Today's Day In Rock News!

Guns N' Rose Add Another Reunion Concert(hennemusic)


Guns N' Roses have added a second Mexico City show to their 2016 reunion tour. The band will perform at the Foro Sol on April 20 in addition to the previously-announced April 19 date.
Axl Rose, Slash, Duff McKagan and unconfirmed others will kick off the reunion in April with two shows in Las Vegas followed by the dates in Mexico City - which land in the week between appearances at Coachella.

The 2016 shows will mark the first time the trio have performed together since a July 17, 1993 date at River Plate Stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina. See the update list of reunion dates here.




Eagles, Jackson Browne To Tribute Glen Frey At Grammy Awards(hennemusic)

The Eagles, including cofounder Bernie Leadon, will be joined by Jackson Browne to perform a tribute to the late Glenn Frey at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles this weekend.
Browne, Eagles co-founders Don Henley and Leadon will team with Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit for the one-time-only special tribute to Frey, who passed away January 18 at the age of 67 from a combination of rheumatoid arthritis, colitis and pneumonia.

"Glenn Frey's untimely passing was a huge loss for the entire creative community," says President/CEO of The Recording Academy Neil Portnow. "For more than 45 years, the Eagles have played a significant role in shaping our musical landscape. We are honored to welcome the band, along with Jackson Browne, to the Grammy stage in tribute to Glenn's tremendous legacy."

Frey sang lead vocals on Eagles classics like "Take It Easy", "Peaceful Easy Feeling", "Tequila Sunrise", "Already Gone", "Lyin' Eyes", "New Kid in Town", and "Heartache Tonight." Read more here.




Santana Calls Out NFL Over Super Bowl Halftime Show(hennemusic)

Carlos Santana is challenging the NFL to feature live music performances during the Super Bowl halftime show after six straight years of pop music acts accompanied by accusations of lip syncing.
The guitar icon - who was featured momentarily during Sunday's Super Bowl 50 broadcast - took to Facebook to thank the companies for his inclusion before suggesting a local Bay Area lineup could have delivered "real live" entertainment for fans on site and tuned in around the world.

"Dear NFL/CBS, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you both for including me as a part of your Super Bowl entertainment," Santana writes. "I do feel compelled to point out to you that the Halftime Show should have included some of the local iconic bands that the World would have loved to see perform. Bands like Metallica, Steve Miller, Journey and yours truly. We would have rocked the Half Time Show and done the SF Bay Area proud.

"This is just an invitation for you to consider iconic bands as part of your Half Time entertainment. Real live music, real live vocals, and give the audience real live chills."

"Thank You Carlos," added Journey, who shared the guitarist's note on their own Facebook page, "and yes we would have all Rocked it!" Read more here.



Slipknot's Corey Taylor Praises Metal Fans For Unity(TeamRock Radio)


Slipknot and Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor says no other genre can match metal when it comes to a sense of community and togetherness and he says that when one metal act makes it big, it's a win for the whole movement.
He tells the Guardian: "What I love the most about the metal community is the sense of community that comes along with it. Unlike other genres there's a support system and common sense of appreciation for what we are all striving to achieve.

"It feels like when one of us crosses over and wins, we all win. We are, collectively, kind of treated like bastard stepchildren by the rest of the music world, so any time we get to fly the flag in their faces, to me that means that more people are hearing what I consider real music.

"You get used to being a bastard stepchild, it goes hand in hand with the attitude, and the reactionary vibe of the music itself - which makes you feel something whether you want it to or not." Read more here.




Bullet For My Valentine Plan To Release Mobile App(TeamRock Radio)


Bullet For My Valentine have announced they'll launch their own app. No release date has been given but frontman Matt Tuck says it'll be in the hands of fans soon via Google Play and Apple's App Store.
He adds: "We're super excited to have a new platform to connect with our Army Of Noise across the world. We're gonna be saving some of the best bits of what we do for our subscribers and there's gonna be plenty for you all to get your teeth into.

"Make sure you become part of it and make this your first destination for all things Bullet For My Valentine. See you on the stage somewhere very soon."

The app will gives users access to the band's entire back catalogue, ticket pre-sales, live streams, merchandise and more. Earlier this week, the group released a video for their track Worthless, which is lifted from their latest album Venom. Watch it here.




Cage The Elephant Stream New Single 'Cry Baby'(The Blues)


Cage The Elephant have made their upcoming single Cry Baby available to stream. The song is taken from the band's fourth album Tell Me I'm Pretty, which was released late last year. The single Cry Baby is issued on March 25 via Columbia Records. Tell Me I'm Pretty was produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys.
Guitarist Brad Shultz previously said the partnership with Auerbach came about as a result of drunken bravado. He said: "I was probably a little too drunk in the dressing room and I was like, 'Man, let me show you some songs, dude. We gotta do some tracks together.' Typical stuff. I was really wasted."

Meanwhile, Cage The Elephant have had to upgrade the venues for their upcoming UK shows in Liverpool and Manchester due to high demand for tickets. The Liverpool gig on February 18 will now take place at the Academy 2, while the February 20 show will move to Manchester's Academy 2. Stream the single here.




Sick Puppies Reveal New Singer and Stream New Single(TeamRock Radio)


Sick Puppies have announced that singer-songwriter Bryan Scott has joined them as their new vocalist and shared a clip of upcoming single Stick To Your Guns.
Scott, who previously played with Glass Intrepid and Dev Electric, joins Emma Anzai and Mark Goodwin and has been brought in after the 2014 departure of Shimon Moore.

The band teased fans with a clip of a studio performance with their new vocalist back in December, keeping his identity hidden - but they introduced the new singer in a snippet of their next single.

Scott tells Loudwire: "As soon as I found out about the lineup change, my gut feeling told me to reach out to Emma and Mark, and we clicked right away. I knew this was a shot that could change the course of my life so I flew out to LA to audition the next morning.

Anzai and Goodwin add: "Before we met Bryan in person, we knew he'd be a great fit. His audition of Odd One and You're Going Down was on point and from there the music progressed naturally." Check out the new single here.



Lacuna Coil Recruit Black Lodge's Daniel Sahagun(TeamRock Radio)

Lacuna Coil have recruited Black Lodge guitarist Daniel Sahagun on a temporary basis following the departure of Marco Biazzi last month. Biazzi quit the band after 17 years last month to pursue a new music project.
Sahagun previously played bass for Lacuna Coil while Marco 'Maki' Coti-Zelati was unable to tour with the group in 2014. He made his live debut with the band during the 70,000 Tons Of Metal cruise last weekend.

Vocalist Cristina Scabbia says: "Daniel came on the cruise to play with us, but he is not the new member of Lacuna Coil. He's still part of the family, though." Read more here.




Peter Frampton Previews Songs From Acoustic Classics Album(hennemusic)

Peter Frampton has released preview streams of "Baby, I Love Your Way" and "Do You Feel Like I Do" from his upcoming album "Acoustic Classics." Due February 26, the project sees the guitarist deliver reinvented, unplugged versions of many of his best-known songs and one brand new one - "All Down To Me."
"The approach I took on this was that each song came across as if you are the first person to hear this song after I wrote it," says Frampton. "I had to reverse engineer each song in order to get this result, which I feel I achieved."

Frampton will support the release of "Acoustic Classics" with the launch of a new leg of his Raw unplugged tour in Tucson, AZ on March 9. Read more and check out the preview streams here.



Beardfish Singer Rikard Sjoblom Streaming New Solo Album Online(Prog)

Beardfish singer Rikard Sjoblom has made his solo album available to stream in full. The Unbendable Sleep was released Wednesday (February 10) and features Beardfish bassist Robert Hansen.
Sjoblom says: "I have been meaning to make The Unbendable Sleep for quite some time now so, when I finally had the opportunity, I had a great time recording it. It's probably one of the most down-to-earth and honest albums I've ever done.

"I found myself singing about mirrors quite a lot and that's also referring to just that - looking into the mirror and not recognizing the person staring back at you."

Sjoblom will promote the release on a mini UK tour with prog rock band Anima Mundi. Stream the album here.




Michael Monroe Releases Goin' Down With The Ship Video(hennemusic)

Former Hanoi Rocks frontman Michael Monroe has released the video for "Goin' Down With The Ship", the latest single from his 10th album, "Blackout States."
"The song is not necessarily about sailing or seamanship as such," explains Monroe. "It's basically about us getting on the tour bus and hitting the road with our band. Ville Juurikkala, who shot the videos for 'Ballad of the Lower East Side,' 'Stained Glass Heart,' and 'Old King's Road' has done this new one, too.

"It was pretty easy to make and includes some footage shot by the band while we were on tour. I think the video has a good vibe and we're all happy with the way it turned out. Hope you enjoy it!"

Monroe recorded the follow-up to 2013's "Horns And Halos" with his touring band - bassist Sami Yaffa (ex-Hanoi Rocks/New York Dolls), guitarist Steve Conte (ex-New York Dolls/Company Of Wolves), guitarist Rich Jones (ex-Black Halos/Amen) and drummer Karl Rockfist (ex-Chelsea Smiles/Danzig). Watch the new video here.




Sammy Hagar Preview The Circle Episode Of His TV Series(hennemusic)


Sammy Hagar has released a preview of the next episode of his new AXS TV series, "Rock & Roll Road Trip", which features a look at his latest supergroup The Circle.
The band - which features bassist Michael Anthony, drummer Jason Bonham and guitarist Vic Johnson - released their first live DVD, "At Your Service", in December.

In concert, the group present the Red Rocker's musical history and Bonham's legacy by performing tunes by Hagar, Van Halen, Montrose and Led Zeppelin.

Airing Sunday nights on AXS TV, "Rock & Roll Road Trip" sees Hagar drive across the country to jam with some of rock's biggest names, including Chickenfoot bandmate Michael Anthony, Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee, Bob Weir and Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead, Alice Cooper, Heart's Ann and Nancy Wilson, and Alice In Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell.

"Something that's always bugged me is that fans get to see us either onstage in concert or in interviews, and that's about it," says Hagar. "There's so much cool, history-making stuff that happens off stage that fans have never really had access to, but I do. And that's where this show takes viewers! I'm hookin' them up with a real backstage pass. Watch the preview video here.



