|
ALEX SKONICK's 'Jazz Guitar: Breaking The Traditional Barriers' Three-DVD Set Now Available - May 14, 2010
|
|
Rock House, the leader in music instruction, announced today the release of "Jazz Guitar: Breaking The Traditional Barriers", a new three-DVD set featuring TESTAMENT guitarist Alex Skolnick. On his first-ever instructional program, Alex — who is world-renowned for creating an unprecedented blend of metal and traditional jazz with his ALEX SKOLNICK TRIO — shares his perspectives and secrets for conquering jazz guitar. Using basic blues progressions, he guides you through jazz concepts and shows how to follow progressions by targeting chord tones, triads, embellishments, modes and jazz patterns. He shows how to apply techniques like upper chord extensions, chromaticism, jazz licks, and to add bossa nova, swing, 6/8 time and waltz rhythmic styles to your skill set. Alex reveals how he transforms rock songs like the SCORPIONS' "Still Loving You" into a jazz composition, as well as his approach to classic standards such as "Autumn Leaves".
Jazz, rock and metal guitarists will find this program details jazz theory and concepts that will increase your music vocabulary, repertoire and overall fluency.
The "Jazz Guitar: Breaking The Traditional Barriers" three-DVD set is available at MI retailers around the world for $29.99 and digitally on demand at this location. The program includes more than 40 lessons, a 62-page interactive E tab book , live performances and iPod-ready video (not available with on-demand version).
This DVD and all Rock House instructional products are distributed through Hal Leonard Corporation (1-800-544-0626).
"Jazz Guitar: Breaking The Traditional Barriers" comes with lifetime membership to Rock House's lesson support site at www.rockhousemethod.com. This feature, exclusive to Rock House and its partners, offers students supplementary support for the lessons featured in "Jazz Guitar: Breaking The Traditional Barriers". Once registered, students can interact with the community, utilize the additional learning tools and access the special online only features.
A trailer for the set can be viewed below.
Alex is a founding member of TESTAMENT, one of the most influential metal/thrash bands of all time. He is also a member of TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, the popular rock opera whose musical style is described as symphonic rock meets classical music with a touch of metal. In 2002 he began work on the ALEX SKOLNICK TRIO, a traditional jazz band known for their inventive jazz renditions of rock and metal standards. Additionally, Alex is featured on the soundtrack for the hit Broadway musical "Jekyll & Hyde".
"Alex perfectly suits Rock House's mission of finding the best musicians who can teach a diverse set of skills in an effort to help students meet the challenge of developing their own style," said Joe Palombo, executive director of Rock House.
|
|
HELLYEAH Signs Australian Deal With RIOT! ENTERTAINMENT - May 14, 2010
|
|
HELLYEAH has inked a deal with Riot! Entertainment for the Australian/New Zealand release of the band's sophomore album, "Stampede". The CD will hit Australian stores on June 29 (via Warner Music Australia distribution).
Commented Riot! owner/CEO John Howarth: "It's a total honor for Riot! that HELLYEAH have chosen to work with us. This is one project we pursued extremely hard. The album is an absolute killer and it is going to blow people away! We all can't wait to get working on it and hope to have the band Down Under shortly."
HELLYEAH drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott added: "We are so excited to be teamed up with Riot! in Australia! It's a great feeling to have a label as fired up as we are about stampede comin' Down Under, and as always, we can't wait to come and play for some of the best fans in the world — the Aussies!"
HELLYEAH features musicians from various other groups, including Vinnie Paul Abbott, who played with PANTERA and DAMAGEPLAN, as well as vocalist Chad Gray and guitarist Greg Tribbett of MUDVAYNE, DAMAGEPLAN bassist Bob "Zilla" Kakaha and NOTHINGFACE axeman Tom Maxwell.
"Stampede" is scheduled for release in North America on July 13. The "super deluxe" edition of the CD will feature the album itself, a bonus DVD, a limited-edition lenticular 3D cover with an expanded booklet, a HELLYEAH bull skull, instant downloads of the album tracks "Cowboy Way" and "Hell Of A Time" on June 1 and an MP3 download of the full album on June 29, two weeks prior to its official release date. The standard "deluxe edition" will contain the album, a bonus DVD, instant downloads of the album tracks "Cowboy Way" and "Hell Of A Time" on June 1 and an MP3 download of the full album on June 29.
The band filmed videos for two new songs, "Hell Of A Time" and "Cowboy Way", on April 18 at the Longhorn Saloon in Fort Worth, Texas.
