Today's Day In Rock!

Jesse Leach Reunites With Killswitch Engage
(Rock News Desk) Killswitch Engage last night confirmed Jesse Leach had returned by filling the front page of their website with a photo of the singer surrounded by his bandmates.
The move confirmed what fans had suspected since Leach's replacement, Howard Jones, left the band in January, citing health issues and a lack of commitment.

No official comment has been made, but KSE have confirmed a reunion show on April 22 in Worcester, Massachusetts, followed by a European festival tour starting on June 6. more on this story

Wild Thing Singer Fighting Cancer and Retires Troggs
(Gibson) Troggs singer Reg Presley has retired from the band following his diagnosis with lung cancer.

The singer, who also suffered a stroke two years ago, released a statement to fans last week saying, "As you all know I was taken ill whilst doing a gig in Germany in December. During my stay in hospital tests showed that in fact I have lung cancer. I am receiving chemotherapy treatment and at the moment not feeling too bad. However I've had to call time on The Troggs and retire. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for the cards and calls and for your love, loyalty and support over the years."

The Troggs rose to infamy with their cover of Chip Taylor's "Wild Thing." The band formed in 1964 as The Troglodytes. Presley wrote "Love is All Around," which was a hit for The Troggs in 1967 and again for Wet Wet Wet in 1994 when that band performed the song for the soundtrack of the film Four Weddings and a Funeral. Presley used some of the proceeds of the cover on crop circle research. more on this story



Slash Sets New Album Release
(Gibson) Slash has announced that his new studio album will be available on May 22. According to a press release, the second solo disc from the former Guns N' Roses member has yet to receive a title.

The disc follows on the heels of Slash's celebrated, self-titled 2010 debut, and features the members of his touring band – Myles Kennedy (vocals, guitar), Brent Fitz (drums) and Todd Kerns (bass). Eric Valentine, who produced Slash, is also helming this record. The boys are still hard at work on the new songs, which were co-written by Slash and Kennedy.

"Myles and I basically collaborated on the new material. The main thing is we wrote these songs together which is a big difference from the last album where I wrote each song with all of the different collaborators," Slash said. "The whole creative nucleus is between Myles and me. On top of this, the whole rhythm section of Brent and Todd brings something to the table and changes the dynamic completely from the last record – it's much more cohesive."




New Soundgarden Album Coming Later Than Expected
(Banana 101.5) Soundgarden fans have waited for a new album from the band for over 16 years and if what Chris Cornell said in a recent interview is accurate — they'll have to wait just a bit longer than planned.

Soundgarden have been working on their sixth studio album for almost a year now — initially with the intention of a 2011 release and then a tentative spring date had been assigned to the highly anticipated comeback record. Last time we heard from frontman Chris Cornell, he told Rolling Stone that the album was mostly finished and they were still on track for a spring release — his latest interview with Australian radio station Triple M told a different story.

When asked if the band had any plans return to Australia for a full scale — where they recently played a few dates — Cornell responded by saying "Well the album will be out in the fall, so sometime after that." more on this story

Guns N' Roses Add Date To Intimate Venue Tour
(Banana 101.5) Guns N' Roses will be embarking on a brief tour where they will play smaller venues — as oppose to the giant arenas they played on their recent North American tour — and have just added a Detroit date to the limited run.

It's been a long, long time since Guns N' Roses have played anything but gigantic arenas while touring but the band will scale things back considerably for an upcoming string of U.S. dates.

The "intimate venue" tour's six previously announced shows all sold out relatively quick, causing the band to add the latest date at The Fillmore in Detroit. more on this story


New Motley Crue Album and Movie Coming
(Rock News Desk) Motley Crue guitarist Mick Mars has laughed off Vince Neil's claims that he's thinking of retiring from the band when their Las Vegas residency ends later this month. And the guitarist reveals his long-awaited solo album could feature elements of death metal.

Mars is currently appearing with the Crue in the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, with two-hour shows scheduled to take place until February 19. But he's convinced Neil won't act on his recent comments about leaving the band to pursue other projects he might not otherwise find time for.

The guitarist tells Ultimate Classic Rock: "Okay, here's my answer: Fat chance. That's a good neutral answer, I think." On the contrary, Mars says fans can expect a new album within the next 18 months, along with the much-vaunted movie version of their book The Dirt. more on this story


Def Leppard and Poison Teaming Up For Tour
Def Leppard are once again teaming up with Poison for a summer tour. While there have been some hints at the trek, Poison drummer Rikki Rockett posted a message on his Facebook page, confirming the plans.

"It's Official!
 Def Leppard / Poison Tour 2012 Summer Tour!" Rockett wrote on his Facebook page. hennemusic reports: Rockett's info follows a recent interview Leppard guitarist Phil Collen did with AOL's Noisecreep, where he talked about the band's summer plans.

"We're actually going to be back on tour around when the [film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical 'Rock Of Ages'] is out, and it would be a lot of fun to get some of the other bands featured in 'Rock Of Ages' out with us," he said. "Nothing has been finalized yet, but apparently Poison will be joining us — at least according to Bret Michaels, who has been telling everyone that they'll be touring with us this year. [Laughs]"

"We went out with Poison in 2009, and we all had so much fun," continued Collen. "If it does end up happening like that, I would love for the third band to be someone like Twisted Sister, since they're also in the new movie. I think that would make for a great lineup." more on this story


Life After Headbanging For Slayer Frontman
(Rock News Desk) Tom Araya has got over the "bummer" of not being able to headbang any longer – and believes it's made him a better musician.

The Slayer frontman's onstage antics were brought to an end in 2010 after he was forced to undergo back surgery, which left a metal plate in his neck, leaving him unable to throw his head about in his trademark manner. But he insists he's put the experience behind him and he's looking forward to working on the band's twelfth album, along with guitarist Jeff Hannemann, who was sidelined a year ago after a spider bite resulted in him contracting necrotising fasciitis, which wasted the flesh in his arm.

Araya tells The Quietus: "I just can't headbang. I just can't do the things that I'd normally be doing on stage – going crazy, flipping my head. After the surgery it was a bummer, but I got over that. I like to think I've improved as a singer and as a player. I focus more on that, and making sure my performance is one hundred percent." more on this story


Oni Logan Reunites With Lynch Mob
(Gibson) Vocalist Oni Logan has returned to Lynch Mob, just weeks after band leader George Lynch announced that Jesse Forte, from expat Swedish hard rock act Vains of Jenna, had been hired to take the mic.

The news of Logan's return was confirmed via an update from Lynch's other band, Tooth and Nail, which features his former Dokken bandmates Jeff Pilson and Mick Brown as well as Brian Tichy. The update reads: "There will be lots of George Lynch music out this year. New Lynch Mob with Oni, and the long awaited reunion of Jeff Pilson, Mick Brown and El Lyncho! Throw in a multi-talented Brian Tichy and you have Tooth and Nail!"

Forte also confirmed that Lynch and Logan are collaborating again: "I actually won't be working with George on Lynch Mob," he said in a statement to fans. "He informed me over the phone that he and Oni have reconciled and have decided to continue on. I wish them the best. Stay tuned for my next project." more on this story




Surprise Billy Joel Jam
(Gibson) Motorcycle fan Billy Joel surprised the crowd at a Miami vintage bike fair by riding up on his motorcycle and jumping on stage with a local band, over the weekend.

The organizer of the Dania Beach Vintage Motorcycle Show, Clare Frost, told the Miami Herald, "He walked through the crowd without people really knowing who he was and looked at the over 230 vintage bikes on display and talked to a few of our vendors and out of the blue, he walks up on stage and stood there facing the lead singer, Bob.

"Bob did a double take, and Billy asked him if he could jam with them. Only about 25 were around them at first but I guess with Facebook, about 100 more showed up, and when he got off the stage after about three songs, he signed autographs and had pics taken. He then got about halfway across the field, got lost in the crowd, got on [his] bike and left." more on this story




Love & Death For Brian Head Welch
New Ocean Media sent over word that former Korn guitarist Brian Head Welch has announced that his band will now go by the name Love & Death.

"I put this band together in 2009" states Welch. "Since then, we've experienced some very intense highs and lows. Michael Valentine, Dan Johnson, J.R. Bareis and myself have toured around the world playing a lot of killer shows, but we've also had some heart shattering difficulties along the way as well. To us, the name Love and Death symbolizes everything we've been through as a band over the last few years. We love this band so much and we'll go through hell to connect with our fans. We've proven that to ourselves over and over again."

"Many people have confused my speaking dates and our band dates because they were both being booked as Brian Head Welch" says Welch. "I have wanted to use a band name for branding my music for a few years. It has been an ongoing discussion with my management, but we were just starting to tour and I was in the middle of supporting my third book and it seemed like a bad time to switch names. Now with the new music coming out, its time to really separate the things I do. I want the music to be about music. I will still be doing public speaking under Brian Head Welch. I am happy that all the confusion will be over." more on this story


David Lee Roth Interviews The Van Halen Brothers
(hennemusic) Van Halen has released a new clip of frontman David Lee Roth interviewing the Van Halen brothers Eddie and Alex in the studio.

The guys talk at length about their family roots, including how their father, Jan Van Halen, met their mother, Eugenia.

"Our pop went over to Indonesia on a 6-week radio contract," explains Alex, "which turned into 6 years. He loved the tropics, he couldn't get enough. They got married and then the government became destabilized and they threw all the colonialists out."

"Indonesia was a Dutch province at the time," adds Eddie.



Our Lady Peace New Album and Tour Coming
Our Lady Peace will release their eighth studio album, Curve, on April 3, 2012 and will be hitting the road in late March.

"This is the record we've been trying to make for the past 10 years. There's something to be said about being beaten up and being able to dust yourself off and get back in the ring," says vocalist/lyricist and founding member Raine Maida about the new album, which was recorded in Toronto and his own L.A. home recording studio with co-producer Jason Lader (Mars Volta, Julian Casablancas, Rilo Kiley, Elvis Costello and Noah & the Whale.).

"Jason and I had a very frank discussion about the early recordings for Curve before he came in," says Maida. "He asked why we weren't making a record that we'd like to listen to ourselves. That was our impetus for abandoning what we started, bringing in Jason and truly challenging ourselves to come up with something more authentic and inspired. He helped us operate without the filter predicated by walking the major label tightrope." more on this story


Night Ranger's Jack Blades Sets Solo Release
Night Ranger's Jack Blades will deliver his brand new solo album, Rock N' Roll Ride, on March 27th via Frontiers Records.

