Tim Abrigg Jr.'s Rock and Roll News Of The Day!: Today's Day In Rock News!

Tim Abrigg Jr.'s Rock and Roll News Of The Day!: Today's Day In Rock News!: Slipknot's Corey Taylor Has 'Special Message' For Kanye West Slipknot and Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor has releas...

Tim Abrigg Jr.'s Rock and Roll News Of The Day!: Today's Day In Rock News!

Tim Abrigg Jr.'s Rock and Roll News Of The Day!: Today's Day In Rock News!: Slipknot's Corey Taylor Has 'Special Message' For Kanye West Slipknot and Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor has releas...

Today's Day In Rock News!

Slipknot's Corey Taylor Has 'Special Message' For Kanye West


Slipknot and Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor has released a "special message" for Kanye West after the husband of reality TV star Kim Kardashian claimed to be "the greatest living rock star on the planet."
West made the claim during his appearance at the Glastonbury festival in England last month. The performance had previously spawned a viral video showing Freddie Mercury laughing at West's attempt to cover the Queen classic "Bohemian Rhapsody". (see the Kanye West vs. Freddie Mercury video here.)

Music Choice published a new video message from Taylor on Tuesday (July 7) where the metal singer responds to West's telling the audience at Glastonbury "you're watching the greatest living rock star on the planet!"

Taylor says in the clip, "Kanye, you are not [pauses and then with emphasis says] NOT the greatest living rock star of all time. The fact that you had to tell people that [makes funny face] kind of says it all.

He continues, "You remind of the guy who brags about [bleeped with a photo of a kitten]. They never get as much as they brag about. Stop it. [Taylors slaps his wrist] STOP it!" See the clip here.



Aerosmith's Tom Hamilton Reveals Cancer Fight Update(hennemusic)


Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton says doctors have declared him cancer-free. Originally diagnosed with throat and tongue cancer in 2006, the bassist successfully underwent treatment at the time, and the health issue that returned in 2011 is now gone again.
"My doctor thought I was pretty much done with the cancer that I had in '06 and then it came back a few years later," Hamilton tells Long Island Pulse. "I was faced with losing my way of life…if not my life. But there's a guy here in Boston that Adele referred to [Steven Zeitels], who does novel surgeries and was able to do a procedure that got the cancer out of my throat without having to ruin the rest of it.

"I just saw him the other day and he said, 'You beat this one. You can keep coming to see me if you want, but I don't think you need to worry about this cancer coming back.' I said, 'I'll come back to see you every six months from here until eternity, if it's alright with you!'" Read more here.


Led Zeppelin's Final Concert 35th Anniversary(Gibson)

Tuesday (July 7) marked the 35th anniversary of the last Led Zeppelin gig with all four original members. The show took place at Eissporthalle in Berlin, and was the last of fourteen gigs during a European tour in support of the band's latest album In Through The Out Door, which was released in August the previous year.
The show opened with "Train Kept A Rollin'" - a song that had been in Zeppelin's repertoire ever since their first show less than twelve years earlier. If the opening song sounded a bit stiff, the band really hit their stride with the second number - "Nobody's Fault But Mine." Jimmy Page in particular delivered a blistering solo.

Although there are no videos available from the Zeppelin's last gig, it's worth noting that visually the band was trying to adapt to the times. While not jumping on the disco bandwagon like the Rolling Stones, and Kiss, the four members of Led Zeppelin had definitely altered their stage outfits in an attempt to fit in better with the New Wave crowd. Gone were the blue jeans, replaced by slacks, and even the occasional tie, and the band had trimmed back their big manes of hair, if ever so slightly. But these are all cosmetics, and normal for any band wanting to stay current. What is important is the music - and that still rocked every bit as hard as it had during the height of the band's popularity in the middle of the previous decade. If you want to see what Led Zeppelin looked like in the latter stages of their career, check out videos from their gig at the Knebworth Festival on August 11, 1979, which was fortunately filmed for posterity.

Sonically, there was an added presence of keyboards, and synthesizers. Especially in new songs like "In The Evening," and "All My Love," but also in classics like "The Rain Song," and even "Kashmir." It was Zeppelin's way of updating their sound, and also the result from much of the material on In Through The Out Door being initially conceived by Robert Plant, and John Paul Jones. In my opinion it's fun to hear these live versions of the songs. Perhaps they give a glimpse as to what would have been if the band had continued on.

Just two and a half months after the concert in Berlin, drummer John Bonham was found dead in his bed on September 25. It has been reported that Bonham, who was struggling with a severe alcohol addiction, had downed the equivalent 40 shots of vodka during a twenty-four hour period prior to his death. Led Zeppelin had already booked a US tour at the time of Bonham's passing, but in December 1980 the band announced that they were calling it quits rather than finding a replacement for Bonham. Since their final gig in 1980, the surviving members of Led Zeppelin have only reunited a handful of times, most recently in December 2007, which resulted in the live CD, and DVD Celebration Day.

"This is the last concert, so we intend to have a better time now than perhaps we have had before," said Plant in the banter between "The Rain Song," and "Hot Dog" during the gig in Berlin. Although he was only talking about the end of the tour, not knowing it was the band's last show as a foursome, in hindsight it's quite a statement. See the setlist for the show here.




Paul McCartney Frustrated By John Lennon's 'Martyr' Status(Classic Rock)


Paul McCartney has admitted to feeling "frustrated" that the murder of John Lennon in 1980 elevated him to the status of a "martyr" - meaning the rest of the Beatles were relegated to the background.
And he argues that the perception that Lennon led the band is usually supported by offsetting his best work against McCartney's worst. The 73-year-old tells Esquire: "The Beatles split up and we were all sort of equal. George did his record, John did his, I did mine, Ringo did his. It was as we were during the Beatles' time.

"When John got shot, aside from the pure horror of it, the lingering thing was, 'Now John's a martyr, a JFK.' I started to get frustrated because people started to say, 'Well, he was the Beatles.' Me, George and Ringo would go, 'Hang on - it's only a year ago we were all equal-ish."

McCartney emphasizes that he's not trying to put down his late colleague's achievements. "John was the witty one," he says. "John did a lot of great work and post-Beatles he did more great work. But he also did a lot of not-great work.

"The fact that he's now martyred has elevated him to a James Dean and beyond. I didn't mind that - I agreed with it. I understood there was going to be revisionism. It was going to be, 'John was the one.'

"If you just pull out all his great stuff and then stack it up against my not-so-great stuff, it's an easy case to make." Read more here.


Dave Grohl Jams With Pearl Jam and Blind Melons Stars At Biker Rally(Radio.com)

This past Saturday (July 4), Dave Grohl was scheduled to play what for him and his band was a very special show: a concert celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Foo Fighters.
But apparently, headlining RFK Stadium wasn't enough. On that same day, he kicked out some early morning jams at a motorcycle rally taking place at local craft brewery DC Brau. When it comes to rockin', it seems the guy just can't help himself.

As CBS Radio's WXRT reports, the event featured original Pearl Jam drummer Dave Krusen, Jonny Kaplan, Rami Jaffee of the Foo Fighters and Blind Melon guitarist Chris Thorn. Never one to turn down a good jam session with old friends, Grohl showed up to the event and went on to perform "Cinnamon Girl."

With purple cast situated on a padded metal folding chair, and wearing khaki shorts and a black T-shirt, Grohl laid into a supercharged version of the classic Neil Young song. Read more and see video here.




Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson 'Cautiously Happy' With Cancer Outcome(Classic Rock)


Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson is currently recovering from cancer treatment after two tumors were found in his throat, forcing the band to delay the launch of 16th album The Book Of Souls.
Dickinson says: "I did take it easy for a while and I'm still conscious that I should take it easy." But he adds: "Why? If I'm feeling fine, fit and all the rest of it?

"I consider myself to be extremely lucky that everything is okay. I've got a completely unrestricted airline medical back, just as good as it was before. The doctors were amazing. The treatment was uncomfortable but it worked. I'm cautiously happy with the outcome." Read more here.




Coheed And Cambria Announce Totally Different New Album(Prog)


Coheed And Cambria will release their eighth album The Color Before The Sun in October - and it'll be their first-ever non-concept title. Claudio Sanchez and co have launched a lyric video for lead track You Got Spirit, Kid, which becomes available as a digital single on July 10.
It's the first time the band have stepped away from setting their albums around The Amory Wars, their science fiction saga about the lives of Coheed and Cambria Kilgannon.

Sanchez says: "I want people to know that Coheed can write that sort of record. I've always said ithere's never been a limitation on the band - it makes no sense to me to draw a line in the sand and never cross it."

The Color Before The Sun was recorded at St Charles Studio in Nashville, and produced by Jay Joyce. Coheed hit the road next month with dates in the US and Europe, plus a standalone appearance at the UK;s Heavy Fest. See the dates here.



Shinedown Frontman Brent Smith Laughs Off Health Problems(Classic Rock)

Shinedown frontman Brent Smith is now able to laugh at the health problems that contributed to the delay of their fifth album. He suffered with nodules on his vocal cords after 21 months on the road - then had to deal with a fungal infection in his throat.
The singer won't reveal the name of the follow-up to 2012's Amaryllis, but says fans can expect its arrival in September. Smith tells Loudwire: "We took a while mainly because my voice needed to rest. When we got off tour I had three nodules on my left vocal cord.

"I had to heal them. I was lucky enough to do so naturally - I didn't have surgery, but it took two and a half months to get them where they needed to be."

He continues: "I have to laugh about it now, but I got this thing called thrush, which is normally what babies will get. We have fungus in our bodies that's dormant and sometimes it'll unleash, and it unleashed on me.

"It went all the way down to my oesophagus, so that was another two months to heal from that. Four months in all after we got off the road, then we started writing the record." Read more here.




Sleeping with Sirens and All Time Low Announce Co-Headlining Tour(Radio.com)


Sleeping with Sirens and All Time Low Both have announced a co-headlining tour across North America, kicking off in October and running through late November.
The Back to the Future Hearts Tour (you guessed it, the tour poster is Back to the Future-themed) begins Oct. 9 in Orlando, Fla., with additional dates in Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles, Milwaukee and more.

The pair ends their touring engagement Nov. 24 with a show at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York. Japan's One Ok Rock will open from Oct. 9 through Nov. 13.

