Today's Day In Rock News!

Another Van Halen Tour Rumor
(hennemusic) Van Halen are in talks to bring their "A Different Kind Of Truth" tour to Australia this fall.
Sydney's Triple M reports the band are speaking with two promoters to play down under.

"They're going to do Japan in November and one major promoter is talking to Van Halen about October, so it looks very good," said Triple M music reporter Nui Te Koha. more on this story


Paul Stanley Slams Original KISS Members
(Classic Rock) KISS frontman Paul Stanley has reiterated his objections to the return of original members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss in strong terms.

He says: "I was never really friends with them. The band was never about friendship – it was about commitment to a cause. I loved them for what we created. I certainly don't love them today. They became impossible and intolerable, on more than one occasion necessitating their removal.

"I last spoke to Ace probably three years ago. Peter I haven't spoken to in probably about a decade." more on this story



Abigail Williams Planning Break Up
Abigail Williams' upcoming North American tour will be the swansong for the band, who announced via Facebook that they plan to break up.

A post attributed to the band on the social media site reads: After much consideration we have decided to make these upcoming Abigail Williams shows our last US tour. This was a very hard decision to make but feels absolutely necessary at this point. I've had the best times of my life with this band and learned so much about what I want to do with music as well as what I don't like about the industry etc and we honestly feel like it's best to put the band to rest after making what we feel to be our very best album. I'm honestly just feeling satisfied with everything we have done as Abigail Williams and I feel ready to put it to rest. We want everyone to know this has nothing to do with differences inside the band as we are still very much a family and these are still the same people I want to make music with now and in the future.

We think that 2012 is the perfect year for new beginnings and we definitely plan to put music out later this year in the form of a new band(s). It would be easy to give people the names to our new projects here but rather than capitalize off this announcement we would rather word get out naturally starting with our friends when the time is right. We want to thank our friends and fans who have supported us through the good and bad times over the years, we know its been a very bumpy road at times. We are still very dedicated to making music and this change will actually allow us to do more of what we want to do and be more productive. We hope to see everyone on the road for this tour that we booked DIY for the most part by ourselves. The dates are below even though some of them are still waiting to be confirmed. Also we want to emphasize that this is our last US tour and that we are open to touring overseas if the right tour comes up. more on this story



Jimi Hendrix Biopic Won't Include Hendrix
(Classic Rock) The Jimi Hendrix biopic starring Outkast man Andre 3000 will feature music by the Beatles, the Animals, Muddy Waters and Elmore James – but none by the guitar icon himself.

Because Hendrix's estate has refused permission to include any of his material, the soundtrack will focus on tracks he covered during his lifetime.

Shooting on All Is By My Side is set to finish in Ireland this week, with the movie released early next year. More rock news



Black Sabbath Drama A PR Stunt?
(Classic Rock) Former Black Sabbath singer Tony Martin says he doesn't understand how the band's relationship with drummer Bill Ward collapsed and he wonders if it's a publicity stunt.

Martin tells Metal Shock FInland: "I don't get it. I really don't. I've heard all the stories, and not once did anyone ever speak badly of Bill. They've never had a bad thing to say about him. They've always rated him. He's had his little moments like we all have, but basically they love him.

"I don't understand why they didn't give him time to get his thing together. He may have been out of the band for a long time, but set up some rehearsal or something – go and help him out." But a publicity stunt?



Scott Reeder Felt Stabbed In The Back With Kyuss Dispute
(Classic Rock) Kyuss bassist Scott Reeder felt forced to take Josh Homme's side in the band's current legal battle after concluding John Garcia and Brant Bjork had stabbed him in the back.

The two parties are embroiled in court action after Homme and Reeder blocked the founding members' attempts to trademark the band's name. Now an email written by Reeder and released to the court contains an explanation as to why the bassist supported Homme's action, aiming to block a trademark application.

Reeder wrote to Garcia and Bjork: "I'm at a loss for how we can resolve anything in good faith when on one day John is telling Josh that we need to proceed to a mediation meeting, and the next day Brant is recommending that I flip-flop on Josh and join the band." Read the rest here.



Lamb of God Singer Posts Bail But Still In Jail
(Classic Rock) Lamb of God frontman Randy Blythe has posted the required $200,000 bail to leave prison in Prague following his arrest on suspicion of manslaughter.

But under Czech law the prosecutor has three days to decide whether he can be released, then the court has a further three days to respond – meaning he's unlikely to be released until at least Monday. The delay could be lengthened because Thursday and Friday this week are public holidays in the Czech Republic.

If either party refuse to support his release, he could remain in jail and have the bail money returned. Blythe has not been officially charged with any crime. More rock news



Fear Factory and Voivod's Shockwave Festival Canceled
The Shockwave Festival which was set to feature Fear Factory, Voivod, Cattle Decapitation, Misery Index, Revocation, Havok (rotating slot w/ Dirge Within), Last Chance To Reason, Vildhjarta, The Browning and Forged In Flame has been canceled.

Organizers explain: "It is with great disappointment that we have to make this announcement. With the recent departure of Voivod from the Shockwave Festival lineup. As well as low advance ticket sales we have decided to pull the plug on the Shockwave Festival."

Fear Factory said in a statement: "We are truly disappointed not to be part of the Shockwave tour. We send our sincerest apologies to all our North American fans planning to come out this Summer, but we will be back. Please look for Fear Factory headlining dates in August."
more on this story



Slayer Frontman No Longer Enjoys Touring Like He Used To
(Classic Rock) Slayer frontman Tom Araya can only stomach touring by counting the days until he gets home again.

The novelty of life on the road has worn off after 30 years, and now he's concerned with how much of his family life he's missed. And the message was hammered home to him when his 2010 neck injury forced him to remain at home for longer than he'd done for years.

As a result, he says with a laugh, fans might be surprised to discover he doesn't enjoy touring as much as he used to. Araya tells Noisecreep: "I hate to disappoint you, but I've been doing this for 30 years. It's a long time. I hate leaving home. I've missed so much of my family life, my kids growing up." more on this story



Linkin Park Tops The Charts Again
Linkin Park sent out word yesterday that their new studio album, Living Things debuted at no. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 album chart.

This marks the fourth consecutive Linkin Park album to debut at no. 1 on the American Billboard chart.

The album also debuted #1 in the UK, Germany and the Japanese International Chart.




Muse Release Olympics Theme Song Video
Muse have released a new music video for their new song "Survival" which has been adopted as the official song of the 2012 Olympic Games that will take place in London this summer.

"Survival" will be played throughout the sporting sessions in all London 2012 venues during the entire Games, when athletes enter the stadium, the lead up to the medal ceremonies and it will be made available for international broadcasters of the Olympic Ceremonies to use in their broadcasts.

"It's a huge honor to have the track chosen as such a major part of the London 2012 Olympic Games," said Muse's Matt Bellamy. " I wrote it with the Games in mind as it expresses a sense of conviction and determination to win." Watch the video here.



Barry Gibb To Carry On Making Music
Bee Gees singer Barry Gibb assured fans via his Twitter account that he plans to carry on with music following the death of his brothers and Bee Gees bandmates.

He writes, "I will live on the music and no matter what stage I'm standing on, my three brothers will be standing there with me.

"Our whole family appreciates your support at such a difficult time. I will miss all my brothers deeply. I'd like to personally thank all those kind people who grew up with us and enjoyed our music wherever you are in the world." Barry's Twitter page.



Scorpions Still Pondering Retirement?
(Classic Rock) Scorpions guitarist Matthias Jabs recently said the band had abandoned plans to entirely wind down, but now he's reverted to his previous position.

The German outfit originally aimed to split up following a final world tour, but Jabs said they'd changed their minds and would continue in some way.

The guitarist now says: "You think you can go on for ever but realistically you cannot. At some point it will show we are not youngest any more and we want to avoid this. It will be a very sad moment – we are experienced as a band but we have no experience with stopping a career. It will be a first, and a very tough moment." More music news



Nachtmystium Releasing New Album This Month
Nachtmystium have set a July 31st North American release date for their new album, Silencing Machine.

The album was recorded at Engine Studios with the band's own synths/electronics specialist Sanford Parker (YOB, PELICAN) handling producer duties.

Nachtmystium will be playing a few shows in Colorado, Illinois, and Kansas around Silencing Machine's release. more on this story



Joe Bouchard Comes Full Circle
Classic Rock Revisited recently spoke with Joe Bouchard about his new solo album, Tales from the Island, and during the chat we learn that things have come full circle for the former Blue Oyster Cult bassist.

CRR: Your first tour, with the Byrds, was a learning experience and then you went out and opened with Alice Cooper and it changed everything. Now, you're in a band with Dennis Dunaway, who was the original bass player in the Alice Cooper Group when you were opening for them.

Joe: I talk to Dennis a lot about those days. Alice Cooper had such a wild reputation but Dennis has told me that they just worked their butts off to get their show to be the tightest it could be. We first met them when they were touring Killers. I didn't expect that it was going to be that good, but it was really amazing. It was totally different and I had never seen anything like it before. It was encouraging to us. Playing with the Byrds was a disaster because we were not the right kind of band to play with the Byrds. When we played with Alice Cooper, back in 1972, it all turned around for us.

CRR: When you worked on songs that ended up on the first album, like "Cities on Flame" and "Last Days of May," did you have the music and then put lyrics to them, or was it the other way around?

Joe: Donald came up with "Last Days of May" and both the music and lyrics are his. He tends to write them both at the same time. He shapes the music, and then finds the right words, and then shapes the music some more. I think that is the way he did that one.

"Cities on Flame" was totally done differently. It started out as a song called "Siren Singalong." I said to Albert, "I like that song, you should start working on it." He decided to take it in a different direction and that is where the music for "Cities on Flame" came from. Albert had some of Sandy's lyrics and I really think he just grabbed a few lines from the poem. "My heart is black and my lips are cold" was not originally the opening line, it was in the middle. That song was a real collaboration between Sandy, Albert and Donald. There is a lot more, read the full interview here.



Gene Simmons Explains Change of Heart Over Marriage
(Gibson) KISS legend Gene Simmons took 28 years to finally wed Shannon Tweed, a delay he puts down to his own selfishness.

According to U.K. newspaper The Daily Express, Simmons told TV show Daybreak: "I will speak for myself, I can't speak for all men... I've been arrogant and selfish all my life, thought I could have my cake and eat it too and didn't want to ever answer, 'Where are you going?' Where am I going? Who wants to know? Shannon has been with me for 28, almost 29 years this August and has put up with my crap...

"For her to stick around and put up with all that, and she knows everything, she knows where all the bodies are buried and all that.

