Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Foo Fighters Announce Surprise Show
(Radio.com) For the Foo Fighters' first show of the year, they're taking it back to Los Angeles, just before they kick off their worldwide Sonic Highways tour. The band announced Wednesday (Jan. 7) that they'll play a special set at the Forum in L.A. this weekend, Jan. 10.

The show will benefit multiple charities, including MusiCares, Rock School Scholarship Fund and Sweet Relief. Tickets are going for $50, with $10 going to the charities.

Following the show, the band will take to South America for the first dates of the tour behind Sonic Highways, kicking off Jan. 15 in Chile. However, the Foos will be back in the U.S. for the North American leg starting July 4. Read more here.




Tony Iommi's Cancer Likely To Comeback
(hennemusic) Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi is sharing an update on his ongoing cancer battle. The guitarist recorded Black Sabbath's 2013 album, "13", and completed a world tour with the band while undergoing medical treatment since being diagnosed with blood cancer lymphoma in January of 2012.

"When the doctors told me I had cancer I thought, 'That's it then'," Iommi tells The Mirror. "Cancer was death as far as I was concerned. I found a painful lump in my groin while I was in New York promoting my book. I thought it was my prostate acting up again, but Ozzy told me I should get it checked out. I came back to England and had an operation to reduce my prostate. It was painless but afterwards I needed a catheter."

"When that came out I went to see the surgeon. He said: 'Good news on the prostate. It's been cut down to a sensible size and everything is good there. But on the lump we took out, we found follicular lymphoma.' It's a type of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma."

Iommi was given an update from doctors, saying "The surgeon told me he doesn't expect the cancer to go away. There's a 30 per cent chance that it could, but more than likely it will come back and it could be any time."

"I look at life differently now. I could be here another ten years or just one year - I don't know." Read more here.




Led Zeppelin Expand Physical Graffiti For Deluxe Reissue
(hennemusic) Led Zeppelin will release an expanded reissue of their 1975 double-album, "Physical Graffiti", on February 24 in North America (Feb. 23rd in other territories). Led Zeppelin launched their reissue series last year with the group's first five albums re-released as expanded editions with bonus material.

The new "Physical Graffiti" 3-CD set will include a disc of material featuring alternate mixes of songs on the group's sixth studio album. "Physical Graffiti" features Led Zeppelin standards "Kashmir", "Trampled Under Foot", "The Rover" and "Houses Of The Holy."

The project hit No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 on its way to selling more than 8 million copies in the States alone, while topping their native UK album charts and achieving double platinum for sales of 600,00. Check out the track details here.




Megadeth Reunion Predicted By Former Member
(Classic Rock) Former Megadeth guitarist Glen Drover says he would bet money on Nick Menza rejoining the band. Drover - who played with Dave Mustaine's group from 2004 to 2007 - reckons Menza will return for a third spell to replace drummer Shawn Drover, who quit last year along with guitarist Chris Broderick.

Mustaine and bassist Dave Ellefson are the only two remaining members of Megadeth as it stands and they're in the process of recruiting new members. They released a video of them rehearsing with an unidentified drummer in December. Glen Drover tells Metal Wani: "I would bet money I don't have it's Nick Menza on drums. And whoever the guitar player is, we'll find out."

Drover ruled himself out of a return to the band in the wake of his brother Shawn and Broderick's departures, but he says he did enjoy his time with Megadeth for the most part. Read more here.



Rise To Remain Have Broken Up
(TeamRock Radio) London metal outfit Rise To Remain have announced they've split. Frontman Austin Dickinson says they made the decision following the departures of drummer Adam Lewin and guitarist Ben Tovey. But he, guitarist Will Homer and bassist Conor O'Keefe will continue under the name As Lions.

He says on Facebook: "It's with a mixture of sadness and excitement that we reveal to everybody that Rise To Remain is no more. We travelled the world with this band, and, because of the people who supported us, managed to achieve so many things we never thought possible.

"Living the dream, in many cases, is not enough to hold it all together when the band is not stable, and after putting together the second record, Adam told us he was in a place where he felt the pressure of the album and the upcoming cycle and couldn't continue, leading Ben to quit music altogether.

"To continue the band at this point, with as many lineup changes as it's had, with the two original members being Will and myself, seems pointless." Read more of his comments here.





Killer Be Killed Super Group Star To Miss Festival
(TeamRock Radio) Killer Be Killed drummer Dave Elitch won't play with the band at next month's Soundwave festival due to a scheduling conflict. The supergroup featuring former Sepultura man Max Cavalera, Mastodon's Troy Sanders, The Dillinger Escape Plan's Greg Puciato and Elitch, announced they'd make their live debut at the Australian event in February.

But with Elitch's band Antemasque also playing the festival, he says it's impossible for him to play with both bands. He said on Twitter: "I've been getting a tonne of questions regarding Soundwave, so lemme set the record straight:

"I will be playing with Antemasque but I unfortunately will not be able to play with Killer Be Killed as it's logistically impossible as they're on different days."





Rolling Stones Announce Very Limited Release
(hennemusic) The Rolling Stones will issue their classic 1971 track, "Dead Flowers", as a single for the first time as part of 2015 edition of the Secret 7" program. The annual UK charity event sees 100 copies of 7 songs from 7 high-profile artists pressed onto 7" vinyl, each with unique cover art provided by fans.

Joining the Stones in this year's Secret 7" program are Peter Gabriel, St. Vincent, The Chemical Brothers, Diana Ross & The Supremes, The Maccabees and Underworld.

The artwork for the singles will be exhibited at London's Somerset House between April 10 and May 4, before going on sale on May 4 at a price of £50 each.

The cover art hides the music within, so the "secret" is discovering which song you've purchased when you open the package. Read more here.





Adrenaline Mob Reveal New Album Details
(Classic Rock) Adrenaline Mob will release their third full-length release next month, they've announced. Titled Dearly Departed, the album will launch on February 9 via Century Media.

It will feature a previously unreleased track recorded during their Men Of Honor sessions last year, along with three acoustic versions of material from their 2012 debut Omerta. The disc will also include an edited take of the title track which originally appeared on their second record.

The band released eight-track covers EP Coverta in 2013 and the new disc also features more songs which influenced them in the past, including Queen's Tie Your Mother Down. Read more here.




Slipknot Won't Leave Fans Hanging
(TeamRock Radio) Slipknot guitarist Mick Thomson says fans won't have to wait as long for their next album as they did for .5: The Gray Chapter. The group's latest album - released last October - came six years after 2008's All Hope Is Gone and followed the death of bassist Paul Gray and the sacking of drummer Joey Jordison.

But Thomson says Slipknot have taken to writing and recording snippets of new ideas on laptops while touring. That, he says, should prevent the kid of wait fans endured for .5: The Gray Chapter. And the could even start recording the follow-up this year, once their touring commitments come to an end.

Thomson tells MusicRadar: "It enables us to have songs in the can already before we go in a studio to work on a new album. We hope to do our next record sooner after touring.

"We don't want to spend the same amount of time between albums as we've done with the last two." Read more here.




Butch Walker Pays Tribute With New Song Father's Day
Butch Walker has released the track "Father's Day" which comes from his forthcoming album "Afraid of Ghosts" and also features a guest appearance from Bob Mould.

As the name implies, "Father's Day" and most of Walker's seventh full-length album was written in tribute to his father, who passed away in 2013. The album, produced by Ryan Adams, is set for release on February 3rd.

Walker explained how Bob Mould came to work on the new song, "He walked in the studio when we were tracking it and heard the lyrics and immediately wanted to sing and play on it.

"Turns out his dad had died two years to the week we recorded it. I guess it struck him the same way it would me. He was very close with his old man. We had a moment after recording it."

Walker goes on to explain how the song was developed, "I played it for Ryan in my hotel room when we were talking about doing my record. Immediately he started picking it apart and writing alternate verse lyrics here and there. I ended up combining our words to make the final verses and it just felt right. It's one of my proudest moments and I know my Pop would've loved it."

Listen to the track here.



Korn Star Explains How Fans Can Really Show Their Support
(TeamRock Radio) Korn's Ray Luzier says something has to be done to prevent illegal downloading of music. He says the technology must exist to prevent CDs from being ripped to computers in the first place.

Luzier tells Q103: "Someone's gotta do something - put a chip in there where you can't duplicate it. The thing is, with the newer generation, the kids don't really understand that it's taking or stealing.

"They're, like, 'What? I'm at your freakin' show.' And I'm, like, 'Yeah. But our record's 10 bucks.' I'm one of those old dudes that still does that. I go out and come home from Best Buy with, like, four CDs. It's all about supporting the artist."

He adds, "We're not gonna stop it. It's technology. I get it. I'm just saying, to the fans out there, if you really love your art and people you support, go buy the freaking record. How hard is it?" Read more here.




Book About Walter Trout Benefit Show Released
(Classic Rock) A book which gives a pictorial and written account of last year's star-studded Walter Trout benefit gig has been released. An Evening For Walter Trout features more than 40 exclusive photographs as well as interviews and a review of the event of the same name, which was held at London's O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire on May 4, 2014.

Stars including Otis Grand, Bernie Marsden, Ian Parker, Mitch Laddie and others appeared at the show, which was set up to raise funds for Trout's liver transplant. All profits from the book will be donated to the Walter Trout Fund as he continues his recovery from the surgery, which he underwent just weeks after the gig.

He was back in hospital last October, but spent the holiday season with friends and family and even managed to play a small show for his neighbors at New Year. Read more here.




Anthrax Reveal Album Progress In New Video
(Classic Rock) Recording of the upcoming new Anthrax album is gathering pace, with the band releasing a video of drummer Charlie Benante in the studio. The clip shows Benante recording one of the tracks on what will be the band's 11th album and follow-up to 2011's Worship Music.

The thrash icons are working with producer Jay Ruston on the unnamed project, set for launch via Megaforce Records this year. Benante, bassist Frank Bello, singer Joey Belladonna guitarist Scott Ian and latest recruit, guitarist Jon Donais plan to complete work by the end of this month.

Meanwhile, Scott Ian says in a light-hearted rapid fire interview that he would abolish all politics if he were king for a day. He tells Loveline High Five: "What would be my first decree? I would abolish all political parties. Because I'd be king and I'd be able to do that."




The Neal Morse Band Release The Grand Experiment Video
(Classic Rock) The Neal Morse Band have released a music video for The Grand Experiment - the title track from their upcoming album. The five-track record launches on February 16 via InsideOut and Morse reveals the lead song came to life thanks to the creative input of drummer Mike Portnoy.

He says: "I am thrilled with how this song came out. During the recording sessions for the album, I remember waking up one morning wondering what was going to happen that day and not having a clue what direction the album would take.