Hawkwind Announce New Concept Album 'The Machine Stops'(Classic Rock)

Hawkwind are to release The Machine Stops on April 15. The follow-up to 2015's Revolution is a concept album based on E.M Forster's dystopian sci-fi novel, also named The Machine Stops.
The album is described as "an atmospheric, musical interpretation beginning in tunnels deep beneath the earth, where every need is controlled and catered for by the machine."

Label Cherry Red Records adds: "The struggle to escape and find a way to reach the outer surface is a utopian dream, which could prove to be the most deadly dream of all." Read more here.




Graham Bonnet Looks Back In New Online Tour Documentary(Classic Rock)

Graham Bonnet visits the Cozy Powell memorial in Cirencester and recalls the moment his haircut upset former Rainbow bandmate Ritchie Blackmore in part two of his tour documentary.
The second instalment of All Day And All Night Long shows Bonnet and co on the road across the UK, playing the Giants Of Rock Festival and heading off to their Skegness hometown show.

Bonnet also visits the recently unveiled Cozy Powell plaque at the Corn Hall, Cirencester, and says he was invited to the ceremony, but couldn't make it.

He points at the plaque which reads, 'World famous rock drummer' and says: "This is an understatement." He adds: "My friend, forever. This is the town where he lived, where he's from and where his adoptive mum brought him up. He was given the name of Colin Powell. He never really knew his real parents - and never knew his real name! But he was Cozy Powell."

Bonnet is also asked whether Ritchie Blackmore's claim in his own documentary that he once fled out of the hotel fire escape to get a haircut while on tour with Rainbow is true.

He replies: "That never happened. It was untidy so I decided one afternoon in Edinburgh that I would go for a walk in the city and I'd go for a haircut.

"There was no guard on the door. I didn't go out the bathroom window. But I can't understand why Ritchie is still talking about it. I would never do anything to sabotage the show or upset him in any way." Watch the video here.




The Struts Release 'Kiss This' Video(Classic Rock)


The Struts have released a video for Kiss This, taken from their debut album Everybody Wants. The release is to coincide with the band's US tour, which kicks off at the Air + Style Festival in Los Angeles on February 20.
Everybody Wants is released on March 4. "When putting the album together we have approached it with the mindset that when listening, you are taken on a journey," says frontman Luke Spiller.

"I think anyone who listens to this album will hear our journey and feel our ambition. We truly have put our hearts and souls into it and I hope you love it as much as we do." Watch the new video here.




Purson Go Back To Their Roots On New Album(Classic Rock)

Purson frontwoman Rosalie Cunningham says she's gone back to her roots for upcoming album Desire's Magic Theatre. It's due for release on April 29 after its original March launch was pushed back last month. And the singer says their second album is a step forward from their 2013 debut The Circle And The Blue Door as she's been more focused in her every day life.
Cunningham tells Louder Than War: "I'm a lot happier these days, I wasn't that happy with the first album but I'm three years older now and have learned how to do it better.

"With the new album, I wrote all of it and play most of the instruments as well. George Hudson plays a couple of lead guitar parts and Raph Mura plays drums, so it's virtually a solo album."

Cunningham reports that Small Faces' 1968 album Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake has been instrumental in shaping the sound of her new material. She continues: "It was a huge influence in the way that it is very early progressive and that it's a concept album with a storyline." Read more here.



Mike Portnoy 'Never Closed The Door' On Dream Theater Return(Classic Rock)

Mike Portnoy says he'd "welcome" a Dream Theater return if the opportunity ever arose. The drummer quit the band in 2010, leading to a public war of words, and an attempt to rejoin, and was eventually replaced by Mike Mangini.
He's gone on to appear in several projects since the split, including Flying Colors, Metal Allegiance, and his band The Winery Dogs. But he says he'd be open to some sort of reconciliation in the future.

He tells Gigs And Festivals: " Jordan Rudess and John Petrucci, we've stayed in touch. I've never closed the door on doing something with them. It's not like I'm waiting for it - it's not like I'm planning it, it's not like it's in my career plan, but certainly if the invitation, or if the opportunity arose, I would surely welcome it.

"It's just because I don't hold grudges, and I like to have an open heart and always cherish the people in my life and in my past. That was 25 years of my life." Read more here.



The Haunted Launch Tour and Will Wrap Up New Album This Year(TeamRock Radio)


The Haunted say they'll wrap up recording their ninth album later this year. The band are also scheduled to play a run of headline shows and festivals in the US and Europe in addition to their US tour with label mates At The Gates.
The Haunted say: "Next to playing a US tour and a bunch of dates in Europe, we are hard at work for the follow-up album to Exit Wounds. The material we are currently looking at is both super-heavy and dynamic, so we are excited to be recording the new tracks later in the year. Stay tuned."

The thrash outfit previously slated the album's release for August or September 2015. Exit Wounds was vocalist Marco Aro's first album in his second stint with The Haunted, after he returned to the band in 2013. He replaced Peter Dolving in 1999, after himself being replaced by Dolving in 2003. See the tour dates here.




Abbath Excited About New Drummer(TeamRock Radio)

Abbath says his band's new drummer Gabe Seeber is among the best two sticksmen on the planet - alongside the man he replaced. Former Immortal man Olve 'Abbath' Eikemo's self-titled group sees him backed by a drummer taking the name Creature. The original Creature was Kevin Foley, who was later replaced by Seeber.
And Abbath couldn't be happier with how things worked out. He tells Metal Wani: "From Creature Kevin to Creature Gabe, they are pretty much the same drummers. It's like changing lane, but the speed and determination is still there. I would say they are the best drummers in the world."

Abbath's debut, self-titled, album was released last month and the mainman says the songs were written for what would have been Immortal's ninth album. Instead, they ended up on his new project's debut, although he admits he couldn't have done it without Creature and bass player King ov Hell.

Abbath adds: "It didn't become an Immortal album, which it was supposed to be, It became an Abbath album and I could never have done it without King and Creature." Read more and watch the full interview here.




Yellowcard and Cancer Bats Lead Additions For Slam Dunk 2016(TeamRock Radio)

Yellowcard, Northlane and Cancer Bats are among eight bands to be announced for this year's Slam Dunk festival. The lineup also includes headliners Panic! At The Disco, along with artists including Of Mice & Men, New Found Glory and Mallory Knox.
Hacktivist, Mayday Parade, Hit The Lights, ROAM and Norma Jean have also been added to the bill for the event which will take place in Leeds, Birmingham and Hatfield from May 28-30.

The 10th anniversary of the festival will see Yellowcard play their 2003 album Ocean Avenue in full. Slam Dunk founder and director Ben Ray said: "I had no idea back then what I thought would be a one-off event would still be going now, let alone continue to grow to the size it has become." See the lineup here.



Broken Witt Rebels Stream New Song 'Low'(Classic Rock)

Broken Witt Rebels have made their track Low available to stream with TeamRock. It's the opening song on the Birmingham, UK, band's upcoming Georgia Pine EP, which will be released on April 15.
Bass player Luke Davis says: "The next EP is a massive progression from where we are. I don't think we've changed, because what we do is what we do. But it's definitely a massive progression. The sound is bigger. Everything has moved forward."

Georgia Pine was engineered and produced by Tom Gittins, who has previously worked with Robert Plant. The EP can be pre-ordered from the band's website.

Broken Witt Rebels join Brantley Gilbert on his upcoming UK tour, before which they play three headline shows - in London, Birmingham and Sheffield. Stream the song here.




Trapped Under Ice To Headline Outbreak Fest(TeamRock Radio)

Trapped Under Ice are making an exclusive UK comeback as the headliner for hardcore festival Outbreak on May 3. The Baltimore hardcore band went on a lengthy hiatus in 2013 to focus on their side projects, Angel Dust and Turnstile - but frontman Justice Tripp announced they would be back for US shows last year.
Brighton hardcore five-piece Dead Swans will also reform for the all-day event after teasing the reunion back in January, while London band Dirty Money are scheduled to perform together for the first time since 2010.

Hardcore veterans Terror will headline on April 30 with support from Dead Swans and Incendiary. Trapped Under Ice perform on May 3 with Dirty Money and Higher Power.

Tripp says the Outbreak set will be their only show, adding: "Outbreak is one of the coolest hardcore punk festivals in the world. Read more here.



David Bowie's Expecting His First Child(hennemusic)

David Bowie's son, Duncan Jones, is expecting his first child. Jones and wife Rodene shared the news via Twitter on Tuesday, writing "1 month since dad died today. Made this card for him at Christmas. Due in June. Circle of life. Love you, granddad."
The announcement included a hand-drawn cartoon of a baby with an umbilical cord protruding from its stomach and a speech bubble with the words "I'm waiting."

Bowie's Facebook team added: "Congratulations to Duncan and Rodene Jones with the posting of their happy news on Twitter." The 44-year-old film director (2009's "Moon", 2011's "Source Code") is the only child from the 10-year marriage of Bowie and first wife Angie. Read more here.



Singled Out: Artifas's Inhuman and Blood For Blood

Artifas just released their new album "Inhuman" and to celebrate we asked frontman Scottie Somerville to tell us about a couple of tracks from the effort including the title song and "Blood For Blood." Here are the stories:
Inhuman: Inhuman is a song about letting the bullies of this world know that you won't be held down. It's about having strength in yourself, and standing up for what you believe in. We are all different in our own ways, and we have all fought many battles in this lifetime. It's about picking yourself up, and realizing that it's not the end. We all have hard times. We all have struggles. We all have Scars!

Blood for Blood" We wrote this song, because we were tired of seeing people becoming so divided over issues that our media outlets were just jamming down peoples throats. Whether it be race, sexuality, gender, etc. it seems that all they ever do is separate us more and drive more problems between us.

Blood for Blood is a song about not buying into everything you see on the news. It's about coming together and not letting them tear us apart! We shouldn't be broken down by the color of our skin or who we fall in love with. It's time for everyone to stand up for themselves, to quit buying in to all the BS we see on TV. This is a fight we have to fight together!

