Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Blink-182 Can't Agree If Tom DeLonge Left Group Or Not
Tom DeLonge may or may not have left Blink-182 "indefinitely". The other members of the band, Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker, told fans on Monday that he had left the group but DeLonge issued a statement a few hours later that said he was still a member.

On Monday it was announced that Blink-182 would be headlining the Musink Tattoo & Music Festival in Costa Mesa, Ca in March and that Tom DeLonge would be replaced at the show with Alkaline Trio's Matt Skiba.

Blink-182 reportedly sent out a statement to several media outlets that said DeLonge "didn't want to participate in any Blink-182 projects indefinitely, but would rather work on his other non-musical endeavors."

A few hours later a publicist for DeLonge issued the following statement that quoted him saying, "I never quit the band. Actually, I was on the phone discussing a possible Blink-182 event in New York City when I heard the 'news.' The ONLY truth here is that I have commitments that limit my availability this year."

Hoppus then spoke with Rolling Stone about the situation. He told RS, "I'll walk you through the past two years of Blink-182 history: For the past two years, we've been working with a bunch of different labels to try and get a record deal because the three of us collectively decided that we wanted to make a record with a partner. A few months ago, Travis has this festival that he is co-owner of and presenting and he asked Tom and I if we would play and we said, 'No problem.' At the end of December, we were finalizing our record deal and on Christmas Eve, all three of us signed the deal. We had been talking about where we wanted to record, what producers we want to use, what day we want to start. This is all through e-mail. I don't think either of us have spoken to Tom in person in months, but everything's been moving positively.

"We booked January 5th to go into the studio. On December 30th, we get an e-mail from Tom's manager saying that he has no interest in recording and that he wants to do his other, non-musical stuff and that he's out indefinitely. There's a flurry of e-mails going back and forth for clarification about the recording and the show and his manager sends [an e-mail] back saying, 'Tom. Is. Out.' Direct quote. This is the exact same e-mail we got back in 2004 when Tom went on indefinite hiatus before."

Hoppus was then asked "So from your point of view, there was no ambiguity?" and he responded, "Absolutely. Every single thing that we've heard from his camp - from e-mails from his manager to our production team - was, 'Tom is out indefinitely. For the foreseeable future, Tom is done.'"




Slipknot, Lamb Of God, Bullet For My Valentine Tour Announced
Slipknot will be following up their Prepare For Hell Tour with Hatebreed this spring by launching the Summer's Last Stand tour that will feature Lamb Of God, Bullet For My Valentine and Motionless In White.

The newly announced trek is scheduled to kick off on July 24th in West Palm Beach, FL at the Cruzan Amphitheater and will conclude on September 5th in Dallas, TX at Gexa Energy Pavilion.

Slipknot are launching the tour in support of their new studio album ".5: The Gray Chapter." As previously reported, the band are currently on the European leg of their Prepare For Hell Tour and will be kicking off the North American spring leg with special guests Hatebreed on April 29th in Pensacola, FL Pensacola at the Bay Center and wrap up on May 16th in Grand Rapids, MI at the Van Andel Arena.

The band will also be taking part in music festivals across the globe beginning with the Soundwave Festival in late February and early March in Australia. This spring they have lineup a number of appearances in the U.S. including Fort Rock, Welcome to Rockville, Carolina Rebellion and more.

In early summer the band will head back to Europe to appear at several leading music festivals including Rock Am Ring in Germany, the Download Festival in the UK, Hellfest in France and more. See all of the upcoming tour dates here.




Muse Reveal New Album Clues?
(Radio.com) Muse have revealed new clues about their forthcoming seventh album. In a new Instagram clip posted Monday morning, the band plays a brief audio snippet with a military commander screaming threats at a soldier.

Labeled "Psychological Abuse," the verbal rant is all that can be heard of the song, yet we can assume it's the lead-in to a new song, as other faders are clearly marked, SFX, vocals, guitars, bass, drums, etc.

And that's not all. Pausing the clip reveals a video screen on the sound board displaying the song's recording information. Of course the artist is labeled Muse, but under "Album" a single word has been entered: Drones.

It's not known if 'Drones' is the new album title, as indicated, or merely the track playing at that moment… or something else entirely. But it appears to be a deliberate tidbit of information. More including the clip here.


Gregg Allman Announces Spring Tour
Gregg Allman has just wrapped up his first solo tour following the Allman Brothers Band retirement and now the southern rock legend has announced a new spring tour.

Billed as "An Evening with Gregg Allman," the new tour will be kicking off on March 13th in Northfield, OH at the Hard Rock Casino and concluding on May 9th with an appearance at Austin City Limits Live.

Allman's solo band will once again feature guitarist Scott Sharrard, Peter Levin on keys, drummer Steve Potts, percussionist Marc Quinones, bassist Ron Johnson and horn players Jay Collins, Art Edmaiston and Marc Franklin, according to Rolling Stone. Check out the tour dates here.




Dave Grohl May Still Appear In Kurt Cobain Movie
(Classic Rock) Former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl is absent from upcoming Kurt Cobain documentary Montage Of Heck - but the film's director says that could still change.

Brett Morgen interviewed the Foo Fighters frontman for the film, but didn't have time to add it to the version shown at the Sundance Film Festival over the weekend.

He tells Billboard: "We had a locked print. Trying to re-edit a film with a new interview in 10 days is kind of difficult. This is the picture I wanted - I didn't want there to be a lot of people in the film."

But he adds: "I hope we'll see a version with Grohl some time." Read more here.



Boston's Tom Scholz Angry About Vinyl Album Release
(Classic Rock) Boston mastermind Tom Scholz has revealed his anger over the release of recent album Life, Love & Hope on vinyl - even though he'd refused to approve the master version.

The band mainman, songwriter and producer says he always intended to launch the follow-up to 2002's Corporate America on LP, but he wanted to make sure it matched his notoriously high standards.

Scholz says: "Time and money went into making analogue mixes of the album so that serious listeners could hear the origin sound, instead of the now-typical sound of vinyl cut from digital mixes.

"As the world has converted to digital even when it's a bad idea, the facilities available to master an album from analogue tape to vinyl have nearly all gone away. Those that remain are not equipped or maintained like rooms were 20 years ago.

"The end result for Boston was an unacceptable vinyl master that had clicks, static and dropouts during many of the quiet segues between cuts." Read more here.


Megadeth Offshoot Recruit Shadows Fall Star
(hennemusic) Former Megadeth duo Chris Broderick and Shawn Drover have confirmed the addition of Shadows Fall bassist Matt Bachand to the lineup for their new band, which also includes former Scar The Martyr singr Henry Derek Bonner.

Both Broderick and Drover issued separate statements in late November - just hours apart - that they were leaving Megadeth to pursue their own musical interests.

"I have known Matt for 15 years now and he is a great musician, songwriter, singer and all around great person," says Drover. "To say I'm jacked up about having Matt with us is an understatement!"

The band have been writing material for their debut album. "All the songs have shaped up nicely and there is a lot of metal dynamics on these songs, overall," explains the drummer. "Some of them are flat-out thrash-speed metal, others are uptempo, but I can assure you it is all 100% HEAVY METAL. Those who know me know I have always been an advocate for the more aggressive metal stuff, so if you're expecting anything to the contrary on this record, you would be dead wrong."

The group will begin recording its debut album this weekend in Hartford, CT. Read more here.



Former Aphrodite's Child Singer Demis Roussos Dead at 68
(Prog) Former Aphrodite's Child singer Demis Roussos - best known for his career as a solo artist - has died at the age of 68. He's confirmed to have passed away at the Hygeia Hospital in Athens, Greece, but his cause of death has not been reported.

Born and raised in Egypt, Roussos moved to Greece with his family and co-founded prog outfit Aphrodite's Child in 1967 alongside keyboardist Vangelis, drummer Loukas Sideras and guitarist Silver Koulouris.

The band received most acclaim for third album 666, released in 1972 - it regularly appears in lists of the best 100 prog albums of all time and received acclaim for fourth track The Four Horsemen. Read more here.



Mark Knopfler Announces New Album and American Tour
Former Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler has announced that he will be launching a North American tour this fall in support of his new solo album, "Tracker," which will be released on March 17th.

The North American tour is scheduled to kick off on September 10th in Vancouver, BC, Canada at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre and conclude on October 31st in Fort Lauderdale, FL at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts.

The new album will be released in various formats including a standard CD, a double vinyl, a deluxe CD with four bonus tracks, digitally, as well as box set that will include CD and vinyl copy of the album, a bonus CD featuring six extra tracks, a DVD with an exclusive short film directed by Henrik Hansen and an interview with Mark. Amazon is taking preorders for some of the formats here.

Knopfler had this to say about the album, "The album title 'Tracker' arrived out of me trying to find my way over the decades. Out of me tracking time - looking at people, places and things from my past, and out of the process of tracking as in recording tracks in the studio." Check out the tour dates and the album track details here.



Faith No More Launching First North American Tour Since 2010
2015 is shaping up to be a big year for Faith No More. Not only does the band plan to release their first studio album since 1997's "Album of the Year" but the group will be launching their first North American tour since 2010.

The North American tour will be kicking off on April 15th in Vancouver, BC at the PNE Forum and will be concluding on May 15th in Philadelphia, PA at the Electric Factory.

The band is currently finishing work on the new album, which they are planning to release in May via their new imprint Reclamation Recordings. Faith No More's Bill Gould is overseeing the production of the new effort.

He had this to say about the tour, "Here we go. First North American tour dates, some in cities we haven't played in over 17 years. We are armed with the new material and ready for whatever comes our way."

The band will release the album's second single "Superhero" as a limited edition 7" single on March 17th. It will be released digitally on March 31st. Check out the tour dates here.



Rare Johnny Ramone Guitar Sells For $71K
(Classic Rock) A rare guitar owned by Johnny Ramone has sold at auction in the US for $71,000. The red 1965 Mosrite Ventures V1, pictured, was one of nine Mosrites owned by the Ramones man who died in 2004 from prostate cancer. It's autographed "Best always, Johnny Ramone, 5/22/90." It was auctioned by Boston-based RR Auction.

Their executive VP Bobby Livingston says in a statement: "One of just nine Mosrite guitars owned by Johnny Ramone known to exist - it's not surprising that it was able to achieve such an impressive figure."