"I was thinking, 'Man, this is a grand experiment!' And as I was lying there I thought of the chorus, but my original version was slower and more of a keyboard thing. Then the band got to it and Mike had the rockin' verse idea and it developed from there. The video was shot and edited by my son Chad. Hope you all like it."




Ian Siegal Announce Full Band Live Album Release
(The Blues Ian Siegal is to release a new live album in the same month that he launches a UK tour. One Night In Amsterdam is Siegal's first full band live record and will be issued on CD and limited edition vinyl on March 9 via Nugene Records.

The album was recorded at the North Sea Jazz Club in Amsterdam in April 2014. His UK tour starts in Chester on March 17. A press release announcing the album reads:

"While Siegal's 2014 album Man & Guitar showcased the award-winning British songwriter as a solo acoustic troubadour, One Night In Amsterdam flicks the power switch, marking Siegal's first live album with a full-throttle electric band."

His UK tour starts in Chester on March 17.



66 Year-Old Woman Takes Over Vocals For Grindcore Band
(TeamRock Radio) Corrupt Leaders frontman Rayny Forster has enlisted his 66 year-old mother to provide vocals for their next record and the band has released a video of her singing.

The guest vocal appearance took place on New Year's Eve, while the Canadian grindcore quintet were in an Ontario studio recording new material.

It's not known at this stage whether Forster's mother will join the band on a permanent basis. In the meantime, fans can check out her brutal vocals in the clip here.



Heathen Recruit Forbidden Member For Upcoming Appearance
(TeamRock Radio) US thrash veterans Heathen have recruited Forbidden drummer Sasha Horn to perform with them for their upcoming 70,000 Tons Of Metal cruise appearance.

The cruise will travel between Florida and Jamaica between January 22-26 and features other artists including Arch Enemy, Canibal Corpse, Amorphis, Venom, Napalm Death and Michael Schenker's Temple Of Rock.

Sasha Horn will be taking over duties behind the drum kit from Jon Dette who had previously played with the band on their 2013 European tour. Read more here.




Trinity II Charity Event Postponed
(Prog) The Trinity II charity event which was due to take place at the Leamington Assembly in May has been postponed. Organisers say they've been forced to the plug due to a scheduling issue but insist the gig will take place at a later date.

They say in a statement: "There is no easy way to say this but due to an unforeseen scheduling issue, Trinity II will longer be happening on May 9. We have done everything within our powers to try and make sure it didn't come to this but sometimes whatever path one takes, the resulting journey leads to only one conclusion.

"We had an incredible lineup, amazing sponsors and some fantastic surprises waiting for you but worry not, we are only postponing. We have no definite date for the rescheduled show but as soon as we do, you will be the first to know."





Ethereal Announce New Album and Release First Video
(TeamRock Radio) Clearly not a band to rush into releasing half-baked albums, Liverpool's Ethereal have finally deemed the hour is upon them to release their debut album, Opus Aethererum, nigh on 13 years since the band first formed.

Due to storm across the extreme metal landscape on January 26 when it's released via Candlelight Records, Opus Aethereum is - as you might expect from a band who've been biding their time by honing their craft on the extreme metal gig circuit - a carefully wrought and fully-fledged sonic beast. Featuring eight blasts of vaulting, supremely confident and symphonically astute black metal, its furious, soul-ruffling currents have picked up a few traces of death metal in its slipstream, assuring that Ethereal's capacity for pomp never loses its visceral edge.

TeamRock have premiered the first video from the album, in the sepia-saturated form of Unholy Ungodly. A performance-based video, it shows off the Liverpudlians' archaic yet immediate aesthetic to superlative effect. Prepare to raise your upturned claws and tune into Unholy Ungodly here.




17-Year-Old Guitar Prodigy Aaron Keylock Announces Headline Show
(Classic Rock) Following support slots with Blackberry Smoke, Cadillac 3 and The Graveltones, Aaron Keylock has announced his first headline London show. The 17-year-old guitar prodigy will play the Black Heart in Camden on February 10 - and it comes ahead of his appearance at this year's TeamRock-sponsored Ramblin' Man Fair. He'll take to the Blues Stage at the two-day event in Kent on the weekend of July 25 & 26.

Keylock released the track Medicine Man in November and hopes to launch his debut album later this year - although in an interview in this month's Blues Magazine, he says he won't be rushed into releasing fresh material.

He says: "I want to keep the sound as close as possible to how we sound live, so we need the same players. We've been doing some demos and we're still writing. I have an album's worth of material, we've got a long live set, but it's about picking songs that fit. Read more here.



Obsessive Bob Dylan Fan The Subject Of New Documentary
(Radio.com) There are few sources as rich as obsessive fandom, whether it is in the form of Star Trek "Trekkies" or the book/movie Misery, and a documentary recently made available for online viewing finds another well to draw upon: Bob Dylan fans.

Tangled Up in Dylan focuses on AJ Weberman (which is emphasized with the subtitle, The Ballad of AJ Weberman), and finds directors James Bluemel and Oliver Ralfe focusing on a man that "is infamous, if he is known at all, among Dylan aficionados for being the obsessed stalker who Bob Dylan physically assaulted in 1971 because he had been harassing his family.

"Weberman picked through their trash (he calls his stinky style of sleuthing the science of 'Garbology") and staged demonstrations (with the 'Dylan Liberation Front," the students of his 'Dylanology" classes) outside of Dylan's MacDougal Street brownstone in New York, apparently with the aim of convincing Dylan to, uh, join the revolution, man' but having the result of really pissing him off," according to Dangerous Minds.





Blueneck Approached Latest Album As If It Was Their Last
(TeamRock Radio) Blueneck have revealed they recorded latest album King Nine thinking it could be their last. It launched in November via Denovali Records and singer Duncan Attwood says as they feared it might flop, they decided to go into the recording process thinking it would be their final release.

He tells this month's Prog magazine: "I did go in with the attitude that this could be our last album. It's taken nearly four years to get this one down. I wanted to make sure the end product was something I was completely pleased with.

"I'm very aware that because it's quite different from the post-rock sound we've done before, it could completely flop. But it's important that if it does, I'd still be happy with it."

The band say due to the complex nature of King Nine, taking the album on the road is not something they're currently considering. Attwood continues: "We've agreed we'll only take this live if we can do it justice."

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 Scott Weiland Returning With New Album and Tour Former Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver frontman ...

Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Scott Weiland Returning With New Album and Tour
Former Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver frontman Scott Weiland has returned with his solo band that will be releasing their debut album and launching a supporting tour this spring.

The band, dubbed Scott Weiland And The Wildabouts, will be releasing their Rick Parker (The Dandy Worhols, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Jewel) produced album, "Blaster," on March 31st.

Apart from Weiland, the group features guitar player Jeremy Brown, bassist Tommy Black, and drummer Danny Thompson. Weiland had this to say about the album, "The album has its own distinctive sound, but it also can entice those Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver fans who have stuck by me.

"Over the years, I've gone back and forth between art records and being in a band. This is a hybrid. What we've come up with is really heavy, slinky, and sexy. There's a lot of fuzz. The best way to describe it is 'furry.'"

Prior to the album release, the band will be launching a North American tour on February 22 at Pub Rock in Scottsdale, AZ and have announced dates through March 14th in Boston at Brighton Music Hall.

They have also announced festival appearances this spring including the Welcome to Rockville Festival in Jacksonville, FL on April 25th, the Rock on the Range Festival in Columbus OH on May 16th and the BottleRock Music Festival in Napa Valley, CA on May 30th. Check out the tour dates here.




AC/DC and Jack White Lead Coachella Lineup
The first North American 2015 live date for AC/DC has been revealed with the announcement that the legendary hard rockers will be headlining this year's Coachella Festival.

AC/DC have yet to reveal their full North American tour plans in support of their new studio album, "Rock or Bust," which is the veteran band's first album without band cofounder Malcolm Young who retired from the group last year due to his battle with dementia.

The annual music festival is spread over two weekends, April 10-12 and April 17-19, with AC/DC headlining the Friday night slots, Jack White headlining on Saturday and rapper Drake leading the Sunday roster.

As always, the festival will feature an eclectic lineup of artists. This year's lineup will include Steely Dan, Interpol, Raekwon and Ghostface Killah, Reverend Horton Heat, Alt-J, Belle and Sebastian, Bad Religion, Florence + the Machine, Ryan Adams, Fitz and the Tantrums, Brand New, Tyler the Creator and a lot more. Check out the full lineup here.





Sammy Hagar, Michael Anthony, Jason Bonham Band To Play Festival
Sammy Hagar and The Circle, the band featuring the former Van Halen frontman along with his former VH/Chickenfoot bandmate Michael Anthony, Jason Bonham (Led Zeppelin, Black Country Communion) and the Waboritas guitarist Vic Johnson, are one of the groups that will be performing at this year's Carolina Rebellion.

The fifth installment of the annual music festival is set to take place on May 2nd and 3rd at the Rock City Campgrounds at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the Charlotte, NC area.

Hagar had this to say in the announcement, "Playing with a band like The Circle, we've got a set list made in rock 'n' roll heaven and a band from rock 'n' roll hell. The only missing link is tens of thousands of rocking fans…HELLO CAROLINA!"

Apart from the Circle, the festival will also feature performances from Slipknot, Slayer, Korn, Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators, Godsmack, Marilyn Manson, Halestorm, Breaking Benjamin, and more.

Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor had this to say of their headlining slot, "We are very excited to be headlining Rebellion this year! We're honored to be playing in the company of Cheap Trick, one of my all-time favorites, as well as playing with such good friends like Korn, Halestorm and Slayer!"

Korn frontman Jonathan Davis adds, "Three years ago, we reunited with our brother Head on stage at Carolina Rebellion. Since then, we made a new album and toured the world together. And now we're back to perform our first album in its entirety. Rebellion is going to be a really special show for us."





Journey Announce Las Vegas Residency
(hennemusic) Journey has become the latest classic rock act to announce a Las Vegas residency. "Journey Las Vegas" will see the band will perform 9 shows at The Joint inside Hard Rock Hotel & Casino between April 29 and May 16.

"We are looking forward to bringing it to you in Las Vegas during our residency at The Joint," said Journey guitarist Neal Schon of the residency. "See you soon!"

Journey are following in the footsteps of several other rockers who paved the way with successful extended Vegas runs, including Carlos Santana, Guns N' Roses, Motley Crue, Def Leppard, Rod Stewart and Meat Loaf, among others. Read more here.



The White Stripes Announce New Live Album and DVD
(Radio.com) Hot on the heels of being named as one of the headliners for Coachella, Jack White had another announcement for today: a new White Stripes live album. Sure, his breakthrough band has been broken up for nearly four years, but the Third Man Records' Vault subscription series has been slowly trickling out previously unreleased tunes from the duo.

