Today's Day In Rock!

Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder Suffers Nerve Damage, Postpones Tour
(hennemusic) Eddie Vedder has announced the postponement of his 15-city U.S. solo tour due to temporary nerve damage in his right arm, the result of a back injury sustained earlier this year.
Shows were originally set to start next Tuesday, April 10 in Las Vegas. Pearl Jam manager Kelly Curtis explains:

"After having worked aggressively with doctors and physical therapists for the last eight weeks to repair the damage, the intensity of the injury and time needed to heal has made it impossible to play the shows as scheduled. There was hope up until the last minute that the treatments would be successful. Sincerest apologies go out to those who have made plans and bought tickets. Eddie is frustrated beyond measure, but remains positive that come this summer all will be back in good form." more on this story


Steven Adler Insults Guns N' Roses Members Again
(hennemusic) Former Guns N' Roses drummer Steven Adler is making all kinds of headlines leading up to the band's induction into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame next week.

Desperate to perform with a reunited GNR at the event, Alder went off last week during an interview with Loudwire about his frustration over the upcoming event, including a hefty slam against the band's current lineup referring to them as 'Axl and His Hacks'.

He quickly apologized and now, in another interview about the Rock Hall, Adler has decided to rephrase his choice of insults about the current GNR band members. "I apologized to them," Adler told Artisan News (See video below). "I said the wrong word. I meant to say 'scabs.' But, you see, 'scabs' are something that… Big factories, when the main workers would go on strike, the factory would get people off the street and they would call them scabs. I wouldn't say they can't play. I would just say more the main people are on strike, [and] this is what Axl's got going. Of course they're great players, or they wouldn't be playing with Axl." more on this story


Vince Neil Explains Vegas Incident Which Led To Ban
(hennemusic) Motley Crue singer Vince Neil tells Robin Leach his side of the story of the circumstance which led to a twitter war and his being banned from The Palms in Las Vegas.

Leach reports that Neil claims he was told that booths at Little Buddha were for parties of four - and he was only three. "They were empty anyway," said Vince. "I offered to buy a magnum of champagne, which cost more than what a fourth guest would eat, but the manager refused."

"We ate at the bar, paid the bill and then while playing at the Mint Lounge were told by security to leave," he added. "None of it made sense. Thus, my tweets and then all the other tweets from former Palms employees and customers in support of me." more on this story


Marshall Amps Founder Jim Marshall Dead at 88
Nothing says rock and roll like a wall of Marshall Amps, so are said to report that the famed amplifiers namesake Jim Marshall has died.

Marshall Amplification had this tribute: It is with profound sorrow that we announce the passing of our beloved founder and leader for the past 50 years, Jim Marshall. While mourning the Guv'nor though, we also salute a legendary man who led a full and truly remarkable life.

Jim's ascent into the history books as 'the Father of Loud' and the man responsible for 'the Sound of Rock' is a true rags-to-riches tale. Cruelly robbed of his youth by tubercular bones, Jim rose to become one of the four forefathers responsible for creating the tools that allowed rock guitar as we know and love it today to be born. The ground breaking quartet also includes the late, great trio of Leo Fender, Les Paul and Seth Lover – together with Jim, they truly are the cornerstones of all things rock. more on this story



Kill Devil Hill and Adrenaline Mob Tour
Kill Devil Hill and Adrenaline Mob are teaming up to hit the road for a North American tour next month.

The run, which will be comprised of current and former members of Black Sabbath, Pantera, Dream Theater, Symphony X and Disturbed, kicks off on May 10th in Cleveland.

The tour will make stops in Dallas, Chicago and Orlando before wrapping up in Charlotte, NC on May 22. The shows will feature Kill Devil Hill followed by Adrenaline Mob and then end in all out jam between the two groups. more on this story


Jack White Releases New Music Video
(hennemusic) Jack White has released a new video from his forthcoming debut solo effort, "Blunderbuss."

Directed by AG Rojas, the video for "Sixteen Saltines" is a 180 degree turn from the previous "Love Interruption" video, eschewing that clip's seductive palette for a magnification of the last frontier of urban wasteland and its dispossessed youth left to indulge any impulse.

"Sixteen Saltines" seems to take place in a waking nightmare world outside of time or any kind of rule, a place you'd never want to live - but one you can't stop visiting. Watch it here.


The Faces Announce Book Launch Event
(SR) On the eve of their induction into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 14th, one of the finest rock groups to emerge from Britain, the Faces and fine book publishers Genesis Publications are proud to announce Ronnie Wood, Ian McLagan and Kenney Jones US retail release of the story about the band in their first ever book.

As part of the US retail debut, internationally renowned Designer John Varvatos is hosting the Faces' Ronnie Wood and Kenney Jones in-person as part of the launch of the limited edition book along with Publisher Nick Roylance of Genesis Publications on Wednesday, April 11th, 2012, from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. at John Varvatos 315 Bowery Boutique, 315 Bowery in New York City.

And, on the afternoon the day before their Rock Hall induction on Friday, April 13th in Cleveland, Nick Roylance, publisher, Genesis Publications and Faces will present the book to Jann Wenner, publisher of Rolling Stone Magazine as well as the owner of Men's Journal and Us Weekly magazine and co-Founder of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; and, Terry Stewart, President and CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, to the Rock Hall Library & Archives continuing the collection as the only museum in the United States to have the entire Genesis catalog. more on this story


River City Extension and The Drowning Men Tour
River City Extension are teaming up with The Drowning Men for a co-headlining tour of North America.

The five-week, 28-date tour hits most major U.S. markets, including Washington DC, Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, Chicago and more.

River City Extension will be touring in support of its second album, "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Your Anger," which comes out June 5th. more on this story


Children Of Bodom Holiday at Lake Bodom Details
Children Of Bodom have released details about their upcoming, Holiday at Lake Bodom (15 Years of Wasted Youth), a special CD+DVD career retrospective in celebration of the band's 15th Anniversary, which will hit stores on May 22nd. Their camp sent over these details:

The release will spotlight specially selected songs from every one of the band's critically acclaimed albums (1997's Something Wild, 1999's Hatebreeder, 2000's Follow the Reaper, 2003's Hate Crew Deathroll, 2005's Are You Dead Yet?, 2008's Blooddrunk and 2011's Relentless Reckless Forever) plus newly recorded (and undeniably fun) cover songs and detailed liner notes penned by the members of COB themselves. The DVD portion of the package will include "candid touring and backstage footage from around the world" plus the never before seen music video for Relentless Reckless Forever's "Shovel Knockout".

"15 Years of Wasted Youth is the sound of Children Of Bodom working hard, partying hard, being relentless and stubborn," says the band's superstar guitarist / vocalist Alexi Laiho. "We went through many brick walls to get forward and after seven studio albums, two live albums, non stop touring, bleeding and breaking a lot of bones, I thought we were justified to put out this album. Let the music speak for itself. You have been warned." The final, handpicked tracklisting is here.


Peelander-Z North American Tour Stars Next Week
(FP) Peelander-Z will be kicking off their month-long North American tour next week in Cambridge, Ma

The tour in support of its upcoming new album Space Vacation, set for release April 10th.

Comprised of color–coded band members Peelander–Yellow, Peelander–Red, Peelander–Green (and at various times Peelander–Pink and Peelander–Black), Peelander–Z made its greatest impact to date in 2011 with the greatest hits album Super DX Hitz, sell–out shows around the US and Canada, and a stint as the band all of the other bands had to see on last Summer's Vans Warped Tour. more on this story


Prong Kick Off Tour With Crowbar and Witchburn
Prong kicked off their North American tour with Crowbar and Witchburn in Dallas, TX last night.

The tour is in support of their forthcoming release Carved Into Stone which is set for an April 24th release date on Long Branch Records. The tour will run through April 24th in Shreveport, LA.

Prong (whose lineup includes bassist Tony Campos and drummer Alexei Rodriguez) recording the new album with producer Steve Evetts. more on this story


Nachtmystium Limited Edition Coming Next Month
Nachtmystium have announced a May 15th release for a special limited edition single and 7". Century Media sent over these details:

Nachtmystium has just finished mixing their third Century Media release, Silencing Machine , at Engine Studios with Sanford Parker [Yob, Pelican].

Prior to this recording session, the band and Sanford worked on a few other tracks, two of which will be released as a limited edition single and 7" on May 15. The single will contain the new track, "As Made", and a unique cover version of Joy Division's "The Eternal", which features vocals by Chris Connelly (Revolting Cocks, Ministry). more on this story


Video of Randy Rhoads 30th Anniversary Memorial Now Online
(hennemusic) Fans, friends, fellow musicians and family gathered recently for the 30th annual Randy Rhoads memorial event. Rhoads was killed on March 19, 1982 en route from an Ozzy show in Louisville to one in Orlando. That fateful day, the tour bus rolled into Leesburg, Florida for some repairs; driver Andrew Aycock took a small plane up and around the extensive private property, offering rides to members of Ozzy's entourage.

On March 19, 2012 at Mountain View Cemetery in San Bernardino, California, a 30th annual event was held to remember Randy, his life, his work and his legacy.

Leja Siv Harju of Rock N Roll Industries magazine put together a video report featuring interviews with original Quiet Riot bassist Kelly Garni and current QR and former W.A.S.P. drummer Frankie Banali. more on this story


Lone Justice's Marvin Etzioni Releasing New Solo Album
(MSO) Lone Justice's Marvin Etzioni has set an April 17th release date for his fourth solo studio album Marvin Country!

The new album will be issued as a two-CD set, a double album (Audiophile 180-Gram Vinyl) and digitally.

After a successful showcase at SXSW last month, MARVIN has announced two special Los Angeles shows set for Saturday, April 14 at The Talking Stick in Venice and Sunday, April 29 at The Echo in Silverlake. The Marvin Country String Quartet will accompany MARVIN at The Echo show. MARVIN will bring the string quartet to the east coast this summer for a one-night-only show Sunday, June 24 in New York City at City Winery opening for Martha Wainwright. more on this story


Ignite Releasing Their First Live DVD
Ignite will release their first ever live DVD, Our Darkest Days Live, in June according to Century Media.

The DVD will be released in North America on June 19 (Europe June 18) and features 21 Ignite classics, a behind the scenes documentary of the band recording Our Darkest Days, as well as several music videos. T

he live performance was shot in Leipzig, Germany in 2008 when Ignite was on tour with Terror, Strung Out, Death Before Dishonor and BurnThe8Track.


As If These Trees Could Talk Tour and Vinyl Repressing
As If These Trees Could Talk get ready to kick off their European tour this week, there is news of a special limited edition vinyl repressing:

The demand for If These Trees Could Talk's Red Forest vinyl was so high, when the first pressing was up for pre-order in early February it sold out within three days of being on sale.

A repress pre-order in now being announced which will go up for sale of the Science of Silence webstore on April 19th. All orders of the first pressing will be sent out week-ending 4/15. more on this story


Church Of Misery Plot North American Tour
Japanese doom metalers Church Of Misery will kick off their North American headlining tour on May 24 in Providence, RI.

The tour will include special Church Of Misery appearances in Austin (as part of the 2012 Chaos in Tejas Fest) and Baltimore (as part of the 2012 Maryland Deathfest).

Support on the tour will come from a rotating lineup including Rwake, Hail! Hornet and The Gates of Slumber more on this story


Otherwise Delivering Debut Album Next Month
(Century Media) Otherwise have set a May 8th North American release date for their debut album, True Love Never Dies.

The album was produced by the legendary Jay Baumgardener [Bush, Linkin Park, Papa Roach, Incubus] and mastered by Howie Weinberg [Soundgarden, Pantera, U2, Aerosmith].

