Today's Day in Rock
Scott Weiland Talks Velvet Revolver Egos
(Classic Rock) Former Velvet Revolver frontman Scott Weiland says he's surprised the band lasted as long as it did with him on vocal duties. The singer says he still doesn't know why he was sacked by the band, which included former GNR men Slash, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum, as well as guitarist Dave Kushner.
But, he says, with all the egos on show within the band, he's amazed it lasted seven years in the first place. Weiland tells Mitch Lafon: "There were a lot of egos in the band, including mine. Everybody was, basically, a star, a celebrity. To make a group like that work, like a supergroup-type thing - I'm surprised we were together for seven years.
"I wish we would have had another album under our belts. It was great while it was great, and it was difficult when it was difficult. But I don't regret any of it. It was cool." Read more here.
Dave Lombardo Denies Megadeth Rumor
(Classic Rock) Former Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo says the idea of joining Megadeth hasn't been discussed with Dave Mustaine. The drumstool became vacant when Shawn Drover left Megadeth in November, along with guitarist Chris Broderick. They're currently recording their new band's first album.
Lombardo, who was fired by Slayer in February 2013, has been connected with the job in Megadeth - but he tells Wikimetal: "Nobody's approached me. It's all rumors."
In a separate interview, Lombardo, now with Philm, says he's happy with the way his career is going: "It's been amazing being part of such an amazing band like Slayer. The fans that support me, and the musicians I've been able to collaborate with - I couldn't be any happier." Read more here.
AC/DC Reuniting With Chris Slade?
(TeamRock Radio) Former AC/DC drummer Chris Slade is rumored to be rejoining the band in place of wayward sticksman Phil Rudd. The band are due to play at the Grammy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles next week, but Rudd isn't allowed to leave New Zealand as a result of his court case over charges of threatening to kill and drug possession.
Slade was set to make a publicity appearance at The Optometry Practice in California on Saturday, but cancelled at short notice. Dr Alex Robin Liu, who owns the establishment, said via Facebook: "There's actually big news regarding Slade and his career coming in several days, which is why he had to reschedule this event."
Asked of the news was related to a band "spelt with four letters and a lightning bolt" Liu responds: "I am not totally sure to be honest with you. I am hoping for that!" Read more here.
Dimebag Darrell, Marty Friedman Lead Ace Frehley Tribute CD
'Spacewalk - A Salute To Ace Freheley', an all-star tribute to the original KISS guitarist, was reissued this week and features covers of some of his most loved KISS era songs.
One of the highlights of the album is late Pantera and Damage Plan guitarist Dimebag Darrell's performance of "Fractured Mirror," the instrumental track from Frehley's 1978 solo album.
The album also features performances of KISS classics by former Megadeth guitarist Marty Friedman, Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian, former Guns N' Roses guitarist Gilby Clark, Night Ranger guitarist Jeff Watson, former Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach, original L.A. Guns guitarist Tracii Guns, Little Caesar singer Ron Young, Skid Row guitarist Snake Sabo, Europe guitarist John Norum, plus Racer X and The Scream guitarist Bruce Bouillet. Check out the track details here.
Original Dio Member Finish Recording Debut Last in Line Album
(Classic Rock) Last In Line guitarist Vivian Campbell has revealed their upcoming debut album is done and will be mixed in the coming weeks. And he says the material he's recorded with fellow former Dio members Vinny Appice, Jimmy Bain and Claude Schnell, along with Hurricane and Lynch Mob frontman Andrew Freeman is sounding "epic."
He tells the Eddie Trunk podcast: "I would say 50% of the songs would sound right at home on those first three Dio albums, and the others have a bit more of a modern edge to them.
"When you get Vinny and Jimmy and I playing, it sounds like the early Dio records, because that's what it is. Obviously, Andy is a very different singer - he's got a very different instrument, and he writes lyrics very differently. I'm very impressed with where he has gone lyrically on the record. So it's great. It is so epic sounding. We've got some amazing songs and I'm hyper excited about it." Read more here.
Randy Bachman Recruits Rival Sons Star For New Song
(Classic Rock) Randy Bachman has released a stream of his track Ton Of Bricks, featuring a guest appearance by Scott Holiday of Rival Sons. It's taken from the album Heavy Blues, to be launched on April 14th in North America under the band name Bachman.