The newest one holds a special significance, though, as the recording of Under Amazonian Lights took place in Manaus, Brazil on June 1st, 2005. That just happens to be the day White married his now ex-wife, model/musician Karen Elson.

Words do not ably describe the beauty of the Teatro Amazonas nor the furor riled up by the White Stripes appearance. Not only was there fear that the amplification of the band would cause the plaster in the building to crack and possible fall and injure attendees, but out of custom/fear/lord-knows-what the crowd remained seated until being explicitly asked to stand from the stage by Jack White himself. If that wasn't enough, during the show Jack and Meg ventured outside the venue to play an entirely unamplified version of 'We Are Going to Be Friends" for the assembled multitude of fans unable to purchase tickets and watching the performance via closed-circuit feed. The resultant melee was arguably a riot and was lovingly captured by the film crew documenting that evening's importance. All together what it makes is one of the best true rock and roll moments of the past decade. Heck, Jack White even got married that day.

The packaging for this CD/DVD release includes a 7-inch with two previously unreleased White Stripes demos: 'Let You Down" and 'Ain't No Sweeter Than Rita Blues". Check out a full track list here.




Kid Rock Releases First Kiss Video
(hennemusic) Kid Rock has released a music video for the lead single and title track to his forthcoming album, "First Kiss." Directed by Eric Welch, the clip features Rock cruising in his truck while singing about lost youth and hearing Tom Petty on the radio.

Due February 24, the follow-up to 2012's "Rebel Soul" was produced by Kid Rock - with the exception of two songs which were co-produced by Dann Huff - and was recorded at his studio in Michigan.

Rock will tour this summer with his backing group, the Twisted Brown Trucker Band. Dates are expected to be announced soon. Watch the "First Kiss" video here.




Rush's Neil Peart Conflicted Over Touring Again
(Classic Rock) Rush drummer Neil Peart says he's in two minds about touring again as he doesn't want to leave his family for an extended period of time. He, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson are still to decide whether they'll hit the road this year, although two leaked tour dates briefly appeared online last month before being pulled. And while Peart's reluctant to leave his loved ones behind, he says if they do play live, he'll put everything into the sets as it's part of his job.

He tells this month's Prog magazine: "It's a true dilemma - there's no right answer. People say to me, 'Are you still excited when you go on tour?' Should I be excited about leaving my family? No, and no one should. It's as simple as that: if you put aside the fantasy of it, it is what it is and has to be done. And that's fine and I pour my entire energy and enthusiasm into it, but of course, I'm of two minds about the whole idea."

And he says the thought of leaving his five-year-old daughter Olivia leaves him with feelings of guilt. He continues: "I've been doing this for 40 years - I know how to compartmentalise, and I can stand missing her, but I can't stand her missing me and it's painful and impossible to understand for her. How can a small child process that? And there's the guilt that comes with that - you fell guilty about it, of course. I'm causing pain." Read more here.




Slipknot's New Album Featured Bass Parts From Root and Taylor
(TeamRock Radio) Jim Root has revealed that he and Corey Taylor played bass on Slipknot's latest album. The band began work on .5: The Gray Chapter around four years after the death of bassist Paul Gray after losing his battle with addiction.

Before they had appointed a full-time replacement, Root and Taylor recorded bass on demo tracks, with some of their work surviving in the album's final mix.

Root tells MusicRadar: "I played bass on six, maybe seven tracks. I can't even remember which. I'd have to sit down with the guy who played bass on the other tracks to find out.

"Some of the lines were taken from the demo versions that I recorded in my garage, because they were moody, and had a unique vibe that was too hard to recreate. Goodbye uses the full bass line that Corey recorded for his demo.

"I was prepared to do it if it had to be done, but I didn't want to do it. Both the band members and, according to management, our fans, wanted to see somebody in there.

"No one will ever replace Paul, and Paul will always be a part of what we're doing. There was a speck of me that out of respect for Paul didn't want somebody new to play everything." Read more here.



Bruce Springsteen Added To Bob Dylan MusiCares Concert
(Radio.com) Part of Grammy weekend is the annual MusiCares Person of the Year concert, particularly notable this year because it will be honoring Bob Dylan. As you can imagine, a concert honoring Bob Dylan can produce quite the lineup.

Previously announced for the event were Beck, The Black Keys, Crosby, Stills & Nash, John Doe, Norah Jones, Tom Jones, Los Lobos, John Mellencamp, Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt, Eddie Vedder, Jack White, and Neil Young.

Now, even more artists have been added to the bill, including Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi of the Tedeschi Trucks Band, Taj Mahal, Alanis Morissette, and Aaron Neville have been added to the event. Read more here.




Don Dokken Vs George Lynch Over Breaking The Chains
(Classic Rock) Don Dokken has hit out at former bandmate George Lynch over claims that the singer "destroyed" Dokken's debut album. On separate episodes of The Classic Metal Show, Lynch and Dokken trade barbs over Dokken's 1981 debut Breaking The Chains. Lynch says he and the rest of the band were "sent home" after recording their parts, only for the frontman to remix the entire thing.

But in response, Dokken insists Breaking The Chains was a solo project and that he was the only official member of the group at the time. Lynch says: "I did like it when we originally recorded it, but then Don got ahold of it and destroyed it. He basically sent us home from Europe and said, 'OK guys, we're done. I'm just going to stay back and hang out with my girlfriend.'

"What he did was he stayed in the studio when we were gone and had his way with the record, which was pump up all the vocals, take all my guitars out, destroy the mix. It just sounded weak and wimpy. It just killed it.

"It was actually pretty muscular and pretty tough when we were in the studio. It sounded so good. It was the first record I'd ever done, so we were committed to making a statement. Quite honestly, the sound was just unbelievable.

"Then when it was all done, he did what he did to it and he killed it. It's very hard for me to listen to because of that, because I knew what it was and nobody will ever hear that unfortunately."

On a later episode of The Classic Metal Show, Dokken slammed his former guitarist, insisting he must be "high." Dokken adds: "I guess George forgot that when we did Breaking The Chains, he wasn't in the band. He must be smoking something. When I did Breaking The Chains, it was a solo record deal. George was not in the band. Mick was not in the band." Read more here.




Devildriver Recruit Former Chimaira Member
(TeamRock Radio) Devildriver have snapped up Austin D'Amond as their new drummer to replace John Boecklin. The band - fronted by Coal Chamber mainman Dez Fafara - split with Boecklin and guitarist Jeff Kendrick last year.

Former Chimaira sticksman D'Amond says on Facebook that he has now joined Devildriver. He says: "Ladies and gents, introducing the new drummer for Devildriver.

"Thanks everyone for all the support throughout my career. Without you all I would've never made it this far. I promise to give you all one hell of a performance. Keep shredding peeps. Dreams do come true." Read more here.




Robert Plant, No Doubt, Imagine Dragons Lead Bottlerock Lineup
(Radio.com) Music festival season is upon us. Bottlerock is building on Coachella's momentum and sharing their lineup on Tuesday, Jan. 6, as well, Radioalice (a CBS Radio station) reports.

This year, the Napa Valley festival will be bringing No Doubt, Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant and Imagine Dragons all on one bill as headliners. They'll be supported by the Avett Brothers, Foster the People, Passion Pit, Snoop Dogg, Cage the Elephant, Young the Giant, Gipsy Kings, Capital Cities, Public Enemy, Portugal the Man and more.

The festival will take place at the Napa Valley Expo May 29-31, with tickets starting at $235 for a general admission three-day pass, and going up to $2500 for a three-day platinum pass.

Check out the full 2015 Bottlerock Festival lineup here.




Metallica's Robert Trujillo Had To Be Careful With Zakk Wylde
(Classic Rock) Robert Trujillo says he learned early in his career how to maintain inter-band harmony - mainly by not pissing off Zakk Wylde. The bassist has worked with a lot of big personalities in his musical career- none more so than in his current post with Metallica. He has also worked with Suicidal Tendencies, Infectious Grooves and Ozzy Osbourne, where he met Wylde.

Trujillo says he was careful as a child not to cross his father, and he took those lessons into his musical career. He tells IndiePower: "In my band situations, I was always very careful how not to cross certain members. Because band members can fly off the handle, especially in the situation that some of them were in, whether it was drug issues, drinking, whatever it was.

"There was a lot of stuff going down, and you had to be cool. Because, I mean, someone like Zakk, he would snap. He would kind of switch right in front of your eyes. So you always had to be careful with these people.

"And that's part of the journey, and I think with that, I adopted patience and respect. I learned how to deal with people and their personalities the best way that I could in these different situations." Read more here.




Enter Shikari Release Anaesthetist Video
(TeamRock Radio) Enter Shikari have released a video for their new single Anaesthetist. The track, taken from their forthcoming album The Mindsweep, was premiered by Zane Lowe on his BBC Radio 1 show on Monday and, according to the band, is an attack on those who seek to "dismantle our NHS in the name of corporate greed."

Frontman Rou Reynolds adds: "We seem to have reached a stage of such capitalistic fervour, that we believe it acceptable to punish people for ill health. By charging for healthcare we act as if illness is nothing but one's own problem, but what is the purpose and advantage of 'civilisation' if it is not helping the most vulnerable within society?

"The lottery of birth can offer us a wealth of bad luck when it comes to our health and the safety nets are being pulled in as the desire to boost profit overtakes the desire to help people."







Venom Release Long Haired Punks Video
(TeamRock Radio) Venom are releasing their fourteenth studio album From The Very Depths later this month on Spinefarm Records, and they've just release the video for Long Haired Punks.

From The Very Depths is the follow-up to 2011's Fallen Angels album and features founding member Cronos as well as Rage and Dante. Speaking about the record, Cronos said:

"This album is perfect; all three members are totally over-the-top confident with the new songs and the production. We had a great atmosphere in the studio while we were recording; Dante created pure thunder from his drums, while Rage tears the flesh off your face with his riffs, making everything fall into place so well… it shows the band maturing into an unstoppable force of pure black metal.

"We can't wait to play the new songs live for the legions. Hell yeah!" Watch the new video here.




Robert Lamm Celebrates Chicago II Anniversary In The Studio
The latest episode of the syndicated radio show In The Studio: The Stories Behind History's Greatest Rock Bands features an interview with Chicago founding member Robert Lamm on the anniversary of the double album musical colossus Chicago II. The show sent over these details:

February of 1970, not even a year after their debut album Chicago Transit Authority, the band had shortened their name but not their fourteen-legged lineup. As former Bob Dylan sideman and Blood, Sweat and Tears founder Al Kooper told Lamm, Chicago's sound was "…the perfect marriage of brass and rock".

Chicago, born out of their city namesake also known as the "Second City", made the bold Chicago II, a two disc set that would go on to sell a record two million albums and spawn their first Top 5 hit "25 or 6 to 4" and two Top 10 singles "Colour My World" and "Make Me Smile".

