Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Def Leppard Will Reject Rock Hall Induction
Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott says in a new interview that band has decided that if were ever invited to be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame that they would 'politely refuse' the induction. But he adds that the fans will have the final say.

Elliott says that the Rock Hall is "nice but not that important" and explained why it isn't that important to him or the band, "The biggest compliment I ever got was my first ... platinum disc because it's a representation of 1 million people who've bought your album, and those million mean a lot more to me than some people that decide whether you fit for the Hall of Fame."

"In fact, we've kind of all decided that even if we get asked we're just going to -- how can I put this? -- politely refuse, like the Sex Pistols did. Unless there was some sort of online campaign by our fans cause they were annoyed with us."

Check out the full video interview here.



Slayer Reveal Special Release Plans For New Song
(Classic Rock) Slayer will release a new track as a limited edition Record Store Day vinyl single. The thrash icons issue When The Stillness Comes on 7" vinyl via Nuclear Blast for RSD on April 18.

Only 5000 copies will be available worldwide. It features, as a B-side, a live recording of 1983 classic Black Magic - recorded at last year's Wacken Open Air festival.

Record Store Day was devised in 2007 to raise awareness of and drum up business for independent record stores in the US and UK. Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl is the RSD Ambassador for 2015. Check out a photo of the vinyl release here.




Eyehategod Fear For Frontman's Mental Health
(TeamRock Radio) Eyehategod have cancelled their upcoming Australian and Mexican tour dates after becoming concerned about the mental health of frontman Mike IX Williams.

He's currently resting after the band performed two runs of US shows against doctor's orders - and aims to be back in action in time for their UK and Europe dates in April.

Eyehategod say in a statement: "We regret to have to cancel our Australian and Mexican dates. Mike's mental stability and health are serious issues at this point. We are very, very sorry for putting our fans and business partners in this miserable position.

"We will make up these tours as soon as possible." Read more here.




Tom DeLonge Thinks He Was Target Of Intelligence Operation
(TeamRock Radio) Former Blink-182 member Tom DeLonge believes that his life has been endangered by his belief in life on other planets and government conspiracies to hide it.

He says he was the target of an intelligence operation, that a colleague of his was subjected to mind-control experiments and that he received a personal safety warning after talking to an engineer about a spacecraft.

Delonge - who's regularly discussed his conviction that aliens exist and UFOs are real - tells PaperMag.com: "I've had one interesting thing happen to me where I believe somebody was trying to get to me, that was in the intelligence industry. That's as much as I want to say. A very interesting thing happened."

He adds: "One time I remember bringing up a very specific craft that I believe we're building, in secret, to emulate the phenomenon that our government has been observing for decades.

"I started talking about the craft, its magnetic slide system, how it ionises the engine, how it glows. I went through the whole thing, and this engineer looks at me and goes, 'You better be real f***ing careful about what you're talking about.' I go, 'Okay, so I'm close.' He goes, 'I'm not f***ing kidding with you. You better be really f***ing careful.'

"And he calls me up the next day and he goes, 'I've had calls about you. If someone comes and asks you to get in their car, don't f***ing get in the car.' That's the sh*t I'm dealing with." Read more here.




Kid Rock Explains $20 Concert Tickets
(Classic Rock) Kid Rock says keeping the costs of his live shows down is vital and reveals he's surprised other artists haven't followed suit. He heads out on the road across the US this summer to support his upcoming album First Kiss. And he's frozen ticket costs at $20 - a price he introduced during his Best Night Ever Tour in 2013.

He tells Billboard: "I'm so happy about the $20 thing. I've said before, I feel like I'll be able to ride this into the sunset. We've even learned more from being the guinea pig to do it the first time, and now we've learned so much more.

"We thought about raising the ticket price five bucks, and then we're like, 'Let's just keep it $20. Let's find ways that we can be more efficient now that we've done it one time, that we can make more money but we're not messing with the people who are paying.' I'm just very fortunate to be in a position to do it."

