Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Today's Day in Rock News!






Today's Day in Rock


Dropkick Murphys Involved In Fatal Traffic Incident
(TeamRock Radio) The Dropkick Murphys were involved in a fatal traffic incident on Sunday night in Texas, when a person ran in front of their tour bus in a suspected suicide.

They've thanked fans for understanding after being forced to cancel their show in Tulsa, Oklahoma, while they deal with the aftermath of the tragedy. The Celtic punks say in a statement: "We were en route to Dallas airport to drop off singer Al Barr, who's flying home for the funeral of a lifelong friend.

"Just north of Austin a pedestrian suddenly ran onto the highway in front of our tour bus. Police suspect a suicide. We were left with a driver who's been severely shaken up, and a bus too damaged to continue." Read more here.




Slipknot's Corey Taylor Vs. Gene Simmons
(Classic Rock) Corey Taylor has urged Gene Simmons to "get out more" while once again hailing the current rock scene as alive and very much kicking. The Slipknot frontman says he's thrilled with the success of his band's latest album .5: The Gray Chapter, but insists he doesn't always believe success relates directly to sales.

Taylor points to the success of the recent Knotfest festival as a true indicator of the thriving rock and metal scene. He was responding to Kiss star Gene Simmons' controversial comment that "rock is dead," which sparked a string of musicians to defend the genre.

Taylor tells KLAQ: "I think people put too much on sales, because that doesn't relate to how many people hear it. In this day and age it's more about getting people to hear the music.

"I love the fact that we had the highest sales in the first week for a metal band the whole year, in a long time. I'm proud of that. But at the same time that doesn't relate to how many people have heard it and bought specific songs.

"We had three million views for the Knotfest live streams and you don't get awards for that. We had so many million views of The Negative One video and The Devil In I video, and you don't get awards for that.

"Just the fact that we had almost 70,000 people over the Knotfest weekend proves something. You don't always need a platinum album to relate that to success so, with all due respect to Mr Simmons, he needs to get out more." Check out the full interview here.




Malcolm Young Hasn't Heard AC/DC's New Album
(TeamRock Radio) Retired AC/DC guitarist Malcolm Young hasn't heard the band's upcoming album Rock Or Bust, says brother Angus. And the health issues that caused his retirement began appearing before they'd made 2008 record Black Ice, reveals the only remaining original member.

Malcolm's family confirmed in September that his dementia had advanced to a stage that meant his career was over. Rock Or Bust was recorded with nephew Stevie Young in his place.

Angus tells Rolling Stone: "It's something that had been happening for a long time. The symptoms had surfaced even before the last project. He was still capable of knowing what he wanted to do.

"I said to him, 'Do you want to go through with what we're doing?' And he said, 'Sh*t, yeah.' He liked to finish what he started." Read more here.




Goo Goo Dolls Sued By Former Member
(Classic Rock) Former Goo Goo Dolls drummer Michael Malinin has filed a lawsuit against his two former bandmates over money he believes he's entitled to, according to reports.

He took over from original drummer George Tutuska in 1995 and left the band in 2013 after 19 years with founding members John Rzeznik and Robby Takac.

At the time he said on Twitter: "Got some news today. Just wanted to say thank you to the fans who've supported me for 19 years. Best of luck and happy travels to the band."

The following day he issued the message: "Thanks for the kind words and support. To clarify, it was not my decision to leave the band. But no grudges held. I wish them all the best."

But he's now issued his former bandmates with a lawsuit, claiming he was fired mid-tour when he took time off to see his wife Krista who was in labor with twins. Read more here.




Marilyn Manson Announces Hell Not Hallelujah Tour
Marilyn Manson has announced that they will be launching a North American tour early next year in support of his forthcoming studio album "The Pale Emperor."

Manson has dubbed the trek the Hell Not Hallelujah Tour and it is scheduled to kick off on January 21 in Washington, D.C. and will be concluding in Las Vegas on Valentine's Day.

"The Pale Emperor," Manson's ninth studio album and the follow up to 2012's Born Villain, is set to be released on January 20th, the day prior to the tour kick off. Check out the tour dates here.




Malice Guitarist Mick Zane Has Brain Tumor
(TeamRock Radio) Malice lead guitarist Mick Zane has been diagnosed with a small brain tumor. He was taken ill in Los Angeles last week during studio sessions and was rushed to hospital in Burbank, California.

He was due to undergo surgery on Monday to remove the tumor. He explains to KNAC how it was discovred, "I went to see Judas Priest at the Nokia Theatre last Tuesday night.

"I left the show with a terrible headache, and the next day I got sick in the studio. They had to call emergency medical technicians and rush me to the emergency room." Read more here.




Machine Head Almost Broke Up
(TeamRock Radio) Robb Flynn has given more details on Machine Head's acrimonious split with sacked bassist Adam Duce. The frontman recalls he, drummer Dave McClain and manager Joey Huston all said they were going to quit the band - before realising they had to fire Duce to keep the show on the road.

Just weeks after Machine Head released their new album Bloodstone & Diamonds, Flynn says in a new blog post: "Two years ago I never thought this feeling of releasing a new album would ever happen again. On December 14 we played the last show on Dethklok tour at the Roseland Ballroom (RIP) in New York City.

"It was a disastrous day and a disastrous ending to disastrous tour. At that point in time the tension in the band was so thick you could've tried to cut it with a knife, but the f***ing thing probably would've broke your hand. Dave McClain walked off stage and said to me, 'That's the last show I ever play with Adam Duce.'

"I was talking with Dave and our manager Joey, and at one point Dave threw out that he was serious about New York, he wasn't playing with our bassist ever again, or he was quitting the band. Joey laughed and said, 'Oh no you're not, cause I'm f***ing quitting the band.' I laughed and said 'F*** you guys, because I'm quitting the band.'

"We all laughed for a minute, laughed that all three of us had just quit the band. Read more here.




Allman Brothers Band Release Classic Concert Online
(Classic Rock) The Allman Brothers Band have released a video of their 1970 Fillmore East, New York performance on YouTube channel Music Vault. It was originally filmed as part of a TV special titled Welcome To Fillmore East which featured short sets by the Allman Brothers Band, the Byrds, Van Morrison, the Elvin Bishop Group and Sha-N-Na.

The band played four tracks on the night: Don't Keep Me Wonderin', Dreams, In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed and Whipping Post and came six months before their Live At Fillmore East double album.

The performance features the original lineup of Gregg Allman, Duane Allman, Dickey Betts, Berry Oakley, Butch Trucks, Jai Johanny Johanson and Tom Doucette. Read more and watch the concert here.




Jeff Loomis Joins Arch Enemy
(TeamRock Radio) Arch Enemy have hired Jeff Loomis as their new guitarist - replacing the outgoing Nick Cordle. Former Nevermore man Loomis joins the Swedish group ahead of their European tour, which kicks off on November 26.

Loomis says: "I'm very excited to be playing with Arch Enemy. Michael Amott and I have stayed in contact over the years since we toured together when I was playing in Nevermore.

"Not only do I admire his guitar playing and songwriting, but I also consider him a close friend. To be able to share the stage with Michael, Sharlee, Daniel and Alissa is something I'm really looking forward to."

Arch Enemy have been on the road in support of recent album War Eternal. They moved quickly to replace Cordle, who is leaving to work on other projects. Read more here.




Bruce Springsteen Launches Archival Concert Series
(hennemusic) Bruce Springsteen is launching a new archival concert series with the release of a 2012 live set from New York's Apollo Theater. The March 9, 2012 show was the opening night of Springsteen's tour in support of "Wrecking Ball."

The event also marked the singer's first show without saxophonist Clarence Clemons, who passed away June 18, 2011 at the age of 69 following complications from a massive stroke.

The Apollo concert was originally broadcast live on SiruiusXM's Bruce Springsteen's E Street Radio channel. Springsteen is making archival concerts available as high-resolution 24-bit downloads, MP3s, or lossless CD-Quality downloads. Read more here.




Bush Launching North American Tour
(hennemusic) Bush have announced dates for a North American tour in support of their latest album, "Man On The Run." The band will be joined by Theory Of A Dead Man and Stars In Stereo for the 6-week trek, which starts January 30 in San Francisco.

Prior to the tour's launch, Bush will perform a string of select shows in St. Louis, Detroit, Tulsa, Chicago, Nashville and Los Angeles; the latter will see them joining Linkin Park and System Of A Down at the L.A. Forum for KROQ's Almost Acoustic Xmas.

"Man On The Run", the band's sixth release, was produced by Nick Raskulinecz (Rush, Alice In Chains, Foo Fighters, Mastadon) at Studio 606, the Northridge, California-based studio owned by Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl.

The project is follow-up to 2011's "The Sea Of Memories", the group's first record in a decade. Check out the tour dates here.




Dan Lilker Considered Joining Metallica After Cliff's Death
(TeamRock Radio) Former Anthrax bassist Dan Lilker has revealed he considered the possibility of joining Metallica when Cliff Burton died. The bassists had been friends until the tour bus tragedy that killed Burton in 1986 - and other contacts and colleagues had noticed a similarity in their musical styles when Metallica began looking for a replacement.

Lilker tells Songfacts: "People came up to me, saying with a wink, 'Dan, you joining Metallica?' But I never got a call about it." And he's not sure if he'd have enjoyed working with James Hetfield and co because of the way the band is set up.

"Who knows if I would have lasted?" he says. "That's a band where two dudes make all the money and they pretty much dictate exactly what they want to do. Most of the bands I've been in, I'm one of the main songwriters and direct the nature of the music.

"And that first Metallica album that came out after Cliff died, that had Jason Newsted on it - there's no bass on it at all." Read more here.




Dokken Made 'Crazy Money' For Chicken Commercial
(Classic Rock) Don Dokken says his band were paid "crazy money" for their appearance in a Norton Internet Security commerical. Dokken were filmed in a huge warehouse and portrayed as a computer virus which was attacking a PC - represented by a chicken.

The bizarre advert was only ever shown online, but Dokken says the band were paid a small fortune for it. He tells Inside Metal: "A friend of mine, Ryan Ebner, was actually staying in my Beverly Hills house, and I had a guest house. And he says, 'I'm doing this commercial and one of my bands pulled out. Do you wanna do a commercial?'

"I said, 'Yeah, I'll do a commercial.' He's, like, 'It'll be you and the chicken.' And I went, 'No, no, no, no, no, no. I'm not gonna punk myself.' And then he told me how much he'd pay me. And I went, 'Really?' He goes, 'Dude, it's Norton Antivirus.' I said, 'For that kind of money, I'll wear a chicken suit. I will be the chicken. I will flap my wings and I will cluck.'" Read more and watch the funny ad here.




Prog Pioneers Lucifer's Friend Return After 20 Years
(Prog) German prog rock pioneers Lucifer's Friend have announced their comeback - which will be launched with a career-spanning compilation. Awakening will include some of their biggest hits as well as new material.

The band released their debut, self-titled album in 1970 but suffered a blow when singer John Lawton left to join Uriah Heep. After splitting in 1982, they briefly reformed in 1994 and released ninth album Sumo Grip.

Twenty years on, they are back, with Awakening due out in March 2015 and available now for pre-order via Cherry Red Records. They have been lined up to appear at Sweden Rock Festival in June next year. Read more here.




Joe Lynn Turner Says Fans Deserve A Rainbow Reunion
(TeamRock Radio) Rated X frontman Joe Lynn Turner would love a Rainbow reunion - to allow the band to go out in a "blaze of glory." Singer Turner has his hands full with supergroup Rated X, but he feels Rainbow still has a lot to offer fans and says he would be open to a reunion.

Turner still performs Rainbow songs live, as do fellow former Rainbow singers Graham Bonnet and Doogie White. Bonnet replaced Ronnie James Dio in the band in 1979.

Turner - who also fronted Deep Purple for a spell - tells Metal Forces: "In my opinion, for Rainbow it would be one last shot and then going out in a blaze of glory so to speak. I think the fans deserve it, and to honour all of the members of Rainbow, past and present.