Auction notes indicate the instrument was the guitarist's chosen six-string for TV appearances in the 80s and had been modified by Ramone - with a new tremolo system and a DiMarzio FS-1 bridge pickup added. Read more here.




Dave Lombardo and Charlie Benante Receive Thrash Legend Honors
(Classic Rock) Former Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo and Anthrax counterpart Charlie Benante have been named thrash legends. They were handed awards for their pioneering work in the genre at the annual Bonzo Bash, held in California to commemorate Led Zeppelin sticksman John Bonham.

Benante told an audience of fellow musicians: "This is such an honour. Why do we do it? We're drummers and we love it. If what we did or do inspires someone then that's the greatest."

Lombaro pointed out the pair's award plaques weren't as accurate as they could have been: "It says 'inspiring drumming since 1986.' My first album was released in 83. I'll take Charlie's because his says 84." Read more here.



Phil X Not Trying To Be Richie Sambora In Bon Jovi
(Classic Rock) Phil X says he can't be himself when playing with Bon Jovi - and adds that he doesn't even try to be like the man he replaced. The guitarist - full name Philip Xenedis - stepped in for Richie Sambora in 2011 and again in 2013 when Sambora walked away for personal reasons. While he's loved every minute with Bon Jovi so far, Xenedis says he can't really be himself unless he's performing with his own band, The Drills.

Discussing his involvement in the upcoming film Hired Gun, Xenedis tells The Double Stop Podcast: "When you're a hired gun, your level of creative input is limited. Even when I toured with Bon Jovi, I couldn't be Richie, because I'm not. But I couldn't really be me, so I became this guy in the middle somewhere who was between the two.

"When I did the first 13 shows with Bon Jovi in 2011, on Sunday night I played in St Louis, it was the last show. Jon asked me to sing the last verse of Wanted Dead Or Alive and it was in front of 20,000 people. When I came home on Friday, I played at The Roxy with The Drills. And to me it was as exciting - 200 people, my songs, doing my thing, with people in the front freaking out." Read more here.




Paradise Lost Reveal New Album Details
(TeamRock Radio) West Yorkshire's Paradise Lost have announced details of the bands 14th studio album, the follow-up to 2012's Tragic Idol. The Plague Within was recorded with Jaimie Gomez Arellano, who's previously worked with Ghost BC, Ulver, Cathedral and Angel Witch.

"We wanted to approach the new album differently this time by embracing the band's VERY early days, "says Nick Holmes. "We have written a very dark, yet melodic album, but this time many songs definitely have a death metal edge, which is something we haven't done for a long long time in Paradise Lost."

Last year, keyboardist Adrian Erlandsson hinted that the album might herald a return to the growling vocal delivery of the band's early releases. Read more here.




Udo Thinks Accept Now Plays Without Emotion
(Classic Rock) Former Accept frontman Udo Dirkschneider says the band's current lineup play "without emotion." The singer - who's working with his new group UDO - declined to take part in Accept's 2009 reunion, and he was replaced by Mark Tornillo who has been with the band since.

And Dirkschneider says that what he has seen of the band with Tornillo at the helm has left him "disappointed." He tells the Lokaos Rock Show: "I was watching a show of Accept in Hamburg, and I was a little bit disappointed. It was without any emotion.

"For me, there was no band on stage. Playing-wise, it was okay, but it was without any emotion. It was automatic - like, do it and then go." Read more and stream the interview here.




Xibalba Streaming New Album 'Tierra Y Libertad' Online
(TeamRock Radio) Pomona hardcore quintet Xibalba release their brand new album 'Tierra Y Libertad' this week and TeamRock are offering up a full stream of the album online.

The band's follow-up to 2012' Hasta La Muerte was recorded at The Pit studio in Van Nuys and produced by Taylor Young (Nails, Twitching Tongues, Disgrace).

Artist Dan Seagrave, the man responsible for Dismember, Entombed and Suffocation's album artwork, was commissioned to paint the cover for their third full-length release.




Oasis Would Only Reunite For The Money
(TeamRock Radio) Noel Gallagher says he'd only take part in an Oasis reunion for the money - but he's not sure he'll ever be asked. The band split in 2009 after relations collapsed between he and brother Liam.

Now Noel, who's poised to release his second High Flying Birds album Chasing Yesterday, tells Q: "Nobody has made us an offer. I've been in the same room as Liam and even then nobody's said, 'Weren't Oasis great? You should reform. But if I was ever going to do it, it would only be for the money."

He insists his comments don't mean he's "putting it out there" and adds: "Would I do it for charity? No way - we're not that kind of people. For Glastonbury? I don't think they've got enough money." Read more here.


Joe Lynn Turner Announces UK Acoustic Tour
(Classic Rock) Joe Lynn Turner has announced he'll launch his intimate acoustic tour An Evening With... on April 1 in Edinburgh. The singer will perform songs from his extensive 30-plus-year career - which includes stints with Fandango, Rainbow, Yngwie Malmsteen, Deep Purple, Mother's Army, Brazen Abbot, Sunstorm and more.

Turner says: "It's been quite some time since I have visited the UK and Northern Ireland to see all of my friends and fans. I'm really looking forward to having such an intimate situation with Q & A and an acoustic set of songs. These shows will be very special indeed. See you all soon!"

Turner hinted last summer that a Rainbow reunion could be in the works, later adding the scenario would allow the band to go out "in a blaze of glory." Check out the tour dates here.




KISS's Tommy Thayer Gets Signature Les Paul
(Gibson) Current KISS lead guitar player Tommy Thayer will be getting his own Epiphone Signature Model Les Paul this spring. The new guitar has a solid mahogany body with a plain maple veneer top finished in metallic white, offset by a chrome pickguard and chrome hardware.

Tommy has chosen to carry on the 'white and chrome' look by choosing a while Seymour Duncan JB humbucker for the bridge and a chrome Duncan humbucker for the neck position.

"My new 2015 signature model is the pinnacle of looks, style and flash," Tommy says. "I'm proud to put my name on a serious guitar that can be enjoyed at home or rock the biggest stages in the world."

The Limited Edition Tommy Thayer 2015 Signature Les Paul Outfit is released in Spring 2015, and includes a custom hard case, an "Inspired by" Custom Studded Leather Strap just like Tommy's original, a Hand Signed Certificate of Authenticity, a binder with certificate and official photograph, and Epiphone accessories including a user's manual, Epiphone poster, Epiphone bumper sticker, and more. See the guitar here.






Cranium Pie Reveal New Album Details
(Classic Rock) English prog outfit Cranium Pie have confirmed their next album will be entitled Mechanisms Part 2. The double-length work will be launched via Fruits de Mer on March 30. It's the follow-up to 2012's Mechanisms Part 1.

The album, which is described as being "reminiscent of late 60s/early 70s keyboard-driven progressive rock," contains four tracks, each one taking up a full side of the vinyl edition.

Cranium Pie say of the concept: "Bravely the last band on Earth clung to survival, transmitting their messages of hope over the short waves to any listener alive. Entombed in their subterranean domain, they made recordings using broken equipment salvaged from the museum of hospital radio.





Vinny Appice Played Dio and John Lennon's Final Shows
(Classic Rock) Veteran drummer Vinny Appice has recalled playing with Ronnie James Dio and John Lennon on their last ever shows. He's revealed that when Dio brought him into Black Sabbath for 1981's Mob Rules, the first track he played was Sabbath's Neon Knights - which was also the last song he played live with the iconic singer before his death in 2010.

Appice tells The Classic Metal Show: "Before I met Black Sabbath I met Tony Iommi the night before. The next day I went down to the rehearsal studio and I met Ronnie, Geezer Butler, Geoff Nicholls on keyboards and Tony again.

"The first song we played was Neon Knights - the first song I ever played with Ronnie and the last song I ever played with Ronnie. It's a weird trip between 30-something years from the first time to the last."

He only recently discovered that he was also behind the kit for Lennon's last-ever performance, shortly before his murder in 1980. Appice says: "We did the show at the Hilton and it was a live worldwide telecast. That was his last appearance ever - and I f***ing played on it. I didn't know that until a magazine called Guitar Aficionado came out last year." Stream the full interview here.




Mother Protests 'Satanic' School Bus Lights
(Classic Rock) An angry mother in Tennessee has exploded with fury after claiming the tail lights of a local school bus are pentagrams. She saw the patterns in the LED cluster behind the red circular casings, took a photo, and has demanded action from Durham School Services in Cordova - partly because she says Christians aren't allowed to display crosses on vehicles.

WMC Action News 5 reports: "Anyone who fears a God, if not God and Jesus Christ, should be outraged. If you can't put a cross on there, you can't put a pentagram on it."

The news service says they won't reveal her name because she's "getting death threats for her views." Education bosses haven't commented. Read more and see the photo of the lights here.



Linkin Park's Chester Bennington Shares Post-Leg Surgery Photos
(hennemusic) Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington is sharing photos following surgery on his leg, an injury that forced the cancellation of the remaining North American dates on The Hunting Party winter tour.

"Headed into surgery in an hour. Ass kicking will commence in 6 weeks," tweeted the singer on Jan 20, followed by a first post-op image of his foot in a cast. "I will now set off metal detectors everywhere."

On January 23, Bennington posted a photo while getting some fresh air outside in a wheelchair. "First ray of sunshine since the surgery. Thank you to everyone for all your support and well wishes."

On Monday, the rocker posted "Looking at my ankle for the first time since the surgery. IT LOOKS INSANE!!!!" and tweeted two pictures of the scars from the leg surgery.

"Lookin good," he wrote, adding, "Thanks for stopping at the tattoo Doc." Check out the photos here.




Mastodon Aimed To Make Catchy But Not Cheesy Album
(Prog) Mastodon's Troy Sanders says the band managed to be catchy without being cheesy on their latest album. The singer and bass player says last year's release Once More 'Round The Sun is more melodic than much of their previous work and that it was a conscious decision to go for hook-laden songs this time out.

But they were careful not to veer into cheesy territory. Sanders tells SpazioRock: "We've tried to incorporate more melody - not only guitar-wise, but vocal melodies and vocal harmonies and vocal patterns that really are catchy. Like hooks that bring you in and make a song more memorable.

"So we did spend more time and effort on trying to find those right vocal moments for this new record without cheating the song's music itself. You can find vocal patterns that are catchy and meaningful to the song without just being cheesy about it and singing for the sake of not screaming. We're always trying to be better songwriters, and just continue to evolve and make songs that don't sound like the last song we wrote." Read more here.




