Today's Day In Rock News!

Model Arrested For Major Axl Rose Theft
(Classic Rock) An unidentified model has been arrested in France following the theft of three necklaces worth $200,000 from Guns N' Roses singer Axl Rose.
The event unfolded during a private party after GnR played in Paris on Tuesday night. Rose and some of his bandmates were performing for 130 invited guests when the woman took the jewellery. He was not wearing the items at the time.

She voluntarily reported to police yesterday morning, admitting she'd had too much to drink but saying she wasn't sure how the necklaces wound up in her possession. more on this story



Megadeth's Dave Mustaine Hit In The Head
(Classic Rock) Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine was forced to cut a festival set short in Croatia after being struck on the head with a stone thrown by angry rock fans.

The band were playing at Metalfest 2012 but had to endure catcalls and chants of "We want WASP" after it was rumoured Blackie Lawless had refused to perform following an argument with Mustaine.

Those rumours were not confirmed – but fans took matters into their own hands by bombarding Megadeth with whatever they could find. Matters came to a head about 40 minutes into the thrash giants' set. Bassist David Ellefson and guitarist Chris Broderick left the stage while Mustaine made a difficult-to-hear statement to the crowd and followed them off. Drummer Shawn Drover appeared not to have been told what was going on – he seemed to begin the next song on the band's set before grinding to a halt and disappearing. more on this story



AC/DC Plan New Album and Tour
(Gibson) On 5 June 5 AC/DC vocalist Brian Johnson was interviewed by Bay Area rock station 107.7 The Bone. When asked about when fans can expect to hear a new studio album from AC/DC, Johnson said, "I'll be getting together with [AC/DC guitarist Malcolm Young] in a couple of weeks, and then we're going to London to meet up with Angus [Young, AC/DC lead guitarist], hopefully. And that's usually how we'll start.

"We're just a bunch of pals from the projects, still. Even though we've done well, we still have the same roots that we stick by that we did when we had nothing, basically. And that's the work ethic. And it has to be right for the boys to do anything. When we're sitting down and [we're talking about], 'Can we do this? We're not gonna be a pale shadow of our former selves?' We'll talk about it and make sure that we've all got it. We're just five pieces of a card, and if one of us is not really [able to perform at 100 per cent], the whole thing would just collapse, I think."

AC/DC also plan to tour, but maybe not as before. "Well, I think it wouldn't be like the last one," Johnson says. "That was two years… just nuts. For guys our age at the time, to tour the world to sell-out audiences everywhere, it gives you a good feeling. And the great thing was to look out into the audiences and have a look at the generations of people… I mean, it was unbelievable… Kids there that were 7-8 [years old], teenagers…" more on this story





Sammy Hagar Wants Van Halen Apology
(Classic Rock) Former Van Halen singer Sammy Hagar says he's no longer interested in working with the band again in the future but he still wants Eddie Van Halen to apologise for his behaviour on their 2004 tour. And he insists he can't open the conversation because the guitarist would become convinced he was trying to force a reunion.

David Lee Roth is back behind the mic for Van Halen's new album A Different Kind of Truth while Hagar – who once said a reunion was "inevitable" – is touring with his supergroup Chickenfoot.

But he says he finds all the creative satisfaction he needs in his new outfit, and all he needs from his previous squad is closure. Read what he had to say here.



Black Sabbath Have Not Spoken Directly With Bill Ward About Disputes
(Classic Rock) Tony Iommi admits the members of Black Sabbath have not talked to drummer Bill Ward about the contract negotiations which sidelined him from the band's reunion.

Ozzy Osbourne adds he doesn't know exactly what led to Ward announcing he couldn't sign up for an album and tour – but insists there's still a chance things could be sorted out.

The singer tells NME: "The door is open. As far as I know, his requests were very unreasonable. Nothing would have been better than if he would have been here. I don't know – I don't deal with the business."

Guitarist Iommi adds: "We've tried everything will Bill at the moment and it's just not happening. Our legal people are dealing with his legal people. It's all nonsense. more on this story



U2 Star Seeks Justice For Seven Figure Housekeeper Theft
(Classic Rock) U2 bassist Adam Clayton appeared in court yesterday at the trial of his former housekeeper, who's accused of stealing nearly £2.5m from him.

Carol Hawkins is alleged to have committed the offences on multiple dates between 2004 and 2008, stealing amounts ranging from £800 to £250,000 at a time.

The trial is expected to last six weeks. Read more breaking rock news including news about Fear Factor, Ratt, Elvis and more here.




Stone Temple Pilots DVD and Blu-Ray Coming
Eagle Rock have set a June 26th DVD and Blu-Ray release date for Stone Temple Pilots' Alive In The Windy City, the first-ever concert to be authorized by the band for commercial video release.

Filmed in state-of-the-art high-definition, recorded in DTS-HD Master Audio and LPCM Stereo, Stone Temple Pilots performed a high-octane show at the sold-out Riviera Theatre in Chicago, IL.

This March 2010 concert blended new songs from their self-titled sixth album with classic hits from the inception of their career. Vocalist Scott Weiland, bassist Robert DeLeo, guitarist Dean DeLeo and drummer Eric Kretz erupted with a stop-on-a-dime tight, blistering set that included "Interstate Love Song" "Plush" "Vasoline" "Creep" "Sex Type Thing" and "Big Empty." more on this story




Darkest Hour Replace Member
Darkest Hour have replaced bass player Paul Burnette with Aaron Deal. The band posted the news via their official site as follows:

It's with a heavy heart that we announce the official departure of long time friend and bassist, Paul Burnette. Paul's presence on the stage, in the jam room, and everywhere in between will be missed. He has helped us to both conquer the world and develop the sound of the band. For that we'll be eternally grateful.

Although Paul will continue with the new powerhouse, Iron Reagan, his musical footprint will remain with us forever. We love you, dude! more on this story




Former Oceano Guitarist Joins Straight Line Stitch For Tour
Andrew Mikhail of Oceano fame has joined Straight Line Stitch for the second leg of their North American headlining tour. The band sent out these details:

The band just kicked off the second leg this week in Austin, TX and will continue through the western portion of the US until the tour closes on July 9th in St. Louis, MO. The second leg of the tour features openers Blameshift and Sever This Illusion on several dates, as well as individual appearances by Clutch, ChokeOut, and more.

Andrew Mikhail, formerly of metal band Oceano, is currently filling in as touring guitarist on the second leg of the tour. Straight Line Stitch singer Alexis Brown adds, "The first leg of tour was awesome and we had a blast with Kris Norris (ex-Darkest Hour). It feels like the shows just keep getting better! We're definitely geared up for the second part of the tour with Andrew Mikhail. Should be good times!" more on this story




Billy Corgan Making Wrestling Reality Show
(Gibson) Smashing Pumpkins mastermind Billy Corgan is making a reality show with his wrestling organisation. Yep, the guitar maestro is so into pro-wrestling he says he has now signed a deal with a "big reality show producer" who has "an incredible track record."

According to ProWrestling.net, Corgan says, "We believe that wrestling is fascinating on many, many levels. Socially, politically, even economically. The struggles independent wrestlers go through to try to find work. Those are real struggles that anybody can identify with. We want to show what goes on in a wrestling company behind the scenes.

"I've had like nine or ten meetings so far about it. With different people. A lot of them wanted to know if this would be your typical manufactured reality show and I told them that with a wrestling company, you don't have to manufacture reality. There's plenty of it to go around." more on this story






Lamb of God Release Movie Trailer
Lamb of God have released a trailer for their upcoming feature film release, As The Palaces Burn.

The film, directed by award winning documentary filmmaker Don Argott and produced by 9.14 Pictures (Last Days Here, Art of the Steal, Rock School), examines the impact that music and particularly heavy metal music has made on people around the globe as they live in a 21st century world full of economic uncertainty, political unrest, social injustice, and under a constant fear of war and violence. Filming has taken place to date in Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico, India, and Israel. Filming in the United States will take place over the summer months.

Embedded in the trailer is the video for the band's second single from the Resolution CD, "Desolation." The video was shot at shows in South America and Mexico and is the follow up to the animated video for the track "Ghost Walking." Watch the trailer here.




Crosby, Stills & Nash Kick Off Summer Tour
Crosby, Stills & Nash will kick off their North American summer tour tonight in Philadelphia.

The trek is set to run over 60 dates across the United States before concluding with a two night stand in San Diego at the end of Septemebr.

In addition, this July, CSN is releasing "CSN 2012"—­their first live video in over two decades. Recorded in HD earlier this spring, the release will be available digitally, on Blu-Ray, as well as a DVD/2CD combo. more on this story




Robert Cray Sets New Album Release
Robert Cray has set an August 28th release date for his sixteenth studio album, Nothing But Love. Provogue Records sent out these details:

roduced by famed rocker Kevin Shirley (Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin) Nothin But Love captures Cray at his finest with material from all four Robert Cray Band members; Cray (vocals/guitar), Jim Pugh (keyboards), Richard Cousins (bass) and Tony Braunagel (drums) that blends blues, rock, soul and jazz.

Recorded at Revolver Studios in LA, the ten song CD features the soaring breakup blues of "Won't Be Coming Home," the jazz chops of "I'll Always Remember You," the soul-drenched ode to repossession "Great Big Old House" and the frantic '50s-flavoured rocker "Side Dish." more on this story




Emberghost Tap Abigail Williams and Winds of Plague Star
Kristen Randall, keyboardist and backing vocalist for metal bands Abigail Williams and Winds of Plague, has joined Emberghost.

Emberghost lost its female keyboardist and co-vocalist Sarah Jennings to cancer in 2010. And while she can never be replaced, Kristen's passion, style, talent, and dedication make her a worthy addition to the band, and she understands fully the large shoes she is filling.

Kristen is already collaborating with Emberghost on their current project, Not Long for This Earth, which is an acoustic retrospective celebrating their work with Sarah. Upon completion of the project, for which the band is currently raising money on Kickstarter, Kristen will join the new lineup (some new members are yet to be announced) as they write, record, and perform brand new material. Kickstarter link




Vernon Reid Starstruck Playing With Cream Legend Jack Bruce
(Classic Rock) Living Colour founder Vernon Reid says he can't shake being starstruck when he's playing with Cream icon Jack Bruce but insists it's no bad thing.

The pair are the driving force behind jazz-rock supergroup Spectrum Road, along with John Medeski and Cindy Blackman Santana. Their self-titled debut album was released yesterday and the band hit the road this weekend.

"The 'Oh my God, I'm playing with Jack Bruce' thought never goes away. And that's fine. It's okay to stay a little bit in awe of these people," Guitarist Reid tells Music Radar. :You get past the whole legend thing, but then you don't. I revere Jack Bruce – but I also see him as a dude. He's fun, and he's humble too. He doesn't want to be this guy that people have to bow down to. That would be a horrible way to carry yourself, I would think." more on this story



Spiders From Mars Guitarist Mick Ronson Didn't Have Ego For Stardom
(Classic Rock) Spiders From Mars guitarist Mick Ronson didn't have the ego required to become a star in his own right, says producer Ken Scott.

Scott worked with David Bowie and the band on iconic album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, which was release 40 years ago today.