"We don't really have the words to convey what the release of this album means to us..." say brothers Adrian and Ryan Patrick, "so much hard work, so much sacrifice, so much heartache has gone into our music; 'True Love Never Dies' is a testament to those who have gone before us, we are deeply humbled to honor them in such a way." more on this story


Sepultura, Death Angel, Krisiun and Havok Tour
Krisiun will be hitting the road in North America next week for a tour with Sepultura, Death Angel, and Havok!

Krisiun will be touring in support of their recently released, 8th studio album, The Great Execution.

In regards to this upcoming trek, Krisiun vocalist/bassist Alex Camargo comments: "Hey everyone!!! We in Krisiun would like to invite all you diehard metal brothers to come on out and support our upcoming shows around the USA and Canada. more on this story


Albert King Remaster Coming Next Month
(conqueroo) Concord Music Group will release Albert King's I'll Play the Blues for You as part of its Stax Remasters series on May 22, 2012.

Enhanced by 24-bit remastering by Joe Tarantino, four previously unreleased bonus tracks, and newly written liner notes by music journalist and roots music historian Bill Dahl, the reissue not only spotlights one of the most entertaining and influential blues recordings of the 1970s, but also underscores the album's enduring nature four decades after its original release.

In addition to King's brilliant guitar and vocal work, the album also features a rhythm section made up of members of the Bar-Kays and the Movement — the former a new lineup following the tragic Otis Redding plane crash that wiped out most of the original band, and the latter group Isaac Hayes's funk-driven outfit, with guitarist Michael Toles, bassist and Bar-Kays co-founder James Alexander, and drummer Willie Hall members of both bands. Rounding out the backup unit is the Memphis Horns, featuring longtime Stax mainstays Wayne Jackson on trumpet and Andrew Love on tenor saxophone. more on this story


Totimoshi Hitting The Road Next Week
(SR) Totimoshi plan to hit the road again later this month for a short run of West Coast dates.

The tour will commence on April 12 in Bellingham, Washington, then hit Centralia, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Long Beach, and San Diego. Totimoshi will be joined by Black Elk on select dates.

The band will be touring in support of their Avenger full-length, release last year via At A Loss Recordings. more on this story


It Boys! Introduction Coming in June
Hollywood Waste Records have set a June 5th release date for It Boys! debut album, Introduction.

The band will spend most of 2012 on the road; they've already confirmed dates with Breathe Caroline and The Ready Set, a slot on this year's Warped Tour.

They will also under take an upcoming UK run featuring dates with Forever The Sickest Kids and performances at both of this year's Slam Dunk Festivals.

Today's Day In Rock!

Crazy Town Singer Comes Out of Coma
(TMZ) Former Crazy Town singer and "Celebrity Rehab" star Shifty Shellshock is now conscious again -- after falling into a coma last week, TMZ has learned.
Sources tell TMZ, Shifty had been on breathing tubes since Thursday -- when he originally fell into a coma -- but was successfully taken off them Wedneday night.

We're told Shifty is now responsive -- even speaking sporadically -- but he's still not fully aware of his surroundings. He is still in the ICU.

As we previously reported, it's unclear what put the singer into a coma -- but several people close to him are convinced drugs were to blame.

We're told doctors believe he will make a full recovery. more on this story


Hear Soundgarden's First New Song In 16 Years
(Banana 101.5) Soundgarden's first brand new song in nearly 16 years has arrived! Check out 'Live to Rise' from 'Avengers Assemble' — the soundtrack to the upcoming Marvel mega-blockbuster — online right now.

'The Avengers' is expected to be one of the biggest films of the year…possibly the decade. Marvel began setting the stage for this massive project years ago with Avenger-related sub-plots running in previous films like 'Iron Man,' 'The Incredible Hulk,' and 'Thor.' The movie, due in theaters May 4th, has a star-studded cast — it only makes sense that they would draft an impressive list of artists for the soundtrack.

The 'Avengers Assemble' album will feature music from some of rock's biggest names including Five Finger Death Punch, Evanescence, Shinedown and Bush, but the true headliner is Soundgarden. Hear the new song here.


New Randy Rhoads Release Coming From Ozzy
(Gibson) If you missed the news earlier this week, Gibson has the details for you today: Ozzy Osbourne is paying tribute to the late Randy Rhoads with a newly available live recording album, only on vinyl. Ozzy plans to release Live – a 180-gram audiophile vinyl two-LP set – which is a limited, numbered collector's edition recorded live on the 1981 Blizzard of Ozz tour.

"Believer," a live seven-inch single, also will be issued. It is a limited and numbered collector's edition on polka-dot vinyl featuring "Believer" (live) and "Goodbye to Romance."

For Record Store Day, Iggy and the Stooges' album Raw Power will again be available on 12-inch vinyl – as will Paul Simon's Graceland, Lou Reed's Rock N Roll Animal and Transformer and Janis Joplin's Pearl.

Record Store Day takes place on April 21 in independent record stores around the world. more on this story




Marilyn Manson Delivers No Reflection Video
(hennemusic) Marilyn Manson has set an April 30th release date for his new album, "Born Villian."

Marilyn has just released the first music video from the set, for the track "No Reflection."

The clip was directed by Lukas Ettlin, who previously worked with Manson on the award-winning "Personal Jesus" video. Watch it here.


The Cult, Against Me! and The Icarus Line Tour
The Cult have mapped out the first leg of their 2012 North American tour in support of Choice of Weapon, the band's first new studio album in five years, due out May 22nd.

The 20-date trek is set to kick off on Friday, May 25 in San Diego and will feature support from Against Me! and The Icarus Line on most of the dates.

"This is going to be a very intense, high-energy tour," said The Cult's vocalist, Ian Astbury. "We are really looking forward to the time we spend on stage connected to our music and our audience. That's our purpose." more on this story


Slash Band Audition Video Goes Online
(hennemusic) Slash's sophomore solo set, "Apocalyptic Love," isn't out until May 22, but the guitarist has been working hard to get the word out about his upcoming release.

Slash recently performed in Toronto, has been doing tons of press interviews for the project, audio samples of the disc are online, and the guitarist's team has been documenting the album's progress on video.

Two new webisodes have been posted online, each showing parts of the audition process surrounding Slash's need to add a touring rhythm guitarist to his lineup. "To put together this next record, I never planned on using a second guitar player, but as far as going out and doing the tour was concerned, I needed to find somebody local," explains Slash. "We had a whole auditioning process where I think 20 people showed up, and [drummer] Brent [Fitz] and [bassist] Todd [Kerns] picked out who, more or less, was going to be a call-back, and then I went in the next day and played with those 5 guitar players." Check out the videos


Neil Young Plans MP3 Replacement?
(Gibson) Neil Young appears to working on new audio formats. Young is a vocal critic of MP3 quality – he doesn't even like CD audio, particularly – and has designs on something better.

Rolling Stone reports that Young applied for six trademarks in June 2011: "Ivanhoe," "21st Century Record Player," "Earth Storage," "Storage Shed," "Thanks for Listening" and "SQS (Studio Quality Sound)." Included in the filing is a description of the trademarks: "Online and retail store services featuring music and artistic performances; high resolution music downloadable from the Internet; high resolutions discs featuring music and video; audio and video recording storage and playback."

The trademark process could take a year, providing that there are no challenges to Young's application. more on this story




P.O.D. Complete New Album and Streaming New Song
P.O.D. have finished their first new studio album in four years, Murdered Love, which is set for release this summer. Razor and Tie had these details:

Fans can now listen to "Eyez," the first preview track from the new album. The track features special guest vocals from Jamey Jasta here.

"'Eyez' is the first "look" from our new album coming out this Summer. We wanted to come out hard for all our die-hard warriors," adds lead vocalist Sonny Sandoval. more on this story


Escape The Fate and Attack Attack! Kick Off Tour
Escape The Fate and Attack Attack! kick off their This World Is Ours Tour tonight (April 5th) in Buffalo, NY.

The 33-city North American tour will go coast to coast and joining the two headliners on the road will be The Word Alive, Secrets and Mest.

"We have had a rough few years, and this year was probably the toughest," commented Escape The Fate lead singer Craig Mabbitt. "I don't think I personally have been more excited to step foot on a stage and play a show for our fans. We also have so many good friends and family that are sharing the road with us on this tour, so I really hope you're as excited as I am for the 'This World Is Ours Tour'." more on this story


Municipal Waste Blue Limited Edition Release
Nuclear Blast are offering Municipal Waste fans a limited edition 7" blue vinyl as part of their super limited edition pre-order bundle for the band's forthcoming release, The Fatal Feast LP, which features a pop-up gatefold. Only 500 copies are available worldwide.

The 7" will include the "non radio-friendly" version of the song "Repossession" from the band's new album The Fatal Feast plus two re-recorded tracks from deep in the band's discography.

Guitarist Ryan Waste provides details: "The tracks 'Garbage Stomp' and 'Poser Disposer' are from 2002 and were previously recorded for our 2nd release ever: a split 12" with Crucial Unit which is now out of print. We finally re-recorded them with the band. 'Garbage Stomp' is the intro – which we're bringing back on [our upcoming] tour." Order it here.


Guns N' Roses Rock Hall Plague Unveiled
(hennemusic) It's just over a week away until the annual Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame inductions happen, and the Cleveland institution continues to chip away at its to-do list to ensure everything is ready to go.

On Wednesday, bronze plaques honoring the newest class of Hall of Fame inductees were unveiled in front of Public Hall.

Each of the 17 plaques reportedly cost around $5,000 to make; featured is the one for Guns N' Roses here.


Taproot Deliver No Surrender Video
(Victory) Taproot have released a new music video for their new single, "No Surrender," which comes from their forthcoming album, The Episodes (4/10).

Using Chicago as the backdrop, "No Surrender", was filmed by Eric Richter and crew at Victory Records. "The video follows the story of the song [No Surrender], in which our main character is in dire need of escaping his dark and mysterious hotel room (not knowing what'd happened there, but feels something bad). He is running away, unsure towards what, but longing for a sense of security and safety…Do or die, No Surrender!" Vocalist, Stephen Richards said.

Taproot will also be playing a series of shows in support of the new album beginning April 10th. Check out the video here.


Shinedown Top The Rock Chart
Shinedown's new album, "Amaryllis," has debuted on top of Billboard's "Rock Albums" chart.

The album simultaneously entering at #4 on the overall Billboard 200 with over 105,000 units sold.

This marks the group's highest ever chart debut which also sees "Amaryllis" debut at #1 on the "Hard Rock Albums" chart as well as #3 on the "Digital Albums" chart. more on this story


Eric Johnson and Joe Satriani Guest on Sonny Landreth Album
Eric Johnson and Joe Satriani are special guests on Sonny Landreth's forthcoming album, Elemental Journey, which will be released on May 22nd.

Conqueroo sent over these details: The new CD is Landreth's first all-instrumental effort and his most adventurous work to date.

"From day one on the guitar, many genres of music have had an impact on me" says Landreth. "For these recordings, I drew from some of those influences that I hadn't gone to on previous albums with my vocals. Trading off the lyrics this time, I focused solely on the instrumental side and all this music poured out. Then I asked some extraordinary musicians to help me layer the tracks in hopes of inspiring a lot of imagery for the listeners." more on this story


Helloween, Gamma Ray, Gotthard Supergroup Unisonic Set Debut
Unisonic, the supergroup featuring former Helloween vocalist Michael Kiske and guitarist Kai Hansen (Gamma Ray, ex-Helloween) alongside guitarist Mandy Meyer (Asia, Gotthard and Krokus), bassist Dennis Ward and drummer Kosta Zafiriou (both of Germany's Pink Cream 69), have set a release date for their debut album.

The self-titled will be released in North America on May 22, 2012 via Eagle Rock imprint Armoury Records.

