Today's Day In Rock News!

Guns N' Roses Have Enough Songs For '2 Or 3' New Albums(Classic Rock)

Guns N' Roses have enough new material to record "two or three albums" according to guitarist Richard Fortus. He and keyboard player Dizzy Reed say the follow-up to 2008's Chinese Democracy is coming along nicely as the band members have been trading digital files and working on the tracks. But they still can't say exactly when it'll be released.
Fortus tells VerdamMnis Magazine: "So much has been recorded, we could get two or three albums, seriously. We sent our files in all directions. We can't wait to put it out as soon as possible."

Reed adds: "It'll be good. When will it come out? We still don't know. Only Axl knows, but it is very secret. Be patient." Fortus said this month that he expects a GNR album out in 2016. Read more here.



Foo Fighters Tour Still On Despite Grohl's Broken Leg


The Foo Fighters have shot down speculation that they were going to cancel their North American summer tour due to Dave Grohl's broken leg. The tour will kick off with a 4th of July show in Washington D.C.
The band posted confirmation on their various social media pages that the show, the first of their North American tour, was going on as planned. They wrote, ""Can't f***ing wait for the 4th!!! See you at home, DC."

The "see you at home" reference appears to apply to Grohl who spent most of his youth in Springfield, VA, a suburb of Washington DC where the 4th of July concert is scheduled to take place at the RFK Stadium.

The concert will also feature performances from Buddy Guy, Gary Clark Jr., Heart, Joan Jett, LL Cool J featuring DJ Z-Trip, Trouble Funk and Trombone Shorty.

The band's publicist also confirmed that the full tour will still be happening by sending out a slightly altered tour routing under the heading "Foo Fighters begin North American tour dates with July 4th 20th Anniversary blowout."

The new routing shows that the band's originally scheduled concert on September 18th at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA has been moved to October 17th. As of early Tuesday morning the band's official site still showed original date. See the tour dates here.



Vivian Campbell Returns To Def Leppard Tour Despite Cancer(hennemusic)


Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell joined the band's newly-launched North American summer tour in Atlanta, GA on Sunday following news that his cancer had returned and video from the show has been posted online.
The group brought in Trixter guitarist Steve Brown in Campbell's place for the first few shows of the run - which opened in Tampa, FL last week - while he addressed his health issue with doctors.

First diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2013, the guitarist had returned to action this spring after undergoing a stem cell transplant last fall before receiving word that the cancer had reappeared.

Originally set to miss the first two shows of the tour, Campbell was unable to make it to the group's third stop - in Birmingham, AL - on Saturday. "Despite my every effort (including trying to charter a plane)," said the guitarist, "the gods conspired to keep me from playing in Birmingham last night. But I'm Irish and stubborn; I fear no man, no god, and no cancer. Even if I have to walk, I WILL see you in Atlanta."

Campbell says he will receive future cancer treatments to accommodate the tour schedule so he won't have to miss any more shows. Read more and see video and photo from Vivian's return here.


Yes Cofounder Jon Anderson Pays Tribute To Chris Squire


Former Yes singer Jon Anderson has posted an online tribute to his former bandmate Chris Squire, who died on Saturday (June 27th) after a battle with a rare form of leukemia.
Anderson who cofounded Yes with Squire in 1968 writes on his official website, "Chris was a very special part of my life; we were musical brothers. He was an amazingly unique bass player - very poetic - and had a wonderful knowledge of harmony.

"We met at a certain time when music was very open, and I feel blessed to have created some wonderful, adventurous, music with him. Chris had such a great sense of humor… he always said he was Darth Vader to my Obiwan. I always thought of him as Christopher Robin to my Winnie the Pooh.

"We travelled a road less travelled and I'm so thankful that he climbed the musical mountains with me. Throughout everything, he was still my brother, and I'm so glad we were able to reconnect recently. I saw him in my meditation last night, and he was radiant. My heart goes out to his family and loved ones.

"Love and light…..Jon"




Skyharbor And Frontman Daniel Tompkins Part Ways(Prog)


Daniel Tompkins has quit as frontman of Skyharbor after five years with the Indian prog outfit. Tompkins says he felt he was holding the band back from their full potential and that leaving is one of the most difficult decisions he's ever had to make.
The singer says: "I'm incredibly sad to be parting ways with my amazing friends Keshav, Devesh, Krishna and Aditya. We have collectively come to the decision that it is in the best interest of the group that I step down as the frontman of Skyharbor.

"From the very start I have put my heart and soul into the project but circumstances have made it clear that I am holding the band back from opportunities too good to miss. We all agree this is the best thing for everyone. We will always be close friends and I wish them only the best for the future." Read more here.




Shinedown Return With 'Cut The Cord' Video(Classic Rock)


Shinedown have released a video for their first new music in three years. The song Cut The Cord is taken from the band's upcoming fifth album. The follow-up to 2012's Amaryllis will be released later this year.
Frontman Brent Smith tells Billboard: "Cut The Cord is a wake up call reminding us all that we can control our own destiny by finding the courage and tenacity to destroy whatever it is that's holding us back.

"The process may not be pretty or perfect or even easy, but absolutely necessary. The song is brutally honest and unapologetic, which is what Shinedown has always been." Watch the video here.



U2 Break Out Rarity In Chicago(hennemusic)


U2 performed their 1981 track, "Gloria", for the first time in 10 years during their show in Chicago on Sunday night and HD video footage of the performance has been posted online.
"We're a band from the north side of Dublin called U2," said Bono as an introduction. "This is the first time we've played this song in about 20 years."

Last played live in December of 2005, the single from "October" was the second song of the third night of a five-night residency at the United Center as part of the group's "Innocence + Experience" tour.

Following their Chicago stop, U2 will play two dates in Toronto and four in Boston before wrapping up the current North America leg with an 8-show run at New York's Madison Square Garden.

After a five-week break, U2 will return to the road when they begin a European tour in Turin, Italy on September 4. Watch the video of the Gloria performance video here.




Till Lindemann Confirms Rammstein Return Plans(Classic Rock)


Rammstein frontman Till Lindemann has confirmed the band will get back to work in September. This month, Peter Tagtgren - who works with the Rammstein singer in his side project Lindemann - said his bandmate would return to his other group in a few months.
And now Lindemann has confirmed that is the case, although he's not sure whether they will put out an album or an EP, or go straight into a touring cycle first.

Lindemann tells Rock Sverige: "Rammstein gets together again in September and we have to look for a new rehearsal room. We used to play in this old and famous club, the Knaack Club, but they closed it down because of neighbours and some bullsh*t, so we have to find something new.

"Maybe we go straight back into touring or an EP or a full album, I don't know." Read more here.




Disturbed Believe New Album Will Be Worth The Wait(TeamRock Radio)


Disturbed say their upcoming album Immortalized will be worth the wait. The band announced the end of their four-year hiatus last week and will release their first album since 2010's Asylum on August 21.
Guitarist Dan Donegan says: "I think the fans will feel like it was worth the wait. We've been planning this for the past year and keeping it a secret so we can't wait to hear the response.

"I hope fans realize we have a lot more left in us. This album reassured me of that. To be away from it for almost five years, get back in a room, write together, and tap into that fire is awesome. Part of me didn't want to leave the studio.

"We still have a lot more to say - we still have a lot more to do. We're returning stronger than ever. I think Immortalized shows that." Read more here.




KISS Guitarist Hopeful For New Album(TeamRock Radio)


Tommy Thayer remains hopeful that KISS will record a new album - even if Paul Stanley isn't so sure. Stanley said in May that he doesn't think it's necessary for the band to put out a follow-up to 2012's Monster. However, his bandmate Gene Simmons said the following day that Kiss would issue their 21st album in 2016.
And guitarist Thayer seems to back Simmons' assessment. He tells Mariskal Rock: "I hope so. But I can tell you that nothing's planned. But it doesn't necessarily mean that we won't do one either.

"I know that you've heard different things from different people. And, hey, people can change their minds and have a different outlook next week or another month.

"If it is decided to do another record, suddenly we can be in the studio within a month. But there are no plans right now, but I wouldn't say it's completely out of the question." Read more here.



Dave Grohl Couldn't Watch Kurt Cobain Documentary(Classic Rock)


Dave Grohl says he couldn't watch the Kurt Cobain documentary as he knew some of the footage would upset him. The Foo Fighters frontman and former Nirvana drummer was interviewed for Brett Morgen's hit film Cobain: Montage Of Heck, but the footage never made the final edit.
And as he lay in bed with his wife recently, she flicked on to HBO which was showing the documentary. But after watching 10 minutes of it, he became "terrified" of what some of the darker footage might have done to his state of mind.

Grohl tells the Washington Post: "All the footage of him as a child, I think that might make me sad, and then the dark stuff at the end I think would bum me out." Read more here.




Slayer's Kerry King Laments Today's Lack Of Guitar Heroes(Classic Rock)


Slayer's Kerry King says today's rock scene is sadly lacking in guitar heroes. The guitarist doesn't think many of today's up-and-coming or established rock acts have guitar players who other musicians aspire to be like.
He tells LA Weekly: "During the decade before Slayer, and decade after, there were guitar heroes. Ted Nugent, Eddie Van Halen, Randy Rhoads, Dave Murray, Glenn Tipton, Tony Iommi. Later on, there was Yngwie Malmsteen. You had guys in the 90s like Zakk Wylde and Dimebag Darrell - people that you would aspire to be."

King recalls a conversation he and fellow Slayer member Gary Holt had at a recent festival, in which both lamented the lack of a "vibe" being shown by one act.

He adds: "We were at a festival in South America a few years ago and we were watching a video feed of the band that was playing onstage. I was watching the screen and I just did not get why this band was popular at all." Read more here.



Iron Maiden's Steve Harris Releases Live Video From British Lion(hennemusic)

Iron Maiden bassist and founder Steve Harris has released a live video for the track "Eyes Of The Young" from his solo project British Lion. First issued in 2012, the record features Richard Taylor on vocals, David Hawkins on guitar and keys, Grahame Leslie on guitar, and Simon Dawson on drums.
Harris will take British Lion on the road for a full UK tour this summer with dates starting July 29 in Harlow. "As Maiden fans know," says Harris, "the band is unable to tour this year so I thought I'd do some British Lion live dates and make it a full UK tour this time round so we could get to places we didn't get a chance to play during the previous tours.

"We have a lot of fun doing the British Lion shows and we're playing clubs again, to keep that same vibe and intimacy which the fans seem to love as much as we do. We have some new songs in the set-list, so are really looking forward to getting out there and seeing everyone!"

Iron Maiden's plans have been on hold for several months following word that singer Bruce Dickinson was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor at the back of his tongue that needed to be removed. Dickinson underwent surgery and chemotherapy this spring and was given the all-clear last month that the cancer had been successfully addressed.

On July 3, Iron Maiden will be presented with the 2015 O2 Silver Clef Award by UK charity Nordoff Robbins at their 40th anniversary gala, in recognition of the band's "outstanding contribution to UK music."

The honor also recognizes the group as one of the most globally successful and influential rock bands of all time, with more than 90 million albums sold worldwide. Watch the video here.




The Who Release Classic Performance Video From Shea Stadium 1982(hennemusic)


The Who are celebrating the release of "Live At Shea Stadium 1982" with a performance video of their 1971 classic, "Behind Blue Eyes", from the package.
Now available on DVD, SD Blu-ray and digital formats, the set features the second show of the group's two-night stand at New York's Shea Stadium in the fall of 1982.