When Bowie moved on Ronson failed to capitalise on his own acclaim to the extend many think he could have done – but the producer says that's not a bad reflection on the guitarist. more on this story



B Sides


Hear Tom Cruise Sing Def Leppard Hit
(hennemusic) Def Leppard fans know 2012 is the summer of Rock Of Ages. The UK rockers have issued a newly-recorded version of their hit of the same name from 1983's "Pyromania," they've used the song to name their summer tour with Poison and Lita Ford, and the Broadway play-turned-movie Rock Of Ages - starring Tom Cruise, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Russell Brand and Julianne Hough - hits theatres June 15.

The film is a love story told through the music of Bon Jovi, Journey, Poison, Twisted Sister and other artists from the 1980s.

Cruise plays Stacee Jaxx, the biggest rock star in the world; in the film, he sings renditions of Def Leppard's "Pour Some Sugar On Me" and Guns N' Roses' "Paradise City."

The Cruise version of the Leppard classic "Pour Some Sugar on Me" is now available as a single. Listen to it here.



Full Slash Concert Streaming Online
(hennemusic) On Tuesday, May 22 - the day his new album, "Apocalyptic Love," was released - Slash rocked New York's Irving Plaza with a concert performance that was also streamed live to the world.

The gig was part of Slash's US dates to help launch the new project; the guitarist heads to the UK and Europe for shows starting June 6 at London's Hammersmith Apollo.

A North American summer tour starts July 12 in Portland, OR. Video of the full New York webcast can be viewed here.



Metallica Share More Concert Footage
(hennemusic) Metallica has offered up more video from their 2012 European Summer Vacation tour.

The band played Werchter Boutique Festivalpark in Werchter, Belgium on May 28. Metallica are performing their 1991 self-titled ("Black") album in its entirety for the first time on this tour, and the band plays it in reverse order - so they can end the regular set with "Enter Sandman."

Metallica are now sharing some footage from the Belgium event, including video of the pre-show meet and greet, photo shoot, tuning room and "The Unforgiven" from the concert. Watch it here.




Queensryche's Full Rocklahoma Concert Streaming Online
(hennemusic) Queensryche rolled into Rocklahoma recently to play the festival's closing night, which was headlined by Chickenfoot. Professional video of Queensryche's full set has surfaced.

In band news, singer Geoff Tate is working on a solo album, while other members of the group are launching a new project called Rising West.

The new band features Michael Wilton, Eddie Jackson, Scott Rockenfield and Parker Lundgren of Queensryche, along with vocalist Todd La Torre of Crimson Glory. Watch the live footage here.




Bret Michaels Releases New Music Video
(hennemusic) Bret Michaels continues doing double duty these days as he juggles his schedule between solo projects and work with Poison.

Poison are gearing up for the Rock Of Ages tour this summer with Def Leppard; the pair will be joined by Lita Ford for dates starting June 20 in Salt Lake City.

Bret is also launching his new solo album, "Get Your Rock On." "I put a lot of hard work into this," Bret told AZCentral earlier this spring. "And everyone that's on it, I'm not only friends with but fans of. I've got Ace Frehley from Kiss and Michael Anthony from Van Halen. I redid [Poison's] "Nothin' But a Good Time" and played everything on it but the lead guitar and bass - Ace Frehley plays the solo and Michael Anthony plays bass. "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" has Joe Perry from Aerosmith and Hugh McDonald from Bon Jovi. And it's got Loretta Lynn singing it with me. Then, Jimmy Buffett, me and him did "Margaritaville" live."

Michaels has just issued the video for the album's title track; filmed during Bret's 2011/2012 solo tour, it features Phil Collen of Def Leppard/Manraze and Sal Coz Costa of My Darkest Days. Watch it here.



Def Leppard Play Rock of Ages On Leno
(hennemusic) Def Leppard have just released newly-recorded versions of "Pour Some Sugar On Me" and "Rock Of Ages." Monday night, Leppard stopped by The Tonight Show to perform "Rock Of Ages."

The UK band have hitched their train to the Rock Of Ages promo juggernaut, as the Tom Cruise film of the same name hits theatres this month.

Leppard have billed their summer tour as Rock Of Ages, after their 1983 hit; the group will be joined by Poison and Lita Ford for a trek that begins June 20 in Salt Lake City. Watch the Leno performance here.



Watch Tenacious D's Rock Am Ring Concert
(hennemusic) Tenacious D are on the road promoting their newly-released album, "The Rize Of The Fenix."

The duo of Jack Black and Kyle Gass performed at the Rock Am Ring festival in Nurburgring, Germany on Saturday on a bill headlined by Metallica.

The D start a week-long UK tour on Tuesday when they play the first of three dates in London.

Today's Day In Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Linkin Park Plan Movie Theater Event
Linkin Park plan to celebrate the release of their new album, Living Things, by bringing their live show to nearly 500 movie theaters nationwide.
Linkin Park One Night Concert Event: Recorded Live in Berlin will hit select theaters on Monday, June 25 at 7:30 p.m. local time.

The evening will begin with a special welcome from the band, and follow with a performance of both their new songs and chart-topping hits. more on this story


Queensryche Vs Geoff Tate?
(Classic Rock) Queensryche splinter group Rising West say they've been locked out of the band's website and Facebook page.

The prog metal giants' fan network is loaded with reference to singer Geoff Tate's solo tour and wine business – but carries no mention of Rising West's upcoming live debut.

Four fifths of Queensryche – Michael Wilton, Eddie Jackson, Scott Rockenfield and Parker Lundgren – last week announced their new outfit, fronted by Crimson Glory singer Todd La Torre, and said they'd focus on performing material from their first five albums. But both camps are telling quite different stories.


The Melvins Attempting World Record
The Melvins want to set a Guinness World Record as the first band to tour the full United States and D.C. in 51 days with a tour kicking off Sept. 5 in Anchorage, Alaska and wrapping up Oct. 25 in Honolulu, Hawaii.

"We figured it was time for us to do something REALLY crazy," said Osborne. "51 shows in 50 states plus 1 on D.C. and all in 51 days? Jeez! I wonder if we can do it?"

The tour, which will feature the Melvins Lite line-up of Buzz Osborne, Dale Crover and Trevor Dunn, also marks the first time in the band's near 30-year history that they will perform in Alaska, New Hampshire, Delaware and Hawaii. more on this story



The Beatles Officially Rule
(Gibson) The Official Charts Company in the U.K. has announced that The Beatles are Britain's biggest selling singles act in the past 60 years.

NME.com reports that the Liverpool group toppled Elvis into second place with British favorite Cliff Richard coming in third.

The Top 5: 1. The Beatles 2. Elvis Presley 3. Cliff Richard 4. Madonna 5. Michael Jackson.

Check out the full Top 60 here.





Foo Fighter To Play Iggy Pop In New Movie
(Gibson) Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins has agreed to play rock icon Iggy Pop in the new CBGB movie.

As we reported last week, Harry Potter actor Rupert Grint will play Dead Boys guitarist Cheetah Chrome with Rock of Ages actress Malin Akerman talking on the role of Blondie's Debbie Harry.

The famed New York music club that played such a pivotal in nurturing punk talent in the '70s and '80s, finally closed in 2006. more on this story





Metric Plan Intimate Fan-Only Shows For New Album Release
Metric will release their new album, Synthetica, next week and will play three intimate fans-only shows to celebrate the release.

Tickets for the private underplays--June 13 at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in New York, June 19 at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco and June 20 at the El Rey Theater in Los Angeles--will NOT be made available to the public. Details on obtaining tickets will be announced later this week on ilovemetric.com.

Fans unable to score tickets to the June 20 L.A. show will have a second chance to see the band on June 21, when Metric makes its debut appearance on the outdoor stage at Jimmy Kimmel Live. Following that televised performance, Metric will spend the rest of the summer touring the world making only one U.S. appearance--August 3 at Lollapalooza in Chicago--before its full scale American tour commences September 6 in upstate New York. more on this story



Neil Young Leaves Door Slightly Open To Buffalo Springfield Tour
(Gibson) Neil Young may have cancelled a planned 30-gig Buffalo Springfield tour last year, after just seven shows, but he's not opposed to trying again in the future.

Young told Rolling Stone that there could be another tour:"That could happen, but it's not happening now. I'd be on a tour of my past for the rest of (expletive deleted) time, which I can't do. I have to be able to move forward. I can't be relegated. I did enough of it for right then, but there is this seed of something great still there. It's worth exploring again."

Buffalo Springfield were one of America's premier bands in the mid-'60s till they split in 1968. Young organized a reunion in 2010 for his Bridge School Benefit concert. more on this story





Heavy Weight Reissue For Yes
MVD will release Yes' classic album "Open Your Eyes" for the very first time on 180 gram heavy-weight vinyl on July 10, 2012. They sent over these details:

Open Your Eyes is the seventeenth studio album by progressive rock band Yes, released in 1997. The follow-up to the twin projects Keys to Ascension and Keys to Ascension 2, Open Your Eyes marked Billy Sherwood becoming an official member of Yes, following Rick Wakeman's departure.

Sherwood had previously been involved with Yes as a backup keyboard player and guitarist on the Talk tour, as a potential new lead singer during Yes rehearsals circa 1990 and as engineer and producer for part of the band's Keys To Ascension project. During this period he had formed a strong working relationship with Yes bassist Chris Squire. Open Your Eyes initially began as an outside collaboration between Sherwood and Squire with its material intended for the two men's duo project The Chris Squire Experiment (later to become Conspiracy). more on this story



The Sword To Begin Recording New Album This Month
The Sword will follow their appearance at Metallica's Orion Music & More Festival on June 23rd in Atlantic City, NJ, by entering the studio to begin recording their fourth album and first for their new label partners Razor & Tie.

The album, to be entitled Apocryphon, will be produced and engineered by J. Robbins (Clutch, Jawbox) and recorded at Magpie Cage Studios. Apocryphon is scheduled for an early fall release.

The album will feature cover art by famed comic book artist J.H. Williams III (Batwoman, Promethea). more on this story



Ziggy Stardust Turns 40
(Gibson) Hard to believe, but this month marks the 40th anniversary of David Bowie's glam rock masterpiece, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. Powered by one of rock's tightest-ever ensembles – Trevor Bolder on bass, Woody Woodmansey on drums, Mick Ronson on guitar and Bowie himself of rhythm acoustic – Ziggy Stardust remains an essential touchstone for any up-and-coming four-piece rock band.

To commemorate the album's 40th year, EMI has just released a special newly-remastered edition of the disc, with a 5.1 mix. The release is available on CD, on limited edition vinyl and on high-resolution DVD, with bonus tracks.

Producer-engineer Ken Scott, who produced the Ziggy Stardust album alongside Bowie, has also just published a remarkable book detailing his experiences recording Bowie and other rock greats. Titled Abbey Road to Ziggy Stardust: Off-the-record with The Beatles, Bowie, Elton, and So Much More, the book offers behind-the-scenes looks at the making of The Beatles' White Album, Elton John's Honky Chateau, Jeff Beck's Truth and many other classics.

From his home in Los Angeles, Scott spoke with Gibson about Bowie's work methods, how Mick Ronson achieved his distinctive glam-era tone and why pressure in the recording studio can be a good thing. Check it out here.





Atreyu and Bleeding Through Supergroup I Am War Plan Limited Edition
I Am War plan to release a limited edition 7" vinyl on June 26th ahead of their full album release.

