Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page Planning Live Return
Led Zeppelin legend Jimmy Page reveals in a new interview that now he has finished work on the reissue campaign for the iconic group, he will be turning his focus to performing live again.
Page was asked by The Toronto Star what his future plans following the reissue campaign for his former band's catalog. Page said, "I seem to have tireless energy when I get involved in things, on an almost OCD basis, which is a good way to do things because if you're gonna do something you'd better make sure you do it well. At least that's the way I do things. The benchmark of quality I go for is pretty high. I had a master plan and the master plan was that, at the end of these releases, then I would start putting all of this energy into being seen to play live again."
He continued, "But I haven't been able to because of all this other stuff. I couldn't concentrate properly on even thinking about another project until all of this was done. But now's the time. Now's the time to really get into the guitar to such a point that all the material I've got and all this revisiting of things that I've done in the past is put together so that it becomes a project."
Page was then asked what project he had in mind and responded, "Well, that is the project. I'm not being sarcastic or facetious when I say it's a guitar project because that's what it is. That's it. That's what it is until I've actually done it. It'll manifest when it manifests, really." Read the full interview here.
Pink Floyd Rejected Bob Ezrin's Rap Rock Inspiration
Famed producer Bob Ezrin encouraged Pink Floyd to experiment with hip hop back in 1987 when the band was working on their "Momentary Lapse of Reason" album.
Ezrin, who has also produced classic albums by KISS, Alice Cooper, among others, made the revelation during a 2013 interview. His comments went largely unnoticed at the time, but resurfaced following a recent link to a Guardian article on Reddit posting.
In the interview Ezrin revealed, "I became fascinated with [rap] in the Afrika Bambaataa days. I'm an early adopter … [I] brought some in when we were doing A Momentary Lapse of Reason … going, 'Boy, I think this stuff with a rock beat would be awesome.'"
David Gilmour, however did not share Ezrin's enthusiasm. The producer recalled Gilmour's strong negative reaction. "He said, 'Oh my God, that would be terrible. He couldn't believe it. He hated the idea." Read the Guardian report here.
Of Mice & Men's Austin Carlile Recovering From Surgery(TeamRock Radio)
Of Mice & Men frontman Austin Carlile has given a health update as he recovers from surgery. And the singer, who received emergency medical attention last month because of complications from the genetic disorder Marfans, says he's on the road to full recovery.
He says on Twitter: "Today was my first day 'out of the house' since my surgery. Getting closer to 100% with every passing week. Almost out of the woods."
He later added: "Physical therapy is going well but it sure is kicking my a$$. Three times a week! Have to get better. Have to keep pushing. Nothing comes easy." Read more here.
Chickenfoot Not Worth Sammy Hagar's Time Says Satriani(Classic Rock)
Joe Satriani believes his Chickenfoot bandmates have given up on writing another album because they think it's too difficult. And that leaves the guitarist bewildered - and tired of trying to change their minds.
He's previously discussed how he thinks the supergroup has run out of steam after two records because singer Sammy Hagar, bassist Michael Anthony and drummer Chad Smith have lost focus.
Former Van Halen men Hagar and Anthony are concentrating on covers band The Circle, while Smith continues work with the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Satriani says of Hagar: "I don't think he believes that making original music is worth his time any more - which is kind of sad. I just don't get that part of it."
And he emphasizes: "A band I thought really had a future is calling it quits because they think it's too difficult. I don't understand that." Read more here.
Megadeth Recruit Lamb Of God Producer To Mix New Album(hennemusic)
Megadeth leader Dave Mustaine has revealed that they have recruited Lamb Of God producer Josh Wilbur to handle mixing duties for the band's upcoming 15th album.
"I heard the first pass at an official mix for the song 'The Threat Is Real' that @JoshWilburMusic did," tweeted Mustaine. "I'm thrilled he's mixing! #Megadeth15"
Mustaine and Toby Wright (Alice In Chains, Korn) shared production duties on the project, which was recorded in Nashville. Megadeth's 15th album will feature Lamb Of God drummer Chris Adler and new guitarist Kiko Loureiro.
