Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


At Least 233 People Killed In Night Club Fire
(Classic Rock) At least 233 people have died in a club fire and 100 others have been injured in Brazil after a band's pyros set the building alight.
One member of Gurizada Fandangueira was also killed in the tragedy at the Kiss Club in Santa Maria. Two members of the evening's support act are missing.

The news comes soon before of the tenth anniversary of the Station Night Club fire in which Great White guitarist Ty Longley and 99 fans died after pyros went out of control.

Most of the dead in Brazil are thought to have been between 16 and 20 years old. Many lost their lives after being crushed as clubbers tried to escape through the venue's single exit. It's thought over 50 died in the toilets after mistaking them for an exit. more on this story



Black Flag Reuniting
(Classic Rock) Iconic hardcore punk band Black Flag have confirmed they'll reunite and play a series of shows that includes their first UK performance in nearly 30 years.

Greg Ginn's outfit are preparing to assemble with frontman Ron Reyes to perform at this year's Hevy Fest in August. It will be their only UK appearance in 2013.

Event organisers note: "There is a whole generation of musicians and fans who would cite Black Flag as being the most important band to have influenced them."

Ginn formed the hardcore pioneers as Panic in 1976 and took on their better-known title two years later. Reyes fronted them from 1979 until 1980, followed by Dez Cadena then Henry Rollins. more on this story




Metallica: Mission To Lars Film Set For DVD Release
(hennemusic) Metallica fans in Europe, mark your calendars as Mission To Lars, the film about a learning disabled man, Tom Spicer, and his transatlantic quest to find his hero, Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich, will go on sale April 8 in Northern Europe and will feature a special 30-minute interview with Lars as a bonus.

Lars Ulrich is a heavy metal god with his own jumbo jet. Tom Spicer lives in a care home in Devon and has Fragile X Syndrome. Tom has a dream, to meet his hero, to meet Lars. His siblings promise to make it happen, with hopes of good times and bonding. But what starts out a dream soon becomes a nightmare as Tom's disabilities, a dysfunctional family, and heavy metal's labyrinthine backstage world thwart the mission at every turn. But as they get closer to Lars, Tom the man starts to shine.

After 20 years and 10,000 times of asking his journalist sister, Kate, when he was going to meet Lars, she finally cracked.

This documentary film that looks beyond disability, and uncovers the soul of a very cool guy.

Kate and filmmaker brother, William, break Tom out of his care home in Exmouth, and hit the road, from Bristol, to Heathrow, to Los Angeles, to Las Vegas and beyond. more on this story




Geezer Talks Black Sabbath Reunion Album
(Classic Rock) Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler says the band's reunion album with Ozzy Osbourne is the most professional studio project they've done together – because they were sober all the way through.

And he's revealed that the record might not be called 13 despite official announcements saying it will be.

Butler tells KCALfm: " None of us have been drinking or doing drugs or anything. It's a bit more professional in that way. We stuck to a schedule: every day we'd go in at one o'clock and finished at six. Five hours a day and that's it.

"It's got the feel of the first three albums, back to the basic rawness. The lyrics are about life, death, doom and everything else. You get Prozac with each album…"

Of the title he explains: "It was sort of a temporary name, so we had something to refer to. It kinda stuck – but I don't know whether that's going to be the final title or not." The number didn't just come up because of the year




Allman Brothers Band Expand Residency
The Allman Brothers Band have expanded their annual residency at New York City's Beacon Theatre with the addition of a new date to the run.

The new show will be taking place on St. Patrick's Day (Sunday, March 17) and will be an early show, starting at 7:00PM.

The annual residency will kick off on March 1st and include 11 concerts in total concluding with the newly announced St. Patrick's Day show.

The band will also be taking part in Eric Clapton's Crossroad's benefit concert which is set to take place on April 12th and 13th at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Also in April the Allmans will be headlining their very own music festival, the Wanee Music Festival in Live Oak, FL.

The band will headline both nights of the annual festival which will take place on April 19th and 20th. more on this story




Jack White, Lumineers and Elton John and Ed Sheeran Duet For Grammys
(Radio.com) With this year's star-studded 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards already boasting an all-star line-up of performers including fun., the Black Keys and Mumford and Sons, it has been announced that rockers Jack White, the Lumineers and singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran will also lend their talents to the proceedings.

Renaissance rocker Jack White, already a nine-time GRAMMY winner, boasts three nominations this year, including Best Rock Song for "Freedom At 21," with his first solo full-length, Blunderbuss, up for Best Rock Album and the coveted Album of the Year award.

2012 breakthrough folk-rock act the Lumineers cap their stratospheric year with GRAMMY nominations for Best New Artist and Best Americana Album for their self-titled debut.

Also added to this year's list of performers is a first-time duet between Elton John and Ed Sheeran. more on this story




Tommy Aldrige Reunites With Whitesnake
(Classic Rock) Drummer Tommy Aldrige has returned to Whitesnake for a third stint, David Coverdale has confirmed.

He replaces Brian Tichy, who announced his decision to bow out earlier this month in order to concentrate on new project SUN with Sass Jordan.

Aldridge says: "I can't express how honoured and grateful I am to be back in the 'Snake fold. Working with David and co has always been a labour of love. I'm so stoked to be back to finish what we started."

Mainman Coverdale adds: "When I asked the band members to put together their wishlist of potential drummers, every one, without exception, had Tommy at the top of their list." more on this story




Aerosmith Song Pack Being Released For Rock Band
(hennemusic) A new 6-pack of Aerosmith songs will be available for Rock Band tomorrow, January 29.

"Aerosmith's Greatest Dimension Pack" kicks off with classic tunes from the Boston bad boys, including two tracks that originally appeared on the group's third album, 1975's "Toys in the Attic" – "Walk This Way" and "Sweet Emotion."

"Back in the Saddle," which originally appeared on 1976's "Rocks", and a live version of "Dream On" will also be included, along with two new tracks, "Legendary Child" and "Lover Alot," both from 2012's "Music From Another Dimension!" more on this story




Children of Bodom Plan Summer Album Release
Children of Bodom have begun recording their new album in a recording studio located in Helsinki, and they expect to release the album this summer.

The recording reunites the band with recording engineer Mikko Karmila, who worked with them on Hatebreeder, Follow the Reaper and Hate Crew Deathroll.

They have also recruited producer Peter Tägtgren (Marduk, Amon Amarth), to work with them on the vocal and keyboard tracks for the effort. on the record.

"It's a nice change to the regular method where we lock ourselves up at a studio in the middle of the woods, usually also during the darkest time of the year," says guitarist/vocalist Alexi Laiho who is currently finishing up lyrics for the songs.

"Last night I finished my parts for the record," COB bassist Henkka Seppälä says. "We listened to all the songs and fixed what had to be fixed. So the bass tracks are locked in and so are the basic tracks for guitars, from both Roope and Alexi. And of course all drums were recorded first. Next in line are the guitar melodies and solos and then the keyboards and vocals. We are ahead of schedule and very happy to work here in Helsinki for the first time ever."




The Flaming Lips Announce New Album and Super Bowl Ad
The Flaming Lips have set an April 2nd North American and April 1st European release date for their new studio album, The Terror.

The album was co-produced by the group and Dave Fridmann at Tarbox Road Studios. Wayne Coyne had his to say about the title, "Why would we make this music that is The Terror - this bleak, disturbing record? I don't really want to know the answer that I think is coming. Maybe this is the beginning of the answer."

"If we have love, give love and know love," Coyne says, "we are truly alive and if there is no love, there would be no life. The Terror, we know now, that even without love, life goes on...we just go on...There is no mercy killing."

In other news, a track that isn't on the album, "Sun Blows Up Today," and the band will be featured in a TV commercial that will air during the Super Bowl on Feb 3rd. more on this story




Sebastian Bach Working on New Studio Album
(hennemusic) Sebastian Bach is releasing a new live package, "ABachalypse Now", this spring, but he's already begun work on his next album.

"Ideas are just starting to take shape for the next studio record," posts the singer. "The legendary guitarist / great friend Steve Stevens has come up with one track so far that will definitely be on my next record. It is a kick ass cool rock 'n roll song that I guarantee will make the hair stand up on the back of your neck. Just how I like it. We are going to work on more songs together too."

"Also," continued Bach, "My guitar player Jeff George has come up with a couple of great ideas that we will also be demoing very soon."

"We are really going to get cracking on the new material right away and have a new studio album out sooner than you think!," promised the former Skid Row frontman. "I am so happy to collaborate with Steve he has always been one of my favorite guitar players! We are going out rock this bitch down to the ground in 2013 mother truckers!" more on this story




Massive Duane Allman Box Set To Be Released
(hennemusic) Rounder Records will release a comprehensive seven-disc Duane Allman box set called "Skydog" on March 12.

The collection was curated by Scott Billington and Bill Levenson and produced by Levenson and Allman's daughter Galladrielle, "Skydog: The Duane Allman Retrospective" spans the guitarist's entire career.

The box includes nearly every track that featured Duane Allman's guitar that was originally released on the Capricorn Allman Brothers albums, several tracks by The Allman Joys, cross licensed from Capitol, many tracks that Duane played on for other artists, previously only compiled on hard-to-get anthologies, and over four previously unreleased bonus jams with contributions by Duane that have rarely been heard outside of collector circles. more on this story




Paul Stanley of KISS Auctioning Guitar and Phone Call
(hennemusic) A KISS auction featuring Paul Stanley items is currently available via CharityBuzz.

The KISS frontman has donated a Paul Stanley PS150 autographed guitar and a 5-minute phone call to the lucky winner.

Proceeds from the auction benefit the Voice Health Institute, a federally-approved non-profit organization that was established in 2003 by patients with voice loss to advance voice restoration and breathing impairment as a result of throat and larynx problems through the support of innovative research, education and outreach programs.

Stanley underwent surgery in October 2011 to address "recurring vocal cord issues." more on this story




Rush's Counterparts Super Audio CD Release Delayed
(hennemusic) Audio Fidelity have delayed the release of the SACD (Super Audio CD) version of Rush's Counterparts album until February 19th. The project was originally set to be issued last month.

Released in 1993, "Counterparts" is Rush's fifteenth studio album; it featured the singles "Stick It Out," "Nobody's Hero," "Double Agent" and "Cold Fire."

It became Rush's highest-charting album in the U.S., peaking at No. 2 on The Billboard 200. more on this story




Jason Bonham Never Dreamed Of Following In His Father's Footsteps
(Classic Rock) Jason Bonham says he had no plans to become a full-time drummer when he was young. The son of Led Zeppelin icon John was far more interested in becoming a motorsport star.

He tells Noisecreep: "Growing up, my heroes were American motocross riders. I didn't want to be a drummer – I wanted to me a motocross rider."

Those plans never came to fruition, and Bonham settled into a career behind the drumkit, playing with his own bands along with Led Zep and Black Country Communion.

Now sober for 14 years, he admits it was a challenge to prove himself against his father's reputation. "At some point I got sick of people calling me Bonzo junior," he explains. "But now I'm older and wiser, I'm just honoured to be mentioned in the same breath." more on this story




Saxon Frontman Biff Byford Pondering Solo Project
(Classic Rock) Saxon frontman Biff Byford is considering taking a break from the band after their current tour.