Unisonic was recorded at ICP Studios in Brussels, Belgium. The offering features 11 tracks, plus a bonus live version of Helloween classic "I Want Out" only available on the domestic edition, cover art by Martin Häusler (Meat Loaf, Gotthard, Helloween, Motörhead) viewable HERE, and marks the first musical union between Kiske and Hansen in 23 years! more on this story


Chance Encounter Landed Shanks Van Halen Producing Gig
(hennemusic) The task of producing "A Different Kind Of Truth" - Van Halen's first album with David Lee Roth in almost three decades - fell into John Shanks' hands.

In a new interview with Guitar World, Shanks explained how he landed the gig with Van Halen. "I was working in my room, Studio C, and David Lee Roth was across the hall working on solo stuff," says John. "He stays in the studio. He's always in there doing something. It's like a boxer — he's always training. He's always writing and trying stuff and experimenting. He's always creating. It's just staying ready. So he comes in the studio and he's working on a project. I don't know what it was specifically. I introduced myself one day and we chatted a bit and became social. He's very bright and communicative, and we would talk about his dogs, photography, songs, and the current state of pop music."

"I'd met Eddie a couple of times [through a mutual colleague]," continued Shanks. "I got a call, I'm sure through Dave talking to Eddie, because I think collectively they come up with, 'Let's try this guy,' or 'Let's have a conversation with John.' I know they talked to a couple of other people too. Anyway, Eddie called. I went up to the house and met with Alex, Dave, Eddie and Wolf, and they talked about scheduling and what they wanted to do. Somehow we worked it out so we recorded at Henson." more on this story


Gary Moore Exhibition Opens in Belfast For His 60th Birthday
(hennemusic) An exhibition celebrating the life and music of Gary Moore is opening in Belfast this week.

The Oh Yeah Music Centre is hosting the event to mark the work of the exceptional guitarist, songwriter and performer; Moore's solo records are internationally admired, as well as his work with the likes of Thin Lizzy, Skid Row, The Traveling Wilburys, BB King and George Harrison.

Gary was born in Belfast on April 4, 1952; sadly, he passed away on February 6, 2011. To mark what would have been his 60th birthday, the family of Gary Moore is helping with a unique exhibition of his personal effects. more on this story


Ihsahn Sets New Album Release
Candlelight Records has set a June 19th North American release date for Ihsahn's fourth album, Eremita. The sent out these details:

Recorded and produced at Telemark's Ivory Shoulder Studios, with additional tracking completed at Notodden's Juke Joint Studio and Seattle's Envisage Audio, Eremita was mixed by Jens Bogren (Opeth) at Fascination Street Studios in Orebo, Sweden. Alongside Ihsahn, the album features performances from drummer Tobias Ornes Andersen (Leprous), saxophonist Jorgen Munkeby (Shining - Norway), guitarist Jeff Loomis (ex-Nevermore), and vocalists Devin Townsend, Einar Solberg (Leprous), and Heidi S. Tveitan (Star of Ash).

Eremita begins a new musical chapter for the highly regarded musician; his previous album, Norwegian Grammy Award Nominated After, forming the final part of a planned trilogy on its release in early 2010. Offering nine new songs to his growing worldwide audience, Eremita is the longest and most spirited of Ihsahn's solo recordings. Reflecting on the recording process Ihsahn notes, "this is right where I want to be musically, with lots of room for dynamics and expressive variety. Tobias and Jorgen have really added to the organic vibe I was going for and have contributed to the overall feel with their fantastic musicianship. And to have Devin, Jeff, Einar and Heidi adding their special moments, I am very privileged to be able to work with such a talented group of people. I really feel this is some of my most inspired work yet." more on this story


Anniversary of R.E.M.'s First Gig
(Gibson) On this day in 1980, R.E.M. played their first ever gig when they appeared at St. Mary's Episcopal Church, Athens, Georgia. Gibson takes a look back: Rock and roll bands that changed the course of popular music history always have a story to tell. Over the years, R.E.M. would tell plenty of tales and create a few of their own, but their early days in Athens, Georgia, remain the stuff of the American rock and roll dream.

On this very day in 1980, R.E.M. played their first-ever concert at St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Athens. That night they were still called Twisted Kites, the wonderfully incisive moniker R.E.M had not popped into their collective consciousness just yet.
Michael Stipe (vocals), Peter Buck (guitar), Mike Mills (bass) and Bill Berry (drums) lined up on stage to play music for the birthday party of Kathleen O'Brien, who at the time was the drummer's girlfriend. They gave the assembled students and partygoers over two hours of post-punk, cutting edge rock and roll.

Buck and Stipe had met through a mutual interest in music. Peter worked in a record store, Wuxtry, in Athens and the already colorful Stipe like to hang out there and discuss music. They had much in common, musically at least. When they hooked up with fellow University of Georgia students Mike Mills and Bill Berry, the band that would help rescue rock and roll from the synth invasion of the early '80s were ready to go. They rehearsed around town, wrote songs and finally, feeling ready to debut their music to a couple of hundred revelers, made their public debut

"It was really fun," Stipe told author Marcus Gray. "I don't remember the last half of it." Twisted Kite played for over two hours with a mix of original material and covers like the Sex Pistols' "God Save the Queen" and Jonathan Richman's "Roadrunner." more on this story




Singled Out: Merrell Fankhauser's Calling From A Star
Today surf guitar and psychedelic folk rock legend Merrell Fankhauser tells us about the song "Calling From A Star" from his new Best Of DBL CD on Gonzo MultiMedia, UK. Here is the story:

In 1974 I went with my group to the top of Haleakala crater on the island of Maui to watch the sunset. After the sun went down we stayed with several other onlookers to gaze at the magnificent array of stars in the clear night sky. Just as we were about to leave a glowing blue green light zoomed into the middle of the crater! We were all trying to figure out what it was as there was absolutely no sound. Then two more glowing orbs came out of it and formed an inverted pyramid! We watched this scene for about four minutes and then they all merged back together as one and went straight up and disappeared in an instant. I went back down to my house on the edge of the rainforest and wrote "Calling From A Star", I recorded two versions of the song, a slow version with my group MU and later a faster solo version. I later went back to Haleakala crater with a film crew and made a video of the song that can be seen on youtube.

Today's Day In Rock!

BILL WARD EXPOSES SHARON OSBOURNE'S RUBBISH DEMANDS:
This is simply unbelievable and another sign of what's wrong with this business. When one single person (Sharon Osbourne) has so much control over a project, that the very integrity of it is so badly compromised, something has to be done. The fan base needs to be heard. In my opinion, there is now zero chance of Black Sabbath recording a new studio album that would reflect exactly what the band was all about and what they would naturally create of their own doing.
This new update from exiled drummer Bill Ward is a real eye opener and full credit to him for exposing this utter cherade. Bill to get only 5% share??? Insulting! Sharon wants a "modern metal" album for better airplay! How utterly clueless is that?? Bill Ward to walk Ozzy's dogs? WTF! Kelly Osbourne on stage? Give me a break!
Check out Bill's statement for yourself. What a joke.

"Hello my fans. I am humbled by the outpouring of support you've shown me. On this third round of negotiations my lawyers have sent to Ozzy's attorneys, here is how the reunion stands. Keep in mind I have nothing but respect for my former bandmates, so I wish to not speak in derogatory terms of them.
However, the contract is still unsignable and I am breaking my silence to divulge the reasons why. It's unsignable because Sharon Osbourne only wanted to give Geezer and I five percent each, along with 10 percent for Tony. Mind you, I am not on the dole and I don't need a few quid that badly. I have my honor and as an original member of Black Sabbath I deserve to be shown respect.
Might I add that Sharon also included some mighty rich stipulations to that contract as well. She never forgave me for leaving Ozzfest in 1997 and departing the next year due to health reasons. Bloody nonsense! She made sure that on any of the tour riders I would not get a vegan platter, plus she wanted me to walk Ozzy's twelve dogs before each show.
To top it off, Sharon wanted us to do a version of "Changes" on the setlist that featured Kelly Osbourne dueting with Ozzy. I'm sorry mate, but that's where I draw the line. It was also in the contract that I would have to feature all these new commercial bands that Sharon manages on my monthly radio show on WPMD. What a load of horse bollocks. I can't handle that woman since she threw eggs at our mates in Iron Maiden years back, which upset me enough to leave that tour.
The most unacceptable thing, in my opinion, was how Sharon's management team insisted that the new album we would put out should contain commercial sounding metal that would make it easier for us to get airplay. The boys and I were thinking of calling the new album "Doomination," but she thought the title was too limiting. So, at this point, the contract is still unsignable. Mind you, I am ready at any moment to board a plane from California to Birmingham if a proper contract with no degrading stipulations exists, one in which I'd also get a proper twenty-five percent."
WebLink: www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Bill-Ward/109213359124333.

HEART SONG TITLES REVEALED:
Song titles for the new Heart album have appeared online - they are (in alphabetical order): 59 Crunch, A Million Miles, Beautiful Broken, Corduroy Road, Dear Old America, Fanatic, Mashallah, Pennsylvania, Rock Deep (Vancouver), Skin And Bones, Walking Good and Zingara.
The album is tipped to be more rock driven after a couple of mellower releases. One comment from long time band confidant and co-writer Sue Ennis was: "My pal played me 6 rough mixes from the new album, now in the mixing process in Seattle. HUGE sound. The philosophy is simple: rawk!"
Let's hope so!


Puddle of Mudd Singer Hit With Felony Cocaine Charge
(TMZ) Puddle of Mudd frontman Wes Scantlin really stepped in it this time -- he's been charged with felony cocaine possession stemming from his recent arrest ... TMZ has learned.
As we first reported, the singer was busted back in January after cops pulled Scantlin over and found him in possession of a controlled substance, which at the time cops only ascertained to be some kind of powder and pills.

But mystery solved ... because when the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office filed their complaint, they named cocaine as that substance. There was no mention of the pills.

In addition to the felony charge, Scantlin was also charged with two misdemeanors -- being under the influence of a controlled substance and driving without a license.

If convicted on all charges, Scantlin could face 4.5 years in jail. He's already pled not guilty and is due back in court later this week. more on this story


Guns N' Roses Rock Hall Induction Update
Guns N' Roses are set to be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame next week on April 14 and more details have surfaced including who will induct them and which members of the original lineup will be on hand for the event.

Fans have been holding out hope that the original lineup of Guns N' Roses would put their differences aside and reunite for the event but it now appears that will be all but impossible with one key original members not planning to attend the event.

Slash, Duff McKagan and Steven Adler have publicly stated their intentions to be at the event along with later members Matt Sorum and Dizzy Reed. Axl Rose has not yet confirmed he will be on hand and that's leaves Izzy Stradlin who we learn from Matt Sorum in an interview with Vh1 Radio Network will not be attending. more on this story


Motley Crue's Vince Neil Banned In Vegas
(hennemusic) Motley Crue singer Vince Neil is making headlines in a public dispute with the Palms in Las Vegas which has left him banned from the hotel.

Vince, who lives in the city and is getting set to open his strip club – Girls, Girls, Girls – began posting tweets about the Palms last week after an incident at the hotel's Little Buddha restaurant.

On March 28, Neil tweeted, "I love Vegas, but DO NOT GO TO LITTLE BUDDHA @palms IN VEGAS!! OMG RUDEST STAFF EVER!! Don't go!!"

On Monday (Apr 2), Vince revisited the issue with a series of posts which soon escalated things.


Slipknot Not Ready To Move Forward Yet
Metal Injection caught up with Slipknot's Clown, aka M. Shawn Crahan at South By Southwest and they discussed the future of Slipknot, and the recent difference in opinion between members of the band as to if new material is being written or not. Crahan did his best to explain the situation stating:

"I can clear it up easily for you. Everyone in the band is writing all the time. Whether it's a micro-cassette recorder or a memo on your iPhone or Corey writing random things he invents in his head on a piece of paper or Joey saying 'I got nothing to do, I'm gonna go in the studio with all these ideas. I'm going to rent out a studio for a month and a half and I'm going to fucking write.'

