Slash And Axl Rose Are Friends Again
Former Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash confirms in a new interview that he and the band's sole remaining original member and frontman Axl Rose are friends again after years of being estranged.
The two had a falling out after Slash left the group in 1996 and hadn't spoken to each other for years but during an interview with Aftonbladet TV (via Brave Words), Slash was asked "I've heard that you've made friends with Axl Rose again".
Slash confirmed that they had by responding, "It was probably way overdue, you know. But it's…. you know, it's very cool at this point. You know, let some of that, sort of, negative… dispel some of that negative stuff that was going on for so long."
This opened the door to the inevitable question about the classic Guns N' Roses lineup reuniting and Slash, who has been asked the question hundreds of times since he left the group, responded, "Oh, I couldn't answer that one, though. All right, let's get off the subject, 'cause, you know, that's an old one."
The current status of Guns N' Roses is unknown as guitarist DJ Ashba recently announced his departure and it's been reported that guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal left the group last year. Watch the Slash interview here.
Van Halen Forced To Cancel Concert Due To Illness(hennemusic)
Van Halen announced that they were forced to cancel their concert Sunday night (August 23rd) at Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey, PA because frontman David Lee Roth has the flu.
The band released the following statement: "Due to David Lee Roth suffering from the flu and the doctor recommending he rest his throat, Van Halen's concert tonight (8/23) at Hersheypark Stadium has been cancelled. Refunds will be available at point of purchase."
"To all the fans, we are SO sorry," tweeted bassist Wolfgang Van Halen. "This is such a huge bummer. We were really looking forward to this show… I wish this wasn't the situation." Read more here.
Bill Ward Slams Black Sabbath's 13 Album(Classic Rock)
Bill Ward has described Black Sabbath's latest album 13 as "a pile of sh*t." The estranged Sabbath drummer didn't play on the 2013 record, having failed to agree on the contract he was offered. Frontman Ozzy Osbourne, however, blamed Ward's absence on the sticksman's health issues. Rage Against The Machine's Brad Wilk was behind the kit for the album.
Ward says he had to distance himself from the band after the fallout, with one tactic being to totally dismiss the album that was created without him. Ward - who remains locked in a war of words with Osbourne - tells the Eddie Trunk Podcast (via Blabbermouth): "I wasn't interested in the f***ing album 13. I've heard 20 bars of it - that's all I've heard - and then I turned it off and said, 'That's a pile of sh*t,' and that's the truth.
"I wanted to make sure that I went down the line and detached myself as much as possible. I had to stop loving them, because if you're loving a dog as it's biting you and ripping your insides out, it's hard to love a dog that's doing that." Read more here.
Dave Mustaine Would Turn Down Metallica Reunion(Classic Rock)
Dave Mustaine would be honored if Metallica asked him to rejoin the band - but he'd refuse the invitation. The Megadeth mainman formed his own quarter of thrash's Big 4 after being fired in 1983.
They finally resolved their differences in time to appear on stage together in 2010, and on a handful of occasions afterwards. Mustaine was asked on Twitter: "Would you come back to Metallica if James asked you to do it?"
He replied: "I would be honoured, but I would not." Asked whether he'd consider co-writing a song with Metallica's James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich, he said: "Nice try."
And asked to describe Ulrich in one word he responded: "Friend." Read more here.
The Doobie Brothers Reunite With Michael McDonald On Tonight Show(hennemusic)
The Doobie Brothers reunited with Michael McDonald on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon last Thursday night (August 20th) and video of the performances have been posted online.
The pairing performed a medley of a pair of classics, "Long Train Runnin'" and "Takin' It To The Streets", on the program and recorded a web exclusive take on their 1979 No. 1 US hit, "What A Fool Believes."
A former member of Steely Dan, McDonald joined The Doobie Brothers in 1975 and his distinctive vocals were a defining part of the group's biggest hits of the era.
McDonald has occasionally performed with his former band in concert and appeared on 2014's "Southbound" album, which saw the group joined by a series of special guests to duet on re-recorded versions of some of their classic tracks.
The Doobie Brothers are currently playing dates across the US with Gregg Allman and a variety of guest openers. McDonald is performing solo US shows through to the end of the year following a co-headlining tour with Toto. Watch the Tonight Show performances here.