Other guests include Joe Bonamassa, Neil Young, Peter Frampton and the late Jeff Healey. The record is available for pre-order now. It was produced by Kevin Shirley and features bassist Anna Ruddick and drummer Dale Anne Brendon.
Bachman recently said: "I've known Kevin for many years. I knew he could push me past my limit and direct me down new roads. The collaboration, paired with Dale and Anna, has made this an amazing experience."
Glen Drover Felt Like A Puppet In Megadeth
(Classic Rock) Former Megadeth guitarist Glen Drover says he felt forced to behave like a robot during his stint with Dave Mustaine's band. And he believes the recent departure of his brother, drummer Shawn Drover, and guitarist Chris Broderick was a result of "puppeteering" within the thrash outfit.
Glen, who left in 2008 after four years, tells Guitar Zoom: "There was a lot of force of trying to be somebody else to a tee. I think you should keep certain pieces and melodies intact, but everybody's got their own DNA. That should be injected.
"You shouldn't try to play something note for note. You sound like a robot, and then you're just kind of a puppet. I don't believe in that. In Megadeth there was a lot of pressure for that. It's like, 'This is not really what I envisioned from a musical standpoint.' It didn't take too long to get to the point where it became boring." Read more here.
Steven Adler Surprised He Lived To See 50
(Classic Rock) Steven Adler says he had his doubts he'd ever make it to his 50th birthday. The original Guns N' Roses drummer turned 50 last month and says he feels great, having steered clear of drugs and alcohol for more than a year.
But he admits he feared he might not live as long as he has. He tells KLOS 95.5: "I had my doubts. Everything is great, 50 is beautiful. I survived. I feel more mature, more grown-up. Especially as I have a year and 22 days sober."
Adler also discussed his art project, which sees him create images using laser drum sticks to capture his motion. He has created 12 artworks, one for each song on GNR's debut album Appetite For Destruction.
He says: "It's a collection made of rhythm, using laser drum sticks like a painter uses brushes. I'm the canvas and the painter." Read more here.
Killswitch Engage Singer Would Rather Make Different Style Music
(TeamRock Radio) Killswitch Engage frontman Jesse Leach says he would put out a reggae album if he thought he could get away with it. The singer says he hates the restrictions that genres put on musicians and admits that if he wrote the music he truly wanted to write, his fans would not be impressed.
He has a number of side projects including blues rock band Seemless, hardcore metal outfit The Empire Shall Fall and rock act Times of Grace. Last year, promoting his lo-fi solo project Aliken, he said he had no time for fans who want to pigeonhole him as a metal singer.
"I'm a huge reggae lover. I'm huge punk rock lover. Jazz, classical, you name it - I like it. It's about knowing your strengths and weaknesses. I'm pretty decent at what I do with Killswitch, and I tend to stick to that.
"But my true loves and what I'd rather be spending my time doing, I don't think it would jive with most of my fans. If could put out a reggae record, I would." Read more here.
Local H Announce New Album and 25th Anniversary Show
Local H have announced that they will be releasing their 8th studio album, "Hey, Killer," on April 14th and will be playing a special hometown record release and 25th anniversary show.
The new album was produced by Andy Gerber and is the two-man band's first album to feature drummer Ryan Harding. "Hey, Killer" will be issued on CD, vinyl and digitally.
On April 19th the band will perform the special hometown show at the Metro in Chicago to celebrate the album's release and mark the 25th anniversary of their very first live show at the University of Wisconsin in Whitewater on April 20, 1990.
Frontman Scott Lucas offered these details about the album, "After Ryan joined, we spent the year touring and collecting riffs. Once that year was up, it was time to make a record. We didn't give ourselves a choice. "We called Electrical in November and booked a couple of days in December.
"I hung up the phone and I was like, 'F***! What did I just do?' I was panicked. We had two songs. No lyrics. Then I listened to the recordings and demos I'd made on my phone over the past year, and I realized that we had a lot of stuff. Then the lyrics started to come together. Every day. More stuff.
