AC/DC's Phil Rudd Sentenced For Threatening To Kill Charge(hennemusic)
AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd has been sentenced to 8 months of home detention after admitting threatening to kill and drugs charges in New Zealand.
9 News reports Rudd, 61, was sentenced Thursday morning in Tauranga District Court. The drummer will be monitored 24 hours a day during his home detention, which he'll serve at his waterfront Tauranga mansion.
In April, Rudd entered a guilty plea to one count of threatening to kill, possession of methamphetamine and possession of cannabis. After Rudd recorded "Rock Or Bust" with AC/DC in Vancouver last year, the band hired former member Chris Slade to handle drum duties in his place for the group's world tour, which launched on April 10 at Coachella. Read more here.
Rolling Stones 'Dumbfounded' By Poster Controversy(hennemusic)
The Rolling Stones are "dumbfounded and perplexed" after posters promoting their 2016 "Exhibitionism" event at London's prestigious Saatchi Gallery caused a scandal in London.
The Guardian reports the neon ad - which shows the crotch of a woman in a bikini, with John Pasche's famous lips logo placed in a cheeky position - has been banned on the London Underground and at bus stops around the city until a new, less lewd version of the poster is provided.
Created by British designer Mark Norton with help from Mick Jagger and Charlie Watts, the Stones were advised that the "Exhibitionism" poster was not suitable to run in its original form. For it to be approved for public display, the group were told the logo must be moved away from the crotch and on to the woman's belly button instead.
The "tongue over belly button" posters will go up in London on Monday, while the rest of the country will receive the original "tongue over pants". A spokesperson for the Rolling Stones says: "We are dumbfounded and perplexed at this rather silly decision. Perhaps something to do with the fact that it's the Rolling Stones and controversy still seems to follow them everywhere." Read more and see the "offending" poster artwork here.
80s Metal Fans Grew Up to Be 'Better Adjusted Adults' Than Their Peers(Classic Rock)
Metalheads from the 1980s grew up to be happier and better adjusted adults than many fans of other genres, a study has suggested. The research would appear to make a mockery of high-profile 1980s campaigns against the metal lifestyle, run by organizations such as Tipper Gore's Parents Music Resource Center. Metal in the 80s was often frivolously linked to devil worship, drug abuse and suicide.
The research published by Taylor & Francis Online sought to test the validity of studies carried out in the 1980s which claimed fans of bands such as Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Black Sabbath were at risk of "poor developmental outcomes."
And, Pacific Standard reports, the new research finds that most of the metalheads who took part in the study "were significantly happier in their youth, and better adjusted currently" compared to peers who were into other music.
The study also reports that those who focused on types of music outside of heavy metal "sought psychological counseling for emotional problems more than any other group, indicating a less happy and fulfilling perspective on their 1980s adolescence." Read more here.
Black Sabbath's Bill Ward Recalls Firing Ozzy Osbourne(Classic Rock)
Bill Ward has recalled how he volunteered for the "sh*t job" of firing Ozzy Osbourne from Black Sabbath in 1979. Matters had come to a head between the frontman and his colleagues after his drinking and drug-taking spiralled out of control - leading them to conclude that he had to go.
They didn't reunite until 1997 and didn't record again until 2013, by which time the drummer was out of the band after saying he hadn't been offered a "signable" contract.
Ward tells The Quietus: "I'm like the f***ing janitor in that band. Most of the time I always got the sh*t jobs that nobody wanted to do. But at the time, I thought maybe I was the best guy to do it. I kind of volunteered to do it. Up went my hand - and it was one of the worst things I've ever done in my life, to be honest with you.
"I didn't want him to leave the band, but I could understand the reasons why. That was a tragic day. That was the day the band imploded." Read more here.