Rock is able to keep his ticket prices down by partnering with the gig venues and ticket outlet Live Nation and then splitting the costs from the shows. And he says he's no idea why other artists haven't copied his business model. Read more here.





Page Says Led Zeppelin Couldn't Keep Up With Fans Demands
(Classic Rock) Jimmy Page says Led Zeppelin couldn't meet the demands of fans during the height of their success. And he reveals they could have played more live shows if their tours across the US weren't so hectic in the 70s.

He tells the Associated Press: "There was a supply and demand - and the demand always outsourced the supply that you could give as far as concerts go.

"The States is a massive continent and it got to the point where, during the 70s, we were doing multiple shows in New York, Chicago or LA and it would just be sell-outs. There was demand but we had to move on.

"You know the volume of record sales, you've heard about it, and it's exactly the same with the attendance. We broke records, I know we did, but we still couldn't supply the demand." Read more here.




Eric Clapton, Little Richard Lead Blues Hall of Fame Inductions
Eric Clapton, Little Richard and Tommy Brown are the three living performers that will be included into the Blues Hall of Fame at a special event this year, the Blues Foundation has announced. We were sent the following details:

Eric Clapton has been tapped for induction into the Blues Hall of Fame for his many musical achievements as well as for his role as a popularizer of the entire genre. He brought the blues to audiences in his native Britain and throughout the world, illuminating the work of the original blues artists who inspired him.

With his induction, Little Richard joins an elite group of Blues Hall of Fame icons including Fats Domino, Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley who built upon rock 'n' roll's foundation in the blues. His earliest recordings were in the blues vein and, throughout his career, he continued to employ a blues format in his work.

In the early '50s Tommy Brown broke through nationally fronting the Griffin Brothers Orchestra with the #1 hit "Weepin' & Cryin'." He brought his intuitive sense of showmanship to the blues over a career that has now spanned over 75 years.

Their induction will be held in conjunction with the three days of events May 6-8 surrounding the 36th Blues Music Awards on May 7 and the public Grand Opening of the bricks and mortar Blues Hall of Fame on May 8 in Memphis, Tennessee. With living musicians like B.B. King and Buddy Guy, and legends like Muddy Waters and Koko Taylor, the Blues Hall of Fame consists of blues music's best and brightest stars.

The Blues Foundation is now in the final stages of the renovations needed to showcase these legendary performers and their work with Blues Hall of Fame exhibits at its 421 S. Main headquarters in downtown Memphis. The Blues Hall of Fame will honor inductees year round, provide interactive and educational exhibits, and create a place for serious blues fans, casual visitors, and students to congregate, celebrate and learn more about the Blues.

For tickets and more information go here.




Saxon's Nigel Glockler Recovered From Emergency Brain Surgery
(Classic Rock) Saxon drummer Nigel Glockler has made a full recovery from emergency brain surgery, and plans to get back to work soon. He collapsed during the band's winter UK tour in December and was diagnosed with an aneurysm.

Doctors put him through two procedures after the first wasn't entirely successful. He was sent home from hospital in January to recuperate. Former Accept singer Udo Dirkschneider's son Sven stood in for Saxon's February shows, although Glockler performed one track, Strangers In The Night, in London on February 7.

Now Glockler reports: "The neurosurgeons have informed me that I have made a 100% recovery, and there is zero damage at all from the aneurysm - mainly due to the part of the brain it was located in.

"This means I am okay to get back to work, but I'm told to easy back into it in my own timeframe." Read more here.





Lou Reed Slammed The Beatles and Doors In Lost Interview
(Classic Rock) Lou Reed branded The Doors "stupid" and The Beatles "garbage" in a lost interview released after 28 years. The late Velvet Underground frontman's interview with journalist Joe Smith was recorded in 1987 but has only surfaced now in an animated video created by Blank On Blank.

