Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Queen To Make Big Announcement
As expected, Queen will be making a big announcement next week with Adam Lambert. Recently rumblings from the Queen camp suggest that the band will be embarking on a tour with the American Idol runner-up as lead vocalist.
Queen and Lambert have announced that they will be holding a special event at Madison Square Garden in New York City next Thursday, according to ABC News Radio, who assume that the event ties in with "some kind of concert event or series."

The event announcement follows Queen guitarist Brian May's comments to Radio 2 host Steve Wright earlier this month. "We've been talking to Adam Lambert, you know we've already done some gigs with Adam, who is amazing," he said.

"We are ongoing, we can't help it. I think we all protested too much in the sense when Freddie went and we didn't want to talk about it and didn't want to be Queen for a while."

"But after a while," he continued, "you realize that people wanna hear the songs and see us do things. So, no matter what you call it, Roger and I do do stuff, and I think we'll be doing some more stuff this summer in fact, probably in the States."

Queen's previous performances with Lambert include the legendary band joining the singer during the American Idol finale where Lambert was the runner-up to Kris Allen.




Unreleased Led Zeppelin Tapes Going Up For Sale
(hennemusic) Unreleased studio mixes from the recording sessions for Led Zeppelin's 1975 double-album, "Physical Graffiti", are going up for sale next month, and Amherst, New Hampshire-based RR Auction has posted an audio preview for interested buyers.

The auction house will sell the tapes - from the collection of audio engineer Ron Nevison - as part of its Marvels Of Modern Music auction, which runs March 13 - 20.

Led Zeppelin recorded the "Physical Graffiti" tracks in the Ronnie Lane Mobile Studio that Nevison designed in an Airstream trailer. "Nevison's Physical Graffiti tapes provide a window into the creative process behind one the greatest albums ever produced," says RR Auction VP Bobby Livingston. "An absolutely remarkable piece of modern music history."

Read more and listen to some samples here.




Slash Shoots Down Guns N' Roses Movie Idea
(hennemusic) Despite turning movie producer with the release of last year's "Nothing Left To Fear", guitar icon Slash says he doesn't want to see a biopic made about his former band, Guns N' Roses.

"I would not like to see a Guns N' Roses biopic," Slash tells the Belfast Telegraph. "It's really rare where you see actors portraying live musicians (well). I don't think rock and roll translates in the movies, I don't think they really get the gritty vibe of what it's like."

Slash played his last show with Guns N' Roses at River Plate Stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina on July 17, 1993 and officially left the band in 1996. more on this story




Slipknot To Begin Work On Different Kind Of Album
(TeamRock Radio) Slipknot will start studio sessions for their fifth album in the next few days, frontman Corey Taylor has confirmed. And he's revealed the main subject of the record will be the band's own history.

Last night they blacked out their official website and Facebook page, and published an empty black square on their Instagram account at the same time.

It marks the beginning of the end of a long wait for fans after Slipknot's career was thrown off course by the death of bassist Paul Gray in 2010. Last year they made the surprise announcement that they'd split with drummer Joey Jordison - a move that "shocked" the sticksman.

Now Taylor tells Kerrang the band have 17 demos to take into the studio with them, adding: "I've written lyrics for everything we have right now, and it's feeling pretty good.

"It feels like the story of the band so far, which is a totally different take on what I've been used to writing with Slipknot," he said. "But I think, because of everything we've been through, it's time to tell that story." more on this story




Ritchie Sambora Questions Bon Jovi's Legitimacy Without Him
(Classic Rock) Richie Sambora has suggested Bon Jovi aren't the real deal without him - although he accepts frontman Jon Bon Jovi doesn't agree. The guitarist says his departure from the band was his own decision. And he admits he's found it frustrating being seen a less important member than the singer.

tells the Herald Sun: "It was an unpopular decision with the fans and the band, but sometimes a man's got to do for his family. It certainly didn't come down to money - it's something I needed to do for my family and myself."

Sambora says of his absence: "At the end of the day, if you're going to buy a can of Coke you want the real thing. I know Mick Jagger wouldn't tour without Keith Richards and call it the Rolling Stones. Jon just has a different mentality." more on this story





Don Airey Streams New Song Featuring Gary Moore
(Classic Rock) Don Airey has released a stream of Mini Suite, a seven-minute, three-movement solo track which features some of the last recorded work by late guitarist Gary Moore.

It's taken from Airey's album Keyed Up, available now via Music Theories Recordings. The 12-track release includes further guest spots from vocalist Graham Bonnet, guitarist Simon McBride, bassist Alex Meadows and drummer Tim Goodyer.

His band features Primal Scream drummer Darrin Mooney, Jamiroqai guitarist Rob Harris, vocalist Carl Sentance and bassist Laurence Cottle - and every musician played their contributions live in Chapel Studios in Lincolnshire.

"The album was laid down live; no overdubs, no redoing - and we don't do filesharing," Airey says. "Being in a band like Deep Purple should be enough, but I need another outlet. There are wonderful musicians on this record. I call them 'the band that never was', as it's a true pleasure to work together, but opportunities are so limited." Listen to it here.





Deep Purple's Made In Japan Remastered For Massive Reissue
Deep Purple's landmark live album "Made In Japan" has been remastered and is set to be re-released in multiple formats on May 19th by Universal Music.

The reissue will be available in different versions including a Limited Edition Super Deluxe 4 CD+DVD+7" box set and Limited-Edition Super Deluxe 9LP box set.

It will also be offered in a Deluxe Edition 2CD version, a two disc 180g LP version, Blu-ray Pure Audio, HD Download, MFiT and in a standard digital format.

"Made In Japan" was recorded during Deep Purple's concerts at Festival Hall in Osaka and Budokan, Tokyo on August 15-17, 1972 and featured the classic lineup of the group: Ian Gillan (vocals), Ritchie Blackmore (guitar), Roger Glover (bass), Jon Lord (organ) and Ian Paice (drums).





Rob Zombie Announces U.S. Tour Dates
Rob Zombie revealed that he will be performing in a dozen U.S. cities this spring with the announcement of several music festival appearances and solo headline dates.

Zombie will kick things off at the Fort Rock festival in Fort Myers, FL on April 26th and will also perform at the Welcome to Rockville festival in Jacksonville, FL the next day and at the Carolina Rebellion festival in Charlotte on May 3rd.

His headline dates will begin on April 28th in Atlanta and includes stops in Myrtle Beach, Birmingham, Louisville, Richmond, Baltimore, Port Chester, Providence and will conclude on May 10th in Camden, NJ. more on this story




Down Announce New EP and North American Tour Dates
Metal supergroup Down has revealed that they will be continuing their EP series with the release of "Down IV - Part Two" on May 13, 2014 and have announced North American tour dates.

"We wanted to back up our word as far as releasing these EPs," says frontman Philip Anselmo. "Everybody was fixated on that. This is the shortest period of time between our releases, and every one stepped it up and upped his game."

Anselso says that Pepper Keenan, Jimmy Bower, Pat Bruders, and Kirk Windstein's replacement Bobby Landgraf "all contributed some excellent riffs. Having all of this fresh input makes for a different listen and a new perspective on what Down should and does sound like. All of that yields a unique record off the bat."

Anselmo had this to say about the band's latest addition Landgraf, "He was immediately at home. Bobby had always been that guy in case of anything. Knowing his personality, he really locked in with what we do and took it to heart. He made himself belong.

"Honestly, the first day he came down he contributed a very strong riff to a key song. There's that Southern element, which is imperative. I also catch a real old heavy metal vibe from this record. I can't stress this enough. He took it all on, and he did a f***ing awesome job."

Keenan adds, "Even with the lineup differences, it's interesting how the songs still sound very Down. Bobby and I have always locked in. It's not just physically either, but mentally as well. We see eye-to-eye, and he's been watching for a long time."

And Landgraf had this to say, "It was a big deal for me. I drove ten hours up from Texas that first day, cracked a beer, and plugged in. We jumped right into the room, and I played this part. They all smiled. That was the moment for me. I'm a longtime fan, and I knew we were friends, but being a part of the writing and working towards something together was just incredible. As a guitar player, one of my goals was to be in a group like this. I want to make everyone proud."

The band will be hitting the road to support the new EP. They have announced that they will be touring North American with headline dates and shows with Black Label Society and Devil You Know. more on this story




Bill Wyman Added To Albert Lee Birthday Show
(The Blues Bill Wyman has been confirmed as one of the special guests who'll perform at two shows celebrating Albert Lee's 70th birthday. The Rhythm Kings leader will join a host of big names.

The special guests include including Gary Brooker, Dave Edmunds, Andy Fairweather Low, Joe Brown, Chas and Dave, Gary US Bonds, Marty Wilde, Bruce Welch, Chris Farlowe, Brian Bennett, Shakin' Stevens, Ralph McTell, The Robert Wells Trio and others.

Lee - who regularly tours as a member of the Rhythm Kings - will mark his milestone at the Cadogan Hall in London on March 1 and 2, with a different lineup on each night.

The first show is hosted by Whispering Bob Harris and the second by Mike Read. Advance tickets have sold out but more will be made available just ahead of the events. more on this story




Video From Rolling Stones Japanese Tour Kick Off Goes Online
(hennemusic) The Rolling Stones brought their 14 On Fire Tour to Japan this week, where they played the first of three shows at the Tokyo Dome on Wednesday, and video from the event has surfaced.

Starting with their 1965 hit, "Get Off Of My Cloud", the Stones rocked the sold-out crowd with a twenty-song set that included the fan-voted track, "Bitch."

"Loved the opening show at the Tokyo Dome last night!," posted Mick Jagger. "There were some great costumes! Hope my Japanese is better next show!"

The Stones will play two more sold-out dates at the Tokyo Dome next Tuesday and Thursday before heading to Macau, Shanghai, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. Watch the video here.





Bigelf Giving Away New Song
(Classic Rock) Bigelf are giving away their track Alien Frequency free of charge, ahead of the release of highly anticipated fourth album Into The Maelstrom next week.

Mainman Damon Foxrecently described how he was close to giving, up until he made contact with drummer Mike Portnoy who wound up becoming part of the project. He told Classic Rock's sister title Prog:

"I had been keeping in close touch with Mike after his very public and difficult departure from Dream Theater. My musical future seemed quite bleak and I was very vocal to Mike about not being able to sustain the band any longer on my own.

"He implored me to carry on. His encouragement and enthusiasm meant the world to me. Recognising that I needed some new allies, I asked him if he would help fight the good fight - and he readily agreed."

Check out a behind the scenes video and grab the download link here.