HELLYEAH will headline the Jägermeister Second Stage at the first annual Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Festival, which is set to rock North America in August-October. Performing on the main stage will be DISTURBED and AVENGED SEVENFOLD, along with STONE SOUR and HALESTORM. AIRBOURNE, HAIL THE VILLAIN, NEW MEDICINE and the Jägermeister Battle of The Bands Winner in each city will round out the Jägermeister Second Stage bill. The 36-date tour launches August 17 in Minneapolis, Minnesota and will visit arenas and amphitheatres across North America before wrapping October 4 in Madison, Wisconsin.
HELLYEAH's self-titled debut has sold more than 350,000 copies since coming out in April 2007.
|
|
STONE TEMPLE PILOTS Drummer Talks Reunion, Upcoming Studio Album - May 13, 2010
|
|
STONE TEMPLE PILOTS drummer Eric Kretz recently spoke to Steve Forstneger of the Illinois Entertainer about the band's decision to reunite in 2008 after a six-year layoff.
According to Kretz, he welcomed the time apart. "That's when I started building my recording studio," he says. "Pretty much right away. It's something I'd always wanted to do. Just found a building to do it in. Here's the opportunity, just jump in there to work on different bands and different projects. One of the things I was doing was music supervising for 'The Henry Rollins Show', which was great. We had DAMIAN MARLEY, SLAYER, THOM YORKE, BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB, RYAN ADAMS, IGGY POP — so many great bands came through my studio and it was fun being on the creative side of a TV show."
"We've still got it, never lost it," he insists. "Sometimes it's really therapeutic to take time away from each other. Since 1992, we'd been seeing each other on a daily basis . . . nightly basis, morning basis. When a band's on tour, you're just with each other. Everywhere. Shaving. Showering. Performing. Arguing. Business decisions, artistic decisions. It's a very close relationship. After several years, it's therapeutic to step away, gather your senses, and say, 'I really miss that pace of running in that pack and how wonderful the music side of it is.'"
On the band's forthcoming self-titled album, Kretz says, "It's kind of weird. Our reunion was in 2008 and we toured for a year and a half. We did quite a bit of festivals and headlining gigs. At the end of 2008, we decided to make a record because things were going great and we were getting along so well. So from March 2009, we'd tour and come back, balance family, and then the record was finished in December. It's hard to say, 'This is the reunion.' This is the recordings. It's a new statement of where we are right now."
"We had the luxury of not having to play it safe," he adds. "That sophomore slump — that's the curse. Playing it safe . . . you can't really play it safe because it never works. I'm trying to think of a band that's tried to do that, but you don't remember them because you don't remember those records. If you try to formulate it and play it safe and think 'this is what's popular right now' it usually doesn't work, because people listen to it, 'Oh, it sounds exactly like the last one.'"
Read more from the Illinois Entertainer.
|
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/reviewpics/stpbandnew.jpg
|
ACE FREHLEY Working On Memoir Of His Time In KISS - May 13, 2010
|
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/reviewpics/frehleyartisan.jpg
|
JUDAS PRIEST Frontman Talks About Making Of 'British Steel'; Video Available - May 13, 2010
|
|
JUDAS PRIEST frontman Rob Halford was interviewed by Clear Channel in connection with the release of the deluxe 30th anniversary edition of the band's breakthrough 1980 album, "British Steel", on Tuesday (May 11). A clip from the chat can be viewed below. More of the footage is available at this location.
After five previous efforts, endless touring and a developing cult following, PRIEST finally scored at rock radio with two songs off the 1980 album, "Living After Midnight" and "Breaking The Law". Halford told The Pulse of Radio that the band didn't attempt to write hits when they recorded the disc. "We were doing what we'd been doing for the prior three or four years or so, we'd been writing, recording and touring, writing, recording and touring, so there was never a situation where we sat down with the label or management and they said, 'If you can write this kind of record and write this kind of a song, this could happen,'" he said. "It was all, as is every PRIEST release, very spontaneous and very real, you know."
"British Steel" became PRIEST's first gold album in the U.S. and established them as a headlining act.
To celebrate the impending 30th anniversary of the record, PRIEST played "British Steel" in its entirety on its 2009 summer and fall tour.
The new reissue features the complete remastered album plus two bonus tracks, along with a DVD that captures an entire 16-song concert filmed in Hollywood, Florida last August, including the full performance of "British Steel".
A deluxe edition also contains a CD of the Florida concert.
PRIEST is currently on a break but Halford will play all six Ozzfest shows with his self-named solo band this summer.
|
|
RUSH: 'Beyond The Lighted Stage' European Screenings Announced - May 13, 2010
|
|
"Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage", the long-awaited RUSH documentary produced by Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn of Toronto, Ontario, Canada's Banger Films Inc., will be screened in Austria, Finland, Germany, Netherlands and U.K. on Monday, June 7.
