Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


KISS Want Tim Tebow For Their New Pro Football Team
NFL quarterback Tim Tebow has been offered a new contract but it probably isn't one that he expected. Rock band KISS have offered the NFL star a job with their Arena Football League team.
Dubbed the L.A. KISS, the band recently announced the KISS themed expansion team that will be based out of Orange County, Ca. And they wouldn't be KISS without making headlines with big announcements.

The big announcement this time is that the band has offered Tebow a three-year contract to play for their new team after he was recently dropped by the New England Patriots.

"Tim Tebow is one of the most recognized and respected athletes in sport," said Paul Stanley. "His joining us would mean great things for his fans and for our team, especially from a business standpoint. His credibility within the sports arena is paramount. With our commitment to bringing football without compromise back to L.A., we're excited to see how this offer turns out."

"Acquiring Tebow would not only be a great investment for the team, but his exciting style of play would definitely send shockwaves through the League," added Gene Simmons. "We're excited for the opportunity to see him with an LA KISS uniform on, and for the LA KISS fans to be rockin' their Tebow shirts and jerseys."

Tebow taking the job is a long shot as he has turned down offers from Canadian Football League and USA Rugby and has his heart set on the position of starting NFL quarterback.




Machine Head's Flynn Slams Avenged Sevenfold
(TeamRock Radio) Machine Head mainman Robb Flynn has poked fun at Avenged Sevenfold after their new album Hail To The King reached number one in the UK and US charts.

In his online diary Flynn sends his congratulations to the band for the success of their "latest covers album" and adds: "Who knew that re-recording Metallica, Guns n'Roses and Megadeth songs could be a worldwide hit? Ba-dap psssss!"

He suggests the band – who already defended their musical direction on their latest release – should change their name to Sad But Two and that lead track Hail To The King is "actually that ugly AC/DC band's song Thunderstruck."

And he jokes that sales of Metallica black album "skyrocket as fans realise where the new songs came from." Read his number-one punchline about A7X here.




Metallica Album Work Was Started Before Their New Movie
(Classic Rock) A member of Metallica have revealed that the band started work on a new studio album before turning their attention to upcoming movie Through The Never.

Bassist Rob Trujillo has confirmed the follow-up to 2008′s Death Magnetic is due to appear next year – after the release of the cinema extravaganza and its associated soundtrack album.

Speaking exclusively to Classic Rock, Trujillo says: "Before all the film stuff, we were jamming these ideas and having a lot of fun. But we got sidetracked." He adds, "In 2014 it'll be all about getting new music – without any interruptions, hopefully."

He admits the band are nowhere near completing any songs, but they're sitting on a stockpile of jams that pick up where their previous record left off.

"It feels like Death Magnetic was the launch pad – it's the introduction to what we have now," says Trujillo. Read what else he had to say here.




Aerosmith's Steven Tyler Says Doctors Are Drug Dealers
(Classic Rock) Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler has slammed doctors for being the equivalent of drug dealers who make it difficult for addicts to straighten out.

The Aerosmith singer last fell off the wagon when he fell off stage in 2009, leading to a series of episodes which almost cost him his position in the band – before he managed to clean up his act once more. But he insists it wasn't all his fault.

Tyler says: "I had a bunch of operations and simply didn't follow my programme. I kept the drugs at the side of my bed; I did more instead of going what was prescribed. Remember, I'm a very good drug addict because I've done it for so many years."

The singer feels it was impossible not to fall back into the addiction cycle. "You know who the new dealers are? Doctors," he states. "I've gone to and said, 'I'm in a 12-step programme.' He goes, 'Ah, good for you!'

"On the way out he says, 'You need something to sleep tonight?' I'm trying to tell him I can't take anything that's mood-altering – because if I do, I like to ride it." He had more to say.




Jimi Hendrix Documentary Includes Home Movies
(Classic Rock) A new two-hour Jimi Hendrix documentary includes home videos made by the guitar icon himself along with footage shot during his last-ever show just 12 days before he died.

Hear My Train A Comin' is released in November and makes up part of the celebrations for what would have been his 70th birthday year. The film also features recently-discovered clips from Hendrix's appearance at the Miami Pop Festival in 1968, which will also go on sale in November.

His sister Janie says: "Hear my Train a Comin' is an in-depth look at the life and legacy of Jimi in his own words, as well as the words and memories of those that knew him well and were close to him. His impression on the world through his genius, music and talent continue to magically touch the lives of ensuing generations." more on this story




Halestorm Cover AC/DC, Judas Priest, Fleetwood Mac On New EP
Halestorm will once again be reinterpreting some of their favorite songs on a covers EP. The band announced that "ReAniMate 2.0: The CoVeRs eP" will be released on October 15th.

The new "ReAniMate 2.0: The CoVeRs eP" will feature the band's interpretations of songs from AC/DC, Judas Priest, Fleetwood Mac, Marilyn Manson, Daft Punk and Pat Benatar.

"Like our first 'ReAniMate' EP, the songs included here are a collection of both our favorite songs and songs to challenge ourselves," said Halestorm frontwoman Lzzy Hale.

"We decided to go more 'bare bones' with this EP, meaning minimal production with live, gritty performances. We recorded this EP the week of the Grammys, so the excitement and debauchery you hear through your speakers is very real. We hope all our fans have as much fun with 'ReAniMate: 2.0' as we did!"

Halestorm is currently on a North American tour that hits the Diamond Ballroom in Oklahoma City, OK tonight and have announced dates that conclude on December 15th in Chicago, IL at the House of Blues. more on this story




Slayer Expand North American Tour
Less than a week after thrash metal legends Slayer announced their upcoming North American headline tour, the band have already expanded the trek.

The band has added seven dates in Canada and a new show in Seattle to the previously announced seventeen dates for the tour that will feature support from Gojira and 4ARM.

The tour is still scheduled to kick off on October 22nd in Anchorage, Alaska at the Sullivan Sports Arena and will wrap up on November 30th at the Tsongas Arena in Boston, MA.

As we previously reported, Slayer's lineup for the tour includes founders Tom Araya and Kerry King along with drummer Paul Bostaph and Exodus guitarist Gary Holt, who has been filling in for the late Jeff Hanneman who died on May 2nd from alcohol related cirrhosis.

The band have vowed to carry on in the face of Hanneman's death and have began to work on new music and said in a statement that they "hope to spend some time in the studio prior to this tour." more on this story





Pearl Jam Producer Brendan O'Brien Discusses New Album
(Classic Rock) Brendan O'Brien has produced six Pearl Jam albums, starting with their second, Vs., in 1993 and continuing with their upcoming tenth, Lightning Bolt. Ahead of Lightning Bolt's release on October 14, O'Brien was in London recently to talk about his relationship with the band.

Classic Rock: Brendan, you've worked with Pearl Jam over a period of 20 years now. What are the pros and cons of having such a well-established relationship with a band?

Brendan: I think the first cons of making four albums together was that they got tired of being told what to do, which happens to all good artists. Some time after we did Yield, I just think they wanted to do it themselves for a while. The pros are, when they're ready to do something a little more outgoing, significant – whatever you want to call it, that's what I call it, I can't help myself! – they call me again.

Classic Rock: And when they arrive in the studio, do they know what the songs are going to sound like, or is there a lot of sitting around thinking?

Brendan: There's very little sitting around thinking, I can promise you that. Because you can't pre-determine what you're doing. Except that if you do a record with Pearl Jam, you'd better have Eddie [Vedder] good and loud! And a groove going. If I do anything I've got to get that right. Most songs we still start by recording live, in the room, with everybody playing at once, even though we don't keep as much of that stuff as we used to.

Classic Rock: You've said that some Pearl Jam records are more difficult to make than others. How would you place this one on that spectrum?

Brendan: The difficulty for me was trying to get them back into the studio. I think that's probably my value to them, I'm going: "Let's keep going on, let's stop f**king around, let's go." Thinking of some of their earlier records, Vs. was hard for me to make because I didn't know any of the guys really. Especially Eddie, and Eddie was very stand-offish in those days. He was just very protective. He would tell me: "You're Stone and Jeff's friend" [laughs], when we would get into discussion. That was his defence mechanism. "Alright, man, whatever…" Read the rest of the interview here.




Alter Bridge Wanted Unpredictable Album
(TeamRock Radio) Alter Bridge guitarist Mark Tremonti says that the band did everything that they could to make their new studio album "Fortress" as unpredictable as possible.

"The last thing we wanted was verse-chorus, verse-chorus and all that. We messed with time signatures, tones, key changes," Tremonti tells MusicRadar. "Everything we could throw at these songs, we did. They have you never knowing what you're getting next."

Part of the process was refusing to take any arrangement for granted. "We didn't want to be easily satisfied," Tremonti says. "It's so tempting to say, 'That's it – it's perfect' the first time you have something.

"But you never really know it's as good as it can be until you exhaust every possibility. That's what we did." Read more and check out the video for the album's first single here.




Experimental Jon Lord Concert Launched Online
(Classic Rock) The family and friends of the late Jon Lord have launched a website offering 11 videos shot during a previously-unreleased chamber orchestra concert in 2010.

The Trondheim Experiment includes a performance of Deep Purple classic Child In Time, complete with children's choir, and the evening's finale dedicated to Ronnie James Dio, who'd died the previous week.

The clips were shot at Nidaros Cathedral in Norway on May 24 that year and have been pieced together using audience recordings. The website include behind-the-scenes sections and an interview with the keyboard icon, who passed away last year.

Billed as "a celebration of good friends and music," the concert took place in a location that Lord admired highly and referred to as "the venue of the gig that changed his life in 2003."

Introducing Child In Time Lord says: "This is a big number in my life, this one. I love doing it in a slightly more Lordy way than the Purple way – but it's pretty much the same." A lot more.




Paramore Plan Larger Than Life Shows On Upcoming Tour
(Gibson) Billboard recently caught up with Paramore singer Hayley Williams and talked about the band's upcoming U.S. tour. The band, who are currently touring Europe behind their hugely successful self-titled album, promise a show unlike any they've done on previous tours.

Hayley said: "We just put a lot of forethought and a lot of elbow grease into this. We want to show the longtime fans how far they've brought us, and we want to show all the new fans what they might have missed out on had they not caught on. So bigger production, bigger stages, obviously. We want to be a band that puts on a larger than life show."

Williams and band mates Taylor York and Jeremy Davis are riding high on the success of their number one album. It means a lot to the trio that they were able to produce hits such as "Now" and "Still Into You" after parting ways with original members Josh and Zac Farro in 2010. "I think knowing that we got through the hard time and made this record showed us there is a future and there are even brighter spots to get to and more exciting opportunities and more fun to be had," Williams said.

Paramore kick off the US leg of their tour on October 15 in Seattle. more on this story






Former Kyuss Members Couldn't Afford To Fight Josh Homme Over Name
(Classic Rock) Former Kyuss men Brant Bjork and John Garcia changed their band name to Vista Chino after concluding they couldn't afford to fight former member Josh Homme in court.