"I always feel that in my sets, I play Rainbow, Purple, and things like that because no-one else is doing it. I play Ronnie's songs and all that stuff, Graham's, whatever - I have no compunction about doing that material." Read more here.




Guitarist Concerned About Bret Michaels' Health
(Classic Rock) Bret Michaels' guitarist Pete Evick says he finds it hard to watch his boss fight through illness onstage. Evick has given another road update on Poison frontman Michaels' solo US tour. Michaels has suffered a series of health scares this year, most recently resulting in him undergoing kidney surgery.

He has been taking painkiller Dilauded and anti-inflammatory Prednisone to help get him through the shows. And while Michaels "killed it" at a gig in Florida on November 13, ahead of a second Florida show, Evick said he wishes the singer would take a break.

Evick says: "Most people take weeks to heal from stuff like this and he should as well. Offstage I can tell he's still hurting, but he killed it last night and I suspect tonight will be exactly the same." Read more here.




Entombed AD Frontman Talks Split With Alex Hellid
(TeamRock Radio) Entombed AD frontman Lars Goran Petrov says the band's split with guitarist Alex Hellid had to happen. The fallout from the lineup change led them to alter their name from Entombed, and they finally released their album Back To The Front earlier this year - seven years after previous outing Serpent Saints: The Ten Amendments.

Petrov tells RevolutionMusic (via Blabbermouth): "It had to be done. There was too much bullsh*t, crying and whining about things. Some people are comfortable staying at home.

"We did what bands should do - release an album and go on tour, and that's what it's all about. We added two letters, but it's still the same band, only without people that want to stay at home or take millions of years over a riff." Read more here.




Motley Crue's Nikki Sixx Thought He Would Crash and Burn
(Classic Rock) Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx says he expected to crash and burn at a young age. And he reveals the reason he threw himself into music and the accompanying hedonistic lifestyle was because he didn't have a stable family life and never thought he'd make it through the other side.

He tells The Guardian: "I never had a template of what a family was. I never really thought I would ever make it to that place in my life. I thought I'd be one of these crash and burn kids.

So I threw myself headlong into music and that lifestyle - I never really figured I'd get out of the other side. A few years later, when I got sober and was able to become a father and have a family, that was when some of the greatest lessons came." Read more here.




Muse and Marilyn Manson Added As Download Headliners
(Classic Rock) Muse have been confirmed as the Saturday night main stage headline act for download 2015. Their set will follow Faith No More at Donington on Saturday, June 13 next year.

Also confirmed in the second batch of acts to be announced for the festival is Marilyn Manson, who will headline the second stage on Saturday. Making up the second batch of acts to be announced are pop punk heroes A Day To Remember. Yesterday, festival bosses revealed Slipknot, Judas Priest, Black Stone Cherry and Five Finger Death Punch were set to play on Friday.

Muse's appearance will be their first ever set at Download. The band say: "We're really looking forward to Download. We've never played the festival before so it's going to be really special." Read more here.



Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong Lands Role In Upcoming Film
(TeamRock Radio) Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong has landed a role in upcoming music drama Geezer. He'll also write and perform new tracks for the film which also stars Judy Greer, Fred Armisen and Selma Blair.

The movie focuses on the mid-life crisis of a husband and father who revisits his punk past by throwing a lavish party. Here, he comes face-to-face with his ex-girlfriend and former bandmates who have all moved on with their life.

And director Lee Kirk reckons Armstrong is a perfect fit for the role. He tells Variety: "Billie Joe Armstrong brings an exciting authenticity to the film. He's a dad, a musician and an incredible talent." Read more here.







AC/DC Release New Song Rock Or Bust
(hennemusic) AC/DC have released the title track to their forthcoming album, "Rock Or Bust", as the project's second single. The tune follows "Play Ball" as the band prepare to launch their first album in 6 years on December 2.

AC/DC filmed videos for both songs in London early last month without drummer Phil Rudd, who made headlines following his recent arrest in New Zealand.

On November 6, Rudd was charged with attempting to procure a murder by New Zealand police after he allegedly tried to have two men killed, possession of methamphetamine, possession of cannabis and threatening to kill. Authorities dropped the charge of attempting to procure a murder the next day due to lack of evidence.

Rudd does appear on "Rock Or Bust", which was recorded this past spring at Vancouver's Warehouse Studio with producer Brendan O'Brien (Aerosmith, Pearl Jam) and engineer Mike Fraser.

Guitarists Angus and Malcolm Young's nephew, Stevie, handled rhythm guitar on the album after Malcolm stepped away from the group to deal with ongoing health issues related to dementia, according to his family; he is now officially retired from AC/DC.

Listen to the song here.




Ice-T Gives 'Turn Down for What' A Metal Makeover
(Radio.com) You've heard the Star Wars version. You've made it through the voting awareness video. Now, you can enjoy the inevitable metal version of "Turn Down for What" with the release of Punk Goes Pop, Vol. 6, the long-running series from Fearless Records featuring rock bands of many dispositions covering the pop songs of today, along with other compilations of country, classic rock and even Christmas covers.

And perhaps the song to get the most attention is Upon a Burning Body's version of "Turn Down for What," which also features rapper and Body Count frontman Ice-T.

Upon a Burning Body's "Turn Down for What" doesn't deviate too much from the source material. The electronic blips of DJ Snake and Lil Jon's original are replaced with grooving metal riffs that ape the original, while frontman Danny Leal's screams mix with Ice-T's rhymes. There's even a quick insert of Metallica's "Sad But True" toward the end, in case you needed a song to try to mash up with "Turn Down for What" in the future.

In other words, if your "Turn Down for What" needed less Lil Jon shouting and more guttural growling (and a lot more profanity), you've found your match. Check it out here.




Foo Fighters Cover Jane's Addiction With Perry Farrell and Joe Walsh
(Radio.com) Over the past few days or so, Foo Fighters have made more headlines for frontman Dave Grohl's comments on Taylor Swift and Spotify and bands who play one classic album live.

But Friday night, the attention shifted back to their new album and HBO show of the same name, Sonic Highways. During a release party for the Los Angeles episode of Sonic Highways at Roxy Theatre on the Sunset Strip, the band played tracks from their new album and brought out a couple of surprise guests: Joe Walsh and Perry Farrell of Jane's Addiction.

Together, they covered Jane's Addiction's 1988 single "Mountain Song," from Nothing's Shocking, with Farrell on vocals and Walsh on guitar duty, plus Walsh's own "Rocky Mountain Way," from his 1973 album The Smoker You Drink, The Player You Get.

Check it out here.




Billy Idol Previews TV Special
(hennemusic) Billy Idol is sharing a preview of his appearance on the next episode of Guitar Center Sessions. Idol can be seen rocking classics "Dancing With Myself" and "White Wedding", along with "Can't Break Me Down", the lead single from his new album, "Kings & Queens Of The Underground."

Guitar Center Sessions with Billy Idol will air Friday, November 21 at 9pm on DIRECTV's AUDIENCE (channel 239). Currently on tour in Europe, Idol returns to the States next month to play a series of radio station-sponsored Christmas concerts before launching a North American theatre tour at the House Of Blues in New Orleans on January 21.

Last month, Idol published his self-written memoir, "Dancing With Myself." The autobiography delivers a brutally honest account of his journey to fame - from his early days as frontman of the pioneering UK punk band Generation X to his international solo career.

Watch the preview here.




The Smashing Pumpkins Release New Song Tiberius
(Radio.com) The Smashing Pumpkins continue to debut new music from their upcoming Monuments to an Elegy album; after premiering "One and All" two weeks ago, now comes "Tiberius."

The three-minute track features quite the juxtaposition of Pumpkins sounds, going from 0 to 100 in a matter of moments. After beginning with piano, a guitar riff mimicking the piano melody roars forth over crunching rhythm guitar.

Further into the song, Billy Corgan and co. are flanked by towering orchestral backing. The tune is far more classic Pumpkins than original single "Being Beige," sliding more in line with "One and All" earlier this month.

It's off Monuments to an Elegy, Smashing Pumpkins' 10th studio album, due out Dec. 9. The record will be followed by another album, Day for Night, that's scheduled for release sometime in 2015.

Listen to the song here.




Wayne Coyne Relives Armed Robbery In Animated Clip
(TeamRock Radio) Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne is the subject of the latest Blank On Blank animated interview, which focuses on the moment he thought he was going to be shot dead during an armed robbery when he was 17 years old.

The PBS Digital Studios series seeks to enhance the power of words by presenting audio recordings with original artwork. In the interview, which took place in 2002, Coyne says the experience changed him because it forced him to face up to the fact that life doesn't last for ever - and that it freed him to explore the concept in his music.

"We all laid on the ground and I thought, 'F***, this is it. I'm 17 and this is how it ends,'" he says. "You're just working one second, the next second you're laying on the ground and some guy puts a bullet in your head."

But the robbery ended with no shots fired. Coyne continues: "I remember the elation. We couldn't stop laughing and crying and jumping up and down. We were celebrating like we'd won a million dollars. I think it changed me.

"The idea of confronting the always-present idea makes living better. I hate the notion that I'd ever forget how temporary this whole thing is. Life is worth living, even though we're all headed to the same hole at the end of the day. Without coming to terms with it, you're not coming to terms with the joys of life."

Watch the clip here.




The Defiled Tribute Fans and Lost Loved Ones In New Video
(TeamRock Radio) The Defiled have posted a video for the song Five Minutes, which originally appeared in acoustic form on their third album Daggers. The video includes footage shot on the band's recent tip to Greenland, as well as tributes from fans who have lost loved ones.

Five Minutes is probably our most emotional song, and the one most personal to me" says The AvD. "We didn't originally plan to film a video for this, but when we were out in Greenland we had the opportunity to film the performance part. Despite the breathtaking beauty of our surroundings, that wasn't enough to really convey the deep emotions of this song, so as a song that deals with loss, we asked our fans to share their stories with us, and offered them the chance to pay tribute to their lost loved ones. The feedback was overwhelming - in more ways than one - and you couldn't help but be touched reading all the stories the 'defilers' shared with us.

"The day of filming was an emotional rollercoaster - bittersweet. So much sadness in the air, but also therapeutic at the same time. I think everyone there felt the same. It's easy to look at people like us - metalheads, goths, whatever you want to call us - and think we are morbid people obsessed with death, that death is something we welcome, but just 'cos we wear black it doesn't make us immune to grief. The pain one feels when losing someone close is universal, and something no one is exempt from.

"I want to thank all of the defilers who came along to take part in this. You are all beautiful, brave and have helped us make our best video yet - thank you""

Watch the video here.




Nightingale Streaming New Song On Stolen Wings
(Prog) Swedish prog-metal outfit Nightingale are streaming the track On Stolen Wings from their latest album Retribution. It was released last week via InsideOutMusic and is their first record in seven years. Now they've issued a stream of the opening track to support the record.

Mainman Dan Swano says: "After all the demos were done for the album, we gathered in the rehearsal room and gave them all a thorough spin. It took some time to get the arrangements right for On Stolen Wings and during the intense rehearsals there were a few happy accidents that completely changed the vibe of the song into something that I had been searching for all along.

"The lyrics deal with the kind of person that sucks the lifeblood out of creative people, that doesn't know how to bring their vision to the real world and then steals their ideas and takes full credit for it."

Read more and check out the song here.




Osada Vida Release Sky Full Of Dreams Video
(Prog) Polish prog-metal outfit Osada Vida have released a music video for the track Sky Full Of Dreams. The song is taken from fifth album The After Effect.

It's the follow up to 2013's Particles and their first record with guitarist Janek Mitoraj and drummer Marek Romanowski. They replaced Bartek and Adam Podzimski respectively.

They previously said of the album: "All the changes Osada Vida has undergone lately gave us new energy, enthusiasm and a drive to create new music. Music-wise, the new songs constitute a harmonious combination of our distinctive style with what we presented on the Particles album."

Watch the video here.




