Def Leppard Reveal New Album Details(hennemusic)
Def Leppard has unveiled more details for their upcoming self-titled album. Frontman Joe Elliott shared the 14-song tracklisting via a posting on Instagram on Monday.
"We made this record as an artistic statement that we'd be happy to play in 10 or 15 years in time and go 'You know what? That is a great record. That was a great period in our career'," says Elliott. "You just have to wait for the stars to be aligned. For this new album, they seemed to have been for us, because we all played and sang great and wrote well.
"There's some great variety on there. Every single aspect of anything we've ever wanted to put out - acoustic, heavy, soft, slow, fast - it's there. That's why we call it "Def Leppard" because, just like Queen were, we're capable of coming up with vastly different kinds of songs."
Def Leppard are currently playing dates on an extensive North American tour with Styx and Tesla. See Joe's post with the handwritten tracklisting here.
Jack White Denies Black Keys Bar Fight Story(Radio.com)
The ongoing feud between the Black Keys and Jack White cane to a climax Monday (Sept. 14) after Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney accused White of trying to pick an old-fashioned fight in a bar. Not a Twitter fight, mind you, but a fight in a bar in New York City.
To tell everyone about the encounter, Carney took to Twitter and blasted Jack White for allegedly trying to fight him. "I've never met jack white. Until last night' He came to a bar in Nyc I go to a lot with a few friends and tried to fight me', he wrote in Tweets that have since been deleted, but can be seen on Pitchfork. "I don't fight and don't get fighting but he was mad!!!'"
White, who had wished the Black Keys well in a 2014 open letter, was forced to issue another statement on Monday, in which he discredited Carney's account of events.
"Nobody tried to fight you, Patrick," he said in a statement to Pitchfork. "Nobody touched you or 'bullied' you. You were asked a question you couldn't answer so you walked away. So quit whining to the Internet and speak face to face like a human being. End of story." Read more here.
Iron Maiden Announce First Book Of Souls World Tour Dates(hennemusic)
Iron Maiden have announced dates for Australia and New Zealand, which are the first dates the band has revealed for their world tour in support of the newly-released album, "The Book Of Souls."
The 7-show run - with guests The Raven Age - will open in Christchurch, NZ on April 29 and hit Auckland on May 1 before playing 5 dates in Australia. Fanclub presales start on September 17, with tickets going onsale to the general public at noon on September 24.
"We cannot wait to get back out on tour," says singer Bruce Dickinson. "When we start in the USA in late February it will be 19 months since our last show at Sonisphere in the UK so we are raring to go. Maiden thrive on touring and getting out to our fans, it's what we do best, so it will be a great feeling to board our new Jumbo Ed Force One with the crew and the gear and head round the globe and get back on stage for you guys.
"We haven't played in Australia and New Zealand for a number of years so it will be a pleasure to play for our Antipodean cousins again, irrespective of who wins the dates with destiny at Twickenham in a few weeks' time!!"
More dates will be announced soon as the band prepares to launch the trek in the US in February. See the initial dates here.
REO Speedwagon's Gary Richrath Dead AT 65(hennemusic)
Former REO Speedwagon guitarist Gary Richrath died Sunday at the age of 65. Richrath played with REO from 1970 to 1989 and wrote many of the band's songs including the 1981 US No. 5 hit, "Take It On The Run", from the 10-million plus selling album "High Infidelity."
REO frontman Kevin Cronin broke the news via Facebook, writing "Hi friends, kc here. My longtime friend and collaborator Gary Richrath passed away earlier today. I feel so sad.
"Gary was both a unique guitarist and songwriter, and the embodiment of the tough guy with a heart of gold. I learned most of what I know about being in a rock band from Gary Richrath.
"The entire REO Family mourns his death and shares in the grief of his family, friends, and fans. These words do not come close to expressing the depth of emotions I am feeling at this time." Read more here.
B.B. King Murder Claims Leads To Daughters Being Sued(Classic Rock)
An aide to B.B. King has sued three of the late blues icon's daughters after the drama that surrounded his death in May. King passed away at the age of 89, leading siblings Karen Williams, Patty King and Rita Washington to accuse manager LaVerne Toney and assistant Myron Johnson of poisoning him.
