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

Tim Abrigg Jr. Rants/Raves:: Today's Day in Rock News!: Today's Day in Rock Jimmy Page Releasing Sound Tracks Box Set (hennemusic) Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page will release &...

Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Jimmy Page Releasing Sound Tracks Box Set
(hennemusic) Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page will release "Sound Tracks", a box set featuring the guitarist's work on films "Lucifer Rising" and "Death Wish II", along with additional archive material on March 6 and he has released streams of some of the tracks from the collection .

The package presents work from both projects plus a companion disc of previously unreleased tracks - the same format Page designed for the extensive Led Zeppelin reissues series.

Recorded at Page's home studio in Plumpton and The Sol studio in Cookham in the late 70s and early 80s, "Sound Tracks" includes an all-new booklet containing a written track-by-track insight by the guitarist for the archive material amidst a collection of original artwork across 36 pages.

Page explains: "The archive material and work included here serve as an illustration of the ongoing process at the time of these two projects." "Sound Tracks" will be available as a 4CD, 4LP and signed deluxe edition. Check out the streams here.



Kanye West Ridiculed In New Song
(Classic Rock) Comedy metal band Steel Panther have come out swinging in a new song about Kanye West following an incident at the Grammy Awards. West momentarily interrupted Beck's acceptance speech for his record Morning Phase winning Album Of The Year at the annual event in a flashback to a similar stunt with Taylor Swift at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. In both cases, the rapper was attempting to protest the decision not to award the honors to Beyonce.

West later told the media that the decision to give Beck the prize over Beyonce's self-titled record was disrespectful to "the craft" of music. Steel Panther have stepped into the ring on the issue, posting a short song about the rapper on Facebook.

Accompanied by piano, Panther frontman Michael Starr declares West's music "sounds like hamster turds" and that he sounds like "a donkey fart", adding that "Beck should kick you in the nuts with steel toed boots to make it right."

The group says: "For your consideration for next year's #Grammys… #Kanye" Check it out here.




Def Leppard Delay Their New Album Plans
(Classic Rock) Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott says a busy 2015 tour schedule and "an unprecedented amount of offers" to release their 11th album have pushed the project into later in the year.

Songwriting sessions for the follow-up to 2008's Songs From The Sparkle Lounge early last year yielded the beginnings of 15 tracks, which guitarist Phil Collen described in September as "really heavy and very melodic."

Between live commitments and guitarist Vivian Campbell's stem-cell treatment for cancer, the group resumed studio activity in December, with drummer Rick Allen recently revealing the majority of 16 songs are close to completion.

Leppard were planning to have the record ready for release in time for the spring 2015 touring season, but Elliott now reveals to Billboard the project has been moved back due to "an unprecedented amount of offers from various different people to release this record, which we weren't expecting and has changed the whole dynamic of how we want to put this record out." Read more here.



Tool and Motorhead Captured In New Recording Studio Video
(Classic Rock) Tool guitarist Adam Jones is sharing video filmed by Motorhead drummer Mikkey Dee as the two bands work on new projects in the same recording facility in Los Angeles.

Last month, Tool confirmed their fifth album was moving forward as they continue to record the follow-up to 2006's 10,000 Days. The guitarist revealed last summer that a 2007 lawsuit brought aginst the band by his best friend contributed to the delay as members dealt with the negative effects of the eight-year long legal battle.

Jones can be seen in footage posted on his Facebook page - titled 'Hanging With Heroes' - and shot by Dee at the studio complex where both bands are in session.

Dee says: "Hi, everyone. I'm in the studio. I've been working hard all day today. I'm going into the lounge. I know that Adam is here - they're next door to us, the guys from Tool."

The drummer runs into Jones and Motorhead guitarist Phil Campbell. He says: "What are you guys doing here, Adam?" who replies, "We're working on some tunes, having fun, bugging you guys."

Watch the video here.



Banned Cradle Of Filth T-Shirt Causes More Controversy
(TeamRock Radio) A banned Cradle Of Filth t-shirt is causing a media storm after it was included in a museum exhibition. The notorious t-shirt features an image of a nun masturbating on the front, with the words 'Jesus is a cunt' emblazoned on the back.

It was banned by New Zealand's chief censor in 2008, but is now appearing as part of an exhibition called T-shirts Unfolding at Canterbury Museum in Christchurch. It is being displayed in an area of the gallery marked for over 18s only.

However, according to The New Zealand Herald, a lobby group Family First called the exhibit "horrific" and "offensive" and is appealing to authorities to take action.

The group say: "We don't think it's art. We don't think any group should be subjected to this level of vile hate language." Read more here.




Machine Head Filming DVD At Upcoming Concerts
(Classic Rock) Machine Head have announced that they will be filming a pair of shows that will be taking place in California this coming weekend for a future DVD release.

The band performed a UK tour in December following the release of their eighth album Bloodstone & Diamonds, and launched a two-month winter US run last month.

Billed as 'An Evening With', the group are playing longer than usual sets that feature material from the latest album alongside tracks from their back catalogue.

Machine Head will film shows at The Regent in Los Angeles on Friday, February 20, and at The Regency Ballroom in San Francisco on Saturday, February 21, for a concert DVD. Read more here.



Eddie Van Halen's Smithsonian Interview Video Steaming Online
(hennemusic) Video has now gone online from Eddie Van Halen's interview at The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in Washington on February 12 to help launch the institution's new 3-year initiative "What It Means To Be American."

The project is aimed at engaging leading thinkers, public figures and Americans from all walks of life to explore how the United States became the nation it is today.

Van Halen joined host Denise Quan for the session, where he discussed his family's journey from Holland to America, his musical roots and, as things developed, his need to build his own guitar - which turned out to be a hybrid of a Fender and a Gibson - to create the sound he heard in his head.

The rocker then recounted his long history of tinkering with guitars, amps and electronics under the evening's theme, "Is rock 'n' roll about reinvention?"






Dimebag Darrell House and Studio Video Tour Released
(Classic Rock) A video tour of Dimebag Darrell's house and personal recording studio has been released. Filmed by Guitar World, the clip takes fans around the late Pantera guitarist's house and reveals a home that entirely matches the iconic musician's personality.

Pantera and Damage Plan memorabilia adorn the walls alongside posters of Judas Priest and some of Dime's other favorite acts in the short 3:24 long video clip.

Dimebag was shot and killed on stage during a Damageplan gig in Columbia, Ohio on December 8, 2004 by gunman Nathan Gale, who also killed three more people and injured seven others that night. Watch the video here.



Rob Halford Open To Resurrecting Fight
(Classic Rock) Rob Halford says he's open to the idea of resurrecting his 1990s band Fight. The Judas Priest frontman formed Fight after his 1992 departure from Priest. The band released two albums, 1993's War Of Words and 1995's A Small Deadly Space.

Halford was joined in Fight by guitarist Russ Parrish - aka Satchel from Steel Panther. On the possibility of future work with Fight, Halford tells Scenstr: "I've just been through a patch with the people who were looking after me previously. It took a while to get everything knocked back into shape legally and to get out of the hell that I was going through.

"But the good news is my solo back catalogue is slowly being put back out there into the world again. And, if the opportunity arises, I would love to do that again." Read more here.




Former Trivium Member Forms New Supergroup
(TeamRock Radio) Former Trivium drummer Nick Augusto has formed a new band with members of Insense and Before The Mourning. The new band will be called Corrosion.

Augusto was sacked by Trivium in the middle of a tour last year, and replaced by his own drum tech Mat Madiro.When he arrived back home in Florida, Augusto met up with childhood friend Christopher Cussell, guitarist with Before The Mourning.

He then got in touch with friends in Norwegian metal outfit Insense who agreed to help out. Singer Tommy Hjelm and guitarist Martin Rygge are onboard for the new band. Read more here.




Voivod 'Back In Prog Rock Mode'
(Classic Rock) Voivod drummer Michel "Away" Langevin says the veteran Canadian band are staying true to their roots on their latest single We Are Connected. Following its premiere last month, the tune will be issued as one half of a split release with Century Media labelmates At The Gates on 7-inch vinyl on April 7.

Langevin tells the Edmonton Sun: "We're back in prog rock mode. Especially the new single, it's shameless prog rock. We still try to keep it thrash metal, though. I try to keep the double kick going just so it's punky. We won't forget the roots, that's for sure."

We Are Connected marks the first new music from Voivod since 2013's Target Earth; it's also the first track featuring new bassist Dominic 'Rocky' Laroche, who joined the group last summer following the departure of Jean-Yves 'Blacky' Theriault. Read more and stream the song here.



David Ellefson Was Shocked At Drover's Megadeth Exit
(Classic Rock) Megadeth bassist David Ellefson says he was "shocked" when he heard the news that drummer Shawn Drover had quit the band. Drover announced his departure from the group in November and was followed mere hours later by a similar statement from guitarist Chris Broderick, leaving Ellefson and mainman Dave Mustaine as the remaining members in the lineup.

Ellefson soon followed the duo's news by confirming the band would continue as he and Mustaine move forward with plans to add new members and record the follow-up to 2013's Super Collider starting in March.

The bassist is now sharing details about how he found out about Drover's exit and what transpired in the hours after the news first broke. Ellefson tells 100PercentRock.com: "Well, you know, there were some things leading up to it that I certainly was in tune with, and paying attention to. Actually, I swear the day it happened I was shocked. It's funny, a friend of mine sent me a text, he goes, 'hey, I just heard Shawn Drover quit Megadeth.' And I was like, 'That's odd…' and the next thing you know my phone started just blowing up.

"So I called Shawn, I said, 'what's going on man?' He said, 'yeah dude, it was time.' And I was like, 'all right,' you know. So we just had a conversation about it." Read more here.



Apocalyptica Stream New Song 'Cold Blood'
(Classic Rock) Apocalyptica have issued "Cold Blood" as a preview to their upcoming eighth studio album, "Shadowmaker." The song follows the title track as the second tune released from the project, produced by Nick Raskulinecz - who has worked with Foo Fighters, Deftones and Mastodon - and due in April via Eleven Seven Music.

"Shadowmaker" features former Scars On Broadway guitarist Franky Perez on vocals, and there's talk that the singer could become a permanent member of the group following the upcoming tour to promote the record - a trek that will see them open for Sixx AM's spring shows in North America.

Cellist Eicca Toppinen says the band wanted to challenge themselves following a year-long break. Toppinen tells The Rockpit: "It's always hard to talk about albums without being a nerdy musician. I think it's a totally new kind of record for Apocalyptica, especially because we have one singer on the whole album, and I think it's making the whole album more solid. It's more of a band record compared to the album that we have had guest vocalists, so I think it's more solid.

"We had a break when we stopped touring for 7th Symphony, we had one year off, we didn't write a single song for a record, nothing except for Wagner Reloaded, but for the regular stuff, nothing. And after the break, we came together and if we wanted to do something, we have to do exactly what we want to do and this record is the result of that, that journey." Read more and stream the song here.




Supertramp's Carl Verheyen Unplugs For Covers On New Album
(Classic Rock) Supertramp guitarist Carl Verheyen has just released his second acoustic solo album, Alone, via Cranktone Entertainment. The follow-up to 2014's Mustang Run - and companion to 2001's Solo Guitar Improvisations - sees Verheyen mixing original compositions with songs by The Beatles (All You Need Is Love, Norwegian Wood and In My Life), Peter Gabriel (Mercy Street), Pat Metheny (Last Train Home), Elton John (Goodbye Yellow Brick Road) and Mark Knopfler (Going Home: Theme Of The Local Hero).

Verheyen says he chose his cover tunes carefully for this project. He adds: "Most of the material on this album is covers of songs I like. Three John Lennon tunes form a little suite in the middle of the set. I recorded some jazz standards, a Peter Gabriel song, a few originals, a movie theme and a Pat Metheny tune.

"My goal is simple: I only cover a song by another composer if I feel I have something new to say about it. A good musician makes music sound different and the object is to make the standards your own." Read more and check out a video here.



Judas Priest's Ian Hill Talks Redeemer Of Souls
(Classic Rock) Judas Priest bassist Ian Hill says 2014's Redeemer Of Souls is "the best album" the veteran band have ever done. Issued last summer, the group's 17th album delivered their first-ever US Top 10 debut and their highest UK album chart entry in 34 years - landing in the No. 12 position.