"It was like it was out of our control. When we were done, we just looked at each other, and we were both like, 'This stuff is really f***ing good!' No one was more shocked than we were."
He also explained why they decided not to go in the concept album direction with the new album, "We did a break up record, followed by a political record. The charge became that we couldn't make a record without leaning on a conceptual crutch.
"That may or may not be true, but the goal with this record was to trim the fat and just pile on the hooks. All killer, no filler is how the saying goes. Obvious stuff, really. In the end, you're just trying not to suck. It's a simple plan. The record's called Hey, Killer - not Hey, Filler (sorry)." Check out the tracklisting and the upcoming tour dates here.
Winery Dogs Set New Album Plans
(Classic Rock) Supergroup Winery Dogs will enter the studio to start recording the follow-up to their 2013 self-titled debut in May, mainman Richie Kotzen has confirmed.
The vocalist and guitarist, along with drummer Mike Portnoy and bassist Billy Sheehan, have been working together on fresh material - and Kotzen says the ideas they have so far are "crazy" and "cool."
He tells Vintage Rock: "We actually started writing music a couple of weeks ago at my house and got a bunch of ideas. I think it's going to be a cool record.
We've got a couple of songs that we did at the piano, some acoustic things, crazy stuff and it's going to be a fun record. We'll probably start recording it in May and, realistically, it will be out at the end of summer." Check out the full interview here.
Vanilla Fudge Releasing New Album Spirit of '67
(Classic Rock) Vanilla Fudge will release a covers album entitled Spirit of '67 in March, they've confirmed. Mark Stein, Vince Martell, Carmine Appice and Pete Bremy say it's their heaviest work to date, and carries all the trademarks of their best studio creations.
It contains ten tracks which were originally recorded in 1967, including songs by Procol Harum, The Monkees, The Box Tops and Spencer Davis Group and Buffalo Springfield. Also included is a brand-new song entitled Let's Pray For Peace.
Martell says: "Spirit Of '67 is the continuation of the journey we began in the Summer Of Love - psychedelic, rhythmically powerful arrangement of happening tunes of that era, coloured by the insight and vision of who we are today."
Stein reports: "The success of Vanilla Fudge has always been based on our interpretations of songs by great artists. Our style of classic rock lives large on this effort." Read more here.
TNT Looking For New Singer
(Classic Rock) TNT are looking for a new singer to replace Tony Harnell. Previous singer Tony Mills left the Norwegian power metal outfit in 2013 and they went on the road last year with Harnell on vocal duties as they celebrated the 25th anniversary of their 1989 classic album Intuition.
But after Harnell's third departure from the lineup, they are now in search of a vocalist to take on the job on a permanent basis - despite hinting last month that there were no TNT activities planned for 2015.
They say: "Guitar player Ronni Le Tekro has written a number of songs for a new TNT album due in late 2015 or early 2016. The band is looking for a singer who can handle the classic high pitch material." Read more here.
Former Testament Star Looking For Anselmo Like Singer
(TeamRock Radio) Former Testament bassist Greg Christian has launched a search for a singer to front his new project Trinity Fallen. Christian, who was sacked by Testament last year and later hit out at the band for the "cruel" way in which they treated him, is working with guitarist Artak Ozan on Trinity Fallen.
The group has made two instrumental demos available, for songs called Live And Let Live and One Fifty Six and say they are looking for a vocalist in the vein of Phil Anselmo.
Christian says: "Looking for a real singer. someone with range, dynamics, and the beat. Someone with vocal skills comparable to my bass skills or Artak's guitar skills, that can sing clean and sing aggression - but actually sing it - like a Cowboys/Vulgar-era Phil Anselmo, but with their own style.
"Also - be realistic. we are located in the Bay Area with zero budget to fly anyone's ass anywhere. So if you're not close enough to Oakland or Antioch to get there by yourself, please don't reply." Read more and stream the demos here.
Faith No More's Bordin Didn't Expect Comeback Album
(Classic Rock) Faith No More drummer Mike 'Puffy' Bordin admits he didn't expect the band to record another album - but he's grateful they haven't squandered their reunion.
They got back together in 2009, but the follow-up to 1997's Album Of The Year has taken six years to come together. It's due later this year, after bassist Billy Gould told how it took some time to persuade his colleagues to commit.
