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 Metallica, West Memphis 3 Filmmaker Bruce Sinofsky Dead at 58 Bruce Sinofsky, a filmmaker behind the Met...

Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Metallica, West Memphis 3 Filmmaker Bruce Sinofsky Dead at 58
Bruce Sinofsky, a filmmaker behind the Metallica "Some Kind of Monster" documentary and the West Memphis Three/Paradise Lost film trilogy, died in his sleep on Saturday (February 21) from diabetes complications. He was 58.

Metallica, who recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of the award winning "Some Kind of Monster," paid tribute to Sinofsky on their website on Saturday. The band posted the following message, "We lost a valued member of our family today as award winning filmmaker Bruce Sinofsky passed away this morning.

"Bruce, along with Joe Berlinger, was the architect of our film Some Kind of Monster. Smart, funny and dedicated, Bruce was with us almost every day in the early 2000′s and was an integral part of helping us to navigate the rough waters during those times. Although not very welcomed at times, he was there through some of the darkest times of Metallica. He became a dedicated comfort and visual lifeboat, while objectively observing the unraveling and rebuilding of our inner and outer selves. We admired Bruce and Joe's work in Brother's Keeper, but of course were blown away by what Bruce and Joe accomplished with the Paradise Lost trilogy of films. With their relentless work and attention to detail, Bruce and Joe's films drew attention to the miscarriages of justice associated with the trial of three teens accused of murder and helped to lead to their eventual release from prison after over 18 years behind bars.

"After Some Kind of Monster, Bruce went on to do more brilliant work on the Sundance Channel series Iconoclasts, and History's 10 Days that Unexpectedly Changed America along with numerous other film and television projects.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with Bruce's family and friends. We will miss Bruce. A courageous man with deep empathy and wisdom who wasn't afraid to dig deep to tell the story. RIP Bruce."



Geddy Lee Addresses Rush's Final Tour Speculation
Rush frontman Geddy Lee discussed the band's upcoming tour and elaborated on the speculation that it would be the band's final "big tour" during his appearance on the season premiere of VH1′s That Metal Show this weekend.

"It's very hard to answer that question for a lot of reasons," Lee responded when asked the tour would be a farewell trek. "First of all, you know, the three guys in this band have very different opinions on this point in our lives. Everybody's in a very different space right now.

"We've done a lot of touring for the last 10 years, a lot of writing, a lot of working. (Drummer) Neil (Peart), for example, has a young child at home and he's said publicly, numerous times, that it's very hard for him to leave his daughter. She needs him.

"So, it's clear that we are at a point in our career that we have to slow down - and slow down dramatically. So, I'm not a guy who's in love with the farewell tour idea, but it's clear that this is going to be the last big tour that we're going to do for a while, anyway. I can say that."

He also talked about what he sees in the future for Rush. "In terms of 'are we still a band?,' yeah, of course we're still a band. Do we talk about writing? Yes, we talk about writing. Will we do gigs in the future? I don't see why not. But, when you are talking about a tour that's 35 shows, 40 shows, 50 shows at our age at this point in our lives, I don't know how many of those are still left in us."

The show also posted an exclusive backstage interview with Geddy that you can watch here.




Stone Temple Pilots Say New Music Is More 'R-A-W-K-I-N'
(hennemusic) Stone Temple Pilots guitarist Dean DeLeo and drummer Eric Kretz are sharing an update on the band's first full album with Chester Bennington of Linkin Park.

The band are currently in the studio working on the follow-up to their 2013 EP, "High Rise." DeLeo explains the sound of the new music in a new interview with WAAF Boston.

"Although we've been trying for many, many years to get away from ourselves, we always keep coming back to our same spot - that person in front of the mirror," says the guitarist. "It kind of sounds like us. I'd like to think it's not anything we've done before; we definitely don't wanna repeat ourselves. It's just about kind of stumbling and writing some new musical terrain we haven't really explored before. But it's definitely R-A-W-K-I-N. Rawkin'."

"When we were writing these songs, it was just, like, 'Man, what gets us off on stage live?'," adds Kretz. "We wanna make sure that it has those elements where we're excited not just to present a good song, but something that has great performances on all our parts and something that the audience can just really enjoy." Read more here.




Grateful Dead's Bill Kreutzmann Releasing Memoir This Spring
Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann has announced that he will be releasing his memoir, which was written by him and Relix and Esquire contributor Benjy Eisen.

Entitled "Deal: My Three Decades of Drumming, Dreams and Drugs with the Grateful Dead" is set to be released on May 5th by St. Martin's Press. The hardcover will include 416 pages.

The synopsis says in part, "Everything a rock music fan would expect is here, but what sets this apart is Bill's incredible life of adventure that was at the heart of the Grateful Dead experience. This was a band that knew no limits and Bill lived life to the fullest, pushing the boundaries of drugs, drums and high times, through devastating tragedy and remarkable triumph.

"But at this book's beating heart is the music--theirs and others. Some of the greatest musicians and concerts were a part of the Grateful Dead's career, from sharing the stage with Janis Joplin, Bob Dylan, and The Who, to playing in the Acid Tests, The Monterey Pop Festival, Woodstock and Altamont.

"Bill's life is a chronicle of American music and pop culture history and his epic personal journey is one of sonic discovery and thrilling experiences." You can preorder the book, read more and see the cover art, here.




Former Yngwie Malmsteen Bandmate Mats Olausson Dead at 54
(Classic Rock) Former Yngwie Malmsteen keyboardist Mats Olausson has been found dead in a hotel room in Rayong, Thailand. He was 54. His body is reported to have been discovered among empty whisky bottles and beer cans.

He'd been staying in the hotel for a week, but an employee said he hadn't paid for his room and hadn't taken meals since his arrival. The musician is believed to have died in the 24 hours preceding his body's discovery.

Olausson joined Malmsteen for his fifth album, 1990's Eclipse, and remained until 2000's War To End All Wars. He appeared on a total of 70 albums and also performed with Kamelot, Iron Mask, Nemo, Geff, Ark and others. Read more here.




Rod Stewart's Guitarist Jim Cregan Has Prostate Cancer
(Classic Rock) Rod Stewart's guitarist Jim Cregan has confirmed he's battling prostate cancer. The 68-year-old, who has also recorded with artists including Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel and Family and produced albums by Glass Tiger and Quireboys, has postponed a run of shows planned for next month with his band Cregan & Co. as he begins treatment to fight the disease.

He says in a statement: "Like a lot of guys, my life is paved with good intentions. My dear friend Ian Wallace, who played drums for so many famous names said to us all before he died, 'Get checked out before it's too late.' And of course, true to form, I did absolutely nothing.

"Fast forward to last year when another old pal, drummer Kenney Jones asked me join him in a charity event called Rock 'N' Horse Power benefiting Prostate Cancer UK. I said yes and then realised Kenney was in treatment at the time for the disease. Happily he is recovering very well. But did I get checked? Not likely."

He continues: "As of today I'm waiting for the final results of an MRI which will tell the doctors how to treat it." Read more here.




Allstar Benefit Planned For Wings Guitarist Henry McCullough
(TeamRock Radio) Wings guitarist Henry McCullough is the subject of a star-studded fundraising event at the Half Moon, Putney, next month. The Spooky Tooth, Joe Cocker and Pink Floyd collaborator is unlikely to recover fully from his illness and requires 24-hour care and attention.

Tim Hinkley has gathered Nick Lowe, Paul Carrack, Andy Fairweather Lowe, Neil Inness, Suggs, Graham Parker and others to perform a show in support of McCullough, 71, who suffered a severe heart attack in 2012.

Hinkley says: "The heart attack has left Henry with a certain amount of brain damage, which has resulted in memory loss and functional instability. He's wheelchair-bound and the prognosis for the future is not good." Read more here.




Doug Aldrich Was Surprised At Dee Snider Insult
(Classic Rock) Former Whitesnake guitarist Doug Aldrich says Dee Snider "didn't know what he was talking about" when he went on a recent Twitter attack challenging his contribution to the band.

Twisted Sister frontman Snider called Aldrich out on Twitter, saying he was "tired of musicians who joined famous bands after their heyday claiming they are from those bands."

Aldrich tells Eddie Trunk: "We've done gigs together, Twisted and Whitesnake, but I never really met Dee that I can remember. I've got no problem with the guy."

He says the attack "hit me out of the blue," adding: "I was up late scouring eBay, looking for old guitars, as I do at night a lot, and I got a message that Dee had posted something. And I went on there, and I was just like, 'What is up with that?'

"Everybody knows Dee is a super-smart cat. I thought, 'This is weird.' It was like he was not educated at all and just spouted out this thing. So I tried to educate him a little bit of where I came from with Whitesnake, and I just tagged it with a little smackdown quick." Read more here.




Marilyn Manson and Sully Erna Cast In Upcoming Movie
(Classic Rock) Marilyn Manson and Godsmack frontman Sully Erna have landed roles in an upcoming movie, according to reports. The film Street Level has been written by Sons Of Anarchy actor David Labrava - the TV series which also featured Manson as character Ron Tully.

Fellow Anarchy stars Mark Boone Jr and Drea De Matteo are also lined up for parts in the film which is scheduled for a Christmas Day release. Last year Erna revealed his hope to crack Hollywood after landing a raft of roles on television and in movies.

He said: "I started just exploring the acting world and I started doing classes with a lady named Susan Batson, who's a really top-notch acting coach - she does Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman." Read more here.





Rush Releasing Hologram Edition of 2112
(hennemusic) Rush are sharing a preview of the special vinyl Hologram Edition reissue of the band's 1976 classic, "2112", due March 17. Pressed on high fidelity 200gram vinyl, the unique Hologram Edition showcases a custom, hand- of the "Red Star of the Federation" in the album's dead wax runout of side two.

To reveal the spinning hologram, fans can use any focused source of light, such as the LED flashlight on a smartphone, directly above the turntable while playing.

The "2112" special edition will also come with a free download card for the high resolution Digital Audio version. "The first record where we sounded like Rush," says guitarist Alex Lifeson. Watch the video here.




Rob Zombie Releases Live Video From Upcoming DVD
(hennemusic) Rob Zombie has issued a video performance of "Ging Gang Gong De Do Gong De Laga Raga" as a preview to his forthcoming release, "Spookshow International Live."

Due February 24, the package captures the rocker in concert presenting a 19-song set featuring material from his latest album, "Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor", and a mix of solo and White Zombie tracks.

"It's been 8 years since our last live album so we figured it was time for another," said Zombie. "Actually we weren't planning on it, but we recorded a few shows and they sounded really great so we thought 'f*** it' let's get it out there."

"For the record," he added, "no overdubs, no fixes, no fake crowd, no nothing. 100% absolutely live. No joke." Watch the video here.




JJ Grey & Mofro Premiere 'Everything Is A Song'
(Classic Rock) JJ Grey & Mofro have premiered a lyric video for their track Everything Is A Song. It's taken from the blues-rock outfit's 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." Watch the video here.




Yossi Sassi Releases Studio Video
(Prog) Former Orphaned Land guitarist Yossi Sassi has released a studio video to accompany his track Fata Morgana. It's taken from solo album Desert Butterflies, which was released last year following his departure from the Israeli prog metal outfit.

He said of his change in direction: "If there's something stronger than our past it is our future, as we evolve and understand what's right for us in the path ahead."

He's joined on the track by vocalist Sapir Fox, guitarist Ben Azar, bassist Or Lubianiker, drummer Roei Fridman and percussionist Shay Ifrah. Watch the studio video here.




Fall Out Boy Release 'Irresistible' Video
(Radio.com) Fall Out Boy got next in their new video for "Irresistible." In the clip, the guys don neon and some very short-shorts to prove that white men can in fact jump. We only wish Wesley Snipes would have been there to see it.

Or, maybe not. There's a whole lot of sloppy play in this video. Oh, so much traveling and underhand free throws. Snipes would have a field day with this.

Patrick Stumps even loses a hand, making his last name so true, it's almost not funny. What also isn't funny is how the guys were totally snubbed for a Best Song Oscar this year. In an interview with Radio.com, Stump even joked, "Our song was so obviously Oscar-worthy!"

Pete Wentz took the high road though, explaining, "We saw the list of songs that qualified for Oscars, and that was 79 songs. But it was amazing that we were able to work on this Disney film. I would never in a million years have thought that Fall Out Boy, this punk band from the suburbs of Chicago, would be involved in a Disney Marvel film." Watch the video here.




White Willow Reveal Unorthodox Scorpions Cover
(Prog) Norwegian prog outfit White Willow have launched an "unorthodox" cover of the Scorpions' Animal Magnetism, featuring new singer Venke Knutson and a clarinet solo by David Krakauer.