The 7" will include "Bat Out of Hell" (off their forthcoming album) and "Call Me Slugger" (vinyl exclusive).

A limited number of the vinyl has been pressed in both white and hot pink, with 225 only available of each color. more on this story

More on I Am War - I Am War Music - I Am War Tour Dates/Tickets - I Am War CDs, vinyl and rarities
Prong Excited About Knotfest Appearance
(Freeman) Prong frontman Tommy Victor commented on being selected to play on the first "Knotfest" hosted by Slipknot.

The two date festival will take place August 17th in Pacific Junction, IA and August 18th in Somerset, WI.

Victor says, "Prong is unbelievably honored and flattered to be a part of the first ever Knotfest! We want to thank our friends in Slipknot and the organizers for giving us the opportunity to be on this bill with all these incredible bands. All the festivities included are going to make this very special for everyone involved. It's amazing!" more on this story



Bachman & Turner's Live At The Roseland Ballroom DVD and Blu-Ray Coming
(Kayos) Eagle Rock have set a June 26th DVD and Blu-ray date for Bachman & Turner's Live At The Roseland Ballroom, NYC.

Bachman & Turner features Randy Bachman and Fred Turner, the musicians at the heart of legendary band Bachman-Turner Overdrive. Marc LaFrance (drums, percussion, vocals), Brent Howard Knudsen (guitars, vocals), and Mick Dalla-Vee (guitars, vocals) join them on songs from their recent self-titled album along with their rock n' roll anthems "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" "Takin' Care Of Business" "Hey You" "Blue Collar" "Roll On Down The Highway" "Let It Ride" and "Lookin' Out For #1." A hit-laden throwback to Bachman's early days with The Guess Who including their take on Johnny Kidd's "Shakin' All Over" and the band's US No.1 hit "American Woman" rounds out the set.

Over the course of a four-year run, Bachman-Turner Overdrive sold in excess of 30 million records, earning a staggering 120 platinum, gold and silver discs, and notching up hits in more than 20 countries. The iconic duo shared duties on the lead vocals with Bachman contributing lead guitar and Turner the bass. Reuniting at the end of 2009 they released an eponymous album in 2010 and in November of that year they performed at the famous Roseland Ballroom in New York City as part of their North American tour. more on this story




Paul McCartney Rocks The Diamond Jubilee Concert
(Gibson) Paul McCartney played some of his '60s classics as he closed the star studded Diamond Jubilee concert in London.

He performed "Magical Mystery Tour," "All My Loving, "Let It Be" and "Live And Let Die" before the closing the celebrations with an and all-star sing-a-long version of "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da."

Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee concert featured a host of top pop and rock acts including Elton John, Grace Jones, Annie Lennox, Madness, Cliff Richard, Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones, Will.I.Am and Stevie Wonder. more on this story





Early Graves Plan New Album Release
(SSPR) Early Graves will enter the studio to record their third full-length album in July, which is due out later this fall on their new label No Sleep Records.

Early Graves formed in the Bay Area in early 2008 and released two full length albums, We: The Guillotine (2008) and Goner (2010), on Metal Blade Records' imprint, Iron Clad Recordings. The band's sound has been described as a mixture of old school Swedish death metal and American hardcore punk and have drawn comparisons to Napalm Death, Carcass, Tragedy and Testament among others.

In the summer of 2010, tragedy struck when Early Graves was involved in a van accident, which resulted in the death of singer Makh Daniels. After about a year of contemplation, the band decided to continue on, with close friend, John Strachan, of the Funeral Pyre (who were in the same van during the accident) stepping in for Daniels. more on this story



My Own Chaos Plan Chaos For Their Homeland
My Own Chaos have mapped out the tour dates for their upcoming "Chaos Across Canada Tour".

The trek will see them venture across the Canadian provinces, kicking off their tour in Vancouver, BC on June 26th and going east to return west on July 28th for a tour wrap up show in Innisfail, AB.

The band will be touring in support of their debut "My Own Chaos", a concept album that has charted in the top 10 Loud College Radio Charts across the country. The album features a who's who of guest stars like Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedys/Lard), Joey Keithley (DOA), Ani Kyd (Alternative Tentacles Recording Artist Fuel Injected.45), Steve Jack (Rockhead) and Brian Langley (Infernal Majesty). more on this story



The Deep Blues Festival Lineup Announced
The Deep Blues Festival lineup has been announced for the 2012 event which will take place June 29-July 1 at Bayport BBQ, 328 5th Ave. N., Bayport, MN.

This year's three-day music fest includes nearly 3-dozen music acts from around the globe, including the U.S. debut of Welsh duo Henry's Funeral Shoe, as well as the feature film debut of "Put A Stamp On It: The T-Model Ford Story."

Other acts include Alive Naturalsound recording artists Buffalo Killers, Radio Moscow, Brian Olive, James Leg, Left Lane Cruiser, and newcomers John The Conqueror and Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires. more on this story



Joe Walsh Explains Why It Took 20 Years To Release New Album
(Gibson) Joe Walsh says his twenty year break between solo albums can be traced back to two events in 1994: the Eagles' decision to get back to work and release Hell Freezes Over, and his own decision to get sober.

In an interview with Classic Rock Revisited, Walsh said that after the Hell Freezes Over tour, he never gained momentum at starting a solo record. "I also decided that it was time to get sober," he said. "I had to reinvent and start from scratch and learn to do everything sober – that took a lot of time. It opened up a whole life and a way of looking at things. I was able to get healthy again and I wanted to go check that out and see what it was all about."

But now Walsh is back as a solo artist with a new album, Analog Man, and a new way of working. "The last album I made was on recording tape and there were knobs; now there is a mouse," he said. "Those of us who were analog guys had to make some adjustments with this new technology." The title track refers to the digital world and the disconnect people experience when they begin to live a large amount of their time online. "There are people who are texting and they smash into the car in front of them because they didn't look up. There are people who are trying to do things in both worlds and it doesn't work too well." more on this story





B Sides


Singled Out: Morglbl
Today Christophe Godin from Morglbl tells us about the song "Gnocchis on the Block," the opening track of their brand new album "Brutal Romance," which was released this week. Here is the story:

"Gnocchie on the block is representative of what Mörglbl's style has been for 15 bloody years : a mix of anything with no boundaries! The groovy intro featuring a cheesy bass solo turns into the main riff, full of guitars on steroids !

The melody of the theme has a cartoonesque vibe, and it's supposed to be not too serious. I try to make it a little different on each verse adding some funny licks and grotesque variations here and there.

We wanted this song to be a sum up of most of the styles we like to incorporate in Mörglbl's universe. That song, in a way, is a good introduction to our music for those not really knowing what our "jazz for the deaf" label stands for. I remember being asked by this guy on US radio about how I would describe our music, and I replied "this is just jazz for deaf people !". That song proves how much sense this makes I guess !
Actually, there are heavy riffs, jazzy chords, groovy patterns, cartoon inspired sections, and a long improvised guitar solo.

The song builds up to an apocalyptic end, with very heavy guitars and double bass drum sequences!

What I love about that song, and most of Brütal Römance in general, is that we achieved a goal: when you listen to that album, you never really know whether it's serious or not. We hopefully found the right balance in between playing seriously a not so serious music !"

Learn more about the album right here!



Watch Jesse Leach Rock Once Again With Killswitch Engage
(Banana 101.5) Vocalist Jesse Leach officially reunited with Killswitch Engage after a ten year absence in February. While we still have to wait on new material from the band, we can check out this video from their recent performance at the Rock Am Festival in Germany.

Leach sounds better than ever on tracks from both his time with the band and after in this pro-shot footage of their June 1st gig in Nürburgring, Germany. The show marked their third performance since reuniting with their former singer, the first being their set at the April 22nd New England Metal & Hardcore Festival. The band is currently touring overseas, which will serve as a warm-up for their upcoming trek across the U.S. with Five Finger Death Punch, Trivium and Pop Evil for the Trespass America tour.

Leach rejoined Killswitch as vocalist when Howard Jones — the band's vocalist for the ten year stint after Leach's departure — parted ways with the band due to a combination of health issues and a lack of drive to continue in the business. The band currently has a new album in the works that is expected to be released at some point in 2012. Watch the video here.



Hawthorne Heights Give Fans Hope
Hawthorne Heights have released their new Hope EP yesterday via their label Cardboard Empire Records.

The band has posted a lyric video for the track "New Winter" which can be viewed right here.

Hope is the second album in a three-part trilogy that began last year with, Hate, the first release on Cardboard Empire Records. Hope includes eight brand new, energetic songs and promises to have to you singing along, stage-diving and screaming your lungs out like no other Hawthorne Heights album before it. more on this story



Dew-Scented Streaming Sworn to Obey
Dew-Scented have released a stream of their new song "Sworn to Obey" from their upcoming album "Icarus."

Dew-Scented vocalist Leif Jensen commented about "Sworn To Obey" as follows: "'Sworn To Obey' was an obvious candidate to open up the new album and it was actually one of the very last tracks we finished in the songwriting sessions for 'Icarus'. Already when working on the final arrangements for the song, we knew it would become an extremely heavy and catchy piece! Kicking in after the anthem-like 'Hubris' instrumental intro, 'Sworn To Obey' is a sweet punch in the gut in true Dew-Scented style and smoothly helps to set the album's pace in the right fashion! I simply love the lead-guitar part and the crazy bass-lines afterwards. I'm sure this one will be real fun to play live…" Listen to the song here.

The album, which will be released via Prosthetic on July 31st in North America, will feature the following track listing:

DEW-SCENTED – "Icarus":
01. Hubris (Intro)
02. Sworn To Obey
03. Thrown To The Lions
04. Storm Within
05. Gleaming Like Silver
06. By My Own Hand
07. The Fall Of Man
08. Reawakening
09. Destined To Collapse
10. A Final Procession
11. Perpetuated



Iwrestledabearonce Release New Video
(Sub) Iwrestledabearonce just played their first ever shows in Guadalajara and Mexico City and received an overwhelming response from fans. Both shows were completely sold out with insane mosh pits and crowds singing along every night.

To highlight the dates, Iwrestledabearonce has released a performance video for their track "I'm Gonna Shoot" off their most recent album, Ruining It For Everybody. The footage used in the video is taken from the recent sold out dates in Mexico. Watch it here.

Iwrestledabearonce will be performing on the full Warped Tour this summer. For Warped Tour attendees located in San Diego, CA, fans have the chance to go bowling with the band and raise money for Cancer research at the same time.

Today's Day In Rock News!

Wanna Hear Tom Cruise Sing Guns N' Roses Classic?
(hennemusic) The "Rock Of Ages: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" is due for release on Tuesday.
The upcoming Broadway play-turned-movie starring Tom Cruise, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Russell Brand and Julianne Hough hits theatres June 15.

The movie is a love story told through the music of Bon Jovi, Journey, Poison, Twisted Sister and other artists from the 1980s.

Tom Cruise plays the role of Stacee Jaxx, the biggest rock star in the world; in the film, he sings renditions of Def Leppard's "Pour Some Sugar On Me" and Guns N' Roses' "Paradise City." Audio of Tom's GNR cover has surfaced. Listen here.


Slipknot's Knotfest Music Fest To Feature Deftones, Lamb Of God and more
Slipknot are launching their very own hard rock and heavy metal music festival that will take place naturally enough in America's heartland.