"I think what people don't understand about what's being said is that we're all dealing with Paul's death differently. Some want to move, some want to take time. But basically, what's being said is of course things are being written. But nothing is done because we're not together yet. And there is no reason to get together to talk about it because there are other things moving, like the grieving process.

"Stone Stour is going to go out and do their thing, which they should. They've earned it. It's a good thing. Just me down here at SXSW, I'm the only guy here, doing something. I should be allowed to have this outlet.

"Really, what it all comes down to is that, yes, writing is being done seriously every day, but it is going to be a while. It's just going to be. There's things going on. It gets a little perverted in the press, almost like 'he says yes, he says no, we got a problem.' It's more like, yeah, writing is going on but it's going to be a while, and both of them are telling the truth, and I'm here to tell you, we're not going nowhere!"




Aerosmith Star Guests on New Joe Bonamassa Album
Joe Bonamassa has set a May 22nd release date for his 13th solo album, Driving Towards The Daylight, which features an array of guest players including Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford.

Driving Towards The Daylight was produced by Kevin "Caveman" Shirley (Black Crowes, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin) and to get fans ready a new reality mini-series has premiered online and a free song download will be coming soon.

Apart from Whitford, the album also includes guest spots from Blondie Chaplan (guitar), Anton Fig (drums and percussion), Arlan Schierbaum (keyboard), Michael Rhodes (bass), Carmine Rojas (bass), Jeff Bova and The Bovaland Brass, Pat Thrall (guitar), and Brad's son Harrison Whitford (guitar).

Brad Whitford, speaking from the studio in Vegas, said, "This is definitely more influenced by the stuff that the guys and musicians in this room love, early '60s English and American rock and blues. I guess we'll never get that out of our system and its fun to come in here and find our own path down that highway." more on this story


Crazy Town Singer's Ex Fights With Family at Hospital
(TMZ) While former "Crazy Town" singer Shifty Shellshock lay hospitalized in a coma ... his baby mama and his family were fighting in the ICU, according to the woman.

Jasmine Lennard, Shifty's ex-girlfriend and mother of their 2-year-old son ... claims Shifty's family never said a word about him being in the hospital -- and she had no idea until friends told her Monday.

As TMZ first reported, the former "Celebrity Rehab" star has been unresponsive in intensive care since last week ... and people close to him think drugs are to blame.

Jasmine tells TMZ she rushed to the L.A. area hospital Monday afternoon, but when she got to the ICU ... Shifty's sister grabbed her arm and other family members cursed at her. According to Jasmine things got so heated "security was eventually called and we were all separated."

Jasmine says she only got to see Shifty for a few moments -- and she's furious about the family keeping her and Shifty's son in the dark. She claims, "The family is blaming me for leaving him during Christmas for this relapse." more on this story


Foo Fighters, Bob Seger, Brad Paisley and Keith Urban for John Fogerty CD
(Gibson) Rock legend John Fogerty is prepping a new album on which he'll perform some of his best-known Creedence Clearwater Revival songs with an array of special guests.

According to Billboard, Wrote a Song for Everyone (due this fall) will include collaborations with Foo Fighters, Bob Seger and country stars such as Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley and Keith Urban.

No tracklist is available yet, although some of the album's selections have been revealed: "Fortunate Son" will feature the Foos and "Who'll Stop the Rain" will be a duet with Bob Seger.

Earlier this year, he spoke about his experience recording with Lambert, whom he called "a great voice and a great, soulful presence in music, and really a delightful person." more on this story




Journey, Pat Benatar and Loverboy Tour
(Gibson) Journey have started to plot out their summer tour schedule, and they're taking fellow '80s rockers Pat Benatar and Loverboy with them.

Journey have scheduled six U.S. dates at this point, kicking off with a July 22 show in Stateline, California, and running through August 18 in Des Moines, Iowa.

Loverboy will appear on all of the shows, while Benatar will perform at five of the six stops. more on this story




Joe Walsh Set for Solo Tour
(Gibson) Although the Eagles are scheduled to rock dates in North America and overseas over the next month, Joe Walsh isn't letting that jam-packed tour itinerary get in the way of his solo career.

After the Eagles' current trek wraps, Walsh has announced a run of U.S. tour dates in support of his new full-length, Analog Man, which will arrive on June 6. Walsh has booked 11 solo shows at the moment, setting off in late May and then sporadically running through the end of August.

Walsh's solo roster begins May 17 in Catoosa, Oklahoma, and runs through August 30 in Tulalip, Washington. The rocker hits several festivals on the run, including Summerfest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Ribfest in Naperville, Illinois. Only time will tell if Walsh's solo shows will include any random Eagles tunes. more on this story




Behemoth And Watain Banned From Ohio Venue
The venue for the kick off date of the inaugural Decibel Magazine tour in Columbus, OH has been changed after the original venue banned the band's participating on the tour for religious reasons.

Behemoth, Watain, The Devil's Blood, and In Solitude are being forbidden from playing at The Brewmaster's Gate because of religious conflicts with the venue owners.

These bands are no strangers to this type of treatment, and a new venue has already been confirmed. The Columbus, OH show will now be at Al Rosa. more on this story


Pink Floyd's The Story Of Wish You Were Here DVD and Blu-Ray Coming
Pink Floyd's The Story Of Wish You Were Here is set to be released on DVD and Blu-ray on June 26, 2012 by Eagle Rock.

Kayos sent over these details: This is the authorized story of the album made with the full involvement and approval of the members of Pink Floyd.

Wish You Were Here, released in September 1975, was the follow up album to the globally successful The Dark Side Of The Moon and is cited by many fans, as well as band members Richard Wright and David Gilmour, as their favorite Pink Floyd album. On release it went straight to Number One in both the UK and the US and topped the charts in many other countries around the world. This program tells the story of the making of this landmark release through new interviews with Roger Waters, David Gilmour and Nick Mason and archive interviews with the late Richard Wright. Also featured are sleeve designer Storm Thorgerson, guest vocalist Roy Harper, front cover "burning man" Ronnie Rondell and others involved in the creation of the album. In addition, original recording engineer Brian Humphries revisits the master tapes at Abbey Road Studios to illustrate aspects of the songs' construction. more on this story


God Seed Announce New Lineup
Indie Recordings sent over word that God Seed have unveiled a new line-up and are working on a new album.

Founding members Gaahl and King ov Hell will now be joined with: Sir (Trelldom, Djerv) - Guitar; Kenneth Kapstad (Motorpschyco) - Drums;Geir Bratland (Dimmu Borgir) - Keys & Noise; Lust Kilman (The Batallion, Grimfist) - Guitar

In regards to the change, King stated: "All members of God Seed have been carefully picked for their musical skills and devoted personalities. We aim to release an album which will sound different than what we have done in the past. The new members have been very important for creating a sound that hopefully will come across as unique and defining the new God Seed sound. From this moment, God Seed should not be viewed as a duo anymore, but as a band with six members." more on this story


Aerosmith's Joe Perry On TV Tonight
(hennemusic) Aerosmith fans be advised that guitarist Joe Perry is scheduled to be on TV tonight (Wed, April 4, 2012).

"I'm going to be on Sons of Guns tomorrow night at 9pm E/P on the Discovery Channel. Don't miss an episode, you may miss something else..." tweeted Perry on Tuesday.

Here's the details about Wednesday's episode: Red Jacket is put to the test when a 70-year-old, $150k, full auto 40mm Bofors cannon, with over 500 parts, breaks down 4 days prior to its sale. Also, the crew resurrects an 1855 Volcanic Pistol. ***Then, a rockin' .38 Special's secret markings reveal its royal lineage.*** more on this story


Patti Smith Sets New Album Release
Columbia Records set over word that they will release Patti Smith's eleventh studio album, Banga, on June 5th.

'April Fool,' the first single from Banga, (featuring Tom Verlaine) was released digitally this week. Apart from Verlaine, the album also features guest appearances from Jack Petruzzelli, Smith's son Jackson and daughter Jesse Paris.

Banga was recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York City and produced by Patti Smith and her band: Tony Shanahan, Jay Dee Daugherty and her long-time collaborator Lenny Kaye. more on this story


Paul's Tribute to Linda McCartney Destroyed by Disease
(Gibson) Following the passing of Paul McCartney's first wife and fellow Wings band member Linda in 1998, Sir Paul had hundreds of larch trees planted to pay homage to her life and legacy near a spot coined Linda's Wood.

While the foliage has stayed alive and healthy for years, unfortunately, many of the memorial trees have now caught a deadly tree disease and are being cut down to stop the spread of a sickness, reports U.K. newspaper the Telegraph.

According to the Telegraph, the trees are being floored to prevent the takeover of a tree disease called "sudden oak death," which is quickly spreading among a variety of species of trees and infecting the larch and other foliage in the vicinity. "Some of them were diseased and it was decided that the larch would be chopped down as a preventative measure," explained Joe Duckworth of the League Against Cruel Sports, a charity supported by McCartney. more on this story




Harkonen Playing Reunion Shows This Summer
(SP) Harkonen plan to reunite to perform at three exclusive East Coast shows this June as part of a series of Brutal Panda label showcases that also include The Atlas Moth and Whores on all dates.

The shows will take place, starting June 14th, in Boston, Brooklyn and Philadelphia, with the Brooklyn show being a part of the Northside Festival.

Each show will also feature a special guest on the bill including Zozobra, Ladder Devils and one to be announced. Harkonen guitarist/vocalist Ben Verellen had this to say about the band's first East Coast shows in almost a decade: "The last time Harkonen was on the east coast, I think Matt had a broken wrist, so Casey and I toured out with a CD of matt playing drums through a bunch of amps. Last time Harkonen tried to fly anywhere to do a show, the plane had a malfunction and almost went down. It's been about 10 years since all that and I'm hoping the curse has lifted. Bout to find out!" more on this story


King Giant Plan To Record After Injury Stops Tour Plans
(SP) King Giant have been unable to tour in support of their sophomore LP Dismal Hollow this year due to an injury to one of the band members.

While regretfully the band cannot take the new album's anthems to the highways of America at the present time, in lieu of touring, King Giant has opted to begin constructing new material for their upcoming third full-length release.

Talks have also started between the band and Kevin Barker, who produced and directed several of the band's previous videos, to begin work on another upcoming visual narrative based on another anthem from Dismal Hollow. Further details will be unveiled in the weeks ahead.


Better Left Unsaid Begin Work On Third Album
Better Left Unsaid are getting ready to record their new self-titled album, which will be released on July 31st, 2012.

BLU are entering Sharkbite Studios (Machine Head, Roadrunner United, Exodus) this Spring with engineer/producer Ryan Massey at the dials.

"I think we've found our sound on this album", comments BLU guitarist Greg Fender. "The process this time around has been very smooth and natural, with everything sort of falling into place with very little effort. We poured a lot of the frustration from past growing pains and long touring into the new material and the result has been something darker, more raw, and most importantly more for ourselves than anyone else." more on this story


Wanna Play The Warped Tour?
If you ever had dreams of playing on the Warped Tour, here is your chance as OurStage.com is sponsoring an exclusive stage for 22 nights of the festival. Their camp sent over these details:

Alongside Warped-selected rising stars, the OurStage.com stage is offering 23 different artists performance opportunities. One lucky band will be selected for a 22-city tour (food & bus included) and 22 others will be chosen for single-stop gigs.

Alongside their performance spots, selected bands will also receive promotional support both online and from all available local media during the tour.

The 22-city tour is only accepting submissions until April 10th, while regional submissions will be open until April 22nd. All genres are welcome. Details here.





Mastodon Deliver Live Dry Bone Valley Video
Mastodon have premiered a new a live music video of their new single "Dry Bone Valley," which was shot live at London's Brixton Academy - the band's biggest UK headlining show to date.