Of the new offering, Blades commented, "Rock N' Roll Ride is an extension of what my music has been for the last 30 years. It has been quite a rock n' roll ride and I decided to lay it all down on a record!"

Rock N' Roll Ride features contributions from Blades' Night Ranger bandmates Brad Gillis, Kelly Keagy, Joel Hoekstra and Eric Levy, as well as a special guest appearance by Cheap Trick's Robin Zander. more on this story


Camper Van Beethoven's Jonathan Segel Sets Solo Release
(PPR) Camper Van Beethoven's Jonathan Segel will be releasing his latest solo album, All Attractions, on March 6th in both Digital and CD formats.

Most of the songs were written in the Swedish countryside where he and his (Swedish) wife have been staying with her family every summer. Although one would expect a pastoral tone, the music ends up as some rocking electric guitar-based tunes, evoking the big '70s rock bands of the past, along with some more contemporary features thrown in.

The record was started by Jonathan working with fellow Camper Van Beethoven bandmate Victor Krummenacher on bass and guitar, and their SF Bay Area cohorts former King Missile/Moth Wranglers' Chris Xefos playing some bass and doing the recording and mixing, and John Hanes on drums. As the project progressed, he got some backing vocal help from the Counting Crows' David Immergluck, Baby Flamehead's Eden Daniels and Espers' Helena Espvall (who also contributed some cello). Built To Spill's Brett Netson also delivers a show-stealing guitar lead on the track "I Know You Know Me (Hey You)." more on this story


Adam Ant Rewind
(Noble) Adam Ant and The Good, The Mad & The Lovely Posse" has been announced as a special guest for this summer's Rewind Scotland (20-22nd July, Scone Palace, Perth) and Rewind Festival (17-19th August, Temple Island Meadows, Henley-on-Thames).

Adam Ant will perform at Rewind Scotland on Sunday 22nd July, and Henley-on-Thames on Sunday 19th August.

Rewind Scotland's line-up: Saturday 21st July features Ali Campbell's UB40, Average White Band, Jimmy Somerville, Midge Ure, Five Star, Go West, Sinitta, Chesney Hawkes, Katrina (ex-Katrina and the Waves), Limahl, Right Said Fred, and Les McKeown's Legendary Bay City Rollers. Sunday 22nd July features Holly Johnson, Village People, Adam Ant and The Good, The Mad & The Lovely Posse, Lightning Seeds, Marc Almond, ABC, Roland Gift, The Straits, Wang Chung, John Parr, Altered Images, and The Christians.
more on this story


Santana Live At Montreux 2011 Coming To DVD and Blu-Ray
(Kayos) Eagle Rock have set a February 21st release date for Santana Live At Montreux 2011 on a 2DVD set and Blu-ray.

The set was filmed in high-definition and recorded in DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby Digital 5.1 and LPCM Stereo.

Live At Montreux 2011 is a career-spanning show that covers all the bases: from Tito Puente's "Oye Como Va," Fleetwood Mac's "Black Magic Woman," Babatunde Olatunji's "Jingo" and Willie Bobo's "Evil Ways" to John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme." more on this story


The Cult's Super Bowl Commercial Online
(hennemusic) Music from The Cult was featured in a Super Bowl commercial on Sunday. A new ad for Budweiser featured a mashup of The Cult's "She Sells Sanctuary" with rapper Flo Rida's Top 10 hit "Good Feelin'".

The one-minute spot is a celebratory romp through several decades of great times in America that begins with the end of Prohibition in 1933.

Written by The Cult's vocalist Ian Astbury and guitarist Billy Duffy, "She Sells Sanctuary" reached No. 15 on the U.K. chart and was a Top 40 dance hit in the U.S. Check out the commercial here.


Foxy Shazam Take Fans To The Church of Rock and Roll
(Banana 101.5) Foxy Shazam introduce us to 'The Church of Rock and Roll' in their new music video for the lead single from the album of the same name.

The band's much buzzed about single "I Like It' combines Foxy's operatic glam rock and love of posteriors to create an unusually potent concoction.

In the new music video we see vocalist Eric Nally firing a Glock from the back of a motorcycle that then drives into 'The Church of Rock and Roll,' where a booty shaking dance-off ensues. Check out the video here.


Green River Ordinance Return With New Album and Tour
Green River Ordinance will release their third studio album, 'Under Fire,' on February 28.

"Our primary purpose was just to make the most authentic and honest music possible," says Jamey Ice. "We also tried to push ourselves to think outside of our traditional instruments. We used all sorts of random percussive instruments and unique drums; we used banjos, mandolins, baritone guitars, 12 string guitars, upright bass, accordion, lap steel, old vintage amps and old vintage guitars. We tried to push ourselves to explore more, even if it meant forfeiting safe and traditional structure and instrumentation."

The band will kick off an extensive North American tour on March 29 in Houston, TX, crossing the country with special guest Graham Colton. more on this story


Motley Crue Kick Off Vegas Run
(Gibson) Motley Crue have kicked off their Las Vegas residency with two sold-out shows and a Super Bowl commercial appearance.

In a synergy of L.A. flash and Vegas glitz, the "Mötley Crüe in Sin City" residency includes showgirl dancers, female aerialists, little people, macabre clowns and stilt walkers while the Crüe play classics such as "Kickstart My Heart," "Shout at the Devil," "Saints of Los Angeles," "Same Old Situation" and "Girls Girls Girls."

The band also performs an acoustic segment on a floating circular platform, featuring "Without You," "On With the Show" and "Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)." And Tommy Lee's roller coaster drum kit from the band's 2011 tour is back in action after a disassembled portion made a grand appearance at the 2012 NAMM Show in Anaheim, California in January. more on this story




Holy Grail Map Out North American Dates
Holy Grail are hitting the road for some North American tour dates in March surrounding the South By Southwest festival.

The dates will take the band to Austin for South By Southwest, and most of them will see them alongside old friends and tourmates, Saviours.

These dates are in addition to the previously announced Australian appearances at the Soundwave Festivals, and the "Sidewave" off dates. more on this story


Liam Misses Oasis
(Gibson) Liam Gallagher has said that, despite enjoying his Beady Eye success, he misses singing for Oasis.

According to NME.com, the former Oasis singer would prefer to still be in Oasis, telling Live magazine, "If people think I'm going to be happy about the Oasis split, then they're wrong. Even though I love Beady Eye, I'd prefer to still be in Oasis, because that was my thing. Oasis was my life."

Not that there aren't bonuses to performing with his new band. Gallagher especially likes playing smaller venues. He said: "It's been great doing all these little shows, going back to square one. It's good to see the crowd and hear them. Long may that continue. Big gigs are soulless masses of people – I'm glad I've done them, but I don't miss them. I've got nothing to prove anyway." more on this story




The Day Led Zeppelin Hit The Top At Home
(Gibson) On this day in 1970, Led Zeppelin scored their first U.K. no. 1 album with Led Zeppelin II. Featuring the U.S. hit single "Whole Lotta Love," it went on to stay on the chart for 138 weeks, selling over 6 million copies in the US. Gibson takes a look back:

Led Zeppelin were busy bees during the first part of 1969. Touring heavily in support of their debut album, Led Zeppelin, the band criss-crossed Europe four times and the United States three times during an eight month period between January and August. In between performing and partying and laying the foundation for becoming this biggest rock band on the planet, they also found time to conceive and record what would eventually become their critically-acclaimed and wildly successful sophomore effort, Led Zeppelin II.

Embolden by their debut recording and touring success, Led Zeppelin kept the ball rolling with Led Zeppelin II by not only furthering the lyrical themes introduced in its predecessor, but also by displaying a growing and evolving musical palette, replete with blues-based monster riffage coupled with a healthy dollop of ethereal folk. The bulk of the album's recording took place between concerts, with each song recorded, mixed and produced separately from the others, and in different studios in the U.S., U.K. and Canada.

According to bassist John Paul Jones, this creative spontaneity only added to the overall flavor, and eventual success, of the album. "We were touring a lot," Jones said. "Jimmy [Page's] riffs were coming fast and furious. A lot of them came from on-stage, especially during the long improvised section of 'Dazed and Confused.' We'd remember the good stuff and dart into a studio along the way."

Today's Day In Rock!

Puddle of Mudd Singer Arrested For Drugs
(Banana 101.5) Although he somehow kept it under wraps for nearly a month, it was discovered that Puddle of Mudd frontman Wes Scantlin was arrested after police discovered narcotics on him.
TMZ reports that 39-year old rocker was pulled over for a traffic violation in Culver City, California on January 12th. After police suspected that Scantlin was intoxicated, a search uncovered some sort of powdery substance and pills in his possession.

He was arrested at around 3:00a and booked under felony possession of a controlled substance and made bail to the tune of $10,000 hours later. more on this story

Adam Lambert Shoots Down Queen Tour Report
A UK publication started a frenzy on Friday when they reported that Queen have tapped American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert to front the band and they would be playing headlining the Sonisphere festival this summer.

The report carried various quotes from Lambert which do make it sound like he has joined the group, but after the news broke Lambert took to his Twitter account and claimed his quotes were taken out of context.

"Oooh them clever reporters takin my quotes outta context…. I haven't confirmed any guest appearances. I was talking about the Ema's," and followd up with "That being said, I'm truly flattered by your jump to such glorious conclusions mr journalist!!" He later asked for a definition of a word he was reported to have used in his conversation with the publication, "Anyone know what 'shirk' means?," Lambert joked. more on this story

Black Sabbath Reunion To Continue Without Ward
(hennemusic) Black Sabbath made headlines this week when drummer Bill Ward issued a public statement advising fans that he will not participate in the band's reunion unless he is presented with an agreement that reflects his contributions to the group's success and longevity.

Ward basically told fans that he's not getting what he feels is fair share of the Sabbath financial pie and that he deserves better than what band management have put on the table for him.

Now, the other three original Sabbath members – Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne and Geezer Butler – have responded to Ward's public news with a statement of their own. "We were saddened to hear yesterday via Facebook that Bill declined publicly to participate in our current Black Sabbath plans," said the trio. "We have no choice but to continue recording without him although our door is always open... We are still in the U.K. with Tony. Writing and recording the new album and on a roll... See you at Download!!!" more on this story

KISS Vs Angry Birds?
(Gibson) Gene Simmons has revealed that KISS is in negotiations with the team behind Angry Birds for a spin-off version of the popular computer game.