And while he believes they'll make another album, he insists it will only happen if the entire band are motivated over the project.

Meanwhile, he's considering the possibility of working on a solo record, with the aim of recapturing Saxon's early sound.

Byford tells RockPages, via Bravewords: "I might do a solo project next year, maybe, or a different project. I'd like to write an album that's more like 747, Wheels Of Steel, And The Bands Played On. I might do that next."

Saxon will release their 20th studio album, Sacrifice, next month. Asked about the band's future the frontman says: "We'll be touring all year, so we'll see how it goes after the tour." Find out what he said about Saxon's future.



The Darkness Have Come Down To Earth
(Classic Rock) The Darkness guitarist Dan Hawkins says his band had to let fame go their heads first time round.

The original lineup reunited in 2011 after a series of dramatic fall-outs that led to them splitting in 2006 – and he believes things had to happen that way.

Hawkins tells Billboard: "I think it went to all of our respective heads. But you've got to go there. What's the point of being in a rock'n'roll band if you don't take it to 11?

"We've settled into a nice groove. We feel like more of a team than we did before. Now the music is on 11, the gigs are on 11 – but the drug intake is on, like, zero to one. That's how it should be." more on this story




The Almost Set Release Date and Preview New Song Online
The Almost have set an April 9th release date for their new studio album, Fear Inside Our Bones, and are previewing one of the tracks online.

Fans can get a taste of what is to come with the advance stream of the song, "Ghost," which you can check out here

The album was recorded at Nashville's Omni Studios with producer Marshall Altman (Ingrid Michaelson, William Fitzsimmons). All the songs were recorded together in a single room completely live.

"It wasn't a piecemeal process as the majority of modern records are," explains frontman Aaron Gillespie. "The album was born at that moment from our collective blood, sweat and tears."




Coachella Festival 2013 Lineup Announced
Organizers have announced the full lineup for the 2013 Coachella Music Festival which will take place over two weekends in Indio, California in April.

Friday, April 12 & 19: Blur, The Stone Roses, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Modest Mouse, Lou Reed, Jurassic 5, Grinderman, Bassnectar, Dog Blood, How to Destroy Angels, Passion Pit, Tegan and Sara, Band of Horses, Beach House, Metric, Local Natives, Of Monsters and Men, Infected Mushroom, Japandroids, Divine Fits, Stars, Johnny Marr, Luciano, Wolfgang Gartner, Nicky Romero, Modestep, Tommy Trash, Thomas Gold, the Shouting Matches, Dillon Francis, Four Tet, Aesop Rock, Alt-J, Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine, TNGHT, Jake Bugg, Earl Sweatshirt, Polica, Sparks, Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, Purity Ring, Lee Scratch Perry, Dam-Funk, DJ Harvey, Jamie xx, Seth Troxler, Youth Lagoon, Deathfix, C2C, Beardyman, Lord Huron, Palma Violets, IO Echo, Skinny Lister, the Neighbourhood, Sam XL Pure Filth Sound

Saturday, April 13 and 20: Phoenix, the XX, the Postal Service, Sigur Ros, New Order, Hot Chip, Grizzly Bear, Knife Party, Benny Benassi, Two Door Cinema Club, Moby, Descendents, Yeasayer, Franz Ferdinand, Violent Femmes, Simian Mobile Disco, Spiritualized, Puscifer, Cafe Tacuba, Portugal, the Man, the Make-Up, Bat for Lashes, Richie Hawtin, Major Lazer, Fedde Le Grand, Dropkick Murphys, FOALS, Ben Howard, 2 Chainz, Janelle Monae, Danny Brown, Wild Nothing, Booka Shade, Bingo Players, Allen Stone, El-P, the Selecter, Pusha T, Kill the Noise, the Evens, Biffy Clyro, Theophilus London, Baauer, Zane Lowe, Trash Talk, Birdy Nam Nam, Action Bronson, Jason Bentley, the Wombats, Guards, Mona, Savages, Shovels & Rope, Huoratron, Kurt Vile, Reignwolf, Cassy, 3Ball MTY, Kids These Days, the 2 Bears, the Colourist, Vintage Trouble

Sunday, April 14 and 21: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Vampire Weekend, Social Distortion, Wu-Tang Clan, Pretty Lights, Eric Prydz, Tame Impala, the Lumineers, Dead Can Dance, La Roux, James Blake, Excision Grimes, the Gaslight Anthem, the Faint, Hardwell, Paul Oakenfold, Dinosaur Jr., Raider Klan, OMD, Roni Size, the Airborne Toxic Event, Father John Misty, Tanlines, Rodriguez, Alex Clare, Paul Kalkbrenner, Jessie Ware, Loco Dice, Jamie Jones, the Three O'Clock, Disclosure, Mimosa, Cloud Nothings, Parov Stelar Band, Julio Bashmore, Thee Oh Sees, Dub Fx, Maya Jane Coles, JEFF the Brotherhood, Smith Westerns, Dirtyphonics, Joris Voorn, Hanni El Khatib, Danny Avila, Ghost, DIIV, Little Green Cars, Mord Fustang, James McCartney, Unicorn Kid, Robert DeLong, White Arrows, Deep Vally, Wild Belle, Adrian Lux, Ladies Night more on this story





Eric Burdon Streaming Old Habits Die Hard Online
(Classic Rock) Eric Burdon has released his track Old Habits Die Hard from new solo album 'Til Your River Runs Dry.

The former Animals and War frontman has previously said he aimed to deal with a range of important human issues on the record. In Old Habits Die Hard he's tackled the concept of civil disobedience.

He tells Ultimate Classic Rock: "In a sense it's not me – it's me playing a part. I tried to put myself into the mind of people I knew in Paris in 1968, who were on the barricades against the police.

"And recently with the Occupy movement: you may know in your heart of hearts that they're losers and they're not going to win. But who cares? It's the doing that counts." Check out the new song here.




Iron Maiden Had Enough Pie Following Stage Accident
(Classic Rock) Iron Maiden abandoned their traditional pie attacks after frontman Bruce Dickinson suffered a stage fall as a result, says drummer Nicko McBrain.

The band are gearing up for a the 2013 leg of their Maiden England world tour, and their first full-power show will be on McBrain's birthday, June 5, in France.

In the past he'd have expected to be pelted with shaving-cream pies towards the end of the show – but not after an episode during a multi-night stay in New York.

He tells Vintage Rock: "There was a time when it was Bruce's birthday and we were playing in the Hammerstein Ballroom a number of years ago. We gave him a pieing, shaving cream and whatnot.

"It wasn't cleaned up correctly – so the next night he slipped. He fell off the top of the riser into my drum set and he really hurt himself. So we went, 'That's enough of that.'" more on this story




Soundgarden Release Dave Grohl Directed Video
(hennemusic) Soundgarden have released the Dave Grohl-directed video for "By Crooked Steps."

The clip for the latest track from "King Animal" was filmed late last month. The project marks the reunited band's first studio effort in 16 years.

Soundgarden are currently on their North American tour; this week they'll play shows in Chicago (Tue & Wed), Milwauke (Fri) and Minneapolis (Sat). Watch the video here.




Megadeth's David Ellefson Unveils New Signature Bass
(hennemusic) Dave Mustaine wasn't the only member of Megadeth touting a new signature guitar at this year's NAMM show, the new David Ellefson Signature Kelly Bird Bass was also unveiled at this year's show in Anaheim, California.

The four-string bass features a basswood body with Ellefson's signature red pinstripe finish, bolt-on bound maple neck with 21 jumbo frets and block inlays, EMG pickups, two volume controls and three-band active EQ, Jackson high-mass four-string HM-4 bridge, and Jackson die-cast tuners.

Megadeth are currently working in the studio on their new album. The band are nominated in the "Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance" category at the 55th annual Grammy Awards, which happen February 10 in Los Angeles.

Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Postal Service Plan Reunion
(Radio.com) On the same day that Mick Jagger told NME in no uncertain terms that classic rock icons the Rolling Stones would not be playing at this year's Coachella festival in California, news has broken that 21st century emo-electro super-group Postal Service (featuring Death Cab for Cutie frontman Ben Gibbard and producer Jimmy Tamborello) will reunite, with strong hints pointing towards a Coachella performance.
According to Billboard, Sub Pop, the stalwart Seattle indie label that released the only Postal Service album to date, 2003′s Give Up, is slated to deliver a deluxe edition to celebrate the record's 10-year anniversary. The album is famously Sub Pop's second-best selling release of all-time (it was certified platinum late last year), behind only Nirvana's 1989 debut full-length, Bleach.

Rumors are also swirling that the band is planning to embark on an extensive tour, with Billboard claiming that "three sources" have confirmed that the Postal Service will be performing at this year's Coachella music festival, set for two weekends in the month of April. more on this story



Foo Fighters To Induct Rush Into Rock Hall
The Rock Hall have announced new details about this year's induction ceremony which will see Rush, Albert King, Randy Newman, Public Enemy, Donna Summer and Heart inducted.

Rush is set to be inducted by Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins of the Foo Fighters, while Albert King will be inducted by John Mayer who also be performing with Gary Clark Jr. to honor King.

The Eagles' Don Henley will be inducting Randy Newman and Christina Aguilera and Jennifer Hudson will be performing in honor of Donna Summer.

This year's event will be held at Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles on Thursday, April 18, 2013. more on this story




Two Members of Veteran Band Hit With Cancer
(Classic Rock) Angels bassist Chris Bailey has announced his departure the band in order to continue his battle with cancer, just days after former frontman Doc Neeson revealed he's also fighting the disease.

Bailey has been ill for some time but only shared the news with fans this week. He's set to concentrate on chemotherapy treatment in an attempt to overcome the cancer in his jaw.

The Australian outfit say in a statement: "We are deeply saddened to learn that Chris has an aggressive, life-threatening cancer and is now undergoing palliative chemotherapy." more on this story




Filesharers Purchase More Music
(Classic Rock) A public survey sponsored by Google suggests that peer-to-peer filesharers spend 30% more money on legal music purchases than those who don't join peer-to-peer networks.

And while 80% of the public think it's acceptable to share copyrighted material with family, and 60% believe the same about passing it onto friends, around 85% say it's unacceptable to upload content for general consumption.

Columbia University's American Assembly conducted the survey with support from internet search giant Google. Responses were sought from the USA and Germany in order to establish whether cultural differences existed. more on this story




Journey and Rascal Flatts Plan Super Bowl Crossroads Concert
Journey and Rascal Flatts will team up to headline the Super Bowl XLVII CMT Crossroads concert.

The event will take place at the New Orleans Sugar Mill and will air on CMT on Saturday, February 2 at 11 p.m. ET/PT, the night before Super Bowl XLVII.

The show will mark the second time that Journey and Rascal Flatts have joined each other on stage.

Last June, Rascal Flatts and Journey performed "Don't Stop Believin'" at the finale of the 2012 CMT Music Awards. more on this story




Paramore Streaming New Song Online
Paramore are giving fans the first taste of their upcoming album with an online stream of their new single "Now."

The song comes from the group's forthcoming self-titled album which is set to be released on April 9th.

