Today's Day In Rock news!

Today's Day in Rock


AC/DC Announce New Album
AC/DC have revealed that Columbia Records will be releasing their new studio album, entitled "Rock or Bust," on December 2nd and fans will be getting a little taste on TV.

Turner Sports have announced that they will be previewing the song "Play Ball" on TBS during the Major League Baseball Postseason, beginning on September 27th, when they will be exclusively covering the American League Postseason. The ad will also air on other Turner stations.

The album marks the first time in 41 years that the band has recorded without cofounder Malcolm Young, who had to take a break from the band due to illness.

In his place, the band recruited Malcolm and Angus Young's nephew Stevie Young to record rhythm guitar on the new album and he will also be performing on the upcoming tour in support of the release.

AC/DC recorded the album this past spring in Vancouver, BC with producer Brendan O'Brien and mixer Mike Fraser.



Def Leppard's Vivian Campbell Having Stem-Cell Surgery
Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliot revealed in a new radio interview this week that guitarist Vivian Campbell will be "out of action" until Christmas as he will be undergoing stem-cell surgery in his cancer fight.

Campbell is officially in remission for the second time and will be receiving the treatment in hopes that it will prevent the cancer from returning. Elliot told Las Vegas radio station KOMP 92.3's '92 Minutes of Hair With Mel' show (via Loudwire), "Vivian, for the second time, is now in remission.

"The first time we were told he was in remission and he was, but it didn't take. It didn't stay; it came back. But this time, through clever management with his doctors, they were able to monitor him through the whole tour, so he could do the tour with KISS this summer."

Elliot went on to say, "As we speak, he's getting ready to go in to have stem-cell surgery, which will hopefully get rid of this thing once and for all. So, up until Christmas, he's gonna be kind of out of action, because once they start on this, they have to keep him so locked down and away from germs and stuff.

"I think anybody visiting him has to put on one of those nuclear suits. He'll be locked away and he'll be the boy in the bubble, but he's very confident that he can do this and his spirits are great."

There is no word is Vivian will be joining the band this Sunday when they perform the pregame show at the NFL game between The Oakland Raiders and the Miami Dolphins in London.

Elliott had this to say about the show, "Having most recently visited Wembley in May to watch Sheffield United in the FA Cup semi-final, I know what the atmosphere in the ground is like for 'our' football so I'm really looking forward to performing there before the NFL game and of course soaking up the excitement of the actual match. I can't wait!"

Listen to the full interview at Loudwire here.




Slipknot's New Album 'Almost Like A Tarantino Movie'
(TeamRock Radio) Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor says long-awaited album .5: The Gray Chapter is more like a Quentin Tarantino movie than a concept album. And while the lyrical content tells the story of the band's struggle for survival after the death of bassist Paul Gray in 2010, it doesn't tell that story directly.

Taylor - whose new mask was revealed in the video for The Devil In I earlier this month - tells 98 Rock: "I didn't want to do a concept album because we'd already done one with Stone Sour. It's autobiographical. Some of the songs are about Paul and some are about the hell we've had to go through.

"There's a story there but there's no outline. It's almost like a Tarantino movie, when he jumps around in time and shows you what's going on. It doesn't start with one period and go in a linear fashion. Each song tells a different little part, but you have to kind of look at it as a whole."

The phrase that hangs heaviest in his mind over the turmoil is "war of emotions," he admits. "There's a lot of guilt - survivor's guilt. There's a lot of anger towards the person you lost. There's a lot of anger towards yourself. You have to reach that point of, 'Okay, everything that needed to happen happened, and there's nothing I can do about it.' And that's what this album is."

More including a stream of the interview here.





Journey Warns Fans That Tickets Are Not For Their Show
(Radio.com) Hopefully you aren't in possession of tickets to see Journey between now and the end of the year. Because, according to the band, those tickets aren't actually to see them.

Journey, who finished touring recently, took to their Facebook page to break the news that they've been victims of a tour scam. "Attention CAUTION fans. Someone is selling tickets that are phony and a rip off. WE ARE DONE WITH OUR TOUR … THIS IS NOT REAL," they wrote, adding a screenshot of the promo.

