Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Metallica and Paul McCartney Lead Lollapalooza Lineup
Metallica, Paul McCartney, Florence and the Machine have been announced as the headliners for this year's Lollapalooza which will be taking place at Grant Park in Chicago on July 31st-August 2nd.

Metallica had this to say about their headlining slot, "It's been nearly 20 years since we've been lucky enough to take the stage at Lollapalooza, so we are over the top that we've been asked to play this year at the now annual extravaganza held at Grant Park in Chicago. We'll be hitting the stage on Saturday, August 1st."

This year's lineup also includes Sam Smith, Charli XCX, Bassnectar, The Weeknd, Of Monsters and Men, Kid Cudi, Alabama Shakes, Alt-J, Tyler the Creator, Philip Selway, Death From Above 1979, Hot Chip, TV on the Radio, Brand New, Gary Clark Jr., Gogol Bordello, and more. See the lineups for each day here.



Jefferson Starship's Paul Kantner Hospitalized For Suspected Heart Attack
Jefferson Airplane and offshoot Jefferson Starship founding member Paul Kantner has been hospitalized after suffering a suspected heart attack. He celebrated his 71st birthday on March 17th.

Jefferson Starship broke the news to fans via their Facebook page and also revealed that they will be continuing their current North American tour without him.

The band wrote on Wednesday, "Hey everybody, Paul's health took a bad turn this week. He's in the hospital, stable and undergoing tests to find out exactly what's going on but doctors suspect he had a heart attack. He is in the best possible care and we are sending him all of our best wishes, good thoughts and healing vibes.

"We're continuing the tour without him, as most of the shows are sold out or close to it and we have to honor our contracts and our fans who bought tickets and put on the best show possible. We will dedicate every show to Paul until he is well enough to rejoin us onstage. Thank you for your continued support during this difficult time."




Deep Purple Announce Summer Tour Dates
Hard rock legends Deep Purple have announced dates for a North American summer tour with some media outlets reporting that the band is expected to announce additional dates soon.

The announced dates kick off on July 14th in Lewiston, NJ at Art Park Amphitheatre and conclude on August 15th in Indio, Ca at the Fantasy Springs Casino.

The band has also previously revealed a spring tour of Mexico that will be launching on May 27th in Puebla at Centro Expositor and wrapping up on June 7th in Ciudad Juarez at Estadio Carta Blanca.

Deep Purple will also be launching a European tour this fall, kicking things off in Lodz, Poland on October 25th at Atlas Arena and concluding the tour on December 3rd in London at the O2.

In late August the group will make two European music festival appearances; the first in Arbon, Switzerland at the Summer Days Festival and the second at the Summer Nights festival in Singmaringen, Germany. See the tour dates.




Megadeth Release Video Featuring New Member
(hennemusic) Megadeth have posted a new online video featuring their new drummer recording in the studio as the group work on the follow-up to 2013's "Super Collider."

The band have yet to confirm their replacement for Shawn Drover, who left in November on the same day as guitarist Chris Broderick announced his exit from the group.

A few weeks ago, former Megadeth drummer Nick Menza revealed the drummer's identity as Chris Adler from Lamb Of God. "Well since (Chris) Adler is playing on the new Megadeth album, do I get to play on Lamb of God new album?," posted Mena. "I'm down for it ....Chris you rock ! one of my favorite drummers. good luck bro ....." See the video here.





Rock Supergroup Kings Of Chaos Announce May Shows
Kings Of Chaos, the all-star Guns N' Roses, ZZ Top, Cheap Trick, Deep Purple super jam band, has announced two shows in the United States that will taking place in May.

The current incarnation of the all-star group features former Guns N' Roses members Duff McKagan, Matt Sorum and Gilby Clarke, ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons, former Deep Purple star Glenn Hughes, Billy Idol's Steve Stevens and Cheap Trick's Robin Zander.

They will be performing in Hollywood, Florida at Hard Rock Live on May 16th and in Mashantucket, Connecticut at The Grand Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino on May 16th.

Check out their Facebook page here.




Sworn In Frontman Tyler Dennen Drops Off Chelsea Grin Tour
Sworn In frontman Tyler Dennen has been sidelined by bronchitis and laryngitis, forcing him to leave with Chelsea Grin's Ashes To Ashes tour, which also features Carnifex, Black Tongue and The Family Run.