Iron Maiden's New Album Includes Song Inspired by Robin Williams(hennemusic)
Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson says the band have a song on their forthcoming album, "The Book Of Souls", that was inspired by the late Robin Williams.
"My favorite song is one I didn't write," Dickinson tells Corriere Della Sera. "It's 'Tears of a Clown,' which talks about Robin Williams. I ask myself how could he be so depressed when he always seemed to be so happy."
Williams committed suicide at his California home on August 11, 2014 after a long history of depression and health problems. Co-written by guitarist Adrian Smith and bassist Steve Harris, "Tears Of A Clown" will appear on Iron Maiden's first-ever double studio album. Read more here.
Geoff Tate's Operation: Mindcrime Album Trilogy Almost Completed(Classic Rock)
Operation: Mindcrime mainman Geoff Tate says his planned album trilogy is on schedule. When the former Queensryche frontman signed with Frontiers Music Srl in 2014, he revealed plans to record material in the spirit of his former group's 1988 and 2006 Operation: Mindcrime projects.
And, with the band's debut The Key set for release on September 18, Tate says the group are now deep into the trilogy project. The singer tells Sonic Abuse:
"The second album is recorded, so we're just getting ready to mix that right now, and the third album is mostly recorded - we've still got a couple of tracks left to do.
"We're still in the development stage with that record. But we'll be done with the whole project by October. That's my plan." Read more here.
Anthrax Eye January Release Of New Studio Album(Classic Rock)
Anthrax bassist Frank Bello says the band's upcoming album will be released in January. Drummer Charlie Benante recently revealed the follow-up to 2011's Worship Music would be pushed into 2016 because they were working on a 30th anniversary edition of Spreading The Disease. But Bello insists fans won't have too long to wait until its release.
He tells Mars Attacks Radio: "We're talking about January. We're just about to start mixing, we're getting all of the nitty-gritty stuff done but it's just about finished."
He reports they're in the process of whittling the songs down for the final tracklist - a task he's finding difficult due to the quality of the new material. He continues: "We have a lot of great songs which I'm really happy about. It's about four or five songs over what we'll put out on the record. At this stage, it's really hard to say no to some of them." Read more here.
Dokken Members In Reunion Talks Says George Lynch(Classic Rock)
Guitarist George Lynch says he's in talks with bassist Jeff Pilson about reuniting the classic Dokken lineup. They played together on five of their former band's albums between 1984 and 1997 - and have worked together in Dokken spin-off T&N.
Lynch tells Glide: "We're both incredibly busy so it's hard to find the time but every year or two, we try to make time to do some sort of project together. And the project that's on the table right now is possibly a Dokken reunion, but of course that comes and goes every couple of years so who knows."
Lynch and Don Dokken have exchanged barbed comments in the past, with Lynch saying the singer's voice wasn't "what it used to be" in May. That followed a public spat between the pair regarding the band's 1981 debut Breaking The Chains. Read more here.
Deftones New Album Release Delayed(TeamRock Radio)
Deftones have said their next album won't be released until November. The follow-up to 2012's Koi No Yokan was expected on September 25. But with the as-yet-untitled record still in production, that date has now been scrapped.
Mainman Chino Moreno tells WSOU: "I think probably November. We are rushing to get our thank yous and credits turned in. Once the music is turned in there is still some mixing and mastering to be done.
"But the recordings all done and the songs are all there - they're awesome were excited." He also reveals bassist Sergio Vega is bringing a different sound to the album. Read about that here.
Bon Jovi's 'Burning Bridges' About Bitter Split With Label(Classic Rock)
Bon Jovi have split with record label Mercury after 32 years - and frontman Jon Bon Jovi has told the whole bitter story in their song Burning Bridges. It's the title track of the band's "fan album," which has come ahead of their next fully-fledged studio release, expected next year.
Burning Bridges include the lyrics "After 30 years of loyalty, they let you dig the grave / Now maybe you can learn to sing or strum along / Well I'll give you half the publishing / You're why I wrote this song."