Frontman Rob Halford declared Redeemer will be "revered" a decade from now, and is so enthusiastic about Faulkner's songwriting skills that he's already itching to make another record.

Ahead of their appearance at Australia's Soundwave Festival series later this month, Hill backed up Halford's comments in an interview with the event's Lindsay McDougall.

Hill says: "Obviously, whatever album we do, it's gotta stand up to what went before. But with the endless quality material that Richie and Glenn and Rob were churning out, it was evident from the start that this album was gonna be a classic, and that's the way it's turned out.

"People say, 'What's your favorite album?' and everybody always says the latest one. Only this one is, you know?! I think it's the best, obviously, classic Priest album. You can't really count Nostradamus, being sort of a standalone, one-off sort of album. But I think Redeemer is the best album that we've done." Read more here.




Satyricon Announce New DVD Release
(TeamRock Radio) Veteran Norwegian black metallers Satyricon will release their upcoming DVD Live At The Opera on May 1 via a newly-signed deal with Napalm Records.

In sync with the release of 2013's self-titled, eighth studio album, the band played an exclusive, one-off show at Den Norske Opera & Ballett in Oslo, Norway on September 8, 2013, where they were joined by the Norwegian National Opera Chorus as part of the Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival.

Frontman Sigurd 'Satyr' Wongraven explains how the project came together. He says: "The whole thing started with us doing one song, To The Mountains, a year and a half before the actual show. We performed at a closed event in the main hall of the opera with the Royal Norwegian Opera Chorus. It was very inspirational.

"I then said to the conductor that I would love to do a whole show like this. He loved the idea, I was serious about it, and he was serious about it. We spent approximately one and a half year working with composer and arranger Kjetil Bjerkestrand on the choral arrangements."

Satyr continues: "For something that we planned for so long, put so much work into, and something this unique - of course it would be nice to film it and record it. But I made it very clear to the people around Satyricon that I`m not going to turn this into a recording session where you can buy tickets." Read more here.




Soilwork Working On New Album
(TeamRock Radio) Soilwork are back in the studio working on their new album, frontman Bjorn 'Speed' Strid has confirmed. They're working with producer Jens Bogren again, who was behind the desk for The Living Infinite and 2010's The Panic Broadcast.

They began demos for the follow up to 2013's The Living Infinite in December - with Strid insisting the band were sounding "better than ever." Now they're in the studio in their homeland of Sweden to lay down tracks on album no.10.

Strid tells GoetiaMedia: "We've actually entered the studio. Dirk Verbeuren has started to lay down some of the drums already. I'll go up to the studio in Stockholm this week." Read more here.




Nazareth Announce New Singer
(TeamRock Radio) Nazareth have moved quickly to bring in a new frontman in the wake of Linton Osborne's departure. The Scottish veteran rockers have snapped up Persian Risk singer Carl Sentence to take over vocal duties, after being blown away by his first audition.

Bass player Pete Agnew says: "We take great pleasure introducing to you our new singer, Carl Sentance. We had been looking at Carl from afar for some time and very much liked what we saw, so we asked him to come up and sing a couple of songs with us in the studio.

"He came in on Tuesday and completely blew us away in the space of half a song. He was offered and accepted the job right there and then. As you can imagine, we are dying to get started with rehearsals but it's going to have to wait." Read more here.





Kurt Cobain Movie Moved People To Tears Says Love
(Classic Rock) Courtney Love says director Brett Morgen did a "fantastic job" on the Cobain: Montage Of Heck, the documentary about late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain.

While daughter Frances Bean Cobain served as the project's executive producer, the Nirvana frontman's widow had no editorial input but did provide Morgen with access to her personal archives as a way of providing material and support for the first fully-authorised Cobain film.

Montage Of Heck - which includes unreleased songs by the Nirvana leader - had its world premiere at last month's Sundance Film Festival and just debuted at the 65th annual Berlin International Film Festival. It will see a UK release in April and US television premiere on cable network HBO on May 4.

Love shared her reaction to seeing the film during an appearance on The Late Show With David Letterman. Love says: "I just came back from Berlin. It's anguish. It's very moving. I've seen it now three times, and I'm probably not going to see it again. It's too much. People were in tears." Read more here.



Nightwish Release 'Elan' Video
(Prog) Nightwish have released a video for their new single Elan. Elan will feature on the band's eighth album, Endless Forms Most Beautiful, which will be out next month via Nuclear Blast.

On the video, mainman Tuomas Holopainen says: "The long awaited Nightwish music video Elan is finally here. Inspired by the untold stories of abandoned places around Finland, the video was nearly a year in the making and features some of the most loved Finnish actors and actresses."

The track has been officially released after it was leaked earlier this. The leak was described by the band as a "huge blow." Watch the new music video here.




The NX Streaming New EP Online
(TeamRock Radio) Northern riffers The NX are gearing up to release their debut EP "Night Heaver" onto the world but fans can get an early listen as they're streaming it online right now.

Speaking about the record, drummer Luke Walker says: "We're excited for the year ahead, finally getting to release Night Heaver that we've worked so hard on and now we're ready to play as many shows as possible on the back of it.

"Touring means partying with new friends and bands we meet on the road so we're excited about that. A lot of partying and puking but also making sure we put on the best shows we can, get the crowd involved and spread the good word of The NX party nationwide. Remember to take the next day off work to recover!"





Pentagram Reveal New Album Plans
(TeamRock Radio) Pentagram have announced they will release their eighth album in the summer. Bobby Liebling's doom outfit have re-signed with Peaceville Records ahead of the new album's release and worked with producer Mattias Nilsson at studios in Baltimore, Washington DC and Virginia.

Additional vocal and guitar production took place in Knoxville, Tennessee with Travis Wyrick - the Grammy Award-winning producer who worked on the band's previous album, 2011's Last Rites.

The current Pentagram lineup includes Liebling, guitarist Victor Griffin, bassist Greg Turley and drummer Peter Campbell. The band say: "Pentagram is happy to return to the label that helped relaunch interest in our debut album and introduce us to a new metal audience in the 1990s.

"Peaceville Records has been an ally to us throughout the past 20 years. We are happy to have them by our side once again as we record our fourth album under their banner. Never properly recorded songs written by Bobby in the 70s will be heard on the album as fresh as they were when they were written over 40 years ago." here.




Rex Brown Explains Pantera's Rise to Fame
(TeamRock Radio) Former Pantera bassist Rex Brown says the band's success was down to hard work and came at a time when the rock scene was changing. And he credits word of mouth as a major contributing factor to their rise to success in the early 90s as they didn't have a lot of support from MTV.

He tells Do You Know Jack?: "Everything was kind of changing at that point. All the hair bands and all that kind of stuff. Everybody was kind of stale.

"If you think about just songs in general, there were some pretty good songs that the look took away from all that. We just came around at a time that we saw a crack and we slipped through it, and we put a lot of hard work and did a lot of touring.

"We toured non-stop. We had 32 days off on the Cowboys From Hell tour, and that was the total time period between 18 months on, and then directly back in the studio."

He continues: "We just came in at a time when people needed us. We would stay out in the parking lots until six in the morning signing autographs. I think that really made a huge difference between us and other bands that were just, 'Go on the bus and bye.' You meet one guy, and he goes, 'Man, those guys were cool.' And he tells another friend, and it gets around like that." Read more here.



Wire Streaming New Song 'Joust and Jostle'
(Prog) Veteran UK rockers Wire have released a stream of their new single Joust & Jostle and announced their self-titled 14th album will be released on April 13th.

The follow-up to 2013's Change Becomes Us will launch on CD and vinyl.
The band also announced that take to the road across the UK the same month to promote their new material.

Included in the live run is another round of their Drill festivals, this time taking place at the Lexington, London on April 14-18. It's their fourth headlining festival they've organized after previous set in London along with dates in Seattle and Brighton. Artists joining the bill will be announced in due course.




Dzyen Release 'As One' Video
(Prog) Dzyen have launched a music video for their track "As One," which comes from their upcoming debut album It's Pronounced Zen, which is pencilled in for an April release. The full-length studio outing is the follow up to their self-titled 2013 EP.

The core band features guitarist Scott Goodrum, bassist Bryan Tulip and drummer Romeo Ferrari. For the new track they've hooked up with former Tesseract frontman Ashe O'Hara - just one of many guest musicians who appear on the upcoming record.

It will also feature artists including Periphery's Spencer Sotelo, Monuments Chris Barretto and John Browne and Tesseract and Skyharbor frontman Dan Tompkins.

The band say: "We are planning - planning being the operative word - to have our album finished by February or March and unveil our new vocalist." Watch the video here.




Hasse Froberg & Musical Companion Reveal New Album Details
(Prog) Hasse Froberg & Musical Companion have revealed details on their upcoming album. Titled HFMC, it will launch on March 27 via Glassville Records and will be the follow-up to 2012's PowerPlay.

Froberg is joined in the project by lead guitarist Anton Lindsjo, keyboardist Kjell Haraldsson, drummer Ola Strandberg and bassist Thomson. Froberg says: "I've never experienced a recording like this before. So many strange things happened along the way and I've been living so close to this music for so long - so right now I feel exhausted, yet hopeful.

"This being our third album, from day one I've had the intention to make this an album I'm proud of. Honestly, me and the lads have really done our utmost to give you our strongest album to date." Read more here.



Black Rainbows Release 'The Prophet' Video
(Classic Rock) Black Rainbows have released a video for the song "The Prophet," which is taken from the band's "Hawkdope" album, released on March 14. The album is the follow-op to 2013's "Holy Moon."

"I'm so happy with the Hawkdope album and can't wait to get out on tour," says the band's Gabriele Fiori. "As you may have noticed from our past few EPs, we're moving away from the stoner sound and getting equally into the older head bands and space rock vibes of Ladbroke Grove. I think this new record will be a hit with fans of both new and old music. Fry Your Mind!"

The band, who describe themselves as "the bastard offspring of '70s hard-rock swagger and '90s stoner-groove", are in the process of setting up a mini UK tour for June.

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

Tim Abrigg Jr. Rants/Raves:: Today's Day in Rock News!: Today's Day in Rock Scott Weiland Vs Stone Temple Pilots No More While discussing the forthcoming Scott Weiland and the Wilda...

Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Scott Weiland Vs Stone Temple Pilots No More
While discussing the forthcoming Scott Weiland and the Wildabouts album "Blaster," in a new interview Weiland revealed that legal battle between him and his former band Stone Temple Pilots is over.

Speaking to Ultimate Guitar, Weiland was asked how he felt about Stone Temple Pilots replacing him with Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington and he responded, "Umm, I really don't think about it that much. It's like our legal suits we had going are way behind us now. They're doing what they're doing and I'm doing what I'm doing and I wish them luck."

Weiland also reiterated that he was never an official member of the supergroup Art of Anarchy, which features Guns N' Roses guitarist Ron 'Bumblefoot' Thal, Disturbed's John Moyer and twins Jon and Vince Votta.

Echoing his previous comments on the group and their debut album, Weiland said, "Uh, yeah. It's just something I kinda got into when I wasn't doing anything else and just wrote some melodies and lyrics to.

"I sang over these stereo tracks and then sent it back. But I'm not in the band. It will be cool once they find a lead singer so check 'em out when they play live. But it's not something I'm a part of."

Read the full interview where Weiland goes in depth about the new album, here.



Def Leppard, Styx and Tesla Announce Summer Tour
Def Leppard has announced that they will be launching a massive North American summer tour with Styx and Tesla. The trek will follow Def Leppard's spring tours in Canada and Europe.

The summer tour is scheduled to kick off on June 23rd in Tampa, FL at the Midflorida Credit Union Amphitheatre and conclude on October 4th in Bismarck, ND at the Bismarck Civic Center.

Def Leppard has also previously announced two separate tours this spring. On April 15th they will kick off 13 date tour of Canada in Penticton, BC and on May 15th the will launch a mainland European tour in Minsk, Belarus. See all the tour dates here.




