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!: Def Leppard Reveal New Album Details(hennemusic) Def Leppard has unveiled more details for their upcoming self-titled album. Fron...

Today's Day In Rock News!

Def Leppard Reveal New Album Details(hennemusic)

Def Leppard has unveiled more details for their upcoming self-titled album. Frontman Joe Elliott shared the 14-song tracklisting via a posting on Instagram on Monday.
"We made this record as an artistic statement that we'd be happy to play in 10 or 15 years in time and go 'You know what? That is a great record. That was a great period in our career'," says Elliott. "You just have to wait for the stars to be aligned. For this new album, they seemed to have been for us, because we all played and sang great and wrote well.

"There's some great variety on there. Every single aspect of anything we've ever wanted to put out - acoustic, heavy, soft, slow, fast - it's there. That's why we call it "Def Leppard" because, just like Queen were, we're capable of coming up with vastly different kinds of songs."

Def Leppard are currently playing dates on an extensive North American tour with Styx and Tesla. See Joe's post with the handwritten tracklisting here.



Jack White Denies Black Keys Bar Fight Story(Radio.com)

The ongoing feud between the Black Keys and Jack White cane to a climax Monday (Sept. 14) after Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney accused White of trying to pick an old-fashioned fight in a bar. Not a Twitter fight, mind you, but a fight in a bar in New York City.
To tell everyone about the encounter, Carney took to Twitter and blasted Jack White for allegedly trying to fight him. "I've never met jack white. Until last night' He came to a bar in Nyc I go to a lot with a few friends and tried to fight me', he wrote in Tweets that have since been deleted, but can be seen on Pitchfork. "I don't fight and don't get fighting but he was mad!!!'"

White, who had wished the Black Keys well in a 2014 open letter, was forced to issue another statement on Monday, in which he discredited Carney's account of events.

"Nobody tried to fight you, Patrick," he said in a statement to Pitchfork. "Nobody touched you or 'bullied' you. You were asked a question you couldn't answer so you walked away. So quit whining to the Internet and speak face to face like a human being. End of story." Read more here.


Iron Maiden Announce First Book Of Souls World Tour Dates(hennemusic)

Iron Maiden have announced dates for Australia and New Zealand, which are the first dates the band has revealed for their world tour in support of the newly-released album, "The Book Of Souls."
The 7-show run - with guests The Raven Age - will open in Christchurch, NZ on April 29 and hit Auckland on May 1 before playing 5 dates in Australia. Fanclub presales start on September 17, with tickets going onsale to the general public at noon on September 24.

"We cannot wait to get back out on tour," says singer Bruce Dickinson. "When we start in the USA in late February it will be 19 months since our last show at Sonisphere in the UK so we are raring to go. Maiden thrive on touring and getting out to our fans, it's what we do best, so it will be a great feeling to board our new Jumbo Ed Force One with the crew and the gear and head round the globe and get back on stage for you guys.

"We haven't played in Australia and New Zealand for a number of years so it will be a pleasure to play for our Antipodean cousins again, irrespective of who wins the dates with destiny at Twickenham in a few weeks' time!!"

More dates will be announced soon as the band prepares to launch the trek in the US in February. See the initial dates here.



REO Speedwagon's Gary Richrath Dead AT 65(hennemusic)

Former REO Speedwagon guitarist Gary Richrath died Sunday at the age of 65. Richrath played with REO from 1970 to 1989 and wrote many of the band's songs including the 1981 US No. 5 hit, "Take It On The Run", from the 10-million plus selling album "High Infidelity."
REO frontman Kevin Cronin broke the news via Facebook, writing "Hi friends, kc here. My longtime friend and collaborator Gary Richrath passed away earlier today. I feel so sad.

"Gary was both a unique guitarist and songwriter, and the embodiment of the tough guy with a heart of gold. I learned most of what I know about being in a rock band from Gary Richrath.

"The entire REO Family mourns his death and shares in the grief of his family, friends, and fans. These words do not come close to expressing the depth of emotions I am feeling at this time." Read more here.



B.B. King Murder Claims Leads To Daughters Being Sued(Classic Rock)

An aide to B.B. King has sued three of the late blues icon's daughters after the drama that surrounded his death in May. King passed away at the age of 89, leading siblings Karen Williams, Patty King and Rita Washington to accuse manager LaVerne Toney and assistant Myron Johnson of poisoning him.
The claims were investigated by police, who reached the conclusion that no foul play had been involved in King's death. Now Johnson - half-brother of Williams, but not the son of King - has launched legal action against the sisters, laying seven charges including defamation, slander, libel and conspiracy.

Johnson's lawyer says there are several pieces of evidence that support his claims, including signed documents in which Williams and King both say: "I believe my father was poisoned. I believe my father was murdered." Read more here.




Metal Allegiance Stream New Song Featuring Randy Blythe(Classic Rock)


Metal Allegiance have released a studio clip of their track Gift Of Pain featuring Lamb Of God frontman Randy Blythe. It's taken from the supergroup's self-titled debut album, out on September 18 via Nuclear Blast.
The Lamb Of God frontman is joined on the track by core members Alex Skolnick, David Ellefson and Mike Portnoy, while Slayer's Gary Holt also features.

The metal collective previously issued Can't Kill The Devil featuring Testament's Chuck Billy and Dying Song with Down and Superjoint vocalist Phil Anselmo. Check out the song here.




Long Lost Frank Zappa Movie Trailer Goes Online(Prog)

A trailer for Frank Zappa concert film Roxy: The Movie has been released, ahead of its launch after over 40 years under wraps. It was recorded in 1973 and written, directed and produced by Zappa himself.
It features his band The Mothers Of Invention, featuring Jeff Simmons, Napoleon Murphy Brock, George Duke, Don Preston, Bruce Fowler, Walt Flower, Tom Fowler, Ralph Humphrey, Chester Thompson and Ruth Underwood.

Eagle Rock, who will launch the title on DVD and Blu-Ray on October 30, say: "The movie is a stunning homage to one of popular music's most fearless musicians." Watch the trailer here.



Megadeth Involved Chris Adler In Album Decisions(Classic Rock)

Dave Mustaine allowed drummer Chris Adler to take part in the decision-making process on the upcoming Megadeth album - and the Lamb Of God man says he'd have refused to take part if it had been otherwise.
Adler is a massive fan of the thrash icons and even had Mustaine sign his album collection when the bands toured together years ago. But despite that, he admits he hesitated when offered the chance to record, because he knew of the mainman's reputation as someone who makes all the choices himself.

Adler tells Revolver: "I expected it to be a a 'do what you're told' kind of situation. At the same time I'm thinking, 'He could call anybody else that could do what they're told. There's a reason he's calling me.'

"I thought, 'If I can't contribute and I'm being told what to do, and I don't like the material, this is a bad move for me.'" So he took the initiative at the earliest moment possible. "I took one of the demos and I said, 'Here's what I'm thinking about the beginning - I'm not sure about this one little part. Maybe we could speed it up, or chop it off.'

"He's like, 'Yeah, absolutely, let's get rid of it.' Right then, I knew, 'Okay, I'm in. I could be involved.'" The first two weeks of Adler's time with Mustaine was taken up with talking, says the drummer. "I would say, 'My Megadeth sounds like this.' He's like, 'I like this 'your Megadeth' kind of thing - tell me more about that.'" Read more here.




Ghost Release 'From The Pinnacle To The Pit' Video(hennemusic)

Ghost have released a video for "From The Pinnacle To The Pit", a track from the band's latest album, "Meliora." Directed by Zev Deans, the clip is for the second single from the follow-up to 2013's "Infestissumam."
"Meliora" delivered Ghost their first-ever US Top 10 when the album debuted on the Billboard 200 at No. 8 with opening week sales of 29,000 copies.

Ghost will begin the Black To The Future North American tour at The Fillmore in Washington, DC on September 22. Watch the new "From The Pinnacle To The Pit" video here.




Spock's Beard Announce Special 20th Anniversary Release(Prog)

Spock's Beard have confirmed the launch of a 3-disc compilation album entitled The First Twenty Years. It arrives via InsideOut on November 20 and contains a new 19-minute track called Falling For Forever, which features every musician who's ever been in the band, including former mainman Neal Morse.
It will feature two CDS and a DVD that will carry rare footage from the 1990s, including their set at Progfest '97 and rehearsal and recording scenes from The Kindness Of Strangers sessions.

Bassist Dave Meros says: "Deciding which songs would best represent the band over 20 years, 12 albums and three different lineups was challenging enough. Add the fact that a lot of our songs clock in anywhere from eight to 20 minutes, and the selection process became that much more daunting.

"Finally we've come up with a list which we think represents each album and era of the band quite well." He adds: "We were adamant about not wanting to just release our earlier material in a new package. With that in mind, Neal came up with Falling For Forever, which written specifically to include all current and past members of the band." Read more including the track details here.



Godsmack Making New Studio Album Plans(TeamRock Radio)


Godsmack aim to begin recording their seventh album early next year. Frontman Sully Erna says the band will enjoy a break after their autumn North American tour, before writing the follow-up to 2014's 1000hp.
He tells 97.7 WQLZ (via Blabbermouth): "We're definitely going to take some time off - probably the rest of November, December, part of January. Then we'll get back in February and we'll do it in Florida. We'll start there, get a batch of songs and then go up to Boston.

"So everything is planned. We don't have any kind of release date because we're definitely not in a position that we have to rush. So we'll just take our time, make sure that we get something fresh. You try and make your next record your best record ever." Read more here.



Leslie West Previews New Album 'Soundcheck'(Classic Rock)

Leslie West has released a new video trailer for his upcoming album Soundcheck, which is set to be released on November 20th via Mascot Label Group.
The follow-up to his 2013 record Still Climbing includes guest appearances by the late Jack Bruce plus Brian May and Peter Frampton. Mountain man West says: "The reason I call this album Soundcheck? I used to hate soundchecks. It was the most painful part of my day.

"With my partner Felix Pappalardi, if we did a soundcheck we'd have to do half a show. One of his, one of mine... and we both sang. I got so pissed off one day I just knocked the monitor off stage."

He adds: "I like doing soundchecks now, because he's not around to bust my balls. I just want my guitar to sound good." Watch the trailer here.



Black Star Riders' Ricky Warwick Releasing Two Solo Albums(Classic Rock)

Black Star Riders frontman Ricky Warwick has confirmed the release of two solo albums next year. The volumes will be launched in a single package at the start of a UK tour, on which his band The Fighting Hearts will support Stiff Little Fingers.
He brought in a range of special guests for hard rock title When Patsy Cline Was Crazy (And Guy Mitchell Sang The Blues) and acoustic companion Hearts On Trees, including bandmate Damon Johnson, Joe Elliott, Ginger Wildheart, Andy Cairns, Billy Morrison and SLF's Jake Burns.

Warwick says: "While we were working on the new BSR album, I just got into a very productive song writing zone. The songs just kept coming and coming.

"BSR is my top priority - but I really wanted these songs to come out. I think that the fans will really dig this solo stuff." Read more here.



Motorhead, Down and Green Day Announce Special Releases(Classic Rock)

Motorhead, Down and Green Day are among the acts launching special edition releases for Cassette Store Day 2015. Motorhead's latest album Bad Magic, Green Day's classic Dookie and Down's III, IV Part I and IV Part II will be launched for the US edition of the annual event, which takes place on October 17.
Also on the list are Kylesa's Spiral Shadow and Ultraviolet, Fistula's Vermin Prolificius and Ignorant Weapon, Self Defense Family's German Industrial Ballads, and a compilation called Sabbath Sorta Sabbath.

Founded by indie labels Kissability, Suplex and Sexbeat in the UK in 2013 on the back of the success of Record Story Day, Cassette Store Day aims to promote the cassette as a collectible music format. Jen Long of Kissability says: "Cassette tapes aren't just a format, they're a culture, and cassette culture is as much about collaboration as doing it yourself. Read more here.