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!: Stone Temple Pilots Reveal New Lead Singer Open Auditions(Radio.com) Stone Temple Pilots have announced that they will be holdi...

Today's Day In Rock News!

Stone Temple Pilots Reveal New Lead Singer Open Auditions(Radio.com)



Stone Temple Pilots have announced that they will be holding open auditions to find a new lead singer. The move comes after Linkin Park's Chester Bennington left the band in November.
Bennington had been performing as lead singer following STP's decision two years prior to replace lead singer Scott Weiland, who has since passed. The band's website is currently under maintenance and promises to launch soon, but according to Alternative Nation it once contained the following message, inviting any interested singers to audition by submitting a video online.

"2016 marks a new year for Stone Temple Pilots: A year of hope, optimism, and most importantly, new music! We are immensely proud of all that we have been able to share with you over the years. Music, music, music. We very much want to continue doing that, but that's going to take a little help from all of you.

"As you know, prior to the untimely passing of our brother in arms, Scott, we had been working with the incomparable Chester Bennington. What you also likely know is that having Chester front two bands of this size and scope was too much for one man to be able to do and so regretfully we had to move onto a new chapter together. This is where you come in'

"We are officially announcing that we are seeking a new vocalist to front Stone Temple Pilots." Read more here.




Dan Hicks Dead At 74 From Cancer(Classic Rock)

Dan Hicks has died at the age of 74 after a two-year battle with cancer. The founder of Dan Hicks And The Hot Licks was diagnosed with throat and liver cancer in 2014.
His wife Clare released the following statement: "My darling darling husband left this earth early this morning. He was true blue, one of a kind, and did it all his own way always.

"To all who loved him, know that he will live forever in the words, songs, and art that he spent his life creating. He worked so hard on each and every detail - they are all pure Dan." Read more here.




Anthrax Hit With Lawsuit Over Ugly Sweater(Classic Rock)

Anthrax have been hit with a $1 million copyright infringement lawsuit over the band's Ugly Hanukkah Sweater. Detroit artist Aaron Cummins claims he created the original design for the seasonal product in 2012, filed copyright papers on it in 2013, and has been selling it through his company Wet House.
Anthrax launched a limited edition of their Ugly Hanukkah Sweater last November through online retailer Rockabilia.com, who are also being sued. Frankie Blydenburgh, a Minnesota-based buyer for Rockabilia.com, tells the Detroit Free Press:

"This is the first I've heard that there's any issue with it. It's up to the merchandising companies we buy from to get the items cleared and make sure there's no copyright issues."

Blydenburgh adds Rockabilia bought the Anthrax Hanukkah sweatshirts from a company called Global Merchandising Services, which is also a defendant in the Detroit lawsuit. Read more and see the sweater here.




Slash Documentary Released on DVD(Classic Rock)

The documentary Slash: Raised On The Sunset Strip has been released on Blu-ray and DVD in North America. Initially launched in 2014, Raised On The Sunset Strip focuses on the guitarist's childhood in England and his later life in California as part of bands Guns N' Roses, Velvet Revolver and his solo work with Myles Kennedy And The Conspirators. It also includes new and archival footage, as well as his own personal anecdotes.
The film includes interviews with band members past and present, including Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum, along with Lemmy, Dave Grohl, Joe Perry, Alice Cooper and Nikki Sixx.

Last month it was confirmed that Slash, Axl Rose and Duff McKagan would play together again under the Guns N' Roses banner at this year's Coachella in California - with two headline shows in Las Vegas dates and a Mexico City date later added. Read more here.




Lamb Of God's Gear Damaged In Tour Truck Crash(TeamRock Radio)

Lamb Of God's US tour has been disrupted by a road crash that caused damage to much of the band's equipment. An 18-wheeler truck carrying the group's gear crashed on the night the band were scheduled to perform at the Concrete Street Pavilion in Corpus Christi, Texas, according to guitarist Mark Morton.
Nobody was hurt in the incident. Morton says via Twitter: "This is our truck that carries all our gear. Very happy to report that our driver is conscious and alert. Nobody hurt. Lots of gear is damaged."

The tour, which sees LOG supported by Anthrax, Deafhaven and Power Trip, reaches Austin, Texas, tonight (Monday). See Morton's posts including the photos here.




Lemmy Statue Coming To Rainbow Bar & Grill(TeamRock Radio)

Los Angeles artists Travis Moore has been commissioned to create a cast bronze statue of Lemmy to be erected outside the city's Rainbow Bar & Grill.
The late Motorhead frontman was a regular at The Rainbow and a memorial was held at the venue on the day of Lemmy's funeral on January 9. A mural was painted on the bar's wall as a mark of respect.

A crowdfunding campaign was launched last month to help pay for a permanent tribute to the singer and bass player and now Moore has been told to get to work on the project.

The life-size cast bronze statue will stand at just over 6 foot tall and will be situated in a special shrine that's currently being constructed in the patio bar area. Read more here.




Zakk Wylde Sets Release For 'Book Of Shadows II'(TeamRock Radio)


Zakk Wylde has confirmed his solo album Book Of Shadows II will be released on April 8. The record - which marks the 20th anniversary of the first Book Of Shadows release - will be issued via Spinefarm Records.
Wylde took part in a discussion about the album with Brad Tolinski for AOL. The former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist says: "I've always loved, especially during the drinking days with Oz, when I'd be touring with the boss, after we got done doing a show we'd jump in the submarine and roll on to the next town.

"I'd sit up the front with whoever was driving and we'd all meet up there and drink cocktails, listening to The Eagles, Neil Young, Creedence - solving the problems of the world, talking about everything. I've always loved the mellow stuff." Watch the AOL video here.




Amoral Release 'Rude Awakening' Video(TeamRock Radio)

Amoral have released a video for their track Rude Awakening. It features on the Finnish band's seventh album In Sequence, just-released via Imperial Cassette.
The follow-up to 2014's Fallen Leaves & Dead Sparrows sees the return of original singer Niko Kalliojarvi, who will handle extra guitar duties and growling vocals alongside his replacement, Ari Koivunen.

Guitarist Ben Varon says: "We went into making the seventh album with an Yngwie Malmsteen state of mind - more is more. Once we got our original singer Niko Kalliojarvi back in the band - expanding the group into a six-headed monster, with two vocalists and three guitar players - it was time to start the writing process, which was one of the most inspiring ones for me so far. More guitar parts, more keyboards, more back and forth between clean and growling vocals."

Varon sees the project as the next natural step in Amoral's sonic evolution. He explains: "To me, In Sequence is the logical follow-up to Fallen Leaves & Dead Sparrows, on which we took our love for grandieuse prog to new hights. In Sequence continues on that path, though the return of Niko gives the new material some of that old school Amoral vibe And I think this one turned out a touch heavier as well, not least because of the real-life based concept of the album." Watch the video here.




Enter Shikari Expand UK Tour(TeamRock Radio)


Enter Shikari have added a date to their upcoming UK tour. They play Wrexham's Central Station, Wales, on February 24, with support from Welsh band Falls.
Enter Shikari added the gig to their list of arena dates after drummer Rob Rolfe put pressure on the band to schedule more shows. The band say in a statement: "Rob hates a day off. He thinks they're for the weak. The tour had too many days off in it, so he cracked the whip and now there's a 500 capacity show in Wrexham, nestled between two arena shows.

"It's not an 'intimate warm-up show', because the tour's already started by then. There's no purpose to it at all, other than giving the nice people of Wrexham a night out, seeing the awesome band Falls, and keeping Rob happy. This is Rolfy's world, we just live in it." Read more here.




Alice Cooper On Sammy Hagar's Rock & Roll Road Trip TV Show(Classic Rock)


Alice Cooper was a guest on the latest episode of Sammy Hagar's Rock & Roll Road Trip. Other artists that appear on the show include Tommy Lee, Bob Weir and Nancy Wilson. The latest episode aired in the US on February 7 (Sunday).
The six episode series on AXS TV follows the former Van Halen frontman as he drives across the US with his band The Circle, and sees him interview and play with names from the world of rock.

And Cooper is the latest star to feature as the Red Rocker arrives in Phoenix, Arizona. Cooper tells Hagar: "I came up with Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison. They were our big brothers, and you had to drink with them. You couldn't just sit there and have a Coke.

"I played in bars much longer than anybody thinks - and that's how you get good." Hagar said of the show: "Something that's always bugged me is that fans get to see us either onstage in concert or in interviews, and that's about it. There's so much cool, history-making stuff that happens off stage that fans have never really had access to, but I do. And that's where this show takes viewers." Check out the promo clip for the episode here.




Pepper Keenan Forgives Phil Anselmo For Outburst(Classic Rock)

Phil Anselmo's Down bandmate Pepper Keenan says he forgives the singer for his controversial outburst at last month's Dimebash event in honour of late Pantera guitarist Darrell Abbott. While strongly condemning his friend's actions, Keenan says in a lengthy statement on social media that he believes the vocalist can redeem himself.
Pepper's comments come as Down's scheduled show in their hometown of New Orleans' Civic Theatre on February 8 was pulled by organizers who say they "do not tolerate intolerant behavior, and there is no room for that in our venue or our city."

Guitarist Keenan says: "I am saddened and confused by the behaviour of Philip Anselmo last week. I do not condone what was gestured and said. This lapse in judgment of 'making a joke' was in terribly poor taste and unacceptable.

"That philosophy is the opposite of what I am about. My heart follows love and soul and my music has been inspired from people of all walks of life and musical styles. I view music as a gift that is universal and intended for all of humanity. As a proud New Orleanian, life is about celebrating diversity through music, it's about bringing people together, not tearing apart." Read more here.




New Tarantula Species Named After Johnny Cash(Classic Rock)

A new species of black tarantula discovered in Southern California has been named after the late Johnny Cash. Aphonopelma johnnycashi was discovered living in the wild near Folsom Prison, California - the jail which inspired a song by the iconic singer.
Cash also performed a series of concerts for inmates there during the 1960s, even recording live album At Folsom Prison in the facility.

The breed is one of 14 new types of tarantula discovered by biologists in the southern US. Dr Chris Hamilton tells the BBC: "It's found along the foothills of the western Sierra Nevada mountains, and one of the places that's there is Folsom Prison. It's a perfect name. It fits the spider - it's found around Folsom and the males are predominantly all black, so it fits his image.

