Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Scott Stapp Denies Plotting To Assassinate The President
(Radio.com) The drama continues for Creed frontman Scott Stapp, whose public image took an unexpected turn when a phone call between his wife and the police leaked to TMZ, where she was heard saying that the singer has been plotting the assassination of Barack Obama.

The secret service is now reportedly aware of the incident and will "take appropriate action." This weekend Stapp defended his behavior and spoke out against the reports on Creed's Facebook page, rather than his own as he has more often been doing.

In the post, Stapp continued to maintain that he's sober and stable, railing against media reports and calling it a "smear campaign." He had this to say about the assassination plot:

"The recent report claiming I am delusional, and claiming I'm a CIA agent with evil intent towards our beloved President is a joke. I'm shocked the press even covered such a ridicules story. My history supporting our troops and this great country of ours should speak for itself."

His post that has since been deleted but you can read it in full, as captured by Consequence of Sound, here.




Duff McKagan and Chris Cornell Part Of Mad Season Reunion
(Radio.com) Though Seattle acts like Pearl Jam and Soundgarden are still thriving, grunge history is marked by a number of bands that have seen death strike and alter their future, including Nirvana, Alice in Chains, and Mother Love Bone.

Less storied on this list is Mad Season, originally a side project of Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains, who broke up in 1999 following the death of bassist John Baker Saunders , and later saw singer Layne Staley (of AiC) pass away.

The two surviving members of the group, Pearl Jam's Mike McCready and Screaming Trees' Barrett Martin, will reunite January 30 in Seattle with fill-in members Chris Cornell of Soundgarden and Duff McKagan of Guns N' Roses. Read more here.




System of a Down Announce First U.S. Tour Date of 2015
(Radio.com) Fear not, because System of a Down's weekend set at KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas won't be their only U.S. show in the near future. The band confirmed Saturday with KROQ that they will make a stop in Los Angeles once again on April 6 at the Forum for the kickoff of their Wake Up the Souls tour.

System of a Down had previously announced the tour last month, noting that it was designed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide in Turkey.

"We said we should celebrate the fact that we're here on stage, on the radio telling you about [the genocide]," bassist Shavo Odadjian explained to KROQ. "We got to that level. Let's not mourn 100 years what has already happened. By educating, you raise awareness. By raising awareness, you grow peoples' minds."

"The way we do it, we have our show, and the people that want to take information away from that, and the people who want to just come and enjoy the show also have that freedom," drummer John Dolmayan added.

Read more here.




Evanescence and Tremoni Supergroup Premiere New Song
(TeamRock Radio) A supergroup featuring members of Tremonti and Evanescence have released their debut album and lyric video for their first single. God To Gravity's self-titled debut is out now, and a lyric video for the single Dying Light has been made available.

The group features Tremonti drummer Garrett Whitlock, Evanescence guitarist Troy McLawhorn and Ether Seeds singer Dustin Lowery. Dustin's brother Corey is on bass while guitarist Pat Deeb completes the lineup.

Corey Lowery says: "This is the first time I've been able to do a CD with my youngest brother. Pat Deeb and I started writing this music and we needed a voice that would match it.

"I sent it to Dustin and I think he took it to a new level. Troy McLawhorn and Garrett Whitlock came in and took it to a newer level. There are special guests on it, such as our brother Clint Lowery, Morgan Rose and Matt O'Rourke."

Check out the new song here.




Melechesh Recruit Cavalera, Caggiano and Tolis For New Album
(TeamRock Radio) Max Cavalera, Rob Caggiano and Sakis Tolis all say they're honoured to have recorded guest tracks for Melechesh's sixth album Enki. The follow-up to 2010's The Epigenesis will be launched on March 2 via Nuclear Blast - it's their first since drummer Xul was replaced with former member Lord Curse.

Soulfly, Cavalera Conspiracy and Killer Be Killed frontman Cavalera reports: "I'm a big fan and I think The Epigenesis is one of the greatest extreme metal records ever done. Our worlds finally collide; long live Melechesh!"

Caggiano, who joined Volbeat last year after leaving Anthrax, adds: "I've been a fan for a while now and it was an honour play a solo. These guys sound like nothing else out there." Read more here.




Napalm Death Mixing Styles On New Album
(TeamRock Radio) Napalm Death frontman Barney Greenway says upcoming album, Apex Predator - Easy Meat, embraces a mix of styles. Earlier this year he revealed the follow-up to 2012's Utilitatrian would be a "sonic assault." And he says the band's sound continues to evolve as they've drawn on two distinctive influences.

He tells Metal Wani: "It's not reinventing the wheel but it's a couple of steps forward. There's two quite distinctive styles. You've got the traditional, fast, chaotic and almost off-the-rails Napalm approach.

"And then you've got a queasy, ambient and quite depressive edge. We've been doing the two in tandem for many albums but as time goes on we're tending to mix the styles in more inventive ways." Read more here.



The Clash's Joe Strummer Has Species Named After Him
(Radio.com) No one could have guessed when they started naming living things in Latin that they would run out words and start choosing cute names based on pop stars. But, we have been going down that road for a while now, with Beyonce, Frank Zappa, and Bob Marley all having creatures adorning their names. Now, a punk legend joins the ranks.

Now the late, great Joe Strummer of The Clash has been selected to have a snail named after him. And this isn't just some random bit of fandom. The snail actually looks the part, with a spikey shape that resembles the look of many classic punks.

"Because they look like punk rockers in the '70s and '80s and they have purple blood and live in such an extreme environment, we decided to name one new species after a punk rock icon," said Shannon Johnson of the Monterey Bay Research Aquarium.

The resulting name: A. strummeri. Read more here.



Lynyrd Skynyrd and Fall Out Boy Set For The Voice Finale
(hennemusic) Lynyrd Skynyrd and Fall Out Boy are among the special music guests that are set to perform Tuesday night (December 16th) on the Season 7 finale of NBC's The Voice.

Skynyrd will team up with finalist Craig Wayne Boyd for a song; Fall Out Boy will join finalist Matt McAndrew; Jennifer Hudson will sing with finalist Damien; and, Jessie J will join finalist Chris Jamison for a performance.

Other guests for the season-ending broadcast include Mark Ronson, Bruno Mars, Hozier and Ed Sheeran. Fans will vote to select The Voice Season 7 winner. Read more here.




NHL's San Jose Sharks Plan Metallica Night
(hennemusic) NHL's San Jose Sharks will host Metallica Night on January 21. The NHL event is the second Bay-area sports event to feature a Metallica Night: Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants will host the 3rd annual Metallica Night at AT&T Park on Saturday, May 2.

"As some of you may know," says the band, "we have been long supporters of the Sharks going back to the mid-90's when the team moved permanently to San Jose... over the years we've made many treks down to the Shark Tank.

"So it's actually pretty fitting that we finally connect with the team for a night of metal and hockey and we want you to come along and partake of the festivities with us."

"We'll be on hand for the first strains of 'Seek & Destroy'," added Metallica, "kick off the game with the puck drop, and partake in some of the intermission fun and games that Sharks fans know and love." Read more here.



Brutality Plan Their First New Album In 18 Years
(TeamRock Radio) Florida death metal outfit Brutality have inked a new record deal and will begin work on their first studio album in 18 years, they've announced. They've signed with Danish label Mighty Music to launch the follow-up to 1997's In Mourning - and they say they're back for the "long haul."

Guitarist Don Gates tells Maximum Metal: "We are starting off slowly to get a good feel of how things will work. In the past we took a beating from our old label so we were a bit gun shy going into this. Once we had a face-to-face meeting with the US rep for Mighty Music Rich Lee, we knew that this was the right place to be.

"Our first release will be a re-release of the Ruins of Humans EP on 7-vinyl. We told Rich that if we were to ever sign another record deal then it was surely to be our last. That being said I guess we are all in this for the long haul." Read more here.




Frank Black And The Catholics Releasing Boxset
(TeamRock Radio) Frank Black And The Catholics have confirmed the upcoming release of a comprehensive boxset. Pixies frontman Black (aka Black Francis) recorded six albums with The Catholics between 1998 and 2003, and the boxset will include all of them, remastered from the original recordings.

The tracks will be presented in alphabetical order on 7CD set The Complete Recordings, which is out on March 23 via Cooking Vinyl. Black says: "It feels like an approximation of randomness and its a way to randomise something, especially if its titles. We get away from the preciousness of LPs we put out and its more about the body of work, the good times that we had.

"This is a boxset including all of the Frank Black And The Catholics material that was recorded, there's bonus material and technical demos and it's all recorded live to 2-track, as was our rule in the band."

More including a promo video for the boxset here.



Opeth's Martin Axenrot Named Best Prog Drummer Of 2014
(Prog) Opeth's Martin Axenrot has been named the best prog drummer of the year. Readers of Rhythm magazine voted the Swedish sticksman tops in 2014, ahead of multi-act player Mike Portnoy, Devin Townsend Project's Ryan Van Poederooyen and Neil Peart of Rush.

Axenrot has been acclaimed for his work on Opeth's eleventh album Pale Communion, launched this year. The band followed the released with an appearance at Download and a UK tour.

Rhythm say: "Swedish powerhouse Martin put in another outstanding performance on Pale Communion. His jazz touch within such heavy music help make him a master at his art." Read more here.



Immortal Frontman Says Other Members Walked Away From Band
(TeamRock Radio) Immortal frontman Olve 'Abbath' Eikemo says the other parties involved in a legal row over the band's name walked away from the group this year. Last week it was revealed Abbath was trying to legally secure exclusive rights to the Norwegian black metal band's name, but that his move had been blocked by guitarist Harald 'Demonaz' Navdal and drummer Reidar 'Horgh' Horghagen, who say the name should be shared between all three.

In his latest correspondence with the Norwegian Industrial Property Office, Abbath claims Horgh and Demonaz left him to pay the bills on a rehearsal space and that he has recorded a new album with other musicians.

Dagbladet reports Abbath's letter as saying: "This summer Olve received a message from Harald and Reidar indicating that they wanted to take a longer break after a conflict occurred between Olve and the other two band members.

"The band rents a rehearsal space where costs were being shared between the three band members. Harald and Reidar did not want to pay their share of the rent since the band, in their opinion, was not active. Olve, as songwriter, was dependent on the rehearsal space and was willing to cover the rental costs himself." Read more here.




HIM Plan New Music Next Year
(TeamRock Radio) HIM singer Ville Valo says the band plan to work on new music in 2015. Currently playing dates on a US tour, the veteran Finnish outfit will wrap up their 2014 schedule with a hometown show on New Year's Eve and enjoy some downtime before beginning work on the follow-up to their eighth album, 2013's Tears On Tape.

Valo tells KWSS-FM Scottsdale, Arizona: "We're playing one show on New Year's Eve in Helsinki and then that's gonna be it for touring for a while, because then we'll have been on the road more or less, on and off, for about a year and a half. So that's a long time for us."

"So it'd be nice to sit down for a wee bit and start working on some new stuff. So this is gonna be our not a 'farewell,' per se, but sort of like a 'bye bye for now' tour, so it'll be a fun one." Read more here.




The Almighty Reissuing Early Albums
(TeamRock Radio) The Almighty's first two albums are to be reissued early next year. Spinefarm Records will release 1989's Blood, Fire & Love and 1991's Soul Destruction on February 9 under the RE-F**KIN'-ISSUES banner. The label own the rights to the band's Polydor output and will also issue further releases from the group later in 2015.
The band's debut Blood, Fire & Love will be packaged as a three-disc set, including the Blood, Fire & Live album along with a disc of demos and rarities. Soul Destruction will be a two-disc release featuring B-sides, live material and acoustic tracks.