For a list of cinemas that will be showing the film, go to this location.
Attendees of the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, which ran from April 29 to May 9 in Toronto, Ontario, selected "Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage" as one of the Top 10 audience favorites as determined by audience vote.
The entire Top 10 (with "Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage" coming in at No. 6) can be found at this location.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Tribeca Film Festival attendees selected "Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage" for the fest's 2010 Heineken Audience Award.
Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn's Canadian feature received the $25,000 award on May 1 at the TFF Wrap Party in Chelsea's Altman Building. The film chronicles the 42-year history of the band, which is currently working on its 20th studio album with producer Nick Raskulinecz (co-producer of RUSH's 2007 CD, "Snakes & Arrows") in Nashville. Interviews with fans such as Gene Simmons, Billy Corgan and Jack Black are featured alongside profiles of RUSH bandmates Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart.
"The best documentary films are just great stories with characters who jump off the screen, and that is certainly the case with 'Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage', " said TFF executive director Nancy Schafer. "An intimate but energetic portrayal of one of the most prolific rock bands, 'Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage' highlights the juxtaposition of music and film as an art form and we hope that RUSH fans and audiences around the world embrace the film the way Tribeca audiences have."
"Receiving the Heineken Audience Award at Tribeca means a lot to us as RUSH has always been a band of the people," said directors McFadyen and Dunn. "It was great to see RUSH fans and non-fans enjoy the movie together."
"Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage" will make its television debut on June 26 on VH1 and VH1 Classic.
|
|
RATT Guitarist Says Makers Of VH1's 'Behind The Music' Were 'Not Interested' In Actual Story - May 13, 2010
|
|
Mark Morton of Heavy Metal Examiner recently conducted an interview with guitarist Warren DeMartini of Californian rockers RATT. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
Heavy Metal Examiner: What was the impetus for doing a new record? I am asking, because bands like RATT had a massive heyday in the 1980s with tons and tons of hit singles. But nowadays, a lot of people are simply not interested in new music by these bands and just want them to remain in the past. RATT has effectively ignored all of that, plowed ahead, and created an album with incredible, reinvigorated energy.
DeMartini: I think one of the exciting things about the art form and the industry is that it's hard to create a sure-thing. They still have to fall together. One of the things we were conscious of was staying in the mindset, tempos, and the brightness of something that could have come out in between "Out of the Cellar" (1984) and "Invasion of Your Privacy" (1985). The idea was not to spend too much time on any one thing; to go with our guts. The only boundaries were to keep it up-tempo and as bright as possible. When I look back over our catalogue, it's pretty clear that we didn't want to keep recording the same record over and over again. So we explored darker themes, looser and slower tempos, just to try things we hadn't done before. But for this one, "Infestation", it was all about getting back in and simply doing what we always set out to do, which was to play rock!
Heavy Metal Examiner: In 1999, you guys made a first attempt at a rebirth, and the critics destroyed you for it. What makes 2010 the right time to get back into the game?
DeMartini: Well, when I look back at that project, I think we really went off the road, so to speak. We were trying to fit into a record company formula that worked with other groups, i.e. there's a different co-writer on every song. It was a situation where we were trying to create something that was strictly commercial. The A&R person said that they had great success with this formula and another heritage act, but it just did not graft to RATT. And the difference is striking when I listen to "Infestation", which we did without any outside writers. All the ideas were created by the band members.
Heavy Metal Examiner: I don't know if it was something you were conscious of, but I noticed too, that when listening back through the RATT catalogue, the more that outside writers became involved (be it Beau Hill, Desmond Child, or whomever), it seemed like the albums became less and less focused.
DeMartini: There was a big difference between making records like the "Ratt" EP (1983) and "Out of the Cellar", when no one knew how well RATT could do or how valuable RATT could be, compared to doing records after that point. It just completely changed the game. And that was something that we weren't necessarily expecting. We ended up with more fingers in the pie, so to speak. And the longer it went on, it became more of a tangible commodity. Add that to the breakneck tour schedule that the band was doing — we were doing a record, then a tour, then a record, then a tour — it got more and more difficult to form the ideas than when we had enough time before the band got busy. And that was one of the challenges we didn't always win, looking back. I think the stuff still stands up, but I can hear what you're talking about. It's definitely obvious when I look back at the way "Infestation" was recorded. There is one track on there that our producer, Michael Baskette started. But other than that, every song is completely written by the band. It seems like with RATT, leave it alone and give it enough time to set up, and something interesting will happen.
|
|
ANTHRAX's JOEY BELLADONNA: 'I'm Excited About The Future And I Can't Wait To Get Out There' - May 13, 2010
|
|
Earlier this week, Carlos Ramirez of AOL's Noisecreep conducted an interview with returning ANTHRAX vocalist Joey Belladonna. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
Noisecreep: Before it was officially announced, the Internet was already speculating that you would be returning to the band because you were seen with Charlie Benante and Frank Bello at a FOZZY show together. How long had you and the band been in talks about this reunion?