The Animals' Danny McCulloch Dies From Heart Failure
Eric Burdon & The Animals' Danny McCulloch died from heart failure on January 29, 2015, according to his children Natasha Brearley, Nina McCulloch Kent, Tara Mcculloch and Alistair Temple.

McCulloch was a member of the band from 1966 through 1968 and appeared on three albums with the group "Winds of Change" (1967), "The Twain Shall Meet" (1968) and Every One of Us (1968).

His children wrote a tribute to the musicians which was published by NME. They write, "Danny McCulloch died suddenly on the morning of Thursday the January 29, 2015 from cardiac heart failure. At age 69 this 'giant amongst us' departed doing what he loved until the end, though he still had more to give in life and in music.

"Although best known for the earth shattering riffs played with Eric Burdon and the Animals, giving depth and vitality to Burdon's vocals, there was much more to his individual composition and passion for the raw music.

"In the summer of '68 a blessing presented itself in the form of Danny's realisation that he was, in fact, an animal no more, which meant that he could write the music that he wanted to, the way that he wanted to. The legacy that he leaves us with today are thought-provoking and quietly humble arrangements." Read the rest of the tribute here.



Bumblefoot Clears Up Scott Weiland Supergroup Confusion
(Classic Rock) Ron 'Bumblefoot' Thal has moved to clear up the "confusion" surrounding Scott Weiland's involvement with supergroup Art Of Anarchy. The Guns N' Roses guitarist formed the group with brothers John and Vince Votta as well as Disturbed bass player John Moyer. Former Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver frontman Weiland agreed to do vocals on the band's debut album, due out in the spring.

But Weiland later insisted he was never part of the band and that he was simply hired to sing on the record - nothing more. Bumblefoot tells Icon Vs Icon: "I know that right out of the gate there was a little bit of, I wouldn't say controversy, but maybe some unnecessary confusion about things.

"However, it is about the music, about the album and putting the album out. Anything beyond that remains to be seen. We don't know what is going to happen. We don't know if, after the album comes out, people are going to want to see something live.

"If they do, Scott is very clear that his focus is his solo stuff and mine is too. Scott wants to just do his solo thing and isn't looking to do any live dates with this.

"Then we would find a new singer, if we did any live shows. Who knows what would happen with that new singer and if it would become a permanent thing or if it would just be for the live setting. We don't know." Read more here.




Another Rocker Thinks Rock Might Be Dead
(Classic Rock) Gene Simmons has finally found an ally to back his claim that Rock Is Dead - in Anvil frontman Lips. The Kiss bassist repeated his often-used comment on the music industry last year in an interview with Esquire magazine, suggesting that it is almost impossible for new artists to make a living from songwriting.

The headlines generated by 65-year-old Simmons' soundbite created an uproar from several corners of the rock world - including Dee Snider, Slash and AC/DC, among others.

Anvil have been fighting the good fight in metal's name since forming in Toronto in 1978. The band have released 15 albums through the years, and had their career re-energised following the success of the 2008 documentary Anvil! The Story Of Anvil, which recounted their struggles in the hard rock music industry.

Frontman Steve 'Lips' Kudlow tells Horns Up Rocks that he's unsure how he would launch Anvil as a new band today given the current state of the rock industry.

He says: "I don't know how you make it. Maybe Gene Simmons is right. Maybe rock is dead. I don't know. Certainly the business of rock is dead. But I really don't know you would tackle getting known in today's day and age. I just don't know.

"I don't think there's anything that can be done differently. You know, there is no music industry as such. Starting out today, you might as well not bother. There's no industry. How can you start? I don't even know. I wouldn't even know how to begin tackling that problem today." Read more here.




Steely Dan Announce Summer Tour With Elvis Costello & The Imposters
Steely Dan has announced that they will have added a summer leg to their Rockabye Gollie Angel Tour which will include support from Elvis Costello & The Imposters.

The summer trek will follow Steely Dan's spring tour leg which will kick off on April 7th in Santa Rose, Ca at Wells Fargo Center for the Arts and conclude on April 18th in San Diego, CA at Humphrey's Concerts by the Bay and includes sets at this year's Coachella Festival on April 10th and 17th.

Steely Dan will then take a couple of months off before kicking off the summer tour on July 6th in Denver at Red Rocks and they will stay on the road until August 12th when they close out the tour in West Palm Beach, FL at the Cruzan Amphitheatre. See the tour dates here.




Bob Dylan Announces U.S. Tour Dates
Bob Dylan has announced that he will be launching a tour of the United States and has revealed the initial 20 dates for the trek which will be taking place this spring.

The initial dates will be hitting the east coast the southern U.S. including stops in New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Florida, North Carolina, Louisiana, Tennessee and Texas.

As of right now the tour is scheduled to begin on April 10th in Atlantic City, New Jersey at The Borgata and concludes on May 7th in San Antonio, Texas at the Majestic Theatre.

Dylan is launching the tour in support of his new standards album, "Shadows In The Nights," which is currently in the top 10 on the Billboard 200 album chart. See the tour dates here.




Coal Chamber Announce Release Of Comeback Album
Coal Chamber has announced that "Rivals", the recently reunited band's first new studio album in over thirteen years, will be released in North American on May 19th.

The band's frontman Dez Fafara had the following to say about the album, "This record was over 13 years in the Making and I promise this record won't disappoint and will be worth the wait!

"Rivals is solid through and through, there's maturity and growth in the music while still maintaining the true Coal Chamber sound and delivering track after track of killer tunes! We had a great time working together on this record and I hope you all enjoy it as much as we do!"

The band will be launching a North American tour in support of the album that will feature support from Filter, Combichrist and American Head Charge.

The tour will be kicking off on March 6th in Tempe, AZ at the Marquee and concluding on April 12th in Dallas, TX at Gas Monkey Live. See the tour dates and the album's tracklisting here.




Doobie Brothers Announce Tour Dates With Don Felder
The Doobie Brothers have announced some additional North American tour dates that include a handful of dates with former Eagles Guitarist Don Felder this spring.

The new dates with Don Felder are focused mostly across Texas and will kick off on April 22nd in Midland at Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center and will conclude with the only non-Texas date in Alpharetta, GA on May 2nd.

The Doobie Brothers have also added a number of tour dates this summer including stops in Francisco, Oregon, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska and an appearance at the Lockn' Festival in Arrington, VA on September 10th. See the new tour dates here.




Mike Portnoy His First 'Full-Blown' Metal Album
(Classic Rock) Drummer Mike Portnoy has revealed he's been recording his first "full-blown" heavy metal album. Details of who he's recording with haven't been officially confirmed, although he recently posted a picture of himself with Testament guitarist Alex Skolnick and Megadeth bassist David Ellefson on Facebook.

And the sticksman says his live appearance with members and former members of bands including Anthrax, Slayer, Sepultura and Death Angel under the Metal Allegiance banner sparked his idea for his latest project.

He tells Mike Portnoy Warriors: "There's another album I just finished the drums and the writing on - and it's my full-blown first full-on metal album. We wrote it in December and January, I tracked my drums in January, and we're about to do the guitar and bass tracks.

"It's pretty obvious that it's stemming from my Metal Allegiance experience. I'm getting to do double-bass shredding drumming that I've only been able to hint at with Dream Theater, Avenged or Adrenaline Mob." Read more here.



Doug Aldrich Calls Twisted Sister's Dee Snider 'A Total Jackass'
(Classic Rock) Guitarist Doug Aldrich has hit back at Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider after the singer questioned the axeman's contribution to Whitesnake in an online posting.

Aldrich quit David Coverdale's band in 2014 after 11 years with the outfit and was replaced by Joel Hoekstra. But despite being an integral part of Whitesnake for over a decade, Snider has called out the guitarist on Twitter.

Snider says: "Question: What Whitesnake album of importance did Doug Aldrich play on? I'm just sayin'. I'm tired of musicians who joined famous bands after their heyday claiming they are from those bands. They had nothing to do with success!"

Aldrich responded: "Dude, I just did my best to keep the band moving forward. Was blessed to compose 30 tunes. You are a total jackass though. Haha!"

Snider was then forced to issue an apology saying: "It was wrong for me to single you out. I'm sorry. My point is valid, but I shouldn't have singled you out." Read more and see the twitter exchange here.




Yngwie Malmsteen Inducted Into Swedish Music Hall Of Fame
Legendary guitar virtuoso Yngwie Malmsteen was inducted into the Swedish Music Hall Of Fame according to an announcement from the organization on Thursday (February 12).

They released the following from the Hall of Fame Jury: "The boy who would become known as Yngwie Malmsteen used to lock himself in his early-70s bedroom in Hässelby with his electric guitar. His mother passed in trays of food now and again. The boy's plan was not to come out again until he had mastered his instrument as well as Paganini, the Italian violin virtuoso who played so well it was rumoured that he had sold his soul to the devil.

When Yngwie eventually emerged from his room, he brought with him albums such as Rising Force, which were to take the world by storm. Yngwie Malmsteen, with his dazzling technique and neo-classical metal style, has influenced electric guitarists on seven continents. Like a Paganini with smoke bombs and long hair, he has - in his own words - 'unleashed the f***ing fury' and redefined Swedish music.'

Yngwie posted a photo of the plaque here.




Steve Hackett Releases Video Teaser For New Album Wolflight
(Classic Rock) Steve Hackett has issued a teaser video for his upcoming album Wolflight. It's due to launch on March 30 and will be the former Genesis man's first original solo work since 2011's Beyond The Shrouded Horizon. And he insists Wolflight is the pinnacle of his career so far.

He says: "I feel it's the best thing I've done and I've been making albums now for a very long time. There's tons of energy and I feel, unlike the other albums, it doesn't wander off the plot too much."

He's joined on the record by guest musicians and longtime collaborators, including keyboardist Roger King, drummers Gary O'Toole and Hugo Dagenhardt, saxophonist Rob Townsend, bassist Nick Beggs and singer Amanda Lehmann. Also joining Hackett on the project is Yes bassist Chris Squire, who plays on the track Love Song To A Vampire.

Along with a standard CD, Wolflight will also launch on double vinyl and as a digital download. In addition, a special edition CD and Blu-ray mediabook will be released featuring interviews and two hours of bonus material. Read more and watch the teaser video here.




Danko Jones Release 'Do You Wanna Rock' Video
(Classic Rock) Danko Jones have released a video for "Do You Wanna Rock," taken from the band's forthcoming "Fire Music" album, the follow-up to 2012's Rock and Roll Is Black and Blue.

"Do You Wanna Rock? has a lot of cowbell," says Danko. "We wouldn't want it any other way. Use it to start parties, create conga lines, and plain ol' boogie oogie oogie."

In November, the band released a video for Gonna Be A Fight Tonight, a track later selected to be the official anthem of last month's WWE Royal Rumble in Philadelphia. Watch the video here.




Riot V Release 'Ride Hard Live Free' Lyric Video
(Classic Rock) Riot V have issued a lyric video for Ride Hard Live Free, the second single from their 2014 album Unleash The Fire. Released last October via SPV/Steamhammer, the project is dedicated to the last original member, Mark Reale, who founded the band in New York City in 1975 and passed away in 2012 following a lifelong battle with Crohn's disease.

Riot V's current lineup includes singer Todd Michael Hall, guitarists Mike Flyntz and Nick Lee, bassist Don Van Stavern and drummer Frank Gilchriest.

Hall spoke with Grande-rock.com about how Reale's death affected the band and the direction they took on Unleash The Fire. He says: "I feel like I have an outsider's perspective on this type of question, because I did not know Mark. I can tell you that Donne, Mike, and even Frank talk about Mark a lot, which makes the loss very apparent. In some ways, I feel like I know Mark now because I have met his father and heard so many stories about him.

"We definitely talked about the need to create an album that would make Mark proud and we are concerned about shedding a positive light on his legacy. As for the song writing, I think Mark's passing gave Donnie and Mike inspiration to include other types of songs that spanned the career of Riot and not just to stay just within the 'Thundersteel' sound for this album."






Scorpions' Virgin Killer Set For Limited Edition Vinyl Reissue
(Glass Onyon) Audio Fidelity have announced that they will be releasing a limited edition 180gm vinyl reissue of the Scorpions' classic 1976 album "Virgin Killer" this April. An exact release date has not been announced.