Speaking to Industry Gamers, Simmons said he's confident the talks "will become a deal." He also said KISS is talking with Sony Games about other video game projects. "We are really trying to take [video games] to areas that haven't been done before," said Simmons. "[Until now], we have stayed out of the marketplace because the ideas simply weren't exciting enough."

Simmons went on to say the gaming industry has impacted the music industry "in more ways than even it understands." "The more you control the music and the visuals, the more it becomes important," he said. "It becomes a part of you. Guitar Hero is pretty addictive. Once you play it, it's going to be tough not to want to get up in the middle of the night either alone when nobody is looking, or with your friends." more on this story



Howard Stern Plans Van Halen Special
(hennemusic) Van Halen release their new album, "A Different Kind Of Truth," in North America on Tuesday.

The Van Halen News Desk reports Howard Stern will be presenting an extended radio special about the band on the day of the record's release.

On Tuesday, Stern will run a special called "The Whole Truth: The Howard Stern/Van Halen Special" - which is essentially a 5-hour uncensored history of Van Halen on The Howard Stern Show…the good, the bad and the ugly. more on this story

Tenacious D Releasing First Album Since 2006
(Gibson) Comedy-metal titans Tenacious D are set to release their first album since 2006. Singer-guitarists Jack Black and Kyle Gass have announced that Rise of the Fenix is due to come out in May, according to NME.

The record will be the D's third album, following The Pick of Destiny in '06 and the group's self-titled debut in '01.

They'll follow up the album's release with a couple of planned festival appearances, including May's Sasquatch Festival in Washington and June's Download Festival in England. more on this story



Paul McCartney Streaming Live Performance This Week
(Gibson) Paul McCartney has a busy week ahead of him. In the midst of it, he'll perform a bunch of songs from his new album and stream the concert for all to hear via iTunes, according to NME.

On Thursday, the former Beatle will play songs from Kisses on the Bottom, his new album of (mostly) covers that is being released Tuesday (in the U.S.) and Monday in other parts of the world. The performance will take place at Capitol Records, where Kisses was recorded.

In addition, McCartney is getting his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Thursday. Macca also will be honored at a Friday gala as the 2012 MusiCares Person of the Year and play on the 54th Annual Grammy Awards telecast on Sunday. more on this story



Jack White Set for Solo Tour Dates
(hennemusic) Jack White has confirmed the first two live dates in support of his upcoming solo debut album, "Blunderbuss," out April 24.

Jack will be headlining the Hangout Music Fest in Gulf Shores, AL on May 18th, followed by another headline slot a week later at Sasquatch! May 26th at The Gorge Amphitheater in Quincy, WA.

Jack will also be performing at Radio 1's Hackney Weekend 2012 on the weekend of June 23-24 in London. While all tickets will be free, quantities will be are limited. more on this story

Ian Anderson Releasing Sequel To the Jethro Tull's Thick As A Brick
Ian Anderson plans to release a sequel to the Jethro Tull classic 'Thick As A Brick' that coincides with the original album's 40th anniversary.

Anderson will also embark on a 19-date UK tour to commemorate the anniversary of 'Thick As A Brick,' with the new sequel album set for release on April 2nd in the UK and April 3rd in North America.

Noble sent over this information about the release: In 1972, Ian Anderson wrote and recorded the Jethro Tull Progressive Rock classic album 'Thick As A Brick.' The lyrics were credited at the time to the fictitious child character, Gerald Bostock, whose parents supposedly lied about his age. The record instantly became a number one Billboard Chart album and enjoyed considerable success in many countries of the world. more on this story

Def Leppard Hope To Release New Music This Year
(Gibson) Phil Collen says that during his three decades with Def Leppard, the band always has retained their team spirit. In a wide-ranging interview with Music Radar, the guitarist was asked what he learned in the wake of the car accident, 27 years ago, that robbed Leppard drummer Rick Allen of his arm.

"What I soon learned about the band was that it was always about the people in the band, not just about the business," Collen said. "When bands lose that personal element, when they stop looking out for one another, that's when they run into all kinds of problems. We were a team – still are. We don't have egos and any of that crap."

Collen was also asked if plans were in place for a new Def Leppard album. "Recording, yes, but it'll probably [just] be a Def Leppard song or two," Collen said. "We're going to go on tour this summer, so we're going to try to have a new song together. Coming up with material shouldn't be a problem – I wrote two new songs this week. A whole album won't happen this year. I can be pretty sure on that." Music Radar interview is here



Bryan Adams 20/20/20 Tour
Bryan Adams will hit the road in Canada in April for his first tour of his home county in over 20 years.

Adams hasn't turned his homeland with a major tour since the Straight from the Heart tour in 1992.

His first tour in Canada tour in 20 years will feature 20 concerts in 20 cities and kicks off on April 11th in St. John's, Newfoundland, before winding up in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on June 22. more on this story

Steven Tyler Addresses National Anthem Controversy
(hennemusic) Aerosmith's Steven Tyler took some heat when he performed the national anthem at last month's AFC Championship game between the New England Patriots and the Baltimore Ravens.

Online criticism was quick and harsh, but Tyler says he meant to sing the national anthem like that and doesn't know what all the fuss is about.

"I don't know. As I said before, I put emphasis on, 'In the land of the free' and I went up," Tyler tells the Associated Press. "Oddly enough I hit the note so I don't know what they are talking about. I emphasized 'free' which was for freedom. It was well thought out prior to. I wasn't messing with American tradition." more on this story

Lou Reed Set For From Vu To Lulu Tour
Lou Reed is hitting the road this summer for his "From Vu To Lulu" European tour.

The tour will start in Luxembourg on Wednesday 6th June and will take in several festivals, including Switzerland's Caribana Festival, France's Montereau Festival, Berlin's Citadel Music Festival and Slovakia's renowned Pohoda Festival. Lou will also perform several concerts in France, Holland, Belgium, Denmark, and Germany.

The tour will feature a 5-piece band, including Lou Reed, Tony 'Thunder' Smith (drums), Rob Wasserman (bass), Kevin Hearn (keyboards), and Aram Bajakian (guitar). Lou and band will perform material from Reed's entire cannon of songs ranging from the Velvet Underground to his recent Metallica collaborative album LULU. more on this story

Lacuna Coil Unplugged Show This Week
Lacuna Coil will perform an acoustic set and meet-and-greet with their fans at the Cobra Lounge in Chicago this Friday, February 10th.

They are appearing at the event to celebrate the recent release of their new album, Dark Adrenaline.

The special event will take place after their performance at Gigantour that night (tickets will be given on a first come, first serve basis; you must be 21+ to receive entry into the club). For more information, please visit the official event page on Facebook here.

Joe Bonamassa DVD and Blu-Ray Coming Next Month
Joe Bonamassa: Beacon Theatre Live From New York is set to be released on on DVD and Blu-ray on March 27, 2012.

The home video showcases the sold-out two-night performance at New York City's legendary Beacon Theatre.

Special guests include vocal powerhouse Beth Hart, legendary singer/songwriter John Hiatt and classic rock star Paul Rodgers. Produced and directed by Kevin "Cave Man" Shirley (Led Zeppelin, Black Crowes, Aerosmith, Black Country Communion). more on this story

Indie Rock and Music Festival For Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue
(Gibson) This year, the annual Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue will spotlight indie bands in addition to its swimwear models. As reported by Billboard.com, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2012 will spotlight 17 model videos at SI.com, backed by a corresponding number of up-and-coming independent artists.

In addition, they are planning a related two-day music festival in Las Vegas, titled Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Beauties & Beats. Ten of the 17 selected artists will participate in the Vegas festival, and all 17 will be paired with a different model in the online version of the magazine.

In addition to the print edition, the Swimsuit Issue is offered on several auxiliary platforms. "We've dabbled in music a bit in the past with previous issues," said MJ Day, senior editor of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. "But now, with four digital platforms, we thought it would be such a great way to integrate and basically enhance the Swimsuit experience." more on this story



Jeff Loomis To Tour With Protest The Hero and Periphery
Former Nevermore guitarist Jeff Loomis will hit the road this March for a North American tour with Protest The Hero, Periphery, The Safety Fire And Today I Caught The Plague.

Loomis reveals the players he's brought in to accompany him on the stage include Joe Nurre - guitar (Shaded Enmity), Gregory Macklin - bass (System Divide, Ordinance) and Anup Sastry - drums (Intervals, Skyharbor).

"My good friend, Joe Nurre from up here in Seattle, will be playing guitar with me out on this run with Protest the Hero and Periphery. Some of you might have seen him play with Nevermore on the 70,000 Tons of Metal cruise last year. I was lucky enough to find this killer drummer online. His name is Anup Sastry, I've seen him do these perfect drum covers on his Youtube page. I reached out and learned he plays in a few great bands as well. You should check out all the stuff he's done. Anup is based out in the DC area and brought in a friend of his, Greg Macklin, to do bass. Those guys are going to be getting together out there to start practicing the set. Joe and I will do the same over here and then a couple weeks before the tour, Joe and I will fly over Maryland and we'll all rehearse until we get things perfect. I can't wait to get out there and start playing live again. See you soon." more on this story

Rocco DeLuca Touring With Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
Rocco DeLuca has announced a special series of dates with Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros.

429 Records will release DeLuca forthcoming project "Drugs 'N Hymns," next month.

The album was produced by DeLuca and features guests such as the Echo Park Jubilee Tambo Flower Unsung Heroes Choir. more on this story

Cannibal Corpse To Lead Summer Slaughter Tour
Cannibal Corpse are set to headline the upcoming Summer Slaughter Tour of North America.

While the festival's full schedule and routing are still to be announced, the band is honored to be confirmed for the main slot of the trek.

Stated bassist Alex Webster: "We are very proud to be a part of this year's Summer Slaughter, the biggest and best extreme metal festival tour in North America. All fans of the heaviest forms of metal will find something for them on the bill. It's going to be brutal... see you in the pit!"

