Music News

FOO FIGHTERS BEGINNING WORK ON NEW ALBUM THIS WEEK

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 13:08:00 GMT

Although Dave Grohl said late last year that Foo Fighters were going to take a break from recording and touring for a while, he apparently has changed his mind. After telling MTV News last month that he already had "the music for the next record," Grohl said at the Brit Awards in London on Wednesday (February 20th), "I return to Los Angeles tomorrow to start work on a Foo Fighters record."

Grohl has told us in the past that he keeps his approach to songwriting basic: "It's pretty simple with this band. If there's a melody and there's a good lyric, then we've got ourselves a song in a couple of minutes. If we could throw it together, and get an arrangement together, and put it down on tape, that's kind of what we do best, you know: that simple, melodic rock that gets stuck in your head."
The Foos' main main also told MTV News about the follow-up to 2011's Wasting Light, "We have really awesome, big plans for the next album and I'm really excited about it."
In the meantime, Grohl has been promoting Sound City, the documentary he produced and directed about the legendary Los Angeles recording studio Sound City. The film is available now on VOD, DVD and in theaters.
Grohl has been taking a rotating ensemble of musicians who appeared in the film, dubbed the Sound City Players, to Los Angeles, New York, the Sundance Festival and London for special performances. Members of Foo Fighters, Nirvana and artists like Stevie Nicks, Rick Nielsen, John Fogerty and Corey Taylor have all been part of these events.
There is no word yet on whether Grohl expects the eighth Foo Fighters album to come out in 2013.

WHAT DO YOU THINK??

Is Dave Grohl now officially the busiest man in rock?
Are you ready for new Foo Fighters music or should he take his time and maybe extend that hiatus a while longer?
How many of Dave's projects (Sound City, the Foos, Them Crooked Vultures, Queens Of The Stone Age) do you actually follow?

CHECK IT OUT: Watch the Sound City Players featuring Foo Fighters and John Fogerty perform "Fortunate Son" at Sundance:

Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl On Songwriting

WOLFGANG VAN HALEN REVEALS MAIN MUSICAL INFLUENCES

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 13:01:00 GMT

Van Halen and Tremonti bass player Wolfgang Van Halen grew up as the son of one of the greatest living guitarists in rock history and learned how to play power chords at his old man's knee. But Wolfgang also told us that there came a time when he discovered his own musical influences: "The first band that I actually really dug a lot was Blink-182, because I think Travis Barker is an awesome drummer and I loved how the two singers harmonized -- it really got me into, like, harmonizing and drums and stuff. But the big change that got me into like heavier music was probably Tool. I liked the weird time signatures and just how heavy it got -- like, Danny Carey is a huge drum influence of mine, and so is Justin Chancellor on the bass."

Wolfgang learned how to play guitar and drums before switching to bass a year before Van Halen's reunion tour with singer David Lee Roth.
With Van Halen inactive at the moment, Wolfgang has been touring with Tremonti, the solo band of Creed and Alter Bridge guitarist Mark Tremonti.
This marks the first time Wolfgang has played with anyone outside of his father, his uncle Alex and Roth. Tremonti has said that he hopes Wolfgang will play bass on his next solo disc and continue touring with him.
Apart from an Australian festival in April and a trio of Japanese shows in June, Van Halen has nothing on its schedule for 2013. Last summer, the band backed out of 31 North American dates, citing exhaustion, and then Eddie Van Halen was sidelined for four-to-six months after undergoing surgery for the inflammatory intestinal affliction diverticulitis.

WHAT DO YOU THINK??

Are you surprised to hear what some of Wolfgang's influences are?
If your father was one of the greatest guitarists in rock, would you feel a lot of pressure to live up to that?
Do you think Wolfgang will carve out his own place in rock music no matter what happens with Van Halen in the future?

CHECK IT OUT: Watch fan-filmed footage of Van Halen performing "Everybody Wants Some!" last June in Anaheim, California:

Wolfgang Van Halen On His Main Musical Influences

Read more at Ultimate Classic Rock and Noisecreep

ROLLING STONES PHOTO EXHIBIT LAUNCHES

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 12:58:00 GMT

The former Rolling Stones rocker, Bill Wyman has collaborated with several visual artists to launch a collection of his reworked photographs. According to MSN, Wyman recruited several cartoonists and portraitists to put their own spin on photos he took of the the Stones during his time in the band. Wyman mentioned that his bandmates were once camera shy.

He said, "I'd be taking pictures constantly. Mick would say, 'Knock it off Bill, for Christ's sake!' They got sick and tired of it. Charlie (Watts, drummer) was always very sweet."

Wyman's "Reworked" show launches at the Rook & Raven Gallery in London on February 27.
Bill is currently writing a second "warts-and-all" memoir of his time with the band. Wyman, who's now 76, and performed during the band's 50th anniversary shows in London late last year, told The Telegraph: "I'm going through my old diaries and boxes full of stuff I collected over the years, but it's finding it all that's the problem. I'm only up to 1972 at the moment."
In 1990, Wyman published his memoir of his time with the Stones, titled Stone Alone. He followed that in 2003 with a lavish 500-plus page oversized coffee table book, Rolling With The Stones. After that he published Bill Wyman's Blues Odyssey, chronicling the history of blues music in the south, and most recently The Stones - A History in Cartoons, which includes Wyman's doodles from over the years.

MICK TAYLOR POSTPONES TOUR

Meanwhile, Mick Taylor is postponing dates in Scotland and Australia due to possible health problems. The former Rolling Stones guitarist announced via his official website.

He said, "Due to unforeseen circumstances the planned shows in Reeth, Kinross and the Australian tour have been postponed. We will update you when there is any further information."

DAVID DRAIMAN WANTS NEW BAND TO SHOW UNIFIED ROCK FRONT

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 13:27:00 GMT

The self-titled debut from Disturbed singer David Draiman's new band Device is due out April 9th and features a who's-who of hard rockers, including Avenged Sevenfold singer M. Shadows, System Of A Down vocalist Serj Tankian, Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello, Halestorm singer Lzzy Hale, Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler and ex-Deep Purple bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes. Draiman told us why he loaded the record with so many guests: "It is definitely something that I decided, you know, let me go ahead and take a lesson from the rap and hip-hop world, who always have all their friends on their records and they have that unified strength. Well, you know, the time has been long overdue for the rock world to have a unified front, and I think that this record makes a very resounding statement to the entire world that rock is here and it's here to stay and it's gonna smack you in the face."

Device has issued "Vilify" as the first single and video from the album. Both were officially released on Tuesday (February 19th) after the song was leaked over the weekend.
Australian magazine Heavy asked Draiman what it's been like to write and record apart from Disturbed. He answered, "It's been a wonderful experience. I've been loving it, really, just free to go and create . . . it's really been an amazing new experience and process."
Draiman launched Device last year with ex-Filter guitarist Geno Lenardo, after Disturbed announced in the fall of 2011 that it was going on an extended hiatus.
Lenardo will not be part of the Device live band due to previous commitments, but the touring lineup includes Evanescence drummer Will Hunt and Dope guitarist Virus.
The group will make its debut at several big U.S. rock festivals this April and May, including Welcome To Rockville and Rock On The Range.

WHAT DO YOU THINK??

Do you think one record can show the world a "unified front" of rock?
Do you enjoy that concept on hip-hop records, where the main artist does tons of collaborations with friends and/or proteges?
Can the same idea work for rock? Or is the whole thing distracting?

David Draiman On Device Presenting Unified Rock Front

GODSMACK SINGER RETURNING TO POKER TOURNAMENTS

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 13:24:00 GMT

Godsmack singer Sully Erna is taking some time to revisit one of his favorite hobbies -- playing poker. Erna told ESPN that after spending a few years away from the game, he's got the itch to start competing in tournaments again. Erna won nearly $18,000 in 2006 and $45,000 in 2007 at the World Series of Poker before bringing home $307,000 that same year at the Five-Diamond World Poker Classic.