Belladonna: It actually only took two days. I got a call from someone at the management office, and we got to talking about everything. We just wanted to make sure we were all willing to make things comfortable for everyone. That's the great part about it now. I think we're all ready to hear each other out and make sure everyone is happy with the way things are going.
Noisecreep: Now that you are back fronting the band, how fearful are you that the stuff that drove you apart before will come to surface again?
Belladonna: In a real sense, you try to view things from a better place. Like I mentioned before, this time out, if someone in the band needs something, we're all willing to make that person comfortable. I'm definitely not fearful about the negative stuff coming back. I think we've all learned from the past.
Noisecreep: What went wrong on the last tour you did together?
Belladonna: On the last time we did anything together in 2005-2006, we were so focused on the tour that we didn't get the chance to really to deal with the issues between us. There were also some short fuses and people not listening to each other. That kind of stuff happens in bands, but we just didn't deal with things properly.
Noisecreep: You will be recording new vocals for some of the songs that were supposed to be on "Worship Music", the unreleased album ANTHRAX recorded with Dan Nelson. I spoke with Charlie Benante, and he said that you took a quick pass at one of the songs and it reminded him of "Spreading the Disease"-era ANTHRAX.
Belladonna: He said that? That's really great to hear! I just tried singing over it for a couple of hours. I actually think it sounds more like "Persistence of Time"-era stuff. But I'm glad he liked what he heard.
Noisecreep: You sound surprised.
Belladonna: When I walk out of a room, I sometimes still have that feeling that people are like, "Maybe we should find someone else," or some crap [laughter]. But it felt good singing that song. It's in my range — the sweet spot for me. I can't pretend to be some other kind of singer. This is what I do best, and I'm not changing for anyone. I'm happy to have the support of the guys in the band. It means a lot to me. I'm excited about the future and I can't wait to get out there.
Read the entire interview from Noisecreep.
|
|
BUCKCHERRY: New Album Release Date Confirmed - May 13, 2010
|
|
BUCKCHERRY's brand new album, "All Night Long", is now set for an August 3 release in North America via original independent label Eleven Seven Music. The band is currently in the studio putting the finishing touches on the record with producers Marti Frederiksen (AEROSMITH, DEF LEPPARD, FUEL) and guitarist/songwriter Keith Nelson. The first single from the new album, also entitled "All Night Long", will make its video premiere on Yahoo! on May 17, the same day the top down summer anthem will be delivered to radio at the active rock, mainstream rock and alternative formats, respectively.
As a thank you to their fans, BUCKCHERRY recently offered the new single "All Night Long" as a free download on their web site, Buckcherry.com, and via Twitter and Facebook. The response was so overwhelming that Twitter had to temporarily shut down the free download because the requests overloaded the system. The single received tens of thousands of hits in the first two days it was made available. BUCKCHERRY frontman Josh Todd commented, "Our fans are rad and we send them props for helping to overload Twitter! We are really proud of the new songs and can't wait for everyone to hear the album." Radio has also embraced "All Night Long" from the free download, with early airplay in major markets such as Chicago, Detroit, Seattle and Phoenix.
In other BUCKCHERRY news, Todd guest-starred on Fox's hit show "Bones" last month.
BUCKCHERRY will soon hit the road in North America to play select dates.
A short video clip of Josh Todd and Keith Nelson talking about the forthcoming BUCKCHERRY record can be viewed below. "It's definitely a rock 'n' roll record," said Nelson. "I think that we've grown, we've expanded, lyrically, musically, as songwriters and as musicians. I think it's next logical step in our evolution." Todd added, "This record has a lot of uptemp beats, and it's got a lot of groove, great guitar riffs. I just think we're coming into our element. We've been doing it so long. It's fun listening to the body of work back now. We didn't do demos this time, so by the time we got here [to the recording studio], we were really chomping at the bit to hear some songs. And once we got 'em in our hands, we knew we had something really special."
BUCKCHERRY's live album, called "Live & Loud", sold around 3,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 172 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD was released on Eleven Seven Music with distribution through RED.