It's the band's first release since 2011's Terminal Twilight, and comes ahead of an album that makes up the first half of a double-length concept work.

White Willow say: "This version melds driving Tangerine Dream-like synths with doomy, motorik rhythms. Venke is a big star in her own right in Norway - that she's chosen to work with us is a great honour. Grammy-nominated David has recorded with John Zorn and released several albums on the prestigious Tzadik label." Check out the cover here.




Melechesh Streaming New Album 'Enki' In Full
(TeamRock Radio) Melechesh have released a full stream of their sixth album Enki in advance of its release on March 2 via Nuclear Blast. It followed the launch of lead track Lost Tribes, featuring Max Cavalera of Soulfly. Other guests on the record include Rob Caggiano of Volbeat and Rotting Christ frontman Sakis Tolis on the project.

Melechesh mainmain Ashmedi says: "Max is a lion - I love his voice. Sakis is an old friend and we toured together in the past, and Rob and I always wanted to collaborate. They all went above and beyond to make it happen despite their busy schedules. Melechesh is more than a band - it's a society!"

He adds: "Enki solicited different approaches and new experiences. I'm flattered and honoured to have esteemed guests appear on this multifaceted album."

Stream the album here.




Rock Goddess Plan First UK Show In 30 Years
(Classic Rock) Rock Goddess have announced their first UK live date in 30 years will take place in London in May. The NWOBHM outfit featuring sisters Julie and Jody Turner and bassist Tracey Lamb reunited in 2013 and will launch their fourth album tentatively titled Unfinished Business later this year.

The new album will be their first since 1987's Young And Free and they've announced they'll take to the stage at London's O2 Academy Inslington on May 14.

The band formed in 1977 and released their self-titled debut album in 1983. After a lineup shuffle, they issued second album Hell Hath No Fury later the same year and toured with bands including Iron Maiden, Y&T and Def Leppard. Read more here.




Metallica's James Hetfield Coming To Grips With Shameful, Dark Stuff
(Classic Rock) Metallica frontman James Hetfield says music saved his life, and that writing and playing is helping him come to terms with his "dark" and "shameful" past.

Earlier this month he revealed he struggled with being "King Sh*t" on stage then being a husband and a dad at home, and earlier spoke about his fear of responsibility.

In a follow-up clip he tells Road Recovery: "You wouldn't really like me if you knew my story - if you knew what horrible things I've done. I'm coming to grips with that, because I have groups of people that I'm able to share all my horrible stuff with - shameful, extremely shameful, dark stuff.

"Some of it is things I've taken from my parents and carried a little further. Other ones I've been able to drop, others I've picked up on my own. Shame's a big thing for me." Read more and watch the video here.




Raven Releasing New Album This Spring
(Classic Rock) British thrash icons Raven will release their new album in April, they've announced. ExtermiNation will launch in the UK on April 27 thanks to a successful crowdfunding drive. They raised $27,000 to help with production costs and offered backers incentives including a full-length covers album titled Party Killers.

The new release is the band's first original album since 2009's Walk Through Fire and will be released on Digipak, 2LP gatefold green vinyl and as a digital download.

Speaking about the decision to launch a Kickstarter campaign, vocalist and bassist John Gallagher told MetalRules: "It seemed more obvious the longer we went into this that it was going to cost more than the budget we have." Read more here.




Less Than Jake Release Four-Volume Live Series
(TeamRock Radio) Less Than Jake have released a series of live albums recorded on bassist Roger Lima's MiniDisc player during shows in the UK, US, Italy and Belgium in the 2000s.

The band say: "This is a four-volume live series we've put together from a time when technology was going through some growing pains and some formats just didn't last very long. Fast forward a few grey hairs down the road and Roger has cleaned them up a bit."

Drummer Vinnie Fiorello adds: "None of these recordings are doctored in any way. We wanted to be archivists of a moment in time - not surgically reconstruct the recording after the fact.

"The first in the series is a show from Glasgow - a city we have now played more than a dozen times. But this is one of the earliest shows when we had just started crossing the big puddle to visit our friends in the UK. Thanks for all the memories!" Read more here.




Steve Vai Announce Live Album and DVD Set
(Classic Rock) Steve Vai has announced details of his upcoming album Stillness In Motion - Vai Live In LA. The 2CD/2DVD set will launch on April 7 after he inked a new multi-album deal with Sony Music Entertainment and Legacy Recordings.

The performance was recorded on October 12 2012 during the guitar maestro's Story Of Light world tour and along with the live set, the package also features a three and a half hour video diary covering the two-year jaunt.

Vai says: "To say that this tour was a powerful life experience would be like saying the sun is hot." Following the live release, he'll launch his latest solo album which is said to "mark a significant next chapter in the musician's growing canon." Check out the track details and the cover art here.




Soilwork's New Music More 'Brutal' and 'Intense'
(TeamRock Radio) Soilwork singer Bjorn 'Speed' Strid says the band are proving more intense than ever as they record their tenth album. The Swedish outfit entered the studio earlier this month with producer Jens Bogren, who oversaw their last two albums, The Living Infinite and 2010's The Panic Broadcast.

Strid tells Metal Wani: "I feel it's pretty fast-paced. It's pretty intense - even more intense, I feel, than The Living Infinite. It might be a little bit more brutal, in a sense, even though that's kind of a stupid word to use. We're definitely not slowing down. It's also a development from The Living Infinite, just slightly faster, in a sense."

He adds: "We've just been developing our sound, and it turned out to be pretty fast-paced and pretty technical, but yet pretty melodic and also atmospheric." Read more here.




Obscura Plan First New Album in Four Years
(TeamRock Radio) German prog metal outfit Obscura will return to the studio in April to begin work on their first material in four years, they've announced. Their last release was 2011's Omnivium and they'll once again hook up with producer Victor Santura on what will be their fourth record.

Guitarist and vocalist Steffen Kummerer says: "We are all pleased with the new material which pairs the songwriting, technicality and arrangements of our previous albums with the creative input of members Linus Klausenitzer, Tom 'Fountainhead' Geldschlager and Sebastian Lanser.

"We'll keep our trademark prog riffing across the fusion and death metal landscape that makes Obscura sound unique. This album sees Obscura move a step further." Read more here.




Tank Releasing New Album
(Classic Rock) Veteran UK rockers Tank have announced their 10th album will launch later this year. Titled Valley Of Tears, the record will be released across Europe on June 8 via Metal Mind Productions. It's the follow-up to 2013's Breath Of The Pit.

Tank mainmen Mick Turner and Cliff Evans are joined on the studio outing by Dragonforce frontman ZP Theart, who has been a member of the group's touring lineup for two years. Completing the band are Blind Guardian bassist Barend Courbois and former Sodom drummer Bobby Schottkowski.

The band say: "The title comes from the famous tank battle during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, where one side was massively outnumbered but fought on regardless and against all odds secured a heroic victory." Read more here.




Shinedown Singer Reveals Some New Album Details
(Classic Rock) Shinedown singer Brent Smith has revealed the band are recording their fifth album, and its theme is "survival." The follow-up to 2012's Amaryllis is expected by late summer.

Asked if it's difficult to choose which tracks will make the cut, Smith replies: "Not this time. It's a devastating album. Beautifully Brutal. We are four weeks into recording. Release by late July, early August."

To the question "What's your all-time favourite songs?" the singer responds: "They are being recorded right now." Smith also reveals the first single from the project would be launched soon. "We are thinking late April", he says. Read more here.




Helloween In Final Stages Of New Album
(Classic Rock) Helloween guitarist Michael Weikath says they're are in the final mixing stages as they prepare their 15th album for a May release via Nuclear Blast records.

He says: "The album mix is currently at full throttle, namely in order to have all that stuff ready so we can conduct a presentation for a select, close circle of media representatives. I can't wait to hear the final result of the mixes."

The band marked their 30th anniversary in 2014 with a return to the label and a re-release of 2000's The Dark Ride and 2003's Rabbit Don't Come Easy – each expanded with the addition of bonus tracks. Read more here.




Rolo Tomassi Announce New Album
(TeamRock Radio) Rolo Tomassi will release their fourth album, Grievances, in June. They revealed details of the follow-up to 2012's Astraea on the 10th anniversary of their formation.

Vocalist Eva Spence says: "I feel more enthused than ever with where we're at. With Grievances we followed on from the sound we developed on Astraea, and pushed that to make an album I consider to be our best to date."

James Spence adds: "We wanted to do something ambitious. We took our time making sure the material was right. We tried new ways of writing, including collaborating with other musicians for the first time." Read more here.




Arch Enemy 'Gelling' With New Lineup
(TeamRock Radio) Arch Enemy's Michael Amott has hailed the chemistry in the band since adding frontwoman Alissa White-Gluz and guitarist Jeff Loomis. White-Gluz replaced Angela Gossow in the group and was on vocal duties for their 2014 album War Eternal, while Loomis was brought in ahead of their live commitments in November to support the release.

And Amott says while the band is coming together as a live outfit, he's also relishing the prospect of spending time in the studio with Loomis. He tells On The Rock: "I think there is chemistry. Sometimes bands don't have any chemistry any more, or they never had it, but they just do it anyway.

"I think everything's kind of gelling. I'm really looking forward to the next album at some point and working with Jeff. The possibilities are pretty crazy." Read more and watch the interview here.



Tim Bowness Reveals New Album Plans
(TeamRock Radio) Tim Bowness has confirmed his third solo album will be released via InsideOut this summer. The follow-up to acclaimed 2014 title Abandoned Dancehall Dreams features guest appearances by Anna Phoebe, Peter Hammill and Andrew Keeling, with more to be revealed. The band includes Porcupine Tree's Colin Edwin.

No-Man and Henry Fool member Bowness - also known for his work with Robert Fripp, Phil Manzanera and others - says: "If Abandoned Dancehall Dreams was something of a bolder and more dynamic extension of No-Man's Schoolyard Ghosts, I'd say that the new album is something of a bolder and more dynamic extension of Abandoned Dancehall Dreams.

"A logical step forward with some surprises, I hope. It's been really exciting working with the band on most of the pieces, and getting some special contributions from Anna, Peter and Andrew." Read more here.



Singled Out: I Fight Dragons' Chicago
Today I Fight Dragons lead singer and rhythm guitarist Brian Mazzaferri tells us about the song "Chicago" from their brand new album "The Near Future". Here is the story:

"Chicago" actually has the distinction of being the oldest song on the album, as well as the one with the most complex backstory. It began life as the 11th version of a melody that I was trying to write over a track that never made it onto our last album KABOOM! I had been banging my head against the proverbial wall with this track for almost a year at that point (I even did a music business case study about the track itself: see the video here), and finally one day I was riding the train downtown and the melody and lyrics all came to me in a rush, a song about losing yourself in the city and finding yourself in the idea of losing yourself.

I loved that version of the song, which ended up being the 11th out of 18, and the version that was my personal favorite, but that track never made it onto the album, and actually it wasn't even in consideration for The Near Future either during the first recording sessions. However, after our explosive band blowup which led to scrapping the entire first set of sessions, we spent months in our practice space mulling over what we really wanted on the album. One day, Chad (the drummer) out of the blue was like, "what about Chicago?" and we all laughed. We had such weird associations with the song, and it was attached in our heads to the old track, but we decided we'd just play through it once the way we'd want to play it instead of thinking of the original track in our heads, and by the end of that play through we all looked at each other an agreed it had to be on the album.

I'm so happy it ended up on there. It's a song about home, about losing yourself and finding yourself, and about being out on a quest but also knowing that you've got someplace, something, someone in your heart to come home too, that's always out there with you in a way.

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 Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson Treated For Cancer Heavy metal legends Iron Maiden announced that lead ...

Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson Treated For Cancer
Heavy metal legends Iron Maiden announced that lead singer Bruce Dickinson has just undergone treatment for a small cancerous tumor on his tongue.

The band reports that the cancer was found early and Dickinson is expected to make a full recover. Here is the statement from the band, "Just before Christmas, Maiden vocalist Bruce Dickinson visited his doctor for a routine check-up. This led to tests and biopsies which revealed a small cancerous tumour at the back of his tongue.

"A seven-week course of chemotherapy and radiology treatment was completed yesterday. As the tumour was caught in the early stages, the prognosis thankfully is extremely good. Bruce's medical team fully expect him to make a complete recovery with the all clear envisaged by late May. It will then take a further few months for Bruce to get back to full fitness.

"In the meantime, we would ask for your patience, understanding and respect for Bruce and his family's privacy until we update everyone by the end of May. Bruce is doing very well considering the circumstances and the whole team are very positive."




Linkin Park Thank Fans With Free Acoustic Song Download
Linkin Park are giving away a free download of an acoustic version of the song "Final Masquerade" as a thank you to fans for their support. The original version of the track appeared on their latest album "The Hunting Party" and the band were recently forced to cancel their tour in support of the album due to a leg injury suffered by frontman Chester Bennington.