Megadeth debuted their new lineup during a performance at the Festival D'été De Québec (Quebec City Summer Festival), in Quebec City on July 18. Read more here.
Disturbed Stream Title Track Of New Album Immortalized(TeamRock Radio)
Disturbed have released a lyric video for the title track of their upcoming album Immortalized. They announced their comeback following a four-year hiatus last month, and will release their sixth record on August 21 via Reprise Records.
They said keeping their return under wraps had been "torturous" and gave fans a behind-the-scenes look at studio sessions earlier this month. The band said of Immortalized:
"This album had the arduous task of, in some way, justifying the hiatus - giving the fans something that made it worth our time away from one another. We hope that it succeeds in that task." Stream the new song here.
Korn Frontman Sued Over Failed Serial Killer Museum(TeamRock Radio)
Korn frontman Jonathan Davis is being sued for $250,000 over a failed serial killer museum. He tried to launch the project with a partner in 2006, but the idea came to nothing.
After two rounds of legal action his attorneys reached an agreement for him to pay $158,000 at $1000 a month. But TMZ reports that Davis only made the first two payments to his lawyers, then stopped - and as a result they're suing him for a total of $256,021, including interest.
The failed serial killer museum, American Curiosities Museum, was to focus on exhibits associated with some of the most infamous murderers in US history. Read more here.
Former Pantera Frontman Phil Anselmo Abandons Autobiography Plans(Classic Rock)
Former Pantera frontman Phil Anselmo says he's no longer interested in releasing his autobiography. He previously stated he would write an "upbeat" portrayal of his former band in his book which had been tentatively titled Mouth For War: Pantera And Beyond.
But he's shelved plans for his memoir saying it would be a backwards step. The Down and Superjoint singer tells Metal Sucks: "After reading Rex Brown's Official Truth, 101 Proof: The Inside Story Of Pantera and then all that's been said about Pantera, I don't want to do it right now.
"I'm not so sure that I want the rest of the world knowing all my business. There's got to be some limit or line. Maybe somewhere down the line, hopefully, 30 years from now, if I'm that f***ing lucky, or if I'm on my deathbed, then I'll speak and spout it out and tell everybody." Read more here.
Lamb Of God Members Fought Over New Album Title(TeamRock Radio)
Lamb Of God drummer Chris Adler says he was initially against calling the band's latest album Sturm Und Drang. The title translates as "storm and stress" with mainman Randy Blythe saying he chose the name after looking for a German phrase to match his character.
But Adler reports he was initially opposed to the move. He tells Elliot In The Morning: "We fought over that forever - and it was me on the side of not wanting to name it that.
"But a compromise was found in adding the Roman numeral VII to it. So it's the seventh studio record from Lamb Of God, so hopefully most people that I know will just refer to it as 'Seven'"
VII: Sturm Und Drang was released last week and features the track Overlord, which has clean vocals from Blythe. And Adler says they thought long and hard before including the song on the record. Read more here.
Billy Corgan Slams Today's Alternative Rock Scene(Classic Rock)
Smashing Pumpkins mainman Billy Corgan has hit out at the current state of alternative rock music - saying Radiohead are the only band to do "anything new with the guitar" in recent years.
And he says while other genres are moving forward, rock has been stuck in a rut for two decades. He tells Entertainment Weekly: "If you look at most alternative rock music in 2015, it hasn't really evolved for 20 years.
"We get our asses kicked by EDM or some of these artists that are more keyboard and drum machine and reverb. They're engaging in new technology. Guitar isn't new technology - there are only so many ways you can warp it around.
"Radiohead was probably the last band that really did anything new with the guitar." Read more here.
Fear Factory Streaming New Song 'Dielectric'(TeamRock Radio)
Fear Factory have released a stream of their track Dielectric. The song comes from their ninth album Genexus which is due for release on August 7 via Nuclear Blast. They previously released Protomech and Soul Hacker from the record.