Dennen provided these details to fans, "As some of you may know I've been very sick for the past two weeks. On March 6th I came down with severe strep throat, which subsided and as soon as that happened turned into bronchitis and laryngitis.

"As I continued to push myself to keep touring and playing these shows I've damaged myself very badly. I am a Type One juvenile diabetic which means my immune system is extremely poor, so I quickly picked up more illnesses.

"After visiting an urgent care clinic in Dallas the recommendation was to go to an ENT and my actual doctor to get blood work done. As of now I still have no voice and feel like absolute death, so I took the suggestion and unfortunately had to fly home.

"What this means is I will not be able to perform for the rest of the Ashes To Ashes tour, and that breaks my heart. Fortunately enough I have amazing friends who are willing to fill in for me until I recover, so please I urge you to still come see Sworn In on the rest of this tour while I work on recovering. Thank you all for understanding, and I will see you all soon."

He later reassured fans that the band plans to move forward with their headline tour which kicks off on March 29th. He wrote, "Tyler here again. just to make it clear our headlining tour is NOT cancelled. I am only missing the ashes to ashes tour to ensure that I will be healthy enough to play these headlining sets. don't worry. I'll see you all soon."

The Ashes To Ashes tour will be concluding on March 28th in Sacramento, CA at Ace of Spade.




Former Death Bassist Scott Clendenin Dead At 47
(TeamRock Radio) Former Death bassist Scott Clendenin has died at the age of 47. The musician - who appeared on a number of recent Death To All (DTA) tours and also played with late Death mainman Chuck Schuldiner's band Control Denied - had been dealing with a number of unspecified issues in recent years.

Death's former manager Eric Greif released the following comments, "Scott had some health challenges in the last few years but was optimistic about his prospects.

"Of course he was the skilled player on The Sound Of Perseverance Death album, and recently participated in two DTA live runs, in 2012 and 2013, including the highlight of his acoustic guitar in a poignant rendition of Voice Of The Soul." Read more here.




Nirvana's Krist Novoselic Guests On New Modest Mouse Album
(Radio.com) Modest Mouse are making up for lost time. They may have taken eight years to release their follow up to 2007's We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank, this year's Strangers to Ourselves, but they're already on track to release their next album.

Apparently the Pacific Northwest indie outfit started working on their next full-length while recording the recently released Strangers to Ourselves, according to frontman Isaac Brock.

In an interview with Hot Press, Brock revealed that, 'We basically made two records at the same time. Which, if people look at it that way, cuts down the amount of time it took us to make this record in HALF, man!"

They had help on their next album from Nirvana's Krist Novoselic. 'We ended up finishing tracking with one of his songs that will end up on the next record," Brock said, also mentioning that Novoselic's contribution is impossible to miss. 'You'd recognize it," he added. 'It sounds like a bunch of boulders falling down a mountain!" Read more here.




Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson 1st Post Cancer Photos Surface
(Classic Rock) Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson has been pictured for the first time since his cancer treatment - with a moustache. He underwent seven weeks of medical attention after a tumor was discovered on his tongue, forcing the band to postpone plans to release their 16th album.

Dickinson returned to action this week when he attended a press event for his aircraft firm Cardiff Aviation Ltd. Pictures from the event were posted by Iron Maiden Spain.

He shot a video to promote their hybrid Airlander vehicle, sporting the facial hair. Maiden's plans remain on hold until the results of an upcoming MRI scan are known. The band said this week: "Typically, Bruce's reaction was to be as active as feasibly possible, taking in a couple of visits to the Maiden office, one to the Hybrid Air Vehicle hangar to see latest progress, and a brief trip to his local pub - much to the surprise and delight of all his friends there."






Former Smiths Guitarist Johnny Marr Releasing Memoir
(Gibson) Former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr is telling all in a new memoir. Marr is currently working on his autobiography, which is set to arrive on Century in the fall of 2016. A paperback version will follow in 2017.

"For the past few years as I've been out on tour promoting my solo work fans and journalists have been asking me when I'll write my book," Marr said on his official website. "I'm very happy to say that the time has come to tell my story."

Ben Dunn, publishing director of Century, added, "It's the book Smiths fans have been waiting their whole lives and the early material that Johnny has written is utterly breathtaking." Read more here.