Mike Shinoda had this to say about the track, "We made something cool the other day, and we wanted you to have it. Here's a special unreleased acoustic version of Final Masquerade.

"Stripping it down to bare bones brought the sentiment of the song right to the surface. Thanks for all your support over the past couple months - we hope you enjoy the song."

Guitarist Brad Deslon adds, "In this stripped-down intimate version, the words and storytelling lead the way. I loved working on this special recording of "Final Masquerade", and we're excited to share it with our fans."





AC/DC Concert Tickets In High Demand
(Classic Rock) Tickets for AC/DC's upcoming Rock Or Bust tour across North America are selling on the secondary market for more than $250. They're lined up to play a run of shows across the Pond starting in April at the Coachella festival and then a further 10 dates kicking off at the Gillette Stadium, Massachusetts in August - and prices are climbing steadily as fans rush to see the band's first live shows since 2010's Black Ice tour.

According to Forbes, the average cost of securing a ticket has now reached $255.82 which rivals that of other big-name artists including The Who and Fleetwood Mac.

The most expensive ticket on the market is the Aussie giants' gig at the Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton. The average price currently stands at $573.37 - 124.1% more expensive than the tour average. Read more here.



Man 'Enduring' Week Of Nickelback For A Cause
(Classic Rock) A man from the US is listening to Nickelback constantly for a week to raise cash for charity. Jesse Carey started the marathon session on Monday and will stop this coming Sunday - and he says he's received messages of support from across the world for his "ultimate test of human endurance."

He tells the Relevant podcast: "I want to lift the confidence of what a human being is capable of. It's the feeling I get after I watch a David Blaine special, and he's been locked in a block of ice upside down for reasons that were never made clear. All you need to know is that he did it.

"People have been kind enough to leave messages of encouragement. Somebody even said there's a darkness to the music and I'll have to do some sort of hot yoga cleanse after this - people are concerned for me spiritually, emotionally and even physically.

"No one knows what the brain will do when subjected to this type of Nickelback." The serious side to Nickelbackathon is Carey's drive to generate funds for the charity Water, which aims to build wells and give people across the world access to safe, clean water. Read more here.




Foo Fighters Sonic Highways Headed To Blu-Ray and DVD
(hennemusic) Foo Fighters will release their HBO series, Sonic Highways, on DVD/Blu-ray and digital on April 7. The series was a companion project to the band's 8th album of the same name, recorded in 8 different cities - Chicago, Washington DC, Nashville, Austin, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Seattle and New York - and documented for broadcast on HBO last fall.

The "Sonic Highways" DVD/Blu-ray package features bonus footage filmed during each of the eight episodes - plus extended interviews with President Barack Obama, Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys, Chuck D of Public Enemy, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, Gibby Haynes of the Butthole Surfers, Joan Jett, Ian Mackaye of Fugazi and Minor Threat, Dolly Parton, Carrie Underwood and Joe Walsh.

Originally premiering on HBO October 17, 2014, "Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways" has gone on to win this year's Cinema Audio Society Award for Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Television Non-Fiction, Variety or Music - Series or Specials (for the Los Angeles episode), as well as the Motion Picture Sound Editors Golden Reel Award for Best Sound and Music Editing: Television Documentary, Long Form (for the Seattle episode). Watch the trailer here.





Dave Lombardo Talks Possible Fantomas Activity
(Classic Rock) Former Slayer sticksman Dave Lombardo says a reunion with Mike Patton on the first Fantomas material since 2005's Suspended Animation could be in the pipeline.

He continues: "Let's just say that Mike and I have been in communication, we've been texting each other, like we always have. We always keep tabs on each other, which is great. I love our friendship and I hope that we do get together, that'd be awesome."

The Philm mainman has written and recorded music with his groove metal band Grip Inc, worked with Faith No More frontman Mike Patton in experimental outfit Fantomas and collaborated with Italian classical musician Lorenzo Arruga to record Vivaldi: The Meeting.

And he says he's always finding new music to inspire him. Read more here.




Chester Bennington Recovering From Serious Injury
(TeamRock Radio) Stone Temple Pilots guitarist Dean DeLeo says Chester Bennington is recovering quickly from the horrific leg injury that forced him to cancel a run of Linkin Park shows last month.

The vocalist is currently recording material with STP after taking over from Scott Weiland, who was dismissed in 2013. Bennington required surgery on his ankle after first trying to stay on the road with the injury.

Now DeLeo tells WAAF: "He's healing pretty quickly. He's just of that mindset and physicality where he wills his body to do that. He hurt himself badly. It was not only a break - the guy tore darn near every ligament in the ankle.

"They had to go in on each side. He has about a five-inch incision on each side. They had to go in and assemble a big bowl of spaghetti." Read more here.




Vinnie Paul Plans To Release A Cookbook
Vinnie Paul Abbott made a name for himself as the drummer of metal legends Pantera and continues with his current band Hellyeah. Now he is preparing to enter a different arena: drumming up fans appetites with his own cookbook.

He revealed his plans to release his long planned cookbook by Christmas during an interview with Vault With Shanda Golden. He said, "I'm going to get it out, I promise, by Christmas this year.

"About two Christmases in a row have kind of gone by. But we have a big tour coming up in Europe right after this [tour], so that way, I'll have a lot of time to myself to finish it up."

He elaborated, "I've already got about 125 recipes in it. It's called 'Drumming Up an Appetite With Vinnie Paul'. How clever is that? It's got a picture of me sitting behind a drum set. I'm holding two turkey legs, which are otherwise known as drum sticks.

"And it's all about cooking and having fun with it. I don't get too specific about it. But I do think a lot of people think cooking is throwing something in the microwave. And it's something that you've really got to be passionate about, just like playing an instrument.

"And if you put your heart and soul into it, and then you feed it to people, and you're [like], 'Oh, man! This is so good.' It makes you feel good. It's just like playing music; [people say] 'G-damn, I love this s-t!'"




Y&T Delay New Album Plans
(Classic Rock) Y&T frontman Dave Meniketti says the band's hectic schedule will push their plans for a new album back to 2016. He said last year that the follow-up to 2010's Facemelter would likely surface in 2015, but that will now not happen.

He tells Iron City Rocks: "We're playing 70 to 80 shows every year, and that gives us a limited amount of time to really sit down and focus on writing and everything.

"But this year we've been talking about making a real effort to just get in the studio and start writing and put songs together. And when we get the time to finalise all this stuff, we're hopeful that we'll have new product out next year." Read more here.



ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons Changing Things Up For Solo Album
(Classic Rock) ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons is working on a solo album inspired by Cuban music and he took advice from Foo Fighters mainman Dave Grohl before deciding to take the project seriously.

And despite his blues background, he describes the side-project as something of a return to his roots. Gibbons tells Rolling Stone: "When I was 13 I got a guitar and my dad, being the consummate entertainer, sent me to New York to study Latin percussion.

"I learned maracas, timbales, clavas, bongos - you name it. And having lived in Mexico a couple of years, I know just enough Spanish to get me in trouble."

He adds: "It's turning out to be such an obtuse, oddball, unexpected left-turn from ZZ Top. But there is something to it." Read more here.



Me Vs Hero Breaking Up But Will Play Farewell Shows
(TeamRock Radio) Me Vs Hero have announced they're to split after playing two farewell shows. The appearances, at London's Barfly on April 23 and Manchester's Sound Control on April 26, bring the band's seven-year career to a close.

The Blackpool outfit say they "just don't have the time or the drive to put enough in." But they add: "Don't be disappointed, angry or upset with the news - we're not!

"We played some amazing shows, travelled to some amazing places, met some amazing people. And now it's just our time. We thank every individual who supported us." Read more here.




Marky Ramone Offers Solution To Battle Smartphones At Concerts
(Classic Rock) Marky Ramone has offered his own solution to the controversial issue of phones being used at concerts. The drummer says his Smartphone Swatter deals with the "a**holes" who ruin the show for others in a spoof public service video.

Ramone explains: "I'm sick and tired of people holding up their smartphones at concerts. I make a swatter by gluing a punk rock seven-inch to a drumstick. Want to smash a smartphone? Use a Ramones record on a stick."

He also suggested buying a copy of his autobiography to use as a weapon. Artists from across the rock and metal world have weighed in on the question of using phones at concerts. Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson called one fan a "wanker" in 2012 after he was seen "texting for the last three songs." Read more and watch the video here.




Jimi Hendrix's Early Recordings Remastered For Reissue
(Classic Rock) Jimi Hendrix's early recordings with Curtis Knight & The Squires is the subject of a remaster release next month. You Can't Use My Name: The RSVO/PPX Sessions is the first in a series to focus on the work Hendrix did before The Animals' Chas Chandler took him to London in 1966 and set him on the road to icon status.

The recordings were the subject of near-constant legal battles during Hendrix's life, after he'd been signed up for $1 and a 1% royalty by PPX boss Ed Chalpin in 1965.

But his estate secured ownership in 2003. As a result, the 14-track compilation is the first fully-official edition of his work with the Squires, featuring recordings made between 1965 and 1967. It includes How Would You Feel and Welcome Home, which gave Hendrix his first recording credits, plus his early compositions Hornet's Nest and Knock Yourself Out [Flying On Instruments].

The title You Can't Use My Name comes from a studio conversation, included on the album ahead of the track. Hendrix, who's already involved in litigation against Chalpin, tells the businessman to keep his name out of marketing material related to the release. Read more here.




Aerosmith Compared Famed Music Festival Smell To A Farm
(Classic Rock) Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton says the unique smell of the Download audience at is one of the most unforgettable things about playing the festival at Donington in the UK.

Steven Tyler and co are poised to launch live movie Aerosmith Rocks Donington 2014 in US cinemas. Shot during their 19-song headline set last year, it features tracks from across the veteran outfit's career. It arrives in the UK in May.

Hamilton says: "Every time we've been there it's been the funkiest, most earthy audience on the tour. Usually the crowd's been there are few days and it's been raining a few days.

"The audience gets a distinct aroma, between the mud and the folks who thought it was too far to the porta-cans. It's great - it smells like being on a farm." Read more here.



Voivod Not Rushing With Next Album
(Prog) Voivod are planning to release their 14th album next year, says drummer Michel 'Away' Langevin. The follow-up to 2013's Target Earth is to appear after the band have completed a series of seven-inch singles.

And the material is likely to follow the form of recent track "We Are Connected". Away tells That Drummer Guy: "Right now we're sort of touring the single.

"We have many split seven-inches coming up this year. One with At The Gates in April, another one with Napalm Death and another one with Corrections House, and so on.

"But eventually we'll write a whole bunch of songs and compile everything into an album. I would say early next year." Read more here.




Periphery Learned the Ropes From Dream Theater
(Prog) Periphery credit their 2012 support tour with Dream Theater as the "single biggest learning experience" they've ever had. The band halted work on their Periphery II album to hook up with John Petrucci and co across Europe in 2012. And guitarist Mark Holcomb reveals without that experience, they wouldn't be the band they are now.

He tells Rolling Stone: "We told ourselves in the process of recording that there would be no booking tours. We only accepted because it was Dream Theater. We have a list of bands, 10 or 15 names long, that no matter what, we will say yes. It was the single biggest learning experience we've ever had as a touring professional act.

"They never sat us down and told us anything. It was just observing - how they conduct themselves with fans, how they conduct themselves with other bands, with crew, with local crew, how they practice every night, how seriously they take their craft, how tough on themselves and their performance every night they are."

And Holcomb says seeing this effort on a daily basis had a profound impact on him and the rest of his bandmates. Read more here.




Mahalia Barnes Streaming New Album With Joe Bonamassa
(The Blues Mahalia Barnes has streamed her album Ooh Yea: The Betty Davis Songbook (featuring Joe Bonamassa) exclusively with The Blues Magazine ahead of its official release.

The daughter of iconic singer Jimmy Barnes teamed up with Joe Bonamassa and producer Kevin Shirley for the 12-track title, which is launched via Mascot Label Group on February 23.

Mahalia says: "I've been a fan of Betty for years - she's wild, free, nasty, raw, funky, intense, powerful and sexy. I love the instrumentation, I love the backing vocals. I've always wanted to make a record that sounds like what she was doing. Making this album was a real joy."

Ooh Yea features Mahalia's band the Soul Mates working through tracks from Davis' self-titled 1973 album, 1974's They Say I'm Different and 1975's Nasty Gal. Check out the stream here.