BUCKCHERRY reissued its fourth studio album, 2008's "Black Butterfly", in an enhanced edition on September 8, 2009. The new version swaps out the song "Too Drunk..." for the band's cover of DEEP PURPLE's "Highway Star", which the group recorded for NASCAR coverage on TNT.
|
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/reviewpics/buckcherry2010.jpg
|
GREAT WHITE Singer's 'Strange' Interview With Philadelphia's 94 WYSP - May 13, 2010
|
|
Spike of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania radio station 94 WYSP conducted an interview with GREAT WHITE vocalist Jack Russell on Monday, May 10. The chat is now available for streaming at this location. (Note: According to Spike, the interview "gets a little strange" around the 10-minute mark.)
GREAT WHITE released its latest album, "Rising", in North America in April 2009 via Shrapnel Records. The CD was issued in Europe on March 13, 2009 through Frontiers Records.
Since reuniting in January 2007 to perform a benefit concert, GREAT WHITE has moved forward with the successful release in the summer of the same year of their return album "Back To The Rhythm", a record which was hailed by critics and fans as a return to the heydays of the band. After a world tour that celebrated the first 25 years of GREAT WHITE and that brought them for 14 concerts to Europe, bass player Sean McNabb opted out and was replaced by Scott Snyder (ex-RAMOS, ACCOMPLICE).
Check out audio samples at this location.
GREAT WHITE is:
Jack Russell - vocals
Michael Lardie - guitars, keyboards
Mark Kendall - guitars
Scott Snyder - bass
Audie Desbrow - drums
|
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/reviewpics/greatwhiteband.jpg
 |
Bret Michaels's Doctors Searching for 'Source of Bleeding'
More tests, and more waiting – it's all that can be done as Bret Michaels remains in ICU after suffering a brain hemorrhage. An update on his health was posted on his fan site Sunday, explaining the ailing rocker's condition and hopes for his recovery.
"At this point Bret remains in ICU in critical condition. He is under 24 hour doctors care and supervision. We are hopeful that further tests will locate the source of the bleeding, which has still not been located. As we all know Bret is a fighter and we are hopeful that once all is complete the slurred speech, blurred vision and dizziness, etc., will be eliminated and all functions will return to normal," read the post on BretMichaels.com.
t also gave a shout out to the fans, who have expressed concern and support since news of Michaels's brain hemorrhage broke Friday. "Everyone at Michaels Entertainment would like to thank all fans and friends for their continued thoughts and prayers through this difficult time," it said. |
 |
|
Explaining the "Very Serious" Hemorrhage
Typically caused when a previously undetected aneurism, or enlarged artery in the brain, ruptures suddenly, a subarachnoid hemorrhage – which refers to the area of the brain where the bleeding occurs – "can happen to anybody at anytime, and that's why it's scary," Dr. Keith Siller of New York University's Comprehensive Stroke Care Center tells PEOPLE.
Such hemorrhages are fatal in half of all cases, and 15% to 20% of people who suffer from them never even make it to the hospital.
Neither Michaels's history of diabetes nor his recent appendectomy would be considered triggers for this type of brain hemorrhage, says Dr. Siller. Likewise, his onstage injury at the Tony Awards last year – in which Michaels was hit with an errant piece of scenery – could not have caused a hemorrhage nearly 11 months later.
The most significant risk factor for triggering this kind of rupture is smoking, says Dr. Siller. The aneurism itself, which occurs in less than 2% of the population, is "something most people are just born with. Most people have no clue that they have this. People usually find out when they have a hemorrhage. In most cases, that is the cause. It's something people have silently."
With Michaels's doctors still unable to locate the source of the bleeding, "the goal here is to find the aneurism," says Dr. Siller. "There are a small percentage of subarachnoid hemorrhages where sometimes the aneurism has already ruptured and you can't find it. Or it's so small, and all this blood's still sitting there, and it hides the aneurism from being seen by an angiogram."
"If you don't see the aneurism, you're kind of stuck. You have to just repeat the angiogram and see whether some blood becomes visible."
If located, doctors typically treat such hemorrhages either with surgery, in which the source of the leak is clipped, or with "coiling," in which slivers of metal are inserted through a catheter in order to clot the blood.
"These are very serious hemorrhages," says Dr. Siller, adding that Michaels' prognosis depends on his condition at the time he was admitted to the hospital. "The better condition you are when you get to the hospital – in other words, if you're awake, talking – if you're conscious, those people have a very good prognosis that they can come out of this okay."
"The people who come in comatose, or don't have reflexes, they're already in very bad shape," he says. "They're not the kind of person you can take into the operating room."
Like Michaels, most patients' first tip-off to this kind of hemorrhage is an excruciating headache – "the worst headache of your life," says Dr. Siller, who stresses the importance of seeking emergency medical care in that situation. "A lot of people have these awful headaches, and they don't come to the hospital in time," says Dr. Siller. "They're losing valuable time."
 |
BLACK LABEL SOCIETY Signs Australia/New Zealand Deal With RIOT! ENTERTAINMENT
Riot! Entertainment has announced the signing of BLACK LABEL SOCIETY for Australia and New Zealand.
