlson left the group in 2013, with Mirabdolbaghi following him last year. The band say in a statement: "Ever since we put up our 'portal' for people to submit their Kezia memories and experiences for our scrap book, we noticed a huge demand for us to do a run of shows where we play this bad boy front to back. So we thought, 'Why the frig not?'

"Very proud to announce our first Kezia 10th anniversary shows across Canada - and even prouder to announce we will be doing this thing with our original lineup." Read more and see the dates here.



Disturbed Top Album Chart With 'Immortalized'

Disturbed scored their fifth consecutive No. 1 album after their latest studio effort, "Immortalized", debuted in the top spot on the Billboard Top 200 chart this week.
With the chart topping debut of the surprise comeback album, Disturbed and Metallica are now the only rock bands in history to score five consecutive No. 1s on the U.S. album chart.

Disturbed will be supporting "Immortalized" early next year with the launch of a North American headline tour which will be kicking off on March 11th in Vancouver, BC.

The 4-week trek is scheduled to conclude on April 10th in Memphis, TN at the New Daisy Theatre and all but four of the dates for the tour have already sold out. See the tour dates here.



Dickinson Hopes 'The Book Of Souls' Isn't Iron Maiden's Final Album(Classic Rock)

Bruce Dickinson says he had so much fun making The Book Of Souls that he really hopes it isn't Iron Maiden's final album. The metal giants release their 16th album on September 4. The follow-up to 2010's The Final Frontier was five years in the making and its release was delayed as frontman Dickinson was treated for cancer.
But not even his battle for health could weaken the singer's drive to get the album out. And they are even working on a massive world tour for next year, on which Dickinson will pilot the band and crew onboard a new and improved Ed Force One.

After flying 150 fans from Cardiff to Paris for an album listening party, Dickinson took questions from the audience at the Guillaume Tell Studios. He tells Metal XS (via Blabbermouth): "I really hope that this is not the last album. I've had way too much fun making this one. I'm gonna have way too much fun and enjoy the next tour for a variety of reasons." Read more here.


Richie Sambora Developing TV Drama Series(Classic Rock)

Former Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora is to be executive producer on a drama series based on his own experiences. He was originally approached by HBO to work on a soundtrack for a show in development - but instead, he presented a script he'd written three years ago about the "toil, trials and tribulations" of a rising-star band trying to make it big.
The network decided to run with his concept, which he created after repeatedly being asked to write a tell-all memoir. Sambora tells ABC Radio: "I don't want to do that cliched thing about who slept with who, what substance happened here, what was going on there.

"I'm a Jersey guy, so I keep everything to the chest - I don't want to talk about anybody anyway. Plus, I have a daughter. So I said, 'Why don't I write a teleplay?'" Read more here.



Faces' Kenney Jones Thought Keith Moon's Death A Practical Joke(Classic Rock)

Faces drummer Kenney Jones has recalled how he wondered if Keith Moon had played a practical joke the night he died. The pair had been together on the night of September 6, 1978, then Jones woke the next morning to discover The Who icon had died after an accidental overdose of drugs designed to combat his alcoholism.
Jones tells Noise11: "I was going to the opening of the Buddy Holly movie that Paul McCartney was producing. We had a party and watched the film. I said goodnight to Keith. I asked him how he was - he said he hadn't had a drink for a while. He told me, 'I take these pills to stop me drinking. If I have one drink they make me violently ill.'

"That was that. We said goodnight to each other." He heard the tragic news the following day. "I went, 'I can't believe this,'" he recalls. "'He is such a practical joker - it can't be right.'" Read more here.



Rolling Stones' Ronnie Wood Announces Book Release Event(The Blues)

Ronnie Wood will host a launch event for his memoir How Can It Be? A Rock & Roll Diary next week. The standard edition is published on September 8 after the Rolling Stone found a long-lost account of his doings in 1965, when he was 17 years old.
Wood recently told The Blues Magazine: "It's like no time has gone by. It was a very pleasing thing for me to rediscover this. It was, like, 'Wow, I remember.'

"All of the places, the names, the situations - I remember crystal clear, like it was yesterday." He'll appear at Waterstones, Piccadilly, London at 6.30pm on September 11. Read more here.




Prog Award Renamed In Honor Of Late Yes Legend Chris Squire (Classic Rock)

Late Yes bassist Chris Squire will be remembered at this year's Progressive Music Awards - as the Virtuoso Award has been renamed the Chris Squire Virtuoso award.
He passed away in June after a short battle with cancer, and he's since been acclaimed by artists from across the music world. The renamed Virtuoso Award, sponsored by Carlin Music, seeks to highlight the very best instrumentalists. It's not disputed that Squire influenced many of them.

Yes drummer Alan White says: "Renaming the award is highly appropriate. Chris did so much to share the way the bass is played these days. His impact was incalculable.

"All of us who were privileged to know him will miss him hugely. But the music he did so much to help create is timeless - and this honor will ensure his name will never be forgotten." Read more here.



Savage Announce New Double-Disc Album(Classic Rock)

Savage have confirmed their next album 7 will be released in October. The NWOBHM act issue the double-disc album on October 9 via Minus 2 Zebra Records. It comes complete with live album Live 'N Lethal.
Savage were said to be an early influence on Metallica and their 1983 debut album Loose 'N Lethal was one of the biggest selling independent releases in the US at the time.

The label says: "Savage's classic debut is now given a fresh and live treatment in the form of a recently recorded live gig in their hometown. In addition to this, Savage has been hard at work writing and recording set of new classics on this double release.

"7 features 12 blistering new songs, which mix old with new. Many of the tracks are fast-paced and hark back to the early days, while cuts such as Superspy and Empire Of Hate sound akin to something off a modern Ozzy Osbourne album or even Metallica at their best." Read more and see the cover art here.