Maybeshewill Announce Break Up, Planning Farewell Tour(Prog)

Maybeshewill have announced they're to split after a final show in London next year. It will follow a farewell tour that's still being arranged - but the band believe they won't return after their appearance at Koko on April 15.
They say in a statement: "We've thought about calling this a hiatus, or just saying things are over - but if we're completely honest we can't quite bring ourselves to put our feet firmly in either camp.

"There are numerous reasons why this has to happen for some of us. The nature of a band means that you have to find a solution which suits everyone, and that's what we're doing here.

"That's why we've decided that these will be our last shows and leaving it at that." Read more here.




Parkway Drive Streaming New Song 'The Sound Of Violence'(TeamRock Radio)

Parkway Drive have made their track The Sound Of Violence available to stream. The song is taken from the Australian outfit's upcoming fifth album Ire, which is released on September 25.
On the album, frontman Winston McCall says: "This is the soundtrack of our existence as a band. Every step we have taken has been down a path chosen by no one but ourselves. We write the music we want to hear, we dress the way we want to dress, we look the way we want to look, we go where we want to go and we play the shows we want to play.

"Our whole existence we have done things our way in the face of a chorus of voices and opinions telling us that it's wrong and that we don't belong. This is our answer, plain and simple." Read more and stream the song here.



Nazareth Announce 'No Means Of Escape' DVD Release(hennemusic)

Scottish rockers Nazareth will release "No Means Of Escape", a new live DVD/Blu-ray and documentary package on October 16 via Eagle Rock Entertainment.
The project presents "Live At Metropolis", which captures the band performing before a select audience at London's Metropolis Studios. The lineup includes frontman Lintin Osborne, who joined Nazareth in 2014 following the retirement of founding member and original singer Dan McCafferty, who left the group in 2013 due to health issues. The vocalist had been dealing with C.O.P.D. (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), which had gotten worse in the past few years.

The companion documentary, "Made In Scotland", traces Nazareth's career from their formation in 1968 to their breakthrough in the 1970s, and their ongoing career. The film contains classic footage and new interviews with past and present members of the band, including McCafferty.

The package also includes an acoustic performance of the band's cover of the Joni Mitchell tune, "This Flight Tonight," a hit for the group in 1973. Read more including the track details here.



Alice Cooper To Appear On Late Night TV Tonight(hennemusic)

Alice Cooper will appear as a guest on CBS-TV's The Late Late Show with James Corden tonight, September 15. Cooper joins a panel lineup that includes actress Pauly Perrette (NCIS) and comedian Ian Karmel.
The rocker is promoting his newly-released all-star covers project, Hollywood Vampires. The trio of Cooper, Johnny Depp and Aerosmith's Joe Perry organized the project, which presents covers of classic tunes by T. Rex, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, The Doors and more.

It features contributions from an all-star lineup that includes Sir Paul McCartney, Perry Farrell, Dave Grohl, Joe Walsh, Slash, Robbie Krieger, Zak Starkey, Brian Johnson and Kip Winger. Read more here.




Keith Richards and Chris Cornell On The Tonight Show This Week(hennemusic)

Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards and Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell will both be guests on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon this week.
Richards will be on the show this Friday, September 18, which is the same that his first solo album in more than 20 years, "Crosseyed Heart", hits stores. The record sees Richards reteam with drummer Steve Jordan and guitarist Waddy Wachtel alongside Rolling Stones backup singer Bernard Fowler, keyboardist Ivan Neville, singer Sarah Dash and a host of guest appearances.

Chris Cornell will perform on the show on Thursday, September 17. The Soundgarden singer's appearance is to promote the September 18 release of his forthcoming fourth solo album, "Higher Truth." Read more here.



Metallica Release Live 'Sad But True' Video From Moscow Show(hennemusic)

Metallica are sharing footage of a performance of their 1993 single, "Sad But True", from an August 27 show at Olympijskiy Stadium in Moscow, Russia.
The band's video highlight package also includes drummer Lars Ulrich and bassist Robert Trujillo in the meet and greet as well as the group warming up in the Tuning Room before the show.

The Moscow stop was the fourth date on a short run across Europe that saw the band playing a mix of headline and festival shows. "Sad But True" was the fifth and final single from Metallica's self-titled 1991 record - known as The Black Album.

The project went on to sell 30 million copies sold worldwide - including 16 million in the States alone. A new book on The Black Album by author David Masciotra will be published as part of Bloomsbury's 33 1/3 Series on September 24.

Masciotra gives readers unprecedented insight into the story behind the iconic album through interviews with James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, Jason Newsted and producer Bob Rock. Read more and watch the video here.



Periphery's Matt Halpern Releases Short Horror Film(Prog)

Periphery drummer Matt Halpern has launched a short horror film entitled Polaroid. He appears as the main character in the two-minute feature, which he co-created with band photographer Alex 'Pressplay' Wohleber.
Periphery's Misha Mansoor scored the soundtrack - and headphones are recommended to enjoy the experience at its best. Wohleber says: "It has always been a goal of mine to bring my horror ideas to life. To us, this is just a warm up, something we filmed in just a few hours to see if we could pull it off. We ended up having a great time, and we're already working on the next one."

The band return to the UK and Europe in November, supporting the release of twin albums Juggernaut: Alpha and Juggernaut: Omega, which arrived in January. Watch the short here.



Sean Reinert Opens Up About Cynic Break Up(Prog)

Sean Reinert has opened up about the tensions between he and Cynic co-founder Paul Masvidal, which led him to say that the band had split last week.
He's revealed that the situation led him to drink, and once he'd dealt with that issue he concluded the situation was "too dirty" for him to continue. His announcement came as news to Masvidal, who afterwards said he hadn't been consulted before drummer Reinart spoke out, and vowed the band would continue.

Reinart tells Metal Sucks: "The fact that we made it through the last three shows was amazing. There was so much tension, it was apparent to me that the bad just outweighs the good. Rather than play shows where it's obvious on stage that things aren't going well, I'd rather leave it on a high note.

"It's about serving the music. When I can't enjoy that part, that I can't get past. Most things I'm willing to stand - but when the music starts to suffer, it's just a bad thing to me."

He adds: "In the past I've been passive in business issues. Paul's been more of a go-getter and he can be overbearing. It was kind of my fault for letting him take over the business side of things. Over the years it cost us time and money, and I can only blame myself." Read more here.




Golden Void Streaming New Song 'Silent Season'(Prog)

Golden Void have premiered their track Silent Season with Prog. It's taken from their album Berkana, set for launch on September 18 via Thrill Jockey Records.
Bandleader Isaiah Mitchell, of Earthless fame, recently said: "We put Berkana together pretty quickly because our label put a deadline on when the album needed to be completed. Life was very busy so a deadline was helpful.

"We had more time in the studio so we were able to take our time and really find the best texture or harmony for the part at hand. Tim Green is a great person to have on your side when you're searching for the right ingredients for a song." here.



Teramaze Release 'Out Of Subconscious' Video(Classic Rock)

Australian prog metal outfit Teramaze have premiered their video for Out Of Subconscious with TeamRock. It's taken from their album Her Halo, set for launch on October 30 via Music Theories Recordings.
The follow-up to 2014's Esoteric Symbolism is their first with vocalist Nathan Peachey. Guitarist and producer Dean Wells had the following to say: "It was very much a conscious decision to focus on the songs - our music is all about the song as a whole.

"If a melody only needs a slow guitar solo with only three notes, then so be it. There's no need to add anything else that might take away from the track itself.

"If we focus on the songwriting, we can appeal to musicians or anybody who loves good music." Watch the new video here.


Hudson Set To Release Their New EP 'Cast Out'

Next MonthUp and coming Los Angeles rock band Hudson have announced that they will be releasing their sophomore EP, "Cast Out", on October 21st and will be celebrating the release with a release party.
The new EP is set to be released on iTunes and via the band's official website and the band have released a stream of the album's title track and lead single which you can listen to here.

Guitarist and harmonica player Chris Llewellyn had this to say about the track, "We wrote 'Cast Out' after a very traumatic, and in the end, unfair situation that left us feeling a lot of anger towards the perpetrators.

"We felt as if the justice system had let us down, and that the guys who did it felt zero remorse and got away with some terrible crimes. As a reaction, we responded from our hearts with this song rather than stooping to their level and getting revenge.

"We want our audience to realize that taking a negative experience and using it as fuel for something positive is the best route to take. This song has such a strong message and meaning for us that we decided it was the best title for our EP."

"Cast Out" is the follow-up to their 2014 EP "In The Unknown," which featured a cover of Led Zeppelin's "Rock Roll". The band will be playing a EP release party at the Whisky A Go Go on October 20th. The show is part of the band's residency at the famed venue.

Upcoming Whiskey A Go Go shows include Monday, September 21st and the EP release show.



Tank Streaming New Song 'Make A Little Time'(Classic Rock)

Tank have issued a lyric video for their track Make A Little Time. The song is taken from their upcoming 10th album Valley Of Tears, due for release on September 25. It features Dragonforce frontman ZP Theart on vocals.
They previously released a stream of the record's title track and announced the original release date had been pushed back to allow for further post-production work.

On the album, the band said: "We feel that our style of metal is slowly disappearing and now we must also fight against the odds to keep it alive. We hope Valley Of Tears will inspire other bands and fans alike to never forget what real metal is all about."

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!: KISS and Twisted Sister Singers In Bitter Feud A new war of words has erupted between KISS star Paul Stanley and Twisted Sister si...

Today's Day In Rock News!

KISS and Twisted Sister Singers In Bitter Feud

A new war of words has erupted between KISS star Paul Stanley and Twisted Sister singer Dee Snider, with the frontmen from the theatrical rock bands trading insults via recent interviews and an online post.
The origin of the feud began earlier this year when Snider criticized KISS for continuing to use the Space Ace and Catman personas of Ace Frehley and Peter Criss for current guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer.

Snider told Eddie Trunk (via hennemusic) "I don't see how people could accept this. Tommy Thayer? I'm sorry. It's insulting. Not only did he play with a tribute band of KISS, he's imitating Ace in his entire act! Oh, my God, that's disgraceful.

"When KISS replaced Ace and Peter, and they brought in guys (drummer Eric Carr and guitarist Vinnie Vincent) who had their own makeup and their own thing, that was acceptable. That was awesome. They were their own characters."

Paul Stanley fired back in a new interview on Podcast One's Talk Is Jericho with Chris Jericho. Stanley told Jericho, "Let me put it in the simplest terms. In this case, this guy is a wannabe, has always been a wannabe and desperately wants attention and to be taken seriously and that will never happen because he's obviously clueless that he and his whole band are a bunch of buffoons."

Snider then responded to Stanley's criticism in an open letter posted on Facebook on Wednesday where he challenged the KISS star to an old-school sing-off without any props costumes, or pyro. He wrote, "First off, thanks for giving me the attention I-as you noted-- so desperately wanted.

"Now, I've always had nothing but respect for your band, and you as a performer, but it really comes as no surprise that the feeling isn't mutual. For some reason you are oddly threatened by me. This said, your recent comments about my band and I on Chris Jericho's podcast was a typical diversionary tactic used in an attempt to change the subject, rather than answer the actual accusation or question. It's the oldest interviewing trick in the book.

"As far as my 'whole band being a bunch of buffoons' goes, that's a pretty ironic statement coming from you. The argument could easily be made that Kiss is the 'king of the buffoons', so in an odd way you've paid Twisted Sister quite a compliment. It takes one to know one.

"Lastly, on the subject of me being a 'wannabe'? Do you really think so? Well then…any time, any stage. But let's do this old school -no costumes, no pyro, no bullsh*t - let's just get up there and rock. I will bury you, son.

"Sincerely, the attention getting, wannabe, lead buffoon of Twisted Sister, Dee Snider".