Iron Maiden Mascot Eddie Inspired Pop Art At Comic Con(Classic Rock)
Iron Maiden mascot Eddie is featured in the first-ever exhibition of official spin-off artwork, which has just been unveiled at San Diego's Comic Con. The pop art display on the Acme Archives booth includes material inspired by classic tracks Powerslave, 2 Minutes To Midnight, To Tame A Land, Killers and more, with limited-edition prints of each item on sale via Dark Ink Art.
Dan Mumford, who created his take on Powerslave, says: "The epic cover was burned into my brain from an early age. Not only does it raise Eddie up to his rightful god status - it allowed me to play with some incredible imagery, and create a piece that hopefully does him and the band justice."
Maiden manager Rod Smallwood says: "Eddie has long been recognised by our fans as an iconic figure. That Pop Culture, which draws upon movies, art, comics and literature, should wish to welcome him to their ranks is a huge tribute to his longevity, unique symbolism and importance to millions of fans around the world.
"With such a rich canvas and so much love for the character, it is fitting that he stands inside Acme Archives with his peers. And of course terrorises them all." Check out the artwork here.
Geoff Tate Throws Out 'The Rules' For First Operation: Mindcrime Album(Classic Rock)
Operation: Mindcrime mainman Geoff Tate has the tracklist and artwork for debut album The Key. It's to be launched on September 18 via Frontiers Music, and marks Tate's first release since reaching a legal settlement with his former colleagues in Queensryche.
Tate says: "This album is quite adventurous. Of course, there are key elements in the music, melody and phrasings that are really identifiable. But throughout my career I've opened my eyes and ears to new standards and arrangements, and that's what keeps things fresh and exciting as an artist.
"We've thrown out the rules for this record, and it's been really liberating. I'm a fan of old prog, and that music didn't stick to rules. It's inspiring and enjoyable to be able to explore, and it's great being in a position to write without constraints." Read more here.
Clutch Announce New Album Psychic Warfare(hennemusic)
Clutch will release their new album, "Psychic Warfare", on October 2. Clutch recorded the project at their own studio as well as producer Machine's place in Dripping Springs, Texas.
The band have unveiled the cover art and tracklisting for the project, which marks the Maryland group's follow-up to 2013's "Earth Rocker" and will be issued via their own Weathermaker Music label.
"The title 'Psychic Warfare' is taken from the track, 'X-Ray Visions," says singer Neil Fallon. "It's a tale about an unnamed protagonist who is forced to seek refuge in a flop house motel. He is hiding from several nefarious psychic forces, the worst of which is his own sleep deprived paranoia."
The album cover was designed by photographer Dan Winters. See the artwork and track details here.
Tom DeLonge Announces New Book and Comic-Con Appearance(Gibson)
Angles & Airwaves frontman Tom DeLonge has been tapped for the upcoming San Diego Comic-Con. DeLonge, who of course spent years in Blink-182, will speak at the event about his Poet Anderson franchise and also appear at various panels, give interviews, meet fans and sign autographs.
In related news, DeLonge and New York Times best-selling author Suzanne Young have teamed up for the release of Poet Anderson …Of Nightmares, the first of a planned trilogy of Poet Anderson reads. The novel, out Oct. 6, "explores an unknown world where dreams meet reality and the chasm between the two sometimes disappears," according to a release.
DeLonge's Poet Anderson franchise began with the release of Angels & Airwaves' last album, 2014's The Dream Walker. Anderson is a fictional character envisioned by DeLonge and Ilan Rubin of Angel & Airwaves. DeLonge released an animated short film called Poet Anderson: The Dream Walker along with the 2014 album.
Aside from Angels & Airwaves and Poet Anderson, DeLonge also released his debut solo album, To the Stars...Demos, Odds and Ends, this year. Read more here.
Slipknot's Corey Taylor Unplugs For Performance Of The Cure's 'Lovesong'(Radio.com)
On Tuesday night, Slipknot/Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor kicked off an acoustic tour promoting his new book You're Making Me Hate You: A Cantankerous Look at the Common Misconception That Humans Have Any Common Sense Left.
During the show he did a bunch of songs from his catalog, as well as a number of surprising covers, perhaps most notably a rendition of The Cure's "Lovesong."