Sleeping with Sirens are touring behind new album Madness, debuted in March, while All Time Low released new record Future Hearts the next month in April. See the dates here.




Jake E. Lee's Red Dragon Cartel Announce 5th Singer In A Year(Classic Rock)

Red Dragon Cartel have named former Jones Street singer Shawn Crosby as their latest vocalist. Crosby is the Jake E. Lee led band's fifth frontman in just four months.
Darren James Smith appeared on the band's 2014 self-titled debut album, but left in March over concerns regarding touring plans. His replacement Michael Beck lasted just a few short weeks before former Lynch Mob and Jason Bonham man Chas West signed on - only to replaced by Paul D'Eath, who's now out of the picture.

Crosby says: "I will be singing for Jake E Lee's Red Dragon Cartel for the month of July and, hopefully, for many months and years after. That is, if we can all play nice in the sandbox together! I'm sure we will. I couldn't be playing with a cooler bunch of guys."

He'll make his debut on July 9 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, joining a lineup that also includes third bassist Anthony Esposito and drummer Jonas Fairley. Read more here.




Breaking Benjamin Frontman Says Pain Only Relief From Mystery Illness(TeamRock Radio)


Breaking Benjamin frontman Ben Burnley says he copes with his mystery illness by using the chronic pain to fuel his live shows. He's suffered from joint and muscle pain for years but says he has been given no answers despite consulting hundreds of doctors.
Burnley tells Rolling Stone: "The pain is so horrendous it distracts me from my other symptoms, so it's relieving in a sick way. Basically, my only relief is intense pain.

"It's a horrible, horrible condition. If I didn't have the support of all the fans, and if I didn't have my incredible wife and son it definitely wouldn't be worth living through.

"The agony never goes away. People ask me how I deal with it and it's because I have no choice. Now I get angry. If I'm dizzy onstage it'll push me even harder. I don't let it peck at me little by little, I charge right through it. And if I go down, I go down doing what I love for the people that want to see me perform." Read more here.




Lamb Of God's Blythe Recalls Homecoming After Manslaughter Trial(TeamRock Radio)


Randy Blythe has posted an excerpt from his book dealing with the moment he arrived on US soil after being released from prison in the Czech Republic.
Dark Days, to be published later this month, covers the Lamb Of God frontman's ordeal after being charged, but later acquitted, of killing fan Daniel Nosek in 2010.

He was released on bail in August 2012, and arrived in New York on August 3. Later that day he posted a picture of himself with a fan, saying: "This lovely young woman, Lia, came to the airport to say, 'Randy, I'm glad you're home.' What a sweetheart! Her boyfriend had to work so we called him on his cell. We have awesome fans!"

In the Dark Days excerpt Blythe writes: "I made my way directly to the terminal's exit to stand on American soil (or at least New York City concrete), for the first time in months. As I moved with the crowd past the last security checkpoint, I heard a female voice call my name. I turned and saw an attractive dark haired young woman standing by the exit. 'Randy, I just wanted you to know I'm glad you're home,' she said, and gave me a hug.

"Lia had read on the Internet that I had been released from prison. The details of my flight had not been made public, but Lia had checked all the flights from Prague to JFK, and had decided to come and take a chance that she would see me in arrivals. After waiting a few fruitless hours she was about to leave, but decided to take a chance on one more flight.

"Lia was not a stalker or a weirdo; she just felt that someone should be there to welcome me back to America, and after doing so told me she would be on her way. I was deeply touched by her warm gesture, and asked her if she would stay and have a coffee with me." Read more here.




U2 Preview 'Song for Someone' Short Film Starring Woody Harrelson(Radio.com)


U2 are going a bit further than your average band when it comes to the visual for one of their new songs, creating a short film to accompany their track "Song for Someone" from their latest album Songs of Innocence.
What's the difference between this and, say, a new music video? Generally, length: expect this to be longer than the average music video. The short is directed by Vincent Haycock, who has helmed videos for Madonna, Calvin Harris, Paul McCartney and Lana Del Rey. His work to date has been big, broad and sweeping in scope but not necessarily strong on storytelling, so this should be a shift in pace.

Woody and Zoe Harrelson are set to star in the project, with a press release from Interscope Records saying the former plays "a man being released from prison after years of incarceration."

To precede its debut, a trailer has been released for the short. The short will debut on Sundance Thursday, July 9, at 10 p.m. ET/PT, following the season 3 premiere of Rectify, a series that follows a man released from jail after several years when DNA evidence casts doubt on the verdict that put him there. See the preview here.




Twisted Sister's Dee Snider Releases New Solo Song 'To Hell And Back'(hennemusic)


Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider is premiering his new solo single, "To Hell And Back." The tune was co-written with Silvertide's Nick Perri, and is planned to be included as part of a new album Snider is working on with producer Damon Ranger.
"To Hell and Back" represents my first truly new, original musical offering since the 90's," says Snider. "When my friend and co-writer, guitarist Nick Perri presented me with the riff and music bed for this song, I found true inspiration to write for the first time in decades.

"Lyrically, the song raises a bold middle finger to those who whine and complain about the difficulties of life, but have no real clue what difficult is. As I say in the song, 'Don't tell me your sad story. Don't say your world is black. Just spare me your vainglory. I've been to hell and back!'"

Snider will head out to play some solo shows this summer at festivals in the US, Europe and South America. Snider and Twisted Sister have announced plans for a 40th anniversary farewell tour next year following the March 20 death of longtime drummer AJ Pero, who suffered a heart attack while playing on tour with Adrenaline Mob. Check out the new song here.




Set It Off Release 'Stuck In Our Youth' Video(TeamRock Radio)


Set It Off have released a video for their track Forever Stuck In Our Youth. The clip was filmed in their hometown of Clearwater, Florida, with the track taken from their second album Duality, which was released last year.
The band have also announced they'll be main support for Mallory Knox on their winter UK tour. Frontman Cody Carson says: "We're so stoked to be coming back - the UK fans always go so crazy, and the reception we receive every time is out of this world.

"We cant wait to play in such amazing venues with our new buddies Mallory Knox." Ahead of the UK run, the band are part of the Vans Warped Tour in North America. See the new tour dates and watch the video here.




No Devotion Streaming New Song Called 'Addition'(TeamRock Radio)


No Devotion have made their latest single available to stream. Addition is taken from their upcoming debut album, Permanence, due out on September 25 via Collect Records.
The band - which features vocalist Geoff Rickley alongside former members of Lostprophets - worked with producers Stuart Richardson and Alex Newport on Permanence, which was mixed by Dave Fridmann.

Addition is the third single issued in advance of the project, following Stay and 10,000 Summers. Last month, keyboard player Jamie Oliver had a chance encounter with a mountain lion while out jogging near his Los Angeles home. Oliver wrote on Instagram: "I'd decided not to wear headphones. This one thing alone probably saved my life." Stream the new song here.




The Enid Release 'Wings' Performance Video From New DVD(Prog)


The Enid have released a video of their performance of Wings, taken from their upcoming The Bridge live DVD. It was recorded in London in March - and frontman Joe Payne admits it was a difficult piece to deliver.
Payne says: "I owe a lot of thanks to the incredible vocal coach Paul Farrington for the help he gave me. He taught me how to get that really fat operatic top C at the end.

"This is probably the most challenging piece of music I've ever had to sing. I was so nervous at the time. - so I was delighted to have pull it off on the night it was filmed. Thank you, Paul."

The Bridge is released on September 4 and it can be pre-ordered via The Enid's website. Sales income will go towards funding the follow-up, Dust, to be directed by Kate Bush collaborator Simon Drake. The Bridge is nominated as Live Event of the year at the 2015 Progressive Music Awards, with voting open now. See the tracklisting and watch the video here.




Chris Cornell Reissuing Debut Album As 'Euphoria Mourning'(hennemusic)


Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell will reissue his 1999 solo debut album under its original title, "Euphoria Mourning", on August 14. Cornell says he was dissuaded from his first choice for a title and the the project was released as "Euphoria Morning."
"The title of the record has been restored to its original spelling," says the singer. "Which was changed before release after I listened to some bad advice."

The remastered "Euphoria Mourning" will be available for the first time on vinyl as well as being reissued digitally and on CD. The 180 gram vinyl package will include a download card featuring 320 kbps MP4 audio ripped directly from the record.

The 1999 album saw Cornell team with Alain Johannes and Natasha Shneider of the band Eleven, who appeared on the album, co-wrote five of the tracks and were credited as co-producers, engineers and mixers with Cornell. Read more and see the new cover art here.




Black Sabbath Legend Bill Ward Launching New Exhibit(hennemusic)


Original Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward will present an exhibit of his fine art collection, "Absence of Corners | Rhythm On Canvas", at the Fathom Gallery in Los Angeles.
Running August 15-29, the event will launch on August 15 with two artist discussions by Ward in which he will detail the concepts underlining the artwork and relate personal stories of how each piece is connected to his private or professional life.

The free lectures are set for 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. and attendance to each is available on a first-come basis; pre-registration is required at the Fathom Gallery.

Over a year in the making, "Absence Of Corners" is the result of a complex multi-disciplined approach to creating art that combines high-end digital technology with the oldest known musical instrument. The resulting images capture Ward's experimental spirit and translate onto canvas powerful abstract expressions of his music.

"When I'm working on new ideas, musically much of what's played is guided by a visual appearance or shape," explains Ward. "Since my early childhood, I've played drums in visuals as well as sound. When I write, there's always an image, sometimes a color attached to what's being created... I am delighted with the captured expressions - from my head and my heart. Their arrival onto canvas is beautiful." Read more here.




The Receiver Release 'Transit' Music Video(Prog)


The Receiver have issued a video for their track Transit. The song is taken from the dream-prog duo's third album All Burn, released last month via Kscope Records.
It was shot in Beirut by director Youssef Nassar, the man behind the promo for Steven Wilson's recent single Perfect Life. The Receiver brothers Casey and Jesse Cooper say: "Transit was written during the beginning of a new relationship. It expresses the emotional highs associated with falling in love, and makes a promise of commitment, regardless of whatever change or loss may come."

Nasser says of his work: "The music is simply superb - very dreamy, filled with layers of sounds and emotions. I did my best capturing that feel. I think the video has a strong concept behind it, showing a certain type of a fantasy happening, in an abstract and emotional way." Watch the video here.




