Today's Day in Rock News !

Today's Day in Rock


Steve Lillywhite Slams Axl Rose's Voice
(Radio.com) Producer Steve Lillywhite has one of the best resumes in rock and roll: he has worked on records by Morrissey, Peter Gabriel, the Dave Matthews Band, Phish, The Rolling Stones and, most famously, U2. One band that isn't on that list: Guns N' Roses. He came rather close, though, to getting the Axl Rose experience, but as he told Los Angeles alt-rock station KROQ's Kevin & Bean Show, he pulled the plug on that.
Apparently, Lillywhite was one of many producers considered for GNR's loooooong-delayed Chinese Democracy album (finally released in 2008), and he actually took a meeting with Axl Rose to discuss it.

"I was summoned to Los Angeles to meet with Axl Rose, we went for sushi, and then we went to the studio to listen to some tracks and he played me some instrumentals," Lillywhite said. "I thought, 'I can understand why he'd want me to work on this.' And then I said, 'Do you have anything with vocals on it?' He said, 'Yeah, I've got one song.'"

It was at that point that Lillywhite remembered why working with GNR would be unpleasant (besides Axl's famously volatile personality).

"I was listening to it and I thought 'Oh my God, I'd forgotten how much I hate his voice.' I'm sorry! To some people, Axl Rose is royalty. To me, it's like fingers on a chalkboard. Now, He was a very nice guy. We finished the evening – he paid – the next morning, the manager called and said, 'Steve, you're in. He thinks your fantastic. ' I said "I'm sorry, I don't think I'm the right man for this job." And that was it and I left it at that." Did Axl react?




Black Star Riders Streaming New Album In Full
(Classic Rock) Classic Rock have posted a full album stream of Black Star Riders' debut album "All Hell Breaks Loose". The Thin Lizzy offshoot record is released today in the EU, Monday (May 27) in the UK and Tuesday (May 28) in the US.

Black Star Riders were created by Lizzy men Ricky Warwick, Scott Gorham, Damon Johnson and Marco Mendozam, plus former Megadeth, Ozzy Osbourne and White Lion drummer Jimmy DeGrasso.

Frontman Warwick recently explained: "I was watching a documentary about World War II bombers and saw 'All Hell Breaks Loose' painted on the side of one of the aircraft. It just resonated with me – it seem to encapsulate the turmoil that we, as a society, are currently experiencing.

"The past few years have been such a wild ride. It sounded like a bad-ass album title that summed up what Black Star Riders is all about." Check out the stream here!




Queens of the Stone Age Plan Letterman Webcast
(Radio.com) In celebration of the release of their sixth album, ...Like Cockwork, Queens of the Stone Age will take the stage for a Live on Letterman webcast at New York's Ed Sullivan Theater the day after the album's release.

… Like Clockwork will be released June 4 by Matador Records and the show will be streamed live on CBS's site, VEVO and on Radio.com, on June 5 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT

In addition to fan favorites from their catalog, viewers can expect to see performances of new material like "I Appear Missing," "My God Is The Sun," "If I Had A Tail," "Keep Your Eyes Peeled" and "Kalopsia," all three of which were part of an eerie series of animated videos released in succession.

On Monday (May 20), the band released a 15-minute album trailer featuring animation from the aforementioned videos. more on this story




Marilyn Manson Helped Avril Lavigne Bring Out Her Naughty Side
(Radio.com) Everyone knows Avril Lavigne worked with Nickelback frontman (and now fiance) Chad Kroeger on her upcoming album. But she also received a little help from Marilyn Manson.

Lavigne told MTV that Manson helped bring her out her naughty side on the song "Bad Girl," which will be on her untitled album, due out this September.

At the last minute while recording the track Lavigne texted Manson, who she's known since she was 18 years old, and just asked if he'd be willing to come by.

"He's like, 'I'll come over and I'll hear it,'" she explained. "So he came at 4 o'clock in the morning… Yes, it was one of those nights."

But this isn't the first time Manson has helped Lavigne figure something out. Read about that here.





Placebo Announce New Album and Tour Plans
Placebo has announced a September 17th North American release date for their new studio album, Loud Like Love, and their plans for a world tour.

The new album was produced by Adam Noble and will be released in five different formats including a 3D Lenticular super deluxe box set, a limited edition deluxe digi-pack version, a double 12" colored vinyl gatefold edition, in a standard CD format as well as digitally.

The band has announced their plans to tour the world including North America, Latin America, Australia, Europe and Asia and have confirmed their first European leg.

The European trek will be taking place this fall, kicking off on November 12th in Warsaw, Poland and wrapping up on December 16th in London. more on this story




Alice Cooper Guitar Taken To Summit of Mt. Everest
(hennemusic) Firefighter Todd Pendleton has climbed Mt. Everest to raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and he took an autographed Alice Cooper guitar with him to the summit.

Pendleton posted a photo of himself with the signed guitar at the highest point on earth, writing, "I unveil Alice. Somebody had to carry a stratacaster to the top of Everest."

"After a week long climb, 24 hours in a tent in 60 miles winds, and 16 grueling hours on summit day - We reached the summit of Mount Everest! On May 17th at 7:30n in the morning," he wrote. See the photo here.




Don Felder Joining Peter Frampton's Guitar Circus Tour
Former Eagles guitarist Don Felder will be joining Peter Frampton's "Guitar Circus" tour for a handful of tour dates that will be taking place next month.

Felder announced that he will be kicking things off on the June 13th tour stop in Windsor, Ontario and has confirmed a total of six tour dates that will conclude on June 30th in Webster, MA.

The tour will also feature Robert Cray, Steve Cropper (Booker T. & the M.G.'s), Dean DeLeo (Stone Temple Pilots), Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Vince Gill, David Hidalgo (Los Lobos), Davy Knowles, Roger McGuinn (founder/lead guitarist of the Byrds), Richard Thompson, Vernon Reid (Living Colour), Vinnie Moore (UFO) and Rick Nielsen (Cheap Trick). more on this story




Warren Haynes Plots Jerry Garcia Symphonic Celebration Tour
(Radio.com) Between playing Allman Brothers show and the Govt' Mule tour this summer, guitarist Warren Haynes will lead a series of symphony orchestras on a tour that pays tribute to the late Grateful Dead leader Jerry Garcia.

"The Jerry Garcia Symphonic Celebration" kicks off June 18 in Pittsburgh, where Haynes will be joined by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. The tour will continue with two bursts of dates throughout the summer, with Haynes being accompanied by local orchestras in each of the eight cities.

Haynes, of course, has a history with the Grateful Dead. He played in bassist Phil Lesh's band, Phil Lesh & Friends, for years, and produced Lesh's 2002 album There And Back Again. He also did some time in The Dead, which featured Grateful Dead members Lesh, guitarist/singer Bob Weir, and drummers Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann.

Haynes organizes some annual musical events — the Mountain Jam festival every summer and the Christmas jam in December — but he says this tour wasn't his idea.

"We got a call from the people representing the Garcia Estate, saying they wanted to do a series of symphony shows doing Jerry's music, and that they were going to have a few guest performers, and they wanted to know if I wanted to be the first guest artist," he told Radio.com. "I was very honored."

It turns out, Haynes had wanted to go the orchestral route for some time, but never had the right concept, until now. "I've always wanted to do something with a symphony, but I never have, so it's a really great challenge for me, and I was really psyched. I think it's gonna be really amazing." more on this story




Mad Season Bittersweet For Pearl Jam's Mike McCready
(Classic Rock) Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready admits he found it difficult listening to his work with Mad Season – because of the bad memories it brought back. But he's also proud of the work the supergroup did in a "quick flash" of time.

They released their only album Above in 1995, then had to abandon the follow-up after the death of bassist John Baker Saunders in 1999 and frontman Layne Staley in 2002.

McCready and drummer Barrett Martin regrouped with vocalist Mark Lanegan to complete three songs that had been started at the end of 1990s, and they were released as part of a Mad Season box set earlier this year. It also featured a remastered version of Above – which was a "bittersweet" experience for the guitarist.

"I'd listened to it all the way through probably two times since it came out," McCready tells MusicRadar. "It's very sad. Baker and Layne both died, so there's a sadness that hangs over the entire record. I wasn't willing to live that again. Those couple of times I did listen to it, it was tough.

"When I went back and heard it again it was freeing and said. I cried and laughed, and felt proud. I felt a real mixture of emotions that I'd never had with any other music I'd done, because two of the guys passed away, and I miss them." A lot more from Mike here.




Alice In Chains' Jerry Cantrell Unusual Songwriting Experience For Stone
(Classic Rock) Alice In Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell started work on the new track "Stone" while he was unable to play guitar and composed it in an unusual way as a result.

Recording sessions for The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here was put on hold while he underwent shoulder surgery, and the idea for the song came to him while he was still recovering.

"I just started hearing something in my head," he says. "My arm's all f**ked up, so I grabbed the phone and started humming the riff into the phone, and that's where the song came from. I still have the voice recording – it's hilarious!" More rock news




Lord Of The Rings' Christopher Lee Goes Metal Again
(Classic Rock) 90-year-old Lord Of The Rings star Christopher Lee will be releasing his second heavy metal album Charlemagne: The Omens Of Death on May 27.

Lee, who's better known for his association with another Hammer, the cult horror movie firm, says the new record is more metal than the previous one.

He explains: "The first Charlemagne album is metal, of course, but what I sang was more symphonic. The Omens Of Death is one hundred percent heavy metal. I've done my bits and pieces, and they are heavy metal. I'm not screaming or anything like that, but it is definitely heavy metal."

The music was arranged by Richie Faulkner just before he replaced KK Downing in Judas Priest. "Most of the songs were already there," says the guitarist. "But they needed riffs, drum parts and musical parts that reflected what the guys wanted – which was a metal record with an aim to be played live by a band." More including a preview video.





Bruce Springsteen Documentary Trailer Released
(hennemusic) The trailer for the new Bruce Springsteen documentary, "Springsteen & I," has been released. The film will be released on July 22nd and was directed by music video director Baillie Walsh.

The synopsis states that the film was created for the fans, by the fans, and includes some of Bruce's most loved songs and previously unseen performances alongside the remarkable stories of those who lived by his music.

"This beautifully crafted film provides a unique insight into the powerful bond between a recording artist and those who connect so profoundly with his music," said executive producer Ridley Scott. more on this story




Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson To Bike To Download
(Classic Rock) Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson has joined the line-up for the Heavy Metal Truants Download Festival Charity Bike Ride. He will ride alongside the likes of Iron Maiden manager Rod Smallwood, Classic Rock Editor-In-Chief Scott Rowley, Metal Hammer Editor Alexander Milas and Prog Editor Jerry Ewing for an event that is set to help some excellent causes.

Dickinson will be flying in specially from Germany following two sold-out Maiden shows in Frankfurt so he can join the Heavy Metal Truants in cycling the final 25-mile leg of the bike ride into the Download Festival on Friday, June 14 – the day before Iron Maiden's headline appearance there in front of an expected 100,000 fans.

Dickinson commented: "Yes, maybe it's the first time the headliner has shown up on a bike, but I do use my bike to get around in London when l get the chance and have turned up at the BBC on a bike before, although the Commissioners were a bit surprised as they are too used to seeing limos!" more on this story





Foreigner To Rock Indy 500
(hennemusic) Veteran rock band Foreigner has announced that they will be on hand in Indianapolis this weekend to participate in the Indy 500 pre-race festivities.

The band will be a part of the IPL 500 Festival Parade in downtown Indianapolis on Saturday at noon, and then headline the 10th Annual Regions Festival Snakepit Ball later in the evening.