Never thought you'd see the guy from Slipknot do a Cure cover? Such was the evening, which also included a Pink Floyd medley that started with "Breathe," went to "Have a Cigar" and then back to "Breathe" again; Green Day's "Pulling Teeth"; Alice In Chains' "Nutshell"; and a strange combination of Pearl Jam precursor Mother Love Bone's "Chloe Dancer" and Prince's "Little Red Corvette."
The show was supposed to begin with him reading from his book, but instead he just took the stage (as Iron Maiden's "Run to the Hills" played on the PA system) and decided to riff on new things that bother him that he didn't cover in the book, including TV commercials for narcotics and their scary lists of side effects, plus selfie sticks.
And yes, there was a short talk about Kanye West's claim that he's the biggest rock star in the world, comparing him to someone who brags about how many women he has sexual relations with, noting that those who brag are always exaggerating the truth. He said this in much less family friendly terms, oddly enough, as his kids were there, and he kept noting that they should be wearing earplugs.
From there, he did a Q&A with fans; part of that amounted to more standup comedy, especially the tale of how someone claimed he was Corey Taylor and ran up a bar tab under his name (which was easy to do in the early days of Slipknot, as no one at that time knew what Taylor looked like under his mask). At other points it was poignant, as one fan explained to him that Slipknot's "Circles" helped him deal with his mother's passing, and Taylor explained that the song represents a change in his lifestyle and becoming sober.
From there, he took a short break and then returned the stage with his acoustic guitar, sometimes accompanied by a second guitarist, Jason Christopher. Watch the performance here.
Twin Atlantic Release 'Fall Into The Party' Video(TeamRock Radio)
Twin Atlantic have released a live video for their track Fall Into The Party. It's compiled from footage shot at their biggest-ever headline shows, with the aim of marking how far they've come in the past 18 months.
Frontman Sam McTrusty says that it is about the group "getting to express ourselves, travelling, meeting new people who become inspirations and friends."
He adds: "This compilation is just the tip of the iceberg - we feel we have only scratched the surface. Before we disappear to write our next chapter, we wanted to share the happy times we experienced with you all." Watch the video here.
Dani Filth Believes Music Industry's Crisis Is Coming To A Head(TeamRock Radio)
Cradle Of Filth mainman Dani Filth believes the music industry's crisis is "coming to a head." He's reflected on his band's experiences of the changing music scene as they gear up for the launch of 11th album Hammer Of The Witches on July 10.
Filth tells RockSverige: "The feeling and the passion is still there. Obviously, we're a lot older and probably a little bit more jaded, since you've been through the highs and the lows in the music industry.
"We've got the social media and all the bullsh*t that goes with that. It's a good thing - but it's a double-edged sword. Illegal downloading is absolutely choking the music industry and you can see how it's coming to a head." Read more here.
Lynyrd Skynyrd Release Rare Performance Video(hennemusic)
Lynyrd Skynyrd have issued video of a performance of the rare track, "Travelin' Man", as a preview to the July 24 release of "One More For The Fans", a 2CD/DVD set featuring highlights from an all-star tribute concert held at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta last November.
The tune - which first appeared on the group's 1976 live album "One More From The Road" - made its studio debut on the 1997 compilation, "Twenty." The studio version and the new live version present a duet featuring singer Johnny Van Zant and his late brother, original Skynyrd frontman Ronnie Van Zant.
The "One More For The Fans" event featured performances by Lynyrd Skynyrd as well as music legends and young talent, including Cheap Trick, Trace Adkins, Alabama, Gregg Allman, Blackberry Smoke, Charlie Daniels, Peter Frampton, Gov't Mule, Warren Haynes, John Hiatt and many more.
As part of the campaign to save the Fox Theatre from demolition, Lynyrd Skynyrd recorded "One More From The Road" at the landmark theatre; the title of the tribute concert and release was inspired by that legendary album's title.