The band had this to say about the song, "It just feels like the perfect way to start this new journey we are embarking on not only as a band but as a movement. To show people that you can lose battles but come back and win full on wars. You can rise from ashes. You can make something out of even less than nothing. The only thing you have to do is keep moving forward!" Listen to the song here.




Pearl Jam Tease Big Stadium Show?
(hennemusic) Pearl Jam were active on Tuesday, revealing a series of hints suggesting a show at Chicago's Wrigley Field could be announced soon.

On the band's website, the group posted "Follow @PearlJam on Twitter and #StayTuned"

Next up was a tweet by the Chicago Cubs, featuring a baseball jersey with the number 10 displayed.

On Twitter, Pearl Jam followed up with "Retweet if you were at this show! #StayTuned" accompanied by a poster of the band's 2006 Chicago dates at the United Center. It didn't end there.




Bullet For My Valentine and Halestorm Tour Dates Announced
Dates have been announced for the 2013 hardDrive Live Five Tour featuring Bullet For My Valentine, Halestorm, Young Guns and Stars In Stereo.

The North American spring trek will launch on April 12th in Denver, CO and will conclude on May 22nd in Milwaukee, Wi.

Matt Tuck of Bullet for My Valentine had this to say, "We're super stoked to be touring America again. We're going to be bringing the big hits and big guns. With the new album (Temper Temper), our fourth, we've got loads of songs to choose from. Thanks to hardDrive, sky's the limit in the States! "

Lzzy Hale of Halestorm adds "hardDrive has been such a huge part of us breaking in the last couple of years. The show has always supported us and what we do. We can't wait to get back on the road in front of real rock fans with our friends in Bullet, Young Guns, and Stars in Stereo. It's going to be a great time."

'We did one of our very first US interviews with HardDrive's Roxy Myzal last year," says Young Guns lead singer Gus Wood. "It was so exciting to be speaking to someone that was aware of our band, even at that early stage for us in the States. Since then everyone at HardDrive has been supportive and instrumental in helping us to progress as quickly as we have. We're super grateful and honoured to be involved with this tour, and we can't wait to get started. See you down front!" more on this story




Jagger Hits At More Rolling Stones Tour Plans
(Gibson) Mick Jagger has said in an interview with NME that the Rolling Stones will not be appearing at this year's Coachella festival but has hinted at the band playing again later in the year.

"We're not gonna do Coachella, 'cos it's too early. There was a rumor we were gonna do that one, but it's very early, Coachella. It's April or something, isn't it? And we're not gonna be ready to go by April. But we're not gonna stop."

Rumors about the Rolling Stones playing Coachella started after the band's mobile app "accidentally" listed Coachella as an upcoming tour stop. Sad news for fans hoping to catch the band at the massive festival, but good news in the sense that Jagger basically hints at an upcoming tour in the above quote.

Jagger continued by saying: "I'm going to see what's on the table and discuss it with everyone. We'll announce it when we've figured it out," while Keith Richards added, "all you're going to have to do is wait for an announcement." more on this story






Sum 41 Plan Infected Limited Editions
Sum 41's hit album, "Does This Look Infected?" will be released on vinyl for the very first time on February 26th.

The special vinyl reissue will be released with on 180 Gram limited edition colored vinyl and include two bonus tracks and a an 11 x 22 insert.

500 will be pressed in Green vinyl, 500 in Orange vinyl, and Hot Topic will sell 500 copies on white vinyl. A special run of 250 copies will be also be released on red vinyl. more on this story




A Day To Remember and Of Mice And Men Launching Spring Tour
A Day To Remember will be hitting road in March to launch their North American spring tour.

The trek, dubbed Right Back At It Again Tour, will kick off on March 20th in Atlanta, Ga and conclude on May 4th in Miami, FL.

A Day To Remember have recruited Of Mice And Men to provide support of the tour. They will be joined by Chuck No Captain Chuck for the first half) March 20th – April 6th) and Issues for the second half (April 7th – May 4th).

"We're finally going back on the road and you know what that means," commented lead singer Jeremy McKinnon. "We're finally ready to show you all what we have been doing for the past year. We're excited to be back. It's been way too long. Come out. We're gonna have a good time. Bring your friends."

A Day To Remember will be touring in support of their latest studio album, What Separates Me From You. more on this story




Rush Announce North American Tour Dates
(hennemusic) Rush have announced a series of North American spring dates as they extend their Clockwork Angels tour into 2013.

The band will play a 3-week run starting April 23 in Austin, TX and wrapping up May 11 in Atlantic City, NJ.

The group then head to the UK & Europe for 3 weeks. Rush will announce further summer tour date details soon. more on this story




Manowar's Ross The Boss Returns With New Band
(Classic Rock) Heavy metal icon Ross The Boss is back with a new band, Death Dealer and you can hear samples from the band's debut online.

The Manowar co-founder describes the new music as "a mighty combination of five very talented, seasoned musicians" and insists he's stayed close to his classic feel.

It marks a reunion with Manowar drummer Kenny 'Rhino' Earl. Death Dealer are rounded out by singer Sean Peck (Cage), guitarist Stu Marshall (Udo Dirkschneider, Steve Grimmett) and bassist Mike Davis (Halford, Lizzy Borden). Read more and listen to the samples here.




Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Announce Spring Tour
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club have mapped out plans for their upcoming North American spring tour.

The band will kick off the trek with a hometown show in San Francisco on April 22nd and conclude the tour on June 1st in Los Angeles.

BMRC will hitting the road in support of their forthcoming studio album, Specter At The Feast, which will be released on March 19th. more on this story




Muse Launch North American Tour
Muse launched their 2013 North American winter and spring tour on Monday in San Diego, Ca.

The trek will be stopping in major markets across North American before wrapping up on April 26th in Quebec City, QC.

The band will following the tour by launching a UK stadium tour on May 22nd which will be followed by a European summer tour.

Muse are touring in support of their latest studio album, The 2nd Law, which was nominated for two 2013 Grammy Awards for Best Rock Album and Best Rock Song ("Madness"). more on this story




John Varvatos Recruits Gary Clark Jr and Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page
(hennemusic) The latest campaign for the John Varvatos brand features music legend Jimmy Page, the guitarist of "the greatest rock and roll band of all time" Led Zeppelin, paired with the 28-year-old emerging American music talent Gary Clark Jr.

The images and short film were shot in London by Danny Clinch, against a textured backdrop at the historic Rivoli Ballroom, where the two sharply dressed subjects stand out in iconic black and white portraits.

"Jimmy Page has been a music and fashion icon of mine since 1970. He has been a major influence and I am honored to call Jimmy a friend," says designer John Varvatos. "Gary Clark Jr. is the real deal – amazing guitar player, singer, songwriter and friend. Having 'The Master' and the 'Young Guitar-Slinger' together in our campaign is a dream come true." Check out the print and video ads here.




Metallica Plan Abu Dhabi Return
(hennemusic) Metallica have announced their return to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on April 19 for a headlining performance at the du Arena, Yas Island.

The band's first show in the city was in October 2011 — a gig that scored the Best Music Event award at the Best In Abu Dhabi 2012.

Up next for Metallica, the group will headline the Soundwave festival in Australia, which kicks off February 23 in Brisbane; the event will play 5 dates across the country through March 4. more on this story




Built To Spill Launching Winter Tour
Built To Spill will be ending the month by launching a brief tour on the Pacific Northwest.

The tour will kick off on January 31st in Portland, Or and will include stops in Washington, British Columbia, and will conclude with two hometown shows in Boise, Idaho.

The tour will feature new band members Steve Gere (drums) and Jason Albertini (bass) who replace departing drummer Scott Plouf and bassist Brett Nelson. more on this story




Clutch Expand North American Tour Plans
Clutch has added additional dates to the North American leg of their Earth Rocker World Tour.

The North American leg kicks off on March 8th in Cincinnati, OH and concludes through April 20th in Baltimore, MD and will feature support from Orange Goblin, Lionize and Kyng.

The trek will include an appearance at the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival with details still to be announced.

The group kicked off their UK/European tour leg last night with a sold out show in London. more on this story




Dr. Feelgood's Wilko Johnson Adds Date To Farewell Tour
Dr. Feelgood's Wilko Johnson has added another London concert to his upcoming farewell tour after the first date at the venue sold out in less than an hour.

Wilko will be launching the farewell tour on March 6th in London. And as of right now, he will also conclude the tour in London on March 10th.

The trek will feature sold out shows in Bilston and Holmfirth and the show in Glasgow is close to selling out.

Wilko is launching the tour after announcing to fans that he has been diagnosed with terminal cancer of the pancreas and has chosen not to undergo chemotherapy. more on this story




Spanish Plaza Named After Joe Strummer
(Radio.com) Following a Facebook petition that garnered over 2,000 signatures, city officials in Granada, Spain have been swayed to name a plaza after former Clash frontman Joe Strummer.

The campaign was started by a neighborhood association and gained some support from a few political parties.

"It was a popular movement," Granada City Council member Daniel Galan told the BBC. "It is very well known the connection between Joe and the city and people still remember him. There were some people who were friends with him and came here and [now] live here." more on this story





Scott Ian Thinks Caggiano Departing Anthrax Was A Mistake
(Classic Rock) Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian considers it likely that Rob Caggiano has made a mistake in leaving the band – but he's backing the decision anyway. Caggiano surprised fans and colleagues by recently deciding it was time to move on.

The band didn't know he was thinking along those lines while they worked on upcoming covers EP Anthems during their last European tour.

"It wasn't until after the tour ended and we started having conversations. To put it in a nutshell, he just needs to do his own thing at this point in time," Ian tells MTV Hive. "We knew he had a record that he was going to be doing, possibly. We had already told him, 'If you need to take a hiatus, that's fine.'"

"I may think Rob has made a mistake by leaving the band – but at the same time he's my friend and I back his decision all the way in whatever he needs to do." more on this story





Singled Out: Muy Cansado
Today Chris Mulvey from Boston rockers Muy Cansado tells us about "Predisposed" from their brand new album "Let It Go," which was released this week. Here is the story:

After a traumatic event happened to a loved one I sat down and came up with the chord progression and melody for Predisposed. The initial idea was tossed off and subdued and is now captured at the beginning of the song. I showed the idea to Lisa and she immediately came up with the counter-melody and harmonies. We sat on the idea for months before kicking it around in the rehearsal space. Our early attempts to flush out the song did not click. After a few months we had one of those "Aha" moments. The three of us seemed to simultaneously break into the bombastic dance section of the song, which became the second and verse and chorus and third verse. Afterward, we reinserted the subdued first verse from my initial idea and that was that.

The lyrics were next. The first verse and chorus came quick. The line "I'm trying not to feel so predisposed" is the thought of trying not to have preconceptions and predispositions, which gets harder as one gets older and more jaded. "A pause that moves too slow" is the kind of pause you experience talking to a creepy person. The "light that's dimmed real low" references a nervous flicker in a light or a light glimmering lowly during an interrogation. The idea was to attempt to capture surreal nervousness, similar to what you'd find in a David Lynch film. The chorus flowed pretty naturally and depicts frustration – not wanting to reach forever, trying hard with little result, and so frustrated you are climbing up walls.