He also added the following postscript: "Did I mention that I'm clean, sober, razor sharp and fully capable of defending myself from any kind of lame attack? Just ask Al Gore."


Iron Maiden Singer Regrets Not Punching Axl Rose

Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson says that he regrets not punching Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose over an incident that occurred at a 1988 concert in Quebec City.
Guns N' Roses were opening the show for Iron Maiden at the Coliseum in the Canadian city in May of that year and Dickinson says in an interview with Le Journal de Montreal (via UCR) that he was angered over remarks Rose made about the French-Canadian fans speaking French to him.

Dickinson says of his reaction to Rose's comments, "I should have come on stage and give it a punch," he said. "How could he dare to speak to my audience in this way? I always regretted not having done so."



Motorhead Resume Tour Following Lemmy's Illness(hennemusic)

Motorhead resumed their North American tour on Tuesday following a recent series of shortened and cancelled shows due to health issues faced by frontman Lemmy Kilmister.
The concert at the Pageant Theatre in St. Louis marked the group's first full concert on their 40th anniversary tour in support of "Bad Magic" since August 24th.

"St.Louis!!!! St.Louis St.Louis SAINT LOOOOUUUIIISSSS!!!!!!," posted the band. "How LOVELY it was for Motörhead to kick every single one of your asses tonight eh?!!!!!!!"

Lemmy's return to the stage followed shortened shows in Salt Lake City, UT (Aug 27)and Austin, TX (Sep 1) after the singer experienced difficulty breathing at high altitudes.

Motorhead also cancelled shows in Denver (Aug 28), San Antonio (Sep 2), Dallas (Sep 4) and Houston (Sep 5) before it was learned that Lemmy was dealing with a lung infection. Read more here.



Rick Wakeman Cancels Wakemanfest Due To Health Concerns(Classic Rock)


Rick Wakeman has called off his Wakemanfest event over health concerns. He's also dropped a piano tour from his 2015 schedule, while a Christmas performance of Journey To The Centre Of The Earth is in doubt, and plans for next year will be curtailed.
It follows what he calls a "serious health scare" that took place earlier this year, after he finally began listening to warnings from his family and management.

Wakeman says on his website: "Although my health has improved, and blood pressure heading the right way, it's meant that, on advice, I have had to take a really close look at what is currently in for the rest of this year.

"Apart from Wakemanfest, piano dates in Scandinavia currently pencilled for November and December have had to go, and the proposed Journey To The Centre Of The Earth in Tenerife at Christmas is under review." Read more here.



Ritchie Blackmore Provides More Details About Rock Show Plans(Classic Rock)

Ritchie Blackmore insists his upcoming return to the rock scene is about much more than just nostalgia. The former Deep Purple and Rainbow guitarist is planning European shows for June 2016 where he will play a set consisting of the best of his work with those two bands. It'll be his first rock shows since splitting Rainbow in 1997 to focus on Blackmore's Night.
The guitarist says the passing of Deep Purple keyboard hero Jon Lord in 2012 and the 2010 death of Ronnie James Dio - coupled with the early stages of arthritis - made him want to play rock music again.

Blackmore tells Noisey: "I turned 70 and arthritis is starting to set in. Jon's not around. So many others aren't around. You start to see your friends pass and just feel it's time to play some of the old songs. Nostalgia is a big reason to do it, but not the only reason."

He insists the 2016 shows will be limited to a run of four. He says: "I am doing four dates in June, which will be all rock. I have the band basically together and it will be Rainbow and Deep Purple. It's just having fun but it's only four dates in Europe. I don't want to do anymore because I take what I'm doing now much more seriously." Read his view of the current rock scene here.



Bon Jovi Recruit New Guitarist(Classic Rock)

Bon Jovi have added New Jersey native Matt O'Ree to their live lineup. Radio station WRAT FM confirmed the news that he'd been brought in to replace Bobby Bandiera for the band's upcoming shows in the Far East - but Phil X, who plays on Bon Jovi's "fan" album Burning Bridges, will remain the group's main axeman.
The blues-based guitarist formed the Matt O'Ree Band in 1994 and last month joined Bon Jovi keyboardist David Bryan on stage at the Rock The Farm benefit gig in the US.

And while the majority of Bon Jovi's gigs will take place over the coming weeks, their two scheduled shows at Macao's Cotai Arena in China later this month have been cancelled by authorities. Read more here.



Police Have Fun Promoting Foo Fighters Concert(Classic Rock)

Pun-happy coppers in Edinburgh hit the right note with Foo Fighters fans during the band's show in the Scottish capital on Tuesday night. Police Scotland's Edinburgh Division sent out a series of tweets and Facebook posts in the lead up to and during Dave Grohl and co's sold-out performance at Murrayfield Stadium, using many of the group's song titles and a mention of Grohl's previous band to lighten the tone.
The first message posted read: "Murrayfield will be a musical Nirvana tonight when Foo Fighters and their special guests Royal Blood and Honeyblood take to the stage."

That was followed by: "Gates open from 4pm and Times Like These are likely to result in traffic congestion, so don't throw a Monkey Wrench into your evening and please make sure you plan your journey in advance and leave in plenty of time. It's unlikely you will Learn To Fly, so you won't want to be stuck in traffic before the show begins." Read more and see some of the posts here.



Eric Clapton Releases 'Cocaine' Performance From New Concert Film(Classic Rock)

Eric Clapton has released a video clip from his Slowhand At 70 concert movie, featuring a performance of classic track Cocaine at London's Royal Albert Hall.
The birthday show celebrated Clapton's 50-year career and also his return to the iconic venue, where he's played more than 200 times. Screenings take place across the world from September 14.

Slowhand At 70 includes material from throughout his career, including Robert Johnson tracks that originally inspired him, work with Cream and Derek And The Dominoes, and his solo catalogue. Watch the video clip here.


Glenn Hughes Side Project Voodoo Hill Streaming New Song(Classic Rock)

Voodoo Hill have released a lyric video for their song Waterfall. It's the title track from the group's upcoming third album, due out on October 16 via Frontiers Music Srl. Voodoo Hill is a collaboration between Italian guitarist and producer Dario Mollo and former Deep Purple singer Glenn Hughes.
Mollo says: "Waterfall came about as a result of the most prolific and creative period I had in my entire career. I wrote and recorded more than 35 song ideas in a very limited amount of time, leveraging from all the experiences I gathered as a guitar player, writer and producer.

"I also wanted the songs to sound as fresh as possible, trying my best to preserve the feeling of the overall performances, so I used very old school recording methods, including recording acoustic drums in rooms with natural reverb."

Mollo adds that he wanted Hughes to be more involved in the process on this record. He says: "I sent him the songs before the final mixes in order to have his advice on the final result. That was a precious process that brought substantial changes." Read more and check out the song here.



Slayer Frontman's Cameo Featured In Horror Movie Trailer(Classic Rock)

Slayer frontman Tom Araya makes a cameo appearance in a clip from horror metal movie Hairmetal Shotgun Zombie Massacre, which recently completed shooting.
Lamb Of God's Randy Blythe and Morbid Angel's David Vincent also make cameos in the film, based on the adventures of a band called Witches' Lips, whose music has been written and performed by ex Judas Priest frontman Tim 'Ripper' Owens and Phil Anselmo collaborator Marzi Montazeri.

Creators Joshua Allan Vargas and Jvstin Whitney - who spent 11 years on the project - recently explained: "A hair metal band, while struggling to find its own identity, decides to record its first full-length album in a notorious cemetery.

"Chock full of weed, coke and booze, the band unwittingly open a gate that allows demons to possess corpses. With the odds getting slimmer, the band must battle hordes of the undead - and hope to get a record deal somewhere in the process." Watch the trailer here.



Keith Richards Releases Trailer For 'Under The Influence' Documentary(hennemusic)

Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards has issued the trailer for the documentary, "Under The Influence", ahead of its September 17 premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.
The project will then see its broadcast debut on Netflix on September 18 - the same day Richards' first solo album in more than three decades, "Crosseyed Heart", hits stores.

Directed by Morgan Neville (20 Feet From Stardom, Best Of Enemies), the film is billed as "an unprecedented look into the sounds and influences of rock and roll icon Keith Richards."

"If there's a Mount Rushmore of Rock 'n' Roll, Keith's face is surely on it," says Neville. "He has always represented the soul of rock music-for all of the light and dark shades that implies. To my relief, Keith Richards turned out to be a real man-full of humor, knowledge and wisdom. That's the real Keith we've worked to capture in our film and I'm honored to bring it to a global audience via Netflix."

"Under The Influence" visits many of the places that have inspired the Rolling Stones guitarist, including Chicago, Nashville and New York, with guest appearances from fellow artists like Tom Waits. Watch the trailer here.




Scale The Summit Release 'Blue Sun' Video(Prog)

Scale The Summit have premiered their video for Blue Sun with Prog. It's taken from the US prog metal outfit's fifth album V, out on September 18 via Prosthetic Records.
Guitarist Chris Letchford had the following to say: "People have always wanted STS to go crazy with shredding - and we finally catered to that demand on this song.

"I consider this the album's epic song. It has some of my favorite parts of the whole record. We're really tapping into prog metal goodness on this one." Watch the video here.




The Aristocrats Star Not Happy With Fans Filming Concerts(Prog)

Guthrie Govan says his performances with supergroup The Aristocrats can be compromised when people in the audience are recording the show. His main issue with fans using phones to shoot video is that the results will be seen and heard out of context.
And that makes the guitarist think twice about improvising when he's playing with bassist Bryan Beller and drummer Marco Minnemann. Govan tells MusicRadar: "I don't like the whole filming thing at all. Improvising in front of an audience carries a certain element of risk.

"I've always liked the idea of trying to create a unique moment. I find it can be disruptive to that mindset to think that whatever I'm trying to do - regardless of whether it works - could end up on YouTube hours later, without any sense of context." Read more here.




Napalm Death Release 'How The Years Condemn' Video(TeamRock Radio)

Napalm Death have released a video for their track How The Years Condemn. It's taken from their latest album Apex Predator - Easy Meat, released earlier this year via Century Media.
Bassist Shane Embury says that the self-reflective lyrics of the track were inspired by a stay in hospital several years ago, when he was forced to confront his mortality.

He says: "I thought about how lucky I was to be doing what I had always dreamed of doing, and in doing so, the awesome people, friends and loved ones that I had met and who now accompany me on this strange journey called life.

"To my loved ones I realized I had been selfish and it was time for a change, a realization that we are not invincible nor are we indestructible." Watch the video here.



David Bowie Albums Being Released On Limited Edition Colored Vinyl(stache)

A special reissue campaign has been launched for selected David Bowie albums, which sees three of his classic albums released on high-quality, colored vinyl. We were sent the following details:
A limited edition colored version of Heathen was just released, while its successor, Reality, will be released 9/25. Heathen's predecessor, Hours..., will be out 11/20.

2002's Heathen marked a reunion with producer Tony Visconti, who was at the helm for most of Bowie's classic '70s albums. It wound up achieving the highest U.S. chart position of any Bowie album since 1984's Tonight. Guest performers on Heathen include icons Pete Townshend and Dave Grohl. The new reissue of Heathen is pressed on blue vinyl.

Reality was released barely a year after Heathen. The Bowie/Visconti partnership was once again active for this critically acclaimed album. The BBC took notice, placing Reality"among (Bowie)'s very best works." The album contains nine original tracks as well as covers of Jonathan Richman's "Pablo Picasso" and George Harrison's "Try Some, Buy Some." Reality is being reissued on clear vinyl.

Hours... was released right before the turn of the millennium, and was groundbreaking at the time for its utilization of then-new internet technology. It was the first album to be made available as a digital download before being released in stores, underscoring Bowie's cutting-edge persona. The single "Thursday's Child" received airplay on alternative radio, and Bowie performed it on Saturday Night Live. This new, limited version of Hours...was pressed on translucent blue vinyl. A remastered CD version of Hours... is currently available, enhanced with 5 bonus tracks and an elaborate 10-panel digipak.