AXS TV will premiere "Lynyrd Skynyrd - One More For The Fans" on Sunday, July 19 at 8:00pm EST / 5:00pm PST. Watch the new video clip here.
Panic! At The Disco Release 'Hallelujah' Video(TeamRock Radio)
Panic! At The Disco have released a video for their track Hallelujah. It's thought that the song will appear on the band's as-yet-untitled upcoming fifth album.
The single took fans by surprise when it was released in April with no prior notice. It was the band's first new music in almost two years and the first since drummer Spencer Smith quit.
Frontman Brendon Urie said earlier this year: "I grew up in a religious family and that was a very big part of my life, and still is, even though I don't affiliate with any specific religion.
"It's just the spirituality of being able to own up to your sins and take responsibility for your actions really hit me this time around, and so that song really is about that - taking responsibility for things that you felt guilty for in the past and just owning it." Watch the video here.
System Of A Down's Shavo Reactivates Achozen Side-Project(TeamRock Radio)
System Of A Down bassist Shavo Odadjian has reactivated his side-project Achozen, which he created alongside Wu Tang Clan's RZA. Only a handful of tracks had been launched since they announced the venture nearly a decade ago.
A further eight are now available - but only to those who purchase a limited-edition Boombotix Boombot Pro portable speaker. Odadjian tells Rolling Stone: "It wasn't something contrived. RZA came from a band I loved. We became a family and bonded like brothers."
He says the delay over releasing more material came after disagreements with labels about how to launch. "I'm talking lyrics, they're talking ringstones. I'm going to wait."
The pair finally decided to make their work available because they'd originally become friends by discussing the Armenian Genocide, which took place a century ago this year, and was marked with an SOAD tour. Read more here.
Anthrax Share 'Riff Action' From New Album(Classic Rock)
Anthrax have released a clip from the studio where they're working on their 11th album. The thrash icons are in sessions with producer Jay Ruston on the follow-up to 2011's Worship Music.
The new studio album is expected to be released in the coming months via Megaforce Records -although guitarist Scott Ian recently said they wouldn't be rushed.
Alongside the short studio clip uploaded to Facebook - which features the band playing through a heavy riff - Anthrax posted the following caption: "Riff action going on for the full thrash effect. Total moshness. #anthrax #hardestever. Play Loud!"
Anthrax hit the road again next month, ending with a run of UK shows with Slayer in November. See the dates and watch the studio update video here.
Steve Hackett Confirms Release Of Massive Box Set(Classic Rock)
Steve Hackett has confirmed the release of his Premonitions 14-disc box set on October 16 via Universal/Virgin. Steven Wilson revealed the project's existence in May. Now details of the pack, which focuses on Hackett's first six albums with the Charisma label, are official.
The Super-deluxe set includes 10 CDs and four DVDs, and 67 previously-unreleased tracks among the total of 135 songs. Hackett says: "I'm pleased that Steven has done several new mixes in both 5.1 surround and stereo. The set will also contain a number of live shows from the era. I've enjoyed being involved with this comprehensive trip down memory lane."
He adds: "There's also a substantial booklet containing a lot of background info, along with many wonderful Armando Gallo shots. Roger Dean has painted a beautiful picture for the cover. For me it's a proud souvenir that highlights those years."
Hacket will showcase some of the lesser-known material in the set on his upcoming tour. His Charisma albums Please Don't Touch and Spectral Mornings are to be re-released separately, along with Wilson remixes, next year. Read more here.
The Answer Release 'Gone Too Long' Video(Classic Rock)
The Answer have released a video for Gone Too Long. It's taken from this year's Raise a Little Hell album, the follow-up to 2013's New Horizon. Gone Too Long will be released on July 29.
The band are currently playing their first US shows in half a decade, touring with Whitesnake. They're also playing some headline shows and festival dates before returning to the Europe at the end of the month to play at Germany's Wacken festival and an intimate show at The Borderline in London.