Sammy Hagar Guest Judge On TV Series On The Menu
(hennemusic) Sammy Hagar was the featured guest judge on the new TNT-TV series, On The Menu, on the November 14 episode and video clips have been posted online.

Hagar joined his friend, legendary Chef Emeril Lagasse, and host Ty Pennington for the program during the first season of their new show. In the episode, the competitors - four everyday cooks - were tasked to impress Hagar and create a new Mexican dish for both of his restaurants, the Cabo Wabo Cantina and Sammy's Beach Bar & Grill.

Hagar recently released his first acoustic album, "Lite Roast." The project sees the singer teamed with Waboritas guitarist Vic Johnson to deliver stripped-down versions of tunes from Hagar's career.

Check out videos from the TV episode here.




Scott Ian Reacts To Former Anthrax Singer's Criticism
(Classic Rock) Anthrax mainman Scott Ian has thanked former vocalist Neil Turbin for comparing his autobiography to The Lord Of The Rings. The singer, who left the band in 1984, recently called Ian's autobiography I'm The Man: The Story Of That Guy From Anthrax a "new work of fiction" as he was unhappy about the way he was portrayed in the book.

"I find it very sad that somebody I've had no contact with for 30 years feels that it's necessary to fabricate lies about me in order to draw attention to themselves," He said. "I wish them all the luck in the world on their new work of fiction. I'm sure it must be as good as The Lord Of The Rings."

Ian has now responded to Turbin's comments and insists he doesn't care what he or anyone else from outside the group thinks. He tells BackstageAxxess: "It's my book and I look at it in the same way as Anthrax looks at writing songs. When Anthrax writes songs, we don't care what anyone has to say about anything - good or bad - outside of the five guys in the band.

"And it's the same way I look at my book. I don't care what anybody has to say - good or bad. It's never changed the way I approach anything, so it doesn't matter to me.

"I will take the compliment of comparing it to The Lord Of The Rings, though. It's one of my favorite books of all time. I have to thank him for that." More including a full stream of the interview here.




Singled Out: Leon Alvarado's Red Like Blood
Today Prog musician Leon Alvarado tells us about the song "Red Like Blood" from his brand new album "2014, Music From An Expanded Universe". Here is the story:

The idea behind many of my instrumental pieces is to take the listener through a musical adventure of sorts. Having that in mind, my music can often be broken in parts or movements. Red Like Blood being no exception, can be broken in three distinct parts or movements.

The first movement starts with an esoteric ambient sound that slowly keeps evolving as it creates a "floating" atmosphere, somewhat calming but mysterious.

The second part or movement of the song is pretty much a crescendo beginning with a faint Mellotron playing a series of repeating chords. Throughout the duration of the second movement, more instruments keep being added to the mix until it becomes a very powerful rocking piece. By the time the second part reaches its climatic end, there are dual drum kits and dual guitar solos going on all at once.

The guitar solos intertwine with one another whilst the two separate drum kits mimic each other creating a massive percussive background. There are many subtle complexities being played by Trey's masterful control of the Warr guitar that aren't usually caught by the listener during first hearing the piece. The bass line is absolutely brilliant and the solid drumming guide the crescendo to it's climatic point as a train with no breaks would.

The last movement brings the listener to the return of a calmer state. It is an array of soft keyboards landscapes with a sprinkling of very ethereal guitar sustains. A sort of "calm after the storm" closing section to balance the previous portion's hectic pace. It also completes the circle of the musical adventure by ending closer to how it began. The title for the instrumental is a sort of tongue-in-cheek reference to King Crimson's double trio era.

Monday, November 17, 2014

Today's Day in Rock News!




Today's Day in Rock


Early Guns N' Roses Biopic In The Works
(hennemusic) The 2008 biography, "Reckless Road: Guns N' Roses And The Making Of Appetite For Destruction", is in talks to become a movie. Co-author Marc Canter shared the news in the unofficial Guns N' Roses website, MyGNRForum.com, telling fans, "It's been on the works for about 4 months."

An amateur photographer and the owner and general manager of the legendary rock 'n' roll hangout Canter's Deli in Los Angeles, California, Canter frequently crossed paths with Guns N' Roses in its formative years.

His close ties to the band give Canter the personal history and credibility to assist with helping guide his biography onto the big screen. "If I'm involved in a Guns N' Roses project, then you know I have their backs," writes Canter. "There is a great story about the birth of the band which I was very much involved in. This has nothing to do with where the band is today. The history is very important and that's why Axl was the one who was most supportive of me documenting what they were doing when they first started out."

"The people I'm working with are the best ones to do this project," he continued. "There is so much detail in the way it all came together that tells the killer rock n' roll story of the best band around. Why hide it? I have all the resources to help make it right."

"I'm not making the movie," he clarifies. "The book Reckless Road is being made into a movie by people that will do it right. No short cuts, it will be very detailed. I do have a big say so on the script which is still being put together now but so far looking cool. I am going to see that everyone in the cast is doing their job and doing justice to the band. Since I was there, I know what the dialogue was between the band for many of the events that took place."

"When you find out who is making the movie, you will then understand that it will be very cool," adds the author. Read more here.





AC/DC's Angus Young Discusses Malcolm's Dementia
(hennemusic) AC/DC guitarist Angus Young is sharing details regarding his brother Malcolm's history with dementia, revealing that his symptoms had existed for a number of years before being made public months ago.

"It's something that had actually been happening for a long time," Angus tells Rolling Stone as promotes the band's new album "Rock Or Bust." Malcolm's symptoms - lapses in memory and concentration - "had surfaced even before the last project," AC/DC's 2008 album, "Black Ice."

But Angus says Malcolm was "still capable of knowing what he wanted to do. I had said to him, 'Do you want to go through with what we're doing?' And he said, 'Sh*t, yeah.' " Malcolm, Angus points out, "liked to finish what he started."

Angus also reveals that Malcolm was already in treatment during his last tour with AC/DC, from 2008 to 2010. "He got good help, good medical care," Angus says. Malcolm had to "relearn a lot of things."






Jon Bon Jovi Says Richie Sambora Quit Band
(Classic Rock) Jon Bon Jovi says he has no hard feelings towards Richie Sambora but hints he won't be returning to the line-up. The guitarist disappeared from the band last year fuelling rumors of a feud between him and the Bon Jovi frontman.

Sambora then broke the silence, revealing he was told he could either tour or quit when he asked for time off from group. It was a choice which left Sambora hurt but he remained hopeful he could rejoin the band in the future.

And while Bon Jovi has no bitterness towards the axeman, a reunion doesn't seem to be on the cards. He tells Showbiz 411: "He quit. He's gone. No hard feelings. Being in a band isn't a life sentence." Read more here.




Pink Floyd's New Album Tops UK Chart
(hennemusic) Pink Floyd have landed their first UK No.1 album in almost 20 years with "The Endless River." The band last topped the list in 1995 with the live double album, "Pulse."

The Official Charts Company reports the project sold 139,000 copies in its opening week to debut atop the chart. With the feat, Pink Floyd achieved two other milestones: "The Endless River" is the group's sixth UK No. 1 while also becoming the third fastest-selling album of the year.

A spokesperson for the band tells OfficialCharts.com, "Pink Floyd is both thrilled and surprised at the level of international interest in this their final album." Read more here.





Evanescence Not Over Says Amy Lee
(TeamRock Radio) Evanescence singer Amy Lee insists Evanescence have not split - they're just not working on anything at the moment. Following the birth of her son Jack earlier this year, she said she had "no plans" to work with the band in the foreseeable future.

Now she says she gets frustrated when fans post online comments insisting the group are through. She tells Sixx Sense With Nikki Sixx: "It's frustrating sometimes when you read the Internet.

"I get a little frustrated when I say, 'No, the band is not over, we're just not doing it now.' And then every response is, 'Evanescence is dead.' It's like, 'That's not what I said. Why do you have to make drama?'

"I'm totally open-minded. I don't know, I would just get bored doing the same thing forever. There's more to me than that." Read more here.




AC/DC Rock Or Bust Album Listening Party Event Announced
(hennemusic) AC/DC will be launching their new studio album, "Rock Or Bust", with a special listening party for fans at Webster Hall in New York City on November 18.

The event will see fans get an exclusive preview of the band's new CD, with special cocktails and rare prizeswhile previewing the new album two weeks before its North American release on December 2.

All attendants will receive a limited edition commemorative t-shirt, as well as a chance to win prize packages including a signed Angus Young guitar. Read more here.




Nickelback To Rock Kimmel For No Fixed Address Album Release
(hennemusic) Nickelback have announced that they will launch their new album, "No Fixed Address", with a performance on ABC-TV's Jimmy Kimmel Live on Monday, November 17.

Due November 18 in North America, it's the group's first project since 2011's "Here and Now." The Canadian rockers premiered the album with the release of the pop single, "What Are You Waiting For?", and the rock single, "Edge Of A Revolution."

Nickelback recently announced dates for a 6-month tour of North America in support of the record, with shows starting February 15 in Allentown, PA. For a full list of dates here.




Foo Fighters Announcing North American Tour This Week
(hennemusic) The Foo Fighters are preparing to announce dates for a 2015 North American tour in support of their newly-released album, "Sonic Highways." The band will reveal the tour news on Tuesday, November 18.

The Foo Fighters currently have two 2015 US shows on the schedule, including Washington's RFK Stadium on July 4 and Chicago's Wrigley Field on August 29.

In the meantime, the band are scheduled to perform two shows in South Africa next month before launching a South American run in January; they'll hit Australia and New Zealand in February/March, followed by a series of UK stadium shows and a few European dates in May/June. Read more here.





KISS Team With Japanese Pop Band For New Release
(hennemusic) KISS and Japanese idol pop band Momoiro Clover Z will release a collaboration single on January 28. Each group will issue their own versions of the to-be-announced song.

The KISS edition of the release will present three newly recorded tracks including a lead track and each off vocal version in a package totaling six tunes.

The Momoiro Clover Z edition will feature two newly recorded tracks including a lead track and each off vocal version, plus a music video of the lead track.

The two groups teamed up recently in Las Vegas to shoot a music video and take part in a photo shoot for the single's cover. Read more here.




Peter Criss To Be Honored By Cancer Fund
(Classic Rock) Cancer survivor Peter Criss is to be honored by the Cancer Research & Treatment Fund. Founding Kiss drummer Criss was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008 after noticing a lump on his chest. He had the tumour successfully removed through surgery.

He will be inducted into the Cancer Research & Treatment Fund's Hall Of Fame as this year's Cancer Survivor Honoree. The ceremony takes place at New York's JW Marriot Essex House on November 18.

Criss urges men not to be held back by their "macho" personalities if they expect something is wrong. He says: "Don't sit around playing Mr. Tough Guy. Don't say, 'It's going to go away.' It might not and you might not see life anymore and how beautiful that is." Read more here.





Dave Grohl On Spotify Controversy: Just Listen To The Music
(Radio.com) If you ask an elder statesman of rock a question, be prepared for their bite. At least, that's been the takeaway from this year's interviews with Gene Simmons, Billy Corgan and now Dave Grohl, to name a few.

Grohl, who's developed a reputation as one of rock's nice guys, has been on somewhat of a grumpy roll as of late, taking down one-album anniversary tours and, now, anyone who's complaining about Spotify.

When asked by Digital Spy about Taylor Swift's recent decision to remove her catalog from Spotify-which she explained thoroughly in her TIME cover story-Grohl made it known that he doesn't share her thoughts.

"Me personally?" he said. "I don't f**king care. That's just me, because I'm playing two nights at Wembley next summer. I want people to hear our music, I don't care if you pay $1 or f**king $20 for it, just listen to the f**king song. But I can understand how other people would object to that."

Grohl is much more concerned about giving his fans the best live show possible, believing that's the best way to hear music. Read more here.




Paramore's Hayley Williams To Receive Billboard Trailblazer Award
(Radio.com) Paramore's Hayley Williams will be the recipient of the first-ever Billboard Trailblazer Award at this year's ninth annual Billboard Women in Music Awards, which will take place on Dec. 12 in New York City.