"Dry Bone Valley" is the second single from Mastodon's latest album The Hunter, and you can check out the new live video here.

The song's original video was created by noted fine artist Tim Biskup, a long-time friend who has amassed a cadre of loyal fans and collectors of his painting and sculpture. more on this story


The Cult New Album Preview Online
(hennemusic) Fans of The Cult no longer need to wait until May 22 to hear the band's new album, "Choice Of Weapon" – samples of all tracks are now online.

Co-produced by Chris Goss (Queens of the Stone Age, U.N.K.L.E.) and longtime collaborator Bob Rock (Metallica, Aerosmith), "Choice of Weapon" was made in several studios, including the band's own Witch Mountain, as well as spots in New York City, Los Angeles and the California desert.

The first single, "For The Animals," is at rock radio now and Amazon are providing previews of the 14 tracks with an audio stream. more on this story


Van Halen's David Lee Roth Explains The Trouble With Never
(hennemusic) Van Halen are enjoying a week-long break on the first leg of the band's "A Different Kind Of Truth" tour.

The rockers return to action April 10 in Fort Lauderdale, with springtime shows booked through the end of June.

The group has issued a third video in their "Word Jazz" series, This time out, David Lee Roth explains the inspiration behind "The Trouble With Never." Check it out here.


Video of KISS Walking Down Hollywood Blvd in Full Makeup
(hennemusic) KISS announced their summer tour with Motley Crue last week. Billed as "The Tour," the summer shows mark the first time the two bands have shared a stage since 1982.

The veteran hard rockers will hit more than 40 cities across the continent starting July 20 in Bristow, Virginia…with shows scheduled through to September 23.

KISS and the Crue teamed up for the March 20 press conference, and then KISS headed out to do some more work: play live on Jimmy Kimmel's show. KISS walked - in full makeup and stage gear - down Hollywood Boulevard in the middle of the afternoon directly to Kimmel's studios. more on this story


Eddie Van Halen Inspired Megadeth's Chris Broderick
(Gibson) Like many great guitarists, Megadeth's Chris Broderick clearly remembers the first time he picked up his choice instrument. At the time, Broderick was just a little tyke and shelved out a whopping (not really) $40 for his first guitar.

"[My friends] all played in a band together, and I was like, 'Oh, that is interesting [laughs],'" Broderick told Glide Magazine. "I'd always go over to my friend's house and constantly nag him to play his guitar all the time. And he'd be like, 'No, no, let's go ride motocross' or something else.

"But I'd be constantly nagging him, so finally I bought a guitar from one of his friends, spray-painted it red, threw some black electrical tape on it and tried to become Eddie Van Halen [laughs]."

Van Halen, Broderick says, is the first band that really turned him on to heavy music. "It was not only [Eddie Van Halen's] tapping, but also he knew a little finger style as well on the guitar with like 'Spanish Fly' and stuff like that. I thought that was really cool. I mean, it was everything about his playing; it was very unique and had a lot of fire behind it." more on this story




Remembering Gary Moore
(Gibson) The punch line for the old joke "How do I get to Carnegie Hall?" is the same as the answer for "How do I begin to sound like Gary Moore?" Practice.

Moore — who would be celebrating his 59th birthday on April 4, had he not died of heart failure on February 6 last year — was a fantastic technician whose speed, articulation and vibrato are the stuff that legends are made of, to say nothing of his amazing tone, which coupled clean wallop with mad-dog-mean snarl.

Whether playing the blues that first inspired him to pick up a guitar or the rock and Celtic-rock he perfected with groups like Thin Lizzy, the original Skid Row and Colosseum, and on a long chain of outstanding solo albums, Moore cut the path of a musical giant on whatever stage he strode.

To begin approaching Moore's technique as a songwriter requires a broad compositional palette gleaned from years of listening to jazz, electric and country blues, early — as in Chuck Berry-era to Cream era — classic rock, as well as the traditional Irish music that helped fuel such notable Moore tunes as "Over the Hills and Far Away." For an earful of his melodic jazz-rock playing, dive into "Parisenne Walkways," arguably the most emotional piece in his repertoire, and an instrumental at that.

Today's Day In Rock!

Crazy Town Singer In A Coma
(TMZ) Former "Celebrity Rehab" star Shifty Shellshock is currently in a coma in an L.A. hospital -- TMZ has learned.
According to sources, the former Crazy Town singer has been in the ICU since last Thursday and is completely unresponsive. It's unclear what put him there -- but people close to him believe it was drug-related.

Shifty is scheduled to appear in court this week for a pre-trial hearing -- after his February coke arrest. We're told he was extremely anxious about the possibility of going to jail. more on this story


Axl Rose Vs Slash
(hennemusic) Slash is on the promo trail talking up his forthcoming solo effort, "Apocalyptic Love," set for release May 22. Along the way, the guitarist continues to face questions about Guns N' Roses' induction into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, which happens next Saturday. And he's getting tired of it.

"This is a subject I'm dead sick of talking about," Slash tells Rolling Stone. "Everyone has been asking me what's going to happen, and they know as much as I do. I feel you're totally obligated to be present and I would love to f**king play, but it's just something that's not gonna happen for whatever reason."

Slash, bassist Duff McKagan and drummer Steven Adler are all committed to going to the Cleveland ceremony, but it's unclear whether guitarist Izzy Stradlin or Axl Rose will be present. One sticking point for Axl may be the presence of Slash, whom he called a "cancer" in 2009. "He hates my guts," says Slash. "It's over a lot of different stuff; I don't even know. There's just no communication between us. I talk to Duff and Steven, but when it comes to old Guns N' Roses, there really isn't anybody that makes decisions." more on this story


Rock Hall of Fame KISS-off
(hennemusic) The annual Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony happens next week, which puts the Cleveland institution on a lot of people's minds this time of year. Among of the outspoken critics of the Hall are KISS, a band that's been eligible for induction since 1999, but has a lone nomination in 2010 to their name. If the band were inducted, would they show up?

"Gladly," says Paul Stanley, "because it means something to the fans. The fans want us in the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame so, of course, we'll do it for them."

Stanley added, "but when you don't even know who's voting for these people, it's a great marketing ploy: you have a bunch of people who came up with this title – 'Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame.' Who are these people who do the voting? It's obviously not the people, because when you look at some of the nominees you don't even know who they are." more on this story


Ozzy Releasing Limited Edition Randy Rhoads Live Album
(hennemusic) Fans of Ozzy Osbourne and vinyl will be pleased to hear the two are coming together on Record Store Day – Saturday, April 21.

Ozzy's vinyl releases for Record Store Day 2012 are: * "Live" 12-inch 180-gram audiophile vinyl LPs (two-disc set): A limited, numbered collector's edition recorded live on the 1981 "Blizzard Of Ozz" tour with legendary guitarist Randy Rhoads

* "Believer" live seven-inch single: A limited, numbered collector's edition on polka-dot vinyl featuring "Believer" (live) + "Goodbye to Romance" (2010 guitar and vocal mix) more on this story


10 Years Album and Tour Coming
10 Years fans will have a rockin' summer with the band releasing a new album and hitting the road on a new tour.

10 Years will release their new album, Minus the Machine on July 17, their debut release on their own Palehorse Records label (in conjunction with Warner Music Group's Independent Label Group.)

10 Years frontman Jesse Hasek explains the decision to release the album independently, saying "We wanted to create an album that has no boundaries." He continues, "When you feel like you're being told to go through motions and jump through hoops, it takes the heart out of it. It's better to do what comes naturally and then figure out the after-effect." more on this story


Slash To Play Album Release Show
(hennemusic) Slash's sophomore album, "Apocalyptic Love," hits the streets May 22 and, on the day of its release, the guitarist has just announced that he'll play a club show in New York.

A fan pre-sale for the Irving Plaza concert will begin this Wednesday, April 4 at 10:00 a.m., with the regular on-sale set for Friday April 6 at 10:00 a.m. Tickets will be available at SlashOnline.com

The NY gig is part of Slash's mini-tour of the States next month to help launch the new project; dates start May 3 in Baltimore. more on this story


Peter Blake Updating Beatles Sgt. Pepper Album Cover
(Gibson) To celebrate his 80th birthday, Sir Peter Blake is producing a new version of the iconic album cover for The Beatles Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, which he came up with in 1967.

According to the Daily Express, the new collage-style artwork features current figures like Paul Weller, Danny Boyle, Elvis Costello, John Hurt, J.R.R. Tolkien, Dame Helen Mirren and Kate Moss. Sir Paul McCartney also makes an appearance.

Blake said, "I chose people I admire, great people and some who are dear friends." more on this story




Marilyn Manson Plans Limited Edition For Record Store Day
(Gibson) Marilyn Manson will release a new single titled "No Reflection" as an exclusive seven-inch vinyl disc in Europe on April 21 for Record Store Day.

Only 1,500 copies of the disc will be pressed, featuring the album version of "No Reflection" from the forthcoming CD Born Villain, as well as a single edit.

Born Villain will be released on May 1 in the U.S. and a day earlier internationally, via Cooking Vinyl and Manson's own label, Hell, Etc. more on this story




Jimmy Little RIP
(Gibson) Australian music pioneer Jimmy Little has died peacefully at the age of 75 after a long illness.

Born on March 1, 1937, Little was the first Australian aboriginal artist to achieve mainstream success, and was one of the first artists signed to Festival Records. His hit "Royal Telephone" in 1963 was followed by "One Road" in 1964. The song was written for Little by Bee Gee Barry Gibb.

Little's career enjoyed a resurgence in 1999 with the release of Messenger, an album featuring covers of classic Australian rock songs from the 1980s, including "Under the Milky Way" by The Church, "Into Temptation" by Crowded House, "Cattle and Cane" by The Go-Betweens and "(Are You) The One That I've Been Waiting For" by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. more on this story




Atheist Joins Death To All Tour
Atheist will be joining the Death To All Tour 2012 which has just added more dates to the trek.

Death To All Tour 2012 - In benefit of Sweet Relief (sweetrelief.org). This 7 city tour will feature a majority of Death's musicians, as well as special guests. This tour is to celebrate the life and music of Chuck Schuldiner, as well as to raise awareness of Sweet Relief Musicians Fund – a charity that provides financial assistance to career musicians faced with illness, disability or age-related problems.

Here is the official statement about the tour from Atheist's Kelly Shaefer: "We could not be more honored to be direct support on the upcoming Death To All Tour! It's gonna be a blast to gather with all our old and dear friends form the early days of extreme metal, and also to help celebrate the music from the godfather of Death metal, Chuck Schuldiner. Any fan of Death/extreme metal, I'm telling you now, sell everything to attend one or more of these shows. It's going to be legendary and you can bet on that! We will be doing the Orlando, Atlanta and Dallas shows, so we hope to see all the Southern metal-heads out in force. Thanks to Anton and the organizers for asking us to be a part of this monumental moment in extreme metal history! See you all there!" more on this story


System Of A Down's Serj Tankian Plans Harakiri Album Release
System Of A Down frontman Serj Tankian is planning to release his third solo album, Harakiri, this summer.

Tankian is currently in his Serjical Strike Studios in LA putting the finishing touches on his third solo studio album and we were sent these details:

He tried to approach writing a little differently this time around. "I used the Apple iPad as a songwriting instrument to sketch out three of the songs on the record. We must trick ourselves into writing in different ways to get unexpected results." more on this story


Godsmack's Sully Erna Unplugs Metallica Hit
(hennemusic) Godsmack frontman Sully Erna is currently playing some solo dates before the band regroups to hit the road again late next week.

Some video of Sully's Sunday night show in Huntington, NY has surfaced, including his acoustic cover of Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters."

Erna is out promoting the upcoming release of "Avalon Live," a live DVD/Blu-ray featuring the singer performing material from his 2010 solo effort, "Avalon." Check out video here.