Rory Gallagher Feared Rolling Stones Call Was Kidnap Attempt(Classic Rock)

Irish blues-rock icon Rory Gallagher feared a late-night phone call from the Rolling Stones was a terror threat from the IRA. Stones keyboardist Ian Stewart phoned the Gallagher house in Cork in January 1975, while the Irish Troubles were at their height.
And Gallagher - who died in 1995 - worried that he was about to be kidnapped. His brother and manager Donal tells the Sun: "It was a really scary time in Ireland. Paramilitaries were kidnapping people.

"So when the phone went off after midnight, and a strange voice asked if Rory Gallagher was there, we got very scared." The guitarist spent four days rehearsing with Mick Jagger and co, with a view to replacing Mick Jones. Read more here.




Aerosmith's Tyler and Perry Contributing To SpongeBob Musical(hennemusic)

Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry are among the artists contributing songs for The SpongeBob Musical, which will open in Chicago next June.
Broadway World reports the project will feature tunes written by the Aerosmith duo as well as The Flaming Lips, Cyndi Lauper, John Legend, Lady Antebellum, Panic! At the Disco, Dirty Projectors, Plain White T's, They Might Be Giants and T.I., with an additional song by David Bowie and additional lyrics by Jonathan Coulton.

Co-conceived and directed by Tina Landau with music supervision by Tom Kitt, The SpongeBob Musical will begin performances at Broadway in Chicago's Oriental Theatre on June 7.

The debut limited engagement runs to July 3, following which the musical will open on Broadway in New York as part of the 2016-2017 season. Read more here.



Sammy Hagar Announces Book Tour(hennemusic)

Sammy Hagar has announced dates for a book signing tour in support of the September 15 release of "Are We Having Any Fun Yet? The Cooking & Partying Handbook."
The project sees Hagar share his passion for food and his secrets for rock-and-roll entertaining, including his favorite recipes from home, on the road, and his go-to vacation spots, Cabo and Maui.

The singer is joined by his celebrity chef friends from around the globe for insights into entertaining as readers pour over more than 50 food and drink recipes.

Hagar also shares his greatest drink recipes - accompanied by true stories of the wild nights that brought them to life. A six-date book signing tour starts September 14 in Ridgewood, NJ with stops in New York, Illinois, Missouri and California.

"Are We Having Any Fun Yet? The Cooking & Partying Handbook" is Hagar's second run as an author: in 2011, he published his memoir "Red: My Uncensored Life In Rock", which topped the New York Times Best Sellers List. See the book tour dates here.



Ghost Score Top 10 Debut On Album Chart With 'Meliora'(hennemusic)

Swedish occult rockers Ghost have scored their first-ever US Top 10 showing with "Meliora." Billboard reports the group's third album has debuted on the US Billboard 200 at No. 8 with opening week sales of 29,000 copies.
The record follows 2013's "Infestissumam", which peaked at No. 28 on the chart following its release. Produced by Klas Åhlund and mixed by Andy Wallace (Slayer, Nirvana, Guns N' Roses, Linkin Park), "Meliora" presents the debut of vocalist Papa Emeritus III alongside the Nameless Ghouls following the resignation of his three-month older brother, Papa Emeritus II, earlier this year.

Ghost launched the project with an unplugged tour of US record stores in Seattle on August 18. The intimate appearances will be followed by the Black To The Future North American tour, which begins at The Fillmore in Washington, DC on September 22. Stream the new album in its entirety here.



Slayer's Jeff Hanneman Wanted To Disappears Says Frontman(Classic Rock)

Tom Araya believes late Slayer bandmate Jeff Hanneman didn't want to work again - no matter how much his band needed him. The frontman says he tried as hard as he could to bring Hanneman back as they began work on what would become 11th album Repentless - but his calls were never returned.
The co-founding axeman died in 2013 after a long illness related to alcohol abuse. He hadn't been an active member of the thrash giants for two years. Araya tells Crack: "I was at a point where I needed him back in the band for it to work.

"I didn't care to what extent his abilities were at their best. I just needed him back. So I was reaching out to him, leaving messages, but he wouldn't return my calls. He'd decided he wanted to disappear. That was really hard." Read more here.




Dave Kerzner Reveals Live Band Members(Prog)

Dave Kerzner has unveiled the seven-piece live band who'll perform his debut solo album New World. The lineup features Pink Floyd backing singers Durga and Lorelei McBroom, guitarist Fernando Perdomo, drummer Derek Cintron and multi-instrumentalist Randy McStine, along with Kerzner's Sound Of Contact bandmate Matt Dorsey.
The mastermind has launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for the recording of a live DVD at a show in Los Angeles, to be announced soon. Kerzner, who funded New World the same way, says:

"When an independent artist wants to put on a production with star players, fortunately there are creative ways to make it happen, by connecting with fans and offering a one-of-a-kind experience." Read more here.




Baroness Release Animated Video For New Song 'Chlorine & Wine'(TeamRock Radio)

Baroness have issued a single and confirmed their fourth album will be out in December. The single Chlorine & Wine has been issued alongside an animated video and the album, Purple, is due to appear on December 18 via the band's own Abraxan Hymns label.
It is the band's first new music since the 2012 bus crash that came a month after the release of last album Yellow & Green and which left nine people injured. In the wake of the accident, drummer Allen Blickle and bassist Matt Maggioni left and have been replaced by Sebastian Thomson and Nick Jost.

Frontman John Baizley says: "After releasing a lengthy and investigative record like Yellow & Green we all felt that we needed to make something much more direct and immediate.

"It was important for us to write our new songs with the type of enthusiasm and expressiveness that could act as a counterpoint to the album's dark themes. As a result, the music came out in an intense, heavy and sonically captivating in a new way, which was important, loathe, as we are to fall into any kind of complacency pitfall or formulaic songwriting routine.