On the road in support of tenth album, "It's Hard", the trek was the last to feature Kenney Jones on drums. The run was also billed as the band's farewell tour, which wrapped up with two concerts at Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens - the second of which was broadcast live on radio and via pay-per-view.

The Who went on to tour again in 1989, 1996, 2000 and several times since. The group played at the Glastonbury festival on Sunday as part of their 50th anniversary farewell tour, "The Who Hits 50!", and wrap up a short series of European dates on June 29.

A fall North American run starts September 14 in San Diego, CA. Watch the video here.


Judas Priest and Michael Schenker's Temple Of Rock Plan Fall Tour(hennemusic)

Judas Priest have announced dates for a late fall tour of the UK. The 6-show run, with guests Michael Schenker's Temple Of Rock, opens in Bradford on November 23.
The band are on the road in support of their 2014 album, "Redeemer Of Souls." The record marked guitarist Richie Faulkner's studio debut with Priest; he replaced founding member K.K. Downing following his retirement in 2011.

The project delivered the UK metal legends the first US Top 10 of their career. "Redeemer Of Souls" debuted last summer at No. 6 on the US Billboard 200 with 33,000 copies sold, surpassing the group's previous chart peak of No. 11 with 2008's "Nostradamus."

Judas Priest are currently playing a mixture of shows in Europe and the US over the summer, including several festival dates. See the tour dates here.




Faith No More Cover The Foo Fighters 'All My Life'(Radio.com)


In their early days, Faith No More's frontman Mike Patton was as likely to make fun of other bands as to say anything nice about them. More likely, actually. He's a guy who mocked Guns N Roses and Metallica continuously while opening for them on tour, and he ribbed the Red Hot Chili Peppers often through the years, despite showing a pretty blatant Anthony Kiedis influence on FNM's most successful album, The Real Thing.
But maybe he's mellowed a bit, or maybe he just felt bad about Dave Grohl's recent stage injury, in which he broke his leg and had to cancel a string of European tour dates, potentially costing the Foo Fighters millions.

Whatever the case may be, Patton and Faith No More paid tribute to the Foos for a few seconds during the breakdown of FNM's 1992 classic "Mid Life Crisis," by throwing in a bit of the Foos' 2002 classic "All My Life" (before going into yet another classic, the Trashmen's 1963 "Surfin' Bird," popularized by the Ramones).

Watch the performance here.




Dennis Svensson Releases Song Featuring Former Tesseract Frontman(Prog)


Dennis Svensson has issued a track featuring former Tesseract frontman Ashe O'Hara exclusively through TeamRock. Svensson is a member of metal outfit Deceptic - but Arbitration is his first solo release.
O'Hara says: "This song is about a difference between factions and the idea of knowing exactly what you need but not being the one in control - a dictatorship almost. Having someone else in control of your future is a frustrating thing and I think it's something we all experience first-hand at least once."

Svensson adds: "I started to write the track in January, and listened a lot to Ashe's solo stuff in that period. So Ashe was the first singer I had in mind for the song, and I wrote a lot of parts and harmonies with his voice in mind."

The guitarist says he plans on recording more material with other guest singers and adds: "I'll work together with Ashe on a track like this in the not so distant future because he's an incredible singer." Read more and stream the song here.




Alice Cooper Jams Classic Song With Michael Monroe(hennemusic)


Former Hanoi Rocks frontman Michael Monroe joined Alice Cooper for his 1972 classic, "School's Out", at the Tuska festival in Helsinki, Finland on Sunday and video of the jam has been posted online.
Cooper's encore with Monroe wrapped up a 24-song set the event as the shock rocker performs on his Raise The Dead tour. "Hey, had a FANTASTIC time with Alice Cooper tonight at the Tuska Festival in Helsinki!!," posted Monroe after the show. "Thank You, Alice! Thank You Toby, the Band & the entire crew & everybody there! Good times!!"

Monroe will release his 10th studio album, "Blackout States", on October 16. Produced by Chips Kiesbye (Hellacopters, Nomads) in Gothenburg, Sweden and mixed by Petri Majuri in Helsinki, the project is the follow-up to the 2013 Finnish chart-topper "Horns And Halos." Check out video of the jam and see a photo Alice Cooper shared here.



Thy Art Is Murder Went With Reality For New Album(TeamRock Radio)


Thy Art Is Murder's Andy Marsh says the band decided to ditch lyrics based on "fantasy and gore" in favour of "real" issues on their latest album. The Australian deathcore outfit released third album Holy War this week and last week made it available to stream in its entirety.
And guitarist Marsh says the lyrical content is based on reality rather than fiction - which the band believe makes it a heavier record than those that came before it.

Marsh tells Seattle Sound Live: "We decided a few years ago that for us at least, lyrics based in fantasy and gore weren't heavy to us anymore. We live on a real planet in real communities with real problems.

"We felt that those sorts of topics were more relevant to us and more relevant to everyone who is alive today and that we could bring an extra level of emotion and aggression to our music through that." Read more here.



BirdPen Release 'Alive' Music Video(Prog)


BirdPen have released a music video for their track Alive through Prog. The song comes from Mike Bird and Dave Pen's latest album In The Company Of Imaginary Friends which Prog magazine called a "truly remarkable work."
They previously issued a video for Equal Parts Hope And Dread. Pen tells the latest issue of Prog: "The album's about searching for the light - seeking freedom in a world that's spiraling out of control. It's easy to slip into the darkness in the modern world where things can be picture-perfect on the outside but there's a lot going on under the surface."

The pair are expected to announce tour dates in the near future while Pen launched his We Are Bodies side-project earlier this year with French-based composer Robin Foster. Watch the video here.



Young Guns Announce UK Headline Tour(TeamRock Radio)


Young Guns have announced a 13-date UK headline tour. They were previously confirmed for the Warped Tour date at London's Alexandria Palace on October 18 - now they play extra shows across the country in the same month.
Young Guns played a well received set at Download and take to the road next month for a run of UK gigs which includes appearances at the 2000 Trees festival and T In The Park.

The band are touring in support of Zeros And Ones - and frontman Gustav Wood revealed he's delighted to be playing live again after the release of their third album.

He said: "I'm excited for what comes afterwards - young again, playing festivals again. The whole process of being a band is about to start again, and that's really exciting."

Tim Abrigg Jr.'s Rock and Roll News Of The Day!: Today's Rock News!

Tim Abrigg Jr.'s Rock and Roll News Of The Day!: Today's Rock News!: Def Leppard Star Vivian Campbell's Cancer Returns(hennemusic) Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell has revealed that his...

Today's Rock News!

Def Leppard Star Vivian Campbell's Cancer Returns(hennemusic)


Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell has revealed that his cancer has returned. Campbell was first diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2013 and, after extensive chemotherapy treatments, has been battling the health issue both on and off the road after undergoing a stem cell transplant last fall.
"I'm saddened by the fact that my cancer has returned," says Campbell. "However, I'm beyond consolation that it's return will prevent me from being able to do my job for a while. I'm still working on a schedule of treatment with my doctors, but I will see you all very soon. My apologies."

Def Leppard are scheduled to kick off a North American tour with Styx and Tesla in Tampa, FL on June 23. At press time, the band had yet to announce plans for the trek without Campbell; last fall, the group brought in Steve Brown of Trixter to perform a series of dates in his absence from the lineup.

On June 2, Campbell revealed he was experiencing his first illness since the transplant. "Oslo tonight, and I have a sniffle," he wrote. "This is the first time I've been ill since the stem cell transplant and it's hit me rather hard; I feel very weak, so apologies to all who expected more of me tonight. Going back to the hotel to sleep." Read more here.




Sammy Hagar Slams Eddie Van Halen Over Controversial Interview(hennemusic)



Sammy Hagar has slammed Eddie Van Halen as a liar after the guitarist made disparaging remarks about former Van Halen bassist and vocalist Michael Anthony in a new interview with Billboard.
"Every note Mike ever played, I had to show him how to play," Van Halen tells Billboard. "Before we'd go on tour, he'd come over with a video camera and I'd have to show him how to play all the parts."

Eddie also downplayed Anthony's role in the Van Halen sound, saying "Mike's voice is like a piccolo trumpet. But he's not a singer. He just has a range from hell. Mike was just born with a very high voice. I have more soul as a singer than he does. And you know, people always talk about Mike's voice on Van Halen songs, but that's a blend of Mike's voice and my voice. It's not just him."

For his part, Anthony took the high road when asked by Billboard to react to Eddie's claims. He said, "I am proud to say that my bass playing and vocals helped create our sound. I've always chosen to take the high road and stay out of the never-ending mudslinging, because I believe that it ultimately ends up hurting the Van Halen fans."

Hagar, however, was not so kind in issuing a statement of his own defending Anthony, who he has continued to work with in Chickenfoot and The Circle. "It's really irritating to see them go after Mikey," responds Hagar. "Mikey didn't do anything - ever - to Van Halen. Mikey was the most loyal guy in the band. He was the first guy there at rehearsal, the last guy to leave, the guy that was… the first guy at the gig, the guy that flew the… carried the banner, the flag, the VH banner… he carried it every night. And the horseman with the flag, the flagman on the horse in the calvary. That was Michael Anthony, okay?! [He was] a hundred percent dedicated. [He] never did anything to hurt those guys. And they try to hurt him again, and again, and again.

"For Eddie to say he had to show Michael what to play and had to teach him all those songs, that is the biggest line of bullsh*t I've ever heard in my life," Hagar continued. "I was in that band for eleven years, and there was never a video camera involved of Eddie showing him what to play. Eddie would tell him what to play once in a while, and say, 'No, Mike, don't play with that many notes. Just stay on one note - boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom - so that I can f*** up and nobody will know it.' It was that kind of sh*t.

"And I am telling you straight up, especially on the '04 reunion tour, if Mike would have played any more than one note, it would have been showing that Eddie wasn't playing the right chords again and again and again; I couldn't sing to 'em, you couldn't play bass to 'em. So… that is a lot of bullsh*t.

"I don't know why they go after him like that," he added. "He doesn't deserve it. He's one of the greatest rock and roll bass players ever in the world. Michael Anthony is Top 5 rock and roll bass player in the world. Any bass player will tell you that, any musician will tell you that. Listen to him play on The Circle. He ain't going 'boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom' unless it was called for.

"Michael Anthony is a bad motherf***er. F*** you, Eddie Van Halen, for saying that about Mikey. You're a liar." Read more and see Hagar's video here.




Slipknot Plan To Take 2-Year Break(TeamRock Radio)


Slipknot plan to take a two-year break after their current touring schedule comes to an end. The metal giants are out on the road in support of fifth album .5: The Gray Chapter - named in honor of late bassist Paul Gray - and recently headlined the Main Stage at Download.
Percussionist Shawn 'Clown' Crahan recently said the follow-up could arrive as early as 2017, but frontman Corey Taylor expects it to be a little later than that.

Taylor tells Rock Sverige: "We're gonna finish touring and then we're gonna take a couple of years off again to let everything chill. I'm gonna go do my thing, everybody else's gonna go do their thing.

"I know Clown's got movies that he wants to make, which is very cool. He just wrapped his first feature a couple of months ago, which I'm pretty stoked for him about." Read more here.




Gene Simmons Blames Fans Not Labels For Music's Downfall(TeamRock Radio)


Gene Simmons has defended record labels, insisting bands like KISS wouldn't have existed without them. Repeating his view that "the fans are killing music" via illegal downloads, the Kiss bassist adds that record labels were once the only business model in the world that gave money to artists without them ever having to pay it back.
He tells Planet Rock: "Record companies were a gift from heaven. Yeah, they're greedy, but they wanna make money just like you do. But they gave you money - millions. And if it wasn't for record companies, there'd be no Sex Pistols, there'd be no punk, there'd be no nothing. There would be punk, but it would be in a small club. It would never become huge.