Commented Riot! Entertainment owner/CEO John Howarth: "Riot's and my history with Zakk Wylde and BLACK LABEL SOCIETY goes way back to the beginning of BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's career. We have released every BLS album down here ever since, except for one.
"Zakk is like family and it's an honor to work with BLS again.
"We are really excited about the reports we are receiving and can't wait to hear the finished product.
"We are getting ready to fire up the machine and really push the new album over the top here in Australia. Zakk knows we will get down and dirty again to push this album.
"We are really looking forward to Zakk and the boys touring again here in 2011!" |
BLACK LABEL SOCIETY Signs Australia/New Zealand Deal With RIOT! ENTERTAINMENT
Riot! Entertainment has announced the signing of BLACK LABEL SOCIETY for Australia and New Zealand.
Commented Riot! Entertainment owner/CEO John Howarth: "Riot's and my history with Zakk Wylde and BLACK LABEL SOCIETY goes way back to the beginning of BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's career. We have released every BLS album down here ever since, except for one.
"Zakk is like family and it's an honor to work with BLS again.
"We are really excited about the reports we are receiving and can't wait to hear the finished product.
"We are getting ready to fire up the machine and really push the new album over the top here in Australia. Zakk knows we will get down and dirty again to push this album.
"We are really looking forward to Zakk and the boys touring again here in 2011!"
Zakk Wylde added, "John and the Riot team have done the BLS camp proud Down Under.
"We're glad to be back with our Aussie brothers and sisters and look forward to tearing it up in Australia in early 2011."
BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's longtime drummer Craig Nunenmacher recently left the band and was replaced by veteran rock skinsman Will Hunt (EVANESCENCE, STATIC-X, DARK NEW DAY, TOMMY LEE, STUCK MOJO).
BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's as-yet-untitled studio album is due for release this summer via Roadrunner Records in Europe and E1 Music in North America.
With the new flexibility of having a studio literally outside his home, Wylde expects to deliver his best material yet.
"With the home studio I have this flexibility when inspiration hits to lay down new ideas at anytime — day or night — for re-recording later," he said. "This freshness should prove inspiring — and some of these first takes might even make it on the album," he enthused.
BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's last studio album, "Shot to Hell" (2006), sold just under 32,000 copies in the United States during its first week of release — less than the 45,000 copies shifted by BLS's "Mafia" (Artemis) back in March 2005 — to land at position No. 21 on The Billboard 200 chart.
ALICE COOPER: New Album Title Revealed
Planet Rock reports that legendary rocker Alice Cooper has revealed that he has started work on a brand new studio album — the follow-up to 2008's "Along Came A Spider".
Speaking on his radio show, "Nights With Alice Cooper", Alice said, "(Our new album) hasn't been recorded yet but we've got ten demos done already on it. I think it's gonna be called 'The Night Shift'."
For the first time ever, the Gruesome Twosome — ALICE COOPER and ROB ZOMBIE — will play an exclusive limited run of North American tour dates in April and May.
Alice is playing in North America until July when he heads to Europe to play a few Sonisphere festivals, including the U.K. leg, which takes place on the weekend of 30 July 30 - August 2.
RONNIE JAMES DIO: 'Cancer, I'll Kick The Hell Out Of You'
Houston, Teas' KIAH-TV (Channel 39) reports that legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio (DIO, HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW) has been going to M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas since late last year when he was diagnosed with stomach cancer.
"Why come to Houston? It's the best hospital, " Dio said as he got ready for a round of chemotherapy on Monday.
"I've been poked and prodded in holes I never had before," Dio said.
Dio, 67, first noticed symptoms after Halloween. He felt chest pain and indigestion that eventually led to the cancer diagnosis. Dio now comes to Houston every two weeks for treatment.
"I'm lucky that I'm a hard person in terms of my beliefs," said Dio.
Dio then has a direct message for the tumor in his stomach: "Cancer, I'll kick the hell out of you."
"Ronnie is a very feisty person, He's taking in in stride. He just wants to get on with his life," wife/manager Wendy Dio said.
Getting on with life means flying in from Los Angeles, five hours of chemotherapy, then flying back home. Sometimes band members, like bass player Geezer Butler, come for support.
Wendy Dio is always with him. The treatment seems to be working, Wendy Dio said the tumor is getting smaller, all of this in a man with a very big voice who expects to go back on tour soon.
"The fans have been incredible, it proves to me that I've done something right with my life," said Dio.