The first-ever Knotfest will feature Slipknot, Deftones, Lamb Of God, Dethklok, Serj Tankian, Cannibal Corpse, The Dillinger Escape Plan, The Urge, Prong, Gojira and more.

Knotfest will debut on Friday, August 17 in Council Bluffs, IA at Mid America Motorplex and Saturday, August 18 in Somerset, WI/Minneapolis, MN at Somerset Amphitheater. more on this story


New ZZ Top Songs Online
(hennemusic) After nine years, ZZ Top finally issue new music on Tuesday as their "Texicali" EP is released.

Produced by Rick Rubin, the four-song set offers a preview of the group's full-length album, as yet untitled, that will be released late this summer or early fall. Fans purchasing the four songs will benefit from a pro-rated discount on the purchase of the full album when it is released.

"Texicali" features "I Gotsta Get Paid," "Chartreuse," "Over You" and "Consumption." Hear some of the new tracks here.


Hatebreed Plan 10 Years of Perseverance Tour
Hatebreed will be hitting the road this fall for the North American "10 Years of Perseverance" tour.

The trek will commemorate the 10th anniversary of the band's 2002 major-label debut, Perseverance.

The tour features direct support from Whitechapel and special guests All Shall Perish and Deez Nuts, and kicks off on September 13th in Clifton Park, NY. more on this story



Five Finger Death Punch Launch Suicide Prevention Initiative
The Five Finger Death Punch camp sent over word that the band has launched a suicide prevention initiative promoting the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

In cooperation with the Lifeline, the band has filmed a public service announcement, which will be placed on all broadcast, cable and web outlets interested in supporting the initiative. The PSA can be screened here:

In addition, Five Finger Death Punch has independently filmed a visually arresting video that accompanies the single release of "Coming Down," which will premiere on VEVO on June 12 at 9:00AM Pacific. more on this story



Neil Young and Crazy Horse American Tour
(hennemusic) Neil Young and Crazy Horse have announced a North American tour, with shows kicking off October 3 in Windsor, Ontario.

They will be touring in support of their new release, "Americana," which hit stores today. It's the group's first album together since 2003's "Greendale," and their first with the full Crazy Horse line-up of Billy Talbot, Ralph Molina and Frank "Poncho" Sampedro since "Broken Arrow" in 1996.

The songs on "Americana" are all classic American folk songs, including "This Land Is Your Land," "Gallows Pole," "Tom Dooley" and "Clementine." more on this story


Jack White Expands North American Tour
(hennemusic) Jack White has announced the addition of a handful of US shows to his August tour in support of his new release, "Blunderbuss."

The album debuted last month at the top of the Billboard 200 chart with first-week sales of 138,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Tickets for the newly-announced dates below go on sale to the general public on Friday, June 8th at 10 AM local time. more on this story


Stone Sour Recruit Skid Row Member For New Album
(Gibson) Skid Row bass player Rachel Bolan is laying down the bass on the forthcoming album by Stone Sour.

In an interview with TheBackstageBeat.com, Bolan said the call from Stone Sour/Slipknot vocalist Corey Taylor came out of the blue one morning. "He's like, 'Would you be interested in playing bass on the new Stone Sour record?' So, of course, I said yes, 'cause I'm a huge fan of the band and they're all really, really great guys."

Bolan is recording 23 songs for the double-disc concept album, which is the follow-up to 2010's Audio Secrecy. The band officially split with bass player Shawn Economaki a few months ago, after he left mid-tour in 2011 to tend to personal issues. His replacement at the time was Jason Christopher, who ironically has now joined the touring band of former Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach. more on this story




Fuel and Smile Empty Soul Supergroup World Fire Brigade Set Debut
Fuel and Smile Empty Soul supergroup World Fire Brigade will release their debut album, Spreading My Wings, worldwide on August 28th.

World Fire Brigade at its core is veteran songwriting trio Brett Scallions (frontman of Fuel, as well as lead vocalist with Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger of The Doors), Sean Danielsen (lead singer/guitarist of Smile Empty Soul) and Eddie Wohl (producer/mixer for Anthax, Ill Nino, Smile Empty Soul, Jesse Malin, 36 Crazyfists and more).

Of Spreading My Wings, Scallions commented, "This is a record filled with all emotions, songs that fall back and forth from major to minor. I love that it's a heavy record with sing-a-long melodies. You don't hear that too much in this style of music." more on this story


Fountains of Wayne, Dr. John and Other Guest On New Harry Shearer CD
Harry Shearer (This Is Spinal Tap, The Simpsons, A Mighty Wind) has set a August 27 release date for his new album, Can't Take a Hint, which features a all-star cast of musical collaborators.

Due out on Courgette Records through The Orchard on August 27, 2012, the set features giants of pop, R&B and jazz whom Shearer has gotten to know in his travels: Dr. John ("Autumn in New Orleans"), Glee's Jane Lynch ("Like a Charity"), the Fountains of Wayne ("Celebrity Booze Endorser"), Jamie Cullum ("A Few Bad Apples"), Alice Russell ("Trillion Dollar Bargain") and Judith Owen ("Your Thing"), and others. Shearer himself plays the bass on many of the songs.

Supporting these vocalists is a who's who of instrumentalists and producers: guitar stars Jeff "Skunk" Baxter and Steve Lukather, Beach Boys/Brian Wilson musical director Jeffrey Foskett, producer John P. Fischbach, guitarist Bruce Gaitsch, trumpeter Nicholas Payton, session ace CJ Vanston and Memphis artist Charlie Wood. more on this story



Fear Factory Streaming New Album Online
Fear Factory release their new album, The Industrialist, in North American today and are currently streaming the effort online.

The Industrialist is the second album written by vocalist Burton C. Bell and guitarist Dino Cazares since reuniting in 2009 after a seven-year split. Listen to the album stream here.

The Industrialist is a conceptual record based around a short story written by Bell. The record again pairs Fear Factory with producer Rhys Fulber and was mixed by Greg Reely (Paradise Lost/Skinny Puppy/Machine Head), with additional tracking by Logan Mader (Gojira/Divine Heresy). more on this story



Beach Boys Reunion Album Released Today
(Gibson) The Beach Boys today release That's Why God Made The Radio, their first album in decades to feature all surviving original members.

That's Why God Made The Radio features the current line-up of Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston and David Marks. Marks joined the band at age 13 in February 1962, playing rhythm guitar and singing harmony on their first four albums before departing in October 1963.

The new album, the band's 29th, is the band's first record to feature original material since 1992's Summer In Paradise, and the first to feature guitarist/vocalist David Marks since 1963's Little Deuce Coupe. Additional musicians to appear include guitarists Jeff "Skunk" Baxter and Tom Bukovac and songwriter Jim Peterik (who collaborated on several songs and famously co-wrote Survivor's "Eye Of The Tiger"), while the album closer, "Summer's Gone," is a co-write between Brian Wilson, producer Joe Thomas and Jon Bon Jovi. more on this story





Fitz and The Tantrums Kick Off American Tour Tonight
Fitz and The Tantrums are kicking off their extensive North American tour tonight at WorkPlay Soundstage in Birmingham, AL.

In addition to its headline dates, the band will play a two-night stand with Dave Matthews Band at New York's Jones Beach Amphitheater (6/12 & 13), join Ben Harper at the Santa Barbara Bowl (6/30) and the Hollywood Bowl (7/1), and make its return to Colorado's Red Rocks Amphitheatre for a Fourth of July show with Blues Traveler.

Fitz and The Tantrums will also perform at numerous festivals (including Bonnaroo and Outside Lands). more on this story



Lionheart Launching The Lifer Tour
Lionheart will be hitting the road later this month for a North American headlining tour titled, "The Lifer Tour".

The tour kicks off on June 24th in Soledad, Ca and the band will be joined on the trek by Thick As Blood and Dead Icons.

The band will be touring in support of their recently released new record, "Undisputed" which came out on May 8th via Mediaskare Records more on this story



Jane's Addiction Expand Theatre of the Escapists Tour
(hennemusic) Jane's Addiction have announced additional summer dates for their "Theatre of the Escapists" tour.

The newly-announced shows make up the third leg of the band's current tour in support of their latest album, "The Great Escape Artist.">

New dates include stops in Indianapolis (Aug 23), Omaha, NE (Aug 25), Colorado Springs (Aug 26), Magna, UT (Aug 28), Vancouver (Aug 31), Portland (Sep 4) and Las Vegas (Sep 7). more on this story


Johnny Depp Jams With The Black Keys
(Gibson) Actor and musician Johnny Depp made another surprise guitar playing appearance, this time at the MTV Movie Awards in Los Angeles.

NME.com reports that Johnny Depp and his beloved Les Paul Special jumped on stage with The Black Keys to play on their songs, "Gold On the Ceiling" and "Lonely Boy."

Depp was also presented with the prestigious MTV Generation Award at the ceremony. After viewing a montage of his movies, Depp said: "This is the get out of the business award. Based on watching all of those clips there is clearly something wrong with me." more on this story





The Cult Make Top 40 Return
(Gibson) The Cult had burst back into the Billboard Top 200 chart with their new album, Choice of Weapon.

The album debuted at #36 their best effort since 1991. Choice of Weapon also entered the Billboard Rock album chart at #17.

Gibson guitar great Slash debuted his new album, Apocalyptic Love at #4. One other notable debut this weeks sees the posthumous Ya Know? album, from punk icon Joey Ramone, enter the Top 200 chart at #180. more on this story





Joe Lynn Turner Made Joe Bonamassa A Singer
(Classic Rock) Joe Lynn Turner has taken credit for coaching blues star Joe Bonamassa into his singing role.

The former Rainbow vocalist, who later performed with Yngwie Malmsteen and Deep Purple, hired the young guitarist to appear on his 1985 solo debut Rescue You – but reveals Bonamassa was too scared to approach a microphone.

"Not many people realise this now he's huge: Joe was on my first solo album. He was 16, I think," Turner tells Geeks of Doom. "I had to kick his ass to sing. I was like, 'Come on,' like a coach, you know. I was like, 'You've got the tone, you've got the blues, you've got the soul. You got it! Just keep singing.' more on this story



Stuart Adamson Wanted Mike Peters To Front Big Country
(Classic Rock) Big Country mainman Stuart Adamson suggested Mike Peters should front the band long before his tragic suicide, says the Welsh singer and guitarist.

He remains proud to be fronting his old friend's outfit – and he's also preparing a unique movie-and-music tour with his own squad, the Alarm.

Peters was named as Adamson's replacement in 2010 when Big Country returned. But he says the idea was discussed before the Scotsman hanged himself in a Hawaii hotel in 2001. more on this story



Dr Feelgood Members Missed Out On Wilko Cash
(Classic Rock) Former Dr Feelgood guitarist Wilko Johnson was about to sign a deal giving his bandmates a share of his songwriting royalties when they fell out and split up.

It's one of many anecdotes that appear in his just-published book Looking Back At Me, which started as a collection of photos but has become much more as the musician – who's enjoying a new lease of life as Ilyn Payne in the TV series Game of Thrones – shared his memories with co-author Zoe Howe.

Johnson says: "I had got quite rich because of songwriting. Before we'd done the last album I had gone to the publishers at United Artists and said to them, 'I've made a fair bit of bread from these songs, and I'd never have written them if it hadn't been for the others, and I think they should share it. Can you write up some kind of contract where we share out the publishing money for this album?'