They've been inactive since 2008 but vocalist Ricky Warwick, who fronts Black Star Riders, says he and original drummer Stump Monroe were involved on the production of the reissues.

He tells MyGlobalMind: "We were approached by the record company that they were going to do it. They own everything so it was a case of, 'If you're involved then great. If not we will do it anyway.' Obviously we wanted to be involved so that it would be done as well as we could possibly do it." Read more including the track details here.




The Exploited Plan Strong Return On Album Following Heart Attack
(Classic Rock) The Exploited have vowed their upcoming album will prove they're better than ever now that frontman Wattie Buchan has recovered from his heart attack.

He fell ill on stage in February, soon after the veteran punks had confirmed signing to Nuclear Blast for what will be their first record in 12 years. It's set for release in the summer, following a run of European shows that includes appearances in Glasgow and Manchester.

They say: "It was very important for us that Wattie was cured completely. Now he's recovered we can go on working with new power. We're totally hooked to record new songs, and of course we're thrilled to play the upcoming live shows. Watch out; get ready - The Exploited are back, better than ever!"

Read more here.



Decapitated and The Contortionist Lead Tech-Fest Lineup
(TeamRock Radio) Tech-Fest will return for its fourth edition next year, organizer Simon Garrod has confirmed - featuring UK exclusive appearances from Decapitated and The Contortionist, plus Haken.

An additional 14 acts have been named for the Metal Hammer sponsored festival, which takes place at Newark Showground, Nottinghamshire, on July 9-12.

Garrod says: "Tech-Fest 2015 is looking to be our biggest event yet - we're excited to be working with all the great sponsors from last year and going back to the Newark Showground for our fourth edition. Many more bands, workshops and after-parties will be announced in due course."

Read more including the full lineup and ticket information here.




Palm Reader Announce Headlining Tour
(TeamRock Radio) Palm Reader have announced a UK headlining tour for February. The British hardcore outfit start the seven-date tour in Worthing on February 23. It comes ahead of the release of their second album Beside The Ones We Love in the spring.

Frontman Josh McKeown says: "We're pumped to have finished our tour with Protest The Hero and now go full throttle into 2015, with more dates to announce soon. We can't wait to hit up some smaller towns again like on this tour as these are some of places and venues that Palm Reader first began to makes our name."

Palm Reader last month released the first single from the upcoming album. A video for the track, I Watch The Fire Chase My Tongue, was also made available. Watch the video and check out the tour dates here.




Download Festival Announce More Bands
(TeamRock Radio) 19 names have been added to the bill for the 2015 Download festival, which takes place at Donington on June 12-15. Clutch, Lamb Of God, Black Veil Brides, Billy Idol and Rise Against are amongst the acts who'll join headliners Slipknot, Muse and Kiss.

Also newly listed are Eagles Of Death Metal, Dragonforce, Hollywood Undead, Body Count, Every Time I Die, Parkway Drive, Backyard Babies, H.E.A.T., Motionless In White, Crown The Empire, Northlane, Madball and Mallory Knox.

Idol says: "It was a fantastic experience playing at Download 2010 in the teeming rain, with the audience completely unfazed. If that was fun, this year should be dynamite." Read more here.


5 Seconds Of Summer Aim To Bridge Rock and Pop Worlds
(TeamRock Radio) 5 Seconds Of Summer say they're benefitting the world of rock music by bringing pop fans into the fold. They tell Rocksound: "We love rock music and playing rock shows. It's cool when people recognise that we are hopefully benefitting the world of rock by being in the pop world as a rock band. If we're leading a new audience to rock bands, that's awesome."

Michael Clifford, Luke Hemmings, Calum Hood and Ashton Irwin released their self-titled debut earlier this year - and it's an achievement they're proud of as they wanted people to hear material they had been working on for years.

They add: "Releasing the album was a massive milestone. We were all so excited for people to hear what it sounded like so they might understand us a little better. Some of those songs had been in our heads for years." Read more here.






Fall Out Boy Release Creepy American Beauty/American Psycho Video
(Radio.com) Hot on the heels of playing KROQ's Almost Acoustic Christmas, Fall Out Boy are back with a music video for the title track of their upcoming album, American Beauty/American Psycho (out January 20).

The clip, directed by Syndrome, seems to take the title pretty literally, juxtaposing a ballerina and a face-painted child stuck in a room. The look of the video has the damaged film quality, giving a sort of grittiness to images that wouldn't be troubling when presented in a different format, with different lighting.

As a group of men surround the dancer, no lighting or look is needed for things to get worrisome for the young girl. Then things take a turn for the Shyamalan as the young boy coughs up black liquid and the girl faces her aggressors.

Watch the clip to see what happens to the ballerina here.




Marilyn Manson Premieres New Song Deep Six
Marilyn Manson is giving fans a new taste of his forthcoming album, "The Pale Emperor" with the online streaming premiere of the new track "Deep Six".

Manson's new album is scheduled to be released on January 20th in North America and on January 19th in the UK. It will be available is a standard ten track version and a deluxe version with three bonus tracks. Listen to the new track here.

The shock rocker has previously announced that he will be launching The Hell Not Hallelujah Tour in support of the new album. The North American trek is set to kick off on January 21st in Washington, DC. Check out the tour dates here.




Judas Priest Rock Classic Song With Steel Panther
(hennemusic) Judas Priest were joined by openers Steel Panther for their 1980 classic, "Living After Midnight", in Tacoma, Washington during the encore of the final show of the group's fall North American tour.

The November 22 date at the Tacoma Dome wrapped up a 6-week run in support of the band's latest album, "Redeemer Of Souls", as part of the group's 40th anniversary tour.

"A big screaming thank you to our metal maniacs for a killer first leg of the Redeemer of Souls world tour 2014/15 - You all kept the Faith!," says the band. "We are looking forward to seeing the rest of our #priestfamily in 2015."

The project delivered the UK metal legends the first US Top 10 of their career. Check out video of the Steel Panther jam here.




Anthrax Release New Video From The Recording Studio
(Classic Rock) Anthrax have offered a brief hint of a track from their 11th album in a video clip from their studio. The thrash icons last week confirmed they'd started recording the follow-up to 2011's Worship Music. Now they've revealed they're working with producer Jay Ruston on the unnamed project, set for launch via Megaforce Records next year.

Drummer Charlie Benante, bassist Frank Bello, singer Joey Belladonna guitarist Scott Ian and latest recruit, guitarist Jon Donais, have been writing material over the past few months. They plan to complete work by the end of January.

In the clip, Ian says: "We're going to start recording the new Anthrax record for you motherf***ers - right now!" before Benante counts in a song that fades out straight away.




Black Star Riders Streaming The Killer Instinct Title Song
(hennemusic) Thin Lizzy-offshoot Black Star Riders have released the online premiere of the lead single and title track to their forthcoming sophomore album, "The Killer Instinct."

Due February 23, the follow-up to the group's 2013 debut, "All Hell Breaks Loose" was recorded in Nashville with producer Nick Raskulinecz (Rush, The Foo Fighters, Alice In Chains, Mastodon).

"The Killer Instinct" will be available in multiple formats: CD, Limited 2 CDs Digibook with a bonus disc that features 2 extra songs and acoustic versions of 4 tracks from the album, Limited Gatefold Black Vinyl and Limited Gatefold Clear Vinyl (available for mail orders only).

Black Star Riders will launch the album with a co-headline UK and Eire tour with Europe throughout March. Check out the new song here.



Foreigner Premiere New Live Version Of 'I Want To Know What Love Is'
(hennemusic) Foreigner are premiering a new live version of their 1984 classic, "I Want To Know What Love Is", which comes from their forthcoming release "The Best Of Foreigner 4 & More."

Due for release in North America on December 16, the collection features most of "Foreigner 4" as well as some of the band's best-known hits recorded live the Borgata Hotel's Music Box theatre in Atlantic City in October.

"Foreigner 4" spent more weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard charts than any artist in the history of Atlantic Records, including AC/DC, The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin, and went on to sell more than 9 million albums worldwide.

The lead single from "Agent Provocateur", "I Want To Know What Love Is" reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and in at least 6 other countries. Check out the new track here.




Rotting Christ Frontman On Headbanger's Kitchen
(TeamRock Radio) Demonstealer is back with another episode of the excellent Headbanger's Kitchen - with Sakis from Rotting Christ! As any well-nourished metalhead will tell you - cooking is awesome.

Sure, noshing into some greasy kebab on the Friday night bus home is worth its wait in gold at the time, but as Headbanger's Kitchen shows you - decent food is f***ing metal.

Cooking up the ever-so evil Grandis Pilaf Diavolos (aka Chorizo Pulao) this week is the Rotting Christ frontman Sakis Tolis who sits down for an interview in which we learn the meaning behind their deliciously brutal name and the evolution of their sound away from black metal.

Watch the episode here.



Dark Angel's Gene Hoglan Offers Advise To Young Players
(TeamRock Radio) Dark Angel drummer Gene Hoglan has offered some advice for sticksmen looking to make it to the big time. The veteran, who began his career as a roadie for Slayer, has played with Testament, Viking, Devin Townsend, Dethklok and Strapping Young Lad during his career to date.

He reunited with Dark Angel in 2013 and the group are writing music for their first studio release since 1991's Time Does Not Heal. He recorded for Pitch Black Forest's, As the World Burns, and found time to help out his former colleagues in Death by filling in for Sean Reinert on the road.

Hoglan tells BeatIt: "I've been preaching this for years: the most important thing for a young player to do is find guys that you like to hang out with - more so than the best musicians in town. You're going to grow and evolve as a musician and also as a friend."

"Bands do become families. They become teams, and if you've got some really good teammates, really cool family members, everybody's always going to improve as a musician, especially if you're a young dude. Everybody gets better."

He adds: "Say, your guitarist is not the best or your bassist isn't the best in town. But if he's a really cool guy and he's dedicated, that's another thing." Read more here.



Essence Release The Climb Video
(TeamRock Radio) Belgian noiseniks Essence are premiering their new video for The Climb exclusively with Metal Hammer. The song is taken from the metalcore mob's upcoming EP Smoke And Mirrors.

The Climb according to guitarist Maarten Houben is about "about getting over hard times, picking yourself back up again and making 'the climb' towards better things."

"The narrative of the video reflects this, showing the central character of the girl ascending to the top of a hill," he continues. "The song really embodies what Smoke And Mirrors is all about for us. It has a positive message and encourages people to be positive and strong, so we thought it's the perfect song to introduce people to the EP and to Essence."

Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


AC/DC Announce Initial 2015 Tour Dates
(Classic Rock) AC/DC have confirmed three UK and Ireland stadium shows for June and July next year. They'll play Glasgow's Hampden Park on June 28, Dublin's Aviva Stadium on July 1 and London's Wembley Stadium on July 4.

The band launched 17th album Rock Or Bust this month - their first without mainman Malcolm Young, who's been forced to retire as a result of dementia.

AC/DC have been heavily rumored to be headlining the Glastonbury festival next year - and guitarist Angus Young recently light-heartedly said they'd accept an invitation if it was extended. Read more here.