Taking place in the Indiana Roof Ballroom, the Snakepit Ball has become a race-eve tradition. The black-tie event includes red carpet arrivals by celebrities in town for race weekend and special VIP guests. more on this story





Rolling Stones' Ron Wood Opens Art Exhibit
(hennemusic) Rolling Stones guitarist Ron Wood's newest collection of fine art, "Ronnie Wood: Raw Instinct," has opened at London's Castle Fine Art Gallery.

The exhibition consists of 100 pieces of original art, including portraits of bandmates Mick Jagger, Charlie Watts and Keith Richards, alongside a self-portrait.

"When I get inspired, I get almost possessed and I just have to paint," said Wood. "There is no kind of therapy like the one you have from starting and seeing a picture through to the end."

"In a secret sort of way," he adds, "I like the people that I draw to see the way I've depicted them. Unlike music, it's a solo effort. There's no one else to blame." more on this story




Supertramp's Roger Hodgson Kicks Off Tour Tonight
(Classic Rock) Former Supertramp frontman Roger Hodgson will be kicking off his six date UK tour tonight with the first date that will be taking place at the Stowe School in Buckingham.

He had the following to say about the trek, "You kept asking me to return and now it's official. I'm truly grateful to have the best fans in the world.

"I thank you for your support in spreading the word, and connecting my name with my voice and songs to those who only know my songs as Supertramp." Grab the dates here.




Bad Company To Release Live Recordings of Upcoming Tour
(hennemusic) Bad Company has teamed with the DiscLive Network to offer fans recordings of the band's upcoming 40th Anniversary tour with Lynyrd Skynyrd.

DiscLive records concerts and releases it to fans immediately after a show. The company will be releasing limited-edition triple CD sets in a digipaks.

The package will include two CDs containing the recording of the concert as well as a bonus CD that will feature a rockumentary that was produced by In The Studio host Redbeard. more on this story





Rush In No Rush Between Tour Dates
(Classic Rock) Alex Lifeson admits Rush need to take a day off after each three-hour show. He says: "we're much more conservative than we used to be – not that we were crazy party guys.

We don't work consecutive gigs any more. Those off-days are truly recovery days, especially for Geddy and Neil. Geddy tends to get up at 1pm and doesn't talk, so he can rest his voice.

"We'll go for dinner together – it's pretty subdued with a nice meal and a glass of wine. We're going to be 60 this year so we have to look after ourselves." More rock news.





Queens Of The Stone Age's Josh Homme An Evil Dictator?
(Classic Rock) Queens Of The Stone Age frontman Josh Homme explains why he believes that you can't cherry-pick when it comes to decision-making. He says:

"I think people believe I'm some kind of evil dictator, but I don't much care about that. I made a lot of hard decisions in my life. Sometimes hard decisions have to be made – and sometimes wonderful decisions have to be made.

"You've got to be willing to make them all. You can't just avoid stuff that's necessary." Read more of today's classic rock news stories here.




John Lennon Lyrics and Letters Donated for Tax Relief
(Gibson) A collection of John Lennon's letters and lyrics have been presented to the British Library's Treasures Gallery as part of a new British tax relief program, BBC News has reported.

Beatles biographer Hunter Davies donated the materials – which include Lennon's handwritten lyrics for "Strawberry Fields Forever" and an early draft of "In My Life" – through an initiative that encourages citizens to give gifts to the nation in exchange for a tax reduction.

Hunter, 77, wrote and published the only official biography of the Beatles, in 1968. It's estimated the donation will reduce his tax obligation by nearly a half-million dollars.

"I want my Beatles collection to be kept together, in one place, and on public display, and the British Library is the perfect home for it," he said. "I'm really pleased the cultural gifts scheme has helped me make this a reality." more on this story







Of Earth Release Heart Of The Hard Drive Video
(Classic Rock) Of Earth have released a video for their track "Heart Of The Hard Drive." The band, fronted by UFO bassist Rob De Luca, beat David Bowie to Classic Rock's Track Of The Week in March when they launched previous video, Prototype.

De Luca is joined by guitarist Paul Casanova, drummer Rik De Luca and keyboardist Matt Baram in Of Earth. He describes the band as "more art rock."

He says, "There's a fine line where despair and hope can meet and mix. It's a powerful and profound moment. I feel our music somewhat represents that place."

He's on tour with UFO in early June, culminating in their performance at this year's Download festival. Check out the new music video here.




John Fogerty Rocks Letterman
(hennemusic) John Fogerty rocked back-to-back nights of The Late Show With David Letterman this week as part of the promotion for his May 28th release, "Wrote A Song For Everyone."

On Tuesday, Fogerty played one of the album's new songs, "Mystic Highway," before returning on Wednesday with Dawes to perform the Creedence Clearwater Revival classic, "Someday Never Comes."

"Wrote A Song For Everyone" is an all-star duets project that features Fogerty pairing with artists like Foo Fighters, Bob Seger, Kid Rock, Zac Brown Band, and others to perform tunes from his legendary songbook, including solo tracks and CCR cuts.

To launch his new album, Fogerty is hosting a special one-night-only show on May 28th at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles; the performance will be broadcast live on AXS TV.

Watch video of the Letterman appearances here.




Robert Plant Shares Another Live Video Ahead of Tour
(hennemusic) Robert Plant is sharing more live video in advance of his upcoming US tour with The Senational Space Shifters. It's the third clip Plant has shared recently.

The singer has released performance footage of "Tin Pan Valley," from his 2005 album, "The Mighty ReArranger." Plant and the band launch their US dates at the Palladium in Dallas, TX on June 20, with shows wrapping up July 27 in Brooklyn, NY's Prospect Park.

The Sensational Space Shifters include Justin Adams (guitar, bendir, vocals), John Baggott(keyboards), Juldeh Camara (ritti, kologo, talking drum, vocals), Billy Fuller (bass guitar, vocals), Dave Smith (drums and percussion) and Liam "Skin" Tyson (guitar, vocals). Check out the clip here.




Video of Aerosmith's Singapore Press Conference Goes Online
(hennemusic) Aerosmith were in Singapore to perform at the inaugural Social Star Awards yesterday, and video of the band's press conference has surfaced.

The May 23rd event at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel marks what organizers are billing as the world's first social media awards. 288 Social Stars will be handed out at the ceremony; winners are based on the data of 1.7 billion users.

One of the winning Social Stars will go on to be crowned The Social Star Almighty - the most popular social media star on the planet. Check out video of the press conference

Today's Day in Rock News !

Today's Day in Rock


Stone Temple Pilots Team Up With Linkin Park's Chester Bennington
(Radio.com) KROQ's Weenie Roast always brings a surprise guest, and Saturday's (May 18) show was no exception. The concert put together two huge names for an unexpected performance: Stone Temple Pilots with Linkin Park's Chester Bennington. The group premiered their new single, "Out of Time," on stage.
During the show, the group opened with "Vasoline" and went on to perform hits including "Big Bang Baby," "Wicked Garden," "Sex Type Thing," "Interstate Love Song" and "Trippin' On A Hole In A Paper Heart," as well as the B-side "Dead and Bloated."

Bennington, the singer of Linkin Park, previously performed with the STP on the single "Wonderful," circa 2001. In an exclusive sit-down interview with Stone Temple Pilots and Bennington after their Weenie Roast performance, KROQ morning show favorites Kevin & Bean got a sneak peak at the band's backstage compound of sorts, hidden away from the other artist trailers. Secrecy was very important to Bennington and the members of Stone Temple Pilots, whose gear was purposely mislabeled backstage.

Bennington assured that the Weenie Roast performance would be "the first time but not the last" that he'd appear with STP. (Obviously not – he'll also join them Sunday (May 19) at Live 105′s BFD in San Francisco.)

"Every band has its own kinda vibe," Bennington explained. "Stone Temple Pilots has this sexier, more classic rock feel to it. Linkin Park is a very modern, very tech-heavy type of band. It was kind of nice. I got to use my voice tonight. I got to sing and show my range a little bit. I still got to through a little scream in here and there but it's really just so much different. I grew up listening to these guys. When this opportunity came up, it was just like a no-brainer."

So what's the next step for the foursome? "We're gonna go out to lunch together because we haven't been able because we haven't been able to be seen in public together. So, we're probably going to go hang out as friends," confessed Bennington. More of the interview plus the download link for the song!



Pogues' Phil Chevron Has Fatal Cancer
(Classic Rock) Pogues guitarist Phil Chevron has announced that he is battling cancer for the second time and he's admitted that the cancer will be "lethal" in this case.

He was sidelined from the Pogues and his pioneering punk band, The Radiators From Space, in 2007 after being diagnosed with cancer of the head and neck. In 2011 he was given the all-clear. But now doctors have confirmed it's returned after finding another tumour last year and surgery is impossible due to the associated risks.

A statement says: "In August 2012, Philip and his doctors noticed a new tumour in a position whereby treatment is seriously ill-advised, and would almost certainly cause a stroke or worse.

"The cancer is, in short, inoperable, and will prove fatal in time, though it is at present impossible to measure life expectancy." more on this story




Tim Lambesis' Attorney Blames Steroids For Murder Solicitation Plot
As I Lay Dying frontman Tim Lambesis was successful at having a judge lower his $3 million bail to $2 million at a bail hearing on Friday. He stands charged of allegedly soliciting the murder of his estranged wife.

The hearing also provided more details about the case including the revelation from a forensic psychiatrist who consulted with the defense that claimed Lambesis got "roid rage" after using steroids, according to NBC San Diego.

Lambesis attorney Anthony Salerno had previously made allegations of a setup by a police "snitch", but media reports citing another attorney for Lambesis from Friday's hearing, Thomas Warwick, who reportedly changed tactics and said that the singer had become engrossed with the gym culture and ultimately began taking steroids.

"His thought processes were devastatingly affected by his steroid use," Warwick said. And the lawyer said that as a result, that Lambesis "was not the same person. He was irritable and lost God."

The judge decided in the hearing to reduce Lambesis' bail amount to $2 million from $3 million. However, his attorney reportedly said that Lambesis' family still could not raise that amount, so the singer will remain in jail.

Read more details about the case and Friday's hearing here.




Paul Stanley Delivers Rock Hall KISS Off
KISS frontman Paul Stanley didn't hold back his feelings about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and took at jab at Rolling Stone Magazine and Rock Hall founder Jann Wenner in a new interview.

Stanley was asked if he thought that KISS would ever be inducted into the Rock Hall after years of being snubbed in favor of far less successful artists. "Well, it depends on who lives longer, us or Jann Wenner," Stanley replied to the Huffington Post who went on to place some of the snub blame on Dave Marsh, who reportedly plays a "key role" in selecting inductees and admitted that he has helped keep the band off the ballot.

March was reportedly once asked by MTV about KISS and replied, "Kiss is not a great band, Kiss was never a great band, Kiss never will be a great band, and I have done my share to keep them off the ballot."

Stanley went on to question the Rock Hall's legitimacy, "Look, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is marketing," he said. "You've got a bunch of faceless people in a back room who trademark a name that sounds very official. Well, if you had thought of it first, you would have been the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame."

He was even asked his opinion of non-rock artists getting into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and responded, "I am one of the biggest Laura Nyro fans. I still listen to that stuff incessantly. Laura Nyro does not belong in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Songwriter Hall of Fame? Absolutely," he said.

But if KISS were ever to get inducted, Stanley says he would accept the honor because of his fans. "I would certainly accept on their behalf because it seems to be a major sore spot for them," he said. "But I don't need the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame." Read the rest of his thoughts on the rock hall here.




Dave Grohl Jams With The Rolling Stones
(hennemusic) Dave Grohl was the featured guest Saturday night in Anaheim as the Rolling Stones played the sixh stop on their "50 & Counting" arena tour.