Accept Reveal Winter Tour Plans(Classic Rock)

Accept have announced a London date as part of a European winter tour. The German metal outfit will play at The Forum on December 7 as part of a run of gigs that also takes in Germany and France.
Guitarist Wolf Hoffmann had this to say: "We are happy to come back to London. The last show was such a great experience, let's make it an even hotter night."

Accept released their 14th album Blind Rage last year and in April they brought in guitarist Uwe Lulis and drummer Christopher Williams to replace Herman Frank and drummer Stefan Schwarzmann, who left in December.

Before the December gigs, the band are lined up to play a series of headline shows and festivals across the continent. See the tour dates here.




Spoof Prog Icon Brian Pern Returning To TV(Prog)


Spoof prog icon Brian Pern will return for a third BBC series later this year, the corporation have confirmed. Simon Day's character will mark 45 years of making music and lead a reunion of his band Thotch in the run of three episodes, which also features co-stars Paul Whitehouse, Nigel Havers and others.
A list of big-name guest stars will be announced in due course, along with details of a series of short clips based around the rest of the BBC's musical output.

Pern says: "I am so delighted to be back on BBC Four to help sell more copies of my new orchestral greatest hits album, tickets for the Thotch reunion shows - and to remind people how I shaped rock music over the last 45 years."

Co-creator Rhys Thomas says: "I'm thrilled that Brian Pern is returning, though it's been hard to celebrate since receiving death threats from certain members of Genesis and a mechanic from Mike and The Mechanics."

Tim Abrigg Jr.'s Rock and Roll News Of The Day!: Today's Day In Rock News!

Tim Abrigg Jr.'s Rock and Roll News Of The Day!: Today's Day In Rock News!: Journey's Deen Castronovo Charged With Rape(hennemusic) Drummer Deen Castronovo was arrested and jailed without bail on Mond...

Today's Day In Rock News!

Journey's Deen Castronovo Charged With Rape(hennemusic)


Drummer Deen Castronovo was arrested and jailed without bail on Monday in Salem, Oregon after being charged with rape and additional items as part of an alleged domestic dispute incident on June 14.
The Statesman Journal reports Castronovo was arrested on a grand jury indictment on Monday in Salem with an upgraded list of charges that now includes five counts of fourth-degree assault, one count of first-degree rape, two counts of menacing, one count of unlawful use of a weapon, one count of second-degree assault, one count of second-degree sex abuse, one count of coercion, one count of second-degree criminal mischief, and three counts of contempt of court.

Castronovo was originally charged with fourth-degree assault, coercion and menacing in the early morning incident. The drummer was arraigned in court on Tuesday while wearing a suicide smock and held without bail after Marion County Circuit Judge Audrey Broyles said he was a threat to the victim; the alleged abuse took place between April 25, 2015, and June 29, 2015.

According to Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Gardiner, Castronovo sent 122 text messages to the victim and called her 35 times since his release on June 15.

"The texts ranged from threats to kill himself, that she hates him, that he hates her," said Gardiner. "They were sorrowful and vengeful - several also said he wanted to see her suffer for what 'she has done,' to him."

Gardiner said if bail was set he would violate his release agreement again. Read more here.




AC/DC Catalog Added To Music Services(Radio.com)

AC/DC has just done something that should make their fans very, very happy. They're now streaming. Yes, after forgoing the digital craze, concerned splitting their albums into individual songs would ruin a listening experience, the guys have decided to let fans easily stream their albums, we're talking 1976's High Voltage to their 2014 release, Rock or Bust and everything in between.
The band--who just put their music on iTunes three years ago, making their latest alum Rock or Bust, the first to be sold digitally--is now available to stream on Spotify, Rdio and Apple Music, which launches today (June 30).

As we know, some other fickle streamers like Taylor Swift and Dr. Dre, whose The Chronic will be streaming on Apple Music, have also put their music on the service. Read more here.



Kings Of Leon Working On New Album(Classic Rock)


Kings Of Leon have begun writing material for the follow-up to 2013's Mechanical Bull. Rolling Stone reports brothers Caleb and Nathan Followill revealed the news during an interview with SiriusXM's Alt Nation channel.
Drummer Nathan says: "We've been at home writing, trying to get some new stuff going. And we kind of had to put it on hold because we have this and another festival coming up, but we have big enough breaks in between most of them to where I think we're gonna be able to get the album written by the end of the year."

The group are considering studio options for the project, including the Nashville home studio where they recorded Mechanical Bull, as well as a new space across the street.

Nathan says: "It was built in 1841 and the guy that lived there was actually Dolly Parton's engineer. It's a really rad place and I think we can do something cool with it." Read more here.




Five Finger Death Punch Punk Their Label With 'Jekyll And Hyde' Video(TeamRock Radio)


Five Finger Death Punch have released a video for their track Jekyll And Hyde. The clip is the band's attempt to 'punk' their record label Prospect Park, who were putting pressure on them to deliver a promo for the song, which is taken from new album Got Your Six, released on August 28.
Guitarist Zoltan Bathory says: "Punking the label and trolling the trolls is actually very satisfying. So either we make a video that makes a difference like Wrong Side Of Heaven did or we just f*** it all up and have fun with it - just clown the whole thing as we did with Under And Over It and now with this one. We didn't even hire a director. We didn't want this to accidentally make sense."

The video features the band knitting baby socks, wearing pyjamas, shooting assault rifles and eating popcorn. Jeremy Summers, president of Prospect Park Records, says: "First we were scratching our collective heads, but we never once interfered with their vision.

"So ultimately if that's what the band wants to put out, we are not going to stop them. We were shocked, then cried, then laughed because it's actually funny." Watch the video here.


Geoff Tate Sets Release Of Debut Operation: Mindcrime Album(Classic Rock)


Operation: Mindcrime have released a trailer for their debut album - which will be out on September 18. Geoff Tate and co will release The Key via Frontiers Music Srl. The band is Tate's post-Queensryche project, named after Queenryche's 1988 concept album to which he holds the performing rights.
The deal was made as part of his settlement with Queensryche which was penned last year. A six-minute trailer for The Key has been released and it features snippets from some of the tracks. The album is the first in a trilogy of records that Tate began work on in 2014.

He said: "I tried to reduce the story and eventually got it down to 37 ideas that needed representing. I knew one record wouldn't cover it, and that it would have to be a trilogy."

Operation: Mindcrime features disturbed bassist John Moyer, former Dio drummer Simon Wright, keyboard player Randy Gane and guitarists Kelly Gray and Scott Moughton. Brian Tichy also drums for the band and Megadeth's David Ellefson appears on the album as a guest. Watch the trailer here.




Aerosmith's Steven Tyler To Premiere New Video On TV(hennemusic)


Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler will debut the video for his solo country single, "Love Is Your Name", on ABC-TV's Good Morning America this Friday, July 3.
Tyler confirms the clip is scheduled for broadcast in the 7:00 AM hour of the program. The singer has been in Nashville since January working with songwriters on material for his debut solo album on Big Machine Records' affiliated label Dot Records.

Tyler issued the single to radio last month and delivered the debut live performance of the tune on the May 13 season 14 finale of American Idol. Written by Lindsey Lee and Eric Paslay, "Love Is Your Name" debuted on the US Billboard charts at No. 33 on the Country Airplay listings.

Tyler is currently on the road with Aerosmith as part of the Boston band's 15-date Blue Army tour, which opened in Glendale, Arizona on June 13. Stream Tyler's new single here.




Lamb Of God Release 'Overlord' Video(TeamRock Radio)


Lamb Of God have release a music video for the track Overlord. It's taken from their album VII: Sturm Und Drang which will be released on July 24 via Nuclear Blast.
Frontman Randy Blythe says of the track: "I wrote the song about the dangers of self-obsession in our distressingly myopic and increasingly entitled 'me-now/now-me' culture. Just like the couple in the video, many people can't seem to look past their own relatively small problems to see the bigger picture: the world is in serious trouble.

"Sometimes things just don't work out the way we want them to - deal with it. People who only see their own problems eventually wind up alone because no one wants to hear their crap. We all know someone like that, always whining and complaining about some inconsequential setback as if it were the apocalypse. This song is for those people." Watch the video here.



Robert Plant's 'Doreen: The Movie' Cameo Clip Goes Online(Radio.com)

Way back in the year 2000, Almost Famous was notably the first film to get the go-ahead from Led Zeppelin to use their music in a film. 15 years later, the former Zep frontman Robert Plant is going a step further and appearing in the upcoming British indie comedy, Doreen: The Movie.
The film, which is based on a popular YouTube character played by Gill Jordan that's inspired from a Birmingham Mail columnist, is using the cameo prominently in the movie's promotion, revealing Plant's appearance in the preview clip.

In the film, Plant plays an asphalt salesman from, wait for it, Black Dog Tarmac Ltd. When rejected for the sale of his product, he leaves a business card reading "Your 'Driveway to Heaven.'" Doreen never gets up to see Plant, despite the fact she is reading a magazine devoted to him. The film opens in the UK on October 17. Watch Plant's cameo from the film here.



Cradle Of Filth Streaming New Song 'Enshrined In Crematoria'(TeamRock Radio)


Cradle Of Filth have made their track Enshrined In Crematoria available to stream. The song is taken from their 11th album Hammer Of The Witches, which is released on July 10 via Nuclear Blast.
Frontman Dani filth says: "Lyrically, the track Enshrined In Crematoria is hilted in the legendary Ark Of The Tragedian, the poet's Holy Grail. It is the author's inspiration personified as a tombed angel, much like that of Poe's pale obsession, and the magical 'midnight' ritual wherein she is conjured forth as a reincarnation of his lost love, to provide forbidden artistic sustenance.

"It is imagination's utter peak and fuel for a literal literary madman. Enshrined In Crematoria is at essence the first of guitarist Richard Shaw's contributions to the new album, before the full band took it by the teeth and spat it into light." Stream the new song here.




Bill Ward Not Happy With Black Sabbath's Iron Man Results(Classic Rock)


Estranged Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward says he never stops listening back to his recorded work - and wishes he could improve certain aspects. The most famous example, he says, is Sabbath's Iron Man, from 1970 album Paranoid.
Ward tells LA Radio Sessions: "However, it is true to say that I still am listening to mixes. Probably the most famous one is the bass-drum sound on Iron Man.