Nightwish's Nevalainen Is Doing 'Much Better' But Not Ready To Return
(Prog) Nightwish drummer Jukka Nevalainen is doing "much better" but his return to full-time work with the band could still be years off. A battle with chronic insomnia led him to pull out of recording sessions for Nightwish's upcoming new album Endless Forms Most Beautiful last year, with his place taken by Wintersun's Kai Hahto.

According to mainman Tuomas Holopainen, Nevalainen's health is improving, but there is still no definite timescale for his return, nor is there a guarantee he will come back at all.

Holopainen tells Faceculture: "He's doing much better. We are in contact all the time, because he still takes care of the band's business - merchandise, all that. And he's actually still a member of the band. That's what it says in the album booklet: 'Drums by Jukka Nevalainen. Drums on this album performed by Kai Hahto.'

"But he just needs a long breather now. So in two, three years, we'll know about the future." Read more here.




Leprous Announce New Album 'The Congregation'
(Prog) Leprous have confirmed the release of fifth album "The Congregation" on May 25 via InsideOut. The follow-up to 2013's "Coal" will be followed by a European tour in October, featuring three UK dates.

Vocalist Einar Solberg says: "This has without doubt been the most challenging album to write so far, if you count the amount of hours, blood, sweat and tears behind it. It makes me extra-proud to have delivered the master of what I consider the most daring, technical, fresh and mature album we've done.

"The music was mostly written on my computer, so I could use my ears instead of my knowledge as the main writing tool. If you use your usual methods to write every album you'll find yourself stuck in a quagmire of old habits." Read more and see the tour dates here.




CeDell Davis Streaming New Album Online
(The Blues CeDell Davis has streamed upcoming album "Last Man Standing" exclusively with The Blues Magazine. The 88-year-old Mississippi Delta bluesman's fifth title is launched on Monday via Sunyata Records - and it was made despite a stroke rendered him unable to play guitar in 2005.

Davis says in the current edition of The Blues Magazine, on sale now: "We just got in the room and started playing. We worked the songs out right there on the spot. I think it's the best record I ever recorded. It's the record of a lifetime."

The childhood polio victim reflects: "I did have an awful time growing up. But I'm the type of person who's not going to give up. I always tell people, 'I don't plan on dying - I plan on living. Dying will take care of itself.'"

Check out the album stream here.






Black Sabbath's Iommi Animated For History of Metal Series
(hennemusic) Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi is featured in the debut edition of the VH1 animated series, "The Complete History Of Heavy Metal." The series debut has been released in sync with Iommi's 67th birthday on Thursday.

Entitled "Fingers Bloody Fingers", the episode tells the story of how a tragic accident caused Iommi to lose the tops of two of his fingers on his last day of work before becoming a full-time musician - as told by the rocker himself.

The injury forced Iommi to re-evaluate his approach to guitar and led to the invention of the very first series of light gauge guitar strings. The feature was illustrated by noted U.K. artist Paul Blow and animated by VH1 senior designer Kee Koo.





Metallica Release Live Sanitarium Video
(hennemusic) Metallica have released footage of them performing a classic song from "Masters of Puppets" from a corporate gig they played February 9 at Pier 48 in San Francisco for cloud computing company Salesforce.com.

"10 days ago, we played at a surprise party thrown by our friend Marc Benioff for the employees of his little up-and-coming company called Salesforce," says the band. "Check out the #MetOnTour video from the gig featuring footage from the Tuning Room and "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" from the show."

The group 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.

Metallica are currently in studio working on the follow-up to 2008's "Death Magnetic." The band return to live action May 9 when they headline the inaugural Rock In Rio USA festival in Las Vegas. Watch the video here.




AC/DC Go Behind The Scenes Of Rock Or Bust Photo Shoot
(hennemusic) AC/DC have released behind the scenes video footage from a band photo shoot from last fall. The session produced the first photo of their new lineup without founding member Malcolm Young, who retired last year due to health issues.

The image (above) features singer Brian Johnson, guitarists Angus and Stevie Young, and bassist Cliff Williams…noticeably absent is drummer Phil Rudd.

Rudd missed the photo session and a video shoot just weeks before his November 6 arrest on multiple charges by New Zealand police - including possession of methamphetamine, possession of cannabis and threatening to kill. Watch the video here.




Slipknot's Chris Fehn Says Fans Can't Be Pinned Down
(TeamRock Radio) Slipknot's Chris Fehn says he's loved watching the 'maggots' grow up and that the range of ages at their gigs proves heavy metal is thriving. The percussionist says that since the band broke big around 15 years ago, the maggots - Slipknot's affectionate name for their fans - have kept coming back, and brought new ones with them.

Asked by Roadrunner Records to describe the average maggot, Fehn says: "It's tough these days to pin it down because there's everybody, such a huge variety. It's been 15 years now so kids that were 15 are now 30. Guys that were 30 are 45-years-old now. It's such a huge range and that's really awesome for heavy metal.

"Not everybody that listens to heavy metal is crazy or out of touch, it's actually quite the opposite. These people are gonna run the world one day and it's a whole new world out there." Read more here.




Lacuna Coil's Cristina Scabbia Says Band Covers All Sides Of Life
(TeamRock Radio) Lacuna Coil's Cristina Scabbia says the band will never shy away from exploring the dark side of life in their music. Scabbia backs fellow singer Andrea Ferro's belief that their next album will be heavier thanks to the addition of new drummer Ryan Blake Folden. And she insists their lyrics will reflect whatever is going on in their lives at the time - whether joyous or desperate.

The band's last album, 2014's Broken Crown Halo, is noted for its dark themes, but Scabbia says that doesn't make it a negative album. She tells MetalPR: "Music for us is sort of self-therapy. We push all out feelings, positive and negative in our music. When we wrote the lyrics we were going through illnesses in the family, deaths of loved ones, break ups.

"Although with Broken Crown Hero we went through bad moments, it doesn't mean that it's a negative album. It's more of a way for us to say that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.

"Whenever you're experiencing something bad, when there's bullsh*t in your life, whenever you're sad, there's always time to touch the bottom and rise again." Read more here.




The Darkness Preview Next Single 'Barbarian'
(hennemusic) UK rockers The Darkness have issued a short audio preview of their new single, "Barbarian", from their forthcoming album, "Cliffhanger." The follow-up to 2012's "Hot Cakes" is expected in March; the project will feature the debut of drummer Emily Dolan Davies following the band's split with Ed Graham.

"She's a hard hitter," frontman Justin Hawkins tells Classic Rock magazine about Dolan, who has previously played with Bryan Ferry and Tricky. "She's got the chops and the attitude that you need to be The Darkness' drummer. She also makes us feel like dirty old men."

"Ed has had some well-publicized health problems in the past. And for one reason or another, he wasn't capable of doing his job anymore," explains Hawkins. "We're still friends with Ed. But now that we have Emily in the band, the worry is gone."

Davies will make her debut with The Darkness at an intimate secret show March 4 on Ireland's Valentia Island as part of a 10-show run across the country to road test their new material.





Amorphis On The Latest Episode Of Ghosts On The Road Video Series
(Prog) Finnish metal outfit Amorphis are the latest band to feature on FreqsTV's Ghosts On The Road mini-series. In the short film, guitarist Esa Holopainen talks about issues affecting the band on tour including battling insomnia, giving each other space and the importance of keeping the same crew together.

Holopainen says: "Travelling is a necessary evil. If you could one day teleport yourself from one place to another, it would be a dream tour. It's easier these days.

"I remember in the 90s, especially in America, you didn't have any phones - you always called home from telephone boxes. Now we have Skype and you can phone home from wherever you want so it's easier to be in contact with your family." Read more and watch the episode here.




John Mitchell Praises Touchstone Singer's Work On New Album
(Prog) John Mitchell praises Touchstone singer Kim Seviour's work on Please Come Home, the debut release by his solo project Lonely Robot, in a new video blog about the project.

Seviour is one of a number of collaborators on the title, set for launch on February 23 via InsideOut. Steve Hogarth, Jem Godfrey, Nik Kershaw, Heather Findlay and others feature alongside Lonely Robot band members Nick Beggs and Craig Blundell.

Mitchell says in his latest video update: "I've known Kim for about 12 years now. I played at her 18th birthday and we became friends after that.

"We've always discussed working on something together. I thought it would be great to get her on the album. In Touchstone she has a more operatic approach to her singing.

"I think sometimes she has to sing men's vocal lines an octave up, because the guys write for their vocal ranges. So the nice thing about this album is it was more in her range.

"I made sure it was more comfortable for her to sing. It's more of a delicate performance and she does it brilliantly. it's absolutely fantastic."

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 Def Leppard Will Reject Rock Hall Induction Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott says in a new interview tha...

Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Def Leppard Will Reject Rock Hall Induction
Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott says in a new interview that band has decided that if were ever invited to be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame that they would 'politely refuse' the induction. But he adds that the fans will have the final say.

Elliott says that the Rock Hall is "nice but not that important" and explained why it isn't that important to him or the band, "The biggest compliment I ever got was my first ... platinum disc because it's a representation of 1 million people who've bought your album, and those million mean a lot more to me than some people that decide whether you fit for the Hall of Fame."

"In fact, we've kind of all decided that even if we get asked we're just going to -- how can I put this? -- politely refuse, like the Sex Pistols did. Unless there was some sort of online campaign by our fans cause they were annoyed with us."

Check out the full video interview here.



Slayer Reveal Special Release Plans For New Song
(Classic Rock) Slayer will release a new track as a limited edition Record Store Day vinyl single. The thrash icons issue When The Stillness Comes on 7" vinyl via Nuclear Blast for RSD on April 18.

Only 5000 copies will be available worldwide. It features, as a B-side, a live recording of 1983 classic Black Magic - recorded at last year's Wacken Open Air festival.

Record Store Day was devised in 2007 to raise awareness of and drum up business for independent record stores in the US and UK. Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl is the RSD Ambassador for 2015. Check out a photo of the vinyl release here.




Eyehategod Fear For Frontman's Mental Health
(TeamRock Radio) Eyehategod have cancelled their upcoming Australian and Mexican tour dates after becoming concerned about the mental health of frontman Mike IX Williams.

He's currently resting after the band performed two runs of US shows against doctor's orders - and aims to be back in action in time for their UK and Europe dates in April.

Eyehategod say in a statement: "We regret to have to cancel our Australian and Mexican dates. Mike's mental stability and health are serious issues at this point. We are very, very sorry for putting our fans and business partners in this miserable position.

"We will make up these tours as soon as possible." Read more here.




Tom DeLonge Thinks He Was Target Of Intelligence Operation
(TeamRock Radio) Former Blink-182 member Tom DeLonge believes that his life has been endangered by his belief in life on other planets and government conspiracies to hide it.

He says he was the target of an intelligence operation, that a colleague of his was subjected to mind-control experiments and that he received a personal safety warning after talking to an engineer about a spacecraft.

Delonge - who's regularly discussed his conviction that aliens exist and UFOs are real - tells PaperMag.com: "I've had one interesting thing happen to me where I believe somebody was trying to get to me, that was in the intelligence industry. That's as much as I want to say. A very interesting thing happened."

He adds: "One time I remember bringing up a very specific craft that I believe we're building, in secret, to emulate the phenomenon that our government has been observing for decades.

"I started talking about the craft, its magnetic slide system, how it ionises the engine, how it glows. I went through the whole thing, and this engineer looks at me and goes, 'You better be real f***ing careful about what you're talking about.' I go, 'Okay, so I'm close.' He goes, 'I'm not f***ing kidding with you. You better be really f***ing careful.'

"And he calls me up the next day and he goes, 'I've had calls about you. If someone comes and asks you to get in their car, don't f***ing get in the car.' That's the sh*t I'm dealing with." Read more here.




Kid Rock Explains $20 Concert Tickets
(Classic Rock) Kid Rock says keeping the costs of his live shows down is vital and reveals he's surprised other artists haven't followed suit. He heads out on the road across the US this summer to support his upcoming album First Kiss. And he's frozen ticket costs at $20 - a price he introduced during his Best Night Ever Tour in 2013.

He tells Billboard: "I'm so happy about the $20 thing. I've said before, I feel like I'll be able to ride this into the sunset. We've even learned more from being the guinea pig to do it the first time, and now we've learned so much more.

"We thought about raising the ticket price five bucks, and then we're like, 'Let's just keep it $20. Let's find ways that we can be more efficient now that we've done it one time, that we can make more money but we're not messing with the people who are paying.' I'm just very fortunate to be in a position to do it."

Rock is able to keep his ticket prices down by partnering with the gig venues and ticket outlet Live Nation and then splitting the costs from the shows. And he says he's no idea why other artists haven't copied his business model. Read more here.





Page Says Led Zeppelin Couldn't Keep Up With Fans Demands
(Classic Rock) Jimmy Page says Led Zeppelin couldn't meet the demands of fans during the height of their success. And he reveals they could have played more live shows if their tours across the US weren't so hectic in the 70s.