The head Foo Fighter joined the Rolling Stones for a jam of the classic song "Bitch," which comes from the Stones' 1971 album, "Sticky Fingers."

The Stones continue to switch things up with their setlist: for the first time on this tour, the group played "Shattered" and "You Got The Silver." Check out video of the performance here.




Robin Finck Returns To Nine Inch Nails
(Classic Rock) Nine Inch Nails have recruited former member Robin Finck in place of bassist Eric Avery, who bowed out last week, saying he'd been "overwhelmed" by the amount of tour dates the band was amassing.

Multi-instrumentalist Finck previously played guitar with Trent Reznor's outfit, but fellow member Josh Eustis can also play a number of instruments.

Nine Inch Nails will be playing the Leeds and Reading festivals in August. Read more of today's top rock news stories including KISS, Beatles, Whitesnake and more here.




Black Keys and STP Surprise Lead Weenie Roast
(Radio.com) With tens of thousands of rabid fans packed into Los Angeles' Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, the spirit and undeniable power of radio was on full display at the annual KROQ Weenie Roast on Saturday (May 18).

From the clutch of emerging bands that performed early in the day on the side stages through the marquee headliners that graced the main stage, the songs of summer 2013 galvanized the diehard crowd of Southern Californians through the day-long extravaganza that was highlighted by the unexpected return of a '90s alt-rock favorite with a surprising new face fronting the band.

While the Black Keys and Thirty Second to Mars were the undeniable headliners, it was the Stone Temple Pilots, who delighted the sold-out show with a surprise set of their enduring radio hits like "Vaseline" and "Interstate Love Song."

But instead of the embattled Scott Weiland at center stage, Stone Temple Pilots emerged with Chester Bennington from Linkin Park on the mic, admirably leading STP with spot-on vocals and even imitating some of Weiland's signature serpentine stage moves.

With no announcement of Bennington's presence on vocals, some audience members seemed confused by the unexpected pairing, but soon word rippled through the crowd that it was indeed the Linkin Park singer performing with STP, eliciting a barrage of camera flashes as people tried to capture the inspired pairing. The band played a number of STP hits and debuted a brand new track titled "Out of Time" which is available now as a free download exclusively at Radio.com.

The Black Keys charged through a stomping set of their down and dirty blues-rock, storming through crowd favorites like "Lonely Boy" and "Gold on the Ceiling" with a vengeance, determined to leave an impression on the already bedazzled audience.

Thirty Seconds to Mars pulled out all the stops during their bombastic show, with frontman Jared Leto starting the proceedings from the middle of the crowd to sing "Birth" as he traversed through excited fans to the stage while a drum corps clad in Spring Breakers-style ski masks pounded away with the band. more.




Thirty Seconds To Mars Make Big Live Return
(Radio.com) For California natives like Thirty Seconds To Mars, KROQ's Weenie Roast — even more so than Memorial Day — marks the unofficial start of the summer season. So it's a real honor for the guys to return to Weenie Roast six years after they made their debut in 2007, this time as the night's headliners alongside the Black Keys and Vampire Weekend.

Jared Leto remembers going to the show when him and his brother (and bandmate) Shannon were just kids. "It's a real treat to be back," Leto told Radio.com in our new video interview.

Weenie Roast will also be the first big show the band has played in a year and a half. "It's going to be interesting," Jared said with a laugh. "It's going to be much different than the Church of Mars."

For the last month, the guys have been playing shows in churches across the United States, making stops in cities like Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago and New York. Each show only fits about 200 to 800 people, but for the band it's been a way to say thank you to some of their biggest fans.

With the release of their fourth album, LOVE LUST FAITH + DREAMS (out May 21), the band looks forward to showing off their new music in a festival setting, especially the record's lead single, "Up In The Air," which has been a hit with the Church of Mars crowd.

"Everyone has a great time on this small scale so I can't imagine what it's going to be like on the big scale," Shannon said. More including a stream of the video interview.




Free Whitesnake Song Download
(hennemusic) In support of Whitesnake's show in Sheffield, England on Monday, May 20, the Sheffield Telegraph is offering a FREE download of a live track from the band's new "Made In Japan" release.

Fans can download "Love Will Set You Free" from the paper here. The Sheffield show is part of Whitesnake's current UK tour with Journey and openers Thunder.

"Made In Japan" captures the band in concert at the Loud Park festival on October 15th, 2011 at Saitama Super Arena in Japan during their Forevermore World Tour. Check out the song here.




How Thin Lizzy Became Black Star Riders
(hennemusic) Ricky Warwick of Black Star Riders, the new band formed from the final Thin Lizzy lineup, explains in a new video how the group chose their new band name.

After touring the past few years as Thin Lizzy, the lineup adopted the new band name last fall to start recording a new album with a clean slate, and out of respect to the legacy of the late Phil Lynott.

"It's a tough thing to name a band, certainly in the strange situation that we'd just come out of," explains singer Ricky Warwick. "We knew we needed something that was a little bit different, a very strong kind of anthemic name, something that summed up the gang mentality."

Based on the band's common interest in western films, Warwick turned to 1993's "Tombstone" (starring Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer and others) for inspiration…and he found it.

Check out the video for Ricky's story. more on this story




Megadeth Release Their New Song: Kingmaker
(hennemusic) Megadeth have released their new single, entitled "Kingmaker" the song comes from the band's forthcoming studio album, "Super Collider."

"Kingmaker" is the second track released from the new album, which is due June 4, and it follows last month's online debut of the album's title track.

"Super Collider" will be available as a limited-edition CD with a 3-D cover and bonus tracks, regular CD, regular LP, limited LP plus seven-inch vinyl, and as a digital download. Check out the new song here.




Deep Purple Guitarist Struggled With New Album
(Classic Rock) Deep Purple guitarist Steve Morse says that he struggled during recording sessions for the veteran hard rock group's latest album Now What?!

"One of the challenges was trying to make Bob Ezrin happy," he says. "For me, it isn't easy. I think he's used to David Gilmour's style of ultra-melodic playing and I stick in more technical riffs between any melodic thing I do.

"He wanted me to sound more melodic and he really pushed it." But he adds: "It worked. That's why I was in favour of Bob being involved." More rock news




Jon Says Richie Sambora Welcome Back in Bon Jovi
(Classic Rock) Jon Bon Jovi says the door is open for Richie Sambora to rejoin the band any time he feels ready. He still won't discuss what led to the guitarist's non-appearance at the start of Bon Jovi's latest world tour leg – but he insists it's not about money, and the pair haven't fallen out.

"We were all in Calgary. Richie was going to turn up on show day, but we went the night before because it's a long flight," Bon Jovi tells the Mirror.

"At 3.30pm on show day the manager said: 'Guess what?' He didn't even have to finish the sentence. Because we had been through it before we performed that night. We couldn't let down the fans."

He admits he hasn't set eyes on his bandmate since that moment. "I talked to him once – once in six weeks and 18 shows. He's not fired, we didn't have a fight, it certainly isn't about money. He can return when he is ready to die every night, the way I walk on stage. No one's mad, no one's sad."

Bon Jovi is still reeling over his teenage daughter's overdose.




Bob Dylan Honored by Academy of Arts and Letters
(Gibson) Bob Dylan is now officially an honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Henry Cobb, president of the Academy, praised the 71-year-old Dylan for his contributions to the creative arts.

The citation reads: "For more than 50 years, defying categorization in a culture beguiled by categories, Bob Dylan has probed and prodded our psyches, recording and then changing our world and our lives through poetry made manifest in song - creating relationships that we never imagined could exist between words, emotions and ideas."

Virginia Dejani, executive director of the Academy, said the legendary singer was designated an honorary member because the Academy couldn't decide which category – art, literature or music – he best fit into. Dylan was unable to attend the ceremony, which took place in Manhattan, but he did issue a statement.

"I feel extremely honored and very lucky to be included in this pantheon of great individual artists who comprise the Academy of Arts and Letters," he said. "I look forward to meeting all of you some time soon." more on this story






AC/DC Limited Edition Beer Released
(hennemusic) AC/DC and Karlsberg Brewery have released a limited Canadian edition of their AC/DC Beer. The product is an absolute rarity for collectors since this edition will only be sold in Canada.

The edition differs from the normal version by its smaller size (500ml) and the French/English imprint on the top of the can: Hardrock Australien / Australian Hardrock.

The standard edition of "AC/DC Premium Lager Beer" is 568mL of "true German Premium Lager." more on this story




Damage Inc TV For Metallica Fans Tonight
Metallica fans will have a very good reason to stay home tonight because they will be able to witness a heavy dose of Mandatory Metallica tonight on AXS TV.

The cable and satellite music network will be featuring a recent live performance from Metallica tonight when they air the Golden God Awards starting at 6:25 PM.

The Golden Gods Awards will be followed at 11:PM with the live telecast of latest episode of The World's Greatest Tribute Bands with will feature a performance from Metallica tribute band Damage Inc live from the Roxy Theater on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood. Check out the promo for the show here.

Earlier in the evening, the metal night will kick off with a look at the making of a legendary metal album, Judas Priest's British Steel. That will air at 5:55PM.

If you prefer the mellower side of rock, The World's Greatest Tribute Bands will be featuring tribute bands for U2 and Fleetwood Mac early next month.





Singled Out: Zed's Desperation Blues
Today Zed guitarist Greg Lopes tells us about the title track to their brand new album "Desperation Blues," which is set to be released tomorrow (May 21st). Here is the story:

Desperation Blues is the Title track to our new album and as I remember it, it was last spring at band rehearsal when Mark Aceves (bass player) came up with this killer riff, and as usual our drummer Rich Harris added his heavy groove to it. Being a fan of that heavy groove style of course I had to add a little wah, and as the rhythm progressively came together Pete Sattari our singer/guitarist started to ramble off lyrics looking for the melody. This seems to be the way we work, and probably why we work well together.

As the moment came where we knew we were going to change gears the lyrics "every time I try to hang myself, you are the one holding the rope" just flowed out and that was the beginning of the song "Desperation Blues". Originally the song was titled "Hang Myself' mainly because it was a great hook and catchy title, but when we decided on an album title, we thought the name fit well with the track.

Lyrically, Pete had come up with a concept that deals with how a person can be their own worst enemy. The metaphor for the phrase "hang myself" could be what many people do to sabotage themselves because they are either afraid or don't want to admit a truth. At the end the day we all need to hold ourselves accountable and understand our own truth. Like the lyrics say " don't lie to yourself " because life is too short to live a lie…..

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself and learn more about the album right here!



Queens Of The Stone Age Reveal Three More New Videos
(Classic Rock) Queens Of The Stone Age mainman Josh Homme seems determined to slam home the message that his band are back. They'll release new album …Like Clockwork on June 3, but in the space of a week they've released five animated videos from the record.

The latest is My God Is The Sun, which followed If I Had A Tail – view them below. Also below is a clip of QOTSA's performance on Later With Jools Holland, which also took place last week.

Homme spent several months hinting that the follow-up to 2007′s Era Vulgaris was something especially dark and personal. He's hinted the record charts the difficulties behind its own making, and says the title is a sarcastic reference to how badly things went.

…Like Clockwork features guest appearances from Dave Grohl, Elton John, Trent Reznor and others. QOTSA appear at this year's Download festival. Check out the new video here.



Black Sabbath Release Behind The Scenes Video For 13 Cover
(hennemusic) Black Sabbath are sharing some behind-the-scenes video of the creation of the cover for their forthcoming reunion album, "13" which will be released on June 11th.