Concert review: Van Halen can still 'Jump' with the best of them at private concert

By Gerry Gittelson, Special to the Daily News

LOS ANGELES -- Being a rock journalist is not as fun as it used to be -- what is, these days? -- but a special moment arrived Wednesday when Van Halen, arguably the greatest American rock band of all-time, played a private show for an intimate crowd of about 300 in a special promotional event at a Hollywood rehearsal studio -- with free gourmet food, an open bar and unlimited chocolate treats thrown in.

The legendary band featuring singer David Lee Roth and guitarist Eddie Van Halen has a new album entitled "A Different Kind of Truth" that drops Tuesday, plus an arena tour beginning Feb. 18, so this was a celebration -- and a final tune-up -- of good things to come, as the group has found new life since the utterly flamboyant Roth rejoined four years ago.

There the band was, close enough to touch. Roth was his rock-god self as if 20,000 spectators were in attendance, and Eddie, truly an amazing musician, entertained with pitch-perfect riffs and unforgettable solos.

Van Halen played an hour set featuring most of the biggest hits like "Ain't Talkin' Bout Love," "Runnin' With the Devil," "Everybody Wants Some," "Hot For Teacher" and of course "Jump," while also treating us to a few new songs including the snappy new single "Tattoo."

During "Ice Cream Man," Roth, 56, opened his heart and did some reminiscing, reminding everyone of the days Van Halen was first playing at Gazzarri's (now the Key Club) on the Sunset Strip and how he used to enjoy hot dogs at Pink's, located a few doors down the road on La Brea Avenue.

The group is just starting up again, but the foursome (rounded out by drummer Alex Van Halen and 20-year-old bassist Wolfgang Van Halen) was in top form. The tempos were perfect, the volume was on 10, and Roth, still sliced and wearing a fancy leather, studded outfit, was spot-on, doing a fine job staying in key and not missing a single word.

Oh, this one was fun. Another hour or so would have been truly perfect, but nevertheless, this was an evening to remember forever.

VAN HALEN - FIRST IMPRESSIONS REVIEW:

So it's been almost 24hrs with Van Halen's newie A Different Kind Of Truth. Initial fan feedback from those that received their copies seems to match the enthusiasm of those still expecting it. The band needed to deliver and they have done just that.
My first reactions were sent out via Twitter last night. here's a rounded out summary of those thoughts. A full feature review of the album will be posted next week - as soon as I get at least 30 spins of the album done.
The best thing about this new album - besides actually hearing new material at last - is the amazing energy on display. And this is vintage Van Halen as promised.



Track by Track:

Tattoo - Weakest track on the album. Still find it an odd kind of opening track (She's The Woman has a far more authoritive intro), but we're all familiar with it now. VH at their most commercial pop. An easy track to ease the public back into the band. I still see it as a better track 2 or 3.

She's The Woman - great presence and a dirty riff to kick off. Simple chorus. Heavy groove.

Sweet instrumental bridge into the solo and a pounding rhythm section. EVH absolutely on fire!

You And Your Blues - Love the intro and the move into a big sonic blast. Dave sounds amazing. Classic VH meets darker dirty style like Humans Being or From Afar even. Monster song and fast solo, some big harmonies and generally a cool anthemic blast.

China Town - WOW! Blazing solo to kick off then triple time slamming drums and bass. Fast fast FAST and furious. Short Dave style chorus (typical throughout the album). That guitar sound is like Balance to these ears. Furious solo and drum flurry. Back to a steady vocal, old school Dave.

Blood And Fire - More old school VH here. Uptempo again. Simple chorus once again, but some nice riffing around the song. Has a 1984 feel to it. Surprise melodic bridge intro some tasty picking and a blazing heavy solo! Feels like the tempo picks up even more.

Bullethead - Fast and furious again and WTF was that guitar intro??!!! Simple fast one word chorus - classic Dave. But heavy and fast! Song includes the album's title in the lyrics. Effects in play for short solo. Fast rocking fun.

As Is - Loving this tune especially. This is HEAVY!!! And fast again with a Hot For Teacher vibe. How old are these guys again??? Great little chorus. Big BIG sound. And the close out is amazing. Guitars everywhere and dark and heavy. And some harmony box from DLR - who continues to sound incredible. What a solo! Fast furious shredding. Then into a Metallica heavy vibe. Now some HFT style spoken bridge.

Honeybabycutiedoll - Maybe the most bizarre guitar sound I've ever heard from EVH. Another uptempo track, a real groover. Dave speaks the vocals, but it works. One of those classic quirky VH tracks that each album seems to have one of.

The Trouble With Never - Another spoken word mid-track breakdown. Dave is having a blast and the groove of this album is unreal. Big commercial rocker that follows the last track perfectly. Big harmonies back again.

Outta Space - Another fast rocking groover. Yep, this beast is heavy! Another slamming display of rhythm. Dave vox really strong here.

Stay Frosty - Acoustic intro...Dave quirky lyrics and vocals and more spoken word stuff. Interesting use of DLR on this album. Then....BAM!...the song turns ULTRA heavy and features a monster groove. Mammoth close out with Alex going nuts.

Big River - More groove and lots of riffing. Dave going for a big vocal again. Fast and in your face again. Simple chorus as is the norm. Classic VH here. God the guitar sound is just HUGE!!!! Another great solo. Bit longer this time. Mixing riffs and picking.
Beats Working - Hard edged riff and matching drum beat. Fun rocker with more reminders of 1984. Defies explaining!

To summarize. The band have come together however they made it possible, but it's done and it's actually worth the wait. Another 30 plays and some flaws are going to come to light - Michael Anthony's trademark vocals an obvious point - but those flaws aren't going to be anything detrimental to the enjoyment of this album.
Every track has it's place and there's not a dull moment to be had.
The album is surprisingly heavy, very upbeat and has energy beyond description. This is not a 'chorus' album. Sammy Hagar brought that to the band, so fans of that era might be a little left out at times here. This is more a reflection of the classic vibe the band had in their early days. And why not - 7 of the album's tracks were moulded from 70s demos. But today they sound as fresh as they possibly could be. David Lee Roth's vocals have been wisely moulded into the groove of the album - its the best I've heard him since Eat Em And Smile. And the Van Halen's are simply stunning.
And to top it all off - ADKOT features a monster production job and a crystal clear mix. The guitars have real and immediate impact and the music is a finely balanced mix of old old classic familiar Van Halen along with and some fresh and recent Van Halen too.
It is everything Dave Halen fans have been waiting since 1984 for and there's plenty there too for Van Hagar fans. Full feature review to follow next week.

Today's Day In Rock!

Black Sabbath Reunion in Jeopardy
Black Sabbath's reunion featuring the original lineup has hit yet another roadblock which puts the new album and tour in jeopardy.
The reunion was dealt it's first blow when guitarist Tony Iommi was diagnosed with cancer but he has vowed to carry on.

Now the reunion is facing another problem with drummer Bill Ward threatening to pull out unless he is given a "signable" contract.
Ward took to his official website to issue a statement about where things are at for him. He wrote: Dear Sabbath Fans, Fellow Musicians and Interested Parties, At this time, I would love nothing more than to be able to proceed with the Black Sabbath album and tour. However, I am unable to continue unless a "signable" contract is drawn up; a contract that reflects some dignity and respect toward me as an original member of the band. more on this story


Unreleased Pantera Song Coming
(Banana 101.5) According to drummer Vinnie Paul the final unheard piece of music recorded by Pantera will be released on their upcoming reissue of 'Vulgar Display of Power.'

In a recent interview with Loudwire , Pantera/Hellyeah drummer Vinnie Paul revealed that there is still one unheard Pantera song that will appear on the upcoming 'Vulgar Display of Power' reissue:

"The reissue has a song called 'Piss,' which I had forgotten about it. Some parts of it were taken for other songs, and at the time, it was the only song that did not make the record. In Pantera, we never had songs that didn't make the record. If we were going to write 11 songs, then we'd write 11 quality songs." more on this story


It's Motley Crue Day in Las Vegas
To mark today's launch of Las Vegas' first hard rock residency, "Motley Crue In Sin City," Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman has proclaimed today Friday, Feb. 3, 2012 as "Motley Crue" Day.

The Motley Crue In Sin City residency will run from February 3 through 19--at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

The band will perform four shows a week. Super Bowl, Valentine's Day and President's Day fall within these dates. more on this story



Paul McCartney To Get Walk of Fame Star
(Gibson) Paul McCartney will be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame next week.

The ceremony will take place Thursday, February 9 at 2 p.m. in front of the Capitol Records Tower at 1750 N. Vine Street in Hollywood. McCartney's star will be located next to those of a few old pals, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, according to Music-News.com.

McCartney will also be named the MusiCares Person of the Year the following day at a gala dinner and concert featuring Tony Bennett, Coldplay, Foo Fighters, Alison Krauss & Union Station Featuring Jerry Douglas, Duane Eddy, Norah Jones, Alicia Keys, James Taylor, Diana Krall, Neil Young and Crazy Horse, Sergio Mendes, and Katy Perry. McCartney will close the event with a performance. more on this story




Bruce Springsteen Performing At The Grammy Awards
(Gibson) Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band have been added to the list of performers appearing on the 2012 Grammy telecast, according to Spin.

Springsteen will join other scheduled performers at the Staples Center (airing February 12 on CBS), including Paul McCartney, Foo Fighters, Adele, Nicki Minaj and Katy Perry.

The show also will feature special collaborations between Coldplay and Rihanna, Glen Campbell, Blake Shelton and the Band Perry, and Kelly Clarkson and Jason Aldean. more on this story




Dave Grohl Sitcom Coming
(Gibson) Nirvana drummer/Foo Fighters frontman/funny video star/Muppets cameo actor Dave Grohl is about to add sitcom co-creator to his resume. The rocker will executive produce a new series for the FX cable network, according to Deadline.

Comedian Dana Gould (a former writer on The Simpsons) is working with Grohl on the comedy show, which will focus on a superstar band that, as a final attempt to stay together, go into therapy together. Gould will write and star in the series.

Gould is a fan of Grohl's music and approached him about collaborating on the project. Of course, Grohl has made his views on band therapy well-known: "I believe one of the reasons we've managed to stay together [is] because we just don't tell each other everything," he once told the NME. more on this story




Bootsy Collins Joins Experience Hendrix Tour
Bootsy Collins has been added to the 2012 edition of the Experience Hendrix concert tour which kicks off next month.