He tells the Associated Press: "There was a supply and demand - and the demand always outsourced the supply that you could give as far as concerts go.

"The States is a massive continent and it got to the point where, during the 70s, we were doing multiple shows in New York, Chicago or LA and it would just be sell-outs. There was demand but we had to move on.

"You know the volume of record sales, you've heard about it, and it's exactly the same with the attendance. We broke records, I know we did, but we still couldn't supply the demand." Read more here.




Eric Clapton, Little Richard Lead Blues Hall of Fame Inductions
Eric Clapton, Little Richard and Tommy Brown are the three living performers that will be included into the Blues Hall of Fame at a special event this year, the Blues Foundation has announced. We were sent the following details:

Eric Clapton has been tapped for induction into the Blues Hall of Fame for his many musical achievements as well as for his role as a popularizer of the entire genre. He brought the blues to audiences in his native Britain and throughout the world, illuminating the work of the original blues artists who inspired him.

With his induction, Little Richard joins an elite group of Blues Hall of Fame icons including Fats Domino, Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley who built upon rock 'n' roll's foundation in the blues. His earliest recordings were in the blues vein and, throughout his career, he continued to employ a blues format in his work.

In the early '50s Tommy Brown broke through nationally fronting the Griffin Brothers Orchestra with the #1 hit "Weepin' & Cryin'." He brought his intuitive sense of showmanship to the blues over a career that has now spanned over 75 years.

Their induction will be held in conjunction with the three days of events May 6-8 surrounding the 36th Blues Music Awards on May 7 and the public Grand Opening of the bricks and mortar Blues Hall of Fame on May 8 in Memphis, Tennessee. With living musicians like B.B. King and Buddy Guy, and legends like Muddy Waters and Koko Taylor, the Blues Hall of Fame consists of blues music's best and brightest stars.

The Blues Foundation is now in the final stages of the renovations needed to showcase these legendary performers and their work with Blues Hall of Fame exhibits at its 421 S. Main headquarters in downtown Memphis. The Blues Hall of Fame will honor inductees year round, provide interactive and educational exhibits, and create a place for serious blues fans, casual visitors, and students to congregate, celebrate and learn more about the Blues.

For tickets and more information go here.




Saxon's Nigel Glockler Recovered From Emergency Brain Surgery
(Classic Rock) Saxon drummer Nigel Glockler has made a full recovery from emergency brain surgery, and plans to get back to work soon. He collapsed during the band's winter UK tour in December and was diagnosed with an aneurysm.

Doctors put him through two procedures after the first wasn't entirely successful. He was sent home from hospital in January to recuperate. Former Accept singer Udo Dirkschneider's son Sven stood in for Saxon's February shows, although Glockler performed one track, Strangers In The Night, in London on February 7.

Now Glockler reports: "The neurosurgeons have informed me that I have made a 100% recovery, and there is zero damage at all from the aneurysm - mainly due to the part of the brain it was located in.

"This means I am okay to get back to work, but I'm told to easy back into it in my own timeframe." Read more here.





Lou Reed Slammed The Beatles and Doors In Lost Interview
(Classic Rock) Lou Reed branded The Doors "stupid" and The Beatles "garbage" in a lost interview released after 28 years. The late Velvet Underground frontman's interview with journalist Joe Smith was recorded in 1987 but has only surfaced now in an animated video created by Blank On Blank.

In it, Reed insists the Velvet Underground never intended to make money out of their music and says he was amazed by the negative reaction to their 1967 album The Velvet Underground & Nico.

Asked how he thought his music stacked up against rival bands of the time, Reed pulls no punches. He says: "I know this sounds pretentious, but the other stuff couldn't even come up to our ankles. The level that we were on compared to everyone else, I mean they were just painfully stupid and pretentious. What I mean by stupid, I mean like The Doors.

"I never liked The Beatles, I thought they were garbage. I liked nobody." Read his comments about the Velvet Underground here.



Alex and Eddie Van Halen Ink New Publishing Deal
(hennemusic) The Van Halen brothers, Alex and Eddie, have signed a worldwide publishing deal with Atlas Music Publishing. The agreement covers the entire Van Halen catalog - excluding 2012's "A Different Kind Of Truth" - and includes multiple hit singles and albums that have collectively sold close to 90 million copies worldwide, making the group one of the best-selling musical artists in history.

The landmark deal with Atlas marks the first time Van Halen's music has been published by an independent music publishing company. "This deal has been a long time coming," Atlas Music Group CEO Richard Stumpf tells Billboard.

"I have been after [manager] Irving Azoff and [lawyer] Peter Paterno for five years to find out if there would ever be an opportunity to work with the Van Halen catalog. They are my favorite all-time band so this is kind of a surreal moment where my professional and personal lives are coming together."

"We will give their music the proper push for synchronizations in films, TV and commercials," says Stumpf. "This is a premium catalog, so we will look for the right films and brand advertisers to place their music with." Read more here.





Foo Fighters Auctioning Studio Time To Help Friend and Musician
(hennemusic) The Foo Fighters have stepped in to assist friend and Seattle musician Mike Squires (Loaded, Alien Crime Syndicate, Harvey Danger) and his mother, Charlotte, who is fighting cancer.

The band have offered up two days of recording at their California base, Studio 606, as part of an eBay auction by Squires to assist with his mother's medical bills.

Squires posted a description of the studio in his eBay listing: "Studio 606 is the Foo Fighters' private studio. 606 Studio Manager, Scott Parker, and the Foo Fighters have donated 2 days of studio time to help benefit my mother Charlotte's fight against cancer.

"The highest bidder in this auction will have unlimited access, for two days, to record or mix at the studio.

"The auction includes the use of the house engineer, the studio space, studio recording equipment, Pro Tools rig, and limited backline (no house guitars are available for use, Sorry!). That literally means that you can show up with your band's guitars and pedals and your favorite snare or kick pedal (but, seriously?) and create a record in a world-class recording environment." Read more here.




Skillet Making Plans For Next Album
(TeamRock Radio) Skillet will start recording their ninth album this summer, singer and bassist John Cooper has confirmed. The Christian rockers' last release was 2013's Rise which spawned the single Not Gonna Die. Now they'll hit the studio with the aim of launching a new album later in 2015.

Cooper tells Billboard: "We're planning on recording this summer. June will mark two years for Rise, and I would like to be releasing a record this year. We're working towards that goal and even if we don't, we'll release it early next year."

Joining Cooper in the Tennessee outfit are his wife Korey Cooper on rhythm guitar, drummer Jen Ledger and lead guitarist Seth Morrison. They're currently on tour across the US and the frontman says he's been inspired to write new material by meeting fans out on the road. Read more here.





Mitch Lucker's Death Gave Suicide Silence New Perspective On Life
(TeamRock Radio) Suicide Silence guitarist Mark Heylmun says dealing with the tragic death of singer Mitch Lucker has made the band more resilient than ever. Lucker died in a motorcycle crash in 2012 and his place in the band is now filled by Eddie Hermida. Heylmun previously said Lucker's death led to the band tackling their drink and drug abuse, and he now says they're prepared for anything life may throw at them.

He tells Hot Topic: "The way I feel about it is, when you reach that bottom that we reached, there's pretty much nothing that's going to feel worse than that. If anything that comes your way, you're ready to face it with a clear head and think about how much worse everything can be."

And he urges fans to take the same attitude to life's challenges. He adds: "Listen to your actual gut instinct - there is a feeling in your stomach, and that's a real f***ing feeling. Listen to it.

"If you're afraid, f***ing face that fear. Face your problems and make sure that you're handling them, not avoiding them. F***ing attack them head on." Read more and stream the full interview here.




Faith No More Premiere New Song In Concert
(Classic Rock) Faith No More last night performed their track Cone Of Shame, from comeback album Sol Invictus, for the first time. Fan site FaithNoMoreFollowers revealed an audience video of the performance alongside the evening's setlist.

Mike Patton and co opened their second of two shows in Tokyo with the song, which appears to match keyboardist Roddy Bottum's description of the album's material as featuring "really simple instrumentation" and "a lot of pianos."

Bottum tweeted after the performance: "Tonight was the first performance of Cone Of Shame. it felt good to do that in Tokyo to rectify the wreckage of last night's tumult. Hug." Read more here.





Nonpoint Revived By The Return
(TeamRock Radio) Nonpoint drummer Robb Rivera has revealed they feel like a band again following the success of latest album The Return. It launched last year following the departure of guitarist Dave Lizzio who was replaced by BC Kochmit previously of Eye Empire and Switched.

And despite the shake up, Rivera insists the new-look lineup are riding a crest of a wave and says they're now being rewarded after going through "dark times."

He tells In The Now: "In this lineup right now, we're on a high point. Single Breaking Skin is doing killer radio, great sales, attendance, selling merch - it feels like a band again.

"There's some low point that I think every band goes through - and we've definitely had our share of dark times. But vocalist Elias Soriano and myself have made a pact that, it doesn't matter when the dark comes, there's always a light at the end." Read more and watch the full video interview here.



Robben Ford Streams New Collaboration With Warren Haynes
(The Blues Robben Ford has released an exclusive stream of his track High Heels And Throwing Things, featuring Warren Haynes. It's taken from upcoming album Into The Sun, to be released via Mascot Label Group on March 30, also including guest spots with Keb' Mo', Robert Randolph and others.

Ford recently said: "The rule was to have no lid on things. 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." Ford also plays London's O2 Academy Islington on April 29, followed by a run of European shows.

Listen to the new song here.




Fit For An Autopsy Complete Work On Album With New Singer
(TeamRock Radio) Fit For An Autopsy have confirmed they have finished work on their first album with new singer Joe Badolato. The New Jersey metal outfit brought in Badolato following an acrimonious split with Nate Johnson last year and they say they will issue the new, as-yet-untitled, record later this year via eOne Music.

It was recorded at The Machine Shop in New Jersey and produced by band member Will Putney. Guitarist Pat Sheridan says: "The new album is a bit of a step in a new direction for the band. You'll hear a lot of new influences in our sound and a real creative move towards other genres we have never experimented with until now.

"It's dark, sad and aggressive all at once and we're really happy with the vibe. It's also a very literal and real record and in more of a first person view of the world than we've ever done, and it feels really intense." Read more here.




Sevendust Preparing To Begin New Album
(TeamRock Radio) Sevendust are to begin work on a new album and are hopeful of a summer release. Another acoustic album could also be on the way. Guitarist Clint Lowery said last year he hoped to make it a regular thing for the band.

Drummer Morgan Rose says the band are heading to the studio in Butler, New Jersey, working on what will be their 11th album and the follow-up to last year's acoustic record, Time Travelers & Bonfires.

Rose tells All Access Live: "We haven't written one song yet, but we're going into the studio in a week. It's amazing. I love it. We do everything that way." Watch the video interview here.




John Wesley Begins Work On New Album
(Prog) John Wesley has begun work on the follow-up to solo album Disconnect, he's confirmed. The Fish and Porcupine Tree collaborator aims to start recording his seventh record later this year.

Wesley had the following to say, "I have begun sorting through ideas and directions for the next album, and I've started the process of writing pieces that will form the basis.

"I'll be using much of the same team who recorded the last album, and I hope to begin tracking in the late spring or early summer." Read more here.




Foo Fighters To Headline Glastonbury Festival
(Classic Rock) Foo Fighters will headline the main stage at Glastonbury this summer. Dave Grohl announced the news in a video acceptance speech at tonight's NME Awards. The Foos were named Best International Band, with the prize presented by Chrissie Hynde.

Grohl said: "Sorry we couldn't make it tonight, but we will be seeing you over the summer at some big outdoor festival that nobody knows we're playing - it's Glastonbury. So we'll see you at Glastonbury. Thanks a lot everybody."

They will play the last slot on the Pyramid Stage at Worthy Farm on Friday, July 24. It will be the band's first appearance at Glasto since 1998. Last year, Metallica were the surprise headliners and won widespread acclaim for their performance. AC/DC and Iron Maiden were among the favorites to land a headline slot at Glasto this year following Metallica's triumph. Read more here.






Michael Anthony Jams Van Halen Classic With John 5
(hennemusic) Original Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony joined Rob Zombie guitarist John 5 for a performance his former band's 1979 classic, "Somebody Get Me A Doctor", at the Whisky A Go Go in Hollywood on February 11.

John 5's Van Halen connection goes back years as a fan; he then teamed up with David Lee Roth to write and record his 1998 album, "DLR Band." The guitarist has continued to write material with Roth and, last year, revealed that the pair had recorded a second project in early 2013.