"Record companies gave bands money that they never had to pay back. If the band failed and the records were a complete disaster, the advance money was all yours. What other business would give you that? If you go to a bank and they give you a million dollars, and your business goes under, they don't care it failed - they want their money back."

On how the fans are to blame, Simmons adds: "I blame the fans. Because the fans have decided en masse that they should get free music, download, fileshare." Read more here.




Slayer Streaming 'Repentless' Title Track(Classic Rock)


Slayer have revealed the tracklist for upcoming 11th album 'Repentless' and released an online stream of the album's title track via a new visualizer video to coincide with the digital release of the single.
The band's first album in six years is issued on September 11 via Nuclear Blast and is their first since the death of guitarist Jeff Hanneman. They recently unveiled the album artwork and the contents of the limited edition Metal Eagle boxset version.

A stream of title track - described by Kerry King as his "Hannemanthem" in tribute to the late guitarist . King says: "I wrote that for Jeff. It's fast as f*** - you don't know what the f***'s coming." Check out the stream here.


Aerosmith's Joe Perry Doesn't Remember Spat With Rush(Classic Rock)


Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry has said he doesn't recall his band treating Rush badly on tour - but he hopes he apologized. The prog icons have previously discussed how they were denied sound checks and had their volume cut while they supported Steven Tyler and co in the 1970s.
Rolling Stone this week repeated a long-standing story that, when the Joe Perry Project later supported Rush, frontman Geddy Lee made sure they were well-treated and told the guitarist: "I would never want anyone to feel the way we did when we opened for you." Lee says he doesn't remember the conversation, but that Perry apologised.

Now the guitarist has responded, telling Rolling Stone: "Frankly, I don't remember playing with Rush." But he adds: "The competition between bands was stiff, the competition between crews even stiffer, so I don't doubt Geddy's word."

He says Aerosmith were always given "the short end of the stick" when they opened for English bands, and so he always told their crew to "take care of our openers." Read more here.



Northlane Frontman Has Emergency Surgery(TeamRock Radio)



Northlane have cut their European tour short after frontman Marcus Bridge underwent emergency surgery last week. They haven't revealed details of his condition, but report that he's expected to make a full recovery.
The Australian outfit played an instrumental set in Dessau, Germany, for fans who were unable to change travel plans in time. But they won't appear as planned at Graspop in Belgium today or at the Southside Festival in Germany tomorrow.

Northlane said last night: "Marcus had been feeling increasingly ill over the last few days, causing us to seek medical assistance. It was revealed he had an issue that needed to be operated on immediately due to a high risk of the problem getting worse.

"While we can't go into specifics, we can tell you that he will be absolutely fine. We will be skipping the festivals and waiting for Marcus to heal before heading back home to Australia together." Read more here.




Mastodon Release 'Asleep In The Deep' Video(hennemusic)


Mastodon are premiering the video for "Asleep In The Deep", the latest single from their 2014 album, "Once More 'Round The Sun." Directed by Video Rahim and co-directed by special effects guru Shane Morton and Oakland, CA-based artist Skinner, the clip tells the psychedelic journey of a house cat who unknowingly travels into a bizarre gypsy catacomb where it encounters a giant bullfrog, a three-headed evil rat king, cat gnomes, cheese slaves and a warrior squirrel.
"This concept was birthed out of my curiosity about what a cat really does at night while we are asleep," explains Skinner. "Where do they go? Cats have a very mysterious myth to them and I thought it would be cool to explore that, as little nocturnal heroes.

"I decided to put a sort of Joseph Campbell hero myth spin on it and add some Jodorowsky psychedelia as well. I'm more than excited about the way it came out! I love it!"

Mastodon recently wrapped up a North American tour with Clutch and are currently playing dates in Europe, where they'll perform throughout the summer. Watch the new video here.




Dave Mustaine's Symphony Experience Impacted New Megadeth Album(Classic Rock)


Dave Mustaine says playing with classically trained musicians has had an impact on his work on the upcoming 15th Megadeth album. Mustaine worked with the San Diego Symphony in April 2014 and reckons that experience will shine through on the follow-up to 2013's Super Collider, which is due out later this year.
And as well as the more refined edge to the new material, he says it'll be "aggressive" and "dark" keeping fans of the band's heavier work happy. Mustaine tells Guitar World: "I think a lot of people are gonna be happy, because the music is really aggressive again. There's nothing too out of the ordinary on the record. I think probably the most noticeable thing will be how my playing with the San Diego Symphony affected some of my guitar work.

"Learning Vivaldi and Bach and all that, there's some stuff on the album where you can tell that made an impression on me. These songs are definitely very dark." Read more here.




Angry Music Brings Happiness Finds New Study(Classic Rock)


Music with angry lyrics can help calm listeners down and make them feel happier, a study has suggested. Researchers in Australia have concluded that aggressive lyrics from tracks like Slipknot's Opium Of The People and Tesseract's Of Matter - Retrospect actually help relax listeners.
University of Queensland honours student Leah Sharman and Genevieve Dingle, doctor of psychology, deliberately angered test subjects by asking them to recall frustrating or irritating events in their lives. They were then given the option of listening to 10 minutes of music of their choice, or spending the same time in silence.

They report that those who listened to heavy music became "inspired" and "mellow" after their listening sessions. Sharman says: "It was interesting that half of the chosen songs contained themes of anger or aggression, with the remainder containing themes like isolation and sadness.

"Yet participants reported they used music to enhance their happiness, immerse themselves in feelings of love and enhance their wellbeing." Read more here.





Late AC/DC Singer Bon Scott's Close Friend Looks Back(TeamRock Radio)


Late AC/DC icon Bon Scott has been recalled as a hard worker with strong ethics by close friend Peter Head. The pair knew each other for five years in the 1970s. They toured Australia as members of separate bands, then worked together in the Mount Lofty Rangers, before Scott became frontman of Malcolm and Angus Young's outfit.
This year marks the 35th anniversary of his death after a drinking session in London. Head tells Classic Rock's Rod Yates: "The very first time I met Bon he was a worker, mowing lawns and picking up rubbish. He'd work really hard, fast and efficiently - I thought, 'Wow, this guy has got direction in his life.'

"You could see he wasn't your average person, no matter what he did. He also had a sense of humour. He'd be cracking jokes and doing funny things. He worked hard, he was funny and he had a good sense of ethics."

Head remembers how Scott went out of his way to find unusual ways of doing things. "If there was as staircase he wouldn't walk down the stairs, he'd slide down the bannister. That sense of being a clown stayed with him - it's one of the main things about AC/DC.

"He did outrageous things. He was on Countdown dressed as a girl smoking a huge cigarette which looked suspiciously like a joint. Other people would think about it but they wouldn't do it." Read more here.




Lacuna Coil Singer Reveals New Album Plans(TeamRock Radio)



Lacuna Coil plan to start recording their eighth album later this year, and aim to release it in 2016. The Italian outfit recently described the material that'll appear on the follow-up to 2014's Broken Crown Halo as "heavier" - but with a more "electronic" feel.
Vocalist Andrea Ferro tells TotalRock in a new video interview clip from this year's Download festival: "By the time we record it, promote it and put it out, it's going to be two years from the previous one.

"We have a lot of music right now, and we're just starting with the vocals. We're going to keep going, recording at the end of the year and release it next year. That's the plan."

Lacuna Coil played at this month's Download festival. Their final date for this year is at Eindhoven Effenar in the Netherlands on October 16. Stream the full interview clip here.





Thunder Release 'Black Water' Video(Classic Rock)



Thunder have released a video for their latest single Black Water. The track is taken from the album Wonder Days, released earlier this year. The follow-up to 2008's Bang debuted at no.9 in the UK chart in February.
In the clip for Black Water, the band are seen in the studio and onstage. Thunder had to cancel a gig in Paris this week after frontman Danny Bowes was struck down with a viral infection.

They say: "We're told Paris will be re-scheduled, later in the year. Once again apologies to those who bought tickets for that show." Earlier this month they played the Encore stage at Download. They'll play a number of European shows this summer, including a support slot for ZZ Top at Wembley, London. See the dates and watch the video here.





Praying Mantis Announce New Album 'Legacy'(Classic Rock)



NWOBHM veterans Praying Mantis have announced their 10th album will be released in August. The new album, entitled Legacy, will be release on August 21 via Frontiers Music.
It is their first album to feature Dutch duo, vocalist John Cuijpers and drummer Hans Zandt. The lineup is rounded out by guitarists Tino Troy and Andy Burgess, along with bassist Chris Troy.

It will be the follow-up to 2009's Sanctuary. Tino Troy says: "We had some great laughs doing this album, as usual. But at the same time we took it very seriously to get the right sound." See the artwork and track details here.

More on Praying Mantis - Praying Mantis Music, DVDs, Books and more - Praying Mantis T-shirts and Posters
Slayer's Kerry King Talks Return Of Paul Bostaph(Classic Rock) Slayer guitarist Kerry King says it was easy to bring back drummer Paul Bostaph for a third stint. He replaced original sticksman Dave Lombardo again in 2013, and appears on the band's 11th album Repentless, due in September.
King tells Fuse: "Paul's a machine. I don't worry about him at all. He would never have been out of Slayer if he didn't quit twice. It was never over anything personal. He was always my friend so it was very easy for him to come back and be a part again."

He adds that there's a "weird" coincidence surrounding Bostaph's return. "The new album comes out September 11 again, and the last time we put out a record on September 11 it was God Hates Us All, and that was the last record Paul was on. It's kind of like lost time for him." Read more here.





Pink Floyd's Dark Side Named Top Prog Album Of All Time(Prog)



Pink Floyd classic The Dark Side Of The Moon has been named the best prog album of all time by Rolling Stone magazine. The 1973 epic - which has sold over 50 million copies worldwide and topped many previous lists - leads a top 10 that also includes King Crimson, Rush, Yes, Genesis and Jethro Tull.
Eight of the chart-toppers were released during the first half of the 1970s, with only Crimson's In The Court Of The Crimson King and Rush's Moving Pictures coming from other decades.

And only eight later-generation prog acts make the magazine's top 50 - The Mars Volta at number 25, Opeth at 28, Dream Theater at 29, Tool at 33, Porcupine Tree at 39, Meshuggah at 42, Marillion at 47 and Ruins at 49.

Rolling Stone say of Dark Side: "Easily the peak of prog rock's commercial success, Pink Floyd's lean concept album has soundtracked countless planetarium light shows and just as many critical unpackings." Read more and see the top 10 list here.





Pierce The Veil Stream New Song 'The Divine Zero'(TeamRock Radio)


Pierce The Veil have made their single The Divine Zero available to stream and buy. The song is from the Californian band's as-yet-untitled upcoming fourth album.
Singer Vic Fuentes says: "This first single, The Divine Zero, goes out to all of our incredibly supportive fans out there who have been waiting for it. There is nothing more special to us than being able to share new music with all of you, and this is the very first glimpse into our upcoming album.

"We're looking forward to playing this song live and singing along with all of you at the Vans Warped Tour this summer. See you at the shows." The track can be purchased now via digital retailers and streamed here.





The Devil Wears Prada Reveal Space EP Details(TeamRock Radio)



The Devil Wears Prada have given more details of their upcoming EP Space. The six-track CD will be issued on August 21 via Rise Records and marks their first official release since 2013's 8:18. As previously announced, the lead track will be Supernova, which is now available to stream below.
The band issued the Zombie EP in 2010 and they say they learned lessons that have been used in making Space.