"13" is the group's first full studio project with frontman Ozzy Osbourne since 1978's "Never Say Die" was produced by Rick Rubin. Sabbath recently released the album's lead track, "God Is Dead?"

The band have completed the first series of shows of their 2013 world tour, playing dates in New Zealand and Australia. Check out the behind the scenes video here.




Primus Bridges Gap Between Rush and Public Enemy
(Radio.com) At the show-closing jam at last month's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony, an unprecdented supergroup took the stage to perform Robert Johnson's "Crossroads." Among them Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart of Rush and Public Enemy leader Chuck D.

What do the prog-rock giants and the hip-hop legend have in common (other than membership in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame)? Well, probably not much. But, believe it or not, both bands have toured with San Francisco rockers Primus.

Primus was the opening act on the genre-crashing Anthrax/Public Enemy co-headlining tour of 1991. The following year, they played arenas opening for Rush. So Primus frontman Les Claypool is one of the only musicians to spend time on the road with both groups, and he says that both are fully deserving of the accolades that they received at the induction ceremony in Los Angeles last month.

The members of Primus have always worn their Rush influences on their sleeves; like the Canadian group, they are a power trio led by a bassist with an unusual singing voice who are influenced by hard rock and progressive music.

Claypool told Radio.com, "One of my first introductions to music as a teenager was Rush records."And it showed, particularly early on in their career. Primus' debut EP, 1989′s Suck On This, opens with 36 seconds of the band covering Rush's classic instrumental "YYZ" before launching into their own "John The Fisherman."

And while it is often said that you shouldn't meet your idols, he reports that bonding with Rush has been a great experience for him and his band. "When I was 16, if you told me I'd be friends with Geddy, Alex and Neil, I would have s*** myself right there, literally," he said. "To work with these guys and be friends with them, and to still be friends with them after all these years, it's a pretty spectacular thing." more on this story




What Does The Stooges and Fleetwood Mac Have To Do With Star Trek?
(Radio.com) The latest Star Trek flick, Star Trek: Into Darkness, is out now, giving us a perfect excuse to put together a Trek playlist. Since Trek doesn't feature rock music, we figured we'd go with rock stars who have actually appeared in Trek (what, you missed Mick Fleetwood's turn as a fish-like creature in Star Trek: The Next Generation?), as well as famous fans of the series.

The Stooges – "1969″: The Stooges debuted in '69 with their classic self-titled LP, which featured this skull-crusher. "Another year for me and you, another year with nothing to do!" Well, there was nothing to do after June 3 of that year, at least if you were a Trekkie (a term which hadn't yet been coined): That was the date that the show was cancelled. Years later, in 1997, Stooges frontman Iggy Pop appeared on the third Trek series, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, as Yelgrun, an "overseer" for the Dominion (those were the bad guys, for non-DS9 fans).

The Mamas & The Papas – "Monday Monday": Though Star Trek aired on Thursday nights at that time that "Monday Monday" hit No. 1 in 1966, there's a line here that rings true: "Can't trust that day!" Or at least NBC couldn't, moving the show to the dead zone of Friday nights instead of just cancelling it. The cancellation moment came two season later, with the show returning nearly 20 years later in 1987 via Star Trek: The Next Generation. And you know who was there? Mamas & Papas singer Michelle Phillips, who played Jenice Manheim (Captain Picard's ex-girlfriend) in the first season of the show. Boom. Circle complete.

Fleetwood Mac – "The Chain": Like Star Trek, Fleetwood Mac has proved remarkably enduring. Although the lineup (like Trek's Enterprise) has gone through many staff changes, like the Federation, drummer Mick Fleetwood (along with bassist John McVie) has remained a constant. While you can't miss Fleetwood's commanding presence behind the drums at the Mac's concerts, you'd be forgiven for missing his appearance on the Next Generation season 2 episode "Manhunt" in 1989. First off, he shaved off his omnipresent beard for the role. Second, his prosthetics rendered him unrecognizable. In this scene, he plays an Antedean dignitary who looks like a fish. Is that politically incorrect? Well, we got the idea from Lwaxana Troi, who exclaimed, "Delegates! Last time I saw something like that, it was being served on a plate!"

Today's Day in Rock News !

Today's Day in Rock


Movie About Guns N' Roses' Duff McKagan Coming
(hennemusic) Former Guns N' Roses member Duff McKagan's 2011 autobiography, "It's So Easy (And Other Lies)", is being made into a full-length documentary feature film.
The documentary will be written and directed by Christopher Duddy ("Cougar Club") and will include exclusive rare archive footage of McKagan's early days with the original Guns N' Roses lineup of Slash, Steven Adler, Izzy Stradlin and Axl Rose.

It will also feature footage with later Guns N' Roses members Gilby Clarke and Matt Sorum, as well as other rockers including Mike McCready (Pearl Jam), Krist Novoselic (Nirvana), Nikki Sixx (Motley Crue) and more.

The film will contain rare archive footage from Marc Canter, who filmed all the early footage of Guns N' Roses behind the scenes and performances, as well as an ultimate collector's soundtrack for the fans. more on this story




Five Finger Death Punch Team With Rob Halford For New Song
Five Finger Death Punch recruited Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford as a special guests on their brand new single "Lift Me Up," which was released digitally today.

The teamed up with Halford to premiere the track at the Golden Gods Awards Show earlier this month. The song comes from the band's forthcoming double album.

The first half of that double album, The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side Of Hell Volume 1, is set to be released on July 23rd with the second part to follow this fall.

Five Finger Death Punch frontman Ivan Moody had this to say about the new song, "First and foremost, just to work alongside an icon like Rob Halford, THE Metal God, was absolutely surreal.

"The song itself was originally written about overcoming everyday obstacles and less than perfect situations. Most of us weren't born with a silver spoon in our mouth but if life dealt you all the wrong cards, you still have to play. The song's intent is to inspire; if you play that hand right you might just come out on top anyway."

As we previously reported, Five Finger Death Punch will be hitting the road this summer for this year's Mayhem Festival and they will be coheadlining the tour with Rob Zombie.

The lineup will also feature Mastodon, Amon Amarth, Machine Head, Children Of Bodom, Behemoth, Job For A Cowboy, Emmure, Born Of Osiris, Motionless In White, Butcher Babies, Battlecross, Huntress, Thrown Into Exile and City In The Sea. more on this story




Sass Jordan and Brian Tichy To Join Queensryche Tour
Geoff Tate's Queensryche have recruited S.U.N. (Something Unto Nothing)'s Sass Jordan and Brian Tichy for their upcoming 25th Anniversary Operation: Mindcrime Tour.

The band has tapped Sass Jordan to perform the part of Sister Mary on the tour they announced yesterday on their Facebook page. Apart from S.U.N., she has worked with Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, Cheap Trick, Van Halen, Carlos Santana and Joe Cocker.

Jordan's S.U.N. bandmate Brian Tichy will also be taking part in the tour. He has been recruited to fill in on drums for Simon Wright for the dates taking place in June.

The tour will be kicking off on May 16th in Milwaukee, WI at the Potawatomi Casino and will conclude on June 29th in Seattle, WA at The Moore Theater.

Tichy won't be the only fill-in musician on the trek. The band previously announced that Disturbed's John Moyer would be sitting in for Rudy Sarzo for five dates on the trek including all of the dates this month and the first two dates in June. more on this story




The Cult To Play Electric Album In Full On Upcoming Tour
(hennemusic) The Cult have announced dates for their Electric 13 tour, a trek which will see the band perform their 1987 album, "Electric," in its entirety for the first time.

The shows will include two sets: "Electric" in one, with a second featuring tracks from the band's catalog. "The Cult's life blood has always been playing live, we are between albums and decided to continue the momentum created by Choice Of Weapon, stay in people's hearts and minds," explains singer Ian Astbury.

"As Love Live was such an incredible experience we have decided that performing the Electric album, an event that has been demanded by our fans and followers as the perfect live set to play in 2013."

Dates begin July 25 in San Diego, with a US tour running into September; The Cult will then perform a series of dates in the UK. more on this story




Megadeth's Mustaine Says Fans Grow With A Band Or Stop Being A Fan
(Gibson) The new Megadeth album, Super Collider, is due next month, and frontman Dave Mustaine is pretty fond of it from the sound of this, but he understands if you're not into it, too. "I am very proud," he tells Ultimate Guitar's Steven Rosen.

"There are gonna be people who are gonna take exception with the record because they're people that wanna hear "Black Friday" the rest of their lives. And I feel for them, man. I know the first time I heard AC/DC versus what they put out now, it's a different time.

"I think that's the whole thing about if you're really a fan of the band, you grow with them or you stop being a fan. I always loved early AC/DC and I totally respect older AC/DC, but I was weaned on Bon Scott."

The first single from Super Collider — the title track, in fact — was released a few weeks ago, and the band has just finished shooting the video for the song.

The video features actress/model/singer/songwriter Hunter Elizabeth, who says the video is "about a high-school couple still loving each other after all the years after graduation, and at the 10-year reunion, both characters find themselves successful (a model and a mathematician) and still very in love." more on this story






Black Sabbath Expand Fall Tour
(hennemusic) Reunited metal legends Black Sabbath have announced the addition of three more shows to their fall tour of Latin and South America.

Joined by openers Megadeth, Sabbath will play Buenos Aires, Argentina on Sunday, October 6 (tickets on sale May 27); Bogota, Colombia on Saturday, October 19 (tickets on sale May 30); and Mexico City, Mexico on Saturday October 26 (tickets on sale May 22).

The 9-date tour kicks off in Santiago, Chile on Friday, October 4. The dates are in support of Sabbath's forthcoming new album, "13," due June 11; Megadeth issue their new record, "Super Collider," on June 4. more on this story



Baroness Announce Summer Tour Dates
Baroness have extended their Yellow & Green North American tour with a new summer leg that will cover cities across the Midwest and the West Coast.

The new tour is set to kick off on August 5th in Columbus, OH at the A&R Music Bar and will conclude on September 4th in Vancouver, BC.

The first leg of the tour will begin on May 24th in Philadelphia, PA at Union Transfer and will conclude on June 16th with an appearance at this year's Bonnaroo festival in Manchester, TN.

Guitarist had this to say about the trek, "It's hard to find the words to express how excited we are to announce this tour. Seven months ago, who knew when it would be or even if we could get back on the road. But here we are, picking right back up where we left off. A heartfelt thanks to everyone's unconditional love and support for us through, let's hope, the hardest time this band will ever see. We told you we'd be back so let's do this thing!"

The group also discuss their harrowing tour bus accident and share rehearsal footage with their new members, Nick Jost (bass) and Sebastian Thomson (drums), in a new online video more on this story




Judas Priest Delay Epitaph Screening
(hennemusic) Judas Priest have announced a delay and rescheduled date for the UK screening of their new live DVD, "Epitaph," originally scheduled for this Wednesday, May 15 at London's Forum in Kentish Town.

"Due to technical issues arising from putting on this special one-off screening of Judas Priest 'Epitaph' at The Forum," said the band, "the show has now been moved to Friday May 24. This will ensure that we are able to put on the biggest show possible! We are sorry for the inconvenience and all tickets for the original date will be honored or refunded."

"Epitaph" will receive its world premiere on Tuesday (May 14) at New York's Clearview Chelsea; the event will be hosted by That Metal Show's Eddie Trunk, who will be joined by Priest singer Rob Halford and guitarist Richie Faulkner. more on this story




Red Hot Chill Peppers' Chad Smith Launches Online Series
(Classic Rock) Red Hot Chill Peppers drummer Chad Smith has launched (and we quote) "the first in a series of intimate conversations with some of the most inspirational musicians of all time".

