Black Sabbath Reunion On Metal Day
(Gibson) Black Sabbath have organized a press conference for Friday, November 11. All four original members of the band – Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward – will be in attendance at the announcement, to be held at the Whisky A Go-Go in Los Angeles, according to NME.
The date is not an accident. November 11 isn't just "National Metal Day" (11-11-11), it's also an important anniversary for Sabbath. The date marks the legends' first U.S. show, which took place November 11, 1970 at – wait for it – the Whisky A Go-Go.
Henry Rollins will host the event, during which the band members are expected to announce a reunion tour and, possibly, a new album. more on this story
Velvet Revolver To Resume Singer Search
(hennemusic) Velvet Revolver is reconvening next month, according to Slash. While promoting his forthcoming DVD, "Made in Stoke 24/7/11," due November 15 on DVD and Blu-ray, the guitarist also spoke to Billboard about his plans between now and the holidays.
Slash says Velvet Revolver will get together in December to "spend some time with a couple of singers - that's all I can tell you."
The group, on hiatus since frontman Scott Weiland left to rejoin Stone Temple Pilots in 2008, worked early this year with Slipknot/Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor, but that did not pan out, as Slash vetoed his involvement. more on this story
Van Halen To Make Announcement At Grammy Event?
(hennemusic) November 30, 2011, that's when rumor has it that Van Halen will appear at the Grammy Nominations Concert live to make a special announcement.
Two signs indicate VH will update the world on their plans at the event: The first is a mention at the end of this week's press release for the Grammy Nominations broadcast, which says: "a special, live announcement from an iconic group regarding their historic band reunion set to take place on the Grammy stage on February 12, 2012."
Sure, not enough to go on, but combine that info with… The second, a tweet from The Grammy folks (here), which reads: "Who do u predict the reuniting band will be @ #GRAMMYnoms? Does this hint make u wanna 'Jump' & 'Dance the Night Away'?" more on this story
Danzig Outrage at Music Fest?
Glenn Danzig reportedly gave Misfits fans and event organizers anything but a fun fun fun time at the Austin based Fun Fun Fun music festival this weekend.
Danzig was headlining the event with his Danzig Legacy show but the problems began as he arrived, according to the event's booking agent.
The former Misfits frontman reportedly was the focus of drama on and off the stage, which he eventually appeared on late, played an abbreviated set and reportedly encouraged fans to riot. The booking agent for the festival took to the event Facebook to provide a blow by blow of what went down from their perspective. (If we receive a statement from Glenn's camp with his side of things, we will publish that as well.) Read the blow by blow here.
Gwar's Oderus Tributes Late Guitarist Cory Smoot
Gwar frontman Dave Brockie (stage name Oderus Urungus) has issued a formal statement about the sad death of Gwar guitarist Cory Smoot (stage name Flattus Maximus) and the status of Gwar. Here is what he has to say:
After a restless night spent hurtling through the desolate Canadian wilderness, I crawled from my bunk on the tour bus to face reality, grudgingly aware that the the dark dream that gripped us would not fade with the day. We have lost a brother, a husband, a son, and one of the most talented musicians that ever slung an ax. Cory Smoot, longtime lead guitar player for the band GWAR, has passed at the age of 34.
As the singer of GWAR and one of his best friends, I feel it is my duty to try and answer some of the questions that surround his tragic and untimely death. I know the sense of loss and pain is far greater in scope than in the insulated environment of a band on tour, and I will do my best to provide what clarity and comfort I can.
The most glaring question is how? And unfortunately that is the hardest question to answer. The truth will not be known until the medical officials have finished their work. All I can do is relate what we saw with our own eyes. read the rest here
New Stone Temple Pilots Album Coming
(hennemusic) Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland is doing interviews to promote his newly-released Christmas album, "The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year."
The album presents Weiland singing Xmas standards in a variety of styles, including big band swing, orchestrated ballads, reggae, bossa nova and more.