"Our first gig in Dallas was one of my favourite gigs of all time," says frontman Cormac Neeson. "It may well have been an outpouring of pent up emotion having nearly missed our tour because of the visa crash [the band had to re-route their flights in order to obtain the correct documents] or maybe it was because this was our first gig on American soil in more than five years. Either way it rocked hard and we had the gig of our lives!!"
The new single has been mixed for radio by Chris Sheldon, who's previously worked with Foo Fighters and Biffy Clyro, while the video was filmed in Belfast. "We decided to go for a minimal black and white treatment shooting in the old Empire venue," says Neeson. "Darren Lee from Maverick Renegade Productions directed and edited the video - he always comes up trumps!" Watch the video here.
Grateful Dead's 'Fare Thee Well' Shows Only Had 3 Marijuana Arrests(Radio.com)
If there is one thing you can count on at a Grateful Dead concert, it's that there will be the strong scent of marijuana in the air. But, for fans in Chicago, bringing it into the show could lead to arrest.
But, according to official numbers from the Chicago Police Department, it seems the cops were not too worried about a little Mary Jane. Over the course of the three Fare Thee Well shows in Chi-Town taking place from July 3 to 5 there were only three people who were charged with marijuana possession. Yes, only three out of 212,000 in attendance over the whole weekend.
One person was arrested for possessing more than 15 grams of marijuana and two other fan earned summonses for carrying less than that on them. This is thanks to a 2012 law that reduced possession of 15 grams or less from a misdemeanor to a non-criminal summons in the city.
The Chicago PD admit they were taking a hands off approach with those dabbling at the show, choosing instead to put their energies towards protecting the city against more dangerous infractions. Read more here.
Sound Of Contact's Dave Kerzner Premieres Solo Video(Prog)
Sound Of Contact man Dave Kerzner has premiered his video for The Lie with Prog. It's taken from his solo album New World, available now via his website, iTunes and Amazon.
Kerzner tells Prog: "The song is about how lies catch up with us in the end. On New World it's a piece of the concept album puzzle, but on its own it has meaning that can be interpreted many different ways.
"We had fun with the video, bringing in musicians I've played with in other bands. There's Nick D'Virgilio on drums, from Kevin Gilbert's Thud and Giraffe, and there's Matt Dorsey, my bandmate in Sound Of Contact. There's also a close-up of me playing a CP70 - a tip of the hat to one of my all time musical heroes, Tony Banks of Genesis." Read more and watch the video here.
Shardborne Streaming New Album 'Living Bridges' In Full(Prog) Shardborne have streamed all seven tracks of debut album Living Bridges ahead of its release later this week. It's released via Out On A Limb Records on July 10.
The album was mixed by Jamie King, known for his work with Between The Buried And Me and Scale The Summit. Shardborne say: "We wouldn't consider Living Bridges to be a direct continuation of our EP Aeonian Sequence.
"The songwriting process has pretty much stayed the same - but since there have been a few years since the EP's release, our musical tastes, styles and interests have changed.
"We felt we had much more to work with when we began writing for Living Bridges." Stream the album here.
Slim Harpo Box Set Released
The Blues Slim Harpo is the subject of a five-disc box set entitled Buzzin' The Blues. The Bear Family Records release includes one previously unknown track, four unreleased live tracks and a further 137 songs, plus a 104-page booklet by music historian Martin Hawkins.
Swamp blues icon Harpo, real name James Moore, left a catalogue that influenced a wide range of contemporary and later artists. He's probably best known for his track I'm A King Bee. He's been covered by Otis Redding, the Rolling Stones, The Who, the Yardbirds, The Kinks, the Fabulous Thunderbirds and many others.
Hawkins plans to expand his sleeve notes into a full-length book, also called Buzzin' The Blues. He says: "I'd known about him only as a blues fan - I didn't know any more than anybody else about Slim the man.
"I realised I could do the box set, and I should also write a longer, wider-ranging book, setting him in context with his contemporaries." Read more here.