According to Billboard, the Trailblazer Award "honors a standout female artist who breaks from convention to make a unique mark in music and pave the way for other talent."

"I can remember a time when I would've been made fun of for doing things differently," Williams said of the award. "Now I'm getting an award for it? This is too much. I'm so excited! There are women in this industry who totally bulldozed walls down for the likes of me to come along and do what I believe in. I want to be that for even one girl in the future. I can't wait for the event next month and to high-five some of my sisters in music." Read more here.





Ministry Reveal Tour Lineup
(TeamRock Radio) Industrial metal outfit Ministry have announced their lineup ahead of their 2015 tour. Joining mainman Al Jourgensen, guitarist Sin Quirin and bassist Tony Campos are guitarist Monte Pittman, drummer Aaron Rossi and keyboardist John Bechdel.

Shortly after they finished recording their From Beer To Eternity album in 2012, guitarist Mike Scaccia died following a heart attack. Jourgensen then split the band before announcing a 2015 tour earlier this year.

He said: "We will be touring the From Beer To Eternity album - the set will be the album in its exact order and a few oldies for an encore. It won't just be America and Europe this time, we'll see you Down Under as well as in South America and Japan." Read more here.




Ace Frehley Kicks Off Space Invader Tour
(hennemusic) Original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley launched his Space Invader tour on November 13 at the State Theatre in New Brunswick, New Jersey and video of several songs from the show have been posted online.

Frehley's 21-song set featured a mix of material from his new album, "Space Invader", solo tracks and 8 KISS classics. The guitarist's first US shows in four years sees him working with guitarist Richie Scarlett, bassist Chris Wyse and drummer Scot Coogan.

The rhythm section took turns handling lead vocals on a few KISS tracks, with Coogan performing "Love Gun", "King Of The Night Time World" and "Strutter", and Wyse featured on "Strange Ways."






Former Testament Bassist Greg Christian Having Money Troubles
(Classic Rock) Former Testament bassist Greg Christian has revealed he has less than $150 to his name and is waiting for an unemployment payment. He quit the band earlier this year as he said he was tired of never being paid. He's since launched another verbal attack on his former bandmates as a result of money issues.

Now he says he has hardly any money left and he's waiting for cash from the government. He says on Facebook: "I've been on a bit of a sabbatical and wasted the better part of this year trying to save the un-savable. C'est la vie.

"Anyone that's tried to call me, my dumb ass ran over my iPhone a couple days before Halloween. I still haven't replaced it yet and have less than $150 to my name until my next EDD (unemployment) payment comes in, so my email has become my main communication."

He also reveals he's currently working on a couple of musical projects. Read about that here.





The Who To Conclude 50th Anniversary Tour At Hyde Park
(TeamRock Radio) The Who will play London's Hyde Park for the fourth and possibly final time next year. Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey have previously appeared three times in their own right, and once as part of the Live 8 charity show.

Now they've been confirmed as headliners at next year's British Summer Time festival. They'll appear on Friday, June 26, with special guests Paul Weller, Kaiser Chiefs and Johnny Marr, with more to be announced.

It's to be the last date on their 50th anniversary tour, which hits the UK later this month. A final album could also be in the works. Singer Daltrey says: "Hyde Park is always a good gig. It has nice grass, beautiful trees. I've got memories of doing it with a patch on my eye, holding my eye in. That was a nightmare - we had a quarter of a million people coming and I had a fractured cheekbone. How we ever did that show…" Read more and see the dates here.




Souza Needed Break From Exodus
(Classic Rock) Returning Exodus frontman Steve 'Zetro' Souza has revealed that being away from the band for 10 years was exactly what he needed. He was with the group from 1986 until 1993 and then from 2002 until 2004. He returned to the fold earlier this year and recorded their 10th album Blood In, Blood Out, which launched via Nuclear Blast in October. And he says the break did him good.

He tells AXS: "I think that 10 years, I needed. It seasoned me, and I'm back, I'm ready and it's great. This is just like a present I can't wait for everybody to open! It's just awesome, so I'm ready to go."

He also reveals he only had a few days to learn the tracks from Blood In, Blood Out and it was a frantic period of activity for him and the rest of the band.

He continues: "I only had three days to listen to it before I had to start recording. I auditioned on a Thursday, they listened to it on the Friday and we talked later that day." Read more here.





Mick Fleetwood Says Fleetwood Mac Reunion Not About Money
(Classic Rock) Mick Fleetwood says Fleetwood Mac couldn't perform together if they weren't friends. On the day that the band added two more London dates to their 2015 tour, the drummer laughs off suggestions that relationships remain strained within the group and says they could never pretend to get along for the sake of a pay check.

Fleetwood Mac recently welcomed Christine McVie back to the fold after 16 years. Fleetwood tells the Guardian: "That whole 'extreme fear and loathing' thing is a load of bollocks. It's boring when I have to explain why we still want to be doing this. Some bands admit they don't like each other, but they can sign a piece of paper and walk on stage. Nothing wrong with that, but we can't do it. We have to have some emotional credibility to what we're doing.

"Elton John and Eric Clapton work more than us, and they certainly don't need the money. Have you ever thought that we actually like doing what we do?" He also shared a colorful story about a visit to the White House, read about that here.





Drowning Pool Guitarist Discusses Next Album
(TeamRock Radio) Drowning Pool aim to return to the studio early next year. The Texas rockers say they have a bunch of new material written for the follow-up to 2013's Resilience.

Guitarist CJ Pierce tells Metalholic: "We have more songs written now than our entire back catalog. We have so many songs. In the dressing room today, I was working on some music. Now it's a matter of, what kind of record do we wanna make?

"We have heavier songs, lighter songs, some traditional-sounding Drowning Pool songs, and we have what I call Drowning Pool evolved songs. We wanna get in there sooner than later - hopefully March or April at the latest - to record the next CD and then keep going." Read more here.





Slipknot Headlining Download Festival
(TeamRock Radio) Slipknot are the first headline act to be announced for next year's Download festival. They'll play the main stage at Donington on Friday, June 12, following Judas Priest. Black Stone Cherry will close proceedings on the second stage, while Five Finger Death Punch complete the first batch of bands to be revealed.

Slipknot are riding high on the success of their new album 5: The Gray Chapter, which topped the charts in the US and Canada and landed at no.2 in the UK. Frontman Corey Taylor says: "Being invited back to Download always feels like coming home. Headlining for the third time feels like the culmination of a life's dream - it's an honour and we're all looking forward to it."

Judas Priest, who played the first Monsters of Rock in 1980, first appeared at Download in 2008. They say: "We're thrilled to be performing at Download 2015 as the band continues its 40th anniversary Redeemer of Souls World Tour, bringing us home to hear the roar of our Priest family." Read more here.





Steven Wilson Announces Another Bass Communion Show
(Prog) Steven Wilson will make his second live appearance under his Bass Communion banner in the Netherlands next month. The ambient side-project has amassed 10 albums since 1994, but he's only taken the concept on stage once before, when he performed with Pig in Mexico City in 2008.

Now Wilson reports: "This time it will be in collaboration with Thomas Koner, the 'godfather' of isolationist music. His 1992 album Teimo - using the sounds of gongs recorded underwater - is one of my all-time favourite ambient records.

"The concert is part of an event called Brombron that takes place in Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Each time, two musicians work in a small studio for a few days, followed by a concert to present the results." Read more here.




Dee Snider To Rock 2015 Harley Show
(hennemusic) Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider will perform at the 2015 Harley Show in Montreal, Quebec on January 24. Snider will be joined by openers The Dawn Truth and Eagle Tears at the 36th Harley Show, which will see over 50 Harley-Davidson and custom motorcycles riding around in the Bell Centre, a presentation of the most spectacular custom bikes in America, and the 2015 Harley-Davidson apparel collection.

The event's house band will complete the bill performing rock classics of Metallica, AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Scorpions and many more.

Snider is currently performing "Dee Snider's Rock & Roll Christmas Tale" at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place in Chicago, which runs through January 4. Read more here.







AC/DC's Dirty Deeds Boosted By Phil Rudd's Arrest
(Radio.com) That old adage there is no such thing as bad publicity rings especially true if you're AC/DC right now. A week after the story broke that drummer Phil Rudd had been arrested for plotting the murders of two men, and possession of methamphetamine and cannabis, the Aussie rock band has had a sales boost of their iconic 1976 single "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap," according to Nielsen SoundScan (via Billboard).

Yes, there is a whole lot of irony in the fact that decades ago, Rudd was drumming on a song about hiring a hitman. However, his charge for trying to procure a murder has since been dropped, and Rudd is now left with his drug possession charges along with threatening to kill someone.

How many people exactly had a dark enough sense of humor to download "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap? Or a just sparked nostalgia for the song? Apparently, just under 2,000 people downloaded it in the week ending Nov. 9. here.




Fugazi Streaming Their Entire First Demo Online
(TeamRock Radio) Fugazi are streaming the upcoming remastered release of their first ever demo in its entirety. The release is the first time all 11 songs have been available in one place.

The Washington DC post-hardcore heroes release First Demo on November 18 via Dischord Records. It is a remastered version of Ian MacKaye and co's 1988 collection of demos, most of which ended up being re-recorded for later releases.

It will be available on CD and LP, with the vinyl including an MP3 download card. The 11-track collection was recorded at Inner Ear Studios in Arlington, Virginia in January 1988. It includes versions of eventual Fugazi classics Waiting Room and Furniture. Check out the stream here.




Judas Priest 'Already Piling Up' Riffs For Next Album
(Classic Rock) Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford says he's "ready to make" a new Judas Priest album. The band only released their most recent record Redeemer Of Souls in July.

But already the singer is keen to get back to work. And the enthusiasm of guitarist Richie Faulkner is what's fuelling the fire. Halford tells Trunk Nation: "I go into the dressing room every night and Richie's jamming - that guy never stops playing his guitar."

"...The riffs are already piling up, the ideas are already piling up. I'm ready to go. I'm ready to make a Judas Priest record. So that's where we roll at the moment." Read more here.





The Who Release Virtual Reality App
(Classic Rock) The Who have released a virtual reality app, which allows fans to explore the band's catalogue. It's available as an smartphone and tablet app now, with a version available for the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset when it becomes commercially available next year.

The app was launched at the Goldhawk Club, scene of many of The Who's early gigs, in the band's old stamping ground of Sherpherd's Bush. It was attended by the likes of Roger Daltrey, Who manager Bill Curbishley, turntable legend Grandmaster Flash, and the local scooter club.

Attendees were able to test the Oculus Rift version of the app, which was built by Immersive, who've also developed an app featuring Ian Dury's lyrics. The Who app allows users to explore a virtual world full of familiar band landmarks, as well as purchase tickets and merchandise. As the wearer travels through a digital environment they're able to view pictures from Daltrey's personal archive, as well as change the mix of songs by turning their heads to look at separate instruments as they hover in the air. Read more here.





AFI Offshoot XTRMST Release First Video
(TeamRock Radio) XTRMST, the hardcore punk band started by AFI frontman Davey Havok and guitarist Jade Puget, have released the first video promoting their self-titled debut album.

The band have already made the tracks Exterminate and Dirty Nails available for streaming, and viewers paying attention to the Conformist video will notice links to both tracks at the tail end of the promo clip.

"The straightedge philosophy is something that we gravitated toward at a young age, drawn by concepts and ideals that seem almost foreign in modern society," Havok and Puget say. "Like much of the other subcultures we were a part of growing up, it put us at odds with 99% of the people around us, which was something we embraced. It seemed natural that this crucial ideology would find a musical expression. This record is one of the most important we've made. The songs are of purity, passion and truth. May they speak to you."





Robert Plant BBC Radio 6 Interview Goes Online
(hennemusic) Robert Plant was interviewed by BBC Radio 6's Radcliffe and Maconie this past week as he launched a fall tour of the UK and the audio of the interview is streaming online.

Plant spoke about his latest album, "lullaby and...The Ceaseless Roar", the personality of his band The Sensational Space Shifters, and other things during the appearance.