All three albums are being pressed on 180-gram vinyl, and contain tri-fold covers, spotlighting each album's incredible artwork.

Heathen, Reality, and Hours... have all been mastered by Joe Reagoso (Jeff Beck/Deep Purple) and will be available at your favorite physical and online retailers. Additionally, they are available via Friday Music's David Bowie store, which you can find here.




Bon Jovi's Chinese Tour Dates Canceled By Authorities(Radio.com)

Bon Jovi is huge in China, and Chinese fans were looking forward to the band's first dates in the country, which were supposed to have taken place next week. However, the shows have been canceled without explanation.
CBSN reports that it is believed that the shows were cancelled because the group has used the Dalai Lama's image on the band's video screens on a past tour.

Bon Jovi's 2009 video "We Weren't Born to Follow" featured imagery from the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests against the Chinese government, which probably didn't help Bon Jovi's case. Read more here.



Ringo Uncovers Motherload of Beatles Negatives(Radio.com)

Ringo just hit the motherload of Beatles memorabilia. The former Beatle was recently forced to move some of his things in storage when he came across thousands of undeveloped negatives.
The majority of the negatives contained images of Starr's former band mates, George, Paul and John, including their first visit to the United States in 1964.

Sure, early photos of The Beatles aren't hard to find, but the ones available to the public were mostly taken by the media. Ringo's photos obviously come from a different perspective.

Never to be duplicated, the drummer's photos were taken while the band was living in their natural habitat, and Ringo's convinced that his former band mates have or had similar personal collections of their own. Read more here.



Foo Fighters Rock Cover Of 'Molly's Lips' In Scotland(Radio.com)

Although he was the drummer in one of the biggest rock bands of the past quarter century, Dave Grohl has mostly steered clear of the Nirvana catalog at Foo Fighters concerts. Other than "Marigold," a Nirvana B-side that he wrote and sung (and which didn't feature Kurt Cobain), Grohl has never played any Nirvana material in his current band.

That changed for a few seconds on Tuesday night, as the Foo Fighters played in Edinburgh, Scotland, the hometown of legendary punk band the Vaselines.

Nirvana covered that band's classic "Molly's Lips," and on Tuesday night the Foo Fighters played it as well, adding it to the long list of covers they've done on this tour, along with Queen and David Bowie's "Under Pressure," and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' "Breakdown." Read more here.




Bring Me The Horizon Streaming New Song 'Avalanche'(Radio.com)

Bring Me The Horizon have debuted yet another track from their forthcoming album, That's The Spirit, which hits stores this Friday, Sept. 11. Earlier this week, BBC Radio 1 host Annie Mac premiered the new track, titled "Avalanche."
"Avalanche" serves as the fourth track BMTH released from the album after "Happy Song," "That's The Spirit" and "'Throne." Earlier this year the band parted ways Epitaph for a move to Colombia Records here in the U.S.

So, the band is finally represented by the same company (Sony) on both sides of the pond. This, coupled with their more refined sound could lead to wider audiences. The Sheffield band's labelmates now include AC/DC, One Direction and System Of A Down.

Supporting BMTH on all headlining dates will be Atlanta metalcore band, Issues. The 18-city tour will crescendo with three festival performances ending with San Bernardino, California's Knotfest on October 25. Check out the new song here.



Diatessaron's New Album 'Sunshine' Streaming Online(Prog)

Diatessaron have streamed their second album Sunshine exclusively with Prog. The 11-track album will be released tomorrow, September 11 and follows the launch of lead track All The Way in July.
They say: "Sunshine has been an absolute thrill to create - it's a personal, poetic, beautiful record with a depth of sound we'd never been able to capture properly with our previous recordings."

The Canadian outfit describe their work as classic prog, influenced by iconic groups of the genre including Genesis, Rush, King Crimson and others. Stream the full album here.




Iron Maiden Billboard Censored In Germany(hennemusic)

A billboard promoting Iron Maiden's newly-released album, "The Book Of Souls", has been covered up by a group of angry parents in the Kreuzberg district of Berlin, Germany.
Stern.de reports the cover artwork from the band's first-ever double album - designed by Mark Wilkinson and featuring the group's mascot Eddie - has been censored by concerned parents who say the image has no business being advertised close to schools in the area.

The group hung a handwritten sign over the billboard with the message (roughly translated): "In the immediate vicinity are several kindergartens and a primary school. This poster here has nothing to FIND!" Read more and see a photo of the billboard here.



Joe Louis Walker Streaming New Song 'One Sunny Day'(Classic Rock)

Joe Louis Walker has debuted his lyric video for One Sunny Day with TeamRock. It's taken from upcoming album Everybody Wants A Piece, to be launched on October 9 via Provogue.
Walker says: "I'd like to be known for the credibility of a lifetime. Sometimes I feel I've learned more from my failures than from my success. But that's made me stronger and more adventurous, and helped me create my own style.

"I'd like to think that when someone puts on one of my records they would know from the first notes, 'That's Joe Louis Walker.'" Walker is currently touring North America, with European dates in October. Check out the new song here.




Tommy Castro and The Painkillers Announce New Album(The Blues)

Tommy Castro and the Painkillers will release second album Method To My Madness on October 23, the mainman has confirmed. And he describes the follow-up to 2014's The Devil You Know as a return to his "basic ingredients" of blues and soul, while still presenting something different from his past works.
Six-time Blues Music Awards winner Castro says: "I've always been a blues guy - it's what I'm meant to do. But I'm always listening and reacting to what's going on in the outside world, experimenting with my guitar tone and my songwriting to keep my music fresh.

"With the new album I went for the energy of connecting with my band. We kept everything raw, capturing the feeling of playing live." Read more including the tracklisting here.


Primal Fear Release Preview Of New Album 'Rulebreaker'(TeamRock Radio)

Primal Fear have issued a teaser for their 11th album. Titled Rulebreaker, it's due for release on January 29, 2016, via Frontiers Music. It's the follow-up to 2014's Delivering The Black.
The German outfit announced a number of lineup changes earlier this year, with the band recruiting former UDO drummer Francesco Jovino to replace Aquiles Priester. Founding guitarist Tom Naumann also rejoined as a full-time member.

The lineup is completed by singer Ralf Scheepers, bassist Mat Sinner and guitarists Magnus Karlsson and Alex Beyrodt. Watch the new album teaser video here.



Tremonti Announce UK Leg Of European Tour(TeamRock Radio)

Tremonti have added five UK dates to their European tour. Mark Tremonti and co will play Birmingham, Edinburgh, Manchester, Bristol and London in December, supporting second album Cauterize, which was launched in June.
Alter Bridge guitarist Tremonti recently said of the work: "It's mostly influenced by a mix of being in the back of mum's car, listening to 70s soft rock and then growing up, then being a Slayer fan and Celtic Frost fan.

"I love black metal, speed metal, the thrash movement. You mix that with 70s soft rock so you've got the melody combined with the thrash - that's what I love." See the dates here.


Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! Announce UK Winter Tour(TeamRock Radio)

Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! have announced a winter UK tour. The seven-date December run has been set up in support of their third album Get Lost, Find Yourself, released in May via Fearless Records.
The band say: "We're super stoked to announce that we're finally getting back to the UK. This is gonna be our first time headlining in two years over here and we'll be playing a lot of old and new songs for you guys. We hope you're ready to party hard and have a good time because we are!"

Prior to the new UK dates, the French outfit will play in Japan and Australia before heading to Europe in October, which includes an appearance at London's Alexandria Palace on October 18.

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!: Bruce Dickinson Believes Sex Virus Caused His Cancer Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson says in a new interview that he believes...

Today's Day In Rock News!

Bruce Dickinson Believes Sex Virus Caused His Cancer

Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson says in a new interview that he believes that his throat and mouth cancer was caused by a virus that is contracted via oral sex.
Dickinson made the revelation during a Sirius-XM interview where he said, (via Ultimate Classic Rock, "It's a virus - HPV, human papilloma virus. They all are. I'm almost willing to bet, anytime you hear about somebody who gets tonsil cancer, throat cancer, lung cancer, whatever it is, if they're not heavy smokers and they're not massive, heavy drinkers, it's almost inevitably [HPV]."

He continued, "There's a five hundred percent increase in this type of cancer in men over 40 - five hundred percent increase. It's massive. It's the same virus that causes cervical cancer. The diagnosis is the same. It's the same words they use.

He went on to address the fact that some people have already discounted a similar claim made by actor Michael Douglas about the cause of his cancer, "everybody makes the jokes about Michael Douglas, 'cause he was having oral sex and it's just, like, okay, we need to get over that one, guys, because this is kind of serious. There's hundreds of thousands of people at risk for this."




Def Leppard Release New Album Teaser Video(hennemusic)

Def Leppard have issued a 10-second video teaser promoting the fall release of their upcoming self-titled album. Expected in October, the UK rockers have been in the studio working on the follow-up to 2008's "Songs From The Sparkle Lounge" after completing some marathon songwriting sessions last year.
Frontman Joe Elliott recently revealed the project is essentially done. "Yeah, it's finished. We're just doing simple, last-minute adjustments," says Elliott. "The first song is going to go to radio [this] month. It's a 14-track, 55-minute album. It's just called 'Def Leppard' because that's what it sounds like. It doesn't sounds like any one specific era of Def Leppard. It's got everything.

"You'll listen and you go 'Oh, that sounds like Def Leppard' or you'll go 'That is Leppard, but sounds a bit like Led Zeppelin or Queen but you can hear the AC/DC or the Crosby, Stills and Nash coming through.'

"We have not shied away from anything that's influenced us in our growing up periods of our life. Just because we've made the kind of music we've made doesn't mean to say we don't like all of this other stuff." Watch the video here.



Motorhead Cancel Live Shows Until Lemmy's Health Improves(Classic Rock)

Motorhead cancelled their scheduled appearance in Texas last night and won't return to live action until Lemmy is "properly rested." The band pulled out of their show in San Antonio - their second gig cancellation in the space of a week after a performance in Denver was called off earlier. Frontman Lemmy has also cut two shows short in that time, firstly in Salt Lake City last week and then in Austin on Tuesday.
Lemmy walked off stage four songs into the Salt Lake City gig last week, blaming breathing difficulties on the altitude. He managed just three tracks in Austin. The San Antonio show went ahead without Motorhead, as Saxon stepped in to headline.

In a statement, Motorhead say: "As you might have heard, Motorhead again had to abbreviate a performance due to Lemmy not feeling well. This is a direct follow-on from the altitude issues in Colorado and, clearly, Lemmy tried to get back at it too quickly.

"Lemmy will resume duties the moment he is properly rested and firing on all cylinders again." Read more here.




Tom DeLonge's Angels And Airwaves Get Experimental With New EP(Radio.com)

Angels & Airwaves are set to release their new 4-song ...Of Nightmares EP tomorrow (September 4) and it's one of the band's most experimental works to date.
The new disc serves as a companion to Poet Anderson …Of Nightmares, the first of three Poet Anderson novels by Tom DeLonge and New York Times best-selling young-adult fiction author Suzanne Young.

Before DeLonge's much talked about split from Blink-182, he had been working feverishly on "four major franchises" one of which is Poet Anderson; a multi-media adventure about the connection between dreams and consciousness, with a lead character inspired by his own 9 year old son Jonas.

Following last December's release of the award-winning animated short film, Poet Anderson: The Dream Walker, DeLonge delivered the full-length The Dream Walker album, followed shortly thereafter by the comic book series of the same name. Now, with the release of the first novel set for October 6, his band Angels & Airwaves are giving fans something to listen to as they read along.

"The book was going to come out as an enhanced novel where you can listen to the music as you read," DeLonge tells Radio.com. "So we needed music that wasn't going to distract you, but we also wanted this to be an EP where we weren't going in just to write completely normal songs. We wanted music to be experimental and artistic."