"They were a bit taken aback but it just seemed reasonable to me. Fortunately, we hadn't sorted that out by the time we broke up, so they never got their share." more on this story



B Sides


Singled Out: XFactor1
Today Ricky "Qball" Wolf from XFactor1 tells us about three songs from their brand new album "famous.last.words", which was unleashed today. Here is the story:

Bring It On. - ....was one of the those songs that just really came together nice and easy. Everyone in the band really understood that it was supposed to be fun like a real rock anthem song always is. We ripped right through it in the studio because everyone was so comfortable. We'd love to see this song find its way to the MMA arena. This song screams "I challenge you....to an ass kickin' and a cold beer"!

The Stroke - I've always loved this song because you could dance a little and still get the rock too. Of course it was the ladies getting busy that was always a plus. I know the band wasn't exactly crazy when I suggested it as a cover for us to record. But that didnt last long. LOL! Since the guys understand the music biz a little better than most bands it was the message/meaning about the song that helped win them over. Rock is raunchy, decadent, and at times, bittersweet. Just how we like it.

Over & Out - Everyone knows the best songs are the storys of our lives. Real passion, pain and emotion bring out the feeling. We've all been there and felt the pain of a break up. Thats how we write. From the heart. We thought this song came out great in the studio and it was the last one written for this record. Like pappy said "if the ladies aint payin attention, you aint pulled the right heart strings". Pappy was a wise man.

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself and learn more about the album right here!



Aerosmith Satisfied With American Idol Jam
(hennemusic) Aerosmith have a new single, "Legendary Child," to promote, and the band did just that last week when they performed the track on the American Idol season finale.

In addition to the new tune, the Boston band also rocked Idol with their classic, "Walk This Way." Aerosmith's Tom Hamilton, Joey Kramer and Brad Whitford spoke with Access Hollywood following the Idol finale about the experience.

"It was a moment we've been looking forward to," explains Hamilton. "The opportunity - no matter where it is - to bring the news that we've got a new record out, a new song 'Legendary Child.' I can't believe it – it's up on iTunes, and it's just an unbelievably exciting satisfying moment." Watch it here.



Sebastian Bach Releases I'm Alive Video
(hennemusic) Sebastian Bach has released the video for "I'm Alive," the new single from his 2011 release, "Kicking & Screaming."

Directed by Devin DeHaven, the "I'm Alive," video is for the third single from the Bach solo effort.

Sebastian is currently playing shows in Europe; this week, he's set to perform at the Sweden Rock Festival (Thu), Hamburg, Germany (Fri) and the Download Festival (Sun). Watch the video here.



Life After Guns N' Roses For Slash
(hennemusic) Slash recently sat down with Time magazine to discuss his past, the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame event, and the difference between his first solo album and the new one.

"[The first solo] record was what I would consider an isolated, one-off project, that's something I think I had in the back of my mind for a while. When I finally had the opportunity to do it, I did it," explains Slash. "What happened was I met Myles Kennedy and he sang a couple of songs, and so we did a tour to support that record, and it was during the tour that I thought I should make another record and just do it with just him."

Slash kicks off a series of UK and European dates starting June 6 at London's Hammersmith Apollo. Watch the interview clip here.



Anniversary of Stiv Bators' Death
(Gibson) On this day in 1990, American punk rock singer Stiv Bators of the Dead Boys and The Lords of the New Church died after being hit by a taxi in Paris, France. Gibson looks back:

It was June 5, 1990 and Stiv Bators, a cult hero from the New York punk scene was wandering the streets of Paris. For an outrageous rock and roll talent talent, known for his full-throttle performances that included self-mutilation, Iggy and Sid Vicious-style, his end was eerily unremarkable.

A little intoxicated as he strolled, Bators was hit by a car. Nothing too serious it seemed, or maybe his threshold for pain simply disguised the extent of his injuries. He casually mentioned the accident to his girlfriend Caroline t but said he didn't need medical treatment. Later in the evening, however, Stiv Bators began to have problems breathing. His girlfriend called for an ambulance but it was too late. Bators died from a blood clot and internal bleeding.

Which is where rock and roll legend and myth come into play. Stiv Bators was a massive Jim Morrison fan and had just visited the Doors enigma's grave in the Pre Lachaise Cemetery. Some say that Bators had told his girlfriend that he'd like his ashes scattered over Jim Morrison's grave in Paris and that she complied with his wishes. However, film director John Waters, who directed Bators in the movie, Polyester, claims in the director's commentary on the DVD that Stiv Bators' girlfriend instead snorted his ashes.

Bators had exploded on the New York punk scene in the Dead Boys alongside Cheetah Chrome, Jimmy Vero, Johnny Blitz and Jeff Magnum when they opened for Brit punks The Damned at CBGB in April 1977. Signed by Seymour Stein to Sire Records (Stein had previously signed The Ramones), they released Young Loud and Snotty, an outrageously powerful slice of NYC punk, but the album failed to sell. As the label tried to move the band ever pop-wards, the Dead Boys split.

After some solo adventures, Bators found his greatest success when he moved to England and formed Lords of the New Church with The Damned's Brian James, Sham 69's Dave Tregunna and Barracudas' drummer Nicky Turner. The band released three albums and an EP, but it was Bators' post-Iggy stage antics that draw the band their cult following. One night, Bators almost hanged himself on his microphone cord and was recorded as clinically dead for two minutes.

Today's Day In Rock News!!

Foreigner Star Diagnosed With Cancer
(Classic Rock) Foreigner keyboardist Michael Bluestein has been forced to bow out of the band's upcoming US tour after being diagnosed with colon cancer.
He'll take an indefinite break while he undergoes 28 radiotherapy sessions – but reports his illness was discovered early enough to be successfully treated. It follows Foreigner mainman Mick Jones' heart surgery in February.

"I recently went to the hospital following some symptoms and it was discovered I have colorectal cancer. This has required me to take a leave of absence from the band for a significant period," Bluestein says. "The good news is that I caught this early enough so that through chemotherapy, radiation and surgery, I will be able to treat this and return to normal life after it's over. And of course, normal life for me includes rocking with Foreigner." more on this story



Band Beat Up Former Singer?
(TMZ) A popular band was none too please when the lead singer quit, and they acted out their anger by beating the crap out of him -- according to allegations made in a police report.

Aron "Deuce" Erlichman was the lead singer of Hollywood Undead, a rap/rock band. Deuce decided to quit the band a few months ago to launch a solo career.

On May 25, Deuce performed at Angels & Kings -- a Hollywood hotspot. After his gig, Deuce left the club and claims his former bandmates were "lying in wait." Deuce claims when they spotted him, they jumped him and went to town -- punching, kicking and stomping on him.

Deuce says he was badly hurt and went to cops, alleging former bandmates Dylan "FunnyMan" Alvarez and Jorel "J-Dog" Decker were the primary culprits. Deuce also told cops the two dudes had someone videotape the attack.

Now, Deuce plans to sue -- and has already hired legal pitbull Donald Karpel.

Cops are investigating. So far, no comment from FunnyMan or J-Dog. more on this story



Spineshank New Album and Tour Coming This Month
Spineshank is officially back, not only is the band releasing their first new album in almost a decade, they are lauching their first headlining tour in over 6 years.

The band has set dates for a lengthy tour spanning nearly two months. They have released a list of confirmed dates which kick off on June 14th in Las Vegas. Support bands will be announced soon.

Spineshank will be touring in support of their new album, Anger Denial Acceptance, which will be out on June 19 in North America. more on this story



Another Slash Ban At Guns N' Roses Concert?
(Classic Rock) An 18-year-old Guns N' Roses fan was told to remove his Slash shirt or go home ahead of Axl Rose's appearance in London on Friday. It's a repeat of events first believed to have unfolded in 2010, when gigglers in Canada were ordered to turn Slash shirts inside-out and abandon their top hats.

James Revell attended the GnR show in London's O2 Arena with his younger brother. On arrival door staff instructed him to take off his shirt and said he wouldn't be allowed in if he didn't comply.

"I felt as though my freedom to wear what I want had been taken away from me. I did not react angrily as I didn't want to spoil the show for my brother," The teenager tells NME. "I believed they asked me to do it because Axl Rose has some problem with Slash, and if he saw me wearing the shirt he might have stormed off stage." more on this story



Aerosmith Tease New Video
(hennemusic) Aerosmith are gearing up to release the video for "Legendary Child," the lead single from the band's forthcoming album, "Music From Another Dimension."

Directed by Casey Patrick Tebo, the clip will be the band's first video in 8 years. Tebo raved about the results of the May 4 filming, after which he tweeted: "Can't wait for people to see the new Aerosmith video. looked great and really rocked. Psyched. Soon I shall unleash my fury on the world."

Aerosmith have released a sneak peek of what's to come with the "Legendary Child" video. Check it out here.



Black Sabbath Have Written 15 Songs For Reunion Album
(hennemusic) The planned Black Sabbath reunion may have gone off the rails due to contractual issues with drummer Bill Ward, but three of the four original members are continuing to work on a new album.

"We've written about 15 songs so far, whether they all get on an album, I don't know," Ozzy Osbourne tells NME. "We just keep on writing. I was trying to work out: where would we be now musically if we'd have stayed together?"

Rick Rubin is producing the new album, the band's first studio effort since 1978's "Never Say Die." The veteran producer helped shape the project with some initial words of creative direction. "He [Rubin] sat us down," explains Geezer Butler. "He put on the first [Sabbath] album on and said 'Listen to this. Now imagine it's 1969, you've just done that – what would you do next?'" more on this story



Classic Jimi Hendrix Shows Coming To DVD and Blu-Ray Restored and Expanded
(Gibson) A new edition of Jimi Hendrix's 1970 performances at the Berkeley Community Theatre is coming to DVD and Blu-ray. The restored and expanded concert will be released on July 10, according to Brave Words.

The documentary showcases the two performances Hendrix gave on May 30, 1970. This edition has been restored from the original 16mm negative, and includes more than 15 minutes of unseen footage. Among the new performances are "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)," "Machine Gun" and "Hear My Train a Comin'" – none of which were included in the original film.

In addition, July 10 will see the first stand-alone release on Blu-ray of Jimi Hendrix: Voodoo Child. The documentary film directed by Bob Smeaton (The Beatles Anthology) was previously included on DVD in the West Coast Seattle Boy box set. more on this story





The Darkness Covering Radiohead On New Album
(Gibson) The Darkness have announced full details of their third studio album, Hot Cakes. The album is their first since 2005's One Way Ticket To Hell and Back. Hot Cakes (they plan it to "sell like hot cakes," geddit?) will be released on August 20 via Play It Again Sam recordings and has been produced by singer and guitarist Justin and Dan Hawkins along with long-time collaborator Nick Brine.

Frontman Justin Hawkins said: "Hot Cakes has a nice raw feel to it like the first album had, with occasional luxurious moments akin to the second. We're proud of the songs and we can't wait for people to hear them. We've been playing a lot of the material from the album in the live set for some time now. Each time we play a new song it feels like a deep powerful thrust in a frenzied love ritual between us and our fans."