The second verse took longer to write, and the lyrics are more hopeful. They reference music ("the buzzing in me ears"), dancing ("moving all around"), and hope. "Letting go" is also in this second verse and is a theme throughout the album. At the end of the song are my favorite two lines "I want to feel a love like no one knows / A quiver in a pause that will not go." The word "quiver" substitutes "shiver," in a line that is almost identical to a line from the first verse. However, "quiver" makes this pause desirable. The reference here is being stuck in the moment right before a first kiss – the "quiver in the pause that will not go." That moment is the "love" no one knows: without the pitfalls, troubles and setbacks that come afterward; only the anticipation of something fantastic, life changing and beautiful. At the end of the song Lisa and I triumphantly land on that idea through the words "will not go." I don't want to leave this moment.

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




Tomahawk Streaming New Album Online
Tomahawk are giving fans an advance listen to their forthcoming album, Oddfellows, a week ahead of its release.

Spin.com is hosting a full album stream along with an interview with Mike Patton, Duane Denison, John Stanier and Trevor Dunn. You can listen here.

The band will hit the road to support the effort next month, with the launch of their west coast tour ahead of heading to Australia for the Soundwave Festival.

In March the group will be heading to South America for a series of dates including Lollapalooza Brazil and Chile. more on this story




Don Was Discusses Working With Keith Richards
(Radio.com) Today sees the release of Aaron Neville's new album, My True Story. A collection of classic doo-wop numbers, Neville teamed up with a pretty heavy-duty production team for the album: Don Was and Keith Richards.

Was's resume as a producer includes a number of big names across all genres: Bob Dylan, The B-52's, Stone Temple Pilots, Kris Kristofferson, Bonnie Raitt, Ziggy Marley, Iggy Pop and, since 1994, The Rolling Stones.

So when he and Neville decided that they were going to tackle an album of doo-wop covers, Was decided to call in Richards in, knowing that he's a huge fan of the genre. As Was tells it, during the recording of The Rolling Stones' 1994 album Voodoo Lounge, he stayed in a hotel room just beneath Richards'; for the entire time, Richards played just one record over and over: The Jive Five's "My True Story." Was tells Radio.com that it was easy to get Richards to take on the co-producer role on this album: "He was really happy to do this. I knew he'd want to do it."

With such long breaks in between Rolling Stones albums, why hasn't Richards produced other albums in recent years? "Maybe people just don't think to call him!" Watch Radio.com's interview with Was here.




Robot Band Rock Motorhead Classic At Big Day Out
(hennemusic) Compressorhead, a robot band from Berlin, is rocking the Big Day Out festival in Australia.

Video of the group performing the Motorhead classic, "Ace Of Spades," has surfaced.

Compressorhead's recent video of the track went viral, quickly racking up more than 1.3 million views in its first four days; it's now been viewed more than 4.6 million times since its January 3 debut. Watch the BDO performance here.




Oh, Sleeper Release Hush Yael Video
Oh, Sleeper have released a new music video on Youtube for their latest single "Hush Yael".

The track comes from the band's latest album, Children of Fire. You can watch the video online here.

The band is currently on the road with For All Eternity and Storm the Sky, and has also just confirmed a slot on this years Vans Warped Tour.




Steve Lukather Streaming Judgement Day
(Classic Rock) Steve Lukather has released his track Judgement Day from solo album Transition and you can listen to it online.

The Toto guitarist entered the studio in 2011 without a single song written, and Judgement Day was the first track he worked on.

He tells Music Radar: "It felt very natural to do it that way – it's like I'm telling a story from beginning to end." Transition, Lukather's eighth solo record, is out now. Listen to the song here.





Dave Grohl and Corey Taylor Talk Sound City
(Radio.com) With the Foo Fighters effectively on hiatus, Dave Grohl and his Grammy-winning rock band are still busier than ever. Supporting his movie directorial debut, music documentary Sound City, Grohl has assembled an all-star band, the Sound City Players, which features such sonic luminaries as Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac, Brad Wilk of Rage Against the Machine and Rick Springfield as well as Grohl's Foo Fighters band-mates Pat Smear, Nate Mendel, Taylor Hawkins and Chris Shiflett.

"All of us come from the same place," Grohl said during an exclusive interview with KROQ DJs Kevin & Bean in Los Angeles about the all-star band alongside Slipknot/Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor, also a part of the group. "We were kids that bought instruments at a yard sale and then we started a band in a garage. We sucked and then we became the biggest band in the world. That's how it happens. You don't stand in line to be on a TV song contest show," he added, referencing the slew of singing competition shows like American Idol and X Factor.

"If you learn about the people and the story and the life behind these places where it was made and the relationship between them, it gives new meaning to music," Grohl explained. "Music should be more than just a sound. There's emotion and there's real human quality to music.

"It doesn't have to be perfect but that's how the magic happens," he continued. "When you get four human beings playing with each other, you get the Beatles or the Rolling Stones. That's where the magic happens." read more and stream here.





Van Halen's David Lee Roth Releases The Ballad Of Rikidozan
(hennemusic) Van Halen's David Lee Roth returns with a new episode of his online video series The Roth Show.

Entitled "The Ballad Of Rikidozan", Roth tells the tale of Rikidozan, a sumo wrestler who turned to professional wrestling, and in doing so became a national hero to Japan.

The Roth Show series provides the singer with a creative outlet while Van Halen remain on hiatus.

Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Guns N' Roses Preview 3D Movie
(Classic Rock) Guns N' Roses will release a 3D concert movie shot during their Las Vegas residency in cinemas, TV and on disc later this year and a preview has gone online.
The 33-track Appetite For Democracy show was recorded at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on November 21, and Paradise City was the final song of the night.

Full details haven't been confirmed but the producers say: "The final DVD and cinema version will be mixed in stereo and 5.1 surround. Musically, this is a very tight live performance. For now, enjoy this rare captured treasure from a true legend and great band."

View an unmixed clip featuring their performance of Paradise City here.



Accuser 'Resolves' Rape Accusation Against Singer
The woman who posted an online accusation of rape against Gaza's Jon Parkin has now issued a following statement saying that she has agreed on a "resolution" with the singer.

She wrote on her blog, "In respect to the incident aforementioned on my blog; both parties have mutually agreed on a resolution for this matter. I have agreed to delete all mentions and posts about this incident from my blog, and I will refrain from posting about this incident again.

"Neither of us are retracting our respective statements— instead we are deciding to not discuss it further and move on. This agreement means I will be unable to answer questions about this. I want to apologize to Gaza as a whole, my intention never was to damper the reputation or musical careers of the members, and I apologize to them. I apologize for involving the band in accusations and handling it poorly in a way that influences the members of Gaza and other well intentioned people involved with their career and music. Both of us would like people not to disparage either party and move on.

"This is the last thing I will post about the incident."

Read our original story to see Parkin and the band's reaction to the original accusation here.



Motorhead, Anthrax and Primal Fear Tribute Metallica's Kill 'Em All
Metal Hammer Germany is celebrating the 30th anniversary of Metallica's debut album, Kill 'Em All, with a star-studded tribute album.

Motorhead, Cannibal Corpse, Anthrax and Primal Fear all cover tracks from the original album on the tribute release. A release date was

The album will also feature two new exclusive covers, '(Anesthesia) Pulling Teeth' by Eisregen & The Vision Bleak and 'Jump In The Fire' covered by Dust Bolt. more on this story



Howard Leese and Richie Sambora Guest on New Heaven & Earth Album
Heaven & Earth have set an April 23rd release date for their third studio album, which is entitled Dig.

The album was produced by Dave Jenkins and features guest appearances from Howard Leese (Heart, Paul Rodgers), Richie Sambora (Bon Jovi) and David Paich (Toto).

Heaven & Earth is leg by Ritchie Blackmore protégé Stuart Smith and the current lineup features singer Joe Retta, bassist Chuck Wright, drummer Richie Onori and keyboardist Arlan Schierbaum.

Smith had this to say about the album, "I feel that with the crafting of the songs on this album, the incredible band we've put together, especially with powerhouse vocalist Joe Retta and the unwavering support of Quarto Valley Records' President, Bruce Quarto, we really have a shot at getting Heaven & Earth the attention it deserves. This album is by far, the best thing I have ever done in my life!" more on this story



Def Leppard To Write New Music While In Las Vegas
(Classic Rock) Def Leppard are aiming to write new material while the band spends nearly a month together during their Las Vegas residency – but that doesn't mean fans can expect a new album.

Frontman Joe Elliott hopes to hire an extra hotel room and set it up as a recording studio in between concerts.

"I don't know if we'll do an album," Elliott says. "Maybe the way to go is put one or two tracks out at a time and see how it goes – almost like a seven-inch single." See what he has to say about the Vegas show.



Dave Grohl Explains How He Paul McCartney Collaboration Happened
(Radio.com) Dave Grohl's latest project is his new documentary Sound City, which tells the story of the storied L.A. recording studio of the same name. The project has brought him together with a long list of rock stars, both for interviews in the film and music-making for its soundtrack. And one of them happens to be a Beatle.

One of the most widely-discussed live performances of 2012 was something dubbed "Sir-vana" – the surviving members of Nirvana (Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear) + Sir Paul McCartney. At the 12-12-12 Concert, the group performed a new song titled "Cut Me Some Slack," which makes "Helter Skelter" sound about as hard as "Love Me Do." The song is the first single from the Sound City soundtrack, Reel To Reel.

Speaking with KROQ's morning show Kevin & Bean, Grohl explained how "Cut Me Some Slack" came together. As Grohl notes, he's jammed with Paul "a bunch of times" (the 2012 and 2009 GRAMMYs, among other times over the years), so when he called up Paul to jam about eight months ago while working on Sound City, Macca came right down.

"As we were filming all of these performances, I was just like, 'Hey dude, why don't you come down and jam?'," Grohl said. "He's like, 'OK.' He comes down and he brings the bass that he's played for 40 years and the Les Paul that there's only four of in the world. And then he brings his guitar made out of a cigar box – it's called a cig-fiddle. And he's like (in a British accent), 'Oh I think I'll play this, why don't you play a bit of drums?' And we just jammed, and we wrote this song in about and hour and recorded it. We walked in, we jammed it. It came out of nowhere – the best songs happen that way. We recorded it live and put a vocal over it and that was it. It was three hours and it was perfect." A lot more here.



Jason Newsted Recounts Leaving Metallica
(Classic Rock) Former Metallica man Jason Newsted has recounted the moment he chose to quit the thrash giants almost exactly 12 years after he made his decision.

The bassist joined the band in 1986 soon after the death of Cliff Burton. His departure was announced in February 2001, but he'd called a meeting the previous month at which he explained why he thought they needed a year away. When James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich and Kirk Hammett refused, he knew he had to go.

Speaking on Nikki Sixx's radio show Newsted says: "One of the most important things in life – but especially when we do this kind of accelerated lifestyle – is when to say when."

"It was like, 'Keep rockin', guys – you're making the world go round for however many thousand people that get paid by what you're doing.'," he said. "When it came to it, 12 years ago tomorrow, I was addicted to painkillers, my neck was jacked, James was considerably drunk. They were having their first divorces, first children. Big stuff going on in their lives.

"I called the meeting. I said, 'Dudes, look at us. My suggestion is: one year off, everybody recalibrate, get back to this and let's go crush it again.' That's what I said. Those words."