Jon Anderson Releases Audio Documentary
(Prog) Jon Anderson has released a 40-minute audio documentary in which he explores the musical journey of his life. The former Yes frontman discusses how he was inspired by classical composers including Mozart, Delius and Greig, saying of Stravinsky: "I wanted to know how he did that - how did he manage to put all that together? I began playing piano."

He continues by talking about his adventures in Indonesia and China, discovering a gamelan music school, explorations in Bali and other journeys. Reflecting on how one's music will last far beyond one's life, Anderson says he'd love it if, some time in the future, a group of young musicians get together and say: "Let's do what Yes did - let's play their music and see what it would sound like now. That would be cool."

The Mysteries Of Music documentary includes Yes masterpiece Awaken along with many samples of music that's meant something to him over the years. Stream the documentary here.



Cancer Bats Release 'True Zero' Video
(TeamRock Radio) Cancer Bats have posted a video for their new single, 'True Zero'. The track is taken from the Toronto quartet's forthcoming album, Searching For Zero, which was produced by Ross Robinson (Slipknot, Korn, At The Drive In).

Frontman Liam Cormier recently told Metal Hammer about Robinson's infamous recording techniques, which included throwing objects at the singer's head while he was in the vocal booth.

Said Liam: "It was fun to go to work in a war zone! He only throws stuff when things are going well. It's part of the energy that he brings and you're stoked that he's throwing stuff at you while you're recording because that means everyone is killing it. He's not throwing a Coke can at your head because you suck!"





Black Star Riders' Warwick and Johnson Answer Burning Questions
(Classic Rock) Black Star Riders duo Ricky Warwick and Damon Johnson have spoken of their Thin Lizzy legacy and their love of Motorhead mainman Lemmy. The Lizzy offshoot men share their thoughts in a Q&A session ahead of the release of their second album The Killer Instinct, out on February 23 via Nuclear Blast.

Guitarist Johnson says: "I think that the Lizzy faithful have been incredibly supportive of this band doing two things. Creating brand new music, and continuing to celebrate and honour the spirit that was Phil Lynott, that was Thin Lizzy - and that is Thin Lizzy because Lizzy lives on in all of the fans, and in Scott Gorham for sure."

Asked about last year's split with bassist Marco Mendoza - who was replaced by Robbie Crane - the pair say they remain good friends with Mendoza. "Marco is our boy, he's our brother," Johnson reports. Read more and stream the full Q&A here.




Uli Jon Roth Views His Songs As His Children
(Classic Rock) Uli Jon Roth says the songs he's written throughout his career are like his "children." The guitar icon releases Scorpions Revisited on March 10 via UDR, an album for which he has re-recorded a number tracks he helped write while working with the German metal band.

And he says going back to those old songs - originally recorded in the 1970s - was an enjoyable experience both in the studio and on the road with his band.

Roth tells LA Weekly: "When you're a songwriter, composer, your songs are a little bit like your children, and these are basically very, very old children of mine.

"They've grown up. They've gone through a lot of changes. They've seen a lot, and I still feel connected. Some more so than others, but particularly when we were recording them and playing them on tour, I felt very much connected.

"It was as if we've never been apart. But we have been apart because there was a very long stretch of time where I did not listen to them or play them live." Read more here.




The Sirens Release Live 'Fearless' Video
(Prog) The Sirens have launched a live video of their track Fearless. It's the third release from the collaboration between The Gathering's Anneke van Giersbergen, The 3rd And The Mortal's Kari Rueslatten and Leaves' Eyes and The Theatre Of Tragedy's Liv Kristine.

Kristine revealed the project came about following a chance meeting with van Giersbergen at the Masters Of Rock festival in the Czech Republic in 2013.

She said: "We only had a few minutes to talk between our gigs but we agreed that we should get together and tour. Anneke told me she had just talked to Kari and that was the 'go' for The Sirens."

The group head to South America later this week for shows in Mexico, Chile and Brazil. Watch the video here.




Singled Out: Lord Dying's A Wound Outside of Time
Today Erik Olson from Lord Dying tells us about the song "A Wound Outside of Time" from their brand new album "Poisoned Altars," which was released this week. Here is the story:

"A Wound Outside of Time" is a personal piece about struggling with alcohol addiction and the madness that comes along with it. Something I have struggled with for the better part of the last 14 years or so. While it might come across seeming pretty dark I like to think the listener can also discover a sense of hope.

The lyrics for the song were written while we were in the studio. I was terribly unprepared as usual and in between Chris' guitar over dubs Joel told me that next thing was my vocals for 'Wound' and I was like oh sh*t! I've still gotta go write the lyrics!" So I jotted down what first came to mind.

The song was written while we were working on a handful of songs for 'Poisoned Altars', but this one came really fast. I wrote a couple of riffs and then showed them to Chris and then we realized the structure was there. We always wanted to write a few songs that were short and catchy. There really aren't enough of those out there in the metal world, this was our attempt.

Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


AC/DC's 'Big Balls' Remade For NFL Deflategate Controversy
(hennemusic) AC/DC's 1976 classic, "Big Balls", has been updated as the quarterback Tom Brady, the New England Patriots and the NFL continue to deal with the Deflategate scandal heading into Super Bowl week.

Seattle's Sports Radio KJR has posted "Tom's Big Balls" as both a parody and commentary on the controversy, which revolves around the Patriots' use of deflated footballs in the first half of the team's AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts on January 18.

The footballs were replaced by NFL officials at halftime of that game after the Colts brought it to their attention; the Patriots went on to win 45-7. The NFL is continuing to investigate the matter while the Patriots deny their involvement in the incident; the team was caught cheating in 2007 when they videotaped opponent's defensive coaches signals in violation of league rules - an event later known as Spygate.

The Patriots will play the NFC Champion - and defending Super Bowl Champions - Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl 49 in Glendale, Arizona on February 1.

"Big Balls" first appeared on AC/DC's 1976 album, "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap." The record was originally issued in Australia before seeing an international release three months later…and 5 years later in the U.S. Read more and listen to the parody here.




Bumblefoot Addressed Scott Weiland Supergroup Controversy
Guns N' Roses' guitarist Ron 'Bumblefoot' Thal has addressed the controversy sparked last week when former Stone Temple Pilots' frontman Scott Weiland distanced himself from the new supergroup Art of Anarchy.

Soon after the new group announced that they are preparing to release their debut album featuring Thal, Weiland, Disturbed's John Moyer and twins Jon and Vince Votta, Weiland issued a statement telling fans that he is not the group's permanent frontman.

Weiland told fans via his Facebook page, "I just saw some press about a side project called art of anarchy that I worked on last year - I wrote and put my vocals down for these guys and had fun doing a couple of videos too, we had a lot of fun. When they find their front man to hit the road and play some dates, check them out."

Bumblefoot addressed Weiland's role in the band in a statement to Rolling Stone. He said, "The five of us made an album together. Scott is currently the singer of the band. It's in writing; no confusion. But yes, Scott's solo album and tour are his priority and we're all on the same page about getting another vocalist if Art of Anarchy hits the road.

"But we don't need to cross that bridge just yet. Taking everything as it comes, one step at a time, letting it evolve organically. Where it goes from here (and with who!) is yet to be seen."

He also explained how the new band is not in conflict with other groups the members may be involved with. "Art of Anarchy is not competition or a threat or interference to what any of us are doing - it's a complement, an addition, one I'm proud of creatively. No need to minimize or undermine or devalue a project we all worked on together over the course of two years.

"I enjoyed working with Scott. And I'm looking forward to the Wildabouts album release, the Bumblefoot album release, and the Art of Anarchy album release. The more music the better, it's what we do, right? :) Artists do collaborations and a month later, their own album comes out. This is normal stuff. All good. :)"





Paramore Announce Intimate Theater Tour
Paramore has announced that they will be hitting the road this spring for "Paramore: Writing The Future," a tour of intimate venues in North America with support from Copeland.

The tour is scheduled to launch on April 27th in Augusta, GA at the Bell Auditorium and will be concluding on May 25th in Portland, OR at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall.

Paramore are launching the tour as their last promotional trek for their self-titled album. Frontwoman Hayley Williams explains, "It feels right to bring the Self-Titled era to a close.

"We've had a very personal and hugely triumphant journey with this one. What wouldn't feel right is saying goodbye to this time in the band's career and not celebrating it with our fans in some special way.

"So we've decided to do one last little run with it. Smaller shows, beautiful theaters... and we're not calling it a tour, by the way. Each night will be a little event, or as we said just a few seconds ago, a celebration." Check out the list of tour dates here.




Rush Trek Likely Their Last Major Tour
(Classic Rock) Rush say their 40th anniversary tour is likely to be the last of its kind. The prog giants finally confirmed a 34-city US journey last week, after several months of discussion about whether to return to the road at all.

Guitarist Alex Lifeson had said he was looking forward to touring again while frontman Geddy Lee was less certain. And drummer Neil Peart admitted to Prog that the decision was a "true dilemma" for him because he felt he was "causing pain" to his family.

Now Rush say via a press release: "These not-to-be-missed concerts will highlight four decades of the band's music. This will most likely be their last major tour of this magnitude." here.




The Black Keys Forced To Cancel Tour Due To Injury
(Classic Rock) The Black Keys have cancelled their upcoming UK and European tour dates following an injury sustained by drummer Patrick Carney over the holidays. Carney dislocated his shoulder on January 3 when a wave slammed him to the ocean floor while vacationing on the island of Saint-Barthélemy.

As the drummer recuperates, he and guitarist/vocalist Dan Auerbach have been forced to cancel all European shows in support of their 8th album, Turn Blue.

Due to prior scheduled commitments and venue availability, efforts to reschedule the original dates were unsuccessful, so fans can access refunds at their original point of purchase.

Carney and Auerbach issued a statement about the situation. "We are very sorry to have to cancel our upcoming performances through March 10. Patrick needs time to heal. We thank all of our fans for their support and we're looking forward to getting back on the road." Read more here.



Tangerine Dream's Edgar Froese Dead At 70
(Classic Rock) Tangerine Dream founder Edgar Froese has died at the age of 70, it's been announced. He passed away last Tuesday after suffering a pulmonary embolism - a blockage in the artery that transports blood to the lungs - but news of his death was only made public this evening via the band's Facebook page.