In Conversation, presented by MusicRadar.com, is a new podcast interview series in which Smith sits down for wide-ranging, one-on-one chats with some of the word's top players.

A few days before Rush were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, Smith collared Lifeson for a laugh-filled, leisurely dinner at the Sunset Marquis in West Hollywood, California.

"The invisible interview – that's what I call it," Smith says. "Friends, thoughts, information – why do you do what you do? Admiration, respect, insight and maybe a surprise." more on this story




Killer Dwarfs Reuniting For Tour and Release of Their 'Lost' Album
The Killer Dwarfs will be launching a reunion tour that will hit North America and Europe in support of the release of their long lost album "Start @ One."

The album was recorded in 1993 at Powerlines Studios in Toronto, Ontario, Canada with producer/engineer Fred Duvall but the album was never released.

The band announced that the original master tapes for the album are currently being digitally remastered and they plan to release the album in early July to celebrate its 20th anniversary.

The group will announce the album's release date as well as the dates to their reunion tour in the coming weeks and they also announced their intention to record a live CD and DVD during the trek. more on this story




Queen's News Of The World 35th Anniversary On In The Studio
In The Studio host Redbeard this week is celebrating the 35th anniversary of Queen's News Of The World album with a special edition of his show.

He had this to say, "With the release of News Of The World, Queen had succeeded as four real 'mates' on an international scale, which would continue only to increase for the next decade.

"With four writers, the band had a surplus of strong songs, while Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury possessed such an operatic voice that it's easy to forget that both Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor also sang lead on select songs.

"What really impressed me then and now is how appreciative Brian May is of the fans, the countless deejays, and journalists for supporting Queen's efforts over the years.

"Brian would later suffer a broken marriage, separation of his kids, and the passing of both parents, but nothing short of the untimely death of Freddie Mercury in 1991 could silence the original band. And even that wasn't permanent." Check out the special here.




William DuVall Still Settling In With Alice In Chains
(Classic Rock) Alice In Chains frontman William DuVall says he's "still settling in" with the band, even though he's been with them for seven years now.

He joined in 2006 following the death of Layne Staley four years previously, and made his first studio appearance with them on 2009′s Black Gives Way To Blue. His second album with the band, The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here, is due on May 27.

DuVall tells GuitarPlayer.com: "I would say we're still settling in – it's always work in progress. There are a lot of things that we have in common, then there are a lot of things that set us very much apart from one another."

He describes his role as "everything from writing riffs to providing counterpoint to what Jerry Cantrell is doing, to doubling what he's doing, to playing solos. It's really everything that you would expect from a two-guitar band." more on this story




The Quireboys Announce New Album and Lose A Member
(Classic Rock) The Quireboys have confirmed their seventh studio album, Beautiful Curse, will be released on June 24. At the same time, drummer Matt Goom has announced his decision to leave the band.

The follow-up to 2008′s Homewreckers & Heartbreakers will be preceded by a single Too Much Of A Good Thing, which can be heard below.

Guitarist Paul Guerin tells RushOnRock: "Twelve tracks in twelve days sounds like a walk in the park. But considering we only had four completely written tracks, we had our work cut out. Once the tracks were finalised and arranged the songs were pretty much recorded live, with the solos going down live rather than overdubbed later.

"We really took this album to the wire – the last note was recorded at 17.15 and at 17.20 we were on the tour bus. We hope you love it as much as we do." And now about Matt Goom




Ray Jackson Launches New Lindisfarne
(Classic Rock) Original Lindisfarne frontman Ray Jackson has launched a new version of the band and confirmed a series of shows in December, with plans to tour further afield in 2014.

The lineup features guitarists Dave Hull-Denholm, Charlie Harcourt and Steve Daggett alongside bassist Ian Thomson and Roxy Music drummer Paul Thompson. Every member asides from Thompson has been in a previous version of Lindisfarne, although not all at the same time.

The move came after Jackson performed for the first time with Hull-Denholm in 2012, at the unveiling of a memorial plaque to co-founder Alan Hull, who died in 1995.

Earlier this year Jackson announced a one-off Christmas show in Newcastle City Hall, to help save the venue which was threatened with closure at the time. The speed of ticket sales encouraged him to take the idea further. more on this story




Flash Releasing First New Album in 40 Years
Veteran British prog group Flash, featuring founding members Ray Bennett & Colin Carter, have announced a May 21st release date for their new self-titled album.

The album will be the group's first new album release in 40 years. Ray Bennett had this to say, "First and foremost, I think the new album turned out really well. No, that's being somewhat modest... I think it's brilliant. I wouldn't be happy with anything less. The goal for me, and I think Colin would agree, is to put an album together that's always a turn on. Not just in the beginning when you are all excited about the newness of it, but always. I realized somewhere back in time that it is possible to have that. It's really just as the old saying goes... 'a thing of beauty is a joy forever'. I think this CD is always going to shine."

Colin Carter adds, "It's left brain / right brain rock. Enough skill, detail and finesse to tease the intellect, mixed with enough raw power to send you skidding out of control across the stage on your knees and crashing into amps. Watch out for the splinters!"

Glass Onyon sent over some background information: Founded by lead vocalist Colin Carter, original YES member, guitar legend Peter Banks, bassist Ray Bennett and drummer Mike Hough, Flash released three critically acclaimed albums in the 1970's and undertook several successful tours of the US and Europe. In the USA, the single "Small Beginnings" reached #29 in the Billboard charts, and the first album 'Flash' made the top 50, propelling the band into major venues on their first tour. In the US, Flash went from intimate venues like the Whisky A Go Go, to large concert halls like New York's Avery Fisher Hall, to the wild crowd of 300,000 music fans at the Soda Pop Festival in Indiana. Flash also made high profile performances on TV shows in Europe and the US, including 'The Midnight Special' and the Wolfman Jack hosted 'Superstars Of Rock'. more on this story




Joanne Shaw Taylor Plans Fall Tour and Live CD and DVD Release
Blues rocker Joanne Shaw Taylor will be launching a four-date headline tour of the UK this fall with support from British Blues Awards 2012 'Best Band' and 'Best Album' winner King King.

The tour dates include London at o2 Shepherd's Bush Empire on November 28th, Birmingham at Town Hall on the 29th, Holmfirth at the Picturedrome on the 30th and Sage at Gateshead on December 1st.

Taylor's recent Borderline concert was filmed for a live DVD/CD that will be released to coincide with the tour. The live recording will be released as part of Ruf Records' ongoing Songs From The Road 2 disc DVD/CDs. Previous releases in the live series include Luther Allison, Jeff Healey, and Savoy Brown.





Singled Out: Heart In Hand
Today Ed Hartwell from Heart In Hand tells us about the title track to their brand new album "Almost There," which is being released today. Here is the story:

This is the title track of our second full length, and was actually the first song that was written for this album, we played an only slightly different version of it a few times on the last Europe tour we did in April 2011. Ollie (guitar), Charlie (Vocals) and I got the title tattooed by a friend we met on said tour in Belgium during that 2 week trip, before we even knew it would be the album title. We just thought it was a nice positive message, with enough ambiguity to be applied pretty much anywhere in anyone's life. I guess it's intended to be a reminder to give anyone that last push to complete something, where they might have given up without it. We later decided it'd be a fitting title for the album, hoping that maybe it'd be a reflection of our musical career and we could take it to the next step! (We'll see)

The songs middle section quietness down and kicks back in with Char saying "So don't forget, never give in, never give up" I guess that further contributes to the overall message, and as simple as that is lyrically, I think it actually works better by being so direct and to the point, rather than playing around with metaphors and stuff.

We had a bit of an issue with is musically in the early months of its existence; We were playing it live occasionally, seeing how it felt etc for a couple of months, when suddenly a band who were getting a lot of attention released this new video with pretty much the exact same lead part in the intro! They will remain nameless, and there was no way it was intentional, just an unfortunate coincidence for us. It was no biggy though, Ollie just wrote a better intro!

The breakdown in the middle has this harmonized lead part under it, and after listening to a pre-production demo we recorded at our drummer's house, we decided it actually sounds like the kind of harmony church bells would play. That makes me enjoy it more.

We just did a video for it in this lame dance hall in Bournemouth, but after playing around with the lighting, managed to make it look really cool. We suited up, cuz why not?

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself and check out the new video here and learn more about the album right here!




Mike Portnoy, Billy Sheehan and Richie Kotzen Supergroup Release Video
(Classic Rock) The Winery Dogs, featuring Mike Portnoy, Billy Sheehan and Richie Kotzen, have released a video for their track Desire, taken from their self-titled album.

The project was the result of a failed collaboration between ex-Dream Theater drummer Portnoy and former Thin Lizzy and Whitesnake guitarist John Sykes. The pair found their work ethics clashed and went their separate ways, leading Portnoy to continue work with new collaborators.

Last year he told Eddie Trunk: "It's a classic rock kind of power trio sound. If you picture Zeppelin, Cream, Grand Funk – if you take that sound of the early 70s then you sprinkle it with Soundgarden, Alice In Chains, Black Crowes or Lenny Kravitz, it's in that vein.

"You've got the phenomenal playing that Richie and Billy do – and I could play a couple of things on the drums as well…. All three of us are singing; Richie is the lead vocalist, but I and Billy are also singing." Check out the video here.




Thirty Seconds To Mars' Radio Memories
(Radio.com) Welcome to Radio Feedback, Radio.com's weekly feature where we ask artists to wax nostalgic on the first time they heard themselves on the radio. This week they speak with Thirty Seconds To Mars.

Jared Leto has always thought the radio was the best way to discover new music. "Radio's pervasive," he told Radio.com. "You're not always in control. You can be in a friend's car. You can be in a taxi. You can be walking by a store or you can be in a lobby somewhere and you can hear something new."

Or you could be sitting in a parking lot at a Home Depot. That's where the guys of Thirty Seconds To Mars were when they heard themselves on the radio for the very first time. "I remember being in Florida," Leto said.

"Wasn't it Jacksonville?" drummer (and Jared's brother), Shannon Leto asked. more on this story




Van Halen's David Lee Roth Shares His Personal History With Wrestling
(hennemusic) Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth talks about his personal history with, and connection to, professional wrestling in the latest episode of The Roth Show.

It's the 15th edition in the online show's series, which provides the singer with a creative outlet while Van Halen are off the road. The group recently headlined The Stone Music Festival in Australia, and are scheduled to play four concerts in Japan in June.

Van Halen will perform at the RockUSA Festival in Oshkosh, WI on July 20, and have recently announced that they'll play the California Mid-State Fair in Paso Robles, CA on July 24.

Today's Day in Rock News !

Today's Day in Rock


Motley Crue Member Attacked By Fan On Stage
(Classic Rock) Motley Crue guitarist Mick Mars was assaulted on stage after an audience member invaded the band's performance area in Canada on Saturday.
The chronically ill musician, who suffers from a disease that makes it difficult for him to move, was knocked down by a person who also grabbed singer VInce Neil and struggled with security men.

Mars, who was celebrating his 62nd birthday, later reported his personal guard Rhyno had suffered two broken ribs. Crue were performing their track Primal Scream when an audience member managed to evade stewards and climbed onto the stage. He ran straight into Mars, sending him to the ground, before making contact with Neil.

The show was stopped as techs restrained the attacker, with bassist Nikki Sixx looking on in concern – and apparently kicking the downed attacker – as two roadies picked Mars off the floor and helped him walk off. Neil told the crowd: "We might be back," before disappearing. After a delay they returned and finished the show. More including video of the attack.



Aerosmith Show Canceled Over Bomb Plot?
Aerosmith have canceled next Saturday's concerts in the Indonesian capital of in Jakarta "due to safety reasons" following an alleged bomb plot, according to Billboard.

