Check out Chickenfoot’s latest video, “Sexy Little Thing”!

Alice in Chains is proud and excited to announce their upcoming headline North American tour to begin in Vancouver on February 2nd, 2010.  Tickets for the dates will go on sale December 4th and 5th (unless otherwise specified).  More detailed ticket information will follow early next week.  The list of dates are below:

2/2 – Vancouver – Orpheum Theatre
2/4 – Seattle – Paramount Theatre
2/6 – Salem – Salem Armory
2/11 – Oakland – Fox Theatre – on-sale this Sunday 11/22 at 10am.  Click here for tickets.
2/17 – Phoenix – Dodge Theatre
2/19 – Denver – Fillmore
2/21 – Kansas City – Midland Theatre
2/22 – St. Louis – Pageant
2/23 – Louisville – Louisville Palace
2/25 – Atlanta – Tabernacle
2/27 – Myrtle Beach – House Of Blues
3/1 – Nashville – Municipal Auditorium
3/2 – Charlotte – Fillmore
3/3 – Washington DC – DAR Constitution Hall
3/5 – Richmond – The National
3/6 – Mashantucket, CT – Foxwoods
3/8 – New York, NY – Terminal 5
3/12 – Atlantic City – Borgata
3/13 – Philadelphia – Tower Theatre
3/14 – Boston – Orpheum Theatre
3/16 – Montreal – Metropolis
3/17 – Toronto – Sound Academy
3/19 – Detroit – Fillmore
3/20 – Chicago – Aragon Ballroom
3/21 – Minneapolis – Roy Wilkens Auditorium

If you ever play Six Degrees of Bruce Kulick, the former KISS/current Grand Funk Railroad guitarist’s résumé will keep you happily busy for hours. Having been tapped by artists as diverse as Meat Loaf and Kanye West, the veteran axeman’s boundless creative energy permeates his third solo LP, BK3. In the works for nearly six years and produced by Jeremy Rubolino, BK3 delivers explosive hard rock arrangements and addictive pop melodies that honor both Kulick’s singular past and bright future. And then there’s the jaw-dropping guest list, boasting members of KISS, the Knack, Toto, Mötley Crüe and more.

“Bruce was to KISS what Ronnie Wood is to the Stones,” says Rocket Science GM & Fanboy Enterprises A&R executive Ken Gullic. “The new guy to one generation, and the long standing stable horse to another.”

After getting his solo feet wet with 2001’s Audio Dog and 2003’s Transformer, Kulick—the often unheralded driving force on 12 years of classic KISS records, from 1984’s Animalize to 1992’s Revenge—assembled his own rock ‘n’ roll dream team. The roster: KISS icon Gene Simmons and up-and-coming son Nick (each vocally appearing separately), longtime friend John Corabi (Mötley Crüe, Kulick’s own Union), Knack mainman Doug Fieger, Toto axe authoritarian Steve Lukather, Edguy power metal stalwart Tobias Sammet and even current KISS drummer Eric Singer.

“Many albums lack cohesion with different vocalists, but I know that my guitar playing is the glue on BK3,” Kulick says. “There was the clear goal of making absolutely the best record that I could put together. I feel like this is my Revenge.”

BK3 will be released February 16th on Twenty 4 Records /Rocket Science Ventures
http://www.brucekulick.net

Rocket Science Inc is a premier label services engine that provides comprehensive record label departmental needs under one roof. Rocket Science Ventures expands on this concept by adding a release funding and Sony/ RED distribution option while still providing artists and management the ability maintain ownership rights and control. Coupled with the extensive and accountable in-house services, Rocket Science Ventures offers a turnkey solution with a focus on execution. www.myrocketscience.com

It seems like every day I check the various news sources, there is another statement from another member of Aerosmith talking about the breakup, the non-breakup or the search for a new singer etc.

I have posted very little about this at HRH, as quite frankly, I am tired of reading about it. This whole thing has gone far past stupid.

I though Aerosmith had some pretty good momentum on their side for a while, with the release of kick ass video game, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, and a summer tour in 2009.  Their tour this summer was plagued with sickness, and canceled dates.  There has been nothing but drama in the  Aerosmith camp since then.  Quite frankly, if I want drama, I will turn on TNT.

My message to Aerosmith: Shut up and rock.  If Stephen Tyler wants to do a solo thing, let him.  If you think you will find a new singer to replace him, you are insane.  Twenty years ago, this could have been possible.  No one will care in 2010.  Aerosmith without Stephen Tyler is unthinkable.  If you want to break up, do so with dignity.  Aerosmith will always be considered one of the greatest hard rock bands of all time.  Nothing can take that away from you.

My message to Aerosmith management:  Put a gag order in place for all band members.  Issue a press release on the state of band affairs. Kick all of their asses, and get them back in the studio to release some new music.

Thank you for listening!  Now let us get back to the rock!

Baroness has released a new video, “A Horse Called Golgotha” in support of their new “Blue Record”. Should “A Horse Called Golgotha” SINK or SWIM? Decide with your votes below!

Les Claypool, former front man for the alternative band Primus, is back with his latest solo effort, Of Fungi And Foe. Packed with funky riffs that made his former band famous, Of Fungi And Foe is a silly record in the vein of early Primus. Odd sound effects, whistles, kazoos, and synthesized musical treats round out this strange album that is bound to please any fan of Primus.

The album opens with strange bongos, a xylophone, and Les Claypool singing through a loudspeaker about the Mushroom Men. One can only assume that these are the mushroom men of a hallucinogenic variety, as the strange sounds and odd lyrics would attest to. The weirdness continues as Mushroom Men bleeds right into Amanitas, which has more queer tribal drums, synthesizer bleeps and twangs, and the addition of a violin to round out the oddball harmonies that make the esoteric music come to life.

What Would Sir George Martin Do is an ode to the famous Beatles producer, considered to be rock royalty by most (and rightfully so). Though the tribute is a nice touch, the song is the oddest (and longest) on the disc. With choppy cello strings, a bouncy bongo, and a trill xylophone, Les Claypool sings Sir George Martin’s name to open the song and then lets the music take over. The song tells a tale of a trip (assumingly Les’) to England where baggage is lost, a cab can’t be hailed, and nothing seems to go right. Hence, Les conjures up a question, what would Sir George Martin do (in times like this)? An intriguing song that is hard to fall in love with, but too complex to not listen to a few times.

Kazoo is a musical sonnet to a beautiful woman sung in the strange Les voice, but complete with a beautiful violin, saxophone, and bass musical interludes behind Les’ singing. A soft song, Kazoo is much different from the rest of the tracks on Of Fungi and Foe. Still strange in its own right, Kazoo is a pretty song that shows the depth and ability of Claypool as a solo artist. Deeply ingrained with rich and lavish backgrounds, this song is layered in different sounds. It takes quite a few listens to fully appreciate the beauty of this song, but it is certainly worth the journey.

Primed By 29 is the best track on the album and it is also the most honest. A tongue in cheek look at the music world, this is Claypool’s take on music and concert performers, including his own. With lyrics such as “Geez what a horrible song, it stinks just like a donkey dong, but if you wrap your lips around a bong, I’m sure it will sound just fine,” Primed By 29 is a true call out to the way some music is meant to be listened to.

Not exactly rock, no longer punk, and definitely not modern, Led Claypool’s Of Fungi and Foe can best be described as different. If you’re looking for an album that is a break from the typical arena power chord rock, or heavy vocals with long guitar solos, then this is the album for you. Highly innovative, but definitely not something you can bang your head to, Of Fungi And Foe will be revered by Primus fans and those looking for a different sound that they can pick apart over several listens. Layered with deep, satisfying tones and melodies, Of Fungi And Foe is a record for rockers that like a little more than three chords and a scream. Les Claypool has definitely provided that here.