Vocalist Mike Hranica says: "We learned a lot from the Zombie EP. We wanted each song on the Space EP to have a specificity about it, to have its own identity separate from the others, to have its own sound, but still have them all united in concept. We talked about a lot of different themes, but 'space' just felt right.

"Making this EP was a great experience because it allowed me to open up my imagination and creativity, not to be hindered by having too much knowledge of the subject and become overly analytical, being able to write a more fictional narrative. We really look forward to making more records like this." Read more here.




Chris Braide Explains Launch Of This Oceanic Feeling Project(Prog)



Award-winning songwriter and producer Chris Braide has revealed how his prog project This Oceanic Feeling was born in an exclusive Prog video. The trio features acclaimed session drummer Ash Soan and veteran bassist Lee Pomeroy, and they'll launch debut album Universal Mind on July 17.
The concept was inspired when Braide and Soan, who'd been members of The Producers with Trevor Horn, wanted to work together again. Braide says: "I started writing songs last November about dualism - ego death and the fight between the fake self and the real self. These songs started pouring out so I got in touch with Ash.

"It started sounding like a band. We got Lee involved. He's an amazing bass player who's played with everybody worth playing with." He describes the results as "glossy pop with good production," adding: "There are references to things like Yes' 90125, these big shiny pop records. We were all influenced by that and wanted to make our own." Watch the video here.





Mantra Vega (Mostly Autumn - Sound of Contact)


Premiere 'Islands' Video(Prog) Mantra Vega, featuring ex Mostly Autumn vocalist Heather Findlay and former Sound Of Contact man Dave Kerzner, have premiered their debut video with Prog.
Island appears on their album The Illusion's Reckoning, set for launch on October 5. It features musicians Dave Kilminster, Chris Johnson, Alex Cromarty and Stu Fletcher.

Findlay recalls feeling a "huge wave of healing energy" as she heard Kerzner's instrumental track for the first time. She tells Prog: "A lush, mysterious, musical cocktail of uplift and joy was playing out before me. It somehow rang with a tiny hint of wistfulness and seemed to perform a series of inner resets. Through a slightly teary haze I realised this band was to be no ordinary collaboration."

Kerzner adds: "We enjoyed making the video on a sunny day at the beach. The weather, the location, and Heather and I having fun on camera represented the good vibes and layered meaning of the lyrics.

"The idea behind the song is that we can go to a peaceful unreachable place - an island in our minds or the silence within - when the chaos of everyday life gets to us." Watch the video here.





Faith No More's Billy Gould Surprised At Sol Invictus Reaction(Classic Rock)



Faith No More's Billy Gould says he keeps expecting the band's latest album to be bashed by critics. So far, he says, the reaction to Sol Invictus has been overwhelmingly positive - including scooping Best Album at last week's Metal Hammer Golden Gods ceremony - and adds that he's relieved that has been the case. But the bassist reckons a bad review is just around the corner.
He tells Kerrang: "It's a relief. We've always put out things and we don't know what the reaction is gonna be. But it is nice seeing something that gets received so well.

"I'm kind of wondering when the shoe's gonna drop and somebody's just gonna bash the sh*t out of this. Like, it's too good, the reaction. But no, it's fine. Great."

Gould adds that Faith No More are working on future touring plans to follow their 2015 dates, which currently run up to October. But they won't commit to more than they can handle. He says: "I think there will be some stuff, but we're doing this now in steps.

"Because one of our big things that we did wrong back in the day was commit to too much all at once. And we found ourselves sometimes in situations that we didn't choose to be in. We were stuck in them." Read more here.




Elvin Bishop's Parents Were Horrified With His Blues Ambition


The Blues Elvin Bishop has revealed he only accepted a scholarship to university in Chicago so he could learn the blues. And the veteran guitarist admits his parents, who'd lived through the Great Depression of the 1930s, were horrified when they discovered his plan.
He left his Oklahoma home to study physics, but spent much of his time touring the blues clubs of Chicago's Southside, picking up pointers for what would be a five-decade career In music.

Bishop tells the Greeley Tribune: "They were people of their time and place. Dropping out was the worst mistake in the world to them." He adds: "I wasn't necessarily living the blues, but I found out what the blues was all about - the connection of the music to real life." Read more here.





Counterparts, Senses Fail, Capsize Plan Fall Tour(TeamRock Radio)


Counterparts have announced a UK tour for October. Support comes from Senses Fail - who launch Pull The Thorns From Your Heart on June 29 - and Capsize.
They will be launching the tour in support of fifth album Tragedy Will Find Us. The follow-up to 2013's The Difference Between Hell And Home is to be launched on July 24 via Pure Noise Records.

The label say: "The records finds the band in their most honest and revealing state yet, with a level of raw emotion matched only by their fierce sonic assault." See the tour dates here.





Every Time I Die Announce UK Tour(TeamRock Radio)



Every Time I Die will return to the UK in November, with a tour that includes a run of intimate shows in London. Tour support comes from Superheaven and Muck.
They'll cross England and Scotland before delivering three gigs with three different setlists at London's Dome, Barfly and Underworld. Frontman Keith Buckley says:

"If you've ever been to an Every Time I Die show in the UK, you'll understand why we want to spend almost an entire month playing shows there. Intimate venues, cold pints, good mates. Don't miss out - these gigs will be ledge."

Meanwhile, one of the sketches Buckley co-wrote for Comedy Central has been broadcast and can be seen along with the tour dates here.




Breaking Benjamin Frontman Has Mystery Illness(TeamRock Radio)


Breaking Benjamin frontman Ben Burnley says he is still searching for answers over his long-standing health problems. The singer reformed the band last year with a new lineup and they release fifth album Dark Before Dawn on June 22. He has spoken previously of a number of phobias he has, as well as his battle with alcohol addiction.
Burnley tells Loudwire: "Unfortunately, I've gotten no answers from the medical community whatsoever. So I'm still very sick and I've tried everything i could to get to the bottom of my health issues, but the medical community hasn't helped me to find the answers.

"I'm pushing through because it is either lay down and give up or get up and play music for my fans. If I go down, I'll go down doing what I love for the people I love."

The band have a number of US tour dates lined up. See them here.





Singled Out: Rosetta's (Untitled V)Rosetta release their brand new album "Quintessential Ephemera" today (June 22nd) and celebrate we asked guitarist Matt Weed to tell us about the song "(Untitled V)". Here is the story:
"(Untitled V)" inadvertently ended up being a kind of love-letter to 90s rock. The intro riff was something that our new guitar player, Eric, came up with at home and then emailed to everyone. It had a dirgy Soundgarden quality to it that everyone liked, and we had actually covered a Soundgarden song ("4th of July") a few years before. As we worked on it, the song developed a weird alternating major/minor tonality that reminded everyone of Nine Inch Nails' The Fragile.

In the studio, we just threw in any and every ridiculous stunt we could think of. The song sprouted a bunch of unruly improvised guitar noise and barbershop quartet vocals and became something else entirely. We knew it would piss off some of our longtime fans, but it was just one of the most fun-to-play things we've written. Harmonically, it's new territory for the band, but still feels familiar because of how it harks back to the music that we loved when we were kids, just picking up guitars for the first time. It has an exuberance to it that's new for us.

It also spawned one of the more memorable lyrical motifs on Quintessential Ephemera, the repeating choral line "made out of nothing..." which in many ways encapsulates what the whole record is about. There's a lot of meditation on how transient and empty our digital lives are, how we spend all this time sculpting and curating online identities that have no basis in reality, and how we consume so much online media that we end up totally inert and never excited by anything. Eric originally wrote the line as "I came to find basically nothing," but during the demo process, Matt kept incorrectly singing "made out of nothing" over and over. Eventually, we liked the 'wrong' version enough that we kept the line in the song, and had everyone sing it together as a 3-part harmony. Because we could.

Today's Rock News!

Ozzy Osbourne Recruits Slash For Halloween Supergroup Performance

Ozzy Osbourne has recruited former Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash and his Black Sabbath bandmate Geezer Butler to perform with him when he headlines the second night of the Voodoo Music + Arts Experience on Halloween.
Billed as Ozzy + Friends, the band will also feature former Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello and there is no word yet which drummer will be performing with the band.

This year's Voodoo Music + Arts Experience takes place on October 30th, 31st and November 1st in New Orleans with Florence + the Machine headlining the first night and Zac Brown Band taking the headline slot on the closing night. Find more information and the full lineup here.




Van Halen Trying To Stop Sammy Hagar From Performing Songs?(hennemusic)

Sammy Hagar is claiming that the Alex and Eddie Van Halen are trying to prevent him from performing songs from the band's Van Hagar-era. Hagar continues to play material from his time in the group when he performs solo and with any of the supergroups he's a part of - the latest being The Circle, with bassist Michael Anthony, drummer Jason Bonham and guitarist Vic Johnson.
"I feel obligated, because listen - we sold 40 million, 47 million records, whatever it was together," Hagar tells Eddie Trunk. "We had all those Number Ones. Those are great songs: 'Right Now.' 'When It's Love.' 'Finish What Ya Started.' … These are great songs that need to be played for the people that supported it during the era, and it actually irritates me when those guys try to act like it never happened."

Hagar then goes on to speculate about the band's motives while attempting to take a shot at the ability of original Van Halen vocalist David Lee Roth. "I'm going, 'Why would you shoot yourself in the foot like that just because you can't do them anymore?'," says Hagar. "But don't act like they're not good songs and you can't play them and that they're not worth being played."

The Red Rocker tells Trunk the Van Halen brothers are out to shut his efforts down. "If you wanna know the truth, I'm gonna tell you something that's gonna stir everything and everybody up so bad, you're not going to believe it," Hagar continues. "Eddie and Alex Van Halen are trying to stop me from even being able to play those songs. They have had attorneys and people say 'No, he can't play them.' Sometimes you need permission to play something, like on TV and stuff, and they say no. They will actually fight legally to try and stop me, and I'm going crazy."

"I'm going, 'I'm gonna break these guys' neck'", threatens Hagar. "It's like they're so jealous they can't do them and they don't want them to be heard because they want to pretend like it never happened because of what they're doing now.

"When I got wind of this. I was going nuts. I've hired an attorney and I'm gonna fight these guys to the end. Those are my songs! I wrote every lyric and every frickin' melody on every one of those songs, and for those guys to say I can't sing my own songs … oh my God, I'm going crazy." Read more and listen to the full interview here.



Journey Hire New Drummer In Wake Of Deen's Arrest(hennemusic)

Journey have hired drummer Omar Hakim for their summer tour following the arrest of longtime member Deen Castronovo on domestic violence charges in Oregon on June 14.
The band issued the following statement: "We Journey have made the decision to have Omar Hakim play drums for the band's upcoming U.S. concerts (Hollywood Bowl on Saturday, June 20 and the Stadium of Fire in Provo, Utah on Saturday, July 4), as well as the band's Canadian tour (July 6 - August 3), due to Deen Castronovo's pending issues. We are very grateful to Omar filling in with his musical excellence."

Castronovo was arrested in Salem, Oregon after an early morning domestic dispute that saw the drummer charged with assault, coercion, and menacing; he was released on bail and a plea hearing has been scheduled for June 30. Read more here.