While speaking with Billboard about his latest solo effort, Scott promises that "there is another album coming" to follow 2010's self-titled effort. The group plays three shows in South America this month, then Weiland expects his bandmates to start working on new material. "They usually start before me, just getting some rough ideas together and then putting rough ideas down on ProTools with no lyrics and no melody," he explains. "And then I start listening to it and see if it's just a straight-ahead rock 'n' roll record, or if it's more of a concept album, like (2001's) 'Shangri-La Dee Da' was. Once we decide that, it should go full speed ahead." more on this story
Lou Reed and Metallica Recruit Black Swan Director
(Gibson) Black Swan director Darren Aronofsky is set to direct a music video for a track from Lulu, the new collaborative album by Lou Reed and Metallica. Aronofsky, who also directed the Oscar-nominated film The Wrestler, will make the video for the song "Iced Honey," with scenes to be shot in the San Francisco Bay area.
Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich said that, for him, working with Reed and Aronofsky is "living the dream." "As if making a record with Lou Reed is not enough, now I get to make a video with Darren Aronofsky," Ulrich said, "who has been among my very favorite filmmakers since his first movie, Pi." Perhaps with tongue in cheek, Reed said he hopes the video "can be [Aronofsky's] next Black Swan."
The veteran rocker has called Lulu, which was released on Tuesday, "the best music [he] has ever done." more on this story
Thin Lizzy Name A Permanent Guitarist
(hennemusic) The revolver door on the Thin Lizzy guitar slot has now stopped. For more than forty years, Thin Lizzy has been delivering their brand of rock 'n roll to audiences all over the world. Even with the untimely passing of legendary front man Phil Lynott twenty-five years ago, the band has continued on.
Over the years, many rock luminaries have graced the ranks of Thin Lizzy including the likes of Brian Robertson, Snowy White and the late Gary Moore. Most recently, Def Leppard's resident guitar wizard Vivian Campbell joined the band for their 2011 European tour. When Def Leppard called Vivian back to their camp, Gun's & Roses guitarist Richard Fortus joined the boys on their European festival run this past summer.
Continuing on in the tradition of top-notch performers, the members of Thin Lizzy are proud to announce that veteran guitar player Damon Johnson has joined their ranks as a permanent member. more on this story
Radiohead Star Auctioning Historic Guitar To Help Child With Brain Tumor
(Audio Ink Radio) Ed O'Brien, guitarist for alternative rock outfit Radiohead, has put one of his prized guitars up for auction to benefit charity.
The guitar was used on the recordings of Radiohead's popular Kid A and Amnesiac albums, and 100% of the proceeds from the auction will benefit the Billie Butterfly Fund to help raise funds for four-year-old Billie Bainbridge who has a rare, fatal brain tumor.
The crusade is raising money to treat Bainbridge's tumor with an operation in Texas, since the procedure is not available in the U.K. more on this story
Yes' Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman To Release Live Album This Month
(Glass Onyon) YES legends Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman have set a November 28th release date for 'Anderson / Wakeman - The Living Tree In Concert Part One' .
The CD was recorded during the duo's British tour in 2010 and comes housed in a sleeve design by Mark Wilkinson who was also responsible for the design of the artwork for 'The Living Tree'.
Having worked together on and off since 1971's groundbreaking YES masterwork 'Fragile', Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman have traveled similar musical paths that have eventually and happily led their careers back together again. The duo began performing live together in the UK in 2006 playing both classics from the YES catalogue and selected tracks from the pair's individual solo releases. In 2009 Anderson and Wakeman recorded the highly anticipated album 'The Living Tree' which garnered rave reviews worldwide. In 2010 it was announced that Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman were to tour together once more at the end of the year. The wildly successful tour featured material from their time with YES, but more importantly material from the duo's new CD 'The Living Tree'. A collection of live highlights from the tour were compiled and overseen by Jon and Rick for the upcoming release 'Anderson / Wakeman - The Living Tree In Concert Part One'. more on this story
Slash Cautious About Guns N' Roses Rock Hall Reunion Expectations
(hennemusic) Given the recent Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame nomination for his old band, Guns N' Roses, the subject of a possible induction and – dare anyone say it – reunion, is on a lot of people's minds, so the subject naturally came up during the session.
Slash says he's "honored" by GNRs' nomination "It's become very prestigious over the years, and it's become a huge honor for anybody to be inducted into it -- or even nominated, for that matter," he says. "It's a cool accolade, I suppose. Obviously we're in really, really great company."