The album also includes a cover of Radiohead's "Street Spirit (Fade Out)," of which Hawkins said: "We included the Radiohead cover because it has been a live favourite for many moons, and we wanted to release a definitive recording of our interpretation." more on this story





Adam Lambert Wants To Do Freddie Proud at Queen Shows
(Classic Rock) Adam Lambert is convinced his upcoming shows fronting Queen will prove he can do the job, although he insists he'd never try to replace Freddie Mercury. And the singer admits he knew talent shows weren't cool before he found fame in American Idol – he aimed to use the exposure to advance his career.

He's performed with remaining Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor on TV twice before. So when he hits the Hammersmith Apollo stage with them on July 11, 12 and 14 he knows what he has to achieve.

"We want to keep the music alive and give it an energy that would have made Freddie proud," Lambert tells the Daily Mail. "You can't replace him. But playing with Queen is the best thing that could happen to me. My intention is to pay tribute to Freddie." more on this story




Devin Townsend Project and Katatonia Epic Kings & Idols Tour
Devin Townsend Project and Katatonia are teaming up for a Fall tour of North America dubbed Epic Kings & Idols Tour.

Paradise Lost will be direct support on the trek and Stolen Babies will be openers (DTP and Katatonia will alternate in headlining each show).

In regards to this upcoming trek, Devin Townsend comments: "So after a break in which we've managed to finish the live DVDs from the London shows ('By A Thread') as well as our surprisingly epic new record, 'Epicloud'...We're about to start getting into touring mode again, and it pleases me to announce that we'll be with some wonderful bands this Fall. I think this package pretty much covers the gamut of emotional heavy music, and really...It'll be nice to share the stage with some passionate folks who live for their music as much as we do. Again, we can't thank you enough for supporting what we do and allowing us to play for you. It will be nice to catch up, and we hope to see you there!" more on this story




Biker Shot At Charity Rock Show
(Classic Rock) A charity rock show in Spanaway, Washington, US, erupted with gunfire this weekend as tensions between rival biker gangs spiraled out of control.

The Northwest Metal Fest was being held by the Bandidos fraternity to raise funds for cancer support, featuring the first headline appearance of thrash metal band Mace in 23 years. But violence ensued when members of the Ghostriders gang arrived in an SUV at Uncle Sam's American Bar & Grill wearing their colours.

"A small group of Ghostriders showed up. One of the members tried to enter the bar while wearing his jacket. The Bandidos asked him to remove it so as not to disrespect their club. When he refused a group of Bandidos surrounded him," Local news outlet Q13Fox reports. "The Ghostriders member felt threatens and reportedly pulled a gun and shot a Bandidos member in the arm. He was then tackled by a friend of the victim, disarmed and held for police." more on this story



Zakk Wylde's True Rocker Test
(Gibson) Zakk Wylde, guitar legend and Black Label Society frontman, has been promoting his new book Bringing Metal to the Children.

The book begins with Wylde's "true rocker test" (TRT), in which the reader must answer and self-score 10 questions to determine if he is a true rocker and should continue reading, or if he's just a complete "tool" who needs to hand the book to someone more metal. There are plenty of epic stories about life on the road, using his Black Label Society coaching techniques to instruct the reader on proper touring hygiene, pre-concert preparations and post-show etiquette.

The road stories include wild nights with many of Wylde's peers, including Rob Zombie, Eddie Van Halen, Dimebag Darrell, Mike Inez, Snake Sabo, Lars Ulrich, professional wrestlers Chris Jericho, Bubba Dudley and Stone Cold Steve Austin and, of course, Ozzy Osbourne. more on this story





Metallica Star Working on New Film
(Gibson) An upcoming 3D movie isn't the only Metallica-related film project. Bassist Robert Trujillo is funding a biopic about the influential bass legend Jaco Pastorius, according to USA Today.

"Jaco was my hero growing up. Hearing him was like hearing Eddie Van Halen doing 'Eruption' for the first time: You thought, 'What instrument is that?'" Trujillo said. "I loved jazz fusion and branched out from there. But Jaco had an edge that far exceeded his jazz persona. He was funk, he was rock, he was soul. And his whole attitude was punk."

The documentary, tentatively titled Jaco, is being directed by Stephen Kijack (2010's Stones in Exile). Trujillo hopes the movie will be ready in time to premiere at the Toronto Film Festival this fall. more on this story





Blaze Bayley Was Suicidal With His Formal Band
(Classic Rock) Blaze Bayley says he'd have killed himself if he hadn't sacked his entire band and the only reason he didn't end his life was that his wife talked him out of it.

Last year he fired guitarists Nico Bermudez and Jay Walsh along with bassist David Bermudez , and announced he would continue to operate as a solo artist using pick-up bands. His move came after drummer Larry Paterson and manager Anna Di Laurenzio quit.

"I just wanted to kill myself on that tour. The pressure to keep a band together was too much. Sometimes I really wished I had killed myself to escape, but my wife talked me out of it. She persuaded me to carry on and that's why I'm still here," the ex-Iron Maiden singer tells Radio Metal. "So they can say what they want. But my truth is: being with those people on that tour in that situation made me feel like killing myself, ending my life, ending everything, leaving my wife and son just to get away from everything. That's the truth." more on this story



Nonpoint Preview New Song Online
Nonpoint have posted an online advance mix of "I Said It," a brand-new studio track they've recently been working on with producer Johnny K (Disturbed, Staind, Megadeth).

"I Said It" is a first look at the recently revamped Nonpoint line-up which includes founding members Elias Soriano (vocals) and Robb Rivera (drums) along with new members Dave Lizzio (guitar), Adam Wolosyzn (bass), and Rasheed Thomas (guitar). The new line-up has been hard at work on its new, yet-to-be titled album which is due for release in fall 2012 on Razor & Tie. Listen to the preview here.

The band will hit the road this summer to preview new music with Call Me No One. Lead singer Elias Soriano adds, "We are about to hit the road and wanted to give our diehards an exclusive advance mix version of a brand new song we just finished called 'I Said It'. We're excited to play this one along with a few other new songs live soon so show your love in the pit when you hear them!" more on this story



Skeletonwitch Plot North American Tour
Skeletonwitch will be hitting the road this summer for a North American headline tour that will feature support from Barnburner.

The tour, which includes two weeks' worth of dates in Canada, will kick off July 17 in York, Pennsylvania soon after the band return from a European tour during which they will play festivals alongside the likes of Slayer, Megadeth, and Behemoth.

Skeletonwitch will be touring in support of their latest album, Forever Abomination, as well as the recent vinyl reissues of their popular releases Breathing The Fire and Beyond The Permafrost. more on this story



B Sides


Watch Evanescence Rock Am Ring
(hennemusic) Evanescence played the Rock Am Ring festival in Nurburgring, Germany on Friday. The festival is streaming live and the Evanescence set, like many others, was seen by fans around the globe.

The show is part of the band's extensive world tour in support of their 2011 self-titled release.

The group's first album in five years, it debuted at #1 back in October, after selling 127,000 copies in its first week. Watch their set here.



The Black Keys Release New Gold On The Ceiling Video
(hennemusic) The Black Keys have issued a new version of a video for their latest single, "Gold On The Ceiling" from their album, "El Camino."

While the original featured footage of the Keys on tour, this one is more conceptual, with the duo dressed up in fluffy baby costumes being carried by two men in Black Keys masks.

The new version is directed by Harmony Korine, who has directed cult films such as "Kids," "Gummo," "Julien Donkey-Boy" and "Mister Lonely." Watch the video here.



Geddy Lee Remembers When Rush Fired Him
(Classic Rock) Geddy Lee formed a new band when Rush fired him in their early days and he was doing better than they were when he was invited to rejoin. But he believes the experience was a blessing in disguise because it set them on the road to becoming the band they are today.

The bassist and singer was dismissed long before the Canadian outfit made their first recording. It happened even before they'd become a three-piece. The band's new manager, Ray Danniels, who is still with them, carried out both the firing and re-hiring.

Lee recounts the story in Classic Rock's Rush Fan Pack, which includes a copy of the band's new album Clockwork Angels and is available for pre-order now."That was pre-history really. We hadn't recorded yet and were still in our embryonic stage, and Ray came along. He had no real reputation yet as a manager or anything. He was just kind of an agent working in Toronto," He says. "So he started directing the band and he just thought I wasn't suitable, for whatever reasons he had. I don't know whether it was the way I looked, or my religious background – who the f**k knew?" more on this story



Metallica's Rock Am Ring Set Streaming Online
(hennemusic) Metallica headlined the Rock Am Ring festival in Nurburgring, Germany on Saturday. The show is part of the band's European Summer Vacation tour.

The festival is streaming live and the Metallica set, like many others, was seen by fans around the globe as it happened.

In an effort to promote their upcoming US festival, Metallica also streamed the show live at OrionMusicAndMore.com, the band's online home for the event, which is set to take place June 23-24 at Bader Field in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Watch their set here.



Slash Jams With Ozzy
(hennemusic) Ozzy Osbourne continues his run of fill-in shows to make up for the cancelled Black Sabbath reunion tour this year.

On Thursday, Ozzy and Friends played the Spektrum in Oslo, Norway, with the now standard setlist mix of Sabbath classics and Ozzy solo tunes.

Along for the ride are Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler, former Ozzy guitarist Zakk Wylde and Ozzy band members Gus G., Rob Nicholson and Tommy Clufetos.

On this night, the crew were joined by Slash for a few Sabbath tracks. Watch it here.



Soundgarden Rock Am Ring Set Streaming Online
(hennemusic) Soundgarden are currently playing the European festival circuit and, on Friday, the band performed at the Rock Am Ring festival in Nurburgring, Germany. Their complete set is streaming online.

Soundgarden recently released "Live To Rise," the band's first new song in 15 years. The tune is featured on the soundtrack to the box office smash, "The Avengers."

As for a full new album, singer Chris Cornell told Rolling Stone last month that "it's done. It'll be out in probably October. I would say September but I'm just guessing October. We're pretty much done with everything." Watch their set here.



Remembering Faces' Ronnie Lane
(Gibson) On this day in 1997, ex-Small Faces, Faces and leader of Slim Chance, Ronnie Lane died aged 51 after a 20-year battle with multiple sclerosis. Gibson takes a look back:

Ronnie Lane, one of the good guys of rock, had risen from humble beginning to international pop star and everybody loved him. The friends he made on the way to the top, from Jimmy Page to Rod Stewart to Pete Townshend, would also figure prominently in the dark days as his body rebelled on him and disease took over his life.

Lane and his band The Small Faces were huge rock stars when Steve Marriott jumped ship to form Humble Pie. The rest of the Small Faces drowned their temporary sorrows with old pals Ron Wood and Rod Stewart, became the Faces and matched anything they'd done in the '60s and set the bar for no-frills rock and roll.

When Rod became a megastar and the Faces disbanded, Lane moved to a farm in Wales, enjoyed life in the country and played folk and roll with his new band Slim Chance. Their albums sold well but a caravan tour of England featuring an ambitious assortment of circus acts was a financial disaster. Undeterred, he kept making low-key albums. Critics loved the records he made with old pals, like Mahoney's Last Stand, with Ron Wood and Rough Mix with Pete Townshend.

But something wasn't quite right with Ronnie. As drummer Kenney Jones recalled later: "He seemed very forgetful, slurred his words and tripped up a lot. We accused of him of being drunk and of having a secret tipple, but he wasn't of course."