In it, Reed insists the Velvet Underground never intended to make money out of their music and says he was amazed by the negative reaction to their 1967 album The Velvet Underground & Nico.

Asked how he thought his music stacked up against rival bands of the time, Reed pulls no punches. He says: "I know this sounds pretentious, but the other stuff couldn't even come up to our ankles. The level that we were on compared to everyone else, I mean they were just painfully stupid and pretentious. What I mean by stupid, I mean like The Doors.

"I never liked The Beatles, I thought they were garbage. I liked nobody." Read his comments about the Velvet Underground here.



Alex and Eddie Van Halen Ink New Publishing Deal
(hennemusic) The Van Halen brothers, Alex and Eddie, have signed a worldwide publishing deal with Atlas Music Publishing. The agreement covers the entire Van Halen catalog - excluding 2012's "A Different Kind Of Truth" - and includes multiple hit singles and albums that have collectively sold close to 90 million copies worldwide, making the group one of the best-selling musical artists in history.

The landmark deal with Atlas marks the first time Van Halen's music has been published by an independent music publishing company. "This deal has been a long time coming," Atlas Music Group CEO Richard Stumpf tells Billboard.

"I have been after [manager] Irving Azoff and [lawyer] Peter Paterno for five years to find out if there would ever be an opportunity to work with the Van Halen catalog. They are my favorite all-time band so this is kind of a surreal moment where my professional and personal lives are coming together."

"We will give their music the proper push for synchronizations in films, TV and commercials," says Stumpf. "This is a premium catalog, so we will look for the right films and brand advertisers to place their music with." Read more here.





Foo Fighters Auctioning Studio Time To Help Friend and Musician
(hennemusic) The Foo Fighters have stepped in to assist friend and Seattle musician Mike Squires (Loaded, Alien Crime Syndicate, Harvey Danger) and his mother, Charlotte, who is fighting cancer.

The band have offered up two days of recording at their California base, Studio 606, as part of an eBay auction by Squires to assist with his mother's medical bills.

Squires posted a description of the studio in his eBay listing: "Studio 606 is the Foo Fighters' private studio. 606 Studio Manager, Scott Parker, and the Foo Fighters have donated 2 days of studio time to help benefit my mother Charlotte's fight against cancer.

"The highest bidder in this auction will have unlimited access, for two days, to record or mix at the studio.

"The auction includes the use of the house engineer, the studio space, studio recording equipment, Pro Tools rig, and limited backline (no house guitars are available for use, Sorry!). That literally means that you can show up with your band's guitars and pedals and your favorite snare or kick pedal (but, seriously?) and create a record in a world-class recording environment." Read more here.




Skillet Making Plans For Next Album
(TeamRock Radio) Skillet will start recording their ninth album this summer, singer and bassist John Cooper has confirmed. The Christian rockers' last release was 2013's Rise which spawned the single Not Gonna Die. Now they'll hit the studio with the aim of launching a new album later in 2015.

Cooper tells Billboard: "We're planning on recording this summer. June will mark two years for Rise, and I would like to be releasing a record this year. We're working towards that goal and even if we don't, we'll release it early next year."

Joining Cooper in the Tennessee outfit are his wife Korey Cooper on rhythm guitar, drummer Jen Ledger and lead guitarist Seth Morrison. They're currently on tour across the US and the frontman says he's been inspired to write new material by meeting fans out on the road. Read more here.





Mitch Lucker's Death Gave Suicide Silence New Perspective On Life
(TeamRock Radio) Suicide Silence guitarist Mark Heylmun says dealing with the tragic death of singer Mitch Lucker has made the band more resilient than ever. Lucker died in a motorcycle crash in 2012 and his place in the band is now filled by Eddie Hermida. Heylmun previously said Lucker's death led to the band tackling their drink and drug abuse, and he now says they're prepared for anything life may throw at them.