The Queens Of The Stone Age mainman had previously offered no objection to the title Kyuss Lives when the pair reunited in 2010, but became unhappy when plans to record new music moved forward. The result is that new album Peace has been released under the Vista Chino's title – but Garcia says the entire process was "unnecessary."

Garcia tells Antiquiet: "Brant and I put up a pretty good fight. But in the United States, sometimes those with the most money win. We decided it was worth the initial fight; but it got to the point where we thought it would be much better to stop.

"The lawyers, the bills, took a little bit too much of a toll on us, and we said, 'Look, we're going to change our name.'" more on this story




Dillinger Escape Plan Aim For Honesty Not Perfection
(TeamRock Radio) The Dillinger Escape Plan guitarist Ben Weinman admits they know they're not the best band in the world. But every time they go on stage, he says, they aim to be.

"This tour is full of virtuosos. Every band on this tour is shredding all day – they're backstage shredding all day," Weinman tells The Circle Pit in the video interview. "I don't pick up my guitar until five minutes before I go on stage.

"We know we're not the best band in the world; we know we're not the best played in the world. It's more about getting in the zone, really feeling it. We just have to be good enough players to translate those ideas.

"It's more about free expression than premeditated. We want to make sure the energy comes across honestly on stage." Stream the full interview here.




Mott The Hoople To Play First Shows Without Dale Giffin
(Classic Rock) Mott The Hoople keyboardist Verden Allen says the band aim to take drummer Dale 'Buffin' Giffin out for a pint because they can't have him on stage when they tour the UK in November.

It will be the first-ever shows performed by Mott without Griffin, whose Alzheimer's disease was already a problem when he appeared for part of the set during their 2009 reunion shows.

And Allen admits it was a shock seeing his old bandmate for the first time in 39 years. He tells Wales Online: "I remember him not really recognising me at first, and thinking to myself, 'Has time really been that harsh? Have I really changed that much?'"

Griffin was able to perform the band's songs "flawlessly" – but Allen says: "He'd go from laying down these note-perfect renditions to not knowing where he was. Then I noticed he was struggling to assemble his drumkit each time, as though he was seeing it for the first time in his life.

"When I asked him about the first time he noticed something was wrong, he told me he didn't really know – just that people were getting annoyed at him for doing odd things and he had no idea why." more on this story




Korn Release Reconciliation Trailer
(TeamRock Radio) Korn have released a trailer for Reconciliation, the documentary detailing how Head returned to the band in time to appear on upcoming album The Paradigm Shift.

In the video, which accompanies deluxe editions of the record, Head explains why he'd left the band in 2005 and how he ran into them again at a festival in the US last year.

He says: "My daughter wanted to go, so I was like, 'Alright, I'll sneak in there, maybe say hi to a couple of the guys.'"

Munky adds: "The day before, I found out he was going to be there and I kinda had a lump in my throat. When the moment happened it was complete relief to see the clarity in his eyes."

The shock came moments before Korn hit the stage. Head recalls: "Fieldy said, 'Hey man, I'm just saying, there's an amp and guitar set up for you.' I was like, 'What!'"

After what was supposed to be nothing more than a one-off guest spot, Munky admits: "Everyone had the same kind of hope..." Check out the trailer here.




Motorhead Announce First Single From New Album
(hennemusic) Motorhead has announced that "Heartbreaker" will be the first single from their forthcoming album, "Aftershock" – a release date for the track has yet to be revealed.

Aftershock was produced by Cameron Webb and is the band's 21st studio album and will be released on October 22nd in North America. The band recorded the album at RG Studios in North.

Motorhead plan to launch a fall tour in support of the new album starting November 7 in Zurich, Switzerland. For release dates in other parts of the world, go here.




Megadeth's Mustaine Doubted Iron Maiden Gift
(TeamRock Radio) Megadeth mainman Dave Mustaine says he wasn't sure Iron Maiden's gift of champagne was really for his band. Bruce Dickinson's outfit left bottles of Moet in a bucket of ice to welcome Megadeth on board as US tour support starting earlier this month.

Mustaine tells Do512 light-heartedly: "It was a nice gesture. I looked at the sign and I was like, 'Are you sure it's me? Am I in the right dressing room?'"

He first opened for Maiden in the late 1980s and reflects: "We're all friends and it's great to see them. Plus they are such a great band. Megadeth and Iron Maiden is a no-brainer." Read more and see of a photo of the gift here.




Black Sabbath's Bill Ward Announces Free Art Event
(hennemusic) Original Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward will host an evening discussing his collection of fine art created from rhythm, "Absence Of Corners", at the Annapolis Collection Gallery in Annapolis, Maryland on October 26.

Open to the public, the free event is being held at the first U.S. gallery to showcase Ward's collection. If you plan to attend this special evening, the drummer asks that you RSVP by providing the information requested at BillWardDrumArt.com.

"When I'm playing, it's almost like opening Pandora's Box," says Ward. "All of the pictures came from me literally playing drums. I feel that I was actually going through a lot of emotions and it feels like my emotions are just splattered all over these pictures." more on this story




Rob Zombie Releases Great American Nightmare Halloween Preview
(hennemusic) Rob Zombie is sharing a video preview of his Great American Nightmare Halloween music and horror event, set to begin next month in Pomona, California just outside of Los Angeles.

According to the press release, the event will be held from Thursday through Sunday from October 10 to November 2 at FEARPlex in Pomona. The event will include 15 nights of music with Rob Zombie performing on the final night.

Musical guests will include 3OH!3, 45 Grave, Andrew W.K., Duane Peters, Eagles Of Death Metal, Goldfinger, Kottonmouth Kings, One More Time (Daft Punk Tribute), Ozomatli, Powerman 5000, Reel Big Fish, TSOL, The Dickies, The Used, The Vandals, Vampires Everywhere and more. Check out the preview here.




Eddie Van Halen Featured in Esquire
(hennemusic) Eddie Van Halen is among the personalities featured in "The Life Of Man," a new piece in Esquire as the magazine commemorates their 80th anniversary.

Van Halen is included in the photo gallery and in an online video he had the following to say about the best advice he's received. "The best piece of advice I've ever been given was probably from my father at an early age when we were making music and I would make mistakes," he said.

"I would ask him, 'What do you do?' And he'd say, in Dutch, 'Gewoon door blijven gaan,' which means 'Don't stop and don't let the audience know you made a mistake. Or, smile and do it twice…then people think you meant it.'" more on this story





Singled Out: Amber Sweeny's Hit & Run
In an age of auto-tuned so-called singers, a truly gifted singer like roots rocker Amber Sweeny is a breath of much needed fresh air. Today she tells us about the song "Hit & Run" from her "Starting Line EP." Here is the story:

Hit & Run started off as a joke between me and a friend of mine as we were waiting for a few of our friends to show up for rehearsal. There is a large population of deer and possums in the part of Washington, where I live, and the joke was about nearly hitting one of these creatures, as they tend to pop up out of no where when you least expect it. It was one of those moments where we were laughing hard as we sang out the refrain "it was a hit & run."

At the same time, my friends and I were all going through some pretty intense heartbreak as a group. I've been through a few rough break-ups and the song started to make more sense as a serious story. I went home and spent time working out the details of what it feels like to break-up with someone. It's a strange feeling to pour out so much of yourself into someone and then have it suddenly come to an end. There's a flood of emotions that most of us do little more with beyond shouting at the other person, or send them angry messages, but there are the odd characters that simply break down and give into those emotions. It's like a rage that burns deep within that can't be quenched unless or until the complete destruction of the one who hurt them.

So, the story is about someone who gives in to the urge to destroy. At first, there is a satisfaction, like one imagines in Thelma & Louise. It even appears to be justified for a moment. By the end of the song, the character realizes that they threw their life away. They could have walked away, healed, and built a new life. Instead, the rage, the anger, the wounding became the driving force and now they'll never know true freedom.

It's a heavy subject for such a boppy surfer-rock sound. My engineer/producer for this song wanted to make it more jazzy and night club in feeling, and as amazing as that turned out, I felt the grit of the story completely got lost in the smoothness. It was the only song I pushed to become what it was. He graciously conceded and we went back to the drawing board to re-track the song.

The result was a slight homage to my Southern California roots, but maintains that blues rock undertone that feels so much like home to me. All in all, this became one of my favorite songs on the record, as well as outside of the record. It reminds me to press on to get over the heartbreaks, rather than to give in to them.

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, check out an acoustic version of the song here listen for yourself and learn more about the EP right here!




Kings of Leon Transform Robyn's Dancing On My Own
(Radio.com) Kings of Leon managed to turn Robyn's dancefloor hit "Dancing On My Own" into a heartbreaking ballad with just a few moody guitar licks.

The guys covered the Swedish pop star's hit on BBC Radio One Live Lounge, pumping up the guitars and letting Caleb Followill's sad drawl do the rest of the work.

You haven't understood heartbreak until you hear Followill belt out the line, "So far away, but still so near/ The lights go on the music dies/You don't see me standing here/ I just came to say goodbye."

While the original forces you to dance away your pain, KOL makes it clear there's no shame in shedding a tear or two. Kings Of Leon's new album, Mechanical Bull, is out September 24. Check it out here.




Dream Theater Streaming New Song 'Along For The Ride'
(TeamRock Radio) Dream Theater have released an online stream of their new track "Along For The Ride" which comes from their upcoming self-titled album that is set to be released on September 24th.

Dream Theater guitarist John Petrucci says of the song: "It has a different vibe to the rest of the album. It's like an anthem – it's singalong, you can see it live.

"The message is that, with all the crazy stuff that happens, we don't have a lot of control, so we're along for the ride." You can listen to the stream of the song here.




Escape The Fate Release 'One For The Money' Video
(TeamRock Radio) Escape The Fate have released a video for their track "One For The Money." It's taken from the band's most recent album Ungrateful, which is on sale now.

Drummer Robert Ortiz recently admitted he wasn't a fan of the song when he first heard it. He explained: "It was clear that no matter what, it was really catchy. It was blowing all the other ones away.

"We had so many different ideas for the video, but what it comes down to is that this song is really just a pump-up song. So what better than our show? Because that's where we thrive." Check out the video here.




Empress Release 'Blurred Perceptions' Video
(TeamRock Radio) Up-and-coming prog metal outfit Empress have released a new music video for their track "Blurred Perceptions". It's taken from the English band's debut album.

They've been going from strength to strength since realizing they'd spent too long playing "music we didn't love" and changing direction to produce the new album.

Meanwhile, you can see them on tour later this month across the UK when they open for Bury Tomorrow, Feed The Rhino and Heart In Hand. Grab the dates and check out the video here.




Metallica Release Video From Singapore
(hennemusic) Metallica's recent Asian tour featured an August 24th show in Singapore, and now the band is sharing video from the event at Changi Exhibition Centre.

The footage features the band in a photo shoot with legendary photographer Ross Halfin, the Tuning Room, and a performance of "Broken, Beat & Scarred" from the concert.

Up next, Metallica will play the Rock In Rio festival on September 19. The Rio show comes a week before the launch of Metallica's 3D film, "Through The Never."

Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Black Sabbath Iommi's Updates Fans On Cancer Treatment and Tour
Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi posted an update for fans on his official website where he recapped the band's just completed North American tour and revealed that he has been in the hospital for continued treatment for his cancer.
Iommi revealed in January of 2012 that he has lymphoma, which is described by the Mayo Clinic as "a cancer of the lymphatic system, the body's disease-fighting network. The lymphatic system includes the lymph nodes (lymph glands), spleen, thymus gland and bone marrow."

Here is what he had to tell fans, "Well we've finished the US leg of our world tour. It was a bit longer than I would have liked as I've already been in hospital having another infusion.

"The tour was amazing though, you always hope it's going to go well but you never know, it's great to look out and see so many people of all ages. The new songs have been going down well, we've played them enough now so we're comfortable and that helps the performance.

"Many thanks to everyone who came to see us, South America next, and just like Australia this is a first time for Ozzy, Geezer and me together. All the best!"

Earlier this year Iommi explained to the Birmingham Mail what the "infusion" treatment involved and why he needs it for his cancer treatment. He explained, "I have to have an antibody administered by drip every six weeks or so to keep the lymphoma in check. It sort of coats the cancer cells, stops it from going anywhere else. I have to come back home no matter where I might be in the world.

"The tour dates are arranged so that I can always get back for treatment. It's the only way I can manage my illness and keep on the road. I'd love to play more shows than we're doing but my health has to be sorted out first.

"The infusions I have are part of the chemotherapy regime. It's relatively new treatment and they don't know what all the side-effects might be yet, but I wanted to try it. more on this story




Jimi Hendrix Documentary and New Live Album Set For Release
Legacy Recordings have announced a November 5th release date for two new special Jimi Hendrix releases: "Jimi Hendrix - Hear My Train A Comin'" and "Jimi Hendrix Experience: Miami Pop Festival."

"Jimi Hendrix - Hear My Train A Comin'" will be released on DVD and Blu-Ray is an expanded version of the forthcoming American Masters documentary that will air on PBS on the same day the home videos are released. The home video release will include "never-before-released special performance features," according to Experience Hendrix LLC.

The second release, "Jimi Hendrix Experience: Miami Pop Festival" will be issued as a single CD and as a limited edition double audiophile 200 gram vinyl set.

This release will mark the first time that Hendrix's performance from the May 1968 music festival has ever been released and includes "the first recorded stage performances" of classics like "Hear My Train A Comin'" and "Tax Free" as well as Hendrix staples like "Hey Joe," "I Don't Live Today" and "Purple Haze."

The package will also include never before published photos from the festival and an essay by Bob Santelli. The album features tracks from the main headline performance as well as bonus tracks of "Fire" and "Foxey Lady" from the afternoon show. more on this story




Five Finger Death Punch Set Wrong Side Of Heaven Vol. 2 Release
Five Finger Death Punch have announced a November 19th North America release date for their new album "The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side Of Hell Volume 2."

The new album follows volume 1 of the two part album series which was released in late July. The first single from the new album is a track called "Battleborn" and the band's frontman had the following to say about the song:

"After getting off the road from two years of touring I was physically and emotionally drained. It felt like I'd seen almost every inch of the globe and shook every hand there was to shake.

"I completely lost track of time, the flights, the travel, the shows all seemed to blur together. My family and friends became a distant memory. Even though I was doing what I'd dreamed of doing, it took all the energy that I had…it was exhausting.

"That made me realize, everything worth fighting for you will actually HAVE TO fight for. Every wish, every dream, every idea comes to existence only through blood, sweat and sacrifice…we are all battle born."

The band will be hitting the road on September 15th for their The Wrong Side Of Heaven Tour of North America and then head to Europe for a tour with Avenged Sevenfold.




William Shatner Plans Tour With Yes Legends From Circa
We told you last week that Star Trek icon William Shatner had teamed up with some legendary progressive rock musicians to record a new album and we learned on Monday that he will be teaming up with some of those same stars to perform the album in full at a series of concerts in October.

Shatner has announced three upcoming concerts in California where he will be backed on stage by Circa, the prog rock band that features former Yes members Tony Kaye and Billy Sherwood.

Sherwood produced and co-wrote the music on Shatner's new prog album, "Ponder The Mystery" which will be released on CD and vinyl formats on October 8th.

The also features guests appearances from a who's who of rock, prog and country including Rick Wakeman, Al DiMeola, Steve Vai, Robbie Krieger, Vince Gill, Edgar Winter, George Duke, Zoot Horn Rollo and Dave Koz. more on this story




Arcade Fire Release Two Reflektor Videos
(Radio.com) Arcade Fire's new interactive video for their new single "Reflektor" just launched at justareflektor.com. Like their previous videos for "Neon Bible" and "We Used To Wait" (named The Wilderness Downtown), it requires some audience participation and some Google magic.

Shortly after unveiling the new interactive video for new song "Reflektor," Arcade Fire has issued another, more traditional video for the song, a black and white affair handled by famed director, Anton Corbijn.

"I'm working on a really great song at the moment: Arcade Fire's new single," Corbijn told The Daily Beast last week. "The song is called 'Reflektor,' and you'll be able to see it Monday evening." The artsy, conceptual video features the band sporting massive head masks of the individual members' faces and climbing into the back of what looks like a military vehicle.

Lead singer Win Butler is depicted at the wheel, with his wife and co-vocalist Regine Chassagne riding shotgun. The nearly eight-minute video goes on to involve disco balls, a man in a mirrored suit and lots of wandering around an empty field. See it for yourself above.

And for the interactive video, you can use your mouse, tablet or mobile device and control the effects used in the video. The video was written, directed and produced by longtime Arcade Fire collaborator Vincent Morisset, and filmed in Jacmel, Haiti.

After you've immersed yourself in their world, we recommended reading up on the video's background and how it was created.

David Bowie has also confirmed (via his Facebook page) that, as rumored, that's him providing background vocals on "Reflektor." Check both versions out here.




A Perfect Circle Releasing Limited Edition Box Set
A Perfect Circle have announced that on November 25th they will be releasing a limited edition box set that is entitled "A Perfect Circle Live: Featuring Stone and Echo."

Their camp sent over the following details for the $149.95 box set which they state will be "a very limited offer" and is being offered on a "first serve basis".

The box set will feature: Stone And Echo, a full-length DVD (with accompanying audio CD) featuring the band's stirring Aug. 11, 2011 performance at the historic Red Rocks Amphitheater

Trifecta, a multi-disc collection featuring the band's complete discography, Mer de Noms, Thirteenth Step and eMOTIVe, recorded live during A Perfect Circle's handful of three-night, full-album performances. The 2010 performances, the first outings from the band since their self-imposed 2005 hiatus, were limited to Phoenix, Los Angeles, Seattle, Las Vegas and San Francisco.

Bonus tracks include live performances of "By and Down," "Ashes to Ashes" and "Diary of a Love Song"

Five hand selected lithographs featuring the personal signatures of both Maynard James Keenan and Billy Howerdel on one of the selected prints

Custom sculpted resin frame designed by the band

A custom made guitar pick designed by Billy Howerdel and exclusive to this offering

The collection is bound in a custom-made media book containing artwork and credits

The band is self-releasing the box set and as such it will only be offered for sale here.




David Bowie Changes Up Classic Song For New Release
(Gibson) David Bowie will release a new mix of his 1977 single "Sound And Vision" from his classic 'Berlin Trilogy' album Low. The new mix of "Sound And Vision" will be released on October 4 via Warner Music.

Sonjay Prabhajar has returned to the original master tapes to tease out elements that were reigned in on the original mix, including Ray Young's piano and the backing vocal recorded by Mary Hopkin, who was credited as Mary Visconti on the original version as she was married to Bowie producer Tony Visconti at the time.

Hopkins had a number one single "Those Were The Days" in 1968 and was one of the first musicians to be signed to the Beatles' Apple label. She sang on many albums produced by Visconti, by artists including Tom Paxton, Ralph McTell, Bert Jansch, The Radiators From Space, Thin Lizzy, Carmen, Sarstedt Brothers, Osibisa, Sparks, Hazel O'Connor and Elaine Paige.

The new mix of "Sound And Vision" was commissioned for an ad campaign for the Sony Xperia Z smartphone ad campaign. The ad is directed by Rarsem Singh, who directed R.E.M's "Losing My Religion" video. more on this story






Portnoy In No-Win Situation Over Dream Theater
(Classic Rock) Mike Portnoy regrets that he can't talk openly about his former band Dream Theater, because of the emotional response it generates. He believes he'd outgrown the band he co-founded, named and then sensationally quit in 2010.

But he retains fond memories of his time with the prog metal outfit – and he's grateful they tolerated his obsessive-compulsive disorder. Portnoy tells Modern Drummer: "With Dream Theater I very much ran the show because my OCD allowed me to handle the additional roles.

"Luckily those guys always trusted my direction. OCD can be a detriment, though; I know it sometimes makes my wife crazy, and I'm sure it must have driver the guys in Dream Theater crazy at times too. But they rolled with it.

"When I first met John Petrucci and John Myung when we were 18 years old, I think they immediately recognised that part of my personality, and they were comfortable with that dynamic. John Petrucci and I balanced each other out through the years. He never cared much for all the little details and organisational stuff, and I never cared about the business or financial aspects, which he was very good at."

Portnoy feels one of the main reasons he decided to leave the band was.




Bruce Springsteen and Roger Waters For Stand Up For Heroes Benefit
(hennemusic) Bruce Springsteen and Roger Waters are among the performers announced for the 7th annual Stand Up For Heroes benefit, happening November 6th as part of The New York Comedy Festival.

Organized by the Bob Woodruff Foundation, the event at the Theater at Madison Square Garden raises funds for injured service members, veterans and their families. In its first six years, the event has raised more than $16 million to support wounded warriors and their families.

In addition to Springsteen and Waters, Stand Up For Heroes will feature performances by Jerry Seinfeld, Jon Stewart, and other surprise guests. more on this story





Pearl Jam's Mike McCready Jams With Dave Matthews Band
(hennemusic) Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready joined the Dave Matthews Band during their show at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine, California on Saturday, and video of the jam has surfaced.

The guitarist sat in for a performance of the song "Rhyme & Reason" from the Dave Matthews Band's 1994 debut album, "Under The Table And Dreaming."

McCready and Pearl Jam will kick off a fall North American tour October 11 in Pittsburgh; the trek is in support of their new album, "Lightning Bolt", which hits stores October 15. Watch the video here.





The Scorpions Share Staging Photo For Unplugged Shows
(hennemusic) The Scorpions have revealed the staging for this week's MTV Unplugged concerts in Athens, Greece. The German rockers will perform three shows under the open skies at the Lycabettus Theatre in Athens on September 11, 12, and 14.

"MTV Unplugged was already top on our wish list and therefore we have gladly accepted the offer during the farewell," said the band. "We are together with MTV on this very special event in Athens."

"MTV Unplugged - Scorpions Live In Athens" will be released at the end of 2013 on CD, DVD and Blu-ray disc. MTV will world premiere the event. more on this story




Robert Plant's Electric Picnic Performance Goes Online
(hennemusic) Robert Plant Presents The Sensational Space Shifters recently performed at Ireland's Electric Picnic, and an audio stream of the band's full set is now available.