SLASH To Be Honored At Third Annual SUNSET STRIP MUSIC FESTIVAL
Legendary guitarist Slash will be honored at the third annual Sunset Strip Music Festival (SSMF). SSMF will celebrate Slash, who is synonymous with The Sunset Strip, for his contributions to the history of The Strip as well as the music industry. The tribute event kicks off the three-day music fest and honors icons who have made an impact on the legacy of The Sunset Strip. The August 26 event will take place at the House of Blues Sunset Strip.
Adding to the celebration, the City of West Hollywood will also declare August 26, 2010 "Slash Day."
"I am sincerely overwhelmed to be the recipient of the Sunset Strip Music Festival honors! The Strip and West Hollywood have been my stomping grounds since I was a little kid," noted Slash. "I grew up in and around the music scene here. It is where I got my start in the music business and where I still feel most at home. Thank you so much."
Known for his skillful, soulful hard-rock guitar solos, Slash's career has continued to grow from his early days performing at the Whisky A Go-Go with GUNS N' ROSES to his collaborations with Michael Jackson ("Black And White", "Give In To Me"), Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder and directors Quentin Tarantino and Darren Aronofsky (core contributions to the "Jackie Brown" soundtrack and the signature sound of the score to "The Wrestler").
Slash traces his love of music and exploring spirit to his childhood in England, where his father introduced him to the sounds of THE BEATLES, THE ROLLING STONES, YARDBIRDS and other classic, groundbreaking acts. He got an insider's view through his teen years after the family moved to Los Angeles, his father a graphic artist who worked with David Geffen for such artists as Neil Young and Joni Mitchell and his mother a costume designer for many top pop artists. Almost on a whim, he and friend Steve Adler started playing music together; Slash on guitar and Adler on drums. In the early '80s, influenced by such bands as Lemmy's MOTÖRHEAD, he and Adler formed a band, recruiting bassist Duff McKagan. Within a year, with the addition of singer Axl Rose and guitarist Izzy Stradlin, the venture had morphed into GUNS N' ROSES — and by the end of the decade had changed the course of rock history.
Slash has also lent his talents to bands SLASH'S SNAKEPIT and the Grammy Award-winning VELVET REVOLVER as well as a self-titled solo album, which features guest spots from artists including Ozzy Osbourne, Fergie, Lemmy, WOLFMOTHER's Andrew Stockdale and Adam Levine (MAROON 5) among others, set for release on April 6.
"You cannot mention The Sunset Strip without thinking of Slash. His influence changed the course of rock and roll and can be seen daily on The Strip," stated Todd Steadman, executive director of the Sunset Strip Music Festival. "He continues to support The Sunset Strip and has been a part of the festival from its inaugural year, and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to celebrate him for his contributions to this legendary music boulevard."
"The City of West Hollywood is so proud to be home to the world-famous Sunset Strip, and we look forward to again hosting the Sunset Strip Music Festival," noted West Hollywood Mayor Abbe Land. "Building on the first two successful events, we're certain that this year's festival will be an amazing celebration of The Strip, its history and great music. That celebration will be even more exciting with the recognition of Slash as one of the festival honorees. He has energized audiences worldwide, but holds a special place in the ongoing legacy of The Sunset Strip."
Previous SSMF honorees include Lou Adler, Mario Maglieri and Elmer Valentine, who helped shape the live music experience on The Strip with the creation of The Roxy Theatre, The Rainbow and the Whisky A Go-Go, and rock icon Ozzy Osbourne, whose first U.S. performance was at the Whisky with BLACK SABBATH in 1970.
Similar to the 2009 SSMF, this year's event will feature live performances in all six music venues (Cat Club, House of Blues, Key Club, The Roxy Theatre, Viper Room and Whisky A Go-Go) on Friday, August 27 and Saturday, August 28. The three-day event will conclude with a street festival on Saturday, August 28, which includes a street closure from San Vicente Boulevard to Doheny Drive allowing for outdoor stages as well as live performances throughout the day and night in the music venues.
More details about the Sunset Strip Music Festival 2010, including artist lineup and ticket information, will be announced.
OZZY OSBOURNE: New Album Title Announced
According to USA Today, Ozzy Osbourne's new song "Let Me Hear You Scream", from his upcoming album, "Scream", will have its world premiere on an episode of "CSI:NY", to air on CBS on April 14 at 10 p.m., ET/PT. In this episode, a death row inmate's (guest Harold Perrineau) final request brings Dr. Hawkes (series regular Hill Harper) to a Pennsylvania prison and to confront a tragic incident that he has kept secret for many years, just as a prison riot erupts and traps Hawkes inside.