Bon Jovi tells Billboard: "It fulfills a commitment to Mercury Records. We've parted ways. I f you listen to Burning Bridges, the song, it's clearly spelled out."
He adds: "This hits it right in the head and tells you what happened. Listen to the lyrics. That's that." Read more here.
Ritchie Blackmore Rock Return May Be A Joke Says Graham Bonnet (Classic Rock)
Former Rainbow frontman Graham Bonnet suspects Ritchie Blackmore's promise of a return to rock could be a practical joke. Blackmore last month announced he'd temporarily set aside his folk music career for a short run of rock shows in 2016. The singer, who appeared on Rainbow's 1979 album Down To Earth, would love to reunite with the guitarist - but admits it's unlikely.
Bonnet tells Metal Mythos: "I don't know if it's fact or fiction because I know what Ritchie's like. He's a great practical joker. It wouldn't surprise me if he just said this on a whim.
"But I think if he was going to get a band back together, I think he would put the original Deep Purple lineup together. That's what I would imagine rather than Rainbow. But I don't know because sometimes he's hard to read." Read more here.
Darryl Way To Reunite With Curved Air At Anniversary Show(Prog)
Curved Air have announced that they will be joined by original member Darryl Way at their upcoming 45th anniversary show in London. Way will join the current lineup on stage at Under The Bridge on September 4.
The band will be performing their greatest hits along with material from the latest album North Star. They will also play debut album Air Conditioning in its entirety.
Way says: "I'm looking forward to playing with my old band again and meeting up with our most dedicated fans." Way last performed with the band in 2009 and has worked as a solo artist since. Read more here.
Nightwish Expand 'Endless Forms Most Beautiful' For Special Edition(Prog)
Nightwish will release a tour edition of eighth album Endless Forms Most Beautiful, to mark their run of European shows. Their first title with singer Floor Jansen was launched in March - and the new edition will be issued on October 30 via Nuclear Blast.
Nightwish say: "It will include a DVD with lots of great bonus material including 21 making-of episodes, two previously unreleased live clips, five special clips, Elan and Endless Forms Most Beautiful official videos, and photo gallery."
Pre-orders are now being taken via Nuclear Blast. Nightwish's European tour launches this week and includes a stop at London's SSE Arena, Wembley, on December 19. Mainman Tuomas Holopainen recently said he was flattered to influence other artists - although he revealed he's yet to hear another band his own. Check out the track details and cover art here.
Neck Deep and Guitarist Lloyd Roberts Part Ways(TeamRock Radio)
Neck Deep have confirmed that Lloyd Roberts has left the band. The move follows online allegations directed towards the guitarist over the course of the weekend.
The band say in a statement: "Whilst the full facts of the matter at hand are still unclear, our guitarist Lloyd Roberts has decided to step down from Neck Deep to focus on his family, as he does not feel comfortable having his reputation, or that of the band, sullied further by these accusations.
"We sincerely apologize to anyone who has been caused distress or been affected by any of these events. As a band, we absolutely treasure our fans, we would not be anywhere without them, and we would never want them to feel disrespected or taken advantage of." Read more here.
Aerosmith's Steven Tyler To Rock The Pilgrimage Festival(hennemusic)
Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler will perform with country band Loving Mary at the inaugural Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival in Franklin, Tennessee next month.
Created by Better Than Ezra's Kevin Griffin, the September 26/27 event mixes roots, indie rock, jazz and country music over the weekend with performances from Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow, Wilco, Weezer, Cage The Elephant and more. "Greetings pilgrims," says Tyler. "The search has ended. Dance around the fires with Loving Mary and me at Pilgrimage music festival."
Tyler has been in Nashville since January working with songwriters on material for his upcoming debut solo album on Big Machine Records' affiliated label Dot Records.
The singer issued the project's lead single, "Love Is Your Name", in May. Written by Lindsey Lee and Eric Paslay, the song peaked at No. 19 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart. Check out the video here.
Metallica Star Explains The Band's Jazz Influence(Classic Rock)
Robert Trujillo says the correlation between jazz and metal is clear - if you know where to look. The Metallica bassist says jazz's influence can be heard on his band's records, as well as on classics by Black Sabbath. And while he admits most metal musicians don't have the same level of skill as jazz impresarios, he says even the slightest flavour of it can spice up any rock track.