A statement reads: "On January 20th, Tuesday afternoon, Edgar Froese suddenly and unexpectedly passed away from the effects of a pulmonary embolism in Vienna. The sadness in our hearts is immense.

"Edgar once said, 'There is no death, there is just a change of our cosmic address.' Edgar, this is a little comfort to us." Froese formed Tangerine Dream in 1967 and released their debut Electronic Meditation in 1970. Read more here.



Def Leppard's Vivian Campbell Hopeful About Cancer Fight
(hennemusic) Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell is sharing an update on his ongoing battle with cancer. Campbell was diagnosed last year with Hodgkin's Lymphoma; he immediately began chemotherapy and other treatments.

"Well, I seem to be in a good spot at the moment," he tells Eddie Trunk. "You can never be too certain with these things, 'cause they can come creeping back. But after three rounds of chemo over the last two years, I did a stem-cell transplant in October. And the first PET scan that I did on New Year's Eve came back really, really good - there's no sign of the tumors - so I'm hopeful that we're on the right path. I mean, that's certainly the way I've been thinking."

"I'm not letting it concern me at all. But continuing for the next few years, I'll be doing more scans and follow-ups and stuff, just to make sure, but I'm certainly feeling healthy, you know?!"

The guitarist - who got married this past summer - explains how his treatment has unfolded since the cancer returned after he revealed things were in remission in November 2013.

"For anyone who knew anything about cancer, they'd probably say, 'Well, that's not unusual,'" says Campbell. "But I didn't. I got my diagnosis in the spring of 2013 when we were doing the Las Vegas residency with Def Leppard. And as soon as we were done with that, I started six months of chemo."

"And I just kind of naturally assumed you do the chemo, you do a scan at the end of the chemo and it shows that you're good, and that's it. But apparently not. It was, like, ninety-something percent gone, and it was what they couldn't see on the scan that came creeping back. And it came back so fast." Read more here.




Motley Crue Guitarist Thinks New Rock Bands Are Lacking
(Classic Rock) Motley Crue guitarist Mick Mars believes many bands have forgotten what rock music is all about. And he insists that many of the acts coming through lack "punch and vigor" in their live performances.

Mars tells Ultimate Classic Rock: "There's a lot of bands that kind of forget what rock'n' roll really is - the show part and the raw, in-your-face kind of thing.

"Alice Cooper said guitars, drums and singers will always be part of rock'n'roll, but I think the newer rock'n'roll lacks something. There's that element that's a little bit light or lacking the heaviness, punch and vigor." Read more here.




Megadeth Offshoot Moving Closer To Album
(Classic Rock) Former Megadeth drummer Shawn Drover has confirmed he, Chris Broderick and Henry Derek Bonner have hired a producer for their upcoming album.

The sticksman, along with guitarist Broderick, quit Dave Mustaine's group in November and hooked up with former Scar The Martyr vocalist Bonner in the new project.

Drover previously said work was continuing on writing new material - now he reveals they're about to start laying down tracks in the studio and a record deal is imminent.

He says in a statement: "Another very productive week. We now have chosen who will produce our new record, we have chosen our bass player and will be signing our record deal this week. All will be revealed soon. February 1st it begins." Read more here.




Peter Frampton and Cheap Trick Announce Coheadlining Tour
(Radio.com) If you thought Peter Frampton was gonna let that incident where he threw a fan's phone keep him down, you were wrong. So, so wrong. Ultimate Classic Rock reports that Frampton is hitting the road this summer with none other than Cheap Trick coming along for the ride.

It is set to hit a handful of cities across the United States and Canada. The tour, will kick off out west this June with a date in Lincoln, California, and continue through August, when it will wrap in Toronto.

The gaps in the tour indicate more stops to be announced, so stay tuned if and when they should make that information public. For now, scope the announced Peter Frampton and Cheap Trick co-headlining dates here.




Hinder Announce Their Latest Vocalist
(Classic Rock) Hinder have recruited vocalist Marshal Dutton after parting ways with Nolan Neal - making Dutton the band's fourth frontman in two years. Original vocalist Austin Winkler departed in 2013 in the middle of a US tour to enter rehab. Saving Abel singer Jared Weeks filled in for their remaining dates, then Neal was named as full-time replacement last year.

Hinder say in a statement: "As our loyal and beloved fans know, we have been searching to find the perfect fit for two years now - and we recently came to realise that it was right under our nose the entire time.

"Marshal has been a part of the family since 2009 when he began co-writing/producing on the All American Nightmare album. He has been a co-producer on every Hinder release since, and truly loves this band as we do." Read more here.




Bob Dylan Giving New Album Away To Select Fans
(Radio.com) If you're a member of AARP, that's now a bragging right--especially if you're a fan of Bob Dylan. The elusive songwriter gave his first interview in almost three years to the American Association of Retired Persons and he's also treating 50,000 of their members to his new album for gratis.

As for which members will be lucky enough to receive it? A publicist for the magazine has confirmed to Wondering Sound that the selection process will be completely random. 'If it was up to me, I'd give you the records for nothing and you give them to every [reader of your] magazine," Dylan told the magazine.

In his interview, Dylan added context to Shadows in the Night, his album of American standards previously recorded by Frank Sinatra, saying he was inspired to do it decades ago after hearing Willie Nelson's 1978 Stardust, a collection of tracks from the Great American Songbook. Read more here.




Phil Anselmo To Receive Hometown Honor
(Classic Rock) Former Pantera and current Down vocalist Phil Anselmo will receive the Musical Artist Of The Year Award at the 10th annual President's Arts Awards in his hometown of Covington, Louisiana on January 31.

The awards recognize individuals in several categories - including performing, visual, literary, music and culinary - in the St. Tammany Parish of New Orleans.

Anselmo says he is thrilled to be honored by his hometown. He tells Nola.com: "To be recognized within the community I'm a part of is perhaps one of the greatest accolades ever."

"I want to thank all who recognized me and Housecore Records as this year's best constituent, and I hope our local music scene grows more and more, and I hope I can help facilitate a place for the cream of the crop to thrive." Read more here.




Apocalyptica Recruit Scars On Broadway Star For New Album
(Classic Rock) Apocalyptica are preparing to hit the road to perform material from their upcoming album, Shadowmaker, for fans worldwide. The band teamed with Scars On Broadway guitarist Franky Perez to handle vocals on their 8th release, which is due in April via Eleven Seven Music.

The Finnish outfit performed a one-off show on January 22 as part of the 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise, and are now setting their sights on appearances at Australia's Soundwave Festival next month.

Drummer Mikko Siren explains the group are in rehearsals for a full tour as Shadowmaker nears completion. He tells Australia's Rabid Noise podcast: "We haven't played those songs in, maybe, four months. We rehearsed them a lot and then we recorded them, and ever since, we haven't been playing even together. We've been just, like, recording individual parts. I think there's two songs more to be mixed." Read more here.




Queensryche Returning To 1980s Sound On New Album
(Classic Rock) Queensryche frontman Todd La Torre says their new material is reminiscent of albums the band recorded in the 80s. And he says the tracks have the dynamic drive that made the group such a success during the early Geoff Tate era.

He tells Music Enthusiast: "The songs that we have right now are melodic. There are some heavy tunes that are really rocking. Some of the songs remind me of Rage For Order and Operation: Mindcrime.

"We'll probably slip in something with a more commercial appeal, like In This Light from the record I did before. But, overall, I'm hopeful that, when it's all said and done, this record will have a really good drive, melodic choruses, great guitar parts and be very dynamic."

He also states that the new material will please Queensryche fans as it builds on the foundations of their 2013 self-titled release. Read more here.




All-Star Prog Rock Pink Floyd Tribute Album Revisited
(Prog) All-star Pink Floyd tribute album Back Against The Wall has been re-released for its tenth anniversary, and made available on vinyl for the first time.

Originally launched via Purple Pyramid in 2005, it was produced by Billy Sherwood and included performances by Adrian Belew, Ian Anderson, Steve Howe, Rick Wakeman and others.

The label say: "The project garnered tremendous praise from discerning fans of both Pink Floyd and the prog rock genre as a whole. Now, 10 years later, Purple Pyramid proudly presents a reissue featuring all-new artwork and five bonus remixes. Plus, for the first time ever, this amazing recording will be available on vinyl in a deluxe gatefold 2LP set." Read more here.




Sleeping With Sirens Release New Album Details
(TeamRock Radio) Sleeping With Sirens will issue their 4th full-length album, Madness, on March 16 via Epitaph Records. Produced by John Feldmann (Good Charlotte, Panic! At The Disco), the Florida-based outfit previewed the follow-up to 2013's Feel with the release of the lead track, Kick Me - a video filmed at the Underworld club in London last August ahead of the band's appearances at the Reading and Leeds festivals.

Sleeping With Sirens launched the second leg of The World Tour - a co-headlining trek with Pierce The Veil - this weekend in California and the pair will return to the UK for shows in March/April.

Singer Kellin Quinn says: "It's been a while since either Sleeping With Sirens or Pierce The Veil have toured, and I think it's truly special to travel the world together. So to do a tour this long that hits so many countries? What more could you ask for? It'll be insane, so don't miss out!" Read more here.




We Came As Romans Recording New Album
(TeamRock Radio) We Came As Romans are in the studio working on their fourth album, they've confirmed. They hope to launch the record this summer via Equal Vision Records.

They've teamed up with producer David Bendeth for the follow-up to 2013's Tracing Back Roots - and frontman Dave Stephens says hooking up with Bendeth, who has been behind the desk with artists including Bring Me The Horizon and Paramore, has been an education.

He says: "We've not only become better musicians from this experience, but have learned a lot about writing and what it takes to make a great song. David's honesty has made us all push ourselves to the limit as musicians, to make the best record possible." Read more here.




Fear Factory's Burton C Bell Discusses Album Delay
(TeamRock Radio) Fear Factory's Burton C Bell has admitted work on their ninth album has taken much longer than they hoped it would. But he's promised fans the follow-up to 2012's The Industrialist will give them what they're waiting for.

Bell tells Silver Tiger: "We're still working on it. It's taking longer than expected - but it's classic Fear Factory sound, the sound fans have always expected."

He adds: "I think because we're taking our time, the songs are really well-crafted, without losing the edge or the angst. We have an album title that we're happy with, which really represents a good Fear Factory title." Read more here.