"Purple is the most fully realised representation of our intention as a band. Considering the amount of physical and mental energy spent writing it, we have accomplished something which would have seemed impossible to us a couple of years ago." Watch the video here.



The Decline of Western Civilization Final Released On DVD and Blu-Ray(Gibson)

The Decline of Western Civilization documentary series is perhaps best known for its second volume, which chronicled the Los Angeles metal scene of the mid 80s, but all three films have just been released on DVD and Blu-Ray, and together they offer a unique look at their respective times, places and social climates.
I just interviewed director Penelope Spheeris (who also directed Wayne's World) for Australia's Beat Magazine, and I asked Spheeris if she has been surprised by the career or life trajectories of Decline II's stars. "I didn't think Chris Holmes would end up happily married in France, having stopped drinking," Spheeris said. "Dave Mustaine's trajectory has been nice and constant. I'm surprised he ended up a Christian but I'm glad for him if that works for him."

As for the band Odin, who were touted as the next big thing by club owner Bill Gazzarri in the film, "I've heard the guys from Odin feel like they can never live it down. One of them says it'll be on his headstone: it'll just say "Odin… Odin… Odin…"

As for London's Nadir D'Priest, "He's living the high life in Vegas. He hasn't told me this but judging from his car and his $2,000 boots he's got a very rich girlfriend. That's just me guessing because I don't know where the record sales are coming from! I saw Ozzy the other night and he seems to be doing fine. He's getting older but so am I." Read more here.





Vreid Streaming Song 'Haust' From Forthcoming Album(TeamRock Radio)

Sogndal, Norway's black metal veterans Vreid are gearing up to release a new album, Sólverv, via Indie Recordings on October 9, and TeamRock has an exclusive preview in the form of the first single, Haust, which will be released as a shot across the bows on October 1.
Bringing black metal back to its cold and unforgiving roots, Haust reflects the harsh environment in which the members spent their upbringing, but still with the band's uniquely epic touch.

"The opening riff has been humming in my head for years," says bassist Hváll. "An autumn night in my cabin it all made sense, and Haust was born."

So pull your woollen cloak closer, stick another log in the flames and give yourself to Haust here.



Chelsea Wolfe, Lightning Bolt Lead Mutations Festival Lineup(Prog)

Chelsea Wolfe are part of the lineup for the first ever Mutations festival. The event takes place in Brighton on November 28 and 29 and is organized by the people behind last year's Wire-curated Drill Festival in the city.
Also on the bill for Mutations #001 are Lightning Bolt, OM, Josh T Pearson, Tourist and METZ, among others. Organizers say: "Mutations is a creative mass of genre hybrids and expression, delivering some of the most inspiring, creative and interesting music the world has to offer.

"Highlights include aggressive noise pioneers Lightning Bolt, Canadian noise rockers METZ, experimental House producer John Talabot, infamous Texan singer-songwriter Josh T Pearson, legendary Doom stalwarts OM, the viciously experimental Chelsea Wolfe." Read more and see the full lineup here.



Slipknot's Corey Taylor Slams Pretentious Rock Stars(TeamRock Radio)

Corey Taylor has hit out at bands who are "ashamed of their success." The Slipknot frontman is one of the biggest rock stars on the planet and insists he isn't uncomfortable with that status. And he has a message for musicians who feign embarrassment at being successful.
He tells the Las Vegas Review-Journal: "I always get so upset when I talk to some of these dudes in some of these bands - and I won't mention any names - but they're just so elitist to the point of pricky. They just have this air about them where it's like nothing matters. They're almost ashamed of their success.

"And it's like, 'Then why did you leave your basement? Why did you start playing shows live? You could have been a pretentious a**f*** in your basement, and just made your own music for yourself.'

"Like these guys who try to come off better and holier than thou, it's all a f***ing con, because if that were true, they would never have played their first live show. They would never have worked their ass off to get a record deal, or to put that song out for people to hear. It's just a weak excuse to come off as petty and preachy." Read more here.



Slayer Streaming New Song 'Cast The First Stone'(Classic Rock)

Slayer are streaming their new song "Cast The First Stone" online. The track comes from the band's 11th album Repentless, due to be released on September 11 via Nuclear Blast. They've previously issued streams of the title track and When The Stillness Comes.
Slayer worked with producer Terry Date on the album. Frontman Tom Araya recently said: "I only really knew him from the Pantera records, but then I was given this laundry list of stuff and he's done a lot of great records. He's all about letting you do what you do and then telling you if it sucks or not. He's a sweet guy."

A prison-themed video for the title track is expected to be unveiled soon, featuring a string of movie actors including Machete star Danny Trejo. Stream the new song here.



Ghost's Nameless Ghoul Fears People Have Lost Their Purpose(Classic Rock)

One of Ghost's Nameless Ghouls has slammed the misguided culture in modern society - saying that the concept of happiness has been lost as a result.
He says there's been a change in attitudes over recent years, with people now judging success by how much cash they can earn. He tells Kerrang (via Blabbermouth): "People are most content when they have a purpose - but most people think their purpose is to be a millionaire. They can't be content until they're their own boss."

He continues: "25 years ago, people were content being a carpenter. But after the internet, people can now create an app in five minutes and sell it for $5m. That's the career choices now." Read more here.




Scorpions Classics Given Lullaby Makeover(hennemusic)

The music of German rockers the Scorpions is featured on "Lullaby Versions Of Scorpions", the latest release from Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star who are streaming the lullaby version of "Wind Of Change."
The company which creates "beautiful lullaby versions of your favorite artists" was born for the parent that wants to pass along their passion for music to their child by transforming popular music into instrumental lullabies perfect for babies, yoga or just relaxation.