Ozzy's upcoming album, the 10th solo studio effort of his career, was originally called "Soul Sucka", but had its title changed after fans complained. The Prince of Darkness told RollingStone.com, "When we put that on the Internet none of my fan base liked the title. They were like, 'I can't imagine me walking around the fucking house with the words 'Soul Sucka' on my T-shirt.' So I was like, 'Fuck it. I've got to come up with something else!'"
Regarding the musical direction of the new CD, Ozzy told The Pulse of Radio. "It's very heavy. It's a cross between — it's kind of like a SABBATH/Ozzy album, you know. It's kind of, it wasn't meant to, I didn't plan on doing it but that's the way it unfolded. A lot of it's very, very heavy. I just hope people like it. I love it."
The new set is tentatively due out in July.
Ozzy's last solo project, "Black Rain", came out in 2007.
Ozzy also confirmed that Ozzfest will return this summer after taking a one-year break but did not reveal whether it would be a one-shot affair like the 2008 edition or go back to its roots as a traveling event. He also plans to head out on his own headlining arena tour next fall.
The new album and tour will introduce guitarist Gus G. Ozzy parted ways last year with axeman Zakk Wylde, who has played on every Ozzy album and almost every tour since 1988.
Ozzy Osbourne's long-awaited memoir, "I Am Ozzy", debuted at No. 2 on the New York Times' hardcover non-fiction best-seller list. The book was published on January 25 in the U.S., nearly two years after it was first expected to arrive. "I Am Ozzy" chronicles the legendary metal icon's life from his working-class beginnings in Birmingham, England to his initial fame with BLACK SABBATH to his massive solo career and forays into television.
FORBIDDEN Guitarist Discusses New Material
Reactivated San Francisco Bay Area metallers FORBIDDEN recently entered Sonic Room/Audio Voyage studios in Livermore, California to begin recording their as-yet-untitled fifth studio album for a late 2010 release via Nuclear Blast Records.
FORBIDDEN guitarist Craig Locicero has offered the following commentary on some of the songs that will appear on the upcoming CD:
** "Overthrow": "It's more of a midtempo cruncher that barrels along like an earth mover. The middle of that song has some Randy Rhoads-era Ozzy-style recording in it; very dark and cool."
** "Omega Wave": "Very much a thrash-style song, an extremely fast muthafucker! That was more of a challenge and a lot fun to play [during the guitar-tracking process]. Super-heavy song."
** "Swine": "[It] has a lot of tempo changes and starts out super-slow and heavy. I had a hell of a time making it as serpentine as I was hearing it [during the guitar-tracking process]. But we nailed it after half a day. 'Swine' is one of our favorite songs and worth all of the work to make right."
** "Immortal Wounds": "[It] is very much a 'Distortion'-era-style chugger. Reminds my of 'Hypnotized by the Rhythm' a little bit. Super-tight, but with a thrash solo section that is one of the fastest we have. It strobes and does some really cool stuff."
Working songtitles set to appear on the new CD include:
* Intro (not final title)
* Swine
* Immortal Wounds
* Omega Wave
* Hopenosis
* Adapt Or Die
* Forsaken At The Gates
* Inhuman Race
* Beyond The Mask
* Dragging My Casket
* Overthrow
Check out a studio report at this location.
FORBIDDEN 2010 is:
* Russ Anderson - Vocals
* Craig Locicero - Guitar
* Steve Smyth (NEVERMORE, TESTAMENT) - Guitar
* Matt Camacho - Bass
* Mark Hernandez (HEATHEN, DEFIANCE, VIO-LENCE) - Drums
FORBIDDEN's last studio LP, "Green", was released in 1997 on the G.U.N. label.
MEGADETH's MUSTAINE Says 'Endgame' Is 'Probably Better' Than METALLICA's 'Death Magnetic'
Jarret Keene of the Tucson Weekly recently conducted an interview with MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
On the renewed power of MEGADETH, which now includes guitarist Chris Broderick (ex-JAG PANZER, NEVERMORE):
"The guy's an unappreciated genius and has taken us to a whole different place. I feel like we're just starting to scratch the surface as far as what this band can accomplish musically, and where we can go."
On the fact that reviews of MEGADETH's new album, "Endgame", have been tremendously favorable, especially compared to the latest reviews of Mustaine's ex-band METALLICA's 2008 release, "Death Magnetic":
"Our record is probably better than theirs. But I'm already looking ahead to what else we can accomplish. I'm not thinking about who we're beating."
On the current "Rust in Peace 20th Anniversary Tour" during which MEGADETH is performing the 1990 album in its entirety:
"It's a moment for us to revisit and appreciate ['Rust']. It's a great work of art; there's no denying it."
|