Anthrax's Scott Ian Explains KISS Not Playing Rock Hall Induction
(hennemusic) Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian has come out in support of the decision by KISS members Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons to pull the plug on a live performance at the band's upcoming induction into the 2014 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

"Look, I've got Gene Simmons tattooed on my leg, so whatever Gene says is what goes," Ian tells WMMS Cleveland's Rover's Morning Glory show while promoting his spoken-word tour, "Speaking Words." "I'm a fan, just like everyone else, and would I wanna see, if I was going… I'm not going to the Hall Of Fame thing, so would I wanna see the four original dudes back in makeup one more time? Of course I would, as a fan. But bands don't do things dictated by what the audience wants. A band would last about a year if that's how you worked. You have to do things the way you wanna do them."

"KISS has been around for 40 years and are bigger now than they were in 1977 because Gene and Paul make smart business decisions - that's why," continued Ian. "So, as a fan, and if you love them, you have to abide by the decisions that Gene and Paul are making for their brand and their band. So, why people get so upset over these things, I really don't understand. Like, if they decided they were playing with [current KISS members] Tommy [Thayer] and Eric [Singer], so fine. That's what they're doing. This is their band. This has been the lineup for a long time now."

"I get it - those two guys [Tommy and Eric] aren't the guys who are getting into the Hall Of Fame [with Paul and Gene], it's Ace and Peter… you know, I get it," summed up the guitarist. "So I think they made the right decision now by saying, 'We're just not gonna play. You can't please everybody. We're just gonna shut it down and just not do it.' I get it. I understand." more on this story





Crowbar Confirm New Album For 25th Anniversary
(TeamRock Radio) Crowbar have confirmed the release of Symmetry In Black, their tenth album, marking the band's 25th anniversary. It's to be launched on May 26 via Century Media Records

: "We're so proud and excited about what we have accomplished with this record - the focus, determination and attitude in the band is at an all-time high," says Kirk Windstein. "We're 100% ready to get this juggernaut rolling and never touch the brakes again. Crowbar will not be stopped."

Windstein says of the band hitting the quarter-century mark: "It's an amazing feeling to be putting all my energy and focus into something I created 25 years ago." more on this story





Duane Allman Memoir Written By His Daughter Coming Next Week
(Gibson) On Monday (March 3), a new memoir about the life of late Allman Brother Band guitarist Duane Allman penned by Duane's daughter, Galadrielle, will hit stores.

In the memoir, called Please Be with Me: A Song for My Father Duane Allman, Galadrielle opens up about her life as the daughter of the prominent musician, who died in a motorcycle crash when she was only two years old. Galadrielle also shares personal stories and new details about her father that she has gathered from years of talking with family members, his band mates and close friends.

Please Be with Me: A Song for My Father Duane Allman will be available as both a hardcover book and as an ebook. Galadrielle previews the 400-page memoir in a video trailer posted on YouTube, stating, "Duane Allman's story is more than a tragedy, it's a true romance. He fell in love with his guitar and gave his heart away."

She added, "I dreaded pursuing his story as a reporter would, asking uncomfortable questions and following every lead. I couldn't imagine interviewing my family, but I knew that if I didn't, I would never be satisfied."

For Galadrielle, writing the book was a healing experience. "Learning about him changed my life completely," she said. "A missing piece that I thought could only be had by knowing him has been returned to me, assembled from all the gathered fragments word by word." more on this story





Eddie Vedder Joins Bruce Springsteen for AC/DC Classic
(hennemusic) Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder joined Bruce Springsteen in Brisbane, Australia Wednesday night for a cover of the AC/DC classic, "Highway To Hell", and video of the performance is available.

The Brisbane show marked the final date of Springsteen's Australian tour in support of his new album, "High Hopes", and the second time Vedder joined the rocker on the trek for the AC/DC track - they also played it in Melbourne on February 15.

Vedder wrapped up a solo tour of the country last weekend, following recent shows there with Pearl Jam. Springsteen now moves on to New Zealand for a pair of concert this weekend. Watch video of the jam here.





Asia Release Preview of New Album Gravitas
(hennemusic) Rock supergroup Asia are previewing their forthcoming new album, "Gravitas", with the release of a behind-the-scenes video package on the project.

Produced and written by John Wetton and Geoff Downes, "Gravitas" introduces the band's new guitarist, Sam Coulson, who replaced Steve Howe last year following his return to the Yes lineup.

Scheduled for release on March 5th (Japan), March 21st (Europe). and March 25th (North America), "Gravitas" will be available in two configurations: a standard CD and a Deluxe Edition, that will include two bonus tracks and a DVD containing the "Valkyrie" music video, a promotional film, and footage of classic live Asia tracks such as "Heat of the Moment," recorded with the Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra in Bulgaria. Check out the preview here.





Joe Bonamassa's Rock Candy Funk Party Release Live Album
(Gibson) Rock Candy Funk Party, Joe Bonamassa's funk band, have just released a three-disc live album, entitled "Rock Candy Funk Party Takes New York - Live at The Iridium."

The album was recorded at the Iridium in New York City, and contains a double CD with eight original songs as well as four covers, and a DVD or Blu-ray which contain a 30 minute documentary.

Aside from Bonamassa, Rock Candy Funk Party is made up of drummer Tal Bergman, who also play drums in Joe's solo band, bassist Mike Merritt, guitarist Ron DeJesus, Daniel Sadownick on percussion, and keyboardist Renato Neto.

The band released their debut studio album We Want Groove last year, and recently made their national television debut with an appearance on the Conan O'Brien show. more on this story







Red Dragon Cartel Release 'Shout It Out' Video
(Classic Rock) Former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Jake E Lee's new band Red Dragon Cartel have released a video for their track Shout It Out . It's taken from their self-titled debut album, which was released last month.

The band consists of vocalist DJ Smith, bassist Ronnie Mancuso and drummer Jonas Fairley, while the album features a string of big-name guests: Paul Di'Anno (ex Iron Maiden), Rex Brown (Kill Devil Hill, ex Pantera), Todd Kearns and Brent Fitz (Slash), Scott Reeder (ex-Kyuss), Maria Brink (In This Moment), Jeremy Spencer (Five Finger Death Punch), Tom Petersson (Cheap Trick) and Sass Jordan (SUN).

Red Dragon Cartel are on the gill for this year's Download festival on the weekend of June 13-15, and before that they play a string of UK shows. Grab the dates and watch the video here.




Nightwish's Tumoas Discusses 'Awkward' Scrooge McDuck Video
(Prog) Nightwish mainman Tuomas Holopainen has discussed the "awkward" promo video for his solo track A Lifetime Of Adventure in the exclusive Prog video.

The single is taken from his concept album Music Inspired By The Life And Times Of Scrooge, based on comic-book character Scrooge McDuck and featuring artwork by original illustrator Don Rosa.

Holopainen says in the clip: "It felt rather awkward that we should do a video for a project like this. The idea came from Nuclear Blast and I understand their reason - but we're talking about a really uncommercial project about a comic-book character. How do you make a music video of that? I was out of ideas."

Watch the interview and the official video for the track, featuring Rosa himself here.





TesseracT Release Live Video
(Prog) TesseracT have released a live video, shot as they perform Of Matter, the first movement from 2013 album Altered State. The 14-minute clip showcases the band in action in London's Sphere Studios before the premises closed.

They explain: "In 2010 we filmed a live recording of Concealing Fate at Sphere with Francesco Carmeli. We enjoyed it so much that we always wanted to do it again.

"Altered State gave us the perfect opportunity. Sphere was closing to move to LA so it was especially important to record Of Matter before Francesco moved.

"As with everything TesseracT, the video shows the slight evolution of each track as we take it from the studio onto the stage."

The three remaining movements - Of Mind, Of Reality and Of Energy - will be recorded at other locations in due course. Watch the video here.





Krokus Releasing Live Album
(Classic Rock) Krokus will release a live album, titled Long Stick Goes Boom, next month. The Swiss veterans recorded it on tour last year while they supported the release of 17th studio release Dirty Dynamite - one of their best-selling ever.

That album featured the return of guitarist Mandy Meyer, while the tour marked the debut of drummer Falvio Mezzodi, who replaced Freddy Steady.

Krokus say: "For those who couldn't make it to one of the shows last year, here's the next best thing. US and Canadian residents can look forward to a bundle pre-order that also includes a one-of-a-kind shirt and sticker." more on this story





Creed frontman Scott Stapp Announces One-Off Solo Show
(Classic Rock) Creed frontman Scott Stapp has announced a one-off London show in support of his latest solo album Proof Of Life, which was was released last November via Spinefarm Records in the UK.

Proof Of Life was produced by Howard Benson (Halestorm, Papa Roach) and mixed by Chris Lord-Alge (Volbeat, Rise Against). It features drummers Kenny Aronoff and Josh Freese, plus guitarists Phil X and Ken Pierce, among others.

To promote this release, the follow-up to 2005's The Great Divide, a platinum Top 20 US album, Stapp and his band will be coming to the UK for a show at the Electric Ballroom in London on April 23 - this is part of a short European run also featuring dates in Germany.

Says Stapp: "I'm really looking forward to reuniting with my friends and fans in the UK. Over the years, fans have come to me and told me how through my music they've gotten through the worst of times, and that's always really hit me hard. So now, I'm taking it back to the roots and sharing my entire musical journey from Creed through to my solo work." more on this story




Thorbjorn Risager & The Black Tornado Tease New Album
(The Blues Thorbjorn Risager & The Black Tornado have released a teaser for upcoming album Too Many Roads. The eight-man Scandinavian outfit release the 12-track work via Ruf Records on March 31.

"The songs work better than ever and the sound is the best we've had so far," says frontman Risager. "We always had producers on our earlier albums but this time we've taken the big leap of doing the production ourselves. We've put together very strong songs where blues, rock and soul melt together."

The band are currently touring Europe, with shows in Sweden, Denmark, Belgium and Norway on the schedule. Check out the album art, the teaser video and the tracklisting here.






The Chris Robinson Brotherhood Release New Song
(hennemusic) The Chris Robinson Brotherhood have released "Shore Power", the first single from the band's forthcoming third album, "Phosphorescent Harvest," and the track is streaming online.

Produced by Thom Monahan and due April 29, the project features 10 songs, including several the band has road-tested over the last few years; they've performed over 230 shows since forming in 2011.

Led by Black Crowes frontman Chris Robinson, the band features guitarist Neal Casal, keyboardist Adam MacDougall, drummer George Sluppick and bassist Mark Dutton.

"The best perspective I have on what's going on in my life - good and bad - is what comes out in the songs," says Robinson. "As you move on in time, you get older, you have relationships. Some of them are good, some fail. Friends. Drugs. Life. Death. People come, people go. Songwriting is a completely different emotional response to your life and to what it means, to in some poetic nature, put it out there." Listen to the song here.