The claims were investigated by police, who reached the conclusion that no foul play had been involved in King's death. Now Johnson - half-brother of Williams, but not the son of King - has launched legal action against the sisters, laying seven charges including defamation, slander, libel and conspiracy.
Johnson's lawyer says there are several pieces of evidence that support his claims, including signed documents in which Williams and King both say: "I believe my father was poisoned. I believe my father was murdered." Read more here.
Metal Allegiance Stream New Song Featuring Randy Blythe(Classic Rock)
Metal Allegiance have released a studio clip of their track Gift Of Pain featuring Lamb Of God frontman Randy Blythe. It's taken from the supergroup's self-titled debut album, out on September 18 via Nuclear Blast.
The Lamb Of God frontman is joined on the track by core members Alex Skolnick, David Ellefson and Mike Portnoy, while Slayer's Gary Holt also features.
The metal collective previously issued Can't Kill The Devil featuring Testament's Chuck Billy and Dying Song with Down and Superjoint vocalist Phil Anselmo. Check out the song here.
Long Lost Frank Zappa Movie Trailer Goes Online(Prog)
A trailer for Frank Zappa concert film Roxy: The Movie has been released, ahead of its launch after over 40 years under wraps. It was recorded in 1973 and written, directed and produced by Zappa himself.
It features his band The Mothers Of Invention, featuring Jeff Simmons, Napoleon Murphy Brock, George Duke, Don Preston, Bruce Fowler, Walt Flower, Tom Fowler, Ralph Humphrey, Chester Thompson and Ruth Underwood.
Eagle Rock, who will launch the title on DVD and Blu-Ray on October 30, say: "The movie is a stunning homage to one of popular music's most fearless musicians." Watch the trailer here.
Megadeth Involved Chris Adler In Album Decisions(Classic Rock)
Dave Mustaine allowed drummer Chris Adler to take part in the decision-making process on the upcoming Megadeth album - and the Lamb Of God man says he'd have refused to take part if it had been otherwise.
Adler is a massive fan of the thrash icons and even had Mustaine sign his album collection when the bands toured together years ago. But despite that, he admits he hesitated when offered the chance to record, because he knew of the mainman's reputation as someone who makes all the choices himself.
Adler tells Revolver: "I expected it to be a a 'do what you're told' kind of situation. At the same time I'm thinking, 'He could call anybody else that could do what they're told. There's a reason he's calling me.'
"I thought, 'If I can't contribute and I'm being told what to do, and I don't like the material, this is a bad move for me.'" So he took the initiative at the earliest moment possible. "I took one of the demos and I said, 'Here's what I'm thinking about the beginning - I'm not sure about this one little part. Maybe we could speed it up, or chop it off.'
"He's like, 'Yeah, absolutely, let's get rid of it.' Right then, I knew, 'Okay, I'm in. I could be involved.'" The first two weeks of Adler's time with Mustaine was taken up with talking, says the drummer. "I would say, 'My Megadeth sounds like this.' He's like, 'I like this 'your Megadeth' kind of thing - tell me more about that.'" Read more here.
Ghost Release 'From The Pinnacle To The Pit' Video(hennemusic)
Ghost have released a video for "From The Pinnacle To The Pit", a track from the band's latest album, "Meliora." Directed by Zev Deans, the clip is for the second single from the follow-up to 2013's "Infestissumam."
"Meliora" delivered Ghost their first-ever US Top 10 when the album debuted on the Billboard 200 at No. 8 with opening week sales of 29,000 copies.
Ghost will begin the Black To The Future North American tour at The Fillmore in Washington, DC on September 22. Watch the new "From The Pinnacle To The Pit" video here.
Spock's Beard Announce Special 20th Anniversary Release(Prog)
Spock's Beard have confirmed the launch of a 3-disc compilation album entitled The First Twenty Years. It arrives via InsideOut on November 20 and contains a new 19-minute track called Falling For Forever, which features every musician who's ever been in the band, including former mainman Neal Morse.
It will feature two CDS and a DVD that will carry rare footage from the 1990s, including their set at Progfest '97 and rehearsal and recording scenes from The Kindness Of Strangers sessions.
Bassist Dave Meros says: "Deciding which songs would best represent the band over 20 years, 12 albums and three different lineups was challenging enough. Add the fact that a lot of our songs clock in anywhere from eight to 20 minutes, and the selection process became that much more daunting.