The Led Zeppelin singer kicked off a 13-date UK tour on November 9 in Newport, Wales. Plant made major headlines recently when UK tabloid The Mirror published a report that the singer had allegedly turned down an $800 million (£500 million) offer from Virgin head Sir Richard Branson for a Led Zeppelin reunion tour.





Jethro Tull Streaming Ward Child Reissue Track
(Classic Rock) Jethro Tull have streamed another track from the upcoming limited-edition 40th anniversary edition of their classic 1974 album War Child. The song The Orchestral WarChild Theme can now be heard ahead of the three-disc package's official release on November 24. Previously unreleased track War Child II was made available to stream earlier this month.

The set includes a new mix by Steven Wilson plus music and a script synopsis from the abandoned film which was intended to accompany the original release. The movie, set to star Leonard Rossiter, was shelved after the band failed to secure funding.

War Child was instead released as a standard 10-track album. War Child: The 40th Anniversary Theatre Edition is released as a 2CD/2DVD set. Read more and stream the song here.




Steven Tyler Performs Aerosmith's Amazing At Rehab
(hennemusic) Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler recently visited the Recovery Unplugged Drug Treatment Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida to speak with and perform for clients at the facility.

Tyler teamed up with Recovery Unplugged Creative Director - and original Aerosmith rhythm guitarist - Richie Supa to perform songs for the group, including the band's 1993 smash, "Amazing", which the two co-wrote.

Tyler reportedly took photos with staff and clients following a presentation that saw the singer and Supa tell stories from their 40-plus years of shared history and friendship.





The Safety Fire Unplug For New Wide Hands Video
(Prog) The Safety Fire have released a video for their acoustic reworking of Wise Hands. The original version of Wide Hands appeared on 2013 album Mouth Of Swords. The acoustic version was inspired by the MTV Unplugged series,

The band say: "Growing up with bands like Soundgarden, Alice In Chains and Pearl Jam during the era of MTV Unplugged, we have always had a fondness for acoustic interpretations and versions of songs.

"This was something we just did for fun but were really happy with how it turned out. With the music being stripped back we felt the video was a fitting portrayal."





New Arcade Messiah Song Streaming Online
(Prog) KingBathmat frontman John Bassett is streaming a track from his Arcade Messiah project's debut album. The song Sun Exile is taken from the upcoming self-titled album, released on December 1 via Stereohead Records.

Bassett says: "After writing and producing numerous KingBathmat albums and more recently the acoustic solo album Unearth, I decided I wanted to create my first instrumental album, and I wanted it to be set, audibly and visually in a dark, bleak apocalyptic aura of despair and anger.

"I wanted to focus on enormous riffs and sorrowful yet powerful musical refrains and place them within a terrain of unusual time signatures interspersed by moments of psychedelic calm."

Stream the song here.




Peckham Cowboys Release Bromley Girls Video
(Classic Rock) South London rock'n'rollers Peckham Cowboys have released a video for Bromley Girls, a song from the band's second album 10 Tales From The Gin Palace, which came out early this year.

The Cowboys include vocalist Marc Eden (who's worked with Slash and Ariel Bender), Timo Kaltio (Izzy Stradlin and Hanoi Rocks) and Quireboys bass player Nigel Mogg. In May, the band performed at the Classic Rock-sponsored Camden Rocks festival.

"The song's about a young aristocratic lady of high breeding, led astray by a terrible man," says Eden (a distant heir to the British throne). "Only the names have been changed, because we forgot them…"

Watch the video here.




Singled Out: Burnt Belief (Jon Durant and Porcupine Tree's Colin Edwin)
Today Jon Durant from Burnt Belief (the duo that also features Porcupine Tree's Colin Edwin) tells us about "Précis" from their brand new album "Etymology", which was released late last month. Here is the story:

Précis begins with a brooding electronic pulse (one that wouldn't be out of place in Tangerine Dream piece) over which Colin's bass and Jon's clouds etch a fairly ominous vibe. However, once the rhythms kick in, the clouds begin to disperse, and the mood begins to lift a bit. A distant trumpet (guitar synth) over a chord sequence heralds faint hope before Colin starts in with a Percy Jones-esque harmonic slide on his fretless bass and the piece begins its urgency.

Lead guitar doubled with Trumpet blast out a strong melodic statement building to a major climax when the chord progression returns and signals a new bass theme over which the guitar and trumpet triumphantly restate the original theme. Eventually the storm dissipates with clouds echoing away over electronic pulses as it had begun.

Friday, November 14, 2014

Today's Day in Rock News!





Today's Day in Rock


U2 Singer Bono's Private Jet Loses Door Mid-Flight
(Radio.com) The rear door of Bono's private jet fell off his private leer jet plane mid-flight earlier this week, according to the U.K.'s Daily Mail. No one was injured, but Bono's luggage may be somewhere in a field in Germany.

The mid-air incident occurred during a two-hour flight from Dublin to Berlin, where U2 were set to accept an award at the Bambi International awards, a German media award ceremony. The other members of the band weren't on the plane; Bono flew out early to attend a diplomatic function with the German minister of economic cooperation and development, Gerd Mueller.

A source close to the singer told the Daily Mail: "He was extremely lucky, the plane could have gone down. About an hour into the journey they heard a big thud coming from the rear of the plane…The entire door along with Bono and his companions' luggage had fallen out mid-air.

"They don't know if the door and the contents landed over water or land but they were extremely lucky. They were at an altitude where anything could have happened and they are all feeling very lucky to be alive."

Read more here.


AC/DC Reveal Phil Rudd's Behavior Prior To Arrest
(hennemusic) AC/DC guitarist Angus Young and bassist Cliff Williams are commenting on the status of drummer Phil Rudd following his recent arrest in New Zealand.

On November 6, Rudd was charged with attempting to procure a murder by New Zealand police after he allegedly tried to have two men killed, possession of methamphetamine, possession of cannabis and threatening to kill.

Authorities dropped the charge of attempting to procure a murder the next day due to lack of evidence. "Phil created his own situation," Young tells USA Today. "It's a hard thing to say about the guy. He's a great drummer, and he's done a lot of stuff for us. But he seems to have let himself go. He's not the Phil we've known from the past."

Young speculates that drugs could be involved - "when you get into that land, it's very hard" - but adds, "I don't know the exact situation. ... I can only say, from our perspective, that the guy needs to sort himself out."

AC/DC experienced issues with Rudd in Vancouver earlier this year when they hit the studio to record their latest album, "Rock Or Bust", which will be released December 2. "It was tough to get (Rudd) there in the first place," said Williams. Read more here.





Kid Rock Releasing New Album
(Radio.com) 2015 will see the release of a new Kid Rock album, the rock/rap/country star has announced. Titled First Kiss, the effort will be Rock's first release on Warner Brothers records, and was produced primarily by the songwriter, with the exception of two songs produced by Dann Huff.

First Kiss follows 2012′s Rebel Soul, which made waves not just for the recording, but for Kid Rock's successful $20 Best Night Ever Tour. As stated in the press release, that tour saw more than 550,000 people take in the Kid Rock live show, and the band plans to be more ambitious with their yet-to-be-announced summer 2015 tour.

A single and music video from the album is expected to be released at the beginning of 2015, with February 24 slated as the release date for the LP. Read more here.




Saint Vitus Singer Deported From Norway
(TeamRock Radio) Saint Vitus are to continue their European tour without frontman Wino after he was deported from Norway for drug possession. The doom metal outfit say in a statement that singer Scott 'Wino' Weinrich has been sent back to the US with no prospect of returning to Europe for the remaining two dates of their 35th anniversary tour alongside Orange Goblin.

Saint Vitus say: "We would like to regretfully inform all of our European fans that our lead vocalist Wino was detained by the Norwegian police and immigrations officers for possession of illegal substances since Sunday, November 9.

"As of 4pm yesterday, we were informed by his Norwegian defence attorney that he would more than likely be released that same day and be able to continue the remaining dates of our European tour. This morning we received notification that Wino was being deported today back to the US with no hope to remain in Scandinavia or anywhere in the EU."

Read more here.




Sammy Hagar To Appear On The Simpsons
(hennemusic) Sammy Hagar will appear on FOX-TV's The Simpsons on Sunday, November 23. Hagar will guest star in the season 26 episode "Covercraft", which sees Homer have a mid-life crisis, take up bass guitar and form a cover band with some of the other dads in town.

While this is the first time that the rocker will be providing his voice to his character on The Simpsons, his likeness appeared in a season 11 episode called "Behind The Laughter."

The 2000 broadcast saw Willie Nelson put on a phony awards show in order to reconcile the family … and also attempt to patch things up between Hagar and Van Halen.

Read more here.




Foo Fighters Sonic Highways Not Likely To Top Taylor Swift
(hennemusic) The Foo Fighters new album, "Sonic Highways", is on track for Top 5 US debut. Billboard reports the project could sell over 190,000 copies in its first week to open at No. 2 on the US Billboard 200 album chart behind Taylor Swift's "1989", which is expected to maintain it's current No. 1 status for a third consecutive week.

The Foo Fighters last album, 2011's "Wasting Light", was its first No. 1, selling 235,000 copies in its opening week. The new Billboard 200's top 10 will be revealed on Wednesday, November 19.

Produced by Butch Vig, "Sonic Highways" was recorded in 8 American cities - Austin, Chicago, Los Angeles, Nashville, New Orleans, New York, Seattle and Washington, D.C.

Read more here.





Pink Floyd On Track For No. 1 Album In The UK
(Prog) Pink Floyd are on track to land their first UK number one album in nearly 20 years. The Endless River is on top of the midweek chart, according to figures from The Official Charts Company. It has already won the accolade of being Amazon's most pre-ordered album of all time.

Floyd's first album since 1994 chart topper The Division Bell has sold 92,000 copies at the midway point of the week and is on course to become one of the fastest-selling records of 2014.

It's based on unreleased material from The Division Bell recording sessions and includes the playing of late keyboardist Rick Wright, who died in 2008. Read more here.





Nickelback Frontman Explains New Album Title
(Classic Rock) Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger has revealed that the band's upcoming album is titled No Fixed Address because it was written in various locations across the world.

Kroeger tells The Pulse Of Radio: "We did it all over the place. We were in Vancouver, we were in LA, we were Maui. We had a portable rig with us on European tour and we were recording stuff there. That's why we've titled the album No Fixed Address."

The vocalist previously stated the album featured some of their best work. He said: "We feel it's some of our strongest material to date. During the recording process it became clear that the entire team had a shared vision and passion for this project." Read more here.





The Band That Morphed Into Yes Reunites
(TeamRock Radio) Mabel Greer's Toyshop, the band which morphed into Yes in 1968, have reunited and will release an album in March of next year, they have announced.

The group was founded in 1966 by guitarist and vocalist Clive Bayley, drummer Bob Hagger and bassist Paul Rutledge. Over the course of the next two years, Chris Squire, Peter Banks, Jon Anderson and Tony Kaye joined their ranks. Bill Bruford then replaced Bob Hagger and Mabel Greer's Toyshop became Yes. Their last gig under the old name took place in London in May 1968.

Now, 46 years after that show, Bayley has teamed up once again with Hagger and Kaye to release A New Way Of Life on March 9 - their first album under the Mabel Greer's Toyshop banner. Joining the trio are former Yes man Billy Sherwood and bassist Hugo Barre.

Bayley says: "We hope that Yes followers everywhere enjoy this offering. It's a piece of history brought to life by the technology of today. The album includes new versions of old classics like Beyond & Before and a whole lot of new music too."

Read more here.






Mike Tramp Happy With His Spotify Deal
(TeamRock Radio) Former White Lion frontman Mike Tramp says he's happy for his music to be streamed on Spotify because it helps him reach more fans. Despite the relatively small amount of money to be made by artists who make they music available via online streaming services, the former White Lion frontman says he'd rather be on Spotify than not.

Tramp says on Facebook: "I get asked quite a lot about how I feel about Spotify and streaming of my music. I want people to be able to find my music but I also want to get paid.