More than that, Lane was suffering coordination issues and numbness in his arms. A doctor diagnosed him with multiple sclerosis in 1977

SLASH’s ‘APOCALYPTIC LOVE’ ENTERS BILLBOARD ALBUM CHART AT #4

ALBUM EXPLODES INTERNATIONALLY WITH TOP 5 POSITIONS IN SEVEN
OTHER COUNTRIES

BAND LOCKS DOWN #4 POSITION AT ACTIVE ROCK WITH “YOU’RE A LIE”



SLASH’s second solo studio album APOCALYPTIC LOVE has stormed onto the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart at #4, marking the top rock debut this week. The disc is also #1 Independent Albums Chart and #1 Hard Music Albums Chart. In addition, APOCALYPTIC LOVE is exploding internationally as the album is also Top 5 in seven countries outside the U.S.: Canada (#2), Australia (#2), New Zealand (#1), Germany (#5), France (#7), Japan (#2), Sweden (#4) and Switzerland (#3).

The news comes as SLASH and his bandmates Myles Kennedy (vocals), Brent Fitz (drums) and Todd Kerns (bass) also have the #4 spot at Active Rock with their single “You’re A Lie.” SLASH and his band are riding a wave of critical acclaim with a four-star review in Revolver magazine noting: “Apocalyptic Love is at heart a collection of lean, high-octane rock-and-roll tunes built to be blasted out of open-top sports cars or, more suitably, open-air stadiums” (July 2012); heavy exposure for the new single and striking video for “You’re A Lie” (MTV, Fuse, MTV2 VH1); and rave reviews for their sold-out shows across the country and rock festival appearances this month. While in New York the band performed an epic version of “You’re A Lie” on NBC’s Late Night With Jimmy Fallon (May 21). Watch the performance here: http://www.latenightwithjimmyfallon.com/blogs/2012/05/slash-with-myles-kennedy-the-conspirators-perform-youre-a-lie/.

Last night (May 29), SLASH joined Ozzy Osbourne onstage for his Ozzy & Friends tour in Bergen, Norway, for the first of 10 dates before joining his band, SLASH Featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators for sold-out shows across Europe. The group will return to North America for a headlining run set to kick off in Portland, OR on July 12. Stay tuned for more SLASH touring news.

All songs on APOCALYPTIC LOVE (Dik Hayd International, distributed through EMI) were written together by SLASH and Myles Kennedy.

The in-progress tour dates are as follows and check out: www.slashonline.com.



DATE CITY VENUE
European Tour Dates: June 6-June 25
Headlining Tour w/ Monster Truck supporting

Thu 7/12 Portland, OR Roseland Theater
Fri 7/13 Seattle, WA Paramount Theatre
Sat 7/14 Vancouver, BC Queen Elizabeth Theatre
Mon 7/16 Edmonton, AB Northern Alberta Jubilee
Tue 7/17 Calgary, AB Southern Alberta Jubilee
Thu 7/19 Medicine Hat, AB Esplanade Arts & Heritage Center
Fri 7/20 Saskatoon, SK TCU Place
Sat 7/21 Winnipeg, MB Burton Cummings Theatre Perf Arts
Mon 7/23 Thunder Bay, ON Thunder Bay Community Auditorium
Wed 7/25 Belleville, ON Empire Square Live
Thu 7/26 London, ON Harris Park – Rock the Park
Fri 7/27 Montreal, QC Olympia Theater
Sun 7/29 Quebec City, QC Agora de Quebec
Mon 7/30 Moncton, NB Centre – Casino Moncton
Tue 7/31 Halifax, NS Cunard Events Centre
Thu 8/2 Boston, MA House of Blues
Fri 8/3 Montclair, NJ Wellmont Theatre
Sat 8/4 Huntington, NY The Paramount

SLASH assets:
VIDEO: “You’re A Lie”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SZrJLMTO-8
PHOTOS (Group): http://msopr.com/files/slash-group_photo_2012_large_by_travis_shinn.JPG
(Solo): http://msopr.com/files/slash-solo_2012_large_by_travis_shinn.JPG

Tim Abrigg Jr. Rants/Raves:: Today's Day In Rock News!

Tim Abrigg Jr. Rants/Raves:: Today's Day In Rock News!: Wife Broke Up Van Halen? (hennemusic) Van Halen's label rep at Warner Music in the band's early years blames Valerie Bertinelli for th...

Today's Day In Rock News!

Wife Broke Up Van Halen?
(hennemusic) Van Halen's label rep at Warner Music in the band's early years blames Valerie Bertinelli for the group's 1985 split with singer David Lee Roth.
In a new interview with LA Weekly, former Warner Music artist development director Ted Cohen says the arrival of Bertinelli on the scene in 1980 began to drive a wedge between the members of the group, Yoko Ono–style. (Neither Van Halen's nor Bertinelli's management responded to repeated requests by LA Weekly for comment.)

The actress believed Eddie Van Halen should receive the lion's share of the credit for the band's triumphs, whereas Roth was essentially expendable, Cohen says. more on this story



Aerosmith's Steven Tyler Lands Film Role
(hennemusic) Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler is among the voices cast for a new animated film entitled "Epic."

The flick, by Twentieth Century Fox Animation and Blue Sky Studios, is a 3D CG action-adventure comedy that reveals a hidden world unlike any other. From the creators of "Ice Age" and "Rio", "Epic" tells the story of an ongoing battle deep in the forest between the forces of good and the forces of evil. When a teenage girl finds herself magically transported into this secret universe, she must band together with a rag-tag team of fun and whimsical characters in order to save their world…and ours.

Beyoncé Knowles voices Queen Tara; Colin Farrell ("Total Recall") is Ronin; Josh Hutcherson ("The Hunger Games") is Nod; Amanda Seyfried ("Dear John") portrays Mary Katherine; and Johnny Knoxville ("Jackass") voices Mandrake. more on this story



Izzy Stradlin Reunites With Guns N' Roses On Stage
(hennemusic) Former Guns N' Roses guitarist Izzy Stradlin joined his old band on stage at the O2 Arena in London on Thursday.

Stradlin teamed up with GNR to perform the songs "14 Years," "You Could Be Mine," "Dead Flowers," "Knockin' On Heaven's Door," "Nightrain," and "Paradise City."

The rarest of tracks on this night was was the "Use Your Illusion II" song "14 Years," which hasn't been played live since 1991. Watch the jam here.



Lars Explains 3D Metallica Movie Plans
(Gibson) It's still not completely clear what Metallica's upcoming 3D movie will be like. Drummer Lars Ulrich recently spoke to Rolling Stone about the plans for the film.

"This has been circling for two years. It's time to life-size it, get it out of our minds and on the screen. And if it's done right, it can be sensational," he said. "You're not watching Metallica onstage. You're onstage with Metallica. In IMAX, James Hetfield is 38 feet tall, snotting on you, spitting on you. It's 2,000 decibels. If there is an earthquake outside, you wouldn't notice."

Of course, Ulrich admits that the treatment could be too intense for even the most ardent Metallica fans . "But you can't do that for 100 minutes. It loses its appeal. There is another element in there – intimate, small, a story that takes place over the same trajectory as the concert. The question is, 'Where do they weave in and out of each other?' But you have to cut away from the concert to enjoy the concert." more on this story





King's X Hitting The Road With Kansas
King's X will be hitting the road this fall for a North American tour where they will be direct support for Kansas.

In regards to this upcoming trek, King's X bassist/vocalist dUg Pinnick comments: "I've been a huge Kansas fan since the beginning. I remember sitting on the floor with my friends listening to the just released record 'Song for America'...Fast forward to years later, King's X is going on tour with them!! It is an honor to be doing shows with them. This is gonna rock!!"

With King's X drummer Jerry Gaskill and lead guitarist Ty Tabor also onboard for the North American trek, these dates will mark the band's first tour since Gaskill's remarkable recovery from a major heart attack earlier this year. "Not too long ago I was thinking I might not ever get back on a stage, now I'm ready and with the ok from all my doctors," says Gaskill. "What better way to get back than to tour with the legendary Kansas. Let's rock..." more on this story



Queensryche's Tate Moving Forward With Solo Rock Album
(Classic Rock) Queensryche singer Geoff Tate vows his upcoming solo album will rock. He's at the centre of a storm of controversy after his bandmates formed Rising West, pledging to play tracks from Queensryche's first five albums.

Speculation the prog-metal giants are experiencing tension has been played down – although their official website promotes Tate's solo work while it doesn't mention Rising West.

The frontman hasn't discussed the splinter group either and insists he's concentrating on his own projects. Tate tells AnthologySD: "The album is recorded now, so I'm happy about that. I don't know exactly when it's coming out.

"It's very different from the last one. It's a new bunch of people I've been working with to write and record it, so that changes things. This one is really hard rock. The last one was really all over the place with different styles of music and everything, but this one really keeps with the hard rock style. more on this story




Senses Fail Giving Back To Wounded Warriors On Warped Tour
(CSP) Senses Fail have donated 4 tickets for each of their stops on this summer's Warped Tour to the Wounded Warrior Project. We were sent these details:

The WWP has sent out an invitation to select service members across the country to attend the tour along with the opportunity to meet the band, plus watch Senses Fail's set from the side of the stage.

"We are very excited to be working with WWP and to have the opportunity to give back to the veterans," says singer Buddy Nielsen. "I have had many friends who served in the military and my girlfriend is a former Marine. She was actually the one who brought WWP to my attention. I stand very proud of her and every other man and woman that have served this nation and am glad we can lend a small piece of happiness to them." more on this story



Dave Grohl, Stevie Nicks, Kenny Rogers For Songwriter Hall of Fame
The 2012 Songwriters Hall of Fame Annual Induction and Awards Dinner will feature an allstar cast of performers and presenters.

Organized announced that Foo Fighter's Dave Grohl, Stevie Nicks, Kenny Rogers, Lyle Lovett, Meat Loaf, Emmylou Harris, Cheyenne Jackson, Constantine Maroulis, L.P., Jerry Moss and Take 6 have signed on to be either a presenter and/or performer at.

This year's dinner will be held Thursday, June 14th at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in NYC. more on this story


Bloc Party Returning With Four
Frenchkiss Records have set an August 21st release date for Bloc Party's first new album in four years, Four.

Produced by Alex Newport (The Mars Volta, At The Drive-In, Polysics), the album was recorded and mixed in New York City, and is the band's first full-length since 2008's acclaimed Intimacy.

Along with this news, the band have announced a string of European, U.S. and festival appearances following a two year absence from the stage, which will give fans the first opportunity to hear new material from their forthcoming album, as well as classic tracks from the band's ten year history. more on this story



Joe Lacy Joins Second To Last
Second To Last have tapped Joe Lacy (Sleepsick, ex-Transit) to replace former guitarist Pat Mays.

Lacy has become a permanent member of the group and will be playing guitar and singing vocals. Drummer Kristopher Ruiz rounds out the trio's new lineup.

"I will be playing guitar and singing most of the songs with Tyson," Lacy announced in an exclusive interview with PropertyOfZack. "I'm really excited to focus more on my guitar playing and helping Second To Last come up with a new direction." more on this story




Ace Frehley Set To Rock Live This Summer
Ace Frehley will be playing a handful of live tour dates this summer in North America.

The former KISS guitarist will kick things off with a three-day appearance at the Days of the Dead event in Indianapolis, IN.