So why did he walk away? Erna said, "I was finding that I was very impatient and playing crappy hands. I was losing patience every time I was playing. I had to take a break. (But) I'm making a comeback! I've studied the game. I'm getting the itch to play poker again. In fact, I'm in Los Angeles today and I'll be playing tonight. I need to shake the rust off. I'm ready to go deep and win a lot of money!"

Erna says that part of the reason he's doing solo dates at casinos is so that he can brush up on his game again, explaining, "I love that environment. It works to my advantage, also it's a transient audience. I can't wait."
The singer has booked six solo shows on the East Coast, beginning on March 22nd in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
The concerts will feature songs from the entire span of Erna's career, including Godsmack tracks and tunes from his 2010 debut solo album, Avalon.

FAST FACTS

Erna recently released a deluxe box set edition of Avalon that contained contains five DVDs, two CDs, two books, a limited edition poster, a limited edition T-shirt and more memorabilia.
The DVDs and CDs included the original Avalon album plus a complete live performance of the set shot in Erna's hometown of Boston.
Godsmack played its last live shows for a while at the end of 2012 and is now on hiatus for most likely the rest of 2013.

CHECK IT OUT: Here's footage of Erna being interviewed at the 2007 World Series of Poker:

Read more at Blabbermouth and Loudwire

NEAL SCHON AND CARLOS SANTANA DISCUSSING NEW COLLABORATIVE PROJECT

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 12:54:00 GMT

Carlos Santana and Neal Schon parted ways 40 years ago -- but now according to Schon, the pair have talked about working together on a new project.

Schon said, "I've reconnected with Carlos Santana now and we have been talking about doing something together again. We've talked a lot on the telephone and I hooked up with him before Christmas. You never know what's going to happen. Life is full of surprises. It's very exciting."

Meanwhile, Schon has been busy releasing a solo instrumental album, The Calling.

INTERNET COMMENTS

hil Nielsen writes on ultimateclassrock.com, "So looking forward to this collaboration, but I agree, get Greg involved too"
Thomas Carr writes on ultimateclassrock.com, "anything with santana is going to be good !"
Ian Norburg writes on ultimateclassrock.com, "This could be very very cool"
Gustavo Aguilar writes on ultimateclassrock.com, "It would be great if get togetter with the whole classic line up"

LUMINEERS PASS ONE MILLION MARK IN SALES

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 13:22:00 GMT

The Lumineers' self-titled debut album sold more than 66,000 copies last week following the band's performance at the 55th annual Grammy Awards on February 10th. That pushed the record past the one million mark in sales, earning the Denver-based group their first platinum album award. The April 2012 release was lodged at Number Six on the Billboard 200 album chart this week.

The debut single from the disc, "Ho Hey," is now triple platinum and shows no signs of slowing down, with more than 200,000 copies sold last week alone.
"Ho Hey" sat at Number One on the alternative chart for two weeks, in addition to putting in time at the top of the Hot AC and Triple A charts.
The second single from the album, "Stubborn Love," is already a Top 10 hit at alternative radio.
The Lumineers will the road this spring for a headlining North American tour, beginning on April 19th. Confirmed dates are (subject to change):
April 19 - Berkeley, CA - The Greek Theater
April 24 - Houston, TX - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
April 26 - Austin, TX - The Tower Amphitheater
April 30 - Hamilton, ON - Copps Coliseum
May 1 - Montreal, QC - Metropolis
May 2 - Toronto, ON - The Sound Academy
May 3 - Toronto, ON - The Sound Academy
May 4 - Cincinnati, OH - PNC Pavilion Riverbend
May 5 - Atlanta, GA - Shaky Knee Music Festival
May 27 - George, WA - Sasquatch Music Festival
June 8 - Hunter Mountain, NY - Mountain Jam
June 9 - New York, NY - The Governors Ball Music Festival
July 25 - Floyd, VA - FloydFest 2012
July 26 - Columbia, MD - Merriweather Post Pavilion
July 27 - Camden, NJ - XPoNential Music Festival
July 28 - Newport, RI - Newport Folk Festival

CHECK IT OUT: Watch the official music video for "Stubborn Love":

YES GUITARIST STEVE HOWE HOSTING MUSIC RETREAT

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 12:53:00 GMT

Yes guitarist Steve Howe will host the first-ever Cross Styles Music Retreat, scheduled for August 19th through the 23rd at Full Moon Resort in the Catskill Mountains near Woodstock, New York. Howe told Gibson.com, "This year I'm getting back to doing some solo dates, and the Cross Styles Music Retreat is an extension of that. I'll be enjoying the different things the event will demand of me, as opposed to just doing shows . . . Hopefully, my team and the audience can do a little mingling and learn more about each other."

Guitar players of all ages, levels and styles are welcome to attend the event, which will feature other guest instructors in addition to Howe.
Howe said that his approach to teaching guitar is different from others, explaining, "As I'm self-taught and don't read music, I come at doing workshops from a different perspective than many who teach. I'll be bringing my experience to the fore through performances, interactions with campers, and daily master classes."
Howe recently quit Asia, the band he co-founded in 1982 and which reunited its original lineup in 2006. He continues to tour with Yes, who will kick off a spring North American tour on March 1st in West Wendover, Nevada.

CHECK IT OUT: Get full details on the retreat at www.crossstylesmusicretreat.com

WHAT DO YOU THINK??

Have you ever gone on a retreat of any kind, for work or a hobby or personal pursuit?
Do you feel like it helped you in any way to refocus or gain a better understanding of what you were there for?

WATCH: See a vintage performance of "Roundabout" by Yes with Howe:

ROCK QUICK HITS 2/22/13

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 12:37:00 GMT

Muse claims that they owe Prince Charles 250 British pounds -- the amount of money the band received as a grant from the Prince's Trust when they first formed in 1994. Drummer Dominic Howard recalled, "We bought our first PA system with (the money) and still have it now, it comes out for family weddings . . . I guess you could say we owe Prince Charles 250 (pounds)." Howard made his comments after Wednesday night's (February 20th) Brit Awards in London, where Muse did not pick up any wins but performed their track "Supremacy" with a 75-piece orchestra -- after the three members of the band took the London Underground subway system to the ceremony. (NME)

Jack White loves and collects vinyl records and on the debut episode of the VH1 Classic series For What It's Worth, which premiered on Thursday night (February 21st), he explained to the show's hosts the concept of the triple decker collectible vinyl releases that he puts out through his Third Man record label. The items contain a seven-inch single hidden within two separate 12-inch records glued together. The collector must then decide whether to preserve the 12-inch records and leave the single inside untouched, or crack open the 12-inch slabs to get to the bonus track. Nice way to drive people crazy, Jack. (Rolling Stone)

How To Destroy Angels, the new band led by Nine Inch Nails main man Trent Reznor, has begun announced its first live dates in support of its debut full-length album, Welcome Oblivion. In addition to its previously announced slots at the two-weekend Coachella festival, the group will make stops on both coasts, with actual venues yet to be confirmed. Welcome Oblivion is due out March 5th. Read more at Loudwire
Confirmed tour dates are (venues TBA and dates subject to change):
April 12 - Indio, CA (Coachella)
April 13 - Las Vegas, NV
April 17 - Monterey, CA
April 18 - San Francisco, CA
April 19 - Indio, CA (Coachella)
April 21 - Denver, CO
April 23 - Chicago, IL
April 25 - Toronto, ON
April 27 - Boston, MA
April 28 - Montclair, NJ
April 29 - New York, NY

CHECK IT OUT: Watch Jack White explain the concept of triple-decker vinyl:

For What It's Worth
Get More: For What It's Worth

Korn, Kiss and Motley Crue are teaming up again after their successful tour last summer as headliners of Rockfest, which will take place from July 18th through the 21st at the Venue in Cadott, Wisconsin. Kiss will headline the third day (July 20th) while the Crue will close out the weekend on the 21st. Korn will top the bill July 19th, with the opening day's headliner yet to be announced. Other confirmed acts include Skillet, Device, Stone Sour, Hellyeah, Seether, Halestorm, In This Moment, The Offspring, Whitesnake, Warrant, Megadeth and more. This year's Rockfest marks the event's 20th anniversary, with tickets going on sale Saturday (February 23rd) at http://rock-fest.com/ (Ultimate Classic Rock) Read more at Blabbermouth and Loudwire

Eric Clapton has set March 12th as the release date for Old Sock, his 21st studio album and his first since 2010. The disc features two new original songs, "Every Little Thing" and "Gotta Get Over," in addition to covers of some of the legendary guitarist's favorite songs from throughout his life. The disc includes tracks from Leadbelly, J.J. Cale, Peter Tosh, George Gershwin, Gary Moore and others, while featuring guest appearances from Chaka Khan, Steve Winwood, Paul McCartney and more. The album will be issued through Clapton's own Bushbranch label, with distribution via Surfdog Records.

Three more Electric Light Orchestra-related albums will be released on April 23rd, following last fall's arrival of leader Jeff Lynne's second solo album, an ELO best-of set and a documentary on the group. The new batch of releases includes Electric Light Orchestra Live, Lynne's 1990 debut solo disc Armchair Theatre and the ELO album Zoom, which has not been available for more than a decade. Zoom will feature a brand new track, while Lynne's solo effort will contain two new songs. These releases will all feature new packaging, with the Live CD coming in a special ecobook edition. Live has never been issued as an album, but only as a DVD taken from a 2001 PBS television special. Read more at Ultimate Classic Rock

Fall Out Boy will appear on 90210. The group will perform in an episode of the CW show that will air on April 29 as part of a big concert event. The group will be performing their first single, "My Songs Know What You Did In the Dark (Light Em Up)" on the show. FOB's sixth studio album, Save Rock and Roll will hit stores worldwide on May 6.

Elton John is trying to save the U.K. record chain, HMV. The singer says he will play a series of in-store shows in an attempt to draw people into the retail locations. He is hoping that other artists follow suit to save the retailer. Read more at Ultimate Classic Rock andNME Read more HMV updates at NME

Blabbermouth reports the details of the sixth edition of Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, the world's largest touring heavy music festival, will be revealed on March 18 at 4:00 p.m. PT. Tickets will go on sale on March 22 at 12 p.m. PT. A short teaser video for the upcoming announcement can be seen below. Last year's Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival kicked off its fifth year on June 30, 2012 at San Manuel Amphitheater in San Bernardino, Califronia with a record-breaking attendance of 26,105 — 4,000 more than the previous attendance record set by the tour. Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival is produced by Rockstar Taste of Chaos organizer John Reese, Vans Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman, Live Nation, and Creative Artists Agency. The team has made the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival a standout on the summer concert circuit by following the proven model of utilizing sponsorship to deliver a lower ticket price and an enhanced concert experience. This year sees them joining forces once again with Rockstar Energy Drink as the title sponsor.

Blabbermouth reports VAN HALEN, RUSH and JOURNEY have made Billboard magazine's "Music's Top 40 Money Makers" list, compiled by measuring touring revenue, music sales, publishing royalties and other streaming and on-demand figures. VAN HALEN hit #4 with $20.2 million, thanks to a tour gross of $54 million from just 46 shows. The band's first album with singer David Lee Roth since "1984", "A Different Kind Of Truth", registered 620,000 in physical album sales in 2012 and more than 213,000 in digital sales. "When it comes to making the biggest score, the most money always comes from high-paying live performances," Billboard's editorial analyst Glenn Peoples wrote in explaining the list. "Ironically, the most popular touring artists are usually well past their peaks on the album sales charts." Billboard said streaming music online to paying customers has not caught on with older generations and was small in percentage terms but growing. "Yet even in the coming years, as streaming services become a more important revenue source, possibly replacing digital downloads and CD sales, one thing is unlikely to change: concerts will have the greatest influence of top earners' overall earnings," said Peoples.

#4 - VAN HALEN
$20,184,709.91

#22 - TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA
$9,959,362.28

#28 - RUSH
$8,719,834.30

#35 - JOURNEY
$6,983,106.58

See the entire list at this location.

Blabbermouth reports Samy Hagar (CHICKENFOOT, VAN HALEN, MONTROSE), Steve Vai and VH1 Classic "That Metal Show" co-host Eddie Trunk will take part in next month's installment of the Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp, set to take place March 5-9 at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Are you ready to see some Red? And are you ready to live out a fantasy? Then come help celebrate the Red Rocker's 40th anniversary in rock and roll and play alongside him! That's right, this spring, Hall Of Famer Sammy Hagar is rocking and rolling into the Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp and we are making sure EVERYTHING is tied down. From "Rock Candy" back in his MONTROSE days, through his massive solo career, VAN HALEN and CHICKENFOOT, this is the voice of YOUR generation. So are you ready to jam with Sammy and his renowned party band, THE WABOS? If you can't drive 55 either, then put the pedal to the metal and get to Las Vegas March 5-9 for a rock and roll beach party like no other. Sammy Hagar and THE WABOS will be there, will you? Don't be surprised if a little Cabo Wabo Tequila or Sammy's Beach Bar Rum is flowing over the southern rocks either, as he created both of those magical elixirs, along with some of the tastiest rock and roll this side of paradise. Sammy Hagar, the man, the myth, the Red legend has been rocking hard for 40 years. Help him celebrate and we promise he'll return the favor — and then some — that's just how things go down at the Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp! The Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp is the world's only place where real people get the life-changing experience of meeting, writing songs, recording and performing with their musical heroes. Created by veteran music producer David Fishof to be the ultimate music-making experience, these camps provide once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for musicians of all skill levels. For more information, go to this location.

Blabbermouth reports Mick Jones and Lou Gramm (FOREIGNER) and Steven Tyler and Joe Perry (AEROSMITH) will become some of the latest inductees of the Songwriters Hall Of Fame at the organization's 44th annual induction and awards dinner. The star-studded induction event is slated for Thursday, June 13 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City. "Each of our 2013 inductees has been responsible for captivating the world with their creativity for decades, serving up a rich variety of songs for our global soundtrack," said Songwriters Hall Of Fame chairman Jimmy Webb. “We are looking forward to celebrating their contributions at our annual awards gala." Established in 1969, the Songwriters Hall Of Fame serves as a vital bridge between music’s past and future. In the Hall, musical pioneers are enshrined and celebrated, while the organization’s outreach to the music community grooms the next generation of troubadours. For more information, visit SongHall.com.

Blabbermouth reports AEROSMITH singer Steven Tyler has admitted to snorting his way through around $5-6 million dollars' worth of cocaine during his career. Tyler made the admission in an interview with Australia's edition of "60 Minutes" for an episode which will air on Channel 9 this Sunday, February 24. Asked by Liz Hayes about his habit that led to him spending about $20 million on cocaine, Tyler corrected the reporter, saying, "Realistically, 5 or 6. But it doesn't matter. You also could say I snorted half of Peru, but it doesn't matter." Tyler and AEROSMITH guitarist Joe Perry, who were once known as the "toxic twins," had a falling out over the singer's stint as a judge on "American Idol" but their relationship is now said to be back on track after they started collaborating closely again when Tyler exited the TV show. "We can still be toxic. We fight toxic and we play toxic," Tyler said. Watch a preview of Tyler's "60 Minutes" interview below.