Primus, Phil Lesh, Bob Weir and Bruce Hornsby Lead Gathering of the Vibes
(Sub) The 17th annual Gathering of the Vibes is set to take place from July 19th through 22nd at Seaside Park in Bridgeport, Ct and will feature Primus, Phil Lesh & Friends, Bob Weir & Bruce Hornsby with Special Guest Branford Marsalis, Mickey Hart Band, Sound Tribe Sector 9, The Avett Brothers, along with Yonder Mountain String Band, 7 Walkers, The Greyboy Allstars, and Steel Pulse.

Vibes favorites Dark Star Orchestra, Zappa Plays Zappa, and Bridgeport's own Deep Banana Blackout will return to the stage in 2012. Over 40 bands will perform on multiple stages located throughout the 370-acre beachfront venue.

"The Vibes is a seminal gathering of the tribes, and should be supported by those who spawned it," shared Mickey Hart, founding member of The Grateful Dead. more on this story


Garbage Live Chat and Video Premiere Today
Garbage will be hosting a live online chat today as well as premiering the music video for their new single.

The music video for the group's new single "Blood For Poppies" will premiere today, April 3rd, on AOL Music. The track is the first single from the band's forthcoming album, Not Your Kind Of People, which is due out on May 15th.

Garbage will participate in a live Ustream chat where the band will answer questions from fans about the video and forthcoming new album, followed by the world premiere of the video live from Los Angeles. The chat starts at 1:00pm PST. more on this story


David Lynch Delivers Crazy Clown Time Video
(Vice) Yesterday David Lynch premiered his self directed video for "Crazy Clown Time," the title track from his debut solo album.

Lynch describes the setting for the video as "an intense psychotic backyard craziness, fueled by beer" and Film Comment calls the track "Crazy Clown Time" "a giddy, half-told story of a party gone awry and women with torn shirts."

The premiere of "Crazy Clown Time" marks the latest from the Noisey YouTube channel. You can watch it here.


Billy Sheehan Explains Why Mr. Big Unplugged
(Gibson) The new Mr. Big album, Live From The Living Room, came about as a result of acoustic promotional appearances in Japan to talk up the band's latest studio album, What If?

Speaking to BraveWords.com's Mitch Lafon, Billy Sheehan said acoustic mode was not entirely unknown to the band – after all, they hit #1 with their 1991 single "To Be With You."

"When we go out to do promo tours and stuff, we end up doing a lot acoustically and we hang out backstage with acoustic guitars and such, so we end up playing a lot," Sheehan said. "This is not completely foreign to us – singing and playing acoustic instruments quietly is something we do a lot of off stage. You have to step back and think through what you're going to do because there's no giant amp behind you." more on this story




Great White Set New Album Release
(Gibson) Great White will release a new album, Elation, on May 18 via Frontiers Records. The album is the first to feature new lead singer Terry Ilous and bass player Scott Snyder, alongside original members Mark Kendall (guitar), Michael Lardie (guitar/keys) and Audie Desbrow (drums).

Elation is Great White's 12th studio album. "This is a new birth of the band," Desbrow said. "I wanted to call the album 'Tabula Rasa' which means rebirth, but we went for 'Elation' because of the euphoria in the atmosphere. It's a fresh and healthier start than ever before. I'm like a kid in a candy store."

Guitarist Kendall agrees: "This is the most excited I've been since I was nine-years-old and got my first guitar." more on this story




Gary Clark Jr. To Play Summer Music Festivals
Gary Clark Jr. has been invited to perform at this summer's major North American music festivals, according to Warner Bros. They sent over these details:

The appearances include a prime slot at the eclectic Bonnaroo (where he also appeared during the day last year), to the alternative mainstays Coachella and Montreal's Osheaga Festival, to the indie rock-driven Sasquatch!, to the NOLA Jazz & Heritage Festival, plus many other top-line festivals whose line-ups will be announced in the coming weeks.

With an unpredictable and musically varied live set that changes depending on Clark's mood, the Austin native has been wowing fans of all stripes during an incredibly successful year spent touring the U.S, Europe, and the U.K., performing everywhere from sold-out clubs to massive stadiums with Eric Clapton. more on this story


Landmine Marathon Added To Nasum's Farewell Tour Dates
Landmine Marathon will be supporting Nasum on several of the band's upcoming Farewell Tour dates.

Landmine Marathon will be playing three shows starting on May 28th and concluding on May 30th.

In regards to the Farewell Tour, paying tribute to the late Mieszko Talarczyk, Landmine Marathon bassist Matt Martinez stated: "We are honored and excited to take part in The Grind Finale of Nasum. Mieszko was such an important and powerful contributor to the world of extreme music. It is going to be great to take part in this farewell to the grind powerhouse that is Nasum!" more on this story


The Agonist Set June Album Release
(CM) The Agonist's third studio album, Prisoners, is set to be released via Century Media Records on June 4th in Europe and June 5th in North America.

The effort was produced by Christian Donaldson (Cryptopsy) and mixed by Tue Madsen (The Haunted, Dark Tranquillity, Suicide Silence),

In regards to this upcoming album, the band comments: "Creating 'Prisoners' was the most challenging under-taking to date for The Agonist. Years of emotion, passion, thought and experience went into making this album, and I think people will be able to hear, feel and think right along with us when they listen to 'Prisoners'." more on this story


The Day Charlie Brown Was Banned
(Gibson) On this day in 1959, The BBC banned "Charlie Brown" by The Coasters from their airwaves. Gibson takes a look back: On this date in 1959, the BBC struck a decisive blow in the battle against hooliganism by banning the song, "Charlie Brown," by The Coasters. With keen awareness, the Powers-That-Be saw that the song's protagonist is hailed for throwing "spitballs" and intuited that this song would send British classrooms into chaos should it ever make it onto the country's airwaves. And so, the United Kingdom was saved from that "clown," Charlie Brown. But despite the fatherly stewardship of the Beeb, The Coasters' reign of hi-jinks was hardly at an end.

The group was formed in October 1955 out of the ashes of the Los Angeles-based vocal group, The Robins (of "Smokey Joe's Café" and "Riot in Cell Block #9" fame). Atlantic Records made an offer to the songwriting duo of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, two 22-year-olds with a full five years of hits under their belts, including "Kansas City," "Hound Dog" and "Hard Times." The duo had formed Spark Records in 1953, which prominently featured The Robins. When Atlantic bought out Spark, the label offered Leiber and Stoller the opportunity to produce their own records (and even offer them to other labels).

When Leiber and Stoller moved to Atlantic, the idea was that they would continue to record The Robins. Unfortunately, only two Robins were willing to fly to Atlantic: lead man Carl Gardner and R&B vet (and former Air Force boxing champion) Bobby Nunn. Leiber and Stoller paired them with comedy singer Billy Guy and doo-wop vocalist Leon Hughes. The group also featured a guitarist, Adoph Jacobs, who later made a name for himself as a jazz and blues player, working with Johnny "Guitar" Watson and Larry Williams, among others.

Out of the gates, The Coasters were a hit. Their spot-on comedic delivery—and deceptively tight harmonies—made them the kings of the malt-shop jukebox and high-risers on the pop and R&B charts. Beginning with the R&B hit, "Down in Mexico," the group picked up steam with steadily higher-performing singles, with the double-sided "Young Blood"/"Searchin'" reaching the Top 10 in 1957.

STEVEN TYLER SAYS NEW AEROSMITH ABLUM IS NEARLY DONE

Four out of Aerosmith's five members (all the guys except guitarist Brad Whitford, who was touring on the "Experience Hendrix" run) recently got together at the Grove mall in Los Angeles to officially broadcast news of their Global Warming Tour and answer some questions about the tour and the band's long-awaited, upcoming album.

Frontman Steven Tyler revealed some new information about the rockers' fresh studio effort, which the boys have been laboring over in Los Angeles for several months. Tyler dropped a few song titles – "Beautiful," "Legendary Child" and "Out Go the Lights" – and then commented that the record, "will be out in three months."

Tyler added that the album was "almost done," and that Aerosmith have two more songs to finish before entering the mixing phase. "It should take us another month and a half, two months, and we'll be in your face before you know it," he said.

Today's Day In Rock!

Free Red Hot Chili Peppers EP
(hennemusic) The Red Hot Chili Peppers returned to the road this week to start the North American leg of their "I'm With You" world tour.
The shows were supposed to begin in January, but things were postponed due to multiple foot injuries sustained by singer Anthony Kiedis. Anthony underwent surgery to remove a crushed sesamoid bone and correct a detached flexor tendon in his foot and is expected to make a full recovery.

To mark the band's return to the stage, the Peppers are offering fans a free live EP from their 2011 European dates. more on this story


Steven Adler Sorry for Guns N' Roses Hacks Comment
Original Guns N' Roses drummer Steven Adler has issued a public apology for comments he made in an interview published last week where he labeled the current members of GNR as hacks.

Adler's camp sent this over: "Sometimes my emotions get the best of me when talking about my former band" states Adler.

"It's hard to see your ex in bed with somebody else. We created one of the biggest selling debut albums of all time and it's no secret that I want to finish what we started 25 years ago and play together at the Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame. The guys that Axl has put together are all great players. They're not hacks in the sense that they can't play, they're all incredible musicians. I just meant that they are not the original lineup. I would like to apologize to Axl, Bumblefoot, D.J., Tommy, Dizzy, Richard, Frank, and Chris for my statement."


Fred Durst Vs Limp Bizkit Members?
(TMZ) The Limp Bizkit comeback might be over before it begins ... because TMZ has learned Fred Durst is gunning hard to axe two of the original members.

The "Nookie" band recently signed a deal with Cash Money Records ... and had been planning to put out a new record in the very near future.

But we're told plans came to a grinding halt recent;y ... when original members DJ Lethal and drummer John Otto were informed that Fred had a "new vision" for the group ... and they weren't part of the vision.

Sources tell us ... Fred has been upset with the guys for a while ... claiming their partying habits didn't fit with his lifestyle.

We're told the guys have not been officially 86'd from the group ... but they feel it might be headed in that direction unless they work out their issues, stat.

TMZ reached out to DJ Lethal ... who told us, "We've worked together the last 4 years to bring Limp Bizkit back to where it is today ... and to just be thrown out on the street after the band gets a new deal and a new chance at life isn't cool."

He adds, "You can't push away the people who helped you get there. The fans should know that if 2/5 of the original band are not playing at the concerts, it wont be truthful to them." more on this story


Great White Fire Jack Russell And Jack Fighting Back
Great White have reportedly fired their frontman Jack Russell after he was incapacitated by medical issues back in 2010 and they decided to carry on without him.

Now Russell has filed a lawsuit accusing his estranged bandmates of the wrongful use of the group's name. Sleazeroxx reports: Russell was hospitalized in the summer of 2010 after suffering a perforated bowel, and he was ultimately forced to sit out the remaining dates on Great White's 25th anniversary tour while he recovered and XYZ star Terry Ilous was called in to take his place.

However, founding member Russell has now accused lead guitarist Mark Kendall, drummer Audie Desbrow, keyboard player Michael Lardie, bassist Scott Snyder, and Ilous of firing him and using group's name while he was sick. more on this story


Full KISS Concert Streaming Online
(hennemusic) KISS brought their own version of March Madness to New Orleans Friday night. The KISS concert was streamed online for fans who couldn't make it in person, and video of the complete set has now surfaced.

The veteran rockers were just one of the acts performing free concerts in Woldenberg Park along the Mississippi River as part of a full slate of festivities throughout the NCAA Final Four weekend.

KISS kicked off "The Big Dance Concert Series" with their Friday night event, which featured 13 classic tracks and the show opener, "Modern Day Delilah" from 2009's "Sonic Boom." Watch the concert stream


Fear Factory Releasing Concept Album
Fear Factory have set a June 5th North American release date for their new album, The Industrialist.