He tells Hot Topic: "The way I feel about it is, when you reach that bottom that we reached, there's pretty much nothing that's going to feel worse than that. If anything that comes your way, you're ready to face it with a clear head and think about how much worse everything can be."

And he urges fans to take the same attitude to life's challenges. He adds: "Listen to your actual gut instinct - there is a feeling in your stomach, and that's a real f***ing feeling. Listen to it.

"If you're afraid, f***ing face that fear. Face your problems and make sure that you're handling them, not avoiding them. F***ing attack them head on." Read more and stream the full interview here.




Faith No More Premiere New Song In Concert
(Classic Rock) Faith No More last night performed their track Cone Of Shame, from comeback album Sol Invictus, for the first time. Fan site FaithNoMoreFollowers revealed an audience video of the performance alongside the evening's setlist.

Mike Patton and co opened their second of two shows in Tokyo with the song, which appears to match keyboardist Roddy Bottum's description of the album's material as featuring "really simple instrumentation" and "a lot of pianos."

Bottum tweeted after the performance: "Tonight was the first performance of Cone Of Shame. it felt good to do that in Tokyo to rectify the wreckage of last night's tumult. Hug." Read more here.





Nonpoint Revived By The Return
(TeamRock Radio) Nonpoint drummer Robb Rivera has revealed they feel like a band again following the success of latest album The Return. It launched last year following the departure of guitarist Dave Lizzio who was replaced by BC Kochmit previously of Eye Empire and Switched.

And despite the shake up, Rivera insists the new-look lineup are riding a crest of a wave and says they're now being rewarded after going through "dark times."

He tells In The Now: "In this lineup right now, we're on a high point. Single Breaking Skin is doing killer radio, great sales, attendance, selling merch - it feels like a band again.

"There's some low point that I think every band goes through - and we've definitely had our share of dark times. But vocalist Elias Soriano and myself have made a pact that, it doesn't matter when the dark comes, there's always a light at the end." Read more and watch the full video interview here.



Robben Ford Streams New Collaboration With Warren Haynes
(The Blues Robben Ford has released an exclusive stream of his track High Heels And Throwing Things, featuring Warren Haynes. It's taken from upcoming album Into The Sun, to be released via Mascot Label Group on March 30, also including guest spots with Keb' Mo', Robert Randolph and others.

Ford recently said: "The rule was to have no lid on things. I've worked very hard to master my craft as a musician and a songwriter - but other than relying on my strengths in those areas, I made sure there was room for new ideas and everything my collaborators brought to the music.

"When you're open to different concepts and approaches, the most beautiful things can happen." Ford also plays London's O2 Academy Islington on April 29, followed by a run of European shows.

Listen to the new song here.




Fit For An Autopsy Complete Work On Album With New Singer
(TeamRock Radio) Fit For An Autopsy have confirmed they have finished work on their first album with new singer Joe Badolato. The New Jersey metal outfit brought in Badolato following an acrimonious split with Nate Johnson last year and they say they will issue the new, as-yet-untitled, record later this year via eOne Music.

It was recorded at The Machine Shop in New Jersey and produced by band member Will Putney. Guitarist Pat Sheridan says: "The new album is a bit of a step in a new direction for the band. You'll hear a lot of new influences in our sound and a real creative move towards other genres we have never experimented with until now.

"It's dark, sad and aggressive all at once and we're really happy with the vibe. It's also a very literal and real record and in more of a first person view of the world than we've ever done, and it feels really intense." Read more here.




Sevendust Preparing To Begin New Album
(TeamRock Radio) Sevendust are to begin work on a new album and are hopeful of a summer release. Another acoustic album could also be on the way. Guitarist Clint Lowery said last year he hoped to make it a regular thing for the band.

Drummer Morgan Rose says the band are heading to the studio in Butler, New Jersey, working on what will be their 11th album and the follow-up to last year's acoustic record, Time Travelers & Bonfires.