Blabbermouth reports the eagerly awaited new ROB ZOMBIE album, "Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor", will be released on April 23 on Zodiac Swan/T-Boy/Ume. The CD was produced by Bob Marlette, who has previously worked with everyone from BLACK SABBATH and ALICE COOPER to WILSON PHILLIPS and LYNYRD SKYNYRD.
"Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor" track listing:
01. Teenage Nosferatu Pussy 02. Dead City Radio And The New Gods Of Supertown 03. Revelation Revolution 04. Theme For The Rat Vendor 05. Gong Gang Gong De Do Gong De Laga Raga 06. Rock And Roll (In A Black Hole) 07. Behold! The Pretty Filthy Creatures 08. White Trash Freaks 09. We're An American Band (GRAND FUNK RAILROAD cover) 10. Lucifer Rising
11. The Girl Who Loved The Monsters 12. Trade In Your Guns For A Coffin
The "Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor" cover artwork can be seen below. Also available is an audio sample of the CD's first single, "Dead City Radio And The New Gods Of Super Town". "I think for the first time this new album perfectly merges the old days of WHITE ZOMBIE with the future of what I am doing now," says Rob. "I think fans of both will agree that this is the perfect combo of both worlds." A rock icon and auteur filmmaker with insight and unlimited vision, Rob Zombie has continuously challenged audiences as he stretches the boundaries of music, film, and publishing. Now, the seven-time Grammy-nominated recording artist releases his fifth solo album, "Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor", which includes "Dead City Radio And The New Gods Of Super Town", along with such tracks as "Ging Gang Gong De Do Gong De Laga Raga", "Lucifer Rising", "Behold! The Pretty Filthy Creatures" and a heavy-duty cover of GRAND FUNK RAILROAD's "We're an American Band".
"Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor" is the first release on Rob's new label, Zodiac Swan, through T-Boy Records/UMe.
Zombie told The Pulse Of Radio what goals he set for himself in making the new album. "I wanted someone to hear it and go, 'Wow, I haven't heard that before,'" he said. "I wanted it to be just different. We really went out of our way with the sounds, so every song has a very different sound, a very different guitar sound, drum sound, just everything, where the sound, the actual sound becomes very important. You know, after all these years you want to still try to feel that you can break through new, creative areas in your own mind, and that's really what we're just trying to do, you know." T-Boy Records is veteran rock manager Andy Gould's new partnership with Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) which will serve as an umbrella label releasing new music and albums from established iconic hard-rock bands with major followings. Gould, who currently heads his own Spectacle Entertainment Group, has managed Rob Zombie since his days in WHITE ZOMBIE. Gould's track record includes sales exceeding fifteen million worldwide and seven Grammy nominations with Zombie, including securing deals for Zombie to become one of only a handful of people to have unprecedented success for six feature films as the writer and director. "We have had a great deal of success in the past with Rob Zombie," explains Gould about his decision to take the new venture to UMe. "We want to sign rock bands with brand names that do good business on the road, and have been underserved by the major label system. The idea I had arose out of discussions with the other managers of major hard-rock acts who all felt their artists could benefit from an improved label experience. We're looking to super-serve this niche audience, which is tremendously loyal, and is often even larger internationally than here in the States." As a musician, Rob Zombie has sold over fifteen million albums worldwide to date. His last studio album was "Hellbilly Deluxe 2". The CD came a decade after its predecessor, "Hellbilly Deluxe", the album that established Zombie as a solo artist after the breakup of multi-platinum group WHITE ZOMBIE. That triple-platinum album also yielded a string of successful radio singles, namely "Dragula", "Superbeast" and "Living Dead Girl", which dominated the airwaves. The rocker-turned-film director is the only artist to experience unprecedented success in both music and film as the writer/director of five feature films, with a worldwide gross totaling more than $100 million dollars. The week of his album release, Zombie will premiere his sixth motion picture, "The Lords Of Salem", that he wrote, directed and produced in tandem with the producers of the "Paranormal Activity" franchise, on April 26, with Anchor Bay Films. Last year, in addition to working on his film, Zombie also dominated the touring world in 2012, blowing away audiences on the road with MEGADETH, then with MARILYN MANSON for the "Twins Of Evil Tour". Zombie and his band of maniacs — John 5 on guitar, Piggy D on bass and Ginger Fishon drums — brought their elaborate, multi-media production, complete with hair-raising theatrics, animatronic robots, oversized LED screens, a non-stop collage of psychotronic monster film clips, a spectacular light show, a gigantic robot with flames shooting out of its body, pyrotechnics, insane guitar riffs and vicious beats to audiences and festivals around the world.