Robben Ford Streaming New Album 'Into The Sun' In Full
(Classic Rock) Robben Ford is streamed his new album "Into The Sun" in full via TeamRock. It's released via Mascot Label Group on March 30, complete with guest appearances by Warren Haynes, Keb' Mo', Robert Randolph, Sonny Landreth, ZZ Ward and Tyler Bryant.

Robben tells The Blues Magazine: "There's a broad range of music on this record - but if I were to put it in a nutshell, it's very uplifting, it's fun, and it's got great energy.

"The rhythm section is really strong. You really get to hear and feel the drums and bass, but then there is all this beautiful colour. And of course we have all our guests to enhance the record."

Check out the album stream here.



Twisted Sister May Not Continue Following AJ Pero's Death
(Classic Rock) Twisted Sister could call an end to their career following the death of drummer AJ Pero, guitarist Jay Jay French has said. The sticksman died while on tour with Adrenaline Mob in the US last week. And despite frontman Dee Snider saying the band will play on in his memory, French reveals they were already thinking about bowing out before news of Pero's death reached them.

The guitarist will now sit down with Snider to discuss future plans - including whether 2016 will be the band's swan song. French says, "We're going to discuss the near term which is the concert in Vegas on May 30, then we'll discuss getting through the shows in Europe this year.

"And then we'll talk about the long term which is - Is 2016 going to be a statement year for us? It's the 40th anniversary of me, Dee and Eddie Ojeda getting together. It may be time. It may be."

He continues: "We are trying to confront the reality of it because I don't want to be in this forever. We could - some bands are forever in that ozone area and continue to play on.

"But we need to look at this and say to ourselves, as a live entity, on which our reputation rests, how do we honor that history? How do we honor AJ? And how do we honor the fans' loyalty?" Read more here.




Atreyu Release 'So Others May' Video
(TeamRock Radio) Atreyu have released a new video for their brand new track "So Others May Live which was filmed live at The Observatory in their native Orange County, California.

The band have also announced that they will be releasing the song as a special 7" vinyl single for Record Store Day on Saturday 18th April, via Spinefarm Records.

And they're marking their UK return with a special one-off date at the Underworld in London on 29th April - followed by an appearance at Groezrock in Belgium on May 1st. Watch the video here.




Billy Corgan Says Smashing Pumpkins' Future Is 'Murky'
(Radio.com) With the touring now complete, Billy Corgan has expanded on quotes that the Smashing Pumpkins might be on the outs in his mind, noting that fans might be too fixated with the past.

"I've only committed to the idea of the Smashing Pumpkins through, pretty much, the end of this year," Corgan told Peru's Radio Oasis (via Rolling Stone). "After that, I'm gonna see how it goes…the future of the Smashing Pumpkins is kind of murky."

Corgan went on to clarify his comments, placing some blame on fair weather fans. "I feel like I really need to evaluate the musical purpose of the Pumpkins because more and more of the audience is fixated on the past," Corgan said. "I know a lot of the audience will say, 'Well, I like your music better from the Nineties, than, say, the music you're making today.'

"But I know they're not listening to the music of today, as much as they were listening to that music' I'm the type of artist that I don't wanna exist in something that is sort of fading like an iceberg into the past."



Van Halen Preview 'Pretty Woman' From New Live Album
(hennemusic) Van Halen have issued audio of their Roy Orbison cover "(Oh) Pretty Woman" as a preview to the upcoming release of "Tokyo Dome Live In Concert", their first-ever live album with original frontman David Lee Roth.

The lead single from 1982's "Diver Down" peaked at No. 12 on the US Billboard 100, delivering the second US Top 40 hit for the band following 1979's "Dance The Night Away" from "Van Halen II."

Van Halen have just announced dates for an extensive North American tour in support of the live album, which was recorded in Japan in 2013 on the band's "A Different Kind Of Truth" tour.

The group will launch the March 31 release of "Tokyo Dome Live in Concert" with a special concert for ABC-TV's Jimmy Kimmel Live March 30 on Hollywood Boulevard. Read more and check out the song preview here.




Bruce Springsteen Releases Classic New Year's Eve 1980 Concert
(hennemusic) Bruce Springsteen has released a New Year's Eve 1980 show from the Nassau Coliseum in Long Island, NY as the fourth offering in his new archival concert series.

