Today's Day In Rock News!

Deep Purple, Cheap Trick, Steve Miller Among Rock Hall Inductees

Several rock acts that have long been snubbed by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will finally be inducted next year with Deep Purple, Cheap Trick, Steve Miller and Chicago leading the class of 2016.
Acts are eligible for induction 25-years after their first recording and the Rock Hall has long been criticized for snubbing iconic rock groups while inducting acts from other genres like pop, disco and rap.

Deep Purple, who gave the world one of the most iconic rock guitar riffs with "Smoke On Water", has undergone several lineup changes through the years with the most recognized being the mark II lineup of Ian Gillian, Ritchie Blackmore, Roger Glover, Ian Paice and late keyboard player Jon Lord.

Chicago power-pop legends Cheap Trick have been eligible for induction for over a decade and even top selling acts like rock-jazz hybrid Chicago (38.5 million in albums sales in the U.S. according to the RIAA) and Steve Miller (24.5 million U.S. album sales) have been passed over for over two decades.

Rap group N.W.A. will round out the class of 2016 when the induction ceremony takes place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on April 8th. HBO will later air a broadcast featuring footage from the ceremony.

Rock acts that were nominated for next year but will not be inducted include prog legends Yes, as well as The Cars, Los Lobos, Nine Inch Nails, The Smiths along with non-rock artists Chaka Khan (funk/disco), Chic (disco), Janet Jackson (pop/R&B), The J.B.'s (James Brown's band), and the Spinners (R&B).



Eagles Of Death Metal Giving Bataclan Survivors Paris Show Tickets(Classic Rock)

Eagles Of Death Metal have announced a rescheduled European tour which will see them return to Paris in February. Jesse Hughes and co were on stage at the city's Bataclan on November 13 when extremist gunmen forced their way into the venue, killing 89 people.
They put all live commitments on hold following the tragedy but they'll head out on the road early next year on The Nos Amis Tour - and those who survived the Bataclan attack are entitled to a free ticket for the band's show at the Olympia Theatre, Paris, on February 16.

Hughes says: "The people of Paris have always been incredible to us, and our feeling of love towards this beautiful city and its people has been reinforced a million times over this past month.

"Hearing the stories of the survivors, the injured and those who have lost loved ones has been overwhelming. Not returning to finish our set was never an option. We look forward to coming back in February and continuing our mission to bring rock'n'roll to the world."

In addition, they'll also play the Reading and Leeds festivals in the UK on August 26-28. See the dates here.



Killswitch Engage Reveal New Album Title And Its Meaning(TeamRock Radio)


Killswitch Engage have named their seventh album Incarnate, they've confirmed. The follow-up to 2013's Disarm The Descent - their first release after the return of Jesse Leach - is expected in March.
The frontman says the band have developed a much stronger identity over the past two years. Leach tells Revolver: "The definition of incarnate is 'in the flesh.' And this record is who we are right now. Whereas [2013's] 'Disarm The Descent' was sort of my 'comeback' album, and was about us feeling out the new vibe.

"But now, after spending a few years traveling the world together, I think we're all in a really comfortable place. We definitely have a strong sense of self as to who we are as a band."

He quit KSE in 2002 after suffering from depression, and came back after his replacement Howard Jones left for health reasons 10 years later. Leach says: "I was young and stupid, and didn't really have a sense of who I was. I didn't have confidence in myself as a person and as a singer. Now my confidence is intact - but I think there's a humility now that I didn't have before."

He says of his return: "It's been better than I ever thought it could be. It feels really good." KSE released a video for lead track Strength Of The Mind last week. Check it out here.




Nikki Sixx Says That He Is An Anti Rock Star(Classic Rock)


Nikki Sixx has described himself as an "anti rock star" and insists he's not as interesting as people might think. And he's stepped back from his previous statement that he'll never play Motley Crue songs again after the band end their touring career later this month.
The bassist plans to spend the next two years concentrating on Sixx:AM and turning it into his main project after it spent its first eight years in Crue's shadow. Sixx tells RockSverige: "I said, 'I will never play Motley Crue music again' because I wanted people to hear me. I wanted them to hear that Sixx:AM have five hit singles right now, we've got a double record coming out, we're got two years of touring. After seeing my own words in the press I was like, 'Who knows? Maybe four or five years down the line we'll do an acoustic version of Live Wire."

He adds that Sixx:AM will "never lean on Motley Crue" but continues: "I wrote the songs, so I guess I'm entitled to play them if I want. I just want some distance."

Asked about the biggest misconception people have about him, Sixx says: "I think people might think I'm a little more exciting than I am. I'll be honest - I'm really quite boring.

"I'm always looking for something, and because of that I'm not really that rock'n'roll. I'm the anti rock star." Watch the full interview here.




Act of Defiance Unplug For 'Birth And The Burial' Performance(Classic Rock)


Act of Defiance performed a live acoustic rendition of Birth And The Burial for the radio show Nights with Alice Cooper. It's the title track from the supergroup's debut album, which was released on August 21 via Metal Blade Records.
The band is made up of former Megadeth drummer Shawn Drover and guitarist Chris Broderick, Scar the Martyr singer Henry Derek Bonner and Shadows Fall bassist Matt Bachand.

Drover says of song Birth And The Burial: "I was really pleasantly surprised that it turned out as well as it did. The cool thing to me is that when you strip the song down and take everything away, it's still a good song. It still has the elements of being a good song whether in a heavy metal format or an acoustic format."

Act of Defiance will wrap up 2015 supporting Killswitch Engage on a handful of holiday shows in the US at the end of December. Watch the unplugged performance here.




The Winery Dogs Release 'Fire' Video(Classic Rock)

The Winery Dogs have released a video for their single Fire. The track is taken from the band's second album Hot Streak, which was released in October via earMUSIC.
Singer/guitarist Richie Kotzen tells Billboard: "It's an idea I had floating around for a while. When we were writing for Hot Streak, I remember sitting around with the guys and playing the chord changes and kinda humming the melody.

"Billy and Mike made some really great suggestions for the arrangement and I went and took it and wrote some words for it, and we cut the song." Watch the new video here.




Pink Floyd Icon Syd Barrett To Be Focus Of Cambridge Live Event(Classic Rock)

The life of Pink Floyd icon Syd Barrett is to be marked with a public artwork at the venue where he played his last shows. Cambridge Live - the arts and culture charity set up by Cambridge City Council - has announced plans to work with Barrett's family to commission either a painting, sculpture or other art installation to be placed at the city's Corn Exchange, where he played his last live concerts in 1972 as part of the short-lived band Stars.
It'll be unveiled in 2016 to mark the 10th anniversary of Barrett's death and also the 70th anniversary of his birth. Roger Keith 'Syd' Barrett co-founded Pink Floyd in 1965 along with Nick Mason, Roger Waters, and Richard Wright.

He left the band in 1968 and embarked on a solo career. He died of pancreatic cancer on July 7, 2006, at his home in Cambridge. Syd's sister Rosemary Breen says: "We welcome this opportunity to commemorate Roger. He was bright, funny, quirky and witty and was an artist not just in terms of 'music' or 'paintings' but in a much wider sense. We look forward to working with Cambridge Live to create a lasting memory of an inspiring man." Read more here.




Vardis Bassist Terry Horbury Dead At 65(Classic Rock)

Vardis bassist Terry Horbury has died after a short battle with cancer. He passed away at the Chelsea And Westminster Hospital in London on Tuesday. He was 65.
The band's frontman Steve Zodiac paid tribute to Horbury, praising his "kindness and integrity." He says in a statement: "Terry was a gifted musician and an exceptional man, whose talent for bass guitar ran deep throughout a 50 year musical career.

"His genuinely gentle, honest demeanour was obvious to all who met him, and his imaginative ideas and creative instinct were second to none. Terry had no ego and was always a man of truth, peace, kindness and integrity, with no other agenda but to care for nature, animals and play music.

"Terry was a truly great person - a gentleman, wit and artist who was musically at the top of his game this past year. His physical presence at his last public performance at Bush Hall less than five months ago was a sight to behold, making the speed with which he was taken from us all the more shocking." Read more here.




Motorhead Release 'When The Sky Comes Looking For You' Video(hennemusic)


Motorhead have released a video for "When The Sky Comes Looking For You", which is the latest track the legendary hard rock and rollers have released from their "Bad Magic" album.
The project scored the band's highest US chart position in their career, debuting at No. 22 on the Billboard 200 with opening week sales of 11,000 copies upon its release in August.

Motorhead just wrapped up a 40th anniversary European tour, which saw the group forced to cancel three dates last month as guitarist Phil Campbell was hospitalized for an unknown condition.

Campbell's issues followed a string of cancellations and shortened concerts on the band's North American summer run after bassist Lemmy Kilmister dealt with a lung infection brought on by playing at high altitudes.

Motorhead will open 2016 with a 6-date UK tour before performing more shows across Europe. Watch the new video here.




Scorpions Release 'Arizona' Video From Black Out Deluxe Edition(hennemusic)

The Scorpions have released a video for the song "Arizona", which is a track from the recently released expanded reissue of the group's 1982 album "Blackout."
The original outtake clip is one of the extras featured on the project, one of eight albums featured as part of the band's 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition series. In addition to "Blackout", the German rockers also reissued expanded versions of 1977's "Taken By Force", "Tokyo Tapes" (1978), 1979's "Lovedrive", "Animal Magnetism" (1980), 1984's "Love At First Sting", "Savage Amusement" (1998) and 1985's "World Wide Live."

Along with dozens of unheard studio tracks and live recordings, all CD releases are equipped with extended booklets featuring rare photos and, single covers, backstage passes and additional liner notes, while five of the eight albums include a DVD with live concert footage, TV performances and interviews from the period.

Scorpions recently completed the European leg of their 50th anniversary tour, and will enjoy a break over the holidays before returning to the road for more shows beginning February 17 in Odessa, Ukraine. Watch the video here.



The Cult's 'Deeply Ordered Chaos' Lyric Video Inspired By Paris Attacks(hennemusic)

The Cult have released a lyric video for "Deeply Ordered Chaos", a track from their forthcoming album "Hidden City." Directed by frontman Ian Astbury and Juan Azualy, the clip for the song tackles the subject of the multiple terrorist attacks in France over the past year.
"'Deeply Ordered Chaos' was written after events in Paris in January this year," Astbury tells Billboard. "We chose to depict scenes of wild life and outer space to provide a counterpoint to the wave of violent images we are constantly bombarded with and acknowledge the profoundness of being. This is also in response to events in Paris on Nov. 13.

"I have performed at Le Bataclan on four occasions and am deeply shocked and moved by what occurred that evening and have empathy for all those that have been affected by these twisted and hollow actions."

The song's title came from the late Irish painter Francis Bacon, who stated "I believe in deeply ordered chaos." "His work and philosophy have had a profound affect on my life," adds Astbury.

Produced by Bob Rock and due February 5, The Cult's 10th studio album is the third and final installment in a trilogy of recordings that began with 2007's "Born Into This" and 2012's "Choice Of Weapon." Watch the video here.




Lords Of Black (Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow) Announce New Album(Classic Rock)

Lords Of Black have confirmed the upcoming release of their second album. The band fronted by Ronnie Romero - who will perform with Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow band for his 2016 return to rock shows - will issue II on March 18 via Frontiers Music Srl.
Guitarist Tony Hernando says: "The new album, being the follow-up to a first record that was so greatly received, had to get to a higher place. After an intense year of writing and producing, along with the live performances, we came up with songs that are still deep and complicated in some arrangements, but have been written with the live performance in mind.