As it turns out, the new Journey tour isn't a scam - rather, it seems to be a simple mixup. Journeys, the mall retailer, has its own tour going on with bands I Killed the Prom Queen, Ghosttown, Marmozets and Nightmares, which has apparently been confusing people.

Read more here.




The Replacements May Make New Album
(Classic Rock) The Replacements are considering making a new album, mainman Paul Westerberg has said. But the most important thing to him about his reunion with bassist Tommy Stinson is that they've rekindled the friendship they'd lost.

The pair got back together in 2012 to make a fundraising covers EP for guitarist Slim Dunlap, who'd suffered a severe stroke. That led to their live return last year, and more shows are on the cards.

Westerberg tells Rolling Stone: "We were talking to Slim when he was in the hospital and I was like, 'Should we play?' And he said, 'Yeah, play.'" It's proved to be more fruitful than he could ever have imagined. "It's good to wake up and go, 'God, I'm late - I have somewhere to go,'" he reflects.

Read more here.




Ace Frehley Launching Fall Tour
(hennemusic) Former KISS guitarist Ace Frehley has announced the first series of dates for a fall US tour that he will be launching in support of his new album, "Space Invader."

Ace will kick off his first US shows in four years on November 13 in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Frehley recently revealed the lineup for his touring band, which will include guitarist Richie Scarlet, bassist Chris Wyse and drummer Scot Coogan.

"I can't wait to hit the road again with this new lineup," says Ace. "I'll be performing Ace classics as well as songs off my new CD Space Invader for the enjoyment of the fans. Let There Be Rock!"

Frehley recently scored a US Top 10 debut with "Space Invader." Check out the initial dates here.




Sixx A.M. To Broadcast First Show In 5 Years
Sixx A.M., featuring Motley Crue's Nikki Sixx, Guns N' Roses' DJ Ashba, and vocalist James Michael, have announced that they will be playing their first concert in five years.

The concert will be taking place on October 7th at the iHeart Theater in Burbank and will celebrate the release of the group's third studio album "Modern Vintage" which will be hitting stores that day.

In addition to the concert, the band will also be hosting a Q&A session with fans about the new album and their upcoming plans. Both the concert and the Q&A will be broadcast live on iHeartRadio and select Clear Channel radio stations.

According to the announcement, the band is also expected to make a special announcement during the broadcast. The show will air beginning at 7PM PST on October 7th. Fans can listen online here.




Jim Root Speaks Out Over Stone Sour Firing
(Classic Rock) Jim Root has admitted he was angry, hurt and depressed after being fired from Stone Sour by Slipknot bandmate Corey Taylor. He's revealed the departure came about months before it was made public - but he now believes it was for the best.

The guitarist joined Stone Sour in 1996, just before the band split. He signed up for Slipknot in 1999 then returned to Stone Sour in 2001, remaining until he was dismissed last November towards the end of their touring duties for The House Of Gold & Bones. The lineup change wasn't confirmed until May.

Despite saying he was "not happy" about the move, the additional free time gave him the opportunity to focus on material for Slipknot's long-awaited album .5: The Gray Chapter.

Root confirms the situation had been playing on his mind. He tells Revolver: "Slipknot made it possible for Stone Sour to have everything that is has. And there were people in Slipknot sitting idly, waiting to do a new album. I had fans asking me every day, 'When are you doing Slipknot?' It just seemed like it was in the air.'

"It became apparent to me near the end of the album cycle for The House Of Gold & Bones that it had run its course. The band kept pushing for more dates and I was like, 'It's time to stop.'

"Essentially, in November I found out that Stone Sour wanted to do some more shows, and they didn't want me to be a part of it. I guess you could say I was given the opportunity to start the Slipknot album, to put it nicely."

He continues the story here.




Weezer Premiere New Song and Announce Tour
(Radio.com) Weezer are about to release their ninth studio album Everything Will Be Alright In The End through Republic Records, and in preparation, they've released yet another new track from the album that's sure to keep fans satiated for the moment.

Titled "The British Are Coming," the song is, like many of the other songs shared from the new album, vintage Weezer, with Rivers Cuomo brattily sneering undeniable hooks over surging guitars.