"Finally we've come up with a list which we think represents each album and era of the band quite well." He adds: "We were adamant about not wanting to just release our earlier material in a new package. With that in mind, Neal came up with Falling For Forever, which written specifically to include all current and past members of the band." Read more including the track details here.
Godsmack Making New Studio Album Plans(TeamRock Radio)
Godsmack aim to begin recording their seventh album early next year. Frontman Sully Erna says the band will enjoy a break after their autumn North American tour, before writing the follow-up to 2014's 1000hp.
He tells 97.7 WQLZ (via Blabbermouth): "We're definitely going to take some time off - probably the rest of November, December, part of January. Then we'll get back in February and we'll do it in Florida. We'll start there, get a batch of songs and then go up to Boston.
"So everything is planned. We don't have any kind of release date because we're definitely not in a position that we have to rush. So we'll just take our time, make sure that we get something fresh. You try and make your next record your best record ever." Read more here.
Leslie West Previews New Album 'Soundcheck'(Classic Rock)
Leslie West has released a new video trailer for his upcoming album Soundcheck, which is set to be released on November 20th via Mascot Label Group.
The follow-up to his 2013 record Still Climbing includes guest appearances by the late Jack Bruce plus Brian May and Peter Frampton. Mountain man West says: "The reason I call this album Soundcheck? I used to hate soundchecks. It was the most painful part of my day.
"With my partner Felix Pappalardi, if we did a soundcheck we'd have to do half a show. One of his, one of mine... and we both sang. I got so pissed off one day I just knocked the monitor off stage."
He adds: "I like doing soundchecks now, because he's not around to bust my balls. I just want my guitar to sound good." Watch the trailer here.
Black Star Riders' Ricky Warwick Releasing Two Solo Albums(Classic Rock)
Black Star Riders frontman Ricky Warwick has confirmed the release of two solo albums next year. The volumes will be launched in a single package at the start of a UK tour, on which his band The Fighting Hearts will support Stiff Little Fingers.
He brought in a range of special guests for hard rock title When Patsy Cline Was Crazy (And Guy Mitchell Sang The Blues) and acoustic companion Hearts On Trees, including bandmate Damon Johnson, Joe Elliott, Ginger Wildheart, Andy Cairns, Billy Morrison and SLF's Jake Burns.
Warwick says: "While we were working on the new BSR album, I just got into a very productive song writing zone. The songs just kept coming and coming.
"BSR is my top priority - but I really wanted these songs to come out. I think that the fans will really dig this solo stuff." Read more here.
Motorhead, Down and Green Day Announce Special Releases(Classic Rock)
Motorhead, Down and Green Day are among the acts launching special edition releases for Cassette Store Day 2015. Motorhead's latest album Bad Magic, Green Day's classic Dookie and Down's III, IV Part I and IV Part II will be launched for the US edition of the annual event, which takes place on October 17.
Also on the list are Kylesa's Spiral Shadow and Ultraviolet, Fistula's Vermin Prolificius and Ignorant Weapon, Self Defense Family's German Industrial Ballads, and a compilation called Sabbath Sorta Sabbath.
Founded by indie labels Kissability, Suplex and Sexbeat in the UK in 2013 on the back of the success of Record Story Day, Cassette Store Day aims to promote the cassette as a collectible music format. Jen Long of Kissability says: "Cassette tapes aren't just a format, they're a culture, and cassette culture is as much about collaboration as doing it yourself. Read more here.
Maybeshewill Announce Break Up, Planning Farewell Tour(Prog)
Maybeshewill have announced they're to split after a final show in London next year. It will follow a farewell tour that's still being arranged - but the band believe they won't return after their appearance at Koko on April 15.
They say in a statement: "We've thought about calling this a hiatus, or just saying things are over - but if we're completely honest we can't quite bring ourselves to put our feet firmly in either camp.
"There are numerous reasons why this has to happen for some of us. The nature of a band means that you have to find a solution which suits everyone, and that's what we're doing here.
"That's why we've decided that these will be our last shows and leaving it at that." Read more here.
Parkway Drive Streaming New Song 'The Sound Of Violence'(TeamRock Radio)
Parkway Drive have made their track The Sound Of Violence available to stream. The song is taken from the Australian outfit's upcoming fifth album Ire, which is released on September 25.