Rating: Out of 10

Track Listing

1. Mushroom Men
2. Amanitas
3. Red State Girl
4. Booneville Stomp
5. What Would Sir George Martin Do?
6. You Can’t Tell Errol Anything
7. Bite Out Of Life
8. Kazoo
9. Primed By 29
10. Pretty Little Song
11. Of Fungi And Foe
12. Ol’ Rosco

Reviewed by Ryo Vie (http://rockandrollguru.blogspot.com)

Jeff LaBar, guitarist for classic hard rockers Cinderella and new hard rock supergroup Freakshow, will join JT on the next edition of Hard Rock Nights, airing November 20-26. Jeff will recount the early days of Cinderella, how he joined the band and the first major tour, one of the group’s most notable videos, and the future of the band.

Jeff also talks about his role in Freakshow, the supergroup featuring vocalist Markus Allen Christopher (Miss Crazy), Tony Franklin (The Firm), and Frankie Banali (Quiet Riot/WASP). Freakshow’s debut CD was released earlier this year on Retrospect Records.

Hard Rock Nights is an internationally syndicated radio program and can be heard on a growing number of rock and metal stations, both terrestrially and on the internet. Visit http://hardrocknights.wordpress.com/affiliates for a full list of stations and times.

Check out Divide The Day’s latest video, “One Night Stand” below.  For more information on the band, check them out on myspace at this link.

Airbourne posted a new picture on their myspace page today.  Looks like the band will be kicking off a tour for their new album “No Guts, No Glory” in 2010. No word on dates yet, but we will announce them as soon as they are released.

Sunset Strip hair metal legends STEEL PANTHER are giving away something other than an STD this week. Their track “Death to All But Metal” is available for free on iTunes all this week. In the song lead singer Michael Starr takes shots at Good Charlotte, Dr.Dre, Papa Roach, and many other non-metal headliners.

Steel Panther’s Feel the Steel album hit stores this October on Universal Republic

Get the FREE download here: http://bit.ly/SPDMetal

Check out the video clip below!

It is hard to believe that it has already been two decades since Whitesnake’s CD, Slip of the Tongue, but 2009 marks the twentieth anniversary of this very successful release for Coverdale and company.

The funny thing is, (to me at least) this album rarely comes up in my play list, and I consider myself a pretty big Whitesnake fan.  After listening to Slide it In and the self titled disc from 1987, I can understand why Slip of the Tongue is greatly missing something. It lacks that bluesy edge that made the previous two albums so great. Coverdale is the only remaining member from the previous two recordings, and Slip of the Tongue shows just that. Coverdale’s vocals are great, but his vocals alone can not carry the band.

Steve Vai is an incredible guitar player, and I loved his stint in David Lee Roth’s band, but his style of playing is so different from John Sykes that it gives Whitesnake a completely different sound.  I am not knocking Vai as a player, but I am not so sure that he was the right fit for Whitesnake.  There is lno bluesy element in Vai’s guitar work, and that is what Slip of the Tongue greatly needed.

Whitesnake’s lineup for Slip of the Tongue was like an all star band of hard rock musicians. Tommy Aldridge (Ozzy Osbourne), Rudy Sarzo (Ozzy, Quiet Riot), Steve Vai (Frank Zappa, Alcatrazz, David Lee Roth) all recorded with Coverdale for the first time on this release.  Even with all of this talent at this disposal, Coverdale could not capture the magic from his previous two releases with this disc.

With that being said, Whitesnake still ripped out a few hits off of this CD, including “Now Your Gone”, “The Deeper the Love” and the band’s reworking of the 1980 Whitesnake classic, “Fool For Your Loving”.  (Is Whitesnake the only band to cover themselves?)   Some of my favorites from Slip of the Tongue, are the tunes that got less attention, including “Cheap and Nasty”, “Wings of the Storm” and  “Judgement Day”.

Slip of the Tongue is far from bad.  It just doesn’t quite live up to the Whitesnake legacy. From a hair metal perspective, it is very good, but as a Whitesnake release it is slightly above average.  You can score copies of this CD for under $3.00 at this link.
Rating:  Out of 10

Track Listing:

1. Slip Of The Tongue
2. Cheap An’ Nasty
3. Fool For Your Loving
4. Now You’re Gone
5. Kittens Got Claws
6. Wings Of The Storm
7. The Deeper The Love
8. Judgement Day
9. Slow Poke Music
10. Sailing Ships

Whitesnake is:

David Coverdale – Vocals
Steve Vai – Lead Guitar
Rudy Sarzo – Bass
Tommy Aldridge – Drums

Check out Bon Jovi’s new video, “We Weren’t Born To Follow” below! The band’s new album, The Circle is in stores now.

Eddie Trunk had Scott Ian from Anthrax, and his fiance Pearl Aday (daughter of Meatloaf) on his show tonight.

Pearl has a new album coming out on January 19th called Little Immaculate White Fox.

Eddie played the first song off of the album, “Rock Child”, and it is damn good tune.

You can check out the live version with of “Rock Child” with Scott Ian below.

“Little Immaculate White Fox” track listing:

01. Rock Child
02. Nutbush City Limits
03. Broken White
04. Check Out Charlie
05. Mama
06. My Heart Isn’t In It
07. Nobody
08. Worth Defending
09. Love Pyre
10. Whore
11. Anything

Check out some of clips in the widget below.

YES, THE RUMORS ARE TRUE: SLAYER, MEGADETH TEAM UP FOR “AMERICAN CARNAGE”
Co-Headliners to Tour the U.S. Together For the First Time in Nearly Two Decades
Testament to be Special Guest
Recession-Proof $10.00 Tickets Available in All U.S. Markets

Slayer. Megadeth. Two names synonymous with fierce, crunching power. Two bands whose histories are inevitably intertwined in defining the thrash/metal genre. Individually, their respective prowess and accomplishments are impressive; but together, they’re brutal and unstoppable. Megadeth and Slayer will join forces to co-headline “American Carnage,” the most blistering, the most explosive, and the most eagerly anticipated mega-tour of the winter – and you do not want to miss it.

“American Carnage” will kick off on January 18 in Seattle, WA for a 26-date trek across North America that will include the six Canadian dates postponed earlier this month. Tickets for most shows go on sale this Friday, November 20. Ticketmaster is offering a special presale for most shows from Wednesday November 18 at 10am until Thursday November 19 at 10pm.

“American Carnage” is the first time that Slayer and Megadeth will have toured the U.S. together since 1991’s epic “Clash of the Titans” tour. To celebrate that and in recognition of the tough economic times that many of their fans are having, Megadeth and Slayer have decided to roll back the price of a chunk of tickets at every U.S. show to the “1991 price” of $10.00. These specially-priced tickets will be limited and when they’re gone, they’re gone. Megadeth has also teamed with iloveallaccess.com to provide an Ultimate Fan Package including premium seats, meet and greets, pre-show parties and more.

In addition, Testament – who was also on the “Clash of the Titans” bill, will be Special Guests on the entire tour, marking the first time that all three bands have shared a stage together in more than 18 years, and making this a “must see” metal event.

Both Megadeth and Slayer will hit the road supporting new albums: Megadeth’s 2009 album, ENDGAME, while Slayer’s World Painted Blood, the band’s 10th studio venture, hit stores November 3. Testament’s The Formation of Damnation: Special Tour Edition, will be released on February 23, 2010, with special unreleased bonus tracks.

Slayer and Megadeth have already massacred territories together outside of the U.S. – first with four explosive dates in June, 2009 across Western Canada – “Canadian Carnage” – marking the first time the bands had shared a stage anywhere in 18 years; and then six co-headlining “Carnage” dates in Australia followed in October.

According to various Canadian press outlets last summer: “It was a night of thrash impossible to trash…” “Tales about war, death, destruction, Satan, aliens and serial killers have never been so much fun…” “The two heavy metal heavyweights …went head-to-head on a level playing field. Both bands brought their ‘A’ game. And the results were anything but pretty – unless you include pretty freakin’ loud and pretty freakin’ awesome.”