Meanwhile, guitar solos and anthemic choruses evoke the revolutionary spirit of the song's title. Additionally, the band announced a short U.S. tour for October and November, during which they'll play the entire new record in its entirety. Check out the tour dates and the new song here.




Bob Dylan To Receive MusiCares Person of the Year Honor
(Radio.com) Fifty-some years into his career, Bob Dylan is still racking up awards. His most recent accolade? MusiCares Person of the Year, bestowed on him by the Recording Academy.

Even though the award was just announced, the songwriter won't be officially honored for it until Feb. 6 at a gala held a couple of days before next year's GRAMMYs. It will likely be worth the wait, though, as at that event, Dylan, along with all of the other attendees, will be treated to performances by a myriad of popular artists.

Among them: Beck, the Black Keys, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Norah Jones, Tom Jones, Los Lobos, John Mellencamp, Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt, Eddie Vedder, Jack White, Neil Young and John Doe. Read more here.




L.A. Guns Lose A Member
(Classic Rock) L.A. Guns have parted ways with bassist Scott Griffin, the band have reported. He joined in 2007 following the departure of Adam Hamilton, but left two years later to be replaced by Kenny Kweens. After Kweens quit in 2011, Griffin returned to the lineup - and now Kweens is back in the band for the first time in three years.

LA Guns say in a statement: "Scotty Griffin and the band have decided to part ways. As our bassist off-and-on for the past seven years, including our latest release Hollywood Forever, Scotty has been a true road warrior, a stellar musician, and a better friend. We wish him all the best in his future endeavours."

They add: "We'd like to welcome back Kenny Kweens and look forward to rocking' out the rest of 2014. Make sure to come out and support our newest member - you're guaranteed a kick-ass time."

Read more here.




The Pretty Reckless Unplugging For New Music
(Classic Rock) The Pretty Reckless have confirmed they are working on an acoustic album. The band made history earlier this month, when they became the first female-fronted band to reach the top spot in the US charts with their first two singles Heaven Knows and Messed Up World.

Now they've revealed they are working on acoustic material and have recorded a medley. Frontwoman Taylor Momsen tells North Carolina radio station Rock 105.5:

"I don't have dates yet but we just recorded an acoustic version of a medley. It's how we originally wrote the songs, so it's an inside look into how the album Going To Hell actually started.

"If you can't play it all the way through on an acoustic guitar, then it's not a good enough song to bring in the band." Read more here.




Faith No More Reveal Comeback Single Details
(Classic Rock) Faith No More have unveiled the cover for their comeback single, set for launch at the end of the year. Motherf***er will be made available as a limited-edition vinyl disc for Record Store Day's Black Friday event on November 28. It's to be followed by a digital release on December 9.

FNM reunited in 2009 for a run of festival shows - and despite speculation they'd wound down two years later, bassist Billy Gould this month confirmed plans to end their 18-year studio silence.

He said: "We've been working on this idea for probably a year and a half. I think what we're doing reflects where we've gone since we made our last record. I think this kicks things up a notch."

Check out the cover art here.





Jeff Lynne May Continue ELO
(Gibson) Electric Light Orchestra mastermind Jeff Lynne was so happy with the band's one-off show in London last weekend that he's considering a proper return to the live stage, The Telegraph reports.

ELO played an open-air concert at London's Hyde Park, the first ELO show in almost 30 years. And he told the paper that modern technology had really taken the pressure off in terms of bringing the band's layered sound to the stage. "With all these great string samplers and synths, it wouldn't be such a drag for me, 'cause the sound would be perfect, everything would be sweet," Lynne said. "So never say never." Although he added, "…But it would be nice to find a way of doing it without going anywhere."

The Hyde Park performance featured a one-off line-up including former ELO keyboard player Richard Tandy, members of Take That's backing band and the BBC Concert Orchestra, who convened for a month of rehearsals to be ready to headline Radio 2's Proms in the Parks.






Testament Returning To The Gathering's Sound For New Album
(TeamRock Radio) Testament frontman Chuck Billy has revealed he wants their upcoming album to sound like 1999's The Gathering. Billy says that album cemented the band's style, producing tracks that "will stand the test of time." And he insists they're focusing on something similar in the studio this time around.