Speaking with InTheStudio host Redbeard, keyboardist, singer, songwriter Robert Lamm sheds light on how three lead singers managed to front just one band.

"For most of the time that we were writing songs, we never thought about what key (it's in), is it going to be right for whoever's going to sing it. We would basically write the song and see how far each one of us could go. So part of the idea about sharing lead vocals was necessity." (laughs). - Robert Lamm

Footnote: after over 120,000,000 albums sold, the second biggest selling artist in America (behind only the Beach Boys) is still not in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Stream the episode here.




Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Alice Cooper Jam Goes Online
(hennemusic) Steven Tyler joined Alice Cooper at his annual New Year's Benefit show supporting the Maui Food Bank on December 31st and video of the jam has surfaced online.

The Aerosmith frontman was on hand at the Wailea Mariott to perform a mix of Aerosmith tracks and cover tunes, including songs by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and, a rare version of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" with Hawaiian blues guitarist Willie K.

Hosted by actor Tom Arnold, the event featured Cooper, Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt, Dexter Holland and Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman of The Offspring, Michael McDonald and Pat Simmons of the Doobie Brothers, producer Bob Rock and Weird Al Yankovic. Watch video here.





Robert Plant Sings Phil Collins' Praises
(TeamRock Radio) Robert Plant has praised Genesis mainman Phil Collins for encouraging his solo career. And Plant reveals the vocalist and drummer's positivity had a lasting impact and gave him the drive he needed to move on after Led Zeppelin split in 1980 following the death of sticksman John Bonham.

Plant tells The Pulse Of Radio: "I made my business to go out and start again at the age of 32. It's hysterical, really, when you think about it now. But I worked with Robbie Blunt, who was a particularly fine guitarist. And I was graced by my first two solo records Pictures at Eleven and The Principle of Moments.

"A drummer contacted me and said, 'I love Bonham so much I want to sit behind you when you sing.' It was Phil Collins. His career was just kicking in and he was the most spirited and positive and really encouraging force, because you can't imagine what it was like - me trying to carve my own way after all that." Read more here.




Panic Room Reveal New Lineup
(Prog) Panic Room have confirmed Steve Rothery Band guitarist Dave Foster will join them for their upcoming touring and recording commitments. The Welsh prog rockers parted ways with original lead guitarist Paul Davies in 2013 and brought in Adam O' Sullivan on a temporary basis.

Now Foster - who also works with Mr So & So - is onboard for 2015 and will play live with the band in April and May and also record their upcoming fifth album.

In a statement, the band say: "Panic Room are preparing to unveil a powerful live show which will celebrate the finest and most-loved music from across all four of the band's award-winning albums.

"Each event will feature a full electric set plus an exclusive acoustic set, and we are very excited to welcome Dave aboard for these shows." Read more here.




Tyrannosaurus Rex Albums Remastered and Expanded For Reissues
(Classic Rock) Universal Music are to release the first three Tyrannosaurus Rex albums later this month. They'll launch on January 26 on deluxe CD and 180g double vinyl along with three limited 7-inch edition singles: Strange Orchestras, Consuela and Nijinsky Hind.

Marc Bolan and Steve Peregrin Took's My People Were Fair And Had Sky In Their Hair…, Prophets, Seers & Sages: Angels Of The Ages and Unicorn have been fully remastered for the reissues.

They will feature previously unreleased songs, including home demos, alternate versions and tracks which originally appeared on DJ John Peel's Top Gear show in the late 60s. Read more here.




Sean Timms Denies United Progressive Fraternity Claims
(Prog) Former Unitopia founder and keyboard player Sean Timms has issued an angry response to claims made in the offshoot band United Progressive Fraternity's interview in the current issue of Prog Magazine.

Timms contacted Prog having read the United Progressive Fraternity feature, and gave us the following response to various comments in relation to him or Unitpoia that vocalist Mark Trueack and drummer Dave Hopgood made. This is his full response...

I hope you don't mind me contacting you, but I saw the article yesterday on UPF (I'm a digital subscriber) and there were quite a few half truths and out and out lies in it. I'd like a chance to respond if I may? I don't want what's happened and what I'm doing (or going to do) to be misrepresented. I apologise upfront if this is a tad long... I'll go through them one by one.

1) 'There were a few communication problems' - Mark. There were NO communication problems. I made it quite clear to Mark on a number of occasions that he needed to apologise to Patsy Delledonne (our manager) for his behaviour towards her (long story) and his passive/aggressive attitude towards us both. He refused, so I let him know quite clearly that I didn't want to work with him anymore. He changed his attitude, but too late... the damage was done.

2) 'Musical Differences' - There were no musical differences. I was thrilled with the music we were creating for the new album, but after his thoughtlessness and stubborn behaviour, I was no longer interested in continuing working with him.




Bombus Hitting The Road With Monster Magnet
(Classic Rock) Bombus have been announced as the support for Monster Magnet's upcoming European tour and the band have premiered a brand new music video.

The Swedish band will open for American heavyweights Monster Magnet on the trip, which includes three UK dates in February. The tour gets underway on February 2 in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Bombus released their second album The Poet And The Parrot in 2013. A video for the single Let Her Die has been made available. It was directed by the band's former bassist Ulf Linden. Watch the video and grab the tour dates here.




Malaya Blue Reveals Her Live Band Lineup
(The Blues Malaya Blue has announced details of her live band's new lineup. The singer will be joined on stage by bassist Trev Turley, drummer Simon Dring, keyboard player Andy Cooper and guitarist Andy Walker.

And for her performance at The Great British Rock & Blues Festival in Skegness on January 23, Malaya will also have the help of special guest guitarist Will Johns of Fresh Cream fame.

Johns will also guests during Malaya's appearance at Blakeney Harbour Rooms on February 6. Her new band boasts an impressive blues background, with Turley having previously worked with the Bare Bones Boogie Band and Dring a former member of the Billy Walton Band. Cooper has worked with Pete Brutnell and Todd Sharpeville while Walker has a history with Mojo Preachers. Read more here.




Schnauser Release Grey Or Blue Video
(Prog) Schnauser have released a new video for their track Grey Or Blue. The Bristol prog outfit took to the beach - and a caravan park - for the shoot, which features a new edit of the track, which is taken from 2014 album Protein For Everyone.

The band say: "It's January, the grey wet mist is clinging to your bones, you forgot to set the VHS to record Tomorrow's World and you've run out of teabags yet again - cheer yourself up with this glass half full ditty.

"It was filmed back in November by brilliant Bristol director Matty Groves on Super 8 film. Thanks to Emma for being our enthusiastic swimmer, it was freezing."






Vanguards Of Extreme Metal Plan Exhibition
(TeamRock Radio) Lovers of the dark arts, mark January 17 and 18 down on your calendars as two visual vanguards of the extreme metal world, artist Zbigniew Bielak and photographer Ester Segarra are joining forces with the band Shards for an exhibition and a unique multi-media and multi-sensory experience at the Crypt Gallery, beneath St Pancras Parish Church in London.

Polish artist Zbiegniew Bielak's architectural background is more than apparent in the mindboggling detailed, historically sourced and instantly recognisable artwork that's graced albums by the likes of Watain, Ghost BC, Absu and Vader. Anyone who's seen Watain live recently, will know the power of his work from the band's vast, Necropolis backdrop, and his stunning new Art Calendar is a trove of macabre and arcane wonders.

Barcelona-born photographer Ester Segarra has worked for Metal Hammer for over eight years, and has also redefined the aesthetic of the extreme metal world, producing many of its most iconic, intimate and memorable images, not least for bands such as Watain, Electric Wizard, Triptykon, Ghost BC, Mayhem, Burzum and Purson, amongst many others. The joint exhibition with Zbiginew will feature some of her most renowned portrait work as well as other personal projects. Read more here.



David Bowie's Crooked Oral History Preserved
(Radio.com) Oh, the '80s, what a carefree time--hair was big, shoulder pads were bigger and teeth had a mind of their own. David Bowie was well known during the early stages of his career for some of the music world's most unusually angled teeth this side of, say, Pogues singer Shane McGowan.

Of course, Bowie's crooked teeth are a relic of the past, replaced by the time the '90s rolled around with a mouthful of gleaming, snow-white incisors. Some people aren't willing to let Bowie's oral history go gently into that good night, though. Paint and sculptor Jessie Hein has fashioned Bowie's old dentures into a mold, made of acrylics, plaster and paint.

And why not? They were as much a part of the Bowie legend as his zany outfits, an indispensable part of his Ziggy Stardust and Thin White Duke personas.

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 Kid Rock Says Rap-Rock 'Turned Out to Be Pretty Gay' As Kid Rock promotes his upcoming album &qu...

Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Kid Rock Says Rap-Rock 'Turned Out to Be Pretty Gay'
As Kid Rock promotes his upcoming album "First Kiss", he has also taken a critical look back at a musical movement that he helped popularize. While Rock rose to fame on the rap-rock wave of the late 1990s, he had managed to remain relevant by shifting musical gears, while many of his contemporaries have faded into obscurity.

Rock addressed his current view of the rap-rock movement in a new op-ed that he wrote for England's Guardian newspaper. Here is an excerpt via Radio.com, "Rap-rock was what people wanted at the time, and they still love those songs at shows. But it turned into a lot of bulls- and it turned out to be pretty gay."

He anticipated some blowback from the use of the term "gay" by writing, "If someone says you can't say 'gay' like that you tell them to go f- themselves. You're not going to get anything politically correct out of me."





Lamb Of God Fan Reportedly Sues Live Nation For Concert Injury
A Lamb Of God fan has reportedly filed a lawsuit against the concert promoter Live Nation after he allegedly suffered injuries at one of the band's shows, according to gossip site/bloid TMZ.

The bloid reports that the fan, named William Tarantino, is seeking $75,000 for the alleged injuries he suffered at a Lamb of God concert in Connecticut in November of 2012. The report did not name the venue, but the band's itinerary at the time listed a November 23rd concert in Wallingford, CT at the Oakdale Theater.

According to the report, Tarantino watched the show from the "standing-only" section and he reportedly alleges that the "crowd went crazy, trampling him and causing traumatic fractures of the cervical spine which required surgical fusion. He says the surgery didn't fully heal him... he has permanent spinal injuries."

There has been no independent confirmation that such a lawsuit has been filed and the report did not disclose the court Tarantino where allegedly filed his suit. Read the report here.




Ozzy Osbourne Bringing Hell To Vegas For Halloween?
This Halloween, Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne will be the latest hard rocker to bring an elaborate show to fans in Las Vegas, according to a British media report.