New Huntress Album Nearing Completion
(TeamRock Radio) Huntress lead guitarist Blake Meahl says the follow-up to 2013's Starbound East is nearing completion. The band are currently in the middle of a UK tour with Amon Amarth that saw singer Jill Janus called into action to assist the headliners when vocalist Johan Hegg was too ill to perform for a January 17 show in Plymouth.

Huntress continues to be in demand on the live circuit and it's slowing down the progress of sessions for album number three. Meahl tells the Mike James Rock Show: "We're trying to get our record finished, and we keep getting these insane tour offers that are impossible to decline. We did Download, came home, wrote the album, left for another tour, then came back and started tracking it. And now as soon as we get back, we'll finish it up."

"We got it all ready and written. It's just the powers that be that make it really tough between booking schedules and timing and tour timing and then everybody's availability being the same and money coming at the right time to pay for it, and all that."

Huntress are working on the project with producers Andrew Alekel (Foo Fighters, Clutch, No Doubt) and James A. Rota (Sound City, Fireball, Ministry). Read more here.



Blues Pills Releasing Limited-Edition Live Album
(Classic Rock) Blues Pills will release a limited-edition live album recorded at the 3rd annual Freak Valley Festival in Germany last year. The band performed their first UK tour last November in support of their 2014 self-titled debut and are set to return this April for an 8-date headlining run.

Blues Pills Live will be released March 20 via Nuclear Blast. The album will be issued on various colors of vinyl and as digibook CD, with no digital version to be made available; the limited-edition package will not be reprinted once it is sold out.

The Swedish outfit were recorded during their headlining show at the 2014 Freak Valley Festival, and the band are offering the release as a thanks to fans and the festival.

The band says: "To the lovely freaks, Freak Valley creators, our dear friend Jens Heide. For us this moment and this day was really special. It felt like all the puzzle pieces came together up until one moment, this experience at Freak Valley Festival." Read more here.




Slash, Corey Taylor, John 5 Added To Kirk Hammett's Fear FestEvil
(Classic Rock) Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett has added Slash, Slipknot and Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor and Rob Zombie guitarist John 5 for his second annual horror convention Fear FestEvil.

The April 2015 edition in San Jose, California includes a murder mystery event, horror memorabilia from Hammett's extensive personal collection and live music.

Hammett says: "I'm super stoked to announce the man, the myth, the legend, Slash, will be joining us at Fear FestEvil. We're proud to announce our first panel participant and murder mystery cast member: Slipknot and Stone Sour's Corey Taylor will be on hand for the Winchester House and RockBar FestEvities.

"And John 5 is on board - the former Marilyn Manson and current Rob Zombie guitarist extraordinaire John 5 will join us as a panel participant." Read more here.





Kurt Cobain Documentary Preview Released
(Classic Rock) Director Brett Morgan has released the first visual preview of "Cobain: Montage Of Heck," the upcoming documentary about Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain.

The first fully-authorised Kurt Cobain film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah on Saturday; it will debut at The Berlin International Film Festival next month ahead of its UK release in April and US television premiere on cable network HBO on May 4.

Morgan tweeted: "Here's a first look at some of the animation in #montageofheck." The animated image shows Cobain leaving his home under a dark, gloomy sky.

He added: "The cell animation in Montage of Heck was painted by hand by the supremely talented @HiskoHulsing." Joining Morgan to oversee the project as executive producer is the late Nirvana singer's daughter, Frances Bean Cobain.

Montage Of Heck will feature unreleased songs by the Nirvana leader, as well access to Cobain's archives - home to his never-before-seen home movies, recordings, artwork, photography, journals, demos, personal archives and songbooks.




RHCP's Chad Smith and Queen's Roger Taylor Tribute Led Zeppelin
(Classic Rock) Red Hot Chili Peppers sticksman Chad Smith has become the first drummer to record at Headley Grange in 40 years. Led Zeppelin recorded parts of their third and fourth album at the location, while much of Houses Of The Holy and Physical Graffiti were also put to tape at the Victorian mansion.

Now Smith, along with Queen's Roger Taylor and session musician Andy Gangadeen, have laid down their own beats on the very spot where John Bonham recorded classics including When The Levee Breaks.

The sessions were set up by Spitfire Audio, who recorded the trio for inclusion on a software pack titled The Grange, which provides drum samples and loops for other artists to download.

Smith says: "To be able to play drums where John Bonham played those beats and that music is beyond my wildest dreams. I'll never forget it as long as I live."

Spitfire Audio have issued an eight-minute clip of all three drummers in action, which ends with Smith kissing the ground where Bonham played. View it here.


Motley Crue Rock Jimmy Fallon
(hennemusic) Motley Crue performed their 1987 classic, "Girls, Girls, Girls", on NBC-TV's The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon last Thursday and video of the performance has been posted online.

Last week, the band released a video for a new single, "All Bad Things", and announced the final North American dates of their farewell tour - which will wrap up December 31 in Los Angeles.

The group added a second L.A. date - on December 30 - after the New Year's Eve show virtually sold-out the first day tickets went on sale. Motley Crue resume the farewell trek with shows in Japan next month before hitting Australia and New Zealand in the spring; in June, they'll play three European festivals including Download (UK), Sweden Rock and Austria's Novarock before returning to North America for a summer run.





Body Count Release Video For 'Institutionalized'
(TeamRock Radio) Body Count have released a video for their cover version of the Suicidal Tendencies classic Institutionalized. It's taken from last year's Manslaughter album, the band's fifth.

When the cover version was first announced, Body Count frontman Ice-T told Esquire, "Body Count gives nothing but respect to Suicidal, because they were the first West Coast band to kinda bring that gangbanger thing to rock. It was skater-gangster. I wanted to pay homage to them.

"At the end of our version of Institutionalized I say 'Suicidal!' because I don't want anyone for one minute thinking I invented that or am trying to pass it off that way. I don't need to. That one rocks in concert, too."

The lyrics have been updated to include references to the X-Box and Indian call centers. Watch the video here.



Napalm Death Release 'Smash A Single Digit' Video
(TeamRock Radio) Napalm Death have posted a video for 'Smash A Single Digit'. The video for the song - taken from the band's latest album Apex Predator - Easy Meat - was directed and produced by Michael Panduro, who has worked on videos for Cephalic Carnage, Saint Vitus and Job For A Cowboy.

Says frontman Barney Greenway: "I couldn't be happier with the video. It shows nothing of dignity or life's fundamental pleasures - only a snapshot of those unfortunate enough to only be deemed as numbers for production quotas in this world.

"When a 'digit' has therefore been expended, it is rubbed out - or consumed leaving no trace, as in the case of this video. In my opinion, Michael Panduro and the team produced a real work of art and I think the general style holds some really nice future artistic possibilities for Napalm Death."





Blind Guardian Release Studio Trailer Video
(TeamRock Radio) German metal outfit Blind Guardian have released a studio trailer for their upcoming album Beyond The Red Mirror. It launches on January 30 via Nuclear Blast and is the follow-up to 2010's At The Edge Of Time.

Earlier this month, they released a lyric video for the track Twilight Of The Gods and frontman Hansi Kursch explained the concept behind their 10th album.

He said: "A story between science fiction and fantasy, it begins with our 1995 album Imaginations From The Other Side. The two worlds described have changed dramatically for the worse since then. While there used to be several passages between the worlds, there is only one gate left now: The Red Mirror. It has to be found at any cost."




Bob Dylan Says Old People Should Act Their Age
(Classic Rock) Bob Dylan believes older people should act their age in order to avoid doing themselves injury. The 73-year-old has taken part in his first interview for several years to promote his 36th album Shadows In The Night, which sees him performing a set of classic songs written from the 1920s to the 1960s.

Dylan tells AARP: "Look, you get older. Passion is a young man's game. Young people can be passionate. Older people have got to be more wise. You're around a while, you leave certain things to the young. Don't try to act like you're young - you could really hurt yourself."

Shadows In The Night is an album he's been thinking about for decades, although he believes the time to make it hadn't arrived until recently. He says: "I love these songs, and I'm not going to bring any disrespect to them. We've all heard those songs being trashed; in some ways you want to right the wrong." Read more here.



Enslaved Preview New Album
(Prog) Enslaved have issued a trailer for upcoming album In Times. It launches on March 9 via Nuclear Blast and will be this first studio material since 2012's RIITIIR.

The video shows long time collaborating artist Truls Espedal creating the artwork for the release, which mainman Ivan Bjornson said was their "most consistent" piece of work.

Espedal says: "Working with oil paint and a deadline can be somewhat aggravating and I learned that red paint takes really really long to dry! But I almost made the deadline finishing three paintings and layout, all the time with In Times on the stereo. I've played the album close to 200 times, and I find it to be more in every way. It sounds potent and fresh and the tracks are just f***ing inspirational."

And frontman Grutle Kjellson states the artwork is the best he's seen and calls it a "masterpiece." He adds: "I just love the album cover. I honestly think this is the best artwork I have ever seen. That is of course because Truls has developed the ability to transform me and Ivar's often surreal concepts and ideas into an actual painting.

"This painting is the perfect projection of our lyrics - it even extends the written words. This is a picture of mythology, life, death and time. Truls has made a masterpiece, we have made the soundtrack." Check out the video here.



KISS Preview Japanese Special Edition of KISS 40
(hennemusic) KISS are sharing a preview video of the upcoming Japanese special edition of their greatest hits collection, "KISS 40," which the band will be releasing on January 28th.

The package differs from the 2014 North American release with the addition of the band's collaboration with Japanese pop idols Momoiro Clover Z, "Samurai Son", plus a DVD featuring three songs filmed at the Budokan in Tokyo on October 24th, 2013.

KISS will launch a 5-date Japanese tour on February 23; the trek will see Momorio Clover Z open for the band at the tour's final stop in Tokyo on March 3.

The group will then spend the month of April playing dates across South America. Watch the preview video here.



Singled Out: Sweet & Lynch
Sweet & Lynch, the new group featuring Stryper frontman Michael Sweet and guitarist George Lynch (Dokken/Lynch Mob) are releasing their debut album 'Only To Rise' this week. To celebrate we asked Michael to tell us about song of the songs. Here is Michael with the stories:

"September" - George sent me this very cool riff that instantly grabbed me. I pieced it all together, wrote melodies and lyrics and wanted to offer some sort of memorial to 9/11 with a simple but powerful lyric. The song is definitely anthemic and one to remember."