"I have a Johnny Cash tattoo so I was very happy that it worked out that way." Read more here.




Handwritten Radiohead Lyrics To Be Auctioned(Classic Rock)


Lyrics to Radiohead's track Airbag handwritten by frontman Thom Yorke are being auctioned to raise money for charity. The vocalist penned the lyrics to the track on the inside cover of his copy of William Blake's Songs Of Innocence And Experience, which he donated to his local Oxfam shop in Oxford.
The book is being auctioned by Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions on March 18 at their London base, with proceeds going to help Oxfam's work to tackle poverty around the world.

A spokeswoman for Dreweatts says: "Throughout the book, Yorke underlines words and annotated the margins, especially to Nurse's Song, A Cradle Song and The Divine Image, with corrections and revisions. Read more and see a photo of the lyrics here.




The Winery Dogs Release 'Hot Streak' Video(Classic Rock)


The Winery Dogs have released a video for the title track from latest album Hot Streak. The promo sees the group in live action and also strolling through a casino. It was directed by Vicente Cordero.
Ahead of the release of Hot Streak, released last year, frontman Richie Kotzen said: "I feel we've taken the band to another level. The compositions are stronger on this album.

"I feel more connected lyrically and musically to what I did on this record than on the last one. We've widened the musical scope of the band on this record and moved it forward."

The Winery Dogs released a cover of David Bowie's Moonage Daydream in honor of the late star who died last month at the age of 69. Watch the video here.




Download Festival Announce Lemmy Stage and 36 More Bands(Classic Rock)


Another 36 bands have been added to the bill for this year's Download festival. Among the latest confirmed acts are Jane's Addiction, NOFX, Sixx:AM, Alien Ant Farm and Amon Amarth.
They'll join headliners Rammstein, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath and many others at Donington Park on the weekend of June 10-12. The event has also revealed plans for a tribute to late Motorhead icon Lemmy Kilmister, who passed away at his Los Angeles home on December 28 just four days after his 70th birthday.

Organizers Live Nation say: "Whilst we're saddened to say Motorhead will no longer be performing at this year's Download Festival, we will honour a true rock'n'roll icon who inspired so many others on the bill, Lemmy Kilmister." Read more here.




Donovan Announces 70th Birthday Concert(Classic Rock)


Donovan will celebrate his 70th birthday with a show at The London Palladium on May 6. The 60s star says he'll treat fans to a best-of set featuring the likes of Sunshine Superman, Mellow Yellow, Hurdy Gurdy Man and Jennifer Juniper.
The show will see him perform on a stage set up in the mould of a 'Beat Cafe' with his band, bassist Danny Thompson, pianist John Cameron and drummer Gavin Harrison.

Donovan says: "With no hint of modesty, my muse Linda, Gypsy Dave and I succeeded in our mission back in 1963 to invade popular culture with The Bohemian Manifesto, and not only change the charts but enter the private creative lives of the most creative artists of pop.

"The Beatles, Stones and everyone in-between, we showed you how to break all the musical rules and enter your inner space. Sure we suffered for it. First to be busted and ridiculed, but hey, we three are invincible." Read more here.




The Struts Expand 'Everybody Wants' Album For Reissue(Classic Rock)

The Struts have announced the details of a new version of their debut album, Everybody Wants. It'll be released on March 4 via Polydor/Interscope, and features several new tracks, plus remasters and re-recording of songs from the 2014 original.
"Everybody Wants is a collection of songs for the disenchanted," says frontman Luke Spiller. "When putting the album together we have approached it with the mindset that when listening, you are taken on a journey. You can even hear the album title in the chorus of the opening track Roll Up. This song gives you the insight to a larger than life character that opens the door to the rest of the album.

"I think anyone who listens to this album will hear our journey and feel our ambition. We truly have put our hearts and souls into it and I hope you love it as much as we do." Read more including the tracklisting here.



Graham Bonnet Band Release All Day And All Night Long Doc Online(Classic Rock)

Graham Bonnet Band bassist Beth-Ami Heavenstone says she met the former Rainbow singer for coffee after they discussed music, work and their kids over email.
Heavenstone admits in the first part of Bonnet Band documentary All Day And All Night Long that she "didn't know anything" about him before he got in touch via professional networking site LinkedIn.

She says: "I knew All Night Long and Since You Been Gone but I didn't know anything about his rich litany of work. His email said, 'I'm always looking for new bands to work with.' I thought, 'Oh, maybe he produces now.'

"Even though it was really casual for me, I was in two bands at the time and I sent him links to both, and he got back and said he liked it. We had a few back-and-forth exchanges. It was very pleasant and I liked the way he presented himself.

"In one of my emails I said, 'It's very difficult for me to find the time to do this. I'm a single mom with two children and one of them has autism.' He wrote back to me, saying one of his children had autism too. That piqued my curiosity and I wanted to get to know him too.

"After a few more exchanges, we agreed to meet for coffee and I instantly liked him and loved his self-deprecating humor. He was just a geek and a goofball." Read more and watch the documentary clip here.




Dave Grohl Believes Nirvana's Success Came Too Fast(Gibson)

Dave Grohl recently was the guest on photographer-director Sam Jones's interview series Off Camera, where he discussed Nirvana's quick rise to fame, the pitfalls involved and his transition from band drummer to frontman for Foo Fighters.
Grohl says, "Unfortunately, Nirvana became too big too quick. Bands are like families that go through uncomfortable growing pains, and if it happens all at once, it's just too much to handle."

Grohl also remembers how he felt immediately after Kurt Cobain died and how that led him to create Foo Fighters. He explains: "When Kurt died, I woke up the next day and thought, 'I'm lucky to be alive'… It was a profound revelation I had the day after he died and it changed everything. It honestly changed so much of my life that I felt the most important thing was just appreciating being alive, good day or bad day. But after Kurt died, I really felt that way, like, 'Okay, I'm gonna try this. What do I have to lose? I'm gonna start this band and then I'm gonna be the singer.'" Read more here.





Toundra Announce Spring Tour(Prog)

Toundra will play a string of dates in the UK and mainland Europe in May. The Madrid band will play 19 shows in total, with three scheduled in England and Wales, on the back of their latest release, IV.
They say: "After a very intense year, we head back to the European roads before we lock ourselves in to start walking the long and intense road of composing a new album.

"This is our fourth Euro tour and on this occasion we will be visiting some of the cities where Toundra have grown bigger, like Berlin, London and Paris. But we are also very excited about visiting places where our music has never been before, like Hungary, Slovenia or Slovakia. See you all there." See the tour dates here.




Nad Sylvan Releases 'Where The Martyr Carved His Name' Video(Prog)


Nad Sylvan has released a video for his track Where The Martyr Carved His Name. It features on the Steve Hackett collaborator's solo album Courting The Widow, launched last year via Century Media.
Sylvan says: "The most interesting aspect of prog-rock, is that you're never safe - not musically or lyrically. This is where funk, soul, rock, symphony and musical get new life in the prog melting pot."

The singer is joined on the album by a variety of artists including Hackett, Nick Beggs, Roger King, Roine Stolt and Jonas Reingold. Last month, the singer revealed his 'Vampirate' stage persona came about as the result of an off-the-cuff remark from a friend. Watch the video here.




Knifeworld Reveal 'Bottled Out Of Eden' Album Details(Prog)


Knifeworld have released the tracklist for their upcoming album Bottled Out Of Eden. The follow-up to 2014's The Unravelling will be issued on April 22 via InsideOut Music.
Frontman Kavus Torabi says: "One aspect of Bottled Out Of Eden is the idea of a self-made heaven or a self-imposed hell, that agony or ecstasy are often a choice.

"I look back on the 25 years of making the kind of music I do, particularly the last six with Knifeworld and just feel so fortunate for the friendships, experiences and absolute joy it has brought.

"I wanted the album to be as much about that, a celebration of this all too fleeting life, as it is a reflection on death and its impact on those left behind in its wake." Check out the tracklisting here.




Charles Bradley Streams New Song 'Change For The World'(The Blues)

Charles Bradley has made his single Change For The World available to stream. The track is taken from upcoming album Changes, released on April 1 via Daptone/Dunham. The record's title track is a cover version of the Black Sabbath song.
On Change For The World, Bradley says: "This world is in turmoil. Guns, violence - people are feeling like they have no way out. Young people don't know which way to turn.

"This song is about opening up our minds to understand, talk with the young people, hear what they have to say. We've got to change for the better of our souls. We've got to change our love. Get back to the golden rule and people's sense of humanity." Stream the song here.



Treetop Flyers Release '31 Years' Video(The Blues)

Treetop Flyers have released a video for their track 31 Years. It features on the London outfit's second album Palomino. The follow-up to their 2013 debut The Mountain Moves will launch on March 11.
The record is said to have been inspired by "the grief for lost parents, broken marriages, the near-death of a close friend, the departure of long-time bassist Matthew Starritt and the loss of numerous behind-the-scenes personnel."

Vocalist and guitarist Reid Morrison adds: "Coming together to make this record was very therapeutic for us, in a sense. It brought us closer and allowed us to let go of a lot of the bullsh*t that we'd had to endure and negotiate in the past."

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 Is Really Lame Says Def Leppard Guitarist(hennemusic) Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen shares his vie...

Today's Day In Rock News!

Guns N' Roses Reunion Is Really Lame Says Def Leppard Guitarist(hennemusic)


Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen shares his view of the recently announced reunion between Axl Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan and Collen does not appear impressed with the upcoming Guns N' Roses reunion or their original split back in the day.
"We obviously think it's really f****** lame," Collen tells The Telegraph. "I love Guns N' Roses, I think they're really cool, I'd love to see Slash and Axl and Duff play together, that's great. But I think it's f****** lame considering we've been hardcore. Our integrity's still intact, we've never split up. We've gone through if someone had a little sniffle or something, we soldier on.

"Someone dies, someone loses an arm, someone gets cancer, we soldier on. With Guns N' Roses, if someone has a little barney backstage, they can't deal with each other. I know it's difficult, but I do think it's pretty lame when you compare anyone else to us."