Speaking about how the EP's tracks came together, DeLonge explains that each song began as a single sound--something that inspired the rest of the melody--something that served as the initial building block. "It was always something small, some little beeping synth thing," says DeLonge. "This was definitely exploration in the studio. It wasn't going in and hammering out ideas that were already in mind." As an example, the song "Home," which DeLonge jokes as having the "worst title ever," was inspired by a hypnotic droning sound that he saw at an art installation. He notes the sound "always resonated with me." Read more here.




The Kinks Reunion Still Possible Says Dave Davies(Classic Rock)

The Kinks guitarist Dave Davies fears the chance of a reunion has reduced to an "outside shot" - but still hopes it can happen. Speculation increased that he and brother Ray could settle their differences after the pair staged a private reunion last year, and even played music together. Both later spoke positively about going back to work.
But Dave tells Rolling Stone: "I'd say there's an outside shot. But where there's life, there's hope. I know Ray has a lot coming up, and I do as well, so we'll see how things span out.

"A lot depends on how Ray and I feel by the end of the year, physically, emotionally and psychologically. I wish I could give a more definitive answer - but I don't want to jump the gun." Read more here.



Pantera Sock Puppet Parody Features Cameo From Vinnie Paul(TeamRock Radio)

Vinnie Paul makes a cameo appearance in a sock puppet parody of Pantera classic Walk. The former Pantera and current Hellyeah drummer pops up towards the end of the video by sock puppet band Hamptera.
It features the group singing about the inconvenience of socks sliding down the wearer's foot and includes lyrics like, "Each step is shifting down your shoe," and, "Re-adjust, sock, slipping' away."

An audience of socks headbangs along to the track before Paul's cameo. The people behind the Sock Puppet Parody previously took on tracks by Slayer, Drowning Pool and Immortal. Watch the Walk parody video here.



Marty Friedman Streaming 'Jasmine Cyanide' From Upcoming Release(TeamRock Radio)

Marty Friedman has released a lyric video for his track Jasmine Cyanide. The song is taken from the upcoming digital deluxe re-issue of his 2014 solo album Inferno, due for release via Prosthetic on September 4.
Jasmine Cyanide and Ballad Of The Barbie Bandits are exclusive bonus tracks on the re-release and ex Megadeth guitarist Friedman says the former was the first song written for the album, before he decided to exclude it.

He says: "This was a big collaborative effort with the band Skyharbor, Danko Jones and myself. Dan Tompkins came up with the brilliant lyrics and melody line. Danko Jones heard Dan's amazing vocal tracks in the LA studio where I was working, because I had enlisted Danko to sing backups to Dan's lead vocals.

"Once we got started with that, Danko had a few vocal and lyrical ideas that I really liked and I couldn't ignore, so Danko and I did a rewrite on the spot. I love the song, but it didn't fit anywhere in the sequencing of the album nicely, so it didn't make it to the final album, and it found its way to the Japan bonus tracks." Watch the lyric video here.



Lynyrd Skynyrd Perform First Two Albums On New DVD and Blu-Ray

Eagle Rock have announced the release of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin'nérd & Second Helping - Live From Jacksonville At The Florida Theatre" on DVD, Blu-Ray and digitally on October 23rd and they have also revealed an online video clip from the package as a preview.
The new release was filmed during two special concerts earlier this year where the southern rock legends performed their first two studio albums in their entirety for the very first time. A preview clip of the performance of "Gimme Three Steps" can be seen here.

In addition to the standard versions that will be widely released, there will be a special version that will feature a DVD and 2-CDs that will be released exclusively at Walmart. Check out the tracklisting here.




Public Image Ltd Launching What The World Needs Now Tour

Public Image Ltd have announced they will be launching a North American tour this fall in support of their new album, "What The World Needs Now", which is set to be released tomorrow, September 4th.
The band has not played North America in three years but that will all change on Halloween night when they perform at this year's Voodoo Music + Arts Experience in New Orleans, LA.

PiL will then launch a headlining tour the next night, November 1st, in Memphis at the New Daisy Theatre and they will conclude the trek on November 29th in Los Angeles at the Fonda Theater. See the tour dates here.




Operation: Mindcrime Stream New Song 'The Stranger'(Classic Rock)


Operation: Mindcrime have released a lyric video for their track The Stranger. It's taken from the group's upcoming debut album The Key, issued on September 18 via Frontiers Music Srl.
The album marks Geoff Tate's first release since reaching a legal settlement with his former colleagues in Queensryche. The Key is the first in a trilogy of records that explores "international politics, the world economy and social ethos."

Tate revealed last month that the band have already completed much of the work on the second part of the trilogy. They previously released videos for the songs Burn and Re-Inventing The Future. Stream the new song here.




Garbage Celebrating Self-Titled Debut's 20-Year Anniversary With Reissue(Radio.com)

With a 20-year anniversary tour already announced for this fall, alternative rock icons Garbage have announced a reissue of their seminal 1995 self-titled classic.
Garbage will be available in a standard edition, deluxe edition, and, for the die-hards, a super deluxe edition. The super deluxe contains all 12 original tracks + 9 G-sides (Garbage's cute way of saying B-side) + 29 remixes + 12 alternate versions.

For vinyl enthusiasts, the release will have a standard double-LP offering and a limited edition three LP set, which will also include a fanzine and an autographed photo of the band. Check out the list of unreleased tracks that will be available here.




Autopsy Announce 4-Disc Set and Special Vinyl Release

Autopsy have announced two special releases this November via Peaceville Records including a limited edition four-disc set and a special Black Friday vinyl release of a new album.
The four-disc set, entitled "After The Cutting", is set to be released on November 13th and includes a book written by Dennis Dread along with new tracks, rarities and classic songs from the group.

The band will also be celebrating Black Friday (November 27th) with the special vinyl release of "Skull Grinder." The album features seven new songs that are featured on the "After The Cutting" box set. The band plans to release the effort on CD next year.

Autopsy had the following to say about the releases, "We at Autopsy HQ are pleased to have the opportunity to once again torture your minds and ear holes through the medium of recorded brutality. The band went back to Fantasy Studios in Berkeley in late July to record a brand new release called 'Skull Grinder.' Musically, it's just what you'd expect from us; no style changes, wimp outs, sell outs, settling down or caving in. Add to that acknowledgement of the obvious, some of Wes Benscoter's sickest art yet to (dis)grace the cover, and you have a new sledgehammer to the bowels with no apologies offered whatsoever.

"In case that isn't enough to bring the taste of bile into the back of your throat, let it be known that there is also a four-disc set on the way titled 'After the Cutting,' packed with hours of horrifying music, cover art from none other than Kev Walker as well as an extensive book written by Dennis Dread, riddled with interviews, photos and other assorted uncleanliness. The release date for both of these monstrosities is slated for this coming November. More details are forthcoming..."




Black Stone Cherry Release Video From First Ever Live DVD(Classic Rock)

Black Stone Cherry will release their first ever live DVD next month. Thank You: Livin' Live is issued via Eagle Vision on October 30. The gig was shot on the band's Magic Mountain tour in Birmingham, England, in 2014. A video of their performance of White Trash Millionaire at the LG Arena show has been made available as a teaser.
The set is available to pre-order on DVD or Blu-ray and in a range of bundles with extras including CDs, t-shirts and other items. As well as the live show, the film includes interview material and additional live tracks shot at this year's Download.

Guitarist Ben Wells says: "We are beyond excited to bring you this live DVD. Growing up watching my Elvis and Aerosmith DVDs and VHS tapes, I never thought I would be in a band that would one day be releasing one - and in an arena at that."

Frontman Chris Robertson adds: "I remember our first gig headlining in Birmingham at the Barfly and I thought about that night many times as we were filming this DVD. It was truly an amazing experience that we will cherish forever and we have to give all the credit to the amazing fans for showing up and making it all possible." Watch the White Trash Millionaire video from the release here.




Slayer's Tom Araya Explains His Respect For Anthrax(Classic Rock)

Slayer's Tom Araya says he can't wait to hit the road with Anthrax and that he admires Scott Ian and co for never changing who they are. The singer and bass player recalls meeting Anthrax for the first time on the 1990/1991 Clash Of The Titans tour. The two bands will tour together again later this year.
Araya tells the Metal Hammer Magazine show on TeamRock Radio: "They've never changed, they've always been the same guys. Which is a rarity because a lot of people change. It will be great to see them and do another tour with them. They have good humor, it'll be fun."

Amaya adds that he has also stayed pretty much the same, other than that he tends to avoid the spotlight when he's not on stage. He adds: "One thing that has changed is that I shy away from publicity. I don't make appearances. I won't go to a club, I feel uncomfortable. I'm a bass player and I play in this band called Slayer. And that's the extent of how I feel about what I do." Read more here.




Foo Fighters and Social Distortion Lead Love Ride Festival Lineup

Southern California punk legends Social Distortion have been added to the bill of this year's Love Ride Festival benefit concert which is being headlined by the Foo Fighters.
The festival is set to take place Castaic Lake in Southern California (41 miles North of Los Angeles) on October 18th and is being staged to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project.

Social Distortion's Mike Ness had the following to say, "We've wanted to be a part of the Love Ride for years now, so we are stoked that our friends the Foo Fighters asked us to be involved for the final ride; which makes it bitter sweet.

"Founder Oliver Shokouh and the Love Ride Foundation have done an amazing job over the years raising money and awareness for many great organizations, so we're looking forward to contributing to this year's effort and doing our part in raising awareness for the Wounded Warrior Project. This incredible group of people assists our wounded service members with their injuries, illness', create support networks, help with their transition back into civilian life and more. We're honored to be performing this year and we're looking forward to a great day of rock 'n' roll for a great cause." Find more details about the event here.




Tool Surprise Fans With Unusual Limited Edition Item(Radio.com)

Tool fans are chomping at the bit to any news about new music from the band. After all, it's been over nine years since they released 2006's 10,000 Days.
Fans hoping for an update on the effort were surprised by a post on the band's official web announcing a different type of new release: a limited edition Tool blanket.

The post poked fun at the band's lag between albums asking, 'Can I have your full attention please, yes You - checking to see if this is new album news? It's not, but I am certainly excited to announce that More Tool MULTI-PURPOSE BLANKETS have been produced - 3 DIFFERENT ONES in fact - all in VERY LIMITED QUANTITIES!" Each different version of the blanket will cost you $200.

The blankets are made from recycled Tool shirts and are 'comfortable for home use and durable enough for festivals."They have been made in the USA and feature a fleece bottomside and polyester thread and reinforced double stitching. Check out a photo of one of the blankets here.




Ghost's Acoustic Performance Of 'If You Have Ghosts' Goes Online(hennemusic)

Ghost performed an acoustic version of Roky Erickson's "If You Have Ghosts" at HardDrive Radio studios and video from the session has surfaced online.
The Swedish band covered the tune as the title track to their 2013 Dave Grohl-produced EP after it originally appeared on Erickson's 1981 album with The Aliens, "The Evil One."

Ghost recently launched their third album, "Meliora", with an unplugged tour of US record stores. The follow-up to 2013's "Infestissumam" was produced by Klas Åhlund and mixed by Andy Wallace and sees the debut of vocalist Papa Emeritus III alongside the Nameless Ghouls.

"Meliora" delivered Ghost their first-ever US Top 10 when the album debuted on the Billboard 200 at No. 8 with opening week sales of 29,000 copies.

Ghost will begin the Black To The Future North American tour at The Fillmore in Washington, DC on September 22. Watch the video here.



Prog Supergroup Waken Eyes Announce Album and Stream Preview(Prog)

Prog supergroup Waken Eyes, featuring members of the Aristocrats, Symphony X and Darkwater, announced that they will release their debut album Exodus on October 30th.
The lineup features vocalist Henrik Bath (Darkwater), guitarist-keyboardist Tom Frelek, bassist Mike Lepond (Symphony X) and drummer Marco Minnemann (Aristocrats, Steven Wilson)

Frelek says: "The album is about being fearless - every song has something to do about fearlessness. It's an album for those who struggle to stand up for themselves and can't be heard." Check out the album teaser video here.