"I'm working right now on a Vegas production for Ozzy," Sharon reportedly told British newspaper The Sun (via Belfast Telegraph.) 'It'll be in time for Halloween and be called Hellgate.'

If the comes to fruition, Ozzy will join the ranks of KISS, Guns N' Roses and Def Leppard, who have all had successful shows in Las Vegas in recent years.



The Faceless, Animosity, Animals As Leaders Supergroup Preview EP
The new supergroup Entheos, featuring former members of The Faceless, Animosity, and Animals As Leaders, are giving fans the first taste of their upcoming release.

The band features singer Chaney Crabb along with former The Faceless, Animosity member Evan Brewer, Frank Costa of Animosity fame and former Animals As Leaders star Navene Koperweis.

The new group posted the following message along with a preview video of their forthcoming EP on their Facebook page, "We just finished writing and making demos of our first EP!! Quick clip for you guys!"

Check it out the preview clip here.




Rammstein Frontman Launches New Project
(TeamRock Radio) Rammstein frontman Till Lindemann has formed a new project with Swedish producer Peter Tagtgren. The duo will go by the name Lindemann, although further details remain sketchy.

The group's official Facebook page is short on information, but Raubtier singer Par Hulkoff says on his own band's Facebook page that Lindemann's music "blew my mind."

Producer and multi-instrumentalist Tagtgren also fronts death metal outfit Hypocrisy and his own project, Pain. Last year, Rammstein guitarist Richard Kruspe hinted that his involvement with the band could be over. Read his comments here.




Fall Out Boy Premiere New Song 'Irresistible'
(Radio.com) Fall Out Boy have released their new single "Irresistible," which is the fourth song to be released from the group's forthcoming album American Beauty/American Psycho.

Available for an immediately download on iTunes, the new single follows previously released songs "The Kids Aren't Alright, "American Beauty/American Psycho" and "Centuries," the latter of which currently claims the No. 2 position on Billboard's Rock Songs chart.

All three tracks are available as instant downloads when you pre-order the $7.99 album. "When I think of 'Irresistible' it brings this image to my head, whether it's fictional or real, of Sid and Nancy in an alley garbage raining down on them in an eternal spiral of romance and poison," explained Pete Wentz of the song. "Sometimes it hard not to love what can hurt us the most."





Kataklysm Reveal New Album Details
Kataklysm have revealed more information, including the title, of their forthcoming album, the follow up to their 2013 release "Waiting for the End to Come."

The band revealed in an online teaser video on Monday that they will be calling the new album, "Of Ghosts And Gods" and they will be releasing the effort this summer.

Late last week (January 1), the band posted on Facebook, "2015 is here and Kataklysm is ready to claim it, Guitarist J-F Dagenais is hard at work in his studio in Texas tracking the new album and as promised we will unveil the title of the new album tomorrow, so come back and check in with us, cheers and a Happy New year to the best fans in the world, the Kataklysm legions \m/

And then on Monday (January 5), the band posted a short teaser video along with the following message on their Facebook page on Monday "Here you go brothers and sisters the new Kataklysm album title is unleashed \m/ spread it, share it !! ‪#‎newalbum‬ ‪#‎summer2015‬"





Some Skid Row Fans Don't Realize Bach Left The Band
(Classic Rock) Skid Row's Dave 'Snake' Sabo finds it "amusing" that some fans still turn up to gigs expecting to see Sebastian Bach. The guitarist says some fans who are "out of the loop" might not realize Bach left the band in 1996 and that vocal duties are now handled by Johnny Solinger.

But Sabo says he is comfortable with that, as long as the fans don't leave the show feeling disappointed once they realise Bach isn't involved. Sabo tells Talk Is Jericho: "I find it amusing. I mean, you know what, how can you judge stupidity?

"Johnny, he's fine with it. The thing is, he's a singer of Skid Row with long, blond hair, and some people might not be aware - they're just not in the loop. I get it. It's fine." Read more here.




Papa Roach and Seether Kicking Off Tour This Week
Papa Roach will be kicking off their North American co-headlining tour with Seether on Friday. The band is launching the tour ahead of the release of their new album.

The new album, entitled F.E.A.R. (Face Everything And Rise), is scheduled to be released on January 27th. Apart from the headliners the tour will feature support from Kyng and Islander.

The tour will be launching from the House of Blues in Myrtle Beach, SC on January 9th and is scheduled to conclude on February 7th at The Joint at the Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, NV.

Papa Roach frontman Jacoby Shaddix had this to say about the tour, "We are super excited to roll out on this tour with our brothers in Seether. Not only is it gonna be rad for the fans it's gonna be rad for us as well! We love and respect the guys in Seether.

"Can't wait to see the American fans and most importantly we can't wait to play our new material live!! The fans are in for a killer night of rock n roll at its finest."

Seether frontman Shaun Morgan adds, "We're really looking forward to going back out with our good friends Papa Roach and we're super excited to be bringing out our buddies Kyng and newcomers Islander too. It will be an awesome show for all our fans. Can't wait to play some new music for you all!" Check out the dates here.




As They Burn Announce Break Up
As They Burn have announced that they are breaking up. The French metal band formed in 2007 and has released two studio albums and one EP. Their final effort was 2013's "Will, Love, Life," which was released by Victory Records.

The band released the following statement about their decision to disband,
"We are deeply moved to announce the end of the band. As they burn was an amazing way to let our artistic energy flow for a fabulous seven years. We lived and grew up in rhythm with what is for us much more than a musical adventure - a real humane endeavour which embraced a lot of people. It is because we honour and respect you guys that we have taken this difficult decision.

"Up until now, we have provided you with ourselves in the best possible way and we never want to put that aside. As we are now, we are incapable of providing you with the As They Burn you expect us to be. And it is impossible for us, musically and artistically to be less than what we expect and aspire to be, and we will NEVER accept to be half of ourselves.

"By taking this decision we value honesty above become a band that we would never want to be. It is time for us to follow our own independent paths, each cradled by the memories of the past years and the brotherly love that unites all six of us. And it is the same desire of honesty and same willpower that we have decided to part ways with you guys on stage and not by a simple press release! We will be playing several farewell shows in 2015 so we can meet one last time on stage.

"From the bottom of our hearts, thank you! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!"



Armageddon Recruit Nightrage Singer For Upcoming Tour
(TeamRock Radio) Armageddon have brought in Nightrage singer Antony Hamalainen to front the band on their upcoming US tour. The band - led by former Arch Enemy guitarist Christopher Amott - parted company with singer Matt Hallquist last month, who left for "personal reasons."

But their nine-date US jaunt in February will go ahead after Hamalainen - who has also worked with Nervosia and Meridian Dawn - was recruited in the short term at least.

Amott says: "We're pleased to reveal that Antony Hamalainen will be joining us as vocalist on our US tour in February. Thank you Antony for keeping the metal alive." Read more here.



Issues Member Won't Be Touring With The Band
(TeamRock Radio) Issues keyboardist Tyler 'Scout' Acord won't tour with the band this year, he's confirmed - but his departure isn't permanent. The US metalcore outfit take to the road across Europe starting in March and have lined up 11 UK dates - but Acord has announced he's stepped back from live commitments to concentrate on other musical projects.

However, he's still part of the band and will join them later this month to begin work on the follow-up to their self-titled debut album which launched last year via Rise Records.

He says in a statement: "This decision has come from a very deep place in my heart, and was in no way an easy one to make. The reasons are simply because I want to be able focus on other things musically.

"Touring as keys and turntables in a band is fun but isn't what I want to be doing with my career. I have a passion for music production and drums and want to see how far I can take them. However, I will still play the same roll I've always had in the studio with Issues, helping to write and co produce the record."






Dave Lombardo Explains How To Form Your Own Style
(Classic Rock) Philm mainman Dave Lombardo has passed on some sage advice to young drummers. The former Slayer sticksman says he's a firm believer of picking and choosing bits and pieces from other acts and blending them together to form his own unique style.

Recalling some of the bands that influenced him as a child, Lombardo says he taught himself how to drum and he would advise any would-be drummers to do the same.

He tells WSOU: "To give you an idea of the 45s that I bought as a kid, I had Superstition by Stevie Wonder, Bachman Turner Overdrive Taking Care Of Business, The Doobie Brothers Long Train Running. A lot of different styles.

"I'm self-taught. That matters because I didn't learn from a school curriculum, I learned from the records I bought. Practice what you're taught in school, if you're taking lessons, but don't be afraid to venture out and search for new music and music that is inspiring, and try to develop your own style. Take from different genres and apply them to what you like.

"Take your favourite genres and then create your own style." Stream the full interview clip here.




John 5 & The Creatures Announce Tour Dates
Rob Zombie guitarist John 5 has revealed the initial North American tour dates for his band John 5 & The Creatures and their trek in support of his latest solo album.

The group, which also features Ian Ross (bass) and Rodger Carter (drums), will be kicking off the tour on February 8th in Ramona, Ca and have announced dates through February 27th in Ft. Defiance, Az and promise that more dates are still to be announced.

John 5's camp says in the announcement that the tour will feature performances of songs that have never been played live including tracks from his latest album "Careful With That Axe," as well as previous efforts "Vertigo," "Songs For Sanity and "The Devil Knows My Name". See the tour dates here.




Killswitch Engage Frontman Jesse Leach Plans Solo Tour
Killswitch Engage frontman Jesse Leach is heading Down Under next week to launch his very first solo DJ and spoken word tour that will be hitting various cities in Australia.

The trek will feature three DJ shows that kick off on January 15th in Sydney at Hot Damn and concludes on January 24th in Melbourne at The Gasometer and Leach will host a spoken word show on January 21st in Melbourne at Eureka Rebellion Trading.

According to the announcement, the spoken word show will be called "Memories, Words and Songs," and will feature Leach "sharing childhood memories, opening up about his musical inspiration, discussing his lyrical themes, and reading personal poetry."

Jesse had this to say about the tour, "I am eager and excited to kick off my first DJ tour. I have been at this on and off for six years in the Northeastern U.S. and I love sharing music that moves me! There is an amazing rush I get when I play a song and watching the crowd react or when someone approaches me wanting to know what song I played. I do this because I love it. However, I also do this to bring to light and give attention to some of the underground bands that have inspired me and music in general."

Leach also had this to say about the spoken word show, "My spoken word night is something I've wanted to do for a while and it being my first one, I am nervous and quite excited to see how it turns out! I just want to give a little insight into my life and give something back to all of the fans that have supported me over the years through thick and thin..." Check out the dates here.





Metallica's Kirk Hammett Pays Tribute By Playing Legendary Guitar
(Gibson) For many players, the idea of keeping a beautiful vintage guitar in a vault instead of playing it is sacrilege. Last year Metallica's Kirk Hammett ensured that one particularly magical axe will continue to sing, by purchasing the 'Gary Moore/Peter Green Les Paul.'