"The quest was to come up with something that artistically was meaningful for us as musicians and at the same time could catch the attention of the listeners. We really hope you enjoy this new album and come with us for a great ride!"

II includes The Art of Illusions Part III: The Wasteland - the conclusion to the trilogy that began on the debut album. Also featured is Cry No More, which is inspired and dedicated to the late Thin Lizzy man Phil Lynott. Check out the trailer here.




Halestorm Release Unplugged 'Apocalyptic' Performance(Classic Rock)

Halestorm have released a video of them performing an acoustic version of Apocalyptic. It was recorded in a session at Atlantic Records in New York earlier this year.
They previously unveiled performances of What Sober Couldn't Say and This Modern Love from the same session. Apocalyptic appears on the band's latest album Into The Wild Life.

In a track-by-track breakdown of Into The Wild Life for TeamRock, guitarist Joe Hottinger said of Apocalyptic: "We were initially going to lead off the album campaign with Amen, and then our label said we should go with Apocalyptic - and they were totally right because this was more a seamless transition between the last album and this one.

"We wanted to lead the listeners in subtly, and I'm glad that we did. The response to this song's been great when we play it live." Check out the video here.




Chris Squire's Death Cast Doubt On Future For Yes(Classic Rock)

Billy Sherwood has confirmed the future of Yes was in doubt following the death of Chris Squire. He passed away in June after a battle with cancer, and drummer Alan White soon said the band would keep going because that's what the late bassist had asked them to do.
But Sherwood - who'd been standing in for Squire since his illness was announced - has owned up to concerns about whether he'd be accepted. He tells Classic Rock Revisited: "No one was sure if Yes was going to continue, with me at the tip of that spear. I wasn't sure. Will these people accept me here? I understand the pain - but will this work? To my surprise, I'm very happy to say the majority of Yes fans are rallying behind the band right now."

He recalls the comforting experience of the band's most recent Cruise To The Edge event, referring to "lots of love and well-wishes for Chris and his family" and "the same emotions and feelings for Yes moving forward and me doing what I'm doing."

Sherwood - who's on his third stint with Yes - admits he didn't realize he was being lined up to permanently replace Squire when the pair first spoke about it.

"It was about filling in for him. But as things progressed and he got closer to his mortality, I think he was more in touch with reality than I was. In his way he was prepping me for, you know, 'You are going to take this. Do you promise me you're going to do this? Tell me you're into it.' All these things." Read more here.




Metallica's James Hetfield 2015 Favorites Includes Justin Bieber(Classic Rock)


James Hetfield has published a handwritten list of his favorite things that happened to him in 2015. The Metallica frontman cites staying alive, watching his children grow up, having fans join him onstage at numerous concerts and shooting a sniper out a moving helicopter among his best memories of the year.
His favorite music moments included Baroness's upcoming album Purple, getting his "best" guitar sound yet, Pepper Keenan's return to Corrosion of Conformity, meeting Robert Plant - and Justin Bieber being photographed wearing a Metallica T-shirt.

The pop star faced backlash on social media from metal fans after appearing on the Ellen Show wearing the top last month, as well as posting a photo of himself wearing it on Instagram in June.

But Metallica said in a 2013 interview with Q Magazine that they were fans of the singer. Hetfield said: "Are we Beliebers? Yes." Drummer Lars Ulrich added: "Is it possible to have respect for him without being a Belieber? I think the kid's really talented and obviously to go through what he's going through at that early age must be a mindf***. So the fact that he still goes out there and does it, I admire that and I think he's super talented, so I guess I am kind of a Belieber." See Hetfield's list here.




Paul Nelson Band Streaming Cover Of Freddie King's Christmas Tears(The Blues)


The Paul Nelson Band have streamed their version of Freddie King's track Christmas Tears. The video appears ahead of the debut album from the outfit put together by the late Johnny Winter's long-time guitarist. They confirmed earlier this month that Badass Generation would be released on February 5.
Nelson said: "Johnny's influence will always be a part of me. There are many times when I pick up my guitar and I feel his music. I know he's with me in a way - but I also have influences from so many other places. Have I now spread my wings? Absolutely. I'm a musician. I have to keep on writing and performing, and never stop."

The lineup features vocalist Morten Fredheim, bassist Christopher Alexander and drummer Chris Reddan, and Gov't Mule keyboardist Danny Louis makes a guest studio appearance. Stream the song here.



Colt 45 Release Charity Single To Benefit Flood Relief In Cumbria(TeamRock Radio)

Colt 45 have released a charity single to raise funds for those affected by the recent floods in their home county of Cumbria. The rockers will donate all proceeds from sales of their track I Remember When The Rain Came Down to the Cumbria Flood Appeal. The area faces months of rebuilding after Storm Desmond wreaked havoc this month. It was declared a "major incident" by police as the towns of Carlisle, Appleby, Keswick and Kendal faced the brunt of the rainfall.
Colt 45 say: "We've all been affected by the terrible floods in Cumbria previously in 2005 and 2009 and now, again, right before Christmas this year. The community spirit here in Carlisle and Workington has been amazing - everyone's helping each other out with the clean-up, sorting through destroyed possessions and trying to prepare for as normal a Christmas as possible.

"We've been lucky this time to not be directly hit ourselves, and our rehearsal room just about survived, but we have close family and friends whose homes and belongings have been destroyed - some for the second or third time in 10 years." Read more and stream the track here.




Devil You Know Release 'Your Last Breath' Lyric Video(TeamRock Radio)

Devil You Know have issued a lyric video for their track Your Last Breath, It features on their second album They Bleed Red, launched last month via Nuclear Blast
The album is the follow-up to 2014's The Beauty Of Destruction and Your Last Breath follows the release of singles The Way We Die, Stay Of Execution and their cover of Survivor classic Eye Of The Tiger.

Howard Jones, Francesco Artusato, John Sankey and Ryan Wombacher had three Soundwave shows scheduled in Australia next month, which was just canceled by organizers. Stream the track here.



Australia's Soundwave Festival Cancelled Due To Poor Ticket Sales(TeamRock Radio)


Australia's Soundwave festival has been cancelled little more than a month before it was due to get underway. The three-day, three-city event was scheduled to take place in Brisbane on January 23, Sydney a day later and Melbourne on January 26, but promoter AJ Maddah has announced he's pulled the plug due to "poor ticket sales." It'll also not go ahead in 2017, with this year's Soundwave seemingly the event's swan song.
In a series of Twitter posts, Maddah says: "I am devastated to have to announce the cancellation of Soundwave 2016 due to poor ticket sales. I am very sorry. I tried my best.

"Thank you to all the fans, bands and people who supported the event for the last 12 years. I wish we could have ended it on a better note. Great triumph for the internet hate squad and the trolls. Congratulations guys. Only thing is, you are now fast running out of targets." Read more here.



The Contortionist Release 'Language (Rediscovered)' Performance Video(Prog)


The Contortionist have released a video of them performing their track Language live. It features on the "Rediscovered" edition of their 2014 Language album which contains three other live cuts along with the original recordings.
They previously issued a promo for The Parable. Vocalist Michael Lessard told Prog: "We wanted to sit down with the songs that we've spent the last 14 months playing around the world, and give people a chance to see them in a new light. It's been a pleasure getting a chance to rediscover these tracks and we hope everyone enjoys."

The Contortionist recently wrapped up a North American tour with Tesseract and will return to Europe for a run of dates in February. Check out the new video clip here.



Pantera Box Set Promo Video Released(TeamRock Radio)

An unboxing video showing off the vinyl version of Pantera's box set has been released. Released via Rhino Records, the set is also available in a 5CD package. It is available via Amazon.
The vudei clip shows the five colored albums and one 7-inch single that come with The Complete Studio Albums 1990-2000, which was released this week.

The vinyl package contains Cowboys From Hell, Vulgar Display Of Power, Far Beyond Driven, The Great Southern Trendkill and Reinventing The Steel, as well as a 7-inch featuring non album tracks Piss and Avoid The Light. Watch the video here.



Faith No More Release 'Separation Anxiety' Video(Classic Rock)


Faith No More have unveiled a promo for their track Separation Anxiety. The video features clips from the 1955 horror film Dementia - also known as Daughter of Horror.
The track is from their seventh record Sol Invictus - their first release since 1997's Album Of The Year. This year the band embarked on a world tour and headlined festivals including Sonisphere, Download, Riot Fest, Bumbershoot and Rock In Rio to promote their latest studio work.

Bassist Billy Gould says: "When we split up, we explored what we could do on our own. During that time, we each developed what was a natural part of ourselves. Now, coming back, we have a wider perspective so we can do things we didn't even think of back in the day.

"If we were to decide to do country-western music, it would still sound like a Faith No More album. Together we have a strong collective identity, and when we work together it makes its own animal."

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!: Ritchie Blackmore May Play Even More Rainbow Concerts(hennemusic) Ritchie Blackmore says in new interview that there may be mor...

Today's Day In Rock News!

Ritchie Blackmore May Play Even More Rainbow Concerts(hennemusic)


Ritchie Blackmore says in new interview that there may be more Rainbow shows in the band's future if the three scheduled concerts that he has announced for next year go off as planned.
The group will perform the Best of Rainbow and Deep Purple at the Monsters Of Rock festivals in Loreley, Germany on June 17 and Bietigheim-Bissingen, Germany on June 18, as well as a solo headlining date at the Genting Arena in Birmingham, UK on June 25.

The 2016 shows marks a rare return to rock by the guitarist after years as the leader of Blackmore's Night, a medieval folk band he formed in 1997 with then-girlfriend and now-wife Candice Night.

"Blackmore's Night will go on," Blackmore tells Rich Davenport's Rock Show, "and this is just a brief intermission of playing some good old rock, but with some good friends and some good musicians. And hopefully everybody's there for the same reason, which is it's good music and it's nostalgia, and hopefully everything goes well.

"And if it works, we'll do, obviously, more dates. We're only doing three this first time. But, like I said, if it works, we'll do more later on." Listen to the full interview here.




AC/DC Add Another 2016 Leg to Rock Or Bust World Tour(Classic Rock)


AC/DC are on a roll with the announcement of yet another 2016 leg of their Rock or Bust World Tour. They have now revealed that they will return to Europe next year, it's been confirmed.
They've just announced a 2016 US tour in support of latest album Rock Or Bust - and following the run of 20 shows, they'll head back across the Pond for 10 dates, including performances in London and Manchester in June.

The first gig will take place in Lisbon, Portugal on May 7 and wrap up June 12 in Aarhus, Denmark. Tickets will go on sale on December 18 (Friday) from 9.30am local time via the band's website. See the dates for the European and the American legs here.


Sammy Hagar Previews His New TV Show(hennemusic)

Sammy Hagar has released the trailer for his new AXS TV series Rock & Roll Road Trip. Set to premiere January 24 on the US network, the 6-episode run mixes all-star guest appearances with performances as the Red Rocker drives across the country to jam with some of music's biggest names.
In the series' first episode, Hagar and former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony cruise the Sunset Strip and reminisce at the world famous Whisky A Go Go, before heading out to Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee's house to cook, talk, and perform rock staples "Rock Candy" and Jeff Beck's "Going Down."