Rose tells All Access Live: "We haven't written one song yet, but we're going into the studio in a week. It's amazing. I love it. We do everything that way." Watch the video interview here.




John Wesley Begins Work On New Album
(Prog) John Wesley has begun work on the follow-up to solo album Disconnect, he's confirmed. The Fish and Porcupine Tree collaborator aims to start recording his seventh record later this year.

Wesley had the following to say, "I have begun sorting through ideas and directions for the next album, and I've started the process of writing pieces that will form the basis.

"I'll be using much of the same team who recorded the last album, and I hope to begin tracking in the late spring or early summer." Read more here.




Foo Fighters To Headline Glastonbury Festival
(Classic Rock) Foo Fighters will headline the main stage at Glastonbury this summer. Dave Grohl announced the news in a video acceptance speech at tonight's NME Awards. The Foos were named Best International Band, with the prize presented by Chrissie Hynde.

Grohl said: "Sorry we couldn't make it tonight, but we will be seeing you over the summer at some big outdoor festival that nobody knows we're playing - it's Glastonbury. So we'll see you at Glastonbury. Thanks a lot everybody."

They will play the last slot on the Pyramid Stage at Worthy Farm on Friday, July 24. It will be the band's first appearance at Glasto since 1998. Last year, Metallica were the surprise headliners and won widespread acclaim for their performance. AC/DC and Iron Maiden were among the favorites to land a headline slot at Glasto this year following Metallica's triumph. Read more here.






Michael Anthony Jams Van Halen Classic With John 5
(hennemusic) Original Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony joined Rob Zombie guitarist John 5 for a performance his former band's 1979 classic, "Somebody Get Me A Doctor", at the Whisky A Go Go in Hollywood on February 11.

John 5's Van Halen connection goes back years as a fan; he then teamed up with David Lee Roth to write and record his 1998 album, "DLR Band." The guitarist has continued to write material with Roth and, last year, revealed that the pair had recorded a second project in early 2013.

"[Dave and I] just made another record, and it's, like, the 'California Sessions', [Dave] was calling it," said John 5. "And it's 11 of the greatest songs you'll ever hear, and it's just me and Dave, and we had Gregg Bissonette play drums on it. And it's unbelievable. And hopefully sometime it'll see the light of day. But he is, of course, busy with Van Halen and all that stuff. But it's an incredible record."

"I always go over to his house and we write music and things like that," he continued. "It's a lot of fun. I would just go over to his house during the day and write this music and then he would book the studio at night. So we would go into A&M Studios - Henson Studios, it's called now - and we'd record."

John 5 described the vibe of the material and Roth's performance. "It sounds just like Dave from that 'Van Halen I' or ' Van Halen II' or 'Women And Children First' era, [in terms of his] singing [style], and it's incredible, man. It's really incredible. He loves it too, so maybe it'll see the light of day sometime."

Read more and watch video of the jam here.




Jack White Get Innovate For Interactive 'That Black Bat Licorice' Video
(hennemusic) Jack White had released an inventive and revolutionary new 3-in-1 music video for his latest single, "That Black Bat Licorice", from his latest studio album "Lazaretto."

The video offers three original films of differing themes that can be interchanged based on viewers' interaction with their computer keyboard or tablet screen.

The video trio also draws from the vision of three different directors - James Blagden, Brad Holland and White himself. Blagden created an animated clip, Holland a headbanging video, and White directed live action footage. Read more here.



Jimmy Page Honored At NME Awards
(hennemusic) Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page was honored with the Rock 'N' Roll Soul Award at the NME Awards Wednesday night in London and video of the presentation has been posted online.

Organized by UK music magazine New Musical Express (NME), Page was on hand to receive a special one-off award from Royal Blood. "Well, well, well," began Page. "Thank you to Royal Blood. They said it's an honour to be giving this award but it's an honor for me. I trust so much in Royal Blood and what's gonna come from them is absolutely magic, isn't it? They really deserve Best Group."