Trujillo tells Gitarre & Bass: "Lars Ulrich is not a jazz drummer, but he grew up listening to jazz. His father, Torben, loved jazz. Jazz musicians used to stay at their house.
"Lars grew up infatuated with the British wave of heavy metal and that's his first love, but as a child, he grew up with all this jazz around him. So you listen to a Metallica song, and you listen to the drums, and they're not necessarily swinging, but the arrangements are different.
"It's more in tune with jazz arrangements. It's not a traditional rock'n'roll production, in terms of the drums. So it's really interesting how there's this fusion between styles. And those are the things that make it different. A lot of people - like you average heavy metal fan - may not understand it." Read more and watch the full interview here.
Jared James Nichols Releasing Highwayman EP Next Month(Classic Rock)
Jared James Nichols has announced he'll release a five-track EP next month. Highwayman is scheduled for release in mid-September and features Nichols' take on Grand Funk Railroad's We're An American Band, along with his version of Humble Pie's 30 Days In The Hole.
Guitarist and vocalist Nichols is joined on the EP by bandmates bassist Erik Sandin and drummer Dennis Holm, while Jessica Childress and Ben Tileston both guest on the record. It is produced by Anthony Joe Perry - son of Aerosmith's Joe.
Nichols issued his debut album Old Glory And The Wild Revival earlier this year. He'll support Glenn Hughes on his October UK tour, which kicks off in Southampton on October 17. Read more here.
Video From AC/DC's Tour Kick Off Show Posted Online(hennemusic)
AC/DC kicked off the North American leg of their Rock Or Bust world tour at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA outside of Boston on Saturday and video from the show has been posted online.
The band's 20-song set opened with the title track to 2014's "Rock Or Bust" and mixed a heavy dose of classic tracks with three songs from the latest album.
The tour 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.
AC/DC's next scheduled show is August 26 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. The 14-date run will wrap up at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on September 28. Watch the video from the kick off show here.
Tom DeLonge Releases New Angels & Airwaves Song 'Into the Night'(Radio.com)
Since Tom DeLonge's rather brutal break-up with Blink-182, the musician has kept busy, steadily releasing material as Angels & Airwaves. And in addition to music, the first of a planned trilogy of novels co-written with author Suzanne Young, titled Poet Anderson 'Of Nightmares, is due out on October 6.
To coincide with the book release, DeLonge also has a new EP to release as Angels & Airwaves, called …Of Nightmares, and directly tying in to the novel series. The first taste of the release comes in the form of a song titled "Into the Night."
DeLonge spoke to RS about the novel, noting that it follows a lucid dreaming protagonist. "He realizes that he has the power to meet people in their dreams and guide them through their nightmare," DeLonge says. "But in the dream world, there are forces of light and darkness that are constantly at each other's throats for the possession of the dreamer themselves. A Poet, also known as a guide, can help navigate this war."
The Dead Weather Release 'I Feel Love' Video(Radio.com)
Alison Mosshart, Jack White and the rest of the Dead Weather are back with a brand new video for their latest single, 'I Feel Love." The video starts with a stark black and white shot of Mossheart forcing her way down a deserted street amid heavy wind--the band's name taken quite literally.
Cars are pushed backward but the gusts, and Mossheart is lifted off the ground, struggling to keep her feet planted. These images are interspersed with contrasting scenes shot in blue and red light, as Mossheart pours her heart out on stage. It's a dramatic video, fitting the song's heavy, raucous mood. Jack White's shredding is as snarling as ever, and Mosshart's vocal holds nothing back.
If you like what you hear, then mark your calendars--The Dead Weather are releasing their first new album in several years, Dodge and Burn, on September 25. Watch the video here.
Coheed And Cambria Release 'You Got Spirit, Kid' Video(Prog)
Coheed And Cambria have released a video for their track You Got Spirit, Kid. It's taken from their eighth album The Color Before The Sun, released on October 9 via 300 Entertainment.
Sanchez said: "I want people to know that Coheed can write that sort of record. I've always said there's never been a limitation on the band - it makes no sense to me to draw a line in the sand and never cross it."