The package features the 38-song concert, which clocks in at almost 4 hours in length - typical of shows from the era and the tour in support of his 1980 double album, "The River."

The complete concert is now available for download in high resolution 24 bit / 192 kHz formats, as well as CD-quality and MP3 downloads; it is also available for pre-order as a 3 CD set, shipping late April. Read more here.




The Doors Debut Added To Library Of Congress Registry
(hennemusic) The Doors seminal 1967 self-titled debut album is among 25 new additions selected for induction into the Library Of Congress' National Recording Registry.

Works by Radiohead ("OK Computer"), Sly And The Family Stone ("Stand!"), The Righteous Brothers ("You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'"), Steve Martin ("A Wild and Crazy Guy") and Tennesse Ernie Ford ("Sixteen Tons") and more are being recognized for their cultural, artistic and/or historical significance to American society and the nation's audio legacy.

Under the terms of the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000, the Librarian, with advice from the Library's National Recording Preservation Board (NRPB), is tasked with annually selecting 25 recordings that are "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and are at least 10 years old.

"Congress understood the importance of protecting America's aural patrimony when it passed the National Recording Preservation Act 15 years ago," says Librarian of Congress James H. Billington. "By preserving these recordings, we safeguard the words, sounds and music that embody who we are as a people and a nation."

The new selections bring the total number of recordings on the registry to 425, a small part of the Library's vast recorded-sound collection of nearly 3 million items.

The Doors debut is considered one of the most influential albums in the progression of psychedelic rock, featuring instant classics like "Break On Through (To The Other Side)", "Soul Kitchen", "The End" and the No. 1 single, "Light My Fire."

The record remains the band's most successful studio release, selling more than 4 million copies in the States alone and over 17 million worldwide.




Joe Satriani and Steve Vai Announce A Benefit For Cliff III
Joe Satriani and Steve Vai have announced "A Benefit For Cliff III" concert for Cliff Cultreri, their friend and the A&R executive that gave them both their big breaks.

The concert will feature performances from Satriani, Vai and Animals As Leaders and is scheduled to take place on June 12th at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles.

According to the announcement from MAD Ink, "Cultreri is suffering from a host of Auto-Immune and Connective-Tissue disorders that are simultaneously attacking his immune system, a 1 in 100 million occurrence that causes severe pain and physical debilitations".

Satriani had this to say about the event, "I'm looking forward to sharing the stage with my good friends Steve Vai and Animals as Leaders for a night of unforgettable music."

Vai adds, "It's a great privilege to take to the stage with my friends Joe and Tosin (of Animals As Leaders) in support of our dear buddy Cliff. It's a great cause and will be a magical evening of guitar extravaganza."



AC/DC Announce New Deal Ahead Of World Tour
(hennemusic) AC/DC have signed a multi-year deal with Perryscope Productions and Epic Rights to develop an all-new global merchandising, licensing, retail and ecommerce programs for the band prior to the kick off of their 2015 Rock Or Bust world tour.

"AC/DC has always been the top seller of band merchandise and has an incredible archive of artwork, photos, tour logos and imagery," said Perryscope President Norman Perry and Epic Rights CEO Dell Furano in a joint statement. "AC/DC merchandise designs are some of the most famous in rock, including 'Highway To Hell', 'Back In Black', 'High Voltage' and 'For Those About To Rock', among others.

"These designs are the favorites of rock fans worldwide, and we are very excited about designing and selling great new AC/DC merchandise at their concert venues, online and at retail." Read more here.




Devin Townsend Writing A Symphony
(TeamRock Radio) Devin Townsend's next project will be a symphony, he's announced. He previously revealed he was planning on moving away from his alien creation Ziltoid, after earlier hinting at a work to be entitled Garden Music.

Now Townsend tells Kaaos TV: "I'm writing a symphony, and I'm going to record it in Belgium in Surround Sound with a visual counterpart. It's going to have a lot of instruments that are not typical for orchestral stuff - a combination of everything.

"I want to have something that goes between the extremes of beautiful to total chaos, like hellish apocalypse. I'd like to have a point to it that isn't a story - to do with human things, emotions that I currently struggle with because I don't find myself emotionally very intelligent."