Former in Sheffield, UK in 1977, Def Leppard have survived the death of guitarist Steve Clark in 1991 from alcoholism, drummer Rick Allen losing his left arm in a car accident in 1984, and guitarist Vivian Campbell's diagnosis with Hodgkin's Lymphoma in 2013.

The group have just postponed the remaining dates of their winter US tour due to frontman Joe Elliott coming down with "severe laryngitis." Read more here.




Metallica Announce Free HD Stream Of Super Bowl Eve Concert(hennemusic)


Metallica have announced that they will stream their headlining performance at a Super Bowl 50 eve concert live from AT&T Park in San Francisco, CA on February 6.
CBS Radio's "The Night Before" annual event sees the band joined by special guests Cage The Elephant ahead of the big game between the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, CA on Sunday, February 7.

"We can't wait to play our first show of 2016 and there's nowhere we'd rather kick off the festivities than in our own backyard," says Lars Ulrich. "Even though the show has been sold out for months, Metallica fans around the world will be able to join in on the madness."

The webcast will be a free 1080p FullHD stream live from AT&T Park, available on mobile and desktop devices at webcast.livemetallica.com. "We're set to hit the stage at approximately 8:30 PM PST, so spend Super Bowl Eve with us no matter where you are that night!," adds the group. Read more here.



Black Sabbath Postponed Another Farewell Tour Date(hennemusic)

Black Sabbath postponed Wednesday, February 3rd's farewell tour concert in Vancouver, BC as Ozzy Osbourne continues to be sidelined by sinusitis.
"Due to continued severe sinusitis, Ozzy Osbourne will be unable to perform with Black Sabbath as scheduled," posted the band. "The Vancouver performance has been postponed. Details regarding the rescheduled date will be announced as soon as it is available. Please hold on to your tickets until further details are available."

The Vancouver show is the third Canadian date this week to be put on the shelf due to the health issue, following the postponement of a January 30 concert in Edmonton and a February 1 stop in Calgary, Alberta.

The next date on Black Sabbath's 6-week North American tour is scheduled for February 6 at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, WA. Read more here.




Led Zeppelin Members Deposed In Stairway To Heaven Legal Battle(hennemusic)


The surviving members of Led Zeppelin have been deposed in the copyright-infringement lawsuit against the band over their classic hit "Stairway To Heaven."
Bloomberg reports Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Robert Plant were each deposed separately over the past month as part of pretrial discovery, according to new filings in Los Angeles federal court.

During the depositions in London, each member said that they had no idea what their finances or earnings were with Led Zeppelin, according to a filing by the plaintiff's lawyer asking for more time to investigate.

The suit - brought by the estate of Spirit guitarist Randy California and members of the band - claims the acoustic introduction to 1971's "Stairway" was lifted from their 1968 instrumental "Taurus."

The two bands shared the bill at several shows in late 1968 and 1969. Led Zeppelin's guitarist, however, testified his memory of the era was vague, according to the filing by plaintiff's lawyer Francis Alexander Malofiy, who conducted the questioning. Read more and listen to both songs here.




Slipknot's Corey Taylor Slams The Grammy Awards(TeamRock Radio)

Corey Taylor has taken aim at the Grammy Awards, calling the event a "popularity contest." Slipknot track Custer, Lamb Of God's 512, Ghost's Cirice, Sevendust's Thank You and August Burns Red's Identity will battle it out in the Best Metal Performance category at this year's ceremony in Los Angeles.
The band have been nominated for seven Grammys in their 20 year career, picking up the Best Metal Performance gong for track Before I Forget in 2006. Asked what winning a Grammy would mean to him this time, Taylor says it would be "cool" but stresses it's not important if they don't.

He tells Finland's Radio Rock: "I know a lot of people who put a lot of stock in it, but I keep telling them, 'We've been nominated now like, God knows how many times. We won once. Cool. It's a popularity contest - that's all it is.'

"If it weren't, if it were just about the music, you would see more metal bands - not including us - nominated in other categories - and you just don't. It's all a goddamn popularity contest, and I don't have f***ing time for that sh*t."

"It's like everybody lives and breathes by whether or not they're gonna get this tiny statue. Why? So it can sit on a shelf and collect dust?" Read more here.



Rush In The Studio For Moving Pictures 35th Anniversary(ITS)

The latest episode of the syndicated radio show In The Studio: The Stories Behind History's Greatest Rock Bands celebrated the 35th anniversary of Rush's landmark album, Moving Pictures. The show sent over the following details:
Sales alone do not convey the importance of their eighth studio album Moving Pictures to Rush's long career, nor to rock music itself. "Music was changing," Rush lead singer/composer Geddy Lee tells us in this InTheStudio episode, and without Lee, guitarist/composer Alex Lifeson and drummer/lyricist Neil Peart embracing the fresh musical ideas in the crosswinds of the early Eighties with songs "Tom Sawyer", "Red Barchetta", "Limelight", "Vital Signs" and "Witch Hunt", it is doubtful that a path to mainstream success would have been cleared for later major bands including Metallica, Queensryche, Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan, Dave Grohl's Foo Fighters, Tom Morello with Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave, and Dream Theater.

InTheStudio host Redbeard speaks to Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart about the significance of Moving Pictures to the Rush legacy. Lee says "It (Moving Pictures) gave us a kind of acceptance and credibility that none of our previous records had previously done."

Lifeson adds, "It was very enjoyable making Moving Pictures. It flowed, everything sounded good. The vibe was good, everybody was in great spirits during the whole process."

Peart concludes, "Being a trio is something that is special to us and I think it's special to our fans too... We are known as a trio. Our reputation has a lot to do with our live show and what the three of us can do live." Stream the episode here.




Last In Line To Continue In Honor Of Jimmy Bain(Classic Rock)

Last In Line will perform at Frontiers Festival in Italy in April, but they haven't decided who will replace Jimmy Bain. Bassist Bain died last month of lung cancer. He was onboard Def Leppard's Hysteria On The High Seas cruising festival when he passed away, leaving his bandmates "devastated."
Now guitarist Vivian Campbell says the band will continue to work together to promote upcoming debut album Heavy Crown, due for release on February 20. But he says they're not looking forward to the "heavy decision" they'll have to make over who takes Bain's place.

Campbell tells Linearock: "We're very, very, very sad to have lost him. But I know that Jimmy believed very much in the new record, Heavy Crown, and that he would want us to continue to play and to play the Frontiers festival. And we will continue to do that. We will play it in his honour.

"We still have to figure out who is gonna play bass moving forward. That's a heavy, heavy decision for us to make. It has to be someone that is appropriate and someone that does tremendous respect to Jimmy Bain's legacy.

"We have a few ideas, but it's obviously very early days yet. We don't even really wanna think about that just yet. It's not something that we want to dwell on right now. We're still mourning the death of Jimmy." Read more here.




Eagles of Death Metal Returning To The Road(Gibson)

Eagles of Death Metal are determined to forge ahead following the tragic terrorist attack during the band's show at the Bataclan concert hall in Paris last November. The band has booked a co-headlining tour through Canada with Death from Above 1979. Turbowolf will open on the shows.
The tour will set off April 26 in Vancouver and run through a May 8 date in Quebec City. "Canada, get ready for real rock-and-roll and wear your tuxedos," Sebastien Grainger of Death from Above 1979 wrote in a statement.

After the co-headlining run, Eagles of Death Metal will return to the U.S. for a batch of headlining shows. Before the tour with Death from Above 1979, Eagles of Death Metal will return to Europe for their first tour there since the terrorist attacks on Nov. 13. The European tour will include a stop in Paris on Feb. 16. See the upcoming coheadlining dates here.






Mark Hoppus Shares Blink-182 Behind-The-Scenes Studio Video(Radio.com)


Blink-182 has shared a behind-the-scenes video from the recording studio. Lead singer and bassist Mark Hoppus posted a video of Travis Barker tracking drums for a song "that didn't exist this morning."
From the sounds on the video clip, the drums have a jazzier feel than Blink-182's previous music, it'll be interesting to see what makes it onto that project.

Barker previously mentioned the band had more songs than it needed for an album, but the tricky thing had been scheduling the time when all three could work in the studio together. It looks as though they've found it.

Watch Barker drum it out here.




Van Halen's David Lee Roth Making Online Return This Week(hennemusic)


David Lee Roth has announced plans to launch a new website after being offline for the past year. The Van Halen News Desk reports the singer will open a new online home on February 7 at DavidLeeRoth.net and deliver a new episode of his web series The Roth Show.
Roth's website and social media outlets went dark at the end of January 2015 without explanation…just days before Van Halen announced plans to release "Tokyo Dome Live In Concert."

There's no word on whether or not the rocker will restart a Facebook page or actively return to Twitter, and the YouTube channel for The Roth Show currently hosts no content.

2015 saw Roth and Van Halen deliver a 3-month summer tour of North America in support of the live album. Things have been quiet in the Van Halen camp since they closed out their 2015 tour with a pair of shows at the Hollywood Bowl in early October. Read more here.



Obscura Streaming New Album 'Akroasis' Online(TeamRock Radio)

Obscura have streamed their latest album Akroasis in full ahead of its official launch. The band's follow-up to 2011's Omnivium will be released on February 5 via Relapse Records.
Frontman Steffen Kummerer said: "With Akroasis, we produced our grand opus featuring eight songs of fluent arrangements, odd time signatures never heard before in metal, and the most high end production in the history of the band.

"Without question Akroasis is the heaviest, most complex record we have made to date. We cannot wait to perform live again and bring this excellent music to stages around the globe." Stream the album here.




Dream Theater Release 'The Gift Of Music' Video(Prog)


Dream Theater have released a video for their track The Gift Of Music. It's taken from their 13th studio album The Astonishing which was released in January via Roadrunner Records.
Last month, drummer Mike Mangini said the ambitious 34-track concept album blew his mind while they were laying down tracks in the studio. He said: "John Petrucci put together the whole thing, and he organized it in a really amazing way. And then he used our keyboard player, Jordan Rudess.