"This is a question for all those guys out there, imagine you're on your deathbed... Who do you want around your deathbed for that last breath of air. If you want the woman you love and your children, then don't wait before you die. Love them and be good to them while you're alive."
more on this story





Magnum Set New Album Release
Magnum will release their eighteenth studio album, On The 13th Day, on September 19th in Scandinavia, September 21st in Germany, September 24th in Europe and September 25th in the US/Canada.

"So Let It Rain", a new track taken from the album, will be released as a single at the end of August.

On The 13th Day will be available as a limited digipak edition with a bonus CD featuring unreleased, acoustic and live tracks from the Magnum vaults, standard jewel case CD and download. more on this story



B Sides


Spineshank Go Behind The Scenes On New Album
Spineshank have released a new video documenting the making of their recently released their new album, Anger Denial Acceptance.

The video touches on the making of the record where the band references their inspirations, different themes of the album, and what really pushed them to get this record out. Watch it here.

The band is currently on a headlining run in support of Anger Denial Acceptance, and will be on the road through August. more on this story



P.O.D. Deliver Murdered Love Video
P.O.D. have a released a new music video for the track "Murdered Love" from their forthcoming new studio album.

P.O.D.'s first new album in four years, Murdered Love, is set for release on July 10th 2012

The video for "Murdered Love" was filmed with director Ramon Boutisveth (All That Remains, For Today, Trivium) in the band's hometown of San Diego, California. Watch it here.



Mayhem Festival Breaks Attendance Record At Tour Kick Off
Mayhem Festival organizers sent out this big news for the annual metal music festival: Mayhem kicked off this weekend to a record-breaking start—over 26,000 heavy metal headbangers attended the tour kick-off in San Bernardino on Saturday, July 30th alone!

That is over 4,000 more attendees than the previous record. Overall during the entire first two days, the festival brought 42,000 fans together to celebrate heavy metal

"What a sick show to kick off Mayhem 2012! I counted 13 pits during Indians!!! SoCal always brings it," states Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian. "If this is any indication of how this tour is going to be, it's going to be a great summer!" more on this story



Duff McKagan Throws First Pitch At Mariners Game
(hennemusic) The Seattle Mariners sent Duff McKagan to the pitcher's mound at a recent home game.

Prior to the June 28 match against the Boston Red Sox, Duff took his spot on the mound to throw the ceremonial first pitch.

"It was totally nerve-wracking to throw out the first pitch," Duff told MLB.com. "I got about 150,000 texts saying don't throw it in the dirt — so I threw it really high, but not too high." Watch it here.



Ragnarok Deliver Collectors of the King Video
Ragnarok have released a new music video for the title track from their lastest album, Collectors of the King.

The video is produced by William Brovold, directed by Stefan E Pedersen and the cinematography is by Lasse Roed.

Drummer and RAGNAROK founder Jontho had this to say about the video: "It's the first official video we've done for the band, and for a band that's been around as long as we have, you could say it's been a long time in coming. It's a very dark piece in every sense of the word and perfectly conveys the atmosphere and subject matter of the track itself. We're very pleased with the result, and now we've got a taste for it, it certainly won't be the last video we make, and you can rest assured that the new album will provide plenty of material for the next one." Watch it here.



Antagonist A.D. Release New Video
Antagonist A.D. have a released a new music video for their single "I'm Just Not There" which comes from their upcoming album Nothing From No One.

The New Zealand-based group is set to release the record July 20th in their home country and Australia, while releasing it worldwide July 24th.

The band will go on tour in Australia in August with support from Lionheart and Shinto Katana.

8/10 Adelaide – Fowlers Live
8/11 Melbourne – Bang
8/12 Melbourne – Phoneix Youth Centre
8/14 Bendigo – Musicman Megastore
8/15 Canberra – Tuggeranong Youth Centre
8/16 Sydney – Hot Damn
8/17 Blacktown – Masonic Hall
8/18 Brisbane – X&Y Bar
8/19 Brisbane – Eagleby Community Hall

Watch the video here.



Rolling Stones Lick By Lick
LickLibrary have released their Learn To Play Rolling Stones Volume Two which features over three hours of note for note guitar lessons. They sent over these details:

This outstanding double DVD set brings to you five great Rolling Stones tracks and will help you learn some legendary Keith Richards riffs that have inspired generations of guitarists.

Learn To Play Rolling Stones Vol 2 (RRP £23.99) includes five classic songs from across the stones fifty-year career. There is the mid tempo rocker Gimme Shelter, bluesy Tumbling Dice and from the Beggars Banquet album Street Fighting Man and chart topping Sympathy For The Devil featuring one of many killer Keith Richards solos. Finally there's the track Start Me Up that opens with Keith Richards' trademark riff. There's something for everyone in the DVD, which will help you with learning different tunings, mastering your rhythm guitar playing and getting into playing a cool groove.

Today's Day In Rock News!

Doctor Orders Aerosmith To Cancel Concert
Aerosmith's recently launched Global Warming tour has hit a big speed bump. The band has been forced to cancel tonight's show for medical reasons.
The band was set to play Bristow, Va. tonight (July 3rd) but have postponed the date until August 12th.

The band advised fans via Facebook that frontman "Steven Tyler is under doctor's orders to refrain from performing to provide vocal rest. The concert will now take place on August 12th." more on this story


Video Raises Questions for Manslaughter Case Against Lamb of God Singer
New fan filmed video casts some doubt on the manslaughter case against Lamb of God frontman Randy Blythe as it shows the singer had no part in the alleged victim hitting his head, which was believed to lead to his death two weeks after being injured at the band's concert in Prague in 2010.

The victim, named as Daniel N. in the press reports about the case, reportedly tried to jump on the stage three times and fan filmed video surfaced previously in a local news report which from the angle it was filmed, appears to show the singer and a security guard tossing the fans from the stage, and it's alleged that was when he hit his head, though the video does not show Daniel's landing or hitting his head.

However, the new fan filmed footage, while grainy, shows that during what is being assumed as Daniel's first attempt to jump on the stage, it appears he is pulled off the stage by someone in the audience and hits his head. The band's singer does not appear to be involved in anyway. Some reports speculate that it was a security guard that pulled him off the stage. You can read more and see the video more on this story



Linkin Park Beat Justin Bieber
(hennemusic) Linkin Park have scored their third UK no. 1 as their new album, "Living Things," debuts atop the British album charts.

The Official Charts Company reports the band's sixth UK top 10 bumped Justin Bieber's "Believe" out of the #1 position.

"Living Things" sold 41,000 copies, just 3,000 more than the new Maroon 5 disc, "Overexposed," which landed at number 2. more on this story



Metallica Weren't Into Mission To Lars Movie
(Classic Rock) The film-maker behind documentary movie Mission to Lars says most members of Metallica weren't interested in the project but she's still a fan of the band.

The film tells the story of severe learning disability sufferer, Tom Spicer, who wants to meet thrash drummer Lars Ulrich. It charts the efforts of his brother Will and sister Kate as they try to make the meeting happen, and learn much more about their sibling and his Fragile X syndrome as they go.

And while drummer Ulrich has voiced his support for the work, Kate Spicer says the rest of the band didn't want to know. "There's no two ways about it. James Hetfield and the other guys were not into our project, no way," She tells Geeks of Doom. "It's funny – nobody's really asked me about that. They were quite… they weren't into it at all. You could tell it was Lars' thing. But I feel that's kind of their thing – they've just got their own things going on." more on this story



Duran Duran To Preview New Album Ahead of Release
Duran Duran will offering up fans an advance listen to their new live album, A Diamond In The Mind: Duran Duran Live In Concert 2011.

The album is set to be streamed on Spotify for 24 hours on July 9, one day prior to its July 10 North American release.

Eagle Rock offers this description of the album: Recorded live at Manchester, England's MEN Arena in December of 2011, the career-spanning show, which also includes numerous tracks off the band's recently released All You Need Is Now CD, is a stunning reminder why original members Simon Le Bon, John Taylor, Roger Taylor and Nick Rhodes continue to be a vibrant artistic force in pop music today. In fact, the band will be representing England when they headline the upcoming BT London Live Opening Ceremony Celebration Concert in Hyde Park, London for the 2012 Summer Olympics. more on this story



Smashing Pumpkins Archives Opened For Pisces Iscariot Reissue
The Smashing Pumpkins third album Pisces Iscariot has been fully remastered and will be reissued on July 17 in North America and July 16 internationally.

The reissue is the latest installment in EMI's reissue campaign for the band and is being released in multiple configurations: Deluxe Physical Album--which comes with a live DVD and the first-ever Pumpkins demo reproduced on cassette--Deluxe Digital, Standard Physical, Digital and 180G Vinyl. The bonus content and special features were curated from the band's archives by Corgan, and have been remastered for the first time from the original master tapes by Bob Ludwig.

"A collection of odds and orphans from the dusky realms of Pumpkinland" is how Pumpkins founding member Billy Corgan describes Pisces Iscariot in the liner notes penned by David Wild. "Pisces Iscariot was the little mix tape that went platinum," writes Wild. "This unlikely smash album that some came to mistake for the Pumpkins' third studio effort even yielded a hit single--another wonderfully odd moment in the landslide that was the intense early success story of Smashing Pumpkins." more on this story



George Martin Movie Set For Release
Eagle Rock have set a September 11th release date for the DVD, Blu-ray and Digital Video version of the film, Produced By George Martin.

Here is the synopsis: The documentary is a feature-length profile of Britain's most celebrated record producer. In this very personal film, Sir George talks about his childhood, his war experience and his early days as a music student.

Originally broadcast to great acclaim in 2011 as part of the BBC's "Arena" series, this version contains over 50 minutes of additional interviews not included in the TV broadcast version. These extras include contributions from Rick Rubin, T-Bone Burnett, Howard Goodall, Jimmy Webb and Ken Scott. more on this story



Mutt Lange Approves of Def Leppard Rerecording Classic Hits
(Classic Rock) Def Leppard's rerecorded versions of classic tracks have received producer Mutt Lange's seal of approval.

The band recorded new versions of Pour Some Sugar on Me and Rock of Ages after failing to make a deal with their former record label over releasing the originals digitally. They plan to continue the process with more of their 80s hits.

Lange produced the classic recordings but didn't contribute to the new versions. However, singer Joe Elliott reports the deskman gave them "a total thumbs-up." He explains: "Phil Collen sees Mutt a lot, and he played him the re-records. Mutt couldn't believe how brilliant they were. He was like, 'Wow, guys, incredible job!' Phil was raving about how much Mutt was raving about them." More rock news.



Queensryche To Debut New Singer
(Classic Rock) Queensryche will make their first appearance with new singer Todd La Torre at the end of the month.

They'll headline the last day of the Halfway Jam in Minnesota, which also features Lynch Mob, Stryper, Bang Tango, Blackfoot and Enuff Z'nuff.