"The Wish" - This song takes you back to a period when melodies and guitar solos ruled the airwaves. I think this is missing from music nowadays and to be honest, I 'd love to see it make a complete resurgence. There was no time/era like the 70's/80's and this song reminds you of the greatest time in hard rock/metal!"

"Dying Rose" - Again, George sent me a guitar riff that was infectious and a stand out. Once I heard it, I had the melody in my head. I arranged it and completed the lyrics and once George (and the label) heard it they said - "Wow! That's a hit!" It's got a crossover feel to it and will appeal to many different listeners. One of my favorites as well as one of Georges favorites too!"

Tim Abrigg Jr. Rants/Raves:: Today's Day in Rock News!

Tim Abrigg Jr. Rants/Raves:: Today's Day in Rock News!: Rush Announce 40th Anniversary Tour As expected, progressive rock legends Rush will be hitting the road later this year for a 40th...

Today's Day in Rock News!

Rush Announce 40th Anniversary Tour
As expected, progressive rock legends Rush will be hitting the road later this year for a 40th anniversary tour of North American dubbed the Rush: R40 Live Tour.

The band will be kicking off the tour, named after their 2014 DVD and Blu-Ray collection, on May 8th in Tulsa, OK at the BOK Center and they will conclude the tour on August 1st in Inglewood, CA at The Forum.

The tour will be hitting major cities across the United States and Canada including St. Louis, Austin, Dallas, Houston, New Orleans, Tampa, Atlanta, Buffalo, Chicago, Toronto, Montreal, Boston, Philadelphia, Newark, New York, Denver, Salt Lake City, Calgary, Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, Las Vegas, Phoenix and more. Check out all of the dates here.




Danny Worsnop Leaves Asking Alexandria
Asking Alexandria frontman Danny Worsnop has revealed that he has left the group who will be carrying on without him and he is turning his focus to the supergroup We Are Harlot.

The Worsnop fronted group, which also includes Silvertide's Brian Weaver, former Sebastian Bach guitarist Jegg George, and former Revolution Renaissance drummer Bruno Agra, will be releasing their self-titled debut album on March 31st.

Worsnop offered the following explanation to fans about his decision to leave Asking Alexandria, "To all of my friends and fans: I would like to let you know that Asking Alexandria and I are moving forward in separate ways.

"Over the last eight years together we've done some amazing things and created something truly special. I now, same as then, want what's best for the band and at this point in time, that isn't me.

"Asking Alexandria will continue to tour throughout the year and will be working on a new album. I will always support and love Asking Alexandria and cannot wait to see what the future holds for them.

"I am excited for the next chapter of my life with We Are Harlot and will see you all on the road!"



Motley Crue Add New Show To Final Tour
Motley Crue have already expanded their final tour leg with the addition of a new Los Angeles show that will be taking place the day before their very last tour date on New Year's Eve.

As we previously reported, the group will kick off the last leg of their "Final Tour" on July 22nd in Eugene, OR at Matthew Knight Arena and concluding with the final tour date of their career on December 31st in Los Angeles, CA at the Staples Center.

Nikki Sixx released these comments about the trek, "In some of the cities, we could only reach a fraction of the fans who wanted to come see us play last year because of ticket demand so we're coming back to those places to bring them our full production including the Crüecifly drum coaster, as well as all pyro and every other bell and whistle.

"Even despite the overwhelming fan demand we can only add so many new cities in North America because of our commitment to take the Final Tour global on our final year."

Like their previous North American leg of the Final Tour, rock legend Alice Cooper will be opening for Motley Crue on most of the stops on their newly announced trek. Check out the tour dates here.




Papa Roach Streaming New Album F.E.A.R. Online
(TeamRock Radio) Papa Roach have released online streams of all 10 tracks off their eighth album F.E.A.R (Face Everything And Rise). The follow-up to 2012's The Connection launches next week, after the band decided to explore a mix of styles because they didn't want to focus on a specific sound.

Guitarist Jerry Horton said last year: "We've got a bit of modern, heavy stuff, a couple of old things and some dynamic songs. We just went where the music took us - we're really happy with how it came out."

This week TeamRock took Jacoby Shaddix and co record shopping in London and issued a track-by-track rundown of the new album. Stream the album here.



Taylor Locke Tributes Kim Fowley, Giving Away Co-Written Song
Former Rooney guitarist Taylor Locke has written a tribute to legendary producer Kim Fowley, who died late last week and Locke is also offering fans a free download of the song "Time Stands Still," which was co-written by Fowley and is the title track to Taylor's forthcoming solo album.

Taylor wrote the following tribute to Fowley, "I met Kim Fowley through my friend Ericka Clevenger. She and I were producing a web show together and we booked him as a guest. He walked up my driveway in a zoot suit with a cane and David Bowie face paint. I thought in an instant that they really broke the mold when they made this guy. He packed more shock-value into a casual conversation, an email or a voicemail, (which I always saved) than Alice Cooper, Kiss or Marilyn Manson have in their whole careers. He was walking, talking performance art. His cadence and hand-gestures drew me in immediately. His words and body language were clever and compelling all the time. I didn't want to miss anything he might do or say because it was all so amusing. But he wasn't a clown, because he was in on the joke. He knew that I knew how funny and outrageous he was, and it made me feel special, like I was in on it too.

"When he walked up my driveway and into my life, I was between projects and in desperate need of an inspirational spark. Over the course of a year, I found that in spades, in this legendary showbiz maniac that would become my 'Rock 'n Roll Grandpa'. Our phone calls were never less than 45 minutes long, like high-school kids, talking sh*t and trying to get a rise out of each other. In fact, he'd sign off at the end of each call with his phrase, 'be teenaged'. I made a habit of saying it back to him. A cancer-stricken man in his 70's, and a singer-guitarist in his late-20's reminding each other to 'be teenaged' is a pretty unforgettable exchange. I knew what he meant. It was his poetic way of saying 'stay motivated, work hard, don't lose the edge...remember why you became a musician in the first place'.

"The last time he was out and about without a wheelchair was at a party Ericka and I threw for our show Planet Rocke. He brought me a present that night, and gave it to me in front of everyone. It was a folder of unfinished lyrics, mostly hand-written, hand-picked for me from his vault, dating 1970's through early 2000's. He told me they were mine to do what I wanted with. Suddenly I had my hands full with a new project. I told him I wanted to start a band called The Fowleys. He screamed at me and said in no uncertain terms that he forbid me to use the name, and would sue me if I tried. I couldn't really understand why he was so opposed to it, so I tried to calm him down and ask for an explanation. The truth of his rejection turned out to be flattering and self-assuring. He told me 'You've already been in bands. Bands are too complicated. Bands don't last. Bands break up. Its your time to put your name out there and go at it alone.' He twisted my arm into making my first solo album.

"We kept in touch, once or twice a week. I went to see him when he was too sick to get out of bed, and I played him the finished songs. He was impressed and proud. It was really all the encouragement I needed to keep going. He married the lovely Kara and seemed very happy. When his health got worse he stopped taking calls. I knew he was in pain, but I also knew he had Kara by his side, and that his razor-sharp mind and dignity were going to be intact until the very end.

"A great blog in England singled out the song 'Time Stands Still', one of the first of Kim and my collaborations. They posted it for free download, and a few hours later I heard the news that Kim had passed. The timing was shocking, but also an exceptionally fitting tribute. The song reveals his sensitive, introspective side, that I count myself among the lucky few to have known.

"I highly recommend his memoir 'Lord of Garbage'. I read it in a day. It's a well-crafted expose into not only his larger-than-life rock n roll caricature, but his humanity and empathy. Rest in Peace Rock n Roll Grandpa. Stay teenaged."




Jake E. Lee Injured, Red Dragon Cartel Postpone Tour Dates
(TeamRock Radio) Former Ozzy Osbourne axeman Jake E. Lee's band Red Dragon Cartel have been forced to postpone a run of shows over the weekend, after the bandleader suffered a back injury.

They were due to deliver two concerts in California and one in Washington - but they report: "Jake and the band wanted to play very much and apologise to their fans. Jake is now receiving treatment and he hopes to be back in action shortly."

The band, now featuring Lee's former Badlands colleague Greg Chaisson on bass, recently promised supporters that 2015 would be a busy year for the group. Read more here.




Exodus Ruined Rob Dukes' Honeymoon With Firing
(TeamRock Radio) Former Exodus frontman Rob Dukes says he was sacked by the band - while he was on his honeymoon. The singer's last gig with the group was at the Rock On The Range festival last year, after which he got married and went on honeymoon. It was then that he was told over the phone that he was to be replaced by Steve 'Zetro' Souza.

It was a particularly hard blow to take as Dukes had only an hour earlier received some great news - that his other band Generation Kill was to team up with rap icon Darryl 'DMC' McDaniels.

Dukes bumped into DMC at the airport as he waited for his flight back to New York following Rock On The Range. The pair discussed collaborating on a song, but eventually decided to do an entire album together - produced by Guns N' Roses guitarist Ron 'Bumblefoot' Thal.

Dukes says: "The last Exodus show I ever did, I leave and I get married. I'm on my honeymoon and Darryl calls me on Friday morning at 9am and I was like, 'Ah sh*t I'm gonna work with DMC. He's a Hall Of Fame Artist, this is an outstanding moment. Look how weird my life is.'

"Then at 10am, Exodus called me and fired me. It just ruined the moment. It was a bittersweet pill that I had to swallow." Read more here.



Ronnie James Dio Memorial Weekend Details Revealed
(Classic Rock) A series of events commemorating the life of Ronnie James Dio are to be held in California to mark the fifth anniversary of his death, it's been confirmed.

The Dio, Rainbow, Black Sabbath and Heaven And Hell frontman died on May 16 2010 from gastric cancer. Now the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund, which was co-founded by his widow Wendy, will hold three events to raise cash for the charity which supports research into prostate, colon and stomach cancers.

The weekend gets underway on May 15 with the Celebrity Rock N' Bowl tournament at the Pinz Bowling Center, Studio City, California. Bands including Aerosmith, Fleetwood Mac, Yes, Anthrax and Metallica have donated signed pins which will be auctioned on the night to raise cash for the fund.

The following day, a free public memorial service will be held at Forest Lawn, Hollywood. Former bandmates of the vocalist are expected to speak at the event and play music from Dio's career. The weekend wraps up on the 17th with a motorcycle ride and barbecue named in his honor.