"When he plays, you see a landscape - you've got a picture in your mind. It's so visual, it's unbelievable. There really is nobody better to help bring a story to life, so you feel it and see it. It's not something I do on my instrument. So when I experience it, it blows my mind."

Dream Theater will embark on an extensive tour in support of the album later this month, starting with two dates at London's Palladium. The trek will see the band playing across Europe and North America. Watch the video here.


Brian Wilson Adds Date To Pet Sounds Anniversary Tour(Classic Rock)

Brian Wilson has added a third London Palladium date to his Pet Sounds 50th anniversary world tour. The show will take place on May 22 and is part of the Beach Boys icon's 70-date trek across the globe, which includes 12 dates in the UK.
The concerts will see Wilson perform the Beach Boys classic album Pet Sounds as well as other tracks from throughout his career. Wilson had the following to say about the trek:

"It's really been a trip to sit here and think about releasing Pet Sounds 50 years ago. I love performing this album with my band and look forward to playing it for fans all across the world." Read more here.




The Search For Jimi Hendrix's Purple Haze Telecaster In New Book(Classic Rock)


A book which investigates whether a second-hand guitar was the one used by Jimi Hendrix to record Purple Haze in 1967 launches in March. Author and folk-rock guitarist Chris Adams bought the Fender Telecaster in a London music shop in 1973 - but its left-handed tuners and the salesman's remark that Hendrix's roadie brought it into the shop sparked his interest.
In The Grail Guitar: The Search for Jimi Hendrix's Purple Haze Telecaster, Adams tracks down surviving musicians and people who worked with the rock icon to shed light on the fate of the guitar.

The book also includes a first-hand account from Linda Keith, the woman who discovered Hendrix in 1966 and lent him a white Fender Stratocaster which belonged to her then boyfriend, Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards. Read more here.




Black Stone Cherry Release 'In Our Dreams' Video(Classic Rock)

Black Stone Cherry have released a video for their track In Our Dreams. It features on their fifth album entitled Kentucky - out on April 1 via Mascot Label Group.
The video is set in a post-apocalyptic underwater world ruled by a nefarious leader - and drummer John Fred Young credits director Kyle Cogan with bringing the lyrics to life in the promo.

He says: "Kyle Cogan helped us to forge new ground, visually. His unique sci-fi storyline of two sisters, tragically separated into two social classes in an oppressed underwater civilisation run by an evil leader, accompanied the lyrics so well. Metaphorically, the story feels like it relates to current world circumstances."

Cogan adds: "From concept to completion, it was a total collaboration across many disciplines. We worked with the band to create a striking narrative that would require a heavily stylised world. It was great to see the vision come alive practically on set, and through visual effects in post production."

Black Stone Cherry are currently on the road across the UK on the Carnival Of Madness tour where they're joined on the bill by Shinedown, Halestorm and Highly Suspect. Watch the video here.




Lita Ford Plays Teacher In New Commercial(Classic Rock)

Lita Ford has appeared as a music teacher in an advertisement for US recruitment company, Indeed. The clip sees the singer and guitarist celebrate her new job with a classroom guitar solo.
It's part of Indeed's Celebrations campaign, which also features treadmill dancer Marcus Dorsey and professional BMX rider Bo Wade moonlighting as ordinary workers with extraordinary talents.

Ford will support Halestorm on their US tour in April and will release her latest album entitled Time Capsule on April 15 via SPV/Steamhammer. It'll be the follow-up to 2012's Living Like A Runaway. Watch the ad here.




Scorpions Stream Classic 'Still Loving You' TV Performance(hennemusic)


The Scorpions have released footage of their classic, "Still Loving You", from a 1984 performance on the German television program Na Sowas! The video is featured in the recently released expanded reissue of "Love At First Sting", one of eight projects in their 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition series.
The German group's ninth album, "Love At First Sting" became their most successful US record when it peaked at number 6 on the Billboard 200 chart in 1984 and went double-platinum by the end of the year, eventually reaching triple-platinum status in 1995.

The set was led by the US Top 25 hit "Rock You Like A Hurricane", and follow-up singles "Still Loving You" and "Big City Nights." The Scorpions released their 17th album, "Return To Forever", last March and launched a 50th anniversary tour in China in May before multiple visits to Europe and North America. Watch the video here.





Mondo Drag Stream New Song 'Rising Omen'(Prog)


Mondo Drag have made their track Rising Omen available to stream in the run-up to the release of their third album. The prog outfit will issue The Occultation Of Light on February 26,
Vocalist and keyboardist John Gamino says: "Rising Omen is about the cyclical form of time, the passage of light, the changes that happen within this cycle and how it all starts over again. The song begins and ends in the exact same way, mirroring the lyrics in their reflection of the daily oscillation between light and dark.

"Rising Omen has a lot of complexities but at its core, it is an ode through sound to this cycle of light that we all experience daily. The song pays reverence to simple oral tradition, the mythology of humankind - the idea of humans - a minuscule entity in this vast universe - on Earth watching the sky and questioning, wondering, searching, gravitating towards the light of the sun and the moon." Stream the song here.




Former Touchstone Singer Kim Seviour Inks Solo Deal(Prog)

Ex Touchstone singer Kim Seviour has signed a deal with John Mitchell and Chris Hillman's White Star Records for future releases. Touchstone announced in March last year that she'd leave the band after the vocalist revealed her fight with ME made it impossible for her to "commit in the way it truly deserves."
She played her final shows with the band late last year in London and Leamington Spa. Seviour has worked with Frost* and Lonely Robot man Mitchell previously, and he'll produce and co-write her upcoming album at his Outhouse Recording Studio.

Seviour says: "It was a really difficult decision to leave Touchstone and I had no idea what I was going to do next. I've known John for a number of years and when he and Chris asked me if I wanted to record an album for their new label with John producing, there was no way I was going to turn that down.

"We really wanted to have a good time with this album, so we're taking time to write it in a fun and relaxed way. We already have a couple of tracks written." Read more here.




The Vintage Caravan Release 'Babylon' Video(TeamRock Radio)


The Vintage Caravan have released a video for Babylon. It's taken from last year's Arrival album, the follow-up to 2012's Voyage. The video is a cross between Alice In Wonderland, Lord Of The Flies, One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest and some sort of crazed zombie apocalypse.
"The Vintage Caravan and Sympatico proudly present to you the new music video for Babylon," say the band, in an official statement. "After working together on the last video for Crazy Horses we wanted to go in a weirder, crazier direction.

"From the beginning we always wanted to do a video to Babylon. It's definitely one of the heavier, more primal songs off the last album Arrival. "We really want to thank everyone at Sympatico and all the others who helped in the making of the video! It was a rough process with all extras being pushed to extreme limits in harsh cold environments and deep water. But we made it through and I think we can really be proud of the video." Read more and watch the video here.




Oli Sykes Shares Craig David Cover From His Wedding(TeamRock Radio)


Oli Sykes has shared footage of himself and his wedding guests performing Rewind by Craig David. The video was shot at the Bring Me The Horizon mainman's wedding reception.
The 29-year-old married tattoo artist Hannah Pixie Snowdon in July 2015 at a ceremony in Tuscany, Italy. Oli Sykes told TeamRock in November that he has finally found happiness. He checked into rehab early last year after years of battling his drug addiction and mental health issues.

BMTH are set to tour the UK in November in support of their fifth album, That's The Spirit. Check out the video of Oli and Friends performance of the Craig David track here.




Mike Portnoy and Ian Anderson Guest On New Tiles Album(Prog)

Tiles are to release their sixth album Pretending 2 Run on April 15. The double concept album is the Detroit band's first release in eight years, and will feature guest artists such as Dream Theater's Mike Portnoy and Jethro Tull mainman Ian Anderson.
Keyboardist Adam Holzman from the Steven Wilson Band, Miles Davis' jazz guitarist Mike Stern and Max Webster's lead vocalist Kim Mitchell will also appear on the album.

Guitarist Chris Herin previously said: "We knew this album was ambitious, lyrically and musically, but we didn't plan on it ballooning into a double album. The songs kept coming and the storylines demanded more trips into the central character's state of mind." Read more here.




Tygers Of Pan Tang Ink Deal For New Studio Album(Classic Rock)

Tygers Of Pan Tang are in the studio working on a new album having signed a deal with Mighty Music/Target Group. The self-titled album will be released in August, with a European tour to follow. It's being recorded at Newcastle's Blast Studio.
Mainman Rob Weir tells TeamRock: "This is a landmark album for the Tygers. Self-titled and self-produced, we feel we have written some pretty special hard rock songs.

"The sound is classic Tygers and the new cover version we have chosen to record is spectacular - after all, Love Potion #9 is 34 years old. "It's a big year for the band, with 10 shows in South America in March, then festivals in Chicago, Ibiza, Gent, Alicante, a British tour starting October 21 and a European tour, we're going to be applying to the time lords for membership." Read more here.




Singled Out: Not By Sight's Stand

Not By Sight frontwoman Jane Train tells us about the song "Stand", which she co-wrote with Corey Lowery (Dark New Day/Eye Empire) and recorded with him, Troy McLawhorn (Evanescence) and Morgan Rose (Sevendust). Here is the story:
This song is from the first batch of songs that Corey Lowery and I collaborated on. I first wrote the melody and lyrics to the chorus in order to have a destination to get to. Writing doesn't always happen like that, but it did for this. I pictured myself onstage in an arena with the lights low and lighters lit throughout the audience.

The mood that I felt drawn to was a "let's put our problems away and enjoy this night, this music, this concert." More from the audience's perspective, but definitely from my experiences as well which is translated more in the verse lyrics. I relate to the empowerment that music lends when you're going through the worst things in life.

There's a song for everything that happens. So, it's a mix of that and also a statement of, "you tried to tear me down, but you only made me stronger. Here I Stand." Boom.

Gonna light this night underneath the stars
Gonna save every moment so its never too far
If you feel the strike of lightning's hand
Better look all around you cause baby, here I Stand

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!: Black Sabbath Postpone Farewell Tour Dates Due To Ozzy Illness(hennemusic) Black Sabbath have postponed a pair of Canadian date...

Today's Day In Rock News!