Slayer. Few bands come close to matching the intensity that Slayer – guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, vocalist/bassist Tom Araya and drummer Dave Lombardo – brings to its live shows, having been named “Best Live Band” by numerous media outlets including Revolver, SPIN, and Metal Hammer. World Painted Blood offers a Slayer-ized point of view of our world – God’s terrifying global genocide, the chaos of our broken political system, the way-too-close proximity of world horrors that technology has brought us, and a chilling hypothesis of how the rest of the world might view America. The album was recorded in Los Angeles over two time periods, during October 2008 and then between late January and March 2009. World Painted Blood was produced by Greg Fidelman, who’s spent time in the studio with Metallica, the Gossip, the (International) Noise Conspiracy, Slipknot and others, and executive produced by long-time Slayer colleague, Rick Rubin, who suggested Fidelman for the project. One reviewer called the album “the heaviest, bloodiest and best album in almost two decades.” Fans got a couple of early morsels of the brutal new Slayer material — “Psychopathy Red,” a Hanneman song inspired by the heinous Russian serial killer Andrei Chikatilo, who confessed to savagely murdering 56 children, was recorded last October and then leaked online. Then, the King-penned track, “Hate Worldwide,” was made available in July as a limited-edition single through Hot Topic. For “American Carnage,” Slayer’s Tom Araya promises, “no ballads, no acoustic numbers, no slow tempos.”

Megadeth. 2009 saw the release of ENDGAME, what has been heralded as Megadeth’s best album in years. It’s the record where it all comes full circle in a career that has not only set standards in hard rock and metal, but defined them. Megadeth’s signature shredding and rousing lyrics are the hallmarks of ENDGAME, with vocalist/guitarist Dave Mustaine once musing and making declarations about the world we live in, having named the album after a government document that should strike fear in the hearts of Americans! But that’s Mustaine and Megadeth, using the vehicle of music to shake things up, to make a point and to rattle your brain, literally, figuratively and sonically. Revolver magazine said of ENDGAME, “”One of their best albums.” VH1’s That Metal Show deemed it, “One of the metal albums of the year”, and Popmatters said, “”the record positively scorches with an intensity not heard since Rust in Peace.

Legendary thrash metal titans Testament, whose latest award-winning release (2008 Album of the Year, Metal Hammer’s Golden God Award) The Formation of Damnation, displays them as the quintessential modern heavy metal band, whose experience and accumulated skill allows them to attack with reserves of anger, energy and finesse that make them more powerful than ever. Lead singer Chuck Billy says, “Uniting these bands is the heavy metal event of generations. We are so proud to be a part of it.”
Slayer and Megadeth are also re-scheduling the east coast leg of the “Canadian Carnage” tour, postponed from this fall.

JANUARY
18 WaMu Theatre, Seattle, WA*
19 Memorial Coliseum, Portland, OR – tickets sold via rosequarter.com
21 Cow Palace, San Francisco, CA*
22 Long Beach Arena, Long Beach, CA* (tickets on sale 11/21)
23 Dodge Theatre, Phoenix, AZ**
25 Magness Arena, Denver, CO*
26 Tingley Coliseum, Albuquerque, NM*
27 El Paso Coliseum, El Paso, TX*
29 Verizon Wireless, Houston, TX**
31 Municipal Auditorium, Nashville, TN*

FEBRUARY
1 Gwinnett Arena, Duluth, GA* (tickets on sale 11/20)
2 Broadbent Arena, Louisville, KY* (tickets on sale 12/4)
4 Roy Wilkins Auditorium, Minneapolis, MN* (tickets on sale 12/4)
5 UIC Pavilion, Chicago, IL* (tickets on sale 12/4)
6 Cobo Arena, Detroit, MI*
9 Chevrolet Theatre, Wallingford, CT**
11 Izod Center, East Rutherford, NJ*
12 Glens Falls Civic Center, Glens Falls, NY*
13 Susquehanna Center, Camden, NJ*
14 Tsongas Arena, Lowell, MA*
16 Pavillon de La Jeunesse, Quebec City, QC – tickets sold via Billetech.com
18 John Labatt Centre, London, ON – tickets on sale 11/27 via JohnLabattCentre.com
19 Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON – tickets sold via Ticketmaster.ca
20 Bell Centre, Montreal, QC – tickets sold via Admission.com
22 Moncton Coliseum, Moncton, NB – tickets sold via MonctonColiseum.com
23 Metro Centre, Halifax, NS – tickets sold via TicketAtlantic.com

* tickets sold through Ticketmaster
** tickets sold through LiveNation.com

MegaFanClub ticket presale begins Wednesday November 18 at 10am. Not a member yet? Join Here: http://megafanclub.megadeth.com

Every now and then an album comes along that is so good, it is hard to put it into words without sounding corny or like I’m sucking up to the band. Swedish five piece Grand Design’s debut “Time Elevation” is exactly that kind of album.  Several bands have issued albums in the past year with a heavy Def Leppard influence, 7th Heaven and Wildstreet immediately come to mind, but nobody has been able to accomplish the task as well as Grand Design has. Almost effortlessly; they have taken the best of Pyromania, Hysteria and Adrenalize, mixed them into their on concoction and the result is “Time Elevation”, easily without a doubt one of the best debuts in 2009.

“Love Sensation” gets everything going and I can’t think of a better way to start the album off than with this melodic rocker. Foot stomping rhythms from bassist Anders Modd and gang vocals that would make Joe Elliott & the boys green with envy are only the tip of the iceberg for this tasty little treat. Guitarists Peter Ledin and Dennis Veldman smoke this song as does drummer Richard Holmgren. With a title like “Slugged Out” you would expect it to be a barn burner from the word go but no the guys throw everyone for a loop with the slow pounding intro before it kicks in to a full blown rocker, more killer gang vocals and choruses and front man Pelle Saether is just simply a kick ass vocalist. “Air It Out” is the third track and you won’t find a song better built for the stadiums than this melodic rocker, everything about this tracks screams BIG from the production to the drums and everything in between. The anthem “Piece of the Action” comes up next and it falls into the same vein as “Rocket” and “Armageddon It” until the solo and Ledin and Veldman are unleashed and completely shred the solo, awesome.

I hate to beat a dead horse, but sometimes it can’t be helped to get a point across. There are at least six songs on “Time Elevation” that if this album was released in the 80’s would have made Grand Design household names, but there are three songs that would have gone straight to the top of the charts and made these guys world wide superstars “The Sad Sound of Goodbye” is one of those songs a mid tempo rocker that is pop metal perfection. Once you hear this song you will not be able to stop tapping your feet or get the song out of your head. “Hello Mr. Heartache” is another song that should be a smash hit for Grand Design, impossible for me to choose between this and “The Sad Sound of Goodbye” as my favorite song on “Time Elevation”. “Let’s Go Down Fighting” would be the perfect song for Grand Design to kick off their live show with this anthem would be guaranteed to get the crowd rocking from the get go and there would be no looking back from there. “Sheik Iddup” is just a fun good time sing along rocker much like “Armageddon It” was 22 yrs ago on Hysteria. If you read my reviews regularly you should know I’m not a fan of ballads closing out albums, but “Love Will Know” is an outstanding song and this acoustic ballad would be my third choice as an out of the ball park hit for Grand Design, when the band plays this song live cell phones and lighters will be lighting up like there’s no tomorrow.

“Time Elevation” makes me want to break out Pyromania, Hysteria, and Adrenalize for a few spins, but the problem with that is I can’t stop listening to “Time Elevation” long enough to listen to anything else. Grand Design already have my vote for best new band in 2009 and I can guarantee you “Time Elevation” will be on my list of best albums of 2009 as well. This is one album no hard rock fan should be without.

Check out Grand Design on myspace, at this link.

Rating: Out of 10

Track Listing:

1. Love Sensation
2. Slugged Out
3. Air It Out
4. Piece Of Action
5. Sad Sound Of Goodbye
6. No Time For Love
7. Hello Mr. Heartache
8. Let’s Go Down Fighting
9. Sheik Iddup
10. Love Will Know

Grand Design is:
Pelle Saether – Vocals
Peter Ledin – Guitar
Dennis Vestman – Guitar
Richard Holmgren – Drums
Anders Modd – Bass

Check out Creed’s new video, “Rain” below. This song is on the band’s new album, Full Circle, which is in stores now.