"I was skeptical at first but my recent publishing statement confirmed the fact that streaming now accounts for 75% of my digital publishing income and that the total has actually gone up for the first time in years.

"Piracy has never paid me a penny. How about that?" Read more here.





Kristof Damen Leaves Crimson Fall
(TeamRock Radio) Crimson Fall guitarist Kristof Damen has announced he is to quit the band after almost 13 years. They recently supported Machine Head in their homeland of Belgium but just days after the show, the guitarist says he'll leave following the group's upcoming four gigs in mainland Europe.

He says in a statement: "Those of you who are close to me know that Crimson Falls was never just my hobby - it was my passion and for more than a decade, I invested loads of time, energy, money, sweat and tears in this band. Composing music, writing lyrics, rehearsing, playing live and spending countless hours behind the computer screen trying to get things arranged, paving a way up for my band.

"Even though I still enjoy all of this, over the last year I lost the will to conquer the world with the band. The power to keep battling and break through walls disappeared. Instead, at this point, I just want to be a good dad for my boy and girl who I love more than anything."

Read more here.





Marillion Release Christmas Compilation Album
(TeamRock Radio) Marillion have issued a Christmas compilation album titled A Collection Of Recycled Gifts. The band release festive tracks for fan club members - now they've compiled all previous releases and issued them on a single disc.

They say: "As you know, it has been our tradition to knock out a goofy cover of something festive and give it away to the fans at Christmas. These have been of varying taste and quality over the years, but we have always had a laugh making them.

"This year, we thought we'd bundle all the past Christmas ditties together and release a compilation CD so we, and you, have them all in one place on Christmas morning."

Read more details here.





Volbeat Have 10 Songs In The Works
(Classic Rock) Volbeat have ideas for 10 new songs, according to singer Michael Poulsen. The band previously said they aim to hit the studio around August next year to begin work on the follow-up to 2013's Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies. They hope to release the new record before the end of 2015.

Now Poulsen has revealed he already has 10 tracks on the go, three of which the band have played together so far. He tells The Jasta Show: "Right now I have ideas for 10 songs. Three of them we're capable of playing right now. I haven't written any lyrics yet. Right now it's more music and melodies."

Poulsen admits he finds it difficult to stop writing new material. He keeps a notebook and records ideas on his phone or his basic home studio - although a lot of them are scrapped when he goes back to listen to them.

He adds: "I buy a notebook every year when we have to sit down and write a new album. I have a notebook where I write down ideas and I have tonnes of stuff on my mobile where I just sit with an acoustic guitar and sing."

Read more and stream the full interview here.





Dave Lombardo Working On Insidious Soundtrack
(Classic Rock) Philm mainman Dave Lombardo is working on the soundtrack for upcoming horror sequel Insidious: Chapter 3. The former Slayer drummer is teaming up with composer and actor Joseph Bishara for the project which is due for release in June next year via Focus Features.

Lombardo tells Metal Thunder Radio: "I'm collaborating with Joseph Bishara, who is the music composer for the horror movies The Conjuring, Annabelle and Insidious. I'm working on Insidious 3 with Joseph, and we're creating some drums for the new movie.

"I'm really excited to do this. I set up all the drums, today I ordered the drums that I'm gonna use. I'm gonna be performing with two cello players, a viola and a violin player under Joseph's direction. And he's an amazing composer. I've been listening to his stuff for a while now."

Check out the trailer and stream the 'candid' interview here.





Rare Peter Banks Recordings Released
(TeamRock Radio) A collection of rare Peter Banks recordings has been released a year after his death. The guitar icon who made his name with Yes and Flash was known as 'the architect of prog.' A collection of studio rehearsal recordings from his Empire III sessions at Mars Studios in Los Angeles in 1979 is out now via Gonzo.

Peter Banks Empire: The Mars Tapes is available in a 2CD set and features raw recordings of the band taken direct from the control desk. Banks - who died from heart failure in March 2013 at the age of 65 - formed Empire in the early 1970s along with singer Sidonie Jordan. The collection includes bonus track Sky At Night featuring Phil Collins on drums and Jon Giblin on bass. It also includes songs that never made it on to any Empire release until now.

Drummer Mark Murdock says: "The Peter Banks Empire ship set sail against the ever-changing music world, and was uncompromising in producing a range of material with Peter Banks' signature guitar sound and style. It incorporated themes of the time period in which the band existed and also reliving the past by playing songs from the early Empire catalogue and even a Yes version of Something's Coming." Read more here.




Stryper Working On Next Album
(Classic Rock) Stryper are currently writing material for their next album, they've confirmed. And they'll hit the studio early next year to put the follow-up to 2013's No More Hell To Pay together.

Frontman Michael Sweet says on Facebook: "It's time. I'm in writing mode for the new Stryper album. We start pre-production in mid-January and we begin tracking on February 1. New album in 2015."

The band launched 16-track CD/DVD titled Live At The Whisky in September. It was recorded at Whisky A Go Go, Hollywood last year to support the album.

Meanwhile, Sweet has also been working with George Lynch on a new project. Read more about that here.





Limited Edition Bob Dylan Lyric Book Details Revealed
(Classic Rock) Bob Dylan is to release a limited edition book featuring his song lyrics. The career-spanning book The Lyrics: Since 1962 is released on November 20, but only 3000 copies have been made - with just 500 of those available in the UK. The hardcover collection weighs 6kg and retails for £125 via Simon & Schuster.

It's described as "the first comprehensive, rigorously annotated, and definitive collection of Bob Dylan's lyrics to be published." The book includes Dylan's own changes to his lyrics down the years, as well as the original versions.

He worked on the collection with a team of editors, led by Sir Christopher Ricks, co-director of the Editorial Institute at Boston University. Sir Ricks says: "For 50 years, all the world has delighted in Bob Dylan's books of words and more than words: provocative, mysterious, touching, baffling, not-to-be-pinned-down, intriguing, and a reminder that genius is free to do as it chooses." Read more here.





The Temperance Movement To Perform New Songs On Tour
(The Blues The Temperance Movement have confirmed the setlist on their upcoming UK tour will feature tracks from their upcoming second studio album, currently under production in Wales.

And they'll be offering an 11-track live album for sale on the tour, which features Raglans as support act on the English dates and the Medicine Men in Glasgow.

TTM say: "We'll be playing some of the fruits of our current labours at Rockfield Studios for the very first time. We also have a merch desk exclusive - 11-track album Live In The UK, plus a new tour t shirt ready, plus the recent deluxe issue of our debut." Read more and check out the dates here.





Fairport Convention Releasing New Album Myths & Heroes
(Prog) Fairport Convention will launch Myths & Heroes, their first album of new material in four years, to tie in with their 2015 UK tour. Their journey begins on January 29 in Tewkesbury and ends in London on March 1, and the band aim to deliver some of their new tracks during the shows.

Simon McNicol says: "Fairport always looks to the future and we regularly record new albums. But our first love is still performing live. So we're really looking forward to getting on the road again, especially as this year we've got a whole album's worth of new material to introduce to our audiences."

Myths & Heroes follows 2012's By Popular Request, which saw the band re-recording tracks chosen by an online poll. Their most recent original release was Festival Bell in 2011. Read more and check out the dates here.





Twisted Sister Documentary World Premiere Announced
(hennemusic) The Twisted Sister documentary, "We Are Twisted F***ing Sister!", will have its world premiere at IDFA (International Documentary Film Festival) in Amsterdam later this month.

Directed by German filmmaker Andrew Horn, the film explores the club days of the Long Island, New York band. Known the biggest documentary festival in the world, the film will be featured as part of IDFA's Music Documentary series.

Horn and guitarist Jay Jay French will be on hand for a Q&A session following the world premiere screenings on November 23 and 24. Read more and watch the trailer here.







Jimmy Page and Chris Cornell Discuss Led Zeppelin's Legacy and More
(Radio.com) "Black Hole Sun," meet "Black Dog." Wednesday night (Nov. 12) in Los Angeles, recently refurbished The Theatre at Ace Hotel played host to "An Evening with Jimmy Page in Conversation with Chris Cornell," with the two rock stars taking the stage to discuss Jimmy Page, the exhaustive new autobiography/photo book compiled by the legendary guitarist spanning his entire musical life.

The sold out crowd that filled the ornate theater looked a lot like who you'd imagine packed stadiums across the country on Led Zeppelin's 1977 tour, only 37 years later, many of whom brought their children and even grandchildren for a glimpse inside the life of arguably rock's most celebrated guitarist in history.

Still every bit the consummate rock star at 70 years old, Page and the Soundgarden singer had an easy rapport onstage, with Page discussing the details behind a selection of photos from the book previously chosen by Cornell without the guitarist's knowledge.

Moving through photos of Page's childhood as a choirboy and in early bands before becoming one of England's most celebrated session musicians, describing a photo of him working the late Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones on the ill-fated soundtrack to Anita Pallenberg film, A Degree of Murder, which was never officially released. Making the photo even more interesting is the fact that Page is using a violin bow on his guitar, a technique he would make famous years later on Led Zeppelin's live renditions of the song "Dazed and Confused."

Page delivered details of how quickly Led Zeppelin formed in the wake of his previous band, the Yardbirds, breaking up in the summer of 1968 (Cornell showed photos of Page with fellow ex-Yardbird Jeff Beck shot by the late Linda McCartney). In the time between July and the end of that year, the band came together, recorded its legendary debut album and played a series of dates, including shows opening for Vanilla Fudge. Led Zeppelin as an opening act didn't last long, with Cornell displaying a photo taken from behind John Bonham's drum kit of a packed L.A. Forum in 1969.

Page's passion for the music was palpable through the conversation, with the guitarist making a point to deliver new bits of information to the crowd of diehard fans well versed in the group's history. He spoke lovingly of his bandmates throughout, stressing how much they elevated each other both in the studio and onstage.

The fans ate it up, interrupting the conversation countless times to erupt in applause. Cornell came across as big a fan as anyone in the room, emphasizing how important Led Zeppelin's success was in his ability to achieve rock stardom fronting Soundgarden, offering his own memories of first hearing the band on a free-form FM radio station as a kid.

There was a poignant moment when Cornell displayed a photo of Page on Led Zeppelin's final tour before the death of John Bonham essentially bringing the band to an end, explaining how as a fan it meant a lot that they didn't just grab another drummer and carry on.

"The magic in Led Zeppelin was the dynamic between the four of us," Page explained. "Losing one-fourth of the band was like losing the whole thing."

Read more and see photos from the event here.





Father's Version Of Beatles Blackbird To Dying Newborn Goes Viral
(Radio.com) A tragic story has produced a must-see video that will transform how you hear The Beatles' iconic "Blackbird" forever. The performer is Chris Picco, whose wife passed away suddenly in her sleep while she was 24 weeks pregnant with their unborn child.

An emergency c-section was performed, but doctors were not optimistic when the baby, named Lennon James Picco, showed a significant lack of movement and brain activity.

While his wife Ashley was pregnant with Lennon, she would feel the baby moving to music when it was played, so Chris asked if he could play music for the baby in what would be the last few days of his life.

This heartbreaking, beautiful rendition of "Blackbird" was recorded the day before Lennon passed away. Read more and watch the video here.




David Bowie Releases Sue (or In A Season Of Crime) Video
(hennemusic) David Bowie premiering the video for "Sue (or In A Season Of Crime)", the lead single from his new collection, "Nothing Has Changed." The clip can be streamed online.

The promotional video was filmed in New York and London and directed by Tom Hingston and Jimmy King. "Sue" was recorded this summer in New York with the Maria Schneider Orchestra and produced by Bowie and Tony Visconti.

Due November 17 (Nov. 18 in North America), the compilation presents material from the singer's 50-year career and includes new songs alongside unreleased tracks and greatest hits.

Watch the video here.





Slash Unplugs For TV Appearance
(hennemusic) Slash and Myles Kennedy performed an acoustic version of the song "Bent To Fly" on the Swedish television talk show Skavlan on November 7 and both the performance and interview video clips have been posted online.