Slash says he hasn't spoken with any other GNR members about the nomination, and he's trying not too think too much about how the original quintet - which hasn't played together since 1991 - would handle its induction. "Of course, you have those thoughts of how it might work in case it does happen, but with Guns 'N Roses, there's really no guessing exactly how it will go. I suppose if it happens, everybody will get some sort of ducks in order. But I think the first thing to do is wait and see if we actually get inducted, because you know how unpredictable that is." more on this story
Franz Ferdinand Plot Return
(Audio Ink Radio) Franz Ferdinand are planning a major comeback. Guitarist Nick McCarthy has confirmed to the Daily Record that the Glasgow, Scotland-based hit-makers do, indeed, have new music on their minds, and they'll reconvene next year to make it happen.
"We're thinking of doing something again after a bit of a sabbatical," he said. "We'd toured to excess and needed to enjoy playing again. It is going really well." Franz Ferdinand hasn't played a proper tour in two years, so the news of a reunion is certainly overdue.
McCarthy went on to say the guys are finally okay with taking a few years off between albums, whereas before, they wanted to push new music out constantly. more on this story
Megadeth's Mustaine Explains The High Price of Headbanging
(Rock News Desk) Dave Mustaine says headbanging has brought pain all thrash musicians and he compares the act to giving yourself chronic whiplash.
The Megadeth mainman recently underwent surgery for a neck and spine condition known as stenosis, after struggling through the pain barrier to complete the band's US Mayhem Festival tour.
"I knew I was hurt, but I didn't know how bad. Nobody knew the writing was on the wall," He tells Decibel. "I pretty much thought, 'Well, I'm hurt, but I'll just take it easy, have a couple of glasses of wine. I'll get through it, get a couple of trigger point injections, get an epidural.' more on this story
Ratt, Def Leppard and Poison Covered On Guilt By Association 3
(Sub) Engine Room Recordings will continue thier covers compilation series with Guilt By Association Vol. 3, which will be released on November 15, 2011.
The Guilt By Association concept is easy, Engine Room asks artists to cover songs that one could call a guilty pleasure, but the catch is we all love these songs guilt free! Past volumes included tracks by Devendra Banhart, Will Oldham, Superchunk, My Brightest Diamond, Matt Pond PA, and Frightened Rabbit covering artists such as Mariah Carey, Ace of Base and Destiny's Child.
On Guilt By Association Volume 3, Engine Room has gone one step further and added a theme within the theme. For this newest installment, all of the songs had to be plucked from everyone's favorite genre, 80's hair metal. Vol. 3 features Helmet covering Loudness, Mike Viola tackling Ratt, Madison Square Gardeners doing Poison, Canon Logic taking on Cinderella and Bird of Youth covering Skid Row. more including a link to a free download!
Scott Weiland Image Not Really Scott Weiland?
(Gibson) Back in the 1990s, it would be been impossible to foreshadow that Scott Weiland, bad-boy frontman of Stone Temple Pilots, would ever record a Christmas album. But, it's 2011, and Weiland is a different man; the kind that appreciates time-honored classics such as "Silent Night," "Winter Wonderland" and "What Child is This?"
Weiland's new album of Christmas songs, The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, dropped last month, and if you ask Weiland, he doesn't think the fact he's putting out a jolly collection is all that surprising. "My solo albums are very avant-garde compared to Velvet Revolver or STP," the 44-year-old told Spin. "It's more influenced by bands I like such as Granddaddy and the Flaming Lips and Sigur Ros and The Smiths…"
He added that his current public persona isn't at all representative of Weiland in 2011. "My image now is only a smidgen [of] who I actually am," he said. "Just like Keith Richards or Perry Farrell or even Mick Jagger. Jagger was never a real druggie, but they were thought of as the bad boys. I had a period in my life in the '90s where I was definitely young, dumb and full of even more dumb." more on this story
The Who's Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend Launch Teen & Young Adult Cancer Program
(hennemusic) Rock legends Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend of The Who have always said they owe much of their musical success to teenagers.
In a heartfelt repayment, Roger Daltrey announced the launch of the UCLA Daltrey/Townshend Teen & Young Adult Cancer Program, which will serve teens and young adult cancer patients at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.