Bordin tells Faith No More Followers: "I really never thought it would happen, so I had no expectations driving me. Like it has all been on 2.0, it was a series of many small steps that took us to this point. Any one of those steps, had they gone unacceptably, would have likely ended the journey."
But the delay brought certain benefits, says the drummer. "The songwriting and recording process felt totally comfortable - I believe that's because we didn't rush into it, but spent enough time on and off stage finding out who we were, how it felt, and if there was something further for us to say." Read more here.
Joe Satriani Announce New Album and Tour Plans
(hennemusic) Joe Satriani has announced plans to release a new album and dates for a fall UK tour. The Shockwave Tour will see the guitarist play 9 shows in the country starting November 1 in Manchester, marking his first UK concerts in two years.
He'll be joined by bassist Bryan Beller, keyboardist/guitarist Mike Keneally and drummer Marco Minnemann. The dates will follow the release of Satriani's 15th studio album in July.
Satriani is currently in the studio recording the effort which is the follow-up to 2013's "Unstoppable Momentum" at Skywalker Ranch in California. Read more here.
Rush Clockwork Lives Novel Set For Release
(hennemusic) Rush drummer Neil Peart and author Kevin J. Anderson will publish "Clockwork Lives" on September 1 via ECW Press. A limited-run collector's edition of "Clockwork Lives" will also be available.
The book follows the story first introduced in "Clockwork Angels", a companion novel developed from the band's 2012 concept album of the same name.
In "Clockwork Lives", Anderson and Peart explores the lives of secondary characters in the first book while introducing a new protagonist. According to the book's description, "Marinda Peake is a woman with a quiet, perfect life in a small village.
"Her alchemist father's will leaves Marinda a mysterious inheritance: a blank book that she must fill with other people's stories - and ultimately her own. Styled after Marinda's book, the volume itself will be a beautiful homage to traditional bookmaking." Read more here.
Suns Of The Tundra Ask Fans To Kickstart New Album
(Prog) English prog outfit Suns Of The Tundra have launched a Kickstarter campaign to help fund production of their upcoming album. Previously called Peach, the band featured bassist Justin Chancellor and toured with Tool in the early 90s. When Maynard James Keenan an co were searching for a bass player following the departure of Paul D'Amour in 1995, they recruited Chancellor.
They changed their name to Suns Of The Tundra in 2000 and released their self-titled, full-length debut in 2004 and Tunguska in 2006. Now they're planning to launch an album inspired by the British Film Institute's South, which chronicled Ernest Shackleton's Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition between 1914-1916 in a vinyl/CD package.
Vocalist and guitarist Simon Oakes says: "Bones of Brave Ships was recorded and mastered to be directly synchronised with South. If you purchase the DVD of South, or download it from the BFI website, you will be able to watch the actual images that inspired us alongside our music, exactly as we intended it. " Read more here.
Green Day Frontman Featured In New Film Trailer
(TeamRock Radio) Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong appears in the trailer for upcoming movie Like Sunday, Like Rain, which is set to be released next month.
He plays "troubled boyfriend" Dennis in the independent production, written and directed by actor Frank Whaley and also starring Leighton Meester (Gossip Girl) and Debra Messing (Will & Grace).
Armstrong also appears in upcoming film Geezer, playing 40-year-old Perry, who goes through a mid-life crisis when he meets his former bandmates and an ex-girlfriend at a party. Watch the trailer here.
AC/DC Preparing To Rock The Grammy Awards
(hennemusic) AC/DC are sharing a photo of the band in rehearsal for their performance this Sunday at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. The image shows guitarist Angus Young and the band in a rehearsal space as they prepare for their return to US TV for the first time in over 14 years.
AC/DC's appearance at the annual event is to promote their latest album, "Rock Or Bust." The status of drummer Phil Rudd's availability for the Grammys remains in question, as he is scheduled to return to a New Zealand court to face charges stemming from his November 6 arrest on multiple charges.
Part of Rudd's bail conditions is to reside in his Tauranga home, which may make it difficult for the drummer to leave the country for the event in Los Angeles. Read more and see the photo here.