"I'm still not happy with the f***ing bass-drum sound. But I let it go. I have let it go. But it's, like, that bass-drum sound, I wanted it to be so much bigger and better." Read more here.




Atreyu Reveal The Release Details For Long Live Album(TeamRock Radio)


Atreyu have confirmed the release date of their sixth album Long Live. It'll be issued via Spinefarm Records on September 18 and is the follow-up to 2009's Congregation Of The Damned. The band marked the announcement with a 15-second teaser.
They reformed in 2014 following a three-year hiatus to record the new album, and issued the track So Others May Live in March. Vocalist Alex Varkatzas recently said of the record: "My brothers and I have made our best record yet. Can't wait to share it with you all."

Atreyu will play several dates later this year, including an appearance at the Reading and Leeds festivals in the UK. See the dates and watch the album's teaser video here.




Grateful Dead Launch Merch Trucks For 'Fare Thee Well' Shows(Radio.com)


As diehard Grateful Dead fans make the pilgrimage to Chicago for the band's three-night stand at Solider Field, they might want to clear some space on those credit cards for a unique shopping experience.
To coincide with the "Fare Thee Well: Celebrating 50 Years of Grateful Dead" shows happening July 3-5, two official Grateful Dead merchandise trucks will be driving around Chicago, setting up shop at various locations to sell licensed items exclusive to the trucks. Among the merch available will include t-shirts, hats, hoodies, jewelry, tote bags and more.

The trucks went into action beginning Tuesday (June 30) and will run through July 6. Fans looking to catch up with the Grateful Dead trucks in Chicago can track their movements and find location stops via the band's Twitter account, @GratefulDead, and by following the hashtag #GDtruckin. Read more here.




U2 Make Live Debut Of Rarity During Chicago Show(hennemusic)


U2 debuted the "Songs Of Innocence" bonus track, "The Crystal Ballroom", during their show in Chicago on Monday. The tune from the deluxe edition of the 2014 album appeared during the fourth of a five-night residency at the city's United Center as part of the group's "Innocence + Experience" tour.
"Right now we're going to do something we've never done before," said Bono. "There's a bunch of people that have been on the road since we started this tour. I have no idea how they're paying for it. I have no idea how they've skipped school and work, husbands and wives. But they've been on the road and they've been asking for one song, so we kinda nearly figured it out. We'll tell you about it before we play it. It's called 'The Crystal Ballroom.'

"The Crystal Ballroom was a punk club we used to play that was called McGonagle's in East Dublin," he continued. "But historically it's called the Crystal Ballroom. That's where, historically, my mother and father used to go. I thought it was a bit weird we ended up at a punk club where my mother and father used to make out. Something just a little funky about that, in a good way."

U2 will wrap up their Chicago residency on Thursday before heading to Toronto for a pair of dates next week; they'll play four concerts in Boston before wrapping up the current North America leg with an 8-show run at New York's Madison Square Garden. Watch video of the performance here.



Led Zeppelin Release Preview Video For Next Reissue(hennemusic)

Led Zeppelin have issued a video preview of the forthcoming expanded reissue of their 1979 album, "In Through The Out Door." Due July 31, the project features a companion disc of bonus material, including an unreleased rough mix of every track from the original album with early versions including working titles such as "The Hook" ("All My Love"), "The Epic" ("Carouselambra") and "Blot" ("I'm Gonna Crawl").
Led Zeppelin's eighth album, "In Through The Out Door" hit No. 1 on both sides of the Atalantic, topping the UK charts and the US Billboard 200 on its way to selling more than 6 million copies in the States alone.

The project is one of three albums set to be released that will wrap up a year-long reissues campaign by the group; also due is 1976's "Presence" and 1982's "Coda."

Led Zeppelin launched the extensive reissues series last June with their first three albums, "Led Zeppelin I", "Led Zeppelin II" and "Led Zeppelin III"; it continued last October with "Led Zeppelin IV" and "Houses Of The Holy"; and was followed by "1975's "Physical Graffiti" this past February. Watch the video here.




Lynyrd Skynyrd Release Preview For 'One More For The Fans'(hennemusic)


Lynyrd Skynyrd are previewing the July 24 release of "One More For The Fans", a 2CD/DVD set featuring highlights from an all-star tribute concert held at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta last November.
The event featured performances by Lynyrd Skynyrd as well as music legends and young talent, including Trace Adkins, Alabama, Gregg Allman, Blackberry Smoke, Cheap Trick, Charlie Daniels, Peter Frampton, Gov't Mule, Warren Haynes, John Hiatt, Randy Houser, Jason Isbell, Jamey Johnson, Aaron Lewis, moe., O.A.R., Robert Randolph and Donnie Van Zant.

"Hearing all of these incredible musicians sing our songs was unforgettable," says guitarist Gary Rossington. "It was a really special night and I'm so happy our fans will now get to enjoy the show at home."

As part of the campaign to save the Fox Theatre from demolition, Lynyrd Skynyrd recorded their 1976 live album, "One More From The Road", at the landmark theatre; the title of the tribute concert and release was inspired by that legendary album's title.

AXS TV will premiere "Lynyrd Skynyrd - One More For The Fans" on Sunday, July 19 at 8:00pm EST / 5:00pm PST. Check out the preview here.




Judas Priest Inspired By The Bands They Inspired(Classic Rock)


Judas Priest say listening to young metal bands keeps their own material fresh. And speaking at a press conference at Hellfest in France, guitarist Glenn Tipton reports he's proud to have had an influence on the current crop of up-and-coming artists - many of whom in turn have an impact on Priest's work.
He says: "I think there's still some great young bands around - we've got a lot of respect for the younger bands. You can still learn from them because they're creating new parts of heavy metal. Every year, every decade it changes but the backbone is still heavy metal.

"If we've inspired some young bands, that's great, and it makes us proud. We're not stupid, we listen to the young bands as well, and we learn from them. We don't copy them but we get inspired."

Tipton's view is markedly different from that of Slayer's Kerry King and KISS bassist Gene Simmons. Read more here.




Toundra Expand Tour Plans(Prog)


Toundra have announced an extra run of European dates. The gigs come on the back of their current tour which includes an appearance at Bristol's ArcTanGent festival on the weekend of August 20-22.
They'll kick off the string of new shows in September in Marseille, France, and will play London's Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen on November 9. The live dates are in support of latest album IV which Prog said featured "lulling post-rock soundscapes" and "distortion-pedal-to-the-metal plunges." It was issued in January via Superball Music.

The Spanish outfit said of the release: "IV is the result of a year of hard work - 12 months that went by extremely quickly. This is what we are, honest and straight, and we feel extremely proud."

Toundra recently released a video for the track Belenos. Watch the video and see the tour dates here.




Jonny Lang Standing On The Shoulders Of Blues Greats


The Blues Guitarist Jonny Lang says that playing the blues now that most of the greats of the genre are gone is like classical musicians still playing music written centuries ago.
He tells the Columbus Dispatch: "Classical musicians weren't around when Beethoven was going through whatever he was going through to make him write that music; they're standing on his shoulders when they perform."

Lang also reveals that while he can't experience what greats such as B.B. King went through in their early days, he can still appreciate it. The North Dakota native adds: "Culturally, I couldn't be further away from the fellows that this music was born from. I don't have that life experience, but I can imagine what it was like to the best of my ability." Read more here.




Devon Allman Gave His Son The Real Rolling Stones Experience


The Blues Devon Allman took his son to see the Rolling Stones on their US tour - but deliberately kept him away from experiencing any VIP treatment. Allman says his 15-year-old is used to watching him play - and has seen Devon's father Gregg in concert many times. But he wanted his son to experience a live show the way most people do.
He tells Oregon Live: "I'm like, 'It doesn't count when you're on the side of the stage and everything's free and there's no waiting in line and no sweating. I want to take you to a real concert, no VIP. You know, like, nosebleed seats and I want you to wait in line for an hour to get that t-shirt.'

"I just wanted him to experience a concert how it really is and he had a blast." Read more here.




Morbid Angel's Steve Tucker Reveals New Album Progress(TeamRock Radio)


Morbid Angel singer Steve Tucker says the band already have "five or six" songs written for their next album. Mainman Trey Azagthoth announced this month that vocalist/bassist Tucker was back for his third spell with the group, replacing David Vincent.
Drummer Tim Yeung and guitarist Destructhor have also left, leaving Tucker and Azagthoth as the only confirmed members. Tucker tells The Metal Magdalene With Jet:

"There's already songs written. I mean, I know that this news has just been released and it's new for people, but, actually, this is something that we've been talking about now since way back - I think before the beginning of the year.

"There's already five or six songs, and they're great Morbid Angel songs. I think the people will be very happy with the songs."

Tim Abrigg Jr.'s Rock and Roll News Of The Day!: Today's Day In Rock News!

Tim Abrigg Jr.'s Rock and Roll News Of The Day!: Today's Day In Rock News!: Guns N' Roses Have Enough Songs For '2 Or 3' New Albums(Classic Rock) Guns N' Roses have enough new material to r...

Today's Day In Rock News!

Guns N' Roses Have Enough Songs For '2 Or 3' New Albums(Classic Rock)

Guns N' Roses have enough new material to record "two or three albums" according to guitarist Richard Fortus. He and keyboard player Dizzy Reed say the follow-up to 2008's Chinese Democracy is coming along nicely as the band members have been trading digital files and working on the tracks. But they still can't say exactly when it'll be released.
Fortus tells VerdamMnis Magazine: "So much has been recorded, we could get two or three albums, seriously. We sent our files in all directions. We can't wait to put it out as soon as possible."

Reed adds: "It'll be good. When will it come out? We still don't know. Only Axl knows, but it is very secret. Be patient." Fortus said this month that he expects a GNR album out in 2016. Read more here.



Foo Fighters Tour Still On Despite Grohl's Broken Leg


The Foo Fighters have shot down speculation that they were going to cancel their North American summer tour due to Dave Grohl's broken leg. The tour will kick off with a 4th of July show in Washington D.C.
The band posted confirmation on their various social media pages that the show, the first of their North American tour, was going on as planned. They wrote, ""Can't f***ing wait for the 4th!!! See you at home, DC."

The "see you at home" reference appears to apply to Grohl who spent most of his youth in Springfield, VA, a suburb of Washington DC where the 4th of July concert is scheduled to take place at the RFK Stadium.