Rob Zombie Excited To Play New Songs Live
(Classic Rock) Rob Zombie says he can't wait to play his latest material live. And he reveals tracks on the as-yet-untitled album give him a similar thrill to the feeling he had when recording 2013's Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor.

He tells Full Metal Jackie: "There are just certain songs that we just cannot wait to play live that you just know are going to be part of the show. You just have a weird sense of it.

"It's kind of like when we finished Dead City Radio, and that when we play it, it gets as big of a cheer as if we played Dragula or some old song. You just have that moment in time where you feel like you've hit that same nerve with a song. This record has a lot of that."

He also reveals he doesn't care if people illegally download his material as he's just happy to make music. He continues: "Everyone is always complaining about the record business and complaining about illegal downloading. I don't care about any of that stuff. In fact, the fact that nobody buys records doesn't bother me - I feel like it's freed me." Read more here.


Metallica Keep Things Exciting With Rarities
(Classic Rock) Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo says playing rarely performed tracks live is a challenge but makes them a better band. They're due to headline this year's Reading and Leeds festivals and he reveals when he sees Disposable Heroes from 1986's Master Of Puppets on the setlist, he's always happy as it's his favourite song to play on stage.

He tells Talk Is Jericho: "What I'm proud of with being in Metallica all these years is being able to play the Black album in its entirety - songs that were never played live like The Stuggle Within. Even songs like Orion - we play that a lot now. That was a song that hadn't really been played, along with Dyers Eve from …And Justice For All.

"The fact that here we are aged 50 and we're attacking songs that hadn't really been attacked, I feel that challenges us and it makes this unit a better band. We keep things exciting." Read more here.



Megadeth's Ellefson Sad Over Lose Of Drover and Broderick
(Classic Rock) Megadeth bassist David Ellefson says he's "sad" that drummer Shawn Drover and guitarist Chris Broderick have left the band. And he reveals their departure was similar to losing family members and that he'll miss them on stage and in the studio.

He tells Spotlight Report: "It is obviously going to be different without them. We spent five years together with them in that lineup. That's a long time.

"We did multiple live albums with them, two studio albums, we toured together - so it's a bit like some family members are gone. Especially through the holidays I've kinda been a little sad about it.

"I realize that they wanted to move on to something else and I support them as my friends, but selfishly I'm definitely going to miss them for sure." Read more here.



Porcupine Tree Rumor Denied By Steven Wilson
(Prog) Steven Wilson has shouted down a rumour that Porcupine Tree are planning to record their 11th album. The band went their separate ways after The Incident was released in 2009, and Wilson has been concentrating on his solo career ever since. Three years ago he said: "I don't have time in my life to do that and do what I'm doing now."

Now he tells FaceCulture: "One of the funny things about the internet is how quickly a lie can become a rumour can become a fact. It was just some guy who went on a website - I've never met him, he pretended he knew me - and he said something like 'Steven Wilson said the next project he's going to do is a Porcupine Tree album.'

Wilson explains, "He made it up. I've never met him. It became a rumour and before you know it people are saying to me, 'I hear you're doing this next.' No!" Read more here.



Oceano Reveal New Album Details and Stream New Song
(TeamRock Radio) Chicago deathcore outfit Oceano have revealed details about their upcoming fourth album. It's titled Ascendants and will launch on March 23 via Earache. It's the follow-up to their 2013 release Incisions.

Frontman Adam Warren says: "It's basically a concept album but it doesn't follow a linear storyline. That's something that's very predictable so I like to stay away from that and mix things up.

"But we did follow a general cohesive theme and tapped into a couple of elements that were in the same realm of things." The album is currently available to pre-order from iTunes and the band have released a stream of Dead Planet. Hear it here.



Chris Robinson Tells His Side Of The Black Crowes Breakup
(hennemusic) Singer Chris Robinson has offered his first comments on the breakup of The Black Crowes and explained that the split was a result of the band's lack of songwriting.

"It came from songwriting," he tells the Broward/Palm Beach New Times. "The Black Crowes don't write songs anymore. They don't think of the present or the future. I like making albums and playing concerts. I was sitting on two EPs' worth of written songs."

Growing impatient, the singer revived the Chris Robinson Brotherhood - originally launched during the Crowe's 2010 hiatus - and released its third album, "Phosphorescent Harvest", last year.

"The Black Crowes were a rebellion," explains the singer. "This is a pragmatic reaction to how I feel. The only revolutionary thing we're doing is staying out of the music business. There's Olive Gardens and Red Lobsters in music. We just don't eat there. We're grassroots."

Chris' comments follow a statement issued by brother/guitarist Rich on January 15 announcing the end of the Crowes. "It is with great disappointment and regret that after having the privilege of writing and performing the music of The Black Crowes over the last 24 years, I find myself in the position of saying that the band has broken up," said Rich. "I hold my time with the Black Crowes with the utmost respect and sincerest appreciation. It is a huge swath of my life's body of work."






Black Star Riders Proud To Have Made Two Albums In Two Years
(Classic Rock) Black Star Riders guitarist Damon Johnson says he's proud of his bandmates after recording their upcoming album The Killer Instinct. It launches in the UK on February 23 via Nuclear Blast and follows hot on the heels of the Thin Lizzy offshoot's 2013 release All Hell Breaks Loose.

And Johnson says the fact they've recorded two albums in just two years shows how committed they are to the creative process. He tells MetalTalk: "I guess more than anything I just have this ongoing feeling of pride in all the guys and everybody's hard work. Because I'm sure you can appreciate that at any time in music, it's not the easiest thing in the world to crank out two records in two years.

"A lot of bands take four or five years, so there's a real commitment to creative output in this band that's very exciting for me. I love to write songs and I have an amazing partner in Ricky Warwick, and certainly the other guys in the band." Read more here.




Deen Castronovo Had Doubts About Fronting Revolution Saints
(Classic Rock) Journey drummer Deen Castronovo has discussed his doubts over fronting supergroup Revolution Saints - and says it was "inevitable" that he'd end up singing like former bandmate Steve Perry.

Castronovo is joined by former Whitesnake guitarist Doug Aldrich and Night Ranger bassist Jack Blades in the trio, and they'll launch their self-titled debut album on February 23 via Frontiers Records.

The sticksman and singer tells UCR: "I never really had the confidence to pull it off. When I got the call from my manager saying, 'Hey, do you want to do this?' at first I thought I was playing drums.

"Then I found out. 'Oh no, you're lead singing!' It was almost like a bait and switch. But it came out really cool, and I'm grateful for the chance to do this."

Castronovo says of his vocal style: "Steve Perry was my favourite singer of all time, and he still is by far. I grew up listening to Journey - since I was 11 I was playing those songs." Read more here.




Ashley 'The Guv'nor' Hutchings Reissuing Classic Album
(Prog) Folk rock pioneer Ashley 'The Guv'nor' Hutchings has announced that he will re-release 1994 album Twangin' n'a-Traddin' on April 27 via Talking Elephant Records.

The launch comes after the Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span and Albion Band icon celebrates his 70th birthday on January 26 (Monday). Twangin' n'a-Traddin' Revisited will include two tracks on top of the original list of 1950s and 1960s songs which inspired Hutchings to become a musician.

One additional song is performed by Yorkshire trio The Veleveteens, while the other, Hutchings' Welcome To The World, is described as "depicting images that anyone who spent time in the coffee bars of the 60s would recognise." Read more here.



Blues Hall Of Fame Museum 1st Exhibition Revealed
(The Blues Iconic blues photographer Dick Waterman has revealed his work will feature in the first exhibition at the Blues Hall Of Fame Museum when it opens in April.

Building work on the establishment began last summer, with the Blues Foundation saying the premises would "pay tribute to the great blues men and women, giving them and their music the validation they deserve."

Hall Of Fame inductee Waterman co-founded the Avalon Productions blues agency and was manager of Buddy Guy, Junior Wells and others before becoming a full-time writer and photographer.

He tells HottyToddy: "I'm going to have 26 photos and they'll be up from April all the way until summer. It's going to be opened some time in April." Read more and watch a video with Dick here.




Funeral For A Friend and Trail Of Dead Lead Camden Rocks Lineup
(TeamRock Radio) Cardiff post-hardcore quintet Funeral For A Friend and Austin alt-rockers ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead are set to play this year's Camden Rocks on Saturday, May 30.

The festival - which is in its fourth year - will take over most of Camden's venues, pubs and bars for their biggest event yet. The full list of bands announced for Camden Rocks 2015 include:

Funeral For A Friend, ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead, The Dictators, Black Spiders, Turbowolf, Lawnmower Deth, Dinosaur Pile Up, Feed The Rhino, Eureka Machines, Black Moth, Max Raptor, Martyr Defiled, God Damn, Rob Lynch, Cypher 16, Freeze The Atlantic, Attention Thieves, The One Hundred, The Men That Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing, Samoans, LTNT, Lucie Barat & The Au Revoirs, The St Pierre Snake Invasion, Beasts, Kyshera, Hunter & The Bear, The Scaramanga Six, Protafield, Dead, Monument, High Hopes, Death Remains, Oxygen Thief, The Wild Lies, State of Play, Reverted, Dirt, Stellify, The Fourfits and The Assist. Read more here.



Blues Pills Working On New Album
(The Blues Blues Pills are working on their second album, frontwoman Elin Larsson has confirmed. They released their self-titled debut last year and wrapped up a UK tour with Rival Sons in November.

And Larsson reveals that rather than a mix of rock and blues on the upcoming release, their new material will have a different feel. She tells Metal Express Radio: "The next album is going to be more like 60's soul funk. We've already started to work on the second album in the studio and we hope it's going to be better than the first one."

She also reveals that while she's influenced by Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin and the Beatles, it was Black Sabbath who gave her a taste of heavier music. Read more here.





Metallica Honored By NHL's San Jose Sharks
(hennemusic) Metallica were the featured guests of honor as the NHL's San Jose Sharks hosted Metallica Night on Wednesday. The band were on hand for the event, which saw the Sharks take on their rivals, the Los Angeles Kings.

Metallica were presented with custom-made Metallica-Sharks jerseys before they hit center ice, with drummer Lars Ulrich performing the ceremonial puck drop.