The prog metal band confirmed they'd sacked Geoff Tate on June 20. More rock news here.



Slipknot's Clown Will Retire When Band Ends
(Classic Rock) Sean 'Clown' Crahan of Slipknot says he'll end his career when the band splits.

"Since the beginning, every show we're told ourselves that this could be the last," he reports.

"My kids know that if I die on stage, that's where I should have gone. I don't want to, though – I want to live for a very long time. I'd like to retire and leave on a good note. Whenever Slipknot calls it a day I ain't coming back." more on this story



Emerson, Lake & Palmer's First Two Album Expanded For Reissues
Emerson, Lake & Palmer's first two albums, Emerson, Lake & Palmer (1970) and Tarkus (1971) will be reissued by Razor & Tie on September 11th.

Both reissues will be available as 3-disc deluxe editions containing never before released 5.1 Surround Sound and Stereo Mixes, including previously unheard out-takes.

Three time Grammy-nominated producer and engineer Steven Wilson (who has also recently remixed classic albums by Jethro Tull and King Crimson for acclaimed 40th anniversary editions) worked from the original Greg Lake produced multi-track tapes to remix both albums. more on this story



Korn Set Live Video and Album Release
Korn have set a September 4th release date for The Path Of Totality Tour: Live At The Hollywood Palladium.

The BluRay/CD and DVD/CD combos showcase the band's concert that took place on the night the Path of Totality album was released.

The show featured special guests Skrillex, 12th Planet, Flinch, Kill The Noise, Datsik, and more. more on this story

More on Korn - Korn Music - Korn Tour Dates/Tickets - Korn CDs, vinyl and rarities
Former Anthrax Singer Teams With Rudy Sarzo
(Gibson) Rudy Sarzo has a new band called Tred with former Anthrax singer Dan Nelson.

In addition to Dan Nelson, Tred features Adrenaline Mob guitarist Mike Orlando and Twister Sister drummer AJ Pero, and Sarzo describes the music as "tribal funk metal. It's very different from anything I've ever done before."

Tred is wrapping up sessions for their debut album, with further details to be announced once Orlando has wrapped up his current round of Adrenaline Mob touring. more on this story





Tinnitus Cuts Prog Band's Live Career Short
(Classic Rock) A prog rock band will end their live career this weekend as a result of their frontman's battle with tinnitus. Tinyfish will play their last live show at the Celebr8 festival in Kingston-Upon-Thames, England, under headliners It bites and IQ.

Vocalist, guitarist and studio drummer Simon Godfrey contracted hearing problems as the result of an assault in 2001, during which he was struck on the head with a bottle.

The condition, often described as "ringing in the ears" is shared by Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich and Who guitarist Pete Townshend, among others. Its side-effects include severe emotional problems – last year amateur guitarist Robert McIndoe committed suicide after contracting tinnitus at a Them Crooked Vultures concert. more on this story



Alice Cooper Band Members Forms Beasto Blanco
Alice Cooper band's Chuck Garric has teamed up with Chris Latham and producer, Tommy Henriksen to form the new band Beasto Blanco.

"With Beasto Blanco, we have set out to create a live, raw power, rock & roll band that will allow us to indulge our influences and imagery that has shaped our collective musical background. Beasto Blanco taps into a truly unique rock sound, but still stays true to our roots," said Garric.

The band's first single "Breakdown" which just hit iTunes, is already being heavily played in Alaska and Reno, NV. "We're psyched at the positive feedback we've received from our fans!" said Chris Latham. "We can't wait for the rest of the world to hear our first single! And not to mention the video is KILLER!!" more on this story



Primitive Weapons, Mares of Thrace and Pilgrim Tour
Primitive Weapons will be hitting the road later this month for a set of East Coast dates with Mares of Thrace and Pilgrim.

The tour will kicking off on July 27th at The Acheron in Brooklyn, NY and will continue until the band hits Chicago on August 10th.

Primitive Weapons will be hitting the road in support of their debut full-length, "The Shadow Gallery." more on this story

More on Primitive Weapons - Primitive Weapons Music - Primitive Weapons Tour Dates/Tickets - Primitive Weapons CDs, vinyl and rarities
Usx's Nate Hall Touring With Yob's Mike Scheidt
Usx frontman Nate Hall will be hitting the road later this month for a North American tour with Yob's Mike Scheidt.

The tour will kick off on July 14 in Asheville, North Carolina and run through July 23 in Washington, DC.

Hall will be touring in support of his solo debut A Great River, released via Neurot Recordings May 8. more on this story



3 Pill Morning Set For Sevendust Tour and Album Release
3 Pill Morning will be hitting the road with Sevendust next week ahead of the release of their new album.

3 Pill Morning will ne releasing their new album, Black Tie Love Affair, on July 17th via A2Z/Page 2 Music/eOne.

Frontman Jeff Stebbins, had this to say about the effort, "From our perspective, Black Tie Love Affair is the album that will put 3 Pill Morning on the map to stay. We've been a band for a long time and our expectations for this release are light years beyond what we've pushed for before. Our plans are simple, tour, tour, tour, and always be writing and pushing to beat anything we've done before."
more on this story



Outshine Lose Their Voice
Swedish metal band Outshine has parted ways with their vocalist Erlend Jegstad and issued the following statement:

"For quite some time there has been internal issues regarding the ambition, time, economy and overall direction of what Outshine should aim for in the future. This has now come to a point where we can't collaborate any more."

"Outshine: - We've been playing together for 7 years and have had some really great moments. The albums and tours has been amazing to do but now this all has come to an end. In order for Outshine to rather go forward than backwards this break-up is needed. We wish E.J. the best and hope everything goes well for him." more on this story



B Sides


Preview New KISS
(hennemusic) KISS release their new single, "Hell Or Hallelujah," today Tuesday, July 3 in North America.

The track will appear on the band's 20th studio album, "Monster," due in October.

A :30 preview of "Hell or Hallelujah" appeared on Amazon UK; it's since been removed from the site, but fans are sharing the clip online. Listen here.



Van Halen's Full Hometown Show Streaming Online
(hennemusic) Van Halen wrapped up the first leg of their "A Different Kind Of Truth" tour this past week in New Orleans and video of the band's complete hometown show has been posted online.

The band is taking the summer off before heading to Japan for a series of November shows.

A few weeks ago, Van Halen played two homecoming shows in Los Angeles at the Staples Center - a week apart. The June 1st show was followed by a return date on June 9th. Video of the full June 1 concert has surfaced. Watch it here.



Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo 4th of July
Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo will be having a very busy 4th of July with satellite radio specials and a television appearance.

Red, White & Benatar 4th of July, a 3-hour salute will kick-off this Wednesday at 8:00 a.m. (ET), and broadcast throughout the day on Sirius XM (Ch. 8). There'll be encore presentations on Thursday, July 5th at 2:00 a.m. & Saturday, July 7th at 7:00 a.m. (ET).

The duo will host the special show along with playing some of their favorite songs, greatest hits and sharing the inspiration behind them. more on this story



Asking Alexandria's Short Film Streaming Online
Sumerian Records have posted Asking Alexandria's new short film, Through Sin and Self-Destruction, on their YouTube page .

The label says: This is a controversial, uncensored look into the real lives of a new era of rockstars for today's generation as they take over the Sunset Strip. This is the first, but not last collaboration between writer Ash Avildsen and director Frankie Nasso, who together take you on an ambitious visual endeavor that hasn't been strived for in rock since the legendary Guns N' Roses trilogy.

The film is comprised of three music videos for the songs "Reckless & Relentless," "To The Stage" and "Dear Insanity." Guest appearances are made by Belladonna, Andy San Dimas, Sebastian Bach and more. Watch it here.



Green Day Preview Part III of Album Trilogy
(hennemusic) Green Day have unveiled the preview trailer for third and final installment of their forthcoming album trilogy.

The band has been in the studio recording not one, but three albums – a trilogy entitled ¡Uno!, ¡Dos!, and ¡Tré!.

The projects will be released in stages, on September 25th 2012, November 13th 2012 and January 15th 2013 respectively. Watch the preview here.



Singled Out: Wolves at the Gate
Today Wolves at the Gate guitarist and singer Stephen Cobucci tells us about the song "Slaves" from their brand new album "Captors," which was released today. Here is the story:

'Slaves' was probably one of the songs that was the most fun to write as well as the most challenging. As a band we had never tackled anything like this song on many different angles. I originally wrote the song on the acoustic thinking that it would never become a song that Wolves would play. All I had written was the intro and the chorus that I recorded as a voice memo on my iPod. For about a week I would jam it on my acoustic, mulled it over, and thought about whether or not I would show this to the guys. I eventually worked up the courage and sent Jeremy the voice memo I had recorded and told him that I wanted to turn this into a Wolves song. At first listen he said that it was "very different" from anything that I had been sending out. But I got an excited text from him two or three days later encouraging me to pursue this song. With the song writing on this new record, I really wanted to push myself to expand the creativity of our music even further. I wanted to push the envelope of what is expected by our listeners and the expectations we have for ourselves.

Lyrically I had planned out the story line of the song long before I wrote the music and I literally woke up in the middle of the night and wrote the lyrics to the first half of the song. Up until this point I hadn't written a song for Wolves that followed a story line because all of our songs have been reflections on life experiences and things that the Lord has taught me/changed in my life. I wanted the song to paint a picture of the story with the hope that the listener could envision the story line as they listened. I truly believe that this song is something that applies to everyone and hopefully our listeners will take the time to dig into the lyrics of this song. Before the lyrics and music were completed I got together with the guys and explained the concept of the song. Right then and there we decided to story-board the idea. So our bassist, Ben Summers, pulled out a sheet of paper and we drew out the whole story line like you would for a book or novel and then discussed how the music should correlate with the actual story. One of the goals in writing the song was that I really wanted it to be a mirror image of itself structurally. We wanted the song to grow to a climax, just like you would in a novel, and then fade to a resolution in the story. As well as musically, the lyrics of the song mirror each other but with slight differences in the characters point of view.

The story behind 'Slaves' is something that is in essence a story about myself as well as, in all actuality, all of humanity. It encompasses the different places people's hearts tend to be at times. The story starts at dusk when this slave decides to escape and run from the master. He runs all through the night out of fear of getting caught and being punished by a master that he perceives to be tyrannical. He finally escapes to what he believes to be freedom and quickly realizes that this life of fulfilling his every desire and want is leaving him empty and broken. It climaxes to the middle of the song where the slave is screaming out in anger, frustration, and desperation. He now fears that this decision to run has brought him to his demise. The slave then comes to the realization of his mistake and all runs back to the master with more fervency then his initial flight from the master. All throughout the song he speaks of these chains that are wrapped around his body that he seeks to rid himself of. It isn't until the end of the song that it is revealed to him the reality of his bondage and the personality of the master. My goal was to mainly focus on the slave so that people could identify more with the character with the hopes that they would in turn see the goodness of what Christ has done for them by providing the freedom of salvation in Him alone.