Collins will join the tour on March 13 in Orlando, continuing through the March 23 performance date in Thackerville, OK. Bootsy is a true Hendrix fan and was, in fact, the voice over actor who covered Jimi's lines in the recent Voodoo Child documentary.

The musical lineup for the tour has now expanded to include blues great Taj Mahal, legendary Doors guitarist Robby Krieger and left handed guitarist extraordinaire Eric Gales will be joining the Experience Hendrix tour for the final six dates while the participation of such phenomenal artists as Buddy Guy, Dweezil Zappa, Billy Cox, Robert Randolph, Jonny Lang, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, David Hidalgo & Cesar Rosas [Los Lobos], Keb' Mo, Eric Johnson, Brad Whitford [Aerosmith], Chris Layton [Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble] and The Slide Brothers having been announced earlier. more on this story


Slash Almost Done With New Album
(hennemusic) Slash tells fans that he will complete the recording of his second solo album next week.

Slash and his touring band - Myles Kennedy (Alter Bridge), rhythm guitarist Bobby Schneck, bassist Todd Kerns (Sin City Sinners, formerly of Age Of Electric), and drummer Brent Fitz (formerly of Theory Of A Deadman) – have been holed up at Barefoot Studios in LA with producer Eric Valentine getting the project together.

There's now light at the end of the tunnel, according to Slash. "[It] looks like we'll be finished recording next week. Then mixing begins. It's all going on," he posted.

Naturally, there will be a tour, with Slash confirming that he'll be one of the headliners at the Download Festival in June. more on this story


Another Member Leaves Anthrax Tour
(Rock News Desk) Anthrax bassist Frank Bello has become the third member of the thrash giants to leave their current tour.

He's joined drummer Charlie Benante, his uncle, at the bedside of Benante's terminally-ill mother.

The rhythm section's departure follows guitarist Scott Ian's absence due to a viral infection for a number of shows last week. Alex Skolnick and Eric Peterson from tour mates Testament stood in until Ian returned to the road. Their drummer Gene Hoglan is covering for Benante while Armored Saint's Joey Vera will appear in Bello's place. more on this story


Supertramp's Roger Hodgson Launching Solo Tour
Supertramp's Roger Hodgson is hitting the road later this month for his Breakfast in America Tour.

The tour will be kicking off with two sold out shows at the Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, CA on February 24 and 25.

Hodgson and his band will perform Supertramp classics on the tour like "Breakfast in America," "The Logical Song," "Dreamer," "Give a Little Bit," "Take the Long Way Home," and "School." more on this story


Paradise Lost Album and Tour Coming
Paradise Lost will release their new studio album, Tragic Idol, on April 23rd in Europe and April 24th in North America via Century Media Records.

Tragic Idol features artwork designed by Parisian artist Valnoir, who has not only worked on this band's release, but also with artists such as Morbid Angel, Laibach, Ulver, Watain, and more than 150 others.

The band will be touring the UK this April, performing tracks from their forthcoming album Tragic Idol. To celebrate the event, Paradise Lost will have a very limited number of VIP tickets available (10 per show), which you can purchase online from the band's official website. In regards to this tour, vocalist Nick Holmes comments: "This is a pretty extensive UK tour for us, I'm speechless and excited. It's nice to know there's a WH Smith in every town we play." more on this story



Vera Farmiga To Play Fleetwood Mac's Christine McVie In New Film
(Gibson) Oscar-nominated actress Vera Farmiga has signed on to play Fleetwood Mac's Christine McVie in Randall Miller, Rad Rosenberger and Jody Savin's upcoming feature film, The Drummer.

The film follows the last six years of late Beach Boy drummer Dennis Wilson's (played by Aaron Eckhart) life, including Wilson and McVie's "passionate and tumultuous" six-year relationship before Wilson's passing in 1983.

Miller and Savin are stoked to have both Farmiga and Eckhart onboard the musical project. "Jody and I are thrilled to work with Vera," Miller told Hollywood Today, "Her commitment to every nuance will illuminate the character and having Aaron and Vera on-screen singing together will be pure magic." Rosenberger added that the filmmakers are "thrilled that Vera brings her special musical talents to our film. She is a superb actor and we can't wait to see and hear her as Christine McVie." more on this story




Classic Cult Song in Super Bowl Ad
(hennemusic) A classic from The Cult will be featured in a Super Bowl commercial this weekend.

A new ad for Budweiser features a mashup of The Cult's "She Sells Sanctuary" with rapper Flo Rida's Top 10 hit "Good Feelin'".

The one-minute ad is a celebratory romp through several decades of great times in America that begins with the end of Prohibition in 1933. more on this story


Duff McKagan and Alice in Chains Call On Fans For New Radio Show
(Banana 101.5) Former Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan and Alice in Chains drummer Sean Kinney are joining forces to host a new radio program and are asking their fans to get involved.

The two hard rockers/Seattle residents announced their new joint venture on the Alice in Chains Facebook page and while details are scarce at this point — they did reach out to their would-be audience for participation:

"The guys will be doing a segment where they'll answer questions submitted by fans. What we need is for you to email us a brief question about anything: music, movies, food, travel, advice, or even their mutual disdain for milk. We're looking for anything that will get a little conversation going, and also answer the burning questions you've been dying to ask. So keep it short and to the point, include your name, and email us today at askseanandduff@gmail.com"




Hoppus Talks Up Blink-182's New Album
(Gibson) Blink-182 have never been a meek bunch, so it should come as no shock that Blink bass player/vocalist Mark Hoppus says the group's most recent release, "Neighborhoods," has some of the best Blink songs to date.

In a chat with NME, Hoppus asserted that the album – which was the pop-punk band's first in eight years – was the product of a ton of hard work, chiefly because the guys felt pressure to cook up something extra special after reuniting. "We'd been gone for five years, and by the time we put out Neighborhoods it had been eight years since our last record, so we didn't know if people would care or not," he said. "But the response has been great, and people love the record, so I couldn't be happier about it."

Hoppus also elaborated on the feverish buzz that the trio are already working on a follow-up to Neighborhoods. "I've started writing. We haven't, as a band, started getting together and working on new material yet, but we're always writing. I have no idea [of the sound], it's still so new. When Tom and Travis get their hands on it, it changes completely." more on this story




Ringo 2012 Arrives Next Week
(Gibson) Ringo Starr's new solo album, Ringo 2012, comes out on Tuesday (February 7) and he aims to send a positive message with it: "If there's a choice, I choose the positive," he said. "Me being negative is not going to make the world better."

Starr recorded the album in the guesthouse of his Los Angeles home, and the set packs five original tracks, remakes of his own "Wings" and "Step Lightly" and a cover of Lead Belly's "Rock Island Line."

He says the collection came together effortlessly. Writing songs, he says, "is not a struggle. I don't think any song took more than two hours. On [his 2010 release] Y Not and this, it started with me holding down a key on the synthesizer, a note and some sort of rhythm pattern. Then I play drums to that and maracas or piano and a bit of guitar. There's no song yet. It's like working in reverse, writing the song after the arrangement." more on this story




The Cult Frontman Defends Metallica and Lou Reed Collaboration
(Rock News Desk) The Cult singer Ian Astbury has defended Lulu, the collaboration between Lou Reed and Metallica that was universally panned by fans and critics.

He explains: "Lou Reed is a 67-year-old man. He is one of our greatest laureates and he's not well right now. He's getting frail and fragile.

"He's chosen Metallica to be his muscle so he can come out one more time and make a statement of what's happening in his internal life. There are some phenomenal moments on the album, by anybody's standards." (Rolling Stone) More rock news


AC/DC's Brian Johnson Rides Highway To Help
(Rock News Desk) AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson raised money for the Highway To Help foundation, which helps families affected by pediatric cancer, by taking part in a car rally at Daytona International Speedway in Florida.

The car driven by Johnson and his team finished 32nd after 672 laps. Johnson likened race car driving to playing in a band, saying:

"It's pretty much the same – you've got the crew behind you telling you to go out there and keep it smooth. It's a big high, it's a wonderful feeling." More rock news


Bleeding Through Frontman Says Metal Has Short Shelf-Life
(Rock News Desk) Bleeding Through frontman Brandan Schieppati can't see another metal band ever making it big, and warns that playing such music "not a career move".

He says: "I think people are too busy celebrating the short term, rather than the long term, and that's disconcerting. I hear about bands dropping out of high school because someone told them they had to tour full time to become rich.

"Metal and punk has a short shelf-life – no one is buying records anymore. So you're going to throw away your education away so someone else can make money off of you? It's just wrong." (Noiscreep)

VAN HALEN ALBUM RELEASED TONIGHT IN AUSTRALIA:

As I type up this news update, Van Halen are on stage in LA for a special media showcase event, performing some classics and new album tracks for the gathered crowd. Pic below... Follow the event at the always fantstic VHLinks.com (www.vhlinks.com/vbforums/vh-secret-media-t54237.html) and also www.vanhalennation.com.
Despite e-mailing band management, their PR company and 3 different reps from the label, I wasn't deemed worthy of an advance preview of the new A Different Kind Of Truth album, which is released in Australia tomorrow (Feb. 3). So with any luck iTunesAU will deliver pre-orders sometime after midnight tonight - at which stage I will try and tweet my first impressions on each song and the album as a whole. Keep a look out at: twitter.com/MelodicRock for updates.

Today's Day In Rock!