Motley Crue Release Farewell Tour Video
(hennemusic) Motley Crue have released a video promoting the final shows of their farewell tour. The band recently announced North American dates for the run, which will wrap up December 31 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
The Crue resume the farewell trek with shows in Japan this month before hitting Australia and New Zealand in the spring; in June, they'll play three European festivals including Download (UK), Sweden Rock and Austria's Novarock before returning to North America for the summer.
The group also released a video for their new single, "All Bad Things", a song they wrote and recorded last spring before launching the tour in Grand Rapids, Michigan on July 2. Watch the video here.
Major Labels See Vinyl Resurgence As Just A Trend
(Classic Rock) Record industry bosses see the resurgence in vinyl sales as a passing fad, it's been reported. Last year vinyl sales pushed through the one million mark in the UK for the first time since 1996, thanks to albums like Pink Floyd's The Endless River and Jack White's Lazaretto.
But industry analysts Neilson Soundscan say vinyl accounts for just 6% of total album sales - a figure that record companies say isn't having a huge effect on their business.
Rolling Stone reports that Tom Corson, president of Sony-owned RCA Records, says his company doesn't have a department devoted to vinyl, although he welcomes the increased interest in the format.
He says: "It is a small percentage of our business. It's not going to make or break our year. We devote the right amount of resources to it, but it's not something where we have a department for it. We welcome it. It's a sexy, cool product. It represents an investment in music that's an emotional one." Read more here.
Marilyn Manson Performs 'The Beautiful People' With 13-Year-Olds
(Radio.com) Unlocking the Truth isn't just youngest band to have ever played Coachella, they're probably the youngest group Marilyn Manson has ever performed with.
To end his set Saturday night at Sands Casino Event Center in Bethlehem, Pa., Manson called on the three teenagers to join him on one of his signature songs, "The Beautiful People."
Despite the fact that the group is made up of eighth graders, Manson didn't risk missing a beat. The 13-year-olds appeared to know even the verses, although they proved they are far less the showmen than Marilyn Manson is even now. But hey, he's had years to perfect his craft. They'll catch up.
However, there was a stage dive into the crowd at the end of the song, so they have the rock star in them yet. Watch it here.
Gavin Harrison Previews Porcupine Tree Reimaging Project
(Prog) Gavin Harrison has released a trailer for his solo album Cheating The Polygraph, which sees him reimagining Porcupine Tree material. The drummer, currently a member of King Crimson, has aimed to offer a contemporary edge to eight pieces from the catalogue he helped create with Steven Wilson and co.
Harrison says: Every album needs a focus, a master plan - and while I thought about writing new tunes for a big band project, I made a version of Porcupine Tree's Futile and it came out really well. It felt like a good plan to follow on with some of my favourite PT songs, and see if we could make them work.
"I had a vision that the arrangements would never lean towards a cliched sound, but always follow a modern contemporary angle. So even if you didn't know the original tune, you could still enjoy it as a modern composition. I couldn't be happier with the results."
Collaborators include saxophonist Nigel Hitchcock ,who's previously recorded with Kate Bush and the Moody Blues, and bassist Laurence Cottle from Bill Bruford's Earthworks. Read more and check out the preview here.
Jack Russell's Great White Premiere Song From New Album
Jack Russell's Great White have released a lyric video for the song "Hard Habit" which comes from their forthcoming studio album The Gauntlet.
Russell had the following to say about the track and the group's plans, "With the ever-changing climate of the music industry, we've decided that we will be releasing several digital singles throughout 2015.
"'Hard Habit' is the first in a series of singles the band will put out this year. Be on the lookout for our next single in the coming months! We are really proud of this song and we plan on playing it live as well as some other new tunes and of course all the classic Jack Russell's Great White songs you know and love. See you on the road!" Watch the video here.
The band have announced a handful of west coast dates that will be taking place this month in California and Arizona as well as a one-off appearance in Turtle Lake, WI.
They have also announced a string of live appearances this spring which will kick off on April 4th in Bolingbrook, IL and includes stops in New York, Maryland, Virginia and Mahomet, IL. Check out the tour dates here.
Everclear Premiere New Song and Reveal Summerland Lineup
Everclear have released a new lyric video from their forthcoming studio album and have also revealed the lineup for this summer's installment of the Summerland tour.