The band were scheduled to perform at the JIExpo on May 11th as part of their Global Warming World Tour, but the promoter announced that they have canceled the nearly sold-out show.

The promoter's website ran announcement from Aerosmith's reps that read, "Unfortunately, we have to cancel our upcoming show in Jakarta. We want to apologize to all our fans who were expecting to see us and hope that one day we can make it up to them."

While the band's announcement didn't mention the safety concern in their statement, Billboard reports that that the security concerns may have come from an alleged bomb plot that was targeting the Myanmar Embassy.

Helmi Sugara, a spokesman for the event's organizer, said that the band canceled the show on Saturday. That followed Friday's announcement by Indonesia that they had arrested two suspected militants with bombs.

They report that it was not clear if the show cancelation was directly related to the terror plot or if it was a reaction to some other threat. You can read their report here.



New Guns 'N Roses Album 'Mostly Completed'
Guns 'N Roses fans may not have to wait over a decade for a new album from the band, following the release of their long delayed "Chinese Democracy" in 2008.

The band's guitarist Richard Fortus reportedly told Australian website Noise11.com that many of the songs for a new album have been completed.

While the site does not offer any direct quotes from Fortus, they say they spoke to him and he said that the band has spent a lot of time in the studio working on the album.

He also reportedly said that the album won't be released this year but might see the light of day in 2014, even though the album has already been mostly completed. Read the report here.





Robert Plant Restrains Alleged Stalker
(hennemusic) Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant has taken out a restraining order against a fan that he alleges has been stalking him for the past three years.

The alleged stalker, named as Alysson Billings, who has never met Plant, reportedly believes that she is in a relationship with the Led Zeppelin legend, according to The Sun.

Billings had reportedly turned up at his concerts worldwide and left him hotel keys as well as sending him flowers and packages but things apparently grew worse once Plant became involved with folk singer Patty Griffin.

Billings allegedly sent Plant a slew of threatening messages, according to gossip site TMZ. One message said, "Your betrayal with another woman still stabs my mind."

Another said: "This woman is literally evil for you and your life ... you are about to fall for that dirty old crotch. And I'm not joking, I cannot, will not, shall not live this way anymore." But the third took it to a new level.





Rolling Stones Joined By Keith Urban And Gwen Stefani At Tour Kick Off
(Radio.com) The Rolling Stones rocked Los Angeles' Staples Center on Friday (May 3) with superstar guests and enduring hits at the opening U.S. date of the band's 50th anniversary tour, 50 and Counting.

As the opening guitar strains of "Wild Horses" played, No Doubt lead singer Gwen Stefani strolled onstage. While some older concert goers relied on their younger counterparts to identify the singer with the long blond tresses and classic Stones tour t-shirt, Stefani and Jagger connected for the classic tune from the Stones' 1971 album, Sticky Fingers.

The show didn't lag for a moment, as country star Keith Urban appeared onstage to add blistering guitar licks to "Respectable" from the Stones' 1978 full-length Some Girls while drummer Charlie Watts' rock-solid beat set the pace.

The cavalcade of special guests continued. Former Stones guitarist Mick Taylor joined the band for an extended version of "Midnight Rambler," with Taylor slipped into an easy groove as Richards and lead guitarist Ron Wood exchanged fiery solos and big smiles between them. more on this story





Megadeth Announce Gigantour Details and Black Sabbath Tour Dates
Megadeth have revealed the full lineup and tour dates for this year's Gigantour and also announced that they will be joining Black Sabbath on a separate tour.

Megadeth will headline the Gigantour and frontman Dave Mustaine has selected Zakk Wylde's Black Label Society, former Metallica bass player Jason Newsted's new solo band Newsted, Hellyeah, Disturbed frontman David Draiman's new band Device, and Death Division which features Hellyeah / Nothingface's Jerry Montano and Morbid Angel / Divine Heresy's Tim Yeung.

The trek is set to kick off on July 3rd at Meadowbrook in Gilford, NH and will conclude over a month later on August 11th at the Molson Canadian Amphitheatre in Toronto.

"This year's power-packed lineup is probably the best Gigantour yet, and we've had some pretty massive Gigantours over the years," Mustaine said in the announcement. "Gigantour 2013 brings four of my favorite bands, each centered around a superstar. With Zakk, David, Vinnie, and Jason there are going to be fans from Ozzy to Disturbed to Pantera to Metallica and everything that's metal in-between! Don't miss the metal festival of the summer!"

Megadeth will follow the trek by joining Black Sabbath's South American tour this fall where they will be performing with the metal legends at four concerts. more on this story




Aerosmith, Boston, James Taylor To Play Boston Bombing Benefit Show
Aerosmith, Boston and James Taylor lead a lineup of prominent Boston musicians and other acts that are teaming up for a benefit concert for the victims of the Boston Marathon terrorist bombings.

The benefit concert, "Boston Strong: An Evening Of Support And Celebration," is set to take place on May 30th at the TD Garden in Boston.

The lineup will also feature Jason Aldean, Jimmy Buffett, Dane Cook, Extreme, Godsmack, The J. Geils Band, Carole King, New Kids on the

James Taylor says that the event "is destined to be a true Boston landmark. From the promoters to the sound & lights, to the performers and the Garden staff; everyone involved has responded from the heart in a spontaneous and simultaneous desire to be there and to do what we can for the city we love. I am honored to be a part of it, and...I can't wait".





HIM Cancel Tour For Medical Reasons
The Finish hard rock band HIM were forced to cancel their North American tour after frontman Ville Valo was diagnosed with severe asthma with presumptive pneumonia.

The band officially announced the cancelation over the weekend for the tour which was set to kick off on Friday (May 3rd) in Los Angeles.

The band announced that tickets will be refunded and that they will be touring North America this summer when they take part in the Rock Allegiance tour with Volbeat, All That Remains and Airbourne. more on this story




Black Sabbath Doubted That Bill Ward Could Keep Up
(Classic Rock) Ozzy Osbourne says he, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler doubted that Bill Ward could play his full part in the Black Sabbath reunion. And the singer has suggested that there was more to the drummer's lack of involvement than a straightforward contract argument, observing that the drummer "can't be surprised that he didn't get the gig."

Osbourne tells Mojo, via Blabbermouth: "There was also another side to it. When Bill came along, we all had to ask, 'Can he do an hour-and-a-half, two-hour gig? Can he cope?'

"My suggestion was that we run through a set and see how he got on. He was so out of condition – and the drummer is the most demanding job in the whole band.

"Bill couldn't remember what the f**k we were doing. You know them yellow stick-on memo notes? He had them all over his f**king drums. I was like, 'What the f**k's that for, Bill?' He said, 'I can't remember what I'm doing.' He has more to say.




Metallica Receive Lifetime Achievement Award
(hennemusic) Metallica were honored with the Ronnie James Dio Lifetime Achievement Award at the 5th annual Revolver Golden God Awards in Los Angeles last Thursday.

The band received the honor from Judas Priest vocalist Rob Halford, who would later join them for the group's live performance.

Metallica ripped through a 4-song set that included "Disposable Heroes," "For Whom the Bell Tolls," "Seek And Destroy" and Judas Priest's "Rapid Fire," with Halford on guest vocals. Watch video here.




Deftones Pay Tribute To Kris Kross's Chris Kelly
(Radio.com) During a show Wednesday (May 1) at the Pageant in St. Louis, Deftones paid tribute to 1990s teen rap duo Kris Kross by not only turning their pants backwards but by swapping the chorus of their hard rock hit "Engine No. 9" for "Jump."

"Chris from Kris Kross passed, who we represent full tonight… for the next three tracks," announced frontman Chino Moreno from the stage calling attention to his pants worn backward.

After uproarious audience applause he preached, "The Daddy Mac will make ya…" and let the audience fill in "jump jump."

Moreno called attention to drummer Abe Cunningham, who adorned pants both inside out and backwards. Check out video of the tribute here.




Slash, Duff McKagan and Dave Mustaine Tribute Jeff Hanneman
(Gibson) Tributes have been pouring in for Jeff Hanneman. One of the founding members of the pioneering thrash metal band Slayer, Hanneman died May 2 in California of liver failure. He was only 49.

Slayer's statement was simple. "Slayer is devastated to inform that their bandmate and brother, Jeff Hanneman, passed away at about 11am this morning near his Southern California home. He was 49. Hanneman was in an area hospital when he suffered liver failure. He is survived by his wife Kathy, his sister Kathy and his brothers Michael and Larry, and will be sorely missed."

Responding on Twitter, Slash wrote: "Tragic & shocking news about Jeff Hanneman. He is going to missed by so many. What a sad day for metal. RIP man."

Fellow former Guns N' Roses bandmate Duff McKagan wrote: "Jeff Hanneman of @Slayer RIP. Wow. I'm so very sorry for your loss Hanneman family."

Megadeth guitarist Dave Mustaine stated: "Tonight one less star will be shining and sadly, the stage got just a little bit darker. Jeff Hanneman 1964-2013."

Hanneman had been on hiatus from Slayer since early 2011, when he contracted necrotizing fasciitis, a flesh-eating disease that doctors believed might have been caused by a spider bite. Hanneman almost lost his arm, and was briefly placed in a medically-induced coma. But after a series of skin grafts, he had been working on his physical rehabilitation, including playing guitar. more on this story






Metallica Rock SF Giants Game
(hennemusic) Metallica were the featured guests at the first Metallica Night at AT&T Park in San Francisco on Friday where they kicked off the San Francisco Giants' home game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Metallica performing the National Anthem (you can watch the performance here) and drummer Lars Ulrich threw out the ceremonial first pitch (you can watch it here.)

As part of the festivities, fans were able to bid on one, or both, of the custom made Giants guitars played during the anthem by Metallica members James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett. more on this story




Vampire Weekend Release 'Ya Hey' Lyric Video
(Radio.com) Vampire Weekend continues to heighten the anticipation for Modern Vampires of the City by releasing a new song, "Ya Hey," in the form of a lyric video. The track will be featured on the band's upcoming third album, set for a May 14th release.

The moody, mid-tempo track strikes quite a contrast to previously-released single "Diane Young," and is closer in tone to that tune's accompanying B-side, "Step."

Where the lyric video for "Diane Young" unexpectedly courted controversy by featuring rare Saab automobiles on fire, the "Ya Hey" clip boasts images of people (including the band members) popping champagne bottle on a New York City rooftop.

The song features the band's customarily oblique lyrics, with the spoken-word last verse alluding to a music festival DJ set, referring to both reggae artist Desmond Dekker and the Rolling Stones: "Outside the tents, on the festival grounds/As the air began to cool, and the sun went down/My soul swooned, as I faintly heard the sound/Of you spinning 'Israelites'/Into '19th Nervous Breakdown.'" Check out the lyric video here.




Judas Priest Stars To Attend Epitaph Theatrical Screening
(hennemusic) Judas Priest singer Rob Halford and guitarist Richie Faulkner will be on hand for the New York premiere screening of their new live DVD, "Epitaph."

The May 14 event at New York's Clearview Chelsea will be hosted by That Metal Show's Eddie Trunk. Due May 28, "Epitaph" captures the final show of the band's last ever world tour, filmed at the Hammersmith Apollo London on May 26, 2012.

Worldwide screenings begin May 16 in theaters across the US, UK, Canada, Germany, Austria, Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Spain, Bulgaria, Estonia, Romania, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Central America with many more to follow.

Fans can check out details for their city in the widget here.




Whitesnake Releasing Another New Live Album
(hennemusic) Whitesnake will release their second live album this year. The new album, entitled "Made In Britain/The World Record," will be released on June 19.