The Sharks have been using Metallica's 1983 classic, "Seek & Destroy", as their entrance music for a long time. "Who would have thought back in 1982 when we wrote that song that that song would have that kind of mileage on it?", said Ulrich. "And even to, obviously, be able to write a song and have your name associated with a piece of music that plays that kind of role in so many people's lives all over the world."

"And in this particular case, the fact that the Sharks come out through a giant shark mouth and the smoke and the fire and the music and the energy in the building and so on, it's obviously, it's one of your proudest moments. It's a very cool thing to be associated with."

"It sets a tone," adds James Hetfield. "The sound quality - not the best - but that's all we knew in '83. But I love the fact that someone has taken our song and is still using it like that. And it's synonymous with Sharks hitting the ice, coming out of the mouth, through the teeth, and then the smoke. Very awesome."




Big 4 of Thrash Spoofed In 8-Bit Video
(Classic Rock) A spoof video clip presents the Big 4 of thrash metal - Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax - as 8-bit characters in a video game. The game itself doesn't exist, but Loudwire and the Filthy Frackers let their imaginations run wild to offer a glimpse of how it might have looked.

They say: "Imagine slamming this gem into your NES - Metallica's One, Slayer's Reigning Blood, Megadeth's Sweating Bullets and Anthrax's Madhouse in 8-bit chip tune music. We also took inspiration from each tracks' video, so look out for iconic scenes."

The Big 4 performed together for the first time in 2010, and the moment was captured on DVD. They delivered a total of 14 shows with the last taking place in New York in 2011. Future gatherings appear unlikely due to the challenges of reaching agreements between all four bands.

Watch the video here.


Bob Dylan Reveals Cover Of Sinatra's Stay With Me
(Classic Rock) Bob Dylan has released his cover of Frank Sinatra's Stay With Me. It's taken from his forthcoming collection of Sinatra covers, Shadows In The Night, which is released on February 2. Other tracks featured on the album include Some Enchanted Evening and Lucky Old Sun.

"It was a real privilege to make this album," said Dylan. "I've wanted to do something like this for a long time but was never brave enough to approach 30-piece complicated arrangements and refine them down for a five-piece band... I don't see myself as covering these songs in any way. They've been covered enough. Buried, as a matter a fact. What me and my band are basically doing is uncovering them. Lifting them out of the grave and bringing them into the light of day."

In November, Dylan played a show for a lone fan for Swedish television, and in the same month told TV series Showtime that he wrote songs in the 60s because he was bored. Check out the cover here.



Interpol Release 'Everything Is Wrong' Video
(Radio.com) Interpol are finally treating fans to the visual clip for "Everything Is Wrong," a standout from their 2014 album, El Pintor. Frontman Paul Banks, who stood in for their departed bassist Carlos Dengler on their chart-topping record, continues to wear multiple hats with this release. Banks not only appears in the music video, he also self-directed it.

The black and white clip, which features a cameo from Christopher Abbott, best known for his role as Alison Williams' boyfriend Charlie on Girls, trails members of the band in the hours leading up to one of their performances.

The video comes in time to promote the track before it sees another release as a 7-inch single on Record Store Day that will be paired with b-side "What Is That."

You can catch Interpol perform it live, along with other songs from their discography, on their next tour that begins April 8. Check out tour dates and the new video here.




Sweet & Lynch Release 'Dying Rose' Video
(Classic Rock) Sweet & Lynch - the band formed by Stryper's Michael and George Lynch (Lynch Mob, ex-Dokken) - have released a video for Dying Rose, taken from the band's debut album Only To Rise.

Joining Sweet & Lynch are bassman James Lomenzo (ex-Megadeth, White Lion, Black Label Society) and former Whitesnake drummer Brian Tichy. "When I was approached to help put together an all-star line-up, I instantly thought of George Lynch," says Michael Sweet.

"George is one of the most talented guitarists out there and a 'bucket list' player for me. He wrote riffs/basic ideas and I wrote melodies, lyrics and arranged and completed the songs. I knew that we would complement each other's style.

"When you add the amazing rhythm section of Brian Tichy and James Lomenzo, you just can't go wrong with this line-up. It really is a special project and I'm honoured to be a part of it!"





Motley Crue Find 'Home Sweet Home' Bittersweet On Farewell Tour
(Classic Rock) Motley Crue stars Vince Neil and Tommy Lee have admitted that they are finding it difficult to deliver the classic track "Home Sweet Home" at shows on their final tour.

The band have just confirmed the last run of US shows they'll play before winding down their live career at the end of 2015. And Home Sweet Home - written in 1985 and reputed to have launched a flurry of soundalike power ballads in the years since - takes pride of place at the end of each show.

Singer Neil tells Rolling Stone: "When I'm singing it I'm like, 'This is the last time I'm playing this song to these guys.' Sometimes I start to choke up a little bit if I think about it too much."

Drummer Lee adds: "Yeah, that one f***s me up." He believes it's one of several examples of how different their last shows feel. "There's a different energy out in the crowd - they're like, 'F***, this is the last time we're going to see these guys.'" Read more here.




Aerosmith's Joe Perry Dreams Of Dream On Guitar
(Gibson) Aerosmith guitar hero Joe Perry had a busy 2014, touring with the band, recording a Christmas EP and releasing an autobiography, Rocks: My Life In and Out of Aerosmith, that made The New York Times best-seller list.

This year promises to be another sprint for the 64-year-old Gibson Les Paul playing legend, with an Aerosmith tour slated for summer and more. Although Perry had a plethora of guitars, including the 1959 'Burst once also owned by Slash that Gibson recreated in 2013 as the Joe Perry 1959 Les Paul, we recently asked him if there's a Holy Grail instrument that's eluded his grasp. His reply: a 1968 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop, like the one he owned when Aerosmith recorded their 1973 debut album Aerosmith, featuring their breakthrough hit "Dream On." Take it away Joe:

"I'm still looking for a '68 Goldtop. The first Les Paul I bought was a '68 Gold top. Now that's a sought-after Les Paul, but I only paid $300 or $400 for it at the time. I'd love to have that guitar back - especially looking like it did before I scraped the gold off of it. I've got a couple of Goldtops that are close, but that particular guitar is the one. One of the rumors is that after they stopped making Les Pauls in '60 or '61, and then started making them again in '68, Gibson had a lot of parts left over. If that's true, a lot of those pieces of wood were just sitting around the factory and got used. And the pickups were great.

"I think the first Goldtop I got had mini-humbuckers, but I've seen pictures where I'm playing one with P-90s, so I'm not sure which Goldtop was the very first one I had. I was trading guitars a lot back then. We called them 'midnight trades.' If somebody had a guitar I liked at the moment, I would just trade - that and a bag of pot. One night we played a show with the New York Dolls, and I remember trading Johnny Thunders a guitar for a two-pickup TV model with P-90s. I loved the way it sounded, and I had something he liked, so we just swapped. That went on all the time."

Perry's not entirely sure the '68 Goldtop he traded or sold, and now pines for, was the instrument he played on "Dream On," as is widely thought. But he says, "I would guess that was it. Somehow a lot of our more outstanding songs featured my Les Pauls." Read more here.





Jon Spencer Blues Explosion Release 'Do The Get Down' Video
(The Blues The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion have released a video for their track Do The Get Down, taken from upcoming album Freedom Tower - No Wave Dance Party 2015.

The blues-fuelled alt-rock outfit describe the record as "a document of New York City" and "a chronicle of grit, terror and love." They add: "It's all here - the hustler and the trust fund baby, the moshpit casualty, the celebrity chef, the crooked cop, the struggling artist, the sucker MC, the forgotten sex workers and last-chance Cinderellas.

"Within these grooves are cold-water tenements, blue-chip galleries, dingy Avenue B studios - and the last real warrior poet whose dark magick brings garage rock ghosts back from the grave!"




Marduk Release Frontschwein Video
(TeamRock Radio) Marduk, the Swedish Black Metal outfit, have released a video for Frontschwein, the title track of the band's new album. The album is the follow-up to 2012's Serpent Sermon.

"25 years of black metal history collide with eons of devastation and destruction among human beings", say the band's label. "The result is an ugly, furious album true to Marduk's sinister legacy and true to the essence of black metal."

The band have previously released streams for Wartheland and Rope Of Regret, and play four UK dates next month. Check out the dates and the new video here.



Singled Out: Dauzat St. Marie's Time Slips Away
Today Mat Dauza from Dauzat St. Marie tells us about the song "Time Slips Away," which is a track that comes from their forthcoming EP "Falling Again". The duo also features Heather St. Marie. Here is the story:

The song "Time Slips Away" is probably one of the most sentimental and retrospective songs we've ever written. We were actually on the road with Schuyler Fisk and were staying at her family's farm in Virginia when we wrote it. The family has an incredible old home on a large plot of land with rolling hills, horses and a pond. We fell in love with their place and Virginia in general, hence the lyric "and I never knew what true love was until I touched down in Virginia." Actually, all of the lyrics from the songs are lifted directly from the pages of our own life stories. For example, when we were teenagers we used to frequently drive 2,000 miles to Los Angeles simply to play shows at the Whisky and Troubadour with our rock band at the time. From that experience you get the lyrics "with 2,000 miles to go," "driving to life unknown," and "I never knew what freedom was until I drove to California."

The lyric "I never knew where I belonged until I woke up in New Orleans" is a reference to the feeling we got when we returned to that great city after having moved to Los Angeles 5 years prior. Our band Hydrovibe had just gotten a song in the movie Saw III, which put us out on our first real U.S. tour. The first show of the tour was the House Of Blues in New Orleans. We were excited because not only is the New Orleans area Heather's home, it also used to be one of the strong stomping grounds for Hydrovibe before we moved. We were also additionally excited because we were introducing our drummer and bass player to the city as well. When we hit the stage at the House Of Blues, there were around 650 lovely screaming people in the crowd…. and we were absolutely BEAMING! After the show, we went out and had a big time in the city (as one does). The next morning we were recapping what a great experience it was, and so was spawned the lyric "I never knew where I belonged until I woke up in New Orleans."

The lyric "we're so far from those places and the songs of yesterday" is really just a commentary on how far we've come in our career… and how much ground we've covered - both physically and musically. And finally, the lyric "the players keep changing, but the song remains the same" is a commentary on all the changes that have taken place in our careers - personnel, labels, management, agents, band members, etc. Our career is always in a state of evolution, but at the core we are very much the same as we always have been - point us toward the stage and we'll sing our hearts out for you.