Ozzy Osbourne Accused By Former Guitarist
(Classic Rock) Jake E. Lee says Ozzy Osbourne took all the songwriting credit for the Bark At The Moon album despite the fact he wrote parts of the 1983 record. And he claims manager Sharon Osbourne told him he would have to accept the decision or his guitar sections would be scrapped and re-recorded by another musician, despite the fact he'd previously been told his name would appear on the disc.

He tells Eddie Trunk via Blabbermouth: "Here's the truth. This is really gonna get me in more hot water, but whatever. I'm in hot water and I don't see a way out.

"I was told from the get-go, 'If you write part of the songs you'll get writing credit, you'll get publishing - that's part of your deal.' We recorded the album at Ridge Farm Studios and I kept asking because I'm getting really close to finishing all my stuff on the record. Once I laid down the final track they said, 'We have the contract for you.'

"In it, it said, 'Ozzy Osbourne wrote all the songs. You had nothing to do with any of the writing, you have no claim to publishing, and you cannot say so publicly.'

"I said to Sharon Osbourne, 'This isn't what you told me before. Why do you think I'm going to sign it?' She said, 'Because if you don't, we'll give you a plane ticket, you go back home and you stand in line and you sue us. In the meantime, we have all your tracks, we'll get another guitar player, he'll redo your tracks, and you'll have nothing.'"

And Lee says he didn't challenge the decision as it would have been a legal nightmare. He continues here.




Creedence Clearwater Revival Stars Explain Lawsuit
Creedence Clearwater Revival members Stu Cook and Doug Clifford have released a statement explaining their reasons for filing a lawsuit against their former bandmate John Fogerty.

Cook and Clifford say in the statement, "Because of recent inaccurate statements in the media regarding pending litigation, we want to set the record straight. We have never objected to John Fogerty performing any song he ever wrote, or performing any song recorded by Creedence Clearwater Revival. That idea is ridiculous.

"Even when he refused to play those songs, and publicly called for a boycott of CCR music, we encouraged him to perform them whenever and wherever he wanted.

"The facts are that Mr. Fogerty, while proclaiming joyful rebirth in the press, repeatedly has his lawyers threaten us with lawsuits and demand unreasonable concessions of our rights.

"Last week, the threats and demands left us with little doubt that a lawsuit would be filed by him against us for the second time. This unfortunate situation required us to take unpleasant preemptive legal action. This action is about the need to defend ourselves and rights, Mr. Fogerty's failure to perform contractual promises and unlicensed uses of the trademark 'Creedence Clearwater Revival.'

"The trademark is not owned by him, but by the Creedence Clearwater Revival Partnership. We have a business relationship with him and, under prevailing circumstances, chose not to be bullied."




Saxon Drummer Has Brain Surgery
(Classic Rock) Saxon drummer Nigel Glockler underwent a second operation Thursday to repair a brain aneurysm. He was rushed to hospital in Newcastle on Monday, with the band having to postpone the remaining four dates on their UK tour.

It was discovered he was suffering from bleeding on the brain. His wife Gina gave an update on his condition via the band's official Facebook page Wednesday, saying the first operation was unsuccessful.

She says: "Nigel had surgery today for the brain aneurysm, but unfortunately it was not successful with the first option, so he will be undergoing another operation tomorrow." Read more here.




Rush Launching Hi-Def Audio Reissue Series
(hennemusic) Rush will reissue 14 albums with upgraded high-definition audio in 2015. The band are re-releasing material from their years with Mercury Records in chronological order each month throughout 2015, starting in January with 1975's "Fly By Night" and wrapping up in December with 1989's "A Show Of Hands."

All albums will be reissued on high-quality vinyl with a download card for a Digital Audio version and high resolution Digital Audio releases, while three titles will also be released on Blu-ray Pure Audio.

The 2015 series launches January 27 with "Fly By Night", which will be available in high-quality vinyl with a download code for a 320kbps MP4 vinyl ripped Digital Audio album download; high resolution Digital Audio editions in DSD (2.8mHz), 192khz / 24-bit, 96kHz / 24-bit; and an additional Blu-Ray Pure Audio version with 96kHz / 24-bit 5.1 surround sound and stereo. Read more here.



The Eagles Beat Bon Jovi In Top Rock Earning Chart
(Classic Rock) The Eagles have been named the top-earning rock band of the year, grossing around $100m between June 2013 and June 2014. Income totals were calculated using figures from touring, record sales, publishing, merchandise, endorsements and other ventures. Management, agent and legal fees were not deducted.

Income from their History Of The Eagles tour put them ahead of Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney and the Rolling Stones - although rapper Dr Dre topped the list of all musicians with $620m and pop singer Beyonce came second with $115m.

But the Eagles were the only rock outfit to reach the $100m barrier in a year which industry analysts Forbes say has seen the continuing rise of dance and pop music."

Forbes report: "The History Of The Eagles tour helped the ageless rockers earn more than Lady Gaga, Kanye West and Miley Cyrus combined." Read more and see the top rock earners list here.




Sex Pistols Frontman Says Simon Cowell Is 'Our Worst Enemy'
(Classic Rock) John Lydon has branded the X Factor a "cruel" show that churns out "cruise ship" acts. The Sex Pistols frontman was promoting his new autobiography Anger Is An Energy at an event at Oxford University when he took aim the reality TV show and its creator Simon Cowell.

According to the NME, Lydon said: "Simon Cowell, that's our worst enemy. I don't think people on the show are that awful, it becomes awful when they become trained into that cruise ship show band mentality, and that's the poison of it.

"He has got us all on his big cruise ship lollipop, and I ain't licking his lollipop.," Lydon said. "It's really bad, all of those shows." Read the rest of his comments here.




Stevie Ray Vaughan Tops Rock Hall Fan Vote
(Classic Rock) Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble have convincingly topped the public poll for induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame for the class of 2015.

The late blues icon drew over 18 million votes, nearly a third of the total, and put him ahead of Nine Inch Nails, Joan Jett, Bill Withers, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Lou Reed and others.

The result means Vaughan will have an additional "fans' ballot" vote in his favour as the Rock Hall's panel of industry experts choose between 15 nominees.

While it's not a guaranteed result, previous fan vote winners Kiss and Rush were both given the honor. Read more and see the vote results here.




Geoff Tate's Operation: Mindcrime Doesn't Include Sarzo
(Classic Rock) Robert Sarzo says he is not a part of Geoff Tate's post-Queensryche band - but insists there has been no falling out. The guitarist was part of Tate's version of Queensryche while there were two bands of that name in operation due to a complicated legal wrangle.

Tate was ordered to stop using the name earlier this year and he recently announced his band would be called Operation: Mindcrime - after the Queensryche albums of the same name to which he was granted sole rights in the legal settlement.

But Sarzo will not take part in the new project, saying his contract with Tate came to an end and that he is working on other endeavours.

Sarzo tells LA Rocks: "The reason that I was brought into Queensryche with Geoff Tate was to do the 25th anniversary of Operation: Mindcrime and also to do the greatest hits and we did the farewell tour. And I did it - every show; I never missed one.

"Nobody quit, nobody got fired. I was a member of that version of Queensryche and it ended. It was fun hanging out with Geoff, Kelly, Randy and my brother Rudy on tour." Read more here.




Morbid Angel Working On New Album
(TeamRock Radio) Morbid Angel will begin writing their ninth album next year, according to frontman David Vincent. It will be the follow-up to 2011's Illud Divinum Insanus - and Vincent says he has no set direction for their new material and is happy to see where the writing process takes them.

He tells Planet Mosh TV: "It's time to write. Whatever it ends up being is whatever it ends up being. I don't think about anything when I'm creating. It comes and that's what happens."

Their last album was Vincent's first with the band since 2005's Domination and wasn't well received by some fans when it launched three years ago. But the singer says he was happy with the finished product and credits guitarist Trey Azagthoth for the record's sound." Read more here.





Korn Frontman Reflects On Painful Beginning
(TeamRock Radio) Korn frontman Jonathan Davis has recalled the trials he endured while working on the band's debut album with producer Ross Robinson. And while he agrees that the deskman brought out the best in his performance, he still can't forget the turmoil that surrounded the sessions.

The 1994 title was recorded with a budget of just $14,000 - but it propelled the band to the big-time and remains an influential work 20 years later. Davis tells Rolling Stone: "I never felt like I was a metal dude to begin with. My favourite band was Duran Duran - I was a child of the 80s and I loved more of the gothic and romantic sh*t.

"I had to quit my job where I was making real money as a mortician, and had my own house, to having nothing - working at a pizza place and living under some stairs."

He remembers spending much of the time drunk and on meth, adding: "I was 23, I think. That's when you're Superman, when that sh*t doesn't affect you. I got sober when I was 28, around when I started getting the bad hangovers and could do that sh*t any more or I was going to die." Read more here.




Steve Hackett Reveals More New Album Details
(Classic Rock) Steve Hackett has revealed more details on his next solo album, Wolflight. The 10-track record launches in Europe on March 30 and is his first solo studio outing since 2011's Beyond The Shrouded Horizon. To mark the announcement, he's issued a short video message. View it below.

Hackett says about the album: "My new rock album Wolflight is at the ready and lying in wait. It reflects everybody's struggle for freedom on a journey travelling through both inner and outer space.

"It explores sounds from as far afield as Greece, Azerbaijan, the deep American South, Sahara desert and beyond - from all our yesterdays, evoking the ancient past."

Guest musicians on the album include Roger King, Gary O'Toole, Nick Beggs, Rob Townsend, Amanda Lehmann, Malik Mansurov and Sara Kovaks. Yes bassist Chris Squire appears on the track Love Song To A Vampire, while Hugo Dagenhardt is behind the kit for Dust And Dreams.

More details here.




Mother Of Murdered Goth Accepts Royal Honor
(Classic Rock) The mother of murdered goth Sophie Lancaster has been presented with an Order Of The British Empire honour by Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace.

Sylvia Lancaster set up a charitable foundation in her daughter's memory after Sophie was beaten to death in 2007. The 20-year-old sustained fatal injuries while trying to protect boyfriend Robert Maltby, who survived the assault. The pair had been attacked because they were wearing goth-style clothing.

The Sophie Lancaster Foundation aims to tackle hate crimes by educating people about subcultures and spreading a message of tolerance. Sylvia, who was told she'd receive the honour earlier this year, tells ITV: "Prince Charles talked about Sophie and about gang culture. I'm sure she would be proud. It's not just about the work that we do - it's a validation of alternative subcultures as well." Read more here.



The Neal Morse Band Reveal New Album Details
(TeamRock Radio) The Neal Morse Band have released more details about their upcoming album The Grand Experiment. It launches on February 16 via InsideOut and along with a standard CD release it will also be issued as a 2CD and DVD special edition Digipak.

The second disc features previously unreleased live and studio tracks while the DVD contains a 'Making Of' documentary. The recording will also be released on 180g vinyl which comes with the double CD and DVD.

Earlier this month, mainman Morse said he, Mike Portnoy, Randy George, Eric Gillette and Bikll Hubauer, began studio sessions without any material written in advance.

He said: "I wanted to see what it would be like to create freely in the room with no preconceived notions. It was quite a risk." Read more here.




George Lynch Frustrated By Singers
(Classic Rock) Lynch Mob mainman George Lynch says he has given up trying to understand the needs of singers. The band recently reunited with off-again, on-again frontman Oni Logan after a bout of what Lynch describes as lead singer's disease (LSD).