The 11-song, August 31st performance featured a mixture of Plant solo tunes, covers and reworked Led Zeppelin tracks. Listen to Robert Plant Presents The Sensational Space Shifters at the Electric Picnic here.

The singer's appearance at the arts and music festival's 10th annual event was one of a handful of recent UK dates that followed a two-month summer US tour. more on this story





Motorhead Returns With New Album 'Aftershock' This Fall
(Radio.com) Motorhead is gearing up for the release of their 21st album, Aftershock, on October 22. It's been three long years since their last effort, The World Is Yours, and in that time, they've released two volumes of live material called The World Is Ours, and marketed themselves via their "Motorheadphones"–kind of a heavy metal, and lesser-known, version of the Beats By Dre product line–and the Motorhead Drinks Shop, where they sell their own brands of beer, vodka and various wines.

An impressive list, especially being that Lemmy is not in the best of health. Over the summer Motorhead guitarist Phil 'Wizzo' Campbell told England's Classic Rock magazine that Lemmy has been outfitted with a defibrillator to correct unspecified "heart problems."

After that, Lemmy suffered a hematoma– an internal swelling of blood. While bruises are not usually cause for concern, being over 60 (Lemmy is 67), along with other conditions like alcohol abuse, drug abuse and smoking make it harder to fight infection. Check out the cover art here.




Ayreon Reveal Special Guest and More New Album Details
(Prog) Arjen Lucassen has confirmed the tracklist, artwork and complete list of guests who appear on upcoming Ayreon album The Theory Of Everything.

The double-disc work includes a total of 42 tracks and includes contributions from members of ELP, Yes, Dream Theater, Genesis, Asia, Nightwish and more.

Lucassen has been teasing fans for months since he first confirmed a new Ayreon album was under production. Now he's confirmed: "It begins a completely new storyline for the Ayreon universe. It's a true rock opera with a dramatic real-world story in four 20-minute-plus epics divided into 42 separate tracks."

Check out the guest list, cover art and tracklisting here.





Tedeschi Trucks Band Not Ready To Settle On New Member
(The Blues Tedeschi Trucks Band decided to play the field when it came to replacing bassist Oteil Burbridge, says Derek Trucks. They recorded new album Made Up Mind with Pino Palladino, but they've worked with a host of other names over recent months – and the guitarist admits they're finding it tough to settle on a full-time replacement.

Trucks tells Premier Guitar: "He was getting to the point where he didn't want to be on the road as much. Once he realised how much we were going to work and how it wasn't going to be a short-lived project, it became time for him to take a break.

"It was not an easy transition, in the sense that you have all this momentum going, then you have to find a new bass player. That role is pretty big, especially with Oteil—he's a serious player.

"When the situation went down, we said half-jokingly, 'Let's pretend we just got out of a long relationship. We'll date a bunch of hot-ass bass players and then we'll settle down.'"

That dating process included six other players, and taught TTB a lot about themselves. more on this story





Ashes Of Ares Frontman Explains Queensryche Influence
(Classic Rock) Ashes Of Ares frontman Matt Barlow has discussed the one album that's influence him more than any other, picking a classic Queensryche record in the exclusive Classic Rock video.

He says: "It soared above and beyond what other people were doing in that genre. Geoff Tate took his vocals to a whole other level and those guys just made a killer record. I get flashbacks when I listen to it."

Barlow – who bowed out of Iced Earth because of schedule clashes with his job as a police officer – formed Ashes Of Ares with Van Williams and Freddie Vidales. Their self-titled debut album was released this week via Nuclear Blast.

The vocalist recently said his new band would tour as much as they could, but added: "We're definitely not going to be Iced Earth — no six months of touring." Watch the video here.





Sebastian Bach Says New Album Heavy, Cool And Essential
(hennemusic) Sebastian Bach is in the studio working on a new album with producer Bob Marlette, and the rocker has posted an update on the project, sharing his excitement about once again working with Bobby Jarzombek.

"Recording Drums w the incomparable @bjarzombek on the skins!! Bobby! Bobby! Bobby!," writes Bach. "When making music, there is nothing more important than having chemistry with your fellow musicians.

"I am proud to say that this is my 4th album with Bobby Jarzombek behind the kit & he is without a doubt the finest drummer I have ever had the pleasure of playing with.

"He understands my groove completely, after playing onstage together for the last 8 years, & this feeling is something that is simply impossible to replicate or fabricate by computer or any other means.

"It's called soul & Bobby has got it. This album is gonna be heavy & cool & an essential addition to the Bach N' Roll catalogue!!" more on this story




Motley Crue Card Tables Unveiled For Upcoming Las Vegas Residency
(hennemusic) The Hard Rock Hotel And Casino in Las Vegas has unveiled Motley Crue-themed card tables prior to the band's upcoming residency at The Joint. Billed as an "Evening In Hell," Motley Crue will play an exclusive 12-show run from September 18 through October 6.

"There's a lot of cool stuff we're going to use this time," frontman Vince Neil recently told Vegas.com. "Technology changes so rapidly and new stuff comes out all the time. All of a sudden someone goes, look at this, and we go, 'Holy sh*t, that's cool.'

"We have to outdo ourselves every time we put something new together. This one – I don't know how we're going to top this one. There's some crazy stuff going on in this thing and just a lot of fire and smoke and monsters and all kinds of cool stuff."

Fans can expect Motley Crue to play their greatest hits, but the band plan on resurrecting some songs that have fallen to the wayside over the years. See a photo of a card table here.





Singled Out: Brian Wright's We Don't Live There
Today roots rocker Brian Wright tells us about the song "We Don't Live There" the first single from his new album, "Rattle Their Chains," which is hitting stores today. Here is the story:

"The song is about the Hollywood neighborhood where I lived most of the time I was in Los Angeles. Wilcox and Fountain, lots of action, lots of interesting characters. The house across the street was a group (gaggle? draggle?) of drag queen prostitutes who worked Santa Monica Blvd and would occasionally stop by to borrow a tire iron or ask if I'd seen so and so. Another neighbor was a Catholic priest who worked on his old car in his spare time. I was down the street from the police station and a few blocks from Hollywood Blvd so the noises were varied and constant. I mostly got around on my black bicycle so I was close to the action and knew most of the folks in the shops and on the street pretty well. Looking back its seems weird to have spent so many years there as it never particularly suited my disposition, but I think that's what I enjoyed about it.

I lived there for the better part of 10 years, and have written a ton of songs about the various characters on the block over the years. "We don't live there" was written after I left the neighborhood for the green pastures of the San Fernando valley. I was starting a family, growing up, reminiscing about my time there and the idea came to me. All of the people, places, and situations in the lyrics are real, but I definitely took some artistic license to veil their identities.

Maybe it's a "bumpkin in the big city" cliche, but living in the heart of all that definitely opened my eyes to all the wonderful and sometimes shocking things that can go on within the confines of just a few blocks. I don't regret any of the time I spent there and I even miss the noise since moving to a quieter neighborhood in East Nashville. As a young writer it was a great education in the cultures and creatures I couldn't have imagined in my small town upbringing.

In short, the song is literally about that neighborhood, but metaphorically about the struggles of youth and discovery and hopefully looking back on it without regret. You take something from everything and carry it with you wherever go. I'll never forget that dumpy little house on that dirty little street.

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





Alter Bridge Unplug For Classic Rock
(Classic Rock) Alter Bridge are the stars of the next issue of Classic Rock (in the hands of subscribers now, and onsale in the UK this Wednesday, 11 September), which comes with a free exclusive Best Of Alter Bridge CD and the inside story of their incredible rise.

And to whet your appetite, today we have more exclusive Alter Bridge for you: a TeamRock exclusive, filmed when the band came in for the Classic Rock Magazine Show with Nicky Horne.

The band sat for an unplugged performance of their classic Rise Today. You can check out the unplugged video along with their cover from the new issue of Classic Rock here.





Elvis Costello and The Roots' Streaming New Album
(Radio.com) The Roots have played backing band to many artists throughout their career, including D'Angelo, John Legend, and in their day job as house band for Late Night With Jimmy Fallon. The keeper of rhythm ?uestlove and his merry band join forces with the continuously experimental Elvis Costello for a collaborative album Wise Up Ghost.

The album is out September 17 via the famous jazz label Blue Note Records, but you can stream it now over at NPR as part of their famed "First Listen" series here.

"It's a moody, brooding affair," ?uestlove says of the album, "cathartic rhythms and dissonant lullabies. I went stark and dark on the music, Elvis went HAM on some ole Ezra Pound sh*t."

Previously, the duo released the music video for the lead-off track "Walk Us Up Town." That, you can watch here.





Franz Ferdinand Get Bloody In 'Evil Eye' Video
(Radio.com) Right from the start of Franz Ferdinand's video for "Evil Eye," you're warned that this clip might not be safe for children. And trust us, it isn't.

Shot like a low budget schlock fest, the clip is a nod to all those cheesy B-horror movies from the '70s. The band is outfitted in fake mustaches, riding around in a hearse as fake blood spurts out of decapitated mannequins, sink faucets and a crow's mouth. And of course, you get a shot of the unattached eye that is presumably evil.

On the song off their latest album, Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action, which sounds more than a little bit like Queen's "Another One Bites The Dust," frontman Alex Kapranos sings, "I have the evil eye/ I see your soul" as he fondles a mummified corpse.

And that's not even the grossest thing you'll see in this clip. Other notable gross out moments include an overweight man, whose belly is actually Kapranos' face, picking his nose and someone puking into someone else's bath. Watch the video here.





Protest The Hero Streaming First Track From New Album
(Prog) Protest The Hero have streamed Clarity, the first track from upcoming album Volition. The Canadian prog metal band's follow-up to 2011 release Scurrilous will appear on October 28 via Spinefarm Records.

They raised $340,000 to fund their fourth studio outing via Indiegogo. They recently said: "Our crowdfunding campaign allowed us a new level of artistic and business-mindset freedom.

"We had the pleasure of recording with budgets and deadlines created only by ourselves. We think the project benefitted the world over because of that."

PTH launch the US leg of a world tour in November. They'll announce UK dates in due course. Stream the new song here.





Bring Me The Horizon Release New Video
(TeamRock Radio) Bring Me The Horizon have released a new music video for their track Go To Hell For Heaven's Sake. It's taken from their recent album Sempiternal.

Sempiternal did so well in the run-up to its planned April 29 launch that it was brought forward four weeks. You can catch BMTH on tour next month with support from Pierce The Veil and Sights&Sounds.

The tour will feature new keyboardist Jordan Fish and will be without former guitarist Jona Weinhofen. The band have added new dates to the trip. Grab the dates and watch the video here.





Horisont Release 'Writing On The Wall' Video
(Classic Rock) Swedish outfit Horisont have released a video for their track "Writing On The Wall." It's taken from their third album, Time Warriors, due out on September 30 (Europe Sep 27, North America Oct 1) via Rise Above Records.

Frontman Axel Soderberg says: "We wanted to make sure we had enough material so that every song on the album would work as a single, with no fillers.