The 2CD set includes "Made In Britain," featuring the best takes of the band's concerts in Britain in June 2011, and "The World Record," which contains rare tracks from Whitesnake's shows in Europe and America on the "Forevermore" tour.

Last month, Whitesnake issued the live package, "Made In Japan." The Deluxe 2CD/DVD Edition, Blu-ray and DVD captures the band in concert at the Loud Park festival on October 15th, 2011 at Saitama Super Arena in Japan during their Forevermore World Tour. more on this story




Gary Holt Pays Tribute To Slayer's Jeff Hanneman
(Classic Rock) Gary Holt has paid tribute to friend and colleague Jeff Hanneman, after standing in for the Slayer guitarist until his death on Thursday.

The Exodus axeman was called up in 2011 after Hanneman was bitten by a spider, leading to an attack of necrotising fasciitis that caused the loss of most of the flesh of his arm, and brought him close to death.

Now Holt has released a statement, saying he's "devastated" and that the news "hit me like a ton of bricks." He comments: "Jeff, it's been an honour, my brother, to try my best to honour your songs best I could.

"There is only one Jeff Hanneman. All I ever could hope to do was play those songs you wrote with the conviction with which you played and wrote them. There is only one of you; that mould was broken long ago." more.





3 'Iron Man' Covers For 'Iron Man 3′
(Radio.com) Iron Man 3 is now in theaters. The main cast members are back — Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts and Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan — while Don Cheadle returns as Col. James Rhodes for a second film.

In honor of the occasion, we thought we'd point out three covers of Black Sabbath's classic "Iron Man." Sabbath's original was used in the credits of the first film (the second film's soundtrack was dominated by AC/DC), and Tony Stark was actually wearing a Black Sabbath t-shirt in a crucial scene in The Avengers. Of course, you can't beat the original, from the band's classic second album, 1970′s Paranoid. But here are three others that aren't so bad.

Metallica: This band has a long history with Sabbath. They opened for singer Ozzy Osbourne in 1986, and are notably huge fans of the legendary metal group. Bassist Robert Trujillo played in Ozzy's backing band before joining Metallica (replacing Jason Newstead, who initially replaced Trujillo in Ozzy's band). So, when Black Sabbath was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in 2006 and declined to perform, it was no surprise that Metallica were called on to pay tribute. Below, watch Metallica's two-song set (they perform "Hole In The Sky" followed by "Iron Man," which starts at about 3:40).

The Cardigans: Metallica covering Sabbath is less of a shocker than say, Swedish twee group the Cardigans taking on the song. Sure, you wouldn't expect the band to cover "Iron Man," but they made the classic their own. Slowing things down, singer Nina Persson gets us into the groove right from the start, cooing, "I am Iron Man." It's the most adorable Ozzy impression you'll ever hear.

Find out what No. 3 was and listen to all three here.




Eddie Van Halen & LL Cool J Appear on CNN
(hennemusic) Eddie Van Halen and LL Cool J were among the guests on Friday's edition of CNN's Piers Morgan Live and video from the appearance has gone online.

The pair were on hand to discuss their collaboration on the rapper's new album, "Authentic," which hit stores this past week. The guitar icon appears on two tracks: "We're the Greatest" and "Not Leaving You Tonight."

Eddie has made guest appearances on projects throughout his career, including records by Michael Jackson, Roger Waters, Steve Lukather, Dweezil Zappa, Thomas Dolby and Nicolette Larson. Watch the CNN appearance.




Kadavar's New Video and Behind The Scenes Clip Go Online
(Classic Rock) Classic Rock is proud to premiere the latest video from Kadavar. You can view the new video and an exclusive making-of clip online.

The track Come Back Life is taken from the German psychedelic rock band's second album Abra Kadavar, released via Nuclear Blast last month.

Drummer Tiger recently said: ""We sat down for two weeks straight to finish composing with total commitment. The songs are more diversified, the ideas feel more spontaneous. We've tried to capture much more of our live energy, which is why we've recorded almost everything all together in one room, with the amps turned up to the max." Watch the vides here.




Beware Of Darkness Go Behind The Scenes
(Classic Rock) Los Angeles-based Beware Of Darkness are preparing to release their debut full-length album Orthodox and they introduce themselves in a behind-the-scenes UK tour clip.

This new power trio is made up of songwriter and guitarist Kyle Nicolaides, drummer Tony Cupito and bass general Daniel Curcio.

The band are set to release new single Howl on May 6 with its music video offering up a suitably visceral visual accompaniment. The Orthodox album will be out on May 27.

Beware Of Darkness have been staking a claim to UK soil over the past few weeks with a series of live dates including support slots with the likes of Skunk Anansie and their very own headline performances. They're set to continue on their UK journey with a stint supporting Smashing Pumpkins in July, among various European festival appearances.

Today's Day in Rock News !

Today's Day in Rock


Killswitch Engage's Howard Jones Was In A Coma For 3 Days
Former Killswitch Engage frontman Howard Jones discloses in a new interview that he was in a coma last year for three days due to his type 2 diabetes.
Jones revealed the news in an interview with Metal Hammer. He told them, "Finding out you're diabetic is pretty dramatic. I just started feeling weird, and then I started getting really clumsy. I fell down some stars and broke a finger, then fell down some other stairs and broke a toe. Then I collapsed.

"I was in a coma for three days. They basically told me I had the highest sugar level they'd ever seen. Afterwards, they told me I had a 50/50 chance of coming out with brain damage."

In January of 2012 Jones issued a statement about his reasons for leaving Killswitch Engage and touched on the illness, "Well, I guess I will shed a little light without going too deep. As some of you may know, I've had a pretty interesting couple of years to say the least battling with some personal issues. One of the low points being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes that went unchecked for years. The rest of the band stuck with me through it, and to be honest they are the ones that kept me going. The whole experience definitely put a scare in me." Read the rest here.

Jones returned to the music scene this year. In March we reported that he had formed a new band with Francesco Artusato (Shall Perish) and John Sankey (Devolved/ Fear Factory and Divine Heresy.) You can read more details here.




Black Sabbath With Ginger Baker? Rick Rubin Explains
(Classic Rock) Rick Rubin has explained why he suggested Ginger Baker should play on new Black Sabbath album 13. The producer came up with a list of names including the Cream icon after Bill Ward withdrew from the project. And even though Sabbath vetoed the idea, Rubin had a good reason for putting it forward.

He tells Mojo: "He was on the list I submitted to them. Certain people were dismissed outright by the band, based on having dealt with them on the past, or the baggage. It wasn't always about drumming ability.

"He was on my list because I wanted to get someone who had grown up in the same world as them, and who jammed the way they did. There aren't many of those people left. Most of them are dead.

"I was asking: who grew up listening to the same music as them? Who played in bands where they jammed back then? It's a very different thing from the way hard rock and heavy metal drummers play today. That's the kind of drummer I was looking for." more on this story




David Lee Roth Says Van Halen Are Avoiding Overexposure
(Classic Rock) It may come as a surprise, but Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth believes there's a limit to how much exposure his band should get.

During a recent TV show he explains his theory that their appearances should be like James Bond movies. He says: "Those first 15 years you tour constantly. You're everywhere.

"Now we're on what I call the James Bond schedule. James Bond movies only come out every three years or so. It's been around so long and it's so familiar that, any sooner and its, 'What did he just do?'"

In the full show Roth explains that his house in Pasadena is just about his only example of rock'n'roll excess when it comes to possessions, saying: "I've been here the length of the Van Halen career. A lot of folks in my position like things and stuff – an Italian sports car with a six-syllable name and an Italian trophy wife with a five-syllable name. This was the one material thing that I bought." Read more and watch video of the interview here.




Metallica Jam With SF Giants Pitcher Barry Zito
(hennemusic) Ahead of the first Metallica Night at AT&T Park in San Francisco this Friday (May 3), MLB is sharing video of Giants pitcher Barry Zito hanging out and jamming with the metal legends.

Metallica will be on hand to kick off the San Francisco Giants' home-opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday by performing the National Anthem and throwing out the ceremonial first pitch.

As part of the festivities, fans can bid on one, or both, of the custom made Giants guitars played during the anthem by Metallica members James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett. More.




Deep Purple Debated Making New Album
(Classic Rock) Deep Purple spent three years wondering whether they should make 19th studio album Now What?! says bassist Roger Glover. The band struggled over the decision until they spoke to producer Bob Ezrin last year, and he crystallized their thinking.

"There were different theories in the band about whether we should do a record again, whether we should release an EP, or some singles on the Internet," Glover tells Vintage Rock. "But the bottom line of thinking is: we're an album band and we always were an album band.

"We kind of railed against doing singles. That's kind of strange vanity – but an album, especially with a band like us, is a sort of state of the union address, if you like. It's the state of the band that we're in now.

"Every album we make is a kind of a point in time. I thought we needed to do one. Three years ago, we started thinking seriously, 'Let's have a writing session.' We had no idea where or when we were going to record it." He continues here.





Five Finger Death Punch To Debut Song From New Double Album
Five Finger Death Punch have recorded enough new music for two albums and will be releasing the effort in two different volumes and will debut the first single at the Golden Gods Awards tonight in Los Angeles.

The band have set a July 23rd release date for Vol. 1 of the double album and plan to release Vol. 2 of the effort at a date to be determined this fall.

Guitarist Zoltan Bathory explains why they went with a double album, "We came off the road after a couple of great years of touring and were really amped up to write the 4th record.

"Everybody was in the right headspace and the band tighter than ever so it was a perfect storm. We jumped in head first and found ourselves 12-13 songs deep fairly quick but were still coming up with better and better material so we looked at each other and said, 'why stop there? Let's keep going.'

"Once we passed the 24th song we knew we're going to have to do a double album. We had this massive amount of music that's very dear to us, possibly the best material this band has ever created. At that point there was no way to decide which songs to leave off the album. So we made the decision to release them all."

Fans can tune in to tonight's (May 2nd) AXS TV and Xbox Live broadcast of the Golden Gods Awards to watch the band perform the first single "Lift Me Up." The show will also feature performances from Metallica, Stone Sour, Halestorm and more.

The band will be releasing the single on May 14th and it will be released to radio on May 13th. more on this story





Beck To Debut New Music At Shows This Summer
(Radio.com) Beck is gearing up to premiere songs from an upcoming acoustic album during a handful of recently announced concerts this summer.

According to a press release, Beck will perform "special acoustic sets with minimal accompaniment" in Paris at the Days Off Festival (July 2), as part of Bob Dylan's Americanarama Festival in Wantagh, NY (July 27) and again the following night at the Newport Folk Festival (July 28). He'll use those shows to road-test the new songs as well as "best-loved classics" from his extensive catalog.

In addition to the acoustic shows, Beck will bring out a full band for "a pair of full-on electric blow-outs," scheduled for Boston's Bank of America Pavilion on August 2 and Brooklyn's Prospect Park on August 4.

These shows are described as similar to what he delivered on the festival circuit last year, including the 2012 editions of Outside Lands and the Governors Ball. more on this story




Foo Fighters Star To Rock Johnny Cash Tribute Revival
Foo Fighters guitarist Chris Shiflett's alt-country side project The Dead Peasants has been added to the lineup for this year's Roadshow Revival: A Tribute to the Music of Johnny Cash.

The event will be celebrating its fifth year this year and will be taking place during Father's Day weekend at the Ventura County Fairgrounds in Ventura, CA on June 15th.

Organizers are still adding acts to the lineup but so far they have announced Junior Brown, The Americans, The Blasters, Robert Gordon, Johnny Cash tribute bands Cash'd Out and The Walking Phoenixes. You can find more details here.