Guitarist Dino Cazares said of the new album: "It's a hybrid between organic and digital - that's what this record sounds like, and I think that's what makes it really good."
Joining Cazares in the lineup are frontman Burton C. Bell, drummer Mike Heller and former Static-X and Soulfly bassist Tony Campos, who replaced Matt DeVries earlier this year.
Troubled Journey sticksman Deen Castronovo guests on the album. He'll appear in court in October to answer charges of rape and assault. Watch the new video here.
Queen Release Video Trailer For New Box Set(hennemusic)
Queen has released a video trailer as a preview of their forthcoming "The Studio Collection" Special Edition Vinyl Box Set, due for release on September 25.
The package will present 18 remastered vinyl editions of the complete collection of 15 Queen studio albums - from the 1973 self-titled debut to 1995's "Made In Heaven" - and comes with a fully customized limited edition Queen-branded turntable made by Rega.
The 15 albums are configured across 18 discs due to some tweaks in the change of format to vinyl: 1974's "Queen II" is spread across two records with a custom etching on the reverse side in tribute to the original "Side White" and "Side Black" presentation, while 1991's "Innuendo and 1995's "Made In Heaven" are double albums due to the longer running time on the original CD releases.
"The Studio Collection" presents each album in a different colour along with an illustrated 12 x 12 inch 108 page hardback book complete with introductions to each record - including quotes from Queen themselves, hand-written lyrics, rare photographs, memorabilia, and information on singles and videos. Watch the video here.
Whitesnake's Michael Devin Does Marriage Proposal On Stage(hennemusic)
Whitesnake bassist Michael Devin proposed to his girlfriend, actress Drea de Matteo ("The Sopranos", "Sons Of Anarchy"), during the band's concert at the Trump Taj Mahal Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Saturday, and video from the show has surfaced.
"Very, very special & magical night, Boys & Girls," tweeted singer David Coverdale. "Michael D proposed to his Beloved Drea De Matteo onstage!!! WooHoo."
"Cheers To Michael & Drea!!!!," he added in a separate tweet accompanied by an image of a button marked "press for champagne." Whitesnake are in the middle of their North American tour in support of "The Purple Album", a project that sees Coverdale re-recording classic songs from the Deep Purple Mark 3 and Mark 4 records he appeared on, including 1974's "Burn" and "Stormbringer" and 1975's "Come Taste The Band." Watch the video here.
Theory Of A Deadman Release 'Blow' Video(TeamRock Radio)
Theory Of A Deadman have released a video for their track Blow. The song features on 2014 album Savages and takes aim at celebrity culture, Chris Brown, Kanye West, social media and more.
Tyler Connolly recently told Audio Ink Radio: "People can see through what you're writing if it isn't the truth. Music connects people better than anything else. That's the great thing about music. There's a connection through all of us.
"Write how you feel - and I guarantee that other people will feel it too." Theory Of A Deadman released their _Angel Acoustic _EP earlier this year to coincide with a UK tour. They're currently on the road across North America. Watch the video here.
Small Faces Box Set To Be Released This Fall(Classic Rock)
A five-disc Small Faces box set has been announced, covering all the band's work on the Decca label from the mid-60s. The Decca Years 1965-1967 will be released on October 9 and features their self-titled 1966 debut album and the following year's From The Beginning.
Also include in the package which is being released to celebrate their 50th anniversary are a greatest hits disc along with a 23-track anthology of rarities and outtakes.
In addition, a collection titled the BBC Sessions will be included featuring 'lost' tapes discovered from the Decca archives. These recordings and interviews with frontman Steve Marriott haven't been heard since they were originally broadcast.
The package has been remastered from the original analogue sources by Faces drummer Kenney Jones and comes with a 72-page booklet featuring photographs and press cuttings. Read more including the track details here.