"[Dave and I] just made another record, and it's, like, the 'California Sessions', [Dave] was calling it," said John 5. "And it's 11 of the greatest songs you'll ever hear, and it's just me and Dave, and we had Gregg Bissonette play drums on it. And it's unbelievable. And hopefully sometime it'll see the light of day. But he is, of course, busy with Van Halen and all that stuff. But it's an incredible record."

"I always go over to his house and we write music and things like that," he continued. "It's a lot of fun. I would just go over to his house during the day and write this music and then he would book the studio at night. So we would go into A&M Studios - Henson Studios, it's called now - and we'd record."

John 5 described the vibe of the material and Roth's performance. "It sounds just like Dave from that 'Van Halen I' or ' Van Halen II' or 'Women And Children First' era, [in terms of his] singing [style], and it's incredible, man. It's really incredible. He loves it too, so maybe it'll see the light of day sometime."

Read more and watch video of the jam here.




Jack White Get Innovate For Interactive 'That Black Bat Licorice' Video
(hennemusic) Jack White had released an inventive and revolutionary new 3-in-1 music video for his latest single, "That Black Bat Licorice", from his latest studio album "Lazaretto."

The video offers three original films of differing themes that can be interchanged based on viewers' interaction with their computer keyboard or tablet screen.

The video trio also draws from the vision of three different directors - James Blagden, Brad Holland and White himself. Blagden created an animated clip, Holland a headbanging video, and White directed live action footage. Read more here.



Jimmy Page Honored At NME Awards
(hennemusic) Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page was honored with the Rock 'N' Roll Soul Award at the NME Awards Wednesday night in London and video of the presentation has been posted online.

Organized by UK music magazine New Musical Express (NME), Page was on hand to receive a special one-off award from Royal Blood. "Well, well, well," began Page. "Thank you to Royal Blood. They said it's an honour to be giving this award but it's an honor for me. I trust so much in Royal Blood and what's gonna come from them is absolutely magic, isn't it? They really deserve Best Group."

"Thanks so much for this award, NME," he added. "It's a real honor to get it, but as far as whatever I've managed to do in music, I'm really just passing on the baton because for me, I've learned from records and my heroes. I got the music together and passed it on and it's for everyone."

The honor recognizes Page's as one of rock's most important and influential guitar players, writers and producers. Watch the video here.




Black Star Riders Perform New Songs Acoustically
(hennemusic) Black Star Riders vocalist Ricky Warwick and guitarist Damon Johnson teamed up to deliver acoustic performances of a pair of tracks from the group's upcoming second album, "The Killer Instinct."

The duo dropped by The Orchard to play their new single, "Finest Hour", and the album's title track. Due February 23 (Feb 24 in North America), the follow-up to the group's 2013 debut, "All Hell Breaks Loose", was recorded in Nashville with producer Nick Raskulinecz (Rush, The Foo Fighters, Alice In Chains, Mastodon).

"The Killer Instinct" will be available in multiple formats: CD, Limited 2 CDs Digibook with a bonus disc that features 2 extra songs and acoustic versions of 4 tracks from the album, Limited Gatefold Black Vinyl and Limited Gatefold Clear Vinyl (available for mail orders only).

Black Star Riders will launch the album with a co-headline UK tour with Europe starting March 2 in Dublin, Ireland. Check out the unplugged videos here.




Umphrey's McGee Preview Their Abbey Road Album
(Prog) Umphrey's McGee have released a trailer for upcoming album The London Sessions, which they recorded in Abbey Road's iconic Studio Two over 12 hours last year.

The video includes their cover of the Beatles' track I Want You (She's So Heavy) which recognises the fact they were recording where the Fab Four did some of their most memorable work.

Frontman Brendan Bayliss says the first thing he did on arrival was asked to be shown to the corner of the space used most by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.

Bayliss tells Rolling Stone: "I couldn't believe they were just crammed there, doing 75 takes in a row till they got it." Guitarist Jake Cinninger clapped his hands to listen for the studio's trademark effect. "I heard that ambient tone - yup, that's Abbey Road. I wanted to witness it for my own ears, that time delay in the room." Read more and watch the video here.




Metalhead Rocks TV Talent Show With Led Zeppelin Classic
(Classic Rock) A metalhead contestant on the Irish edition of TV talent show The Voice won a clean sweep of judges' approval with a powerful rendition of Led Zeppelin's Immigrant Song.

John Bonham's performance saw all four judges pitching to have him on their team. In the end, the 28-year-old from Dublin chose former Westlife singer Kian Egan as his coach.

After his performance led to all four experts turning their seats to signify they wanted him to progress, Bonham had to explain that having the same name as the late Led Zep drummer was merely a coincidence.

And he says he would never have compromised by singing a "safer pop song." He tells TeamRock: "The first thing they asked was whether that was my real name. It's a total coincidence, but I'm obviously a big Zeppelin fan.

"I only wanted to go through on my own terms. I didn't see the point in doing a safer pop song just to try get through. I thought I might as well be me.

"It's a tough song to sing because of the range in the vocals. It actually hadn't gone so well when I was practising, but the big arena and the crowd gives you such adrenaline and it worked out."

"I definitely did not expect to go through, I thought I wouldn't be what they were looking for. I didn't think many of the audience would even know Immigrant Song, but when I started headbanging halfway through, they all went crazy." Read more and watch video of his performance here.




Rush's Neil Peart, Tool's Danny Carey and Stewert Copeland Drum Jam
(Classic Rock) Rush drummer Neil Peart and Tool counterpart Danny Carey are seen in a video clip jamming with former Police sticksman Stewart Copeland. It's the latest in Copeland's series of Sacred Grove clips, and it took place after he invited the pair to try out some new percussion equipment.

Also featured are South Park creator Matt Stone and Vertical Horizon frontman Matt Scannell. Further tracks were added to the original recording later.

Rush recently confirmed what's likely to be their last large-scale tour, while Tool continue work on the follow-up to 2006's 10,000 Days. Check out the video of the drum jam here.




Drowning Pool Celebrate Late Singer Dave Williams In New Video
(TeamRock Radio) Drowning Pool have launched a video for their track Soul to mark the 13th anniversary year of the death of frontman Dave Williams. He died from heart failure caused by cardiomyopathy in 2002 while on tour – and the band have launched a tribute video featuring rare and previously unreleased shots of the late singer and launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise cash for the American Heart Association.

Fans are asked to pledge $30 – all of which will go to the charity and they'll receive a Williams t-shirt in return. The band say: "People assume drugs and alcohol are the cause when the news reports that a rock star has died. Dave actually died of the heart disease known as cardiomyopathy – disease of the heart muscle and Dave didn't know he had it. It often goes undiagnosed and affects people of all races and ages.

"To celebrate Dave's life and contribution to music, we have partnered with the American Heart Association of Dallas and IndieGogo to raise both awareness of the disease, and funds for further research and development of new treatments." Read more and watch the video here.




A Look Back On Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi On His 67th Birthday
(Gibson) Any short-list of the greatest riff-makers of all-time would be incomplete without Tony Iommi's name inscribed in bold letters. Beginning with Black Sabbath's 1970 debut album, Iommi ushered in a dark, sludgy sound that through the years has impacted bands as varied as Nirvana and Metallica. To commemorate his birthday-Iommi turns 67 on Feb. 19-we've gathered a number of choice quotes. Simply put, the man is a legend.

On giving birth to heavy metal, as told to Guitar Player: "I think it was the dramatics of it all. I used to listen to the old classical stuff with the dynamics in the music, and I wanted that sort of dynamics in what we were doing-something that was really dramatic and big. And that's what I tried to achieve guitar-wise. I wanted to make this big, powerful thing come over you-like what happens when you go and see a horror film. I wanted to create a huge sound that was really horrific in some ways."

On when he knew Black Sabbath had "made it," as told to Rock Cellar: "It was great when we started having hit albums and stuff, but I guess the first time we thought we had broken through on some level was with our first album. With that album we realized we had something different to offer, and then the next Sabbath album came out, which was Paranoid, and that went to number one, certainly in most of the world except for in America. (laughs) Then we sort of felt like we were doing something and achieving success and knew we were on our way."

On considering switching to playing right-handed, after the accident where he sliced off the tips of two fingers, as told to Guitar World: "If I knew what I know now I probably would have switched. At the time I had already been playing two or three years, and it seemed like I had been playing a long time. I thought I'd never be able to change the way I played. The reality of the situation was that I hadn't been playing very long at all, and I probably could have spent the same amount of time learning to play right handed. I did have a go at it, but I just didn't have the patience."

On coming up with great riffs, as told to Rock Cellar: "What I generally do is go into my studio for an hour or I might go in for ten minutes and just start playing some riffs and put them down. So I might do that for a few days and then I'll start listening to them with a more critical ear…. What makes a great riff, for me, is tension, drama and dynamics, but also you'll get some up-tempo stuff where you've got to create a different dynamic. With the heavier, slower stuff, it's pretty easy for me to put in the dynamics. But sometimes the up-tempo stuff is a little bit more challenging."

On his signature tone, as told to Guitar International: "I took a long time working on it. Years and years. I've never been totally satisfied with it. I always keep trying. Even now, on stage some nights it doesn't sound quite right. It's the building or the stage or whatever. But ninety-percent of the time I'm happy with it."

On first hearing Ozzy's debut solo album, Blizzard of Ozz, recorded with Randy Rhoads, as told to Guitar World: "It was quite good. I loved Randy's playing. I didn't rush out right away to buy Ozzy's album because I was into what we were doing at the time. But I was pleased for Ozzy. It was the spark that got him going, and it was exactly what he needed."

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 Alice Cooper, Joe Perry and Johnny Depp Form Supergroup (Classic Rock) Shock rock legend Alice Cooper and...

Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Alice Cooper, Joe Perry and Johnny Depp Form Supergroup
(Classic Rock) Shock rock legend Alice Cooper and Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry are to team up with actor Johnny Depp in supergroup Hollywood Vampires at a music festival in Brazil.

The trio will perform under the banner which was the name given to members of The Doors, The Who, The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix and Cooper who would often meet for drinks in LA in the 1970s.

Cooper has recorded a covers album featuring tracks by members of the original Hollywood Vampires, and he'll now take the songs to the live arena at the Rock In Rio festival in Rio De Janeiro in September. Read more here.



1960s Hitmaker Lesley Gore Dead at 68
(Radio.com) Lesley Gore, a famed singer-songwriter who topped the U.S. charts in the 1960s with the hit "It's My Party," has died. She was 68. According to CBS News, Gore died on Sunday (Feb. 16) of cancer at a Manhattan hospital. Her partner of 33 years, Lois Sasson, confirmed the news.

Gore, born in 1946 in New York City, was a junior in high school when "It's My Party," one of pop's quintessential songs charting the rough waters of teenage angst, hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1963, as well as the U.S. R&B chart. Not only was it Gore's first hit; it was also producer Quincy Jones'.

But Gore landed multiple other top 10 hits in the '60s, including "Judy's Turn to Cry," "She's a Fool" and "You Don't Own Me," the latter of which reached No. 2 in the country. Her final top 20 hit came with "California Nights" in 1967. Read more here.




Kid Rock and Foreigner Plan $20 Ticket Summer Tour
Kid Rock is once again bucking the trend of bilking fans with excessively priced concert tickets with the announcement that this summer he will be launching a tour with support rock legend Foreigner with a bargain ticket price.

The tour, in support of Rock's new album "First Kiss," is scheduled to kick off on June 24th in Hartford, CT at The Xfinity Theatre and will conclude on September 5th in Auburn, WA at White River Amphitheater.

Like his "$20 Best Night Ever" tour, tickets for this summer run, from the "2nd row to the lawn" will only be $20.00 with reduced parking and service fees keeping the total price of the tickets around $30 and under.

Also according to Warner Bros., "$20 all-in tickets (including parking) will be offered from participating Walmarts and at the venue box offices, and everyone who purchases a ticket at Walmart will receive a coupon for $2 off their purchase of 'First Kiss.'

As an added bonus, the tickets for the first row at each concert "will be held back and given as free upgrades for lucky fans," according to Rock's label. Check out the tour dates here.



Within The Ruins Tour Van 'Completely Destroyed' In Crash
Within The Ruins announced that they were involved in a serious road accident on an interstate in Pennsylvania on Sunday afternoon. The band reports that no one was hurt but their tour van, trailer and their gear were "completely destroyed."

Guitarist Joe Cocchi had the following to say about the accident, "We rolled about three times from what I can remember and landed on the median. Our van and trailer are totaled."

He adds, "All I can say is that we're happy to be alive. I don't know how, but none of us were injured. We're on the road touring because this is all we know and love, and we want to continue. Help us get back on our feet by picking up a shirt. Thank you all for the continued support."