He tells Shor Bazaar: "We don't know until it's complete, but we've talked about what we would hope it would be. I would like it to sound along the lines of The Gathering, because it was such a turnaround record for the band.

"We really found our style and place, and the songs, to me, are probably gonna be songs that stand the test of time. We started experimenting with blast beats and a different style of guitar rhythms and picking on the guitars." Read more here.





Devon Allman Bids Farewell To Mike Zito
(The Blues Devon Allman has marked the end of Mike Zito's membership of Royal Southern Brotherhood with an affectionate farewell - and he's predicted they'll work together again in the future.

Zito decided to bow out of the blues supergroup because he felt his solo career was suffering. He's just completed his final UK tour with them, and plays his last shows on next month's US Blues Cruise. He's being replaced by Bart Walker.

Allman says on his Facebook page: "Mike and I first met in 1999 at Guitar Center, St Louis. We sold guitars and dreamed the big dream. We played sh*tty gigs for sh*tty pay - and we loved every second of it.

"Now we've played 25 countries, sold tens of thousands of records and jammed with our heroes. We've even appeared in the guitar mags we used to sell in that shop. It's been a hell of a ride.

"We did the work to make the dreams happen. Constant work - that's why we don't sell guitars any more, and that's the only reason." Read more here.





Children Of Bodom React To Canceled Tour
(TeamRock Radio) Children Of Bodom have issued a statement after Machine Head pulled the plug on their US tour. They, along with Epica and Battlecross, had been due to support the American outfit on 21-dates in October. However, Machine Head decided to concentrate on completing upcoming album Bloodstone & Diamonds rather than hit the road.

And with tour plans now in tatters, Children Of Bodom frontman Alexi Laiho says he plans to use the time to sit down and write "angry sh*t." He says in a statement: "Our North American tour with Machine Head has officially been cancelled - this had nothing to do with me or COB.

"Sh*t f***in' happens, life goes on, and at least now we have an extra month and a half to write new COB sh*t. So instead of focusing on the negative, I'm gonna start to write music and it will be some angry sh*t."

Read more here.




Touchstone Reveal Plans For Christmas Shows
(TeamRock Radio) Touchstone plan to put a difficult year behind them with two celebratory Christmas shows in December. The first takes place at London's Borderline on December 12, featuring special guests Symphony Of Pain.

The second will be a double-header with IOEarth at the Robin 2 in Bilston on December 14. The events follow the cancellation of Touchstone's DVD launch shows in June as a result of a family illness.

The band's schedule had already been kept light while bassist Paul 'Moo' Moorghen underwent spinal surgery. The band say: "Our Borderline special guests, the glorious Symphony Of Pain, bring their unique, eclectic blend of hard, melodic rock, laced with dark gothic overtones, fused with the dynamism of classical instrumentation."

Read more here.





Avatarium Releasing New EP This Fall
(TeamRock Radio) Candlemass mainman Leif Edling's Avatarium have confirmed the release of a new EP that is entitled "All I Want". It's set to be released on November 14 via Nuclear Blast.

The material reflects their desire to "break new musical ground" after Edling and Evergrey guitarist Marsuc Jidell wrote the title track. Jidell had this to say:

"Psychedelic percussionist Michael Blair guests on All I Want. He showed up at the studio with a big bag of tricks - metals, shakers and strange things which he made sound like a punk rocker at Woodstock fed with pills.

"We tried to keep things single and spontaneous during recordings, which I hope people will be able to hear." Read more here.






Anna Phoebe Releases New Album Trailer
(TeamRock Radio) Anna Phoebe has released a trailer for upcoming album Between The Shadow And The Soul. It's set for release on October 20 - and the former Roxy Music, Trans Siberian Orchestra and Jethro Tull violinist reports she's excited to have concentrated fully on her own project.

Phoebe says: "I've been co-writing with Nicolas Rizzi for four years now. He and the other members of the band have expanded my playing. It's been a real collaborative effort - we've all drawn on our musical experiences ranging from North Indian classical, jazz, rock and metal, and my own more Eastern style."