The group will be releasing their new album, "Black Is The New Black," their ninth studio effort overall, sometime this spring and they have premiered the lyric video for the first single "The Man Who Broke His Own Heart," here.
Frontman Art Alexakis had this to say, "We are really excited... It's an unapologetic rock record that I feel combines the best of classic Everclear with contemporary production and what I feel is some of my best songwriting in years!"
Alexakis and the band have also revealed the artists that will be joining them on their Summerland 2015 tour. In addition to Everclear, the tour will also feature American Hi-Fi, Fuel and Toadies.
Aura Release 'Behind My Eyes' Video
(Prog) Italian proggers Aura have released a music video for their track "Behind My Eyes," which comes from their upcoming third album Noise which launches on February 6 via Spider Rock Promotion. It's the follow-up to 2011's Deliverance. View it below.
The group, vocalist/drummer Giovanni Trotta, keyboardist Francesco Di Verniere, guitarist Giuseppe Bruno and bassist Angelo Cerquaglia, previously stated their third album would feature a wide and varied mixture of styles.
They said: "Noise represents a substantial turning of sound from Deliverance while retaining many of the elements that have always distinguished the band's sound.
"The turning points were determined primarily by the artistic maturity of the band members - you'll hear different influences with each listen: 70's rock to post rock, united in an amalgam of incredible arrangements moving Aura to pomp prog and art rock."
Beautality Premiere New Song 'Unreality'
(TeamRock Radio) London-based post-black metallers Beautality have premiered their new single exclusively with TeamRock's Metal Hammer. Taken from the band's upcoming Einfallen: A Tale Ov Torment & Triumph album, Unreality is an epic almost 20-minute aural trip that's as melodic as it is savage.
Speaking about the song, vocalist David Ravengarde says: "Unreality is the end of the journey. A visceral, near spiritual tour de force through blinding lights and stygian sights. The astral road to redemption lies ahead- but it won't be easy."
Einfallen: A Tale Ov Torment & Triumph will be released 16th March via Nordavind Records, which David describes as "a concept, a story of love that becomes obsession - a wretched poison at its very core that turns to insanity. A deep-seated demonic madness most inhuman. This through to eventual metaphysical realisation of such poisonous ways and the need for atonement and eventual redemption."
Singled Out: Aaron David Gleason's Mastermind
Today Aaron David Gleason tells us about his new single "Mastermind" and director Jeremiah Kipp tells us about the video which features Chris Sarandon (The Princess Bride/Dog Day Afternoon) and Tony award winning actresses Alice Ripley and Joanna Gleason . Here is the story:
Aaron David Gleason tells us about the song: "Mastermind" Came about in a pretty circuitous way. It WAS a ballad called "The Last Bus" -- but it did have the lyrics "Where did you get the nerve to see right through me?" My Producer, Robert Davis said "Oh, we should keep that line." But we threw out everything else.
We did keep the chord changes, but we added a beat. I had, at that time, made a pact to make more uptempo or at least midtempo numbers. We stomped on the floor of my apartment--messed up my floor--and made that beat. Then, we hired a drummer, David Piribauer, and he threw down that "Let's Dance" type feel. 3 months of tinkering later, we had a jam.
Jeremiah Kipp tells us about the video: The drum probably informed the whole thing for me. There was a mood of stealth and aggression and planning that wove its way through the song, of pushing forward despite outer and inner frustration. We set out to make a conceptual video around that emotional outburst, told through various characters engaged in artistic or fantastic pursuits.
Aaron didn't want to have a central role in the video, though we enjoy collaborating and he did want to be included. We centered the video on a writer drinking and scribbling (played by Bill Weeden), and gave extended sequences to a scientist stuck on an equation (Chris Sarandon), an action painter (Alice Ripley), a sea creature (Ilaria Malvezzi), a woman ripping her way out of a plastic bag filled with wires (Chelsea Smith) and a character played by Aaron's charismatic and engaging mother, Joanna, speaking to the camera in direct confrontation. Aaron interacts with some of these characters and is in some ways fighting to get through these sequences intact. Who is, in fact, the mastermind?