The Color Before The Sun will be available via CD, digital download, and a limited-edition deluxe box set. It's Claudio Sanchez an co's first non-concept album. Watch the new video here.
Soilwork Stream New Song 'Enemies In Fidelity'(TeamRock Radio)
Soilwork have issued a stream of their track Enemies In Fidelity. It features on their latest album The Ride Majestic, due on August 28 via Nuclear Blast. It's the band's 10th album and it was produced by Jens Bogren, who handled work on their previous studio outing The Living Infinite in 2013 and their 2010 record The Panic Broadcast.
Mainman Bjorn 'Speed' Strid tells Loudwire: "Enemies In Fidelity is a very melodic and atmospheric beast. This was one of the first songs that I wrote for the new album and it holds a lot of surprises.
"The chorus almost sounds as if Simon and Garfunkel started a black metal band. That's the way we like it - playful, dark, intense and melancholic. It definitely stands out but also gives you an overall idea of what Soilwork currently is about."
He continues: "The lyrics deal with whether you should escape or succumb to the suffering that you might experience in your life in order to find new strength. The ambivalence. The guilt and the respect towards your own existence. Being awakened and finding satisfaction through frustration and anger, to a point where it almost becomes addictive." Stream the new song here.
Stratovarius Release Documentary For New Album 'Eternal'(TeamRock Radio)
Stratovarius have issued a behind-the-scenes documentary showing their work on 15th album Eternal. The follow-up to 2013's Nemesis is set for release in Europe on September 11 and in North America on September 18 vi earMusic.
Frontman Timo Kotipelto says: "There's more reflections from past Stratovarius albums. Some parts are more power metal but some parts of Eternal might be more like more modern metal."
Drummer Rolf Pilve adds: "We renewed our sound on this record. There are some quite unusual songs that you probably haven't heard before on our records." Watch the documentary here.
Bring Me The Horizon Stream New Song 'True Friends'(TeamRock Radio)
Bring Me The Horizon have released a lyric video for the song "True Friends" a track from their upcoming album That's The Spirit, which is set to be released on September 11th.
Inspired by a quote from Oscar Wilde, Sykes and co. are taking aim at their 'true friends' with the latest single that features no harsh vocals from Oli Sykes.
As previously reported, Sykes said of the upcoming record: "This time round the challenge wasn't just for people to be impressed that a screamer's learned to sing. We had to come back with something that would be impressive for people who had no idea of the history of the band." Stream the new song here.
Precious Child Recruit America's Next Top Model Star For New Video
Precious Child recruited America's Next Top Model Cycle 20 actress Nina Burns to appear in their new video for the single "I Fall". That track comes from the Baltimore band's debut album "Bloody Knees"
Frontman Precious had this to say about the clip, "This is one of the most intense things I've ever done. I had no idea that a video shoot would be so involved. When we were initially discussing it, I was pretty unsure about how well the video would turn out."
"When I first saw the video, I surprised myself and cried. I myself have dealt with my share of darkness and understood the message of the video quite well." Watch the video here.
Anna Von Hausswolff Announces Album And Releases New Song(Prog)
Anna Von Hausswolff will release her latest album The Miraculous on November 13. It's the follow-up to her 2012 Ceremony release and will be issued via City Slang. She's also published the 10-minute track Come Wander With Me/Deliverance.
Von Hausswolff explains: "Come Wander With Me was presented to me by a friend and I decided to make a cover of it. It deals with the idealisation of a world that you yearn to know, and the fear and frustration that one might never be able to fully exploit that place due to physical and emotional limitations.
"It's about longing and dreaming, while facing the reality of obligations and doubt." She continues: "Every time we played it, it grew bigger and another song started to take shape. That song became Deliverance."
The album was recorded in Sweden and features the Acusticum Pipe Organ. The instrument includes built-in glockenspiel, vibraphone, celeste and percussion, and boasts 9000 pipes. Read more and listen to the new song here.
John Lennon Recalls Meeting Paul McCartney In Animated Interview(Radio.com)
On the latest Radio.com Minimation, where they comb through the CBS Radio archives and animate interviews with legendary artists, they review an interview from 1975 with John Lennon while he was promoting his 'Rock 'n' Roll' album. This was animated for Radio.com by Jeff Schweikart.