Skaters Talk Music, Pizza and Influences
(Radio.com) The members of Skaters may hail from Boston, Los Angeles and London, but they have a lot of opinions about New York pizza. So many in fact that the guys (who all have matching pizza slice tattoos) recently decided to travel to four of the five boroughs to figure out which pizza joint is officially the city's best. After the pizza crawl was all said and done and many, many slices had been eaten in the name of the cause, the guys agreed (some members more begrudgingly than others) that the winner was Di Fara's in the Midwood section of Brooklyn for its fresh take on the classic slice.

"The guy who makes the pizza is 90 years old and the style is just unique," singer Michael Ian Cummings told Radio.com over the phone a few days later. "He grows his own basil, cuts it up and puts it on the pizza. He uses two different kinds of cheese. It's very oily, and I'm not into oily, but it's amazing. It's top notch. It's just so classic."

The same can be said of SKATERS, who are putting their own twist on New York City's rock and roll standard. Barring all the grease, of course. They were so loyal to the post punk Bowery sound that after releasing their first song "I Wanna Dance (But I Don't Know How)" in 2012, NME christened them the "version of the Strokes which we all wish the Strokes were." And this is coming from a publication that named the Strokes' 2001 debut, Is This It, No. 1 on their list of Best Albums of the Decade.

But six months ago, when SKATERS played Lollapalooza-a festival they played on the merits of that same one song-they jokingly dismissed the comparison. "I love the Strokes, but f*** the Strokes," Cummings said. "I mean, they're my best friends, but f*** 'em."

Of course, that expletive-filled comment could have been all the booze talking. During that sit-down in Chicago, the guys rather drunkenly claimed that they were developing a new game that would mix Candy Crush and chess and that their debut, Manhattan (out now) would draw comparisons to Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains and Hall & Oates. They actually predicted people would be calling their sound "Hall and Oates meets Alice in Chains." Which people are definitely not.

But it would be unfair to cite SKATERS as a cheap knockoff of Julian Casablancas and co. even if there are similarities: the I-don't-care attitude, drunken warbling, wearing sunglasses at night, to name just a few. Cummings claims most of these similarities though have more to do with living in New York City than having a particular sound. "Whatever you do has an immediate consequence in New York," Cummings said. "Everything that this band has done is super word of mouth and it kind of developed its own thing."


Read more at http://www.antimusic.com/dayinrock/#WXcoBUjLUf9fdrsz.99

Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


KISS Urged To End Rock Hall 'Nonsense' For Bill Aucoin
(hennemusic) The partner of original KISS manager, the late Bill Aucoin, has issued a statement regarding the new controversy over the band not performing at their induction into the 2014 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
The controversy sparked this weekend when Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons announced that no lineup of KISS would perform at the induction ceremony after Ace Frehley and Peter Criss told the public that they were told that they would not be allowed to perform.

Aucoin's former partner, Roman Fernandez had the following to say, "I'm going on record. I normally stand by the sidelines quietly watching the scrimmage in silence, but now, I feel I have to speak up.

"My late partner, Bill Aucoin, bothered enough in 1973 to wager his entire career as a successful television producer and bet all the money he had, as well as money he didn't have, on 4 kids from the streets of New York. He unfortunately can no longer speak for himself on the subject of KISS and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Bill Aucoin gave KISS their start, as well as some of the best years of his life. KISS would, in fact, despite all his other successes, come to define Bill in the eyes of millions of fans and in the eyes of the industry. An industry that to a great degree didn't give KISS the time of day when it mattered the most. No one did except for Bill, Sean Delaney and Neil (and Joyce) Bogart. All no longer with us except for Joyce. But, Bill and I spoke about this subject on several occasions before he passed. Bill Aucoin was not the type to reflect in regret, and he harbored no animosity. But he was convinced that due to politics within the board of the Hall of Fame, the day would never come that saw KISS inducted. I'm pretty certain he was OK with that.

"But had Bill been alive to see the day it was announced that the group would indeed, despite every notion to the contrary, be inducted, might have been a nice parting gift for him. But it's done. He's gone. It could have just as easily been Paul, Gene, Peter or Ace. But they're still here. And I'm pretty sure this is what Bill might have said in light of all this nonsense: '(….unintelligible noises) Look it, find a compromise, put everything aside for one night, be the larger than life rock stars you know you are, and then…. Onward and upward!'

"I don't believe Bill would begrudge any reasoning for the band members feeling however they may about one another. But, I also believe he would have recognized this as one singular night to put unresolved issues aside. Bill is no longer with us. If Paul, Gene, Peter or Ace were not here, this conversation would not even be possible. Life is too short to waste such a precious opportunity. If for no other reason, do it for Bill Aucoin. And for Sean. And for Neil. Love to all members of Kiss past and present. Onward and Upward guys." more on this story




Lemmy From Motorhead Inspired Matt Sorum's Fierce Joy
Former Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver drummer Matt Sorum is releasing a new solo album under the moniker of Matt Sorum's Fierce Joy and antiMusic's Morley Seaver spoke with Sorum about the project and learned that the name was inspired by Motorhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister.

During the interview Morley asked Sorum, "Tell us about the band title, Matt Sorum's Fierce Joy. Where does the happiness angle come from?" Matt responded, "I was the drummer for Motorhead a few years ago on a tour when Mikkey wasn't able to tour. It was so much fun to hang out with my good buddy Lemmy Kilmister.

"We were talking one night and he was just so appreciative about getting to play music for a living. One night he says to me (adopts British accent), 'I have such a fierce joy about playing. I mean, I could be digging ditches. But instead I'm able to do this.' (laughs)

"That phrase really struck me, so later when I was thinking of names, I called him up and said 'Remember when you said that "fierce joy" thing when we were on tour? I was thinking of using that for a name. Is that cool with you?' And he says, 'Yeah, you can use that.' So the name actually came from Lemmy.'" Read the full interview here!




AC/DC Classic Given Classical Makeover In Massive Viral Hit Video
2Cellos, Luka Sulic and Stjepan Huaser, have scored a massive viral hit with a YouTube video of their reinterpretation of the classic AC/DC song "Thunderstruck."

The duo posted the video to the streaming site last Tuesday and a week later the video had been viewed over 4,321,800 times (at press time on the morning Feb 25th).

On Monday, the duo posted the following thanks to fans, "OMG 3 MILLION!!! It's unreal, this video gets more than 1 million views per day... We don't know what to say but Thank You!!!"

The video not only shows the duo's unique take on the AC/DC song but also how they think a stunned 18th century audience would react to it. Find out what everyone is buzzing about here.





Bruce Springsteen Plans Special Record Store Day EP
(Radio.com) Bruce Springsteen's fans are still digesting the new songs from his recent release High Hopes, and more new music is on the way, but it may be tough to get for many fans. He has just announced, via his website, that he is releasing a four-song vinyl EP, American Beauty, for Record Store Day.

Oddly, the release of the EP, according to Springsteen's website, is April 26; however Record Store Day (according to its website) is April 19. It's unknown if the songs will be released in any other format: limited edition Record Store Day releases, particularly those with rare material, tend to sell out very quickly.

The four songs on the EP - the title track, "Mary Mary," "Hey Blue Eyes" and "Hurry Up Sundown" - were recorded during the High Hopes sessions according to the post on Springsteen's website. more on this story




Metallica Came Up With Grammy Idea Says Lang Lang
(hennemusic) Chinese concert pianist Lang Lang performed with Metallica at the 56th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles last month, and he discusses the experience of working with one of rock's biggest bands.

The Herald Tribune reports Lang says that the idea for the collaboration on the Metallica's hit, "One", at the Grammys came from the Metallica camp.
"Somehow the Metallica team had this great idea to work together," he said. "The Grammys are basically a stage for synthesizing music together. It's a perfect stage for musical friends to be united."

"They were such cool people and I had a wonderful time working with them," he said. "Now everywhere I go, particularly in America, everyone is talking about it. Even checking into a place, going through customs, people say, 'Wow, you played really great!'" more on this story





Alter Bridge Acoustic Session Goes Online
(hennemusic) Alter Bridge singer Myles Kennedy and guitarist Mark Tremonti unplugged for a three-song performance for music industry magazine Billboard, and video of the session is available.

The band appeared on the session as part of their promotion for their latest album, "Fortress", and an upcoming US tour to support it, which starts April 14 in Dallas, Texas.

For the Billboard session, Kennedy and Tremonti played acoustic versions of "Addicted To Pain" (the first single from "Fortress"), and "Rise Today" and "Watch Over You" - two tracks from their second album, "Blackbird." Watch the video here.




Suicide Silence Including Mitch Lucker Lyrics On New Album
(TeamRock Radio) Suicide Silence have revealed that their next studio album will include some of the last lyrics written by late frontman Mitch Lucker, who died in a motorcycle accident in 2012.

The band last year confirmed they'd continue with former All Shall Perish vocalist Eddie Hermida in his place. Hermida tells Soundwave TV: "Mitch left behind some lyrics and we incorporated it into a song.

"It's about him being bigger than life - it's about finding that true resilience in yourself to keep going," he said. "It really means the world to us, because obviously that's what we're doing. It came out very beautiful." more on this story





Fan Speaks Out After Being Jailed For Crowd Jumping at Concert
(TeamRock Radio) A Letlive fan who jumped from a balcony into other fans has been released after spending a week in jail for his actions and he insists he doesn't regret at thing.

Alex McCormick, 23, threw himself from a first-floor barrier into the crowd below at the Ogden Theatre in Denver, Colorado, during a show where his favourite band were opening for Bring Me The Horizon.

It's been reported he ran away after three people had to be taken to hospital, but was later caught and arrested. But McCormick is unrepentant. He says: "Not that being in jail is cool or anything but it's definitely hilarious to see how people twist things.

"I can't believe I spent a week in jail for this bogusness, considering the the 'victims' were released from hospital with no injuries." More.






Motley Crue's Tommy Lee Engaged To Be Married Again
(hennemusic) Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee has announced his engagement to longtime girlfriend, Sofia "Sofi" Toufa, a German singer and dancer now based in Los Angeles, who is also known by her stage name SOFI (acronym for SomeOtherFemaleInterest).

"There comes a time in a mans life when you just know your partner is for LIFE!!" tweeted Lee. "Say hello to my fiancé and soon to be wife @SOFIofficial."

This will be the fourth marriage for the Motley Crue drummer; he previously wed model Elaine Starchuk and actresses Heather Locklear and Pamela Anderson. more on this story





Soundgarden's Superunknown Getting Two Reissues For 20th Anniversary
(Radio.com) Soundgarden's Superunknown, which is getting not one, but two 20th anniversary releases this summer. The album's deluxe edition, out June 3, will feature the remastered album along with a second disc of demos, rehearsals and B-sides.

The "super deluxe edition" will span 5 CDs and will contain the remastered album, additional demos, rehearsals and B-sides. The fifth disc is for hard-core audio files, it's the album mixed in Blu-ray Audio 5.1 Surround Sound. And if you're still loyal to vinyl, there's also going to be a 2-LP gatefold of the original 16 vinyl tracks remastered on 200-gram vinyl.