On the weekend Kirk - whose Twitter handle is @FearFestEviL in honor of his horror festival - explained to a fan on Twitter why he purchased the legendary 1959 Les Paul Standard: "The best tribute is that it's being played again instead of being neglected by people who only bought it for the investment," he said.

Kirk has already been using the instrument onstage, particularly to play Metallica's cover of "Whiskey in the Jar," the traditional Irish song popularized in its rock form by Thin Lizzy in the early 1970s. Read more here.






Status Quo Reach Chart Milestone
(Classic Rock) Status Quo have spent a total of 500 weeks in the UK Official Albums Chart, it's been confirmed. The rock veterans released acoustic album Aquostic (Stripped Bare) in October. And, with their 31st studio outing sitting at no.34 in this week's official album chart, it means the band join a select group of just 50 artists who have racked up 500 weeks or more in the charts.

Mainman Francis Rossi tells the Official Charts Company: "To be celebrating 500 weeks in the Official Album Chart - that's almost 10 years - feels incredible. It's almost surreal that this band that we formed all those years ago could reach this point. It's a tangible achievement though, and a milestone we're very proud of.

"Aquostic (Stripped Bare) is itself our highest charting album for 18 years and has just been certified Gold, so it's not been a bad few weeks. I rarely believe in looking backwards though, we're by no means done yet - 2015 will be another interesting year for Quo." Read more here.





Heart Rock Paul McCartney Classic On Kimmel
(hennemusic) Heart performed the 1973 Paul McCartney and Wings classic, "Band On The Run", during their appearance on ABC-TVs Jimmy Kimmel Live on Monday.

The Seattle band recorded a version of the song as part of "The Art Of McCartney", the recently-released collection featuring a variety of artists joining the former Beatle's long time band to perform songs from the bassist's legendary songwriting catalog.

Heart also contributed a second track to the project: a version of "Letting Go", the single from Wings' 1975 album, "Venus And Mars." Other guests include Def Leppard, Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, The Cure, Brian Wilson, Dr John, KISS, Chrissie Hynde and ELO's Jeff Lynne.






The Scorpions Announce Russian Leg Of 50th Anniversary Tour
(hennemusic) The Scorpions have announced dates for an extensive spring tour of Russia as part of their 50th anniversary tour this year. The German rockers will play 9 shows in the country starting May 14 in Novosibirsk.

The group also revealed a July 2 appearance as Festival Beauregard in Hérouville-Saint Claire, France. The new dates follow the previously-announced first series of shows, which are set to begin May 8 in the Czech Republic.

The Scorpions recently premiered "We Built This House", the lead single from their forthcoming album, "Return To Forever." Read more and check out the tour dates here.



Slash's Full Glasgow Concert Streaming Online
(hennemusic) Slash performed live on the MTV World Stage at O2 Academy in Glasgow, Scotland on November 7 and professionally-filmed footage of his complete show has surfaced.

The concert - part of Slash's UK tour in support of "World On Fire" - was two days before the 2014 MTV Europe Music Awards were held at the same venue, where Slash paid tribute to Ozzy Osbourne by presenting him with the MTV Global Icon Award and closed the event with a performance of Ozzy's 1980 classic, "Crazy Train."

Slash continues his world tour in support of "World On Fire" next month with a Japanese tour followed by dates in New Zealand and Australia. Watch the Glasgow show here.



Aerosmith's Steven Tyler To Rock Super Bowl Event
(hennemusic) Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler will perform at Rolling Stone magazine's Super Bowl Party on January 31 in Scottsdale, Arizona, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The paper reports that the event will be held the night before Super Bowl 49 at the Venue Scottsdale with about 1,000 guests. This will be the magazine's fourth year hosting a big event at the Super Bowl.

Super Bowl 49 will be held at University Of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on Sunday, February 1. Last month, Tyler performed at the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize concert in Oslo, Norway on December 11. Read more here.




Moonspell Release New Song, Set Spring Album Release
(TeamRock Radio) Veteran Portuguese goth metal outfit Moonspell will launch their 10th album in March, they've confirmed. Extinct will be released via Napalm Records and it will be the follow-up to 2012's Alpha Noir/Omega White.

The record will be launched as a two-disc edition containing the full album along with bonus tracks and a behind-the-scenes documentary about the making of the album titled Road To Extinction. It will also be issued as a mediabook, limited deluxe edition and on vinyl.

A statement about Extinct reads: "It puts the D of darkness back into dark metal. It's a true lesson for the new generations of goth metal about how it's played and felt with body and soul - a lesson taught by no others than our Portuguese gentlemen wolves."

To mark the announcement, they've released a stream of latest track The Last Of Us. Hear it here.




Our Oceans Launch Crowdfunding Drive For New Album
(Prog) Our Oceans have launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise cash to record their debut album. The outfit features guitarists Tymon Kruidenier and Michel Nienhuis along with bassist Robin Zielhorst from Exivious. They're joined in the project by singer/songwriter Noora Hakkinen and drummer Jasper Barendregt.

And Kruidenier says he decided to form the band as he needed another outlet for his music away from Exivious' purely instrumental material. And he reveals when he found singer Hakkinen, everything fell into place.

He says, "Shortly after the release of Exivious' debut album in 2009, I wanted to change our musical direction in a very drastic manner. I felt there wasn't much left to say for me as a guitar player and composer in the context of instrumental fusion inspired music. So the plan was to go for a more song driven approach and add a singer to our lineup.

"I spent weeks scouring every corner of the internet, trying to find a suitable singer. Eventually I found Noora. She just started composing her own music for which she played the piano and sang. I immediately fell in love with her voice. So I contacted her and we started talking. As it turned out, she actually knew about Exivious and liked what we were doing. What are the odds?" Read more and watch the campaign video here.




Video From Alice Cooper New Year's Benefit Show Posted Online
(hennemusic) Alice Cooper hosted his annual New Year's Benefit show supporting the Maui Food Bank on December 31st and several videos from the show have been posted online.

Hosted by actor Tom Arnold, the event at the ballroom of the Wailea Mariott saw Cooper and his band run through a set of classic tracks plus covers of Jimi Hendrix's "Foxy Lady" and "Revolution by The Beatles.

Joining Cooper at the event were Steven Tyler, Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt, Dexter Holland and Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman of The Offspring, Michael McDonald and Pat Simmons of the Doobie Brothers, producer Bob Rock and Weird Al Yankovic.

The 2013 event featured an appearance by Sammy Hagar and many of the regular guests. Cooper spent the fall as the opening guest on the North American run of Motley Crue's farewell tour.






IO Earth Announce One-Off Orchestra Show
(Prog) UK prog outfit IO Earth will perform with string and brass sections for a one-off show in their hometown of Birmingham in May, they've confirmed. They're currently working on their third album New World and will perform tracks from the record at the city's Crescent Theatre on May 23.

They'll be joined by the seven-piece Orchestra Of Sound & Emotion on the night - and founding member Dave Cureton reveals they want to give fans a gig to remember.

He says: "We decided to put on a show which is truly that - a show. We feel that people expect value for money and that's what we are trying to create. We want to make something really special.

"Every genre we cover and every song in the catalogue can benefit from being tweaked for this 14-piece band - and some may be tweaked a little more than others." Read more here.




Queen's Brian May The Subject Of New Book
(NDB) Music biographer Neil Daniels today released his new book about legendary Queen guitarist Brian May. Entitled, "A Casual Guide To The Music Of Queen's Brian May" the book also features previously unseen live photographs.

Here is the synopsis: "Brian May is undoubtedly one of rock music's greatest and best-known guitarists. Regularly appearing in 'The World's Greatest Guitarists' polls and such, Brian May is a living legend and an icon to musicians of all ages. As a member of Queen, he is a household name and his innovative signature guitar riffs are world famous.

"But there is more to this fiercely talented and intelligent man than Queen. He is a passionate activist and animal welfare charity enthusiast, an avid and popular blogger as well as an author and holds a PhD in Astrophysics.

"Back To The Light, however, charts his musical career outside of Queen from the pre Queen band Smile to the Brian May Band in the 1990s and his two solo albums Back To The Light and Another World as well as his soundtrack compositions and many musical collaborations as a guitarist, producer and songwriter.

"Back To The Light celebrates May's musical legacy and offers titbits of information and trivia about his career as well as a biography, discographies, a timeline, reviews and tributes from leading musicians and music writers."

Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Aerosmith Planning To Launch New Tour
Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry reveals in a recent interview that the band are planning to hit the road this summer, but the group's plans for future music remain up in the air.

When asked by Guitar International if he is planning a new solo album or an Aerosmith album next, Perry responded, "I'm really not sure, I feel that we just finished the last Aerosmith CD and I learned a lot about making that record as well as what our hard core fans are looking for.

"I have about six songs for a solo project, as I'm always writing and working on new stuff. Whether it's a solo thing or an Aerosmith thing I'm not sure as we haven't talked about specifics.

"The industry and audience have changed so much, plus Steven is doing a solo CD this spring. Sometimes I wonder if it worth doing an album any more or go more in the direction of this EP. We put it together in two and a half weeks; put it up online for people to buy the songs they like or all four. I was thinking why not put out a song at a time and when you get a bunch together, release them as a package.

"We've certainly talked about the different options. From talking with the fans at the book signings, they were handing me vinyl instead of CDs to sign. Maybe going back and do vinyl and also release the songs online. We are wide open now and we'll decide when we start thinking about putting out new music. I know we are going back on the road this summer, so I'm not sure when we will have the time or be able to make time to get back into the studio. I know we plan on it, I just don't know when."




The Black Keys Star Injured In Accident
(Classic Rock) Drummer Patrick Carney of The Black Keys dislocated his shoulder when a wave slammed him to the ocean floor on the island of Saint-Barthelemy. Carney and guitarist/vocalist Dan Auerbach wrapped up an autumn US tour in support of their eighth album, Turn Blue, prior to the Christmas holidays.

TMZ reports the drummer was rushed to an emergency room so doctors could reset his shoulder after the holiday accident on Saturday. He is reportedly out of the hospital and recovering from the incident.

Carney posted photos of his injury on Instagram while joking: "Tune into my new Lifetime movie, Dislocated Shoulder, airing right now," a reference to the American TV and satellite channel. Read more here.




KISS Vs Motley Crue In Football Matchup
(hennemusic) Motley Crue frontman Vince Neil's Arena Football League team, the Las Vegas Outlaws, will make their debut on March 30 when they host their inaugural match against the L.A. KISS, the team owned by Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons of KISS.

The Las Vegas Sun reports Neil will be on hand to perform the national anthem and that plans are being discussed for a possible rival Motley Crue and KISS mini-concert before game time and at halftime.