The band announced that they were on their way to California for the kick off a tour with Suicide Silence and Fit For An Autopsy and they expect to take part in the tour's third show in Seattle on Friday.

For fans that wish to help the band with their "Van Accident Fund", they are taking donations here.




Guns N' Roses Guitarist Explains Axl's Motivation
(Classic Rock) Guns N' Roses guitarist Richard Fortus says Axl Rose is motivated purely by the music and that a future reunion of the classic GNR lineup is unlikely. Fortus - who has been with GNR for 13 years - insists any criticism that Rose is only in it for the money is absurd, because if it were all about cash he'd have pushed for a reunion.

The guitarist tells Mitch Lafon (via Blabbermouth): "I've never met anybody that has so much genuine musical integrity. He won't whore himself out, he won't do anything for business or money. It's just about the music.

"And he won't defend himself in the press, because he doesn't think it matters. It's just about the music - that's all he cares about. I've worked with a lot of people in this business, and I've never seen, or met, anybody that was motivated purely by that desire to make art.

"And you can say whatever you want about it, because he's not gonna defend himself, but he is that, and that's for sure. Otherwise, there would have been a reunion, because the offers for money have been outrageous. But he would never do a reunion unless it was for something besides money."

Rose has come under fire for repeatedly taking to the stage hours after the scheduled start time. Fortus at first thought it was for effect, but he says he realises now it is more about Rose getting himself in the right frame of mind.

He adds: "For the longest time, when I first started with the band even, I thought it was by design. I thought, 'He has this worked out.' Because it's two hours after we're supposed to start, three hours, and the stadiums are full of people just booing.

"And the second he'd walk out on stage, all that energy on the verge of chaos, of just imploding and everyone just rioting, right at that moment he walks out on stage, and all of that negative energy just goes totally up right into the palm of his hand." Read more here.



Early Beatles Club Shows Recordings To Be Auctioned
(Classic Rock) Original recordings of the Beatles' 1962 December gigs at Hamburg's Star Club are to be sold at auction, it's been confirmed. The band played a series of shows at the venue to small audiences and performed tracks including Twist And Shout and I Saw Her Standing There along with covers of Chuck Berry's Roll Over Beethoven and Phil Spector's To Know Her Is To Love Her.

Now Ted Owen and Co auctioneers will sell the 33-track collection on behalf of Larry Grossberg, the business manager of Andy Warhol and Muhammad Ali, who spent £100,000 remixing 26 of the songs for a 1977 album release.

Grossberg had the following to say, "I'm 74 and it's time to sell. I don't want my family to have the burden of going through my things and liquidating everything." Read more here.



Fake Asking Alexander Singer Announcement Explained
(TeamRock Radio) Former Dead By April singer Jimmie Strimell has explained how he was wrongly announced to be Asking Alexandria's new frontman. Several names have been linked with the role since Danny Worsnop quit in January to concentrate on his band We Are Harlot.

Earlier this month Strimell was said to have been given the job after a tweet that read: "I am very pleased to say I will be joining@AAOfficial I am so stoked guys! This is a brand new chapter!"

Asking Alexandria denied it, with guitarist Benjamin Bruce tweeting: "Until I say anything don't believe the rumours." Now Strimell tells Metal Insider: "I just found out that a tweet by someone calling himself Jimmie Strimell has made a joke on my behalf and may be causing Asking Alexandria some problem as well.

"I'm sorry about that - but I can assure you that it was not me. People start profiles in my name on a lot of social media sites, and the last time I counted I found eight Jimmie Strimells on Facebook. None of them were me." Read more here.




Peter Frampton and Cheap Trick Announce Summer Tour
Peter Frampton has announced that he and Cheap Trick have expanded their upcoming coheadlining tour of North American and Frampton has also announced some solo headlining shows.

The Frampton and Cheap Trick summer tour will be kicking off on June 5th in Temecula, CA at the Pechanga Resort and will conclude on August 25th in Livermore, CA at the Wente Vineyards.

Frampton had this to say about the trek, "I've always loved Cheap Trick and their sound. Great band, great people! We played one show together last year and had so much fun we decided to do a whole tour together." See the tour dates here.




AC/DC Stand-In Only Had Hour To Learn Songs
(hennemusic) AC/DC brought in Welsh drummer Bob Richards to stand-in for the absent Phil Rudd when they filmed videos in London in early October for the band's latest album, "Rock Or Bust."

The sessions at Black Island Studios in Middlesex saw the group film the lead single, "Play Ball", on their own on October 3 before being joined the next day by about 500 fans from around the globe for the title track.

Richards explains how he became involved in the video shoot. "I received a call on the Thursday evening asking if I could step in as Phil was unavailable, so I filled in at the last minute," Richards tells Rhythm magazine. "It was all hands on deck. I got my kit sorted out and then an early start to London. I heard the songs an hour or so before we went on to the set to start the filming. I played it over several times and did a bit of air drumming to it."

"The band were fantastic," he continues. "They made me so welcome and we had a great time shooting the videos. They were very encouraging. I could just enjoy the experience." Read more and watch the videos here.




Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page To Receive Rock'N'Roll Soul Award
(hennemusic) Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page will be honored at the NME Awards this week. Organized by UK music magazine New Musical Express (NME), Page will be on hand at the 02 Academy Brixton in London on Wednesday, February 18 to receive a special one-off award, the Rock'N'Roll Soul Award.

The honor recognizes legendary Led Zeppelin guitarist's unique genius and celebrates one of rock's most important and influential guitar players, writers and producers.

"This special, one-off award has been created to reflect one of the most important and iconic figures to have ever picked up an instrument," says NME editor Mike Williams. "There is nobody in popular culture quite like Jimmy Page, and we are honored to be giving him the Rock'N'Roll Soul Award at this year's ceremony." Read more here.



Heart In Hand Break Up Due To Lack Of Trust
(TeamRock Radio) Heart In Hand have split up, citing a lack of trust within the band as the reason. They've cancelled a European tour that was set to take place next month. The move means their third album, last year's Poison Pen Letters, is their last.

The band say in a statement: "Heart In Hand will no longer be continuing to create and perform music. Trust is a hugely important part of any band, and when it is tested it is difficult to come back from without causing further damage.

"We cannot apologies enough - but we wouldn't want to tour not to our full potential and see this off in an even more negative way." The six-year-old outfit add: "We will be toying about with music outside of this band in due time, but for now, this is the end for Heart In Hand." Read more here.




Ian Anderson Plans Jethro Tull Rock Opera Tour
(Classic Rock) Ian Anderson has announced plans for a touring theatre production based on the life of the real Jethro Tull. Titled Jethro Tull: The Rock Opera, it will tell the story of the English agriculturist reimagined as if taking place in the near future and will feature Tull tracks including Heavy Horses, Farm On The Freeway, A New Day Yesterday, The Witch's Promise and Locomotive Breath. The lyrics for the songs will be rewritten to better reveal the story.

Anderson will team up with bassist David Goodier, keyboardist John O'Hara, guitarist Florian Opahle and drummer Scott Hammond on the project. Guest musicians will also appear via video, although further details have yet to be released.

A full touring schedule will be confirmed in due course but the first shows are penciled in for September in the UK to be followed by performances in Russia, Europe and South America before the end of 2015. Read more here.




Black Star Riders Release 'Finest Hour' Video
(Classic Rock) Black Star Riders have released a video for Finest Hour, taken from the band's forthcoming album The Killer Instinct, the follow-up to 2013's All Hell Breaks Loose.

The Killer Instinct was recorded with Nick Raskulinecz, who's previously worked with the likes of Rush, Deftones, The Foo Fighters, Alice In Chains and Mastodon. It's released on February 23.

Since releasing the first details of The Killer Instinct in December and revealing more information last month, Black Star Riders have played at the Giants of Rock festival in Minehead. Watch the video and read more here.




The Quireboys' New Album Part Of Four-Disc Set
(Classic Rock) The Quireboys have announced that their ninth album, St Cecilia And The Gypsy Soul, will be launched on March 30th and it will be released as part of a four-disc set.

The package comes via Off Yer Rocka Records and includes 2009's out-of-print Halfpenny Dancer plus two discs covering the unreleased 2010 Halfpenny Dancer live show, featuring fiddles, pedal steel, mandolin, banjo and more.

Quireboys frontman Spike says: "The plan was always to record some new acoustic songs and rework some originals - but the plan changed. The vibe got better and better and we just went with the flow.

"This side of the band needs to heard." Read more here.



Walter Trout Returning To Road Following Serious Health Problems
(Classic Rock) Walter Trout has announced his full return to action after the liver disease that nearly killed him last year. His first show takes place at London's Royal Albert Hall in June, to be followed by a UK and Europe tour in November, after a string of US shows.

Last March the blues icon was told he had just 90 days to live unless a transplant took place. Fans raised nearly $250,000 via a crowdfunding campaign to cover his medical bills, and he underwent surgery in May.

Despite suffering a health setback in October, his wife Marie vowed: "The bottom line is this: Walter will pull through - just watch!" Now Trout says in a video: "I want to tell you I feel great these days. I'm recovering very nicely - it's kind of a miracle. I look forward to getting back in front of you, playing my music for you.

"I'm very anxious to get back. I'm thankful for the support you gave me while I was fighting for my life. It worked - I'm back, I feel great, I'm playing good." Read more and watch the video here.




Slash Recalls Accidentally Unplugging for Bob Dylan
(Radio.com) The latest installment of Radio.com's Minimation, where they comb through their interview archive and animate pieces with legendary rock artists, features a 2014 interview with Slash where he recalls the recording of Bob Dylan's "Wiggle Wiggle" from his 1990 album "Under the Red Sky."

In 1990, Don Was was one of the most in-demand producers in music, if not the most in-demand. As such he had a lot of big name friends. So, when he was hired to produce Bob Dylan's 1990 album Under the Red Sky, he brought a lot of those friends in to guest on the record. Among them were Stevie Ray Vaughan, Elton John and the guitarist from the hottest band in the world at that time, Slash of Guns 'N Roses.

Slash told Radio.com that he was called in to play on the song "Wiggle Wiggle," where he thought he would be laying down a guitar solo. He played some acoustic rhythm guitar to start and then picked up his electric. "I put what I thought was one of my better one-off solos on there," he recalls.

When Was sent Slash the tape, the guitarist was surprised that his acoustic playing was on the track but not his solo. It turned out that Dylan felt his electric lead made the song sound too much like GNR for the Dylan's tastes.

Under the Red Sky came early in Was's producing career and he feels his inexperience worked against him. "I was thinking like a fan," Was says. "'Man, I loved Highway 61, it'd be great if he did something else like Highway 61!' So, I'm trying to get him back to something and he's trying to look forward and do something different. Which is what you're supposed to do! You're not supposed to just imitate yourself, you're supposed to do something new that challenges you. It's a lesson to everybody. It's larger than producing records. Don't be that way in life. Don't keep repeating the same old things. Be present in each new moment, don't rehash the past. So I don't think I was of great service to Bob Dylan."




The 13th Floor Elevators Plan First Show in 45 Years
(Classic Rock) The 13th Floor Elevators have confirmed they are to play their first show for 45 years at a festival in their hometown of Austin, Texas. The psychedelic rock pioneers formed in Austin in 1965 and called it a day five years later after releasing three albums.

Frontman Roky Erickson is joined by original drummer John Ike Walton and bassist Ronnie Leatherman in the reunion lineup. Electric Jug player Tommy Hall is also onboard for the show at the Levitation festival, May 8-10, at Carson Creek Ranch.

Hall, 72, tells the Austin Chronicle: "You try to find out what the different structural levels of the universe are so you go on this trip to understand that. Eventually, you realise that you have to go back to the beginning and figure out what caused it all. So that's why this has taken so long. For a long time, it was because I wasn't in a stable environment. I had to be able to support myself. Finally I got settled and I can look at the beginning again." Read more here.



Former Rooney Guitarist Taylor Locke Streaming New Album
(Classic Rock) Taylor Locke, the former Rooney guitarist, has released an online stream of his debut solo album Time Stands Still, ahead of its official release later this month.

"I think the term 'singer-songwriter' sadly evokes a white guy in a coffee shop strumming a f***ing G-chord all day," says Locke. "I think this record sounds more like a band record… the band just takes occasional smoke breaks."

Since Rooney's demise, Locke has released two albums and a live EP as part of Taylor Locke and the Roughs and struck up a friendship with impresario Kim Fowley, which led to the recording of Time Stands Still.