Black Sabbath Postpone Farewell Tour Dates Due To Ozzy Illness(hennemusic)

Black Sabbath have postponed a pair of Canadian dates on their recently-launched farewell tour as frontman Ozzy Osbourne has taken ill. The news came just hours before the group's January 30 show at Rexall Place in Edmonton, while Calgary's February 1 concert has also been delayed.
"Due to extreme sinusitis with Ozzy Osbourne, the shows in both Edmonton and Calgary have been postponed," announced the band and promoter Live Nation via social media. "Details regarding rescheduled dates will be announced as soon as they are available."
The next scheduled date on Black Sabbath's 6-week North American tour is scheduled for February 3 at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, BC. The group launched its farewell tour - a.k.a. "The End" - in Omaha, Nebraska on January 20.

Osbourne's voice was shaky on opening night, according to Kevin Coffey of Omaha.com. "Singer Ozzy Osbourne's voice wasn't great," he writes. "It wasn't awful, really. It simply wasn't very good. On Wednesday, he was sometimes flat. He was sometimes pitchy, occasionally off-key. He almost never hit the notes he was looking for. It was the first show of the tour, so maybe his voice will warm up." Read more including the band's tweet here.



Guns N' Roses Filming New Video?(hennemusic)

The reunited Guns N' Roses will reportedly film a new video in London this week. A UK network called Casting Call Pro has posted an online ad for two "kidnapping bad ass chicks" (ages 18 to 26) to appear in a Guns 'n' Roses video shoot on February 6.
The post reads PAID JOB: GUNS N ROSES, LONDON. But then says, "This is a narrative film for hip hop group. The video follows the artist who has been kidnapped by a gang of female kick ass bad chicks. The film is 'Oceans 11/12/13' meets 'Reservoir Dogs' with slick cuts, split screen, etc.

"2 female kidnappers take the artist hostage and set up a ransom video where the artist performs into. The 2 female kidnappers will wear balaclavas and knee length bomber jackets, which will be provided. The hostages are are kick ass gun wielding bad girls."

As expected, Guns N' Roses have not publicly confirmed any plans for the possible video shoot ahead of the group's 2016 reunion tour launch in Las Vegas in April. Read more here.



Original Jefferson Airplane Singer Signe Anderson Dead At 74(hennemusic)

Original Jefferson Airplane vocalist Signe Anderson died last Thursday (Jan. 28) at the age of 74 - the same day bandmate and guitarist Paul Kanter passed away.
"One sweet Lady has passed on," wrote Jefferson Airplane co-founder Marty Balin on Facebook. "I imagine that she and Paul woke up in heaven and said 'Hey what are you doing here? Let's start a band.'"

"She was a real sweetheart with a terrific contralto voice coming from a solid folk background," posted Airplane bassist Jack Casady on Facebook. "Listen to how she made the three part harmonies of 'JA Takes Off' (first album) sound so thick … her wonderful tone between Paul's and Marty's."

"Signe was one of the strongest people I have ever met," wrote Airplane lead guitarist Jorma Kaukonen on his blog. "She was our den mother in the early days of the Airplane … a voice of reason on more occasions than one … an important member of our dysfunctional little family." Read more here.



Extended Van Halen Super Bowl Commercial Goes Online(hennemusic)

Acura have released an extended version of their upcoming Super Bowl commercial that features the 1978 Van Halen classic "Runnin' With The Devil."
The ad for the 2017 Acura NSX high-end sports car marks the first time that the California band has licensed the song for commercial use. Acura bills the new vehicle as the "only so-called supercar designed, developed and manufactured in the U.S."

"Ultimately we knew that we wanted this to be a rock song," says Leila Cesario, the national advertising manager for American Honda's Acura division. "The Super Bowl is a big American platform. It needed a big American band that screams excitement."

The commercial's soundtrack features the isolated vocal tracks of singer David Lee Roth along with instrumental segments of "Runnin' With The Devil", the second single issued from Van Halen's groundbreaking 1978 self-titled debut album. Watch the video here.



Skindred Frontman Injured In Knife Attack(TeamRock Radio)

Skindred frontman Benji Webbe has his face slashed in a knife attack in his hometown of Newport, Wales. The singer posted a picture of his injuries on his Facebook page, along with the caption: "Went to Iffy's party and ended getting slashed in the face and throat on the way home."
The photo shows a large number of stitches and Webbe's face is also marked with other injuries from the assault. Webbe underwent surgery last year for an unspecified illness.

Skindred released latest album Volume last October via Napalm Records and they are lined up to play at this year's Download festival. They're also scheduled to perform at Studio Coast in Koto, Japan, on Valentine's day. See the photo here.



KISS Star Gene Simmons Grants Dying Teen's Final Wish(Classic Rock)

KISS icon Gene Simmons granted a dying teenager's wish by visiting him in his hospital bed. The bassist and singer spent time with 17-year-old Dilan Kohn at the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at the Children's Hospital of Nevada in Las Vegas last week. Dilan died a few days after Simmons' visit, but staff have thanked him for making the youngster's dream come true.
A statement from staff at University Medical Center, where the Children's Hospital is based, says: "Last week, one of our patients, Dilan Kohn, got his final wish. The critically ill 17-year-old desperately wanted to meet and hang out with the rock'n'roll musician, Gene Simmons, from the band Kiss.

"Mr Simmons had not only been Dilan's idol, but also his inspiration growing up. Mr Simmons was sent an email request last Thursday afternoon and flew into Vegas the next morning. He showed up with a big bag full of signed memorabilia just for Dilan.

"The two hung out, shared stories and laughed together for well over an hour while staff looked on with tears in their eyes. Thank you Mr. Simmons for making this wish come true just in time.

"Unfortunately Dilan passed away peacefully a couple days later." See the online post along with photos here.



Former Dio And Rainbow Star Jimmy Bain's Cause Of Death Revealed(Classic Rock)

Last In Line bassist Jimmy Bain's cause of death has been confirmed as lung cancer. The former Dio and Rainbow man died on January 23 onboard Def Leppard's Hysteria On The High Seas cruising festival where Last In Line were due to perform. He was 68.
His bandmate Vinny Appice says Bain didn't even know he had lung cancer and that he was receiving treatment for pneumonia when he died. Appice adds: "The medical examiner report states the official cause of death was lung cancer. Jimmy didn't know he had lung cancer, but he did know he had pneumonia and was receiving treatment for it.

"This didn't stop him or slow him down, we had four rehearsals four hours a day, then a flight to Miami for the Def Leppard rock cruise. A pre-sail gig and sound check was scheduled for the following day. At the gig Jimmy played great and even sang that night while holding a heavy bass guitar on his back, never complaining or asking for help.

"Next day we preceded to board the cruise ship for a five-day voyage of which we were scheduled to play Sunday, the fourth day. That gig never happened as Jimmy passed away in his cabin the night before. We were devastated." Read more here.



The Ghost Inside Frontman Back On His Feet Following Bus Crash(TeamRock Radio)

The Ghost Inside frontman Jonathan Vigil has given an update on his condition after the El Paso bus crash in November. The 32-year-old vocalist posted a photo on Twitter with a caption saying: "Standing on my ok foot for the first time in two and a half months. Hopefully I can walk on it in another month."
The LA metalcore band were involved in an accident in El Paso, Texas, on November 19 last year. Their driver Greg Hoke died, along with the driver of the other vehicle involved, Steven Cunningham. Vigil and two other members of the band were airlifted to the University Medical Center.

The frontman detailed his injuries and treatments on Instagram earlier this month - which include a fractured back and neck, two broken ankles, ligament damage to his knee, a broken tooth and a wound on his back. He also had to have a skin graft on his right elbow.

Drummer Andrew Tkaczyk confirmed earlier this month that he had lost his leg in the bus crash. He also suffered several rib, hip and spine fractures. Guitarist Zach Johnson announced in December that he had endured more than 26 hours of surgery to his feet, legs and hips. Read more and see the photo here.



Wayne Static's Widow Tera Wray Suicide Confirmed By Coroner(TeamRock Radio)

A coroner has confirmed that Wayne Static's widow Tera Wray committed suicide. Wray, who was 33, died last month. Her passing was confirmed by the former adult film star's attorney Michael Fattorosi, who said he believed she had taken her own life to be with her late husband.
Randy Emon, the supervising deputy coroner investigator for the San Bernardino County coroner's office, tells Blabbermouth: "Our coroner records indicate Tera died on January 13, 2016, in Joshua Tree, California. The manner of death was listed as suicide."

Static died on November 1, 2014, aged 48. He passed away in his sleep after mixing strong prescription drugs with alcohol, with the official manner of his death given as "natural." Read more here.



Ace Frehley Announces Spring Tour(hennemusic)

Original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley has announced that he will be launching a US tour this spring. Shows begin in Houston, TX on February 26 and run into mid-April.
Frehley has been working on all-star covers album as the follow-up to 2014's "Space Invader." "The album's going to be about my influences," says Frehley. "I'm probably going to do a Rolling Stones song, a Who song, possibly a Led Zeppelin song, maybe a Beatles song. Stuff from bands that I grew up on and greatly influenced me. Those are the songs I'd redo, besides vintage Kiss stuff and a Frehley's Comet track."

Slash joined the guitarist in the studio last summer to help record a Thin Lizzy classic, while other anticipated guests include Lita Ford, John 5, and Mike McCready from Pearl Jam.

Frehley's first new album in five years, "Space Invader" scored a US Top 10 debut when it entered the Billboard 200 at No. 9 with opening-week sales of 19,000. See the dates here.



David Bowie's Blackstar Remains At No. 1 In The UK(hennemusic)

David Bowie's "Blackstar" has topped the charts for a third straight week as the late singer continues to dominate UK music sales in 2016. Bowie also has another 6 albums on the charts - with 18 in the UK Top 100.
The Official Charts Company reports the project is one of five Bowie albums in the Top 10, including 2002's "Best Of Bowie" at No. 3, 2014's "Nothing Has Changed" at No. 5, 1971's "Hunky Dory" climbs three places to No. 9, and 1972's "The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars" jumps nine spots to No. 10.