Slash also joined host, Norwegian journalist Fredrik Skavlan, for an interview alongside actress Uma Thurman and Swedish foreign minister Margot Wallstrom.

The appearance was synced with the launch of a European tour in support of "World On Fire" following its release in September. The trek wraps up early next month with a series of 5 UK dates and a December 6 show in Reykjavik, Iceland.

Watch the videos here.





Aerosmith's Joe Perry Talks Rocky Relationship With Steven Tyler
(TeamRock Radio) Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry has revealed his rocky relationship with frontman Steven Tyler doesn't affect the band. And he says while Tyler is like a brother, he doesn't always like what he has to say.

Perry's been promoting his new book Rocks: My Life In And Out Of Aerosmith which launched last month via Simon & Schuster. And he reveals one of the reasons he wrote the autobiography was to put the record straight about the pair's relationship.

He tells Smashing Interviews: "It's pretty much what it is. You can love your brother, but you don't have to like him. We have our ups and downs. He'll say stuff in the press and I'll think, 'What the hell is he talking about?' Next time I see him, it's all hugs and kisses.

"We know the band is bigger than our ups and downs. If anything, it's been a learning process in how to deal with each other's personalities. That's one of the reasons I wanted to write the book because people hear stuff about Joe and Steven not getting along."

He continues: "There aren't too many bands out there that are touring all the time that manage to keep the same guys in the band, the same lineup that was there in 1971. That takes a lot of work." Read more here.





Rob Zombie Guitarist John 5 Enters Rock Is Dead Debate
(TeamRock Radio) Rob Zombie guitarist John 5 insists rock isn't dead - but says it has changed dramatically in recent years. Kiss mainman Gene Simmons sparked debate earlier this year when he stated: "Rock is finally dead. The death of rock was not a natural death. Rock did not die of old age, it was murdered."

That comment led to a string of artists defending rock music, including Rob Halford, Joe Perry, Mark Tremonti, Corey Taylor, Scott Ian and Slash. Now John 5 has given his take on the state of the industry, saying although piracy is a problem, the music lives on.

He tells Icon vs Icon: "The industry has changed dramatically. It has changed so drastically, it's like night and day. It's not dead, but it changed. We just have to keep writing great songs and doing great shows to keep it alive.

"It's not just rock. It could be rap, country or anything like that. Music is a tough business because there's so much piracy out there. I know what it was like because back in the day, I was around when people were standing in line to buy a record. It has definitely changed a lot."

He had more to say here.





Heaven's Basement Release The Long Goodbye Video
(TeamRock Radio) Heaven's Basement have launched a music video for their track The Long Goodbye. It appeared on their debut album Filthy Empire which launched in 2013 via Red Bull Records. And they've issued the video to coincide with their upcoming tour dates supporting The Pretty Reckless, which kicks off in Nottingham on November 17.

Guitarist Sid Glover was nominated for the Dimebag Darrell Shredder award at this year's Metal Hammer Golden Gods - and he reckons the upcoming tour will be a "rock n' roll monster."

He says: "We can't wait to get out there and tear up the UK with The Pretty Reckless on their Going To Hell tour. It's going to be a loud as f***, all-out rock n' roll monster of a tour and the perfect send-off for Filthy Empire."

Before the eight-date run with the New York rockers, Heaven's Basement headline two gigs this coming weekend. Check out the dates and the new video here.





Nightwish Frontwoman Challenged On New Album
(TeamRock Radio) Nightwish frontwoman Floor Jansen says she found recording the band's upcoming album a challenge. They've been working on the follow-up to 2011's Imaginaerum and will launch the as-yet-untitled album next summer via Nuclear Blast.

And the vocalist, who took over singing duties from Anette Olzon in 2012, says keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen and bassist Marco Hietala really pushed her on what will be her first record with the group.

She says: "Tuomas challenged me to use everything I had to offer: high, low and soft - but definitely the lower stuff. It's something I haven't explored much and he wrote parts where I had to use this completely.

"I'm very proud of it and happy I could do it this way because it's the first time I'm singing on an album I didn't write myself, so Tuomas and Marco wrote things that really challenged me."

Read more and stream the video here.





The Amsterdam Red Light District Release New Video
(TeamRock Radio) French rockers The Amsterdam Red Light District have released a video for their track Gone For A While. The song is the title track from TARLD's second album, out on November 26 via Red-Light Records.

The four-piece count The Bronx, Letlive and The Ghost Of A Thousand among their influences and have toured with Comeback Kid, Slayer and Anti-Flag.

Justin Schlosberg from Hell Is For Heroes guests on album track Waiting For So Long. Singer Max says: "We are so pleased to introduce our new music video for Gone For A While. This song is the ultimate punk-rock track from our new album and we really hope that you love it."

Watch the video here.





Radio Alcatraz Release New Song Holiday In A Police State
(TeamRock Radio) London post-hardcore outfit Radio Alcatraz have made a track from their upcoming second album available to stream. The song Holiday In A Police State is taken from the album It's All Coming Up Roses - available from December 8 via Banquet Records. It is the follow-up to 2012's debut Populous: In the Belly of the Beast.

Singer Simon Griffiths says: "Holiday In A Police State is an Orwellian cautionary tale that asks exactly what price we pay for the apparent freedom we enjoy in the west.

"It's easy to turn a blind eye to the increasingly intrusive and insidious presence of our 'protectors', because to do otherwise would compromise the lifestyle we've become so accustomed to. But by not discussing this inconvenient truth we choose to sit in silence and turn the other cheek as more and more steps are taken under our very noses to compromise our privacy and civil liberties."

Listen to the track here.




U2 Want Fans' Lip Sync Videos
(hennemusic) U2 are asking fans to submit videos of a lip sync to their single, "The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone)", as part of their week-long residency on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon next week.

The clips will then be incorporated into a live performance of the tune from the band's latest album, "Songs Of Innocence." Fans are instructed to upload videos to YouTube with the title "Tonight Show U2 Lip Sync"

Fans can also submit clips from their phone by downloading The Tonight Show app (available on iOS and Andriod devices) and submitting your video from the "Challenges" section there.

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Today's Day in Rock News!




Today's Day in Rock


Bret Michaels Undergoes Kidney Surgery
(hennemusic) Bret Michaels underwent kidney surgery this past week, reports his guitarist Pete Evick. The guitarist shared the story with fans via Michaels' social media sites on Monday, revealing that the Poison rocker has been in pain for a few weeks but pressed on, determine not to miss any shows if possible.

Micheals had two stents put in his body in an attempt to relieve the pain, but things came to a head in Knoxville, Tennessee. "This time it went real bad," writes Evick. "During the show he gave 100 percent, but he hurt himself.

"Jumping around with two stents was a bad idea. I can't explain the amount of blood or where it came from, but it was horrifying on his bus after the show. Bret looked at me and said, 'Just head to Champaign, we have to make Thursday's show up.'"

"Over the last two weeks, Bret was in and out of 6 hospitals throughout the Midwest," Evick continued. "Including the incredible Mercy Hospital of Northwest Arkansas. The staff and doctors were unbelievable and took incredible care of Bret.

"The fans and venues have been amazing and their support unprecedented. Bret continues to be steadfast in his dedication to bring the music to the people. He truly has to be held down to not perform."

Read more here.




Pink Floyd Celebrate Album Release With New Video
(Radio.com) The Endless River, purportedly Pink Floyd's final album, was released yesterday (Nov. 10), and to commemorate its release, the band shared a music video for the album's final track, "Louder Than Words," which was debuted earlier this year.

It's a tribute to Richard Wright, founding Pink Floyd member whose wheelhouse was mostly the keyboards - though he sang lead from time to time. The elegy was penned by David Gilmour's wife Polly Sampson.

The video, shot by Po Powell, is a surreal look the world below from a higher plane, possibly heaven. In it, an otherworldly shot of a man canoeing across the clouds (taken directly from the album's cover artwork) is juxtaposed with footage from the band in the studio and sweeping views of the remains of the Aral Sea, on the border between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

"A surreal image if ever I saw one," Powell told Rolling Stone, "and a shocking example of human mismanagement and one of the planet's worst environmental disasters… The river has shrunk to 10 percent of its original size, destroying the fishing industry and whole townships."

Check out the video and grab a listen to a full album stream here.




New Bat Frog Species Named After Ozzy Osbourne
(Classic Rock) A new species of frog that sounds like a bat has been named after Ozzy Osbourne. Scientists discovered the tiny creature in the Brazilian Amazon and noticed its unusual, bat-like call - which led them to name it after the Black Sabbath frontman who famously bit the head off a bat in 1982.

The frog was named Dendropsophus ozzyi by the scientists who discovered it. One of them, Pedro Peloso, tells National Geographic: "As soon as I heard its call, I knew it was a new species. I had never heard anything like it.

"We kept talking about the 'bat frog,' which led to us talking about being fans of Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath." Peloso and colleagues found the 0.75-inch amphibian in 2009 as part of a survey of Floresta Nacional de Pau-Rosa.

Read more here.





Robert Plant Says Led Zeppelin Reunion Offer Story Is Rubbish
(Classic Rock) Robert Plant's spokesman has slammed a newspaper claim that the singer tore up a $800 million Led Zeppelin reunion tour contract, calling the story "rubbish".

The Mirror reported that he'd asked for 48 hours to consider an offer from Virgin billionaire Richard Branson after Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham had all signed up.

The deal was said to include 35 concerts with an option on more, a Virgin plane renamed The Starship in memory of Led Zep's 1970s aircraft, plus £190m payouts to each of the three original members and £70m of merch income. It would have been their first shows since 2007's one-off London concert. Read more here.





Marilyn Manson Sets Release Of New Album 'The Pale Emperor'
(Radio.com) You're going to be seeing a lot more of Marilyn Manson soon. Just after making a cameo in Die Antwoord's surreal star-studded video for "Ugly Boy," the artist has announced a new album to promote, The Pale Emperor.

Manson's upcoming full-length, which marks his tenth studio album, will be out on Jan. 20. Fittingly, it features ten songs, including the post-punk doomed-love track "Third Day of a Seven Day Binge," which he released back at the end of October.

The album will also include two other songs from the album that Manson has already debuted live: "Cupid Carries a Gun" and "Deep Six," which he played in a handful of Southern California shows over the past month or so. If you weren't there, you might have heard "Cupid Carries a Gun" on the TV show "Salem."

You can listen to those songs and check out the track list here.





David Bowie Premieres New Song
(Radio.com) Following the release of his 10-inch A-side "Sue (Or In A Season Of Crime)," David Bowie has premiered the single's B-side with BBC 6 Music. The track, "Tis a Pity She Was a Whore," got its own confusing introduction from the UK radio station.

As noted on Bowie's Facebook page, one of the show's presenters, Matt Everitt, misquoted Bowie on the song: "If Vorticists wrote Roxy Music it might have sounded like this" - except Bowie actually said "rock music" instead of "Roxy." Bowie's team, seemingly amused, referred to to gaffe as "creating a new possibility."

Vorticism, for those not brushed up on their 20th century art terms, was a movement in British art and literature that ran briefly, from 1912-15. It turned away from emotion in favor of extolling machines and machine-made products. The art was abstract, influenced by Cubism and Futurism.

Read more and check out the song here.




Slipknot's Corey Taylor Eyes Silver Screen Future
(TeamRock Radio) Corey Taylor makes his acting debut in Fear Clinic and has already turned his attention to scriptwriting, producing and directing. The Slipknot and Stone Sour frontman plays the role of a troubled employee in Fear Clinic, which premiered at the Screamfest Horror Film Festival in Hollywood last month and stars Robert 'Freddy Krueger' Englund.

And he reveals he is almost finished writing his own comedy-horror script and is set to produce a separate upcoming feature. Taylor tells Dread Central: "I'm working with a really great dude over at Scout Productions named Rob Eric, and he's a got a great mind for it, and we're both excited about it.