The idea of being a slave, in any culture, denotes such a negative connotation. In America we think about the scars that this country has due to the awful treatment of slaves during the early years of America's inception. The general perception of slavery and being a slave is one with no endearment whatsoever. For a long time, I myself lived under the perception that being a slave to anything was undesirable. It hit me like a ton of bricks a while back when I was reading in Romans 6 about being a slave to sin or a slave to righteousness. I had read that scripture before, I had heard it before, but God really opened up my eyes to it in a much more real way. It was verse 16 & 22 that really gripped my heart and shook me. v.16 "Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey-whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?" v.22 " But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life." A couple days later I then was listening to a sermon by a man named John MacArthur about this very same passage and topic. I could really tell that the Lord was seeking to awaken my heart to this truth, thus it propelled me to want to write this song. The reason why so many times people hate the idea of slavery is due in part to a fear of a wicked master. A wicked master only has his own best interest in mind, is abusive, and seeks only to gain, steal, and exploit the slave. When we allow ourselves to be slavs to sin, we are allowing satan to take mastery over our lives and hearts whose goal is to kill, steal, and destroy. The realization I came to about this idea is this, I do not fear being a slave to Christ for I know that my master is good. He has always provided for my every physical need, has shown an abundance of grace in my life by forgiving me of my sins while I lived in defiance of Him, and persistently loving me despite how unfaithful I can be.

After we finished story-boarding the content of the song the next difficulty began in so far as writing the music. It was very exciting to get the outline of the story solidified but then the real challenge came with creating music that would sonically match the place the character was in as the story progressed. I battled with this song for about three weeks to a month trying to get it to the point where I felt every part of the story was communicated well with the music. If it weren't for the voice memo application on my iPod, I don't think this song would have ever come to fruition. Ask anyone in my band, but I am notorious for mumbling little ideas into my iPod so that I don't forget them. Sometimes they are melodies, sometimes drum ideas, guitar stuff, lyrics, anything that comes to mind. A lot of the time it comes to me while I am working. Ben Summers and I do construction when we're off the road and many times I find myself in the awkward situation where I get an idea and I run quick to get my iPod to capture it. Of course I never have an instrument so I literally just make the sounds with my mouth or playing the rhythm with my hands. It's a really technical and extremely professional way of writing music as I'm sure this is how Coldplay and U2 write their records as well. The main melody of the song, that is sung at the very beginning and also heard throughout the song, I heard in my head and recorded it immediately into my voice memo. I remember showing the melody to Ben Summers and he said it sounded like Trans-Siberian Orchestra, which to me was completely a compliment, although I wasn't completely sure what he meant by that. It has a really interesting dark tinge to it while at the same time being quite melodic.

We were really excited for this song because it possesses the ability to be a showcase for everyone in the band to shine which was really cool to be able to do. It was a lot of fun recording this song as well because we were seeking to capture a much different feel in this song that in some of the others on the record. The intro of the song we tracked with one of the drum room mics just sitting in the tracking room. Our producer, Andreas Magnussen, just had me sit down and play it with my acoustic a couple times and tried to keep it really raw sounding. The acoustic guitar I used was really awesome because it was actually a gift from a fan of ours I have become friends with named Anthony Bauchner. We met him at a show in Chicago and he drove up to see us play in Dayton for a show and brought this really old Gibson acoustic guitar that was made sometime in the early 1950s. It's a beautiful guitar that has a lot of character in its sound and look. So it was really awesome to be able to use that guitar on the record. For those who have heard the song already, you will notice in the beginning that there is a guest vocalist who sings back and forth with me. We were fortunate enough to have Shane Blay (guitarist and singer for Oh Sleeper) come in and sing on that song for us. He did an excellent job on the song and were very grateful he was willing to do that for us. We've always been big fans of their music so naturally we were honored. At the midpoint of the song it reaches the climax of the story so musically we wanted there to be a real feel of tension. We knew we wanted it to sound chaotic, an organized chaos, that felt natural, raw, and live. So our producer told me to grab my guitar, head into the tracking room, crank up the amp, and go nuts. And that I did. It was probably one of the more fun experiences in the studio as we were trying to capture...noise.

When writing music, it at times can be really difficult to keep things simple while writing heavy music. Our goal with 'Slaves', more than with the other songs, was to maintain simplicity in the song writing while not compromising the integrity of writing a heavier song. When we used to write songs a while back, the mentality was always about how much we could cram into one song. But as we have progressed in our understanding of what makes a good song in it's entirety, we've realized that less is more. It's a common cliche that you hear all the time, but it really has made a difference in how we write songs. We also saw through touring that while it's one thing to record a song and capture a lot of cool elements, it needs to sound just as good if not better played live. All of these things factored into the writing of this song and we are really proud of the product that we walked out of the studio with. We're looking forward to seeing how our fans respond to this different look at a Wolves At The Gate song.

Today's Day In Rock News!

Slipknot Guitarist Sidelined By Serious Health Issue
Slipknot guitarist Jim Root has been sidelined by a burst appendix and the band is unsure when he will be well enough to join them on the Mayhem tour, which kicked off this weekend.
The band announced on Saturday: We're sorry to announce that our brother, Jim Root, will not be performing with us at Mayhem today in San Bernardino due to serious health issues.

Jim has been seriously sick for the past two weeks and went to the hospital last week where he was advised that his appendix burst a couple weeks before and that it could have been life threatening. more on this story


Several Van Halen Concerts Officially Canceled
Bad news for Van Halen fans hoping that the summer concerts were going to be rescheduled, several of the shows have now been officially canceled.

The band pulled the plug on their summer tour dates and many assumed that they were just postponed but now Ticket Master is showing that many of the dates are now canceled, according to Pollstar.

The site reports that Ticketmaster.com list shows in Uncasville, Conn.; Baltimore; Rochester, N.Y.; Detroit; Toledo, Ohio; Memphis, Tenn.; Sacramento, Calif.; Reno, Nev.; and Milwaukee are shown as canceled, however not all of the previously announced shows have changed to canceled status on the ticketing site. You can read the Pollstar report for more details.



Lamb of God Singer Freed On Bail for Manslaughter Charge
Lamb of God frontman Randy Blythe has been freed from prison in the Czech Republic after posting $200,000 bail following his arrest for manslaughter.

He was released on license after stumping up the amount he says he earns in a year. Considered a flight risk, he'll have to remain in the former Soviet bloc nation pending further court action.

Police were waiting for Blythe when Lamb of God arrived in the Czech Republic last week. He was arrested at Prague airport in connection with the death of a 19-year-old fan known as Daniel N, who fell into a coma and passed away of internal bleeding in 2010. more on this story



Former Santana and Robert Cray Vocalist To Have Cancer Surgery
(American Blues Scene) Former Santana and Robert Cray vocalist Curtis Salgado will undergo surgery on July 18 in Portland, Oregon, to remove a cancerous growth from his lung, according to his manager Shane Tappendorf.

A partial lobectomy will be performed to remove a segment of Curtis's left lung where a metastasized mass was found. It is suspected to be the same type of cancerous mass that was removed from his lung in 2008.

Salgado will be hospitalized for a period of four to six days and will require a recovery time of up to four weeks. The acclaimed blues singer and his doctors anticipate a complete recovery. More details and how you can help



Former U2 Assistant Guilty of Stealing $3.5 Million
U2's Adam Clayton received justice on Friday when his formal assistant was found guilty of stealing $3.5 million dollars from the star.

A jury found Clayton's 48-year-old former assistant Carol Hawkins guilty following an 18-day trial at Circuit Criminal Court in Dublin, according to Reuters.

Hawkins was accused by prosecutors of stealing the money from two of U2 star's bank accounts and is set to be sentenced on July 6th.



Queen with Adam Lambert Concert Streaming Online
(hennemusic) Queen teamed up with Adam Lambert Saturday night to take part in the Elena Pinchuk ANTIAIDS Foundation charity concert at Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) in Kiev, Ukraine.

The show was the largest social and cultural event of Euro 2012 and attracted hundreds of thousands of people on the main square of Ukraine and was seen by millions of viewers on TV screens throughout Ukraine and Poland.

In recognition of the importance and the charitable status of this project, the musicians who performed at the event waived their fees and you can watch the Queen set here.



KISS Set Monster Album Release
(Gibson) KISS will release their 20th studio album, Monster, in October. There are 12 tracks, all collaborations between co-founders Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, with guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer.

Today (July 2), KISS's "Hell or Hallelujah" will be available as a digital single. It gets a physical release the next day. Stanley says it is "a battle cry that encapsulates the entire record... one way or another, we're going to do it our way."

"There are no symphony orchestras, boy choirs, keyboards, outside producers or songwriters on this album," promises Gene Simmons. "The best thing we did was to turn inwards to ourselves. Tommy [Thayer] and Eric [Singer] have revitalized this band, with a work ethic and the talent to back it up. This is a real band effort. KISS has become a behemoth. We're going where no bands have gone before." more on this story





Alice Cooper Band Member Forced To Leave Tour
(Classic Rock) Alice Cooper drummer Glen Sobel has been forced off the road with a persistent neck injury, meaning he'll miss some of the band's support tour with Iron Maiden.

Sobel had been trying to deal with his condition using painkillers but finally realised he needed treatment. He says: "I've played the last several shows on pain meds. We've had some of the best shows with Iron Maiden so I wanted to do everything I could to stay in the game. I need to have this treated then return to finish our tour days.

"In the meantime my main man Jonathan Mover, an Alice band alumni himself, will be covering for me. I'll be back sooner than later." more on this story



Graham Nash Inks Seven Figure Memoir Deal
(Gibson) Graham Nash is to write his memoir for a huge sum of money. He has struck a deal with the Random House/Crown publishing group.

"They were all more than kind to me," Nash says. "But it was the people at Crown and Random House who gave me over seven figures."
Graham Nash Songs for Beginners

Nash plans to start his tale with his childhood in Salford, England, and will be totally open about his life and career. "I've been as honest as I can be. If they asked me a question about drugs, I answered them," he says of his meetings with the publishers. "You ask me a question, you're going to get an answer. Whether you like the answer or not is your problem, but you'll get an answer." more on this story





Rudy Sarzo Leaves Blue Oyster Cult
(Classic Rock) Veteran hard rock bassist Rudy Sarzo has confirmed that he is no longer a member of Blue Oyster Cult.