Hagar then heads out to San Francisco for a special Grateful Dead episode, joining founding members Bob Weir and Mickey Hart as they relive the glory days of the Peace & Love Movement on Haight-Ashbury, delve into their musical influences, discuss what made the group so unique, and perform the band's classic "Loose Lucy", followed by a jam session with Hagar and Hart.

"Something that's always bugged me is that fans get to see us either onstage in concert or in interviews, and that's about it," says Hagar. "There's so much cool, history-making stuff that happens off stage that fans have never really had access to, but I do. And that's where this show takes viewers! I'm hookin' them up with a real backstage pass."

Other season one highlights include a Seattle session with Heart front women Ann and Nancy Wilson, and appearances by Alice Cooper, Alice In Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell and others. Watch the trailer here.




Filter's Richard Patrick Apologizes For Scott Weiland Comments(Classic Rock)


Filter mainman Richard Patrick has apologized to the late Scott Weiland for comments he made about his addictions earlier this year. Patrick - a recovering drug addict himself - said in April that Weiland's biggest enablers were his fans, to which the former Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver singer responded by saying he hadn't taken heroin in 13 years.
Weiland was found dead on his tour bus in Bloomington, Minnesota, on December 3 where where he was on the road with his band Scott Weiland And The Wildabouts.

The cause of death has yet to be confirmed, but police confirmed they had found drugs in the room where the vocalist's body was discovered. Patrick now says he will do everything he can to stay clean himself and ensure Weiland's death was not in vain.

In a Facebook post, Patrick says: "I'm sorry Scott. You know, I was trying to help. You were mad at me when I went public with my comments on your addiction.

"I figured if I lost a friend in order to help him it was worth the risk. I figured if the shoe were on the other foot, maybe one day you could hit me back somehow if I went out.

"People think it was lame or a publicity stunt but all I wanted was for you to hear me, if not all of us. Bless you Scott. I will learn from your mistakes. I will be sober because of you. Your death won't be in vain. Whenever I feel the temptation to use I will say to myself, 'For Scott, not today.'" Read more including the post here.




Eagles Of Death Metal's Homme Moved By Fan Support Video(Classic Rock)


Josh Homme says he is "humbled" by a fan group's video message of support to the Eagles Of Death Metal. A group of Queens Of The Stone Age fans from around the world recorded a message for EODM in the wake of last month's Paris terror attacks.
The band's show at the Bataclan venue was targeted by extremists, with 89 people killed by gunmen who later detonated suicide bombs at the concert hall. In total, 130 people died in a series of coordinated attacks across the French capital.

QOTSA frontman Homme is also a member of EODM, although he doesn't always tour with them and was not in Paris on the night of the attacks. Homme says: "I think I'm one of the first in our group to see this. I find it difficult to put into words how this video makes me feel. I'm proud to be among you, part of you, one of you. Thank you for this kind and generous gift.

"It means the world to me. I thank you with everything I have. I am humbled by you. I am in awe of you. What you have done, together? I will never forget this gift of kindness. Thank you."

The video sees fans, calling themselves the Queens Of The Stone Age Family, tell of their love of the band and offering their support. Individual members recorded themselves reading lines from a statement. Read some of their comments and watch the video here.




Paramore Announce 'Painful' Split With Member(TeamRock Radio)


Paramore bassist Jeremy Davis has left the band in what his former colleagues call a "painful" split. But frontwoman Hayley Williams and guitarist Taylor York have vowed they'll keep the outfit going.
Davis was the Tennessee troupe's first bass player when they formed in 2004, although he'd left by the time they recorded debut album All We Know Is Falling. He returned the following year and remained on board for 2007's Riot!, 2009's Brand New Eyes and 2013's self-titled release, recorded after the departure of Josh and Zac Farro.

Paramore say: "The self-titled era was one we knew would be important for us, but also one we'd eventually have to move on from. In moving forward, there is growth, pain, and change -and sometimes the change is not at all what you hoped for.

"We've written and re-written this countless times and there's just not a good way to put it. Jeremy is no longer going to be in the band with us. This has been really painful." Read more here.




Bleeding Through Shoot Down Full Reunion Rumors(TeamRock Radio)


Bleeding Through have moved to squash reunion rumors that were sparked after they uploaded a photo to their Facebook page captioned "Nothing Is Over. 2016."
The post gave excited fans false hope of a comeback - but the band have since revealed it was referring only to their upcoming performance at a fundraiser show for The Ghost Inside, who were involved in a fatal bus crash in Texas while on tour last month.
Frontman Brandan Schiepatti says: "Just so you know, BT is playing a show to help raise money for our friends in The Ghost Inside pay for medical bills. Friends have each other's backs.

"BT is not getting back together anytime in the foreseeable future. This is about our friends needing help. We hope that people support this show and help raises funds for TGI. This is not an attempt at a comeback. I feel BT gave enough." Read more here.




Last In Line Streaming New Song 'Martyr'(Classic Rock)


Last In Line have made their track Martyr available to stream. It's taken from the band's debut album Heavy Crown, which is due out on February 19 via Frontiers Music Srl.
Last In Line features original Dio members Vivian Campbell on guitar, Vinny Appice on drums and bassist Jimmy Bain, alongside lead vocalist Andrew Freeman.

In November the band split with keyboardist Claude Schnell. The band had this to say about the new track, "Happy to share with you another new song called Martyr. Crank it up loud." Check out the song here.




David Bowie Previews New 'Lazarus' Single(hennemusic)


David Bowie has released a preview of a brand new song entitled "Lazarus", which is the second single from the legendary rock star's forthcoming studio album "Blackstar."
Available December 18, the song is the only track from the project also featured in the current New York stage production of the same name written by Bowie and Enda Walsh and directed by Ivo Van Hove.

Ahead of Friday's release, "Lazarus" will premiere via the UK's BBC and NPR Music in the States on Thursday and - later the same night - be delivered in a feature performance by Michael C. Hall and the musicians from the musical on CBS-TV's The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

Bowie recently issued a short film/video for the title track to "Blackstar" the album, which he'll release on his 69th birthday on January 8. The project marks the follow-up to the singer's first album in a decade - 2013's "The Next Day" - which peaked at No. 2 on the US Billboard 200. Check out the preview clip here.




Steve Vai's Guitar Stolen From Outside Of Tony McAlpine Benefit(Classic Rock)


A guitar owned by Steve Vai was stolen from outside the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles where the guitar hero was performing at a benefit show for Tony McAlpine.
The custom mirror JEM - which Vai nicknamed 'Bo' - was taken from outside the venue on December 12 (Saturday) where he and a host of other musicians including Tom Morello, Zakk Wylde, Billy Sheehan, John 5, Mike Portnoy and Nuno Bettencourt were performing.

The show was set up to raise funds for guitarist McAlpine, who was recently diagnosed with colon cancer and had to postpone a string of tour dates while he undergoes treatment.

Vai's guitar carries the serial number F0006311 and has a host of unique features, such as blue LED fret dots and a red laser in the headstock. More including video from the show here.




Cozy Powell To Receive Hometown Memorial Honor(Classic Rock)


A memorial plaque in honor of the late Cozy Powell will be officially unveiled in his hometown of Cirencester next month. The tribute comes after fans petitioned for Powell's hometown to pay tribute to his career, which included stints with Black Sabbath, Rainbow, Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy among others.
The 50-year-old drummer - real name Colin Powell - was killed in a car crash in 1998 while on the phone to his girlfriend. He was later found to have been over the drink-driving limit.

Campaign organizer Rossella Amadori, who started the petition for the plaque, says: "His talents were immediately evident to anyone who heard him play. But it was when you saw him performing that he really blew you away. You knew that every part of him was right there. No matter which genre of music he was playing, he always gave everything he had." Read more here.




Cheap Trick's New Album Has Flavors Of 1975 Says Zander(Classic Rock)


Cheap Trick frontman Robin Zander has described the band's songwriting team as "three great guys, and four great chords." Referring to himself, guitarist Rick Nielsen and bassist Tom Petersson, Zander says the group's upcoming 17th album - tentatively called Bang Zoom Crazy Hello - harks back to their classic works thanks to the working relationship of the three core members.
Zander tells UCR: "It has flavors of 1975; it really does. And it's the same guys in the band, so it sounds like Cheap Trick. I don't think anyone is going to be very disappointed.

"I think all of our records are a progression of some sort. There's three great guys and four great chords. There are three songwriters in the band and we're all vying for space on the record as we go along on this journey of over 40 years. So, it's going to be diverse, just like all of our records." Read more here.




Journey Frontman Arnel Pineda Announces Sounds Of Christmas EP(hennemusic)


Journey singer Arnel Pineda will release the EP, "Sounds Of Christmas", on December 18. The 4-song set includes the now-available lead single "This Christmas", as well as "Christmas Day", "Christmas Time" and "Jingle Bells."
The project is Pineda's first offering under a newly-signed deal with Imagen Records. "I am pleased and honored to have the opportunity to sign with Imagen Records for my solo projects," says Pineda, "such as my new Christmas record out now, and my full length solo album coming out next in 2016, and of course, be able to work with such amazing crew and management of Imagen Records.

"To all the Journey fans, thank you for all your love and support to me and our whole band, looking forward to Journey's tour next year. Grateful to have all the people around me including Sanre Entertainment, its CEO Rene Walter, and my social media followers and likers, for their continued support, loyalty and love for my God-given talent. God bless everyone."

Pineda joined the San Francisco band in 2007 after being discovered by founder and guitarist Neal Schon singing Journey covers on YouTube with Filipino band The Zoo. Read more here.




Frank Zappa's Lost Broadcast Being Released On DVD(Prog)

A concert film recorded by Frank Zappa And The Mothers Of Invention during their second European tour is to be released on DVD for the first time.
The Lost Broadcast: The Beat Club '68 was shot in Germany on October 6 that year, during the group's first visit to the country and its iconic Bremen venue.

The DVD edition includes a band rehearsal alongside the full performance, which features Ian Underwood, Bunk Gardner, Don Preston, Roy Estrada, Jimmy Carl Black, Art Tripp and Motorhead Sherwood.

Gonzo Multimedia say: "Much of this material has never been legitimately released before now. Only the last 35 minutes were ever transmitted." Read more here.




Beatles Abbey Road Sessions Re-staging Set For A Tour(Classic Rock)


The Sessions, a live re-staging of The Beatles at Abbey Road, is to tour the UK next year. The tour, which features a cast of 45, will kick-off with a charity preview event at Liverpool's Echo Arena on March 30.
Inspired by Here, There and Everywhere, the memoir of former Abbey Road sound engineer Geoff Emerick, each of the albums recorded at the studio will become a 'Suite' featuring seven vocalists (two 'Johns', two 'Pauls', two 'Georges' and one 'Ringo'), while a further seven musicians will recreate the band's instrumentation and a 21-piece orchestra will provide musical arrangements.

"This video is a small window into what we're trying to achieve, and the passion and expertise in which we'll do it," says executive director Stig Edgren. "With the world class team we've assembled, the clarity of our vision and the amazing venues we'll be touring, we have an incredibly exciting opportunity to create the biggest, most spectacular, most musically authentic Beatles show ever. We wanted to give people a taste of the process by which we will bring The Sessions to life, and hope they see our commitment to delivering the finest Beatle production ever." The organisers have made a short film to explain how it'll all work. Read more and check out the video here.