Blabbermouth reports the official three-minute commercial for the fifth annual Revolver Golden Gods Awards presented By Epiphone — which will take place Thursday, May 2, at Club Nokia in Downtown Los Angeles — can be seen below. For the first time ever, the event will be broadcast live on national television through AXS TV and broadcast in the U.S. and key international markets through Xbox LIVE and Facebook. FOZZY frontman and WWE pro-wrestling legend Chris Jericho will reprise his role as host for the fourth consecutive year. The nominees in 11 different fan-voted categories, plus the recipients of this year's prestigious "Ronnie James Dio Lifetime Achievement Award" (presented by Ernie Ball), "Golden God Award" (presented by Sumerian Records) and "Riff Lord" (presented by EMG Pickups), were revealed at a press conference on January 30 at the Hard Rock Cafe in Hollywood, California. Host Chris Jericho was on hand, along with Sebastian Bach, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, HALESTORM, Scott Ian (ANTHRAX), Maria Brink and Chris Howorth (IN THIS MOMENT), John 5 (ROB ZOMBIE), Greg Puciato (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN) and Zakk Wylde to announce the nominees. HALESTORM performed a special live set, including a guest appearance by Sebastian Bach on a cover of the SKID ROW classic "Slave To The Grind". Fans everywhere can cast their vote to decide who will take home the awards for "Best Guitarist" (presented by Epiphone), "Best Drummer" (presented by Drum Workshop), "Best Vocalist" (presented by Rockstar Energy Drink), "Album of the Year" (presented by Orange Amplification), "Song of the Year," "Best Live Band" (presented by Samson/Zoom), "Best New Talent," "Most Metal Athlete," (presented by Roadrunner Records), "Comeback of the Year," "Paul Gray Best Bassist" (presented by Dean Markley) and "Most Dedicated Fans" (presented by Xbox LIVE). Voting is open at GoldenGodsAwards.com and ends April 15. The Golden God Award (presented by Sumerian Records), which is given to one special honoree a year who embodies the spirit of hard rock and metal, will go to Rob Zombie, who commented, "What can I say? It is a complete honor to receive this award and have my name join the list of such legendary past winners as Alice Cooper and Gene Simmons. Pretty cool deal to be part of the Golden God club." (The other previous honorees are Rob Halford of JUDAS PRIEST and Dave Mustaine of MEGADETH.) Rob Zombie will be releasing his brand new album, "Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor" (Zodiac Swan/T-Boy/Ume), on April 23, and his latest feature film, "The Lords of Salem" (Anchor Bay), on April 26. The Ronnie James Dio Lifetime Achievement Award (presented by Ernie Ball), will go to hard-rock and metal icons METALLICA, who will release the 3D movie "Through The Never" in August. (Previous honorees include RUSH, MÖTLEY CRÜE, Lemmy Kilmister of MOTÖRHEAD and Ozzy Osbourne.) METALLICA's Lars Ulrich commented: "Since the Revolver Golden Gods Awards is fast becoming THE most rocking awards ceremony in the hard rock world, we are beyond psyched to be at the receiving end of this shout out and in the distinguished company of RUSH, Lemmy, Ozzy and MÖTLEY CRÜE. I was hanging out and presenting at the shenanigans two years ago and the energy in the room and the vibe backstage was beyond fucking cool, so METALLICA is chomping at the bit to partake in this year's event. Once again, we are honored to be recognized as achievers (!!) and we can't wait to get up and jam onstage and sweat for and on everybody gathered." The Riff Lord Award, (presented by EMG Pickups) is given each year to a legendary guitarist in the field of hard rock and heavy metal. This year it's going to none other than BLACK SABBATH axeman Tony Iommi, who had this to say about the honor: "What a great honor to receive the Golden Gods Riff Lord Award for 2013, especially with our new SABBATH album coming out. I hope there will be some new favorite riffs in these songs." Slash of GUNS N' ROSES and VELVET REVOLVER won the award last year. Adding to the celebration, the 2013 Revolver Golden Gods Awards show will feature one-of-a-kind special performances and collaborations that honor both the past, present and future of heavy music. The night's hard-rocking musical performances will include sets by METALLICA, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, ANTHRAX, STONE SOUR, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN and HALESTORM, with more performers to be announced in the coming weeks. Ivan Moody, lead singer of FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, had this to say about his band's Golden Gods performance: "Being in the studio these last few months working on our new album, the momentum has been building. We are ready to be back where we belong — onstage in front of all of you! What better way to play our first show of 2013 than with our family at Revolver magazine and on America's only hard-rock and heavy-metal awards show!" Returning as well is the "Black Carpet" pre-show that will be hosted by legendary heavy-metal frontmen Sebastian Bach and Dee Snider. Bach and Snider will be interviewing all the nominees, honorees and performers on the Revolver Black Carpet before show time for the special, which will air on both AXS TV and Xbox LIVE. Also announced was the launch of the first-ever Revolver Road To The Golden Gods Tour. Featuring STONE SOUR and IN THIS MOMENT, the 30-city national tour will kick off in March and conclude at the 2013 Revolver Golden Gods Awards Show. STONE SOUR lead singer Corey Taylor says: "Me and the guys in STONE SOUR are very excited, not only to be a part of the Golden Gods, but also to be headline the first Road To The Golden Gods Tour! The Golden Gods is the only awards show in America that truly recognizes and honors our genre; so to be a part of a tour that they sponsor is something that we are all very proud of. We're looking forward to the tour, and looking forward to the awards ceremony. We promise we will have something special that no one will ever forget!"
The nominees for the 2013 Revolver Golden Gods Awards are:
Best Guitarist
* John 5 (ROB ZOMBIE, MARILYN MANSON) * Stephen Carpenter (DEFTONES) * Alex Lifeson (RUSH) * Misha Mansoor (PERIPHERY) * Brendon Small (DETHKLOK) * Kim Thayil (SOUNDGARDEN)
Best Drummer
* Abe Cunningham (DEFTONES) * Mario Duplantier (GOJIRA) * Arejay Hale (HALESTORM) * Gene Hoglan (DETHKLOK, TESTAMENT) * Roy Mayorga (STONE SOUR) * Neil Peart (RUSH)
Paul Gray Best Bassist
* Rex Brown (KILL DEVIL HILL, PANTERA) * Steve Harris (IRON MAIDEN) * Lemmy Kilmister (MOTÖRHEAD) * Geddy Lee (RUSH) * Jason Newsted (NEWSTED, METALLICA) * Sergio Vega (DEFTONES)
Best Vocalist
* Philip Anselmo (DOWN, PANTERA) * Maria Brink (IN THIS MOMENT) * Chris Cornell (SOUNDGARDEN) * Lzzy Hale (HALESTORM) * Chino Moreno (DEFTONES) * Corey Taylor (STONE SOUR, SLIPKNOT)
Best New Talent
* DEVICE *
GHOST * KVELERTAK * MISS MAY I * OF MICE & MEN * YOUNG GUNS
Most Metal Athlete
* Tom Crabtree (Green Bay Packers, NFL) * Tanner Faust (Rally and drifting car racing) * Clay Guida (Mixed Martial Arts fighting, UFC) * Triple H (WWE wrestling) * Geoff Rowley (Skateboarding) * CJ Wilson (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, MLB)
Best Live Band
* ANTHRAX * FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH * HATEBREED * LAMB OF GOD * SLIPKNOT * VOLBEAT
Comeback Of The Year
* AEROSMITH * THE DARKNESS * QUICKSAND * REFUSED * SOUNDGARDEN * TENACIOUS D
Song Of The Year
* ASKING ALEXANDRIA - "Run Free" * AVENGED SEVENFOLD -"Carry On" * BLACK VEIL BRIDES - "In The End" * DETHKLOK - "I Ejaculate Fire" * HALESTORM - "Love Bites (So Do I)" * IN THIS MOMENT - "Blood"
Most Dedicated Fans
* BLACK LABEL SOCIETY * BLACK VEIL BRIDES * A DAY TO REMEMBER * HIM * RAMMSTEIN * SLIPKNOT
Album Of The Year
* DEFTONES - "Koi No Yokan" * GOJIRA - "L'Enfant Sauvage" * HALESTORM - "The Strange Case Of…" * MARILYN MANSON - "Born Villain" * SOUNDGARDEN - "King Animal" * STONE SOUR- "House Of Gold & Bones Part 1"

Blabbermouth reports "Anthems", ANTHRAX's long-awaited, eight-track EP that pays tribute to the classic songs by some of the band's favorite acts from the 1970s, will be released in North America on March 19 (MRI/Megaforce), and on March 22 in Europe (Nuclear Blast).

"Anthems" track listing

01. Anthem (RUSH cover)
02. Jailbreak (THIN LIZZY cover)
03. TNT (AC/DC cover)
04. Smokin' (BOSTON cover)
05. Big Eyes (CHEAP TRICK cover)
06. Keep On Runnin' (JOURNEY cover)
07. Crawl (album version)
08. Crawl (special remix)

ANTHRAX's cover of AC/DC's "TNT" can be streamed using the SoundCloud player below. Speaking to Music Radar, ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante stated about the decision to cover "TNT": "This was Joey's [Belladonna, vocals] track. We already had 'Whole Lotta Rosie' recorded, but he wanted 'TNT'. I can see why: his voice totally lends itself to this track. "AC/DC is probably one of the greatest bands ever. The came in with a certain sound, and they'll end with that same exact sound. They never altered it; they just stayed true to what they were. To me, that's an honest-to-goodness rock 'n' roll band. "It would have been obvious to pick something off of 'Highway To Hell' or 'Back In Black', and so we didn't. [laughs] I studied every Phil Rudd lick, and I did not go overboard with anything. I played exactly what he played on 'TNT'. You can't do a fast drum fill on the song — it'll stand out as being out of place. I laid it down, pulled it back, and that was that." The "Anthems" EP will be available on CD as well as digitally via iTunes and other online retailers. In addition to "Anthems"' cover art, Benante and artist Stephen Thompson have subtly redesigned each track's original album cover art to "Anthrax" it. The "Anthems" EP will first be housed in one of the "re-imagined" digipak covers, and then inserted inside the main CD cover sleeve. The main cover sleeve has been designed in such a way so fans will be able to see which one of the six "re-imagined" covers is inside. "Anthems" was produced by ANTHRAX, Jay Ruston and Rob Caggiano and recorded for the most part throughout 2012 literally all over the world: at Benante's home studio, in Ruston's New York studio, on the band's tour bus while on last summer's Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, in hotel rooms, and backstage at their Berlin show last December. The Grammy-nominated ANTHRAX has just hit the road in support "Anthems" with dates in Australia, and will return to North America to headline the Metal Alliance Tour that kicks off March 22. For all of these dates, ANTHRAX is being joined by SHADOWS FALL guitarist Jon Donais.