Halestorm Poised To Reach Chart Milestone(Gibson)
Chalk up another milestone for Halestorm's Lzzy Hale. The band's most recent single, "Amen," is set to hit Number One on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Songs chart this week, making Halestorm only the second female-fronted rock act to achieve that distinction three times.
Since the chart's 1981 inception, only The Pretty Reckless, fronted by Taylor Momsen, can lay claim to the same achievement. Halestorm first topped the Mainstream Rock Songs chart in 2013, with the single "Freak Like Me."
This year, the band hit Number One for a second time in late March with "Apocalyptic." Their most recent album, Into the Wild Life, topped the Hard Rock Albums chart, making Halestorm the only female-fronted group to accomplish that feat twice. Read the Gibson report here.
Between The Buried And Me Score This Biggest Hit Yet(Prog)
Between The Buried And Me have thanked fans for their support after latest album Coma Ecliptic gave them their highest-ever chart placements. The release topped the Hard Music Billboard Chart in the US while reaching number 4 in the UK's Rock and Metal Chart and number 10 in the Independent Chart.
Other positions include topping the iTunes Metal Chart, Vinyl Chart and the Amazon Hard Rock Chart. Frontman Tommy Rogers tells TeamRock: "After 15 years of writing music together, we're very flattered to chart for the first time in the UK. We want to thank our fans for such huge amounts of support over the years."
Coma Ecliptic tells the story of a patient in a coma who travels through his past lives. The band say: "He's offered a choice - stay, or move to the next in search of something more 'perfect.'" Read more here.
Chelsea Wolfe Streaming New Song 'Grey Days'(Prog)
Chelsea Wolfe has released a stream of her track Grey Days. It's taken from her fifth album titled Abyss, which is set for release on August 7 via Sargent House.
Wolfe tells Billboard: "For this album I was interested in the subconscious, or unconscious mind, approaching it like a warehouse full of memories and emotions to be confronted.
"Grey Days came from a conversation with someone I met on the road who had been in prison. He called that time his 'grey days.' It's about something holding you back."
Wolfe is joined on the album by multi-instrumentalist Ben Chisholm, drummer Dylan Fujioka, violist Ezra Buchla and guitarist Mike Sullivan. She'll head out on a North American tour in August and will announce Europe dates at a later date. See the dates and stream the new song here.
Arcane Roots Tease New Album With 'If Nothing Breaks' Clip(Prog)
Arcane Roots have begun teasing the follow-up to 2012 debut Blood & Chemistry. They've released a 20-second video entitled "If Nothing Breaks..." accompanied by the hashtag #INBNM.
Co-founding drummer Daryl Atkins last month announced he wouldn't be playing with the band any longer, saying: "Due to unfortunate circumstances I've had to make the very difficult decision that it's not in my best interests to carry on touring."
He added: "I'm still part of Arcane Roots, just working in the shadows rather than in the bright lights." His replacement is yet to be announced. Check out the teaser video here.
Arjen Lucassen Announces Limited Edition Guilt Machine Release(Prog)
Arjen Lucassen's Guilt Machine album On This Perfect Day will receive a limited-edition vinyl release in September. The 2009 title saw the Ayreon mastermind reacting to epic 2007 work 01011001 by focusing on a project with just a handful of collaborators.
On This Perfect Day was mainly built around singer Jasper Steverlinck, guitarist Lori Linstruth and ex-Porcupine Tree drummer Chris Maitland, along with the bandleader's multi-instrumental contributions.
Lucassen says: "Zero-One was a logistic and financial nightmare. That's why I wanted to keep On This Perfect Day on a manageable scale. Working with a small group of people also provided a welcome new challenge.
"People sometimes tell me how hard they think it must be to write parts for the huge cast of vocalists on an Ayreon release. Actually it's easy - I can choose vocalists who are specialised for each particular emotion that I want to express.
"But for Guilt Machine I had to find one singer who could cover the entire range of feelings and emotions, and who was versatile enough to keep things interesting until the last song." Read more and watch the trailer here.