"It's most definitely our strongest album so far. We did the songs the way we wanted them to be done. We had more time to get to know the songs, recording them in both English and Swedish to see what would sound best – so there are a few songs with Swedish lyrics on this one."

Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Motley Crue Wanted Sebastian Bach To Replace Vince Neil
(hennemusic) Sebastian Bach has revealed that he was asked to join Motley Crue following the band's split with Vince Neil in 1992. When asked by a fan on Twitter if he was ever considered to replace Neil, Bach replied, "Not considered. Asked."
During a series of follow-up questions, Bach explained the reason he passed on the gig: "The short answer is that I actually thought at the time this band Skid Row was better," adding, "Gee I sure know how to pick 'em."

Motley Crue brought in John Corabi and released a self-titled album in 1994; despite a #7 debut on the Billboard 200 and critical acclaim, the project had disappointing sales and mostly negative fan reaction over the group continuing without their original singer, who ultimately returned in 1997. more on this story




Steven Tyler Jams Aerosmith Classic With Keith Urban
(hennemusic) Steven Tyler was a surprise guest on Friday night in a small Nashville club as he joined Keith Urban for a bluesy rendition of the Aerosmith classic, "Walk This Way", and video of the event has surfaced.

Urban began jamming the riff to ZZ Top's "La Grange" during his stop at Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, telling the crowd, "I'm going to attempt an experiment right now. I'm going to predict that if we play this riff long enough, we might find a singer in the crowd who knows how to sing this song," adding, "If you happen to be a bit of a bad ass blues legend singer, this might be your cue," as Tyler climbed onto the small stage.

Tyler scatted a bit over the ZZ Top riff before shifting gears into "Walk This Way" as Urban and his band kept a bluesy vibe underneath. Tyler's appearance came during one of three club stops in about an hour for Urban, who is creating a buzz for Tuesday's release of his new album, "Fuse." Check out video of the jam here.




Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young, Queens of the Stone Age For Bridge School
(Radio.com) The 27th Annual Bridge School Benefit show has announced its initial lineup, featuring Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young, Queens of the Stone Age, Elvis Costello, The Killers (Saturday only), fun., Diana Krall, Heart, and Jenny Lewis. This will be CSNY's first major show since their Freedom Of Speech tour in 2006.

The benefit concert will take place over two days — Saturday, October 26 and Sunday, October 27 — at Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, CA.

The concert is, and has always been, 100% acoustic sets, making for unique performances from previous artists such as Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam, the Who, Metallica, David Bowie, R.E.M., Arcade Fire, Tom Petty, Simon and Garfunkel and many more. more on this story




Stone Temple Pilots Founder Opens Up About Scott Weiland Firing
(Gibson) Stone Temple Pilots bassist Robert DeLeo spoke to Rolling Stone about the band's decision to fire their original frontman Scott Weiland and how the band is doing with their new singer, Linkin Park's Chester Bennington.

Speaking to Rolling Stone, bassist Robert DeLeo explained: "It was a very difficult decision to terminate the face of your band. But we really didn't have any other choice. I don't want to get too into that right now because of legal things, but Dean, Eric and I have been saddled by someone for a long time.

"We've always looked out for Scott's best interests and tried to be a great friend to someone who really didn't care to be friends with us…. I don't think we had any other choice. We knew that was what we wanted before we thought about getting another singer."

The band's forthcoming EP, High Rise, features Linkin Park's Chester Bennington as frontman. Bennington told Rolling Stone he's transitioned smoothly into the new role.

"I'm just coming in here and doing the same things I would do normally, only I'm writing different music with different guys. STP is moving forward without Scott 100 percent, whether I say yes or no. So I'm just glad that it's me, because I am such a big fan of the band." more on this story






Unreleased Beatles Let It Be Era John Lennon Interview Uncovered
(Gibson) A John Lennon audio interview with Village Voice journalist Howard Smith that was recorded shortly after The Beatles had finished work on the "Let It Be" album has been uncovered. The tape lay forgotten in Smith's attic for nearly 40 years but will now be put up for sale by RR Auction.

In the interview, Lennon says of working on Let It Be: "We were going through hell. We often do. It's torture every time we produce anything. The Beatles haven't got any magic you haven't got. We suffer like hell anytime we make anything, and we got each other to contend with. Imagine working with The Beatles, it's tough."

Lennon added: "There's just tension. It's tense every time the red light goes on." Lennon described the LP as a "strange album." "We never really finished it. We didn't really want to do it. Paul [McCartney] was hustling for us to do it. It's The Beatles with their suits off."

The audio interview tape has a reserve of $300, but will surely sell for much more. more on this story






Slash Explains Forthcoming Movie and Album
(Gibson) Slash spoke to Megan Friend (via the Huffington Post) about his upcoming movie and album "Nothing Left To Fear" which will be the debut release from his new film company.

Slash says, "It's a simple story where less is more. It's not an action movie. We're exploring the environment of the macabre - of what's in the dark. What we can't see. That's what's intriguing about it. Chainsaws are just brutal. I wanted to expose the weird twisted nature of the characters and society. I wanted to do something that goes back to what I think is really scary."

In the interview, Slash salutes the literature of Edgar Allan Poe, H.P. Lovecraft and Ray Bradbury, and the movies of Stanley Kubrick, Alfred Hitchcock and George A. Romero as a big influence. "My natural tastes have always been dark… not that I'm a dark person, but I'm drawn to things that aren't necessarily soft and fluffy. When I was a kid, I bought a Grateful Dead record because of the skull on the cover, not knowing what kind of music was inside."

He continues, "My real passion has always been the more dark, sexy kind of rock. "Whole Lotta Love" is one of the nastiest, most sensuous songs ever recorded. Black Sabbath brought the texture of horror to music in a melodic, fantastical way. Rock'n'roll and the darker side of things just naturally go together, in heavy metal especially. Even the Stones have dabbled in the darkness. The heavier the music, the more they paint with that satanic brush."

Slash developed the score for the movie in conjunction with renowned composer, Nick O'Toole. Myles Kennedy also contributed to the project by writing the lyrics for the moody title track. "It's an amazingly haunting piece," says Slash. "There's no bass and drums - just guitar and vocals. Nothing like you've heard before from us.

"It was an interesting process. I learned that writing with a visual in mind is a completely different experience. There are no rules, no boundaries or arrangement limitations." more on this story






Rock Hall Plan Rolling Stones Event
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame have announced that 1989 inductees The Rolling Stones will be the focus of their 18th Annual Music Masters series this fall.

The special has been dubbed "It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It): The Music of The Rolling Stones" and will launch on October 21st and conclude with a tribute concert on October 26th.

The concert will take place at 7:30 p.m. at PlayhouseSquare's State Theatre in Cleveland and will feature music artists that have performed with the Rolling Stones including Ian McLagan, Lisa Fischer, Bernard Fowler, Bobby Keys, Trevor Lawrence, Steve Madaio, Ivan Neville, Waddy Wachtel and Willie Weeks.

Organizers will be announcing additional guests leading up to the special as well as details about the schedule of events. They have announced that the special will include interviews, panels, films and educational programs and a keynote lecture at Case Western Reserve University.

"We are very excited to expand the stories we tell in the Music Masters program," said Lauren Onkey, vice president of education for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. "Rock and roll caught fire around the world, and we want to reflect that in this program. The Rolling Stones were inspired by so many great American artists in creating their own original brand of rock and roll--it's an incredible story. We have an outstanding band to showcase the music of the Stones."

"The Museum is proud to be honoring the Rolling Stones during their 50th anniversary year," said Greg Harris, president and CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. "In addition to our blockbuster exhibit, which has attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world, we will take this opportunity to dig deeper into the story of this groundbreaking band that challenged and changed the face of rock and roll."

Visit the Rock Hall's official site for more details here.




Scorpions To Debut New Songs at Unplugged Shows
(hennemusic) The Scorpions will debut new songs at their upcoming MTV Unplugged concerts in Athens, Greece this week. The German rockers will perform three shows under the open skies at the Lycabettus Theatre in Athens, set for September 11, 12, and 14.

"Of course we will play many of the Scorpions classics, but, we will also visit many of the songs we have wanted to play from the past but just haven't had the opportunity," drummer James Kottack tells Rock Overdose. "There will also be debuts of a few brand new songs as well! we are soooo excited!"

"MTV Unplugged - Scorpions Live In Athens" will be released at the end of 2013 on CD, DVD and Blu-ray disc. MTV will world premiere the event, while the shows will be broadcast for free in Germany by VIVA. more on this story




Shooter Jennings, Leif Garrett and More Guest on New Tantric Album
Tantric continue to show their eclectic side with their forthcoming album "37 Channels" which is filled with special guests from across various genres. For the first single they pack an all-star guest list.

"37 Channels" is set to be released on September 17th and the first single release for the album, "Mosquita" features guest vocals from Shooter Jennings and David "2B" Mouser (KNOXX, The Villebillies).

The track also features guest appearances from guitarists Kenny Olson (Kid Rock) and Kevin McCreery (Uncle Kracker), drummer Greg Upchurch (3 Doors Down) and pedal steel guitarist Gary Morse.

"I've known Hugo Ferreira and Kenny Olson for nearly 15 years and to hear they were collaborating on the new Tantric record was dirty scumbag music to my ears. I had a blast singing on 'Mosquita' and I'm proud to have finally worked with two old friends. Hopefully we can get together and do a few live shots at this." Shooter Jennings

"Hugo is a super creative and intuitive guy to have thought of putting steel on 'Mosquita'. I wouldn't have thought of that myself but now that I hear it it's hard to imagine it without the steel parts. Love it!" Gary Morse

In addition to the above mentioned guest stars on the single, the new album also features appearances from Austin Winkler (Hinder), Scott Bartlett (Saving Abel) and 70's Teen Idol, Leif Garrett.

"It was great working with somebody that I respect as a songwriter and artist. When people listen to the lyrics of 'My Turn', they will see how poignant they are. I think the song turned out great and I can't thank Hugo enough." Leif Garrett

Watch the official lyric video for "Mosquita" here.




Smile Empty Soul Announce Fall Tour
Smile Empty Soul has announced that they will be hitting the road in Rocktober for a two and half month North American headline tour that will feature support from Acidic.

The 'Merican Chemicals Tour," will be launching on October 1st at Guitars Rock and Country Bar in Joplin, MO and will conclude on December 13th at the Whiskey in Los Angeles.

Smile Empty Soul Sean Danielsen had this to say about the tour, "Our upcoming ''Merican Chemicals Tour' is gonna be great! We're hitting pretty much every area of the country, and we'll be playing these songs from our new record Chemicals that we're so excited about."

The tour launch will coincide with the North American release of the band's latest studio album "Chemicals". "Chemicals still has our signature sound," Danielsen adds, "but it has its own feel apart from our other work. It's a very raw album for today's standards." more on this story




Billy Joel's 52nd Street 35th Anniversary In The Studio Special
The syndicated radio program In The Studio celebrate the 35th anniversary of Billy Joel's blockbuster 1978 album "52nd Street" in their latest episode which is streaming online.