The concert will also feature performances from Buddy Guy, Gary Clark Jr., Heart, Joan Jett, LL Cool J featuring DJ Z-Trip, Trouble Funk and Trombone Shorty.

The band's publicist also confirmed that the full tour will still be happening by sending out a slightly altered tour routing under the heading "Foo Fighters begin North American tour dates with July 4th 20th Anniversary blowout."

The new routing shows that the band's originally scheduled concert on September 18th at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA has been moved to October 17th. As of early Tuesday morning the band's official site still showed original date. See the tour dates here.



Vivian Campbell Returns To Def Leppard Tour Despite Cancer(hennemusic)


Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell joined the band's newly-launched North American summer tour in Atlanta, GA on Sunday following news that his cancer had returned and video from the show has been posted online.
The group brought in Trixter guitarist Steve Brown in Campbell's place for the first few shows of the run - which opened in Tampa, FL last week - while he addressed his health issue with doctors.

First diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2013, the guitarist had returned to action this spring after undergoing a stem cell transplant last fall before receiving word that the cancer had reappeared.

Originally set to miss the first two shows of the tour, Campbell was unable to make it to the group's third stop - in Birmingham, AL - on Saturday. "Despite my every effort (including trying to charter a plane)," said the guitarist, "the gods conspired to keep me from playing in Birmingham last night. But I'm Irish and stubborn; I fear no man, no god, and no cancer. Even if I have to walk, I WILL see you in Atlanta."

Campbell says he will receive future cancer treatments to accommodate the tour schedule so he won't have to miss any more shows. Read more and see video and photo from Vivian's return here.


Yes Cofounder Jon Anderson Pays Tribute To Chris Squire


Former Yes singer Jon Anderson has posted an online tribute to his former bandmate Chris Squire, who died on Saturday (June 27th) after a battle with a rare form of leukemia.
Anderson who cofounded Yes with Squire in 1968 writes on his official website, "Chris was a very special part of my life; we were musical brothers. He was an amazingly unique bass player - very poetic - and had a wonderful knowledge of harmony.

"We met at a certain time when music was very open, and I feel blessed to have created some wonderful, adventurous, music with him. Chris had such a great sense of humor… he always said he was Darth Vader to my Obiwan. I always thought of him as Christopher Robin to my Winnie the Pooh.

"We travelled a road less travelled and I'm so thankful that he climbed the musical mountains with me. Throughout everything, he was still my brother, and I'm so glad we were able to reconnect recently. I saw him in my meditation last night, and he was radiant. My heart goes out to his family and loved ones.

"Love and light…..Jon"




Skyharbor And Frontman Daniel Tompkins Part Ways(Prog)


Daniel Tompkins has quit as frontman of Skyharbor after five years with the Indian prog outfit. Tompkins says he felt he was holding the band back from their full potential and that leaving is one of the most difficult decisions he's ever had to make.
The singer says: "I'm incredibly sad to be parting ways with my amazing friends Keshav, Devesh, Krishna and Aditya. We have collectively come to the decision that it is in the best interest of the group that I step down as the frontman of Skyharbor.

"From the very start I have put my heart and soul into the project but circumstances have made it clear that I am holding the band back from opportunities too good to miss. We all agree this is the best thing for everyone. We will always be close friends and I wish them only the best for the future." Read more here.




Shinedown Return With 'Cut The Cord' Video(Classic Rock)


Shinedown have released a video for their first new music in three years. The song Cut The Cord is taken from the band's upcoming fifth album. The follow-up to 2012's Amaryllis will be released later this year.
Frontman Brent Smith tells Billboard: "Cut The Cord is a wake up call reminding us all that we can control our own destiny by finding the courage and tenacity to destroy whatever it is that's holding us back.

"The process may not be pretty or perfect or even easy, but absolutely necessary. The song is brutally honest and unapologetic, which is what Shinedown has always been." Watch the video here.



U2 Break Out Rarity In Chicago(hennemusic)


U2 performed their 1981 track, "Gloria", for the first time in 10 years during their show in Chicago on Sunday night and HD video footage of the performance has been posted online.
"We're a band from the north side of Dublin called U2," said Bono as an introduction. "This is the first time we've played this song in about 20 years."

Last played live in December of 2005, the single from "October" was the second song of the third night of a five-night residency at the United Center as part of the group's "Innocence + Experience" tour.

Following their Chicago stop, U2 will play two dates in Toronto and four in Boston before wrapping up the current North America leg with an 8-show run at New York's Madison Square Garden.

After a five-week break, U2 will return to the road when they begin a European tour in Turin, Italy on September 4. Watch the video of the Gloria performance video here.




Till Lindemann Confirms Rammstein Return Plans(Classic Rock)


Rammstein frontman Till Lindemann has confirmed the band will get back to work in September. This month, Peter Tagtgren - who works with the Rammstein singer in his side project Lindemann - said his bandmate would return to his other group in a few months.
And now Lindemann has confirmed that is the case, although he's not sure whether they will put out an album or an EP, or go straight into a touring cycle first.

Lindemann tells Rock Sverige: "Rammstein gets together again in September and we have to look for a new rehearsal room. We used to play in this old and famous club, the Knaack Club, but they closed it down because of neighbours and some bullsh*t, so we have to find something new.

"Maybe we go straight back into touring or an EP or a full album, I don't know." Read more here.




Disturbed Believe New Album Will Be Worth The Wait(TeamRock Radio)


Disturbed say their upcoming album Immortalized will be worth the wait. The band announced the end of their four-year hiatus last week and will release their first album since 2010's Asylum on August 21.
Guitarist Dan Donegan says: "I think the fans will feel like it was worth the wait. We've been planning this for the past year and keeping it a secret so we can't wait to hear the response.

"I hope fans realize we have a lot more left in us. This album reassured me of that. To be away from it for almost five years, get back in a room, write together, and tap into that fire is awesome. Part of me didn't want to leave the studio.

"We still have a lot more to say - we still have a lot more to do. We're returning stronger than ever. I think Immortalized shows that." Read more here.




KISS Guitarist Hopeful For New Album(TeamRock Radio)


Tommy Thayer remains hopeful that KISS will record a new album - even if Paul Stanley isn't so sure. Stanley said in May that he doesn't think it's necessary for the band to put out a follow-up to 2012's Monster. However, his bandmate Gene Simmons said the following day that Kiss would issue their 21st album in 2016.
And guitarist Thayer seems to back Simmons' assessment. He tells Mariskal Rock: "I hope so. But I can tell you that nothing's planned. But it doesn't necessarily mean that we won't do one either.

"I know that you've heard different things from different people. And, hey, people can change their minds and have a different outlook next week or another month.

"If it is decided to do another record, suddenly we can be in the studio within a month. But there are no plans right now, but I wouldn't say it's completely out of the question." Read more here.



Dave Grohl Couldn't Watch Kurt Cobain Documentary(Classic Rock)


Dave Grohl says he couldn't watch the Kurt Cobain documentary as he knew some of the footage would upset him. The Foo Fighters frontman and former Nirvana drummer was interviewed for Brett Morgen's hit film Cobain: Montage Of Heck, but the footage never made the final edit.
And as he lay in bed with his wife recently, she flicked on to HBO which was showing the documentary. But after watching 10 minutes of it, he became "terrified" of what some of the darker footage might have done to his state of mind.

Grohl tells the Washington Post: "All the footage of him as a child, I think that might make me sad, and then the dark stuff at the end I think would bum me out." Read more here.




Slayer's Kerry King Laments Today's Lack Of Guitar Heroes(Classic Rock)


Slayer's Kerry King says today's rock scene is sadly lacking in guitar heroes. The guitarist doesn't think many of today's up-and-coming or established rock acts have guitar players who other musicians aspire to be like.
He tells LA Weekly: "During the decade before Slayer, and decade after, there were guitar heroes. Ted Nugent, Eddie Van Halen, Randy Rhoads, Dave Murray, Glenn Tipton, Tony Iommi. Later on, there was Yngwie Malmsteen. You had guys in the 90s like Zakk Wylde and Dimebag Darrell - people that you would aspire to be."

King recalls a conversation he and fellow Slayer member Gary Holt had at a recent festival, in which both lamented the lack of a "vibe" being shown by one act.

He adds: "We were at a festival in South America a few years ago and we were watching a video feed of the band that was playing onstage. I was watching the screen and I just did not get why this band was popular at all." Read more here.



Iron Maiden's Steve Harris Releases Live Video From British Lion(hennemusic)

Iron Maiden bassist and founder Steve Harris has released a live video for the track "Eyes Of The Young" from his solo project British Lion. First issued in 2012, the record features Richard Taylor on vocals, David Hawkins on guitar and keys, Grahame Leslie on guitar, and Simon Dawson on drums.
Harris will take British Lion on the road for a full UK tour this summer with dates starting July 29 in Harlow. "As Maiden fans know," says Harris, "the band is unable to tour this year so I thought I'd do some British Lion live dates and make it a full UK tour this time round so we could get to places we didn't get a chance to play during the previous tours.

"We have a lot of fun doing the British Lion shows and we're playing clubs again, to keep that same vibe and intimacy which the fans seem to love as much as we do. We have some new songs in the set-list, so are really looking forward to getting out there and seeing everyone!"

Iron Maiden's plans have been on hold for several months following word that singer Bruce Dickinson was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor at the back of his tongue that needed to be removed. Dickinson underwent surgery and chemotherapy this spring and was given the all-clear last month that the cancer had been successfully addressed.

On July 3, Iron Maiden will be presented with the 2015 O2 Silver Clef Award by UK charity Nordoff Robbins at their 40th anniversary gala, in recognition of the band's "outstanding contribution to UK music."

The honor also recognizes the group as one of the most globally successful and influential rock bands of all time, with more than 90 million albums sold worldwide. Watch the video here.




The Who Release Classic Performance Video From Shea Stadium 1982(hennemusic)


The Who are celebrating the release of "Live At Shea Stadium 1982" with a performance video of their 1971 classic, "Behind Blue Eyes", from the package.
Now available on DVD, SD Blu-ray and digital formats, the set features the second show of the group's two-night stand at New York's Shea Stadium in the fall of 1982.

On the road in support of tenth album, "It's Hard", the trek was the last to feature Kenney Jones on drums. The run was also billed as the band's farewell tour, which wrapped up with two concerts at Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens - the second of which was broadcast live on radio and via pay-per-view.