We were sent the following marketing message about the special reissue: "'Virgin Killer' is the first of four studio releases that really defined the Scorpions and their highly influential urgent metallic sound. It was released in 1976 and was the first album of the band to attract attention outside Europe. The album was a step in the band's shift from psychedelic music to hard rock. For the first time in the band's career the line-up stayed the same with Klaus Meine on vocals, Uli Jon Roth on lead guitar, Rudolf Schenker on rhythm guitar, Francis Buchholz on bass, and Rudy Lenners on drums. The nine tracks were laid down with Dieter Dierks producing.

"The band is in top form and churns out some melodic yet blistering heavy rock. 'Virgin Killer' is full of heavy songs and exceptionally, fast, innovative guitar leads by Uli Jon Roth. These songs are infectious and the Jimi Hendrix comparisons are endless, especially the sound of the thunder-heavy riffs and grooves on Uli's 'Polar Nights' guitar solo that make it a classic.

"'Virgin Killer' should have made the band superstars, but since metal was still very much an underground movement, the Scorpions would have to wait until the 1980's when the band cranked out their first hits. The metal is so clear cut and state-of-the-art on this historic recording and distinctly draws the line of what was classic hard rock and true heavy metal.

"'Virgin Killer' is simply essential listening; a landmark album for the genre's development that made Uli Jon Roth a guitar legend." See the tracklist here.




Slash's Les Paul Award Acceptance Speech Video Goes Online
(hennemusic) Slash was honored with the Les Paul Award at the 30th annual NAMM Technical Excellence & Creativity (TEC) Awards in Anaheim, California on January 24, and video of his award presentation and acceptance speech has surfaced.

The Les Paul Award - named for the revolutionary inventor and esteemed musician - honors individuals or institutions that have set the highest standards of excellence in the creative application of audio and music technology.

Instituted in 1991, the honor has been awarded to influential artists including Pete Townshend, Paul McCartney, Brian Wilson, Stevie Wonder, Neil Young, Todd Rundgren and Peter Gabriel.

Hosted by comedian Sinbad, the 2015 event honored individuals and companies for outstanding achievement in professional audio technology and production.

On the road in support of "World On Fire", Slash just completed a series of concerts in Japan and now heads to New Zealand for two shows next week before hitting Australia for the Soundwave Festival.

Watch the video of the awards ceremony and Slash's speech here.




Cannibal Corpse Pass Two Million Album Sales Milestone
(TeamRock Radio) Cannibal Corpse have praised their fans after they were honoured for selling two millions records. The death metal veterans were presented with a plaque by their record label Metal Blade Records ahead of a show in California to commemorate the milestone.

And while they're thrilled with the accolade, both singer George 'Corpsegrinder' Fisher and guitarist Rob Barrett are quick to hail their fans for sticking by them.

Fisher tells Metal Sanaz: "I think it says a lot about the fans of death metal. It goes to show what we've always been saying, death metal's not even close to dead.

"It was pretty crazy when we went past a million and now it's two million plus. Not to downplay it, but I think those are things you reflect on later on. It's not like we dwell on it much, we're still on tour.

"We've got shows to play. I don't sit around and dwell on it. But of course it's awesome, it's a pretty big deal. Especially for a death metal band." Read more and stream the interview here.




Whitesnake Release Teaser Video
(hennemusic) Whitesnake have issued a video teasing an upcoming announcement on February 25. The band may reveal details on that date regarding their first project with former Night Ranger guitarist Joel Hoekstra, who replaced Doug Aldrich following his exit last spring.

"One of the first, if not the first, guitarists to put his name forward after hearing that Doug Aldrich had left the band, was an exceptionally talented musician whom we had met briefly last year when his band opened for Whitesnake in Arizona," revealed Coverdale last August.

"Everyone was very impressed by him, not only for his ability to play amazing guitar, but, also, his very agreeable personality & he was definitely foremost in our minds when we began to search for Doug's replacement in Whitesnake."

"We jammed together & were mutually impressed enough to ask him to join Whitesnake on the spot," he added. "This was May 30th. 2014." Watch the video here.




Thunder Release Live Video Of New Song
(Classic Rock) Thunder have released a live video of Black Water, filmed before an invited audience at London's Brooklyn Bowl last November. The studio version of the song comes from the band's Wonder Days album, which is the follow-up to 2008's Bang!

Live versions of two other new tracks recorded on the same night appear on the free CD that adorns the cover of the current issue of Classic Rock. Thunder, Live At Brooklyn Bowl, London will only be available while the magazine is on sale.

Thunder first detailed Wonder Days in November, before releasing a live video of the title track filmed in Tokyo. Wonder Days will be released on Monday. Watch the video here.




Dragonforce Announce Live Release Plans
(TeamRock Radio) Dragonforce will release their first live DVD this summer, they've confirmed. In The Line Of Fire will launch on July 10 and was recorded at last year's Loud Park festival in Tokyo.

And guitarist Herman Li says the reason the band waited so long to launch a live recording was because they wanted to have a wide range of material to showcase.

He explains: "We always held the opinion that if we ever did a DVD we wanted to do it properly. Now, having released six studio albums, we thought we had a great cross section of material to pick from and we knew the facilities at Loud Park made it a great place to film a show.

"Everything just came together and we're very pleased with the results and hope the fans will be also." The DVD package will feature an audio CD of the gig and will also be available on Blu-ray. The band have also issued a video for "Three Hammers" from the concert, check it out here.



Escape The Cult Release Clandestine Video
(TeamRock Radio) Escape The Cult have released a music video for their track Clandestine, which comes from the band's debut album All You Want To which launched in August last year.

The supergroup is the brainchild of Kamlath bassist Peter G Shallmin. He's joined in the project by Primus and former A Perfect Circle drummer Tim Alexander, King Diamond and Mercyful Fate guitarist Mike Wead along with Uneven Structure singer Matthieu Romarin.

The band collaborated with Belgian-based director and artist Pasquale Baseotto of FrictionMedia for the shoot, and Shallmin says Baseotto managed to create a "dark atmosphere" which worked perfectly with the song.

He says: "This time we are going into mysterious characters and occult symbolism in seven scenes, seven different worlds, seven spaces, seven secrets, seven demons and seven sins.

"We are happy to work with Pasquale. His impressive personal input and professional approach turned into a wide video novel with lots of details, epic dark atmosphere and sophisticated interlacing the images and visual elements with the lyrics." Read more and watch the video here.




The Gentle Storm Release New Studio Video
(TeamRock Radio) The Gentle Storm have released another behind-the-scenes clip from recording sessions for their upcoming album The Diary. The collaboration between Arjen Lucassen and The Gathering singer Anneke van Giersbergen launches in Europe on March 23 via InsideOut.

The clip shows Lucassen playing a variety of instruments and highlights his guitar solo on the track Endless Sea. an Giersbergen says about the Ayeron mastermind: "I love his dedication and sense of humour and now that we did a whole album together I can see how he pulls off these enormous projects that he became famous and loved for.

"It was a real pleasure and an honour to do an album together - it's already one of the highlights of my career and I can't wait to share The Gentle Storm with you all." Watch the video here.




Therapy? Reveal New Album Details
(Classic Rock) Therapy? will release their 14th album next month to coincide with a full UK tour. The band issue Disquiet on March 23 via Amazing Record Co and hit the road a few days later.

The follow-up to 2012's A Brief Crack Of Light comes on the heels of a last year's 20th anniversary reissue and tour - including a show at The Scala in London - celebrating the band's 1994 breakthrough album, Troublegum.

The 11-song Disquiet was overseen by Royal Blood and Turbowolf producer Tom Dalgety and recorded at Blast Studios in Newcastle. Frontman Andy Cairns explains the project sees the band moving forward with a nod to their past.

Cairns says: "In constructing Disquiet, we went back to the old-fashioned way in which Troublegum was written, whereby I'd take my guitar, play a song, record it on my phone and then send the song to the guys 'finished,' in terms of lyrics, melody and guitar chords.

"We started with 19 songs, recorded 18 of them and then worked with Tom to select the ones that best represented what we were trying to do with this record. And we're genuinely delighted with how things have turned out." Read more here.




The Vintage Caravan Announce New Album
(Classic Rock) The Vintage Caravan have unveiled plans to issue their third album, Arrival, on May 15 via Nuclear Blast. Hailing from the Greater Reykjavik area, Vintage Caravan features singer/guitarist Oskar Logi, bassist Alex Orn and drummer Gudjon Reynisson.

The band - who toured the UK with Blues Pills in November, including a show at The Dome - recorded the follow-up to their self-titled 2011 debut and 2014's Voyage in an isolated Fjord where they set up a studio in an old ballroom and worked again with producer Axel 'Flexi' Arnason.

Vintage Caravan say: "The songwriting sessions have been going on since around October 2012, when our album Voyage had been out in Iceland for a month. We immediately started writing at that point, so some of the songs are quite old for us; because of that, we have a bit too many songs but we intend to make this album around 10 tracks so we can put what we think are the best tracks on the album." Read more here.




More Bands Added To Ramblin' Man Fair
(Classic Rock) Ramblin' Man Fair has added further names to its main stage line-ups. The festival, presented by The Rock Collective and TeamRock, will bring the best of Classic Rock, Progressive Rock, Country and Blues to Mote Park in Maidstone, Kent over the weekend of 25th and 26th July 2015.

Announced today are American bluesman Seasick Steve, blues rockers The Temperance Movement, Geordie legends The Quireboys, Icelandic metallers Sólstafir and up-and-coming multinational act Blues Pills. All are playing on Ramblin' Man's man stage on Saturday, while rising UK rockers Toseland will be performing on the Sunday. More acts are still to be announced.

Already announced for Ramblin' Man are Scorpions and Gregg Allman (both acts' only UK shows of 2015), four artists who won't be performing at any other UK festivals this year - Camel, Marillion and Dream Theater - plus Saxon, Blue Oyster Cult, Ian Anderson, Pendragon, Anathema, Haken, Alcest, Knifeworld, Anna Phoebe, Unto US, Riverside, The Pineapple Thief, Messenger, and more.

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

Tim Abrigg Jr. Rants/Raves:: Today's Day in Rock News!: Today's Day in Rock Rolling Stones Plan North American Summer Tour Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood says in two new int...

Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Rolling Stones Plan North American Summer Tour
Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood says in two new interviews that the band is planning to launch a North American tour this summer and he also discussed the possibility of a Faces reunion.

Wood broke the news of the Rolling Stones tour plans while discussing Karl Denson continuing with the band in place of their legendary sax player Bobby Keys, who died in December.

"We're thinking of keeping Karl on, because he really loved Bobby's work," Woods told Radio.com. He was then asked if the band would need a sax player anytime soon and Woods responded, "We're coming to North America in the summer."

Wood also confirmed the plans in a separate interview with GMI Rock News. "Oh yeah, we had a meeting in New York with the boys, and we're gonna come to North America again in the summer."

Apart from the Stones, Wood discussed his other legendary band the Faces in the Radio.com interview and the recent reunion jam with the three surviving members, himself, Rod Stewart and Kenny Jones at Stewart's 70th birthday party.

"Well, we just played at Rod's 70th birthday a couple of weekends ago in L.A. We got up at Rod's party, me and Kenney and Rod and played 'Stay With Me' and 'Sweet Little Rock and Roller,' and Rod and Kenney were very enthusiastic about a Faces reunion."



Led Zeppelin Premiere 'Brandy & Coke' Version of Classic Song
(hennemusic) Led Zeppelin are have released an online stream of an unreleased version of "Trampled Under Foot" as a preview of the upcoming expanded reissue of their 1975 release, "Physical Graffiti", due on February 23 (Feb. 24 in North America).

Billed as "Brandy & Coke (Trampled Under Foot - Initial Rough Mix)", the track is featured on the companion disc of bonus material - which also includes recently-debuted rough mix of "Houses Of The Holy."

"Physical Graffiti" hit No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 on its way to selling more than 8 million copies in the States alone, while topping their native UK album charts and achieving double platinum for sales of 600,00.




Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl Named Record Store Day Ambassador
Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl has been selected to be the 2015 Record Store Day Ambassador. The annual event celebrating independent record stores will be taking place on April 18, 2015.