There are seven classic tunes featured on the set alongside "Still Loving You", "No One Like You", "The Zoo", Rock You Like A Hurricane", "Rhythm Of Love" and "Send Me An Angel."

The Scorpions will launch a 50th anniversary North American tour in Boston on September 10. On September 11, the band will also release an expanded edition of their latest album, "Return To Forever", in North America following its European spring release. Stream the lullaby version of "Wind of Change" here.



Queen Release Preview Videos For The Studio Collection Box Set(hennemusic)

Queen have issued a four-video preview package of "The Studio Collection" Special Edition Vinyl Box Set, due for release on September 25. The Box Set will present 18 remastered vinyl editions of the complete collection of 15 Queen studio albums - from the 1973 self-titled debut to 1995's "Made In Heaven", and comes with a fully customized limited edition Queen-branded turntable made by Rega.
The 15 albums are configured across 18 discs due to some tweaks in the change of format to vinyl: 1974's "Queen II" is spread across two records with a custom etching on the reverse side in tribute to the original "Side White" and "Side Black" presentation, while 1991's "Innuendo" and 1995's "Made In Heaven" are double albums due to the longer running time on the original CD releases.

"The Studio Collection" presents each album in a different colour along with an illustrated 12 x 12 inch 108 page hardback book complete with introductions to each record - including quotes from Queen themselves, hand-written lyrics, rare photographs, memorabilia, and information on singles and videos. Watch the videos here.



FIDLAR Frontman Zac Carper Kicked Drugs Over Death Fears(TeamRock Radio)

FIDLAR frontman Zac Carper says he kicked his drug habit as he didn't want to die young. The band release second album Too on September 2 and Carper reports writing and recording the new material helped him work through his issues.
He tells Stereogum: "The way that I look at it is through the whole first FIDLAR album cycle and the tour, I was basically this crazy person on drugs.

"On this new record, I'm just a crazy person. I stopped doing heroin, I stopped doing meth, I stopped smoking crack, so now all I'm left with is just being this crazy person who's trying to deal with it - and the way that I dealt with it was writing songs."

He says he's been clean for a year and adds: "I'm not going to stay f***ed up just to fit in or because that's what people want me to be. I don't want to die when I'm f***ing 28." Read more here.



Singled Out: Frank Viele's Broken Love Song (featuring Joe Bonamassa)

Today Frank Viele tells us the story behind "Broken Love Song" (featuring a guest appearance from Joe Bonamassa), which comes from his brand new album "Fall Your Way". Here is the story:
While a lot of my songs start with a theme or idea, this track started simply with a guitar riff. The main riff of the song was something I had developed being stuck in traffic all day listening to the Muddy Waters "Folk Singer" record in route to a show in Virginia. I was so enthralled with the whole acoustic blues approach he had on that record that when i got back to the hotel that night, i just felt like playing blues licks on my acoustic guitar. I stumbled into this riff as part of my goal to try and combine that acoustic blues swagger and soul with the constant strum rhythm technique I customarily play. Then I kind of kept the riff in my back pocket for a while waiting for the right story to tell with it.

Months later, I'm on a date with a girl who tells me she really likes my music but that I don't write enough happy songs about love and relationships. My response was that "my songs, or at least my stories, usually start happy. But they just end up sad in the end. It's almost as if they're broken". Thats when the idea of a "Broken Love Song" and the bluesy yet percussively insistent guitar riff I had been carrying in my back pocket seemed to come together.

I went home that night and began to pen the story of a misguided relationship I had fallen into and eventually out of. A relationship where because of situations outside of my control, life got in the way of two people's best intentions to build a life together.

The song starts out in the first verse with lines like "she's been running from every move I make". The first verse ends with the line "found it hard so she held on tight, wrapped her arms and held me all night. Now I'm singing love songs". This verse describes conquering the early obstacles of modern dating leading into the early part of the relationship when you find two essentially "love drunk" people enjoying all of the little things life and love have to offer.

The second verse starts off with discussing how "her world has gone astray". And then goes into the line where I'm "playing the role of her distraction". This is the verse that talks about the outside world getting in the way. Be it other people's opinions, confusion on one's personal path in life, geographical distance, or even the stereotypical resurfacing of an ex…in my case, all of those things were woven into the story that inspired this song.

Then the bridge comes in which has some of my favorite lyrics of the song.

With the realization that the person on the other side of this relationship knows she's hurting less than I am and is almost ashamed of her actions as she's the one making the decision to end the relationship, the bridge starts with the line "You're staring at the ground, so I fall to your feet".

The second line in the bridge goes into the whole power struggle that seems to exist in modern dating and relationships when it says "I wish I never knew your love, cause it made me weak".

The last line in the bridge is probably my favorite though. Playing guitar has been my comfort zone since I was a teenager. It was what I did when I needed to separate myself from the world around me. No matter where my journey brought me or what troubles I came across, playing my guitar always seemed to help me find my center again. So ending the bridge with this line just seemed to make sense "Now I'm stuck here, six strings strung along, with nothing but this broken love song". I also really felt I got the point across from the second verse here where I talk about "playing the role of her distraction" when I used the phrase "6 strings strung along" as part of the ending of the bridge.

So while there is a particular story to the song, there is indeed an overall theme to it as well.

I grew up hearing stories about how things were supposed to happen in regards to Relationships, Love, and Happiness. But for my generation, it seems like things have changed. Love and relationships seem at times almost plastic or like they have become a commodity in this world with the massive popularity of online dating and society's increasingly growing inability to communicate outside of our cell phones. With the advent of online dating and full blown text conversations acting as the major form of communication, dating to me has become as informal, "efficient", and streamlined as ordering something off of Amazon.com.

But to me, that just seems to cheapen the journey and whimsy of it all. It makes us use more of our brains and less of our hearts when approaching the world and who we decide to spend our precious time on it with. It almost makes us subconsciously devalue our relationships as if the next person is just a few clicks away.