IO Earth Release 'Insomnia' Music Video(Prog)

IO Earth have released a video for their track Insomnia. It follows the promo for the title track from current album New World. Mainmain Dave Cureton says the concept for the Insomnia video came from an idea hatched by manager Wendy Vissers-Hagenbeek, who also directed the clip, which focuses on a grieving father's struggle to get over the loss of his daughter.
He adds: "It's about having the courage and the strength to move on in life after tragedy strikes and you feel like your life is on hold. Keep moving on will find you inner peace."

Vissers-Hagenbeek adds: "It came to me completely out of the blue and I instantly knew it would turn out great. I called Dave in the middle of the night and rein-acted the entire concept. Luckily he was just as excited as I was about the story and we rolled with it." Watch the video here.



The Resistance Announce New Album Coup De Grace(TeamRock Radio)

The Resistance have revealed that their second album Coup De Grace will be out on January 22 next year via EarMusic. The Swedish extreme metal band, made up of members of In Flames and The Haunted, released their debut EP Rise From Treason in January 2013, followed by their full-length Scars and mini-album Torture Tactics in February this year.
The Resistance is fronted by The Haunted vocalist Marco Aro, with In Flames guitarists Jesper Stromblad and Glenn Ljungstrom, Dark Tranquility's Daniel Antonsson and drummer Christofer Barkensjo from Face Down.

Stromblad has previously said he left In Flames due to its changing, "Americanised" sound and to seek treatment for his ongoing battle with alcohol addiction. Read more here.



Devilskin Announce Their First UK Tour(TeamRock Radio)


Devilskin have announced details of their first UK tour. The Kiwi outfit, whose debut album We Rise debuted at the number one spot on the New Zealand album chart and has since achieved double platinum status, arrive in Birmingham on February 18 at the start of an eight-date tour. We Rise has now been in the NZ Album chart Top 20 for 73 weeks.
"We are really looking forward to getting a good look around the beautiful country and of course playing shows in new territories is also really exciting," say the band. "We see it as a challenge to be at the top of our game and put on the best show we can to a whole new audience. We want to be invited back.

"We all see the UK as the spiritual home of metal. Our heroes and idols have all walked those streets, worked those stages and inspired us so much from the other side of the world. To have the opportunity to play these venues and walk the same paths as so many legends is a real honour and only inspires us to work harder and reach further.

"Metal Hammer readers are a discerning lot, loyal, hungry for new talent and appreciative of good honest passion. We cant wait to meet some of these legends share a beer and introduce them to our music and the devilish world of Devilskin!" See the dates and tour poster here.




Amaranthe's Elize Ryd Believes They Invented Their Own Genre(TeamRock Radio)

Amaranthe's Elize Ryd says she can't pigeonhole the band's sound and reckons they invented their own genre. The Swedish band's joint vocalist says each member of the group brought their own influences to the table when they formed in 2008.
She wanted to infuse the pop stylings of stars like Beyonce with Jake Lundberg's love of 80s rock and guitarist Olof Morck's classical background. Bassist Johan Andreassen's punk obsession helps add to the mix, says Ryd.

She tells Yell: "I would say that we probably, by coincidence, created our own genre. I don't see myself as a specifically metal girl. I see myself as a musical artist. And from musicals, you can do rock - like Queen musical We Will Rock You or Mamma Mia which is pop, or Les Miserables which is classical.

"I'm versatile. I thought it would be so cool if I could sing like in a Beyonce-type voice. I'd never heard that in metal before. We are different as people and we put in what we are best at. Olaf comes from a classical background. Johan is the punk guy, Jake is good at his 80s rock thing. We never try to adjust to a specific kind of genre, we just stay true to ourselves then write together." Read more here.




Beth Hart Announces 2016 UK Tour(Classic Rock)


Beth Hart has confirmed a seven-date UK tour for November 2016. It follows an acclaimed run of British shows in May this year, and the release of seventh album Better Than Home the previous month. She played a sold-out solo show at London's Union Chapel this week.
Hart recently said of the follow-up to 2014's Bang Bang Boom Boom: "This record is not like that aesthetic. I bounce all over the place, man. I've got multiple personalities. A lot of them.

"Keep working on telling the truth - that's my mantra for the music. Tell the truth, work your ass off, and keep going there. I've got four things I have to do and the rest I leave to the wind - pray, work out, eat right, and keep in contact with my doctor."

She's currently working on her eighth record, set to be released before she returns to the UK. See the new tour dates here.



Charlie Barnes Releases 'More Stately Mansions' Live Video(Prog)

Charlie Barnes has released a live video for his latest album's title track More Stately Mansions. In addition to the song's official music video, which was released in October, the team filmed a live acoustic clip of the song in an old church while they were shooting the video for the record's first single Sing to God in March.
The multi-instrumentalist from Leeds, who is a touring member with indie-rock band Bastille, also launched a reworked version of single Easy, Kid in October to coincide with his UK and Euro solo tour.

He says: "This has been an absolutely crazy year for me. I've learned in 2015 that you really can't plan your life all that much. We shot the promo video for Sing To God back in February in a beautiful former church in Leeds, and decided while we were there to quickly throw some mics up and record an acoustic version of the song More Stately Mansions.

"We couldn't really find the right time to put the video out during the last six odd months, so we decided it would be an ideal little way to round off this absolutely bat-sh*t-mental year of my musical life." Watch the video and read more here.


Mothertongue Ink Deal For Unsongs Album Release(Prog)

Manchester six-piece Mothertongue have been snapped up by Bad Elephant Music ahead of the release of their debut album. Described as "an inspirational, progressive-pop melting pot with touches of punk and ska thrown in for good measure," Mothertongue's debut Unsongs will released in early 2016.
Drummer John Simm says: "We're extremely excited to be working with the lovely chaps at Bad Elephant Music.They've given us a chance to get our album out into the world, whilst cosseting our suspiciously odd tunes in the warm blanket of acceptance. Let's hope they don't notice how little sense it makes before they release it."

Label boss David Elliot adds: "They had me from the first note - honest, melodic, intelligent music which works its way into your head and your dancing feet very quickly. Also, they like dinosaurs. Splendid!"

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!: Classic Rock Stars Deny Indecent Assault Of 15-Year-Old Girl(Classic Rock) Two former members of The Tremeloes who have been accu...

Today's Day In Rock News!

Classic Rock Stars Deny Indecent Assault Of 15-Year-Old Girl(Classic Rock)

Two former members of The Tremeloes who have been accused of historic charges of indecent assault against a 15-year-old girl have denied any wrongdoing.
Rick Westwood, 72, and Len Hawkes, 69, were both charged last month with one count each of indecent assault relating to an incident in Chester in 1968.

According to the BBC, the pair both pleaded not guilty at an appearance at Chester Magistrates' Court this week and were bailed ahead of a further appearance scheduled for April 5, 2016.

Prosecutor Rob Youds told the court the alleged incident took place in a Chester hotel room at the height of the band's fame. Read more here.


Motorhead Frontman Lemmy Sick Of Death Questions(Classic Rock)

Lemmy says he sick of being asked when he's going to die. The Motorhead frontman has struggled with ill health in recent years, and a number of shows on the band's recent US tour were cancelled or stopped early as he suffered with a lung infection, exacerbated by high altitude.
But the 69-year-old rock icon insists he's doing just fine and adds that he's fed up being asked about his health. He tells Classic Rock: "I'm sick of the f***ing, 'Are you going to die?' line of questioning. It's getting really old, that question. I'm alright. I'm going out there and doing my best.

"I have good days and bad days but mostly I've been doing alright. The last tour of the States was very good." Lemmy adds that, even though he's approaching 70, he has no intention of retiring.

He says: "It's when you get to 60 when everything starts to go pear-shaped. Everyone thinks that becoming an older guy is easy, but you never consider it fully. It comes as quite a shock. But the thing is, I don't want to give in to it." Read more here.



Ringo Starr Breaks Records With Auction(M2M)

Beatles legend Ringo Starr raised almost $10 million with his Julien's Auctions of rarities which included fetching record breaking prices for a historic drum kit and the first UK pressing of one of the Beatle's most iconic albums.
Ringo's very first UK pressing of the Beatles' White Album sold for $790,000, breaking the previous record held by an Elvis acetate that sold for $310,000 at auction.

The biggest item from the auction was Ringo's first 1963 Ludwig Oyster Black Pearl three-piece drum kit, which was purchased by Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay for a record $2.2 million.

We were sent the following history of the drum set and more details about additional items that were sold at the auction: The kit has not been seen in public for more than 50 years and was used by Starr in more than 200 performances between May of 1963 and February of 1964 and used to record some of The Beatles biggest hits including: "Can't Buy Me Love," "She Loves You," "All My Loving," "I Want to Hold Your Hand," "Money," and "I Wanna Be Your Man," and many others. Paul McCartney also used the Oyster Black Pearl kit on his first solo album, McCartney. Read more here.



Rush's Geddy Lee Open To Making New Solo Album

The future of Rush is still up in the air with the band stating that their last tour would possibly be their last. But there is still hope for new music from frontman Geddy Lee, who says that he would definitely consider making another solo album.
Lee did an in-depth interview with The A.V. Club looking back at various songs and periods from Rush's 40 year career. At the end of the discussion the talk turned towards his solo experience. When asked if he would ever consider making a follow up to his 2000 solo album "My Favorite Headache," he said "Yes, I would. Definitely."

Prior to that question, he was asked what it was like to write without Neil Pearl and Alex Lifeson. He responded, "That was a real interesting period for me. It was tough because I had planned to do some jamming with my dear friend Ben Mink who is an amazing musician, producer, and songwriter in his own right, and a violinist and guitarist. Because we had been friends for so long, and we had never actually made a record together aside from him playing on the song Losing It from our Signals album, we had always planned that some time when the band was on a break, we would just get together and start writing together and see what happened.

"We were planning to do that, and suddenly tragedy struck Neil's life. His daughter was taken from him in a car accident, and everything got really weird and it was just a horrible period.

"So I decided after a few months this idea of working with Ben might be a real tonic for me, because I didn't know really whether there would ever be another Rush album. I had no idea; it was not something we were focused on, and people get through tragedies in different ways. I was kind of going crazy and needed something to focus on, so this project that was sort of in the back of my mind with Ben suddenly became critical so we started getting together in my home studio in Toronto and I would go to his place in Vancouver and over a series of months we gathered a whole bunch of material together and then we decided to go for it and make the record." Read the full interview here.



Billy Corgan Pays Tribute To Scott Weiland

The Smashing Pumpkins leader Billy Corgan has published a tribute to former Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver frontman Scott Weiland who died last week at the age of 48.
Corgan published the following on the official The Smashing Pumpkins website, "Having just woken to the news of this passing, I feel compelled to put pen to paper and pay my respects to Scott. And in that I will not pretend to know more than I know, or add some sad homily to how he loved his life. At least in that, may I now say he is undoubtably in the arms of grace and eternal love.

"May I also offer my humble condolences to his family, friends, and band mates; who have, and are, suffering this great loss. For when anyone as vaunted leaves far too soon, we mourn all that might have been.

"As any fan, I find myself reflecting on what I do have in my own treasure chest: in scarce moments where Scott and I spoke as contemporaries or competitors, and got to know each as people other past the footlights and shadows we were so busy casting to the world. It may seem trite in reflection, but I'd try to make him giggle when I saw that the manic whirl of the dumb parties we were at (in Hollywood, no less!) might be causing undue stress.

"It was, I'd guess you'd say, my way of apology for having been so critical of STP when they appeared on the scene like some crazy, man-fueled rocket. And not only was the knight up front freshly handsome to a fault, but he could sing too! As any supreme actor gives a real and different voice to each character played.