"Thanks so much for this award, NME," he added. "It's a real honor to get it, but as far as whatever I've managed to do in music, I'm really just passing on the baton because for me, I've learned from records and my heroes. I got the music together and passed it on and it's for everyone."

The honor recognizes Page's as one of rock's most important and influential guitar players, writers and producers. Watch the video here.




Black Star Riders Perform New Songs Acoustically
(hennemusic) Black Star Riders vocalist Ricky Warwick and guitarist Damon Johnson teamed up to deliver acoustic performances of a pair of tracks from the group's upcoming second album, "The Killer Instinct."

The duo dropped by The Orchard to play their new single, "Finest Hour", and the album's title track. Due February 23 (Feb 24 in North America), the follow-up to the group's 2013 debut, "All Hell Breaks Loose", was recorded in Nashville with producer Nick Raskulinecz (Rush, The Foo Fighters, Alice In Chains, Mastodon).

"The Killer Instinct" will be available in multiple formats: CD, Limited 2 CDs Digibook with a bonus disc that features 2 extra songs and acoustic versions of 4 tracks from the album, Limited Gatefold Black Vinyl and Limited Gatefold Clear Vinyl (available for mail orders only).

Black Star Riders will launch the album with a co-headline UK tour with Europe starting March 2 in Dublin, Ireland. Check out the unplugged videos here.




Umphrey's McGee Preview Their Abbey Road Album
(Prog) Umphrey's McGee have released a trailer for upcoming album The London Sessions, which they recorded in Abbey Road's iconic Studio Two over 12 hours last year.

The video includes their cover of the Beatles' track I Want You (She's So Heavy) which recognises the fact they were recording where the Fab Four did some of their most memorable work.

Frontman Brendan Bayliss says the first thing he did on arrival was asked to be shown to the corner of the space used most by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.

Bayliss tells Rolling Stone: "I couldn't believe they were just crammed there, doing 75 takes in a row till they got it." Guitarist Jake Cinninger clapped his hands to listen for the studio's trademark effect. "I heard that ambient tone - yup, that's Abbey Road. I wanted to witness it for my own ears, that time delay in the room." Read more and watch the video here.




Metalhead Rocks TV Talent Show With Led Zeppelin Classic
(Classic Rock) A metalhead contestant on the Irish edition of TV talent show The Voice won a clean sweep of judges' approval with a powerful rendition of Led Zeppelin's Immigrant Song.

John Bonham's performance saw all four judges pitching to have him on their team. In the end, the 28-year-old from Dublin chose former Westlife singer Kian Egan as his coach.

After his performance led to all four experts turning their seats to signify they wanted him to progress, Bonham had to explain that having the same name as the late Led Zep drummer was merely a coincidence.

And he says he would never have compromised by singing a "safer pop song." He tells TeamRock: "The first thing they asked was whether that was my real name. It's a total coincidence, but I'm obviously a big Zeppelin fan.

"I only wanted to go through on my own terms. I didn't see the point in doing a safer pop song just to try get through. I thought I might as well be me.

"It's a tough song to sing because of the range in the vocals. It actually hadn't gone so well when I was practising, but the big arena and the crowd gives you such adrenaline and it worked out."

"I definitely did not expect to go through, I thought I wouldn't be what they were looking for. I didn't think many of the audience would even know Immigrant Song, but when I started headbanging halfway through, they all went crazy." Read more and watch video of his performance here.




Rush's Neil Peart, Tool's Danny Carey and Stewert Copeland Drum Jam
(Classic Rock) Rush drummer Neil Peart and Tool counterpart Danny Carey are seen in a video clip jamming with former Police sticksman Stewart Copeland. It's the latest in Copeland's series of Sacred Grove clips, and it took place after he invited the pair to try out some new percussion equipment.

Also featured are South Park creator Matt Stone and Vertical Horizon frontman Matt Scannell. Further tracks were added to the original recording later.