Iron Maiden Announce New Double Album

Now that Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson is tumor free, the band are moving forward with the release of their new studio album "The Book Of Souls", which is set to be released on September 4th.
No strangers to epic songs, the legendary British heavy metal band have recorded a new truly epic album with so much music that it will be released in double CD and triple heavyweight vinyl formats.

In addition to the standard digital, 2CD, 3Record vinyl versions, the band will also be releasing a limited edition 2CD deluxe edition that will feature a hardbound book and two 24-bit high res audio versions including a mastered for iTunes version and a non-mastered for iTunes.

The band recorded the album at the Guillame Tell Studios in Paris with longtime producer Kevin 'Caveman' Shirley album last year. Dickinson had this to say, "We're really excited about The Book Of Souls and had a fantastic time creating it. We started working on the album in late summer 2014 and recorded it at Guillame Tell Studios in Paris, where we'd done the Brave New World album back in 2000 so the studio holds special memories for all of us.

"We were delighted to discover the same magical vibe is still alive and very much kicking there! So we immediately felt at home and the ideas just started flowing. By the time we'd finished we all agreed that each track was such an integral part of the whole body of work that if it needed to be a double album, then double its going to be!"

Band founder Steve Harris explains why this is a different album for the band, "We approached this album in a different way to how we've recorded previously. A lot of the songs were actually written while we were there in the studio and we rehearsed and recorded them straight away while they were still fresh, and I think that immediacy really shows in the songs, they have almost a live feel to them, I think. I'm very proud of The Book Of Souls, we all are, and we can't wait for our fans to hear it, and especially to take it out on the road next year!" See the tracklisting and format details here.




Bumblefoot Address Scott Weiland Art Of Anarchy Controversy(Classic Rock)


Guitarist Ron 'Bumblefoot' Thal wishes Scott Weiland had called him to discuss supergroup Art Of Anarchy before labeling the project a "scam from the beginning."
The ex-Stone Temple Pilots frontman spoke out after the band was announced in January, also featuring Disturbed bassist John Moyer. And despite appearing in a video alongside the rest of the lineup, he insisted he "didn't even know what their names were" and that "it was something I did when I wasn't doing anything."

Asked if Weiland was aware that Art Of Anarchy was aiming to be a fully-fledged band project, Bumblefoot tells Rock.About.com's Bob Schallau,, "Well, we thought it was. It's complicated (laughs). And also it has to do with legal stuff. It would have to do with contracts and all that. So I probably shouldn't talk too much about it. That could get in the way of whatever.

"But it was... I mean I don't want to throw anybody under the bus or anything, but contracts were worded clearly. We all knew what we were getting into and thought each other knew what we were getting into. So anything else came as a shock.

"And even when we announced the existence of the band in January, the night before camps were in touch with each other approving the bio and all those things so that nothing was a surprise. Even things that we didn't need to be in touch about like, 'Here's what I'm gonna say on Twitter, just so you know,' out of courtesy so that nothing for any reason rubs anyone the wrong way.

"And we made the announcement and then (laughs) we saw in the middle of... (pauses). Yeah. So it was disappointing. I would have much preferred if Scott had called me and said, 'Can we find a different way of doing this or wording this', or something that would be less damaging." Read more here.




The Rolling Stones Jam Classic Song With Brad Paisley(hennemusic)


The Rolling Stones were joined by Brad Paisley for a performance of their 1971 classic, "Dead Flowers", in Nashville on Wednesday and video of the jam has been posted online.
Paisley did double-duty on the evening, opening the Stones' show at the city's LP Field, where he brought on special guests Carrie Underwood and Joe Walsh.

"We've got so many country artists here tonight," joked Mick Jagger, "When I went to the VIP room back stage, wow, I've never seen so much heartbreak!" Keith Richards added "We should come here more often. It's a great town."

The Rolling Stones are currently playing concerts on their Zip Code tour of North America to promote the expanded reissue of "Sticky Fingers", which is rounded out with alternate and unreleased tracks from the sessions. Watch video of the jam here.




New Beatles Musical Coming Next Year(Classic Rock)


A musical based on the Beatles' sessions in Abbey Road Studios will be staged at London's Royal Albert Hall next year. A replica of the iconic premises' Studio Two will be built for the production, set to open in April.
Producer Stig Edgren tells The Times: "It will be a musical documentary giving audiences an honest, respectful and accurate recreation of how history was made."

And he's insisted the cast won't be made up of Fab Four lookalikes. "We're not trying to look like the Beatles - we're trying to sound like them," he says. "The idea is you're watching them in recording mode." Read more here.




Emmure Pull Out Of Festival Due To Frankie Palmeri's Health(TeamRock Radio)


Emmure have cancelled another gig as frontman Frankie Palmeri has still not fully recovered from a torn vocal cord. He suffered the injury on the road in February and the band later cancelled a European tour with Caliban, Thy Art Is Murder and Sworn.
They were due to perform at Insane Clown Posse's Gathering Of The Juggalos - but with Palmeri still under doctor's orders to rest, they've dropped the date.

Emmure say: "We regret to inform everyone, but we have decided to pull out due to Frankie's recovery progress. We'd like everyone to know that Frankie is doing much better since this incident started in February, and we appreciate all the well wishes.

"We want to thank ICP and the organisers for asking us to be part of the festival this year. Thank you all for the continued support." Read more and see the band's post



Fear Factory Streaming New Song 'Soul Hacker'(TeamRock Radio)


Fear Factory have launched a lyric video for their track Soul Hacker, taken from ninth album Genexus. The follow-up to 2012's The Industrialist will be released on August 7 via Nuclear Blast, with a guest appearance from Journey drummer Deen Castronovo.
Guitarist Dino Cazares says: "We chose Soul Hacker for the first single because it's heavy, catchy and has a lot of groove. You can really hear the aggression in Burton C Bell's vocals on this one - not to mention on the entire album. We think people are really going to love this song and record. It's varied, melodic, aggressive and heavy."

He adds: "We wanted to make it a little more interesting than your typical lyric video, so we included some live footage of the band from our last few tours and images of ourselves performing the song on TV screens." Stream the song here.




The Supersuckers Launch Eddie Spaghetti Cancer Fund(Classic Rock)


The Supersuckers have launched a fundraising campaign to assist frontman Eddie Spaghetti's cancer fight. They revealed earlier this week that he'd been diagnosed with oropharyngeal cancer, forcing the cancellation of a European tour.
Last night's concert in Seattle was their last before he undergoes surgery on June 29, to be followed by radiation treatment and possibly chemotherapy. Spaghetti's wife Jessika Daly has told how the diagnosis was confirmed during a family road trip. She says on the band website: "On the afternoon of Monday, June 15, after five long days of holding our breath, the phone finally rang.

"'Eddie, you have stage three oropharynx cancer and you should come in for surgery as soon as possible. I was driving the car, and even though we knew the call was coming, I had to pull over. I couldn't breathe. He was scrambling for paper and a pen and I just felt my arms get weak. I saw his face become tense and scared. This was the news we'd waited impatiently for - it was the call that would change everything." Read more here.




3 Doors Down Guitarist Reveals New Album Details(TeamRock Radio)



3 Doors Down have revealed the title of their upcoming sixth album. The Mississippi rockers will release Us And The Night later this year, guitarist Chris Henderson says.
He tells KFMX: "I'm actually on my way to the studio right now to finish guitars for a new record. The music's almost done. Probably in the next five days the record will be finished 100 percent and sent off to mix.

"It's going to be called Us And The Night, so there is an album title. I think the tentative release date will be September, October, November - somewhere in that area. We want to



Refused Release 'Dawkins Christ' Music Video(TeamRock Radio)



Refused have released a video for their track Dawkins Christ. It's taken from the Swedish hardcore outfit's album Freedom, which will be issued on June 30 via Epitaph. They previously issued opening track Elektra.
The band say of Dawkins Christ: "The title refers to the famous biologist whose atheist theology has inspired a semi-cult who see him as a messianic figure -an irony that partly inspired the lyrics.

"The music draws from the film scores of Hans Zimmer and Ennio Morricone as well as pre-Reign In Blood Slayer." Refused reunited in 2012 after originally splitting in 1998. They have a number of tour dates running through to October, including slots at Reading and Leeds festivals. Watch the video here.





Rammstein's Lindemann Feels Newcomers Don't Have A Chance In Music (Classic Rock)



Till Lindemann believes up-and-coming rock bands face an impossible task to make a living from their music. And the Rammstein vocalist insists there will be no future acts to take the place of the current global giants.
Lindemann tells Rock Sverige: "The only thing I can say is that I don't want to start a band these days. It's quite impossible to live off of it. The record companies don't give you a chance, like in the old days when they went, 'Here's a pile of money - go make a good record.'"

He describes modern music as "fast produced, home made, all digital and low-budget," and adds: "As a newcomer you have no chance. Everything is cheap and low budget, in my opinion." Read more here.





While She Sleeps Release Plea For Temp Singer For Warped Dates(TeamRock Radio)



While She Sleeps have issued an SOS for a stand-in singer who can cover for Loz Taylor on the first dates of the Vans Warped Tour in the US which kicks off today (June 19).
Taylor encountered visa problems and can't leave the UK until they're resolved, meaning the band must find a replacement. They say: "Are you a vocalist? Can you scream? Do you want to sing with us?

"The US visa system is broken and Loz is stuck in the UK until it's fixed. We need someone to do his job until then." Read more including the contact information if you are interested here.





Black Veil Brides Fans Step Up For Late Roadie's Family(TeamRock Radio)


Fans of Black Veil Brides, Asking Alexandria, Motionless In White, Falling In Reverse and others have helped smash the funding target set to help bring a late roadie's body home.
Chris Holley died in his sleep in Los Angeles at the weekend, leading to tributes from members of many of the bands he'd worked with. His family asked for $10,500 via GoFundMe, explaining that he hadn't been insured and it would take an "extremely large amount" to cover the transit costs to Florida.

But less than 24 hours after the campaign was launched, it all-but crossed the $20,000 mark, meaning Holley will be laid to rest near his loved ones. Read more here.





Radiohead Track Lift May Finally Be Released(Prog)


Radiohead's ninth album is set to feature old track Lift after the band finally came up with an arrangement they liked. Guitarist Jonny Greenwood describes the song as a "management favorite".
Greenwood also compares the track's development to that of Nude, which was written in the 1990s but wasn't recorded until the In Rainbows sessions of 2007.

In a Dutch interview, just translated, Greenwood says: "What people don't know is that there's a very old song on each album, like Nude. We never found the right arrangement for that, until then.

"Lift is just like that. When the idea is right, it stays right. It doesn't really matter in which form." Read more here.




Rolling Stones Score Top 5 Chart Debut With Sticky Fingers Reissue(hennemusic)


The newly-released reissue of the Rolling Stones 1971 album classic, "Sticky Fingers", has landed a US Top 5 debut. Billboard reports the reissue enters the Billboard 200 at No. 5 with opening week sales of 36,000 copies.
The Super Deluxe version - which tracks separately due to its additional extra content - debuts at No. 65 with 9,000 copies. The Rolling Stones are currently playing concerts on their Zip Code tour of North America to promote the expanded reissue, which is rounded out with alternate and unreleased tracks from the sessions.

The band warmed up for the tour with a May 20 club show at The Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles, which was filmed for a possible future release. Read more here.




Tim Bowness Releases 'Press Reset' Video(Prog)


Tim Bowness has released a video for his track Press Reset. It's taken from upcoming solo album Stupid Things That Mean The World, set for launch via InsideOut on July 17.
Bowness says: "Press Reset was one of the first songs I wrote for the album. The band fleshed out my demo and produced some really interesting and powerful performances - from Colin Edwin's atmospheric ebow bass and Andrew Booker's inventive drum patterns to the very direct guitar contributions from Bruce Soord.