Blabbermouth reports Tom Keifer, best known as the singer/songwriter/guitarist of the Philadelphia-based blues-rock band CINDERELLA, will guest on the nationally syndicated radio show "Rockline" with host Bob Coburn on Wednesday, May 1 at 8:30 p.m. PT / 11:30 p.m. ET. Fans are encouraged to speak with Keifer by calling 1-800-344-ROCK (7625). The show will be streamed on the "Rockline" web site for two weeks beginning the afternoon after the live broadcast. For more information, visit RocklineRadio.com. Keifer recently spoke to Artisan News about being diagnosed with vocal paralysis and his upcoming solo album, "The Way Life Goes". Check out the report below. "The Way Life Goes" will be released on April 30 via Merovee Records (through Warner Music Group's Independent Label Group). The collection of 14 new songs ranges from intimate, organic, acoustic tracks to driving hard rock. It embraces the blues, rock and country roots that have always been present in his unique sound that has generated the sale of over 15 million records worldwide for CINDERELLA. Rolling Stone praised Keifer as "a gritty, bluesy (rocker) with enough genuine swagger to draw comparisons to Mick Jagger." "This record was a labor of love," Keifer told TriCities.com. "When I started this record, CINDERELLA was in the middle of a lawsuit with Sony Records. This record is not in any way to be taken as me stepping away from CINDERELLA." "I took a lot of time making this record," he continued. "I made it over 10 years. I wanted to make something I loved. My wife, Savannah (Snow), co-wrote a lot of the songs with me. It was a blessing to me. "Each song has something to do with life. It's just life, love, love lost, being crazy, going crazy, being lost. The record, there's no change, really, in style. It has the peaks and valleys. "I've always approached music, played music that I like. I've never chased trends through CINDERELLA and with this album. It reflects what's in me."

"The Way Life Goes" track listing:

01. Solid Ground
02. A Different Light
03. It's Not Enough
04. Cold Day In Hell
05. Thick And Thin
06. Ask Me Yesterday
07. Fools Paradise
08. The Flower Song
09. Mood Elevator
10. Welcome To My Mind
11. You Showed Me
12. Ain't That A Bitch
13. The Way Life Goes
14. Babylon

"The Flower Song", the album's first single, was serviced to AAA radio stations nationwide on February 4, while "Solid Ground" will be serviced to all rock formats on March 11. Keifer wrote "The Flower Song" with Jim Peterik, formerly of the bands SURVIVOR and the IDES OF MARCH. "The Way Life Goes" is a raw, introspective look at the roller coaster ride that has been Keifer's life for the past 15 years. From being told that he would never sing again as a result of a partially paralyzed left vocal cord, to the emotional and personal battles that followed, his solo debut is a story of perseverance, a testament to the power of passion and will, when combined with a true love of music. "It's pretty scary," Keifer said of his vocal paralysis. "I've had six surgeries to deal with the collateral damage. Performing… has been difficult for me because of the vocal issues I've had. I work several hours every day on that. That's a difficult thing for me every day."

Blabbermouth reports Swiss hard rock veterans KROKUS have unleashed a new star — described as "a super-cool dog" — with their new album, "Dirty Dynamite", due out on February 22 in Europe via Sony Music and in North America on March 5 via The End Records as a digital download, regular CD and limited-edition double vinyl. Da Dög, the Olde English Bulldog with aviator goggles and a cigarette hanging from his mouth which is featured on the cover of "Dirty Dynamite", walked in the spotlight on the red carpet with KROKUS bassist/producer Chris Von Rohr at the recent Swiss Awards. How did this bulldog become the newest member of KROKUS? "This dog radiates a philosophical serenity and at the same time pure fun," explains Von Rohr. "The two-year-old rock stud is originally from Solothurn, Switzerland — like KROKUS — but lives these days in the Zurich region, where most of the time he just likes to chill and do nothing." "He is a quiet and lazy dog, not very active, rather easy going," says owner Patrizia of Da Dög, who actually goes by the name of Maddox. "One exception is when he can chase a ball. Or he's getting some food: dog food, cucumbers, carrots. He loves any kind of food except fennel; he categorically spits that one out," adds Patrizia. "We have to watch him, because he could eat all day long." And while KROKUS roars in concert halls all over the world, the oldest of a litter of ten makes the walls of the home he lives at shake, rattle and roll. "He's not allowed to sleep in the bedroom. He snores so loud, no one gets a good night's sleep," confesses Patrizia. But these days, sleep is the last thing in anyone's mind. Asked if the Da Dög will rock forever, the band answers in unison with a loud and clear "Yes." Being the band's official mascot, he was able to exclusively listen in advance to the "Dirty Dynamite" album. His reaction? "Woof!"

Blabbermouth reports San Francisco Bay Area metallers MACHINE HEAD are in the process of "setting up the jam room to demo new tunes," according to the band's frontman, Robb Flynn. MACHINE HEAD held its first jam session late last month in hopes of sparking material for their next album. Writing in his "The General Journals: Diary Of A Frontman... And Other Ramblings", Flynn stated: "Dave [McClain, drums], Phil [Demmel, guitar] and I practiced the other day and it was a really productive first jam session. McClain had about five rockin' riffs, Demmel brought in the skeleton of what feels like a great song and I had a few riffs that we rocked on, no full songs, but solid riffs. It felt good, good to be moving on from [2011's 'Unto The Locust']. Super proud of that record, but it's time to move on, and we're ready to move on. Bring on the future with an open embrace." "Machine Fucking Head Live", the new live album from MACHINE HEAD, sold 3,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release. It's the band's second live effort; "Hellalive" came out in 2003. MACHINE HEAD's most recent studio album, "Unto The Locust", sold more than 17,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 22 on The Billboard 200 chart — putting MACHINE HEAD in the Top 25 for the first time in the band's 17-year history. "Machine Fucking Head Live" was recorded at various tour stops across the globe last year. It features songs from throughout the band's expansive catalog, including crowd favorites like "Imperium", "Aesthetics of Hate", "Locust", "Ten Ton Hammer", "This is the End" and "Halo". "Machine Fucking Head Live" was mixed and mastered at Trident Studios in Pacheco, California by Juan Urteaga and Robb Flynn. MACHINE HEAD is currently seeking a new label home following the expiration of the band's contract with longtime record company Roadrunner Records.

Blabbermouth reports San Francisco Bay Area metallers MACHINE HEAD have parted ways with bassist Adam Duce. The split is said to be "amicable," and MACHINE HEAD would like to wish Adam the best with his current and future endeavors. The band will continue on for the time being as a three-piece and has begun the writing process for the follow-up to 2011's "Unto The Locust". A late 2013 release is projected. In a 2012 interview with Holland's FaceCulture, Duce stated about whether he felt any pressure following up 2007's "The Blackening": "I'm doing this for fun. If it doesn't work out and I don't get to make money doing this anymore, fuck it. If it's not fun, then I don't wanna do it. I don't expect to get rich doing this. I wanna have a good time and I wanna make some good music." He continued: "I had some issues with [the writing] process [for 'Unto The Locust']. I kind of took myself out of it until it was time to write my bass lines. I wrote a bunch of music, or riffs, that Robb [Flynn, guitar/vocals] didn't have any idea what to do with vocally, and so he didn't wanna use any of that. But more importantly, I wrote lyrics that meant a lot to me and I gave it to him. I've given him page after page after page of lyrics. And it usually comes back that way, [where] he'll use a verse or a part of it or whatever — 'I'm gonna take this part and put it down here.' . . . whatever works for the cadence. But I got kind of burned on putting my soul out on a piece of paper and giving it to him and when I see it next time, there's no remnants of what the original idea was. And I was just like, 'You know what, dude?! I'm not giving you any more fucking lyrics, because I'm fucking sick of looking at this, the way that it fucking turns out.' I said, 'I'll work on it with you at the same time, but I'm not giving you any more lyrics. I'm not giving you pages of lyrics.' He was fucking angry at me for a while, but you know… that's fucking what happens." Asked if he has ever thought about quitting the band, Adam said: "I've thought about quitting on different occasions, but I mean, Robb's thought about quitting on different occasions as well. Dave [McClain, drums] actually quit the band. I can safely say everybody's thought about quitting at one point or another." Regarding whether he was happy with the things he could contribute to MACHINE HEAD, Adam said: "Well, I find what's important to me and where is my freedom. 'Cause that is what is important to me — the freedom aspect of it. Because making music is freedom to me. Probably [in] several different ways, because I wasn't allowed to have it while I was actually locked up. And just the freedom to go wherever you want to, the freedom to get yourself out of the way and let the music flow. [I still feel that freedom within MACHINE HEAD] with my bass lines — that's where I found it. And so when it's me and her [laughs], that's what I do here. That's my freedom."