"It was STP's 3rd album that had got me hooked, a wizardly mix of glam and post-punk, and I confessed to Scott, as well as the band many times, how wrong I'd been in assessing their native brilliance. And like Bowie can and does, it was Scott's phrasing that pushed his music into a unique, and hard to pin down, aesthetic sonicsphere.

"Lastly, I'd like to share a thought which though clumsy, I hope would please Scott In Hominum. And that is if you asked me who I truly believed were the great voices of our generation, I'd say it were he, Layne, and Kurt.

"So it goes beyond tragedy to say it is we who lost them, and not the other way round… WILLIAM CORGAN"




Every Time I Die's Keith Buckley Thankful Following Baby Complications

Every Time I Die frontman Keith Buckley posted a message of thanks and shared a photos of his new daughter Zuzana London Buckley. He was forced to leave the band's tour last week after his wife suffered "a rare and life threatening complication which required immediate removal" of their child to save their lives.
Buckley posted the following message on his personal Facebook page, "I'm indebted to a lot of wonderful people for a lot of beautiful things lately but I need to take a moment to publicly thank Tyler Brand of Exalt and Jason Butler of Letlive for the sacrifices they are making in order to course correct ETID and keep them moving forward in my stead. my view from the outside this week has given me a new appreciation of the compassion inherent in the community where every time I die has proudly built a home- one where the strong are selflessly motivated to compensate for the weak- and I am humbled to a sacred place outside of words.

"To all those who go to the shows and support every time I die unflinchingly, your part in helping me keep my focus beyond the outermost limits of darkness is as fundamental as Tyler and Jason's. I am grateful for the things I have, particularly in the times when I have not. I hope to see you soon."

He also posted a photo of his wife and new born daughter with the caption "her name is Zuzana London Buckley and this is what it looks like when love prevails. my heart is new again. - with Lindsay Buckley." See the photo here.



Scott Weiland Appeared To Be In A Bad Way At Rock On The Range(Classic Rock)

Scott Weiland had the appearance of a man who "needed help" after his band's performance at Rock On the Range this year, according to TeamRock editor-in-chief Alexander Milas.
Milas watched Scott Weiland And The Wildabouts' "shambolic" performance at the festival in Ohio on May 16 and interviewed him after he came off stage. He says the experience left him feeling very sorry for the clearly deeply troubled singer.

Weiland was found dead on his tour bus in Bloomington, Minnesota, on Thursday night. The cause of death has yet to be confirmed. He was 48. The Rock On The Range appearance came just weeks after a video of Weiland and his band performing Stone Temple Pilots classic Vasoline went viral on account of the vocalist's disheveled appearance and wayward singing.

Milas tells TeamRock Radio: "It was a strange experience, to put things mildly. It had come not long after a video went viral from a show in Texas where he seemed confused and didn't quite know where he was. In Texas, they did a Wildabouts song and he began to sing something by STP and it was quite clear then that he had some troubles.

"So I was surprised that he then made that festival appearance, and shambolic is probably being generous." During his interview with Weiland, Milas says it was obvious the frontman was in a bad way. Read more here.




Decapitated Announce Blood Mantra Across North America Tour

Decapitated have announced that they will be launching their own North American headlining tour early next year. The Blood Mantra Across North America Tour will feature support from Black Breath and Theories.
The tour scheduled to kick off on January 27th in Denver, CO at the Marquis Theater and will be concluding on February 27th in Virginia Beach, VA at Shaka's.

Guitarist Vogg had the following to say about the trek, "We're very excited to announce that we will be returning to North America in January and February as a part of the At The Gates tour, along with our first headline dates in over 3 years.

"As you probably know due to unexpected problems with U.S.C.I.S. we were forced to cancel our tour with Soulfly in October this year. We can't wait to get back and play for our loyal fans all over North America and we hope to see you there! Nothing will stop us this time!!!"

Singer Rasta adds: "The beginning of 2016 is gonna be awesome. We are coming back to United States and Canada!!!. As we all perfectly know, North America is one of the best place to play hard music. This continent was simply built on a Rock and Roll music, and I feel it every time we play there. Amazing crowds, constant headbanging and of course unforgettable shows. North America are you ready?! We are coming! See you there!" See the dates here.



King Diamond Shows Sidelined By Acute Laryngitis(TeamRock Radio)

King Diamond was forced to cancel his show in Houston on Friday night (December 4). He had to pull the plug on his gig in Oklahoma last Tuesday evening due to acute laryngitis. And the singer says a side effect of his treatment to cure the problem has led to the latest call-off.
A statement reads: "Houston, we are very sorry to inform you that there is unfortunately no chance for King Diamond to perform at the House of Blues due to acute laryngitis.

"An unforeseen effect of the anesthetic used in the examination this past Monday has delayed the healing process. "King has for once been silent, trying his damnedest to bring enough vocal cords back to complete the rest of the tour." Read more here.



Halestorm Unplug For New Modern Love Video(Classic Rock)

Halestorm have released an acoustic version of their track New Modern Love. The song originally appeared on their third album Into The Wild Life, which came out earlier this year via Atlantic Records.
Lead guitarist Joe Hottinger told TeamRock: "This was the second song we wrote and it helped define where we were going to go with this record. It has this groove that we've never really done before."

Halestorm are currently on tour across New Zealand and Australia and will return to Europe in January, which includes a run of eight UK shows. Watch the video here.




Manowar Release The Dawn Of Battle Live Video(Classic Rock)


Manowar have released a live video for their track The Dawn Of Battle. It was filmed at this year Monsters Of Rock Brazil, which took place in Sao Paulo in April. It originally appeared on their three-track EP of the same name, released in 2002 via Nuclear Blast.
The band will embark on the European leg of their Gods And Kings World Tour next year. And bassist Joey DeMaio says they're looking forward to unleashing their new-look set.

He says: "This new production is packed with everything a Manowar fan can dream of: Massive sound, sensational visuals, and all of the anthems our fans love.

"We are extremely excited to bring this monumental world of fantasy to life on stage for our fans." Watch the video here.




ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons Sees Solo Album As Homage To His Dad(Classic Rock)

Billy Gibbons says his solo album Perfectamundo is "in no small part a direct homage" to his dad. The ZZ Top guitarist's father was a big-band leader and composer, who encouraged his son's early discovery of percussion instruments.
And that's one of the reasons Perfectamundo features experimental approaches to Afro-Cuban music. Gibbons tells Chron: "I had been banging on anything and everything around the house that made a loud noise. Maybe I'd just turned 12.

"My dad had become entertained by all this banging and clanging, so one day I found myself on a plane to New York, where I was marched off to learn how to do it right."

His father took him to mambo and Latin jazz musician Tito Puente. "This was the clincher - he didn't say, 'Let me show you what to do.' He handed me some timbale sticks and said, 'Let me hear what you want to play.'

"Apparently I had good feel for it. He said, 'We're not going to have a problem here. Let's begin.' That started it all." Read more here.




Eric Clapton Limited Edition Box Set Announced(hennemusic)

Eric Clapton will release "The Studio Album Collection", a limited edition 9-LP vinyl box set that highlights the acclaimed music star's years with Polydor/RSO on January 29.
The package features remastered editions of the guitarist's 1970 projects - his self-titled debut and his double album with Derek And The Dominos - plus six others including his best-selling 70s record , 1977's "Slowhand." Pressed on 180 gram vinyl with replica album packaging, the collection also comes with a download voucher.

Last month, Clapton issued "Slowhand At 70 - Live At The Royal Albert Hall." The set captures the guitarist during his 7-show run at the famed London venue in May in honor of his 70th birthday in March.

The series of shows also marked Clapton's 50 years in the music business and more than 200 performances at The Royal Albert Hall. See the track details for the new box set here.




Cradle Of Filth Release Blackest Magick In Practice Video(TeamRock Radio)

Cradle Of Filth have released a video for their track Blackest Magick In Practice. The song is taken from Dani Filth and co's latest album Hammer of the Witches and the promo is directed by Sam Scott-Hunter.
The director days: "There's dark madness in this video. Blackest Magick In Practice is a deeply tragic tale of lost love. It's the grief stricken insanity of trying to bring back that loved one from the dead, desperately trying to hold onto that person who's gone, even if that leads down a dark and gruesome path. I don't want to give it all away, but I will say that the hardest part of the production was getting hold of a human ear.

"I wanted to convey the power of the band too, in amongst the romance, madness and magic. Behind the imagery of the lyrics is a great and powerful metal band of amazing musicians, and I hope people can feel the intensity of the band when they watch this. It is intense viewing. There should be a bit of madness in the video, because there's madness in this song." Watch the video here.




Trivium Reveal New Drummer At Knotfest(TeamRock Radio)

Trivium have revealed drummer Paul Wandtke as their latest member. He played his first show with Matt Heafy and co during Knotfest in Mexico this past weekend.
It follows the dismissal of Nick Augusto last year, while roadie Mat Madiro played on the band's latest album, Silence In The Snow. Introducing Trivium's fourth sticksman since their formation, Heafy told the crowd: "I'll keep this short and sweet - any change we've ever made has been necessary for the very survival of the band."

Heafy's dad Brian, a former manager of the band, later said: "Matthew, Corey and Paolo are excited about what Paul brings to the team. A player's player, from what I have seen. Hopefully everything works out perfectly." Read more here.




Killswitch Engage, Atreyu, Down Lead Additions To Download Lineup (Classic Rock)

Killswitch Engage, Atreyu, Down, Breaking Benjamin, Lawnmower Deth and Shinedown are among the latest acts to be confirmed for next year's Download festival.
Donington bosses have named 33 more bands who will join the previously-announced headliners Rammstein, Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden at the three-day event in 2016.

Tremonti, Twin Atlantic, Beartooth, Don Broco, Rival Sons, Tesseract, Disturbed, Saxon and Delain have also been confirmed. The list was announced on Daniel P Carter's Radio One Rock Show on Sunday night. Read more here.




Skunk Anansie Release 'Love Someone Else' Video(Classic Rock)

Skunk Anansie have released a video for their single Love Someone Else. The song is also a track from the band's forthcoming sixth studio album Anarchytecture.
The band's management describe Anarchytecture as "a collection of hard-hitting alternative rock anthems, brimming with punchy riffs and the sort of fire that can only burn from the heart and soul of vocal powerhouse, Skin."

Skin and co previously issued a lyric video for the track, the first to be lifted from the album which is due to be released on January 15th. Watch the new video here.




Steven Wilson and Opeth To Coheadline Be Prog! My Friend(Classic Rock)

Steven Wilson and Opeth have been named as co-headliners for the 2016 edition of Be Prog! My Friend in Barcelona next July. They'll be joined by Magma, Between The Buried And Me, Anneke van Giersbergen, The Pineapple Thief, Textures, Obsidian Kingdom and Exxasens.
The third annual open-air event is sponsored by TeamRock's Metal Hammer and Prog magazines. It takes place at the scenic Poble Espanyol on Saturday, July 2, with location and performance times designed to allow visitors the chance to make the most of their trip to Barcelona.

Ticketholders will also be able to attend a free show on Friday, July 1, at the nearby Sala Apolo. Wilson - who's continuing to support third solo album Hand. Cannot. Erase. - says: "This is going to be almost like a family event for me, with so many of my friends and favourite bands appearing in such a beautiful location." Read more here.