Between The Shadow And The Soul follows four-track EP Embrace, released last November. You can watch the EPK/trailer video for the new album here.





Empty Yard Experiment Streaming New Album Online
(Prog) Post-prog outfit Empty Yard Experiment are streaming latest album Kallisti via TeamRock, ahead of its release on September 29. The lineup consists of vocalist-guitarist Bojan Preradovic, guitarist Mehdi Gr, bassist Kaveh Kashani: Bass // Vocals Gorgin Asadi and drummer Josh Saldanha.

Citing Tool, Porcupine Tree, Mogwai and other as influences, they say: "This band has always been about setting ourselves apart musically as much as possible, and trying to make a difference.

"We provide our audience with our unique perspective on the world without spoon-feeding, and encourage them to construct their own as a result of that interaction."

Listen to the album here.







Avenged Sevenfold Release Chapter Four Video
(TeamRock Radio) Avenged Sevenfold have released an archive video for their track Chapter Four from their reissue Waking The Fallen: Resurrected. The album, launched in August, is a new look at their 2003 record Waking The Fallen.

Guitarist Johnny Christ recently said the process of curating the 2014 edition had been a bittersweet experience as they recalled life with late drummer Jimmy 'The Rev' Sullivan.

The three-disc edition includes 11 B-sides, live and alternative versions of songs, music videos, unseen live clips and a 30-minute documentary. A7X recently confirmed the release date for their Deathbat mobile game.

Guitarist Zacky Vengeance has reported the band have been inspired by "over the top and slightly offensive" music for the follow-up to last year's Hail To The King.

Watch the video here.





Stevie Nicks Delivers 24 Karat Gold
(Classic Rock) Stevie Nicks has released the title track from her upcoming album 24 Karat Gold - Songs From the Vault. The record will launch on October 6 via Warner Bros and features recordings of tracks from the Fleetwood Mac singer's back catalogue.

Nicks says: "Most of these songs were written between 1969 and 1987. One was written in 1994 and one in 1995. I included them because they seemed to belong to this special group. Each song is a lifetime. Each song has a soul. Each song has a purpose. Each song is a love story. They represent my life behind the scenes, the secrets, the broken hearts, the broken-hearted and the survivors."

Nicks and Fleetwood Mac will reunite with keyboardist Christine McVie for a North American tour this later this month, starting September 30 in Minnesota. The band are also working on a new record, which guitarist Lindsey Buckingham indicated could be a double album.

Stream the new song here.




Exodus Premiere Blood In, Blood Out Title Track
(Classic Rock) Exodus have released a lyric video for Blood In, Blood Out - the title track from their 10th album, which will be released on October 14th in North America and a day earlier in Europe.

It features the return of classic-era vocalist Steve 'Zetro' Souza, while previously-launched number Salt The Wound includes a guest appearance from Kirk Hammett, who left to join Metallica in 1983 without having had the chance to record.

Guitarist Gary Holt - who's currently working on Slayer's 15th album - says: "Time to let a fast one out of the bag! It's fast, raging thrash. One of many on the new disc. Bay Area sickness to slap you upside your face!"

Watch the video here.




Robert Plant's Appearance On CBS This Morning Goes Online
(hennemusic) Robert Plant was a guest on CBS This Morning this week and video of the full interview is available onlne. The singer is in New York this week to promote his new album, "lullaby and...The Ceaseless Roar", with the launch of a 7-date theatre tour of North America.

The Led Zeppelin singer will play three shows in New York starting September 25th, before hitting Toronto, Chicago and Denver, wrapping the run up in Los Angeles on October 7th.

Plant is also scheduled to perform on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon on Friday, September 26. Watch Plant's CBS This Morning appearance here.





Between The Buried And Me Release Clip From Live DVD
(Prog) Between The Buried And Me have released another video clip from their forthcoming live studio DVD, featuring their performance of Extremophile Elite.

Future Sequence: Live At The Fidelitorium contains a full performance of recent album the Parallax II: Future Sequence. It's set for launch on September 30.