Grohl issued the following message, "I found my calling in the back bin of a dark, dusty record store. 1975′s K-Tel's Blockbuster 20 Original Hits by the original Stars featuring Alice Cooper, War, Kool and the Gang, Average White Band and many more, bought at a small record shop in my suburban Virginia neighborhood, it was this record that changed my life and made me want to become a musician. The second that I heard Edgar Winter's 'Frankenstein" kick in, I was hooked. My life had been changed forever. This was the first day of the rest of my life.

"More recently, I've been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to rediscover this sense of excitement, that magical feeling of finding something all one's own, by watching my kids go through it. Watching them realize how crucial and intertwined every part of this experience is, I relive the magic of my earliest experiences with vinyl singles and albums, their artwork, liners notes etc. all over again and again.

"I believe that the power of the record store to inspire is still alive and well, and that their importance to our next generation of musicians is crucial."

Check out the event's official site here.



Zakk Wylde Announces Black Label Society Unblackened Tour
Zakk Wylde has announced that the Black Label Society will be hitting the road in North America this spring to launch a very special Unblackened Tour.

Named after the Black Label Society's 2013 one-off performance at Club Nokia in Los Angeles where they stripped down and rearranged their songs and released it as a live album and DVD of the same name.

Now Wylde is realizing his dream of taking the show to more fans across the U.S. He had this to say, "I always wanted to take Unblackened on the road, we just didn't have the time until now.

"You can take a song that you've played thousands of times and rearrange it, and all of a sudden it's something totally fresh. The attitude of the songs doesn't change when we play them acoustically-the tunes are gritty regardless."

The tour will be kicking off in Huntington, NY on April 3rd at The Paramount and will include stops in New Hampshire, New Jersey, Maryland, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Kansas, Colorado, Utah and California. See the tour dates here.



Original Yes Singer Jon Anderson To Have Surgery
(Classic Rock) Former Yes frontman Jon Anderson is to have a sinus operation, he's confirmed. He's been having issues since November, making it hard for him to sing and causing him to cancel a handful of live dates.

He remains in good spirits and thanks fans for their support, insisting he'll be back playing live later this year. Anderson - who cannot play the violin - jokes: "I will be better very soon. "

I was told by my specialist at UCLA that I will be a different person after the operation. I said, 'Will I be able to play the violin?' He said, 'Yes, of course.' I thought, 'Now that's cool.'"

Anderson has been working in a new group with jazz-fusion violinist Jean-Luc Ponty. The Anderson Ponty Band also features guitarist Jamie Dunlap, keyboardist Wally Minko, bassist Baron Browne and drummer Rayford Griffin. Read more here.



The Crickets Joe B. Mauldin Dead at 74
(Classic Rock) Crickets bass player Joe B. Mauldin has died from cancer at the age of 74. The Texas native was a member of Buddy Holly's band The Crickets, who continued even after Holly's death in 1959. He left the band in 1964 when he joined the US Army, but returned in the 1970s and also worked as a sound engineer.

He and The Crickets drummer Jerry Ivan Allison were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2012 and he was a member of the group until his death in Nashville at the weekend.

Maria Elena Holly, Buddy's widow, says: "Joe B was a great player and performer, a dear friend, and I know that Buddy loved him a great deal. Joe B was one of the greatest bass players of all time. Joe Baby, as Buddy called him, JI, and Buddy made such beautiful music together, and they were all so great together, both as friends and performers. Read more here.




Jack White Announces New Vinyl Single, Streams B-Side Track
Jack White continues to be the king of vinyl with the announcement that he will be releasing a new 7-inch vinyl single for the song "That Black Bat Licorice."

"That Black Bat Licorice" will be the next single from White's latest studio album "Lazaretto" and the b-side of the vinyl will be the non-album cover of Harry Connick Jr.'s "Blue Light, Red Light (Someone's There)."

The Third Man Records site says that they will release the vinyl on February 23rd. Both songs will also be released digitally on February 17th. Fans can preorder the vinyl single and stream the b-side track here.




Metal Singer Hospitalized After Falling Out Of Moving Tour Bus
(TeamRock Radio) Black Tongue frontman Alex Teyen fell out of the band's tour bus when he reportedly drunkenly mistook the door for a toilet. The English metal outfit were on the Ashes To Ashes tour with Chelsea Grin, Veil Maya and Oceans Ate Alaska when the accident took place in Poland.

According to The Telegraph, 23-year-old Teyen was taken to hospital with face and head injuries after falling out of the tour bus on a stretch of motorway near Konin - thinking he was opening the door to the onboard toilet.

Police told local media that the singer was "probably under the influence of alcohol." Police spokesman Piotr Kaciak adds: "The victim told his colleagues he was going to the toilet. The toilet turned out to be engaged so he opened the bus's door instead and stepped out while the coach was still moving.

"Judging by the manner of the victim's behaviour, speech and smell we suspect he was under the influence of alcohol." Read more here.




10,000 Maniacs Going Old School With New Album
10,000 Maniacs have announced that they will be releasing their new studio album, "Twice Told Tales", on April 28th on 180-gram vinyl LP format and on compact disc.

The album will feature the band's take on a collection of traditional British Isles folk songs. 10,000 Maniacs Dennis Drew explains, "Folk music of all types has been a strong influence on the band.

"One of the songs on the new record 'Do You Love An Apple' has been in our repertoire for 30 years. We've also recorded Carter family songs and other American, Irish and British Folk music in the past."

"These are timeless melodies," Drew continues, "Some songs are funny, some are heartbreaking. Most are 100, 200, 300 years old. It's crazy how they can be turned into 21st century pop songs!"

The band is giving fans an early taste of what to expect from the album by streaming their version of the Irish rhyme "Misty Moisty Morning," here.




Bob Seger Celebrates Against the Wind Anniversary In The Studio
The latest episode of syndicated radio show In The Studio: The Stories Behind History's Greatest Rock Bands celebrates the 35th anniversary of Bob Seger's classic album "Against The Wind". The show sent over these details:

After over a decade of sweatin' it out on the road, as documented on the live album Live Bullet, Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet band finally had their breakout with 1976's Night Moves followed by Stranger In Town in 1978, capping off a phenomenal end to the decade.

The sheer height to which Bob Seger's star had risen was put on full display when Against the Wind unseated Pink Floyd's epic The Wall album for the # 1 spot on the Billboard chart upon release in February 1980, producing the hits "Fire Lake", "You'll Accomp'ny Me", and title track "Against the Wind".

Superstardom, however, was challenging for Seger. Bob admits to InTheStudio host Redbeard how he was able to find his way after selling over 17 million albums in four short years.

"I think (my) reaction to stardom was very uncomfortable from '76 thru '79, because I had NO reaction (from record execs) for the twelve years prior to that. I was very suspicious throughout that period... I was probably not the best person to be around unless you were really in my inner circle... I was quite closed off. I think it wasn't until 1980 that I really opened up. And that's why I have such fond memories of Against the Wind." - Bob Seger




Rival Sons Cancel Soundwave Appearance
Rival Sons had some bad news for Australia fans that wanted to see the band perform at the Soundwave Festival this year, the group announced that they have pulled out of the event.

They explain, "Attention to our highly esteemed and very patient Australian fanbase: It brings us no pleasure to announce that we are not able to play the Soundwave festival this year. We've been waiting years to see you, YEARS and this was going to be such a great line up.

"We had every intention of coming to you and take full responsibility for any disappointment. The good news? A child has been born to the Rival Sons family. Even though we collectively thought it to be sufferable, we've found that taking our brother away from his wife and newborn so soon ultimately defies our personal ethics as a band.

"We can assure you that it is our utmost desire to get Down Under to give you what you have so patiently waited for. We wholeheartedly beg your understanding and forgiveness on this matter."




Grammy Is All About Ronnie James Dio Says Tenacious D
(hennemusic) Wendy Dio and Tenacious D have issued statements celebrating the band's Grammy Award win for Best Metal Performance Sunday at the 57th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.

Tenacious D won the award for their remake of Dio's "The Last in Line" which was featured on the 2014 Ronnie James Dio tribute album, "This Is Your Life."

Tenacious D took home the prize ahead of fellow nominees Anthrax, Motorhead, Slipknot and Mastodon. "We are so excited to see one of Ronnie's songs be awarded with a Grammy," says wife/manager Wendy Dio. "As soon as Tenacious D were announced as winners, Jack Black called me in excitement to tell me that we won the award. My only regret is to not have Ronnie here in body to see this happen."

"This Grammy is all about Ronnie James Dio," added Black and Kyle Gass. "We are so proud to have known Ronnie and this is just another testament to his greatness." Read more and stream the song here.



Video from Metallica Corporate Shows Goes Online
(hennemusic) Metallica performed a corporate gig at Pier 48 in San Francisco for cloud computing company Salesforce.com on Monday, and fan-filmed video from the evening has surfaced.

The band previously played the same event in 2011 when the company's chief executive officer, Marc Benioff, asked his neighbor - Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett - if they would perform.

On January 21, Metallica were the featured guests of honor as the NHL's San Jose Sharks hosted Metallica Night. The NHL evening featured the second Bay-area sports team to present a Metallica-themed event: Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants will host the 3rd annual Metallica Night at AT&T Park on Saturday, May 2.





Death Cab for Cutie Release 'Black Sun' Video
(Radio.com) Death Cab for Cutie's new album, Kintsugi, is being released by Atlantic Records on March 31. The band has already starting playing shows, a first since the departure of founding member Chris Walla, and a first single, "Black Sun," has been released.

On Wednesday, the Ben Gibbard-fronted Seattle band share their first music video from the new collection, also for "Black Sun," directed by Robert Hales. In the clip, the band plays a production team, filming a scene in which an injured stunt actor gets hit by a car. If you are not a fan of slow motion, you are watching the wrong music video.

In other news, CoS points out that the band has booked a Madison Square Garden headlining date for the end of summer with Explosions in the Sky supporting. This is in addition to a lengthy already announced tour, which includes performances with The Antlers, Tune-Yards, and Built to Spill. Watch the video and see the dates here.



Kreator, Sodom, Destruction and Tankard Plan New Split Release
(TeamRock Radio) Germany's 'Big Teutonic 4' have announced the release of their second joint 10inch vinyl. Kreator, Sodom, Destruction and Tankard have each recorded a classic NWOBHM cover version for the red vinyl release. The record will begin shipping next week.

Songs by Iron Maiden, Tank, Saxon and Raven make up the record. On his band's cover of Iron Maiden's self-titled 1980 track, Tankard's Andreas "Gerre" Geremia says: "The first two Maiden albums are my personal favorites so it's a real honour to me that our version of Iron Maiden will finally be available on vinyl."

Destruction's Marcel 'Schmier' Schirmer adds: "Shortly before we formed Destruction we were all together at a Saxon concert in Switzerland on their Denim & Leather tour. Princess Of The Night always was one of my all-time favourite tracks from the British NWOBHM masters." Read more here.




The Answer Streaming First Song From New Album
(Classic Rock) The Answer have unleashed "Long Live The Renegades", the first music from their forthcoming "Raise A Little Hell!" album, the follow-up to 2013's "New Horizon."

"It's a bit of a rocker and we tried a slightly different production technique on this track by keeping it very dry," say the band. "The song is about just doing what you do best and having a bit of a bunker mentality.

"This is our fifth album and we've gone back to our earlier blues and roots style with what we think are harder rockin' grooves. Hope you like it as much as we do!" Check out the song here.




The Neal Morse Band Release 'Agenda' Video
(Classic Rock) The Neal Morse Band have released a music for the track "Agenda," from their upcoming album "The Grand Experiment" which launches in the UK on February 16 via InsideOut.

Morse, Mike Portnoy, Randy George, Eric Gillette and Bill Hubauer previously released a video for the title track from the record. Along with a standard CD and digital release The Grand Experiment will also be issued as a 2CD and DVD special edition Digipak.

The second disc features previously unreleased live and studio tracks while the DVD includes a documentary on the making of the album. The record will also be released as a 180g vinyl pressing which comes with the double CD and DVD.






Megadeth Have 'Pretty Much Written' New Album
Megadeth bass player and cofounder David Ellefson says in a recent interview from the NAMM convention that the band have their new album "pretty much written".