The band also made a never before heard rehearsal recording of their song "The Day I Tried To Live," which will be on the demos and b-sides disc of both editions. Listen here.

Superunknown took the band, which had graduated from the underground Seattle scene to mainstream radio. The album surprised some by debuting at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and catapulted them to headlining status. Still, they were unusual compared to any mainstream band: the lead single, "Spoonman," literally featured a guy who played spoons as a musical instrument. Artis The Spoonman, as he was called, opened several dates on Soundgarden's tour and joined them on stage, spoons in hand, for his big moment each night.

Thanks to his performance on the 1991 Temple Of The Dog supergroup, and his solo performance of "Seasons" on the 1992 Singles soundtrack, the world knew that Chris Cornell could sing, but by '94, Soundgarden were ready for a bit of crooning. And it paid off: "Black Hole Sun," "Fell On Black Days" and "The Day I Tried To Live" got major exposure not just on alternative radio, but on MTV, without alienating (too many of) their older fans.

Speaking of spinning the black circle, there's going to be a Record Store Day exclusive limited edition vinyl box set with five 10″ EPs containing the Superunknown singles and associated b-sides with newly interpreted artwork sleeves by Josh Graham. Record Store Day is April 19.

Check out the full tracklisting and the song stream here.




Scorpions To Perform At Formula One Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix
(hennemusic) The Scorpions will perform at the 2014 Formula One Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix on April. 5. Currently promoting the recent release of "MTV Unplugged - Scorpions Live In Athens", the German rockers concert is one of several events that will mark Bahrain International Circuit's (BIC) 10th anniversary.

"It is an absolute delight to have rock legends like the Scorpions coming to Bahrain and be a part of our 10th anniversary Grand Prix celebrations," said BIC Chief Executive Shaikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa.

"We are truly privileged to have them performing live at BIC on such a momentous occasion, and are confident that both sporting and music fans alike will be treated to yet another unforgettable entertainment spectacle during the race weekend." more on this story





Slash Plays Tribute For Bob Dylan
(hennemusic) Slash has teamed up with Aaron Freeman (aka Gene Ween) on a cover of Bob Dylan's "Wiggle Wiggle" as part of a new tribute album to the legendary singer.

The former Guns N' Roses guitarist played acoustic guitar on the original version of the song, which appeared on Dylan's 1990 release, "Under The Red Sky."

Due March 25, "Bob Dylan In The 80s: Volume One" features covers by Built To Spill, Glen Hansard, Reggie Watts, Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Lucius, Langhorne Slim, Craig Finn Of The Hold Steady, Deer Tick, Dawn Landes, Blitzen Trapper, Elvis Perkins and more.

Listen to the Slash cover here.






Megadeth's Dave Mustaine Symphony Performance Poster Released
(hennemusic) Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine will be a featured soloist with the San Diego Symphony in April, and a poster for his upcoming appearance has been unveiled.

Mustaine will participate in a program that will include Wagner's "Ride Of The Valkyries" from "Die Walküre", Vivaldi's "Winter" from "The Four Seasons" and Dvorak's "Symphony No. 9" (the "New World" symphony).

The classical special concert, billed as "Symphony Interrupted", will take place at Copley Symphony Hall in San Diego, California on Saturday, April 12, 2014 at 8:00 p.m. See the poster here.





Von Hertzen Brothers Plan Dates With The Wildhearts
(Prog) Von Hertzen Brothers have announced that they will return to the UK in April to support the Wildhearts on an eight-date UK tour. They've received the nod from the Wildhearts mainman Ginger.

Ginger had this to say, "They're one of the best bands in the world, and I'm a huge fan. They're going to make a lot of friends on this tour - I can guarantee that."

The Finnish outfit's frontman Mikko Von Hertzen adds: "After seeing the kind of response Ginger's music has on people at his recent birthday bash in London, even the thought of playing for a crowd of such rock lovers is making my heart race. I have no doubt the tour will be sweet and sweaty, smelly and smiley - and, of course, loud as hell!" more on this story





Rob Zombie Reveals Zombie Horror Picture Show Artwork
(hennemusic) Rob Zombie has unveiled the cover to his forthcoming live DVD, "The Zombie Horror Picture Show" as Zombie plays Australia's traveling Soundwave festival and will launch a spring US tour April 26 in Fort Myers, Florida.

Due in May, the project captures Zombie in concert last summer in Houston (Aug 3) and Dallas (Aug 4) during the final two shows of the 2013 Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival.

Zombie was headlining the festival while on the road to promote his latest album, "Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor." Check out the cover art for the new DVD here.





INXS Make Chart History Down Under
(hennemusic) INXS made Australian chart history this week after they became the first homegrown music act to secure the top two spots on the Australian album charts.

Billboard reports INXS' "The Very Best" continued to hold the top spot on ARIA chart for a second successive week and the group's blockbuster 1987 album "Kick" went to the No. 2, according to Billboard.

Six INXS titles have entered the ARIA top 40 albums chart following the airing of the final episode of the two-part mini-series "INXS: Never Tear Us Apart". more on this story






Rolling Stones Receive Warm Welcome In Japan
(hennemusic) The Rolling Stones are sharing video of their arrival in Tokyo, Japan on Sunday as they prepare to play three sold-out concerts at the Tokyo Dome as part of their 14 On Fire Tour.

"Thank you to everyone who welcomed us at the airport in Tokyo on Sunday!" posted the group. The Stones will perform their first show this Wednesday, before returning to the stage for two dates next week.

The band launched their 14 On Fire tour in Abu Dhabi on Friday - check out video of opening night here. Following the Tokyo shows, the Stones will play dates in Macau, Shanghai, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. Watch the video from Japan here.





Black Label Society Streaming New Song 'My Dying Time'
(TeamRock Radio) Black Label Society have released a stream of brand-new track My Dying Time. It's taken from Zakk Wylde and co's album Catacombs Of The Black Vatican.

Catacombs Of The Black Vatican follows 2009's The Order Of The Black and is set for launch on April 7th in Europe and the UK and April 8th in North America.

BLS recently went through a lineup change after 'Evil Twin' Nick Catanese decided to move on. He's been replaced by former Lizzy Borden guitarist Dario Lorina. Listen to the stream here.





Taking Back Sunday Go Behind The Scenes of Flicker, Fade
(TeamRock Radio) Taking Back Sunday have released a new behind-the-scenes video stream that was shot during the making of their promotional video clip for Flicker, Fade.

The track comes from upcoming sixth album Happiness Is, which is set to be released on March 17th in Europe and the UK and will hit North American stores on March 18th.

Vocalist Adam Lazzara recently said of the record: "I tried to be a little more loose; I was more focused on being myself than trying to sound perfect or anything. We played around a lot with arranging the harmonies and playing with layers, and I think that makes these songs a lot more rich." Watch the video here.






Asia Release 'Valkyrie' Video
(hennemusic) UK supergroup Asia have released the video for "Valkyrie", the lead single from the band's forthcoming album, "Gravitas," which will be release on March 5th (Japan), March 21st (Europe). and March 25th (North America)

Produced and written by John Wetton and Geoff Downes, "Gravitas" introduces Asia's new guitarist, Sam Coulson, who replaced Steve Howe last year following his return to the Yes lineup.

The album will be released in two configurations: a standard CD and a Deluxe Edition, that will include two bonus tracks and a DVD containing the "Valkyrie" music video, a promotional film, and footage of classic live Asia tracks such as "Heat of the Moment," recorded with the Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra in Bulgaria.

"Pure, unadulterated and stereotypical Asia, with raw energy, enthusiasm and free from impurities," says Wetton. "It conveys the spectrum of emotion and colour from real life agonies to ecstatic fantasy of escapism. Great songs, fabulous performance. Gravitas is Asia by Asia. At last." Watch the video here.





James Armstrong's Guitar Angels Inspired By His Friends
(The Blues James Armstrong has named his fifth album Guitar Angels after the friends who helped him maintain his career following his serious arm injury in 1996.

He was the victim of a vicious assault when his home was broken into, and the permanent damage means he still only has limited movement on one hand. But thanks to the support of other musicians he's been able to keep making music - and his latest record was launched last week via Catfood Records.

Armstrong says: "Since my injury many guitar players, alive and dead, have helped me. I still am unable to bend the third finger on my left hand, or use my little finger, but I attribute some of the reason I'm actually able to play the guitar again to my 'guitar angels' - my father, James Armstrong Sr, Mike Ross, Coco Montoya and Joe Louis Walker." more on this story





Teeth Of The Sea Plan Limited Edition Release
(Prog) Teeth Of The Sea will release their version of the soundtrack to 2013 movie A Field In England as a limited-edition LP for this year's Record Store Day.

They recorded the 30-minute work after being commissioned to deliver a live multimedia show for Cork Film Festival in 2013, on which they worked with visual collaborator Benjamin Barfoot. The response was so positive they performed again at the Hackney Picture House in London last month.

Set in a hallucinogenic haze during the English Civil War, Ben Wheatley's A Field In England received acclaim when it was released in cinemas, online and on Film4 on July 5 last year. more on this story





The Graveltones Tour Announce Dates
(The Blues Garage blues rockers The Graveltones kick off a European tour with three UK shows this week, ahead of two major festival appearances. Duo Jimmy O and Mikey Sorbello will play Birmingham, Chester and London with The Cadillac Three and Buffalo Summer in support of debut album Don't Wait Down.

In addition to the tour dates they'll play the inaugural HRH Blues festival in Pwllheli, Wales in March and the Download festival at Donington Park, England in June. Between those appearance the London-based Australians also tour across Europe.

The Graveltones have just filmed a video for their track Forget About The Trouble, due out soon. Meanwhile, their previous video Dying On Your Feet can be see here.




Kenny 'Blues Boss' Wayne Releasing New Album
(The Blues Kenny 'Blues Boss' Wayne will release eighth album Rollin' With The Blues Boss on April 22 via Stony Plain Records. And the award-winning Canada-based pianist says his new work - created with the help of several guest artists - ticks a number of boxes.

Wayne comments: "This is a great dancing record, along with some commercial possibilites. It features Eric Bibb and Diunna Greenleaf, along with some of the most talented musicians in Canada."

His last record, 2011's An Old Rock On A Roll, won him two Living Blues Awards and a Blues Foundation award nomination. He's previously won a Juno award and been nominated for two more. more on this story





Dynazty Release Starlight Video
(Classic Rock) Dynazty have revealed their brand new video for the single Starlight, the first track to be taken from their fourth studio outing Renatus due for release on March 31 via Spinefarm Records.

"From the get-go, Starlight felt like a quintessential heavy metal single. The idea was to create a heavy and fast-paced melodic bomb!" exclaims Love Magnusson, guitarist with the Swedish rockers.