The bassist, who's previously played with Ozzy Osbourne, Dio, Whitesnake and Quiet Riot, has departed on good terms after running out of time to commit to the band. He'd been with them for four years.

Sarzo tells Ultimate Classic Rock: "Due to my scheduling with other projects that I'm doing, it became a little bit hard for me to keep a really solid working schedule with BOC." more on this story



Static-X Returning With Summer Tour
Static-X have returned from hiatus and will be hitting the road later this month for a summer tour of North America and have announced the initial dates.

The summer tour is set to kick off on July 15 at the Ink Life Tattoo Convention at the El Paso Coliseum.

Wayne Static had this to say about the tour "I had a great time over the past few years doing my Pighammer album and solo tours, but it's time to get Static-X back on the road. I can't wait to tear it up with some old school Evil Disco!" The tour will be the first for the band since they announced a hiatus in 2009. more on this story



Metallica Recap Day Two of Orion Festival
(hennemusic) Metallica's inaugural Orion Music + More festival happened last weekend at Bader Field in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

In addition to more than 30 artists on the bill, Metallica headlined both nights. On Saturday, they played their classic "Ride The Lightning" album in its entirety and, for the first time ever in the U.S., performed the "Black" album on Sunday.

The metal icons have put together a video recap of DAY 2 of the event, including "Hit The Lights" and "Master Of Puppets" from the show. Watch the recap here.



The Living End To Play Their Entire Album Catalog During Fall Tour
The Living End are planning a very special tour in their Australian homeland this fall.

Dubbed The Retrospective Tour, it is set to feature the band playing each of their six albums in full, back-to-back during 35 shows in five capital cities.

Crucial Music sent over these details: This will be the very FIRST TIME each album has been performed live from start to finish, and the feat will almost certainly be the first time any Australian band has undertaken such an inspired tour. The Retrospective Tour will not take in stadium-sized venues either. Perth, Adelaide, Sydney, Brisbane and of course Melbourne will get seven shows across seven nights in intimate club venues, each with a limited capacity. Seven shows and only six albums you ask? Well, eponymous Australian classic album 'The Living End' will get two airings in each city. more on this story



Big Country To Play Rewind Scotland
Big Country have been tapped to replace Ali Campbell at this year's Rewind Scotland - The 80s Festival.

The festival is set to take place between July 20th and 22nd at Scone Palace, Perthshire in Scotland.

Campbell has issued the following statement; "I am sorry not to be able to make Rewind in Scotland, but unfortunately due to an international TV commitment I have had to reschedule. I played Rewind Henley in 2011 and had a great time; hopefully I can make Scotland next year and hope you all have a great festival." more on this story



Lamb Of God Camp Deny Fight In Manslaughter Case
Lamb Of God management sent out word on Friday that they will be issuing an official statement later today, Monday July 2nd, regarding the charges made against singer Randy Blythe but they first wanted to shoot down something that has been widely reported about the case. Here is what they had to say on Friday:

As no formal charges have yet been made and the case is only in the investigation stages, it would be premature to make an official statement filled with false truths or innuendos.

Having said that, management wished to address today one false piece of information that has been included in many of the news stories released so far. Under no circumstances was there a fight of any kind involved. This incident deals with a fan that three times during the concert jumped the barricade and rushed Randy during the performance. It is alleged that the third time, security was not able to reach him and that Randy pushed him back into the audience where supposedly he fell and hit his head. more on this story



Fans Fund Gypsy Lee Pistolero Album
Gypsy Lee Pistolero sent over word that he has reached 100% on his Pledge album campaign, meaning that his new album 'The Good, The Mad and The Beautiful' will be made.

" Totally blown away by the reaction and support on this pledge album campaign. The record Industry has got to take note, this is the way forward," Gypsy Lee Pistolero.

"We exist only as artists because of the support, interest, demand of the amazing tribe of people that follow us. Through this mainline interaction with those people, the songs & releases are way more intimate, relevant and a total cooperative process. There is, and never should be a barrier between the artist and the real people that matter." Hear a FREE taster of things to come.



Stealing Axion Set Album Release
InsideOut Music will release Stealing Axion's debut full length album, Moments, on August 27th in Europe and August 28th in North America.

Moments was mixed and mastered by Acle Kahney (Tesseract guitarist and producer). Stealing Axion's Dan Forbrich (guitar, vocals) says of the album, "We feel this album is a culmination of the different compositional techniques that we've experimented with over the last few years.

"We like to take the basic song structures and let them ferment and slowly add layers to the mix until we are satisfied. Some of these songs have taken a while to fully mature." more on this story



B Sides


thenewno2 Giving Away New Song
thenewno2, featuring Beatles legend George Harrison's son Dhani, are offering fans a new song, "Make It Home," as a free download.

Vagrant sent over these details: "Make It Home" is the first track to be released from thenewno2's forthcoming album thefearofmissingout, which will be released on July 31st, 2012 via H.O.T. Records Ltd.

The album was produced by pHd, the moniker for band members and Grammy Award winners Dhani Harrison and Paul Hicks, and recorded in both Los Angeles and London. Check out the song here!



Linkin Park Return To Kimmel
(hennemusic) On Thursday, Linkin Park performed on the second of two back-to-back nights on Jimmy Kimmel's show.

Linkin Park appeared to promote their new album, "Living Things," was released this week.

The project is expected to debut atop the Billboard 200 album chart next week, according to the music industry trade magazine. Watch the Kimmel performances here.



The Darkness Release Everybody Have A Good Time Video
(hennemusic) The Darkness released a music video for their new single, "Everybody Have A Good Time," earlier this week.

The track will be featured on the band's third studio album, "Hot Cakes," which is due August 21.

The group have a full summer of live dates as they promote the new record. You can check out the new video here.



The 69 Eyes Plan Fall Release For 10th Album
The 69 Eyes are finishing up work on their forthcoming album, X, which is due in early October on Nuclear Blast Records.

Jyrki69 says of the album "We've never really celebrated anything, not that we've been playing 20 years or so (vampires don't count decades). Thus this time we thought to celebrate a bit: the new album is entitled as tenth in Roman numbers, it'll be called X."

X was recorded in Stockholm, Sweden, produced by "On The Verge" production team, with Stefan Boman (The Hellacopters, Bullet) handling mixing duties.

CANADIAN MULTI-PLATINUM ROCKERS LOVERBOY RETURN WITH ROCK 'N' ROLL REVIVAL VIA FRONTIERS RECORDS AUGUST 14

CANADIAN MULTI-PLATINUM ROCKERS LOVERBOY RETURN WITH ROCK 'N' ROLL REVIVAL VIA FRONTIERS RECORDS AUGUST 14:
For more than three decades, veteran multi-platinum Canadian rockers Loverboy have been lovin' every minute of it…and now are proud to announce the upcoming worldwide release of Rock 'N' Roll Revival via Frontiers Records. The album is set for an August 14 release in the United States and Canada and August 24 in Europe - featuring nine newly re-recorded Loverboy hits, as well as three brand new songs. Loverboy founder/guitarist and producer of the album, Paul Dean commented, “The new songs on this album are in the same spirit as our classic material. Working with our old friend, Bob Rock, on 'Heartbreaker' and 'No Tomorrow' was very easy and natural. And, the track 'Rock 'n' Roll Revival' brought Mike Reno and me back to our collaborative spirit of the 80's. As far as the classic hits on the album, these songs are reflective of the evolution of our past 30 years of playing them LIVE.”
Featuring original band members Mike Reno, Paul Dean, Matt Frenette, Doug Johnson along with Ken “Spider” Sinnaeve (who replaced the late Scott Smith), Loverboy recently reunited at Bryan Adams' Vancouver studio The Warehouse, with their original engineer, legendary producer Bob Rock (Metallica, Aerosmith, The Cure, Bon Jovi) to record the two new songs which are included on the album, “Heartbreaker” and “No Tomorrow,” which were added to another specially-written new track, “Rock 'n' Roll Revival.” The re-recorded hit tracks capture 30+ years of the evolution of each song during Loverboy's stellar live shows.
Next month, Loverboy will hit the road on a massive nationwide tour as special guests supporting Journey and Pat Benatar featuring Neil Giraldo. This tour comes full circle for Loverboy as they played with Journey three decades ago, in support of their iconic album, Get Lucky.

For more than 30 years, Loverboy has been “Working for the Weekend” and on weekends, delighting audiences around the world since forming in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. With their trademark red leather pants, bandannas, big rock sound and high-energy live shows, Loverboy has sold more than 10 million albums, earning four multi-platinum plaques, including the four-million-selling Get Lucky, and a trio of double-platinum releases in their self-titled 1980 debut, 1983's Keep It Up and 1985's Lovin' Every Minute Of It. Their string of hits includes, in addition to the anthem “Working for the Weekend,” such arena rock staples as “Lovin' Every Minute of It,” “This Could Be the Night,” “Hot Girls in Love,” “Heaven In Your Eyes,” “Turn Me Loose,” “When It's Over,” “Heaven In Your Eyes” and “Queen of the Broken Hearts.” Loverboy is: Mike Reno (vocals), Paul Dean (guitars), Matt Frenette (drums), Doug Johnson (keyboards) and Ken “Spider” Sinnaeve (bass).

Loverboy Rock 'N' Roll Revival track listing: 1. Rock 'n' Roll Revival 2. No Tomorrow 3. Heartbreaker 4. Turn Me Loose 5. Working For The Weekend 6. Lovin' Every Minute Of It 7. The Kid Is Hot Tonight 8. Lucky Ones 9. Always On My Mind 10. Queen Of The Broken Hearts 11. When It's Over 12. Hot Girls In Love.
WebLinks: www.frontiers.it / www.loverboyband.com.

Today's Day In Rock News!

Lamb of God Frontman Arrested For Manslaughter
(Banana 101.5) Lamb of God frontman Randy Blythe was reportedly arrested in Prague yesterday (June 28) on charges of manslaughter stemming from an incident that took place during a performance in 2010.
Metal Sucks says that there are Czechoslovakian reports claiming that the Lamb of God vocalist was picked up by authorities in Prague, prior to his band's headlining set with Skeletonwitch and All Shall Perish.

The arrest was made over a 2010 incident where a fan allegedly jumped on stage and got into a physical altercation with Blythe. The fan later died and Blythe is now reportedly facing manslaughter charges. more on this story


Motley Crue Drummer Chastises Fans
(hennemusic) On Thursday, Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee took to the band's Facebook page to post an open letter to fans.

He writes in part [profanity replaced with *]: What I have a problem with is... taking pictures! I hate it! Irritates the * out of me when people say... 'You owe it to your fans, they put you where you are, etc. etc.!' I certainly don't owe anybody anything!