The feat means Bowie is the first act to score five albums in the Top 10 since Michael Jackson managed six in 2009 after his passing. With seven more records in the Top 40 bringing his total to 12, the rocker ties Elvis Presley's UK chart record for simultaneous Top 40 entries, which the King achieved following his death in 1977. Read more here.



Enter Shikari Release Acoustic Performance Footage(TeamRock Radio)


Enter Shikari have released footage of their intimate acoustic performance at London's Alexandra Palace. The band played in front of a small audience of friends and competition winners in a secret theatre at the iconic venue. And as well as the video footage, which can be viewed below, Enter Shikari have confirmed the release of an EP called Live & Acoustic At Alexandra Palace, out on February 1.
Filmed ahead of their upcoming UK tour in support of latest album The Mindsweep, the footage shows the band performing in a seldom-seen Victorian Theatre at the Ally Pally, rather than the 10,000 capacity hall where they'll wrap up the tour on February 27.

The theatre, largely unused in this century, is hidden behind the main building. It's a 2500 capacity ornate room that has, over the past 100 years, served as not only a place of entertainment but also a haven for Belgian refugees, a BBC props store and a German internment camp. Check out the video footage here.



Falling In Reverse Release 'Chemical Prisoner' Video(TeamRock Radio)

Falling In Reverse have premiered their video for Chemical Prisoner. The metalcore band fronted by vocalist Ronnie Radke released their third record Just Like You last year.
The 32-year-old says: "Filming this video was super fun. We did it in my hometown Vegas with my dad's motorcycle club. One of my favourite videos to shoot."

Radke hinted earlier this month that their upcoming album will be a "huge left turn" for the band - marking a departure from their heavier roots. The band lost guitarist of five years Jacky Vincent in November, who left to work on his solo project. Watch the video here.



Crowbar To Begin Recording New Album This Month(TeamRock Radio)


Crowbar have confirmed they will be back in the studio on February 17 to begin recording their forthcoming release. The New Orleans sludge metal veterans have already begun writing tracks for the follow-up to 2014's Symmetry In Black.
Frontman Kirk Windstein previously told the Thunder Underground podcast: "We've got four songs written that are really killer. In January, we really need to buckle down and make sure we finish up the other half of the record."

In July of last year, he spoke about the band's creative process. He said: "We make our own music and for us, it's just about slow and steady wins the race - the hare and the tortoise mentality." Read more here.




Avantasia Announce Ghostlights World Tour(Classic Rock)

Avantasia have announced a world tour in support of latest album Ghostlights, which was launched last week (January 29). The rock opera group will play 35 dates across Europe and North America - and say they will perform three hour sets with no support acts.
Ghostlights features guest vocals from Dee Snider and Geoff Tate, ex-Kiss guitarist Bruce Kulick, Marco Hietala of Nightwish and Sharon Den Adel of Within Temptation. It follows their 2013 release, The Mystery Of Time.

Avantasia have made Ghostlights available to stream in its entirety via Bild.de. and have also unveiled a promo for the song Mystery Of A Blood Red Rose.

Mainman Tobias Sammet, who also fronts German metal band Edguy, says: "In my humble opinion, Mystery Of A Blood Red Rose is the perfect overture to the seventy-minute journey which the full album is going to be.

"Although it's is a rather short composition compared to most other Avantasia songs, I wanted to embellish and amplify it with flamboyance and all Avantasia trademarks. I wanted to make it a detailed piece of fantasy art, but at the same time it was a big challenge to make that painting look inherently consistent if you view it from the distance." Read more and see the tour dates here.




Dave Matthews Band Announce Summer Tour(Gibson)

Dave Matthews Band almost always tops Pollstar's list of the most attended tours of the summer, so why mess with what works? The band has unveiled 46 summer tour dates.
The trek will kick off May 11 in Wichita, Kansas, and run through a three-night residency Labor Day weekend, Sept. 2 through 4, in George, Washington. For ticket information, head to DaveMatthewsBand.com.

This isn't just any Dave Matthews Band tour. The trek will commemorate the band's 25th anniversary. The guys have also announced that they will take a hiatus from touring in 2017.

Dave Matthews Band's latest studio album is 2012's Away from the World. See the dates here.





Al Jourgensen Going Pop With New Band Surgical Meth Machine(TeamRock Radio)

Al Jourgensen has inked a record deal with Nuclear Blast for his new band Surgical Meth Machine. The speed metal outfit will be joining metal greats such as Slayer, Behemoth and Lamb Of God on the independent record label.
Surgical Meth Machine's self-titled debut album was recorded at Jourgensen's home studio in Burbank, California with longtime engineer Sam D'Ambruoso. The frontman had been eyeing last September for release, but the band has pushed the date back to later this year.

The 57-year-old says of the release: "There's a couple of real poppy things on there, which brings me full circle, because, literally, I don't give a f*** anymore. So I'm actually almost acknowledging that first horrible pop record I did in 1983. I'm crooning on some songs, I've got some pop songs on there, and then there's just brutal assault for the rest of it.

"It's a very dichotomous record, but it's me, and I'm acknowledging everything that's been me through, like, the last 35 years. Let's just throw my balls on the table and hope somebody doesn't have a meat cleaver running." Read more here.



Anneke Van Giersbergen Announces Acoustic Tour(Prog)

Anneke Van Giersbergen has announced a UK acoustic tour for April. She'll play six dates on the tour, with support from Tony Wright – aka VerseChorusVerse.
Former Gathering vocalist Van Giersbergen this week confirmed she will perform a show with The Gentle Storm at her December Fan Weekend in Amsterdam, saying:

"Since the weekend is already sold out, this will be a great opportunity to hang out with fans from all over the globe that are coming to Amsterdam for this special occasion." See the tour poster and dates here.




Steve Nardelli Announce Collab Album With Moon Safari(TeamRock Radio)

Steve Nardelli's The Syn will release a collaboration album with Moon Safari in March. Trustworks is the result of a partnership between Nardelli and the Swedish prog outfit that began in 2010. Between them, they co-wrote the nine tracks that make up The Syn's first studio album since 1009's Big Sky.
Moon Safari say: "For those who don't know about this project, we've been working on and off since late 2010 with Steve Nardelli of The Syn as co-authors, producers and musicians on this album.

"The music can best be described as a mix between the psych pop Syn sound from the 60s and Moon Safari's trademark symphonic and vocal-driven progressive rock.

"Steve's characteristic and bluesy voice mixed really well with our smoothness and we are all convinced that the resulting cuts clocking in between three and 15 minutes will make for a good listen." Read more here.



Creeper Release 'Black Mass' Video(TeamRock Radio)

Creeper have released a video for their track Black Mass. The Southampton punk rockers lifted the track from upcoming EP The Stranger, which is out on February 19 via Roadrunner Records.
Creeper underwent a lineup change in December. Guitarist Sina Nemati left the band and was replaced by Oliver Burdett, while touring keyboardist Hannah Greenwood also joined as a full-time member.

The band will set off on a headline tour next month, and will also be supporting pop-punk outfit Neck Deep on their UK trek. The Stranger, the follow-up to The Callous Heart EP, is available for pre-order. Watch the video here.



Beardfish Frontman Rikard Sjoblom Streams New Song(TeamRock Radio)


Beardfish frontman Rikard Sjoblom has released track Realm Of You And Me. The song is lifted from the singer's debut solo album The Unbendable Sleep, out on February 10.
The album will also feature Beardfish bassist Robert Hansen. The band released their latest album +4626-COMFORTZONE last year. Sjoblom says: "It was one of the last songs that was written for the album, but basically I was sitting in a hotel room, just strumming the guitar and started playing the opening riff over and over and singing a melody. I think I wrote the whole thing in 15 minutes. It quickly became a favourite for me and I recorded it the week after I wrote it.

"It's about growing apart and finding your way back to someone – your partner, yourself… your guitar? I can't be sure yet what it means to me personally but I know I feel very strongly about it." Stream the song here.



Susanna Announces New Album and Streams Lead Single Burning Sea(TeamRock Radio)

Susanna has confirmed her 11th album will be released in April and made one of its tracks available to stream. Triangle is due on April 22 via SusannaSonata and lead single Burning Sea is now streaming online.
Susanna says: "Burning Sea is about the experience of giving in to something, surrender, and feeling trapped at the same time, both wonderful and dangerous. I wrote this song in LA where a lot of the material for the album came to life.

"I am very fascinated by the sunny, beautiful and urban in combination with the pumping undercurrents of creativity in that city." The Norwegian artist is known for personal interpretations of songs by Joy Division, Leonard Cohen and AC/DC as well as her original material and collaboration with Jenny Hval on 2014's Meshes Of Voice. Read more and check out the song here.




Big Boy Bloater And The Limits Release Lego Video(The Blues)


Big Boy Bloater And The Limits have released a Lego video for their track It Came Outta The Swamp. The promo was created by Big Boy Bloater himself and the track is lifted from the group's upcoming album Luxury Hobo, released on February 26 via Provogue/Mascot Label Group.
Bloater says: "About three years ago I was looking for something therapeutic to do that would just be me in a quiet room away from the noise and hassle of everyday life. Around the same time my dad cleared out his loft and a load of Lego I had as a kid appeared.

"I was instantly fired up to do some stop motion animation, especially as a lifelong Ray Harryhausen fan. I wrote this song about a year ago and not long after Lego released their swamp series so I knew this would have to be the video for it when the time came.

"It took me about a month to do but I could have taken a year, it was so much fun." Watch the video here.



Singled Out: Conan's Revengeance

Conan just released their brand new studio album "Revengeance" and to celebrate we asked frontman Jon Davis tells us about the title track from the new effort. Here is the story:
I was sitting in a Jewish cafe in the North West and was putting together some lyrics for the album, while listening to some studio demos. I started to think about the world in which we write Conan songs in and thought more widely about the political and sock economic structure of the worlds where Conan songs exist.

I began to realize that this was probably not such a nice place to live and started using phrases such as 'Endless age so desolate, Kingless realm so desperate' as these painted a picture of a land without leadership or guidance.

In the studio we started to play around with vocal lines and realised that the lines 'All this is infinite, we rot inside of it' sounded like 'All By Myself' by Eric Carmen, we decided to take this all the way and ape that vocal harmony totally.