Swedish hard rockers Sister have posted the following on their site today:

After almost four years, We have decided to go separate ways with Dani.  We had reached a point where we couldn’t work together as a band anymore and our friendship almost became suffering. Before that happend, we decided to do something about it.

It’s now official that we have hooked up with a new killer-guy called Lestat!

We have already played two gigs with Lestat on guitar, in Oslo and Stockholm and it just went great! Lestat fits perfectly in Sister in all ways and it feels like he has always been one of us.

The new lineup has been working hard the latest months, the songwriting is on top and we’re are working on several brand new songs to be released in 2010!

We wanna say good luck in the future and thank you for those first four years to Dani. AND a big fucking welcome aboard to Lestat! And we hope that you out there gonna do the same!

For more info on Sister, check out the band’s myspace page at this link.  You can watch the band’s video, “Too Bad For You” below.

Please call Amy at Three Rivers Winery (509) 526-9463 and register for this VIP tasting event to be held before the shows at the Snoqualmie casino and pay your $15.00 tasting fee. This fee will be waived if you purchase 2 bottles of the upcoming Insania Red or Insania White to be released in 2010. You must also have tickets to the performance the same night as your tasting to the Queensryche Cabaret. Geoff and other members of Queensryche will be present at both tastings.

After two great weeks on the road The Poodles are sad to announce the cancellation of the rest of the tour. Jakob has become very sick and his illness is unfortunately preventing us from continuing. After struggling through the last two shows on pure will and heavy medication the doctors have given him strict orders to rest and to not strain his voice.

Check out this video, “Look Out” from Hellfueled’s 2005 album, Born to Rock.

Hard Rock Hideout turned three years old today! Thank you for continuing to visit HRH!  Here is to another great year!

Special thanks to the all of the writers at HRH who have helped make this a great place to rock:  Brian Basher, Christine Sixx and Ryo Vie!

The greatest KISS CD never made? That is what some folks consider punk rocker Wendy O. Williams debut CD, WOW.

Why is that you ask?  Gene Simmons produced the album, and wrote five of the nine song on the disc.  Ace Frehley plays lead on the tune “Bump and Grind”, Paul Stanley plays guitar on “Ready To Rock”,  Eric Carr plays drums on “Legends Never Die”. Stanley, Carr and Vinnie Vincent also have partial song writing credits.

So how is the album? It is quite a departure from the music that Wendy O. Williams did with The Plasmatics, but it is good nonetheless. “I Love Sex” sounds like a distant cousin to “I Love It Loud”.

If there is one song that should have been a hit on WOW, it is “It’s My Life”.  This tune written by Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley is ridiculously catchy. (See the video below).

If the title “Thief in the Night” sounds familiar, it should.  This song appears on the 1987 KISS CD, Crazy Nights. I kind of like the version Wendy O. Williams did a little better.  Her coarse vocals are a better match with  this song.

There are a few more cool tunes on this disc, including the heavy rocker “Ready to Rock”,  “Bump and Grind”,  and “Aint None of Your Business”.  This CD’s only fault, aside from pretty much being a KISS CD in disguise, is that it is a little on the short side with it being less than 37 minutes in length. Nonetheless,  I love Wendy O. Williams voice with this type of hard rock.  Her  razor sharp vocals sound great with the heavy guitar riffs played on WOW. If you haven’t heard her sing before, this is a good place to start.

Sadly, Wendy O. Williams committed suicide back in 1998.  Here death is a shame, but she did leave plenty of music for fans to check out. WOW is definitely a CD worth checking out.   If you are a fan of KISS, or an 80’s hard rock fan in general, you will probably like this.  WOW has been out of print for quite some time, but you can find copies of the CD at this link. For more information on Wendy O. Williams, check out this tribute myspace page.

Rating: Out of 10

Track Listing:

1. I Love Sex (And Rock and Roll)
2. It’s My Life
3. Priestess
4. Thief in the Night
5. Opus in Cm7
6. Ready to Rock
7. Bump and Grind
8. Legends Never Die
9. Ain’t None of Your Business

Wendy O. Williams – Vocals

Wes Beech – Rhythm & Lead Guitar

Michael Ray – Lead Guitar

Reginald Van Helsing – Bass Guitar

T.C. Tolliver – Drums

Check out Vendetta’s brand new video, “New Horizon”.  This song is from the band’s new album “Heretic Nation” which was released today!!

To celebrate the release of Crash Love, AFI and Hard Rock Hideout are giving one lucky winner the chance to win a special Crash Love branded guitar. The Epiphone Les Paul Special II features a custom Crash Love logo and is autographed by Davey, Jade, Adam and Hunter!
Crash Love is the eighth studio album from perennial rockers AFI and features the single “Medicate” along with standout tracks “Beautiful Thieves,” “End Transmission,” and “Torch Song.”

For more information on AFI, visit www.AFireInside.net or www.MySpace.com/AFI.

Click here to enter!

Finnish rockers, The Milestones, took me by surprise. They sound absolutely nothing like the bands that I have heard from Finland as of late.  Check out their new clip, “Queen To Me” and decide for yourself.  Should The Milestones, “Queen To Me” SINK or SWIM?

Ace Frehley announced he will join this Sunday’s Battle Of The Bands for Rock N Roll Fantasy Camp’s showcase finale of the graduates of the 3-day camp. Frehley will hit stage and jam with the campers as they battle it out to be the top campers of 2009! Frehley will also be a headlining guest counselor November 18th for the 5-day camp that follows this Sunday’s showcase.

Come rock-out with your favorite artists at the world famous Whiskey A-Go-Go, as they perform with our graduating campers for 2009. Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp will showcase their campers in a BATTLE OF THE BANDS night after each camp session ends. The first camp is a three-day camp running November 12-15 and a five-day camp running November 17-22 – still time to join!

Our camper bands will each perform (Doors at 6pm, show starting at 7pm) followed by an All Star Jam with:

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15TH

* Sandy Gennaro (drum
* Rami Jaffe (Foo Fighters & The Wallflowers)
* Rudy Sarzo
* Ron Nevison (producer)
* Teddy Andreadis (Guns ‘N Roses)

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22ND

1. Elliot Easton (The Cars)
2. Teddy Andreadis (Guns ‘N Roses)
3. Bruce Kulick (KISS)
4. Danny Seraphine (Chicago)
5. Mark Hudson (Producer, songwriter – Aerosmith)
6. Surprise guitar legend

If you still wish to join the camp there is still time – Headliners this year are Meat Loaf, Ace Frehley formerly KISS & Jon Anderson of Yes.

To get your tickets for this gala event and for more information on ROCK ‘N’ ROLL FANTASY CAMP call 888.762.2263 (BAND) or visit: http://www.rockcamp.com/

Gene Simmons, Rock God and Co-Founder of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nominees KISS, has created the ultimate celebrity memorabilia package, the GENE SIMMONS AXE BASS.

Each GENE SIMMONS AXE BASS is personally hand-numbered and signed by Gene himself. It also includes a specially designed leather case that will bear his painted demon face autographed by Gene.

GENE SIMMONS has owned the “AXE” trademark as well the distinctive AXE shape of his bass for over 25 years, and it is the same bass model he uses live in all KISS shows around the world. This beautiful black and silver bass guitar carved from a single extraordinary piece of wood defies all expectations.

“This guitar is, by some accounts a piece of art — my instrument of choice on stage in KISS. The Bass that slays them all,” says Simmons.

“I’ve used the AXE on stage and literally thousands of people have contacted me to ask, ‘Where can I get one?’” Every purchase of the GENE SIMMONS AXE BASS priced at $5,000 each includes a ‘meet-and-greet’ with Simmons, at the tour city and date of the buyer’s choice during the remainder of his current 2009 KISS TOUR of the much-anticipated “SONIC BOOM,” the first new KISS Studio Album release in over a decade. KISS remains one of the biggest rock bands in history.

“When I was growing up, I was never able to get a piece of the Beatles. They weren’t available, but they were still Mt. Olympus to me,” Simmons says. “I owe the fans everything because they made my life possible.” Simmons says the AXE BASS is a gift to his loyal fans. “You may not be able to be Gene Simmons, but you can feel like me, with my ‘AXE BASS’ slung over your shoulder.”