The Who went on to tour again in 1989, 1996, 2000 and several times since. The group played at the Glastonbury festival on Sunday as part of their 50th anniversary farewell tour, "The Who Hits 50!", and wrap up a short series of European dates on June 29.

A fall North American run starts September 14 in San Diego, CA. Watch the video here.


Judas Priest and Michael Schenker's Temple Of Rock Plan Fall Tour(hennemusic)

Judas Priest have announced dates for a late fall tour of the UK. The 6-show run, with guests Michael Schenker's Temple Of Rock, opens in Bradford on November 23.
The band are on the road in support of their 2014 album, "Redeemer Of Souls." The record marked guitarist Richie Faulkner's studio debut with Priest; he replaced founding member K.K. Downing following his retirement in 2011.

The project delivered the UK metal legends the first US Top 10 of their career. "Redeemer Of Souls" debuted last summer at No. 6 on the US Billboard 200 with 33,000 copies sold, surpassing the group's previous chart peak of No. 11 with 2008's "Nostradamus."

Judas Priest are currently playing a mixture of shows in Europe and the US over the summer, including several festival dates. See the tour dates here.




Faith No More Cover The Foo Fighters 'All My Life'(Radio.com)


In their early days, Faith No More's frontman Mike Patton was as likely to make fun of other bands as to say anything nice about them. More likely, actually. He's a guy who mocked Guns N Roses and Metallica continuously while opening for them on tour, and he ribbed the Red Hot Chili Peppers often through the years, despite showing a pretty blatant Anthony Kiedis influence on FNM's most successful album, The Real Thing.
But maybe he's mellowed a bit, or maybe he just felt bad about Dave Grohl's recent stage injury, in which he broke his leg and had to cancel a string of European tour dates, potentially costing the Foo Fighters millions.

Whatever the case may be, Patton and Faith No More paid tribute to the Foos for a few seconds during the breakdown of FNM's 1992 classic "Mid Life Crisis," by throwing in a bit of the Foos' 2002 classic "All My Life" (before going into yet another classic, the Trashmen's 1963 "Surfin' Bird," popularized by the Ramones).

Watch the performance here.




Dennis Svensson Releases Song Featuring Former Tesseract Frontman(Prog)


Dennis Svensson has issued a track featuring former Tesseract frontman Ashe O'Hara exclusively through TeamRock. Svensson is a member of metal outfit Deceptic - but Arbitration is his first solo release.
O'Hara says: "This song is about a difference between factions and the idea of knowing exactly what you need but not being the one in control - a dictatorship almost. Having someone else in control of your future is a frustrating thing and I think it's something we all experience first-hand at least once."

Svensson adds: "I started to write the track in January, and listened a lot to Ashe's solo stuff in that period. So Ashe was the first singer I had in mind for the song, and I wrote a lot of parts and harmonies with his voice in mind."

The guitarist says he plans on recording more material with other guest singers and adds: "I'll work together with Ashe on a track like this in the not so distant future because he's an incredible singer." Read more and stream the song here.




Alice Cooper Jams Classic Song With Michael Monroe(hennemusic)


Former Hanoi Rocks frontman Michael Monroe joined Alice Cooper for his 1972 classic, "School's Out", at the Tuska festival in Helsinki, Finland on Sunday and video of the jam has been posted online.
Cooper's encore with Monroe wrapped up a 24-song set the event as the shock rocker performs on his Raise The Dead tour. "Hey, had a FANTASTIC time with Alice Cooper tonight at the Tuska Festival in Helsinki!!," posted Monroe after the show. "Thank You, Alice! Thank You Toby, the Band & the entire crew & everybody there! Good times!!"

Monroe will release his 10th studio album, "Blackout States", on October 16. Produced by Chips Kiesbye (Hellacopters, Nomads) in Gothenburg, Sweden and mixed by Petri Majuri in Helsinki, the project is the follow-up to the 2013 Finnish chart-topper "Horns And Halos." Check out video of the jam and see a photo Alice Cooper shared here.



Thy Art Is Murder Went With Reality For New Album(TeamRock Radio)


Thy Art Is Murder's Andy Marsh says the band decided to ditch lyrics based on "fantasy and gore" in favour of "real" issues on their latest album. The Australian deathcore outfit released third album Holy War this week and last week made it available to stream in its entirety.
And guitarist Marsh says the lyrical content is based on reality rather than fiction - which the band believe makes it a heavier record than those that came before it.

Marsh tells Seattle Sound Live: "We decided a few years ago that for us at least, lyrics based in fantasy and gore weren't heavy to us anymore. We live on a real planet in real communities with real problems.

"We felt that those sorts of topics were more relevant to us and more relevant to everyone who is alive today and that we could bring an extra level of emotion and aggression to our music through that." Read more here.



BirdPen Release 'Alive' Music Video(Prog)


BirdPen have released a music video for their track Alive through Prog. The song comes from Mike Bird and Dave Pen's latest album In The Company Of Imaginary Friends which Prog magazine called a "truly remarkable work."
They previously issued a video for Equal Parts Hope And Dread. Pen tells the latest issue of Prog: "The album's about searching for the light - seeking freedom in a world that's spiraling out of control. It's easy to slip into the darkness in the modern world where things can be picture-perfect on the outside but there's a lot going on under the surface."

The pair are expected to announce tour dates in the near future while Pen launched his We Are Bodies side-project earlier this year with French-based composer Robin Foster. Watch the video here.



Young Guns Announce UK Headline Tour(TeamRock Radio)


Young Guns have announced a 13-date UK headline tour. They were previously confirmed for the Warped Tour date at London's Alexandria Palace on October 18 - now they play extra shows across the country in the same month.
Young Guns played a well received set at Download and take to the road next month for a run of UK gigs which includes appearances at the 2000 Trees festival and T In The Park.

The band are touring in support of Zeros And Ones - and frontman Gustav Wood revealed he's delighted to be playing live again after the release of their third album.

He said: "I'm excited for what comes afterwards - young again, playing festivals again. The whole process of being a band is about to start again, and that's really exciting."

Tim Abrigg Jr.'s Rock and Roll News Of The Day!: Today's Rock News!

Tim Abrigg Jr.'s Rock and Roll News Of The Day!: Today's Rock News!: Def Leppard Star Vivian Campbell's Cancer Returns(hennemusic) Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell has revealed that his...

Today's Rock News!

Def Leppard Star Vivian Campbell's Cancer Returns(hennemusic)


Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell has revealed that his cancer has returned. Campbell was first diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2013 and, after extensive chemotherapy treatments, has been battling the health issue both on and off the road after undergoing a stem cell transplant last fall.
"I'm saddened by the fact that my cancer has returned," says Campbell. "However, I'm beyond consolation that it's return will prevent me from being able to do my job for a while. I'm still working on a schedule of treatment with my doctors, but I will see you all very soon. My apologies."

Def Leppard are scheduled to kick off a North American tour with Styx and Tesla in Tampa, FL on June 23. At press time, the band had yet to announce plans for the trek without Campbell; last fall, the group brought in Steve Brown of Trixter to perform a series of dates in his absence from the lineup.

On June 2, Campbell revealed he was experiencing his first illness since the transplant. "Oslo tonight, and I have a sniffle," he wrote. "This is the first time I've been ill since the stem cell transplant and it's hit me rather hard; I feel very weak, so apologies to all who expected more of me tonight. Going back to the hotel to sleep." Read more here.




Sammy Hagar Slams Eddie Van Halen Over Controversial Interview(hennemusic)



Sammy Hagar has slammed Eddie Van Halen as a liar after the guitarist made disparaging remarks about former Van Halen bassist and vocalist Michael Anthony in a new interview with Billboard.
"Every note Mike ever played, I had to show him how to play," Van Halen tells Billboard. "Before we'd go on tour, he'd come over with a video camera and I'd have to show him how to play all the parts."

Eddie also downplayed Anthony's role in the Van Halen sound, saying "Mike's voice is like a piccolo trumpet. But he's not a singer. He just has a range from hell. Mike was just born with a very high voice. I have more soul as a singer than he does. And you know, people always talk about Mike's voice on Van Halen songs, but that's a blend of Mike's voice and my voice. It's not just him."

For his part, Anthony took the high road when asked by Billboard to react to Eddie's claims. He said, "I am proud to say that my bass playing and vocals helped create our sound. I've always chosen to take the high road and stay out of the never-ending mudslinging, because I believe that it ultimately ends up hurting the Van Halen fans."

Hagar, however, was not so kind in issuing a statement of his own defending Anthony, who he has continued to work with in Chickenfoot and The Circle. "It's really irritating to see them go after Mikey," responds Hagar. "Mikey didn't do anything - ever - to Van Halen. Mikey was the most loyal guy in the band. He was the first guy there at rehearsal, the last guy to leave, the guy that was… the first guy at the gig, the guy that flew the… carried the banner, the flag, the VH banner… he carried it every night. And the horseman with the flag, the flagman on the horse in the calvary. That was Michael Anthony, okay?! [He was] a hundred percent dedicated. [He] never did anything to hurt those guys. And they try to hurt him again, and again, and again.

"For Eddie to say he had to show Michael what to play and had to teach him all those songs, that is the biggest line of bullsh*t I've ever heard in my life," Hagar continued. "I was in that band for eleven years, and there was never a video camera involved of Eddie showing him what to play. Eddie would tell him what to play once in a while, and say, 'No, Mike, don't play with that many notes. Just stay on one note - boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom - so that I can f*** up and nobody will know it.' It was that kind of sh*t.

"And I am telling you straight up, especially on the '04 reunion tour, if Mike would have played any more than one note, it would have been showing that Eddie wasn't playing the right chords again and again and again; I couldn't sing to 'em, you couldn't play bass to 'em. So… that is a lot of bullsh*t.

"I don't know why they go after him like that," he added. "He doesn't deserve it. He's one of the greatest rock and roll bass players ever in the world. Michael Anthony is Top 5 rock and roll bass player in the world. Any bass player will tell you that, any musician will tell you that. Listen to him play on The Circle. He ain't going 'boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom' unless it was called for.

"Michael Anthony is a bad motherf***er. F*** you, Eddie Van Halen, for saying that about Mikey. You're a liar." Read more and see Hagar's video here.