He says much of the inspiration has come from "things in my life that forced me to learn" and adds: "My plan is to make something that is massive in scope, but is not bombast totally." Read more and watch the full interview here.



Royal Thunder Streaming New Song Forgive Me, Karma
(Classic Rock) Royal Thunder are streaming their new track "Forgive Me, Karma" exclusively with TeamRock. The track comes from the group's forthcoming album "Crooked Doors."

Speaking about the track, vocalist/bassist Mlny Parsonz says (in suitably cryptic fashion): "When your intentions are pure, and yet you find yourself hurting everything and everyone around you you can only hope that the universe doesn't make you pay for it.

"But alas, you always do. You will always reap what you sow. That being said, learn something from it in the meantime. Pain is an opportunity to grow." Stream the song here.




Muse Frontman Explains New Album's Theme
(Classic Rock) Muse frontman Matt Bellamy has revealed more about the theme of upcoming album Drones - and warned about the dangers of carrying out military attacks by remote control.

The band's seventh record is released on June 8, before their headline appearance at the Download festival on June 12-14. He's previously explained that the follow-up to The 2nd Law explores a "world run by drones, utilizing drones to turn us all into drones."

Now Bellamy tells the BBC: "Through modern technology, and drone warfare in particular, it's possible to do horrific things at a great distance - without actually feeling any of the consequences, or even feeling responsible.

"The next step in drones is going to be autonomous drones, which actually make 'kill' decisions themselves, with no humans involved." Read more here.




Prophet Omega Releases New Album 'Going Out To Slab City'
(Fresh Tracks) Prophet Omega has just released the new one-man, home recorded concept album "Going Out To Slab City," which is New Yorker Joe Magistro's neo-psych rock follow up to his EMI/Astralwerks debut album "The Natural World."

Written, performed and recorded by Magistro at his home in the Catskill Mountains of New York State, Going Out To Slab City takes the listener song by song on an American road trip from east to west in search of the American Dream.

A journey of yearning, Manifest Destiny and an existential crisis played out on a backdrop of early 70s inspired guitar riffs, tape delay feedback and memorable melodies propelled by the gritty drum beats that made Prophet Omega's debut a favorite with music supervisors.

Prophet Omega recently embarked on a successful North American tour in support of The Black Crowes founder Rich Robinson. Joe has also done occasional stints as a side-man in The Black Crowes, playing on tours and albums, as well as with Tracy Bonham, Robby Krieger, Shivaree, and many others.





Singled Out: Lancer's Behind the Walls
Today Lancer frontman Isak Stenval tells us about the song "Behind the Walls" from their forthcoming sophomore album, "Second Storm," which is set for release on April 10th. Here is the story:

'Behind the Walls' was the last song that was written for this album. I wanted to create a fast speed/thrash song, with a really insane chorus, but still make it sound like LANCER. The song is very inspired by the German heavy metal bands from the 80's, like Accept and Helloween.

My favorite part of the song is the down tempo bridge after the solos. The thundering drums together with the soaring vocal melodies made the bridge sound very Judas Priest-sque, another band that's a big influence of mine. In the bridge I wanted to create a Judgement Day feeling, and the whole mood blends perfectly together with the terrifying lyrics about God's wrath, hordes of evil angels and rain of fire. The lyrical theme of the song is about the city of Gomorrah, about lust and sin. And the conclusion of it all is that God is a real party killer.

When I write songs, I often try to complete the songs as much as possible before I present them to the band. After that, I either get a thumbs up or a thumbs down. They really liked 'Behind the Walls' and so do I. Emil (Öberg, bass) and Sebastian (Pedernera, drums) were most thrilled about the song. Both of them are into more extreme metal, and they really liked the attitude in this song.

When the band listens to my demo recordings, most of the songs are pretty much done, such as the structure, harmonies, melodies and lyrics. When we start to rehearse the songs everyone adds their own personal sound and ideas to the songs, the arrangements and all the details fall into place and the songs start to sound even more LANCER than my demo recordings.

After the songs are finished our producer, Gustav Ydenius, enters the process. He came to listen to our rehearsals and shared his ideas and his touch to the songs. It's always scary to put your work into another person's hands, but it's also fun to see what can be done beyond your own imagination. Since we really trust Gustav it's always nice to have a producer like him involved as much as possible. The production is really cool, straight heavy metal in your face!