“My fans are not just buying any guitar, but a moment they’ll never forget.” In the iconic style of this rock genius, the official GENE SIMMONS AXE TOUR BUS will shadow the 2009 KISS Tour covering more than 47 dates across the US and Canada. It will also be featured in the upcoming Fifth Season of A&E’s hit reality show “GENE SIMMONS FAMILY JEWELS.” The GENE SIMMONS AXE BUS is also a place where fans can meet their idol and it provides a direct line to order his special bass guitar.

For additional information regarding the Gene Simmons AXE BASS go to: www.GeneSimmonsAxe.com

For Gene Simmons ‘meet and greets,’ contact Paul Hayeland 310.801.5583.

TO ORDER BY PHONE:

DIAL: 1-888-88-GSAXE (1-888-884-7293)

Check out the new video, “Comes Down Like Rain” from Jeff Scott Soto’s W.E.T.

A CD that I have not mentioned soon enough at Hard Rock Hideout, is United States from the duo of Paul Gilbert & Freddie Nelson.  This is some of the most inspired playing hat I have heard from Paul Gilbert in quite some time.  Gilbert’s fretwork is nothing short of amazing on this CD.  While United States could have fallen short with a bunch of mindless guitar noodling, it simply does not. Gilbert’s solos are absolute perfection, and are enhanced by the amazing vocals of Freddie Nelson.

I do not know where Paul Gilbert found Freddie Nelson, but this guy is the most incredible new singer I have heard in quite some time.  There are times throughout United States where Nelson sounds a lot like Queen’s former front man, Freddie Mercury (R.I.P.).  He doesn’t come out sounding like a complete Mercury clone.  He has his own sound, and his vocals are nothing short of fantastic.

This CD has an interesting Yin and Yang factor to it.  Paul Gilbert’s playing and Freddie Nelson vocals greatly complement each other.  I don’t think this CD would work if either Gilbert or Nelson wasn’t on it.  Either way, I hope this is a collaboration that continues down the road.  This is some of Paul Gilbert’s finest work since his Mr. Big days.

United States is a one cool rockin’ CD.  You will be hard pressed to find a bad tune on this one.   I can’t imagine any rock fan not enjoying this CD.  If you aren’t hooked by the opening cut, “The Last Rock and Roll Star”, you will be after “I’m Not Addicted”. Great vocals, and great musicianship equals a great CD.

Fans of Queen & Mr. Bigneed to check this CD out asap!.  This will easily be one of my top CD’s of 2009.  Do not pass go. Do not collect two hundred dollars!! Buy this one now!! Highly Recommended!

Rating: Out of 10

Track Listing:

1. The Last Rock and Roll Star
2. Hideaway
3. Waste of Time
4. Bad Times Good
5. Paris Hilton Look-Alike
6. The Answer
7. I’m Free
8. Pulsar
9. Girl From Omaha
10.I’m Not Addicted

Freddie Nelson – Vocals, acoustic guitar
Paul Gilbert – Guitars, bass and vocals
Emi Gilbert – Keyboards
Mike Szuter – Bass
Matt “Muck” Muckle – Drums

Veteran glam rockers JETBOY have released the following statement:

“It is with regret that JETBOY announces the departure of both Doug Hovan (percussion) and Michael Butler (bass) from the band’s lineup.

“Following the completion of the band’s most recent EP, ‘Off Your Rocker’, and its pending release, the band entered a phase of intense introspection regarding band members’ roles, chemistry, and dedication to providing JETBOY fans with the most professional product possible. Through this process, original members Mickey Finn, Billy Rowe and Fernie Rod, in conjunction with management, made difficult decisions regarding JETBOY’s direction and ability to perform at a consistently professional level. Difficult decisions were made that resulted in Doug Hovan’s voluntary departure and Michael Butler’s much-publicized on-air dismissal during the recent ‘Good Clean Fun’ podcast [hear audio below].

“JETBOY wishes to assure fans that while the podcast may have presented the split in a light that was less that friendly, the parties have since worked out their differences and the split was best for all involved. In addition, Billy Rowe will continue to perform with THE BUTLERS and Michael Butler, further displaying that the parties continue to have a positive working and personal relationship.

“JETBOY wishes nothing but the best and future success to both Doug and Michael, and want to assure fans that the core of JETBOY remains the same, and that the music that has been embraced by their fan base will not change.

“JETBOY is currently in the midst of negotiations for distribution of the new EP and will announce further details about the release as soon as they become available.”

A rock documentary film on JETBOY is in the preliminary stages of being shot by Reality Check TV, which also produced the “mini-doc” included in JETBOY’s last CD/DVD release, “The Glam Years”, on Cleopatra/Deadline Records.

“The Glam Years” contained a DVD of a 1986 concert at Los Angeles’ legendary Whisky a Go-Go (featuring a chock-full of extra interviews and photos) as well as a 21-track CD of the group’s greatest hits.

For more information, visit www.myspace.com/jetboyrocks.

Listen to the “Good Clean Fun’ Podcast with Michael Butler and Fernie Rod here.

Courtesy of Blabbermouth.net

Electrifying hard rock band Priestess has signed to NYC’s Tee Pee Records. The Montreal-based group will issue its highly-anticipated sophomore album Prior to the Fire in February, 2010.

Recorded in Los Angeles with producer David Schiffman (System of a Down, Mars Volta, Nine Inch Nails), Prior to the Fire underlines Priestess’ hard-hitting songwriting, memorable hooks and earth-shaking ability to rock. With a sound built upon a resolute sense of purpose and shaped by hundreds of explosive live shows, Priestess’ Prior to the Fire is an electric recording, bringing to light a colorful pool of both creativity and innovation. The long-awaited follow up to 2006’s critically acclaimed debut Hello Master, Prior to the Fire sees Priestess at once hungry, fierce and focused. The record’s majestic power merges titanic riffs, memorable metal, progressive rock and hard psych elements with the powerful, expressive vocals of frontman / guitarist Mikey Heppner to create an album that will floor heavy music fans.

“It wasn’t the easiest record to make,” says Heppner. “But the hard work definitely paid off and we’re really, really proud of the end result. We’ve done so much touring and seen so much since our first record that it only galvanized our feelings of what the band is. The songs that make up “Prior to the Fire” were meant to be heard live and loud. We can’t wait to get out on tour again and really do them justice!”

Formed in 2003, Priestess has consistently garnered top notch praise for its dynamic sound and monstrous modern rock. The band has toured incessantly since its inception, sharing stages the world over with friends and peers such as Mastodon, The Sword, Converge, dinosaur Jr and Motorhead. The bands song “Lay Down” is currently featured in the video game Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock and the new song “Raccoon Eyes” (from Prior To The Fire) appears on the soundtrack to the wildly popular EA Sports game NHL 10.

In addition to Heppner, Priestess features Dan Watchorn (guitar, backing vocals), Mike Dyball (bass) and Vince Nudo (drums, percussion, backing vocals).

US Tour Dates:
Dec 4 2009 Dante’s Portland, Oregon
Dec 5 2009 The Comet Seattle, Washington
Dec 8 2009 7th Street Entry Minneapolis, Minnesota
Dec 9 2009 Empty Bottle Chicago, Illinois
Dec 11 2009 Mohawk Buffalo, New York
Dec 12 2009 The Charleston – Brooklyn New York

iTunes is offering Halestorm’s new video, “Love/Hate Heartbreak” Video as a free download this week.

Download it at this link!

Bon Jovi’s new album The Circle is being featured on Amazon.com’s Daily Deal.  If you prefer to download your new music, vs. buying a CD, this is cheapest way to get your new Bon Jovi fix this week.

Click the link to order to visit Amazon.com and download your MP3’s now!