And after years of frustrations in regards to vocalists, Lynch says he's happy to work with whoever is interested, without trying to analyse them. Lynch tells The Classic Metal Show: "Lead singers - go figure. I don't know. I'm kind of done trying to figure it out, psychoanalyse the LSD syndrome.

"I've loved Oni's voice and I've loved his lyrics and I love things about him, things that he does, but again, I've been frustrated my whole life with singers in general. And I just got to the point now where I just kind of let it go.

"I'm not trying to control the universe. I just do what I do. If people wanna work with me, they work with me. If not, I try to do the right thing. I treat everybody fairly." Read more here.




Black Tusk Announce Tour With Black Label Society
(TeamRock Radio) Black Tusk have announced they will join Black Label Society on their 2015 European tour. The US rockers were dealt a painful blow last month when bassist Jonathan Athon died from injuries sustained in a motorcycle crash.

But they say they intend to carry on and will hit Europe next year, with eight UK dates included. Niche's Corey Barhorst will be on bass duties for the tour.

In a statement, Black Tusk say: "It's been an incredibly trying time for us over the past month and we want to thank everyone for their support. We had confirmed the tour with Black Label Society and finished the new album before Athon's accident and Athon, specifically, had been very excited about the opportunity to tour with BLS and we feel there's no way he'd want things to end on this note." Read more here.






New Star Wars Characters Revealed In Collectable Way
(Radio.com) Time to dust off that giant binder with those baseball cards because you're going to need those open slots for characters from Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

In a totally old-school move, director J.J. Abrams and Lucasfilm's Kathleen Kennedy have unveiled the names of the new batch of characters by printing them on limited-edition Tops collectible cards, the same way Lucas did it in 1977.

Nearly forty years ago, Tops-style released five rounds of cards around the first trilogy, with each complete set a different color, red and blue being the first to roll out. According to Entertainment Weekly, Abrams and Kennedy have created two new sets of cards, red and blue, thereby revealing the names of the new characters featured in The Force Awakens teaser trailer.

Now we no longer have to refer to the little robot as "the little marble guy" or hooded scavenger as "the dude with the light saber cross thingy." See the cards that will hit the market first here.




Aerosmith's Joe Perry Releases 'Run Run Rudolph' Video
(Radio.com) Joe Perry's video for "Run Run Rudolph" comes right in the sweet spot of Christmas song season. Covering Chuck Berry's classic, the Aerosmith guitarist takes lead on this one, along with the rest of a festive EP, Joe Perry's Merry Christmas, which is available now. The track also boasts actor Johnny Depp on rhythm guitar.

Other holiday favorites found on the release, which was recorded in a span of three weeks when Perry found himself "living down the street from a studio" (via Billboard), are "Santa Claus is Back in Town" and instrumental renditions of traditional numbers "Silent Night" and "White Christmas."

The video captures the magic of children on Christmas morning, getting presents and checking their lists and the like. Watch the clip above, directed by The Enclave Hollywood.





Slipknot's Clown Explains The Devil In I Video Concept
(TeamRock Radio) Directed by Clown, Slipknot's video for "The Devil In I", first official promo clip from new album .5: The Gray Chapter, got a lot of fans talking due to its violent nature and depiction of death. Here we find out why.

Talking exclusively on Slipknot's YouTube channel, Shawn Crahan reveals the idea behind The Devil In I is to become one with your past devils then to do away with them.

As such the various members of Slipknot are killed in different but significant ways - Sid Wilson eats his own hands and fingers so he can no longer DJ, Chris Fehn (who has a genuine fear of birds) chose to be eaten alive by crows and Corey Taylor chose to have his head explode.

Find out why these decisions were made and more in the video here.




AC/DC Release Rock Or Bust Video Shoot Footage
(hennemusic) AC/DC are sharing behind the scenes footage from the video shoot for the title track to their new album, "Rock Or Bust." Filming took place at Black Island Studios in Middlesex in early October, with fans arriving from all over the world to be a part of the video.

"Seeing all the fans again," says singer Brian Johnson, "all the superfans, who have been so faithful over the last 40 years… it was a touching moment because Malcolm [Young] not being there….and they set off a roar for Malcolm that touched us, y'know."

Malcolm Young retired from AC/DC earlier this year following health issues related to a diagnosis of dementia. The group brought in Malcolm and Angus Young's nephew, Stevie, for their first album in six years.

Drummer Phil Rudd was not on site for the filming; headlines would later see Rudd arrested by New Zealand police on multiple charges stemming from an alleged incident the week before the London shoot.

AC/DC brought in Bob Richards (Shogun, Adrian Smith Band) to handle drum duties in Rudd's place. Check out the footage here.



Foreigner Premiere New Version of 'Urgent'
(hennemusic) Foreigner are premiering a new live version of their 1981 classic, "Urgent", from "The Best Of Foreigner 4 & More." Due for release in North America on December 16, the collection features most of "Foreigner 4" as well as some of the band's best-known hits recorded live the Borgata Hotel's Music Box theatre in Atlantic City in October.

"4" spent more weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard charts than any artist in the history of Atlantic Records, including AC/DC, The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin, and went on to sell more than 9 million albums worldwide.

The lead single from "4", "Urgent", reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and hit No. 1 on the Billboard Rock Tracks chart. Check out the tracklisting and the new version of the song here.




Steven Tyler Performs Aerosmith's Dream On At Rehab
(hennemusic) Steven Tyler performed the Aerosmith classic, "Dream On", during a recent visit to the Recovery Unplugged Drug Treatment Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and video of the performance had been posted online.

Tyler teamed up with Recovery Unplugged Creative Director - and original Aerosmith rhythm guitarist - Richie Supa to perform songs for clients at the facility.

Tyler reportedly took photos with staff and clients following a presentation that saw the singer and Supa tell stories from their 40-plus years of shared history and friendship.

"Today was one of the best days of my life because at Recovery, I saw God here," explains Tyler. "I saw a bunch of kids that are going to take this program seriously because of Richie Supa."

"This was very, very special for me," he added, "because in recovery, the only way to keep it is to give it away and today was just as beautiful as beautiful gets."

The pair of rockers also performed Aerosmith's 1993 smash, "Amazing", which the two co-wrote. Check out video here.




KISS Star Paul Stanley Appears On The Queen Latifah Show
(hennemusic) KISS frontman Paul Stanley was a featured guest on The Queen Latifah Show on Thursday. On hand to promote his memoir, "Face The Music: A Life Exposed", Stanley and the host discussed a variety of topics, including parenting, lifestyle choices and a turning point in the singer's career path.

Published in April 8, the 432-page memoir chronicles Stanley's life and rise to global success with KISS, which he co-founded in January of 1973 with bassist Gene Simmons from the ashes of the pair's previous band, Wicked Lester.

The book debuted at No. 2 on the New York Times "Hardcover Nonfiction" best sellers list upon its release. Two days after the book was published, Stanley and the original lineup of KISS were inducted into the 2014 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame at a ceremony in New York, alongside Nirvana, Peter Gabriel, Hall and Oates, Cat Stevens, Linda Ronstadt, and The E Street Band.




Christopher Lee Releases New Metal Christmas Song
(Radio.com) The 92-year-old wonder Christopher Lee just keeps going when it comes to his heavy metal hobby, particularly around the holidays. After a slew of previous holiday-themed singles set in the heavy metal vein, the actor and occasional singer's offering for 2014 is now here.

In a video that also calls back to his earlier Christmas tracks, Lee debuts "Darkest Carols, Faithful Sing," a redoing of the classic holiday/religious track "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing." Over a pummeling guitar riff, Lee alters the lyrics of the original, replacing them with metal-worthy wording.

"Christ, I like those heavy chords/ Christ, I want to hear some more," he sings in his Dracula-like delivery, preaching "glory to the metal kings."

Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Megadeth Supergroup Foiled By Dr. Phil
TV's Dr. Phil apparently prevented the live debut of the new supergroup featuring former Megadeth members Nick Menza, Chris Poland and James LoMenzo earlier this week.

The new unnamed group was scheduled to perform on the web video series Inside Metal on Tuesday (December 9th) but the performance was allegedly prevented by Dr. Phil who was filming in the next studio.

Nick Menza offered this apology on his here page, "To everybody that called or tuned in to the Inside Metal show on Tuesday. I'd like to apologize for the unfortunate circumstances that foiled our plans to perform the live jam session we promised. You could thank Dr. Phil, yea Dr. Phil, that guy who has that TV show where he invites guests to confront their problems, YAWN!!!"

He explains, "Apparently Dr. Phil was filming in the studio next us. The Dr. Phil producer, crew and Mr. Phil got wind we we're setting up to jam and asked if we not perform."

They did however sit down for an interview where they discussed the new project with host Bob Nalbandian. Watch that here.




Billy Corgan Slams Pearl Jam and Foo Fighters
(Classic Rock) Billy Corgan says he is amazed at the high profile Pearl Jam have maintained and described them as derivative and he also takes aim at Dave Grohl's Foo Fighters, accusing them of not evolving as musicians.

The Smashing Pumpkins frontman says Eddie Vedder's band "don't have the songs" to compete with his own work. On Pearl Jam's continued success, Corgan tells Howard Stern: "It's a mystery to me, because I just don't get it. They don't have the songs. People will take that the wrong way but speaking competitively, they are my competitors and I have to say who am I competing against and why."

Corgan praises Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain's legacy and says his songs will "stand the test of time," but he isn't as complimentary about Grohl. He says: "Dave is a great musician, a great songwriter and has done the work but to me, my criticism of the Foo Fighters, if I'm being a music critic, is that they just haven't evolved and that's sort of the recent wrap on them is, you know, making the same music.

"Obviously, I've put my whole life on the line for making different types music as I've gone along. I know it's not for everybody. Listen, Dave's getting it done so it's like, if you want to be competitive, my philosophy against his, he's the one winning."

Read more and stream the interview here.




Metallica 'Blueprinting' New Music
Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo gave an update on the songwriting progress the band is making for their next studio album. He gave the details during an interview with Rock Cellar Magazine about his new Jaco Pastorius film.

Trujillo was asked how the new songs were sounding and he replied, "We're just blueprinting everything right now. There are a lot of ideas, a lot of song bodies, you gotta go through the process. For me personally I'm really excited about what we've been able to jam out.

"I don't like to make predictions, but I'd like to think - at least for me - that I'm really happy with what's happening instrumentally. So let's see how that journey continues.

"Writing a Metallica song is a journey and a process, and it takes time. But that's what's special about it. Metallica likes to nurture a song, nurture an arrangement."

Read the full interview here.




AC/DC Land At No. 3 With Rock Or Bust
(hennemusic) AC/DC have debuted at No. 3 on the US Billboard 200 album chart with "Rock Or Bust." The US chart news follows a No. 1 debut for the project in Australia and a No. 3 start in the UK.

Billboard reports the band sold 174,00 copies of the new album during its opening week to land in the third spot behind Pentatonix ("That's Christmas To Me") and Taylor Swift ("1989").

"Rock Or Bust" is AC/DC's ninth US top 10; their previous release - 2008's "Black Ice" - delivered the group its first US No. 1 with first week sales of 784,000. Read more here.





Slipknot Star Compares Moshing To Bullying
(TeamRock Radio) Slipknot's Chris Fehn says moshing has become a form of bullying. The percussionist believes selfish fans are ruining the experience for others and turning the moshpit into an intimidating place - when it should create an inclusive atmosphere.