Ellefson told Ultimate Guitar, "We have it pretty much written. We need to go in and obviously record. We're looking at lineup things… that's the big question.

"But that's all moving forward, and we'll know more in the coming days, weeks, and certainly as the record's being made, that will tell more. I mean, to me the record has to be great, and that will determine, I think, from that, where the lineup goes. We're very aware of what a lot of people are hoping we do." Watch the full interview here.




Atreyu Singer Gives Update On New Album
(TeamRock Radio) Atreyu vocalist Alex Varkatzas has issued an update from the studio where the band are recording their first album in six years. They returned from a three-year hiatus last summer and launched the track So Others May Live in September.

And Varkatzas reveals work is going well on the follow-up to 2009's Congregation Of The Damned, saying it's the best material the band have ever done.

He says: "The lyrics for the new album have been done for a few days and I will finish vocals tomorrow. Absolutely no melodic vocals on my end. Happy to get back to my roots and still bring in some new tricks.

"My brothers and I have made our best record yet. Can't wait to share it with you all." Read more here.




Former King Crimson Star David Cross Completes New Album
(Prog) Former King Crimson violinist David Cross has completed work on a new album, he's confirmed. And he says the The David Cross Band are mixing the material which he describes as "fantastic" but "horribly complicated."

He tells Sunn Creative Music: "The David Cross Band hasn't played for a while but we've finished an album. We're just in the mixing stages and playing with the sounds trying to get the violin and guitar sounds working well together. They're fantastic songs and horribly complicated - not by fault, it's all down to Paul Clark on guitar who comes up with very twisted ideas."

Cross is currently working with King Crimson mainman Robert Fripp on Starless Starlight and he's issued a promo for the track Starless Starlight Loops. Hear it here.



Hoobastank, P.O.D and Alien Ant Farm Announce UK Tour
(TeamRock Radio) Hoobastank have announced that they will be launching a UK tour with P.O.D and Alien Ant Farm. The trio of Californian bands open their 10-date jaunt in London on May 7.

Hoobastank frontman Doug Robb had this to say, "We are extremely excited about finally coming back to the UK to play some shows. It's been way too long.

"What better way, also, than to come back with two great bands that we have a long history and friendship with, P.O.D and Alien Ant Farm. We hope to see all the loyal fans who've waited so long for our return as well as make some new friends. We'll see you soon."






Metallica Hit The Slopes With New Branded Skis
(Classic Rock) Metallica fans can take their obsession to new heights after the band launched a line of branded skis. Kiss are known for their remarkable range of merchandise that includes everything from knives to coffins, and now Metallica have announced their own range of skis and mountain wear.

The thrash giants have teamed up with ski manufacturer Armada for the project. In a statement, the band say: "It's no secret that three quarters of the band enjoy our snow sports - Kirk is sticking to the water for now - so we're excited to announce that we have hooked up with Armada to create a line of Metallica skis for you to cruise around the mountains on.

"Founded by professional skiers and a snow-sports photographer, Armada was skiing's first rider-owned, rider-operated manufacturer and we admire that independent, do-it-yourself spirit." Read more here.



Tinsley Ellis Releases New Album 'Tough Love'
(The Blues Tinsley Ellis has released his new studio album Tough Love and he has encouraged fans to let him know what they think of the effort at his upcoming shows.

The guitarist's new 10-track record is available now in digital formats and on CD and will head out on an extensive North American tour later this month, starting in Atlanta, Georgia on February 21.

Ellis says: "I think you will like this album very much. I make them especially for you. We will do shows everywhere in 2015 to promote the album. If you see us standing around at shows, please come say hi. We are very approachable despite our dark attire and strange facial hair." here.




Hellyeah Purposely Broke Party Stereotype On Blood For Blood
(TeamRock Radio) Hellyeah guitarist Tom Maxwell says the band made a conscious decision to drop their party-rock tag on Blood For Blood. Their fourth album launched last year with bassist Kyle Sanders admitting they had a lot to prove following the departures of Bob 'Zilla' Kakaha and Greg Tribbett. Now Maxwell says they used the album to ditch some stereotypes surrounding the group.

He tells the Vinnie Langdon Show: "I think we really needed to dig deep on this one. I wanted to break that stereotype people had of us as this party-rock band, which kind of put us in a corner with songs like Alcohaulin' Ass, Drink Drank Drunk and Hell Of A Time.

"They're cool tunes, but, personally, I don't have any history with that kind of music. I'm a hardcore kid from Baltimore and I want to play moody, emotional, heavy stuff and more relaxed, pulled-back stuff but retaining integrity and honesty. I just didn't think that that was the way that we should be going." Read more here.



Europe Preview New Album 'War Of Kings'
(TeamRock Radio) Veteran Swedish outfit Europe have released a trailer for their forthcoming album War Of Kings. The band - who previously just issued a video for the title track - recorded the project at the brand new PanGaia Studios in Stockholm, Sweden with producer Dave Cobb. The band last week credited Cobb with the new album's vibe and said they were blown away by his previous work with Rival Sons.

Due March 2 via UDR Records, War Of Kings will be available in multiple formats, including a CD digipak, a CD jewel case, a vinyl LP and a digital download.

Europe will launch the album with a show at the Olympia Theatre in Dublin on the day of its release and a March 3 performance at Belfast's Ulster Hall followed by a 12-date UK tour with Black Star Riders that begins March 5 in Glasgow. Watch the trailer here.




Stoneghost Release New Video 'Faceless Ghost'
(TeamRock Radio) Stoneghost are premiering their brand new music video for the song "Faceless Ghost" with TeamRock's Metal Hammer. The track comes from upcoming debut LP "New Age Old Ways."

Frontman Jason Smith reveals the inspiration for the new track "Faceless Ghost" and how it was borne from dilemma. "It's about my daughter, she was on the way.

"I was feeling apprehensive and scared about the responsibility and seeing a therapist at the time, I was having some really low points, but because I had a daughter on the way it gave me the reason to sort myself out."




Blackberry Smoke Talk New Album and Southern Rock Heritage
(Radio.com) As soon as Blackberry Smoke start playing, it's like the air gets thick and swampy. For well over a decade now, the Southern rock quintet have made a name for themselves with their gritty country and blues guitar riffs, vivid storytelling and frontman Charlie Starr's distinct vocals, delivered with a hint of his Southern drawl.

While 'Southern rock' is a good catch-all generalization, it's often hard to place Blackberry Smoke into just one genre, and they're OK with that. In fact, a number of rock legends from the South are fans, including Gregg Allman--who sings the group's praises as being "the band that will put Southern Rock back on the map"--and ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons, who frequently jams onstage with them.

"We never sat down and thought, 'We're a Southern rock band,'" frontman Charlie Starr tells Radio.com over the phone. "We're just a rock & roll band from Georgia. So are R.E.M. They play the kind of music that makes them feel comfortable and so do we. Plus, I have a pretty Southern accent and Michael Stipe doesn't, so the singing comes across in a different way."

"I've always appreciated albums that have a lot to offer lyrically and musically," Starr tells Radio.com, a few days before this week's release of Blackberry Smoke's fourth album, Holding All the Roses. "Nobody wants to buy an album and listen to it and all songs sound the same, that's a bummer. We've always tried to approach an album like an album. Have it be a bit of a roller coaster ride where you have songs with different feel, different subject matter."

Starr says Blackberry Smoke has always made an effort to make a drastically different album than the one they previously released. As a result, Holding All the Roses departs from their 2012 release The Whippoorwill. Produced by Brendan O'Brien (whose credits include AC/DC, Aerosmith, Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young), Starr recalls meeting with him for the first time and talking about the records that they love. After discussing albums like Led Zeppelin III and Aerosmith Rocks as well as those that O'Brien himself had made, the foundation for Holding All the Roses was made.

While the album takes the listener on a journey, it also shows Blackberry Smoke's evolution as a band. This time around, they're using more textures, haunting string features and keyboard interludes unheard of on the band's previous releases. Throughout its 12 tracks, Holding All the Roses has songs about women, the devil, loneliness and seeing a woman in the moon on the fittingly titled, "Woman In the Moon."

On that particular song, Starr sings, "It seemed to me that when you stop looking you can always find what you need/ Any old wind can change your direction as long as there's a call that you heed." He says that as a child, when he looked up at the moon he saw a woman's face. One night later in life, he gazed up at the moon and found the inspiration for the song. And the woman he always sees in the moon? Marilyn Monroe.





Singled Out: Furyon's These Four Walls
Today the UK metal band Furyon tells us about the song "These Four Walls" from their brand new album "Lost Salvation," which is set to be released later this month. Here is the story:

The song was the very first to be a written, and then recorded in demo form for the batch of songs that were heading towards making the album 'Lost Salvation'.

The guitars and main groove to the song had been sent from US to UK where singer Matt Mitchell wrote the lyrics and top lines to fix the track in place to become 'These Four Walls'.

It had been some time since Furyon had felt this spark of writing as the band had been through some member changes and personal turmoil. Lyric writing and subject matter can be difficult for writers to find sometimes. To make it feel right anyway. The lyrics in this case just seemed to be on the tip on the tongue and waiting to be sang.

The basic struggle that one can feel at times was put out from pen to paper, to song. 'I live within these four walls... You'll come to find they tell a thing or two, about me'. It's everyone's view .. Your own thoughts, your own mind. It's a beautiful thing really.

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

Tim Abrigg Jr. Rants/Raves:: Today's Day in Rock News!: Today's Day in Rock! AC/DC Reunite With Chris Slade (Classic Rock) Former AC/DC drummer Chris Slade reunited with the band t...

Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock!


AC/DC Reunite With Chris Slade
(Classic Rock) Former AC/DC drummer Chris Slade reunited with the band to fill in for Phil Rudd during the band's performance at the Grammy Award ceremony in Los Angeles, and has been pictured signing AC/DC memorabilia at a pre-event charity bash.

Also pictured at the event were the band's Brian Johnson and Cliff Williams, further fuelling speculation that Slade was to fill the drum stool vacancy created by Rudd's ongoing legal battles.

Rumors began to circulate earlier this week that the Welsh drummer had been asked to return, and he's now released a statement. "This is an amazing opportunity for me," says Slade. "After all, most people don't ever get to play with their favorite band once, let alone TWICE!

"I would like to thank everyone for the overwhelming support I have been shown personally, on the Facebook page and other social media. Not one comment has gone unread and it has been very humbling. Thanks so much." Read more and see the photos here.




Roy Harper Found Not Guilty Of Child Sex Charge
(Classic Rock) Folk icon Roy Harper has been found not guilty on one count of indecently assaulting an 11-year-old in the 1970s. Earlier last week, the 73-year-old was acquitted by a unanimous jury decision of indecently assaulting a 16-year-old in the 1980s.

But he could face a retrial after jurors at Worcester Crown Court failed to reach majority verdicts on two further counts of indecent assault, two of indecency with a child, and one of having sex with a child.

Judge Robert Juckes QC discharged the jury and gave prosecutors two weeks to consider whether to seek a retrial on the remaining charges. All relate to the 11-year-old. Read more here.



Van Halen Not Doctoring Live Album?
(Classic Rock) Van Halen's first live album with David Lee Roth will be released without any retouching on the vocal tracks, says a fan site. Tokyo Dome Live In Concert will be launched on March 31 alongside remastered editions of the band's self-titled debut and sixth title 1984, with four more remasters to follow.

Trusted source Van Halen News Desk reports: "This is a very authentic live recording. Every bit of the concert is in here, including Dave speaking Japanese to the crowds, full guitar and drum solos, etc.

"Note there are absolutely no touchups on the lead vocals, unlike most live albums. They considered using different songs from different shows, but thought it would be better to simply release one stellar performance. They want this one to be authentic." Read more here.




TV On The Radio Cancel Tour After Member Hospitalized
(TeamRock Radio) TV On The Radio have cancelled their upcoming European tour after drummer Jahphet Landis was admitted to hospital. The band were due to kick off the tour in Italy last Friday, but have pulled all 12 scheduled dates, with five UK shows affected.

Gigs in Edinburgh, Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham and London have been cancelled with no rescheduled shows having been announced and no indication given as to whether the band will line up new dates.