Dillinger Escape Plan Singer Explains Drug Meltdown
Police and EMTs came to aid of Dillinger Escape Plan frontman Greg Puciato last month following a bad experience with magic mushrooms. Last week he posted a blog on his site about the experience and this week he followed up with more details:
Mix of my own recollection and my girlfriend(also tripping but nowhere near as extremely….much lower dosage) helping me remember. I've done it enough(mushrooms) but not to that level. I felt like I was fully separate from my body, like my consciousness had nothing to do with being a physical being….like something in between a near death experience and a near-out of body experience. The only way I can describe it in hindsight, is that I felt that consciousness wasn't something that comes from inside of us, that it's somehow a universal thing that we must be harnessing into our physical bodies while we're alive, as if we are living antennae or something, or conductors of it. That realization seemed fine to me, and I wasn't scared of my energy or that consciousness disappearing or anything like that, I just didn't want to leave this current existence because I had too much left that I wanted to do. Thinking that I was leaving this existence, freaked me out. I just panicked, my girlfriend panicked seeing me panic, the more either of us panicked the more it escalated. I started to think that I was having some sort of mushroom induced seizure(I obviously knew I wasn't dying of toxicity or any sort of lethal dosage….at one point I was so furious/frustrated that I of all insanely physically healthy people was having some rare abnormal reaction)….my heart was racing out of control…I was really cold…it was just overwhelming. Next thing I know I was on a stretcher, there were cops everywhere, EMTs, taking my blood pressure…pulse….asking about previous mental health…giving me a sedative…asking me a lot of other health related questions…trying to get me to sign paperwork….I started thinking I was dying…and then perhaps that I was already dead…the way the people in movies are when they don't know they're dead….the whole thing was just really crazy. At one point I thought that my girlfriend and I were the same person, and that I had imagined her as a reflection or manifestation of my own psychosis/personality….like some sort of female mirror of me, and then that led to me thinking that Ben, Dillinger, my friends, family…and eventually the whole world was something I was imagining in another life…that this one must be a dream or a hallucination…that I was a creation…a dream that I was having somewhere else….and that explained(to me at the time) the feeling of consciousness coming from somewhere else. It just completely flipped my reality around over and over. All of the police and EMTs seemed like they were trying to pacify me into accepting that I was already dead…that I was on the other side now…but that it was okay.

The whole thing seems like it was a dream now(although my girlfriend remembers it very vividly haha….since I was BEYOND a handful to deal with during the whole thing). Let me be clear that I am not advocating any of what happened, just reporting it. People make their own choices. I could have very well easily jumped off of a roof in the state I was in, trying to wake up….thinking that maybe everything was like Tom Cruise at the end of Vanilla Sky. If you've ever seen that movie, the part where he was screaming "TECH SUPPORRRRT!!!"…..that's what I felt like. What people do is their own decision. Drugs…at least to me…aren't inherently good or bad….they simply affect you…and that's obviously the point of them, it just so happens that that particular instance was beyond what I have ever encountered at any time of any experience of my life, and it instantly and very clearly weeded out what was and is important to me, in a very terrifying fashion. I refuse to call it a "good" or "bad" trip…it just is what it is…people make neutral things/experiences good or bad through their perception and what they choose do with what they've learned from them. I would just say it was very profound, and to me was worth sharing since all of you in my eyes are a part of one of the very few things that I viewed as critically important….The Dillinger Escape Plan….and making music and sharing it with/performing it for others. Read his original post here.


Journey Star Pleads Not Guilty
(hennemusic) Journey drummer Deen Castronovo pleaded not guilty Tuesday to four charges stemming from his arrest on January 20 in West Salem, Oregon.

The Statesman Journal reports Castronovo, 47, is charged with recklessly endangering another person, interfering with making a police report, second-degree criminal mischief and harassment.

Castronovo was arrested late January 20 after a neighbor called 911 to report an altercation involving a man and woman across the street. more on this story


Van Halen Play Secret Show
(hennemusic) Van Halen warmed up for their world tour with a secret show in Los Angeles on Wednesday night.

The event – at Henson Studios – was in front of 250 media types as the group replicated the east coast Café Wha? show in New York last month.

The setlist was a mix of VH classics and some tracks from the new album, "A Different Kind Of Truth," in stores next Tuesday, February 7. Check out a review of the show here and check out photos here.


Duff McKagan and Alice in Chains Radio Show- NOFX, Rancid, Pennywise Bowling- Anarbor Lose Member- Sepultura Strife- Eve6 Reunite- Allstar McCartney Tribute- more
(BW&BK) Duff McKagan (ex-Guns N' Roses, Velvet Revolver) and Alice In Chains drummer Sean Kinney are teaming up for their own radio show. Details as to when and where this will air won't be announced for a while, but they'd like to get you involved. Details here

(The 1st Five) Punk Rock Bowling, the annual punk festival held in Las Vegas every May have just confirmed a string of headliners including a special long awaited reunion show from The Briefs, NOFX, The Adicts, Rancid and Pennywise. more

(The 1st Five) Anarbor announced that guitarist Adam Juwig has left the band. According to Juwig's statement, there is no bad blood and he simply wanted to lead a "normal life" again. more

(Billboard) Over the years, Lisa Marie Presley has become dissatisfied with movies chronicling her father's life, so she just might make a film about the rock 'n' roll icon. The daughter of Elvis Presley said she has been in talks about a movie, though she didn't offer a timetable. more

(Jam!) Neil Young and Crazy Horse, Foo Fighters, Coldplay, Katy Perry, Norah Jones, Diana Krall, Tony Bennett and Alicia Keys are among the performers who will celebrate the 69-year-old Paul McCartney when he's honored as MusiCares Person of the Year in Los Angeles in February. more

(The 1st Five) Meshuggah have announced dates for a North American tour with Baroness and Decapitated. more

(NME) New Order's Bernard Sumner hints they could record new material 'Hopefully there'll be some recorded music as well,' says guitarist ahead of April tour more

(The 1st Five) L.A. hardcore band Strife will be heading out to Brazil next week to start working on their first new album in 11 years. Why in Brazil? The band is teaming up with ex-Sepultura/current Cavalera Conspiracy drummer Iggor Cavalera who will play and record drums on the new record. more

(SRX) Rudolf Schenker says we will not have heard the last of the Scorpions even after the German headbangers finally complete their farewell tour later this year or in early 2013. "We have a library in our warehouse where we have a lot of old songs, especially from the days where you had only the possibility of putting eight or nine songs on vinyl," the guitarist, who co-founded the band in 1965, tells Billboard.com. "We always recorded 13 or 14 songs, so (the rest) are hanging out somewhere in our warehouse. We also have 800, 900 hours of film material from different festivals, from places like (Moscow's) Red Square, the Amazon, the pyramids, going through Russia in 2002... more

(Classic Rock) There have been 14 more additions to the line-up for this year's Download Festival, which happens at Donington from June 8-10 including Megadeth, Slash featuring Myles Kennedy, Black Label Society, Kyuss Lives!, As I Lay Dying and more

(SRX) Just last week former Dokken guitarist George Lynch revealed that Vains Of Jenna frontman Jesse Forte would be the new Lynch Mob vocalist. The announcement led to Vains Of Jenna calling it quits by saying that they were ending the band after seven years. However it now appears that Lynch and Oni Logan have put aside their differences to teamed up once again. more

(Lambgoat) Paradise Lost and Insomnium will tour the UK together in April. more

(Lambgoat) Ringworm has announced a string of dates to and from, and including this year's South By Southwest music festival in Austin, TX. Joining the band for the run will be Cancer Bats and Primitive Weapons. dates here

(FMQB) The original lineup of Eve 6 has reunited to release their fourth studio album, Speak In Code, on April 24 via Fearless Records. more

(Lambgoat) Cannibal Corpse and Between The Buried And Me will headline the The Summer Slaughter Tour 2012 more

(SRX) Stryper frontman Michael Sweet will be performing his faith-based storytellers solo acoustic show in churches around the world this year. more

(PNO) Warped Tour has confirmed six more additions for the 2012 tour. They are: Ballyhoo!, For Today, The Constellations, Tonight Alive, Bangups, and I Am The Avalanche. more

(Lambgoat) Knut has disbanded for the foreseeable future. The band has offered no details, stating only, "Knut is in indefinite hiatus. Thank you." more



Corey Taylor Explains Dave Grohl Collaboration
(Banana 101.5) Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor recently gave further details on Dave Grohl's upcoming Sound City Studios documentary and confirmed that their recent collaboration was part of the project.

Dave Grohl hasn't volunteered much information about his upcoming documentary involving the studio where 'Nevermind' was recorded –the now closed Sound City Studios. The one thing Dave has hinted at is that we can "expect some epic jam sessions." Those "epic jam sessions" will presumably involve the artists he has recently been working with — members of Ratt, Cheap Trick, REO Speedwagon and — the most recently revealed co-conspirator — Slipknot vocalist Corey Taylor.

Most of the information we have on the upcoming documentary has come from the other parties involved with the project, not Grohl. The most detailed description to date came from Corey Taylor's recent conversation with Artisan News: "[Dave is] doing a documentary about the legendary board from Sound City that everybody and their mom recorded on — everybody from [Nirvana's] 'Nevermind' to, actually, [Slipknot's] 'Iowa'," Corey said. more on this story


Incubus, Megadeth, Slash, Chevelle, 5FDP To Rock On The Range
Rock On The Range 2012 lineup will be led by Incubus, Rob Zombie, Shinedown, Marilyn Manson, Five Finger Death Punch, Slash, Megadeth, Chevelle, Cypress Hill and Mastodon.

This year's installment of the annual music festival will be held May 18-20 at Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, OH

The current lineup for Rock On The Range 2012 also includes: Theory of a Deadman, Volbeat, Down, The Darkness, Halestorm, Escape The Fate, P.O.D., Lacuna Coil, Adelitas Way, Black Stone Cherry, Cavo, Attack Attack!, Trivium, Bobaflex, Falling In Reverse, Redlight King, Aranda, Emphatic, Otherwise, James Durbin, Black Tide, Kyng, 12 Stones, SOiL, Rival Sons, Eve To Adam, and Ghosts of August. more on this story


Leslie West Rocks Back After Leg Amputation
Former Mountain guitarist Leslie West made an emotional return to the stage for his first public performance since his lower right leg was amputated as a result of complications from diabetes.

Ultimate Classic Rock reports that West heroically rolled onto the stage of New York's BB King Blues Club Tuesday night (Jan. 31)

West, who performed while sitting in a wheelchair, opened the show with 'People Get Ready' — but was forced to pause halfway through after being overwhelmed with emotion, as the crowd responded with a standing ovation. Read more and check out video here.


A Static Lullaby Break Up
A Static Lullaby's Dan Arnold quietly announced last month that the band has decided to breakup after over a decade together.

A reader sent over word to us this week that Arnold gave the bad news to fans on his wall on the band's Facebook profile page on January 9th.

He wrote: "Hi, Dan here, I'd like to thank everyone who supported the band for the past 11 years, i'ts been an amazing ride. It's very bittersweet to say that A Static Lullaby will not be making a new record, we are comfortable with what we have done with our music and have decided that "if it aint broke don't fix it". DON'T FRET THOUGH, I'm sure there will be plenty of music to listen to from most of the members." more


Ringo Hoping for Rolling Stones 50th Anniversary Tour
(Gibson) Ringo Starr is making the media rounds to promote his new album, Ringo 2012. In an interview with Spinner, the former Beatle spoke about performing live and that he would like to see The Rolling Stones back on the road.