When I bought all my Led Zeppelin records and concert tickets, I didn't say, 'One day these * are gonna owe me a picture.' It's the least they can do for me!...

[What the *], people? You don't admire something so that it can give back... You just cherish it! And to those who say, 'You should be grateful that people wanna take your picture. Maybe one day they won't want it!' That day can't come soon enough!

[By the way]… I'm not here to take pictures with you, I'm here to entertain you!

Nobody put me where I am but ME! He continues....



Red Hot Chili Peppers Tribute Late Friend With Death Song
(Gibson) The latest video from the Red Hot Chili Peppers is a tribute to the group's long-running pal Brendan Mullen, who died in 2009. "Brendan's Death Song" features Anthony Kiedis and Co. taking part in a New Orleans Funeral for their fallen friend.

As the Peppers and a horde of others, parade through the Crescent City, the song rises from hushed elegy to a surging anthem. Guitarist Josh Klinghoffer leads the charge on a pretty, red Gibson. The video, directed by Mark Klasfeld, was filmed in one day in New Orleans.

According to Rolling Stone, Brendan Mullen was a club owner and booker in the Los Angeles music scene. In the early '80s, after hearing a Chili Peppers demo tape given to him by Kiedis and Flea, Mullen gave the band an opening slot for Bad Brains – a huge moment for the young band. Mullen and the band quickly became great friends. Watch the video here.





Eddie Van Halen Was In Back to the Future
(TMZ) Eddie Van Halen swears ... it was really him shredding guitar in that famous scene from "Back to the Future" -- when Marty McFly pops a cassette tape into his walkman ... and blows out his father's eardrums.

Don't pretend like you forgot -- Marty puts on that radiation suit and wakes his dad up with a Van Halen cassette tape, saying, "Silence earthling." IT'S CLASSIC!!!

In the movie, the tape says "Edward Van Halen" on it -- but there's been a lot of speculation over the years about what song it was ... and whether it was even Eddie playing the music ... but yesterday in L.A., the rock legend put the rumors to rest.

Eddie insists it WAS really him on the tape -- but as for whether the guitar lick was part of a real song ... Eddie said it was him "just playing a bunch of noise."

So there you have it. Watch the scene here.



Soilwork Replace Peter Wichers
Soilwork have tapped Night Flight Orchestra's David Andersson to replace founding guitarist Peter Wichers.

"We're super stoked to have David with us", said vocalist Björn "Speed" Strid. "He's a blast to be around and a kick ass guitarist. Plus, we've known him for so many years, from all the touring together, we just know he's a perfect fit for us." Andersson has toured on and off with Soilwork since 2006, and most recently during the 2011 festival season in support of the band's acclaimed eighth album "The Panic Broadcast."

Regarding the recently announced split with Wichers, who first left the band in 2005 only to return four years later, Speed commented: "We just had to do this. It's in the best interest of both him and us. Soilwork was born to be out there, tearing up the stage. Peter's been unable to commit to the kind of touring we need to do and it's time for us to move on. David's played with us for so long, he's really grown into the band. It feels natural, like a seamless transition. We're thankful for everything Peter has contributed to Soilwork over the years and we sincerely wish him the best." more on this story



Alex Lifeson On Rush's Clockwork Angles Concept and 2112 Connection
Our friends at Classic Rock Revisited have a new feature interview with Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson where we learn a lot about the band's new album, Clockwork Angels. Here is an excerpt:

What is most unexpected about Clockwork Angels is the band's return to a concept album. The album tells the story of a young man's quest to follow his dreams and all of the good, the bad, the magnificent and the horrible that he encounters along the way. "We did a number of strictly concept pieces, but a long time ago we decided that we'd run that format through. We moved away from that in the late 1970's," explained Lifeson," At the same time, all of our records are all thematic and loosely connected; sometimes it is broader and sometimes it is narrower. Nick [Raskulinecz, Producer] was really pushing for something like that; not specifically a concept but a story."

Clockwork Angels cover art is as fun and interesting as the music on the album. The cover shows a clock with the time 9:12. Hugh Syme, Rush's cover artist of choice, played a fun trick on the cover. If you make the time PM, then the military way of announcing the time is 21:12, as in the band's classic release from 1976. "Hugh Syme is a very clever and able designer," says Lifeson. "He works very closely with Neil on all of the artwork. He has done some really dramatic artwork for this record. It made me smile; I got it."

In reality, Clockwork Angles began years ago but Rush's touring schedule kept the project from being completed. Lifeson comments on working over such a long period of time, "We spread this one out over a couple of years and it ended up being a very nice way to work. It gave us a bit of breathing space, as we wrote in groups of songs. I think that always helps to get a little bit of variety. When you get into the studio and you record everything together then it brings that consistency through it. I think we really achieved an interesting dynamic. We have a lot of songs that are different from each other. I think a lot of the songs are very cinematic and part of the story.

"The first batch we did consisted of five songs that we wrote several years ago. When I think of the songs on the album I think of them in the little groups that we wrote them in." Read the rest of the feature here.



Metallica Recap Day One Of Orion Festival
(hennemusic) Metallica's inaugural Orion Music + More festival happened last weekend at Bader Field in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

In addition to more than 30 artists on the bill, Metallica headlined both nights. On Saturday, they played their classic "Ride The Lightning" album in its entirety and, for the first time ever in the U.S., performed the "Black" album on Sunday.

The metal icons have put together a video recap of DAY 1 of the event, including "The Call Of Ktulu" and "Escape" from the show. Check it out here.



Anberlin Frontman Releasing New Anchor & Braille Album
Anberlin frontman Stephen Christian will release a new album from his solo project Anchor & Braille on July 31st.

Anchor & Braille was formed by Christian as a solo project in 2008. The new album, The Quiet Life, is the follow up to 2009's Felt and was written over the past three years.

Written wherever and whenever he could, The Quiet Life reflects the experiences of life as a nomadic musician and draws influence from the music Christian was personally listening to during the process. more on this story



James Iha Previews New Solo Album
James Iha of A Perfect Circle, Smashing Pumpkins and Tinted Windows fame will be releasing a new solo album, entitled "Look To The Sky," on September 18th. We were sent these details as well as a link for you to check out a song from the effort:

Produced by Iha and guitarist Nathan Larson (formerly of beloved indie rockers Shudder to Think) at Iha's own studio Stratosphere Sound in New York City, the sessions for "Look To The Sky" were designed to create an atmosphere of freedom, experimentation and shared fondness for a variety of enduring genres: from bright, modern rock, to 60s nuggets and cool, clean 80s new wave.

"I wanted this record to be more eclectic and reflect all of my tastes which is why it took so long," Iha explains. "It was important to me for the record to be multi-dimensional and complex. Being a part of the Smashing Pumpkins, and working with so many other bands and artists since my last album [1998's solo debut 'Let It Come Down'] gave me a fresh perspective on what music could be." more on this story



Former Bauhaus Frontman Peter Murphy Plans Intimate Shows With Ours
(Nettwerk) Former Bauhaus frontman Peter Murphy has announced a final run of intimate shows in support of his latest album, Ninth.

The 11 dates include a stop in Hollywood, CA at The Roxy on Thursday, August 16th as part of the Sunset Strip Music Festival, as well as an east coast date in Brooklyn, NY at The Wick on Sunday, August 26th. Ours will support all dates except for the Brooklyn show.

Peter Murphy returned in 2011 with his ninth solo album, aptly titled Ninth. Murphy has toured extensively behind Ninth—including a major headline tour, a second co-headline tour with She Wants Revenge, and spurts of smaller, intimate gigs around the country. more on this story



Tomahawk Return
Tomahawk, featuring Duane Denison (The Jesus Lizard, Unsemble), Trevor Dunn (Fantomas, Melvins Lite), Mike Patton (Mondo Cane, Faith No More) and John Stanier (Battles, Helmet), have returned and will release their new album, entitled Oddfellows, in January.

"It's dark and claustrophobic here, light and spacious there," says Denison of the new album. "Live in the studio, all together in one room. Oddfellows indeed." Oddfellows was recorded at Easy Eye Sound Studio in Nashville (which is owned by The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach) and co-produced by Tomahawk and Collin Dupuis (The Black Keys, The Nocturnals).

As Denison recently told Rolling Stone that Tomahawk is essentially re-launching after a lengthy hiatus. Oddfellows is the band's first new album in five years and marks the addition of bass player Trevor Dunn (Patton's longtime cohort dating back to their teenage years in Mr. Bungle). more on this story



Testament Stream New Song and Release Album Option Details
Testament are streaming a new song from their forthcoming album, Dark Roots Of Earth, which is set for release on July 31st in North America. The band also released package options details for the album.

"True American Hate" is the first track to be previewed from the band's 10th studio album, Dark Roots Of Earth, its first release in over four years following 2008's, The Formation Of Damnation. Listen to it here.

The CD was produced, mixed and mastered by acclaimed British producer Andy Sneap (Arch Enemy, Nevermore, Accept, Exodus). Special bonus tracks were recorded, mixed and mastered by Juan Urteaga (Machine Head,Exodus, Ted Nugent, Night Ranger) at his Trident Studios. Eliran Kantor, who has previously worked with Atheist, Sigh, Anacrusis and Gwar, among others, provided the cover artwork. more on this story



Staind's Aaron Lewis Sets New Album Release Date
Staind frontman Aaron Lewis has moved the released date for his debut solo full length album, "The Road", from the originally announced June 26th release date to September 11th. Webster sent over these details about the album:

Co-produced by Lewis and legendary Nashville hit-maker James Stroud (Toby Keith, Tim McGraw, Willie Nelson, Chris Young), "The Road" follows Lewis' debut solo EP, "Town Line," which bowed at #1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart last year.

The forthcoming album contains ten brand-new songs, including first single "Endless Summer," which CMT has hailed as "the anthem of the Summer of 2012." It also contains the Rhett Akins/Dallas Davidson/Bobby Pinson-penned "Granddaddy's Gun," marking the first time in Lewis' entire career that he has cut a song he didn't have a hand in writing. more on this story



McCartney Says Elvis Cures Headaches
(Gibson) Paul McCartney told some fascinating stories to Ronnie Wood on the Stones' guitarist's Absolute Classic Rock show.

Elvis Presley cured a McCartney headache: "...the healing power of music is serious. I remember I had a mate called Ian James and I remember one day, I went back to his house and I had a headache, steaming headache, and I thought 'Oh God,' but we put on 'All Shook Up' by Elvis. By the time that record had ended I didn't have a headache!"