Bon Jovi-The Circle: http://bit.ly/BJCircle

Track Listing:

1. We Weren’t Born To Follow

2. When We Were Beautiful

3. Work For The Working Man

4. Superman Tonight

5. Bullet

6. Thorn In My Side

7. Live Before You Die

8. Brokenpromiseland

9. Love’s The Only Rule

10. Fast Cars

11. Happy Now

12. Learn To Love

“Fight” is the third release from Bilbao, Spain rockers Airless and for fans of  Firehouse, Mr. Big, Dokken,  Lynch Mob or fans of virtuoso type of players, you should definitely have this album in your collection because guitarist Robert Rodrigo is absolutely amazing on this album. Along with Rodrigo Airless also consist of  Inaki Lazakano (Vocals), Miguel Manjon (Bass), and Pako Martinez (Drums) and while I’m not usually a fan of accents that can be forgiven this time because of the great songwriting and Rodrigo’s playing.

“Don’t Give Up” and “Now or Never” are the first two tracks on “Fight” and these two anthems rock from beginning to end with some great background vocals, catchy melodies and hooks. I would love to hear both of these songs live and once again I can’t stress how awesome Rodrigo’s guitar is, I am definitely a new fan of his playing. “Time To Say Goodbye” is a mid-tempo number that starts out with a nice keyboard intro before picking up steam, radio ready is written all over this song. “Twist of the Wrist” is a full-blown rocker and Pako Martinez will not be outshined by anyone on this track, phenomenal drumming from him. Another radio ready rocker “Crying For Your Love” is just short of perfection definitely the best track on the album. “Switch Off The Light” is a dirty little rocker with a touch of sleaze and some great thumping bass from Miguel Manjon, really reminds me of Firehouse. “Suffering” and “Blame (the Darkness Part II) both remind me of early Lynch Mob, particularly “Blame” would have fit perfectly on the first Lynch Mob album. “One Last Kiss” also makes a strong bid for album favorites great rocker once again reminiscent of Firehouse.

When comparing “Fight” with the first two releases from Airless the songwriting is light years ahead on “Fight”. Check out http://www.myspace.com/airlessrock or if you read Spanish you can go to http://www.airless.es to learn all about Airless.

Rating: Out of 10

Track Listing:

1. Don’t Give Up
2. Now Or Never
3. Time To Say Goodbye
4. Twist Of The Wrist
5. Crying For Your Love
6. Switch Off
7. Suffering
8. Blame (The Darkness Part II)
9. I Don’t Need Your Words
10. One Last Kiss
11. Fight

Airless is:

Inaki Lazakano – Vocals
Robert Rodrigo – Guitar
Miguel Manjσn – Bass
Pako Martinez – Drums

Are you ready for Bug Girl? This Aussie band just released a new EP, “Blood, Sweat & Beers” . You can check out the title track and video below.  If you like what you hear, you can score some free downloads from the band, by signing up for the mailing list at this link.

In response to the leak of Them Crooked Vultures’ album, the band has made the unprecedented decision to stream the record in its entirety beginning with first track “No One Loves Me & Neither Do I” http://bit.ly/stream_tcv.

Them Crooked Vultures’ self-titled debut album is due out November 17 in the United States and Canada on DGC/Interscope Records and can be pre-ordered here, http://themcrookedvultures.com/preorder. Its release has been preceded by first single “New Fang” currently streaming on MySpace and “Mind Eraser, No Chaser” now available as a free iTunes download.

Them Crooked Vultures recently announced its first ever shows in California and the Pacific Northwest: November 17 at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles, November 19 at the Fox Theater in Oakland, November 21 at the Paramount Theater in Seattle, and November 22 at the Roseland Theater in Portland.The dates expand an itinerary that already includes a December tour of the UK and Europe and January dates in Australia and New Zealand.

For further information, updates, dates, etc., check back at www.themcrookedvultures.com.

All fans interested in hearing the whole new Lynch Mob record – “Smoke & Mirrors” can stop by and have a glance by participating to the the listening party that will go on for the entire week from November 9th to the 16th on the band’s myspace site (myspace.com/lynchmobrocks). All the album tracks will be in the player!

Don’t forget to leave a message and pick up a copy of “Smoke and Mirrors” on in the stores!

Lynch Mob have also announced the following tour dates:

November 27 – USA ,Hollywood, House of Blues (WITH DOKKEN)

November 28 – USA, San Diego, The 4th And B (WITH DOKKEN)

November 29 – USA, Anaheim, House of Blues (WITH DOKKEN)

December 12  – USA, Las Vegas, Feelgoods

January 23 – Brazil, Sao Paulo, Manifesto

January 24 – Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, The Hardrock Café

The new album of US alternative/metal band SOIL is available now! It is streamed in entire length here: http://tunelab.com/2009/10/22/album-stream-soil-picture-perfect/

Swiss Hard Rock giants SHAKRA are happy to present their new singer, John Prakesh:

After many weeks of intensive searching for a new singer, we are now very happy to announce that we finally found our new frontman. It is the Swiss guy JOHN PRAKESH who originates in India! John lives in Zuzwil(SG), is 30 years old and was the lead singer of the Hardrock band “Prakesh” up to now.

John has left behind more than 100 competitors (some of them very prominent) and impressed us in many ways! On one hand, we are totally delighted with the sound of John’s voice and his singing skills. On the other hand, he is a really nice, open-minded guy with a good sense of humor! We have now worked with John in the Studio as well as in the rehearsal room, and also had some longer conversations. We couldn’t be happier when looking ahead into the future! Welcome JOHN PRAKESH!

Here is what John says: “I am very happy to be a new Bandmember of SHAKRA. The decision to join that Supergroup was made very easy for me because of the cordiality of the musicians and the whole team. The beautiful welcome has touched me deeply. I am really looking forward to the challenge of working together with these great musicians.”

The first show with the new formation will take place on the 8.November in the TV-Broadcast “Die Grössten Schweizer Hits”, and we will rock some live-concerts starting in March 2010. For News, please check our Homepage (http://www.shakra.ch) with regularity.

Last but not least, thanks to our Fan-Club, our business-partners, our sponsors and all SHAKRA-Fans for the kind words in the last couple of months and we are looking forward to meeting them all again in the near future!

John, Thom, Thomas, Roger, Dominik

When Bon Jovi released their previous album, Lost Highway, I was more than a little harsh on the band.  I was not fond of band’s country direction in the least bit. I swore off Bon Jovi until they returned to playing rock music.  Lucky for me,and their long time fans they have. It took a couple of years, but the band is back with a new rock album, The Circle.  This album treads a fine line between pop and rock.  Bon Jovi is no stranger to crafting tunes in this fashion, and they are quite good at it.  Their pop metal days are long over, and if you are looking for another dose of tunes in the vein of their early material. You won’t find it here.

The opening cut, “We Weren’t Born To Follow” is more of a pop/rock tune, but it reminds me of the music that was on the 2005 CD, Have A Nice Day.

“When We Were Beautiful” has this jangly guitar tone that has an almost U2 feel to it.  This song has a sing along chorus that will translate well in Bon Jovi’s live show.  I must admit that this song is kind of a grower.  I didn’t care for it at first, but a few repeat plays I have changed my mind.

The bass line on “Work for the Working Man” took me all the way back to Slippery When Wet.  It literally sounds as if it was ripped off of  the Bon Jovi classic “Livin’ On a Prayer”. With that being said, “Work for the Working Man” isn’t a bad tune, but it isn’t great either.  The background vocals don’t really work for me. It just seems kind of silly.

“Superman Tonight” is another song that has some serious hit potential.  The chorus is catchy and memorable.  This is one of my favorites on The Circle.

The voice coder intro in the beginning of “Bullet” give the song a familiar Bon Jovi feel. Finally some heavier riffs show up in the song “Bullet”. Richie Sambora finally cuts loose a little on this tune, and I am thankful. This album needed a heavier tune, and this is it.

“Thorn in My Side” keeps the pace going well, and is one of the more rockin’ songs on this disc.

“Live Before You Die” is  a story teller type of song.  Bon Jovi has done a few of these songs  in the past, and I have never really cared for these.  This is an ok tune, and I am sure it will appeal to some folks.

Just when I was starting to get a little bored, “Brokenpromieland” comes along and makes me hit replay a couple of times. I love Sambora’s guitar tone on this song.