It's almost as if the whole thing is broken… a "Broken Love Song"!

Tim Abrigg Jr.'s Rock and Roll News Of The Day!: Today's Day In Rock News!

Tim Abrigg Jr.'s Rock and Roll News Of The Day!: Today's Day In Rock News!: Original Guns N' Roses Reunion Rumored For Music Festival The inevitable first rumor of a reunion of the original lineup of G...

Today's Day In Rock News!

Original Guns N' Roses Reunion Rumored For Music Festival

The inevitable first rumor of a reunion of the original lineup of Guns N' Roses has surfaced, following confirmation from Slash that he and frontman Axl Rose have reconciled.
The rumor came from the owner of the Cherry Bar in Melbourne, Australia, James Young, who said during an interview with Triple M Radio that he heard from a "heavy hitter" in the Australian music business that the original lineup of Guns N' Roses would be headlining the Soundwave Festival next year.

Metal site BraveWords reports that Young revealed the rumor before Slash confirmed in an interview with Aftonbladet TV that he and Axl are friends again.

Young told the Australian radio station, "I heard the most amazing rumor this week, from a very well informed heavy hitter in the Australian music industry, giving me the name of the headline act for Soundwave next year.

"Now we know that a mystery band has come in and saved the festival, and now owns it, so they are going to have a big say. So what mega band could it be? Well I have heard 'fantasized' on Wednesday night that it will be: Steven Adler, Izzy Stradlin, Duff McKagen, Slash and Axl Rose, the reformation of the original 1987 Appetite for Destruction Guns N' Roses lineup, can you believe it? It's incredible; I've had sleepless nights fantasizing about it."

However, this rumor would run counter to Slash's reaction in the same interview when asked about a possible reunion now that he and Axl are talking again. He said, "Oh, I couldn't answer that one, though. All right, let's get off the subject, 'cause, you know, that's an old one."



Black Sabbath Making Final Album Plans Says Gus G(Classic Rock)

Ozzy Osbourne's guitarist Gus G believes Black Sabbath are close to starting work on their final album. The metal icons last year revealed plans to make one more record before retiring.
But the details have remained unclear, with doubt over an accompanying tour, and even more doubt over whether original drummer Bill Ward will rejoin Osbourne, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler for their swan-song.

But G thinks Sabbath will roll into action in the coming months - he tells My Global Mind: "We're doing Japan in November. However, I don't think there's going to be a lot coming out of Ozzy because he's going back to Sabbath to make another one.

"That's what they've been talking about. You never really know with them, so I don't make those kinds of plans with Ozzy." Read more here.



Paul McCartney Announces North American Tour Dates

Paul McCartney has expanded his Out There World Tour yet again, announcing a new string of North American dates that will be taking place this fall.
The new set of dates will kick off on October 13th in Columbus, OH at the Nationwide Arena and will conclude on October 22nd in Buffalo, NY at the First Niagara Center.

The tour also includes stops in State College, Pennsylvania at the Bryce Jordan Center on October 15th, Toronto, Canada at the Air Canada Centre on October 17th and Detroit, Michigan at the Joe Louis Arena on October 21st.

The Out There tour has so far visited 22 cities across the world this year and features material from McCartney's entire career; from his days in the Beatles, to his first solo band Wings and up to his latest studio album "New", which was released in 2013. See the dates here.



Queen's Freddie Mercury Featured In Brand-New Charity Single(Classic Rock)

Queen icon Freddie Mercury's voice is featured in a brand-new single to be released next month in aid of his charity foundation. Little Freddie Goes To School will be premiered at the Official Freddie Mercury Birthday Party in Montreux, Switzerland on September 5, before going on general release on September 7.
It includes two recordings made during the frontman's Barcelona sessions - his late-night jam of When This Old Tired Body Wants To Sing and his a capella version of The Golden Boy.

The track was created after composer Stuart Leathem collaborated with Queen producer Dave Richards. Leatham says: "I don't write many songs - usually big modern-classical Mike Oldfield type works. I am, however, a big admirer of Freddie, and I was very lucky to call Dave my friend." Read more here.



Iron Maiden Reveal New Jumbo Jet Ed Force One For World Tour(Classic Rock)

Iron Maiden have revealed that they will tour the world next year in the biggest-ever Ed Force One, piloted by frontman Bruce Dickinson. The band's Book Of Souls world tour will see them play in 35 countries in 2016, aboard a Boeing 747-400.
Dickinson is currently in training for his license to fly the four-engine jet, which is much bigger and more powerful than previous versions of customized Maiden aircraft.

It'll take the band, crew and over 12 tons of equipment more than 55,000 miles around the planet to concerts in Australasia, Asia, North and South America, Africa and Europe.

Dickinson says: "When the opportunity arose from my friends at Air Atlanta Icelandic to lease a 747 for The Book of Souls World Tour, of course we jumped at the chance, who wouldn't? The greatest benefit of travelling in a 747 is that because of its colossal size and freight capacity we can carry our stage production and all our stage equipment and desks in the cargo hold without having to make any of the immense structural modifications needed to do this on the previous 757, the extent of which fans will have noted on the Flight 666 DVD.

"Although in reality we cannot carry much more gear the savings in complexity, time and cost make using the 747 even more practical. All we will need to do is "paint" it and move a few seats around, with the added advantage that there is much more room for band and crew - our Krew can almost get a row of seats each to catch up on sleep on the flights! Furthermore, it is marginally faster 0.85 MACH and the range of around 7000NM (13,000 km) is much greater which means we will not have to make the refuelling stops we needed to with the 757. Read more and see a photo and promo graphic for the new Ed Force One here.