Rush recently confirmed what's likely to be their last large-scale tour, while Tool continue work on the follow-up to 2006's 10,000 Days. Check out the video of the drum jam here.




Drowning Pool Celebrate Late Singer Dave Williams In New Video
(TeamRock Radio) Drowning Pool have launched a video for their track Soul to mark the 13th anniversary year of the death of frontman Dave Williams. He died from heart failure caused by cardiomyopathy in 2002 while on tour – and the band have launched a tribute video featuring rare and previously unreleased shots of the late singer and launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise cash for the American Heart Association.

Fans are asked to pledge $30 – all of which will go to the charity and they'll receive a Williams t-shirt in return. The band say: "People assume drugs and alcohol are the cause when the news reports that a rock star has died. Dave actually died of the heart disease known as cardiomyopathy – disease of the heart muscle and Dave didn't know he had it. It often goes undiagnosed and affects people of all races and ages.

"To celebrate Dave's life and contribution to music, we have partnered with the American Heart Association of Dallas and IndieGogo to raise both awareness of the disease, and funds for further research and development of new treatments." Read more and watch the video here.




A Look Back On Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi On His 67th Birthday
(Gibson) Any short-list of the greatest riff-makers of all-time would be incomplete without Tony Iommi's name inscribed in bold letters. Beginning with Black Sabbath's 1970 debut album, Iommi ushered in a dark, sludgy sound that through the years has impacted bands as varied as Nirvana and Metallica. To commemorate his birthday-Iommi turns 67 on Feb. 19-we've gathered a number of choice quotes. Simply put, the man is a legend.

On giving birth to heavy metal, as told to Guitar Player: "I think it was the dramatics of it all. I used to listen to the old classical stuff with the dynamics in the music, and I wanted that sort of dynamics in what we were doing-something that was really dramatic and big. And that's what I tried to achieve guitar-wise. I wanted to make this big, powerful thing come over you-like what happens when you go and see a horror film. I wanted to create a huge sound that was really horrific in some ways."

On when he knew Black Sabbath had "made it," as told to Rock Cellar: "It was great when we started having hit albums and stuff, but I guess the first time we thought we had broken through on some level was with our first album. With that album we realized we had something different to offer, and then the next Sabbath album came out, which was Paranoid, and that went to number one, certainly in most of the world except for in America. (laughs) Then we sort of felt like we were doing something and achieving success and knew we were on our way."

On considering switching to playing right-handed, after the accident where he sliced off the tips of two fingers, as told to Guitar World: "If I knew what I know now I probably would have switched. At the time I had already been playing two or three years, and it seemed like I had been playing a long time. I thought I'd never be able to change the way I played. The reality of the situation was that I hadn't been playing very long at all, and I probably could have spent the same amount of time learning to play right handed. I did have a go at it, but I just didn't have the patience."

On coming up with great riffs, as told to Rock Cellar: "What I generally do is go into my studio for an hour or I might go in for ten minutes and just start playing some riffs and put them down. So I might do that for a few days and then I'll start listening to them with a more critical ear…. What makes a great riff, for me, is tension, drama and dynamics, but also you'll get some up-tempo stuff where you've got to create a different dynamic. With the heavier, slower stuff, it's pretty easy for me to put in the dynamics. But sometimes the up-tempo stuff is a little bit more challenging."

On his signature tone, as told to Guitar International: "I took a long time working on it. Years and years. I've never been totally satisfied with it. I always keep trying. Even now, on stage some nights it doesn't sound quite right. It's the building or the stage or whatever. But ninety-percent of the time I'm happy with it."

On first hearing Ozzy's debut solo album, Blizzard of Ozz, recorded with Randy Rhoads, as told to Guitar World: "It was quite good. I loved Randy's playing. I didn't rush out right away to buy Ozzy's album because I was into what we were doing at the time. But I was pleased for Ozzy. It was the spark that got him going, and it was exactly what he needed."