In a statement, the band say: "It is with much regret that due to a health emergency, TV On The Radio have been forced to cancel their upcoming Europe/UK tour which is due to start this Friday. Drummer Jahphet is in the hospital. He will be OK but is not able to travel at this time." Read more here.



Motley Crue's Tommy Lee Wants Alice Cooper To Kill Him
(Classic Rock) Motley Crue drummer has responded to Alice Cooper's offer to kill the members of the band on stage at their farewell show on New Year's Eve. Cooper has been the support act for the band's final tour.

Lee says of Cooper's offer, "That would be awesome. I asked him, 'Can you make three more of those guillotines? Then you could chop off all our heads at the same time!'"

It's not confirmed whether the stunt will take place, but Lee vows of their final show in LA: "We're going to do something completely f***ed up. I guarantee that." Lee also reflected on side projects. Read what he had to say here.




Danny Worsnop Explains Exit From Asking Alexandria
(TeamRock Radio) Danny Worsnop says it was "just time" for him to leave Asking Alexandria after seven years and three albums as he and the band were headed in different musical directions.

Worsnop tells Artisan News: "Like I said in my press release, it was just time for us to part ways. We reached a point, musically, where we wanted different things. I wish them all the best in the future, and I will always follow it and support it. It was just time."

Rumors suggest Asking Alexandria have brought in Down & Dirty frontman Denis Shaforostov to fill Worsnop's slot as they prepare to enter the studio this month to begin work on the follow-up to 2013's From Death To Destiny. Read more here.



Historic Rolling Stones Spot Immortalized
(Classic Rock) Platform 2 at Dartford Station is now home to a blue heritage plaque marking the spot where Mick Jagger and Keith Richards met properly for the first time on October 17, 1961.

The pair, who both went to Wentworth Primary School in the town, recognised each other and struck up a conversation. At the time, Jagger was on his way to the London School of Economics carrying a pile of his favourite blues records, while Richards was heading to Sidcup Art College with his Hofner Cutaway guitar.

Dartford Borough Council unveiled the blue plaque during a small ceremony on February 5 with help from Mayor Avtar Sandhu and Dartford Grammar head John Oakes.

The blue plaque reads: "Mick Jagger and Keith Richards met on platform 2 on 17 October 1961 and went on to form The Rolling Stones - one of the most successful bands of all time." Read more here.




Nightwish's New Single Leaks
(Prog) Finnish outfit Nightwish have issued a statement regarding an online leak of their forthcoming single, Elan. The song has surfaced in advance of its scheduled February 13 release via Nuclear Blast. It will be featured on the band's eighth album, Endless Forms Most Beautiful, which will be out on March 30.

Nightwish alerted fans with a Facebook post identifying one source of the leak, which initiated an intense debate among readers. The band explains: "Our intention was not necessarily to attack an individual person, but to raise awareness that spreading unreleased property through internet is not something that any artist would like to see happen. This is about our musical property and the abuse of it. This kind of thing causes irreparable harm to countless people working in the music industry worldwide. Not only for the band."

Mainman Tuomas Holopainen further commented on the reaction with a statement encouraging fans to avoid the song until its official release on Friday. Read that here.



Revolution Saints Supergroup Release Music Video
(TeamRock Radio) Supergroup Revolution Saints have issued a video for Back On My Trail as a preview to their upcoming self-titled debut album. The tune follows the lead single, Turn Back Time, and Way To The Sun - which features a guest spot by Journey guitarist Neal Schon.

With their debut due February 23 via Frontiers Records, the group includes former Whitesnake guitarist Doug Aldrich, Night Ranger bassist Jack Blades and Journey drummer Deen Castronovo.

The project also sees a guest appearance by Journey vocalist Arnel Pineda on You're Not Alone. Revolution Saints are working through their respective band's schedules to determine when they can hit the road to play live for fans.

Castronovo tells Billboard: "We have thought about that, and actually we're having conversations now about how we'd go about doing things and what we would play and all that kind of stuff."

"There's a wealth of material we could forge. There's stuff Doug has written when he was in Whitesnake, that he wrote with David Coverdale, that we could switch around and play. There's songs on my solo records. There's songs from the Damn Yankees. There's so much music we can play, I don't think that'll be a problem." Watch the video here.




Katatonia Reveal Live Release Details
(Classic Rock) Veteran Swedish metal outfit Katatonia have revealed details on their upcoming live DVD Sanctitude. It's set to launch on March 30 via Kscope and follows 2014's Last Fair Day Gone Night which was filmed at London's Koko in 2011.

Sanctitude captured the band in concert at London's Union Chapel in May last year on the acoustic Unplugged & Reworked tour. And guitarist Anders Nystrom admits the group were apprehensive about presenting their material in a new way.

He says: "As a band we set out on uncharted waters but, while apprehensive about the journey ahead, our intentions couldn't have been more genuine to undertake this beautiful experience. Sailing this project into harbour turned out to be bliss and has ultimately enriched all the members of Katatonia."

Joining the group on guitar and vocals is The Pineapple Thief frontman Bruce Soord, who filled-in following the departure of guitarist Per Eriksson; the set also presents a guest appearance by Norwegian vocalist Silje Wergeland of The Gathering. Read more including track details here.




Napalm Death Selling More Records Than Ever Before
(TeamRock Radio) Napalm Death are selling more records than ever before, according to singer Barney Greenway. The frontman believes the band's decision to firmly stick to their ethos and not seek out any commercial advantage has paid off in the end.

Greenway tells SkullsNBones: "We're selling more records right now than we ever have done. That's not just vinyl. It's vinyl, CDs, everything is selling really well. We haven't done anything to gain commercial advantage. In fact we've turned down stuff that could have given us commercial advantage because of our ethos. That's kind of mind blowing.

"It just goes to prove that you stick to what you want to do and not some things that you might not feel comfortable with. You live and die by your decisions." Read more here.




UDO Recruit Family Member As New Drummer
(Classic Rock) 21-year-old Sven Dirkschneider has been named drummer for German metal outfit UDO - the band led by his father Udo Dirkschneider. They put out a public call for drummer auditions in December after Francesco Jovino quit the group weeks ahead of a world tour and the January 23 release of their 15th album Decadent.

The band say in a statement: "His drumming has simply convinced us most. His style of playing is fresh and really grooves heavily. It simply is exactly what we need for UDO.

"We also know that Sven fits perfectly into the band family. He has been working as a drum tech for us for more than four years and we know from several world tours that everyone likes him and gets along with him perfectly." Read more here.



Van Morrison Celebrating 70th Birthday With Hometown Concert
(Classic Rock) Van Morrison is to celebrate his 70th birthday with an outdoor show in his hometown of Belfast. The singer/songwriter will perform at the EastSide Arts Festival on August 31 as he celebrates his birthday.

According to the Belfast Telegraph, the event is taking place in the city's tree-lined Cypress Avenue, after which Morrison named a track on his classic 1968 album Astral Weeks.

A statement from organizers says: "Van Morrison will celebrate his 70th birthday by appearing at this most iconic of venues - a most beautiful location made famous across the world through the song from his ground-breaking and widely acclaimed Astral Weeks album, first released in 1968. Read more here.




Genesis Regret Not Filming Peter Gabriel Reunion
(Classic Rock) Genesis guitarist Mike Rutherford admits the band regrets not filming their 1982 reunion show with Peter Gabriel. The Six Of The Best concert in Milton Keynes came about after former frontman Gabriel needed help in paying off debts accrued by the financial failure of his Womad festival.

Rutherford tells Rolling Stone: "We did it on my birthday. I mainly remember the incredible mud and rain. Years later I thought back and realised we made a mistake not filming it.

"The feeling was that we shouldn't record it because it wouldn't be great live. There were rough edges." He reflects: "We should have done it anyway. It was a moment we should have captured, warts and all." Read more here.




Journey's Neal Schon Sues Over Wedding Fees
(Classic Rock) Journey guitarist Neal Schon is suing the city of San Francisco over a $240,000 fee to use a local landmark for his December 2013 wedding to reality tv star Michaele Salahi.

The couple were married at the Palace of Fine Arts, and rented an adjacent building for the reception. According to NBCBayArea.com, Schon had initially agreed to pay the city $58,000 for use of the facility and claims officials unfairly jacked up the fee for the city's permit six days before the wedding after learning the event was to be broadcast via pay-per-view.

Schon called the last-minute fee hike "extortion'' and unhappily paid for the permit so the wedding could proceed, according to the lawsuit. One of Schon's lawyers, Rebecca Coll, says: "City administrators are not supposed to make up what fees to charge people based on who they are, or because they agree to share their wedding - or anything else - on television. The Schons had a right to share their celebration with the world in real time without being penalized.'' Read more here.




Anthrax's Scott Ian Reflects On Joey Belladonna Firing
(Classic Rock) Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian says the sacking of Joey Belladonna in 1992 was a result of the guitarist's immaturity at the time. Ian recalls being frustrated with Belladonna's take on his lyrics on songs written for 1990's Persistence Of Time and, rather than trying to work it out, he fired the man who is currently back in the band for a third spell.

Ian tells Loudwire: "People always say Persistence Of Time was a dark album. I definitely was a darker person. So much of that goes into why the decision was made that I couldn't move forward any more with Joey in the band.

"Up until that point I never had a problem with the way Joey was singing the words I was writing. I thought he got it across perfect. But once we got to Persistence, it wasn't working for me any more.

"I really have to point the finger at myself. Thinking back, I probably should have been more communicative with Joey and spent more time with him. We probably should have been able to move forward. But that's who I was then and I can't change that." Read more here.




Ronnie Wood Publishing 1965 Diary
(Classic Rock) Rolling Stones star Ronnie Wood is gearing up to publish his diary from 1965 after it was lost for 50 years. He started keeping the journal at the age of 17 as he began his career.

Now he's rediscovered it, he's preparing a series of sketches to accompany its release via Genesis Publications. The publisher had the following to say about the upcoming release:

"Ten years before he joined the Rolling Stones, Ronnie's musical apprenticeship with The Birds catapulted him onto the stage of swinging London's music scene.

"Featuring a cast of characters including Jeff Beck, Pete Townshend, Eric Clapton, Keith Moon, Marianne Faithfull and many more" Read more here.




Yngwie Malmsteen Working On New Album
(Classic Rock) Guitar icon Yngwie Malmsteen is working on his next album, he's confirmed. The Swedish musician is setting out ideas in his home studio and says as he's not working to a tight schedule like he used to do, it's given him more time to hone the new material.

He tells Metal Mal: "I'm in the studio making another album right now. It's not, like, 'Okay, now I'm going to go in and do it.' It's just that when I'm inspired, I go in and I do something.

"In the past you had to do things and the clock was running. It was terrible, and I didn't like it. Now I just do it when I feel like it." Malmsteen also says he's considering hooking up with Nick Marino again, who sang on 2014's Spellbound Live In Tampa on the upcoming album. Read more here.




Cradle Of Filth Frontman Excited About New Music
(TeamRock Radio) Cradle Of Filth frontman Dani Filth has started recording vocals for the band's upcoming 11th album. Hammer Of The Witches, the follow-up to 2012's The Manticore And Other Horrors, is scheduled for a June 26 release via Nuclear Blast.

The record is being recorded at Grindhouse Studios in the Suffolk countryside. Filth says: "The album sounds so sick and killer, I am truly excited for people to hear the very spiky fruits of our labour.

"Now I'm ensconced here for around a month, before Lindsay joins me from Canada to contribute female vocals and with everyone else, to undertake the first video from the album, which is to be filmed at a deserted Air Force base nonetheless." Read more here.




Stuck Mojo Will 'Probably' Make New Album With Bonz
(TeamRock Radio) US rap metal pioneers Stuck Mojo say they'll "probably" release a new album after reuniting with frontman Bonz. The band was formed in 1989 by guitarist Rich 'The Duke' Ward and released four albums before splitting in 2000. They reformed in 2005 and dismissed the frontman the following year over alleged substance abuse issues and replaced him with Lord Nelson.

But Bonz reunited with Ward, bassist Corey Lowery and drummer Frank Fontsere for a show in Atlanta in December. And Ward says it's likely they'll record fresh material together again.