Fehn tells Music Review: "I think, especially in America, moshing has turned into a form of bullying. The big guy stands in the middle and just trucks any small kid that comes near him. They don't mosh properly anymore.

"It sucks because that's not what it's about. Those guys need to be kicked out. A proper mosh pit is a great way to be as a group and dance, and just do your thing."

Fehn adds that he is a fan of the current vinyl revival and says he feels the format brings listeners closer to the music. Read more here.





Ritchie Blackmore Wants To Rock Again Says Rainbow Frontman
(Classic Rock) Joe Lynn Turner claims former bandmate Ritchie Blackmore wants to return to rock music - and says the guitarist deserves the acclaim that's waiting for him if he does.

Blackmore has immersed himself in folk rock since quitting Deep Purple mid-tour in 1993, then splitting Rainbow four years later. His band Blackmore's Night released their ninth album in 2013.

The singer tells Rockin' Metal Revival: "I've been in touch with Ritchie's camp. Hopefully we'll get something a little bit further in the talks in December. Now is the time - 2015. Everybody's sitting there waiting for this to happen."

Turner reports he's had positive reactions from industry bodies including Live Nation and Universal Music Group and adds: "All we need is the nod from Richie to say, 'I'm ready to of it.'"

He continues: "I know he's got a trigger finger itchy to play some rock. Then he can go back to Blackmore's Night. He's different guy than he was but at the same time he's still Ritchie Blackmore and he needs to do this." Read more and check out a stream of the full interview here.





Korn Frontman Gets Personal Over Son's Disease
(TeamRock Radio) Korn frontman Jonathan Davis has made an emotional appeal on behalf of a diabetes charity. The singer's youngest son Zeppelin has Type 1 diabetes and needs daily injections of insulin and to test his blood sugar levels multiple times every day.

Davis penned new song So Unfair about his son's struggle with the condition. All proceeds will go to the American charity JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation), which is working to find a cure for the condition.

Zeppelin, who is six, displayed symptoms including extreme tiredness and lethargy before doctors discovered high blood glucose levels which indicated Type 1 diabetes.

Davis says: "Zeppy has had Type 1 diabetes for now a over a year. It's a battle for the parents, it's a battle for him, it's a battle for everybody. I have to constantly monitor his glucose, I have to constantly hurt him and stick him with needles, and he doesn't understand.

"It's a horrible disease and I really wanna do whatever I can do to make a difference to help find a cure for this. Because it just doesn't affect my son. I feel for everyone who has this disease. It's not fair at all. And so I started writing this song, So Unfair, about it.

"Because you're asking a child not to eat candy. I've gotta watch his carbs, I've gotta watch the sugar count, I've gotta watch everything. And how do you tell a child, 'You can't eat this. You can't do this. You can't do that.' Read more here.





Judas Priest Expanding Defenders Of The Faith For 30th Anniversary
(hennemusic) Judas Priest have announced that they will release an expanded 30th anniversary edition of their 1984 album, "Defenders Of The Faith", on March 9 (March 10 in North America).

The 3CD package will include the original album, fully remastered and a complete live recording from the 'Defenders' tour, recorded at the Long Beach Arena in California on May 5, 1984.

The original album went platinum in the US with sales of more than 1 million and featured the singles "Freewheel Burning", "Some Heads Are Gonna Roll" and "Love Bites."

"It's 30 years since we released 'Defenders of the Faith'," says the band. "We're very proud to say it has become a classic that's beloved by Priest fans throughout the world" Read more including the tracklisting here.





Superjoint Ritual and Mastodon Added To Hellfest
(Classic Rock) Superjoint Ritual and Mastodon are among the second batch of acts to be added to next year's Hellfest bill. As the French festival confirms its weekend tickets have sold out, Phil Anselmo's Superjoint Ritual have confirmed their recent reunion will continue with an appearance in Clisson on the weekend of 19, 20 and 21 June.

A Day To Remember, Epica, Butcher Babies, Haken, Peter And The Test Tube Babies and Snot are also among the second batch of bands to be confirmed.

Organisers say: "It is with great excitement that we announce that the Hellfest three-day passes have already sold out. It's the first time in the festival's history that this is happened." Read more here.





Pink Floyd Star Takes Part In The Paddington Trail
(hennemusic) Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason is among the celebrities participating in The Paddington Trail this fall as a fundraiser for two children's charities in the UK.

Mason and others - including David Beckham, Emma Watson and Stephen Fry - have designed versions of the classic children's character Paddington Bear, now on display around London.

Mason's design uses Pink Floyd's 1975 album, "Wish You Were Here", as its inspiration (with his suitcase having various backstage passes affixed) and can be found at the O2 Arena.

The bears form The Paddington Trail, a fundraising effort to benefit the NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children) and children's charity Action Medical Research, for whom Paddington Bear has been the official mascot for over 35 years. Read more here.





10cc To Play Classic Album On Upcoming Tour
(Classic Rock) 10cc will perform their classic album Sheet Music on a widespread UK tour next year. The art-pop pioneers hit the road for 16 dates in February before a shorter run of three shows in May.

Sheet Music was released in 1974 and has been hailed as their best work by bassist Graham Gouldman and founding member Kevin Godley. Godley will contribute visuals to the upcoming tour, which kicks off in Reading on February 5 and celebrates the album's 40th anniversary. They will perform the record in its entirety before a second set of 10cc classics.

Led by 10cc co-founder Gouldman, the current line-up has been together for over a decade. Gouldman says: "Year on year we get busier and visit more countries. It's great, we love touring and playing together and the audiences these days are very gratifying. You get the people you would expect, who grew up with 10cc, but you also get young kids who know the songs too."

Read more and see the tour dates here.





Judas Priest Legend Launches Metal Fragrance Line
(hennemusic) Original Judas Priest guitarist K. K. Downing has announced the launch of his own fragrance line, Metal For Men, which he says are aimed at rock and metal fans.

"I thought it was about time that there were some quality products available for rock and metal fans," explains Downing. "The fragrances are extremely high quality and I am sure that you will enjoy them."

With the Metal For Men slogan, "Be Metal. Be Men.", Downing says the new line includes products for both men and women (Metal pour Femme). Read more here.




Electric Wizard Announce One-Off Show
(Classic Rock) Electric Wizard have confirmed a one-off show at the Roundhouse in London on May 15 next year. They're continuing to support eighth album Time To Die, launched via Spinefarm Records in September, which gave them the highest chart placings in their career.

They plan to release a single entitled Lucifer's Slaves ahead of the London show, complete with artwork designed by the band themselves, and additional unreleased material. They're also preparing to announce their first US tour in 12 years.

Mainman Jus Oborn recently told TeamRock: "You get to a certain age and you think, 'What am I going to do? Am I going to do sh*tty jobs and do the band part-time?' It's got be one or the other." Read more here.





Gamma Ray Announce Career-Spanning Retrospect
(Classic Rock) Gamma Ray have confirm they are to release a career-spanning compilation early in the new year. It includes tracks from the band's debut Heading For Tomorrow through to their latest effort Empire Of The Undead.

The Best Of Gamma Ray will be issued via earMusic on January 30 in a standard 2CD edition, as well as a 4LP version and a limited 2CD package with leather-style packaging.

All 25 tracks have been re-mastered by Eike Freese and the liner notes have been written by guitarist Kai Hansen. They also plan more releases for next year. Read more and see the cover art here.





Bonafide Releasing New Album Early Next Year
(Classic Rock) Bonafide have revealed their fifth album will be released in February. The Swedish rockers will issue Denim Devils on February 2 via Off Yer Rocka Recordings ahead of a summer European tour.

The follow-up to 2013's Bombo was recorded in bassist Martin Ekelund's own studio Lemon Recordings in Klippan, Sweden. Frontman Pontus Snibb says:

"This record has a tougher live vibe and sound than the previous one, as it was recorded almost live in the studio. We wanted to get as close to a live show as possible, to capture that magic that happens on stage when everything's coming together."

Read more here.




Onslaught Knew Within Seconds That Hiring Neil Turbin Was A Mistake
(Classic Rock) Onslaught's Nige Rockett says he knew within seconds that they'd made a mistake in hiring Neil Turbin. The thrash veterans hired the former Anthrax frontman to fill in for Sy Keeler on their US tour when Keeler took time off to deal with personal issues.

But Onslaught and Turbin had an angry parting of the ways with two shows still to go on the US jaunt. Turbin insisted he quit, while the band said he had been sacked.

Now guitarist Rockett says he knew the appointment was a mistake 30 seconds into their first gig together. Rockett tells Jimmy Cabbs: "Thirty seconds into the first song in New York, we all looked at each other and it was, like, 'For f*** sake, man.'

"And it was just a disaster, the whole show. It was being filmed. And it was sold out. We could have sold the show out twice last time, and it was just, like, 'Wow, you killed it, man.'" Read more here.




Former Sound Of Contact Star Dave Kerzner Releases Solo Debut
(TeamRock Radio) Former Sound Of Contact man Dave Kerzner has released his debut solo album New World. The double-length included guest appearances from Steve Hackett, Francis Dunnery, Keith Emerson, Nick D'Virgilio, Simon Phillips, Billy Sherwood, David Longdon, Heather Findlay, Durga McBroom, Colin Edwin and others.

New World is available now on iTunes, Amazon and other digital sites, while a CD edition will follow later this month via www.davekerzner.com and other distributors to be confirmed next month.

In the current edition of Prog, out now, Kerzner says: "My general thing is to be eclectic. You'll hear all sorts of stuff: Genesis, Queen, King Crimson, Beatles. I like to think in a way that serves the song, having one foot in nostalgia, one in the modern world." Read more here.




HIM Freshen Up Older Releases For Reissue
(TeamRock Radio) HIM frontman Ville Valo says the band decided to remaster a selection of their older releases as they wanted to freshen up their sound. The Finnish rockers have just released Lashes To Ashes, Lust To Dust: A Vinyl Retrospective '96-'03.

It features their first four albums: Greatest Love Songs Vol. 666, Razorblade Romance, Deep Shadows And Brilliant Highlights and Love Metal, along with their debut EP 666 Ways To Love: Prologue.

And Valo says while he was happy with the original albums, remastering them gave the band the opportunity to bring their sound up to date. He tells Artisan News: "I don't think there's anything wrong with the albums but the EP was done in 1996, the first album was in 1997, and it was 1999 when we recorded Razorblade Romance.

"That was a long time ago, and that was when the 'loudness wars' started, so people started to master everything so loud that rock albums started lacking dynamics. The best example was Death Magnetic by Metallica. It's terribly loud but it's probably what they went for, and it does sound aggressive, but at least in my ears it wears them out easy." Read more here.




Arjen Lucassen Plans More Shows With Anneke Van Gierbergen
(Prog) Arjen Lucassen has confirmed he'll play more acoustic shows than originally planned with Anneke Van Gierbergen. The notoriously private Lucassen recently completed work on The Diary, a collaborative album with Van Giersbergen under the name The Gentle Storm. But he'll only play one show with the band - their first, on March 26 in Amsterdam.

He says: "don't ask me how she did it, but somehow Anneke managed to convince this total recluse to join her as a special guest for some acoustic shows in February.

"If anyone else had asked I'd have turned them down flat - but to share the stage with Anneke is something I simply couldn't refuse. I'm slightly nervous, of course - but strangely excited at the same time. Hope to see you there." Read more here.