“Love is The Only Rule” almost sounds like a Neil Diamond tune with some heavier riffs.  Every time I hear this tune, Jon Bon Jovi’s vocal delivery reminds me of that for some reason.  The funny thing is, it works for the most part.

Is it just me, or does “Fast Cars” sound like a Coldplay tune? The keyboards and guitar tone sound more like that band than a Bon Jovi tune. I didn’t really care for this tune very much.

The Circle will be in stores tomorrow.  Is it worth picking up?  While I don’t think this is the best Bon Jovi album, it is far from their worst.  The production from John Shanks is top notch, but the album could have used a few heavier moments.  If you are looking for the big monster pop metal rockers like the band used to put out  in the eighties and early nineties, you aren’t going to find them on The Circle.  This is a solid pop rock album with a few hard edges here and there.

Rating:  Out of 10

Track Listing:

1.  We Weren’t Born to Follow
2.  When We Were Beautiful
3.  Work for the Working Man
4.  Superman Tonight
5.  Bullet
6.  Thorn in My Side
7.  Live Before You Die
8.  Brokenpromiseland
9.  Love’s the Only Rule
10. Fast Cars
11. Happy Now
12. Learn to Love

Bon Jovi is:

Jon Bon Jovi – lead vocals
Richie Sambora – guitars, backing vocals
Tico Torres – drums, percussion
David Bryan – keyboards, piano
Hugh McDonald – bass
Charlie Judge – additional keyboards and strings

Check out Jet’s brand new video, “Black Hearts (On Fire). Jet’s new CD, Shakra Rock is in stores now!

Want to win an autographed copy of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s new CD, Gods & Guns? Hard Rock Hideout & Roadrunner Records is giving five copies of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s new rockin’ affair.  Click Here to Enter!

Check out Lynyrd Skynyrd’s new video, “Still Unbroken” below.

The Las Vegas Sun is reporting in this article, that front man, Steven Tyler has quit Aerosmith.  Let us all hope that this doesn’t spell the end for the band.  Click on the link above to read the full article.

FOZZY, the band featuring WWE Wrestling Superstar Chris Jericho & Stuck Mojo Mastermind Rich ‘The Duke’ Ward release their first ever live album ‘Remains Alive’ as part of a special very limited edition ‘Survival Pack’ as a lead up to their upcoming new album ‘Chasing the Grail’ to be released via Riot Entertainment on 26th January, 2010

Remains Alive was recorded in Brisbane, Australia on the ‘Fozzy in Aussie’ Tour in September 2005 and contains songs from all 3 previous Fozzy albums! ‘Remains Alive’ is ONLY available in this limited edition ‘Survival Pack’ – STRICTLY Limited to 500 packs – only!

Inserted randomly in ONE pack is a ticket that will win the holder a New Black Epiphone Guitar – Signed by Rich Ward and Chris Jericho.
Inserted randomly in 20 packs will be Gold Tickets that will win the holders a personal phone call from Chris Jericho, that’s correct Chris will call the holders personally!

Apart from the ‘Remains Alive’ CD the pack also contains:

Fozzy Messenger Bag
Fozzy ‘We Are Huge Rock Stars T-Shirt’
Fozzy Lanyard w/ VIP Laminate (Access to meet the band at any Fozzy Show)
Fozzy All That Remains CD
Fozzy Guitar Picks
Fozzy Beer Cooler
Fozzy Badges x 2
Fozzy Shoelaces
Fozzy Dog Tags
Fozzy Metal Belt Buckle
Fozzy Sweatbands
Fozzy Bandana
Fozzy New Band Photo 8 x 10
& a
Fozzy Metal Key Chain!

The ‘Remains Alive’ CD & Survival Pack is only available online from Riot CLICK HERE to check it out in the Riot Store

These are extremely limited and are expected to go very quickly, so get in fast!

Remember the band Rock Goddess?  I didn’t think so.  This is all female UK hard rock band that was mainly active in the early to mid eighties.

Check out the live clips, “Heavy Metal Rock ‘N’ Roll”,  “Angel”, and “Satisfied and Crucified” below.

If you are interested in this CD, you can find at this link.

Frontiers Records is pleased to announce the release of BLACKWOOD CREEK self titled debut album on December 4th 2009 in Europe and January 12th 2010 in the USA.

BLACKWOOD CREEK is a Kip Winger side project put together with his brother Nate on drums and childhood friend Peter Fletcher on guitar. It all actually started in 1969 in Littleton, Colorado when  a 7 year old Kip Winger walked up to Peter Fletcher and said: “Hey, you got big lips, you wanna fight?”. Fletcher then stood up and towered over Winger at which point they started a band instead! They reconvened in the basement of the Wingers house where Kip’s older brother Nate was pounding on the drums. Blackwood Creek was born.

They went on to play every Jr. High and High school and eventually night clubs in their path, performing songs by their favorite bands like Grand Funk, Black Sabbath, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Led Zeppelin and their original songs which they were particularly passionate about, to the point of getting fired from jobs for not playing enough popular material.

In 1980 they went their separate ways. Nate and Fletcher went to Los Angeles,  Kip went to New York, where he landed a gig with Alice Cooper and then went on to form Winger. Nate recorded with many bands in L.A. including Ratt, Kix, Europe. Fletcher formed the Pigmy Love Circus, including drummer Danny Carey from Tool.

Blackwood Creek reformed in 2007 to record 11 new songs. It’s obvious that the chemistry is still rock solid. These 11 tracks embody 40 years of blood, sweat and tears of 3 musicians who started out together, went their separate ways and reform on common ground.

“Blackwood Creek” includes:

Out In Outer Space; Nothing But The Sun; Your Revolution; Dead Stung; After Your Heart; Albatross; Jimmy And Georgia; Rack Of Greed; Love Inspector; Joy Ride; Wooden Shoe.

Check out The Answer’s brand new video, “Comfort Zone”. The Answer’s new album, Everyday Demons is in stores now!

Long before the onslaught of Swedish glam & sleeze that is being released today, there was this  kick ass metal band from Sweden called Masquerade. My first introduction to the band was with their second CD, Surface of Pain, that was released in the United States via Metal Blade Records.  Masquerade has a sound that falls somewhere in between the sound of Dream Theater & Queensryche.  The music is heavy with a touch of progressive metal for good measure.

Surface of Pain has a bunch of cool tunes including “Judas Kiss”, “Suffering”( listen to this song below), “America” and “Mercy Me”.   In my opinion, there really isn’t a bad song in the bunch. Tony Johansson’s voice might not be in the same league as Geoff Tate’s, but his vocals have a huge impact on the songs here.  He has a solid range, and his style seems to be a good mesh with Thomas G:son’s guitar work.

It is a shame that a CD this good was majorly over looked by the masses.  This is a solid effort by

Masquerade.  The band should have had a lot more success with Surface of Pain.

Although Masquerade is not together currently, a couple of the band members have been active in other bands.  Singer Tony Yoanson was singing in the band Nocturnal Alliance, while Henrick Lundberg is playing bass for House of Heavy.

For more information on Masquerade, check out the band’s myspace page here.

You can find the CD Surface of Pain dirt cheap, at this link.  You can download the entire album off of iTunes for less than $6.00.  Check it out, you will be glad you did.

Rating: Out of 10

Track Listing:
1. Judas Kiss
2. Say Your Prayer
3. State of Grace
4. Suffering
5. End of Nothing
6. America
7. God of Man
8. Violation
9. Feels Good
10. Wasteland
11. Mercy Me
12. Free My Mind

Masquerade is:
Thomas  G:son – guitar
Tony Johansson – vocals
Marco Tapani – drums
Henrik Lundberg – bass

Australia’s KARNIVOOL present the first video from their upcoming release Sound Awake, out February 16, 2010 via SIN/SonyMusic Independent Network.

“Set Fire To The Hive,” with its distorted vocals, up-tempo vibe, raw prog-punk feel and vocalist Ian Kenny’s venomous delivery, sounds nothing like Karnivool have attempted before and takes the band into uncharted sonic territory.