"I was given a notebook of lyrics from the legendary songwriter and manager Kim Fowley and decided to use those as a jumping off point. I was in sort of a loner mode and unsure if I wanted to start another band. I searched through the Fowley lyrics and showed the ones I liked to my friend [LA songwriter] Kelly Jones who had impressed me with her recent solo album Alta Loma. We wrote a couple songs using the Fowley lyrics but quickly exhausted that source and began moving in a new direction. We were going to call this project the Fowleys and make it a band thing but Kim said he'd sue the sh*t out of me. That made the decision to go solo pretty easy. I guess Kelly became the female J.D. Souther for this project." Stream the album here.



Nightwish Feel 'Violated' By Music Leak
(Prog) Nightwish mainman Tuomas Holopainen says he and the band felt "violated" after their track Elan was leaked last week. The song was posted online ahead of its official release- a move which angered the group, leading them to make fans aware of their displeasure on Facebook and call out the individual responsible. This sparked a lengthy and heated debate resulting in the band issuing a statement explaining their position.

Holopainen tells TeamRock: "When Elan was leaked, the whole band was really upset and we ended up being vocal about it. Now I look back at the whole thing, I think it's good that we brought this thing into the daylight because it's a big problem these days. Not because of money but because it kills the mystery.

"Maybe we could have taken a little breather before acting in the heat of the moment. Looking back, I would have done a few things differently. But you just felt so violated - even though it's very common and happens to almost all bands, but that's not the point - it's still wrong." Read more here.




Zwan, Slint Star David Pajo Thanks Fans After Suicide Drama
(TeamRock Radio) Former Zwan guitarist David Pajo has thanked fans for their support after he survived a suicide attempt. He told fans via Instagram last week that he was going to take his own life after a painful split with a long-term partner. But he was rescued by emergency workers after fans alerted the authorities.

Pajo, who has worked with Slint, Interpol and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs as well as Billy Corgan's short-lived group Zwan, later posted an image from a hospital bed in which injuries to his neck can be clearly seen.

He has since posted another message on Instagram. He says: "I have no words to express how thankful I am for all the love and messages I and my parents and brother have received from strangers and friends everywhere." Read more here.




2nd Video Of Chris Cornell Interviewing Jimmy Page Goes Online
(hennemusic) Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell hosted "An Evening With Jimmy Page" in Los Angeles in November and part 2 of their interview is now available.

The rare event saw the pair discuss the Led Zeppelin guitarist's photographic autobiography, "Jimmy Page By Jimmy Page." In part 1, Page discussed his early years and musical upbringing with host Cornell in front of a live audience at the Ace Hotel Theater on November 12.

Part 2 sees the guitarist talking about how he came to join The Yardbirds. The event followed the re-release of Page's book, which sold-out of its limited-edition run of 2,500 copies upon its initial release in 2010 on its way to becoming the fastest-selling book in Genesis Publications' 40-year history.

Page and Led Zeppelin continue their extensive reissues series on Febuary 23 (Feb. 24 in North America) with an expanded reissue of their 1975 release, "Physical Graffiti." Check out the interview here.



Slash's Soon To Be Ex-Wife Says Slit Is Amicable
(Classic Rock) Slash's estranged wife Perla Hudson says her split with the guitar icon is "amicable" and that she gets on with his new partner. Slash - aka Saul Hudson - filed for divorce from his wife of 13 years in December, saying they had separated in June of last year.

Perla Hudson tells TMZ that she still speaks to Slash and that there is no bad blood and that she doesn't expect that their lack of a prenuptial agreement to be a problem.

She adds: "It's pretty amicable. I know he's gonna do the right thing for me and his children, as I would do the right thing to him. Like I said, it's amicable, so there's no bad blood - at least not yet."

Former Guns N' Roses man Slash is reported to be dating Meegan Hodges, and the pair recently got matching tattoos. Read more here.




Music For Nations Making A Comeback
(Classic Rock) Music For Nations, the label that released albums by artists including Metallica, Anathema, Tool, Opeth and Paradise Lost has been resurrected. The company closed in 2004 - but 11 years on they're planning to launch a series of reissues and have outlined plans to sign up-and-coming artists and release their material on a new singles label.

The first set of reissues will come from Anathema, whose albums Judgement, A Fine Day To Exit and A Natural Disaster will be remastered and released on CD and vinyl on April 13. A box set titled Fine Days 1999-2004 will launch simultaneously featuring the trio of albums along with a DVD containing the track Fine Days.

Guitarist Daniel Cavanagh says: "I'm really happy that after all these years, the Music For Nations era of Anathema music is finally receiving the attention, respect and treatment it deserves. " Read more here.



Blackberry Smoke Release 'Too High' Video
(Classic Rock) Blackberry Smoke have released a video for Too High, taken from the band's album Holdin' All The Roses. The album entered the UK chart at number 17 this week, and reached the top spot in the rock chart.

Holding All The Roses was recorded with producer Brendan O'Brien, who's worked with the likes of AC/DC, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden, and limited edition vinyl sets are still available from the Earache webstore.

Recently the band filmed a trio of videos with Classic Rock, including a live version of Living For The Song, also taken from the new album. Watch the new video and grab the link for the live videos here.




The Tangent Releasing New Album
(Prog) Prog outfit The Tangent will release their eighth album in April, they've announced. Titled A Spark In The Aether: The Music That Died Alone - Volume Two will launch in Europe on April 20 via InsideOut Music.

A Spark In The Aether: The Music That Died Alone - Volume Two is the follow-up to 2013's L'Etagere Du Travail and takes its name from their 2003 debut.

Joining founder and multi-instrumentalist Andy Tillison on the album are The Flower Kings' bassist Jonas Reingold, saxophonist and flautist Theo Travis who has worked with Steven Wilson and Robert Fripp, Maschine guitarist Luke Machin and Kaipa drummer Morgan Agren. Read more here.



British Blues Awards Winner Jo Harman Lands US Deal
(The Blues UK singer Jo Harman has signed a deal with Sands Foley Entertainment (SFE) to bring her music to the US market. She released her debut studio album Dirt On My Tongue in 2013 and Live At The Royal Albert Hall in October last year. Now the artist who won 2014's Female Vocalist Of The Year at the British Blues Awards will reach a wider audience thanks to the new partnership.

She says: "The core of any success we've had to date has, I believe, been due to our independently minded approach with a strong commitment and belief in artistic integrity.

"As such, we've resisted a number of attractive label offers in the past but on this occasion I'm delighted to be partnering with Paul and Sheri, who I feel truly understand our artistic aims.

"They also enjoy great experience within both the major and independent label music business whilst also understanding the changing nature of the landscape." Read more here.




Prog Legends Van Der Graaf Generator Release Live Album
(Prog) Prog legends Van Der Graaf Generator have released a live album, Merlin Atmos, via Esoteric Antenna. Peter Hammill, Hugh Banton and Guy Evans were captured live on their 2013 European tour, performing their epic A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers in full for the first time in decades - along with Hammill's Flight as the centerpieces of the band's live set.

Hammill says: "Flight had been in the repertoire since the last North American Tour. Lighthouse Keepers had only ever been played live once before, as far as we remember, back in the seventies.

"It was a pretty major commitment to say we'd be doing it before we'd actually rehearsed together. We were also doing it as a trio, whereas the original version was as a quartet with David Jackson. It took quite a bit of work to make it stageworthy!" Read more here.



Godflesh Lead Additions To Bloodstock Lineup
(TeamRock Radio) The industrial titans Godflesh are making their way to Catton Park to headline the Sophie Lancaster stage on Sunday night of the Bloodstock Festival this August.

Speaking about the headline slot, frontman Justin Broadrick says "Godflesh is thrilled to be playing a very metal UK festival! We don't get asked to play many, as we're often viewed as not 'real' metal enough, or we're generally seen as outsiders, which we are, thank you. That doesn't mean we don't like to be invited to be a real metal band once in a while and especially in the Derbyshire countryside! Thank you Bloodstock!"

Joining Godflesh on the Sophie stage on Sunday are the Brit thrashy bastards Onslaught. They're celebrating a baffling THIRTY YEAR anniversary since their debut album "Power From Hell" in 2015, so this is gonna be special.

Hitting up the Sophie stage on Friday are the caveman battle doomers Conan (yes you read that correctly) and the equally as heavy London blackened doom mob Bast. Read more here.




Arjen Nervous About The Gentle Storm's Upcoming Tour
(Prog) Arjen Lucassen admits he's dealing with nerves ahead of his acoustic tour with The Gentle Storm collaborator Anneke van Giersbergen. She persuaded him to return to the stage for a run of European shows that kicks off in Hungary tonight.

Lucassen will also play at The Gentle Storm's debut album launch event next month in the Netherlands - although he won't take part in the rest of the tour.

Lucassen says: "It's really happening. Anneke and I are leaving for the acoustic tour. Exciting! Quite nervous as well, though. It's been a long time since this recluse played live."

He adds: "So sorry if we don't play near you, but I'm looking forward to seeing all of you who can come." Read more here.


Joan Baez, Passenger, Wilko Johnson, Frank Turner Lead Festival Lineup
Joan Baez, Passenger, Nick Mulvey, John Butler Trio, Wilko Johnson, Frank Turner are just some of the acts that will be taking part in this summer's Cambridge Folk Festival.

The festival will run from July 30th through August 2nd at Cherry Hilton Hall in Cambridge England. Organizers have revealed the initial acts that will be playing this year's event.

The lineup will also include Joan Armatrading Nick Mulvey , The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain , The Unthanks Show of Hands , Katzenjammer, Altan Treacherous Orchestra , Danú , Shooglenifty Martin Simpson, Andy Cutting & Nancy Kerr , Peggy Seeger Bella Hardy , Amsterdam Klezmer Band , The Lone Bellow Chris Smither , Angaleena Presley , Josienne Clarke & Ben Walker, Jim Moray's Silent Ceilidh , Keston Cobblers Club The Stray Birds, Rura, Goitse De Temps Antan and Lynched. You can watch a trailer for the festival here.




Enslaved and Taake Lead BlekkMetal Festival Lineup
(TeamRock Radio) Norway isn't exactly lacking for extreme metal festivals these days, but even by the high standards already set the announcement of BlekkMetal, a once-only non-profit event taking place at Bergen's USF Verftet venue on November 13-15 this year, is a bit special.

The brainchild of one of the most respected artists in the extreme metal world, Jannicke Wiese-Hansen, whose work has graced Burzum's best known album sleeves, Satyricon's first album and created the logos for both Immortal and Enslaved, BlekkMetal is both a celebration of the roots of Norwegian black metal and a tattoo convention, as she puts it, "a look back at what were, what happened and what inspired the beginning of the scene known as True Norwegian Black Metal and a tribute to those times!"

Conceived as a small but intimate even, BlekkMetal will host 16 tattooists with strong connection to the metal scene, a series of talks, live interviews and panels dedicated to the birth of black metal's second wave, and 10 Norwegian bands formed before 1994.

The bands confirmed so far are: Enslaved, Taake, Hades Almighty, Aeternus and Helheim. The confirmed tattooists are: Uncle Allan (Conspiracy Ink, Berlin), Phil Kyle (Magnum Opus, Brighton), Welt (Yama Tattoo, Rome), Trine Grimm and Nick Morte (Lucky 7, Oslo), Jon Clue ( East Side Ink, NY) and Dagfinn Bjelland (Karma Tattoo, Haugesund).

TeamRock spoke to Jannicke about what is sure to be one of the most unmissable and resonant events on 2015's metal calendar. Check that out here.




Will Haven Releasing New EP
(TeamRock Radio) Will Haven have announced that they will be launching a UK tour this spring that will coincide with the release of the group's brand new nine-track EP.

The Sacramento band will release the nine-track EP Open The Mind To Discomfort on May 18 via Artery Recordings. It is the group's first release since 2011's Voir Dire.

They then hit the road in the UK, starting with a show in Manchester on May 24, the tour will feature support from Raging Speedhorn and Palm Reader. Read more here.




Singled Out: Sylvan's Shine
Today Marco Glühmann, the leader singer of progressive rock band Sylvan, tells us about the song "Shine" from their brand new album "Home," which was released this week. Here is the story:

Quite some time ago I was tumbling over an article about violence against children and what it does to them, how it affected them during their whole life.

It was not until the composing of our new album HOME that I thought about using these impressions for one of our songs. This special song was created during a jamming session in our rehearsal room. We right away started to play this incredible chorus with this kicking-ass melody, which came to my mind … and a clear word on my lips: "shine".

I directly knew that this had to be a song about the fragility of childhood, about the things that people are capable to do to these defenseless beings and about the hope that, out of the dark, they still have the strength to carry on … and "shine". It fitted so wonderfully into the concept of our new album HOME.

I soon realized that SHINE meant so much more to me. It actually evokes some questions that were turning in my head: "What if it happened to my own child?"

When we shot the video for SHINE I played some scenes with my son … and it was just right … as a father that I am …