Newsted says he "blew himself out" when it took his bandmates less than 25 minutes to reject the idea. "Management comes in, 'MTV, next thing, make us money,' and I'm a puddle on the floor. I'm like, 'There's my answer.'" more on this story



Korn Make Sick Fan's Wish Come True
(Banana 101.5) Korn are one of the more fan-friendly acts going and the group was more than happy to hang out and meet one of their fans after receiving a request from the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Korn supporter Tyler Sims suffers from Lupus, an auto-immune disease that leads to excruciating arthritic pain and other physical ailments. The youth says he always wanted to meet the group and was thrilled to finally do so.

Last October, Sims and his family traveled to Phoenix where the band was scheduled to perform and he was finally able to meet his hard-rocking heroes. He says in a new video package showcasing his day that he was picked up in a limo and taken to the venue where he got to watch from the side of the stage as the band went through their soundcheck.

After a break in the action, each of the band members met up with Sims and signed some merchandise, while singer Jonathan Davis sat down with the young man and they shared stories about their lives. The longtime Korn fan says, "He really connected with me kind of deep. It felt good that they actually cared." Read more and watch video here.




Stereophonics Release New Video and Take On Beatles Tribute Challenge
(Classic Rock) Stereophonics have released a video for their track Indian Summer from their upcoming album Graffiti On The Train, which is due on March 4, tying in with a ten-date UK tour the same month.

Meanwhile, the band are due to join Mick Hucknall in Abbey Road Studios next month to stage a Beatles tribute challenge.

They'll attempt to record their version of the Fab Four's debut album in a single session, 50 years to the day since John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr did it for real. The challenge takes place on February 11 and will be covered by BBC Radio 2. more details and watch the video here.




Original Exodus and Testament Singer Releasing New Album
Original Exodus and Testament singer Steve "Zetro" Souza returns with his new band Hatriot.

The group have set a February 12th North American and January 25th European release date for their debut album, Heroes Of Origin.

The ten track album was produced by Juan Urteaga at Trident Studios (Testament, Heathen, Exodus, Skinlab). more on this story




Henley Credits Eagles Success To Dumb Luck
(Classic Rock) Eagles co-founder Don Henley believes some of the band's success was down to "dumb luck" and they're aware how rare it is to have enjoyed two rounds of big-time glory.

They split in 1980 then returned 14 years later to enjoy as much acclaim as they had during the 70s. Speaking at the premiere of their documentary, History Of The Eagles Part One, Henley admits it's a rare achievement.

He tells Rolling Stone: "We fully realize how fortunate we are. We don't take credit for all that – some of it is just dumb luck. Some of it is being in the right place at the right time; coming into contact with the right people, the right managers, attorneys, crew members, producers. There are a whole lot of people involved in this other than us.

"We were fortunate enough to have one of the rarest things in American life: a second act. We broke up for 14 years and came back, and we were bigger than ever. We still pack arenas and stadiums 42 years on." more on this story




Stolen Babies Joining Coal Chamber, Sevendust, and Lacuna Coil Tour
Stolen Babies are set to join the upcoming Coal Chamber, Sevendust, and Lacuna Coil North American tour for several dates.

The band will be joining the trek on April 13th in Toronto, ON and will remain on the tour until the April 28th stop in Dallas, TX.

Prior to that tour, the band will be appearing on several North American tour dates with Turisas and Firewind from February 3rd in Atlanta, GA through February 21st in Oakland, CA. more on this story




Tarja Turunen & Harus Set New Release
Eagle Rock have set a February 12th release date for Tarja Turunen & Harus In Concert - Live At Sibelius Hall on CD, Digital Audio, and Blu-ray/CD.

We were sent these details: This is the first official release from Tarja's new project Harus. Turunen achieved worldwide recognition as the frontwoman of Nightwish, before embarking on a successful solo career.

However, Tarja's background has always been classical music. Now, showcasing the true breadth of her talent, Tarja steps away from the hard rock/heavy metal sound that made her an international star to return to her classical music roots with Harus.

Filmed in Lahti, Finland in December 2009, In Concert presents a blend of traditional Finnish music with classical and modern elements. The fusion of organ, electric guitar, percussion, and Turunen's enchanting vocals filled Sibelius Hall that evening with an emotional, spellbinding energy. With a set that included three different versions of "Ave Maria," this fresh approach to traditional music is an absolutely atmospheric experience.




Megadeth Fan Pays Big Money For Dave Mustaine Prototype Guitar
(hennemusic) A Megadeth fan has spent $11,300 in an eBay auction for an ultra-rare prototype Jackson Y2KV (J6443) guitar that was specifically created for the band's Dave Mustaine.

This natural unfinished Jackson Prototype was designed by Mustaine and presented to him on 12/23/1998, and was featured on several magazine covers including Guitar Magazine in 1999.

This was the first guitar with the final 3+3 Y2KV head, but with dot inlays, rosewood fingerboard, alternate knobs and a blade switch. The body shape was not quite finalized either, but this was the 1st approved prototype, used by Dave Mustaine as reference for the final prototype. Read more and see a photo of the guitar.




Mudhoney Documentary Coming To DVD
The documentary I'm Now: The Story of Mudhoney is set to be released on DVD on February 19th.

The film follows the band's 25-year career, from their beginnings in the Pacific Northwest through the band's most recent world tour.

The documentary was directed by Ryan Short and Adam Pease and features Pearl Jam's Stone Gossard & Jeff Ament, Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore & Kim Gordon, Soundgarden's Kim Thayil, Sub Pop's Jonathan Poneman, and the band themselves. Watch the trailer here.




Prong's Tommy Victor Launching Signature Guitar
Prong's Tommy Victor will be revealing his new Schecter Guitar Research signature guitar at the NAMM show.

Victor has announced a signing on Friday January 25th at 1:00 PM in room 210 and Prong will be performing Saturday January 26th at The Grove in Anaheim, CA alongside Exodus, Jeff Loomis and Chris Poland.

Victor had this to say, "I am so happy to finally have my own signature model being released! And to have it done through Schecter is an honor and a highlight in my career. We put our minds together to design an intense model that we know guitar players and collectors of all sorts are going to appreciate. I'm personally impressed with the outcome. It's amazing!"

"To help celebrate Schecter's dominance in new designs and innovation and quality all around, along with the release of the Tommy Victor signature model, PRONG will be supporting Exodus at the Schecter NAMM Party Saturday Jan 26th at the Grove in Anaheim. Also performing is my old friend Chris Poland and his band Ohm, and one of the world's top shredders Jeff Loomis. The incredible Gary Holt with the rest of us will be doing a signing at the new upstairs Schecter booth at NAMM (which will have my new model on display) Friday Jan. 25 at 1pm. See you at NAMM!"




7 Horns 7 Eyes Drop Off Annex Theory Tour
7 Horns 7 Eyes gave pulled out of their upcoming tour with Annex Theory due to internal issues within the band.

7H7E guitarist Aaron Smith had this to say, "This is certainly not the outcome we had in mind when we announced our participation in this tour, and it's really a bummer to let everyone down who had made plans to come see 7H7E play and to the promoters of the shows as well.

"There are several factors in our decision to cancel, including unforeseen financial strain, and it was not a decision we made quickly or lightly, but it's definitely the best decision. We fully intend and look forward to rescheduling a similar run of dates in the future (we hope with Annex Theory), so that we can make it up to our Canadian fans! We will not forget!" more on this story





Singled Out: Annandale
Today Ashley from Annandale tells us about "This Fight" from their brand new EP "Moving Forward," which was produced by Clint Lowery and Morgan Rose from Sevendust. Here is the story:

An overarching theme of our EP, Moving Forward, is "rebirth, refuge, and self-discovery" and I feel like "This Fight" is a great step toward all of those things for me. I tend to be a bit on the shy side and have a lot of anxiety when it comes to having honest conversations about my thoughts or feelings. I may be screaming on the inside, but it always seems easier to say what someone wants to hear. "This Fight" is my first attempt at pushing myself to overcome this anxiety.

I think everyone has trouble communicating from time to time. Poor communication (or complete lack of it) usually snowballs into misunderstanding, anger, and more anxiety, which are exactly the things we're all trying to avoid when we take the easy way out in a conversation. It's a horrible cycle that isn't easy to break, especially when there's bad communication on both ends of the conversation.

"This Fight" points out how isolating and infuriating this cycle can be. It isn't easy and will definitely take some time, but it's something we can all work on. For me, I know it will take a lot of time, but I plan to keep fighting as long as it takes.
Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself and learn more about the album right here!




Underoath Release Final Music Video?
Underoath have released what could be their very last music video. The video clip for the song "Sunburnt" was directed by their drummer Daniel Davison.

The track is one of two new songs that were recorded for the band's Anthology 1999-2013 retrospective which was produced by Matt Goldman. Watch the video here.

The band is currently winding down their farewell tour which concludes on Saturday in Florida and features support from Mewithout You, As Cities Burn and Letlive. more on this story




Black Star Riders Guitarist Video Interview Goes Online
(hennemusic) Black Star Riders guitarist Scott Gorham recently sat down with Engl's Artist Relations Director Michael Berger during the band's studio sessions in Thousand Oaks near Los Angeles.

Scott gives inside information about Thin Lizzy and Black Star Riders as well as his Engl set up he used for the recording.

Former Thin Lizzy members – now known as Black Star Riders - entered the studio earlier this month with producer Kevin Shirley to record their debut album.

The group adopted the new band name to start the project with a clean slate, and out of respect to the legacy of the late Phil Lynott. Watch the interview here.




Dorsal Atlantica On Wikimetal
This week's episode of Wikimetal features an interview with Carlos Lopes of Dorsal Atlantica.

The band, from from Rio de Janeiro, is one of the pioneers of Brazil's thrash metal movement.

On his last interview regarding the album 2012, Carlos told Wikimetal about the process of reuniting the band, talked about the reality of the Brazilian music scene today. Listen here.




Coheed and Cambria Rock Conan
Coheed and Cambria gave a very special performance last night on Conan's late night TBS talk show.

The band performed the track "Dark Side of Me" from their new album, The Afterman: Ascension, on the show.

If you missed the performance on TV, Team Coco have uploaded a stream that you can watch online

Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Gaza Singer Denies Rape Allegation
Gaza and their frontman Jon Parkin have publicly denied a rape allegation against the singer which was posted online this week. They issued the following:
"We have worked hard to establish a good reputation for almost ten years now and we're not about to let an errant accusation unravel that. For those quick to judge, I ask how you would feel if you were forced to face such an accusation? There is no perfect way to handle this, but we're going to take every measure to preserve the most important thing we've created in that time; our reputation. We take this very seriously. The last sentence in Jon's statement is one that cannot be stressed enough."

Parkin had this to say, "Let me first say that this rape allegation is entirely untrue. Throwing this sort of accusation up on the internet is reckless and completely slanderous. Two of my very close friends have been raped and it was devastating to watch them go through the recovery process, one of which I spent a summer helping through counseling. I went with her to the clinic to get her AIDS test results. Rape infuriates me, and I never see red like I do when I hear about it. This is not a subject or an accusation I take lightly. Anyone who knows me personally knows that I could never and would never force myself on anybody.