On the live front, Dynazty are confirmed to make only their second ever visit to the UK in March, when they appear at the Hard Rock Hell AOR event in North Wales - a three-day festival topped off by such melodic rock legends as Tyketto and House Of Lords. Watch the video here.




The Fruitful Earth Premiere New Song Firebird
(Classic Rock) The Fruitful Earth have premiered their new song "Firebird" which comes from their upcoming second album Rising Sun where they aim to channel 60s and 70s classic rock influences.

The London band are powered by singer-songwriter Sarah Blair's voice and piano as she connects middle-era Beatles with glam-era Bowie plus others including Little Feat, Elton John and the Beach Boys.

The band's live line-up includes David Gordon (who has collaborated with Julian Lennon and Canned Heat) on bass and Daniel Mayers on drums. The band have five London dates planned, and aim to arrange a UK tour in the coming months. Rising Sun is released on April 28 via Big Peach Records.


Read more at http://www.antimusic.com/dayinrock/#jRPmPelXmQfkIKX4.99

Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


KISS Cancel Rock Hall Performance After Ace and Peter Uproar
KISS stars Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons have pulled the plug on performing at the band's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction after original members Peter Criss and Ace Frehley broke the news that the were not going to be allowed to perform at the event.
Criss told fans this weekend, "It's disappointing to have to say to you, the fans, that as of today, Ace and I have been denied a performance with Gene and Paul for our Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. Tickets go on sale on Monday, February 24th and I wanted to make sure that fans understood that no original performance, in or out of makeup, has been offered to us before they purchased their tickets. This is disgraceful and I feel bad for the fans who were looking forward to the four of us being inducted together."

Frehley broke the news during a radio interview on Friday night. hennemusic reports that Frehley said, "I don't think KISS fans are gonna be too excited and happy about the news, 'cause at this juncture, Paul [Stanley] and Gene [Simmons] have decided to perform with [current KISS members] Tommy [Thayer] and Eric [Singer], and it looks like the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame is going along with it."

Frehley told listeners that Stanley and Simmons "shot down doing any type of reunion with [original KISS drummer Peter Criss and me] - with makeup, without makeup."

"I'm not gonna get on the stage with Tommy wearing my makeup. That's absurd", stated the guitarist. "It's a shame. I know what the fans wanted. I know it's what the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame wanted. [But] it's not gonna happen."

Then on Sunday, Stanley and Simmons told fans that there would be no performance at the event. They wrote, "Out of respect, Ace and Peter's recent statements demand a quick response to you, our fans. Our intention was to celebrate the entire history of KISS and give credit to all members including present long time members Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer, and additionally Bruce Kulick and Eric Carr all who have made this band what it is, regardless of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame's point of view. [Vinnie Vincent and the late Mark St. John were also members of KISS.]

"Although KISS has moved forward far longer without them, Ace and Peter are at the very foundation of what we have built and this would all be impossible had they not been a part of it in the beginning.

"It is over 13 years since the original lineup has played together in make-up and we believe the memory of those times would not be enhanced. Contrary to claims made through the media we have never refused to play with Ace and Peter.

"We have spent 40 years dedicated to building KISS without quitting or wavering as the band has moved forward with huge tours and platinum albums through different important lineups for forty years, to this day.

"KISS has always been a band unlike any other. That is why we started KISS. That is why we continue KISS. Being unlike other bands also means making choices and decisions unlike other bands.

"This is understandably an emotional situation where there is no way to please everyone. To bring this to a quick end, we have decided not to play in any line-up and we will focus our attention on celebrating our induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

"We are excited and are looking forward to seeing you all on the KISS 40th Anniversary worldwide tour."




Death on Gregg Allman Biopic Set
Gregg Allman has released a statement after a crew member was killed and seven other people were injured on the set of the filming of his forthcoming biopic 'Midnight Rider'.

27-year-old second camera assistant Sarah Elizabeth Jones was killed Thursday afternoon in Savannah, Georgia after she was hit by a freight train during the filing of a dream sequence on a railroad bridge. More details about the accident here.

"I am so terribly saddened by the news of the tragedy that took the young life of Sarah Elizabeth Jones on the film set," said Gregg Allman. "My thoughts and prayers go out to her family, friends and colleagues during this time of mourning."




Alter Bridge Singer Reveals Details Of His Led Zeppelin Audition
(hennemusic) Alter Bridge and Slash singer Myles Kennedy shared the inside story of his 2008 audition with Led Zeppelin on a recent edition of VH1 Classic's "That Metal Show", and video of the episode is available to stream online.

Kennedy was one of the frontmen to rehearse with Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham in the months following their 2007 reunion at London's 02 Arena (since released as "Celebration Day"), after Robert Plant passed on continuing under the Zeppelin banner to focus on his solo career.

"Believe me… those rehearsals I will remember to my dying day," said Kennedy. "When we're talking about this it seems completely ridiculous - there's no way - but it did happen. We played 'The Rain Song,' which is probably my favorite Led Zeppelin song, 'No Quarter,' 'Kashmir,' it was a lot of fun."

"But it wasn't going to be 'Led Zeppelin,'" he continued. "I don't know if they knew what it was going to be. They just wanted to play, they wanted to jam, they wanted to put a project of some sort together. They weren't sure what it was, but it was never going to be Led Zeppelin with a new singer, I mean, obviously." Watch the video here.




Newsted Cancel Tour Dates Including Soundwave Festival
Former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted announced that his band Newsted have been forced to cancel their upcoming tour dates including their appearance at this year's Soundwave Festival in Australia.

Jason Newsted broke the news on Facebook this weekend. The message appears to have since been deleted but Loadwirereports that Newsted posted the following message, "NEWSTED METALHEADS-

"Due to private and personal circumstances, we sincerely regret to inform you that The NEWSTED Band is unable to perform in February & March as scheduled…Our deepest apologies for any inconvenience to you. We are all gutted by this turn of events.

"Our hope is that we will have another opportunity to share our Heavy Music with you all again sometime in the near future. I'm sorry, Sisters & Brothers, We were really looking forward to these shows too… L I S T E N T O M E T A L J" more on this story




Nazareth Reveal New Singer
(Classic Rock) Nazareth have named fellow Scot Linton Osborne as the replacement for lead singer Dan McCafferty, who was forced to retire last year due to ill health.

The veteran outfit are gearing up to hit the road once again, while their final album with McCafferty is due for release later this year. Naz say in a statement: "Born in Edinburgh and raised near Dunfermline, 41-year-old Linton has been singing and performing professionally for as long as he can remember.

"After extensive auditions, the band was knocked out by Linton's voice, presence and style. And he's a thoroughly good guy! His enthusiasm and energy has been a shot in the arm for the band - a real boost after the sense of loss and sadness at the sudden retirement of our dear friend and brother Dan." more on this story




Metallica Have 1200 Riffs For New Album
(Gibson) Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett says that the band "have to" start work on their next album soon. Metallica's last album was Death Magnetic in 2008. Their collaboration with the late Lou Reed, Lulu, was released in 2011. Metallica have toured since (and continue to tour) but Hammett says they need to record new material soon.

Speaking to Kerrang! magazine, Hammett says, "We cannot think of any other reasons to procrastinate. We're kind of backed up into the corner now, so yes, we have to start working on the album. And I'm excited. James [Hetfield] has, like, 800 riffs. I only have 400, but there's not going to be any shortage of ideas. It's going to be interesting to see how it turns out."

There are no songs as such yet, though. Hammett says, "We have little bits and pieces of music earmarked to become songs, and really that's all I can say about it. We're pretty psyched about it. We're only procrastinating because we love being at home with our families, but we really do love writing songs together and making an album."

Is 2015 likely? When asked, Hammett said: "I'm up for it, man." more on this story







Jimi Hendrix To Be Featured On U.S. Stamp
(hennemusic) Late guitar legend Jimi Hendrix is set to be featured on a forthcoming U.S. postage stamp as part of the United States Postal Service's U.S. Music Icons series.

The design of the Hendrix stamp will be revealed during its launch at the South By SouthWest music festival in Austin, Texas; the event will take place on the SXSW outdoor stage in Butler Park on March 13 at 11 a.m.

The image used on the stamp is a painting of Hendrix by Rudy Gutierrez, who created the artwork for the 2002 album, "Shaman", by Santana; the Hendrix stamp is his first project for the Postal Service. more on this story




Van Halen's David Lee Roth Performs With Beach Boy
(hennemusic) Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth joined Beach Boys singer Mike Love to perform the band's classic, "California Girls", at The Society Of Singers' 21st ELLA Awards on Thursday in Beverly Hills, and video from the appearance has surfaced.

The 21st ELLA Awards honored Love, lead singer and co-founder of The Beach Boys, as well as producer Nigel Lythgoe and backup singers The Waters Family.

Roth famously covered "California Girls" on his 1985 EP, "Crazy From The Heat." The Van Halen singer's version reached No. 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Watch the video here.





Hawkwind Abandon North American Tour Plans
(Prog) Hawkwind have abandoned plans for their first tour of the US and Canada in decades, after a series of incidents which threatened the wellbeing of band and crew became too difficult to overcome.

In September the band said they were "insulted and angry" after former member Nik Turner advanced a legal process which, they believed, would make it impossible for them to use the band name on the other side of the Atlantic.

The added stress led mainman Dave Brock to become too ill to travel, and the tour was postponed. Then last month a series of rumours were spread which suggested Brock didn't have a work visa, leading to the loss of at least one booking in Canada, and putting others in doubt.

Now Hawkwind have apologised to North American fans after admitting defeat. They say in a statement: "We have tried everything - but it became a logistical nightmare. We put all out money and savings into making it happen. This huge effort has become all-encompassing, and over the last year has affected not only our lives, but those of our friends and families, and it has undermined our creativity in that period." More.





Katatonia Lose A Member
(Prog) Katatonia have split with guitarist Per Eriksson with immediate effect. He'll be replaced for the band's upcoming shows by The Pineapple Thief mainman Bruce Soord.

It marks the end of Eriksson's four-year stint with the Swedish outfit after he started as a session and touring member in 2010. Jonas Renkse's outfit say in a statement: "It has been some time coming, but guitarist Per 'Sodomiser' Erikkson and Katatonia have mutually agreed to part ways.

"A difference in views on the band's current operative, as well as last year's decision from Per to permanently live in Barcelona have made his involvement too problematic, both for him and the remaining members." more on this story





Arctic Monkeys Frontman Declares That Rock and Roll Will Never Die
(Radio.com) While the Arctic Monkeys generated plenty of headlines (not to mention record and ticket sales) on the strength of their latest album, AM, frontman Alex Turner stepped out this week and incited a firestorm of attention with his words.

After winning British Album of the Year at this week's Brit Awards, Turner used his acceptance speech as a rallying cry for a return to rock 'n' roll, poking a little fun at One Direction along the way.