"Lyrically, the song deals with a person on the verge of escaping from the pressures of their life. The almost ambient lyric video by We Do Band Stuff is all the better for its stylish simplicity." Watch the video here.




Miss May I Streaming New Song 'I.H.E'(TeamRock Radio)



Miss May I have made their track I.H.E available to stream. It's taken from the Ohio metal outfit's fifth album Deathless, released on August 7 via Rise Records. Pre-orders include an instant download of I.H.E.
Frontman Levi Benton says: "Not only have we been working on this record for almost a year, but we recorded it with our old friend Joey Sturgis who did our first two records and really brought out the best in us.

"It's about how the last two years have tested us on many levels, and how we've come through it all stronger and better. That's where the title comes from - we are deathless." Read more and stream the song here.





Swallow The Sun Ink Deal For New Album Release(Prog)


Swallow The Sun have signed to Century Media Records for an album they hope will "bring the heart back." The Finnish outfit are currently working on the follow-up to 2012's Emerald Forest And The Blackbird, and aim to release further titles through their new deal.
Guitarist Juha Raivio says of their sixth record: "This is something that has not been done many times before - and maybe for a good reason. But we could not care less about that.

"We want to take a stand, to bring the worth and heart back to the music in these shallow times. More news about this huge opus coming soon." Read more here.





Perfect Beings Crowdfunding New Album(TeamRock Radio)


Perfect Beings have launched a crowdfunding campaign to help with the release of their second album. The Californian outfit issued their self-titled debut last year and they're ready to put out the follow-up.
Fans are being asked to pledge $26 (£16) for a CD copy, which comes with a free digital download. A range of other packages are also available via the Pledgemusic page.

Perfect Beings say: "We've finished recording our second album and now we'd like you to join us so we can get it manufactured, promoted, and distributed. We're essentially operating our own record label, and with your pre-order we can make it happen." Read more here.




Skindred Announce New Album 'Volume'(TeamRock Radio)



Skindred will launch sixth album Volume on October 30 via Napalm Records and Benji Webbe and co have released a short teaser featuring music from the follow-up to last year's Kill The Power.
They also announced that they will back it with a UK tour also featuring Crossfaith, (hed) p.e. and Yashin. Frontman Webbe recently told Primal Magazine: "Life is an influence. Going to the pub and having a pint, there's just so many lyrics there. Everything I've ever known, been taught or seen has gone into my songs.

"I want to be that guy who encourages somebody -all my favourite records have said something to me personally, and that's what I want to portray in Skindred." Watch the teaser and see the tour dates here.




Former Judas Priest Frontman Tim 'Ripper' Owens Announces Tour(Classic Rock)



Former Judas Priest frontman Tim 'Ripper' Owens has confirmed a 10-date UK tour next month. The solo shows feature support acts Past The Fall and Memories In Torment.
He recently recalled how he was given Rob Halford's job in Priest in 1996 after singing just one line, and that no other singer auditioned for the role that lasted until the original frontman's return in 2003.

Asked if he'd record with the metal icons again, Owens tells Rock Overdose: "I would, for sure. Not for the money, because I do better now, and I work a lot more.

"But for the good times. While I was in Priest it was like a family. We did everything together - and the hotels and bus was nicer. I miss my times with them, the stories, the beers and dinner. I miss just hanging with them." See the dates here.





Dragonforce To Play Club Where They Started Ahead Of Its Closing(TeamRock Radio)



Dragonforce are to play at a doomed Essex club to highlight the plight of closure-threatened music venues in the UK. They'll perform at The Square in Harlow on August 22, which is set to shut down after a series of concerts entitled Back To Square One, featuring successful acts who played there before they made the big time.
Guitarist Herman Li says: "DragonForce cut its teeth by playing an array of pubs and small clubs up and down the country, which are vital for bands to gain live experience.

"We're seeing venues disappear and it's becoming quite alarming. The Peel in Kingston, The Empress in Bradford, The Mean Fiddler in London – we played all of these in the distant past but they've all gone."

The band first played The Square 14 years ago. Li continues: "It's really very sad. But more to the point, it will affect the development of new talent in the UK." Read more here.



Thirty Seconds To Mars Announce Rescheduled Dubai Show(Gibson)


Earlier this year, the Jared Leto-fronted rock trio Thirty Seconds To Mars announced that they would play Dubai on April 10, 2015. However, less than a fortnight before the gig's scheduled date, organizers Live Nation announced that the show would have to be postponed owing to an "unforeseen scheduling conflict".
The new date for Thirty Seconds To Mars Dubai performance is 25 September 2015. The band, who wrapped up the Europe leg of their Love, Lust, Faith And Dreams Tour at the beginning of May, will play the one-off show at Dubai's World Trade Centre Arena before heading to two final gigs in Spain and Greece.

Local Dubai bands who entered the #MARSBattleOfTheBands contests will still be able to participate in the contest to choose a support act for the gig. Read more here.






The Amity Affliction Reveal UK Tour Details(TeamRock Radio)


The Amity Affliction have revealed more details of their November UK tour. The four previously-announced shows form part of the Impericon Never Say Die! 2015 European run and feature Defeater, Being As An Ocean, Cruel Hand, Fit For A King and Burning Down Alaska.
The Amity Affliction frontman Joel Birch says: "We're really excited to get back to Europe and the UK on the Impericon Never Say Die Tour – not only because we always feel so welcome there, but also because the lineup we have is killer.

"It's not often you want to watch every band on the bill. It's going to be fucking wild." The Australian headliners will relaunch last year's album Let The Ocean Take Me in a special edition including documentary movie Seems Like Forever plus two previously unreleased tracks, Skeletons and Forever. It arrives on July 10 via RoadRunner.

Tim Abrigg Jr.'s Rock and Roll News Of The Day!: Today's Day In Rock News!

Tim Abrigg Jr.'s Rock and Roll News Of The Day!: Today's Day In Rock News!: Rock News! Journey's Deen Castronovo ArrestedJourney drummer Deen Castronovo was reportedly arrested for alleged assault and ot...

Today's Day In Rock News!

Rock News!


Journey's Deen Castronovo ArrestedJourney drummer Deen Castronovo was reportedly arrested for alleged assault and other charges on Sunday morning in Salem, Oregon, according to the gossip site TMZ.
The site reports that the Salem Police Department told them that officers were called to a home believed to be the drummer's around 9A.M. on Sunday and he was arrested without incident.

They also report that Castronovo was released on bail after he was booked and charged with assault, coercion, and menacing. There is no word who else was involved in the incident.

In 2012, Castronovo was sentenced to 80 hours of community service and anger-management classes following an arrest in Salem where he was charged with fourth-degree assault, resisting arrest, interfering with a police report and coercion, according to the local Fox affiliate.

TMZ reports that the 2012 arrest was for the alleged assault of his girlfriend.




Foo Fighters Cancel Tour After Dave Grohl Undergoes SurgeryThe Foo Fighters have been forced to cancel their upcoming European concerts as Dave Grohl recovers from surgery that he underwent on Monday after he suffered a broken leg in a fall off the stage during a concert last week.
Grohl released a lengthy statement about the accident and his injuries, saying that he dislocated his ankle and broke his fibula like an "old pair of take out chopsticks."

The band had previously canceled their shows at the Pinkpop Festival (June 14th) and last night's show in St. Gallen, Switzerland (June 16th). They have now cancel their appearances in London on June 19th and 20th, Edinburgh on June 23rd, Belgium on June 25th and their headlining performance at this year's Glastonbury Festival on June 26th.

Here is Grohl's message to fans, "Hey everyone…. Your old pal, Dave here. Been a while, eh? It's been one hell of a year, that's for sure. Looks like we've got some serious catching up to do! Hmmm, let's see…..where do I begin?

"Drumroll, please…. The funniest thing happened to me the other day in Sweden! Two songs into our set at Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg, I made a mad dash to the right of the stage during MONKEY WRENCH to shred some tasty licks for the kids up front. It was a beautiful night, beautiful stadium, 52,000 screaming people….dream gig! Well….wait for it….I definitely shredded something (ZING!) Wound up feet first over the Edge (pun intended), dropping about 12 feet, dislocating my ankle and snapping my fibula like an old pair of take out chopsticks. Whoopsie daisy. Not good. Without realizing the extent of my injuries, I stood up to get back onstage and crumbled like a sack of Joe Theismanns (look it up, kiddies). That sh*t was B-R-O-K-E.

"As I lay there on my back, I just thought, 'Are you kidding me? We haven't even gotten to the screamy bit of the song and the gig is f***ing OVER?' So, I asked for a microphone and told the audience I'd get fixed up and come right back to finish the show ASAP. Shock? Probably. But, I couldn't stand the thought of such a perfect night going to waste! I looked at our drummer Taylor and said, 'Bust out some Chevy Metal covers while they fix me up!' So, as the band kicked in to 'Stay With Me' by The Faces, the medics poured me onto a stretcher, took me off to the side, cut my favorite pants off (so bummed) and popped my ankle back into place. I asked if I could get back onstage to finish the show, but they said I needed a cast (which was 20 minutes away at the hospital) to hold my ankle in place. So I looked my EMT, Johan in the eyes and said 'Well, then you're coming up there with me right now and holding it in place until they can bring the cast here. Ready?' He stared at me wide-eyed for a second and said, 'OK, lets' go…'

"I don't know who was more scared, me or Johan. 5 minutes later, I don't know who was having more fun, me or Johan. (I actually looked at him in between songs and said 'This is pretty fun, isn't it?' He smiled and nodded yes.)

"Like clockwork, the cast arrived, I walked offstage for a song or two as they put it on me, and then came back to finish the gig. Let's just say that singing our song 'Walk' with a straight face was pretty goddamned hard. 'These Days' was a good one, too. (Easy for you to say! Your leg has never been broken!) All in all, it was without a doubt the single most bizarre Foo Fighters show in the entire 20 years of being a band. Hands down. What seemed like a tragedy at first turned into a triumph, and we all walked away with a new sense of appreciation for what we've got…

"Straight to the hospital for x-rays, where we finally saw the extent of the damage. That's when things got really real. I was told I needed surgery to fix the break. I decided to fly back to London and find a doctor that could see me ASAP. (Thanks for the recommendation, Paul!) An MRI and a few x-rays later, we set a date and prepared for the operation.

"Operation went well. Had a great team and nice stay in hospital. Good curry, too! Thank you to everyone involved. So….here I am, recovering with 6 metal screws in my leg, thinking about a lifetime of holding up TSA lines from here to Kalamazoo….damn.

"Here's the not so witty bit…….My doctors have advised me to lay low for a while. The most important thing now is for me to recover from the surgery, to keep my leg elevated so as to keep swelling down and prevent any infection/complication that could do long term damage. I'm not out of the woods yet, folks…

"Which means, and it kills me to say it…..the doctors have told us to cancel shows. I'm really so sorry, guys. You know I hate to do it, but I'm afraid it's just not physically possible for me at the moment. We're doing our best right now to work out a plan, so bear with us. You know we're good for our word. But for now, I need to make sure we have YEARS of gigs ahead of us….

"You have always stood by our band, and we will always stand by you. Like I say at every show, we wouldn't be here if it weren't for you guys. And I mean that. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. And I will do everything I can to come back and give you a night to remember for the rest of your lives AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

"Until then…my sincerest apologies. Your friend, Dave PS…….Kanye…..Imma let you have this one….."