Ozzy Osbourne Guests On Billy Morrison's New Album

Billy Idol guitarist Billy Morrison has announced the release of his new solo album, God Shaped Hole, which will feature guest appearances from Ozzy Osbourne, Dave Navarro and his Billy Idol bandmates Steve Stevens and Erik Eldenius.
Morrison has set an October 23rd release date for the new album, which will be entitled "God Shaped Hole", and is set to be released via his King Mob Music record label.

The album will feature five original songs and five cover tunes and was coproduced by Morrison and Eldenius and mixed by Mike Clink (Guns N' Roses' Appetite for Destruction) and John Spiker.

Ozzy sings lead vocals on the song "Gods" which he co-wrote with Morrison. Billy offered this explanation on the evolution of the album and how Ozzy became involved, "Initially the plan was simply to record an EP of covers, but as with everything, the plan grew. I had a song I had written with Steve Stevens that I wanted to sing on, so that got thrown into the pot. Erik (Eldenius) threw some ideas at me, and we started to record originals as well.

"My two best guitar mates from the two bands I'm in, Dave Navarro (Royal Machines and previously with Camp Freddy) and Steve Stevens, also both appear on the record, quite simply because they are awesome friends and did it without question, they showed up, did their thing, and supported me.

"And then I got a text from Ozzy, wondering where I had disappeared to...I told him I had decided to record a solo album, and the next text back from him was 'Well I wanna sing a song on your record!'"

Morrison adds, "The five original songs were written with the spirit of independence that was so important at one time in music, and the complete autonomy and freedom that comes with a project like this. The covers are not huge hits, and most are by bands that never received the recognition they deserved.

"This record comes from a place inside me--thanking and paying respect to bands and songs that truly made me want to play, to perform and to do it my way." See the tracklisting here.



Glenn Danzig To Guest Star On Portlandia(Radio.com)

Among the things that the television series Portlandia is known for are the guest appearances (along with the timely, nerdy humor and sendups on hipster culture, of course).
A list of the previous musicians to appear on show is as star-studded as a typical Coachella lineup: Eddie Vedder, J Mascis, St. Vincent, Joanna Newsom, Jack White, Josh Homme, Isaac Brock, James Mercer, Corin Tucker and Colin Meloy.

And for the sixth season of the popular show, a new guest is coming to the Pacific Northwest: Glenn Danzig. The beloved Misfits and now Danzig leader will be playing a role of some sort, though the specifics are not yet released.

All we know is from an Instagram from one of the series' stars, Sleater-Kinney's Carrie Brownstein, who said "Summer Goths. With Danzig. Dreams (nightmares?) do come true." Check out the image here.



Ritchie Blackmore Should Focus On Deep Purple Reunion Says Bonnet(Classic Rock)

Graham Bonnet believes Ritchie Blackmore shouldn't waste time on trying to stage a Rainbow reunion - and he should instead try to settle his differences with Deep Purple.
Bonnet, who sang on Rainbow's Down To Earth album in 1979, said last week that "practical joker" Blackmore's proposed return might not happen - but he'd do "a show or two" with him if asked.

But the vocalist believes there's an even better option available. He tells Classic Rock "If he's really intent on rocking out again, then Ritchie should contact Purple, bury the hatchet with Ian Gillan and get back with them.

"Ask yourself, what would be bigger? A Rainbow reunion with me or Joe, or Purple with Ian and Ritchie?" Read more here.



Asia Frontman John Wetton Issues Cancer Warning(Classic Rock)

Asia frontman John Wetton has posted a message online urging everyone to take preventative action against cancer as he gears up to begin chemotherapy treatment.
He will undergo his first session today (August 26th), after he confirmed in May that he'd been diagnosed with cancer and had surgery to remove a tumor.

Wetton, 66, says in a tweet: "I start chemo tomorrow. I urge everyone to be checked for cancer regularly, because cancer growth is rapid - and before you know it, agonizing." Read more here.



Soundgarden Working On Material For Next Album(Classic Rock)

Chris Cornell has confirmed that Soundgarden have begun work on their seventh studio album. It will follow 2012 comeback title King Animal, which was recorded after the band got back together two years previously.
Cornell tells Rolling Stone: "We're already working on new material for an album. I've got several other irons in the fire and things going on that I won't mention now.

"There's a lot of things coming in a addition to Higher Truth, as well as a new Soundgarden album." Cornell's new solo record Higher Truth will be released next month. Read more here.


The Faces Celebrated In The Studio

The latest episode of the syndicated radio show In The Studio: The Stories Behind History's Greatest Rock Bands takes a look back at The Faces. The show sent over the following details:
When Small Faces soulful dynamo frontman the late Steve Marriott left to form Humble Pie , drummer Kenney Jones, bassist Ronnie Lane, and pianist Ian McLagan picked up relative unknowns, singer Rod Stewart and bass player-turned-guitarist Ron Wood, both from the Jeff Beck Group.

The Faces, as they were now called, were known as much for their happy go lucky attitudes and a playful swagger to their music as for their endless trips to the pub. Rod Stewart explains:

"God, we used to drink...and that only came about because we didn't think we were very good! Look at it: you had two guys out of the Jeff Beck Group that had been fired, and you had the leftovers from the Small Faces, five losers if ever there were five losers, all thrown together! So we used to get really drunk and do the best we could, and it worked. That looseness and jangliness of all the music. It really worked!"

The Faces would eventually hit paid dirt with "Stay with Me", the worldwide hit from their 1971 album A Nod is as Good as a Wink.... It would catapult the quintet from abject poverty to Top of the Pops seemingly overnight. But according to Stewart, Woody, and Jones In the Studio, the parallel success of Rod Stewart's solo career would be too hard to stomach for some of the band. By the end of 1975 it would be over.

Stream the episode here.



Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi Taking Part In Home Town Cancer Event(Classic Rock)

Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi will highlight the loneliness of cancer victims at a public event that is taking place in his home city of Birmingham today (August 26).
He's taking part in Macmillan Cancer Support's Not Alone campaign, which aims to offer people an idea of how isolated it can feel after diagnosis. Iommi announced he had the disease in 2012 and later admitted he'll never live another day without feeling under threat.

He said in January: "Every day I feel around for lumps and bumps. Every time I get a pain in my stomach I think, 'Oh God, it's cancer.' It's horrible. I even dream about it. But that's my life now."

He'll invite passers-by in the Bullring shopping centre to step into an isolation box, which allows those outside to see in, while there's no connection with the world from inside. Read more here.




Suicide Silence Says Music Business Is Failing Due To Greed(TeamRock Radio)

Suicide Silence have slammed the 'greed' in the music industry and say they've no problem with people listening to their material for free. The band made their 2014 album You Can't Stop Me available to stream via YouTube - and insist making money isn't what drives them.
Frontman Herman 'Eddie' Hermida tells Ramzine: "If people want to listen to the stuff you put out, YouTube does a really good job of keeping counts. And if you get enough people to watch your stuff, YouTube might want to give you some cash, but that's not why you make it to begin with. And if you are making music for that reason, then you're a f***ing idiot. Making an industry out of it is the most ass backwards thing that could ever happen to humanity."

And guitarist Mark Heylmun takes aim at musicians complaining about the lack of money through streams. He says: "What are you so mad about? Write a better record and maybe people will buy it. Listen to it on YouTube if you can't afford it and if you can afford it, go support it."

Hermida adds: "Let those idiots who are trying to f***ing squeeze every penny out of an art die. There are people who are willing to give their money to an artist who is kicking his own ass out there. The fact is there's too many people out there trying to stick their hands in our pockets, and that's where the industry is failing. And it's going to fail, because greed is never going to win." Stream the full interview here.




Parkway Drive Release 'Crushed' Video(TeamRock Radio)

Parkway Drive have released a video for their track Crushed. It's taken from the Australian metal outfit's upcoming fifth album Ire, to be released on September 25 via Epitaph.
Vocalist Winston McCall says: "This is the album for us. Every single step of the way, whenever there was gamble to take, we took the biggest one we could. If this isn't the album that can go further than anything we thought was possible with this band and this type of music, that's fine, but we can't go back from this as far as we're concerned."

Pre-orders for Ire are being taken at the band's website. Parkway Drive have a run of worldwide tour dates lined up in support of the album, including four UK show in February 2016. Watch the new video here.



Deafheaven Streaming New Song 'Brought To The Water'(TeamRock Radio)

Deafheaven have issued a stream of their track Brought To The Water. It's the first song they've revealed from third album New Bermuda, which will be released on October 2 via Anti- Records.
Singer George Clarke says: "We wanted to share Brought To The Water first because it gives a good idea of the overall sonic tone of the record. It really evokes feelings that come with uprooting and throwing oneself into the complacent, monotonous routine of adulthood."

Clarke's joined on the follow-up to 2013's Sunbather by drummer Daniel Tracy, bassist Stephen Lee Clarke and guitarists Kerry McCoy and Shiv Mehra. Stream the song here.




In This Moment Songs Get Lullaby Makeover(TeamRock Radio)


In This Moment are the latest band to have their work transformed into music for babies. Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star has released Lullaby Versions Of In This Moment, featuring eight of the band's sings including Sick Like Me, Sex Metal Barbie and Whore.
The company says is creates "beautiful lullaby versions of your favorite artists." Faith No More and Soundgarden are among the other acts to get the lullaby treatment from Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star.

Rival firm Rockabye Baby have created lullaby versions of Bruce Springsteen and Blink-182 hits. Check out the lullaby version of "Beautiful Tragedy" and see the tracklisting here.




Five Finger Death Punch's Jason Hook Humbled By Rob Halford's Praise(TeamRock Radio)

Five Finger Death Punch guitarist Jason Hook says he was humbled to see Judas Priest's Rob Halford watching his band from the side of the stage on their recent tour.
He loved the experience of travelling around Europe with the British icons - and he has one memory in particular that he'll keep for ever.

Hook tells Amnplify: "They're so nice and they're so cool - it really made it pleasant. We had dinner with them one night, we closed this restaurant in Italy. I could just imagine if someone who had walked in and seen it. If you were a music fan it would have looked like the last supper of heavy metal."

The guitarist describes Halford as a "great friend of the band" and explains: "I was walking off from our set one night and I caught up with him, and I asked him, 'Rob, what's the deal with wanting to watching this loud, obnoxious noisy show every night?' He just looks at me and goes, 'I love the band'." Read more here.



New Years Day Streaming New Song 'Relentless'(TeamRock Radio)

New Years Day have released a lyric video for their track Relentless. It's taken from their third album Malevolence, out on October 2 via Another Century Records.
They'll tour North America in October to support the release and return to the UK in November with Motionless In White. Vocalist Ashley Costello said earlier this year that the band felt it was important to add a touch of theatrical drama to their live shows.

She told Metal Hammer: "Money isn't that easy to come by these days, so if you are spending it to go see a show, then you really want to see a show. I look back to Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson and Iron Maiden and I love that they always try to give that to people.

"Obviously, we aren't in the same league as those bands but, if you are creative enough with your thinking you can give people a show. We want to give people a Broadway show in a tiny rock club." Stream the new song here.



Century Media Reportedly Sold To Sony(Classic Rock)

Sony Music has reportedly bought German hard rock and heavy metal label Century Media, it's been reported. The label is home to artists including Paradise Lost, Periphery, Queensryche, At The Gates, Fozzy, EyeHateGod and Lacuna Coil.
Full terms of the deal have still to be made public, but Billboard reports that the industry giant paid in the region of $20million for the firm. Century Media owner Robert Kampf will become CEO of the Century group and their output will continue to be distributed by RED in the US.