The vision of the program is to ensure that every young person receives the best possible care and professional support to help them meet the physical and emotional challenges of a cancer diagnosis. The belief is that teenagers and young adults shouldn't stop enjoying their youth just because they have cancer. more on this story
Timothy B. Schmit Solo Tour and Q and A
The Eagles and Poco's Timothy B. Schmit is hitting the road towards the end of the month for a North American solo tour. MSO sent over the details along with a cool Q&A with Schmit.
For the month-long trek , Timothy and his full band will perform songs from his fifth solo effort Expando (2009, Lost Highway/Universal) as well as gems by The Eagles and Poco.
Written and produced by Schmit, Expando presents a diverse mix of Americana, folk, country, rock and blues with an eclectic array of iconic artists including The Blind Boys of Alabama, Garth Hudson, Kid Rock, Graham Nash, Van Dyke Parks, Benmont Tench and Dwight Yoakam, among others. Highlights on the varied 11-song disc include "Parachute," "Downtime," "One More Mile," "White Boy From Sacramento," "Good Day" and the new single "Friday Night." more on this story
Napalm Death Set New Album Release
Napalm Death are putting the final touches on their 14th studio album, Utilitarian, which it will hit stores on February 27th in Europe and February 28th in North.
Singer Mark "Barney" Greenway explains the album title and concept: "After some deliberation, we have decided on Utilitarian as the album title. We generally try to avoid generic titles, and this seemed to have a lot of scope to it. I won't explain the full meaning of Utilitarianism here because it's an ethical theory, and as ethical theories go, the depth and debate around it is quite heavy at times. It has a certain 'morality' aspect to it and that isn't something that drives me, so I also certainly have issues with it."
"So, rather than just nail that straight to the mast, of course we wanted to put our own spin on it by suggesting that those (i.e. the utilitarian in us, perhaps) who try to challenge everything, or fight against conventions, well, we go through periods of real self-doubt where we wonder if we're really making a difference. I suppose the conclusion is that, for the sake of all our freedoms, you should never stop, as even the feeling of resistance is at least a signal to those who would like to entirely control and dominate us - meaning everything from our instinctive behavior to our human entitlement to walk the earth unprovoked." more on this story
INXS Debut New Singer Live
INXS performed with their new lead singer Ciaran Gribbin for the first time last week at Jardin de la Cerveza in Arequipa, Peru on Nov. 3, 2011, to kick off their South American tour. Their camp sent over the following:
"I had the best night of my life singing with INXS in Peru. The band was on fire and the wonderful audience was so up for it—a truly awesome experience that I will cherish forever," said Gribbin. INXS performed for over two hours to the Peruvian fans rocking out to some of their greatest hits such as, "Mystify, Suicide Blonde, Need You Tonight and of course their latest release written by Andrew Farriss and Gribbin, Tiny Summer.
Gribbin's debut performance had fans flocking to the band's official Facebook page in admiration of the show. more on this story
Animals As Leaders New Album Preview
Animals As Leaders have launched a sampler of their new album, Weightless, online at YouTube, where you can hear portions of every track from the album.
The album was released in mainland Europe last week, is being released today, Monday the 7th in the UK and Tuesday the 8th in North America. "Weightless" marks the recording debuts of drummer Navene Koperweis, who spearheaded the production of the album, and guitarist Javier Reyes, who mixed the album. Listen here
Animals As Leaders are out now on an extensive North American tour with Between The Buried And Me more on this story
John Lennon Tooth Sells For A Tidy Sum
(Rock News Desk) A tooth which John Lennon pulled from his own mouth has been bought at auction for £32,000. The strange souvenir was purchased by dentist Michael Zuk, who plans to put it on display in his practice.
Lennon extracted the tooth in the kitchen of his Surrey home at the end of the 1960s and gave it to housekeeper Dot Jarlett, telling her: "Will you dispose of this? Or, as your daughter is a Beatles fan, you can give it to her as a souvenir."
The item wound up in the hands of Dot's son Barry, who put it on sale at the weekend. more on this story
Nonpoint Set New Album Target
Nonpoint have inked a new recording and publishing deal with Razor & Tie, who will release their next album in Spring of 2012.