The "52nd Street" album had a tough act to follow, Joel's seven million seller "The Stranger" but it lived up to expectations by spawning three top 40 singles, "Big Shot", "Honesty", and "My Life", and earned two Grammy Awards for Album of the Year and Best Male Vocal performance.

In the special, Joel reveals to the show's host Redbeard the concepts of his albums. "It would be easier if people would stop thinking about my work as isolated pop songs that are kinda shoved together on a record, but to think of each album as almost like a musical or a movie or a Broadway show." Stream the special here.




Dream Theater Reveal Live At Luna Park Details
Eagle Rock has revealed the details for the forthcoming Dream Theater: Live At Luna Park 2DVD, Blu-ray and digital video that will be released on November 5th.

The label announced that a deluxe edition will be released as an 11.5" square 60 page hardback photo book that will include the Blu-ray, 2 DVDs and 3 CDs (the CDs only being released as part of the deluxe package).

Live At Luna Park will include the 160 minutes of footage from the concerts which were recorded over two nights last August during the final leg in South America of Dream Theater's "A Dramatic Tour Of Events".

In addition to the concert footage, the release will have bonus features including six live bonus tracks of "These Walls"; "Build Me Up, Break Me Down"; "Caught In A Web"; "Wait For Sleep"; "Far From Heaven"; and "Pull Me Under".

The release will also feature a bonus Live At Luna Park documentary, the trailer for the cinema release of the film, a "Behind The Scenes" feature and the cartoon intro from the concerts. The Blu-ray version will also include 6 multi angle options on "Outcry." more on this story




Black Sabbath Release Halloween Maze Preview Video
(hennemusic) Black Sabbath are sharing a behind-the-scenes preview of an all-original 3D maze, "Black Sabbath: 13 3D", which opens September 20th at Universal Studios Hollywood's Halloween Horror Nights event.

"Very few bands can claim to have defined a genre of music but Black Sabbath's remarkable influence in the evolution of heavy metal will go down in history," said John Murdy, Creative Director for Universal Studios Hollywood.

"Tony Iommi's dark, iconic riffs, Ozzy Osbourne's haunting vocals and Geezer Butler's foreboding lyrics provide the perfect soundtrack for 'Halloween Horror Nights' and endless inspiration for our new haunted attraction Black Sabbath 13 3D."

Black Sabbath just completed a North American trek in support of their new album, and will start a Latin American tour in Santiago, Chile on October 4. Check out the video here.




Serpentine Singer Matt Black Leaves The Group
(Classic Rock) British rockers Serpentine have released a statement confirming that their singer Matt Black has left the band due to musical differences between the band and the singer.

The statement reads: "Serpentine, the British melodic rock quintet currently in pre-production for their third album with producer and songwriter Gary Hughes [of Ten] have parted company with lead vocalist Matt Black, who wishes to move into a different direction musically, away from the melodic rock sound the band are associated with.

"The band, who were initially fronted by Shy/TNT vocalist Tony Mills, burst on to the scene in 2010 with their critically acclaimed, and Japanese charting, Touch Of Heaven album, and went on to release their second full album Living And Dying In High Definition, in 2011.

"Mills, who departed in 2011 to concentrate on TNT, was replaced by the hitherto unknown Matt Black and a series of UK tours with the likes of Crashdiet, Ten, FM and Romeo's Daughter cemented Serpentine's reputation as an exciting live band, which led to appearances at many major festivals at home and abroad.

"This decision was reached while writing for their next record, when it became apparent that the music the band was composing was at odds with the direction Matt wanted to take." Read more here.




Voodoo Festival Announce Daily Lineups
Organizers of the 15th Voodoo Music + Arts Experience have revealed the lineup and the daily schedule for this year's event that will be taking place on November 1st, 2nd and 3rd in New Orleans.

The festival will kick off on Friday night with a headline set from Pearl Jam, as well as performances from Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Calvin Harris and Preservation Hall Jazz Band.

The second night of the festival will include performances from Nine Inch Nails, Paramore, Afrojack and Big Gigantic and the final night will include sets from The Cure, Kid Rock, Bassnectar, Beats Antique and Matt & Kim. Schedule





Jon Anderson To Join Raiding The Rock Vault Cast
Original Yes frontman Jon Anderson has announced that he is going Vegas. He will be a guest star in the Las Vegas show Raiding The Rock Vault for five nights from September 20th - 24th at the Las Vegas Hotel & Casino.

"Jon Anderson is an icon," said Raiding The Rock Vault creator, director and producer John Payne. "He is one of the biggest names in the history of progressive rock and I'm really excited for him to lend his voice to the show."

The classic rock based production takes the audience on a journey from the 1960's through the 1980s and features songs from The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Doors, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, the Eagles, Queen, Van Halen, AC/DC, Journey, Free, Bryan Adams, Supertramp, Toto, Deep Purple, and more.

The show's all-star lineup features Howard Leese [Guitar] (Heart), Tracii Guns [Guitar] (LA Guns, Guns n' Roses), Robin McAuley [Lead Vocals] (MSG, Survivor), John Payne [Lead Vocals and Bass] (Asia), Paul Shortino [Lead Vocals] (Rough Cutt, Quiet Riot), Jay Schellen [Drums] (Badfinger, Asia), Andrew Freeman [Lead Vocals and Guitars] (Lynch Mob, The Offspring), and Michael T. Ross [Keyboards] (Lita Ford, Hardline). Get more details about the show here.




The Temperance Movement Release Free EP
(Classic Rock) The Temperance Movement have made a three-track live EP available for free download for UK fans to celebrate being featured in the Amazon Artist Lounge.

The rising-star outfit are nominated in this year's Classic Rock Roll Of Honour awards in the category of Best New Band. Get the free download here.

Their debut album, also called The Temperance Movement, is released on September 16th in the UK and the five-piece head out on a tour of Europe the following day, including an extensive series of shows in the UK. more on this story




Carcass Couldn't Record Again Until Amott Left
(TeamRock Radio) Carcass weren't able to start work on their first album since reuniting until guitarist Michael Amott left and returned to his own band Arch Enemy, says fellow axeman Bill Steer.

The veteran metal outfit got back together in 2007, but Amott didn't want to be any part of new record Surgical Steel, due out September 16. Steer tells Decibel (via Blabbermouth): "Once Michael had stepped out of Carcass again, that's when we could entertain the idea of doing a new record.

"He'd made it clear from the outset that he'd no interest or believe in a new record. Once the reunion shows were over he said, 'I'm going to be busy for a few years – you guys do whatever you're going to do.' That meant we could talk seriously about doing material."

When Amott went back to concentrate on Arch Enemy, drummer Daniel Erlandsson went too – but there are no hard feelings. Read more and stream the album here.




Lollapalooza Headed To Argentina
(Radio.com) From the time he created it back in 1991, Jane's Addiction frontman Perry Farrell has always had big ambitions for Lollapalooza. Having evolved from a traveling music and culture tour in the '90s into the annual Chicago music festival that's already expanded to Chile and Brazil, Lollapalooza is ready to extend its' international reach to Buenos Aires, Argentina, next year.

"In the same way that each child is unique born into a family, each Lollapalooza that we spawn is unique," Farrell said of the latest expansion via Billboard. "I look forward to getting to work with the newest members of our musical family — Argentina!"

The 2014 launch in Argentina would be the third such expansion in just four years, following the Santiago, Chile, debut in 2011 and Sao Paulo, Brazil in 2012 (a planned move to Tel Aviv, Israel, for summer 2013 was scuttled back in January). more on this story





Singled Out: Satellite's Say The Words
Today Steven McMorran from alt-rockers Satellite tells us about their new hit single "Say The Words" which comes from their debut album "Calling Birds" that was released this Spring. Here is the story:

"Say The Words" is about looking yourself in the eye. If thoughts only have real substance once put into words, then admitting what you believe about yourself is the first step to finding out if it's true. I say that with certainty because again, IF thoughts only have substance in words, that means you don't even know what you believe about yourself until you say it.

"Say The Words" was my way admitting I was shutting down inside, and watching other people do the same. Like looking in the mirror to say, "Why? Because you aren't where you thought you'd be when you were 17? Join the club." Admitting it created the decision of what to do about it. For me, growing up has meant letting go of the defense mechanisms I learned as a child; and maybe even the desire to defend myself all together, eventually.

For now, a toast: May we welcome the realization that the lives we lead bleed into one another. Let it be honest. Let it be real. Let it be a beautiful history ahead of us.

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




Korn Release 'Never Never' Video
(TeamRock Radio) Korn have released a video for their track Never Never. It's the first track taken from upcoming album The Paradigm Shift, which features the return of guitarist Brian 'Head' Welch after he bowed out in 2005.

"Back then I was just up to no good, up to no good at all, to the point where I really just ended up sick," He recently said. "Not necessarily sick in the sense of throwing up but just feeling sick and ill every night, towards the end of every night on tour back in the day.

"Now I really feel like we are having a better experience overall. It's such a contrast from how it used to be – it's a total 180." Watch the new music video here.




Queens Of The Stone Age Cover Arctic Monkeys' New Song
(Radio.com) "Why'd you only ever phone me when you're high?" It's a reasonable question that the Arctic Monkeys ask on the debut single from their new album, AM (out now). But when Josh Homme from Queens Of The Stone Age asks it, well, it's a bit more sinister sounding.

On BBC Radio One Live Lounge, QOTSA covered the Arctic Monkey's "Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?" turning it into a bluesy fingerpicking lament to making bad decisions.

Homme, wearing his sunglasses the whole time, perfectly throws off lines like, "Now it's three in the morning/And I'm trying to change your mind/ Left you multiple missed calls/And to my message you reply/Why'd you only call me when you're high?" With a well-placed laugh, it's clear Homme probably isn't going to stop making those late night calls anytime soon.

QOTSA taking on an Arctic Monkeys track isn't that farfetched, especially being that the Monkeys frontman Alex Turner makes a cameo on the band's recent album, …Like Clockwork.

In an interview with Radio.com, Homme talked about working with Turner, along with other artists like Trent Reznor, the band's former bassist Nick Oliver, and Elton John, who all appear on …Like Clockwork, explaining that to him they're not well-known musicians, but friends.

"It dawned on me after we did the first interview [for the new album], people were so kind of like entranced by the marquee value of all these [guest artists]," Homme explained. "I didn't think about that, you know? We forget that for you it's Dave Grohl, Nick Oliveri, Alex Turner, but for us it's just Dave, Nick and Alex." Check out the video here.




Pixies Release Indie Cindy Video
(Classic Rock) Pixies have released a four-track EP entitled Brand New Pixies Songs. The band released a new music video for one of those, Indie Cindy, which can be seen online.

It's a more robust declaration of their return than the surprise launch of standalone track Bagboy, which came out in July. The band return to the UK in November with new bassist Kim Shattuck, who replaced Kim Deal earlier this year.

Frontman Black Francis recently said: "Along with everyone's favourites we'll be playing songs we haven't played in ages, or never played live before. We've probably rehearsed 80 songs, so we'll be able to change the set at the last minute if we all feel like it." Check out the video here.