"I'm sorry that you all have to be part of this drama, but this has to be addressed. This mess in no way has anything to do with the band and I'm sorry for the other members as this is a black mark on us that is undeserved and untrue. more on this story



Three Days Grace Explain Adam Gontier's Departure From The Group
Three Days Grace have revealed more details about frontman Adam Gontier's departure from the group. As we previously reported, they have recruited My Darkest Days' Matt Walst to handle vocals on their upcoming tour.

When that was announced the band made a brief statement about the change but now they are telling fans more of their side of the story. They posted the following message on their Facebook:

"It had been our desire to keep an internal band matter just that, internal. However, after public statements by Adam we feel the need to give our fans the facts. Here's the exact timeline of events over the past few weeks.

"On December 21, 2012, Neil and Brad (via email), our manager and business manager (via federal express) received a letter from Adam's lawyer stating, "Please be advised effective immediately Adam is terminating his involvement with the band Three Days Grace. Adam has been wrestling with a health issue, outlined in the attached letter (a doctor's letter dated December 14), which would have precluded him from touring with the band in 2013 and he wants the group to continue moving forward as they see fit while not holding them back."

"As you can imagine, this came as a complete shock to us. We had just played a series of shows in Hartford and Peterborough the preceding week with no mention from Adam of any health issues or that this resignation letter was coming. We had no idea then that the December 15th Hartford show (which we played one day after the date of the doctor's note attached to Adam's lawyer's letter) would be our final show with Adam as lead singer. Read the rest here.




Guns N' Roses Heading Down Under
(hennemusic) Guns N' Roses have announced their 2013 Australian tour and will play shows in Perth, Sydney, Newcastle, Melbourne and Brisbane.

The rockers will be joined for a series of March shows by special guests ZZ Top and Australian rock legends Rose Tattoo.

"I can't wait for these shows next March," says promoter Andrew McManus. "Axl Rose is a legend and I can't wait to see Guns N' Roses play to their legion of Aussie fans again. I'm so proud to be bringing them back to Australia and am looking forward to a great tour with fellow rockers ZZ Top and Rose Tattoo." more on this story




The Replacements Dunlap Not Recovering From Stroke
(Classic Rock) The Replacements guitarist Slim Dunlap will never recover from the massive stroke he suffered last year, reports his wife.

The musician's plight was behind the reunion EP recorded by Paul Westerberg, Tommy Sinson and Chris Mars in September, which has been released as the first of a series of limited-edition vinyl records to raise funds for Dunlap's care.

"On February 19 Slim suffered a massive right-brain stroke complicated by a fall, which caused a heamorrhage in the left brain and was further complicated by extensive brain swelling," Chrissie Dunlap says. "He was hospitalised for nine months. His recovery has been slow, hindered by pain, paralysis of the left side, and the inability to swallow."

"Insurance does not pay for long-term care, and the general prognosis for Slim is that he will likely need around-the-clock care for the rest of his life."

Producer Peter Jesperson, who masterminded the Replacements' work on Songs For Slim, says he is not recovering.




Bad Religion Stream New Album and Will Webcast KROQ Event
(Radio.com) To celebrate the release of Bad Religion's 16th studio album, True North, the band will webcast their performance Tuesday, January 22 live from the Red Bull Sound Space at KROQ.

Tune in beginning at 3PM PT / 6PM ET / 11PM GMT / 10AM (Jan 23) Sydney, as Nicole Alvarez sits down with the timeless Southern California punk band for a Google+ Hangout Q&A session, followed by a live performance. Graffin, Gurewitz and the crew will field questions from the studio audience and fans watching online.

For fans in the Southern California area, tickets to this private event can be won though Friday, January 18. Find out how and stream the full album here.




Def Leppard Tease Viva Hysteria
(hennemusic) Def Leppard are sharing a new preview/trailer for their first-ever Las Vegas residency.

Leppard will be taking over the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino for an exclusive nine-show run entitled "VIVA Hysteria!", and will perform their iconic album, "Hysteria," in full, in addition to a greatest hits segment.

"A lot of other bands do this stuff, but I think it's a little bit more special because 'Hysteria' was one of the diamond albums, especially in this day and age there are not that many albums that achieve that kind of status," guitarist Phil Collen said recently. "That's why it's so important to us, it's such a big selling album. It's a challenge as well. We've never actually done that before. We've always said, yeah, we could do 'High 'n' Dry.' 'Hysteria,' that's a lot more challenging. A lot of the songs on there are hard to sing and play at the same time." Watch it here.




Rush DVD Release Leak Was Not Correct
(Classic Rock) Rush are not planning to release their Clockwork Angels Live DVD in May, according to the industry website which originally posted the news.

MusicTap believed their information to be correct because they'd previously received correct details about Rush's 2112 deluxe reissue from the same source.

The site operator explains: "From a more trusted source, I was told that the DVD does not have a release date in place. I was told that it would be made available likely in the fall of this year, corresponding to a train of logical thought that played out in many Rush forums, rightly so as it turns out." more.




Offspring and Dead Sara Unplug For Duet
(Radio.com) Imagine being in a relatively new band being asked on tour by a group of elder statements like Huntington Beach, CA punksters, The Offspring. That dream became a reality for LA hard rock outfit Dead Sara.

Over the course of the 2012 summer tour, Offspring frontman Dexter Holland had his eyes open for a way to work in Dead Sara singer Emily Armstrong into his set. "When we started building our own set list, I realized the stripped-down version of 'Gone Away,' which we've been doing for a few years, would fit Emily's voice really well," Holland told Rolling Stone. "It turned out to be a special moment in the show each night."

The Offspring's crew videotaped their October 5, 2012 duet at the historic Hollywood Palladium. Long time producer Bob Rock, mixed in the audience sing-along for a unique take on an alt-rock classic. Check out the video here.




Dark Empire Name New Guitarist and Plan Free EP Release
Dark Empire have officially replaced Andrew Atwood by naming Christian Colabelli the permanent second guitarist in the group and plan to release a free EP later this year.

Colabelli had this to say, "It's an honor to be an official member of Dark Empire. Since I've known Matt, we've had a mutual respect and admiration for each other's playing. When he initially asked me to fill in on guitar for live performances, I quickly recognized the chemistry, power, and potential of the lineup and was amazed at how natural it felt. I know Matt and I will challenge each other as guitarists and I expect huge accomplishments for Dark Empire in 2013."

Matt Moliti adds: "I'm really excited to have Christian a part of Dark Empire. His technical ability and songwriting skills are definitely going to take things to the next level, and fans can now expect a dual lead guitar attack reminiscent of bands like Racer X and Cacophony on the new material. Yes, we have already started writing some new riffs with the intention of releasing a free 5-track EP by the end of 2013."

They have released viewed of Christian and co-guitarist Matt Moliti running through some new riffs the band is preparing for the free EP. Watch it here.




Rival Sons Were Rushed But Didn't Compromise On New Album
(Classic Rock) Rival Sons drummer Michael Miley admits the tight timescale associated with recording their album Head Down led to tension within the band.

He tells Alternative Addiction "When you only have about three and half weeks, you kind of have to get it done. When the gun is to your head, you move. We all trust each other enough musically and musicianship wise that we can pull it off.

"So far we feel we haven't compromised our artistic integrity and thankfully we've received some nice praise for it." More rock news.




Radiohead's Greenwood Returns To Orchestra Composition
(Gibson) Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood is now working as a classical composer for the Australian Chamber Orchestra. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that, following Radiohead's Australian dates of November 2012, Greenwood stayed in Sydney to work on a composition commissioned by the orchestra.

"I've been spending an awful lot of time in dressing rooms the last six months working on this and trying to imagine [it]," Greenwood says. "That's why I turned up with three quarters of it on paper already, because I'd rather make a lot of mistakes and edit away rather than work with a skeleton and add to it."

It is not Greenwood's debut working in the symphonic sphere. He served as a composer-in-residence with the BBC Concert Orchestra in 2004-'05. The Australian Chamber Orchestra previously played his orchestral work Popcorn Superhet Receiver back in 2010.

But the Australian Chamber Orchestra's artistic director Richard Tognetti is delighted to have Greenwood back on board. He says, "I think the amazing thing about Jonny is he might be a world first [because of] this incredible acumen that he has for being able to write for an orchestra coming from the background of being in a band." more on this story






Dave Grohl and Corey Taylor Reflect on Sound City
(Radio.com) Dave Grohl has a barrage of awesome artistic projects in his arsenal and he has carved out enough time to direct a documentary called Sound City based on the iconic San Fernando Valley-based Sound City Studios.

Grohl said that when the record label asked Nirvana to record 1991's Nevermind, they sent them to the then-expensive a $600-a-day "really cheap dump in the Valley" that also happened to house a gorgeous sounding, one-of-a-kind old analog Neve board and an exceptional organically-acoustic room. In the digital boom of the early '90s, finding that sort of rich, old-school sound was rare, but once Nevermind was released other bands like Tool, and Slipknot wanted to record their albums at Sound City Studios.

Imminent closure of the space was halted when business started booming and Grohl credits the studio with shaping the way modern music sounds now through the medium of Nevermind.

"Had we recorded that record in a different way," Grohl elaborated, "The music wouldn't have sounded the same. And if it didn't sound the same, it might not have had the same impact."

"The thing about that Neve board is that it has such a personality," agreed Taylor, who recorded Iowa with Slipknot on that board. "No two albums sound the same coming out of that board because of the different love that you put into it, the different variables."

Read more, stream the interview with Grohl and Taylor and listen to their new song here.




Deep Purple's Ian Gillan Remembers Claude 'Smoke On The Water' Nobs
(Classic Rock) Deep Purple frontman Ian Gillan has paid tribute to 'Funky' Claude Nobs, who died last week after a skiing accident.

The co-founder and organiser of the Montreux Jazz Festival was immortalized in Purple's 1973 song Smoke On The Water and Gillan also regarded him as a close friend.

The singer recalls a recent meeting with Nobs: "I had just checked in to The Palace Hotel in Montreux prior to our appearance at the festival. The elevator doors opened and out whooshed Claude on a scooter; had it been anyone else I would have been surprised. Flying by, he waved over his shoulder and called out 'Hi, Ian, see you later!' – then he was gone.

"No doubt on his way to move things along in the right direction, because the Montreux Jazz Festival was his baby. He mothered it from infancy to what it has grown into: internationally, the most highly respected and enjoyable annual event of its kind."

The pair first met after the casino fire in 1971 that inspired Purple's classic track "Smoke On The Water." Read about that here.




Airborne Toxic Streaming New Song Online
(Radio.com) Airborne Toxic Event have released "Timeless," the first single from the band's upcoming third full-length release, Such Hot Blood, due out this spring.

"There's nothing like Nashville for starting new in music." said the band in a statement regarding the new album, which was recorded in "Music City."

"It gets in your blood, the rhythm of the place, the people. Making a record with Jacquire King at Blackbird Studios was the most challenging and all-encompassing experience we've ever had as a band," he added, referencing the producer known for his previous work with such acts as Cold War Kids, Modest Mouse and Kings of Leon. Read more and stream the song here.




Cold War Kids Tease New Album and Stream New Song
(Radio.com) Preparing to release their fourth studio album and newest since 2011′s Mine Is Yours, indie darlings Cold War Kids are streaming their first single, "Miracle Mile," from the upcoming Dear Miss Lonely Hearts.