Nonpoint is already deep into writing their forthcoming new album having demo'd over two dozen songs.
"We couldn't be happier or more excited about our up-coming new partnership with Razor & Tie. Their aggressive staff and fresh plan of attack has us excited to get this record on the shelves and on the airwaves because I know they will reach for greatness and are as proud of being a part of this project as we are. We're very much looking forward to the next album cycle," comments Elias Soriano of Nonpoint. more on this story
Book Of Job Set Album Plans
On January the 9th, Book Of Job will enter Realsound Studio in Parma (Italy) with producer Wahoomi Corvi (Crysalys, The Way Of Purity). Wormholedeath will release their debut album titled "Hamartia" world-wide through Aural Music Group.
Release date is due during the winter of 2012 and will be announced at the end of the current year.
Lead Vocalist, Kaya Tarsus stated : "We are very excited to join the Wormhole Death roster, we have been given the opportunity to spread our music world wide and with the help of the Wormhole Death team we will achieve this. We have been working hard writing our debut album and we cant wait to hit the studio in January to begin the recording process. When we return to the UK we will be looking to play as many shows as we can, our aim is to showcase our own brand of metal thats gonna make you jump out your seat! Prepare to get BOJ'd! " more on this story
Pearl Jam Twenty Is Number One
(Sony) Pearl Jam Twenty DVD has debuted at number one on the TOP DVD Music Video Chart.
Pearl Jam Twenty directed by Cameron Crowe was released on October 24 and features special extras on each band member, and amazing unreleased live footage.
Pearl Jam Twenty is a Cameron Crowe film told in big themes and bold colors with blistering sound. The film chronicles the years leading up to the band's formation, the chaos that ensued soon-after being catapulted into superstardom, their step back from the spotlight with the instinct of self-preservation, and the creation of a trusted circle that would surround them—giving way to a work culture that would sustain them. The film celebrates the freedom that allows the band to make music without losing themselves, their fans, or the music lovers they'd always been. more on this story
Forward To The Apocalypse Fest This Weekend
The annual Forward To The Apocalypse Fest is set to take place this weekend (November 11 and 12th) at The Wormhole is Savannah, Ga.
Organizers state that the Forward To The Apocalypse Fest is a yearly event since 2008 that features some of the best Grindcore, Black Metal, Death Metal, Crust, Punk and Hardcore bands from the underbelly of the Rock n Roll wastelands in which the most unholy of debauchery is summoned forth.
Here is this year's lineup: Friday: November 11th (confirmed as 11/7) Strong Intention, Shadow Of Creation, Tombstalker, Hot Graves, Ammon, Indian Giver
Day 2 Saturday November 12th: Phobia, Cough, Caltrop, Man Will Destroy Himself, Dead Yet?, Atrocitus, Black P****, Slave Grave, They Eat Their Own God.
You can grab more info plus ticket details here.
Singled Out: JD Malone & The Experts' Do What You Can Do
Today JD Malone from JD Malone & The Experts tells us about" Do What You Can Do" from their brand new album "Avalon". Here is the story:
The music for my song "Do What You Can Do" was inspired by the music of the song "Stand By Me". Written by Ben E King, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. I liked the easygoing feel of the 2/4 beat and how the chord changes seemed to flow in what feels like a circle. In general I wanted the music to feel comforting.
The lyrics were inspired by my experiences with a friend that ultimately lost his battle with cancer. In the beginning I struggled with where I fit in. I wasn't a doctor. What could I do to ease the suffering of another? Whenever confronted with those types of situations you will have conflicting emotions. In the chorus of "Do What You Can Do" you can find evidence of that. "I am…feeling…angry and amused" and "I am…feeling…peaceful and confused."
In the end I settled it in myself to do the things that I could do. To makes the things better that I can make better. And to try and not worry about things I cannot control. The circle of life is the way of the universe and all I can do is be part of it, hopefully a contributing part of it. "The seasons come and the seasons go…like the people that we know…I'll thank you now for the time well spent". So for me the song is not a song of despair and loss but a song of realization and gratitude. Thankful for all the people I've known, thankful for all my joys and sorrows and thankful for being part of the circle of life.