He will follow up with shows in New York, Jackson, MI with Ted Nugent, Detroit, and Greenville, WI with Sammy Hagar. more on this story




Singing Harder for Megadeth's Dave Mustaine After Surgery
(Classic Rock) Megadeth's Dave Mustaine finds singing more difficult after surgery on his neck and spine – and admits it was never his strong point in the first place.

The Megadeth mainman went under the knife last year after going through agony following a lifetime of energetic performance. But he says one of the worst parts was people accusing him of making it all up.

He says doctors warned him he would struggle with his vocal delivery. "It's been harder to sing and they said that would happen," he reports. " Which is sad, because I've already had… Singing is not my forte. I try my best to go it, but I'm not a great singer." more on this story



Slash Scores Top 5 Debut
Slash has scored a Top 5 debut with his new album Apocalyptic Love, landing at No 4 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart, marking the top rock debut this week.

The disc is also #1 Independent Albums Chart and #1 Hard Music Albums Chart. In addition, Apocalyptic is also Top 5 in seven countries outside the U.S.: Canada (#2), Australia (#2), New Zealand (#1), Germany (#5), France (#7), Japan (#2), Sweden (#4) and Switzerland (#3).

Earlier this week Slash joined Ozzy Osbourne onstage for his Ozzy & Friends tour in Bergen, Norway, for the first of 10 dates before joining his band, Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators for sold-out shows across Europe. The group will return to North America for a headlining run set to kick off in Portland, OR on July 12. more on this story




Robert Plant's Band Of Joy Releasing DVD
(hennemusic) Robert Plant's Band Of Joy's set at Nashville's War Memorial Auditorium for the TV series "Live From The Artists Den," will be released on DVD and Blu Ray on July 10, according to Billboard.

The DVD of "Robert Plant & the Band of Joy: Live from the Artists Den" includes performances of three Led Zeppelin classics - "Black Dog," "Houses of the Holy" and "Tangerine" - that were not part of the initial broadcast on public television stations.

Other songs included that did not make the initial cut are "In the Mood" from his solo disc "Principle of Moments," and the traditional "I Bid You Good Night." The DVD features bonus interview clips as well. more on this story



Tragedy Inspired Garbage Reunion
(Classic Rock) Garbage realised it was time to end their seven-year break after band friends lost a young son to cancer, says mainman Butch Vig.

The genre-crossing outfit fronted by Shirley Manson have released Not Your Kind of People on their own label. And Vig says the decision to get back to work was made in a "profound moment".

He tells ExploreMusic: "A friend of ours, a couple, lost their son to cancer. It was a horrible tragedy. Shirley and I wrote a song for a tribute album to raise money for children's cancer. Shirley sang at the funeral. I think we realised how important music is in our lives, and we had unfinished business.

"A day or two after that Shirley called Duke and Steve. A couple of weeks later we were in the studio recording." more on this story




The Flaming Lips And Heady Fwends Getting Wide Release
If you didn't get a chance to grab a vinyl copy of The Flaming Lips' The Flaming Lips And Heady Fwends on Record Store Day, don't fret.

Warner Bros. Records will make the album available on physical CD and digitally via all digital retailers on June 26th.

The album contains the band's unique and experimental collaborations with a diverse cross-section of heavy friends from every corner of the musical cosmos, including vocal and musical assistance from such disparate playmates as Yoko Ono, Nick Cave, Bon Iver, Ke$ha and many more. A new track recorded with Aaron Behrens of Ghostland Observatory is exclusive to the CD and digital versions and was not included on the vinyl edition. more on this story



Mars Attacks Pantera Classic
Pantera's Far Beyond Driven is the focus of the latest edition of Mars Attacks Classic Albums Column.

As usual the column is split into a written comments received via e-mail, and a podcast that can be streamed or downloaded from here

The podcast contains comments from Rex Brown, Gene Hoglan, Alan Tecchio, Dave Reffett, Martin Popoff, Mitch Lafon, Aaron Griffith

The written portion contains comments from Ron "Bumblefoot Thal", Dan Lorenzo, Jim Florentine, Steve Smyth, Jason Bittner as well as members of Angelus Apatrida, Cancer Bats, Sacred Reich, and current and former members of White Wizzard among others.



Harry Potter Actors Lands CBGB Film Role
(Gibson) Rupert Grint, best known for his role as Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter movies, has been cast as New York punk legend Cheetah Chrome.

NME.com reports Grint will play the Dead Boys guitarist Cheetah Chrome, who played a key role in the CBGB club story. The Bowery club launched a series of major acts in the 1970s including The Ramones, Television, Patti Smith Group, Mink Deville, The Dead Boys, The Dictators, The Fleshtones, The Voidoids, The Cramps, Talking Heads and Blondie.

Malin Akerman, who stars in the upcoming movie musical Rock of Ages, will play Blondie's Debbie Harry, while another Harry Potter actor Alan Rickman has signed on to portray club owner Hilly Kristal. more on this story





Beatles Musical To Open In Los Angeles Before Broadway
(Gibson) The theatrical adaptation of Backbeat, the 1994 film that details The Beatles' early days, will open in Los Angeles early next year before hitting Broadway, Billboard has reported.

The production will be staged at L.A.'s Ahmanson Theater from January 16 through February 24, with January 23 being designated as the "official" opening night. The show premiered originally at Glasgow's Citizens Theater in 2010, and its next run till take place in Toronto, from July 21 through September 2.

Set in 1960, Backbeat plays out against the backdrop of the relationship between The Beatles' original bassist, Stu Sutcliffe, and German photographer Astrid Kirchherr. The show prominently features songs the band covered in the clubs of Liverpool and Hamburg – including "Long Tall Sally," "Twist and Shout," "Good Golly Miss Molly," "Please Mr. Postman" and "Rock 'n' Roll Music." The cast for the Los Angeles production has not been announced. A Broadway theater has yet to be booked, but Billboard speculates the show will likely open in New York before the end of April 2013. more on this story





Smashing Pumpkins Call On Fans To Help With Album Art
(Gibson) The Smashing Pumpkins are asking fans to put their art skills to use for the band's forthcoming album, Oceania. As outlined on their website, the Pumpkins would like artistic fans to share visual impressions trigged by each of the album's 13 song titles.

Acceptable images include photos, designs, paintings and words. Those participating are encouraged to circulate their efforts via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and other social networking sites. The Smashing Pumpkins will, in turn, share, "like" and re-post their favorites on the band's official social sites. Select images will also be featured on the Smashing Pumpkins' official website.

In a related initiative, the band has partnered with jpgmag.com for a series of "Photo Challenges." Over the next few weeks, fans will have the opportunity to submit one photo for each of the 13 challenges, based on song titles for Oceania. Winning entries will be featured on a limited edition print-on-demand canvas poster signed by Billy Corgan and the other members of the band. more on this story





Digital Music Overtakes CD Sales in UK
(Gibson) The digital revolution in the U.K. in in full force and now the British trade organization, BPI, has announced that digital sales have passed CD sales for the fist time.

NME.com reports that digital sales, which includes downloads and subscriptions to sites like Spotify and Napster, has reached 55.5% of total sales. The increase in digital sales was measured at 23.6%.

Music Week quotes BPI Chief Executive Geoff Taylor as saying: "This is a significant milestone in the evolution of the music business. U.K. record labels have embraced digital to their core, supporting innovation and licensing more new online and mobile services than any other country. As a result, the industry's prospects for growth look brighter than for several years." more on this story





John Lydon Says Sex Pistols Frustrations Inspired PiL Formation
(Gibson) Having just released This is PiL, the first album from Public Image Ltd in 20 years, John Lydon has revealed that he originally formed PiL out of frustration with the Sex Pistols.

"I wanted to break with traditional formats," Lydon said, in an interview to be published by M - Music & Musicians. "The Sex Pistols were a great thing – that whole experience was wonderful, and I thank those lads very much. But there were limitations in the band. There was some ambition toward emulating sound structures, with following the rules of rock and roll. And that was unacceptable to me. We fell apart for the other reasons, but that, alone, would have been a good reason."

Lydon added that the concept for PiL was forged while he was still in the Pistols. "It was already there, permanently, throughout our American tour. I wrote [the early PiL song] 'Religion' while in the Sex Pistols, but the rest of the band wouldn't touch it. So I had to find a new base to begin from." more on this story





Gwar-B-Q Confirmed
Good news from the land of Gwar this week. The band sent out word that this year's Gwar-B-Q is on. Here is what they sent over:

After months of paperwork, hoop-jumping, and making the appropriate sacrifices, today Slave Pit is pleased to announce that the Gwar-B-Q is 100% completely legal and confirmed, and set for Aug, 18th at Hadad's Lake, the location we had planned on using last year. As you may recall, last year's Gwar-B-Q was switched from Hadad's to the National Theater because of problems getting the correct permits. Even though the event was still completely awesome most people seemed to agree that generally speaking, Gwar-B-Q's should be held outdoors.

"All the proper arrangements have been made in triplicate and the proper demonic sponsorships attained," said GWAR spokes-thing Oderus Urungus. "It's going to be a stinking hot, beer and beef-smeared metallic murderfest of unprecedented debauchery...the most splat-tac-cular Gwar-B-Q! more on this story



Speedy Ortiz Set EP Release
Our friends at Exploding In Sound sent over this big news for Speedy Ortiz fans: The debut EP from Speedy Ortiz, Sports EP, is set for a June 5th release on Exploding In Sound Records.

The album is available in limited edition 10" random colored vinyl and digitally through Bandcamp and other major distributors.

Speedy Ortiz has several release shows planned along the East Coast, celebrating the arrival of Sports EP with friends in Boston, MA (5/30), Danbury, CT (6/1), and Brooklyn, NY (6/2) before heading out on tour this summer. Fans at the shows will be able to purchase the vinyl ahead of the June 5th release. more on this story



B Sides


Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros Release Man On Fire Video
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros have release a new music video for the song "Man On Fire."

"Man On Fire" is the first single from their latest album, Here, which was released this week.

The clip is the first music video directed by actor Brady Corbet (Melancholia, Martha Marcy May Marlene, Thirteen), and it stars the New York City Ballet, NY Cheer Allstars, National Double Dutch League, and Soul Steps & Brooklyn Divas, as well as choreographers, coaches, and relatives of the various performers.

Corbet shot "Man of Fire" on location in New York from May 12th through 14th. Watch it here.



Truth And Its Burden Deliver The Decider Video
Rite of Passage Records has premiered Truth And Its Burden's new music video for their track "The Decider."

The song comes from the band's new album Choices, which hits stores on May 29th. Watch the video here.

Formed in 2008, Truth And Its Burden started out as an idea to bring a sincere message of hope, and to do so with a real sense of urgency. Those same ideals that gave life to this band still chorus through in every song 4 years later. To be aware, to challenge, to follow through, to ignite ideas into dreams, to re-invigorate life itself and to find meaning and purpose. Over the past four years, the band has toured throughout Europe and Africa with bands like The Ghost Inside, Haste The Day, Have Heart, and many others. more on this story


Miss May I Release Hey Mister Video
Miss May I released their new music video for "Hey Mister," which was directed by Thunder Down Country.

The track comes off the new album At Heart which will be available June 12th via Rise Records.

You can check out Miss May I this summer on the 2012 Warped Tour. For now check out the new video