N.y.X. Recruit King Crimson Stars For New Album(Prog)

Former King Crimson members Adrian Belew and Trey Gunn make guest appearances on upcoming N.y.X. album The News. The Italian outfit's second record is to be released early next year via a deal with Bad Elephant Music.
Belew plays on _A Sarcastic Portrait _while Gunn contributes to The Daily Dark Delirium. The follow-up to 2009's Down In Shadows also features pianist Ivan Napoles and cellist Marco Allocco.

N.y.X.'s Danilo Pannico says: "We're proud to become part of the Bad Elephant Music family with The News. We're looking forward to a professional collaboration." Read more here.




Periphery Go 4K For Psychosphere Video(Prog)

Periphery have released a live performance video for their track Psychosphere. The 4k Ultra HD video was recorded in one take by director JP Kaukonen on the band's current tour of Europe.
Kaukonen has also created a similar live clip for Periphery's tour buddies Veil Of Maya's performance of their tracks Nyu and Leeloo. Periphery say: "Surprise. Here's a brand new live music video of Psychosphere.

"This was filmed by our very good friend JP of the band Circle Of Contempt." Periphery released two albums - Juggernaut: Alpha and Juggernaut: Omega - simultaneously this year. Watch the video here.




Iron Maiden's 'Ed-Phon3s' Released(Classic Rock)

Iron Maiden's 'Ed-Phon3s' have been released in the UK and Europe. The £199 (or €299) headphones, designed in conjunction with Maiden bassist Steve Harris and produced by Japanese electronics company Onkyo, are being sold in the UK exclusively through Richer Sounds stores, while in the rest of Europe they are available online at www.maidenaudio.com
A companion MaidenAudio smartphone app is available for iOS and Android and includes exclusive custom EQ settings. Harris says: "I knew that I would need some really good headphones to use for playback of the mixes of The Book Of Souls. I'd actually started looking into this about 18 months prior to when we started recording because I'd been struggling to find a design which came even remotely close to what I felt was an acceptable sonic standard for rock and metal.

"My main objective was for a balance that wasn't just top and bottom heavy with hardly any mid range like a lot of headphones these days that are basically designed for dance music. I wanted a good balance across the widest bandwidth incorporating a lot more mid range frequencies, something I strongly feel is vital to appreciate the complexities of our music and rock and metal in general." Read more here.




Anna Von Hausswolff Releases Live Session Video For Stranger(Prog)

Anna Von Hausswolff has released a live session clip of her track Stranger. It features on her latest album entitled The Miraculous, released last month via City Slang.
She's accompanied in the clip by guitarist Karl Vento and it's been released to mark the start of her European tour. The Miraculous was recorded in Sweden and features the Acusticum Pipe Organ, which feature built-in glockenspiel, vibraphone, celeste and percussion, and boasts 9000 pipes.

Von Hausswolff previously released the tracks Come Wander With Me/Deliverance and Evocation from the follow-up to 2013's Ceremony. Watch the video clip here.




The Darkness Join Stone Free Festival Lineup(Classic Rock)

The Darkness have been added to the bill of then inaugural Stone Free festival, which will take place at London's O2 Arena on June 18 and 19. Many more acts are to be announced.
"Multi-million selling saviours of ROCK The Darkness are proud to grace the Stonefree stage," say The Darkness, "alongside rock legends past and future!

"Expect the usual mix of mania-inducing vocals, riffs forged from solid steel, and stage costumes to make you feel a bit damp in the naughty area. You are welcome." Read more here.




Singled Out: Heat of Damage's Judgment Day

The members of California metal band Heat of Damage tell us the story behind the song "Judgement Day" which is a track from their recently released debut album "Open Fire". Here is band with the song story:
David Haug: "Judgment Day" was written to be a powerful 'F**k You' song, plain and simple. The lyrics are written from the perspective of someone who has been wronged, whose response is to be the better person. My contributions to the writing process come from my own experiences of essentially the exact same thing; being wronged and priding myself on being a better person than those who would treat me poorly. The musicality aspect of the song is very heavy, like 80's era heavy metal sounding (interestingly enough, we called the riff '80's metal' before the song became Judgment Day). The harmonized guitar solo was thrown in because I am very influenced by the guitar stylings of Iron Maiden, and love the way harmonized guitar sounds.

Nick Lassalette: The song started out as just a simple guitar riff that I came up with. As soon as I played it at rehearsal one day, Julian started pounding away on his drums and the sound of the song started to take form. From the beginning I knew this song was going to be something special. We decided to make it the first official single from the album because it strongly represents exactly what Heat Of Damage is and what this album will sound like as a whole. Personally, I think it's the best song we have ever written.

Jared Easter "Judgment Day" was rather simple to write on bass, since I had very little to do with the writing process for that song. The bass line follows the rhythm guitar for the most part, providing the low end drive for the song.

Julian Bohland: "Honestly, Judgment is one of my favorites in our library. It's powerful, angry, and hits so hard. It has some of my best drumwork and is so much fun to play live. It's an overall kick ass song!
"The music video was very fun to make. We shot that at our Ace Of Spades show on August 1st, 2015 as show support for the band Some Fear None. It was their album release show. After filming the show we sent the raw video to Matt Thomas to edit. He did a great job and I love the way it came out.

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!: Jimmy Page Reacts To Led Zeppelin Slam By Keith Richards(hennemusic) Jimmy Page has responded to recent comments regarding Led Z...

Today's Day In Rock News!

Jimmy Page Reacts To Led Zeppelin Slam By Keith Richards(hennemusic)

Jimmy Page has responded to recent comments regarding Led Zeppelin made by Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards while he was promoting his latest solo album, "Crosseyed Heart".
Richards was discussing the importance of band chemistry versus image with Rolling Stone magazine when he said, "It's playing together that is the important thing about bands, and so many bands are manufactured. I mean, even Zeppelin was manufactured by Peter Grant."

When the interviewer responded "I was never a big Zeppelin guy," Richards replied, "Me neither. I love Jimmy Page, but as a band, no, with John Bonham thundering down the highway in an uncontrolled 18-wheeler. He had cornered the market there. Jimmy is a brilliant player. But I always felt there was something a little hollow about it, you know?"

Prompted by a second comment that the interviewer wasn't a fan of Robert Plant's voice, the guitarist added, "No, I think he's doing better stuff now," and on the singer's work with Alison Krauss: "Finally, he's getting his chops!"

"Keith can say what he wants. He's Keith Richards," Page tells Classic Rock magazine. "I think he's done some amazing work. I respect his playing. And he has a solo album out. But if I was promoting a new album, would I be more caustic? The answer is no.

"I'm not sure what he means by calling Led Zeppelin hollow. I think he's got his tongue in his cheek. What we did was really cool." Read more here.


Def Leppard's Vivian Campbell Says Cancer Treatment Working(Classic Rock)

Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell's pioneering cancer treatment is working, his doctors have told him. He was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2013 then wrongly given the all-clear in 2014. Later that year he began an experimental programme of medical attention based around the drug Pembrolizumab.
Campbell reports: "I had great news this morning - the mighty Pembrolizumab appears to be holding the tumors at bay. Doc said they might even be slightly smaller than they were at the last scans. Needless to say I'm most chuffed at this result!"

He's currently gearing up to tour the UK with Def Leppard in support of their self-titled 11th album, launched in October as a Classic Rock fanpack. He's also working with Last In Line, formed out of the original Dio lineup. Read more here.



Pink Floyd Plan Wider Release Of Earliest Known Recordings(hennemusic)

Pink Floyd released a limited-edition EP of their earliest known recordings as part of Record Store Day on November 27. With just 1,000 copies of the EP released, the band says they "hope to make them available in some physical form towards the end of next year."
"To mark 50 years since the tracks were recorded," said the group, "Pink Floyd have released a limited edition set of two 7" singles, containing the band's first recordings."

"Pink Floyd 1965 - Their First Recordings" features material from Syd Barrett-led lineup of Roger Waters, Nick Mason and Richard Wright with help from pre-Floyd lead guitarist Rado (Bob) Klose, who together were performing under several different names in the period including the Meggadeaths, the Abdabs and the Spectrum Five before settling on the Tea Set.

Klose's arrival in the lineup in 1964 saw Waters switch from lead guitar to bass; his departure in mid-1965 resulted in Barrett taking over lead guitar in addition to handling vocals.

Recorded in multiple sessions between late 1964 and early 1965, the set includes four songs written by Barrett ("Lucy Leave", "Double O Bo", "Remember Me" and "Butterfly"), coupled with Waters' "Walk With Me Sydney" - with Wright's first wife Juliette Gale on backing vocals on the track - and a cover of Slim Harpo's "I'm A King Bee."

Audio for the release was mastered from the original mono analogue tapes by Andy Jackson of Tube Mastering and Ray Staff of AIR Studios. Read more here.




New Track Featuring Queen's Freddie Mercury Streaming Online(Classic Rock)

A track featuring late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury has been released. Little Freddie Goes To School was created by Irish composer Stuart Leathem in conjunction with producer Dave Richards, and includes vocal tracks recorded during Mercury's 1988 Barcelona sessions.
It premiered at the Official Freddie Mercury Birthday Party in Montreaux, Switzerland in September, with a stream now available to mark this week's World AIDS Day.

The track takes the singer's vocals from When This Old Tired Body Wants To Sing - a jam recorded with producer Mike Moran - and The Golden Boy, which appeared on the Barcelona album featuring soprano Montserrat Caballe. Esther Trousdale guests on the release.

Proceeds and royalties donated to the Mercury Phoenix Trust - the HIV/AIDS charity set up in the frontman's name. Leathem said: "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." Check it out here.




Shinedown Release State Of My Head Video(Classic Rock)

Shinedown have released a new music video for their track State Of My Head, which is a song from their fifth album Threat To Survival. It's their first full-length studio outing since 2012's Amaryllis.
The band had the following to say about the song that is featured in the new video: "It's a song about being truly proud of who you are and the people you call your family and friends.

"It's unlike anything we have ever written, for a reason and a purpose because it needed to heard, because it is the renaissance of rock'n'roll - and that is the State Of My Head." Watch the video here.



Trivium Announce North American Tour(TeamRock Radio)

Trivium have announced a North American tour next month in support of latest album Silence In The Snow. It follows their appearance at Knotfest in Mexico this weekend, and comes before a European festival tour in the summer that includes a stop at Download in June.
Frontman Matt Heafy recently explained why the band decided to keep recording sessions a secret, saying: "We were looking at how other bands were promoting their records. It was basically the same thing: band guy, Instagram, sitting by the computer with a beer, saying, 'Oh, I just finished drums.'

"We said, 'How can we be different?' Well, if everyone is talking about the record all the time, let's not let anyone know we're recording at all, and just release it when it's done." See the dates here.


Broken Hope's Jeremy Wagner Acquires Jeff Hanneman's Guitars(Classic Rock)

Broken Hope guitarist Jeremy Wagner has vowed to treat Jeff Hanneman's guitars with the honour they deserve. He bought four instruments from the Slayer icon's widow following his death from alcohol-related illness in 2013.
The guitar collection were sold to raise money for the Wounded Warriors Project, and although he hasn't revealed how much he paid, they were each originally listed at $12,000.

And he's reported that he's finding inspiration from playing them as he writes for Broken Hope's seventh album. Wagner tells Guitar World: "I feel a responsibility to Jeff and to Kathryn to use these guitars in a way that honors him.