"Yeah, that rock'n'roll, it seems like it's faded away sometimes, but it will never die," Turner told the crowd. "And there's nothing you can do about it." He then literally dropped the mic and left the stage, but not before offering to pick up tab for the microphone he was about to break. What nice English lad.

But when Turner and drummer Matt Helders sat down with Radio.com a few weeks ago, there was no mic drops. Instead they sat down and spoke about the process behind their confident new full-length, which Turner says sounds like the "Spiders From Mars covering Aaliyah."

Watch the guys talk about their hip-hop influences, being an internet band and channeling Timbaland in the video here.





Led Zeppelin Then As it Was Revised And Updated
(hennemusic) A revised and updated edition of "Led Zeppelin Then As it Was - At Knebworth 1979" by author Dave Lewis focuses on the band's appearance at the UK event.

In August of 1979, thousands of fans flocked to Knebworth to see Led Zeppelin perform their first UK shows in four years and their first live date since the death of Robert Plant's son during the band's 1977 North American tour.

Zeppelin played live on August 4 and August 11, 1979 at Knebworth House before an estimated 200,000 fans each night. The band were joined by The New Barbarians (featuring Ronnie Wood and Keith Richards) (August 11 only), Todd Rundgren and Utopia, Southside Johnny, Marshall Tucker, Commander Cody, Chas & Dave and Fairport Convention. more on this story




Jon Lord Biography Video Preview Released
(hennemusic) "Jon Lord - All Those Years Ago", a new, limited-edition photo biography of the late Deep Purple keyboardist, will be published in April and a video preview for the book has been released.

The book features a history and recollection of Jon's early life from birth to the start of Deep Purple by his brother Steve Lord. The project includes never before seen, personal family photographs, Jon's own photographs from his days with Deep Purple, contributions from Jon's colleagues, friends and family and unpublished professional images.

The bio features unique contributions from Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Ian Paice, David Coverdale, Glenn Hughes, Metallica's Lars Ulrich, Bernie Marsden and many others.

Read more and watch the preview here.





Anthrax's Scott Ian Not Taking Motley Crue Road With Autobiography
(hennemusic) Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian will publish his autobiography, "I'm The Man", on October 7th. Ian says his memoir will be distinctly different from other rock bios.

"What makes mine different is that it doesn't take the usual story arc that most of these rock/metal biographies and autobiographies do," Ian tells Lithium magazine.

"That arc is usually the rise to fame, the fame, the crash and burn and then some sort of redemption. I don't have that story arc. I don't know what you would call my story genre, but it's more about coming from nothing and being able to do all that I have done.

"I think it's about being able to show anybody that no matter where you come from, whether you're a scrawny kid from Queen's, you do have the opportunity to make something of yourself. I am the living proof of that. And you don't have to take the normal road that's portrayed in these books. You don't have to take the Motley Crue road." more on this story





Video From Rolling Stones 14 On Fire Tour Kick Off Goes Online
(hennemusic) The Rolling Stones launched their 14 On Fire Tour Friday night in Adu Dhabi, the Stones first-ever performance in the United Arab Emirates, and video of the show has surfaced.

The band's 19-song set at the sold-out du Arena at Yas Island kicked off with "Start Me Up", and featured one classic track after another, including the fan-voted "Gimme Shelter."

Up next, the band travel to Japan to play three sold-out shows at the Tokyo Dome, starting on Wednesday, February 26. Watch over half a dozen videos from the tour kick off here.




Green Day Play Free Show in Tiny Pub
(Gibson) Green Day surprised fans in Australia on 20 February by playing a tiny pub gig 45 minutes after announcing the show on Twitter. It was a warm-up show for Green Day's headline appearance at the Soundwave festival.

The band took to the microblogging site at 10:15pm to announce they would be hitting the stage at The Captain Cook Hotel in Paddington, Sydney, at 11pm.

The message read: "hello Aussie! Green Day is playing tonight at a club called Captain Cook Hotel Tonight in Sydney. I repeat, Tonight! Feb 20th around 11:00pm."

Fans dashed to the venue for the free show. Frontman Billie Joe Armstrong walked out on stage and said, "I guess a few of you saw the tweet." more on this story






Floyd Taylor Dead at 60
(The Blues Floyd Taylor, the son of iconic bluesman Johnnie Taylor, has died, it's been reported. The singer's younger brother TJ Hooker Taylor tells TimesDaily.com: "He died pretty much the way my dad died: a heart attack at the age of 60."

Based in Chicago, Floyd Taylor appeared on stage alongside his father in the 1970s and also performed with Johnny 'Guitar' Watson, Aretha Franklin, Natalie Cole and others. In 1998 he was named Entertainer Of The Year by the Chicago Blues Society.

He released his debut album, Legacy, in 2002. In December last year he launched a single entitled It's On Me, taken from his fifth studio record Shut Um Down. He'd just completed a US tour, with more dates booked for next month, and was planning more shows overseas. more on this story




Gilby Clarke Recalls Playing Axl Free Guns N' Roses Rock Hall Induction
(hennemusic) Former Guns N' Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke spoke with KLOS 95.5 FM in Los Angeles on Friday about a variety of subjects, including playing the band's induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2012 without frontman Axl Rose.

"It was a strange time, because there was kind of like a dark cloud over our whole induction, because Axl decided not to go," said Clarke. "And once he decided not to go, the dark cloud kind of went away, 'cause the guys that did go, we all get along great, we still play together all the time, and it actually was fun. We had a really good time."

"We actually only rehearsed, like, the night before the thing," he continued. "We got together at a club… We hadn't played those songs in 20 years, so that was the thing… I mean, for me, we were trying to figure out what songs we were gonna play, and I'm, like, 'Wow, I haven't played that song in 20 years.' It had to come back to me. It was funny: there was a photo going around on Twitter of Duff and I in the bathroom, actually, going over the songs, trying to remember the riffs and things like that." more on this story




Kurt Cobain Statue Features One Lonely Tear
(Radio.com) Art may be subjective, but it's safe to say that the recently unveiled statue of Kurt Cobain in his hometown of Aberdeen, Washington is not going to win any awards anytime soon.

The statue was part of the town's Kurt Cobain Day, which they celebrated Thursday (Feb. 20) on what would have been Cobain's 47th birthday. The statue itself features Cobain sitting on a stool playing an acoustic guitar with one lonely tear dribbling out of his eye. We'll assume this is an homage to the Virgin Mary or perhaps the crying Indian who wishes you would just stop littering.

Not that everyone in Aberdeen was looking to honor the man. Case in point, a local news station referred to their hometown hero on air as "the lead singer of Nirvana… a well known heroin addict who shot himself nearly 20 years ago."

The report itself focused on the controversial decision to celebrate Cobain's legacy and features one reporter ticking off Cobain's less than stellar attributes-drug use, vandalism, lack of hometown pride-and eventually makes the bold statement we've all been wishing someone would make, Kurt Cobain was "no George Washington." No, in fact, he wasn't.

But let's all shed one tear in solidarity with Cobain's clay statue and hope the dedication at Nirvana's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction on April 10 is a bit more complimentary. Nirvana will also be the recipient of its 24-hour commemoration on the same day as the band's induction into the Hall of Fame, when the small city of Hoquiam, Washington, celebrates the first Nirvana Day.

Watch the local news broadcast to get a closer look at the now infamous Cobain statue here.





Anubis Gate Release Seven-Minute Album Preview
(Prog) Danish prog-metal band Anubis Gate have launched a seven-minute trailer for their upcoming sixth album Horizons. The follow-up to 2011′s self-titled LP is due for release on April 15 via Nightmare Records.

Horizons - the second album to feature bassist Henrik Fevre on lead vocals, and the first to include drummer Morten Gade Sorensen - will be available in digital and physical formats.

A four-track EP is included with the CD edition, containing live performances of songs from Anubis Gate's first two albums. The new album is described as "daring, from liquid grooves to uneven time signatures, trademark soundscapes and heavy riffing." Watch the trailer here.





65daysofstatic Plan 10th Anniversary Reissue
(Prog) 65daysofstatic will mark the 10th anniversary of debut album The Fall Of Math with a deluxe re-release on March 24 via Monotreme Records. And they'll back it up with a UK tour featuring a unique two-set London show, where the entire record will be performed in full for the first time.

The Sheffield band say: "In the first year of the weird post 9/11 future we all now occupy, we wrote a record entirely by mistake in an obscure room in the north of England, usually in the evening after finishing whatever day-jobs we were holding down.

"While 65daysofstatic are no longer the people we were back then, the world is as big a mess as it ever was. The Fall of Math holds a great significance for us - maybe it does for you too. We're looking forward to trying to remember how to play a bunch of the music on there. Come and see the results in March." more on this story





Heart Release Extended Preview Of Fanatic Live DVD
(hennemusic) Heart will release "Fanatic Live From Caesars Colosseum", on CD and DVD/Blu Ray this coming Tuesday, February 25, and the band are sharing an extended video preview of the set.

The new live package captures the Seattle band live on their "Fanatic" tour at Caesars Colosseum in Windsor, Ontario, an event originally filmed by AXS-TV.

In addition to songs from the band's 2012 "Fanatic" album - which were performed for the first time for the television viewing audience - "Fanatic Live From Caesars Colosseum" also showcases many of Heart's classic hits including "Barracuda," "Crazy On You," "These Dreams," "Alone," "What About Love," and many more. Watch the video here.





Arcade Fire Perform 'Afterlife' On The Tonight Show
(Radio.com) Before watching Arcade Fire's performance of "Afterlife" on Thursday night's (Feb. 20) episode of The Tonight Show, make sure you've digested your breakfast. There's a lot of spinning.

For the band's performance, frontman Win Butler decided to take the reigns and shoot the beginning of the song himself, selfie-style. Butler spins around with the camera revealing each member of his band in their black and white matching outfits and eventually turns the lens on himself for a very up close and personal shot.

Butler ends the performance in the crowd, climbing all over the brand new seats in Studio 6B shouting the line, "Where do we go?" He didn't go too far though, choosing to serenade the first few rows of the balcony.

Arcade Fire kick off their first official North American tour behind Reflektor on March 6 in Louisville, KY. Watch the Tonight Show performance here.





Singled Out: Kiven's In The Fire
Today Kiven frontman Tyler Demorest tells us about the song "In The Fire" from their brand new self-titled debut album, which was produced by Tony Hajjar from At The Drive-In. Here is the story:

I'd like to think I wasn't tired
Tired of ongoing dreams
As we throw ourselves into the fire slowly
Believe it time it may discover
Shedding light to all fears
Don't try don't speak don't even bother for me

Sometimes it's tasking doing what you love. The introduction to this song is an acknowledgment of this lethargic hangover you can experience when you're devoting your whole self to an idea that isn't / won't be materialized until months later. It's a statement wishing that I wasn't tired of the grind, but how there's no need for sympathy - as it's a choice to dedicate myself to a craft that can often bring about a ton of joy and fulfillment.