Clutch Wanted Tommy Lee John To Guest On New Album(Classic Rock)

Clutch frontman Neil Fallon says he wanted actor Tommy Lee Jones to voice the opening track on upcoming album Psychic Warfare. The Affidavit features ambient noise and Fallon's spoken word as he plays the role of a detective. But he really wanted the star of No Country For Old Men and the Men In Black films to voice the part.
Clutch were keen to come up with an opening to the record rather than launch right into the track X-Ray Visions. After dismissing the idea of an instrumental opener, the settled on a piece that links to the second track.

In an album commentary video issue via the band's YouTube page, Fallon says: "When we got the mixes of the record we were on tour and we got to talking about how we could intro the record, other than just starting cold with X-Ray Visions.

"The subject of ambient noise came up. A couple of days later the bus was parked in Memphis, Tennessee, in front of The Peabody Hotel and I believe it was a jazz and blues awards ceremony that was going on. The place was just rammed.

"I walked into the lobby with my iPhone and made these circuits around the bar and lobby and recorded the conversations, the sounds of ice and drinks and clinking china."

He continues: "A couple of days later we listened to the ambient noise and it was hard to justify by itself, so I listened to the first words of X-Ray Visions and realized this could be a statement of sort.

"The person you hear speaking - I wanted to get Tommy Lee Jones to do it but I'm sure he's busy. I did my best to mimic the man, terribly. It's a private investigator or detective asking the character in X-Ray Visions what the hell happened." Watch the video here.



Runaways' Jackie Fox Reacts To Chrissie Hynde's Rape Comments(Classic Rock)

Ex-Runaway Jackie Fox has spoken out over Chrissie Hynde's comments about rape this past weekend. Pretenders vocalist Hynde drew controversy by suggesting that women could sometimes be at fault over sex attacks, citing her own experience of being the victim of a biker gang assault at the age of 21, while under the influence of drugs.
In July Fox said she'd been raped by Runaways impresario Kim Fowley in a hotel room in 1975, while members of the band and their entourage looked on.And while she refuses to criticize Hynde personally, she's critical of the message she may have sent.

Fox, real name Fuchs, tells Yahoo: "It bothers me, because I don't know that she's gone out there and talked to rape victims. If you had seen the messages that people sent me, so many of them were about 'I've always thought it was my fault.' We already think that anyway.

"So this is just telling people who've gone through this experience of being raped or abused, 'Yeah, you're right, it is your fault.' But there's no such thing as asking for it. And poor judgment is not an invitation to rape, nor an excuse for it." Read more including Hynde's comments that sparked the controversy here.




Angra Release 'Black Hearted Soul' Video(Classic Rock)

Angra have released a video for their track Black Hearted Soul. It's taken from the band's album Secret Garden, which was released in January, and features Megadeth guitarist Kiko Loureiro.
Loureiro replaced Chris Broderick in Dave Mustaine's crew and will appear on that group's 15th album. Angra said they were proud of their friend for landing the job in Megadeth, but recently admitted they would have to continue without him.

Founding guitarist Rafael Bittencourt told Revolver: "At this moment, Kiko is managing to finish the Secret Garden world tour with us, coupled with touring with Megadeth. Soon, that won't be possible, so he will be taking Megadeth as a priority, most probably as his exclusive band.

"Since we won't be able to count on having him with us very soon, the solution will be to find a substitute for him." Watch the new video here.



Casablanca Release 'Closer' Music Video(Classic Rock)

Casablanca have released a video for Closer, taken from the band's new album Miskatonic Graffitti, the follow-up to 2013's Riding A Black Swan. The band include Ryan Roxie, who's played with Slash's Snakepit and Alice Cooper, and Sahara Hotnights drummer Josephine Forsman.
"Closer is about the couple Mat and Josie who find themselves confronted and chased by something or someone who've slipped through the passage to The Mountains, and seems to wanna kill 'em," say the band. "The story takes sudden turn, when Sgt Doom joins in. A classic horror story that ends in favour of the victim while the perpetrator ends up facing a cruel death."

"When Casablanca said they wanted a video that was part Lovecraft part Twin Peaks we couldn't pass on the opportunity to work with such cool influences - and great music too!" adds director Alex Taylor. "We used the opportunity to channel found footage horror films through our love of 70's horror like Evil Dead to make something that's hopefully as much fun to watch as it was to make."

Miskatonic Graffitti is released on September 25 on Despotz Records, and tells the story of The Originals, a group of creatures who pre-date H.P. Lovecraft's Old Ones and refuse to give up on their dreams of sex, love, rock and fast cars, despite the impending collapse of civilization. Watch the video here.




Tony Banks Looks Back At Evolution Of Genesis' Complex Stage Shows(Classic Rock)

Genesis keyboardist Tony Banks has reflected on how his band began developing their complex stage shows. The veteran musician will be named this year's Prog God at the Progressive Music Awards this week.
He spoke to BBC Radio 2's Steve Wright alongside Matthew Wright, who'll present the annual ceremony at London's Underglobe today (September 3). Asked about prog music's celebration of elaborate performance, Banks said: "When we first came on the scene we tried to do as little as possible - I continue to do that! Fortunately, some other people in the group managed to get it together. Peter Gabriel became fantastic as a performer.

"I think he realized that when he was up there he had to do something. We had quite long instrumental sections and breaks between songs, he had to have something to do. Simple things like the flower became such a visual statement for Genesis."

He joked about his fellow 1970s prog giants: "We hated all the other ones - they were the competition. We hated the really successful ones most, Yes, ELP and that lot." Read more here.


Kitten Pyramid Premiere 'High Five Scuba Dive' Video(Prog)

Kitten Pyramid have premiered their video for High Five Scuba Dive with Prog. The track features guest guitar by Matt Stevens, and it's taken from their EP of the same name, set for launch on October 23, to tie in with a UK tour supporting Tom Robinson.
The video tells the story of mainman Scott Milligan's late uncle, who started work with an ice cream van company before being diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.

Milligan says: "By this time he had started experiencing episodes that left him unable to work. More often than not he picked the ice-cream van up, drove it straight home and went to bed without doing his rounds - much to the disappointment of the local kids."

The story will be developed in the feature film Uh-Oh!, which shares its theme and title with Kitten Pyramid's 2014 debut album. Watch the new video here.



Skindred Release 'Under Attack' Video(TeamRock Radio)

Skindred have premiered their new music video for new song Under Attack, a track that comes off the band's new studio album "Volume", which is set to be released on October 30th.
Speaking to Hammer about the video, drummer Arya Goggin says: "With the Under Attack video we wanted the band in a small space with our fans. Down and dirty. The song is such a riffing track so we wanted a video that would compliment it.

"Hanging out with fans and then going mental with them throughout the day was great fun. You can't fake that energy, and that's what the cameras captured." Watch the video here.


Singled Out: Eat the Gun's Howlinwood

Today Hendrik Wippermann from Eat the Gun tells us about the title track of their brand new album "Howlinwood," which is set to be released in North America tomorrow (September 4th). Here is the story:
I always wanted to write a song that is dedicated to my love for being a musician. It's hard to do that without coming up with something that sounds rather cheesy or self-absorbed. So I tried to find something that describes the unique atmosphere music creates.

Like most times, inspiration surprised me with a fantasy name: Howlinwood. I thought about its meaning for a while and found it to be great name for an imaginary city where music is the center of all things. I asked myself why I would want to live in Howlinwood and came up with a simple rhyme that later became the song's chorus: "Take me to Howlinwood, where the music plays and life is good".

To me music is like a parallel universe or a second world I inhabit. It's a great place to hang out because everyday life just fades away and there's nothing else but music to care about.

The lyrics mainly deal with the realities of everyday life like unfulfilled dreams, the lack of freedom, or the striving for independence. All the things that make us want to break out and run free sometimes.

It doesn't matter if you're a musician or a music fan, we're all addicted to this special atmosphere that only music is able to create. It sets you free…ok, this definitely sounds a little cheesy but it's simply true.

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 Reunion Rumor Addressed By Festival Promoter(hennemusic) Soundwave Festival promoter AJ Maddah has made his firs...

Today's Day In Rock News!

Guns N' Roses Reunion Rumor Addressed By Festival Promoter(hennemusic)

Soundwave Festival promoter AJ Maddah has made his first public comments on rumors that Guns N' Roses will reunite to headline the Australian event next year.
James Young, the owner of Melbourne's rock and roll Cherry Bar, told Triple M radio last week that he had heard rumors within the industry that a GNR reunion would take place, just days after Slash revealed that he and Axl Rose were on friendly terms again.

"It's been nice for me personally to share this fantasy for a few days along with the fans but it is not happening for SW16," Maddah tells Music Feeds. "I sure hope those guys do get back together again as there has never been, or as far as I am concerned ever will be such a potent force for rock'n roll than the original GNR in full flight.

"If it does happen, it is going to take longer than 6 months for the band to be ready to tour. I think it'll take a hundred lawyers 6 months just to get the 5 of them into a rehearsal room together.

"But if - by a miracle - it does happen, then of course, I'll throw everything I can to be involved and it would be my last act as a promoter as after that I'll have nowhere to go!" Read more here.


KISS Drummer Eric Singer Slams Copycat Accusations(Classic Rock)

Kiss drummer Eric Singer says he finds it "ridiculous" when he hears accusations that he's expected to play, sing and act like original sticksman Peter Criss.
He does wear the Catman makeup mask that Criss used - but he insists that's where the similarities end. Singer tells Michael Cavacini: "I've heard people say that I was told to sing, play and act like Peter Criss. That's completely ridiculous. I've never once been told to do that. Never. Look at any of the shows I've done. I don't play anything like Peter Criss."

A section of Kiss fans will always long for the return of Criss and co-founding guitarist Ace Frehley. But Singer believes Kiss are as good a live act as they've ever been with him and guitarist Tommy Thayer on board - and that should be enough to appease followers.

He says: "If a band can't continue on because somebody quits, can't play any more, whatever the reason is, that shouldn't prevent the remaining members from continuing, if that's what they want to do." Read more here.



Pretenders' Chrissie Hynde Sparks Rape Controversy(Classic Rock)

Pretenders singer Chrissie Hynde has caused controversy by suggesting women can be at fault for some rapes. She's discussed her opinions after she revealed her own experience of being the victim of sex attacks.
Writing in her autobiography Reckless, the 63-year-old told how she'd been been kidnapped by members of a motorcycle gang while under the influence of drugs at the age of 21, and forced to perform sex acts.

Hynde tells the Sunday Times: "Technically speaking, this was all my doing and I take full responsibility. If I'm walking around in my underwear and I'm drunk, who else's fault can it be?

"If I'm very modestly dressed and I'm keeping to myself, and someone attacks me, then I'd say that's his fault. But if I'm being very lairy, putting it about and being provocative, then you're enticing someone who's unhinged. Don't do that. That's just common sense."

She adds: "I don't think I'm saying anything controversial, am I?" Read more here.




Lamb Of God's Randy Blythe Calls Out Culture Of Hate Online(TeamRock Radio)

Randy Blythe says the internet has warped the way people view the world and he can't believe the things that are deemed acceptable these days. The Lamb Of God frontman insists he "not a luddite," but he can't understand how technology has allowed us to become so accepting of some of the views aired online.
He tells Revolver: "If you think about the type of sh*t you can talk on the internet anonymously, this would never, ever happen 30 years ago. Think about Justin Bieber.

"I can't name a single Justin Bieber song. I don't really know what his music sounds like. But I'm sure it's not good. He's not writing anything life-changing. But if you Google 'I hate Justin Bieber,' or 'Kill Justin Bieber' - and I did this one time - there's thousands of hits that come up.