"As long as I own them I will use them and carry on Jeff's legacy. He remains a huge influence on me - I probably wouldn't be here as an extreme metal guitarist-lyricist without him." Read more here.



Sunn O))) Release Full Album Stream For Kannon(Prog)


Sunn O)))have made their upcoming seventh album available to stream. Kannon will be available on gatefold LP, CD and digital formats, with a limited number of clear vinyl made available on Record Store Day's Black Friday last week.
Kannon is released on December 4 via Southern Lord Recordings and its three tracks can be heard below. The follow-up to Monoliths & Dimensions is Stephen O'Malley and Greg Anderson's first studio album in six years.

It features Tibetan throat-singing vocals by Atilla Csihar of Norwegian black metal outfit Mayhem. O'Malley tells Rolling Stone: "I think with Kannon, the way it's set up, there's a mantra that emerges. Because of Atilla's style, because of the melodic aspect of the guitars, I think that mantra, you identify it sooner. It would appear to you that things are being played faster because something sticks more."

Anderson adds: "I think if anything actually, in relation to Monoliths, I think it's a slightly darker mood. I think that Monoliths & Dimensions was us embracing the light, and I think that continues on to the songwriting on Kannon, too.

"You know, realising that there's more to 'heavy' than just bludgeon and black. Heavy can be even heavier if it has a fuller spectrum involved with it, if it has other colours." Stream the album here.


Voivod Plan New EP and Album Next Year(Prog)

Voivod will release an EP and album in 2016, according to frontman Snake, aka Denis Belanger. They recently wrapped up the UK leg of the Deathcrusher Tour with Obituary, Carcass and Herod. And the singer says they've used the time on the road to write fresh material.
He tells Metal Wani: "We're going to have a new release around March - a five-song EP. We'll do an album as well later on next year. The process is on now for creating and we're doing mixes."

He insists it'll be "a bit different" from 2013's Target Earth and adds: "Voivod has always done different things each time. It has its own signature. The new bass player Rocky, aka Dominique Laroche, brought new elements to it. It's different from Target Earth but it's still Voivod."

They released a split 7-inch single with Century Media labelmates Napalm Death last month. Voivod track Forever Mountain was backed by Napalm Death's Phonetics For The Stupefied. Watch the full interview here.


Former Metal Church Singer Ronny Munroe Reveals New Band Details(Classic Rock)

Former Metal Church singer Ronny Munroe has revealed details of his latest project. He left Metal Church last year and has now formed Munroe's Thunder with bassist RC Ciejek, drummer Rick Ward and guitarists David Mark Pearce and Justin Zych.
And he's announced they're working on their debut album entitled The Black Watch which they hope to release in summer 2016. Munroe says: "The dynamics of this band are beyond incredible and we look forward to bringing you something absolutely mind-blowing.

"I feel fortunate to be working with persons of utmost talent and drive who are whole-heartely dedicated in creating this masterpiece in the making. This one is already turning out to be an epic creation." Check out his full post including the photo here.



Marvin Gaye Stage Production 'Soul' A Thriller Not A Musical(The Blues)

The director of a play about Motown icon Marvin Gaye says the work is more a thriller than a musical. Soul is to open at the Royal & Derngate Theatre, Northampton, England, in May next year.
It was written while award-winning playwright Roy Williams OBE spent several years working closely with the later singer's family. Gaye was shot dead in 1984 in a domestic altercation with his father.

Director James Dacre tells the BBC: "It's a dramatic thriller, not a musical. It will have the spirit and energy of Motown, and it will include music from the time.

"While the piece looks at three generations of a port-war African American family, everything roots back to the home, and what happens in the course of 18 days underneath that roof."

While he accepts it's a well-known story, he adds: "Roy's access to so many of the people who were there gives him a unique perspective, and will allow our audience an unusual insight into what happened." Read more here.



Fish On Friday Teaming With Alan Parsons On New Album(Prog)

Fish On Friday have confirmed they've teamed up with Alan Parsons for their upcoming fourth album. Nick Beggs, William Beckers, Marty Townsend, Frank Van Bogaert and Marcus Weymaere are currently working on the follow-up to 2014's Godspeed.
And the band say the collaboration came about after Parsons was impressed by their last studio release. Van Bogaert tells Prog: "Nick Beggs played him Godspeed and he immediately loved our music. We asked him to guest on our fourth album which he told us he'd be honoured to do.

"But he had a better suggestion and invited us over to Abbey Road to record with him live for two days on his Art And Science Of Sound recording sessions.

"This collaboration turned out to be so satisfying for both Alan - as a producer - and us, that we decided we'll be working together on some more songs for our coming album." Read more here.



Van Halen Producer Ted Templeman Talks Band's Roots(Classic Rock)

Van Halen producer Ted Templeman says the band's early material drew on musical influences from outwith the traditional rock genre. He was behind the desk for the band's first six albums: Van Halen (1978), Van Halen II (1979), Women And Children First (1980), Fair Warning (1981), Diver Down (1982) and 1984 (1984).
And while attending the launch of Greg Renoff's book Van Halen Rising: How A Southern California Backyard Party Band Saved Heavy Metal, he was asked if a move away from their early leanings towards progressive rock for their self-titled debut had been a deliberate move.

Templeman says: "They had so many facets to what they did - they were always trying to evolve. I liked jazz guys like Jaco Pastorius and I would turn them on to what I liked, and I played them jazz.

"Guitarist Eddie Van Halen wanted to do something different all the time, he wanted to keep moving. He's one of the most creative guys I've ever met in my life. Ed was always reaching for something else." Watch the full interview here.


Iron Maiden Frontman Bruce Dickinson's 'Weird' Cover Band Experience(Classic Rock)

Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson has recalled the "weird" experience of seeing all-female tribute band the Iron Maidens performing live. Maiden saw the tribute act in Mexico and the frontman turned to bassist Steve Harris to ask whether he fancied the female version of himself.
The LA-based Iron Maidens are fronted by Kirsten Rosenberg, aka Bruce Chickinson, and Alice Cooper's guitarist Nita Strauss made her name in the lineup.

Dickinson tells Classic Rock: "I've seen the Iron Maidens in Mexico. We all went. We were watching them and I said to Steve, 'This is a really weird question, but looking at them, would you f*** yourself?' And he went, 'I don't know, but we've all been thinking it.' It was very, very weird."

Maiden released their 16th album The Book Of Souls this year. It won Album Of The Year at last month's Classic Rock Roll Of Honour and Dickinson says creating new music for their live audiences to enjoy is vital if the band are to remain relevant.

He adds: "The only difference between us and and Iron Maiden cover bands is that we do new Iron Maiden albums. Funnily enough, while that's a joke, it's also a good point." Read more here.



New Device Release Hollywood Radio Video(TeamRock Radio)

New Device have released a video for their single Hollywood Radio. The track is taken from the London outfit's upcoming EP called Devils On The Run.
The new EP is scheduled to be released this month with a second EP to follow. Devils On The Run came about after a successful PledgeMusic campaign.

The band say: "The lead track is the anthemic Hollywood Radio and the pressing is something we're really proud to share with you." New Device's most recent album was 2013's Here We Stand. Watch the video here.



Classic Eva Cassidy 'Take Me To The River' Live Video Released(The Blues)

Eva Cassidy's live performance of Take Me To The River in 1996 has been released on video for the first time. The track appeared on her album Live At Blues Alley, launched just before her death from melanoma at the age of 33. It later contributed to her posthumous rise to fame.
Blix Street Records have launched the video to mark 20 years since the iconic performance. They'll release the 2CD live set Nightbird on January 3 - exactly two decades since it was recorded.

Label boss Bill Straw says: "All of the performances recorded that night are included. I've never heard anything that approaches the sheer vocal excellence of these one-night, one-take performances." Watch the video here.



Zakk Wylde Reveals Attitude Towards Songwriting(Classic Rock)


Zakk Wylde says he can live with the fact that he can't write great songs with every attempt. The Black Label Society mainman and former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist believes it's just a case of continuing to put the effort in - and that he's not alone in feeling that way.
Wylde tells Mixdown: "You just look at it like, 'We're digging for dinosaur bones in a two-mile radius, and they're in here somewhere. 'Let's see if we find anything today. Even if you come up with nothing today, let's go get something to eat and start tomorrow. We'll look again - we know they're out there.'"

With nine BLS albums under his belt, he feels confident with his approach. "It'll come, but getting freaked out about it's not helping anything," he says. "I think that happens with everybody when you're writing all the time". Read more here.



Ian Says Jethro Tull's Aqualung Was Acoustic Album With Attitude(Classic Rock)


Ian Anderson has recalled the recording process behind Jethro Tull's Aqualung - and he calls it an acoustic album with "attitude." Next year mark's Aqualung's 45th anniversary and Anderson insists it was never his intention to write it as a rock album.
He tells Artisan News: "It's a very important Jethro Tull album and arguably the most successful selling single album by Jethro Tull. I think of it as being a singer/songwriter album with attitude.

"A lot of the songs were written with an acoustic guitar - and some of them were left that way. They were recorded by me alone in the studio and then we overdubbed some bits to them."

He continues: "But then there were the rock songs that became more fully arranged rock tracks like Locomotive Breath and the title track. But then, they were written with an acoustic guitar then embellished to make them band pieces.

"It wasn't necessarily written as a rock album. Aqualung was the one where I was more confident in sitting alone in the studio and recording at least some of the stuff without the band even being there."

Anderson will play Christmas shows at Lincoln Cathedral on December 10 and St Albans Cathedral on December 11. Watch the full interview here.


Stereophinics Plan To Steal Queen Fans At Music Festival(Classic Rock)


Stereophinics frontman Kelly Jones says that the band plan to "steal" as many fans, including Queen fans, as they can when they headline next year's Isle Of Wight festival.
He tells Absolute Radio (via Music News): "When you're starting out, on your first and second record festivals are a brilliant place to steal other people's fans and we stole quite a lot of people's fans and it was great and then you move up the bill and then you do your own thing.

"And it works both ways - now when we're playing gigs and we're on the bill with people like George Ezra and Ellie Goulding on their first and second records and then we try to steal their fans as well because they're 16 and 17. Basically we just keep stealing people really."

"At the Isle of Wight Festival we'll be stealing fans, we're going to steal some Queen fans." Read more here.



Amity Affliction Release 'Shine On' Video(TeamRock Radio)

Amity Affliction have released a video for Shine On. It's the first new music from the band since the release of the band's fourth album Let The Ocean Take Me album. A new album is due in 2016.
"We wrote the song on the Warped Tour this Summer and recorded a very, very rough demo in the back of the bus," says singer Joel Birch. "We had [producer] Will Putney, the same guy that did Let The Ocean Take Me, come out and spend five days in the studio doing pre-production. then fixing it up and tightening the song." Birch also commented on additional new Amity material stating that, "Ahren [Stringer, bass/vocals] and Dan [Brown, guitarist] have about 15 new songs written so far."

Amity Affliction have also developed a web app to coincide with the release, which allows fans to upload captioned images to a special Shine On photostream.

The band are about to embark on a seven date arena tour of New Zealand and Australia, supported by A Day To Remember, Motionless In White, and The Ghost Inside See the dates and watch the video here.




Karda Estra Streaming New Future Sound EP Online(Prog)

Karda Estra have released a six-track EP called Future Sound, which is available digitally now on all major download and streaming sites, and can be heard on Prog.
Included in the tracklist is a song called Yondo, which the band say is "inspired by the weird story The Abominations Of Yondo by Clark Ashton Smith." Another track, Naill, is the first collaboration between composer Richard Wileman and drummer Paul Sears since the Strange Relations album released earlier this year.