KISS Rock Acoustic Version Of Rock and Roll Over Rarity(hennemusic)
KISS unplugged for An Acoustic Evening With performance at the San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino, in Highland, CA on Friday. The band has released video footage of the vintage 1976 "Rock And Roll Over" track, "Love 'Em And Leave 'Em", marking its first live appearance since 2006.
KISS' 20-song set list featured 17 tracks from their classic 70s era alongside a pair of 80s tunes and a single track from the 90s. "Like all things that we do, we do it only if we want to," Gene Simmons tells The Press-Enterprise about the rare acoustic evening. "Sometimes it takes a lot of work. Sometimes it's just seamless. Like when we do the Kiss cruises, it's a lot of work. You're talking, making sure every person gets personalized signed stuff, pose for photos with every person and do a few shows.
"Playing at San Manuel is seamless. You sort of get up and it feels like somebody's in your living room, compared to the stadiums we play in. It's easy and we get a chance to not worry about the pyrotechnics and technical stuff. It feels informal." Watch the video here.
U2 Joined By Jimmy Fallon To Perform Classic Song(hennemusic)
U2 were joined by Jimmy Fallon for a performance of their 1988 hit, "Desire", at New York's Madison Square Garden on July 22 and video of the jam has been posted online. Fallon also shared the behind the scenes story of his U2 performance the following night on his NBC show.
The surprise appearance on the group's "Innocence + Experience" tour began when Fallon was called on stage from his spot in the crowd on the floor, where he held up a sign that read "singer with a broken finger."
"I'm a big fan of Irish people that fall down and hurt themselves," said Fallon when he arrived on stage with an introduction by Bono. "So you're like a mentor to me, brother. Edge, what you did a couple of weeks ago falling off the stage was classic, brother. I'm happy to be a part of the club."
The reference calls upon Bono's bicycle injury in New York's Central Park last November, as well as guitarist The Edge's fall off stage during the tour's opening night in Vancouver on May 14.
Still wearing a cast, Fallon recently suffered a serious injury to his left hand that almost cost him a finger when he fell in his apartment at the end of June. Following "Desire", Fallon and U2 brought out The Tonight Show house band The Roots for 1988's "Angel Of Harlem." Watch videos here.
Duff McKagan Talks Mad Season Reunion Concert(Radio.com)
On January 30 of this year, fans of the '90s Seattle music scene had their minds blown by a (probably) one-off event that paid tribute to the city's supergroups and fallen icons, and now it's going to be released on CD, vinyl and as a download.
The centerpiece of the show, which took place at Seattle's Benaroya Hall, was an ad hoc reunion by the supergroup Mad Season's surviving members, guitarist Mike McCready (also of Pearl Jam) and drummer Barrett Martin (formerly of Screaming Trees, currently of Walking Papers). Accompanied by the Seattle Symphony, and joined by singer Chris Cornell (of Soundgarden) filling in the for the late Layne Staley (of Alice In Chains) and bassist Duff McKagan (formerly of Guns N Roses, currently of Walking Papers) filling in for the late John Baker Saunders, they performed a few songs from Mad Season's lone album, the 1995 classic Above.
The show also saw McCready performing a classical original, "Walking the Horizon," accompanied by Pearl Jam/Soundgarden/Temple of the Dog drummer Matt Cameron and the Seattle Symphony. Finally, there was a Temple of the Dog reunion when Cornell and McCready were joined by Cameron and Pearl Jam's Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament, for two songs from the legendary band's sole album, their 1991 self-titled effort.
We recently spoke to McKagan about the show, as he was promoting his latest book, How to Be a Man. While some may have been surprised by the choice of the ex-Guns N Roses member to fill in for Mad Season, McKagan is a proud Seattlite who has jammed with McCready in the past, and is a former member of legendary Seattle band the Fastbacks. And, as mentioned, he is bandmates with Mad Season's Barrett Martin in Walking Papers.