Pierce The Veil Guitarist Seriously Injured In Accident(Radio.com)

Pierce The Veil guitarist Tony Perry was released from a hospital Monday after being treated for serious injuries sustained in a mountain biking accident last weekend.
An avid bicycle enthusiast, Perry's Instagram feed is filled with photos of riding through scenic terrain. According to a statement by the band's frontman Vic Fuentes, Perry "sustained 3 broken ribs, a torn shoulder, collapsed lung and a broken sternum, for which he needed immediate surgery to repair."

"Fortunately, his surgery went very well, and he is expected to make a full recovery," says Fuentes. "He was released from the hospital yesterday, but due to doctors orders, he will not be joining us for the beginning of Warped Tour until he is healthy enough to play."

"Your fan support is greatly appreciated, so be sure to send Tony some love while he's healing up," demands Fuentes. "Thanks and we'll see you all on Warped!" Read more here.



Five Finger Death Punch Reveal Details For New Album 'Got Your Six'Five Finger Death Punch have revealed more details for their forthcoming studio album, Got Your Six, which will they will be releasing in various formats on August 28th.


The new album, the band's sixth studio effort, will be released in several different formats including a standard CD and digital version that will include 11 tracks, a deluxe CD and digital version that will include 3 bonus tracks (the deluxe CD version will including a redeem code for an exclusive t-shirt), and a vinyl version which will include the bonus tracks and a digital download card for the deluxe version of the album.

Frontman Ivan Moody had this to say about the album, "If someone asked me to sum up who and what Five Finger Death Punch is, I would tell them everything they need to know is on this new record. Hands down, Got Your Six is our best one yet… "

Fans have already received a small taste of what is to come with the release of the first single "Jekyll and Hyde". Moody offered these thoughts on the track, "As for the first single, everybody is Jekyll and Hyde. There are multiple personalities to every human being, and no matter how civilized and sophisticated you think you are, if you dare to look at yourself very, very closely, you'll see… somewhere deep down… there is a demon inside. Your circumstances may not have provoked it yet but trust me, it's there…" says vocalist of Five Finger Death Punch about the lyrical theme of the song.

Guitarist Zoltan Bathory adds, "The verses are actual unaltered voicemails from Ivan. We have an ever-growing collection of these 4:00am messages Ivan usually bombards us with, and Jason had this idea to copy them to a hard drive, then literally wrote the song around them… what you hear is the actual voicemail." See the tracklisting here.



Rush Members Talks Future Music and Special Live Performances

Rush are currently on what they expect will be their last major tour but the members of the band continue to reassure fans that the tour will not be their farewell and they plan to carry on as a band after the trek is over.
Frontman Geddy Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson both addressed what the band might do in the future in separate interviews with Lee talking about new music and live options and Lifeson talking about possibilities for future live performances that wouldn't involve a tour.

The Montreal Gazette reports that Lee didn't hesitate when he was asked about another album. He said, "Absolutely. Again, I don't know if my partners agree, but I think they probably do.

"I can certainly see us writing together and putting a musical project together. I cannot really tell you how that would present itself in a live situation. I don't know that there is the will from my two partners to do any kind of tour. But I wouldn't exclude the possibility of doing a set of dates, or some one-off things."

Lifeson meanwhile sees the possibility of the band doing residency type shows in the future. He tells Niagara Falls Review, "I don't see us breaking up or hanging it up, but certainly this kind of touring has become much more difficult.

"So, maybe in the future we'd look at more special-event kind of things. We've always talked about doing, say, five days at Radio City, five days at Massey Hall, those sorts of runs instead of five, six, seven months."

Check out our live review from the current tour


Metal Allegiance Supergroup Announce Debut Album(Classic Rock)

Metal Allegiance, the project featuring members of Slayer, Anthrax, Megadeth, Pantera, Lamb Of God men and others, will issue their self-titled debut on September 18.
The band is the brainchild of Mark Menghi who brought together Megadeth's David Ellefson, Testament's Alex Skolnick and drummer Mike Portnoy in 2011.

Since then, big-name artists including Phil Anselmo, Kerry King, Dave Lombardo and Steve Vai have joined the core group to participate in live events - but only now is their first album of original material set to be released.

Lamb Of God frontman Randy Blythe says: "When Lamb Of God asked Alex Skolnick to rip a guest solo on Ashes Of The Wake it was a big deal to us to have one of the legends of our scene play on our records.

"Much to my amazement, years later, he returned the request and it's an even bigger deal to me to be asked on a peer level to contribute to a project with so many stellar players." Read more including the track and performer list here.



Bumblefoot Felt Guarded In Guns N' Roses

Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal recently did an extensive interview with About.com's
Bob Schallau to promote the new Art of Anarchy supergroup album project and the conversation turned to Guns N' Roses and he says that he was never able to "comfortably" be himself and not be guarded in the group and he is not sure if the members of the band "ever got to really know each other".
His current status in Guns N' Roses is unclear but he did confirm in the interview that he originally turned down the offer to join the group in 2004 after he was recommended by Joe Satriani.

He said, "Joe recommended me and sent me an email letting me know that in case they reach out that it's not some weird prank or anything, it's legit. A few hours later I heard from one of those guys in the band and we spoke for a couple of months. At the time in 2004 I was putting out an album every year or two, I was touring, I was producing a ton of bands, I was an adjunct professor at SUNY Purchase college teaching music production. I was making music for video games, TV shows, little indie movies. I was doing so many things and I was really happy doing them all. And I felt that every one of those things had a future and were growing and should be nurtured. I knew that if I put all that aside that I would be trading off a lot of things that we're important to me, that meant something to me and I felt had value. I was able to contribute something of worth to the world and I didn't want to give that stuff up. So yeah, originally I told them, 'Look, I don't think I'm the guy for this. I will help you find the right guy. I'd be happy to discretely get in touch with people and help you find the right guy, but I don't think I'm it.'"

He then explained why he decided to join the group in 2006. "Oh, it was a year and a half later and they had a tour coming up. They reached out again and I still didn't want to do it. I just didn't think I was right for it for a lot of reasons. Then my lawyer friend spoke to them on my behalf and said, 'Look, just leave him alone. He doesn't want to do it.' Instead he got back to me and said, 'You may want to talk to them.' And I was saying, 'No! No! No!' He said, 'Just talk to them. Hear what they have to say.' And I'm being a brat saying, 'No! No! No!' He said, 'For me, just talk to them.' And I was like, 'Alright.' So I went down. They were rehearsing in New York and I just brought my guitar, I figured we'd jam a couple of songs that night. So we did, and then the next night another three songs. And we jammed seven times and then hit the road for three months."

Bumblefoot was then asked about Wikipedia entry that said that he was not initially treated well in the band and that he had to "get a little violent" to gain other member's respect. He responded, "You know what, I don't want to get into dirt and all that negative crap. There were so many good things that happened with 'Guns'. People just wanna put all the bad stuff on Wikipedia. They don't wanna talk about any of the good stuff. They don't wanna talk about visiting a children's hospital in Dallas. Well, ultimately when I joined the band, in the first month, it's true and I'm not revealing anything that I haven't already put out there. So it wasn't the warmest welcome. I kind of had to earn it."

He was then asked if there were actual physical fights and he said, "Well, I think it was just more of a situation like a new family member was brought home without the other siblings' consent (laughs), or to their surprise. It was like, 'Who the f*** is this guy?' (laughs). So it took a good minute for us to get to know each other. I don't know if we ever did. I don't know if we ever got to really know each other to be honest. I feel like the environment I was in never gave me a chance to just comfortably be myself and not feel guarded. But that's just me, and that's just the way the pieces fell, you know." Read the full interview here.


Scorpions Announce North American Album Release and Tour

The Scorpions have announced a September 11th North American release date for an expanded version of their 19th studio album "Return To Forever," and they will be launching a tour to support the release this fall.
The new North American version will include 19 songs in all, including the three exclusive songs as well as four bonus tracks. The new version will be released in various formats including digital, CD and vinyl.

Frontman Klaus Meine had this to say about the album, "We have been overwhelmed with the amazing response to our new album across the globe and can't wait to finally release Return To Forever in North America.

He adds, "We have always had such a special connection with our incredible fans and are so excited to get them the new album and return to play live this fall."

On the eve of the album release, the band will be kicking off the North American leg of their Return to Forever 50th Anniversary Tour which will feature support from Queensryche.

The tour is scheduled to get underway on September 10th in Boston, MA at the Blue Hills Bank Pavilion and will be concluding on October 9th in Seattle, WA at the ShoWare Center. See the tour dates and the album tracklisting here.



Def Leppard's Collen Reveals Side Project Song Featuring David Coverdale (hennemusic)

Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen is previewing his new blues project, Delta Deep, with the release of the track "Private Number" featuring guest vocals by Whitesnake singer David Coverdale.
The lineup includes Collen on guitar and vocals, singer Debbi Blackwell-Cook, Stone Temple Pilots bassist Robert DeLeo, and drummer Forrest Robinson.

Due June 23, the band's self-titled debut album includes guest appearances by Def Leppard vocalist Joe Elliott, Sex Pistols/Manraze drummer Paul Cook and Girl/Manraze bassist Simon Laffy.

Delta Deep formed from a series of jams between Collen and Blackwell-Cook, who were eventually joined by DeLeo and Robinson. Stream the new track here.



The Black Queen (Dillinger Escape Plan and NIN) Release Video(TeamRock Radio)

The Dillinger Escape Plan's Greg Puciato has launched a video for The End Where We Start by his side-project The Black Queen. He's joined by Josh Eustis of Nine Inch Nails fame and Steven Alexander in the electronic-powered trio. They'll release debut album Fever Daydream later this year.
Puciato says the band wrote and recorded in a downtown Los Angeles slum and adds: "That played a big part in the sound - being in this desolate environment of urban blight, completely self-contained, making this heavily emotional music together."

He describes the band's work as bearing a "really visual soundtrack element" influenced by film-maker Stanley Kubrick. "We talked a lot about the feel of 80s sci-fi, the sort of 'used future' thing where it sounds alien but also familiar - and gives you nostalgia for a time you don't remember ever existing." Watch the video here.




Kansas Working On First New Album Since 2000(Classic Rock) Kansas have confirmed they're working on their first album since 2000's Somewhere To Elsewhere. Studio sessions began this week for what will be vocalist Ronnie Platt's debut, after he took over from Rich Williams last year.
Drummer Phil Ehart says in a short video: "Kansas are in the studio today, starting our first new recordings in 14 years. We're pretty excited about that. The album will be out next year - in about three and a half years, four years!"

Guitarist Rich Williams talked up the chances of a studio return earlier this year, crediting Platt with re-energising the band. He said: "Having someone in now that's hungry and really wants to do this, there is no barricade." Check out the video the band posted here.



Styx Box Set and Classic Albums Reissues ComingEight classic

Styx albums are set to be released on heavyweight 180g vinyl both individually and in an 8-disc box set entitled "The A&M Years 1975-1984" on July 17th.
The reissues, part of UMe's "Back to Black" vinyl reissue series will include seven studio albums from the band's time with A&M records (Equinox (1975), Crystal Ball (1976), The Grand Illusion (1977), Pieces Of Eight (1978), Cornerstone (1979), Paradise Theatre (1981) and Kilroy Was Here (1983), and the double live album Caught In The Act (1984).

The box set will include all eight album and is currently available for preorder here. According to UMe during that era, "Styx earned four consecutive albums certified multi-platinum by the RIAA, along with 16 Top 40 smashes, including "Renegade," "Come Sail Away," and "Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)." See the individual albums track details and preorder links here.