Sony will handle international distribution while the German firm will now become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment. Read more here.




The Sword's JD Cronise Talks High Country Cover Art(Classic Rock)

The Sword's JD Cronise says when he first saw artist Jetter Green's work, he knew instantly that he had to commission him to design the cover for their latest album High Country.
Their fifth album and follow-up to 2012's Apocryphon was released last week via Razor & Tie. The singer and guitarist tells Rabid Noise: "The cover is always really important. I always try and find an artist whose work I really admire to do it. I just happened across Green's artwork in a store and immediately I thought, "Wow, that would look great on an album cover.'"

Cronise says even in the days when digital music dominates, he thinks it's still important to make the cover artwork as striking as possible. He adds: "The idea of there being this piece of artwork associated with a piece of music - it's something that resonates with me and I really like to have that. A good album cover always compliments a good record." Read more, see the artwork and stream the interview here.



Motorhead Streaming Their Cover Of Rolling Stones Classic(hennemusic)

Motorhead have released an online stream of their cover of the Rolling Stones classic, "Sympathy For The Devil", as featured on the band's upcoming album, "Bad Magic."
Due this Friday, August 28, the band's 22nd album was recorded at NRG Studios in Los Angeles with long-time producer Cameron Webb. The set includes a guest appearance by Queen guitarist Brian May on "The Devil."

The group's Stones cover follows the lead single, "Thunder & Lightning", and "Electricity" as the third track issued in advance of the album's release. Last week, Motorhead launched a late summer/early fall tour of North America with guests Saxon and Anthrax in Riverside, CA. Stream the Stones cover here.




Third Eye Blind Go Rocky Horry For 'Get Me Out Of Here' Video

Third Eye Blind have released a NSFW video for their song "Get Me Out Of Here" which was directed by frontman Stephan Jenkins and was inspired by The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
The video stars Tara Perry and features a cameo appearance by Chris Carrabba of Dashboard Confessional. Jenkins had this to say about the video's concept, "I think the idea behind my character being haunted by flashbacks and demonized by the ghost of a girlfriend past is that relationships are kind of a nightmare".

He adds this about the Rocky Horror inspiration, "That this coincides with the 40th anniversary of The Rocky Horror Picture Show just feels so lucky as well. 'I'm Going Home' has been our walk-out music every night for years and Tim Curry is a huge influence on me as a performer."

The song comes from the band's first studio album in six years, Dopamine, which was released earlier this summer. Watch the new NSFW "Get Me Out Of Here" video here.




Metallica Release Live 'The Day That Never Comes' Video(hennemusic)

Metallica have released live video footage of a performance of their 2008 "Death Magnetic" track, "The Day That Never Comes", from Bergen, Norway on August 20.
The band's video highlight package also includes soundcheck, guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo in the meet and greet, and the group warming up in the Tuning Room before the show.

The group are also sharing audio of their 1988 cover of "Whiskey In The Jar" from the concert. The Bergen stop was the first date on a short run across Europe that sees the band playing a mix of headline and festival shows.

Next month, Metallica will perform two special concerts in Quebec City before playing a headline set at the 30th anniversary of Rock In Rio on September 19. Watch the video here.




Singled Out: The Falling Birds' Sweet Things That Kill

Today Stephen Artemis (Guitar, Vocals, Harmonia) form the eclectic rock group The Falling Birds tells us the story behind their new single "Sweet Things That Kill" from their forthcoming EP "Till We All Fall Down". Here is the story:
We had a bit of a vagrant problem at the place where we recorded Sweet Things That Kill. All names have been changed to protect the innocent. We've got this little rehearsal studio that we share with four other bands in Brooklyn. We call it "The Nest." The Nest is in the basement of a building that is right along the elevated train South Williamsburg. It's a perfect location because the train is loud as all hell so it hides the racket that we make in there until all hours of the night. The Nest is our little home away from home and we love it; but by normal people standards, it would probably be considered very creepy. Bands have been rehearsing there since Williamsburg first started to become an artist destination 20 years ago and I don't think it has been cleaned since, there are no windows, its dark... you get the picture.

Anyway so we recorded our entire album DIY at The Nest. There are always people from all the bands in and out, coming and going, grabbing stuff for gigs and whatnot so its normal to have people you don't know around. But we noticed this one person (lets call him Moses) who seemed to be hanging around more than usual and showing up at strange times. Moses was always nice, almost too nice, which is what aroused suspicion in the first place. Nobody is that nice in New York. Anyway, Moses shows up one night around 1:00 AM with a friend and asks when he can use the space. Somebody was finally like "hey Moses, by the way, who are you? Which band are you in?" Moses sort of fumbled for an answer and told us that he was "Jon's Friend." Jon is in one of the bands that shares the space. Still, his answer didn't address the question. Apparently Moses had not prepared a backstory for this situation. It got really awkward for a moment and eventually Moses and his buddy ventured off into the night.

All the bands started asking each other who this Moses guy was. As it turns out, Moses had been found sleeping there a few times. I think somebody once interrupted him in the space enjoying a sandwich. For some reason nobody ever brought this information to light. When we asked Jon about why he's letting people sleep in our shared studio (mind you, Moses is a stranger who was then living among our life savings worth of musical equipment), Jon told us that Moses is his band manager and that he needed a place to stay. I thought that was a pretty funny explanation, "Moses the vagrant band manager." Call me traditional, but it seems like a good band manager should probably be able to manage himself an apartment at the very least. No disrespect to the homeless of course. I'm just saying, if someone's going to provide your band with sound business advice, maybe that person should have things like a home (for starters).

So we told Jon that his management was no longer allowed to stay there, Moses didn't steal anything, and we recorded Sweet Things That Kill.

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