Glamour Of The Kill Release Second Chance Video
(Classic Rock) Glamour Of The Kill have revealed the first official video to be taken from forthcoming album Savages. The video for the track Second Chance was filmed in LA with director Robby Starbuck (Asking Alexandria, Escape The Fate).

Quoth GOTK bassist/vocalist Davey Richmond had this to say,"Working with Robby on the video was such a great experience and having the opportunity to shoot it in LA definitely had the added bonus of standing outside in sun with an ice cold beer between takes.

"The heat turned out to be our enemy though as we all just looked like melting pale Yorkshiremen (The band actually hail from York. – Ed.) the second we started the performance part to the video. Fortunately we had a great make-up team who managed to disguise this!

"We all had such big ideas on how we wanted the video to look and Robby managed to capture that spot on." Watch the video here.




Metallica Release Sad But True Video From in Kuala Lumpur Show
(hennemusic) Metallica's recent Asian tour featured the band's first-ever show in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and now the band is sharing video from the August 21st event at Stadium Merdeka.

The new video footage features behind the scenes coverage of the band in the Tuning Room, and a performance of the song "Sad But True" from the concert.

Up next, Metallica will play the Rock In Rio festival on September 19. The Rio show comes a week before the launch of Metallica's 3D film, "Through The Never."

Today's Day In Rock News!

Kings of Leon Recruit Danny DeVito
Kings of Leon have made an unconventional move by recruiting It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's Glenn Howerton, Charlie Day and Danny DeVito to star in a new comedy promo video for their forthcoming album.
The band announced the video under the banner of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," and instead of a typical promotional video featuring the band talking about their album or sharing snippets of the music from the recording studio, they instead decided to tell a story instead.

The video tells the story of a film-maker named 'Dennis' (played by Glenn Howerton) and the challenges he faces putting together the promotional video. The band does not actually appear in the video, but Danny DeVito does give an unusual performance.

Kings of Leon will be releasing the new album, 'Mechanical Bull," their sixth studio album, on September 24th. While you wait, you can watch "Dennis Makes A Kings of Leon Promo Video" here.




Biffy Clyro Speak Out About Nine Inch Nails Insult
(TeamRock Radio) Biffy Clyro resisted the urge to fire back at Trent Reznor after the Nine Inch Nail mainman badmouthed them on Twitter when NIN played before their headline set at the Reading Festival.

Reznor accused them of being responsible for ruining preparations for NIN's performance at the festival last month, saying: "Should be an unusual show tonight… the lying promoter and the band following us (whoever the f**k they are) f**ked us on our production."

Biffy frontman Simon Neil says: "I was dying to tweet back to him all day – but we just wanted to focus on our show," he said. "We thought, 'Well, you might not know who we are now, but I guarantee by the end of today you'll know exactly who we are.'

"They've been headlining loads of festivals everywhere and I think someone told him they weren't headlining Reading and Leeds, God forbid. And he basically spat his dummy out and decided to take it out on us." He's not done.





Stone Temple Pilots Kick Off Tour With Chester Bennington
(hennemusic) Stone Temple Pilots with Chester Bennington kicked off their North American tour Wednesday night in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and video from opening night has surfaced.

"What a first night!!!! Thank you everyone!!!! It was a blast!!!!" posted the band following the 17-song performance and launch of the tour ahead of the release of their new EP "High Rise" on October 8th.

Dustin Schoof at Leigh Valley Live reports Bennington sounded like former Stone Temple Pilots front Scott Weiland and even moved like Weiland. All that was missing was the megaphone. Check out the video and read more about the show here.




Eric Clapton Expands Unplugged For Remastered Reissue
(hennemusic) Eric Clapton will release an expanded and remastered version his 1992 smash, "Unplugged", on October 15th in North America and between the 11th and 16th in other parts of the world.

Clapton hooked up with the popular MTV series in January 1992 to record the live album, featuring the guitar icon - backed by a small band - performing acoustic versions of his own songs and several blues standards. Released later that same year, the album was a blockbuster, selling more than 19 million copies worldwide and earning six Grammy Awards, sweeping the top honors, including Record of the Year, Album of the Year and Song of the Year.

The new 2-CD/DVD collection includes a remastered version of the original album along with six unreleased outtakes on two CDs. The DVD features a newly restored version of the concert, as well as more than an hour of previously unseen footage from the rehearsal.

The second disc of the set includes several songs that were not on the original album. Check out the details and tracklisting here.




Metallica Announce 'Fantastic' Through The Never Screening
Metallica have announced another advanced screening of their new 3D film "Metallica: Through The Never", this time at the largest fantasy and sci-fi film festival in the United States.

The band previously announced the premiere of the film at this year's Toronto International Film Festival next Monday, September 9th and the U.S. premiere in their native Bay Area of California at the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center in San Rafael, CA. on September 17th.

The band has announced the latest screening will be taking place the following week, during the Fantastic Fest in Austin, TX. The Metallica screening will be taking place at 7:00 PM on September 25th. More details here.

"Metallica: Through The Never" will be released to IMAX theaters in North America on September 27th, followed by a wide release on October 4th. more on this story




Tony Iommi and James Hetfield Rock With Queen
(Classic Rock) The three-disc Definitive Edition of the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert is now on sale and Classic Rock take you down memory lane with a clip in which Tony Iommi, James Hetfield and Queen perform Stone Cold Crazy.

The late Mercury was commemorated in the Wembley Stadium extravaganza of April 1992, which starred Axl Rose, Joe Elliott, Slash, Roger Daltrey, David Bowie, Robert Plant and many more.

The new release is the first DVD to include the opening acts' full sets, and the package comes in best-possible resolution with remastered uncompressed stereo and surround sound. Check out the video here.




Kill Devil Hill Announce Album and Release Party
Kill Devil Hill, the supergroup featuring Pantera's Rex Brown, Black Sabbath's Vinny Appice, Pissing Razor's Dewey Bragg and 40 Cycle Hum's Mark Zavon, have announced the release of their new album.

The group will be releasing their new studio album, 'Revolution Rise,' in North America on October 29th, as the first release under their new deal with Century Media.

The band will be playing a special record release show on the night of the album's release at The Roxy on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, CA and will soon be announcing touring plans in support of the album.

Rex Brown had this to say about the album, "This new Kill Devil Hill record is definitely one of my favorite moments of my career - it's got balls, great melodies, awesome guitar riffing and a low end that'll set your ass on fire! The album far exceeds our wildest expectations and we can't wait to take this music out on the road and share it with all of our friends and fans. Buckle your seat belts, we're all in for one hell of a ride!" more on this story




Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony To Answer Fans In Radio Special
(hennemusic) Sammy Hagar has announced that he is recording a radio special this Monday to launch his new album, "Sammy Hagar And Friends", and he and his Van Halen and Chickenfoot bandmate Michael Anthony have invited fans to submit questions for the program.

The Red Rocker's website provided these details about how fans can submit questions "Fans can emailing questions NOW to sammyandmikeyquestions@gmail.com and, if yours is chosen, the producers will notify you via email. Please include your phone number, preferably a landline, so Sammy can call and put you on the air, sometime between 4 and 7 p.m. ET on Monday September 9. The show will start airing the weekend of September 21st."

Due September 24, "Sammy Hagar And Friends" marks the Red Rocker's first solo release in five years and sees him team up with a variety of artists, including Kid Rock, Nancy Wilson (Heart), Ronnie Dunn (Brooks & Dunn), Neal Schon (Journey, HSAS), Chickenfoot pals Chad Smith, Michael Anthony and Joe Satriani; Montrose bandmates Bill Church and Denny Carmassi, his solo band The Wabos and more. more on this story





Billy Rankin Turns Down Nazareth Reunion Offer
(Classic Rock) Former Nazareth guitarist and TeamRock Radio host Billy Rankin was this week offered the job of replacing Dan McCafferty in the band – but refused despite a trial rehearsal that he says went "great."

McCafferty exclusively told Classic Rock last week that he'd retired from the veteran Scottish rock outfit after his lung disease left him unable to deliver a full-length live set.

His decision came after Naz were forced to cancel a Canadian tour after he collapsed on stage in July, then collapsed again during a run of bill-topping festival appearances in Europe in August.

Bassist Pete Agnew – now the sole original member – called with the offer after fan speculation ran wild online. Rankin tells Classic Rock: "My name was mentioned a lot and I laughed like a train. Right up until the phone rang.

"Pete said, 'We'd like you to replace Dan.' I said, 'No one can replace Dan. Why me?' He told me, 'Well, you can sing, and we've got history.' I had to give him that one.

"We arranged a rehearsal and blasted through some old hits – and we all had to agree it sounded f**king great. But there was one thing missing: Dan." Find out what happened next.




Seether Releasing New Songs and Rarities In New Collection
Seether will be releasing a new 2-disc, 27-track compilation on October 29th that will feature some of the band's biggest hits as well as three new song and rare b-sides.

The new release is entitled "Seether 2002-2013" and the first single will be released to radio next week. The track, "Seether," is a cover of the Veruca Salt song that inspired the band's name.

Ed Vetri, the head of Wind-up Records, had this to say about the band and new collection, "13 years ago when a demo of 'Needles' came roaring through our speakers and tearing down our hallways, we knew greatness was at our fingertips.

"Shaun's powerful and emotional songwriting has continued to generate that raw passion and has developed into the unmistakable sound of 'Seether.' After an amazing young career featuring 11 number one songs, millions of albums sold, Seether is just hitting their stride and this Greatest Hits package only represents their work so far.

"We had the greatness 13 years ago, now we have the hits…In typical Seether fashion, they chose to cover the song where their name was born from, seems perfect for this occasion." more on this story



Megadeth Unplugged Special Airing This Weekend
Megadeth's recent acoustic performance, interview and takeover of SiriusXM Liquid Metal in New York City will be broadcast this weekend on the satellite radio station.

During the special appearance Megadeth played their tracks "Symphony Of Destruction", "She-Wolf", "Kingmaker", "Foreclosure Of A Dream" and "Countdown To Extinction".

The show also announced that during the special Megadeth's Dave Mustaine, David Ellefson, Chris Broderick & Shawn Drover pick some of their favorite tracks from Meshuggah, Judas Priest, Death, Annihilator, Suffocation, Alice In Chains, Accept, Def Leppard and more.

The special will be broadcast:
Friday, September 6th at 3pm ET / Noon PT
Saturday, September 7th at Noon ET / 9am PT
Sunday, September 8th at 6pm ET / 3pm PT





Jack White Named Honorary Dean of Music Academy
(Gibson) Jack White has been named an honorary dean of the Fermatta Music Academy in Mexico City. The former White Stripes and Raconteurs frontman appeared last month at the academy to accept the honor, which was presented to him by singer-songwriter Elan.

As reported by Rolling Stone, White spoke to those in attendance about his family and about music. "The sense of being a musician is making art, and I do not care whether it is solo or as part of a collective project," he said. "At all times, I seek to express myself, and different circumstances of my life could also become multiple creative and stylistic channels." White was also given a Lifetime Achievement Award at the ceremony.