Blabbermouth reports DARK NEW DAY vocalist Brett Hestla and guitarist Troy McLawhorn will guest on the nationally syndicated radio show "Rockline" with host Bob Coburn on Monday, February 25 at 8:30 p.m. PT / 11:30 p.m. ET. Fans are encouraged to speak with DARK NEW DAY by calling 1-800-344-ROCK (7625). The show will be streamed on the "Rockline" web site for two weeks beginning the afternoon after the live broadcast. For more information, visit RocklineRadio.com. Pavement Entertainment has acquired the rights to the "long-lost" "Hail Mary" album from DARK NEW DAY — the band featuring Clint Lowery (guitar; SEVENDUST), Corey Lowery (bass; ex-STEREOMUD, STUCK MOJO), Brett Hestla (vocals, guitar; ex-CREED, VIRGOS MERLOT), Will Hunt (drums; EVANESCENCE, ex-SKRAPE, TOMMY LEE) and Troy McLawhorn (guitar; EVANESCENCE). The CD was to be the follow-up to the group's debut effort, "Twelve Year Silence", but it was never released. "Hail Mary" was finally made available on February 19 and is being distributed via MRI/RED in North America and SPV in Europe. The CD contains "twelve tracks of in-your-face hard rock that only DARK NEW DAY can deliver," according to a press release.

"Hail Mary" track listing:

01. Goodbye
02. Anywhere
03. Vicious Thinking
04. Simple
05. Hail Mary
06. On My Way
07. Saddest Song
08. Dear Addy
09. Someday
10. Fiend
11. Outside
12. Give Me The World

Commented Hunt: "We in DARK NEW DAY are extremely excited that our 'lost' album is finally going to get the proper release and treatment it deserves. We're excited for fans to hear what two years of writing, struggle, and growth did for us. You'll hear a band that wasn't afraid to embrace experimentation and forge new sonic territory. You'll also hear a band at times grind out some of the darkest, heaviest, lyrically intense music of its career. This record is sonically amazing and we're very proud of it. We hope that this is just a stepping stone to another record in the very near future. Enjoy!" Tim King, director of A&R for Pavement, states: “I've been a fan of DARK NEW DAY ever since I bought the debut at Best Buy back in 2005 (yes, I supported my friends and bought the album!!). As their A&R guy, I'm thrilled to be able to work 'Hail Mary', but as a fan I'm even more excited to let everyone finally hear this amazing album." DARK NEW DAY may have been new to fans of the bandmembers' previous groups, but it was really a reunion that was twelve years in the making, as the members of DARK NEW DAY literally grew up together. Brothers Clint and Corey Lowery and childhood friend Troy McLawhorn met singer Brett Hestla and drummer Will Hunt while touring as kids in the Southeast club circuit. "We were playing a circuit that had a lot of older people in it, in their twenties, and we were all kids, so we could identify with each other," said Hunt in a 2005 interview. "We really came into ourselves on that circuit," added Corey. "It was like going to rock 'n' roll high school — you'd always try and turn it up because you wanted to impress each other."

Blabbermouth reports German thrash metal veterans KREATOR have released a free smartphone application for their fans to stay up to date about all things KREATOR. At the moment, the app is only available for iPhone and iPad. Android and Windows 8 versions are being developed and will follow soon. Commented KREATOR frontman Mille Petrozza: "We are happy to announce our new KREATOR app. Get breaking news, tour dates and more directly to your cellphone. You can find the app which runs on the iPhone and iPad in every app store for FREE! Enjoy!" KREATOR had its December 22, 2012 concert in Oberhausen, Germany professionally filmed and recorded for future DVD/Blu-ray release. The band's guitarist/vocalist Mille Petrozza said: "The 'Phantom Antichrist' world tour is among the most successful and amazing tours in the history of KREATOR, thanks to all of you — the fans! So we have decided to record a new live album, DVD and Blu-ray at our homecoming show. The show [was] recorded with 24 (!) cameras and in 5.1. sound. We are trying to produce the ultimate KREATOR concert experience for you to enjoy in your living room!" On November 9, 2012, KREATOR released a new seven-inch single, "Civilization Collapse" (retail version: black; Nuclear Blast mailorder-only version: red, yellow, white) and as a digital download. The single contains the title cut backed by the non-album track "Wolfchild", which was featured on the "Dark Symphonies - A Tribute To John Sinclair" album, released in September 2012 in Germany via Lübbe-Audio. The band also made a video for the song "Civilization Collapse", which is said to be "mainly about the riots that took place in Greece most recently." "Civilization Collapse" comes off KREATOR's new album, "Phantom Antichrist", which sold 3,900 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at No. 1 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

Blabbermouth reports German publisher Musiktotal Verlag will release HELLOWEEN drummer Dani Löble's first drum book, "Dani Löble's Double Bass Drumming - For Not Only Metal", on the following dates:

German print version - March 18
German download version - April 1
English print version - June 1
English download version - June 17

"Dani Löble's Double Bass Drumming - For Not Only Metal" is described in a press release as a "biography written in notes" about Dani's carreer behind the drum kit and in the heavy metal world. The book is packed with effective exercises, techniques and personal tips that Dani developed as a member of HELLOWEEN as well as during various studio sessions as a professional drummer. "Dani Löble's Double Bass Drumming - For Not Only Metal" was written for all drummers whose main focus is groove, solid timing and feeling. It contains helpful tips to develop drummers' foot technique and double-bass drum groove and is an accurate depiction of the reality of being a working drummer in today's rock world. For more information, visit www.musiktotal.com.

Blabbermouth reports guitarist John Norum of Swedish hard rockers EUROPE has inked a solo deal with Gain Music Entertainment, which is distributed and partly owned by Sony Music. He will enter the studio shortly to begin recording his new solo album, to be released in September. "It feels real good," Norum said of his deal with Gain. "I'm finally on the only real Swedish rock label with international ambitions." Added Markus Tagaris of Gain: "It's gonna be great working with John Norum's solo album. He's one of the best and most respected guitarists in the world." Norum released his first solo album, "Total Control", in 1987 and has made eight solo LPs in total since then. His latest CD, "Play Yard Blues", came out in 2010. John has previously worked with Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, BLACK SABBATH, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION) and Don Dokken (DOKKEN), so fans shouldn't be surprised if there are some other international guest appearances on the forthcoming album. Norum will perform live this year both as a solo artist and with EUROPE. In addition, EUROPE will play a very special 30-anniversary show as the headlining act at this year's Sweden Rock Festival on June 7.

Blabbermouth reports High Roller Records will release a 4LP vinyl box set from Colorado metal veterans JAG PANZER, entitled "Historical Battles - The Early Years", on April 19. Limited to 500 copies, it will include an 80-page hardcover book. All tracks were remastered and partially restored from digital transfers of the original studio tapes in December 2012 by Patrick W. Engel at Temple Of Disharmony.