"I was actually working on this before I did Fear Clinic - just in a production capacity right now. I'm trying to sneak myself a role in it - just a little one, which I'll probably do a little more of. But it's exciting. It doesn't have a title yet. The script is done. And we're gonna try to break ground on it next year."

On his script, Taylor adds: "I came up with an idea for a script that I actually am almost done with. I've got about 80 pages done, which is, basically, a good start. And it's like a horror-comedy, to be honest. It's almost like Halloween meets the movie Clue." More about that and a video stream of the full interview here.





Jack Bruce - Rockpalast: The 50th Birthday Concerts DVD Box Coming
(hennemusic) German music television series Rockpalast will release "Jack Bruce - Rockpalast: The 50th Birthday Concerts" on December 2. The 4-disc box set features performances from Bruce's belated 50th birthday celebration with friends on stage on November 2nd and 3rd, 1993 at the E-Werk in Cologne.

The Cream bassist - who died October 25 from liver disease at the age of 71 - was joined by Ginger Baker and Simon Phillips on drums, Clem Clempson and Gary Moore on guitar, Dick Hecksatll-Smith and Art Themen on saxophone, Bernie Worrell and Gary Husband on keyboards, Maggie Reilly and Gary Cooper on vocals, and more.

The package will be available on special edition DVD/CD, CD/DVD digipack, DVD, and digital formats. The "Special Edition" comes with 2 concert DVDs, plus 1 bonus DVD containing additional footage and interviews, the bonus CD "The Lost Tracks", two 12-page booklets with new liner notes and previously unreleased photos in 2 DVD digipacks, coated with a slipcase.

Read more and check out a performance clip of "Sunshine Of Your Love" here.




AC/DC Go Behind The Scenes Of Play Ball Video
(hennemusic) AC/DC are sharing behind the scenes footage from the video shoot for their new single, "Play Ball", ahead of its release this week. Directed by David Mallett, the clip for the lead single from the band's forthcoming album, "Rock Or Bust", was shot in London in early October, along with the album's title track.

"The spirit of 'Play Ball' is sort of a mélange, ie mess up, of all sorts of outrageous videos of people playing ball," says Mallett, "plus a relative performance from the band."

Due December 2, "Rock Or Bust" is the first AC/DC album in 6 years and first without founding member Malcolm Young, who retired from the group to deal with ongoing health issues related to dementia.

Watch the behind the scenes clip here.



Blind Guardian Reveal New Album Details
(TeamRock Radio) Blind Guardian will release their 10th studio album early next year, they've announced. Titled Beyond The Red Mirror, it's due to launch on January 30 via Nuclear Blast and is the follow-up to 2010's At The Edge Of Time. And the German power metal outfit say the album continues a story they first started almost 20 years ago.

Frontman Hansi Kursch says: "The story begins with our 1995 album Imaginations From The Other Side. The two worlds described have changed dramatically for the worse since then. While there used to be several passages between the worlds, there is only one gate left now: The Red Mirror."

Choirs from Prague, Budapest and Boston feature on the album, along with two orchestras - and guitarist Andre Olbrich says they decided to work with so many musicians as they wanted to keep moving their sound forward.

Read more details here.




Geddy Lee Didn't Remember Unearthed Early Rush Song
(Classic Rock) Rush have released a video of the original lineup performing The Loser - a track Geddy Lee had forgotten about. It was filmed at a high school in 1974 before they'd replaced drummer John Rutsey with Neil Peart.

The show, which also includes a track called I've Been Running, takes pride of place on the bonus disc in the band's upcoming R40 box set. Lee tells Radio.com:

"I honestly don't remember that song. I didn't remember it until I actually saw the footage of us playing it. And I didn't remember it was called The Loser. So much for my memory!"

Read more here.




Gus G Releases Video Featuring Eyes Set To Kill Frontwoman
(Classic Rock) Ozzy Osbourne and Firewind guitarist Gus G has released a new video and announced that he will be playing in London next month, followed by four UK dates in February next year.

The gigs have been lined up to promote the launch of a new version of his solo album I Am The Fire. The original recording featuring guest appearances from artists including Mats Leven, Jeff Scott Soto, David Ellefson and Billy Sheehan launched in March.

To mark the announcement, he's released a promo for the track Long Way Down, which features Eyes Set To Kill frontwoman Alexia Rodriguez. Gus G says: "I worked on this track with producer Kevin Churko, his son Kane and Alexia Rodriguez.

"Once we finished it, we knew we had a special song in our hands. The Long Way Down's lyrics were inspired by a scene I witnessed many years ago when I briefly lived in Sweden. What I saw is the exact storyline with the girl in this video." Read more and watch the video and grab the tour dates here.




Dweezil Zappa Working On First New Album In A Decade
(Gibson) It's been a long time between albums for Dweezil Zappa - ten years, in fact - but he's hitting the studio with engineer and co-producer Joe Baressi (Queens of the Stone Age, Tool) to begin work on a new album.

The album will also feature his Zappa Plays Zappa band members Scheila Gonzales, Kurt Morgan, Ryan Brown, Ben Thomas and Chris Norton. And Dweezil has launched a Pledge Music campaign to help fund the record and let backers be a fly on the wall of the recording process, with an unprecedented look inside the creative process, what instruments are being used and many other studio details of note.

"For the last decade I have been working on developing new guitar skills and blazing a new trail for myself," Dweezil says. "Along the way I have worked hard to fuse unusual musical influences within my playing. I've always been fascinated by the sound of Arabic and Indian music as well as Balkan rhythms and melodies."

Read more here.






Slash Says Rock Scene Needs Someone To Shake Things Up
(TeamRock Radio) Slash reckons some rock bands are playing it too safe as they don't want to anger their record companies. He previously countered Gene Simmons' "rock is dead" comments, saying the genre is producing great music. But he now thinks it's time someone who's not after commercial success came along to shake things up.

He tells the Manchester Evening News: "I do think rock and roll bands have become really conformist and they are worried about pissing off their record companies and being played on the radio.

"Rock and roll definitely needs a movement. It's become the music industry's bothersome stepchild and what it needs is someone really committed to come and shake things up who doesn't give a sh*t if they make it."

He continues: "I never got into music for all of this. I just learned guitar and started a band. I think if you're planning for the fame and fortune, if it's pre-meditated, you lose your musical integrity." Read more here.




Fleetwood Mac Reveal European Spring Tour Plans
(hennemusic) Fleetwood Mac have announced dates for a spring European tour. The 10-date run will open with two shows in London starting May 27 and include 7 UK concerts, as well as performances in Amsterdam, Cologne and Antwerp.

During Fleetwood Mac's 2013 tour, the four members welcomed keyboardist Christine McVie back on the stage during their show at London's O2 Arena, where she performed their classic "Don't Stop" and received a wild ovation from the crowd.

"It was so comfortable being back onstage with them as if no time had passed, and then we all started talking and it feels like the time is right. I'm really happy," said McVie, who has returned to the lineup full-time.

"As far as we're concerned, she's never really left," said the band in a joint statement. "We are overjoyed to have Christine back on stage with us." Check out the dates here.




Judas Priest Tap Five Finger Death Punch To Support Tour
(TeamRock Radio) Judas Priest have confirmed Five Finger Death Punch as their support for next year's European tour. Priest kick off the jaunt in Helsinki on June 4, with tickets on sale now. 5FDP toured Europe themselves this year and return for the nine shows in support of Priest's latest album Redeemer Of Souls.

Priest frontman Rob Halford made a guest appearance on 5FDP's track Lift Me Up - a hit from their current double album The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side Of Hell.

5FDP guitarist Zoltan Bathory says: "All of us grew up big Judas Priest fans so it was amazing to work with Rob on Lift Me Up. Not only is he a true rock icon but one of the greatest guys you'll ever meet.

"To come back to Europe with Priest next year is taking it over the top and a dream come true. We've had a fantastic year in Europe and can't wait to get back again next summer." Check out the dates here.





Sammy Hagar To Appear On New TV Series On The Menu
(hennemusic) Sammy Hagar will guest on the new TNT series, On The Menu, this Friday, November 14. Hagar will join his friend, legendary Chef Emeril Lagasse, and host Ty Pennington for the program during the first season of their new show.

In the episode, the competitors - four everyday cooks - must impress Hagar and create a new Mexican dish for both of his restaurants, the Cabo Wabo Cantina and Sammy's Beach Bar & Grill.

On the Menu airs on TNT Friday, November 14th at 8 p.m. (ET/PT). Hagar recently released his first acoustic album, "Lite Roast." Check out the video trailer for the TV series here.





Paradise Lost Recording New Album
(TeamRock Radio) Paradise Lost are in the studio recording their 14th album. In September, keyboardist Adrian Erlansson hinted Nick Holmes could return to the growling delivery heard in the band's early years.

Now the frontman says the new material will embrace that period of their career. He says: "We wanted to approach the new album differently this time by embracing the band's very early days.

"We have written a very dark yet melodic album. But this time, many songs definitely have a death metal edge which is something we haven't done for a long, long time." Read more here.




Kataklysm Reveal New Album Plans
(TeamRock Radio) Canadian death metal outfit Kataklysm will return to the studio early next year to continue work on their 12th album, they've confirmed. The band have been writing the follow-up to 2013's Waiting For The End To Come and will hit the studio in January to lay down tracks for an album they describe as "monstrous."

They say in a statement: "Kataklysm has been full of inspiration and are in full determination mode lately - a rejuvenated band that is out to conquer the world with no sign of stopping. We've been secretly working hard on a monstrous new album and will enter the studio next January to start tracking. The process will take three months to complete."

And the band: vocalist Maurizio Iacono, guitarist Jean-Francois Dagenais, bassist Stephane Barbe, along with new drummer Oli Beaudoin, reveal the new material will have an "aggressive edge" but will also explore new ground. Read more here.




Airbourne Planning New Album
(TeamRock Radio) Airbourne are looking at the second half of next year to launch their next album. It will be the follow-up to Black Dog Barking, which launched via Roadrunner in 2013. And drummer Ryan O'Keeffe reveals they've been working on fresh material on their recent jaunt around the UK - from the back of their tour bus.

He tells Airbourne's official UK fan site: "We've got a studio set up in the back of the tour bus and we're working on stuff for the next one. We throw little ideas down - it will start coming together once we get home. You just collect material and then when you get back home, you tip it out on the ground and put it together.

"We want to have it out in the second half of next year, but we've still got to get it all together and be confident about it. If we're not happy we're not going to release it - but that's our goal."

Read more and stream the full video interview here.




Pain Of Salvation Reveal Cover Of Dio's Holy Diver
(TeamRock Radio) Pain Of Salvation have premiered their lounged-up cover of Dio's Holy Diver, which is taken from their Falling Home release. TeamRock is streaming their version right now.

Mainman Daniel Gildenlöw says of the cover: "A few years back we were asked to play in a local metal event where every band got three songs from a particular artist. We got Dio on our plate, and decided to make a very special rendition of Holy Diver.

"It stayed with us over the years, and we are thrilled finally to be able to present it on recording. We just wish Ronnie could still be around to hear it." Listen to it here.




Singled Out: Atkins May Project's Midas Touch
Today guitarist Paul May from the Atkins May Project, his group with original Judas Priest vocalist Al Atkins, tells us about "Midas Touch" from their brand new album "Empire Of Destruction". Here is the story:

The "Midas Touch" is the second track of the "Empire Of Destruction" album and its more than a head down, hard and fast metal track! Al sounds like he's been gargling with razor blades for a month and there's some fast and furious guitar riffs assaulting the senses! Exactly how I wanted it to be, powerful sounding, to match the subject matter it was handling.

It was written as a depiction of the 'love of money' and the hold it can have upon on the human nature. To 'coin it', its basically about idolatry and lust in its modern state. Hey, we all need money, and I'm certainly not knocking wealth, in fact I'm willing to give it a go! As I'm sure we all are.

However, the power of money is used so often for manipulating society that it's almost become a competition of influence. The song lyrics are about the driven addiction it can create for some, much like the misuse of a drug. It asks the question " who is the slave and the master?" .... The Midas Touch a touch too much?

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