Due to hit stores April 2, the new album was produced by Lars Stalfors, known for his work with The Mars Volta, Matt & Kim and Funeral Party. It's also the first Coldwar Kids album to feature guitarist Dann Gallucci, formerly of Modest Mouse and Murder City Devils.

Videotaped in and around the band's San Pedro, CA studio during the album's recording process, Cold War Kids provide fans with a little peek into the album via the first two of a series of trailers. Additional trailers will roll out, once a week through the album's launch. Watch the trailers and stream the new song here.




Holy Grail Streaming New Album in Full
(Classic Rock) Holy Grail have made their second album Ride The Void available for streaming at Classic Rock Magazine

The band, formed from the ashes of an early White Wizzard lineup, release the record on January 18 via Nuclear Blast Records. It will be available on CD, black double-vinyl and strictly limited transparent double vinyl.

The follow-up to 2010′s Crisis In Utopia was produced by Matt Hyde, with artwork by Dylan Cole, known for his contribution to The Lord Of The Rings movies. Stream the album here.




Motley Crue's Nikki Sixx Launching Bass Guitar Line
(hennemusic) Motley Crue's Nikki Sixx is getting his own signature bass line from Schechter Guitar Research.

"It was an exciting and creative process to work with Schecter on the new Schecter Sixx Signature Series Bass," explains Nikki. "It was important to all of us to design a bass that would feel right as well as sound amazing in the hands of all players, not just me. Every detail about the new Schecter Sixx comes from all of our collective experiences - whether it's my 30 years of playing live and recording or Schecter's unprecedented standards for making quality instruments for players of all genres. Simply said, this bass rocks!"

"I really felt as if we instantly gelled and were looking to accomplish the same goal with this project," adds Schecter's Executive Vice President, Marc LaCorte. "Above all, it was so refreshing to see an artist of Nikki's stature be so involved and genuinely concerned about every detail in the creation of this instrument." more on this story




Junius Announce Headline Tour Dates
Junius have added a number of headline dates to their upcoming tour schedule which include the previously announced trek with Caspian.

The headline tour dates will kick off on March 6 in San Francisco following the Caspian tour and will feature support from Silver Snakes. The headline trek will then include dates leading up to this year's South By Southwest Festival in Austin, Tx.

The group also plan two additional headline shows prior to their tour with Caspian, including a Valentine's Day performance in Brooklyn, NY. more on this story





Gus G. Having An Amazing Time With Working With Ozzy Osbourne
Guitarhoo! recently spoke with Ozzy Osbourne and Firewind star Gus G. and they sent a little except over.

In this interview Gus takes out some time to chat about his early years as a musician at Berklee College, landing the gig with Ozzy, writing with Firewind, his favorite songs from previous Ozzy Guitar Gods, and much more.

Gus on touring with Ozzy: "It's been an amazing ride so far! The whole tour was just incredible. Playing around the world in the biggest venues and headlining the biggest festivals, being a part of such a big production and playing with Ozzy, it's just mind blowing.

"We had great times on this tour, we really worked all as a team and I think we did some great gigs. Of course every moment you spend with Ozzy is precious. The stories, the advices, the jokes and of course all the gigs, it was just fantastic. Ozzy's an amazing person, it's hard not to love this guy" Read the full interview here.




Eric Burdon Releases Water Lyric Video
(Classic Rock) Eric Burdon has released a lyric video for his track Water. It's taken from the former Animals frontman's solo record 'Til Your River Runs Dry.

And while he deals with a number of issues on the album, the single concerns the future of one of our most precious commodities.

Burdon tells Rolling Stone: "Some people are squandering it while others have too little clean water to drink. At the same time we have tsunamis and cities under water. And yet we still ignore Mother Nature's warnings." Read more and watch the video here.




A History Of Black Sabbath's Drummers
(Radio.com) Black Sabbath recently announced their new record 13 will be released in June, and revealed that former Audioslave drummer Brad Wilk played on the album. So it's the perfect time to review some of the many musicians who bashed the skins for the metal legends over the decades. We could give our takes on them… but we thought we'd leave that to the band's guitarist, leader and the only guy to play on every Sabbath album, Tony Iommi (via his autobiography, Iron Man: My Journey Through Heaven And Hell With Black Sabbath).

WHO: Bill Ward, the founding drummer. For many fans, he's the only guy who belongs behind the kit.

ERA: He's the original, and played on all the albums during the "Ozzy era," from 1970′s Black Sabbath through 1978′s Never Say Die. He lasted a little longer than Ozzy, staying for the first album of the "Dio Era," 1980′s Heaven And Hell. He reunited with the band for 1983′s Born Again (featuring former Deep Purple singer Ian Gillian), and has been with the band on and off since they got back together with Ozzy in 1997. Read more about Ward's recent history of battles with his former band here.

B.S. (Before Sabbath): There is no "before Sabbath" for Bill Ward!

A.S. (After Sabbath): Other than a few solo albums, he hasn't done much outside of Sabbath.

WHERE IS HE NOW: Hosting an internet radio show Rock 50.

TONY SAYS: "He was good, but he had his own style, he created his own thing. Very unorthodox. Bill wouldn't play a straightforward beat, he always put some little bits in, like a percussionist. He would hear these symphonies in his head and try to play like he had eight hands." Also: "We called Bill 'Smelly.'"

Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Alice In Chains Plan Spring Tour
Alice In Chains have announced the initial dates for their upcoming North American tour.
The tour is set to kick off on April 25th in Miami Beach and the band has announced dates in Birmingham, Augusta, GA, Norfolk, VA, Bethlehem, PA, Pittsburgh, Sioux Falls, SD, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Fort Wayne, IN, Evansville, IN, and Lincoln, NE.

The band will be hitting the road in support of their as-yet-titled new studio album, which reunited the group with producer Nick Raskulinecz (FooFighters, Deftones) who worked with them on their comeback album, "Black Gives Way To Blue." more on this story



Disturbed Singer's New Band Sets Release For All-Star Album
Disturbed's David Draiman and former Filter guitarist Geno Lenardo have announced the release of the debut album from their new project Device, which features an impressive guest list.

Device have set an April 9th release date for their self-titled album. The first single from the album,, ""Vilify"" is set to be released to radio on February 19th.

"It's not metal", Draiman says. "It's influenced by early Industrial rock (I.E. Nine Inch Nails/Ministry) and has a dark electronic vibe. At the same time, these are big, anthemic, and intensely melodic songs. It's futuristic rock."

The album was co-written and recorded by Draiman and Lenardo and they called on a variety of special guests to appear on the album including Serj Tankian of System of a Down, Geezer Butler of Black Sabbath, Glenn Hughes of Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Black Country Communion, M. Shadows of Avenged Sevenfold) and Lizzy Hale of Halestorm. more on this story




Metallica Anniversary Inspired Jason Newsted To Launch New Band
(Classic Rock) Former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted says he had the best teacher ever in frontman James Hetfield when it came to learning how to lead his own band.

Newsted's self-titled outfit has released their first EP after he announced the end of a self-imposed semi-retirement last year. And he's credited fans for bringing him back when he found it difficult to keep going after quitting Metallica in 2001, despite work with Echobrain, Ozzy Osbourne, Voivod and others.

He insists it was important to give the new band his own name, telling Geeks Of Doom: "I wanted to make it very clear what was happening this time: that this was a fan-driven, enlightened, happening, offering. It was absolutely fuelled by the fans.

"When I played with Metallica at The Fillmore for the 30th anniversary shows I thought it was going to be fun. I had no idea the outcome was going to be like it was.

"The actual physical feeling from the fans, the energy, the respect, just the magnitude of it – I had no idea. It hit me hard, and it got better with each day as we played together and then I just felt it again. They called me back, and that's why we are talking now." more on this story




Lamb Of God's Randy Blythe Mentally Preparing For Manslaughter Trial
Lamb Of God frontman Randy Blythe shared his thoughts with fans as he prepares for his upcoming manslaughter trail in the Czech Republic.

This weekend Blythe had this to say via an Instagram posting: "The last 2 or 3 days I have been getting ready mentally to leave my home & return to Prague to do this whole trial thing in early February. It's not something I particularly WANT to do; but inside, my gut & heart tells me it is the RIGHT thing to do. I cannot turn my back [on] the right thing.

As I've been thinking, I've [been] shooting [pictures] a lot around my hometown. I love this place. A couple of days ago I went to my mechanic to get my truck worked on- the garage is over near the CSX train yard here in Richmond. I dropped off my truck & went creeping under the over pass that runs above the tracks. As usual, there was a lot of sleeping gear, trash, old mattresses & stuff that homeless people keep there. In my younger days, I used to ride freight trains across our country.

"I have spent many nights under bridges just like this one in freight yards across the USA. I have always loved to travel, & have been across the USA three times without a dime in my pocket most of the time, learning the survival skills of the hobos & street people of our country. You can get by with almost nothing if you know what you are doing. This old suit case sitting up on this ledge really captured my attention. I wonder what it once held? Safe travels to whoever owns it…" You can see the photos here.




The Breeders Announce Last Splash Anniversary Tour
The recently reunited Breeders have announced the initial dates for their upcoming Last Splash 20th anniversary tour.

The group will be heading to Europe in late May to kick off the tour where they will play the Last Splash album in its entirety.

LSXX, the 20th Anniversary reissue of the Breeders' Last Splash, is scheduled to be released in April.

More tour dates have been promised but there was no mention of North American tour plans in the announcement. more on this story




Uriah Heep and David Bowie Bassist Travor Bolder To Have Surgery
(Classic Rock) Uriah Heep bassist Trevor Bolder will bow out of the band for several months while he recovers from upcoming surgery, it's been announced.

The band will continue to work with John 'JJ' Jowitt of IQ, Ark, Arena, Jadis and Frost* renown. They'll play as planned in Israel at the end of the month.

Heep mainman Mick Box explains former Spiders From Mars member Bolder wants the band to keep going in his absence. He says: "We all wish Trevor a speedy return to the fold. In the meantime we're very pleased that JJ has agreed to step in and cover Trev's unique bass panache, which is so crucial to Heep's sound. JJ will also contribute to the signature five-part vocal operatics." more on this story




Bring Me The Horizon Announce Lineup Change and Set Album Release
Bring Me The Horizon have announced a lineup change and the release of their new studio album.

The band have replaced guitarist Jona Weinhofen with former Worship guitarist Jordan Fish. Weinhofen had this to say about his departure, "After a lot of time and thought I've decided to leave my current position as guitarist with Bring Me The Horizon. Things in the band have been very tense with a lot of disagreements between myself and certain members who I won't name.

"I'm thankful for my time with BMTH and I have met many good friends and been able to travel the world more. I'm planning on moving back to Australia to pursue other musical ventures."

The group has set an April 30th release date for their new studio album, Sempiternal. "There's a very euphoric sound coursing through the album, a very uplifting but yet sad sound," says frontman Oliver Sykes. "Electronically, it's far more advanced than anything we've done before." more on this story




Beatles Classic Enters The Public Domain
(Gibson) Thanks to a legal loophole, The Beatles' classic "Love Me Do" is currently in the public domain, free to be covered by anyone with the means to record, without approval or compensation for those involved in its creation.