"I hope they put it together and I hope they do a world tour," he said. "We all should be out there. If we can play, we should be out there playing, and that's the deal. My new attitude is 'as long as I can hold the sticks, I can play.' And you may have noticed that in the last several years, I'm playing live more and more. I'm putting records out more and more. Let's keep playing!

"That's how it is. Our new hero is B.B. King. I say, 'Look at B.B. King. He's 86, but he's still playing. He might be sitting down, but hey, I'm sitting down already' [laughs]. I was talking to Billy Squier yesterday and I said, 'Bill, just get out there and play. This is what we do.'

He then made a plea for the Stones to do a 50th anniversary tour. "I only advise everybody to get out there and play and I hope The Rolling Stones pull it together and I hope Keith and Mick pull it together and stop squabbling and get out there and do it – says Ringo!" more on this story




U2's Edge and Rolling Stone's Wood Team Up For WholeWorldBand
(Gibson) Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood and U2's The Edge are both working on a new app that will let musicians share music globally.

According to U.K. trade publication Music Week, WholeWorldBand is a new a new app for iPhone 4, 4s and iPad 2 and has been developed by Kevin Godley (10CC) and Andy Wood (Hypergallery, Cubic Motion). The app allows musicians to share their work online. Godley said: "WholeWorldBand is a revolutionary new online music tool that provides a new platform for distribution while offering the opportunity of new revenue streams for up and coming and established musicians, bands and, in fact, anyone."

Aside from The Edge and Ronnie Wood, Gavin Friday, Gemma Hayes, Cathy Davey, Mik Pyro (of Republic of Loose) and Liam Ó Maonlaí (of Hot House Flowers) are working on performances and collaborations for WholeWorldBand. more on this story




The Darkness Get Animated
(Banana 101.5) After parting ways in 2006, The Darkness are back and have unleashed the first song and accompanying animated music video from their upcoming new album.

Blending their trademark late 70′s/mid-80′s glam rock sound and their flare for comedic videos, The Darkness have managed to pick up right where they left off in 2006 with the animated video for 'Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now.'

The band reunited for their official comeback gig at last year's Download Festival, and are currently finishing up their third full-length album. Check out the video


Korn To Rock Jimmy Kimmel Tonight
Tune in to Jimmy Kimmel Live tonight (Thursday, February 2) to catch a special performance by Korn with a special guest.

Korn along with very special guest Kill the Noise, will perform their Top Five active rock single "Narcissistic Cannibal" on the show's outdoor stage. This will mark the national TV live debut of the song.

Meanwhile, on the touring front, Kill the Noise will provide support on various Korn tour dates for the second leg of the Path of Totality Tour. more on this story


Lacuna Coil Hit Career High
Lacuna Coil have scored their highest album chart debut ever with their brand new album hitting the Billboard Top 20.

The new album Dark Adrenaline (Century Media Records) has debuted at #15 on the Billboard Top 200 Album chart, selling nearly 20,000 units in its first week.

Dark Adrenaline also nabs the #2 spot on the Current Alternative Album, Top Hard Music Album and Current Hard Music Album charts, respectively. The first single from the album, "Trip The Darkness," is currently at #27 on the Active Rock chart, tying the band's highest chart position ever. more on this story


Aborted and System Divide Pull Out of Overkill Tour
Aborted announced on Tuesday that they and System Divide have pulled out of Overkill's Killfest 2012 that is also set to feature Belphegor, Blackguard, and Diamond Plate.

The didn't offer a specific reason, only posted the following on their Facebook page: "Unfortunately Aborted and System Divide has to announce that due to circumstances beyond our control we are unable to perform at the Killfest 2 tour with Overkill.

"However no need to worry, Aborted WILL be touring North America in April/May as scheduled on a different package, which will be announced soon. We hope you all understand and see you all in the pit to smash it up!' more on this story


Dio's First Three Albums Getting Deluxe Reissues
Big news for fans of Ronnie James Dio. The first three seminal Dio albums, Holy Diver, Last in Line, and Sacred Heart are getting the deluxe reissue treatment.

That's the good news, the bad news is North American fans apparently will have to order the reissues as imports as these deluxe reissues are coming from Universal, not Warner Bros Records who hold the rights in North America, according the leading Black Sabbath fansite Black-Sabbath.com.

The site posted the official announcement with all the details, the tracklisting, plus some additional notes of their own. Of note in the announcement: As well as the original CD being re-mastered, these reissues each feature a bonus CD containing an expanded booklet with notes from Malcolm Dome and has been endorsed by Ronnie's widow Wendy Dio. more on this story


Bruce Springsteen To Broadcast Apollo Theater Show
(hennemusic) Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will perform at Harlem's Apollo Theater for the first time, at a special concert event to celebrate 10 years of satellite radio.

The Friday, March 9 show happens three days after the release of Springsteen's new album, "Wrecking Ball," on March 6.

The concert will air live nationwide on Bruce Springsteen's E Street Radio, channel 20 on SiriusXM on Friday, March 9 at 8:00 pm ET. more on this story


Puscifer Deliver Telling Ghosts Video
(Banana 101.5) Maynard and friends tap into their more aggressive tendencies on Puscifer's new single 'Telling Ghosts' from their sophomore release 'The Conditions of My Parole.'

Tool and A Perfect Circle vocalist Maynard James Keenan describes his third band — Puscifer — as "a playground for the various voices in my head." Much of their material tends to be more experimental, as oppose to the more genre-specific prog metal produced by his main band Tool.

On the latest single from Puscifer, however, the band ventures closer to the realm of Tool than usual. Trading the signature sound of Adam Jones angular riffage for a more industrial vibe, the track blends the melodic and heavy in the way that only Maynard can. Check it out here.



Classic Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel, Neil Diamond, Joan Baez Coming To DVD
(Webster) The DVD release of Legends Of Folk: The Village Scene features vintage performances by icons of the '60s folk movement.

The footage has been restored and remastered to pristine quality for the release, due in stores and major online retailers on April 3rd.

Produced for PBS by Emmy-winning filmmaker Jim Brown, Legends of Folk features the biggest and most influential artists of the era including Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel, Neil Diamond, Peter, Paul & Mary, Joan Baez and many more. The live footage offers an exciting and historic firsthand view into the music and musicians that forever changed pop culture from the intimate stage of The Village Scene. Legends of Folk is hosted by Noel Paul Stookey, of Peter, Paul & Mary. more on this story


Walk The Moon Releasing New EP Next Week
RCA have set a February 7th digital release date for Walk The Moon's new "Anna Sun EP."

The digital version of the EP will be available at all digital service providers as well as in physical form at all Walk The Moon shows.

They will be joining Young the Giant on their North American tour in February before playing SXSW and touring with the Kaiser Chiefs. Later this year they will also be headlining select North American markets. more on this story


Manic Street Preachers Launching National Treasures Tour
(Gibson) Manic Street Preachers have announced plans for a full European tour focusing on their recent compilation, National Treasures.

Released in 2011, National Treasures is an overview of the Welsh band's 20-year career. They played one gig at London's O2 Arena to launch the album, but are now taking the tour across Europe.

Unlike the one-off O2 show, in which they played every song from the compilation album, this tour will feature a "selection" of their best. more on this story



Wretched Releasing New Album In March
(Victory) Wretched has entered the studio with their new lineup and producer Jamie King to record their third full-length album, Son of Perdition.

The forthcoming effort is set for a March 27 release via Victory Records and will be produced by Jamie King (Between The Buried And Me, He Is Legend, For Today) at The Basement Recording in Winston Salem, North Carolina.

Last year, Wretched solidified its line-up with the addition of industry-veterans Adam Cody (Glass Casket) and Andrew Grevey (Loculus) taking the positions of vocalist and bassist, respectively. Son of Perdition marks the first official appearances by Cody and Grevey since their inception into Wretched.

Today's Day In Rock!

David Lee Roth Confirms New Van Halen Songs Are Old
(Rock News Desk) Van Halen singer David Lee Roth has confirmed reports the band's new album consists of old material. A Different Kind of Truth, released next week, marks Van Halen's first release since 1998 and the first with founding member Roth since 1984.
Roth tells the LA Times: "It's material that Eddie and I generated in 1975, 1976 and 1977. Usually fellas in our weight division will kind of gamely – or ironically, wink-wink – try to hail back to it, but keep a safe, mature distance from it."

The band's reasoning, says the singer, is they know they're not the men they used to be. "Are there second chances?" he asks. "I'm tending to 'no.' We've managed to stretch our adolescence like a chiclet to the moon, and maintained the respectful dignities along the way that got us on that turnpike up in the first place." more on this story


Black Sabbath Day Coming?
(Gibson) The city council in Black Sabbath's hometown of Birmingham in England is considering a Black Sabbath Day to both honor the legendary rock band and bring attention to the city.

According to the Birmingham Post,the city's Destination Birmingham document said: "Black Sabbath's reunion and their agreement to headline Download Festival in June is an opportunity we should not miss. Early discussions are taking place about how best the city should celebrate this and the council should be supporting any celebrations."

Philip Parkin, the report's author said: "The report is saying that Black Sabbath reforming is significant, Black Sabbath are huge and metal is huge. Given this, it is us saying to the council that we need to celebrate the fact these people come from Birmingham and there could be various ways we could do it… Ozzy Osbourne came from Aston and he's an international star. more on this story



Mastodon and Opeth Tour
Mastodon are teaming up with Opeth for North American co-headlining tour that will feature support from Ghost.

The tour kicks off on April 4th in Portland, ME, and visits more than 30 cities in the U.S. and Canada before wrapping up with a hometown show at Atlanta's Masquerade Music Park on May 12th.

About the tour, Opeth frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt says, "We're touring North America together with Mastodon soon. Nice! One of the very few metal bands of today that I genuinely like. Good people too! Ghost are coming with us as well, and they are one of the hottest new bands to come out of Sweden in recent years, and I dig them too. I sound like an old fart, don't I? Well, I am."