Neil - who was awarded the new AFL franchise in September - will begin audtions this week for the team's Posse cheerleader squad. "We are going to have the 10 hottest, sexiest girls in Las Vegas leading the team, the best beauties in the league," claims Neil. "The Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders, who once made headlines around the world, will pale by comparison to what we assemble."

The singer also reveals the Posse will be a part of regular promotions at the games. Read more here.



Megadeth's Mustaine Promises 'Great News' Coming
(Classic Rock) Megadeth mainman Dave Mustaine says Megadeth fans can look forward to great news in 2015. Mustaine recently suggested supporters would be "very happy" with what's going on behind the scenes as he rebuilds the band's lineup following the November departures of guitarist Chris Broderick and drummer Shawn Drover.

The duo's exit led bassist David Ellefson to confirm Megadeth's plans to move forward and begin work this month on their 15th album while expecting to be off the road for most of the year.

Mustaine had cheerful thoughts and news to share as part of his holiday message. He writes: "Wishing everyone a Happy New Year. 2015 will bring great news for Megadeth fans around the world, from the East to the West." Read more here.




Country Music Legend Little Jimmy Dickens Dead at 94
(Radio.com) After being hospitalized for a stroke earlier in the week, country music legend and longtime Grand Ole Opry star Little Jimmy Dickens died Friday afternoon (Jan. 2) at a Nashville hospital. He was 94.

A member of the Country Music Hall of Fame since 1983, Dickens is survived by his wife Mona (whom he married in 1971) and his two daughters, Pamela Detert and Lisa King.

Dickens is best known for goofy but well-written and -recorded novelty songs such as "Take An Old Cold Tater (And Wait)," "May The Bird Of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose," "A-Sleeping at the Foot of the Bed," and "Out Behind The Barn."

Though these often silly songs became the foundation of his repertoire, Dickens actually recorded a wide range of material over his long career, including rockabilly numbers ("I've Got a Hole in My Pocket"), sacred songs (such as "Old Rugged Cross" and the curious period piece "They Locked God Outside the Iron Curtain") and a surprising number of ballads like "The Violet and the Rose" and "Life Turned Her That Way"), which showed he was plenty capable of reaching emotional places far beyond the funny bone.

Born in West Virginia in 1920, James Cecil Dickens was one of 13 children. He first performed on local radio programs around the Midwest (including under his earlier stage name Jimmy the Kid) before Roy Acuff heard him and helped earn him a spot on the Opry and win a recording contract with Columbia. Read more here.




U2's Bono Says Injury May Impair His Playing
(Classic Rock) U2 frontman Bono says that he's unsure if he will ever play guitar again as he continues to mend from injuries that he sustained in a November cycle crash in New York.

Under doctor's orders not to move for several months following a five-hour surgery to repair multiple injuries, the singer hopes to heal in time for the May launch of U2's 2015 world tour in Vancouver, a trek that will see the band play six UK shows in October.

Bono has not been able to physically move around much lately, and is realizing that he may have some long-term limitations as a result of his injuries.

He says: "Recovery has been more difficult than I thought... As I write this, it is not clear that I will ever play guitar again. The band have reminded me that neither they nor Western civilization are depending on this."

"I personally would very much miss fingering the frets of my green Irish falcon or my (RED) Gretsch. Just for the pleasure, aside from writing tunes. But then does the Edge, or Jimmy Page, or any guitarist you know have a titanium elbow, as I do now? I'm all elbows, I am." Read more here.



Duff McKagan Releasing New Book This Spring
(hennemusic) Former Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver bass player Duff McKagan has revealed that he will publish a new book, "How To Be A Man (And Other Illusions)", on May 12.

The project sees the bassist share the wisdom he gained on the path to superstardom-from his time with Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver to getting sober after a life of hard living to achieving his personal American Dream of marrying a supermodel, raising a family, and experiencing what it's like to be winked at by Prince.

McKagan shared some insight into the book's development last year, telling TotalRock Radio: "I had a column for the Seattle Weekly for five years, and there was one column that was called 'How To Be A Man', and it was kind of tongue in cheek; it was really tongue in cheek. And I got a book deal from that column."

"It's a how-to guide of things I've learned about life - being a dad, being a husband and being in a rock band. And it's, like, a city guide in it, but a very tongue-in-cheek city guide; like, how I see cities. It's got all kinds of stuff. And other stories. And hopefully it's gonna be a funny book." Read more here.




Marty Friedman Hasn't Ruled Out Megadeth Reunion
(Classic Rock) Former Megadeth guitarist Marty Friedman has refused to rule out a possible return to the band. Friedman left Megadeth in 2000 after recording five albums with the band, including Rust In Peace and Countdown To Extinction.

He later moved to Japan where he has lived since 2003 and has built a successful career as a TV personality.Asked whether he would go back to Megadeth, Friedman tells Myglobalmind:

"I know that people would want to know. Honestly, I don't have an answer. I have never said never to anything in my life, so who knows? I really don't know." Read more here.




Every Band Wants To Be Pantera?
(Classic Rock) Former Pantera bassist Rex Brown insists every band wants to be Panetra. And he says the impact he, guitarist Dimebag Darrell, drummer Vinnie Paul and frontman Phil Anselmo had only happens once in a lifetime.

He tells Songfacts: "Every band out there wants to be Pantera. I'm not patting myself on the back when I say that, it's just fact. They're trying to get the riffs and they'll never have it. They'll never get it. It takes the four of us.

"You can't just throw three of the original guys out of Slayer and expect to sound like Slayer, it's just not going to work. Just one of those things. You run across that once in a lifetime and you just fight for it, and that's what we did with the band."

The Kill Devil Hill bassist, who reflects on the death of Dimebag in the latest issue of Metal Hammer, also reveals Pantera found it difficult finishing the writing and recording process as they wanted everything to be perfect before laying down material. He continues: "We were such perfectionists in what we did. Really a lot of the time the thought process was thrown through the door, and it just came out naturally - it didn't feel contrived. That was the beauty of it. Read more here.




AC/DC Release Rock Or Bust Launch Party Video
(hennemusic) AC/DC are sharing video footage from the November 29 launch party for their latest studio album "Rock Or Bust" that took place at the Cartoon's Café in Antwerp.

The band's first album in 6 years was recorded this past spring at Vancouver's Warehouse Studio with producer Brendan O'Brien (Aerosmith, Pearl Jam) and engineer Mike Fraser.

AC/DC recently announced the first series of dates for a 2015 world tour, with a European trek to launch May 5 in Arnhem, Netherlands, followed by a mix of arena and stadium shows scheduled into late July.

The concerts will feature new addition Stevie Young, nephew of guitarist Angus Young and retired AC/DC founder Malcolm Young. The status of drummer Phil Rudd for the tour remains in question following his recent arrest by New Zealand police on drug possession and threatening to kill charges.





Aerosmith's Joe Perry Explains Johnny Depp Collaboration
(Classic Rock) Johnny Depp played rhythm guitar on the Aerosmith axeman's four-song EP, Joe Perry's Merry Christmas. The set features versions of seasonal favorites White Christmas, Silent Night, Santa Claus Is Back In Town and Run Run Rudolph.

Already writing songs for an upcoming solo album, Perry found time to record the festive project after the autumn release of his memoir, Rocks: My Life In And Out Of Aerosmith.

The guitarist explains how Depp's musicality first appeared on his radar. Perry tells Guitar international: "I've been a fan of his acting for a long time. I remember seeing him in the movie Chocolat, where he plays the gypsy guitar player. I was really impressed. You could tell that he was really playing guitar versus cutting back and forth to a musician."

"In the movie he plays a lot of Django Reinhardt stuff. I didn't know him at the time, but remember telling myself that someday I have to get a guitar lesson off him if I meet him since I don't know any of that type of stuff."

He continues: "As it turned out, about four years later he dropped by the studio when Aerosmith recorded our last studio record with Jack Douglas. Jack knew him and asked him to come down. We started talking music and guitars and that's where our friendship started."





Stevie Nicks and Deer Tick Rhiannon Jam Goes Online
(hennemusic) Stevie Nicks joined indie rockers Deer Tick on New Year's Eve in New York for a live performance of her 1975 Fleetwood Mac classic, "Rhiannon" and video of the jam has surfaced online.

The Brooklyn Bowl date was Deer Tick's 6th straight night at the venue as they celebrated their 10th anniversary and closed out 2014 while welcoming in the New Year.

Nicks and the band share a history as friends, including the singer officiating the 2013 wedding of Deer Tick frontman John McCauley and singer Vanessa Carlton.

"Rhiannon" originally appeared on Fleetwood Mac's self-titled 1975 album, which marked the debut of Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham with the group following the 1974 departure of guitarist Bob Welch. Watch the video here.




John Corabi Performing Entire Motley Crue Album Live
(Classic Rock) Former Motley Crue vocalist John Corabi is performing his former group's 1994 album in its entirety. Corabi launched the trek in sync with Motley Crue's farewell tour, which will see the group release a new song before playing their final show in Los Angeles early next year.

The ex-Union and Scream vocalist joined the Crue in 1992 following their split with Vince Neil and recorded the band's self-titled project, which presented an updated sound - a sonic mix of grunge and alternative metal - in the wake of Nirvana's breakthrough into the mainstream with 1991's Nevermind.

While the album debuted and peaked at No. 7 on the US Billboard 200, fan reaction to the lineup change was not favourable and the record achieved US gold status - a tough pill for the band to swallow as the follow-up to their best-selling album, 1989's Dr. Feelgood.

Corabi explains that history has been kind to the Motley Crue album. "A lot of fans, once Vince came back, saw it, picked it up and ended up really enjoying it. It's still trudging along and selling and doing its thing. The best thing to me is that it still sounds as relevant now as it did when it came out."

The singer has launched the Motley '94 Tour, which sees him performing the album in full, including the lead single Hooligan's Holiday. Read more here.



Beatles' Let It Be Album Was Garbage Says Glyn Johns
(Classic Rock) Producer Glyn Johns has described The Beatles album Let It Be as a "bunch of garbage." Johns worked on the band's 12th and final album but says it was ruined by Phil Spector who, he says, "puked all over it."

The band recorded the tracks before setting it aside. It was only issued after John Lennon handed the tapes to Spector to remix and add overdubs ahead of a 1970 release.

In his memoir Sound Man, Johns says (via Ultimate Classic Rock): "I was disappointed that Lennon got away with giving it to Spector, and even more disappointed with what Spector did to it.

"It has nothing to do with the Beatles at all. Let It Be is a bunch of garbage. As I say in the book, he puked all over it. I've never listened to the whole thing, I've only listened to the first few bars of some things and said, 'Oh, forget it.' It was ridiculously, disgustingly syrupy." Read more here.