Black Sabbath To Offer Best Buy Bonus
(hennemusic) Best Buy will sell a version of the new Black Sabbath album, "13," that features an exclusive bonus track when the album is released on June 11th.

"Naïveté In Black" is one of four bonus songs with the package, but the only one available via the North American retailer; the additional tracks also include "Methademic," "Peace Of Mind," and "Pariah."

"13" was recorded in Los Angeles and produced by Rick Rubin. Sabbath recently kicked off their 2013 world tour in Auckland, New Zealand. more on this story




Classic Sublime Concert Set For Release
Sublime celebrate their 25th anniversary this year and will mark the occasion with the release of "Sublime's 3 Ring Circus: Live at the Palace - October 21, 1995."

The concert took place at the Palace in Hollywood, Ca and features the band performing 27 songs including "Date Rape," "Badfish," and "40 Oz To Freedom."

It will be released in three different configuration on June 18th and features remastered and remixed multi-source live audio taken for the original master tapes.

The DVD version will include the concert video, which was newly edited using Hi-8 video and recently discovered 16mm and Super 8 film footage, according to the announcement.

The CD version will feature the audio recording of the concert and the deluxe 2DVD+CD Deluxe package will feature the audio and video, the original Hi-8 Palace concert video (unedited), an exclusive poster, laminated backstage pass and an additional bonus concert video of Sublime live at the Las Palmas Theater from February 17, 1995. more on this story





Rob Zombie: Classic Album Collection Set For Release
(hennemusic) As Rob Zombie rides high on the charts with his latest release, "Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor," a new Zombie compilation is on the way.

Due May 14, "Rob Zombie: Classic Album Collection" features the albums "Hellbilly Deluxe" (1998), "The Sinister Urge" (2001), "Educated Horses" (2006) and "Past, Present, & Future" (2003).

Each album will come in a new slipcase with a placeholder card for the new album to allow fans to complete their full Rob Zombie studio album set. more on this story




Steven Van Zandt Demands Procol Harum Rock Hall Induction
(Radio.com) Last week, Radio.com spoke with Bruce Springsteen sidekick and E Street Band guitarist Steven Van Zandt about his Rock And Roll Forever Foundation, his initiative to get music history integrated with public school curriculum. But Little Steven being Little Steven, he's juggling a number of projects right now.

We spoke to him about a few other things on his agenda including his recent hiatus from E Street Band, the Rascals' reunion shows (which he prompted and produced) and, for the fun of it, the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, which he often seems to be at least peripherally involved in.

Van Zandt famously advocated for the Rascals' induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1997. Another group whom he campaigned for was the Hollies. Former members Allen Clarke and Graham Nash attended the ceremony, but founding members Tony Hicks and Bobby Elliott were unable to attend… because the current version of the Hollies had a gig in London the night of the induction. This still rankles Van Zandt.

"I couldn't get all the Hollies to show up to the f***ing Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame," he said, "after I practically had to kill people to get them in!"

So, who is the next artist who he thinks deserves induction? "Easy answer: Procol Harum!" he declares, with no pause at all. "It's absurd that they aren't in yet! They're No. 1 for me, on my ballot. I have a lot of No. 2′s, including Johnny Burnette and the Rock and Roll Trio, the greatest rockabilly group of all time, arguably… other than Elvis, Scotty and Bill," referencing Elvis Presley and his early backing group Scotty Moore (on guitar) and Bill Black (on bass). Find out who else he things should be inducted and more.





Chevy Metal, The Bronx For Metallica's Orion Fest After Shows
Metallica have announced the details for the "after shows" to their upcoming Orion Music + More music festival that will be taking place on June 8th and 9th in Detroit.

There will be two after shows for the first night of the festival. One will be taking place at the Majestic Theatre and will feature performances by Chevy Metal (featuring Taylor Hawkins of the Foo Fighters), The Bronx and The Orwells. The other after show will be at St. Andrews Hall and will feature sets from Baroness and Coliseum.

The after party for the second night of the festival will take place at the Fillmore and feature performances from Dillon Francis, Adventure Club and 12th Planet.




Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's Robert Levon Been On The Call's Reunion
(Gibson) 2013 is already a landmark year for Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's Robert Levon Been. The co-singer/bassist/guitarist has reunited his late father's band, The Call, and BRMC have just released a fine new album, Specter at the Feast.

The Call were the acclaimed '80s band led by Robert's father, Michael Been. And Michael was also key to Black Rebel Motorcycle Club: Michael was their live sound engineer right up to his sudden death in 2010. Robert took the place of his father in The Call's L.A. reunion shows of April 2013, and a live DVD of the shows is being edited. And BRMC's Specter at the Feast is also something of a tribute to Been senior: the storming single "Let the Day Begin" is a cover of The Call's best-known song of the 1980s.

Gibson.com asked Robert Levon Been about Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Call and BRMC's Epiphone and Gibson gear…

Was reuniting The Call your idea or did you get asked by the other members? Not sure it was anyone's "idea," we just connected. Those guys were like a second family to me when I was growing up. I was always on the road as a kid with my dad, so I knew them. It took a year to find a window to hook up. It was a shot in the dark, but rewarding. When I strapped on an old fretless bass of my father's, I felt pressure, sure. And his vocal range is much wider than mine. So, I'm not sure how we did it, but we did.

How was it playing your late father's music? I was a nervous wreck before the shows. It was intense. I had 20 songs to learn, songs I thought I knew… but when it comes to the bridge or the third verse, it became harder. But it was a beautiful experience. It was very emotional for me. But it wasn't just to honor my father. It was also about the other guys in The Call. Their hearts are still in it, they're still playing music, even if it's in bar bands just scraping by. But I learned a lot from them, and it was great to do it for them. more on this story






Foals Have No Desire To Be An 'Arena Rock Band'
(Radio.com) Foals reveals in a new interview with Radio.com that they have no desire to be an 'arena rock band,' and they offer up their reasons for the stance.

There's a kind of an arrogance in thinking that you can dictate who you can write your songs for," explained Foals' Yannis Phillippakis in a recent interview with Radio.com. The British rockers have recently found themselves playing to both large and very diverse audiences as a result of their sophomore album Holy Fire, released back in February.

"I do think it's a good thing having a more diverse crowd," Phillippakis continued. "Since the early days when we started out we only played to cool kids at house parties that were in the know. And it's nice to have transcended that kind of clique or that niche. I like the idea that our songs can mean an equal amount to someone in Indonesia or some guy in the North of England who are in very different conditions. I like that it can transcend those types of boundaries."

This is an issue with any band that equates cool factor with audience size. The bigger the audience, the less cool the band must be. And when you place a high value on remaining cool, it's a battle that requires real introspection.

"It seems the more successful you get, your quality of life or the quality of your musical profession is diminished. It's made up for financially but in terms of the fun of music for us of playing and touring and being able to feel like we're connecting. At that [arena] level you can't [connect]." more on this story




Black Spiders Launch PledgeMusic Campaign For New Album
(Classic Rock) Black Spiders have announced their second album will be called This Savage Land. It'll be available via PledgeMusic to pre-order from today (May 1) with the official release on September 2.

The band promise they'll return with "10 songs all equally as epic in proportion as the one before in the classic full-length album format". (By "the one before" they're presumably referring to their acclaimed debut Sons Of The North.)

The Spiders also promise "all manner of special editions and exciting activities" if you get involved with their PledgeMusic campaign. more on this story





Singled Out: Digital Daggers' Out of My Head
Today Andrea Wasse from L.A. alternative duo Digital Daggers tells us about their single "Out of My Head" from their forthcoming album "Close Your Eyes," which will be released on June 11th. Here is the story:

Out of My Head is probably the 'poppiest' song we've done, which is funny because at the time, I was feeling anything but poppy.

When we started writing this song, I was in the grips of a very on again/off again relationship with someone that was making me a little crazy… well, more than a little crazy. I was also still dealing with the aftermath of a long-term relationship that had ended months prior to that, so let's just say that at that time, I wasn't exactly the poster girl for mental sanity.

In fact, I was so wrapped up in sulking, obsessing, and feeling sorry for myself that I wasn't prepared to do anything productive.

Luckily Digital Daggers is a duo, and my partner in crime is a bit of a driving force. He insisted we get together and work on something. So I (begrudgingly) met up with him at our studio, and took the opportunity to exorcise some demons.

I sat down, grabbed an acoustic guitar and played him the first verse, something I'd kind of had milling around my head for a little bit. When I was done, I looked up and saw this look in his eyes, which after having worked together for so long, I know well and hope for. It's almost like something sparks inside his brain and he thinks 'I can do something with this!'…

So we started writing. We threw some ideas and lyrics around, Space started building a track full of cool, almost 90s sounding guitars (a la Elastica), lush yet driving synths, and a really steady beat… the energy in the room was so light that I actually found myself getting up and dancing. It felt like a truly cathartic moment, purging the negativity that had cropped up in my life… just getting it all out of my head- hence the lyrics in the chorus and title of the song.

It took us a few days to fine tune it and get it all recorded, making sure each lyric and sound was right, and in the end we had a song and recording that we were both really happy with. And that's the thing, by the end of that process, I was HAPPY.

Which is a strange and wonderful thing.

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself and check out the lyric video here and learn more about the group and the album right here!





Pearl Jam's Stone Gossard Releases New Solo Song
(Classic Rock) Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard has released his track "Both Live" from upcoming solo album Moonlander and you can listen to the track online.

He says of the third piece to appear from the record: "It's a song I wrote while paddling on Lake Washington, thinking about a friend, who I dreamed set me free from a past restraint. It's more-or-less about how meditation on a conflict can give way to a new understanding. One person doesn't have to lose for the other to win."

He's gone through more than 60 ideas that he'd noted down since his last outing, and says one thing hasn't changed about his approach. "The things I was attracted to then are still the same things I'm attracted to now – oddball riffs that strike my ear as being different. Listen to the new song here.





Iggy and the Stooges Burn For Colbert Report Encore
(Gibson) Iggy and the Stooges ripped through a performance of "Job," a new song from their just-released Ready to Die album, on The Colbert Report on Tuesday (April 30).

After the show, the band stuck around to deliver an encore, scorching through a track titled "Burn." The second segment didn't make the official broadcast, but Stooges fans can watch the band performing "Burn" on the The Colbert Report website.

Iggy, dressed in a suit, was also interviewed by Colbert. Asked about his predilection for going shirtless, the punk icon simply said, "The Pharaoh never wore a shirt."

Thirty seconds into the performance of "Job," Pop charged into the studio crowd, recruiting members of the audience to join him in singing the refrain.

Ready to Die is the first Stooges album to feature guitarist James Williamson since the 1973 classic, Raw Power. You can watch the band's performance of "Burn" here.






What Now Release If Looks Could Kill Video
(Classic Rock) What Now have unveiled a video for "If Looks Could Kill," which is the second single to be released from their latest album Move Like A Sinner.

Having grown up in the dusty beach town of Ballito, South Africa – a place known for its surfing and skateboarding, but with little trace of a music scene – vocalist and guitarist Ryan Morris met drummer Adam Jenkins at school, before recruiting vocalist and bassist Tyron Layley after overhearing him singing at a friend's house.

In their first year, What Now recorded their debut EP, designing their own artwork and printing the CDs at home – spawning a DIY ethic that has stuck with them ever since. Next came a full-length album.

"When our debut record came out we got great radio play on the big South African stations," says Morris. "It was our first taste of real success and we were all delighted of course, but we're a very ambitious band and we just wanted to go big. We didn't want to be trapped in South Africa and be limited by that further down the line. It was an incredibly tough decision, but we knew that we had to leave."