After the introduction... In The Fire starts.

Closing doors, shut off the roar below
But a murmor of the matter can seed this, can feed disbelief.
And for a moment, you're fearing numb
But a surgeon for the latter I'm told, could lose their hold and down we go.

I was actually working on this song at home after we wrapped an "early" rehearsal. It was about 930PM when I sat down in my apartment to get going and some dickhead neighbor yelled "shut uppppp" from his window haha. Looking back it's pretty hilarious, but at the time it was a bit of a "f*** you neighbor guy symbolizing the rest of the world" moment. I knew I wanted the song to be about passion, and dedication - but i needed a vehicle.... and there it was.

"In the fire, we burn it all to earn a
On the wire we loose ourselves along the middle
I'm not coming home, I'm not coming home"

This chorus encompasses the effort and what can be a perpetual let down for pursing passion. We've had success, but all artists along the way question their craft, their time and dedication, and input along the way. The process of making this album in particular was difficult, yet rewarding. We continually wrestled with the amount of time and energy put in the project, while juggling the ability to make a living and the amount of time it takes to make that living comfortable. The final sentence is that defiance to comfort or the leap into commitment to your craft.

Faith in tow, deceiving down the road
In a complicated gesture letting go
You're not alone
For a moment lie alone, clueless on the matter when you fold your hope
And losing hold of what you know

The second verse continues down the journey and explores uncertainty of what's ahead. It's particularly applicable to my situation but it works for anyone refusing to be complacent with a typical life by letting go of the routine in exchange for uncertainty.


Read more at http://www.antimusic.com/dayinrock/#VWYxUHCXsTgRtlFJ.99

Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


AC/DC Plan New Music And Tour Dates For 40th Anniversary
(Classic Rock) AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson has confirmed the band will be back in action soon to mark their 40th anniversary. The singer has confirmed their schedule had been put on hold while one member of the band dealt with serious health issues.
Johnson tells 98.7 The Gater: "We've been denying anything because we weren't sure. One of our boys was pretty ill, so we didn't like to say anything. We're pretty private about things like this; he's a very proud man."

He continues, "I think we'll be going in the studio in May in Vancouver - which means we should be getting ready. It's been 40 years of the band's existence, so I think we're going to try to go 40 gigs to thank the fans for their undying loyalty. We're happy to go out even though we're getting a bit long in the tooth - I'm really looking forward to it." more on this story




KISS Frontman Says Rock Hall Is 'Tainted, Corrupted And Distorted'
(Classic Rock) KISS have long been outspoken critics of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and frontman Paul Stanley has not changed his tune, calling the Rock Hall "tainted, corrupted and distorted" even after fans helped the band finally be inducted to the hall this year.

Classic Rock has published excerpts of their exclusive interview with Stanley where he shares his strong feelings about the Rock Hall and whether Ace Frehley and Peter Criss are invited to the upcoming induction ceremony.

Stanley was asked, "Did you feel honoured at being inducted in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame?" He responded, "No, it was done begrudgingly and because it had become absolutely ludicrous that they were choosing to ignore us. At the end of the day most people don't realise that the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame was a privately created establishment and that it has a self-appointed board. It's a perfect case of perception becoming reality. People heard 'Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame' and gave it credibility. So whether it deserves the title has to be weighed against who it inducts. So was it an honour to be nominated? No. It means a lot to the fans and I understand it because it's validation for them. So for that reason I accept graciously and accept on their behalf.

"My feelings and my ambivalence about the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame hasn't changed any. Their attitude is elitist and it doesn't reflect the public. It reflects a small group who dictate who meets the criteria that they set up as 'rock and roll'. I've always felt the spirit of rock and roll meant not only ignoring your critics, but ignoring your peers and going your own way. I think we've done that pretty much with few exceptions for forty years. So that same criteria that kept us out has not gotten us in. I scratch my head a little and I also take issue with a certain arrogance within that group.

"Nonetheless I look at some of the inductees and any club that has Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton and The Who and the Beatles and the Stones is company I don't mind being in and my feelings have nothing to do with any of them, it purely has to do with a system which I think is tainted, corrupted and distorted."

He was then asked if was looking forward to playing at the induction event. He responded, "Honestly, I have no plans at the moment to do anything, and that includes playing with Ace and Peter or anyone else. My plan at the moment is to go and accept the award. Anything else, we'll see how it unfolds or unravels. It was interesting to me, or offensive to me, that when the question was broached with the hierarchy about inducting additional members it was shut down immediately as 'a non starter,' which to me is arrogant. People who sit behind desks need to respect the people who are actually either inductees or possible inductees into this so-called hallowed organization. So the fact that there are 30 or 40 or 50 or some absurd number of Grateful Dead members all inducted, the fact that all of the Chili Peppers, including people who played on early albums that never amounted to very much are not inducted, the fact that John Rutsey, the drummer on the first Rush album is not inducted, the fact that Rob Trujillo, who's a great guy but didn't play on any of the classic Metallica albums, was inducted after being in the band six years makes me wonder exactly what are the rules? If the rules don't apply to everybody then they're not rules."

He goes on to address Peter and Ace possibly joining them on stage at the induction. Read his answer to that and more here.




Guns N' Roses Tease Big Announcement For Tuesday
Guns N' Roses decided to tease fans on Valentine's Day by telling them that they will be making a big announcement on Tuesday (which they hint will be the confirmation of another Las Vegas residency).

As we previously reported at he beginning of the month, The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas teased fans with posts on their Facebook page on January 31st with one photo tagged "Coming Spring 2014. #GNRVegas" along with the message "Text GNR to 97580 to be the first to hear the big news."

Then the band followed up last Friday on their website, "Whispers around the craps table (and our offices), is that GNR have a big announcement this Tuesday. We could gamble some big money on guessing what that announcement will be… Nightrain members will be the first to roll the dice at the exclusive tables, so get your chips in place and hop onboard the Nightrain! Tuesday. 7am. Tune in to Guns N Roses.com."

Guns N' Roses staged their first-ever residency, "Appetite For Democracy," at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino's live music venue The Joint back in the fall of 2012.




The Exploited Singer Suffers On Stage Heart Attack
Veteran punk band The Exploited have been forced to cancel their tour after frontman Wattie Buchan suffered a heart attack on stage during a concert last Thursday (February 13th).

The band were performing at the Lisbon, Portugal stop of their European "Tour Of Chaos" with Hatebreed and Napalm Death when Buchan suffered the heart attack, according to Classic Rock.

On Thursday night the band apologized to fans via Facebook by posting "Sorry to have stopped the concert halfway through tonight but Wattie had taken very ill and couldn't continue. Thanks for your understanding."

The band then posted a follow-up message on Friday where they announced they were pulling out of the tour. They wrote, "I'm sorry to say that due to a severe illness. That Wattie can't continue with the tour. He will be in hospital for at least a week. Thanks for all the get well messages. Much Appreciated."




Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder Rocks AC/DC Classic With Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band fans in Melbourne, Australia were treated to a special appearance by Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder on Saturday night.

Vedder joining Springsteen and the band on stage perform two tracks including the AC/DC classic "Highway to Hell," which Springsteen has been performing on the Aussie tour as a tribute to late AC/DC frontman Bon Scott.

"We're going to have some help opening the show tonight. Let me bring up Eddie Vedder!," Springsteen told the crowd at Melbourne's AAMI Park as Vedder joined the band on stage to perform the AC/DC classic.

The Pearl Jam frontman stayed on stage to duet with Springsteen on the title track to Springsteen's album "Darkness On The Edge Of Town." Billboard is streaming videos of both performances here.




Lombardo Slams Slayer
Former Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo still has strong feeling about his dismissal from the group last year. In a new interview with Planet Mosh, Lombardo discusses his firing and the band's reaction to the death of Jeff Hanneman.

"This could have been an easy fix," he said about the issue which drove him out of the band. "I wasn't asking for anything other than to be treated equally.

"I'm sure I've made mistakes along the way, but my intention was never to leave. Who would do that in the golden years of a band? Where we stand now disgusts me. Jeff [Hanneman] didn't want this - and neither did I."

Lombardo was also asked about Tom Araya's comments in a recent interview with Metal Hammer, where Araya described him as "a working member of the band" and not a partner in the group that he co-founded.

He responded, "It's sickening. I left the band in '92 to be at home for the birth of my son, period. One show changed the course of this band. Tom has forgotten history... swallowed the stories that have been created throughout the years to sell tickets. If it weren't for me, Slayer would not exist. I approached Kerry [King] to start this band. Somehow they have forgotten that."

He says that his relationship with Araya and Kerry King is currently "sadly, non-existent" and he said he didn't regret his Facebook "rant". He said, "No. My 'ranting' on Facebook still stands because it's accurate."

He went on to talk about his relationship with Jeff Hanneman and also his shock that Tom Araya didn't show up at Henneman's memorial. Read what he had to say about that and more here.





Lacuna Coil Lose Two Members
Lacuna Coil revealed that Cris 'Pizza' Migliore and Cristiano 'CriZ' Mozzati have left the group as they prepare to release their new studio album "Broken Crown Halo" on April 1st.

'Pizza', 'CriZ' and the band all issued statements about the two member's retirement from the group. The band had this to say, "It is with a heavy heart that we share this news with you today: Our two brothers Cris 'Pizza' Migliore and Cristiano 'CriZ' Mozzati have decided to retire from LACUNA COIL.

"Both Pizza and CriZ have had big changes impact their lives recently - we know how stressful and difficult it can be to balance both real life and the life of a professional touring musician, and we have nothing but total respect for their decisions to focus on their families and lives at home.

"We have such incredible memories of traveling and exploring the world together with Pizza and CriZ, and we want to wish them both all the best as they begin these exciting new chapters in their lives. We will never forget the important roles they played in this band, or the incredible times we shared together."

Cris 'Pizza' Migliore had this to say, "After over 16 years spent with the Lacuna Coil family, I decided to move on and begin a new chapter in my life. This hasn't been an easy decision, as you can imagine, but I felt like I needed to change some things around.

"I'm glad and honored that I've had the chance to be able to embark on such an amazing adventure, with such wonderful people as "travel companions"! I will never forget my time in Lacuna Coil and I wish my sister and brothers all the best for whatever the future may bring.

"I'm sure you understand! I would also really like to thank every single one of you for showing such amazing love and support for a small band from Milan, Italy, who would've never thought would become what it has during these incredible 16 years. Thank you all and enjoy this last record we did with me and CriZ as part of the line-up - it's some of the best music we've done and I'm sure you'll love it!"

Cristiano 'CriZ' Mozzati had this to say, "As many of you guys and gals know, during this last year lots of very important things happened in my life - something really amazing, and deep enough to make me sit in front of my laptop to write these bittersweet words...