He continued, "Yet, am I right in thinking that this tour, this line up, is pretty decent? Would you all agree? Not complete s---, is it? Hope to see y'all out there! What are we playing? Not sure yet, but considering the company, maybe we'll have to pull out the big guns from time to time. In order to keep up, I mean." more on this story


The Cult Giving Fans Free Lucifer
The Cult are giving fans an early taste of their new album by offering a free download of the new track "Lucifer".

The Cult has wrapped up recording their first studio album in five years, Choice of Weapon. The album is set for a May 22, 2012 U.S. release on the band's new label Cooking Vinyl. The free song download is available here.

Long-time Cult collaborator and producer Bob Rock (Metallica, Bush), who produced one of The Cult's most successful albums, Sonic Temple, put the finishing touches on the foundations that were laid by co-producer Chris Goss (Queens of the Stone Age, U.N.K.L.E., Masters of Reality). more on this story


Shinedown New Album Preview
(Banana 101.5) Shinedown fans have a ways to go before the March 27th release of their fourth album 'Amaryllis' but can now get a preview of the album.

Shinedown are set to follow-up the biggest release of their career with their new album 'Amaryllis' this spring.

Whether or not they will trump the success 'The Sound of Madness' enjoyed is still unknown but if the latest taste of the new record is any indication — they have a good shot. Check out the preview here.



Neil Young Streaming 37-Minute Crazy Horse Track
(Gibson) After revealing that he has plans for not one, but two collaborations with Crazy Horse, Neil Young has posted the first sounds of their new work together. The rock legend unveiled a 37-minute track, now streaming on his official website.

The recording is titled "Horse Back" and was recorded on January 6 at Audio Casa Blanca studios, according to NME. In the video that accompanies the recording, fans have spotted various lyrics sheets, including ones marked "Gallows Pole," "Clementine," "This Land," "Oh Susanna!," "She'll Be Coming Around the Mountain" and "Gotta Travel On (Done Laid Around)."

Could Young and Crazy Horse be planning some sort of campfire, folk song, sing-along record – with extreme distortion? Only time will tell. more on this story




Mark Hoppus Writing New Blink-182 Songs
(Banana 101.5) Blink-182 may have just released their first album in eight years with 'Neighborhoods' but are already looking forward to their next release according to Mark Hoppus.

Blink-182 fans had a long wait between their 2003 self-titled album and 2011′s 'Neighborhoods' but it looks like their next album is already on the horizon. In a recent conversation with Kerrang!, Blink bassist/vocalist Mark Hoppus revealed that the writing process has already begun:

"Right now, I'm writing songs and Tom is doing other stuff. Basically, we've been on a break since last summer's US tour. I'm sure these will all be Blink songs at the moment. I don't have any plans to write songs with anybody else right now. If I do, it'll be a collaboration or a one-off thing, but everything I'm writing right now is for Blink-182." But what about the sound?



The Darkness Kick Off Tour and Give Away New Song
The Darkness kick off their North American tour today (February 1st) and will debut their first new song in six years.

The song and video for "Nothin's Gonna Stop Us," will be available on the band's official site www.theactualdarkness.com.

Fans have waited patiently since The Darkness last released material in 2006, and "Nothin's Gonna Stop Us" will be available for free as a "Thank you" for all who've supported the band with sold-out tours on both sides of the Atlantic. more on this story



Small Faces Classics Being Reissued
(Gibson) Classic albums from one of the great bands of the '60s, the Small Faces, have been slated for reissue.

Universal Music Catalogue will release deluxe editions of four albums: The Small Faces (1966), From the Beginning (1966), Small Faces (1967) and the psychedelic classic, Odgen's Nut Gone Flake (1968), according to Music-News.com .

The remastered albums will feature mono and stereo versions plus singles and alternate versions of tracks. Extensive liner notes include new interviews from surviving Small Faces Ian McLagan and Kenney Jones (Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane have passed away). more on this story




Harriet (Ex-Dawes) Giving Away New EP
Former Dawes member Alex Casnoff's new band Harriet are offering fans a free download of their debut EP.

The new EP, Tell The Right Story, is available as a free download right now at their official website HarrietMusic.Com

The Los Angeles based quartet will celebrate the release of the EP with a headlining performance at LA's Harvard and Stone tomorrow, Thursday, February 2nd. more on this story



From Ashes Rise Release First New Songs In Almost A Decade
(Earsplit) From Ashes Rise have recorded their new first new songs in over nine years.

The new tracks were recorded at Audible Alchemy, engineered by Bryan Sours and Steve Lobdell, and mixed at Audiosiege by Sours and the band's own Brad Boatright.

The two tracks -- "Rejoice The End" and "Rage of Sanity" -- are being finalized for a new 7" set to be released via Southern Lord in April or May. A final release date, cover art and more will be locked down in the coming weeks.



Death Cab for Cutie Expand Intimate Venues Tour Plans
(Atlantic) Death Cab for Cutie has announced additional dates for their upcoming North American intimate venues tour after several dates sold out.

The band will perform a third night at the Beacon Theatre on Sunday, April 29 as well as a second night at Oakland's Fox Theater on Wednesday, May 9.

The one-of-a-kind spring trek of intimate venues and historic theaters will see DCFC accompanied on stage by members of San Francisco's celebrated Magik*Magik Orchestra. Known for their innovative collaborations with such artists as Mike Patton, John Vanderslice, The Walkmen, and The Dodos, the orchestral group previously teamed with Death Cab for Cutie for their recent installment of VH1 Storytellers as well as doing all of the string arrangements on the band's most current release "CODES AND KEYS." Support acts include Low on the tour's first leg (April 10-April 25) with Youth Lagoon joining the second leg (April 27-May 13). more on this story


The Parlor Mob Joining The Pretty Reckless On The Road
(RR) The Parlor Mob are hitting the road with The Pretty Reckless on their upcoming tour beginning March 9, 2012 in Tucson, AZ.

The Parlor Mob only just released their Roadrunner Records sophomore album Dogs on October 11, 2011 but iTunes "Rewind" named it 2011's Rock Album Of The Year.

Produced, engineered and mixed by Matt Radosevich (30 Seconds To Mars, The Hives, Taking Back Sunday) Dogs is the follow up to their acclaimed debut album And You Were A Crow. more on this story


Mr. Big Unplugged For New Release
Frontiers Records have announced the release of a brand new live acoustic album from Mr. Big.

Live From The Living Room will be released in North America on February 28th.

Recorded live in front of an intimate studio audience at WOWOW TV studios in Tokyo, Japan in January, 2011, the offering features stripped-down versions of Mr. Big classics as well as a string quartet and arrangements by Takashi Miyazaki. more on this story


3 Inches Of Blood New Album Details
3 Inches Of Blood have released details about their forthcoming album, Long Live Heavy Metal.

Produced by Terry "Sho" Murray (City of Fire, Exhibitionists) the album is due out on March 27, 2012 in North America and March 26th in Europe.

3 Inches Of Blood teamed up with Kim Thiessen to perfect their artistic vision for the album, which will be released as a digipack and when opened, lays out similar to that of a book. more on this story


Mars Attacks Motley Crue's Shout At The Devil
(Sub) The latest installment of the Mars Attacks Classic Albums Column focuses on Motley Crue's Shout At The Devil.

As usual you can find written comments right on MarsAttacksRadio.com from an assortment of people, such as former David Ellefson of Megadeth, Kirk Windstein of Crowbar and Down, Jason Bittner of Shadows Fall, Steve Smyth of Forbidden, Dan Lorenzo of Hades and Non-Fiction, and comedian and That Metal Show host Jim Florentine, and a slew of others.

The podcast portion of the column contains comments from Iced Earth's Jon Schaffer, Fear Factory drummer Gene Hoglan, Hades lead singer Alan Tecchio, Glen Drover, Dave Reffett, author Martin Popoff and members of Talking Metal, Bravewords, and Iron City Rocks.

You can read the written comments, and stream or download the podcast here.


Mike Doughty Releases Double Live Album
(PS) Mike Doughty's new two-disc live album, "The Question Jar Show," was released this week by Snack Bar/Megaforce Records.

It was recorded on Mike's 2009 tour of the same name, where fans wrote out questions for Mike and placed them in a jar before the show.

Given Mike's smart, playful audience, things get interesting quickly. There's no "What's your favorite color?" or "What's [insert song name here] about?" Rather, Mike cheekily answers questions like: "It's the zombie apocalypse. Where are you and what are you doing?"; "Would you rather play Twister with Dick Cheney or punch a kitten in the face?"; and "Can you actually name 27 Jennifers?" (This last, a reference to Mike's hit song of a few years back.) Also, Mike's sideman, Andrew "Scrap" Livingston, sings some King Diamond, as well as his own classic tune, "Keeping Watch Over Some Cow."


Singled Out: Soulicit's Hell Yeah
Today Darick Parson from Soulicit tells us about "Hell Yeah" from their recently released album "Parking Lot Rockstar". Here is the story:

Imagine you are 18 years old cruising at 110 mph in a red convertible with the top down. The girls in the back are screaming. Your best friend riding shotgun is quietly rethinking his choice to break probation and split a half gallon of whiskey this evening. The cops you just lost while tearing through a city park didn't hesitate at the county line and are gaining fast. You have 4 miles until the cops in the next town join the chase. What do you do?

"Hell Yeah" is a true story about Trent's brother and the essence of rock and roll. It's a sound track to rebellion. It's about the moment when Tyler lit a cigarette, cranked up Elton John's "Tiny Dancer", and put the pedal to the floor. The rest of the story plays out like an episode of "Dukes of Hazard": Cop car pile ups, a foot chase, excellent use of an E-brake, and some jail time. To quote Ty, "The police report said nine, but the most I saw were 5 cops at one time."

He described the above situation as the most free feeling in the world. This song is about letting go of rules and giving a big middle finger to what you are supposed to do. It's the simple act of throwing a fist in the air and shouting, "Hell Yeah!"

As a band, we've had our share of "Hell Yeah" moments since writing the song. That phrase and the raw emotion of just going for it describes what our lives have been like lately. When writing the song, we were playing local clubs and laughing about Tyler and his crazy ways. Since then, we've taken everything the song stands for and made it our way of life. When we take the stage tonight and play our anthem, a song about risking it all, we feel it. Hopefully we don't put a cop in a tailspin on our way to the venue, but the emotion of the song hits close to home now more than ever.

When we were asked to trade in everything we've ever known to hit the road and chase the dream, there were only 2 words that came to mind