"The Seattle Symphony approached Mike McCready about doing the Mad Season record," he told Radio.com. "Immediately, Cornell agreed to do it. He was [Mad Season/Alice In Chains singer] Layne [Staley]'s friend. And then they asked me, I was also Layne's friend. Regrettably, I didn't know [Mad Season bass player] Baker [aka John Saunders]. But I feel like I do now, because I listened to his bass playing inside and out." Read more here.
Weezer's Rivers Cuomo Looks for Love In 'Go Away' Video(Radio.com)
Rivers Cuomo goes looking for love using the latest dating app. Well, kinda. In support of their recent collaboration with Best Coast's Bethany Cosentino, titled 'Go Away," Weezer has released a music video in which frontman Rivers Cuomo uses 'Winder" (a play on Tinder), to woo his online crush.
Dressing like a hipster DJ, a bleach-blond surfer dude, and a money-grubbing millionaire, Cuomo fails to attract his e-love, until he figures out the perfect con.
The fuzzy track comes from 2014's Everything Will Be Alright in the End, the ninth studio record in Weezer's lengthy career. Unlike the band's preceding handful of releases, this album harkens clearly to their roots, feeding fans of the storied band the tinny guitar tones, chants, and insistent catchiness that attracted them to The Blue Album back in 1994. Read more and watch the video here.
Kataklysm Release 'The Black Sheep' Video(TeamRock Radio)
Kataklysm have released a music video for their track The Black Sheep. It's taken from 12th album Of Ghosts And Gods which is released on July 30 via Nuclear Blast.
The band revealed earlier this year that they felt rejuvenated while recording the follow-up to 2013's Waiting For The End To Come. The Canadian outfit say about the track:
"The Black Sheep is a song we feel represents anyone who follows his or her own path despite facing critics and hate for being different than the norm. I'm sure many metalheads will relate - we surely do."
Kataklysm recently announced plans for a 44-date European tour, which kicks off in Germany on January 7. Watch the new video here.
Gus G Releases 'Brand New Revolution' Video(Classic Rock)
Gus G has premiered a music video for the track Brand New Revolution. The song is taken from his solo album of the same name which was released last week. He previously issued streams of Burn and The Quest.
The Ozzy Osbourne and Firewind star said of the record: "I feel the album as a whole has many influences, from classic hard rock and metal, to more modern and current sounds."
The follow-up to I Am The Fire features guest appearances from Jeff Scott Soto, Mats Leven, Amaranthe's Elize Ryd, and Jacob Bunton of Lynam and Adler.
The guitarist is currently on tour across Europe and will set sail from Florida on the Monsters Of Rock Cruise in February. Watch the video here.
The Fierce And The Dead Release 'Magnet In Your Face' Video(Prog)
The Fierce And The Dead have released a video for Magnet In Your Face - their first new track in two years. It's taken from their EP entitled Magnet, set for launch on August 14 and follows the stream of the lead track earlier this month.
Guitarist Matt Stevens said: "This EP represents a different sound for us. It's important to keep moving forward. It's more joyous and intense, with bigger riffs and more of an electronic feel."
The band continue work on their third full-length album, having described the material as "f***ing terrifying." Watch the "Rehearsal Recording" video for "Magnet In Your Face" here.
More on The Fierce And The Dead - The Fierce And The Dead Music, DVDs, Books and more - The Fierce And The Dead T-shirts and Posters
Obsidian Kingdom Release Live Drone Set Video(Prog) Obsidian Kingdom have released a live video shot during their Drone Set side-project. It features a performance of their piece BCNmp7. Metal•lúrgies, recorded during a concert in Barcelona last month.
The Catalan outfit say: "We combine our rock band aspect with the Drone Set effort - an ephemeral live project focused on impromptu and sonic experimentation.
"Through active listening and an exclusively live approach we amalgamate drone, noise, ambient music and video projections for a unique and surrounding audiovisual live experience."
Each session requires the musicians to "rethink their connection with their instruments, deepening their possibilities through unorthodox use." The effect is maximised through the contributions of a video artist who effectively becomes an additional member of the band.