On the album, frontman Winston McCall says: "This is the soundtrack of our existence as a band. Every step we have taken has been down a path chosen by no one but ourselves. We write the music we want to hear, we dress the way we want to dress, we look the way we want to look, we go where we want to go and we play the shows we want to play.
"Our whole existence we have done things our way in the face of a chorus of voices and opinions telling us that it's wrong and that we don't belong. This is our answer, plain and simple." Read more and stream the song here.
Nazareth Announce 'No Means Of Escape' DVD Release(hennemusic)
Scottish rockers Nazareth will release "No Means Of Escape", a new live DVD/Blu-ray and documentary package on October 16 via Eagle Rock Entertainment.
The project presents "Live At Metropolis", which captures the band performing before a select audience at London's Metropolis Studios. The lineup includes frontman Lintin Osborne, who joined Nazareth in 2014 following the retirement of founding member and original singer Dan McCafferty, who left the group in 2013 due to health issues. The vocalist had been dealing with C.O.P.D. (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), which had gotten worse in the past few years.
The companion documentary, "Made In Scotland", traces Nazareth's career from their formation in 1968 to their breakthrough in the 1970s, and their ongoing career. The film contains classic footage and new interviews with past and present members of the band, including McCafferty.
The package also includes an acoustic performance of the band's cover of the Joni Mitchell tune, "This Flight Tonight," a hit for the group in 1973. Read more including the track details here.
Alice Cooper To Appear On Late Night TV Tonight(hennemusic)
Alice Cooper will appear as a guest on CBS-TV's The Late Late Show with James Corden tonight, September 15. Cooper joins a panel lineup that includes actress Pauly Perrette (NCIS) and comedian Ian Karmel.
The rocker is promoting his newly-released all-star covers project, Hollywood Vampires. The trio of Cooper, Johnny Depp and Aerosmith's Joe Perry organized the project, which presents covers of classic tunes by T. Rex, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, The Doors and more.
It features contributions from an all-star lineup that includes Sir Paul McCartney, Perry Farrell, Dave Grohl, Joe Walsh, Slash, Robbie Krieger, Zak Starkey, Brian Johnson and Kip Winger. Read more here.
Keith Richards and Chris Cornell On The Tonight Show This Week(hennemusic)
Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards and Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell will both be guests on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon this week.
Richards will be on the show this Friday, September 18, which is the same that his first solo album in more than 20 years, "Crosseyed Heart", hits stores. The record sees Richards reteam with drummer Steve Jordan and guitarist Waddy Wachtel alongside Rolling Stones backup singer Bernard Fowler, keyboardist Ivan Neville, singer Sarah Dash and a host of guest appearances.
Chris Cornell will perform on the show on Thursday, September 17. The Soundgarden singer's appearance is to promote the September 18 release of his forthcoming fourth solo album, "Higher Truth." Read more here.
Metallica Release Live 'Sad But True' Video From Moscow Show(hennemusic)
Metallica are sharing footage of a performance of their 1993 single, "Sad But True", from an August 27 show at Olympijskiy Stadium in Moscow, Russia.
The band's video highlight package also includes drummer Lars Ulrich and bassist Robert Trujillo in the meet and greet as well as the group warming up in the Tuning Room before the show.
The Moscow stop was the fourth date on a short run across Europe that saw the band playing a mix of headline and festival shows. "Sad But True" was the fifth and final single from Metallica's self-titled 1991 record - known as The Black Album.
The project went on to sell 30 million copies sold worldwide - including 16 million in the States alone. A new book on The Black Album by author David Masciotra will be published as part of Bloomsbury's 33 1/3 Series on September 24.
Masciotra gives readers unprecedented insight into the story behind the iconic album through interviews with James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, Jason Newsted and producer Bob Rock. Read more and watch the video here.
Periphery's Matt Halpern Releases Short Horror Film(Prog)
Periphery drummer Matt Halpern has launched a short horror film entitled Polaroid. He appears as the main character in the two-minute feature, which he co-created with band photographer Alex 'Pressplay' Wohleber.
Periphery's Misha Mansoor scored the soundtrack - and headphones are recommended to enjoy the experience at its best. Wohleber says: "It has always been a goal of mine to bring my horror ideas to life. To us, this is just a warm up, something we filmed in just a few hours to see if we could pull it off. We ended up having a great time, and we're already working on the next one."