The Industrialist is a conceptual record based around a story written by vocalist Burton C. Bell. Lyrics to the album's ten songs divulge the narrative as discussed recently by Bell with Decibel Magazine.

The album's artwork was created by American designer Anthony Clarkson with additional direction from the band. The album will be available on three formats – standard CD, a limited edition deluxe digi-book (featuring two additional songs), and 180-gram double vinyl. more on this story


Roger Daltrey and Paul Weller Talking Collaboration
(Gibson) The Who's Roger Daltrey hopes to collaborate on a new album with Paul Weller. The two musicians have been in conversation about a record "idea," according to Daltrey, and hope to "come up with something" in coming months.

"Paul Weller's been talking about an idea that he's been working on, which I'd love him to do," Daltrey said in an interview with the NME. "I've been very bad at finding material and he [has this] idea ... He's always said to me, 'Why don't you sing more?' and I always say, 'Find me some material.' So we'll see if we can come up with something."

Although they have never worked together on an album, Daltrey and Weller are longtime friends. They collaborated on a rendition of The Who's "Magic Bus" at the 2009 Hop Farm festival and again this week, as part of the U.K's Teenage Cancer Trust shows that Daltrey organizes. Weller is, of course, a longtime fan of The Who and has played "Magic Bus" regularly since his solo career started in the '90s. more on this story




Brand New Heading North This Summer
Brand New have mapped out some of their summer tour plans which include a trip up north.

The band will tour major markets in Canada in the first half of August, beginning in Toronto on August 2 and continuing through dates in Guelph, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Emonton, Calgary and Vancouver.

Brand New will also appear at The Bamboozle Festival in Asbury Park, New Jersey, on May 20, and the Osheaga Festival in Montreal the weekend of August 3-5. more on this story


Joe Perry Gives New Aerosmith Album Details
(hennemusic) Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry spoke with Billboard to provide an update on the status of the new album, which is expected this summer.

Each record, Perry says, "always starts with the stuff left over from the last record." In the case of "Legendary Child," which will appear on the new album and in the film "G.I. Joe: Retaliation," the song dates back 21 years to the "Get a Grip" sessions.

"This record is different from the recent past, say the last 20 years, where everybody is getting in the studio and throwing down their songs," Perry notes. "Some of the songs are completed and some are just riffs. This record is a lot more band-written stuff than there has been in the recent past."

"We probably have two songs to write to finish. Or certainly there are slots to fill...." more


Megadeth's Dave Mustaine Fully Recovered From Surgery
(hennemusic) Last fall, Megadeth leader Dave Mustaine underwent surgery for stenosis, a neck and spine condition that he says was caused by years of headbanging.

The surgery was necessary to avoid further risk of injury – or even permanent damage. On Saturday, Mustaine updated fans on his condition with the following tweet:

"Got my 6 mos. X-rays 3/30/12 on my neck. Totally fused, and I can FINALLY start exercising. Thank God, and thanks for your prayers." more on this story


Oceano Call Off Break Up
Oceano have called off plans to break up after this year's New England Metal and Hardcore Festival and instead plan to record new music. Their camp sent over these details:

The band is currently hard-at-work writing their next studio album for Earache Records, which is expected in early 2013. Frontman Adam Warren issued the following statement: "Kinda funny how right around Easter we decide to pull a Jesus and flip the script on what everyone was thinking right?

"With rumors running around, and haters trolling in their own discontent, it IS true Oceano will be staying alive and kicking for the rest of 2012 and far beyond. more on this story


Motley Crue's Vince Neil Releases Girls, Girls, Girls Club Commercial
(hennemusic) Motley Crue singer Vince Neil is gearing up for the official grand opening of his new Las Vegas strip club, "Girls, Girls, Girls" and has released a commercial to promote it. The club opens Friday, April 13.

"It's something I always wanted to do," Vince recently told his pal Robin Leach at the Las Vegas Sun. "So it's like a dream come true. But this will be different and unique. It will be the first rock and roll strip joint. It was a business opportunity to become a partner that was too good to pass up."

His new topless club will take over the former Deja Vu opposite the Orleans off Tropicana Avenue a mile from the Strip. Check out the commercial


Black Dahlia Murder, Exhumed and F The Facts Tour
Exhumed will be hitting the road with F... the Facts and The Black Dahlia Murder for The Canadian Ritual Tour.

The trek will begin on May 11 in Madison, Wisconsin and include two weeks of Canadian dates before drawing to a close in June 2 in Detroit, Michigan.

The band kicked off a short run of headlining shows on Friday and will soon be heading out with Cannibal Corpse for the U.S. Torture Tour 2012 with labelmates Abysmal Dawn and Arkaik. more on this story


Previously Unpublished Slayer Interview From 1983
(BP) Brian Lew, coauthor of Murder In The Front Row: Shots From the Bay Area Thrash Metal Epicenter has posted a previously unpublished 1983 interview with Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman of Slayer.

The interview, typed by Kerry King, was originally intended for the second issue of Lew's pioneering Whiplash fanzine, and covers a time period prior to the release of Slayer's 1984 debut album, Show No Mercy.
The interview can be viewed here

Among the subjects covered are Slayer's early history, band influences, the Los Angeles heavy metal scene, and writing songs "as heavy and evil as possible."

Kerry King on the Slayer's influences: "I think it's kind of obvious that we like Venom and Metallica. I also think [Mercyful] Fate's new album has some of the hottest riffs ever written." more on this story


A Life Once Lost Map Out Tour Dates
A Life Once Lost will be hitting the road in June for a brief U.S. tour after putting the finishing touches on their upcoming album.

The tour kicks off on June 23rd in Richmond, VA, ending on June 29th in Pittsburgh, PA. The dates link up with California sludge metal outfit Black Sheep Wall's full U.S. headline tour.

A Life Once Lost recently booked studio time at Planet Red in Richmond, VA to record the long-awaited follow-up to their 2007 album, Iron Gag. Planet Red is owned and operated by producer Andreas Magnusson (The Black Dahlia Murder, Impending Doom). more on this story


Tesseract Plan Acoustic EP Release
Tesseract will release an acoustic EP, Perspective, in North American on May 22nd and in Europe on May 21st.

Perspective will be available digitally, while a physical version will be available exclusively through CMDistro.com in North America and the band's webshops.

The five song EP features "Eden 2.0", acoustic versions of three tracks from the band's debut album, One, plus a cover of Jeff Buckley's classic, "Dream Brother". As a special bonus, the iTunes version will contain instrumentals of all the tracks. more on this story





Video of Drunk Man Singing Queen Classic in Cop Car Goes Viral
(hennemusic) Queen songs have been sung all over the world, and the latest viral video making the rounds continues that tradition, although not exactly under the best of circumstances.

Video of an unnamed man, picked up by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) for intoxication, shows him in the back of the cruiser singing the full version of Queen's 1975 classic, "Bohemian Rhapsody."

Based on the time and date stamp on the clip, the footage appears to have come from Edson, Alberta, although this has not been confirmed. The date on the video lists November 27, 2011. more on this story


Paul McCartney Says New Beatles Tag Is Kiss of Death
(Gibson) Sir Paul McCartney says being hailed as the next Beatles is a "kiss of death" for a band. McCartney was asked about the stellar rise of U.K. boy band One Direction on U.K. TV show Daybreak.

One Direction hit #1 on the Billboard album chart with their debut album – The Beatles did not achieve that.

But McCartney said of any "new Beatles" tag: "That is the kiss of death. So many bands have been called the next Beatles. It puts an awful lot of pressure on them to be the next Beatles. Oasis were the next Beatles once if you remember, you know, and it's a pressure and suddenly you have to live up to all the things we did. It was a different time, you know, so let's just call them the next terrific band.

"But [One Direction] are doing well in America, so that is good. Good luck lads!" more on this story




Consequence of Sound Release Mobile App
Consequence of Sound has released a new mobile app for iPhone and Android users. We were sent these details:

Powered by Wasp Mobile, the App is free to all users and the premium features will be available free of charge on a 30-day free trial. To download for the iPhone, visit the iTunes Store. To download for the Android, visit the Android Market.

The app offers around-the-clock news coverage, editorials, interviews, and reviews to the ever growing and always thriving music world. more on this story


Remembering Buddy Rich
(Gibson) On this day in 1987, One of the greatest drummers of all time, Buddy Rich, died at age 69 due to complications caused by a brain tumour. Rich worked with many acts including Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Tommy Dorsey's band, Dizzy Gillespie and Oscar Peterson. Gibson takes a look back:

You could say that Buddy Rich marched to his own beat. Considered by many to be "the world's greatest drummer"(as he was often billed), the big band and jazz legend had no formal instruction, claimed he never practiced and could barely (if at all) read music. Rich was a drumming wonder, who continues to influence percussionists long after his death on this day in 1987.

He was born Bernard Rich to a pair of vaudevillians, Robert and Bess, in Brooklyn in 1917. His rhythmic talents were noticeable as soon as he turned 1 – according to his father, Buddy could keep perfect time with a pair of spoons. By the time he was 18 months old, the little drummer boy was performing on vaudeville stages as "Traps the Drum Wonder." By age 11, he was serving as a bandleader.

At a young age, Rich began to make quite a name for himself in the music world. His natural talent made a huge impression on drum teacher Henry Adler, after one of Adler's students introduced them.

"The kid told me Buddy played better than [Gene] Krupa," Adler remembered later, in an interview for Modern Drummer. "Buddy was only in his teens at the time and his friend was my first pupil. Buddy played and I watched his hands. Well, he knocked me right out. He did everything I wanted to do, and he did it with such ease. When I met his folks, I asked them who his teacher was. 'He never studied,' they told me. That made me feel very good. I realized that it was something physical, not only mental, that you had to have."

In his late teens, he got into playing in jazz bands. And from there, Buddy embarked on a streak of collaborations that would include some of the most famous names in jazz and pop music. Among those he played with: Artie Shaw, Bunny Berigan, Vic Shoen Orchestra, the Andrews Sisters and Tommy Dorsey. While playing with Dorsey's orchestra, Buddy befriended Frank Sinatra, who was backed by the group.

TODAY'S DAY IN ROCK NEWS!