Slipknot Plan To Take 2-Year Break(TeamRock Radio)


Slipknot plan to take a two-year break after their current touring schedule comes to an end. The metal giants are out on the road in support of fifth album .5: The Gray Chapter - named in honor of late bassist Paul Gray - and recently headlined the Main Stage at Download.
Percussionist Shawn 'Clown' Crahan recently said the follow-up could arrive as early as 2017, but frontman Corey Taylor expects it to be a little later than that.

Taylor tells Rock Sverige: "We're gonna finish touring and then we're gonna take a couple of years off again to let everything chill. I'm gonna go do my thing, everybody else's gonna go do their thing.

"I know Clown's got movies that he wants to make, which is very cool. He just wrapped his first feature a couple of months ago, which I'm pretty stoked for him about." Read more here.




Gene Simmons Blames Fans Not Labels For Music's Downfall(TeamRock Radio)


Gene Simmons has defended record labels, insisting bands like KISS wouldn't have existed without them. Repeating his view that "the fans are killing music" via illegal downloads, the Kiss bassist adds that record labels were once the only business model in the world that gave money to artists without them ever having to pay it back.
He tells Planet Rock: "Record companies were a gift from heaven. Yeah, they're greedy, but they wanna make money just like you do. But they gave you money - millions. And if it wasn't for record companies, there'd be no Sex Pistols, there'd be no punk, there'd be no nothing. There would be punk, but it would be in a small club. It would never become huge.

"Record companies gave bands money that they never had to pay back. If the band failed and the records were a complete disaster, the advance money was all yours. What other business would give you that? If you go to a bank and they give you a million dollars, and your business goes under, they don't care it failed - they want their money back."

On how the fans are to blame, Simmons adds: "I blame the fans. Because the fans have decided en masse that they should get free music, download, fileshare." Read more here.




Slayer Streaming 'Repentless' Title Track(Classic Rock)


Slayer have revealed the tracklist for upcoming 11th album 'Repentless' and released an online stream of the album's title track via a new visualizer video to coincide with the digital release of the single.
The band's first album in six years is issued on September 11 via Nuclear Blast and is their first since the death of guitarist Jeff Hanneman. They recently unveiled the album artwork and the contents of the limited edition Metal Eagle boxset version.

A stream of title track - described by Kerry King as his "Hannemanthem" in tribute to the late guitarist . King says: "I wrote that for Jeff. It's fast as f*** - you don't know what the f***'s coming." Check out the stream here.


Aerosmith's Joe Perry Doesn't Remember Spat With Rush(Classic Rock)


Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry has said he doesn't recall his band treating Rush badly on tour - but he hopes he apologized. The prog icons have previously discussed how they were denied sound checks and had their volume cut while they supported Steven Tyler and co in the 1970s.
Rolling Stone this week repeated a long-standing story that, when the Joe Perry Project later supported Rush, frontman Geddy Lee made sure they were well-treated and told the guitarist: "I would never want anyone to feel the way we did when we opened for you." Lee says he doesn't remember the conversation, but that Perry apologised.

Now the guitarist has responded, telling Rolling Stone: "Frankly, I don't remember playing with Rush." But he adds: "The competition between bands was stiff, the competition between crews even stiffer, so I don't doubt Geddy's word."

He says Aerosmith were always given "the short end of the stick" when they opened for English bands, and so he always told their crew to "take care of our openers." Read more here.



Northlane Frontman Has Emergency Surgery(TeamRock Radio)



Northlane have cut their European tour short after frontman Marcus Bridge underwent emergency surgery last week. They haven't revealed details of his condition, but report that he's expected to make a full recovery.
The Australian outfit played an instrumental set in Dessau, Germany, for fans who were unable to change travel plans in time. But they won't appear as planned at Graspop in Belgium today or at the Southside Festival in Germany tomorrow.

Northlane said last night: "Marcus had been feeling increasingly ill over the last few days, causing us to seek medical assistance. It was revealed he had an issue that needed to be operated on immediately due to a high risk of the problem getting worse.

"While we can't go into specifics, we can tell you that he will be absolutely fine. We will be skipping the festivals and waiting for Marcus to heal before heading back home to Australia together." Read more here.




Mastodon Release 'Asleep In The Deep' Video(hennemusic)


Mastodon are premiering the video for "Asleep In The Deep", the latest single from their 2014 album, "Once More 'Round The Sun." Directed by Video Rahim and co-directed by special effects guru Shane Morton and Oakland, CA-based artist Skinner, the clip tells the psychedelic journey of a house cat who unknowingly travels into a bizarre gypsy catacomb where it encounters a giant bullfrog, a three-headed evil rat king, cat gnomes, cheese slaves and a warrior squirrel.
"This concept was birthed out of my curiosity about what a cat really does at night while we are asleep," explains Skinner. "Where do they go? Cats have a very mysterious myth to them and I thought it would be cool to explore that, as little nocturnal heroes.

"I decided to put a sort of Joseph Campbell hero myth spin on it and add some Jodorowsky psychedelia as well. I'm more than excited about the way it came out! I love it!"

Mastodon recently wrapped up a North American tour with Clutch and are currently playing dates in Europe, where they'll perform throughout the summer. Watch the new video here.




Dave Mustaine's Symphony Experience Impacted New Megadeth Album(Classic Rock)


Dave Mustaine says playing with classically trained musicians has had an impact on his work on the upcoming 15th Megadeth album. Mustaine worked with the San Diego Symphony in April 2014 and reckons that experience will shine through on the follow-up to 2013's Super Collider, which is due out later this year.
And as well as the more refined edge to the new material, he says it'll be "aggressive" and "dark" keeping fans of the band's heavier work happy. Mustaine tells Guitar World: "I think a lot of people are gonna be happy, because the music is really aggressive again. There's nothing too out of the ordinary on the record. I think probably the most noticeable thing will be how my playing with the San Diego Symphony affected some of my guitar work.

"Learning Vivaldi and Bach and all that, there's some stuff on the album where you can tell that made an impression on me. These songs are definitely very dark." Read more here.




Angry Music Brings Happiness Finds New Study(Classic Rock)


Music with angry lyrics can help calm listeners down and make them feel happier, a study has suggested. Researchers in Australia have concluded that aggressive lyrics from tracks like Slipknot's Opium Of The People and Tesseract's Of Matter - Retrospect actually help relax listeners.
University of Queensland honours student Leah Sharman and Genevieve Dingle, doctor of psychology, deliberately angered test subjects by asking them to recall frustrating or irritating events in their lives. They were then given the option of listening to 10 minutes of music of their choice, or spending the same time in silence.

They report that those who listened to heavy music became "inspired" and "mellow" after their listening sessions. Sharman says: "It was interesting that half of the chosen songs contained themes of anger or aggression, with the remainder containing themes like isolation and sadness.

"Yet participants reported they used music to enhance their happiness, immerse themselves in feelings of love and enhance their wellbeing." Read more here.





Late AC/DC Singer Bon Scott's Close Friend Looks Back(TeamRock Radio)


Late AC/DC icon Bon Scott has been recalled as a hard worker with strong ethics by close friend Peter Head. The pair knew each other for five years in the 1970s. They toured Australia as members of separate bands, then worked together in the Mount Lofty Rangers, before Scott became frontman of Malcolm and Angus Young's outfit.
This year marks the 35th anniversary of his death after a drinking session in London. Head tells Classic Rock's Rod Yates: "The very first time I met Bon he was a worker, mowing lawns and picking up rubbish. He'd work really hard, fast and efficiently - I thought, 'Wow, this guy has got direction in his life.'

"You could see he wasn't your average person, no matter what he did. He also had a sense of humour. He'd be cracking jokes and doing funny things. He worked hard, he was funny and he had a good sense of ethics."

Head remembers how Scott went out of his way to find unusual ways of doing things. "If there was as staircase he wouldn't walk down the stairs, he'd slide down the bannister. That sense of being a clown stayed with him - it's one of the main things about AC/DC.

"He did outrageous things. He was on Countdown dressed as a girl smoking a huge cigarette which looked suspiciously like a joint. Other people would think about it but they wouldn't do it." Read more here.




Lacuna Coil Singer Reveals New Album Plans(TeamRock Radio)



Lacuna Coil plan to start recording their eighth album later this year, and aim to release it in 2016. The Italian outfit recently described the material that'll appear on the follow-up to 2014's Broken Crown Halo as "heavier" - but with a more "electronic" feel.
Vocalist Andrea Ferro tells TotalRock in a new video interview clip from this year's Download festival: "By the time we record it, promote it and put it out, it's going to be two years from the previous one.

"We have a lot of music right now, and we're just starting with the vocals. We're going to keep going, recording at the end of the year and release it next year. That's the plan."

Lacuna Coil played at this month's Download festival. Their final date for this year is at Eindhoven Effenar in the Netherlands on October 16. Stream the full interview clip here.





Thunder Release 'Black Water' Video(Classic Rock)



Thunder have released a video for their latest single Black Water. The track is taken from the album Wonder Days, released earlier this year. The follow-up to 2008's Bang debuted at no.9 in the UK chart in February.
In the clip for Black Water, the band are seen in the studio and onstage. Thunder had to cancel a gig in Paris this week after frontman Danny Bowes was struck down with a viral infection.

They say: "We're told Paris will be re-scheduled, later in the year. Once again apologies to those who bought tickets for that show." Earlier this month they played the Encore stage at Download. They'll play a number of European shows this summer, including a support slot for ZZ Top at Wembley, London. See the dates and watch the video here.





Praying Mantis Announce New Album 'Legacy'(Classic Rock)



NWOBHM veterans Praying Mantis have announced their 10th album will be released in August. The new album, entitled Legacy, will be release on August 21 via Frontiers Music.
It is their first album to feature Dutch duo, vocalist John Cuijpers and drummer Hans Zandt. The lineup is rounded out by guitarists Tino Troy and Andy Burgess, along with bassist Chris Troy.

It will be the follow-up to 2009's Sanctuary. Tino Troy says: "We had some great laughs doing this album, as usual. But at the same time we took it very seriously to get the right sound." See the artwork and track details here.