Meanwhile, Karda Estra continue their programme of digitally re-releasing their Cyclops label albums, with the last in the series, 2003's Constellations, due in January. The digital edition sees the Karda Estra version of the Steve Hackett track Twice Around The Sun restored to the track listing. Stream the EP here.




Black Peaks Announce UK Winter Tour(Prog)


Black Peaks have announced a 15-date UK tour for February next year. They've lined up the tour to coincide with the launch of their debut album Statues, out on February 26.
Frontman Will Gardener told TeamRock: "What we do is pretty heavy - it goes a lot darker than the songs people have heard so far. We're huge fans of Meshuggah, Dillinger, Between The Buried And Me and Tool. That's where we come from."

They previously issued a video for their track Saviour from the album, which is available for pre-order in digital, signed CD and signed vinyl formats. See the dates here.




Enslaved Talks Artwork For Upcoming 25th anniversary Shows(Prog)


Enslaved have revealed the artwork for their upcoming 25th anniversary shows. The Norwegian outfit play three London shows at the Metal Hammer-sponsored London By Norse event in March next year under the banner Enslaved 25.
The first show, at The Dome on March 17 and entitled Of Frost And Fire, goes back to the roots of the band's existence. The second show, on March 18 at The Underworld and called From The Runic Depths, will explore the transition from old to new before the final gig, Spinning Wheel Ritual at Shepherd's Bush Empire on March 19, brings the audience to where the band is now in their musical journey.

The three separate pieces of artwork were created by Costin Chioreanu who has worked with Enslaved on various projects in the past. Enslaved's Ivar Bjørnson says: "Of Frost And Fire represents the quintessence of Enslaved roots. From the legendary Hordanes Land with its soundtrack-esque musical long players, via the vast geomythological canvases painted on Vikingligr Veldi, the revolutionary Frost that lifted us out of the strict underground and finally the odd pair - Eld, which pointed forward to a progressive future, and Blodhemn, where we had a last blowout of Black Metal-tempos and inspiration.

"For anyone curious about where such an eclectic band like Enslaved came from, this will be a first-hand guided tour through the primeval landscapes that shaped us."

He adds: "From The Runic Depths will explain the unlikely yet logical transition from then until now. From the nightmarish flirt with death and black on Mardraum, the spaced-out balancing act that is Monumension, the milestone and futuristic beacon Below The Lights, the second break for the band Isa and finally the refined prog-vs-extreme monument Ruun."

"Spinning Wheel Ritual is where the band wields together the dark roots with the psychedelic fabrics of the newer days - bringing to the surface the true potential of our songwriting and musical abilities. The focus is the same as it has always been - to bring to life our personal vision of whatever 'good and meaningful music' means to us, to create a vessel for atmosphere, deep association and simple enjoyment of music." See the artwork here.




Alabama Shakes Frontwoman Shares Drawbacks To Fame


The Blues Alabama Shakes frontwoman Brittany Howard has reflected on some of the downsides of her band's increasing success. Their reputation received a massive boost with the acclaim that surrounded second album Sound & Color, released earlier this year.
But it's not all been plain-sailing for the vocalist and guitarist - especially when she wants to watch other bands perform. Howard tells Rolling Stone: "I'll go see shows, but it's getting harder and harder. I get recognised, and there are a lot of pictures, which is kind of hard when you're just trying to enjoy the band."

She's also contending with the size of her own shows. "Sometimes it feels odd," she says. "I consider us a club band - somebody you go see in a 500-capacity room. That's where I've always been comfortable.

"Then you get these beautiful theatres and I feel a little out of place. But everybody gets to see us, so I guess it's all good." Read more here.



Former Sister Sin Singer Reveals Reason For Break Up(TeamRock Radio)

Former Sister Sin singer Liv Jagrell says burnout after years of touring was behind the band's decision to call it quits. The Swedish rockers announced last month that they were pulling the plug on their 13-year career and Jagrell insists there is no tension between the band members.
She tells Sleaze Roxx: "It's just that we toured too much and we got burned out. That's the simple answer. They just felt like they did not want to do this anymore.

"This year, we had been out for almost four months or something so it's a lot of time away from family. It's a lot of time away from friends. And also just to survive in the business is hard so I think we maybe worked too hard in the last years." Read more here.




Bring Me The Horizon's Oli Sykes Talks Change In Audience Reactions(TeamRock Radio)


Bring Me The Horizon frontman Oli Sykes says he notices a change in how the audience reacts to their music. He's been steadily moving away from the growling vocals which marked the band's early releases - and he says their direction has sparked a change in their fans.
He says: "Our crowd has changed a lot - we used to judge a good show on how many people went moshing and how big the pit was. But as our music's changed, it's now how many people are jumping up and down, how many people are singing along. We rarely have a bad show - the crowd are always so crazy, it's always fun."

Drummer Matt Nicholls adds: "It's a great feeling that so many people connect with what we're doing and the message we're putting across. It's always good when people come out to gigs because if they didn't, we'd be on our arse." Read more here.



Evanescence's Amy Lee Releases Cover Of Led Zeppelin Classic(Classic Rock)


Amy Lee has released a cover version of Led Zeppelin's Going To California. The Evanescence singer has also issued a video for her version of the track, which follows her take on U2's With Or Without You. She's put both tracks on her new YouTube channel.
On her decision to cover the Led Zep song, Lee says singing the track to her baby son Jack helps get the little one to sleep. She says: "This song is a classic that I've loved for as long as I can remember. It puts me at peace. My friend and manager, Jordan, had recorded the instrumentation for fun and when I heard it a few months ago, I knew instantly that I had to sing on it.

"Listening to mommy sing usually helps get Jack into that elusive sleepy place, and this song has been a regular rotation nap-time hit around our house this fall.

"As I was preparing for the November Evanescence shows, I just really wanted a moment like this in our set. So I showed this version to Troy, who made it a personal challenge to master a finger-picking-based song, which was outside his comfort zone. Not that you could tell - he sounded amazing." Check out the cover song here.



The Ghost Inside's Zach Johnson Endured 26 Hours Of Surgery(TeamRock Radio)


The Ghost Inside guitarist Zach Johnson says he's been through 26 hours of surgery in the wake of last month's fatal tour bus crash. The band's driver Greg Hoke died in the road accident in El Paso, Texas, along with the driver of the other vehicle involved, Steven Cunningham. Johnson, drummer Andrew Tkaczykt and frontman Jonathan Vigil were airlifted to hospital and later were said to be in critical condition.
Now Johnson has spoken for the first time about his injuries and treatment, saying he potentially still faces more surgery. In a Twitter post, he says: "I've had about 26 hours of surgery fixing my feet, legs and hip and might have another to go.

"I can't say how much all the support from my friends, family and strangers around the world has been. It means more to me than you will ever know. I've never been happier to be breathing. All the love."

Johnson adds that he won't go into detail about his bandmates' conditions, saying it's up to them to decide whether they want to make their own statements.

The Ghost Inside this week issued a collective statement, saying some of the injured parties face months of rehabilitation and that they've put all of their touring commitments on hold. Read more and see his full post here.



Glassjaw Stream Comeback Song New White Extremity(TeamRock Radio)

Glassjaw have released a stream of their new single New White Extremity, which is the first music released by the band since their 2011 EP Coloring Book.
The new track is also their first featuring bassist Travis Sykes and drummer Chad Hasty. They join longtime members vocalist Daryl Palumbo and guitarist and keyboardist Justin Beck.

Glassjaw's last full-length release was 2002's Worship And Tribute. They'll head out on the road in January with Coheed And Cambria for dates across the UK and US. Stream the song here.




Dillinger Escape Plan Offshoot The Black Queen Release New Video(TeamRock Radio)

The Black Queen have released a video for their track Maybe We Should. It's taken from the upcoming debut album from The Dillinger Escape Plan man Greg Puciato's electronic-powered side-project.
Fever Daydream is set to be released on January 29th of next year. Puciato is joined in The Black Queen by Josh Eustis of Nine Inch Nails fame and producer Steven Alexander.

Puciato tells Rolling Stone: "Maybe We Should was the first song we finished that we didn't throw out, back in January 2013. This was the one that, when we heard it, we felt we had a special combination of things. The rare instance, that you chase as an artist, of having your creation exactly match what you're feeling." Check out the video here.



Sebastian Bach Sets New Release Date For Memoir(hennemusic)

Former Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach is now scheduled to publish his memoir, "18 And Life On Skid Row", on April 12 via HarperCollins imprint Dey Street Books.
Originally scheduled for a January release, the hardcover edition is billed as an "uncensored, unfiltered memoir" as the former frontman for Skid Row tells the story of his life and times - from joining Kid Wikked at 14 to selling more than 20 million albums with Skid Row to building a successful solo career.

As an actor, Bach has appeared on numerous television shows and on Broadway. From growing up in The Bahamas and small-town Canada to the world's concert stages, "18 And Life On Skid Row" presents Bach's life story in his own words. See the cover here.


Intervals' New Album The Shape Of Colour Streaming Online(Prog)

Intervals have streamed second album The Shape Of Colour in full ahead of its release. The follow-up to 2014 debut A Voice Within - which features a new instrumental lineup - arrives on December 4.
Mainman Aaron Marshall said last month: "2015 started out as the hardest year of my life. Between coping with heart surgery and the impending shift in Intervals' personnel, I was in a dark place.

"Looking back, this is how I felt. After pouring everything I am into this new record, I can honestly say that the end result is, in fact, the opposite." Check out the album stream here.



Scorpions Reveal Photo Video For Previously Unreleased Song(hennemusic)

The Scorpions have released a photo video for "Robot Man", a previously unreleased track that is now available on the expanded reissue of 1978's "Tokyo Tapes."
Recorded on April 27, 1978 at Tokyo's Nakano Sun Plaza, the tune was not on the project's original track listing but has been released for the first time on the 50th Anniversary Deluxe Editions of the 1978 live album, the last to feature guitarist Ulrich Jon Roth.

"Tokyo Tapes" is one of eight expanded albums released last month featuring many previously unreleased tracks. In addition to the live set, the group have made available updated versions of 1977's "Taken By Force", 1979's "Lovedrive", "Animal Magnetism" (1980), "Blackout" (1982), 1984's "Love At First Sting", "Savage Amusement" (1998) and 1985's "World Wide Live."
Alongside dozens of unheard studio tracks and live recordings, all CD releases present extended booklets featuring rare photos and single covers, backstage passes and additional liner notes, while five of the eight albums include a DVD with live concert footage, TV performances and interviews from the period.

The Scorpions placed six of the eight expanded reissues on the German album charts last month, making them just the fifth music act to do so; previous artists to have achieved the milestone include The Beatles, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson and James Last. Watch the video here.


Rise To Remain Offshoot As Lions Ink Debut Album Deal(TeamRock Radio)

As Lions have signed a deal with Better Noise/Eleven Seven for their debut album. The band formed from the ashes of Rise To Remain earlier this year. And frontman Austin Dickinson says they're looking forward to the future now that they've secured the new partnership.
He says: "We're unbelievably excited to announce our signing with Eleven Seven for our debut record. They are one of a kind, and it's a total pleasure to work with some of the most driven and talented people in the rock world.

"The belief we all share in this band is already yielding unbelievable results. Here's to a bold and beautiful 2016, we can't wait to share the adventure."