"And I read all these comments from anonymous people, some of whom are probably 14-year-old kids. And they're writing stuff like, 'I hope he dies. I wish he'd catch on fire. Someone should murder him.'

"They're doing this in a public forum, and this is the norm. There are no repercussions. So, yes, Justin Bieber probably sucks. But does he deserve to die? Dude, he's a f***ing Canadian pop singer. When I was a kid, if I had a problem with someone I'd go to his f***ing face and deal with it. It's insane to me that this type of sh*t is accepted now. It's f***ing nuts." Read more here.



Protest The Hero's Original Lineup Reuniting(Prog)

Protest The Hero have brought back drummer Moe Carlson and bassist Arif Mirabdolbaghi for a run of live shows to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their debut album Kezia.
Carlson left the group in 2013, with Mirabdolbaghi following him last year. The band say in a statement: "Ever since we put up our 'portal' for people to submit their Kezia memories and experiences for our scrap book, we noticed a huge demand for us to do a run of shows where we play this bad boy front to back. So we thought, 'Why the frig not?'

"Very proud to announce our first Kezia 10th anniversary shows across Canada - and even prouder to announce we will be doing this thing with our original lineup." Read more and see the dates here.



Disturbed Top Album Chart With 'Immortalized'

Disturbed scored their fifth consecutive No. 1 album after their latest studio effort, "Immortalized", debuted in the top spot on the Billboard Top 200 chart this week.
With the chart topping debut of the surprise comeback album, Disturbed and Metallica are now the only rock bands in history to score five consecutive No. 1s on the U.S. album chart.

Disturbed will be supporting "Immortalized" early next year with the launch of a North American headline tour which will be kicking off on March 11th in Vancouver, BC.

The 4-week trek is scheduled to conclude on April 10th in Memphis, TN at the New Daisy Theatre and all but four of the dates for the tour have already sold out. See the tour dates here.



Dickinson Hopes 'The Book Of Souls' Isn't Iron Maiden's Final Album(Classic Rock)

Bruce Dickinson says he had so much fun making The Book Of Souls that he really hopes it isn't Iron Maiden's final album. The metal giants release their 16th album on September 4. The follow-up to 2010's The Final Frontier was five years in the making and its release was delayed as frontman Dickinson was treated for cancer.
But not even his battle for health could weaken the singer's drive to get the album out. And they are even working on a massive world tour for next year, on which Dickinson will pilot the band and crew onboard a new and improved Ed Force One.

After flying 150 fans from Cardiff to Paris for an album listening party, Dickinson took questions from the audience at the Guillaume Tell Studios. He tells Metal XS (via Blabbermouth): "I really hope that this is not the last album. I've had way too much fun making this one. I'm gonna have way too much fun and enjoy the next tour for a variety of reasons." Read more here.


Richie Sambora Developing TV Drama Series(Classic Rock)

Former Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora is to be executive producer on a drama series based on his own experiences. He was originally approached by HBO to work on a soundtrack for a show in development - but instead, he presented a script he'd written three years ago about the "toil, trials and tribulations" of a rising-star band trying to make it big.
The network decided to run with his concept, which he created after repeatedly being asked to write a tell-all memoir. Sambora tells ABC Radio: "I don't want to do that cliched thing about who slept with who, what substance happened here, what was going on there.

"I'm a Jersey guy, so I keep everything to the chest - I don't want to talk about anybody anyway. Plus, I have a daughter. So I said, 'Why don't I write a teleplay?'" Read more here.



Faces' Kenney Jones Thought Keith Moon's Death A Practical Joke(Classic Rock)

Faces drummer Kenney Jones has recalled how he wondered if Keith Moon had played a practical joke the night he died. The pair had been together on the night of September 6, 1978, then Jones woke the next morning to discover The Who icon had died after an accidental overdose of drugs designed to combat his alcoholism.
Jones tells Noise11: "I was going to the opening of the Buddy Holly movie that Paul McCartney was producing. We had a party and watched the film. I said goodnight to Keith. I asked him how he was - he said he hadn't had a drink for a while. He told me, 'I take these pills to stop me drinking. If I have one drink they make me violently ill.'

"That was that. We said goodnight to each other." He heard the tragic news the following day. "I went, 'I can't believe this,'" he recalls. "'He is such a practical joker - it can't be right.'" Read more here.



Rolling Stones' Ronnie Wood Announces Book Release Event(The Blues)

Ronnie Wood will host a launch event for his memoir How Can It Be? A Rock & Roll Diary next week. The standard edition is published on September 8 after the Rolling Stone found a long-lost account of his doings in 1965, when he was 17 years old.
Wood recently told The Blues Magazine: "It's like no time has gone by. It was a very pleasing thing for me to rediscover this. It was, like, 'Wow, I remember.'

"All of the places, the names, the situations - I remember crystal clear, like it was yesterday." He'll appear at Waterstones, Piccadilly, London at 6.30pm on September 11. Read more here.




Prog Award Renamed In Honor Of Late Yes Legend Chris Squire (Classic Rock)

Late Yes bassist Chris Squire will be remembered at this year's Progressive Music Awards - as the Virtuoso Award has been renamed the Chris Squire Virtuoso award.
He passed away in June after a short battle with cancer, and he's since been acclaimed by artists from across the music world. The renamed Virtuoso Award, sponsored by Carlin Music, seeks to highlight the very best instrumentalists. It's not disputed that Squire influenced many of them.

Yes drummer Alan White says: "Renaming the award is highly appropriate. Chris did so much to share the way the bass is played these days. His impact was incalculable.

"All of us who were privileged to know him will miss him hugely. But the music he did so much to help create is timeless - and this honor will ensure his name will never be forgotten." Read more here.



Savage Announce New Double-Disc Album(Classic Rock)

Savage have confirmed their next album 7 will be released in October. The NWOBHM act issue the double-disc album on October 9 via Minus 2 Zebra Records. It comes complete with live album Live 'N Lethal.
Savage were said to be an early influence on Metallica and their 1983 debut album Loose 'N Lethal was one of the biggest selling independent releases in the US at the time.

The label says: "Savage's classic debut is now given a fresh and live treatment in the form of a recently recorded live gig in their hometown. In addition to this, Savage has been hard at work writing and recording set of new classics on this double release.

"7 features 12 blistering new songs, which mix old with new. Many of the tracks are fast-paced and hark back to the early days, while cuts such as Superspy and Empire Of Hate sound akin to something off a modern Ozzy Osbourne album or even Metallica at their best." Read more and see the cover art here.



Rory Gallagher Feared Rolling Stones Call Was Kidnap Attempt(Classic Rock)

Irish blues-rock icon Rory Gallagher feared a late-night phone call from the Rolling Stones was a terror threat from the IRA. Stones keyboardist Ian Stewart phoned the Gallagher house in Cork in January 1975, while the Irish Troubles were at their height.
And Gallagher - who died in 1995 - worried that he was about to be kidnapped. His brother and manager Donal tells the Sun: "It was a really scary time in Ireland. Paramilitaries were kidnapping people.

"So when the phone went off after midnight, and a strange voice asked if Rory Gallagher was there, we got very scared." The guitarist spent four days rehearsing with Mick Jagger and co, with a view to replacing Mick Jones. Read more here.




Aerosmith's Tyler and Perry Contributing To SpongeBob Musical(hennemusic)

Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry are among the artists contributing songs for The SpongeBob Musical, which will open in Chicago next June.
Broadway World reports the project will feature tunes written by the Aerosmith duo as well as The Flaming Lips, Cyndi Lauper, John Legend, Lady Antebellum, Panic! At the Disco, Dirty Projectors, Plain White T's, They Might Be Giants and T.I., with an additional song by David Bowie and additional lyrics by Jonathan Coulton.

Co-conceived and directed by Tina Landau with music supervision by Tom Kitt, The SpongeBob Musical will begin performances at Broadway in Chicago's Oriental Theatre on June 7.

The debut limited engagement runs to July 3, following which the musical will open on Broadway in New York as part of the 2016-2017 season. Read more here.



Sammy Hagar Announces Book Tour(hennemusic)

Sammy Hagar has announced dates for a book signing tour in support of the September 15 release of "Are We Having Any Fun Yet? The Cooking & Partying Handbook."
The project sees Hagar share his passion for food and his secrets for rock-and-roll entertaining, including his favorite recipes from home, on the road, and his go-to vacation spots, Cabo and Maui.

The singer is joined by his celebrity chef friends from around the globe for insights into entertaining as readers pour over more than 50 food and drink recipes.

Hagar also shares his greatest drink recipes - accompanied by true stories of the wild nights that brought them to life. A six-date book signing tour starts September 14 in Ridgewood, NJ with stops in New York, Illinois, Missouri and California.

"Are We Having Any Fun Yet? The Cooking & Partying Handbook" is Hagar's second run as an author: in 2011, he published his memoir "Red: My Uncensored Life In Rock", which topped the New York Times Best Sellers List. See the book tour dates here.



Ghost Score Top 10 Debut On Album Chart With 'Meliora'(hennemusic)

Swedish occult rockers Ghost have scored their first-ever US Top 10 showing with "Meliora." Billboard reports the group's third album has debuted on the US Billboard 200 at No. 8 with opening week sales of 29,000 copies.
The record follows 2013's "Infestissumam", which peaked at No. 28 on the chart following its release. Produced by Klas Åhlund and mixed by Andy Wallace (Slayer, Nirvana, Guns N' Roses, Linkin Park), "Meliora" presents the debut of vocalist Papa Emeritus III alongside the Nameless Ghouls following the resignation of his three-month older brother, Papa Emeritus II, earlier this year.

Ghost launched the project with an unplugged tour of US record stores in Seattle on August 18. The intimate appearances will be followed by the Black To The Future North American tour, which begins at The Fillmore in Washington, DC on September 22. Stream the new album in its entirety here.



Slayer's Jeff Hanneman Wanted To Disappears Says Frontman(Classic Rock)

Tom Araya believes late Slayer bandmate Jeff Hanneman didn't want to work again - no matter how much his band needed him. The frontman says he tried as hard as he could to bring Hanneman back as they began work on what would become 11th album Repentless - but his calls were never returned.
The co-founding axeman died in 2013 after a long illness related to alcohol abuse. He hadn't been an active member of the thrash giants for two years. Araya tells Crack: "I was at a point where I needed him back in the band for it to work.

"I didn't care to what extent his abilities were at their best. I just needed him back. So I was reaching out to him, leaving messages, but he wouldn't return my calls. He'd decided he wanted to disappear. That was really hard." Read more here.




Dave Kerzner Reveals Live Band Members(Prog)

Dave Kerzner has unveiled the seven-piece live band who'll perform his debut solo album New World. The lineup features Pink Floyd backing singers Durga and Lorelei McBroom, guitarist Fernando Perdomo, drummer Derek Cintron and multi-instrumentalist Randy McStine, along with Kerzner's Sound Of Contact bandmate Matt Dorsey.
The mastermind has launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for the recording of a live DVD at a show in Los Angeles, to be announced soon. Kerzner, who funded New World the same way, says:

"When an independent artist wants to put on a production with star players, fortunately there are creative ways to make it happen, by connecting with fans and offering a one-of-a-kind experience." Read more here.




Baroness Release Animated Video For New Song 'Chlorine & Wine'(TeamRock Radio)

Baroness have issued a single and confirmed their fourth album will be out in December. The single Chlorine & Wine has been issued alongside an animated video and the album, Purple, is due to appear on December 18 via the band's own Abraxan Hymns label.
It is the band's first new music since the 2012 bus crash that came a month after the release of last album Yellow & Green and which left nine people injured. In the wake of the accident, drummer Allen Blickle and bassist Matt Maggioni left and have been replaced by Sebastian Thomson and Nick Jost.