Tony Harnell Quits TNT Again
(Classic Rock) Tony Harnell has announced his third departure from the veteran Norwegian outfit. Harnell brought his 4 octave vocal range to TNT in 1984, replacing original singer Dag Ingebrigtsen and appearing on their sophomore album, Knights Of The New Thunder.

He was on board for another three records before the band went on hiatus in 1992; they regrouped in 1996 and, after four more releases, Harnell left in April 2006 for both personal and professional reasons.

Harnell says: "This was an amazing year for me and for all the TNT fans who were lucky enough to be at the concerts. Many of the shows were the best TNT shows ever in my opinion.

"Sadly it's not possible for me to continue with the band. I won't bore you with all the details...it's nothing mind blowing and it's certainly nothing new and it's also best to respect the privacy of the band and keep our issues between us. At least that's my goal." Read more here.




Veil Of Maya Reveal Their New Singer
(TeamRock Radio) American deathcore outfit Veil Of Maya have revealed Arms Of Empire singer Lukas Magyar has joined their lineup. Magyar steps in following a split with longtime vocalist Brandon Butler, who left the group in September over musical differences after seven years with the Chicago-based band.

Magyar appears on Veil Of Maya's upcoming fifth album, Phoenix, via Sumerian Records. The group posted on Facebook: "Our brand new, and debut track with new vocalist Lukas Magyar, is available now. Check it out and tell us what you think."

The singer will perform double-duty with both acts moving forward, confirmed Arms Of Empire in a Facebook update of their own, writing: "Yes, Lukas is in Veil Of Maya, but no he's not leaving Arms Of Empire."


38 Special In The Studio For Rockin' Into The Night 35th Anniversary
The latest episode of the syndicated radio show In The Studio: The Stories Behind History's Greatest Rock Bands features 38 Special's Jeff Carlisi and Donnie Van Zant as they celebrate the 35th anniversary of their album Rockin' Into The Night. The show sent over these details:

Hailing from the Southern Rock capital of the world, Jacksonville, Florida, and with the connection to Ronnie Van Zant of Southern Rock royalty Lynyrd Skynyrd, 38 Special found themselves in an advantageous position. But after two albums, not much had materialized until the release of 1980's breakthrough Rockin' Into The Night and the platinum follow-ups, 1981's Wild-Eyed Southern Boys and 1982's Special Forces.

Jeff Carlisi shares with InTheStudio host Redbeard how 38 Special drew a bead on the musical bullseye and came into their own with hits including "Rockin' Into the Night","Hold On Loosely","Fantasy Girl", and "Caught Up in You".

Carlisi says, "38 Special found a bit of a focus with the third album Rockin' Into The Night and then Wild-Eyed Southern Boys , which was the first platinum record for the band. We had finally developed a style of music that was not typically Southern in the sense of three chord shuffles or those type of things, but it was the attitude, the way Southern musicians approached there music."




Halestorm Tease New Album Announcement
(Classic Rock) Halestorm have launched an online countdown to the announcement of their 3rd album. The project comes on the heels of last month's vinyl release of Reanimate: The Covers Collection (2011-2014), which combines their two cover EPs - 2011's Reanimate and 2013's Reanimate 2.0 - into one package. The set features tracks originally recorded by artists including Guns N' Roses, Judas Priest, AC/DC and Marilyn Manson.

A clock on halestormrocks.com is actively ticking way until January 13, while the band are simultaneously revealing individual letters in the album's title via their social media outlets - a total of 15 will be unveiled by the launch date. Frontwoman Lzzy Hale has taken to Twitter to spread the word, tweeting "Countdown has begun" and "Prepare yourself!!! #11315".

The band's sophomore album, 2012's The Strange Case Of…, which delivered Halestorm a US Top 20 album and a Grammy Award in the Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance category for the track Love Bites (So Do I).






Blind Guardian Reveal Song From Forthcoming Album
(TeamRock Radio) Blind Guardian have issued a lyric video for Twilight Of The Gods as a preview to their 10th album Beyond The Red Mirror. Due January 30 via Nuclear Blast, the follow-up to 2010's At The Edge Of Time continues a story the band introduced almost 20 years ago.

Frontman Hansi Kursch explains: "A story between science fiction and fantasy, it begins with our 1995 album Imaginations From The Other Side. The two worlds described have changed dramatically for the worse since then. While there used to be several passages between the worlds, there is only one gate left now: The Red Mirror. It has to be found at any cost."

Blind Guardian began working on Beyond The Red Mirror with producer Charlie Bauerfeind at Twilight Hall Studios in Grefrath, Germany in 2012, mapping out a mix of their sound with classical orchestrations.

The project sees the group joined by three different classical choirs - from Prague, Budapest and Boston - plus two grand orchestras featuring 90 musicians each. Read more and watch the video here.




Van Halen's David Lee Roth Covers 1965 Classic
(hennemusic) Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth has issued a montage of his 2014 in pictures and video set to his cover of Mack Rice's 1965 classic, "Mustang Sally."

"My name is Dave Roth, and what a long great trip 2014 was ..." explains the singer as a setup to the video, billed as a Happy New Year's messsage from his online series The Roth Show.

It's the second new clip in a month from Roth, who released "Talkin' Christmas Blues" in December. In the spring of 2014, Roth revealed that he had been working on a secret Van Halen project.

"Doing some catching up here, a little bit of a scrapbook," he explained. "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."






Steve Miller Band Classic Used In Taco Bell Commercial
(hennemusic) A new cover version of the Steve Miller Band's 1976 classic, "Take The Money And Run", is featured in a new commercial for the fast-food chain Taco Bell.

The soundtrack to the new commercial was recorded by synth-rock duo Priory as part of the fast food company's marketing campaign for the Crunchwrap Slider.

"Take The Money And Run" was originally released as the lead single from Miller's 9th album, "Fly Like An Eagle." The tune peaked at No. 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100 single chart, while the album reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200 on its way to selling more than 4 million copies in the States alone.






Tesla's Frank Hannon Releases Electric Chair Video
(Classic Rock) Tesla guitarist Frank Hannon has released a new music video for "Electric Chair" which is a track taken from his recently released solo album "World Peace".

The "Electric Chair" music video was directed by Hannon's solo bandmate Kelly Smith and features Hannon and his band playing in front of various kaleidoscopic scenes.

Hannon released the new "World Peace" album last month and the video for "Electric Chair" is described by the guitarist as "groundbreaking." You can watch the video here.


In Flames Not Changed By Jesper's Exit
(TeamRock Radio) In Flames miss former guitarist Jesper Stromblad as a friend but not as a musician, according to singer Anders Friden. Stromblad left the band in 2010, saying he needed to deal with his alcohol addiction. This year he expanded on that, insisting booze wasn't entirely to blame and that the band's musical direction was an issue.

Now Friden says not much has changed when it comes to writing new material since Stromblad's departure, but he admits he does miss the guitarist's friendship.

He tells Rock Total TV: "Musically, it's not that different, to be honest. We have the same approach as we always had. We're trying to write good melodies, and that's what we've done since the first album.

"So, for us, it wasn't a big departure in that sense. I mean, we miss the guy as a friend, but we just couldn't really work together anymore. And I don't think he wanted to be in the band anymore, to be honest." Read more here.




Haken Release Tour Highlight Video
(Prog) Haken have released a behind-the-scenes video from their recent UK and Ireland tour with Leprous and Maschine. Haken released new EP Restoration last October. It features three reworked songs from their 2008 demo.

The first part of what is expected to be a series of online video clips shows the British prog outfit rehearsing for the tour which saw them play nine dates.

Before the tour, the band confirmed stand-in bassist Conner Green as the permanent replacement for Tom MacLean. Check out the new tour video clip here.




Beartooth Release Body Bag Video
(TeamRock Radio) Beartooth have released a new music video for their track Body Bag. The song is taken from the Ohio metalcore outfit's debut album Disgusting, issued last year.

The video, which features live footage, was posted alongside a message which reads: "Thank you all for a great beginning. Here's to sticking with us until the end. Love, Beartooth"

Beartooth return to the UK next month alongside Bury Tomorrow, Don Broco and We Are The In Crowd. Check out the upcoming tour dates and watch the new video here.




Ray Laidlaw and Billy Mitchell Plan Another Lindisfarne Tour
(Prog) Following a successful 2014 tour, Ray Laidlaw and Billy Mitchell will be telling the story of Tyneside's favorite band again across the UK and Ireland in 2015.

In a two-man acoustic show, the pair perform classic Lindisfarne songs illustrated with tales, personal archive photographs and rare video. Founding member and original drummer Laidlaw and Mitchell, frontman for the final eight years of the veteran group, share the inside story of the group's rise to fame - from Whitley Bay to San Francisco Bay, from Rothbury to Glastonbury.

Lindisfarne burst onto the UK music scene in 1970 with a string of classic tunes, including Lady Eleanor, Meet Me On The Corner, Fog On The Tyne and Run For Home, which quickly established the band as one of the leading figures in acoustic-based rock.

Laidlaw says: "In 1971, we took the music business by storm, and for the next thirty years we shared Lindisfarne's unique brand of Geordie rock and roll with the world." Read more here.




Help Find The Future Of The Blues
(Classic Rock) The Blues magazine have joined forces with the Mascot Label Group and The Big Easy restaurant group to announce a competition that offers any unsigned guitar-slinging, harp-blowing or blues-singing artist or band a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to win a record deal with the Mascot Label Group; home to blues heroes like Joe Bonamassa, Gov't Mule, Walter Trout, Robert Cray, Beth Hart, Matt Scofield, Jonny Lang and many more.

The Future Of The Blues competition, organised by The Blues Magazine in partnership with the Mascot Label Group and Big Easy restaurant group, will uncover the unsigned blues talent to carry the flag for the scene.

As part of the package, as well as winning a record deal the winner will perform at the opening of the new Big Easy in Canary Wharf, London, and receive exposure within the pages of The Blues.

Five finalists will be chosen to perform live at The Big Easy in London's Covent Garden in front of a prestigious industry panel and one winner will walk away with a deal that night, to show you need to chops to turn it on, the performances will be filmed in front of a live crowd. Read more details here.



Singled Out: Dave Kilminster (Roger Waters)
Today Roger Waters guitarist Dave Kilminster tells us about the song "Stardust" from his brand new solo album "...and THE TRUTH will set you free..." Here is the story:

I've been asked several times whether playing Pink Floyd music with Roger Waters for the last eight years has affected my song writing... to which my reply has always been 'no'... But it would be difficult to deny a certain Floydian influence on this final track of my new CD "...and THE TRUTH will set you free..."

My Mother passed away last year, and so I wanted to write a very special piece of music for her... a kind of modern day Requiem... and a slow, atmospheric Floydian vibe seemed perfect to convey those sorts of feelings and emotions... Hopefully she would have liked it.