Frontman Tommy Rogers explains: "You can watch us play any of our songs live online, so we wanted to give our fans something a little different - an intimate live performance in a studio. We wanted something that made them feel a little closer to us, almost feel like they're at practice with us."

Watch the video here.




At The Gates Streaming New Song At War With Reality
(TeamRock Radio) At The Gates have released an online stream of At War With Reality, the title track from their comeback album, due next month. At War With Reality is set for release on October 27 via Century Media.

The Swedish outfit confirmed they'd decided to complete a new studio project, despite previously saying it wasn't on the cards since their 2007 reunion.

The band said: "What we learned from the last couple of years is that we enjoy what we do to the fullest extent. We love playing music together, and we love to hang out as friends.

"We are fully aware that we have made some very drastic statements about the longevity of At The Gates - but things change, situations change and people change."

Listen to the new song here.





Bush Premiere New Song 'Man On the Run'
(hennemusic) UK rockers Bush are premiering the title track to their forthcoming new album, "Man On The Run." Due October 21, the band's sixth release was produced by Nick Raskulinecz (Rush, Alice In Chains, Foo Fighters, Mastadon) at Studio 606, the Northridge, California-based studio owned by Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl.

The band spent two years touring in support of their 2011 album, "The Sea Of Memories", before returning to the studio last year to work on new music.

The group has also teamed with PledgeMusic to crowdfund the record, a part of a special campaign that offers fans a chance to take a behind-the-scenes look at the new album, along with a number of Pledge exclusives including limited-edition vinyl, hand-written lyrics, pre-order opportunities and more.

Listen to the song here.





Slash Rocks New Song Stone Blind At Special Show
(hennemusic) Slash performed "Stone Blind" from his new album, "World On Fire", last week in New York on the eve of the record's release, and video from the show has surfaced online.

The tune was part of a set the guitarist played September 15 at an exclusive invitation-only concert for SiriusXM listeners at Santos Party House in New York City.

"World On Fire" was recorded with Slash's touring band, Myles Kennedy And The Conspirators, and producer Michael Baskette. The guitarist's third solo effort follows 2010's self-titled album and 2012's "Apocalyptic Love."

Check out the video here.





Amon Amarth Release Video For Deceiver Of The Gods
(TeamRock Radio) Amon Amarth have released a video for the track Deceiver Of The Gods, lifted from their ninth studio album of the same name. The promo features clips from upcoming movie Northmen - A Viking Saga, which stars the band's frontman Johan Hegg as the warrior Vali.

And Ralph Dietrich, chief executive of the film's production company Ascot Elite Entertainment, recently revealed Hegg was a "fitting addition" to the project, which launches on October 23.

He said: It is an honour to have metal icon Johan Hegg set sail with us and we could not be more excited. Such a fitting addition, Johann's music is synonymous with the Viking experience."

Watch the video here.





Status Quo Premiere It's Better Now Lyric Video
(Classic Rock) Status Quo have issued a lyric video for And It's Better Now. The track originally featured on Hello, the band's sixth album in 1973. It now appears along with 24 other Quo classics on upcoming acoustic album Aquostic (Stripped Bare).

And mainman Rick Parfitt, who has recovered following heart surgery in August, exclusively told Classic Rock that fans will be "taken aback" when they hear what they've done to some of their best-loved tracks.

He said: "The new arrangements of most of these songs are vastly different to the ones Quo fans will already know. People will be taken aback, and pleasantly so."

Frontman Francis Rossi also revealed he initially wasn't keen on re-recording the tracks, but changed his mind after hearing an early acoustic demo of And It's Better Now.

Read more and watch the lyric video here.





Russell Allen and Jorne Lande Release Lady Of Winter Video
(Classic Rock) Russell Allen and Jorne Lande have released a lyric video for their track Lady Of Winter. It's taken from the singers' fourth collaborative album The Great Divide, set for launch on October 17 via Frontiers Music.

Allen, of Symphony X and Adrenaline Mob, tied up with Masterplan and Yngwie Malmsteen's Lande to create their first record with ex-Stratovarius man Timo Tolkki.

He played all instruments except drums, provided by Jami Huovinen. The Great Divide follows 2010's The Showdown.