The song has just entered the public domain in Europe, and small labels are already taking advantage of the opportunity to re-record the 1963 hit. Several have already rushed out their own versions of the song, and plenty more are expected. European copyright laws protect a recorded track for fifty years, which "Love Me Do" has just passed, as of January 1.

Other Beatles songs may mange to escape this most unauthorized of fates: the law is under consideration for an amendment this year, which would see the copyright period stretch from 50 years to 70 years (which is closer to the US threshold of 95 years), but the new protection isn't expected to be retroactive, so "Love Me Do" is destined to be reimagined, recast and otherwise re-recorded. more on this story






Senses Fail Releasing New Album in March
Senses Fail have set a March 26, 2013 North American release date for their fifth studio album, Renacer.

The album, pronounced ray-nah-serr, was recorded in Los Angeles, California at both The Airport Studio and Red Bull Studio with producer Shaun Lopez (Far, Deftones).

"We celebrated our 10 year anniversary in February 2012 and immediately got to work writing Renacer," says singer Buddy Nielsen. "The approach to this record was to embrace change and explore a different side of the band. The process was long, but was probably the smoothest out of any other record because we wrote without any boundaries. Renacer is by far our heaviest effort to date, which felt like a natural progression for us."

"We chose to work with Shaun because of our respect and love of the music he has made in Far and the work he has done over the years as a producer. Shaun was a huge asset in crafting and harnessing the heaviness of the record without sacrificing the clarity and natural sonics that we wanted." more on this story




Angels Frontman Determined To Beat Brain Tumor
(Classic Rock) Angels frontman Doc Neeson has told bandmates he will among the 20 per cent of patients who beat a form of aggressive brain tumor which resulted in him being hospitalized and all tour dates being cancelled.

Neeson, who turned 66 on January 4, was admitted to hospital shortly before Christmas complaining of pins and needles. He was immediately placed on a programme of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

His plight has ended plans for him to front a second version of the iconic Australian pub-rock band, which would tour in competition with a line-up fronted by former Screaming Jets singer David Gleeson.

Drummer Buzz Bidstrup told News Limited of the diagnosis: "On a scale of one to four it's a four. But he's incredibly stoic and accepting; he's in great spirits." more on this story




Black Flag Founder Teams With Pro-Skater For Good For You
Good For You, the new band feature Black Flag's Greg Ginn and professional skateboarder Mike Vallely, will be releasing their debut album next month.

The group have set a February 26th release date for the album, entitled " Life is Too Short to Not Hold a Grudge."

"Greg and I had been talking about writing music together for many years, comments Vallely. "There was no real plan in place to "team up" or anything like that. It was more so just about the music. Creatively and artistically we just found a common road and from that came an output that became this new music and this new record."

"Working with Greg really opened me up as a writer and vocalist," he continues. "His approach to writing, recording and producing was so free that for the first time I feel I was really able to honestly express myself in the studio." more on this story




Awolnation Plan North American Tour
Awolnation will be hitting the road this spring for a North American headlining tour.

The 30-show trek will feature direct support from Blondfire with Mother Mother serving as the opening act.

The tour is set to kick off on March 8th in Lubbock, TX and will conclude on April 25 in Tulsa, OK.

Prior to the North American dates, Awolnation will launch a European tour that will include shows in Sweden, Norway, The Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, and the United Kingdom. more on this story




The Black Crowes Plan Second Reunion Tour Leg Following Sell Outs
The Black Crowes plan to add a second leg to their upcoming Lay Down With Number 13 reunion tour after several shows sold out for the first leg.

The band has sold out shows for the first leg in London, England, Port Chester, NY, New York City, Washington, DC, Chicago, Nashville, Boston, St. Louis and Atlanta.

"We're thrilled and honored and look forward to sharing our music with everyone," says Chris Robinson more on this story




With Honor and My Heart To Joy Reuniting For Sandy Hook Benefit
With Honor and My Heart To Joy will both be reuniting for a benefit concert for the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting that will take place next month.

The benefit concert will also feature Hostage Calm, Call It Arson and Ovlov and will take place on February 9th at the Hungarian Club in Wallingford, Connecticut.

Misery Signals, Life In Your Way, Make Do And Mend, Corelia and TWIABP for a related benefit concert the previous night that is set to take place at the El N Gee in New London.

""The Sandy Hook tragedy hit close to home for a lot of us involved in the Connecticut scene," said Hostage Calm guitarist Tom Chiari. "Everyone felt an immediate need to help those affected and these two amazing shows are the result. Our hope is that the greater community will come together for the weekend to celebrate and pay tribute to those affected by the tragedy."

Greg Thomas, guitarist of Misery Signals and owner of CT recording studio Silver Bullet Studios had this to say: "It is always an incredible thing to see the strength that small communities can have when they unify and work together. The circumstances that have garnered this are nothing short of horrific, but I am proud to see the outpouring of compassion and support from everybody involved in making this truly special weekend come together. I hope that the friends who are scattered about this country can travel home for this. Connecticut hardcore punk, for these two days, lets stand as one in tribute."
Get more information here.




The Flaming Lips and The Black Keys Plan Mini Tour
The Flaming Lips and The Black Keys will be teaming up for a handful of tour dates in the U.S. this spring.

The dates will take place in late April and early May and include stops in Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Atlanta and Nashville.

have announced that they will perform four upcoming shows together in April and May. Tickets go on sale today. Click here for details.

The Flaming Lips will be touring around the release of their new studio album, The Terror, which will be released sometime this spring. more on this story




Alan Parsons Plans Rare U.S. Live Performances
Alan Parsons has announced a series of rare live performances in the U.S. as part of his forthcoming world tour.

The Alan Parsons Live Project is set to kick off on Valentine's Day (Feb. 14th) in Fort Pierce, FL and will include stops in across Florida before heading to the west coast.

The February 15th stop in Clearwater, Fl at the Ruth Eckerd Hall will include lasers and a symphony orchestra.

The tour also coincides with the 40th Anniversary of Parsons engineering Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon. more on this story




The Moody Blues' Justin Hayward Releasing New Solo Album
The Moody Blues star Justin Hayward has set a February 26th release date for his new album Spirits Of The Western Sky.

The album was recorded in Genoa, Italy and Nashville, and is Hayward's first solo album since 1996's The View From The Hill.

Some of the tracks feature orchestrations by Academy Award-winning composer Anne Dudley. "Anne [Dudley] is one of the true greats," states Justin, "in the same rarefied class of orchestrators as Peter Knight, who was such an inspiration in my early Moody Blues days.

"I've worked with Anne on different projects over the years and it's always a joy (when she is arranging, all the studio musicians know it's going to be wonderful). more on this story




Helloween Co-Headlining The 70,000 Tons Of Metal Cruise
Helloween will be setting sail later this month as the co-headliner of the 2013 70,000 Tons Of Metal Cruise.

This year's cruise will be sailing from Miami to the Turks and Caicos Islands beginning Jan 28, 2013 and will include over 32 metal bands over 5 days.

Helloween will appearing in support of their new studio album, Straight Out Of Hell, which will be released on January 22nd. more on this story




AC/DC Headphones Coming Soon
(hennemusic) German company On.Earz has launched a new line of on-ear headphones licensed from AC/DC and the estates of Elvis Presley and James Dean.

The unveiling happened last week in Las Vegas at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

The Mac Observer reports the Legends series is priced at €99, and the company said that it expects to price them at US$99 for the U.S. market when it launches later in the first quarter of this year. more on this story




Keith Emerson and Quincy Jones Tribute Claude Nobs
(Gibson) Claude Nobs, the man behind the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival passed away on January 10 after a skiing accident during Christmas.

Nobs co-founded the jazz festival in 1967 with pianist Geo Voumard and journalist Rene Langel and with backing from Atlantic Records President, Nesuhi Erteguen.

Rock fans will know Nobs as Funky Claude from Deep Purple's "Smoke On The Water," which recalls a fire at the Montreaux festival in 1971.

Quincy Jones tweeted: "There are no words to express the deep sorrow and hollowness in my heart that comes with news of Claude Nobs."

Keith Emerson, told Progrockmag.com: "Claude was responsible for turning a sleepy Swiss village, once a year, into a haven of jazz, blues, rock and even classical. Every artist that meant anything almost begged to be there.

Read Claude Nobs's account of the story behind "Smoke on the Water" here. more on this story






Conan Premieres New Coheed and Cambria Video
Team Coco are getting fans ready for Coheed and Cambria's appearance on Conan's late night show on TBS next week with the exclusive online premiere of the band's new video.

Team Coco premiered the video for "Dark Side Of Me" which comes from the band's new album, "The Afterman: Descension." The new album is the conclusion of their two-part concept releases and will hit stores on February 4th.

Part one, "The Afterman: Ascension" was released in October. The band will be performing the new single on Conan's show next Thursday (January 21st). Watch the video




Local Musicians Launch Effort To Save Legendary Beatles, Rolling Stones Venue
(Classic Rock) Newcastle City Hall, one of the UK's most legendary venues and a staple of the rock and pop touring circuit since the 1950s, is under threat of closure. The Hall is owned by Newcastle City Council and its future is uncertain due to budget cuts.

Newcastle City Hall has played host to The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Led Zeppelin, Buddy Holly, The Eagles, Santana and thousands more. A large section of Don't Look Back, the documentary about Bob Dylan's controversial 1965 UK tour, was filmed backstage at the City Hall.

Save The City Hall, a four-song CD aimed at raising awareness of the potential fate facing the 85-year-old building has just been released by the North East All Stars and is also available for download via iTunes. more on this story




Singled Out: Recovery Council
Today Recovery Council guitarist/vocalist Rebeca Qualls tells us about the song "Reform" from their brand new album "Plan-Do-Check-Act," which is being released today (1/15). Here is the story:

It started as a couple of guitar parts for a previously untitled song I had written back when I was an undergrad at NC State. I was playing in an alt/rock band with a couple of guys, and guitar was still new and different to me, as I was primarily a bassist in metal bands. So the bass player in me would try to reproduce rhythm notes/chords on the top strings while the hack guitar player in me would strum the bottom strings in reverse to create sustain and texture. It was one of the first songs I used an alternate tuning on, and it was also one of the first songs where I threw an occasional wrench in the time signature. Somehow those two concepts stuck and have become part of my somewhat lopsided foundation as a guitarist.

Now comes the serious part…the lyrics to "Reform" are pretty personal. They stem from a period of time where I had to put music and writing on hold to get other parts of my life together. I had been questioning my path and where I wanted to be, all the while noting that time was just ticking away. I usually would tangle through all these thoughts and feelings to clear my head by creating music and writing because, truth be told, I think too damn much as it is. And at the time I was doing neither. This was never how I imagined being, and it was depressing. As a result, I struggled with my own reservations, and was well on my way to becoming the polar opposite of the rational me who refused to postpone joy. I knew I needed to start rebuilding music and writing back into my life and do what I love, regardless of odds, adversity, or outcome. I've never been the type of person who is content with the status quo, and the easy road has rarely if ever been an option. I was thinking about this one day and the image of "flying a kite along some power lines in a thunderstorm" came to my mind. It eventually became the refrain of the song, and the rest of the lyrics were built around it to describe the catalyst for the change that I needed to bounce back.