Blues Pills Launching UK Headline Tour
(Classic Rock) Blues Pills have confirmed a headline UK tour for April next year. It follows their debut headline run last month, and their current support slots on Rival Sons' sold-out trek.

The American-Swedish-French quartet launched their self-titled debut album in July via Nuclear Blast. They described it as "ten songs filled with feelings of love and hate, joy and sadness, relaxation and frustration, all balancing together to form a whole picture."

Elin Larsson and co say of the upcoming tour supporting the album: "We can't get enough of the UK so we're coming back for another tour. See you there!"

Check out the dates and a video here.







Van Halen Frontman David Lee Roth Releases Christmas Song
(hennemusic) David Lee Roth has released a new song for the season, "Happy Holidays." The Van Halen frontman delievers a fast-paced acoustic folk tune complete with harmonica and manages to name-drop Santa, Elvis and Oprah along the way.

"Happy Holidays from Diamond Dave's Tiki Bunker ..." says Roth. Earlier this year, the singer revealed that he had been working on a secret Van Halen project.

"Doing some catching up here, a little bit of a scrapbook," explained Roth. "We've been doing a lot of travelling. [I've been] working on a great Van Halen project - can't announce anything … or I'd have to come find you and swear you to secrecy."

At press time, there remains no official word from the Van Halen camp regarding an update on new music or further details about the project Roth referred to earlier this year. Check out the song here.



Canadian Prime Minister Rocks Guns N' Roses Classic
(hennemusic) Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper performed the Guns N' Roses classic, "Sweet Child O' Mine", at the Conservative Party of Canada's annual Christmas party in Ottawa Tuesday night.

Sun News Network reports the tune was one of several played by Harper and his band, the Van Cats, in a 7-song set that included tracks by Johnny Cash, John Denver and The Beatles.

The third single from 1987's "Appetite For Destruction", "Sweet Child O' Mine" delivered Guns N' Roses their first and only No. 1 hit on the US Billboard Hot 100. Check out video of Harper's performance here.




Ian Reflects On Rough Road For Anthrax
(Classic Rock) Anthrax mainman Scott Ian says the band won't ever be derailed by line-up changes or lack of record company support. The guitarist says the band's destiny is in their own hands and that they will decide when to call it a day - no matter what is going on behind the scenes.

Anthrax have survived a number of line-up changes, lawsuits and a difficult experience with their former label Elektra to find themselves once again as relevant an act as they were in their early days.

The band accused Elektra of not doing enough to support 1995 album Stomp 442 and they parted company soon after it release. Ian tells Hangar 19 (via Blabbermouth): "Nobody can take away what we're doing. The only way Anthrax ever stops is if we decide it stops. In the 90s, the business changed and things started to go awry for us, like at Elektra and then after that, all the way up to 2010.

"And it's not like people were out there trying to get rid of Anthrax, but it's just the business became a place where it was hard for a band like us to survive.

"And you know what, we just put our heads down and we said, 'Look, we were doing this before we were anything. Before we had a record deal, we were a working band, and that's all we did.'

"And we put our heads down and we just went to work. And we just continued touring and we wrote songs and we made records and we just continued doing what we were doing. The strength of people all around the world who dig what we do, and who enable us to do what we do - our fans - they kept us alive all those years until suddenly in 2010, there was a little shift and things started to change again." Read more here.




Steven Van Zandt and Jimmy Fallon Duet Frank Sinatra Classic
(Radio.com) Hours after Bob Dylan announced an album of "uncovers" of Frank Sinatra songs, E Street Band guitarist Steven Van Zandt joined Jimmy Fallon on NBC's Tonight Show to duet on a Sinatra classic.

The pair, backed by the Roots, performed "My Kind of Town" last night. The reason: Van Zandt covers the song, in character, on his Netflix series Lilyhammer, and it is now available as a digital single from Van Zandt's record label, Wicked Cool Records. Additionally, Van Zandt has curated Lilyhammer: The Score, a three-volume digital boxset of music that Van Zandt scored for the film.

Van Zandt is not only Lilyhammer's star and music supervisor, he also scored part of the first season and all of seasons two and three of the series--which explains why he missed much of Bruce Springsteen's recent tours (also, Lilyhammer films in Norway). Although Springsteen did give Van Zandt the mic to open the show on April 29, 2013, with a rendition of "My Kind of Town."






No Sinner Giving Away Christmas Song
(Classic Rock) No Sinner have offered a free download of seasonal track Baby Please Come Home. It's part of a 43-track playlist available free of charge to Amazon Prime users, with contributions from a range of artists across many genres.

The Canadian trio were nominated in the Best New Band category at this year's Classic Rock Roll Of Honour awards, following the release of acclaimed debut album Boo Hoo Hoo last year.

Frontwoman Colleen Rennison has been referred to as "the new Janis Joplin." She responded to the comparison by saying: "I want to bridge the gap between class and trash. I love the idea of these women who lived in a man's world on the road."

Stream the track and grab the download link here.




Jonny Greenwood Revamps Radiohead 'Spooks' For 'Inherent Vice'
(Radio.com) One of the biggest draws of the upcoming oddball ensemble movie Inherent Vice, set in the 1970s and based on the Thomas Pynchon novel of the same name, is the music. Aside from the fact that folk harpist Joanna Newsom is the film's narrator, its soundtrack was composed by Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood.

Today brings the first listen to the soundtrack, in the form of a two-and-a-half-minute spacey blues jam featuring narration by Newsom straight out of the script and instrumental work by Supergrass members Gaz Coombes and Danny Goffey.

The crew captures the feel of the time in their atmospheric track with softly wailing guitar riffs, sparse percussion and building basslines. It sounds exactly like the kind of record the story's protagonist--stoner-detective Doc Sportello, played by Joaquin Phoenix--would put on. The song was originally revealed in 2006 as a non-album track from Radiohead. Listen here.




Sworn Amongst Premiere New Song Kolin Nem
(TeamRock Radio) Midland metallers Sworn Amongst have unveiled the new lyric video for their song Kolin Nem, which is taken from the upcoming album Under A Titan Sky.

Kolin Nem is the first official single from the band's upcoming third full-length and is a politically, emotionally and socially charged piece of punishment.

Their forthcoming LP Under A Titan Sky is slated for a 2015 release via the band's new label Concept Sweden Records, no doubt with a tour to follow. Watch the video here.




Singled Out: Kingnaldo's Hollywood Blow
Today King of Kingnaldo who released their latest EP "Memorandum" tell us about their single "Hollywood Blow". Kingnaldo is a recording artist, musician, producer & engineer from Las Marias, Puerto Rico currently residing in Yorkville, Ga and Las Marias, Puerto Rico. His music is a mix of old and new rock. Here's is the story:

I spend about a little more than 2 years working as a damn extra in Hollywood movies in Atlanta, GA. What they called background artist, which is bull sh*t, cause you are just a damn extra, there is nothing artistic about it. So I'm the kind of person that likes to observe others behavior and study them. So by observing the behavior of the extras "their fantasy and mediocre hopes", the people that work in the productions "thinking they are the big sh*t, the superiors", and the f***ing famous Hollywood Elite stinky rich untalented MF… "thinking that they are some type of a God, or some type of a superior kind; you can't look at them, you can't touch them.. These people making a ton of money per day, while homeless hungry people from the city are surrounding the movie sets". And of course there are some exemptions but talking about the majority. All that kind of sh*t did blow me away, cause you don't believe it till you lived it, and honestly I never gave a sh*t, and most of the time didn't follow the rules on the sets, sometimes getting in trouble, cause they want you to behave like a kindergarten. So f*** that… Got tired, and never came back again, but I remember that in one of those sets I wrote a note, a title called Hollywood Blow…

Meanwhile I traveled to Los Angeles, CA. Hollywood area, to begin recording MEMORANDUM with Doug Grean, Producer that had worked with Scott Weiland, STP, Velvet Revolver, Slash, Crystal Method, among others… We were staying in Beverly Hills with Hollywood Elite neighbors, and later we stayed by Hollywood Blvd. very close from the Chinese theater… for about 3 weeks total. I remember reading a sticker that was on a drum in one of the studios that said "Hollywood Is Pretend". And that was it, cause that's how the mentality is, they are mentally ill, not just for those ignorant in Hollywood, but for the rest of the world. That's how powerful Hollywood has become, that a child from the states will have the same dreams, as a child from a third world country. They all want to be famous, they all want to be part of this Hollywood massive extreme media empire… "become a famous football player, or be the next Clint Eastwood, or the next super rock pop star"… Those are lies, the false hopes, the self destructive dream that the Hollywood Elite give to the world… And they are all mentally ill, and depressed. So by observing all that sh*t, for all that time, monster song Hollywood Blow was born. I remember writing the first verse "She is the inspiration, The exploitation of the World, She is the educator, The sensation of control, She is the machine, The creator Hollywood Blow"… And saying this is a monster… Then I remember, a song that was a jam by that time, that I had recorded in a rehearsal shack back in Puerto Rico the day before we opened for Latin Metal Band PUYA and ANKLA. And that was the one. I took it to my studio north of Atlanta, GA. and record it, structure it, and made it a song, we made a pre-production of the song. With that magical guitar riff, than later I invited Ramon Ortiz from Latin Metal Band PUYA to record a song in my album, he was living in L.A. at that time, he heard the songs and he picked Hollywood Blow… That was the last touch that song need it to become a super monster song in the studio. Is a song that could have one meaning, but honestly, your mind will take you to different situations with this car chase type of song. Thanks for reading and listening. Hope to see you around soon. \m/

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

Tim Abrigg Jr. Rants/Raves:: Today's Day in Rock News!: Today's Day in Rock Green Day Star Battling Cancer Green Day revealed that guitarist Jason White has been diagnosed with ton...

Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Green Day Star Battling Cancer
Green Day revealed that guitarist Jason White has been diagnosed with tonsil cancer, but they expect that he will make a full recovery since the cancer was discovered early.

White first began performing lead guitar live with the band in 1999. The group posted the following message on their official website about White's cancer:

"We have some news to report regarding our brother Jason White, and wanted you to hear it from us before word spread. Jason recently underwent a routine tonsillectomy, and his doctors discovered a treatable form of tonsil cancer.

"Thankfully they caught it early and he should make a full and speedy recovery. Please join us in sending him love and positive healing vibes during this time."




Guns N' Roses New Album May Include Slash Contribution
(TeamRock Radio) Guns N' Roses guitarist Richard Fortus has suggested their next album could include music written by former lead guitarist Slash - nearly 20 years after he left the band.

Speculation has been rife in recent months that Axl Rose is close to confirming the long-awaited follow-up release to 2008's Chinese Democracy.

Speaking at a workshop event last month, Fortus said: "There's so much stuff that's recorded. There's three albums worth of material, easy. Axl is very secretive - he doesn't want stuff getting out. He wants to create stuff then release it when it's ready. He's also a bit of a perfectionist, as you can imagine."

He added: "Some of the stuff comes from nothing and some of the stuff were ideas that were already there. Some of the stuff Slash did - it was the beginning of the seed of a song that's been around for a while." Read more here.




Ronnie James Dio Tribute Leads Metal Grammy Nominations
(Classic Rock) The all-star Ronnie James Dio tribute album This Is Your Life leads the nominations in the Best Metal Performance category at the next Grammy Awards.

Anthrax's version of Black Sabbath's Neon Knights and Tenacious D's take on Dio's The Last in Line will compete for the honour against Slipknot's The Negative One, Motorhead's Heartbreaker and Mastodon's High Road.