Queen with Adam Lambert Gig Canceled (Gibson) Sonisphere Festival U.K. has been canceled, according to a statement Queen posted on their website, Queenonline.com. Queen, with Adam Lambert, were set to be one of the headliners at the festival, which was to take place at Knebworth Park on July 6-8. "It is with very heavy hearts and much regret that we announce the cancellation of Sonisphere Knebworth 2012," read the statement. An official statement from the festival organizers has yet to come. [Another interpretation is that the band is canceling their appearance and the event will still go on. We will know either way when organizers issue a statement.] more on this story Duff N' Adler for Golden Gods Original Guns N' Roses bandmates Steven Adler and Duff Mckagan will soon hit the stage together when they present the "Riff Lord" award at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards Show. The fourth annual Revolver Golden Gods Award will take place Wednesday, April 11, at Club Nokia in Downtown Los Angeles. For the first time ever, the event will be broadcast live in its entirety on Xbox LIVE, as well as on the Xbox and Revolver Facebook pages. more on this story KISS To Hire Vet For Motley Crue Tour (Banana 101.5) KISS will be doing their part to support veterans by hiring one as a roadie for their summer tour with Motley Crue. This is part of the 'Hiring our Heroes' movement. So many veterans risk their lives for us, and come back to unemployment. The veteran who is hired will travel with the band from July, 14 through September 25, 2012. More details Rob Zombie Plans New Album and Adds Dates With Megadeth Two new dates have been added to the upcoming Megadeth and Rob Zombie tour as Zombie announces plans to begin recording a new album. The Zombie camp sent over this update: Rob Zombie has announced that he and his band of maniacs - John 5, Piggy D and Ginger Fish - will enter the studio on June 1 to begin recording the next chapter in the Zombie musical legacy. This new, as yet untitled CD is set for a late 2012 release. "It has been way, and I mean way too long without any new music. I am dying to get back to it," said Zombie. "I have not felt this much excitement within the band since recording the first Hellbilly Deluxe record almost 15 years ago. We have been working on tons of songs for quite some time and I can safely say this will definitely be our best record yet." more on this story Korn Star Was Arrested For Driving While Sleepy (TMZ) Former Korn drummer David Silveria tells TMZ ... he blew a 0.0 on the breathalyzer during his DUI arrest this week ... but says cops nailed him anyway over a sleeping pill he took the night before. TMZ broke the story ... Silveria was popped in Huntington Beach, CA on Sunday at 10:45 AM. Silveria is adamant he hadn't been boozing ... telling us he suffers from insomnia and took a sleeping pill Saturday night to help him rest. When he woke up Sunday morning, David says he didn't realize he was still too tired to drive ... and accidentally rear-ended another car on the way to breakfast. Cops arrived to the scene and put David through a standard DUI test ... but Silveria tells us they didn't detect a drop of alcohol in his system. Silveria says he told the cops about the sleeping pill ... and that's when they made the decision to arrest him for DUI. Silveria -- who is now a member of the band INFINIKA -- says he plans to take responsibility for his actions ... telling us, "It was an honest mistake." more on this story Go To Camp With Steven Tyler If you ever fantasized about jamming with Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler, here is your chance as he has signed on to take part in Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp's next installment which is taking place at the Playboy Mansion in Hollywood in May. Kicking off May 2nd and culminating May 6 with a concert event featuring Steven himself, the camp will host such rock star counselors including Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot), Alan White (Yes), Phil Soussan (Ozzy Osbourne), Vinny Appice (Black Sabbath), Howard Leese (Heart), Mark Hudson (record producer/songwriter), John Moyer (Disturbed), Kip Winger (Winger), and Billy Sheehan (Big) with more to be announced. The 5 day rock camp allows music fans a chance to jam nightly with legendary rock stars, write and record an original song and perform live on stage at the Playboy Mansion in front of family and friends. Campers will jam with Steven Tyler at the culmination concert on May 5th at the Playboy Mansion. more on this story Pink Floyd TV Special Coming Music Choice will air the US TV debut of a retrospective of Pink Floyd entitled: A Pink Floyd Miscellany: 1967-2005. This marks the first time the show has appeared on television in the United States. The special program, featuring a selection of digitally remastered promotional videos and rare performance footage, will air nationally on MC On Demand April 2-29, 2012. The show will appear in a special Pink Floyd category On Demand under "Featured Artists." It will be housed in two (2) thirty minute segments along with additional features in the category, including a rare short film on the band and a special interview with drummer Nick Mason. Neal Schon, Eric Singer and More for Ronnie Montrose Event We have more details about A Concert for Ronnie Montrose, which will be held at the Regency Ballroom in San Francisco on Friday, April 27. All an all-star jam has been announced which will feature Neal Schon from Journey, Steve Smith formerly from Journey, members of Tesla, Eric Martin from Mr. Big, Rickie Philips from Styx, Eric Singer from KISS, Tommy Thayer of KISS and Jimmy DeGrasso from Y & T and Alice Cooper. The event will also feature the original Montrose lineup performing the first Montrose album, with special guest Joe Satriani on lead guitar joining Sammy Hagar- vocals; Bill Church- bass; and Denny Carmassi- drums. more on this story Opeth Reissues Coming The End Records are reissuing four albums from Opeth on April 10th, as part of their acquisition of rights to the Music For Nations catalog. They sent over these details: With collective Soundscans of over 300,000 sold, these three albums + one live DVD/CD recording present the very best of Opeth from their black metal era to their progressive rock transformation. The albums, produced by Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree, along with the magnificent live DVD and documentary Lamentations, are necessary reissues for any Opeth enthusiast. more on this story Rush Releasing New Song in April (hennemusic) Rush fans only have a few weeks until the band issues the first single from the forthcoming "Clockwork Angels" album. Rushisaband.com reports "Headlong Flight" will hit rock radio on April 19. The single will featured an edited track, running five-and-a-half minutes; the full album version clocks in at seven-and-a-half minutes. "Clockwork Angels" will be released on May 23 in Japan and May 29 in North America. more on this story The Darkness Plot American Invasion The Darkness will bring their over the top show to America this May between dates Down Under and their European tour. The reunited UK band return stateside this May for select dates as well as three festival appearances: Saturday, May 19 at InfieldFest (Baltimore, MD), Sunday, May 20 at Rock On The Range (Columbus, OH) and Saturday, May 26 at Rocklahoma. more on this story Silversun Pickups Set Album Release and Kimmel Performance Dangerbird Records have set a May 8th release date for Silversun Pickups new album, Neck of the Woods. They had these details: The record was produced by the Grammy Award-winning Jacknife Lee (U2, Weezer, REM, Snow Patrol), and the song "Bloody Mary (Nerve Endings)" will be the first single. The band is confirmed to perform from the Jimmy Kimmel Live! outdoor stage on release day, May 8. more on this story Refused, The Promise Ring, August Burns Red, Boy Sets Fire for Riot Fest Riot Fest will return to Philadelphia as a three-day event on Thursday, July 19, Friday, July 20 and Saturday, July 21. The line-up for Thursday, July 19 includes the newly reunited Refused as well as The Promise Ring, August Burns Red, Off!, Gameface, Boy Sets Fire, Hirs and more. Additional performers for the 8th annual Riot Fest (8th annual in Chicago, 2nd annual in Philadelphia) will be unveiled in the coming weeks. more on this story Metallica Expand Mexico City Run Again (hennemusic) Metallica have added a sixth show in Mexico City this summer. Three new dates have now been added following the fast sell out of the initial three night. An August 9th concert joins the previously announced series, scheduled for August 1, 2, 4, 6 and 7. "WOW! A big THANK YOU to our friends in Mexico City for selling out three nights and 60,000 tickets at the Sports Palace in less than 90 minutes last week. There's no way we can stop now," posted Metallica earlier this week. more on this story Flaming Lips To Include Collaborator's Blood In New Album (Gibson) Some copies of the new Flaming Lips album will contain blood from "fwends" who collaborated on the album, Wayne Coyne has told MTVHive. "I don't have everybody's blood just yet, but I collected quite a few vials … and it's actually sitting in my refrigerator as we speak," Coyne said. "I'm going to try to … put little bits of everybody's blood in the middle of this record. Like a glass specimen thing." Coyne told New Musical Express that he's thus far collected blood specimens from Ke$ha, Neon Indian and Prefuse 73. Other collaborators – and presumably hoped-for donors – include Yoko Ono, Erykah Badu, Coldplay's Chris Martin, Bon Iver, Nick Cave and Lightning Bolt. more on this story Red Sparowes Offspring Marriages Premiere New Song Red Sparowes offspring' Marriages are giving fans a taste of their forthcoming debut album. The band have premiere the new song "Ride In My Place," at Spin.com and it comes from their new album Kitsune, which will be released on LP, CD and download on May 1st, 2012. Listen to the song here Marriages is a new band comprised of Red Sparowes members Emma Ruth Rundle (vocals, guitar), Greg Burns (bass, synthesizer) and David Clifford (drums). more on this story Paul McCartney Rearranged Tour To Headline Teenage Cancer Trust (Gibson) No one can say Paul McCartney doesn't keep his word. This week, the former Beatle booked extra shows in Europe in order to fulfill a promise made to Roger Daltrey to perform at this year's Teenage Cancer Trust event in London on March 29. "We almost got him last year, but he couldn't make the date work," Daltrey told London's The Sun. "He said, 'I'll be there for you next year, Rog' – and here he is. He did a few extra shows in Europe to make it work, so that no one had to foot the bill of getting his show here – and that means a lot." McCartney will headline the first night of the six-night event, which will take place at London's Royal Albert Hall. Daltrey, who organizes the annual charitable event, went on to praise McCartney as "brilliant." "To see his full arena show in the Albert Hall will be a once-in-a-lifetime thing," Daltrey said. "He's the most iconic figure in the world." more on this story ZZ Top New Album Completion Coming Closer To Reality (Gibson) Billy Gibbons has hinted that the finish line is in sight for ZZ Top's long-awaited new album. In an interview with Billboard.com, the veteran guitarist said the band has been "picking through the good stuff" and that the project is "down to seeds and stems." The new album, which will be ZZ Top's first studio disc since 2003's Mescalero, is being produced by Rick Rubin. Gibbons said Rubin's vision did not involve an overhaul of the Texas trio's trademark sound. "Rubin [told us], 'It's just pretty much straight-ahead. I don't see any major changes. If we stumble into something drastic, fine. If it works, we'll know it.'" Gibbons declined to predict whether the album would be released before ZZ Top's summer tour kicks off, on May 25. more on this story American Idol Contestant Rocks Led Zeppelin Classic (hennemusic) American Idol doesn't stray into rock territory very often, but the reality series did manage to get the Led out Wednesday evening. The show is down to the final 9 contestants, and this week's episode was built on the theme of each singer performing a song by their own idols. Elise Testone closed out Wednesday's program with a rocking version of Led Zeppelin's classic, "Whole Lotta Love." Testone received a standing ovation from the judging panel of Aerosmith's Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez and Randy Jackson. "I wasn't sure if you were going to pull that off," said Tyler, "because nobody can pull that song off. You made Robert Plant proud tonight, girl." Check it out here. Linkin Park Tease New Song Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda has posted a new video on the band's website, teasing fans about their forthcoming single. In the clip Shinoda, teases, "Burn It Down," the first single from their new album, will be released on April 16. He also tells fans that they will soon be able to unlock the track on the band's site but doesn't provide details on that how that is going to happen. Check out the clip. Dream Theater, Santana, and NIN Drum-Off Videos Videos from Guitar Center's Drum-Off finale at Club Nokia in Los Angeles, CA have been posted online. The videos include live performance footage of legendary drummers Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater), Dennis Chambers (Carlos Santana) and Ilan Rubin (Nine Inch Nails). Guitar Center's Drum-Off, entering its 24th year, is the nationwide search for the next great undiscovered drummer. Drummers from across the nation compete in the world's largest drum competition, vying for thousands of dollars in prizes and the coveted title of Guitar Center's Drum-Off Champion. The grand prize package is valued at nearly $50,000. more on this story Gwar Oderus Urungus Launches Video Series Metal Injection have launched a new tour blog video series with Gwar front-thing Oderus Urungus called "Eye of Oderus." Using the latest in scientific technology, Metal Injection implanted a webcam chip in the eye of GWAR overlord Oderus Urungus, and will broadcast ongoing transmissions as part of a new web series "Eye of Oderus." The series will take a look at what happens backstage on GWAR's current tour with Municipal Waste and Ghoul. The first edition of the series can be viewed here. Downspirit Begin Recording New Album Downspirit have entered the studio to begin recording their new studio album. The album os expected to be released in late summer, followed by a tour in fall/winter. Downspirit is the band formed by ex-Symphorce/ex-Freedom Call guitarist Cedric "Cede" Dupont. More on Downspirit - Downspirit Music - Downspirit Tour Dates/Tickets - Downspirit CDs, vinyl and rarities Rammstein Guitarist Launches Signature Gibson Guitar (Gibson) Paul Landers, guitarist with Germany's loudest metal band, Rammstein, gets his own Gibson signature guitar this week. The Paul Landers Signature Les Paul is an EMG -equipped guitar that's as fierce a riff machine as money can buy. "The Signature Series celebrates artists and the guitars they are most associated with," said Henry Juszkiewicz, Chairman and CEO of Gibson Guitar. "Paul Landers is one such artist whose stage performance is synonymous with energy, precision and unparalleled showmanship."