"Tyrants" (EP, 1983) + Early Unreleased Tracks

Side A:

01. Battle Zones
02. Death Row
03. Metal Melts The Ice
04. Iron Shadows
05. Tower Of Darkness (bonus track)
06. The Oracle (bonus track, previously unreleased)

Side B:

07. Under The Knife (bonus track, previously unreleased)
08. The Crucifix (bonus track, unreleased demo version)
09. Battle Zones (bonus track, unreleased demo version)
10. Rockin Roll Suicide (bonus track, previously unreleased)
11. On The Rocks (bonus track, previously unreleased)
12. Sit On My Face (bonus track, previously unreleased)

"Ample Destruction" (LP, 1984)

Side A:

01. Licensed To Kill
02. Warfare
03. Symphony Of Terror
04. Harder Than Steel
05. Generally Hostile

Side B:

06. The Watching
07. Interlude
08. Reign Of The Tyrants
09. Cardiac Arrest
10. The Crucifix
11. Black Sunday (bonus track)

"Shadow Thief" (Unreleased Recordings 1985 - 1986)

Side A:

01. Lustfull And Free
02. Fallen Angel
03. Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind
04. Take This Pain Away
05. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida

Side B:

06. Shadow Thief
07. Lying Deceiver
08. Viper
09. Eyes Of The Nite

"Chain Of Command" (unreleased album 1987)

Side A:

01. Prelude
02. Chain Of Command
03. Shadow Thief
04. She Waits
05. Ride Through The Storms
06. In A Gadda Da Vida

Side B:

07. Never Surrender
08. Burning Heart
09. Sworn To Silence
10. Dream Theme
11. Gavotte In D
12. When The Walls Come Down (bonus track, unreleased demo)
13. Battle Zones (bonus track, live)

As previously reported, JAG PANZER will perform at the 17th edition of the Keep It True festival, set to take place on April 25-26, 2014 at Tauberfrankenhalle in Lauda-Koenigshofen, Germany. The show will mark the band's first appearance in Europe with guitarist Joey Tafolla. JAG PANZER called it quits in July 2011, with guitarist Mark Briody explaining that they could not "move forward as a band." Shortly before JAG PANZER's breakup, guitarist Christian Lasegue left the group to pursue his degree full time. Issued on February 28, 2011 in Europe and on March 8, 2011 in the U.S. via SPV/Steamhammer Records, JAG PANZER's latest album, "Scourge Of The Light", sold around 500 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 117 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200. "The Scourge Of The Light" was mixed by Jim Morris at Morrisound Studios in Florida and was mastered at New York's renowned Sterling Sound.

Blabbermouth reports following two concerts in Japan next month, members of the Taiwanese extreme metal group CHTHONIC will join fans in Tokyo at Rockaholic on March 8 for a live battle of the band's new mobile music app game "Chthonic - Rhythm Crusher". Eliminated CHTHONIC members will DJ during the event, and prizes will be awarded to fans present at the venue, with the grand prize winner taking home a brand new iPad Mini. CHTHONIC also invites fans worldwide to join the battle via the game's online Vs. Mode. The band members — who will be identified by the following screen names: FreddyLimTT, dorisyeh0919 and Jessefilth — will accept challenges from fans around the globe. Fans should log on at 5:00 a.m. EST, 2:00 a.m. PST on Friday, March 8 to join the live challenge from halfway around the world! "Chthonic - Rhythm Crusher", a rare rhythm game for mobile devices using exclusively heavy metal music, is now available for iPhone and iPad users worldwide via the iTunes Store at this location. The game was released on January 29 and quickly became the most downloaded mobile music app game in Taiwan. Developed by Chun-Mu Mediatek, the app includes 12 classic works from CHTHONIC's six studio albums. Players can play solo or connect online to challenge other fans, and all five members of CHTHONIC can be used in the game. "Chun-Mu is a melting pot of creative designers, programmers and a healthy dose of metalheads, which naturally lead to the discussion of a symbolic Taiwan-based metal game," said Scott Chen, head of marketing at Chun-Mu Mediatek. "CHTHONIC is, no doubt, at the forefront of Taiwanese metal, and after a formal proposal was brought forward to the band in 2012, this unique alliance was formed. We wanted to create an exciting experience from both of the music of CHTHONIC and the game itself. We didn't want it just to be a normal rhythm game, so we added VS Mode to let users all over the world compete with each other over the internet. The game can be played with friends over Bluetooth, as the battle mode opens up a plethora of competitive options for everyone participating — most notably the numerous attack abilities and the devastating interference mechanics. Using special interference abilities, players can obscure an opponents screen temporarily — truly a crushing, yet satisfying feeling when timed perfectly." Check out the Chthonic - Rhythm Crusher trailers below. CHTHONIC recently returned to Sweet Spot Studios in Halmstad, Sweden with producer Rickard Bengtsson (ARCH ENEMY, NEMESIS) to begin recording its seventh album for a June 2013 release. CHTHONIC's sixth full-length effort, "Takasago Army", was released in North America in September 2011 via Spinefarm Records. Produced by Bengtsson, this 10-track outing completes a trilogy of CHTHONIC releases, telling a story that binds together the band's "Seediq Bale" and "Mirror Of Retribution" albums, released in 2007 and 2009, respectively.

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DAVE GROHL TALKS DIRECTING VIDEO FOR SOUNDGARDEN

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 12:43:00 GMT

Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl recently told MTV News how he ended up directing a video for "By Crooked Steps," the second single from the new Soundgarden album King Animal. Grohl explained how he came up with the concept for the clip, saying, "I'll just make up a video in my head as I'm listening to the song, and I didn't know if it was going to be a single or if they wanted to make a video or what, so...I called my manager and I said, 'I think I have an idea for a Soundgarden video.' 'Okay, did they ask you to do that?' 'No...' So I wrote out the idea and I sent it to the drummer and he said, 'Yeah that's kind of cool, (but) I don't really know if we're going to make a video.' So we kind of made them make the video."

Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil corroborated Grohl's version of the story, telling us: "Dave heard the album and loved it, and specifically 'By Crooked Steps.' He emailed Matt (Cameron, Soundgarden drummer) and told him how much he and Taylor (Hawkins, Foo Fighters drummer) liked the song. He then, unsolicited, submitted a treatment for the video to Matt. Matt shared that email with the band and everyone cracked up. We said, 'We've got to do this. Let's try this.'"

The clip features the members of Soundgarden portraying what seems to be a biker gang -- except that they're all riding Segways. Grohl explained, "They're not known for their, like, wicked sense of humor, although they are really f***in' funny people -- you would never know, they're super dry and hilarious. But the idea of them on the Segways, I thought, you know, it could work."
Grohl has directed a number of Foo Fighters videos and also recently made his debut as a feature director with the documentary Sound City.
King Animal is Soundgarden's first album in 16 years and debuted at Number Five on the Billboard album chart when it came out last November.

CHECK IT OUT: Watch Dave Grohl talk about directing the video for "By Crooked Steps":

Here's the video for the song:

LISTENERS' POLL: Did Dave Grohl do a good job with this video?

INTERNET COMMENTS at Blabbermouth -- agree or not?

lazyspud wrote: "So he basically made a Foo Fighters video and put Soundgarden in it. Doesn't really do much for me. I kinda prefer the stoic, unfunny Soundgarden."

For Whom The Bell Trolls wrote: "Soundgarden destroys Foo Fighters!"

TheEagle wrote: "The new Soundgarden album is a solid comeback! The video is a let down. Grohl did a lot better elsewhere."

jokerstyle wrote: "I love both Soundgarden and Grohl but this video doesn't work for me. The song is so bad ass, I think the comical aspect of the video doesn't fit."

Soundgarden's Kim Thayil On How Dave Grohl Pitched Doing Their Video

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