In 1975, John Lennon was reconnecting with his roots via his Rock 'n' Roll album, which saw him covering some of his favorite songs from the genre's early days. "You might call it 'Oldies but goldies,' I was calling it 'Oldies but moldies,'" he joked.
"Some of them were the first songs that I learned that were rock and roll," he said. One of those songs was Gene Vincent's "Be-Bop-A-Lula," and he notes that the first time that he ever performed it in public was the day that he met his future Beatles-mate, Paul McCartney.
Years later, Paul would record his own version of the same song, which opened his MTV Unplugged album. Watch the video here.
Pop Evil Frontman More Focused After Cleaning Up(Classic Rock)
Pop Evil frontman Leigh Kakaty says giving up alcohol has allowed him to better focus on the band's career. They've just released fifth album Up via eOne Music, the follow-up to 2013's Onyx, and previously issued the tracks In Disarray and Footsteps from the record.
Kakaty tells Loudwire: "Once you're sober and you're seeing straight, you understand the responsibility and you really focus on the music and what it should be. It's definitely been a huge eye opener for me and the band. We wanted to refocus our whole image and how we are on and off stage."
He says it's "an honor and a privilege" to make music for a living, and reports calling their latest album Up was a reflection of the band's positive outlook. Read more here.
Singled Out: Fable Cry's Dead Or Alive (For Now)
Today Zach Ferrin's from Fable Cry tells us about their new track "Dead or Alive (for Now)" from their brand new album "We'll Show You Where the Monsters Are" which they are releasing this week (August 25th). Here is the story:
I've been asked to talk about this new song of ours and honestly there's always too much to say. The song itself is interesting, but the impact that it had on this band and the story behind its creation is just as important and I've decided to spare your eyes by only going into great detail on one of these fronts... Enjoy!
When I really think back on it, "Dead or Alive (For Now)" took so long to write it might have been forgotten about. I say that because it's dramatic and interesting to think of a song that was nearly forgotten about but had its old dusty fetal bones dug up, dusted off, and brought to a new life. Truthfully, I had not plans of forgetting about it, I'm just trying to express that it took me a really long time to finish, and I'll tell you why:
I love making music, more than almost anything, except for sharing that music - I like that even more. So with every song that I write, much of the inspiration and push comes from knowing that one day I'll be able to share it. The sooner I know I can share a song, the sooner I want to finish it. The first single on this album, "Fancy Dancing", had two thirds of the lyrics finished before we started making plans to release a video for it in time for last Halloween. I finished final touches on the lyrics the night before we went into the studio because I HAD to. We finished the instrumentation IN the studio, because we HAD to. We celebrated with candy and pizza afterwards because we HAD to. You get my point. When I first started writing "Dead or Alive (For Now)" two years ago I didn't really have to finish it yet. And, given the fact that Fable Cry was still just a duo, I didn't feel like I even could finish it no matter how hard I tried (don't worry, just saying that for dramatic effect again).
Up until that point, we had always written songs that we could pull off live with just the two of us, recording our first album with tons of instruments, and playing musical chairs during our shows. As we started writing songs for this new album, we noticed that with just the two of us, they were sounding like simplified acoustic cover versions of what they could be - like the Dinosaurs and that fungus in your fridge, we were evolving. For a while, we ignored this fact, but when I started writing this very song that we are now talking about I had to do myself, and all who may hear it, a favor by making a solemn vow that it would not see the light of day nor moon of night until it got the proper respect it deserved. This led to the realization that expanding the band was just the remedy we needed! And that's right around the time that my now current band mates out of nowhere started falling from the sky and crawling from the earth to join this little ensemble. So clear back when I first began writing it, I asked myself privately whether this song that I loved so dearly would ever be properly heard. And after showing it to the band, learning it, tweaking it, recording it, and now releasing it, I heard myself answer myself proudly, "yep".
So we hope that you enjoy this song that turned out to be the catalyst for making us what we are now. It is a fun and spooky little number that double dog dares you to look inside of yourself and see what monsters may be hiding there... Enjoy!