The 57th annual ceremony takes place on February 8 in LA. The period of eligibility for this year's awards cover tracks released between October 1, 2013, and September 30, 2014.

Dio's widow Wendy tweeted: "Thanks to The Grammys for nominating songs from Anthrax and Tenacious D from This Is Your Life. Ronnie James Dio for a Grammy Award!" Read more here.




Slayer Rescue Freezing Kitten
(Classic Rock) Slayer rescued a lost kitten from the streets of Indianapolis this week - and found her an owner and a name. Guitarist Kerry King and some members of the band's crew had finished dinner in Indianapolis, Indiana, ahead of the thrash icons' show in the city's Old National Centre.

The cat was being offered for sale by a homeless man. Manager Heidi Robinson-Fitzgerald tells Nuvo.net: "Assistant tour manager Jess Cortese saw a man on the street, who offered up the little kitten for a dollar.

"The kitten was freezing so Jess took it. She slept on the bus and went to the venue with her today, hanging out. One of the runners knew someone who wanted a kitten, so the little guy now has a new home." Read more and check out a photo here.





Def Leppard Return To The Studio
(TeamRock Radio) Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott has revealed the band have restarted studio work on their tenth album. He recently said the follow-up to 2008's Songs From The Sparkle Lounge would be "a lot more basic and raw" than previous outings.

Work had been slowed by the band's live commitments and guitarist Vivian Campbell's stem-cell treatment for cancer. Now Elliott tells the Belfast Telegraph:

"We're back on it now and hoping to get it finished by early spring. I was in the studio last night, actually, and I'll be in again tonight - if I don't wear my voice out."

The project was kickstarted earlier this year with a pair of marathon songwriting sessions that yielded material for 15 tracks. Read more here.




Slipknot's Jim Root Believes Paul Gray Helped Him Write New Song
(TeamRock Radio) Slipknot's Jim Root believes late bandmate Paul Gray helped him write songs for latest album .5: The Gray Chapter. The Grammy-nominated record is their first after the bassist's death in 2010, and frontman Corey Taylor has heaped praise on the guitarist for "stepping up" with his writing.

Root tells Mcall.com: "I realised when I was demoing in my garage that I was approaching the way I put arrangements together a little bit differently.

"I was exploring the fretboard, trying different places to play. I was putting spots in the songs where I could hear, like, 'This might be something that Sid Wilson would want to go over. This might be something Craig Jones might want to go over.' I also had to think about the way Corey might sing.

"Then I realised - that's the way Paul would work. I had an epiphany. It dawned on me that he was helping me through it. I'm not hugely spiritual or religious, but that made me think: people do live on through you." Read more here.




Ellefson Explains Megadeth's Plans Following Members' Exits
(Classic Rock) David Ellefson says Megadeth are aiming to stick to their album schedule - despite the departure of Chris Broderick and Glenn Drover last month. But he accepts the band will be off the road for most of 2015, while arguing that the split took place at the best possible time.

The guitarist and drummer both announced they'd quit on the same day, leaving Ellefson and frontman Dave Mustaine the only current members of the thrash giants. The bassist last week confirmed it wasn't the end of the band.

Now Ellefson tells the Classic Metal Show: "We're scheduled start a new record after the first of the year, to release later in 2015, and touring to take on from there. In an ironic way, if there's going to be changes, it's definitely better that it happens when you're off the road than in the middle of a tour.

"We've had that happen over the years too - members need to move on in the middle of a tour. You've really got your back against the wall. So we do have a little bit of a luxury of time right now." Read more here.




AC/DC Singer Was Unsure Band Would Continue Without Malcolm
(Classic Rock) AC/DC singer Brian Johnson had admitted he wasn't sure the band would continue without Malcolm Young. He knew he had to leave the decision to the mainman's brother Angus - and says he'd have accepted whatever the guitarist said.

The band last week released 17th album Rock Or Bust, their first without mainman Malcolm Young, who was forced to retire as a result of dementia. Johnson tells ABC Australia:

"To me it was always up to Angus. He's one of these two men who made riffs that nobody else made, since they were in school. I really thought it might not happen. If Angus turned round and said, 'I can't do it without Malcolm,' I would have understood."

He describes working without Malcolm as "a strange feeling," adding: "Your workmate you've been with for the last 35 years isn't there any more. For Angus it was more - it was his brother." Read more here.





Classic Rage Lineup Reunite As Refuge
(Classic Rock) The classic line up of Rage have reunited in a new project under the name Refuge for live performances next year. Singer and sole constant member Peavy Wagner will welcome back guitarist Manni Schmidt and drummer Chris Efthimiadis, who both joined in 1988 and left in 1994 and 1999 respectively. Together, they recorded five albums.

The formation came about following a secret show in their German hometown of Herne recently, following years of little contact. The gig was mainly promoted through word of mouth and social media - but it attracted 1200 fans.

The band say: "We are very happy to announce that we will have the opportunity to travel with you through the early years, 1988-1993, one more time in the festival summer of 2015." Read more and check out a video here.




The Faceless Singer The Latest To Leave The Band
(TeamRock Radio) The Faceless have lost a third member in six weeks after frontman Geoffrey Ficco ended his four-year tenure with the band. It follows the departure of bassist Evan Brewer and drummer Alex Rudinger in October.

The split forced the cancellation of a UK tour planned for November. Now Ficco says: "After nearly four years with the band I have decided to leave to pursue new opportunities.

"Thank you to the fans, as well as the past and present members, for the unforgettable experience." He's planning to focus on his black metal band Ys, who launched an album in November. Read more here.




Phil Anselmo Won't Mark Anniversary of Dimebag's Murder
(TeamRock Radio) Former Pantera frontman Phil Anselmo has insisted he won't mark the tenth anniversary of Dimebag Darrell Abbott's murder today. The guitarist was shot dead on December 8, 2004, in Columbus, Ohio, during a show with Damageplan. He'd formed the band with brother and drummer Vinny Paul after Pantera had split the previous year.

But Anselmo - who plays with Down in San Francisco tonight - tells Yahoo: "There is no f***ing way on this planet Earth that I am going to celebrate the death of one of my best friends.

"I won't do any Pantera songs or anything like that. Like every night I'll send out a song to Dimebag. I always send out Lifer because if there was ever a lifer in heavy metal, someone who lived it, breathed it and forged it every day, it was him.

"He is the epitome of a lifer, whether he is in the tomb or not." Read more and grab the link for TeamRock's hour long documentary about Dimebag's legacy here.




Black Star Riders Reveal New Album Details
(TeamRock Radio) Black Star Riders have unveiled the album artwork and multi-format tracklist for the follow-up to debut All Hell Breaks Loose. The Thin Lizzy offshoot's 10-song work will be released on February 23 via Nuclear Blast.

Frontman Ricky Warwick says of the sleeve art: "It's a bit of a continuation from All Hell Breaks Loose. people will see the link - it's very rock'n'roll. It's going to look cool."

He recently said of the attitude behind the album: "Life's not fair. Never has been, never will be. Sometimes you have to live with a killer instinct just to survive in the pursuit of happiness. Nobody can do for you what you should be doing for yourself." here.




Police Close Investigation of Sound Of Contact Frontman
(TeamRock Radio) Simon Collins has confirmed the police investigation over his arrest on suspicion of drug offences has been closed. The Sound Of Contact frontman, son of Genesis' Phil Collins, was detained in Wiltshire in July in relation to the dealing of class A drugs.

In a statement to TeamRock, Collins says: "Being arrested was in itself a very confusing experience. To find myself implicated in something so serious has made the last few months extremely difficult, both personally and professionally.

"I am grateful to finally be able to tell you all that these claims were completely untrue, and I am pleased to confirm that the matter in relation to myself was closed by the police at the end of September. No charges were filed against me." Read more here.




Big Plans For Ronnie James Dio Death Anniversary
(TeamRock Radio) Three days of celebrations are being lined up to commemorate the fifth anniversary of Ronnie James Dio's passing. Dio died of stomach cancer on May 16, 2010 - and on May 15, 16 and 17 next year, his widow Wendy Dio is holding a series of events in Los Angeles which she hopes fans from around the world will attend.

She tells Lucas H Gordon: "Next year is five year's since Ronnie's passing, May 16. So we're gonna do a very big thing for the fans. Everybody can come from all over the world. We're gonna do a big memorial in Forest Lawn in LA where he is buried.

"The day before that, we're going to do celebrity bowling here because we want to have things for the fans coming from all the world to do." Read the details about the other plans here.




Tygers Of Pan Tang Plan Limited Edition Release
(Classic Rock) Tygers Of Pan Tang have revealed they are to release a limited edition CD featuring re-recorded versions of some of their classic songs. The NWOBHM act release The Tygers Sessions: The First Wave on February 28 via Skol Records.

It features 11 tracks re-recorded for the anniversary EP releases The Spellbound Sessions and The Wildcat Sessions, which were originally available through the band's fan-club and website only, and quickly sold out.

Guitarist Robb Weir says: "I am very proud of the band's history as well as the current lineup. We should never forget the Tygers history and hope this shows we will always recognise the early days of the band." Read more here.




Foreigner Revisit Classic 4 Album
(Gibson) Foreigner will release The Best Of Foreigner 4 & More in the U.S on December 16. It was released in the U.K on Dec. 5. The album features original guitarist Mick Jones and current singer Kelly Hansen and includes new live versions of songs from their 1981 album 4, their only No. 1 album.

In addition to re-recorded versions of '4′ songs such as "Juke Box Hero," "Waiting for a Girl Like You" and "Urgent," The Best of Foreigner 4 & More includes other hits from the band, such as "Feels Like the First Time" and "I Want to Know What Love Is."

Many of the songs were recorded at Borgata Hotel's Music Box in Atlantic City in October 2014. "Our music has touched a lot of people worldwide," says Mick Jones. "And we've unwittingly weaved our music into the fabric of people's lives."








Morgoth Replace Singer, Announce New Album
German death metal group Morgoth revealed that they parted ways with singer Marc Grewe and already working with a new vocalist who will appear on their forthcoming album and at their upcoming concerts.

The band will be releasing the album, entitled Ungod, in spring of next year. Here is what the band had to say, "Today we must bring you the unfortunate news that we have parted ways with our longtime vocalist Marc Grewe.

"The chance for a further cooperation between us simply wasn't possible anymore. This has been an extremely tough decision for us to make, and one that was not made easily, but we believe it to be the best for the band at this stage.

"That said, we are already working with a new vocalist on our upcoming album. The record will be entitled Ungod and will be released in spring 2015 via Century Media Records.

"More details about the recordings and a string of new shows for next year will be revealed soon. Please notice: All upcoming confirmed shows will be performed as planned!"




Queen's Brian May Warns Of Asteroid Danger
(Classic Rock) Queen guitarist Brian May says it's only a matter of time until humanity is destroyed by a giant asteroid hurtling into the earth. More than 100 people have joined the call for governments and private business to do more to track and detect asteroids.

May - who has a doctorate in astronomy - is one of a group of scientists who are calling for efforts to be increased to detect asteroids capable of causing widespread destruction of the planet.

May tells the Financial Times: "The more we learn about asteroid impacts, the clearer it becomes that the human race has been living on borrowed time. The campaign launched this week is intended to raise awareness and put pressure on governments to act." Read more here.