As for sparring partner John Lennon, Macca recalled that John would take off his glasses when girls were around despite being "blind as a bat." more on this story





Lita Ford Finds Redemption With New Album
Classic Rock Revisited recently caught up with Lita Ford to discuss her new album, Living Like A Runaway. Here is an excerpt:

CRR: Living Like a Runaway is an album of redemption. Do you agree? Lita: Yeah, I have risen from the ashes. My girlfriend called me and said I was like the Phoenix. She said she was going to buy me a tattoo of the Phoenix. I had no idea what she was talking about, so I Googled it. When I learned what that was, I related to it because I really did have to dig myself out of my situation and rise again.

I am very happy with the record. My manager, the record company and everyone that helped me with the record is happy, too. I can't wait to start playing these songs live.

CRR: How important was it to you to make this album sound like you? Lita: I had to make it sound like me because I had to bury the last album. The only way I could do that was to make a true Lita album. Gary brought the best out of me, on guitar and vocals. I didn't have anybody squashing me down saying, "No, you're doing it all wrong. You're not playing that riff right." You know what? I wrote that f**king riff, so I know how to play it.

I have really had a lot of freedom on this record and that is what makes it sound so True Blue, because it's real. There is no doubling the vocals and tripling the guitars and quadrupling this or that. I really went back to basics on this record. We stuck to bass, drums, guitar and vocals. Read the rest of the interview here, this only scratches the surface.



Engel Set Album Release Date and Post Video Online
FrostByte Media have set a September 25th North American release date for Engel's new album Blood of Saints.

Blood of Saints was produced by Tue Madsen (The Haunted, Hatesphere, Dark Tranquility).

Hailing from, Gothenburg, Sweden, Engel is the brainchild of In Flames guitarist Niclas Engelin.

Check out the video for new single "Question Your Place" here.



Sammy Hagar Excited About His Growing Alcohol Empire
(hennemusic) Sammy Hagar continues to build his alcohol empire with the recent addition of Sammy's Beach Bar Rum.

Distilled on Maui by Mark Nigbur of Pau Vodka, Sammy launched his Beach Bar Rum in Hawaii last fall and it has recently been made available on the US mainland.

On Thursday, Sammy checked in with some photos and an update: "I'm in Hawaii with Mark at the Sammy's Beach Bar Rum distillery! Here I am signing some of the bottles (see photo at the full story link). Behind me is white rum in the barrels that has been aging for 6 months and soon to come to stores in the mainland!

"I have other rum news too!! Sammy's Beach Bar Rum is now in the following states distributor warehouses: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wisconsin. If you ask your local retailer and bars and restraints etc to order it for you they can get it in a day or two. Let's go!!! Other states should be added shortly with all having product by mid July." Read more and see the photo here.



Stone Axe Going On Hiatus, Not Breaking Up
Ripple Music sent over a statement from Stone Axe which dispels rumors that the band is breaking up but are instead going "on hiatus for a short while."

Tony Reed, after catching wind of the purported news, posted this statement on the bands website to help clarify the issue:

"Since getting back from the UK/Europe tour in April Dru & I have been taking some time to step outside of Stone Axe and work on some other projects. Dru has been working on a project with Steve Holt from 36 Crazyfists called Cokewulf (Facebook/Cokewulf) and I have been doing a lot of work mixing and mastering bands and also working on the new Mos Generator (Facebook/MosGenerator) album. None of this means there won't be any new Stone Axe. After three years of going full-on, we just need a little break. There are already a few songs recorded for the next record and many more to come. Right now we are riding on the two releases that we hope will keep the listeners satisfied until we can get a new album out. The Stone Axe II: Deluxe & Stone Axe: Captured Live! releases are jam packed full of previously unreleased material and well worth the money. Give 'em a spin and let us know what you think."



B Sides


Linkin Park Play New Song on Kimmel
(hennemusic) Linkin Park are back with this week's release of their new album, "Living Things."

The group stopped by Jimmy Kimmel's show Wednesday for the first of a two-night appearance to play the new album's lead single, "Burn It Down."

"Living Things" is expected to debut atop the Billboard 200 album chart next week, according to the music industry trade magazine. Watch the TV appearance here.



Wolfgang Van Halen Thanks Fans For Successful Tour
(hennemusic) Van Halen wrapped up the first leg of their "A Different Kind Of Truth" tour Tuesday night in New Orleans.

After the show, bassist Wolfgang Van Halen tweeted a photo and added, "Thanks everyone for such an incredible tour! It's been a wonderful experience. You guys are the best! ‪#grateful"

Van Halen's 2012 live shows began with an invite-only performance at the legendary Café Wha? in New York in January, followed by a similarly intimate gig in Los Angeles in early February. See the photo here.



The Offspring Rock Jimmy Kimmel
(hennemusic) The Offspring are back this week with the release of their new album, "Days Go By."

Ahead of the album's release, the band played a full series of shows on the European festival circuit; they'll kick off US dates at Cleveland's House Of Blues on July 17.

On Monday, the Offspring stopped by Jimmy Kimmel's show to rock the title track from the album as well as one of their classics. Watch it here.



The Day George Martin Became A Knight
(Gibson) On this day in 1996, Record producer George Martin received a Knighthood. Plus, music promoter Harvey Goldsmith became an MBE and Van Morrison an OBE. Gibson looks back:

Back in the '60s, George Martin probably felt unappreciated by his bosses. He was stuck on a meager salary throughout The Beatles' and Parlophone's commercial heyday, forcing him to go independent in 1965. Even The Beatles seemed to take his talents for granted at the end and didn't even credit his preliminary work on Let it Be.

But he'd have the last laugh. On this very day in 1996, George Martin, producer extraordinaire, was honored for all his contributions to British music with a Knighthood from the Queen of England. He was the fist of the Beatles camp to be honored so highly. Paul McCartney would have to wait another year for his.

And nobody could say that Martin's honor wasn't deserved. Producing music that is both artistic and commercial is nigh on impossible, but Martin managed it with apparent ease.

Of course, working with The Beatles helped him amass his 30 #1 U.K. singles and 16 #1 albums and 22 #1 singles and 19 #1 albums in North America. But at Parlophone in the early '60s, he also produced worldwide hits for Gerry & The Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas, The Fourmost and Cilla Black. In fact, in 1963, Sir George Martin produced the #1 song on the U.K. singles charts for 37 weeks of the year.

Today's Day In Rock News!

10cc To Play First American Show Since 1978
10cc can still be heard on classic rock stations across America but the band hasn't played in the States since 1978. That's about to change.
10cc is set to play at The Concert Hall in New York City, on Friday, July 13, as part of a two-date flying visit to North America. The other show is a headline spot at Ottawa BluesFest in Canada.

Over their 40-year career, 10cc has sold over 30 million albums worldwide. "Things We Do For Love" has been played over 3.5 million times on US radio. "I'm Not In Love" (played more than 5 million times on US radio) has been recorded by The Pretenders (for the film Indecent Proposal), Will To Power, Peggy Lee, Richie Havens, Fun Lovin' Criminals, and most recently The Flaming Lips. more on this story



Deep Purple Legend Jon Lord's Live Return Sidelined By Cancer Fight
(hennemusic) Former Deep Purple keyboardist Jon Lord has had to postpone his return to the live stage.

Last summer, Lord announced that he was fighting cancer and would be taking a break from performing while getting treatment. Jon recently scheduled his first concert appearance since revealing his health news: a special performance of his 2008 release, the "Durham Concerto," was set for July 6 in Hagen, Germany.

Jon's camp has posted the following update: "Unfortunately, due to on-going medical treatments Jon will not be able to perform in Hagen, Germany on July 6th. He was set to perform his Durham Concerto and a selection of other pieces.

"Jon wishes to assure everyone that this is not a matter for concern, but it is a continuation of his regular treatment that has just taken longer than anticipated." Read the rest of the statement here.



Dave Matthews Band Set New Album Release
RCA Records have set a September 11th release date for the Dave Matthews Band's new album, Away From The World.

For the new album, the band once again recorded with Steve Lillywhite, who produced its first three studio albums - Under The Table And Dreaming, Crash and Before These Crowded Streets.

The album will be available in CD, digital and vinyl formats. Deluxe versions of the CD and digital editions - containing three exclusive new live tracks - will also be available. A super-deluxe edition will include the deluxe CD, a DVD, a 2012 tour photo book and more. more on this story



Slash Adds New Tour Leg
Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators will follow up their summer tour of North American with another headline run this fall.

The fall headlining tour is set to kick off on September 4 in San Diego, CA and wrapping October 3 in Los Angeles, CA.

"I'm a strong believer that the best way to get your music heard is to get out there and play shows," said SLASH. "There are tons of talented bands that simply don't have the resources to go on tour, so I'm glad to be able to host them on my tour and at the same time introduce my fans to great, undiscovered artists." more on this story



Muse Land Official Song of the Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London have selected Muse's brand new song "Survival" as the official song of the games.

The track made its radio premiere last and be available in iTunes around the world shortly. Here are the official details:

"Survival" will be played throughout the sporting sessions in all London 2012 venues during the entire Games, when athletes enter the stadium, the lead up to the medal ceremonies and it will be made available for international broadcasters of the Olympic Ceremonies to use in their broadcasts. more on this story



Godsmack Cancel Tour Due To Sully Erna's Medical Issues
Godsmack frontman Sully Erna's medical conditions appear to be worse than originally thought as the band announced on Wednesday that they are pulling the plug on their current European tour.

The band had the following to say on their website: Due to continued vocal issues with singer Sully Erna, Godsmack are forced to cancel the remaining dates on their currently scheduled European tour. Erna was examined by throat specialists in the US yesterday and the advice of his doctors has been advised to not sing for the next several weeks to allow time for his vocal chords to heal. The current tour marked the first time the band had toured Europe in nearly nine years, and the band were only able to perform two of their fourteen scheduled dates in Europe.

In an e-mail from Sully, he writes: "Sorry Europe. Seems like we can't catch a break there lately. London you were one of the best crowds we've played to in a very long time.... Belgium, you were awesome as well. As for the rest of you in Europe that we weren't able to reach, I promise you we'll be back!! For now it's lots of rest and fluids for me until my vocal specialist clears me to sing again. My deepest apologies Europe! You'll see us again. Thanks for your support and understanding."



Linkin Park To Stream X Games Concert Online
(Banana 101.5) Linkin Park's just-released album 'Living Things' will get the live treatment from the band at the X-Games on June 29.

The show from Club Nokia will be streamed exclusively at 11PM PT Friday on MySpace.

'Burn it Down,' the first single from 'Living Things,' sat atop the active rock airplay charts until this week when it was dethroned by Slash with Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators. more on this story



Eddie Enthusiastic About Current Van Halen Lineup
(Classic Rock) Eddie Van Halen says the current lineup of the band is here to stay and the only arguments they have today are connected with making their music as good as it can be.

He believes they're in it for the long haul now, after having got rid of people he believes should not have been part of the band.