"I'm leaving my 'second family' Lacuna Coil because I need this change in my life... this hasn't been an easy decision at all and I've come to it with pain in my heart, because together we laughed and cried; we fought and gave all our lives to this amazing band. Together we lived the dream for 16 wonderful, intense and unforgettable years. All you guys around the world gave me such positive and sincere vibes and emotions that will stay embedded in my heart for the rest of my life! I want to say thank you Coilers, friends, crew, partners, and people that listen to our music for being such an inspiration for me. To my brothers and sis I'd like to say the following: Never stop to kicking asses, you sure know how to!

"The new record is the best thing we've done together. I have put all my passion and feelings into it and I'm sure you'll love it. I'll never stop playing drums - as we all know, if you were born with rock inside your veins, you'll die with it... and this is what I will do."

The band will be kicking off a North American tour on February 20th that will feature Sick Puppies, Eyes Set To Kill, and Cilver. Lacuna Coil revealed that they will be joined on the tour by drummer Ryan Folden who played with them on a majority of the 2012 and 2013 'Dark Legacy' and 'Dark Adrenaline' tours. more on this story




Documentary About The Who's Tommy Coming To DVD
(Classic Rock) The Who's groundbreaking album Tommy is the subject of a documentary which goes on sale next month in DVD, Blu-ray and digital video format via Eagle Rock.

Sensation: The Story Of Tommy is an extended version of a film broadcast by the BBC last year, featuring new interviews with Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey plus archive conversations with late bassist John Entwistle. Engineer Bob Pridden, artist Mike McInnerney and others offer insight into the making and impact of the 1969 concept album, which received a deluxe and super-deluxe re-release last year.

Speaking at the premiere in October 2013, vocalist Daltrey recalled: "The signs were there the first time we played it live - the audience reaction was extraordinary. It grew so quickly, which was kind of frightening. It grew from audiences of a thousand to a hundred thousand in about 18 months. That was scary." Read more and watch the trailer.




Megadeth Icon Compilation Set For Release
Megadeth will be the latest artist featured in UMe's "Icon" compilation series, with the Megadeth edition set to be released on February 25th in the U.S. and March 11th in Canada.

The new compilation will feature some of the veteran thrash band's best known tracks including "Peace Sells", "Symphony Of Destruction," "Trust," Hanger 18," "In My Darkest Hour," and "A Tout Le Monde."

The band had these details about the series: The aptly named "Icon" series from Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) launched in August 31, 2010, with releases from 30 major artists spanning rock, pop, R&B and country.

Megadeth "Icon" Tracklisting:
01. Holy Wars…The Punishment Due
02. Symphony Of Destruction
03. Wake Up Dead
04. Trust
05. Hangar 18
06. Sweating Bullets
07. A Tout Le Monde
08. Skin O' My Teeth
09. In My Darkest Hour
10. Kill The King
11. Peace Sells

You can see the cover art and pre-order a copy here.





Rolling Stones Invite Fans To Intimate Rehearsal Jam
(hennemusic) The Rolling Stones marked the last day of their 14 On Fire tour rehearsals by inviting fans into a Paris, France studio to watch them play a short set.

Over thirty fans, who'd been listening to the rehearsals in the street, watched the Stones perform a 7-song set, including "Doom And Gloom", "She's So Cold", "Before They Make Me Run" and more.

"I was there since this morning," one of the lucky fans told France 24. "At around 2.30pm, a member of the Stones' entourage came out and wrote a number on our hands. At the time there were 27 of us. We were all brought inside." more on this story





The Faceless Lose A Member and Working On New Music
The Faceless revealed on Friday (February 14th) that they have parted ways with guitarist Wes Hauch and said that they have put their covers album on "the back-burner" in favor of working on new original music.

Here is what they had to say, "The Faceless have officially parted ways with Wes. Things were moving in different directions and it seems that this is best for everyone. We wish him the best of luck and we know he's going to continue to do great things in music. Please keep supporting Wes in everything he does. We definitely will.

"We are also currently working on new music with bassist Evan Brewer, who is remaining a full-time member of the band, to clear up any confusion. The cover album has also been put on the back-burner in place of new original material. We are very excited with how things are coming together and will keep you all updated as things progress."




Producer Tsangarides Released From Hospital
(Classic Rock) Famed producer and engineer Chris Tsangarides has been released from hospital in Kent after recovering from a medically-induced coma, he's confirmed.

The Grammy-nominated deskman - best known for his work with Black Sabbath, Judas Priest and other metal icons - underwent an emergency lung bypass in January after contracting Legionnaires' disease.

He'd spent time in a support unit in London before being returned to Kent, and has now been allowed to continue his recuperation at home.

Tsangarides says: "It feels so good to be in my own bed! All the messages of support have overwhelmed me - I knew there were messages but had no access to them in hospital. more on this story




The Clash Documentary Coming To DVD
(Classic Rock) A documentary charting the career of The Clash is to be released on DVD on March 10, offering a new look at their history and the trailer has been released online.

The influential outfit disintegrated in 1986, after drummer Topper Headon had left in 1982 and guitarist Mick Jones had been fired the following year. Mainman Joe Strummer's death in 2002 put an end to fans' hopes for a reunion - which Jones recently insisted would never have happened anyway.

Producers say: "How did it happen that at the top of their fame and success The Clash were able to self-destruct? The documentary impresses with inside information and shows the rise and the fall - from huge success down to dismantling themselves. The DVD contains a host of previously unreleased material and interviews." Watch the trailer here.





Ricky Warwick Calls On Fans For New Albums Help
(Classic Rock) Black Star Riders frontman Ricky Warwick has announced the launch of a pledge campaign to fund the making of two albums that are set to be released later this year.

It's yet another tie-in with Def Leppard singer Joe Elliott, who'll produce the records, as he did for Warwick's first two solo titles. The pair were recently signed up to appear in a music movie and Elliott was last month confirmed as producer for BSR's second album.

Former Almighty vocalist Warwick says: "These will be my fourth and fifth studio albums - the acoustic one is going to be called Hearts On Trees, and the theme will be being true to your roots and what people sacrifice for their homes. The other will be called When Patsy Cline Was Crazy (And Guy Mitchell Sang The Blues). There will not be an acoustic guitar in sight on that one. more on this story





Whitechapel Pull Out of Soundwave Festival Due To Death In The Family
Whitechapel have been forced to pull out of the upcoming Soundwave Festival tour of Australia and their appearance at Westfest 2014 in New Zealand after a band member suffered a loss in their immediate family.

The band tweeted the bad news to fans on Sunday night. They wrote, "We regret to inform we must cancel our upcoming shows in Australia and New Zealand due to the death of a members immediate family member."

An hour later the band added, "It's a decision that no band wants to make, but family comes first, and we will be back as soon as we can. Thank you for understanding."

The band was scheduled to take part in the annual Soundwave Festival with Green Day, Avenged Sevenfold, Stone Temple Pilots with Chester Bennington, Alice In Chains, Rob Zombie, Korn, Trivium, Down, Alterbridge and more.

They have also canceled their appearance at Westfest 2014 on February 20th at Vector Arena in Auckland Central, New Zealand. The two day festival will feature Korn, Rob Zombie, Asking Alexandria, Five Finger Death Punch, Black Veil Brides, Eagles Of Death Metal, August Burns Red, Terror, and Saving Grace. more on this story





Kill Devil Hill Release 'Leave It All Behind' Video
Metal supergroup Kill Devil Hill have released a new music video for the song "Leave It All Behind," the first clip the band has released from their most recent album 'Revolution Rise'.

The new album was produced by Jeff Pilson and the band, which features former Pantera and Down bassist Rex Brown, former Dio, Black Sabbath and Heaven And Hell drummer Vinny Appice, former Pissing Razors frontman Dewey Bragg and 40 Cycle Hum guitarist Mark Zavon.

Brown had this to say about the new video, "'Leave It All Behind' was shot with a very different approach for us. It's a story board video that intertwines the band with a guy that has faced some apocalyptic demons in his own mind.

"We shot the video at an old missile site in Southern California that had been burned out by fires years ago. The story hits very close to home with the lyrical content of the song, which makes it even more surreal and sublime - we'll leave the rest up to your interpretation!" Watch it here.




Thin Lizzy Star Introduces New Scorpion Child Video
(Classic Rock) Scorpion Child have recruited Thin Lizzy/Black Star Riders star Scott Gorham to record the introduction to the band's new music video for "Kings Highway".

The animated clip was directed by award-winning stop-motion maestro Jess Cope (Steven Wilson, Storm Corrosion, Devin Townsend) of Owlhouse Studios, whose talents have been seen in the short film The Astronomer's Sun, the British children's television series Postman Pat and Tim Burton's feature film, Frankenweenie.

Scorpion Child frontman Aryn Jonathan Black shares the following about the video: "Jess Cope's work for our new Kings Highway video is masterful! We are enamored by her artistic eye and ability to create a fantasy trip with an ethereal visual that's captivating and timeless." Watch the video here.




Anette Olzon Releases 'Lies' Video
(Prog) Prog has premiered "Lies," the new track and video by symphonic songstress Anette Olzon. The song comes from her upcoming debut solo album Shine.

The former Nightwish frontwoman says, "I am so thrilled to finally release my first solo album," says Anette. "I've been working on it for a long time by now... The album is very personal with songs I have started writing already in 2009 but also very recent songs."

"The overall message of the album is that life can be really dark and filled with hardship and sadness, but you can always choose to see some light coming through, to make you stronger and full of life - making you SHINE… no matter what." Watch the video here.





Aerosmith's Joe Perry Performs At Rock N Roll Fantasy Camp
(hennemusic) Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry was one of the featured performers at the Rock N' Roll Fantasy Camp in Las Vegas, and photos from the long weekend event are available.

Perry is sharing shots from the 4-day camp, which also saw Steve Vai and Eric Johnson share their experience, techniques, riffs, tone tips, and creative concepts in real-world band settings.

The US President's Day weekend saw the Rock N Roll Fantasy Camp team up with Guitar Player magazine for the special edition of Rock Camp, which also saw appearances by Cars guitarist Elliot Easton, bassist Michael Anthony, Gary Hoey, Tony Franklin (The Firm), Danny Seraphine of Chicago and Joe Vitale (drummer for CSN and the Eagles). Check out the photos here.




Vandenberg's MoonKings Release 'Breathing' Video
(Classic Rock) Vandenberg's MoonKings, featuring ex-Whitesnake guitarist Adrian Vandenberg, will release their debut album in the UK on February 24 via Mascot Records.

As part of the build-up to the self-titled full-length's release, the band have unveiled a music video for the new album's single "Breathing".

Vandenberg's MoonKings features Adrian Vandenberg (guitar), Jan Hoving (vocals), Sem Christoffel (bass) and Mart Nijen Es (drums).


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