Wilko Johnson Missed Out On Album With Roger Daltrey Success
(TeamRock Radio) Wilko Johnson says he wasn't able to fully understand what was going on when Going Back Home, his album with Roger Daltrey, was declared a success.

He was being prepared for lifesaving surgery on his pancreatic cancer when he was told of the award-winning record's sales success. Johnson tells the BBC: "When it was being released I was already in hospital. The surgeons at Addenbrookes Hospital had determined they could operate so I'd said, 'Okay, have a go.' I was lying in a bed full of tubes and morphine as it was being released.

"I remember people coming in and telling me, 'It's really selling - it's been really successful,' and me going, 'Really good man,' while not really quite aware of what was going on."

Read more here.




The Gift Announce Christmas Show
(Prog) The Gift have confirmed that they will be performing a Christmas show on December 21 at The Bedford in London - part of the venue's MidWinter Madness event.

The symphonic prog outfit will be joined by A Formal Horse, Red Letter and The Far Meadow. Their next UK show takes place on April 25 at the Matchroom in Plymouth, as a double-header show with Synaesthesia.

The Gift launched second album Land Of Shadows in April this year via Bad Elephant Music. Prog hailed its "sense of honesty" and added: "A long time coming, it may not break new ground, but it successfully evokes the spirit of prog gone by." More including a song stream here.




Theory Of A Deadman Announce Intimate UK Tour
(Classic Rock) Theory Of A Deadman will return to the UK for six shows in April, they've confirmed. They will be touring in support of their fifth album Savages, which was released earlier this year.

The Canadian outfit aim to keep ticket prices low for the run of intimate shows, following their recent arena tour with labelmates Black Stone Cherry.

Frontman Tyler Connolly says: "We're super-excited to be coming back. Some of our fondest memories are over there, and the fans are seriously the best. We've tried to keep tickets cheap so everyone can go." Read more and see the dates here.




The IT Crowd Star Matt Berry Announces One-Off Concert
(TeamRock Radio) The IT Crowd star and prog musician Matt Berry is set to play a rare, one-off concert at The Forum in Kentish Town on February 13. The comedian, writer and multi-instrumentalist - who's currently playing the lead role in sitcom Toast Of London - will be joined by his band, The Maypoles, who feature the former Bluetones frontman Mark Morriss on guitar.

Berry says: "It's difficult to find the time to play the music between the comedy, so every break from filming leaves me itching to record or perform new material. Whenever I get the opportunity, I jump at it."

He'll perform a set of songs taken from his five studio albums, including 2011's Witchazel, 2013's Kill The Wolf and his latest release, Music For Insomniacs. Read more including details of a special release here.





Sammy Hagar Unplugs For Depeche Mode's Personal Jesus
(hennemusic) Sammy Hagar has released a stripped-down, acoustic version of the Depeche Mode classic, "Personal Jesus." While the Red Rocker previously issued a full electric take on the track as part of his 2013 album, "Sammy Hagar & Friends", the acoustic offering is now available via iTunes as part of an exclusive 12-song Bonus edition of his new album, "Lite Roast."

"For those who have already purchased the album," says Hagar, "you can grab just the new track on it's own." Download "Personal Jesus" from iTunes here.

Released in October, "Lite Roast" sees the singer teamed with Waboritas guitarist Vic Johnson to deliver stripped-down versions of tunes from his career.

"Lite Roast" was inspired by the rehearsals for Sammy's appearance at the Acoustic-4-A-Cure benefit show in May, which raised funds for the Pediatric Cancer Program at the University Of California, San Francisco UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital.

Check out the electric version of "Personal Jesus" from the "Sammy Hagar & Friends" album here.




Paul Di'Anno Streaming Track From Iron Maiden Tribute Album
(hennemusic) Former Iron Maiden singer Paul Di'Anno is sharing a preview of "Running Free" from the upcoming release, "A Tribute To Iron Maiden - Celebrating The Beast Vol. 1 (The Evil That Men Do)."

Di'Anno contributes four classic Maiden tunes to the collection, including "Wrathchild", "Phantom Of The Opera" and "Iron Maiden" - all songs he originally recorded during his tenure with the band from 1978-1981.

Di'Anno was the voice and frontman for Maiden in their formative years; he appeared on the band's first two albums, 1980's "Iron Maiden" and 1981's "Killers", as well as 1981's "Maiden Japan" live EP.

Due January 23, "A Tribute To Iron Maiden - Celebrating The Beast Vol. 1 (The Evil That Men Do)" also features covers by Doogie White (Michael Schenker Group), Steve Grimmett (ex-Grim Reaper), Steve Overland (Overland, FMUK) and Gary Barden. Watch the video here.




Hellyeah Guitarist Challenges Rising Bands To Be Better
(TeamRock Radio) Hellyeah guitarist Tom Maxwell has challenging rising-star bands to make stronger albums instead of concentrating on a handful of radio-friendly singles.

And he thinks many young musicians don't try hard enough to establish their own sonic identity - which is one reason why record sales continue to plummet.

Maxwell tells KJAG: "I listen to radio and I'm hearing bands, and I can't differentiate who they are. There's a thousand Nickelback bands. There's a new Slipknot band showing up every once in a while. And it's just sh*t - unfocused with no passion."

He believes the problem is: "Most of these new bands are writing for that single. They want to chart." But he warns: "There's a lot of competition out there. Unless you have something that really speaks volumes and can separate you from the rest of the pack, you're just going to follow the sheep."

Maxwell thinks the solution is for up-and-coming artists to "so some soul-searching musically." Read more here.




Metal Supergroup Serious Black Release New Song, Set Album Release
(TeamRock Radio) Power metal supergroup Serious Black have confirmed details of their debut album and released a lyric video for the track I Seek No Other Life. They will release debut album As Daylight Breaks on January 20.

Formed over the past year by Masterplan guitarist Roland Grapow and ex-Visions Of Atlantis bassist Mario Lochert, the band also comprises ex-Blind Guardian drummer Thomen Stauch, Edenbridge guitarist Dominik Sebastian, former Dreamscape keyboardist Jan Vacik and ex-Tad Morose vocalist Urban Breed.

A statement from the band says: "Initially, it turned out to be quite a task to bring these full-time musical workaholics together in one studio at the same time. Needless to say, when they arrived at the Dreamsound Studios, Munich, none of the blokes had any idea, yet, where exactly their musical venture would take them.

"Serious Black is different to many of the so-called 'all star' bands because, in fact, they are a real band." Check out the lyric video here.



Jesse Leach Was Reluctant To Reunite With Killswitch Engage
(TeamRock Radio) Jesse Leach has revealed that he initially turned down the chance to rejoin Killswitch Engage because he worried he'd "feel like a fraud." Leach returned to the band after his replacement Howard Jones left in 2012 to address health issues concerning his Type 2 diabetes and bouts of anxiety.

But when he was first asked by lead guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz to come back, Leach refused because he wasn't sure he could sing Howard's songs. He tells The Jasta Show: "I turned it down initially thinking that I couldn't sing Howard's songs. I didn't know if I could mentally wrap my head around a song like My Curse.

"I couldn't really relate to it at the time. I thought to myself if I went on stage and tried to sing those songs I feel like a fraud. I think Howard has an incredible voice, very powerful."

Read more here.




Obituary Reaching A New Generation
(TeamRock Radio) Obituary say they are amazed by the number of young fans turning out for their joint tour with Death To All. Bass player Terry Butler says the presence of youngsters at their shows is a sign that the rock scene is in good health.

Butler tells Relapse Records: "What's killer is that there's 10-year-old kids walking up with their Leprosy shirts on, which is amazing to me. Whether their father turned them on to it or whatever, the young crowd is there."

Guitarist Trevor Peres adds: "Yeah, there's been a bunch of kids on this tour. You see them all in the front row." Read more and stream the full video interview here.





Soilwork Sound 'Better Than Ever' On New Songs
(TeamRock Radio) Soilwork frontman Bjorn 'Speed' Strid says the band are sounding "better than ever" on demos for their upcoming ninth album. Strid uploaded a picture of himself to Facebook, in which he is listening to the tunes on his laptop while enjoying a cold beer.

He says: "Listening to new Soilwork demos with a beautiful brew in my hand. All I can say is, we're better than ever, folks. It might be the alcohol but I'm feeling it for real. Pretty damn sure you will too."

The band signed with Testament frontman Chuck Billy's Breaking Bands LLC management company recently. Billy said: "I remember finding Soilwork while browsing on my computer and was hooked on them from the first listen." Read more here.




Cowards Premiere New Song
(TeamRock Radio) TeamRock are premiering "Beyond My Hands," the new track from sludgey hardcore racket-makers Cowards, taken from their upcoming album Rise To Infamy.

The Parisian noisemongers are gearing up to release their second full-length in Feburary on Throatruiner Records - and TeamRock has the exclusive first play of the single!

If you're a fan of having your ears pummeled into dust and vocals so harsh you have to wonder if their frontman moonlights as a glass eater. Punishingly beautiful. Stream the song here.




Warren Haynes Reveals Tribute To Ian 'Mac' McLagan
(The Blues Warren Haynes has released a live video clip as a tribute to Faces and Rolling Stones keyboardist Ian 'Mac' McLagan, who died last week after suffering a stroke.

Haynes says: "I'm saddened by the news of Ian's passing. I had the pleasure of recording with him for my last solo album and performing with him numerous times.

"Here's a clip of Ian with the Warren Haynes Band, live at the Moody Theater in Austin. He'll be missed." Check out the video of the performance of "Hattiesburg Hustle" here.




Poison Idea Reborn With New Lineup, Plan Next Album
(TeamRock Radio) Portland punks Poison Idea will release their seventh studio album Confuse And Conquer on the Southern Lord label next year. The album will be their first full-length since 2006's Latest Will And Testament.

It will also be the first album since the death of guitarist Tom 'Pig Champion' Roberts the same year. It also marks the return of bassist Chris 'Spider' Carey and new members Brandon Bentley and Nathan 'Skinny' Richardson.

The band say feel that the positive attitude in the recording process has been like a rebirth. Vocalist Jerry A says: "We've been screwing around for too long. We had to hang back and see whose heart was really in this thing we've been doing for 30 years and who was bullsh*tting.

"Everybody in the band now lives to play and make music. That comes first. It always has, it just took a long time to filter out the flakes and keep the diehards. Read more here.




Manic Street Preachers Can Never Repeat Holy Bible Album
(Classic Rock) Manic Street Preachers bassist Nicky Wire doesn't think the band will ever match the energy of their classic 1994 album The Holy Bible. The Welsh rockers are set for a run of shows in which they will play the entire album back-to-back.

Wire tells the NME: "I haven't played The Holy Bible through for a long time. And then sitting down... I guess the power of it did actually really resonate with me and actually did make me think, with a slight tinge of sadness, just as a band, it'd be impossible to really be that brave with that much conviction ever again."

The Manics had previously been hesitant in performing the album, as it was their last work before the disappearance of guitarist Richey Edwards the following year. Read more here.



Skarlett Riot Announce New Album
(TeamRock Radio) Skarlett Riot will release their second album We Are The Brave on February 16 and will be preceded by the single Rising on January 19, for which they have filmed a video.

The Scunthorpe rockers will also support Ozzy and Firewind guitarist Gus G on his UK tour in February. They tell Metal Temple: "We find it difficult ourselves to put a category on our sound.

"We like to just say 'rock' because we kind of mix rock, metal, pop all together to make something else. We like to feel we're original because obviously everything's been done before."