Van Halen released A Different Kind of Truth earlier this year after reuniting with singer David Lee Roth and replacing bassist Michael Anthony with Eddie's son Wolfgang. "It feels more like a band and a family than it ever has – and not just because three quarters of it is family," Eddie tells Guitar World. "Working with Dave has been very productive. We're all very opinionated about things, but it's all for the benefit of the music." more on this story



Metallica Forced Hetfield To Record Nothing Else Matters
(Classic Rock) James Hetfield is glad his Metallica bandmates forced him to record Nothing Else Matters for inclusion in their 1991 Black Album.

The frontman didn't believe it had any place in the thrash giants' catalogue – but since its release it's become a firm fan favourite. And guitarist Kirk Hammett admits there's some truth behind the long-running joke about his struggles to learn the song.

"It's absolutely crazy. That was the song I thought was least Metallica, least likely to ever be played by us – the last song anyone would really want to hear.," Hetfield tells the Village Voice. "It was a song for myself in my room on tour when I was bumming out about being away from home. He had a lot more to say about it.



Jesus Lizard and Filter Stars Cast In New Film
David Yow of The Jesus Lizard and Scratch Acid as well as Richard Patrick of Filter have been cast in the indie film High & Outside: A Baseball Noir.

Directed by Evald Johnson, the film is based on his personal experiences as the son of a Major League baseball player turned controversial manager. High & Outside: A Baseball Noir tells the story of one man's dream to play professional baseball and the desperate measures he takes to keep that dream alive. An early teaser trailer can be viewed here

Yow, the notorious front man for Scratch Acid and the Jesus Lizard, has filmed a half dozen films over the past few years including the Shira Piven comedy Fully Loaded, and the award-winning short Sunday Punch. more on this story



Chicago and Doobie Brothers Summer Tour
Chicago are teaming up with the Doobie Brothers for a 25-date summer tour of North America.

Following separate sets featuring their individual hits, the shows will culminate with a collaborative finale featuring classics from both bands.

Chicago are touring in support of 'Chicago In Chicago,' a new DVD that captures the hometown headliners playing for a sold-out crowd in Chicago's Charter One Pavilion, culminating in an encore with the Doobie Brothers, which includes "25 or 6 to 4" and "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" more on this story



Zao Cofounder Jesse Smith Returns With New Band
Zao cofounder Jesse Smith has ended his eight year musical hiatus with the formation of his new group, Jesse Smith & the Holy Ghost. Here is the official word:

Smith's new solo project, Jesse Smith & the Holy Ghost, is a very personal project for Smith, who walked away from the band he founded in 2004 in order to deal with his struggles with addiction and remove himself from the negativity that plagued the band.

"I had big time things I've had to deal with and get a grip on," Smith said. "It's easier to be angry and aggressive when you're younger." more on this story



Triumph Reunion Album and DVD Coming
(hennemusic) Canadian rockers Triumph are updating fans on a new live package. After 20 years apart, the long-awaited Triumph reunion (of vocalist/guitarist Rik Emmett, bassist/keyboardist Mike Levine, and vocalist/drummer Gil Moore) took place at Sweden Rock Festival, on June 7, 2008.

Now, the band is offering details on a new package of that historic performance. "Triumph: Live at Sweden Rock Festival" will consist of a DVD and CD, with a tentative European release date of August 27 through Frontiers Records.

"It's great to finally be able show the world Triumph's reunion show at the Sweden Rock Festival," says Levine. "It certainly is one of the most memorable performances of our entire career! And they said it would never happen…" Check out the tracklisting and more here.



Devildriver Ink With Napalm Records For New Album
After spending their career at Roadrunner, Devildriver are moving their flag over to Napalm Records for the release of a new album which is expected next year.

Frontman Dez Fafara comments: "I am proud to announce DevilDriver's new partnership with Napalm Records! They have the passion and the drive we as a band were looking for! I'm looking forward to working together on DevilDriver's next release! Hail the groove!"

Markus Riedler (Napalm Records CEO) comments: "We are extremely excited to have this outstanding band on our label roster. DevilDriver are a true metal monster full of primal energy and more than ready to conquer the world with their upcoming album that will be released in the fall of 2013. Join the metal brotherhood and get ready for the world's largest circle pit!"



Mellowdrone's Jonathan Bates Returns With Big Black Delta
Jonathan Bates, best known as the mastermind behind Mellowdrone and a touring member of M83, is back with a new group called Big Black Delta.

The first offering from Big Black Delta is a single which will serve as a pre-cursor to a full length album due out this fall. Listen to the song here.

This summer the band will hit the road beginning on Independence Day at Summerfest in Milwaukee, followed by support dates with M83. more on this story



The Hives Add New Leg To North American Tour
The Hives have added a new West Coast leg to their North American tour in support of their new album Lex Hives.

The new leg will be kicking off September 6 in Vancouver, the band will make stops in Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles, Oakland, Las Vegas and more.

The September tour will expand on the band's current U.S. outing, which kicked off last week to a sold-out Washington D.C. crowd. more on this story



Reel Big Fish To Deliver Candy Coated Fury in July
Reel Big Fish have set a July 31st release date for their 7th studio album, Candy Coated Fury.

"This album is a lot like our first two albums. It's got a lot of the same intensity, frantic energy in the music, and the same sarcastic sense of humor. I think these are the fastest songs we've done since those albums," Aaron Barrett, founding vocalist, guitarist, and principal songwriter says. "We're finally just doing what Reel Big Fish does best, and that's what we did on those first two albums."

Candy Coated Fury is Reel Big Fish's first album of newly recorded original material in five years. Overall, it's the seventh in the band's twenty year history. "Candy coated fury pretty much describes what Reel Big Fish does," Barrett says of the significance of the new album's title. "It's hateful, mean, sarcastic, and, sometimes sad lyrics, over happy, wacky, silly, joyous, fast music that makes you want to dance. This album is mostly love songs, but bitter, angry, hateful love songs. Just about everybody knows what it's like to be in a bad relationship. These songs could be sung by a 15 year old about his first love-gone-wrong, or by a 55 year old about a bitter divorce after 30 years. They're bad-relationship songs that everybody can relate to." more on this story



AC/DC Wine Set To Rock The States
(Gibson) Good news for AC/DC fans who also happen to be wine lovers: the band's much-lauded proprietary wine brand, dubbed simply AC/DC The Wine, will soon be available in the U.S.

Launched last fall in Australia, the brand has proved a tremendous success, with more than 50,000 cases sold to date. The wine comes in four varietals, each bearing the name of a classic AC/DC album: Back in Black Shiraz, Highway to Hell Cabernet Sauvignon, Thunderstruck Chardonnay and Hells Bells Sauvignon Blanc.

A fifth varietal, You Shook Me All Night Long Moscato, will soon be available in the U.S. as well. more on this story





Anthrax Feared For Their Future
(Classic Rock) Anthrax guitarist and producer Rob Caggiano has confirmed they feared for their own future during the "really dark period" when they'd sacked singer Dan Nelson.

The thrash pioneers settled with their former frontman in court earlier this week, making a secret agreement thought to include giving him co-ownership of the songs on 2010 album Worship Music.

Bassist Frank Bello said as he left the Manhattan hearing: "I've got to put a band-aid on my tongue from biting it so much."

But it marks an end to a turbulent seven years for Anthrax. more on this story



The Contortionist, Jeff Loomis, Chimp Spanner and 7 Horns 7 Eyes Tour
Former Nevermore guitarist Jeff Loomis will be hitting the road with The Contortionist, Chimp Spanner and 7 Horns 7 Eyes next month for the "Intrinsic 2012" Tour of North America.

In addition, Jeff Loomis will play four headlining dates featuring 7 Eyes 7 Horns as direct support.

Not only has Jeff Loomis been preparing for this tour, but he has also been working on new material. According to Joe Nurre, the touring guitarist and vocalist in Jeff Loomis' band, "Jeff and I have collaborated musically on two of the songs, and I have lyrics and vocals written for the three." Touring drummer Anup Sastry will be programming the drums, and producer Aaron Smith will be recording and mixing. more on this story



Gallon Drunk Returning With New Album
Gallon Drunk have carried on as a trio following tragic illness and death of their bassist Simon Wring, and now plan to release a new album, 'The Road Gets Darker From Here' on August 14th.

Recorded at Clouds Hills Recordings in Hamburg during the summer of 2011, produced by Johann Scheerer (Faust/Robots In Disguise), the new record which will be available on heavyweight vinyl, CD and download.

Featuring founder frontman and former Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds member James Johnston (vocals, organ, guitar, harmonica, piano, and bass), Terry Edwards (bass, saxophone and percussion) and Ian White (drums, percussion), the trio have refocused their musical vision with a collection of impassioned songs, imbued with pure mania, despair and abandonment.

At the state of the art analogue recording studio, Scheerer recorded the band playing the songs live, direct to two-inch tape. This gave a warmth, richness and depth of sound to the recording. Coupled with the band members' own recent experiences, playing and recording with the likes of Lydia Lunch's Big Sexy Noise, Faust, Nick Cave, Tom Waits and The Tindersticks, this brought an open minded freshness to the sessions.

Watch the video for 'You Made Me' here.



Smashing Pumpkins Score Top 5 Debut With Oceania
Smashing Pumpkins new album, Oceania, debuted on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart at no. 4.

The album also topped the Independent Albums Chart; it is the second highest debuting independently released album this year.

Oceania now marks the group's seventh Top Ten album. The band will be hitting the road for a North American tour. more on this story



God Forbid Announce Headline Dates
God Forbid will be spending a busy summer on the road in North America with the Trespass America Festival and now some newly announced headline dates.

Starting on July 6 in Springfield, VA, God Forbid will be headlining a set of dates leading up to Trespass America Festival.

They will also be performing on a series of off dates during the Trespass America Festival tour with Battlecross. more on this story



B Sides


Chris Cornell Jams With Fan
(hennemusic) Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell is currently winding his way across Europe on his solo "Songbook" tour.

The trek highlights works from Cornell's entire catalogue, including songs written for Soundgarden, Audioslave and Temple Of The Dog.

When Cornell's tour rolled into Newcastle, UK on June 20, the singer was asked by fan Ben Dawson if he could join him onstage to play the Soundgarden classic, "Outshined."

Next thing you know, Dawson was on stage rocking with Cornell. Check out the video here.



Like Moths To Flames Post New Song Online
Like Moths To Flames have debuted their new song "The Worst In Me" online this week.

The track is off the band's new album When We Don't Exist which is currently available in stores and on iTunes.

Like Moths to Flames is will be heading out on the road as part of the Scream It Like You Mean It tour along with Attack Attack! We Came As Romans, The Acacia Strain, Abandon All Ships and more