Slayer Reveal 'Awesome' Repentless Album Cover(TeamRock Radio)

Slayer have unveiled the cover art for their 11th album Repentless. It's due out on September 11 via Nuclear Blast and the design was created by Brazilian artist Marcelo Vasco in collaboration with the band's Tom Araya and Kerry King.
Araya says: "We had a number of submitted ideas for the cover artwork and we felt Marcelo's was the best. We made some suggestions and the result is an awesome album cover."

Slayer will release the album's title track on Friday (June 19) on digital formats - a song King calls his "Hannemanthem" as it was written about his late colleague Jeff Hanneman who died in 2013.

The band are currently touring North America and will return to Europe later this year. See the new album art and the upcoming tour dates here.




AC/DC Classic In Mad Max Video Game Trailer(hennemusic)


AC/DC's 1980 classic, "Hells Bells", is featured in the trailer for the upcoming Mad Max video game. Based on the Mad Max film series, the post-apocalyptic vehicular combat and third-person action game video game is set in an open world environment in which players take on the role of the title character.
Developed by Avalanche Studios and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Mad Max will be released for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on September 1.

"Hells Bells" was the second single from AC/DC's "Back In Black", one of history's best-selling records with an estimated 50 million copies sold. AC/DC are currently playing shows across Europe on their Rock Or Bust world tour, which marks the return of guitarist Stevie Young and drummer Chris Slade to the lineup following the retirement of founder Malcolm Young and a series of legal issues faced by longtime member Phil Rudd. Check out the game trailer here.



Iconic Led Zeppelin Shows The Focus Of New Limited Edition Book(hennemusic)


"Five Glorious Nights - Led Zeppelin At Earls Court May 1975", a new limited-edition book compiled by photographer Dave Lewis, marks the 40th anniversary of the band's legendary home stand at the famed London venue.
Published via Rufus Stone Limited Editions, the project sees Lewis compile images of Led Zeppelin's 1975 dates from the archives of variety of photographers including Barry Plummer, Dick Barnatt, Ian Dickson, Michael Putland, Mick Gold, Gus Stewart and more, providing fans with an extensive collection of colour and black and white photos - many of them rarely seen.

The photos are complimented by rare memorabilia and a written commentary that puts into perspective exactly why these concerts were some of the finest Led Zeppelin ever performed.

Lewis is a highly respected Led Zeppelin archivist and author and editor of the long running magazine Tight But Loose; he was in attendance at all five of the Earls Court concerts.

"Five Glorious Nights - Led Zeppelin At Earls Court May 1975" is limited to 1000 individually-numbered copies. Watch the trailer for the book here.




Peter Gabriel And Kate Bush On Dalai Lama Tribute Album(Classic Rock)


Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush are among artists contributing tracks to an album that marks the 80th birthday of the Dalai Lama. They'll appear on The Art Of Peace: Songs For Tibet II, alongside Elbow, Sting and others to be announced.
The Art Of Peace Foundation have set up a PledgeMusic campaign to support the release, which follows Grammy-nominated 2008 title Songs For Tibet: The Art Of Peace.

It's being produced and musically directed by Rupert Hine, who oversaw the original release. The foundation says: "The Dalai Lama is a unique beacon of wisdom and insight for millions throughout the world." Read more here.




Miss May I Announce New Album 'Deathless'(TeamRock Radio)


Miss May I will release their fifth album Deathless on August 7, the band have confirmed. The follow-up to 2014's Rise Of The Lion will be issued via Rise Records and will be available to pre-order from the band's official site tomorrow (June 17).
Frontman Levi Benton says: "Not only have we been working on this record for almost a year, but we recorded it with our old friend Joey Sturgis who did our first two records and really brought out the best in us.

"This record is about how the last two years have tested us on many levels and how we have come through it all stronger and better. That's where the title comes from, because we are deathless."

The band will head off with the Vans Warped Tour across North America later this week. Read more including the tour dates and the album tracklisting here.




Black Veil Brides, Asking Alexandria Pay Tribute To Chris Holley(TeamRock Radio)


Black Veil Brides, Asking Alexandria, Motionless In White and others have paid tribute to roadie Chris Holley, who died this past weekend. A crowdfunder has been set up to bring his body home from Los Angeles, where he passed away in his sleep.
BVB's Andy Biersack says: "Chris worked for us as a guitar tech for only a short time but has quickly become one of my best friends in the world. As one of the most sincere and passionate human beings I have ever met, it is not hard to understand why he has touched the hearts and minds of so many. We lost a musician, a friend and a true brother. I love you so much Chris."

Ben Bruce of Asking Alexandria says: "No one will ever truly understand what family really means until they are in that moment where you need someone more than you need oxygen.

"Chris has been my lifeline, my best friend, my family since the day I met him. He held me up when I was down. He kept me grounded when I was flying too high. My love can never be put into words. Thank you Chris for just being you." Read more here.



King 810 Streaming New Mixtape Track(TeamRock Radio)


King 810 have launched a stream of a track from their next mixtape. Their cover of Tied To The Whipping Post features rapper Freddie Gibbs and it'll appear on the band's Midwest Monsters 2 release.
The Flint, Michigan outfit aren't afraid of exploring new ground - they recently noted on Facebook: "People always ask what we've been listening to and when we give some obvious timeless classic answer or an out of genre answer they seem let down."

David Gunn and co haven't confirmed a launch date for the mixtape, which follows the appearance of a video for their track Eyes (Sleep It All Away) earlier this month. Stream the new track here.




New Asking Alexandria Singer Guests On Conquer Divide Album(TeamRock Radio)


New Asking Alexandria frontman Denis Stoff makes a guest appearance on the debut album by Conquer Divide. He delivers lead vocals on the all-female outfit's track Sink Your Teeth Into This, which appears on their self-titled record, out on July 24.
It was produced by AA producer Joey Sturgis, who says: "I knew I had to be involved in some way, because I really like to work with passionate musicians who really care about what they're doing."

Conquer Divide cite Parkway Drive and August Burns Red among their influences. Guitarist Kristen reports: "We've had a lot of pent-up anger to get out on this record. But we did our best to move past those issues and turn them into something for the greater good." Read more and listen to the track here.



Robert Plant Extends North American Tour Plans(Radio.com)

Robert Plant is staying on the road a little longer. After touring throughout May and June, most recently playing Bonnaroo, the Led Zeppelin alum will extend his live shows in support of lullaby and…The Ceaseless Roar into the fall.
Plant and his band the Sensational Space Shifters will be heading east to Lock'n Music Festival in Rochester Hills, Mich., before performing in Arrington, Va., New York and Boston.

In between those cities, Plant will also be making up for missed shows in Toronto, Detroit and Chicago, which he had to postpone after coming down with laryngitis.

"I'm really disappointed as I've only missed one gig in 15 years and now here's two in a row," he said at the time in a statement. "It's heartbreaking. I'm furious, frustrated and silent."

Previously purchased tickets for the rescheduled shows will still be honored. See the newly announced dates here.



Bowling For Soup Announce How About Another Round Tour(TeamRock Radio)

Bowling For Soup have confirmed a UK tour for February next year. It's called The How About Another Round Tour - and the name reflects how the band feel.
Frontman Jaret Reddick says: "On the Farewell Tour, we made it clear that 'farewell' wasn't goodbye. We'd over-extended ourselves for two decades and we needed a break.

"I don't ever expect BFS to go away, but we had to make some changes to our touring schedule if things were going to move forward in a productive and positive manner."

He adds: "It really has been good being able to catch our breath. I feel like our shows are even better than they were a few years back." See the dates here.




Consider The Source Deliver World War Trio Parts II and III(Prog)


Consider The Source have released the latest installment of their three-part World War Trio project. World War Trio Parts II + III has been issued as a double album and follows Part I which was launched in 2014.
The band say: "When we decided to go back into the studio, we made a pact to go all in emotionally, physically, temporally and mentally. This piece was a rite of passage for us and we are beyond excited to share it.

"We ask that when you listen to this album, please do so in an undistracted environment, preferably in headphones or high quality speakers. We have tried to capture unique emotions that cannot fully come across while listening on laptop speakers."

The band have also issued a studio snippet of album track A Monument To Compromise. View it here.


Every Time I Die Guitarist Terrified By Gaslight Anthem Guest Vocals(TeamRock Radio)


Every Time I Die guitarist Andy Williams has recalled his nerves after inviting The Gaslight Anthem's Brian Fallon to guest on seventh album From Parts Unknown.
It was launched last year, with Fallon's vocals on Old Light, and Coalesce's Sean Ingram on Pelican Of The Desert. Williams tells Loudwire: "I was terrified about Brian. I was like, 'How the f*** do you get a guy with that unique voice and do what we do?'

"He f***ing nailed it. They were recording a new record at the time so he was already warmed up - he did a take of lower octaves, higher octaves, middle octaves, kind of scream, and more vibrato than he normally does. It was insane."

Ingram was less prepared, says Williams. "We're the biggest Coalesce fans - Every Time I Die wouldn't sound the way we did if it wasn't for Coalesce. We asked Sean to do it and he goes, 'I'm going to need like three weeks to train.' He would drive around in his car and scream to make sure his voice was up to par. It was so rad." Read more here.



65daysofstatic Unmake The Wild Light In New Video(Prog)

65daysofstatic have released a live video featuring a performance of Unmake The Wild Light ahead of their performance at this year's ArcTanGent festival on August 20.
The song "Unmake The Wild Light" from 65daysofstatic's fifth and most recent album, 2013's Wild Light, and it was recorded during a session for Last.fm.

Last year the band said their published tour dates would be their last for a while, adding that they were undertaking "behind-the-scenes work" which was "based around massive secrets." Check out the video here.




Eagles Of Death Metal Crossing The Pond For Winter Tour(Classic Rock)


Eagles Of Death Metal will return to the UK for a run of winter shows, they've announced. Jesse Hughes and co are currently on the road across Europe and played last weekend's Download festival. And they'll be back for more gigs following a US tour later in the year.
The band say: "You asked for more tour dates, we shall give you more tour dates. 17 new winter dates announced in the UK, France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

"Not enough, you say? Not to fear! Keep those beautiful eyes and ears peeled over the next few weeks for even more shows being announced all over this great planet." See the tour dates here.



Royal Blood Say Their Song Are Evolving Live(TeamRock Radio)

Royal Blood say their tracks have taken on "new personalities" as their on stage experience grows. The duo of Mike Kerr and Ben Thatcher are in the running to be named live act of the year by music charity Nordoff Robbins. And they say their back catalogue is constantly evolving with every show they play.
Kerr tells the Independent: "The fact that we've done it so much means the songs have taken on new personalities from the ones they had in the first place - and we're just getting better at putting on a show.

"We've gone from being a band that just used to play our songs in a particular order to a band that has grown with the size of the shows. There's always new things emerging." Read more here.



Avatarium Begin Recording New Album(TeamRock Radio)


Avatarium have entered the studio to begin work on their second album, it's been reported. It'll be Candlemass bassist Leif Edling's second album with his side-project following their self-titled 2013 release. They issued the All I Want EP last year.
Edling, vocalist Jennie-Ann Smith, guitarist Marcus Jidell, drummer Lars Skold and keyboardist Carl Westholm have also announced a run of European dates in November, including a show at London's Underworld on November 22.

Jidell says: "The last six months we have been writing, rehearsing, demoing and now we finally started the recordings for our next album. We're all super excited about the new songs and since the album will be released in October, what could be a better way to celebrate than to go on tour?"