Band Called Baby Godzilla Forced To Change Their Name(TeamRock Radio)
Baby Godzilla say they've changed their name to Heck after pressure from a "Japanese cinema giant." But they say it's a case of "new name, same aim" and they'll release their debut album as planned in the autumn.
Matt Reynolds, Jonny Hall, Tom Marsh and Paul Shelley say in a statement: "Following some fairly conclusive and forceful instructions it's time we instigated a change. We will from now on and henceforth be known as Heck.
"Make no mistake - this is still us. We will never compromise and we promise you our undivided commitment, ambition and passion. Every drop of blood and energy we have belongs to you." Read more here.
Doro Pesch Announces Winter Tour(Classic Rock) Doro Pesch has announced a 19-date European winter tour which kicks off with three UK shows. The German metal icon's Strong & Proud trek stars in Norwich on November 20, with support from Archer.
Doro says: "These guys are really good. Archer already proved their qualities as support on our spring US tour and I'm looking forward to presenting them to my German and European fans."
She adds: "In my career, I've benefitted enormously from tours with Judas Priest and Dio. Young bands need these experiences. That's why I'm very keen on taking Archer with me." See the tour dates here.
Singled Out: Unleash The Archers' Tonight We Ride
Unleash The Archers vocalist Brittney Slayes tells us about their song "Tonight We Ride" (and the Mad Max themed video) which comes from their brand new album "Time Stands Still." Here is the story:
The first single 'Tonight We Ride' from our newest album Time Stands Still was actually the first track we wrote for the record, and it was written about a year before all of the other tracks. We recorded a demo of the song back in 2013 to use to shop to labels, and once we got some interest we were going to continue finishing the rest of the record. In the summer of 2013 we were given the amazing opportunity to work with the very talented director Nathan 'Karma' Cox for our next music video, so seeing as we didn't want to let the chance go to waste and had only written one song so far, 'Tonight We Ride' became our first single by default. We all caravanned down to the desert in the middle of Nevada and with the help of Nathan's friends from Death Guild Thunderdome, we filmed a super rad Mad Max themed music video. The members of DGTD set up an actual thunderdome at Burning Man every year and bring these vehicles called art cars down with them, so Nathan thought it would be cool to have us riding them seeing as the song was called Tonight We Ride. Everything went well and we returned home with a very positive outlook on the future of things to come for UTA.
Then everything changed. We lost two members before the leaves were off the trees, one of which was our main songwriter and a big part of why we sound the way we do. The three that were left, (Grant, Scott and myself) were at a bit of a standstill. I can't say we didn't see it coming because we could see that Brayden was unhappy, he had struggled to find the motivation to write for some time and TWR (as we call it) was actually all Grant's riffage except for the tap solo. Regardless of this we had thought that Brayden had at least one more album in him, but here we were with the first single done and the video complete and no hope for a record to go with it.
That winter was hard. We pushed on and continued to write, but things were slow going. The future looked bleak to say the least. Then suddenly, with the new year came a new face and a rejuvenated ambition. Andrew had songs that he had never used stored in the back of his brain that he handed over without qualm. He let us rip them apart and re-write bits here and there and together the four of us wrote all the rest of the tracks on the album. We filmed a second music video that summer, but in the end still agreed to release TWR as the first single. It meant a lot to us, and Brayden had dedicated so much time and energy to UTA that we couldn't let this final contribution be put on a shelf to gather dust. We were also so stoked with all of Nathan's hard work that we knew we couldn't waste what he had done. As fate would have it, the release of Mad Max: Fury Road somehow coincided perfectly with the release of the single, and fans were really in a Mad Max frame of mind so I think that helped us big time as well.
The song is about the anticipation you feel the night before going out on tour; it's about not being able to sleep due to the excitement, and the rush to get out on the road and just drive. The song itself mimics that sense of urgency well I think, and personally, I am pretty sure that no matter what it would have ended up being the song we picked as the first single anyways ;) Pretty sure that's how fate works…