He tells The Signals Of Intuition: "There probably will be one - we haven't gone in writing yet. Bonz is doing great, he looks great, we're getting along great, and he seems like he's dealt with all his demons and he's sorted that part of his life out.

"So I'm feeling good about it. But I won't commit to a new record until I know that it's real." Read more here.






AC/DC Bring Some Rock To The Grammys
(hennemusic) AC/DC opened the 57th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles Sunday with a double-shot of the title tracks to "Rock Or Bust" and 1979's "Highway To Hell."

The performance featured the live debut of guitarist Stevie Young - nephew of Angus and retired founding member Malcolm Young - and the return of drummer Chris Slade to the lineup.

Slade revealed his return on Saturday: his status had been rumored for days as the band were forced to address the issue of troubled drummer Phil Rudd, who was arrested November 6 on multiple charges by New Zealand police - including possession of methamphetamine, possession of cannabis and threatening to kill.





Korn and Slipknot Cover Beastie Boys Classic
(TeamRock Radio) Recently the Prepare For Hell Tour rolled into London's Wembley Arena and if you were there, you know something special happened... and Korn is sharing video of it.

For the first time ever, Slipknot and Korn joined forces on stage to cover Beastie Boys' smash hit _Sabotage _sold-out Wembley crowd. Mid-way through Korn's set, Clown, Jim, Chris, Sid and Corey rallied together to perform the classic Beastie Boys song "Sabotage".

Slipknot return to the UK to headline Download Festival in June. Tickets Slipknot's latest album .5: The Gray Chapter is out now on iTunes and Amazon.

Korn return to the UK on 16th July for a special 20th Anniversary show, where they will be playing the Korn album in full. Watch the "Sabotage" performance here.




Foo Fighters Austin City Limits Performance Goes Online
(hennemusic) The Foo Fighters were the featured guests on the latest edition of the legendary PBS series Austin City Limits, and video of the full episode is available to stream online.

The program saw the Foos performing tracks from their latest album, "Sonic Highways", with the help of Gary Clark, Jr. and Jimmie Vaughan, who joined the band on the Fabulous Thunderbirds hit, "Tuff Enuff."

The band just wrapped up a tour of South America and will head to New Zealand and Australia for dates starting February 21. A summer North American run starts July 4 at Washington's RFK Stadium.




Slash Rocks Conan
(hennemusic) Slash performed a track from his latest album, "World On Fire", on TBS' late night talk show Conan last Thursday and video from the appearance is streaming online.

The former Guns N' Roses guitarist played "Bent To Fly", the second of 6 singles issued from the project, which landed Slash a US Top 10 debut upon its release last fall.

"World On Fire" entered the Billboard 200 at No. 10 with opening week sales of 29,000 copies. Slash's previous album, 2012's "Apocalyptic Love", debuted at No. 4 with 38,000 sold in its first week.

The rocker will play shows in Japan next week before heading to New Zealand and then Australia for the Soundwave Festival. Watch the Conan performance here.



Toto Release 'Orphan' Video
(Classic Rock) Veteran US rockers Toto have released a music video for their track "Orphan." The track comes from their upcoming album "XIV" which will be released next month via Frontiers.

And although it will be their first studio outing since 2006's Falling In Between, keyboardist Steve Porcaro said the band are looking on the new material as the follow up to 1982's Toto IV.

He said: "This is opposite of going through the motions. We are treating this like it is Toto V. We just want to be the best version of ourselves that we can be. Be true to ourselves and make the best music we can. Entertain people which is what we were put on this Earth for."

The album is currently available to pre-order form iTunes and Amazon. The deluxe edition comes bundled with a bonus DVD containing a making-of documentary and a booklet featuring interviews and exclusive pictures. Watch the video here.



Enslaved Release 'Thurisaz Dreaming' Lyric Video
(TeamRock Radio) Enslaved have released the lyric video for the song "Thurisaz Dreaming" which comes from their upcoming album "In Times" ahead of the album's release next month.

Speaking about the debut single from the extreme metallers' thirteenth full-length, guitarist Ivar Bjørnson says "This great lyric video is certainly a good way to present the song and the album."

"Thurisaz Dreaming was the first song to be written for the album and kept the place as the natural opener for the album all the way throughout the entire making of the album. It leaps out of the speakers and grabs you by the throat - it's a song that makes you take a stand right there during the first seconds of the album: are you up for the journey?! Of course you are!"





Soilwork Release 'Live In The Heart Of Helsinki' Preview
(TeamRock Radio) Soilwork have released a preview of their upcoming DVD/Blu-ray Live In The Heart Of Helsinki. The Swedish outfit have issued a performance clip of "This Momentary Bliss" from the package, which was filmed at the Circus Club in the Finnish capital on March 21, 2014.

Due March 16 via Nuclear Blast and available as a DVD/2CD and BluRay/2CD, the band's first live package features more than three hours of music and features, including two documentaries and drum cam videos for four tracks.

Soilwork were joined at the special show by Nightwish singer Floor Jansen and Sonic Syndicate's Nathan J Biggs. Speaking about the packaging, Soilwork's Bjorn 'Speed' Strid says: "Once again we collaborated with Mircea Gabriel Eftemie to create visuals that would perfectly capture the unique vibe of this very special evening.

"In The Heart Of Helsinki is somewhat of a testimony of our career and the live action shots are mixed with a blast from the past, including a collage of Soilwork memorabilia. I've always loved collages, especially on the inner sleeve of a vinyl."




Stryper Preview New Music
(Classic Rock) Stryper frontman Michael Sweet has issued an audio clip from the band's latest studio sessions. They entered SpiritHouse Recording Studios in Northampton, Massachusetts earlier this month to work on the follow-up to 2013's No More Hell To Pay, with Sweet providing daily play-by-play updates for fans via social media.

Sweet says about the sessions: "We're tracking Heaven right now and I believe that this album may very well be our best. Five days in and counting - everything sounds fabulous."

Sweet has confirmed the project will released later this year. The singer has also teamed up with ex-Dokken guitarist George Lynch in Sweet & Lynch along with former Megadeth bass player James LoMenzo and ex-Whitesnake drummer Brian Tichy. The supergroup launched debut album Only To Rise last month. Read more and listen to the clip here.




Pain Of Salvation Release 'Falling Home' Video
(Prog) Pain Of Salvation have issued a video for Falling Home, the title track of their recent acoustic album. It was released in November via InsideOut and contains new versions of some of the band's classic tracks, plus covers of Dio's Holy Diver and Lou Reed's Perfect Day.

Mainman Daniel Gildenlow says of the video: "I started last year with four months in the hospital, battling flesh eating bacteria, and somehow managed to bounce back to see myself playing Vegas dressed in a rabbit suit.

"It felt perfect to end the year knee-deep in snow on Iceland, shooting in a blizzard, with a dead coyote draped over my freezing shoulders. I mean, who would have guessed a few years back that it would turn out to be one of the more normal situations of my year?"

"We threw ourselves into this video, whole-heartedly and passionately, and I think anyone watching it will feel that." Watch the video here.




JJ Grey & Mofro Release 'Every Minute' Video
(Prog) JJ Grey & Mofro have premiered a video for their track Every Minute. It's taken from ninth album Ol' Glory, to be released on February 23 via Provogue Records.

The label says of the follow-up to 2013's This River: "Ol' Glory contains 12 new songs that feature the deep, soulful blend of blues, rock, folk, funk, gospel, gritty R&B and personal, Southern-inspired narratives that have become synonymous with JJ Grey & Mofro.

"The material reflects two themes that run through their entire body of work - a strong sense of place, and finding happiness with where you are in life." The band kick off a European tour with an appearance at London's Islington Academy on March 18. Check out the new video here.




Robben Ford Previews New Album 'Into The Sun'
(The Blues Robben Ford has launched a preview video for his upcoming album Into The Sun. The 11-song album features guest appearances by Warren Haynes, Keb' Mo', Robert Randolph and others. It's to be released via Mascot Label Group on March 30 - and the guitar icon says it's one of his best-ever works.

Ford reports: "The album is really upbeat. It has a positive, good-time feel." While his last two titles - 2014's A Day In Nashville and 2013's Bringing It Back Home - were regarded as returns to his roots, Into The Sun is more of a departure.

"The rule was to have no lid on things," says Ford. "I've worked very hard to master my craft as a musician and a songwriter - but other than relying on my strengths in those areas, I made sure there was room for new ideas and everything my collaborators brought to the music.

"When you're open to different concepts and approaches, the most beautiful things can happen." Watch the video here.




Five Finger Death Punch Star Jokes About Album and Song Titles
(TeamRock Radio) Five Finger Death Punch have already chosen the title of their next album - but guitarist Jason Hook refuses to reveal it in a new video interview. Instead, he's offered a few of the joke names they've considered while working on the follow-up to 2013 twin releases The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side Of Hell.

Hook tells Blairing Out: "I have all these funny things I'm dying to say. We've always thought about joke titles, like Five Finger Death Punch - Keep Your Receipt. Or, Not Our Best Work."

The joke extends to song titles, because the band aim to complete the music before frontman Ivan Moody writes words. "Ivan's sketching lyrics," says Hook. "But until they come together we name them anything, just so we can refer to it. So there's one I just finished called Pulled Pork. By the time it gets to radio it will not be Pulled Pork." Read more and watch the interview here.




Epica's Simone Simons Balancing Motherhood and Metal
(TeamRock Radio) Epica singer Simone Simons says that she is trying to strike a balance between home and work life as a new mother on tour with the Dutch symphonic metal outfit.

Simons and husband, Kamelot keyboardist Oliver Paltai, welcomed son Vincent in October 2013 while Epica were in the studio recording their 6th album, 2014's The Quantum Enigma.

Simons tells Horns Up Rocks!: "When we did the demo recordings at my house together with Sascha Paeth, Joost van den Broek and Mark Jansen, I was sitting there with a huge belly, and my legs up. So that was all not very sexy and not very metal. But it was nice to kind of work on the new project.

"And making a new CD is also a little bit like giving birth to a baby. But, of course, you don't have to change it, nor breastfeed the CD. But definitely there are two great new things in my life. And the baby being, of course, the real lifechanger. But I think that The Quantum Enigma is going to be also a good change for Epica."

As a new mother, Simons was quick to maintain a healthy distance between her personal and work schedules, preferring to keep her son away from a life on the road - particularly at such an early age. Read more here.




Singled Out: Mumiy Troll's Vitamins
Today Ilya Lagutenko from the acclaimed Russian band Mumiy Troll tells us about the song "Vitamins," which is the title track from their brand new EP. Here is the story:

Vitamins song started out to be a classic example of songwriting journey.

It was like a puzzle game where you don't know where your next step will lead you. The concept started out when I was developing some intro ideas for my "ambient sound" side project, and at one point this cool electro-riff just kept sticking out during the process (but obviously it does not sound too ambient). Soon after, at rehearsals we came up with some strong guitar riffs which just happen to 'sit' there perfectly and from that moment it immediately evolved into almost "cyber-punk'-ish track where both worlds (electro and rock guitars) meet.

The next step was to write some lyrics. This process was rather a challenge for me because I usually tend to write lyrics and music together at the same time.

But never less with the combination of my love for Russian Symbolistic and Futuristic poetry of last centuries it gave me an idea to write about some apocalyptic night ride where you cannot run out of gas because you driving on some new kind of "super fuel"!

The interesting video concept came from when one our friend was showing off his 3D camera which he borrowed for a day and in 5 minutes we decided to shoot us performing this song, which back then was still in work progress and not even recorded, that's why some bits are out of sync in the video LOL.

Then during my Asian leg of tour I was introduced to young Chinese artist named Lu Yang. I became a big fan of her paintings (which were more like fictitious manuals of weird things; like synths played by mice etc) and at that time she was working on her Uterus-man "new breed of superhero" video installation. Suddenly it gave me an answer to who was the real character of this song and the pieces of the "Vitamins" jigsaw came together. With that all in mind I finished writing the song lyrics, we edited the video to the way it fits our live performance and got Lu Yang to combine the 3D elements with her work in progress.

The whole journey was one hell of a great ride because of the complicated process; where much of the actual song writing really depended on visual elements and that has never happened to me before.