The band return to the UK and Europe in November, supporting the release of twin albums Juggernaut: Alpha and Juggernaut: Omega, which arrived in January. Watch the short here.
Sean Reinert Opens Up About Cynic Break Up(Prog)
Sean Reinert has opened up about the tensions between he and Cynic co-founder Paul Masvidal, which led him to say that the band had split last week.
He's revealed that the situation led him to drink, and once he'd dealt with that issue he concluded the situation was "too dirty" for him to continue. His announcement came as news to Masvidal, who afterwards said he hadn't been consulted before drummer Reinart spoke out, and vowed the band would continue.
Reinart tells Metal Sucks: "The fact that we made it through the last three shows was amazing. There was so much tension, it was apparent to me that the bad just outweighs the good. Rather than play shows where it's obvious on stage that things aren't going well, I'd rather leave it on a high note.
"It's about serving the music. When I can't enjoy that part, that I can't get past. Most things I'm willing to stand - but when the music starts to suffer, it's just a bad thing to me."
He adds: "In the past I've been passive in business issues. Paul's been more of a go-getter and he can be overbearing. It was kind of my fault for letting him take over the business side of things. Over the years it cost us time and money, and I can only blame myself." Read more here.
Golden Void Streaming New Song 'Silent Season'(Prog)
Golden Void have premiered their track Silent Season with Prog. It's taken from their album Berkana, set for launch on September 18 via Thrill Jockey Records.
Bandleader Isaiah Mitchell, of Earthless fame, recently said: "We put Berkana together pretty quickly because our label put a deadline on when the album needed to be completed. Life was very busy so a deadline was helpful.
"We had more time in the studio so we were able to take our time and really find the best texture or harmony for the part at hand. Tim Green is a great person to have on your side when you're searching for the right ingredients for a song." here.
Teramaze Release 'Out Of Subconscious' Video(Classic Rock)
Australian prog metal outfit Teramaze have premiered their video for Out Of Subconscious with TeamRock. It's taken from their album Her Halo, set for launch on October 30 via Music Theories Recordings.
The follow-up to 2014's Esoteric Symbolism is their first with vocalist Nathan Peachey. Guitarist and producer Dean Wells had the following to say: "It was very much a conscious decision to focus on the songs - our music is all about the song as a whole.
"If a melody only needs a slow guitar solo with only three notes, then so be it. There's no need to add anything else that might take away from the track itself.
"If we focus on the songwriting, we can appeal to musicians or anybody who loves good music." Watch the new video here.
Hudson Set To Release Their New EP 'Cast Out'
Next MonthUp and coming Los Angeles rock band Hudson have announced that they will be releasing their sophomore EP, "Cast Out", on October 21st and will be celebrating the release with a release party.
The new EP is set to be released on iTunes and via the band's official website and the band have released a stream of the album's title track and lead single which you can listen to here.
Guitarist and harmonica player Chris Llewellyn had this to say about the track, "We wrote 'Cast Out' after a very traumatic, and in the end, unfair situation that left us feeling a lot of anger towards the perpetrators.
"We felt as if the justice system had let us down, and that the guys who did it felt zero remorse and got away with some terrible crimes. As a reaction, we responded from our hearts with this song rather than stooping to their level and getting revenge.
"We want our audience to realize that taking a negative experience and using it as fuel for something positive is the best route to take. This song has such a strong message and meaning for us that we decided it was the best title for our EP."
"Cast Out" is the follow-up to their 2014 EP "In The Unknown," which featured a cover of Led Zeppelin's "Rock Roll". The band will be playing a EP release party at the Whisky A Go Go on October 20th. The show is part of the band's residency at the famed venue.
Upcoming Whiskey A Go Go shows include Monday, September 21st and the EP release show.
Tank Streaming New Song 'Make A Little Time'(Classic Rock)
Tank have issued a lyric video for their track Make A Little Time. The song is taken from their upcoming 10th album Valley Of Tears, due for release on September 25. It features Dragonforce frontman ZP Theart on vocals.
They previously released a stream of the record's title track and announced the original release date had been pushed back to allow for further post-production work.
On the album, the band said: "We feel that our style of metal is slowly disappearing and now we must also fight against the odds to keep it alive. We hope Valley Of Tears will inspire other bands and fans alike to never forget what real metal is all about."