Frontman John Baizley says: "After releasing a lengthy and investigative record like Yellow & Green we all felt that we needed to make something much more direct and immediate.

"It was important for us to write our new songs with the type of enthusiasm and expressiveness that could act as a counterpoint to the album's dark themes. As a result, the music came out in an intense, heavy and sonically captivating in a new way, which was important, loathe, as we are to fall into any kind of complacency pitfall or formulaic songwriting routine.

"Purple is the most fully realised representation of our intention as a band. Considering the amount of physical and mental energy spent writing it, we have accomplished something which would have seemed impossible to us a couple of years ago." Watch the video here.



The Decline of Western Civilization Final Released On DVD and Blu-Ray(Gibson)

The Decline of Western Civilization documentary series is perhaps best known for its second volume, which chronicled the Los Angeles metal scene of the mid 80s, but all three films have just been released on DVD and Blu-Ray, and together they offer a unique look at their respective times, places and social climates.
I just interviewed director Penelope Spheeris (who also directed Wayne's World) for Australia's Beat Magazine, and I asked Spheeris if she has been surprised by the career or life trajectories of Decline II's stars. "I didn't think Chris Holmes would end up happily married in France, having stopped drinking," Spheeris said. "Dave Mustaine's trajectory has been nice and constant. I'm surprised he ended up a Christian but I'm glad for him if that works for him."

As for the band Odin, who were touted as the next big thing by club owner Bill Gazzarri in the film, "I've heard the guys from Odin feel like they can never live it down. One of them says it'll be on his headstone: it'll just say "Odin… Odin… Odin…"

As for London's Nadir D'Priest, "He's living the high life in Vegas. He hasn't told me this but judging from his car and his $2,000 boots he's got a very rich girlfriend. That's just me guessing because I don't know where the record sales are coming from! I saw Ozzy the other night and he seems to be doing fine. He's getting older but so am I." Read more here.





Vreid Streaming Song 'Haust' From Forthcoming Album(TeamRock Radio)

Sogndal, Norway's black metal veterans Vreid are gearing up to release a new album, Sólverv, via Indie Recordings on October 9, and TeamRock has an exclusive preview in the form of the first single, Haust, which will be released as a shot across the bows on October 1.
Bringing black metal back to its cold and unforgiving roots, Haust reflects the harsh environment in which the members spent their upbringing, but still with the band's uniquely epic touch.

"The opening riff has been humming in my head for years," says bassist Hváll. "An autumn night in my cabin it all made sense, and Haust was born."

So pull your woollen cloak closer, stick another log in the flames and give yourself to Haust here.



Chelsea Wolfe, Lightning Bolt Lead Mutations Festival Lineup(Prog)

Chelsea Wolfe are part of the lineup for the first ever Mutations festival. The event takes place in Brighton on November 28 and 29 and is organized by the people behind last year's Wire-curated Drill Festival in the city.
Also on the bill for Mutations #001 are Lightning Bolt, OM, Josh T Pearson, Tourist and METZ, among others. Organizers say: "Mutations is a creative mass of genre hybrids and expression, delivering some of the most inspiring, creative and interesting music the world has to offer.

"Highlights include aggressive noise pioneers Lightning Bolt, Canadian noise rockers METZ, experimental House producer John Talabot, infamous Texan singer-songwriter Josh T Pearson, legendary Doom stalwarts OM, the viciously experimental Chelsea Wolfe." Read more and see the full lineup here.



Slipknot's Corey Taylor Slams Pretentious Rock Stars(TeamRock Radio)

Corey Taylor has hit out at bands who are "ashamed of their success." The Slipknot frontman is one of the biggest rock stars on the planet and insists he isn't uncomfortable with that status. And he has a message for musicians who feign embarrassment at being successful.
He tells the Las Vegas Review-Journal: "I always get so upset when I talk to some of these dudes in some of these bands - and I won't mention any names - but they're just so elitist to the point of pricky. They just have this air about them where it's like nothing matters. They're almost ashamed of their success.

"And it's like, 'Then why did you leave your basement? Why did you start playing shows live? You could have been a pretentious a**f*** in your basement, and just made your own music for yourself.'

"Like these guys who try to come off better and holier than thou, it's all a f***ing con, because if that were true, they would never have played their first live show. They would never have worked their ass off to get a record deal, or to put that song out for people to hear. It's just a weak excuse to come off as petty and preachy." Read more here.



Slayer Streaming New Song 'Cast The First Stone'(Classic Rock)

Slayer are streaming their new song "Cast The First Stone" online. The track comes from the band's 11th album Repentless, due to be released on September 11 via Nuclear Blast. They've previously issued streams of the title track and When The Stillness Comes.
Slayer worked with producer Terry Date on the album. Frontman Tom Araya recently said: "I only really knew him from the Pantera records, but then I was given this laundry list of stuff and he's done a lot of great records. He's all about letting you do what you do and then telling you if it sucks or not. He's a sweet guy."

A prison-themed video for the title track is expected to be unveiled soon, featuring a string of movie actors including Machete star Danny Trejo. Stream the new song here.



Ghost's Nameless Ghoul Fears People Have Lost Their Purpose(Classic Rock)

One of Ghost's Nameless Ghouls has slammed the misguided culture in modern society - saying that the concept of happiness has been lost as a result.
He says there's been a change in attitudes over recent years, with people now judging success by how much cash they can earn. He tells Kerrang (via Blabbermouth): "People are most content when they have a purpose - but most people think their purpose is to be a millionaire. They can't be content until they're their own boss."

He continues: "25 years ago, people were content being a carpenter. But after the internet, people can now create an app in five minutes and sell it for $5m. That's the career choices now." Read more here.




Scorpions Classics Given Lullaby Makeover(hennemusic)

The music of German rockers the Scorpions is featured on "Lullaby Versions Of Scorpions", the latest release from Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star who are streaming the lullaby version of "Wind Of Change."
The company which creates "beautiful lullaby versions of your favorite artists" was born for the parent that wants to pass along their passion for music to their child by transforming popular music into instrumental lullabies perfect for babies, yoga or just relaxation.

There are seven classic tunes featured on the set alongside "Still Loving You", "No One Like You", "The Zoo", Rock You Like A Hurricane", "Rhythm Of Love" and "Send Me An Angel."

The Scorpions will launch a 50th anniversary North American tour in Boston on September 10. On September 11, the band will also release an expanded edition of their latest album, "Return To Forever", in North America following its European spring release. Stream the lullaby version of "Wind of Change" here.



Queen Release Preview Videos For The Studio Collection Box Set(hennemusic)

Queen have issued a four-video preview package of "The Studio Collection" Special Edition Vinyl Box Set, due for release on September 25. The Box Set will present 18 remastered vinyl editions of the complete collection of 15 Queen studio albums - from the 1973 self-titled debut to 1995's "Made In Heaven", and comes with a fully customized limited edition Queen-branded turntable made by Rega.
The 15 albums are configured across 18 discs due to some tweaks in the change of format to vinyl: 1974's "Queen II" is spread across two records with a custom etching on the reverse side in tribute to the original "Side White" and "Side Black" presentation, while 1991's "Innuendo" and 1995's "Made In Heaven" are double albums due to the longer running time on the original CD releases.

"The Studio Collection" presents each album in a different colour along with an illustrated 12 x 12 inch 108 page hardback book complete with introductions to each record - including quotes from Queen themselves, hand-written lyrics, rare photographs, memorabilia, and information on singles and videos. Watch the videos here.



FIDLAR Frontman Zac Carper Kicked Drugs Over Death Fears(TeamRock Radio)

FIDLAR frontman Zac Carper says he kicked his drug habit as he didn't want to die young. The band release second album Too on September 2 and Carper reports writing and recording the new material helped him work through his issues.
He tells Stereogum: "The way that I look at it is through the whole first FIDLAR album cycle and the tour, I was basically this crazy person on drugs.

"On this new record, I'm just a crazy person. I stopped doing heroin, I stopped doing meth, I stopped smoking crack, so now all I'm left with is just being this crazy person who's trying to deal with it - and the way that I dealt with it was writing songs."

He says he's been clean for a year and adds: "I'm not going to stay f***ed up just to fit in or because that's what people want me to be. I don't want to die when I'm f***ing 28." Read more here.



Singled Out: Frank Viele's Broken Love Song (featuring Joe Bonamassa)

Today Frank Viele tells us the story behind "Broken Love Song" (featuring a guest appearance from Joe Bonamassa), which comes from his brand new album "Fall Your Way". Here is the story:
While a lot of my songs start with a theme or idea, this track started simply with a guitar riff. The main riff of the song was something I had developed being stuck in traffic all day listening to the Muddy Waters "Folk Singer" record in route to a show in Virginia. I was so enthralled with the whole acoustic blues approach he had on that record that when i got back to the hotel that night, i just felt like playing blues licks on my acoustic guitar. I stumbled into this riff as part of my goal to try and combine that acoustic blues swagger and soul with the constant strum rhythm technique I customarily play. Then I kind of kept the riff in my back pocket for a while waiting for the right story to tell with it.

Months later, I'm on a date with a girl who tells me she really likes my music but that I don't write enough happy songs about love and relationships. My response was that "my songs, or at least my stories, usually start happy. But they just end up sad in the end. It's almost as if they're broken". Thats when the idea of a "Broken Love Song" and the bluesy yet percussively insistent guitar riff I had been carrying in my back pocket seemed to come together.

I went home that night and began to pen the story of a misguided relationship I had fallen into and eventually out of. A relationship where because of situations outside of my control, life got in the way of two people's best intentions to build a life together.

The song starts out in the first verse with lines like "she's been running from every move I make". The first verse ends with the line "found it hard so she held on tight, wrapped her arms and held me all night. Now I'm singing love songs". This verse describes conquering the early obstacles of modern dating leading into the early part of the relationship when you find two essentially "love drunk" people enjoying all of the little things life and love have to offer.

The second verse starts off with discussing how "her world has gone astray". And then goes into the line where I'm "playing the role of her distraction". This is the verse that talks about the outside world getting in the way. Be it other people's opinions, confusion on one's personal path in life, geographical distance, or even the stereotypical resurfacing of an ex…in my case, all of those things were woven into the story that inspired this song.

Then the bridge comes in which has some of my favorite lyrics of the song.

With the realization that the person on the other side of this relationship knows she's hurting less than I am and is almost ashamed of her actions as she's the one making the decision to end the relationship, the bridge starts with the line "You're staring at the ground, so I fall to your feet".

The second line in the bridge goes into the whole power struggle that seems to exist in modern dating and relationships when it says "I wish I never knew your love, cause it made me weak".

The last line in the bridge is probably my favorite though. Playing guitar has been my comfort zone since I was a teenager. It was what I did when I needed to separate myself from the world around me. No matter where my journey brought me or what troubles I came across, playing my guitar always seemed to help me find my center again. So ending the bridge with this line just seemed to make sense "Now I'm stuck here, six strings strung along, with nothing but this broken love song". I also really felt I got the point across from the second verse here where I talk about "playing the role of her distraction" when I used the phrase "6 strings strung along" as part of the ending of the bridge.

So while there is a particular story to the song, there is indeed an overall theme to it as well.

I grew up hearing stories about how things were supposed to happen in regards to Relationships, Love, and Happiness. But for my generation, it seems like things have changed. Love and relationships seem at times almost plastic or like they have become a commodity in this world with the massive popularity of online dating and society's increasingly growing inability to communicate outside of our cell phones. With the advent of online dating and full blown text conversations acting as the major form of communication, dating to me has become as informal, "efficient", and streamlined as ordering something off of Amazon.com.

But to me, that just seems to cheapen the journey and whimsy of it all. It makes us use more of our brains and less of our hearts when approaching the world and who we decide to spend our precious time on it with. It almost makes us subconsciously devalue our relationships as if the next person is just a few clicks away.

It's almost as if the whole thing is broken… a "Broken Love Song"!