More on Praying Mantis - Praying Mantis Music, DVDs, Books and more - Praying Mantis T-shirts and Posters
Slayer's Kerry King Talks Return Of Paul Bostaph(Classic Rock) Slayer guitarist Kerry King says it was easy to bring back drummer Paul Bostaph for a third stint. He replaced original sticksman Dave Lombardo again in 2013, and appears on the band's 11th album Repentless, due in September.
King tells Fuse: "Paul's a machine. I don't worry about him at all. He would never have been out of Slayer if he didn't quit twice. It was never over anything personal. He was always my friend so it was very easy for him to come back and be a part again."

He adds that there's a "weird" coincidence surrounding Bostaph's return. "The new album comes out September 11 again, and the last time we put out a record on September 11 it was God Hates Us All, and that was the last record Paul was on. It's kind of like lost time for him." Read more here.





Pink Floyd's Dark Side Named Top Prog Album Of All Time(Prog)



Pink Floyd classic The Dark Side Of The Moon has been named the best prog album of all time by Rolling Stone magazine. The 1973 epic - which has sold over 50 million copies worldwide and topped many previous lists - leads a top 10 that also includes King Crimson, Rush, Yes, Genesis and Jethro Tull.
Eight of the chart-toppers were released during the first half of the 1970s, with only Crimson's In The Court Of The Crimson King and Rush's Moving Pictures coming from other decades.

And only eight later-generation prog acts make the magazine's top 50 - The Mars Volta at number 25, Opeth at 28, Dream Theater at 29, Tool at 33, Porcupine Tree at 39, Meshuggah at 42, Marillion at 47 and Ruins at 49.

Rolling Stone say of Dark Side: "Easily the peak of prog rock's commercial success, Pink Floyd's lean concept album has soundtracked countless planetarium light shows and just as many critical unpackings." Read more and see the top 10 list here.





Pierce The Veil Stream New Song 'The Divine Zero'(TeamRock Radio)


Pierce The Veil have made their single The Divine Zero available to stream and buy. The song is from the Californian band's as-yet-untitled upcoming fourth album.
Singer Vic Fuentes says: "This first single, The Divine Zero, goes out to all of our incredibly supportive fans out there who have been waiting for it. There is nothing more special to us than being able to share new music with all of you, and this is the very first glimpse into our upcoming album.

"We're looking forward to playing this song live and singing along with all of you at the Vans Warped Tour this summer. See you at the shows." The track can be purchased now via digital retailers and streamed here.





The Devil Wears Prada Reveal Space EP Details(TeamRock Radio)



The Devil Wears Prada have given more details of their upcoming EP Space. The six-track CD will be issued on August 21 via Rise Records and marks their first official release since 2013's 8:18. As previously announced, the lead track will be Supernova, which is now available to stream below.
The band issued the Zombie EP in 2010 and they say they learned lessons that have been used in making Space.

Vocalist Mike Hranica says: "We learned a lot from the Zombie EP. We wanted each song on the Space EP to have a specificity about it, to have its own identity separate from the others, to have its own sound, but still have them all united in concept. We talked about a lot of different themes, but 'space' just felt right.

"Making this EP was a great experience because it allowed me to open up my imagination and creativity, not to be hindered by having too much knowledge of the subject and become overly analytical, being able to write a more fictional narrative. We really look forward to making more records like this." Read more here.




Chris Braide Explains Launch Of This Oceanic Feeling Project(Prog)



Award-winning songwriter and producer Chris Braide has revealed how his prog project This Oceanic Feeling was born in an exclusive Prog video. The trio features acclaimed session drummer Ash Soan and veteran bassist Lee Pomeroy, and they'll launch debut album Universal Mind on July 17.
The concept was inspired when Braide and Soan, who'd been members of The Producers with Trevor Horn, wanted to work together again. Braide says: "I started writing songs last November about dualism - ego death and the fight between the fake self and the real self. These songs started pouring out so I got in touch with Ash.

"It started sounding like a band. We got Lee involved. He's an amazing bass player who's played with everybody worth playing with." He describes the results as "glossy pop with good production," adding: "There are references to things like Yes' 90125, these big shiny pop records. We were all influenced by that and wanted to make our own." Watch the video here.





Mantra Vega (Mostly Autumn - Sound of Contact)


Premiere 'Islands' Video(Prog) Mantra Vega, featuring ex Mostly Autumn vocalist Heather Findlay and former Sound Of Contact man Dave Kerzner, have premiered their debut video with Prog.
Island appears on their album The Illusion's Reckoning, set for launch on October 5. It features musicians Dave Kilminster, Chris Johnson, Alex Cromarty and Stu Fletcher.

Findlay recalls feeling a "huge wave of healing energy" as she heard Kerzner's instrumental track for the first time. She tells Prog: "A lush, mysterious, musical cocktail of uplift and joy was playing out before me. It somehow rang with a tiny hint of wistfulness and seemed to perform a series of inner resets. Through a slightly teary haze I realised this band was to be no ordinary collaboration."

Kerzner adds: "We enjoyed making the video on a sunny day at the beach. The weather, the location, and Heather and I having fun on camera represented the good vibes and layered meaning of the lyrics.

"The idea behind the song is that we can go to a peaceful unreachable place - an island in our minds or the silence within - when the chaos of everyday life gets to us." Watch the video here.





Faith No More's Billy Gould Surprised At Sol Invictus Reaction(Classic Rock)



Faith No More's Billy Gould says he keeps expecting the band's latest album to be bashed by critics. So far, he says, the reaction to Sol Invictus has been overwhelmingly positive - including scooping Best Album at last week's Metal Hammer Golden Gods ceremony - and adds that he's relieved that has been the case. But the bassist reckons a bad review is just around the corner.
He tells Kerrang: "It's a relief. We've always put out things and we don't know what the reaction is gonna be. But it is nice seeing something that gets received so well.

"I'm kind of wondering when the shoe's gonna drop and somebody's just gonna bash the sh*t out of this. Like, it's too good, the reaction. But no, it's fine. Great."

Gould adds that Faith No More are working on future touring plans to follow their 2015 dates, which currently run up to October. But they won't commit to more than they can handle. He says: "I think there will be some stuff, but we're doing this now in steps.

"Because one of our big things that we did wrong back in the day was commit to too much all at once. And we found ourselves sometimes in situations that we didn't choose to be in. We were stuck in them." Read more here.




Elvin Bishop's Parents Were Horrified With His Blues Ambition


The Blues Elvin Bishop has revealed he only accepted a scholarship to university in Chicago so he could learn the blues. And the veteran guitarist admits his parents, who'd lived through the Great Depression of the 1930s, were horrified when they discovered his plan.
He left his Oklahoma home to study physics, but spent much of his time touring the blues clubs of Chicago's Southside, picking up pointers for what would be a five-decade career In music.

Bishop tells the Greeley Tribune: "They were people of their time and place. Dropping out was the worst mistake in the world to them." He adds: "I wasn't necessarily living the blues, but I found out what the blues was all about - the connection of the music to real life." Read more here.





Counterparts, Senses Fail, Capsize Plan Fall Tour(TeamRock Radio)


Counterparts have announced a UK tour for October. Support comes from Senses Fail - who launch Pull The Thorns From Your Heart on June 29 - and Capsize.
They will be launching the tour in support of fifth album Tragedy Will Find Us. The follow-up to 2013's The Difference Between Hell And Home is to be launched on July 24 via Pure Noise Records.

The label say: "The records finds the band in their most honest and revealing state yet, with a level of raw emotion matched only by their fierce sonic assault." See the tour dates here.





Every Time I Die Announce UK Tour(TeamRock Radio)



Every Time I Die will return to the UK in November, with a tour that includes a run of intimate shows in London. Tour support comes from Superheaven and Muck.
They'll cross England and Scotland before delivering three gigs with three different setlists at London's Dome, Barfly and Underworld. Frontman Keith Buckley says:

"If you've ever been to an Every Time I Die show in the UK, you'll understand why we want to spend almost an entire month playing shows there. Intimate venues, cold pints, good mates. Don't miss out - these gigs will be ledge."

Meanwhile, one of the sketches Buckley co-wrote for Comedy Central has been broadcast and can be seen along with the tour dates here.




Breaking Benjamin Frontman Has Mystery Illness(TeamRock Radio)


Breaking Benjamin frontman Ben Burnley says he is still searching for answers over his long-standing health problems. The singer reformed the band last year with a new lineup and they release fifth album Dark Before Dawn on June 22. He has spoken previously of a number of phobias he has, as well as his battle with alcohol addiction.
Burnley tells Loudwire: "Unfortunately, I've gotten no answers from the medical community whatsoever. So I'm still very sick and I've tried everything i could to get to the bottom of my health issues, but the medical community hasn't helped me to find the answers.

"I'm pushing through because it is either lay down and give up or get up and play music for my fans. If I go down, I'll go down doing what I love for the people I love."

The band have a number of US tour dates lined up. See them here.





Singled Out: Rosetta's (Untitled V)Rosetta release their brand new album "Quintessential Ephemera" today (June 22nd) and celebrate we asked guitarist Matt Weed to tell us about the song "(Untitled V)". Here is the story:
"(Untitled V)" inadvertently ended up being a kind of love-letter to 90s rock. The intro riff was something that our new guitar player, Eric, came up with at home and then emailed to everyone. It had a dirgy Soundgarden quality to it that everyone liked, and we had actually covered a Soundgarden song ("4th of July") a few years before. As we worked on it, the song developed a weird alternating major/minor tonality that reminded everyone of Nine Inch Nails' The Fragile.

In the studio, we just threw in any and every ridiculous stunt we could think of. The song sprouted a bunch of unruly improvised guitar noise and barbershop quartet vocals and became something else entirely. We knew it would piss off some of our longtime fans, but it was just one of the most fun-to-play things we've written. Harmonically, it's new territory for the band, but still feels familiar because of how it harks back to the music that we loved when we were kids, just picking up guitars for the first time. It has an exuberance to it that's new for us.

It also spawned one of the more memorable lyrical motifs on Quintessential Ephemera, the repeating choral line "made out of nothing..." which in many ways encapsulates what the whole record is about. There's a lot of meditation on how transient and empty our digital lives are, how we spend all this time sculpting and curating online identities that have no basis in reality, and how we consume so much online media that we end up totally inert and never excited by anything. Eric originally wrote the line as "I came to find basically nothing," but during the demo process, Matt kept incorrectly singing "made out of nothing" over and over. Eventually, we liked the 'wrong' version enough that we kept the line in the song, and had everyone sing it together as a 3-part harmony. Because we could.