Meanwhile, country singer Loretta Lynn has indicated she would like to collaborate with White on a follow-up to her 2004 album, Van Lear Rose, for which White served as producer, backup singer and multi-instrumentalist. "I think I'm going to go after Jack White and give him another call to do another album," Lynn told Billboard. more on this story






Joe Bonamassa Releasing Tour De Force Live Sets
(Classic Rock) Joe Bonamassa will release a set of live DVDs in October which were recorded during his historic four-night London stand earlier this year, he's confirmed.

The Tour De Force – Live In London collection marks the series of performances where he charted his career so far by performing in four venues in the English capital which mean the most to him. And the point of the exercise was to deliver sets of songs he'd never played live before.

Manager Roy Weisman explains how the idea was former with producer Kevin Shirley: "Kevin and I were talking during the acoustic tour this past summer. We realised we'd booked these four great shows. We said, 'Why don't we can the idea of doing a studio record now, and give Joe more time?

"'Let's use it as an opportunity for him to go back on his entire career and do a lot of songs he'd recorded but never played live.' We thought his fans would love that."

Bonamassa started in the 200-capacity Borderline with a three-piece jam band then moved to the Shepherd's Bush Empire for a big blues band show. Next came an acoustic set followed by a rock set at the Hammersmith Apollo, before a greatest-hits night at the Royal Albert Hall.

Each night will be available as double DVD and Blu-ray sets, and there's a Collector's Set featuring all four shows plus a hardback book, delivered in a box that looks like a Marshall amp.

View the trailer and download a free MP3 of I Know Where I Belong here.




Dir En Grey Announce First North American Tour in Two Years
Dir En Grey have ended their medically caused hiatus and announced their plans to hit the road this fall for their first North American tour in almost two years.

The tour will be launching on November 3rd in Dallas, TX at Trees and will include 14 stops in all before concluding on November 24th in Los Angeles at the House of Blues

Dir En Grey frontman Kyo was ordered by doctors to take a break due to damage to his voice. This forced the band to go on hiatus, but they have now returned.

Kyo had this to say, "It's been awhile since our last North American Tour, so we intend to focus and play with the same vigor that we do in Japan." more on this story




Perry Farrell Exciting About Upcoming Projects Including Porno for Pyros
(Radio.com) Jane's Addiction is in the midst of another string of dates promoting their latest album, 2011′s The Great Escape Artist: they are currently co-headlining the Uproar Festival with fellow '90s survivors Alice In Chains (read our review of the festival here). But frontman/ringmaster Perry Farrell shows no signs of taking a break when the tour ends.

In a recent conversation with Radio.com about the 25th anniversary of Jane's Addiction's landmark album Nothing's Shocking, he discussed how that album broke down barriers between genres: metalheads, punks and goths met in the mosh pit at those early shows, not a common occurrence in the late '80s/early '90s.

And he mentioned, "I'm about to do it again! I have some projects coming up in 2014, I feel excited about them… I have some goodies in my bag that when people experience them, they're going to have that same feeling where they're just saying 'Wow. This is awesome, I'm gonna tell my friends.' There's gonna be a new scene created in 2014."

One of those projects is a reunion with his post-Jane's band, Porno For Pyros, which also featured Jane's drummer Stephen Perkins, along with guitarist Peter DiStefano. "I have some new songs coming out with Porno For Pyros, and we may end up doing some spot dates," he revealed. He said that Mike Watt played bass on the tracks (Watt took over for original bass player Martyn LeNoble during the recording of the band's second and final album, 1996′s Good God's Urge). "He's a busy man," he says of Watt, who also plays bass for the Stooges, "but he loves working."

Farrell has long been a fan of electronic music and has DJ-ed as DJ Peretz, long before the current EDM craze. And he has a new dance music album on the way as well: "I'm not positive exactly when [it will come out]. I have a dance record coming that's part of an immersive play, it's very complicated and exciting. It's with [wife] Etty and some incredible house producers."

Finally, he has been writing rock songs, which he hopes to record with his most well-known band. "I have written an EP for a rock band, hopefully it will be with Jane's Addiction, and that will happen when we get off the road. If it is with Jane's Addiction. If not, it will be with some amazing musicians. Or I may ask everybody to collaborate on a four or five song EP." more on this story





Hugh Laurie Finds His True Self Playing Music
(Radio.com) Hugh Laurie isn't a doctor; he just played one on TV. For eight years, Laurie was better known as everyone's favorite pill-popping curmudgeon Dr. Gregory House. Now he's playing the role of bandleader, touring the country behind his new album, Didn't It Rain. It's a role he's much more comfortable with, and not just because there's a lot less medical jargon to memorize.

Laurie told Radio.com that he's always felt like his truest self when he's onstage playing music. "I think of acting, it's all about putting on masks of some kind and music is all about removing them really," he explained. "When you're singing a song, you're telling a story that requires playing a character, but even so, there's something about music that is very exposing. In a good way."

Laurie's latest album focuses on the music of New Orleans, from covers of standard blues songs like "Why Don't You Do Right?" by Kansas Joe McCoy to more contemporary tracks like "One for My Baby," which was popularized by Frank Sinatra in the '40s.

The record is a love letter to the music Laurie grew up listening to as a child in England. "There's kinds of English music that I could have got into," he said. "But they just didn't touch me the way Muddy Waters touched me or the way Lead Belly touched me. It was just a direct experience. It was just like a thunderbolt."

Though he can't remember the song he first heard that got him hooked, he remembers the feeling of hearing that first blues note. "It just changed everything for me," he said. "I saved up and went out and bought my first record, which was a Muddy Waters record. Not really knowing anything about Muddy Waters, but you have to start somewhere."

Blues and jazz music, Laurie said, is once of the best things America has given to the world. "It is the biggest, possibly, equaled only by the martini, which is another splendid contribution to world culture," he joked.

With his second album—his first, Let Them Talk, came out in 2011—Laurie wanted to expand his sound from just classic blues to incorporate a little gospel, tango and jazz. Laurie also wanted to add more women into the mix. "In my mind, one could argue that all music originates with women," he said, sharing his theory that music really originated from a mother soothing a baby. Laurie also noted that the in the beginning, the biggest blues and jazz singers were women. "Then men turned up with guitars and started shredding." more on this story





Isolated Vocal Tracks from The Beatles' 'Abbey Road' Shine
(Radio.com) If you spent time listening to all the bonus tracks from the Beach Boys' Smile Sessions Box Set to hear the Wilson Bros. line up their harmonies take after take, you know they were absolute perfectionists.

From listening to The Beatles' isolated vocal tracks from Abbey Road, it's more their almost-perfectionism that give them such personality. Of course, Paul McCartney shines.

Jump ahead four decades into the future, and Macca is riding high on his new single, "New." The more things change, the more they stay the same.

McCartney's new solo album New will be out October 14. The Beatle worked with a grip of new producers for his 16th studio album including Mark Ronson, Adele hit-maker Paul Epworth, Ethan Johns (son of Glyn), and Giles Martin, son of "fifth Beatle" and producer George Martin. Check out the isolated vocals video.




Alice In Chains Release Two New Videos
(hennemusic) Alice In Chains have released new music videos for the title track to their latest album, "The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here", and the project's current single, "Voices."

Alice In Chains' fifth studio album, "The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here" was recorded in Los Angeles with producer Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Deftones).

Alice In Chains are currently in the middle of an extensive North American tour that runs to mid-September; the band then plays Rock In Rio on September 19 before launching a series of South American dates that run into early October.

Check out both of the new music videos here.




Alter Bridge Release Addicted To Pain Video
(hennemusic) Alter Bridge have released the new music video for the song "Addicted To Pain", which is the lead single from the band's forthcoming album, "Fortress."

Due October 8, "Fortress" was overseen by long-time Alter Bridge producer Michael "Elvis" Baskette (Falling In Reverse, Story Of The Year, Incubus).

Alter Bridge will play their only US show in 2013 in Orlando, FL on October 4th at the House of Blues, following which the band will then head to Europe where they will begin an extensive headlining world tour.

The video was shot by award-winning director Dan Catullo and you can watch it here.




Morse and Portnoy Supergroup Flying Colors Premiere New Video
(Classic Rock) Classic Rock have premiered The Storm, a video clip taken from supergroup Flying Colors' Live In Europe DVD. Deep Purple guitarist Steve Morse is joined by Mike Portnoy, Neal Morse, Casey McPherson and Dave LaRue in a show that was shot during their appearance in the Netherlands in September last year.

They performed their full self-titled album, along with classic tracks from their own current and previous bands including Dream Theater, Spock's Beard and Dixie Dregs.

Steve Morse says: "This is an uplifting tune from our last Flying Colors show. Everybody is having a great time because it is such a unique and talented group. Have a listen – I hope you enjoy hearing it as much as we did making it."

Flying Colors Live In Europe is released on October 14 via Music Theories Recordings. It will be available on DVD, Blu-Ray, 2CD, limited-edition triply vinyl and digital. The DVD and Blu-Ray editions include a 45-minute documentary and there's a bonus track on the 180g coloured vinyl version Check out the video here.




Saga Release On The Loose Performance From Upcoming DVD
(Prog) Prog Magazine have premiered a video clip featuring the performance of "On The Loose" from Saga's upcoming live DVD 'Spin It Again,' which will be released on DVD, Blu-ray and 2CD.

The show was recorded in Munich earlier this year, on the final night of the Canadian outfit's sold-out tour which marked the live return of vocalist Michael Sadler. He rejoined the band in 2011 just days before they started recording acclaimed album 20/20, released last year.

The result is a triumphant two-hour performance in the nation that's become Saga's second home. Sadler says: "After nearly five years apart this show celebrates us as we are, together again. It was a truly special night among friends." Check out the video here.




Satyricon Release 'Our World, It Rumbles Tonight' Lyric Video
Satyricon are giving fans a taste of what to expect from their forthcoming self-titled album with the release of a new lyric video for one of the album's tracks.

The lyric video is for the track "Our World, It Rumbles Tonight" from the new studio album, which is set to be released on September 17th in North America.

Frontman Sigurd "Satyr" Wongraven had this to say about the album, "We are back. Sorry it took so long, but we needed the time to be able pull off a record like this.

"Comparing this one to previous records is time wasted, it is Satyricon; constantly on the move. Naming this record Satyriconwas the most obvious thing in the world. We have never done a record which captures the spirit of this band in such a way. Ever.

"It will demand a lot from you as a listener, but I know you will love it. It will grow on you and that is why it will stay with you forever. We won't tour as much in the future as we used to, and that will just make every tour more special. This album is for you and ourselves. It is our moment!" Check out the lyric video here.




Metallica Release Leper Messiah Video From China Concert
(hennemusic) Metallica's recent Asian tour featured the band's first-ever shows in China, and now the band is sharing video from the August 13 date in Shanghai, the second of two concerts in the city.

The footage features the band in the Tuning Room, and a performance of "Leper Messiah" from the concert. The previous footage from the August 13th show featured bassist Robert Trujillo in the meet-and-greet, Tuning Room, and a performance of "Fade To Black" from the concert

Up next, Metallica will play the Rock In Rio festival on September 19. The Rio show comes a week before the launch of Metallica's 3D film, "Through The Never."