Critical praise of Sound Awake has already started rolling in from overseas. Rolling Stone Australia awarded the album 4 STARS calling it “A sprawling work of melody, mood, tempo and musicianship… Intricacy, pedantry and perfection.”  Dan Slessor of KERRANG! exclaims, “Their sound is a fine one indeed – exploratory and spacious, heavy, truly epic, and gorgeously melodic.”

Produced by Forrester Savell (The Butterfly Effect, Mammal, Dead Letter Circus), Sound Awake is kaleidoscopic & multi-dimensional.  It delivers the band’s trademark sound and takes the listener to new heights as it ventures into innovative exploratory territory.

Check out the new video “The Takeover” from Minnesota rockers, New Medicine. Should “The Takeover” SINK or SWIM?  Decide with your votes below!

The roaring sounds of vintage metal blended with modern rock are on display throughout ‘Hafnium’ – the third release overall by the Pennsylvania-based outfit, Slik Helvetika, and their new video, for the lead-off single, “Wide.”

“..And now the science paper: Hf/Hafnium is within a periodic element group of science that has some unique characteristics regarding molecular structure, occasional radioactivity and sorts of morphing states,” explains Slik Helvetika’s singer/guitarist Mikhall Myers. ”It’s discovery, and the studies of it’s properties challenged Albert Einstein and top scientists to start thinking in new directions about alternate universes and incorporating further theorization on life and death states, and continually questioning, “What is time?” The HAFNIUM concept also tied in with some overwhelming feelings I felt when I lost my father – [which is what the title track is about]. It seemed as though his energies were within me as much, or more than when he was alive, hence the mark we leave on time stays here strong even after we are gone. So, do we really go away at all, or are we still existing in each past moment individually and situations we created in this consciousness as we know it? Is that possibly what a ghost is? Do we really ever die or are we still existing in a different plane of consciousness and could this be what religion calls heaven? How’s that for a heavy element?!”

Myers also offered to discuss the background of their new ass-kicking video clip. ”What is ‘Wide’ about? I was on some nutso sick adrenaline rush roller coaster, and I noticed most people were shitting their pants and had their eyes closed when it got to be too much, and I my eyes got wider open the crazier the ride got. Same is life. When you live on the edge there is a fine line between living at the max and capsizing. This song seemed to capture both the diabolical over the top energy as well as the whole catchy anthem motif. Shot at Mik’s house, so he couldn’t be late for the shoot!”

While Myers is the group’s undisputed leader, he is joined in the band by two other rock steady musicians, bassist Kjell Benner and drummer Mark [Truk] Bennett, both of which provide a killer rhythm section to Myers’ red hot guitar work. Myers: “‘Hafnium’ really showcases the band with way more mature songwriting, and with more diversity – without sounding like a different band. It features different grooves, a broader selection of instrumentation, and more soul. The debut was a lot more like driving ’80s metal melody and ripping guitars 24/7.” And how does Myers feel Slik Helvetika fit in with the modern metal scene? “Slik Hel’s music has that cool bottom-end groove and rhythm that a lot of the new metal features.but merges a lot of the melody from the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s that some people are starting to miss. We don’t rap or cookie monster growl through all the verses and wait for the chorus for the hook…we’re giving you melody and energy through the whole song.”

This is especially evident on such standout tracks as “Burnt” and “Heal Me,” while Myers has a few personal favorites. “We have to really like the songs for them to be on the album to start with, so these are our favorite 10 out of 20. But if I have to pick some, “Money Tree,” because it grabs you right away with hooks everywhere. It comes off a lot heavier and guttural when we play it live – it’s about sex and if you are gonna be cheesy, this is the way to do it!
“Hafnium” was a favorite right away – it is an epic song and gut wrenchingly emotional for me, since it’s written about losing my father and it seems to translate to the listener as well. Also, fan reaction to “Reign” during the shows leads me to believe it is a favorite among listeners.” And it shouldn’t be long until fans can experience Slik Helvetika live on a concert stage, as their
plan for world domination is to play “As many festivals, tours, and shows as we can get.” With the release of ‘Hafnium,’ Slik Helvetika gives this scientific structure a whole new meaning of heavy.

Confirmed track listing for ‘Hafnium’:

Misery
Money Tree
Heal Me
Burnt
Yourself
Hafnium
Reign
Wide
Fremd Gehirn Fressen
Cadaver
King of Nowhere

For more information, visit:

www.myspace.com/slikhelvetika

www.slikhelvetika.com

Link To ITunes.
http://www.apple.com/search/ipoditunes/?q=hafnium

Alicia Blü, guitarist for the all-female group Cockpit, will be the special guest on the internationally syndicated Hard Rock Nights from November 6-12. Preparing for an opening slot with the Supersuckers in California, Alicia takes a few minutes to talk about Cockpit’s debut EP, “Mission To Rock,” placement of the band’s music in television shows, and her favorite guitarist, Doug Aldrich.

Cockpit’s press release shows some of the major influences on their style and sound: “Heavy Judas Priest-style guitar riffs?  Check.  Bass lines stolen from Motörhead and KISS?  Check.  Fat, punchy AC/DC drums?  Check.  What more could you ask from a band that promises the return of rock?  How about anthem-esque hooks, tasty guitar solos and choruses worthy of an arena?  Check, check and most definitely check.”

To learn more about Cockpit, visit the band’s website at http://www.ilovecockpit.com, Myspace at http://www.myspace.com/cockpit, and Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/cockpitrocks.

# # #

Hard Rock Nights is a weekly syndicated radio program featuring hard rock music from the 1970s-today. Contact JT for affiliate information.

Capturing all the emotional force and fury of today’s rock scene, Frontiers Records proudly announces the signing of one of the hottest new bands to come on the scene: THE MURDER OF MY SWEET.

Formed by drummer, songwriter and producer Daniel Flores who after a few false starts of what was to become THE MURDER OF MY SWEET just by coincidence came across the magnificent singer Angelica Rylin – well endowed with the right look, voice and talents, being exactly what Daniel was searching for. The rest of THE MURDER OF MY SWEET’s line up was then rather easily recruited – guitarist Daniel Palmqvist, bass player Johan Niemann and keyboardist Andreas Lindahl all being mentally, creatively and spiritually the right combination to complete the perfect match.

THE MURDER OF MY SWEET’s sound is rich in influence and yet distinctly unique. The lush melodic cinematic landscapes reflect the diversity of the five members own musical experiences. From Angelica’s soaring vocal melodies and sweeping choruses to the explosive layers of guitars from Palmqvist and the thrilling orchestratic keyboard arrangements painted by Andreas Lindahl backed by the bombastic and dynamic rhythms of Niemann and Flores. The resulting collaborations are a work both haunting and uplifting –fueled by the curiosity of seeing where their burning ambitions will take them.

“All of us in THE MURDER OF MY SWEET are highly excited to be collaborating and releasing our debut album with such an experienced and talented label as Frontiers” says Daniel Flores. “We feel extremely privileged to be band mates with such great bands as Journey, Toto and Survivor to mention just a few” adds Angelica, “we are looking forward to launch and to get our music heard world wide. A special thank you goes out to all our fans on Myspace who have been so dedicated and devoted since the start in 2007”.

Without any album released – just by word of mouth – THE MURDER OF MY SWEET managed to entire in the Top 10 of most visited Myspace artists sites in Sweden and had fan sites created in Italy, USA, France and Germany!

THE MURDER OF MY SWEET’s aim is to create a distorted film noir vibe and experience – put the wonder, sadness, humor and sheer zest of life into their music tour de force. Playing it to the point where their drama explode –as the music and the words becomes the utmost expression of direct and ecstatic joy of pure being.

THE MURDER OF MY SWEET are debuting on the market with the release of a single for the track “Bleed Me Dry” which will be exclusively released in the band’s home country, Sweden on November 13th 2009. The band will also present the release with a launch gig in their hometown Stockholm on the same day at the Roq Club in Gyldéngatan 2 (www.roq.se)

The single cd tracklisting includes Bleed Me Dry, Bleed Me Dry (instrumental version), Sands of Time (non-album track).

Watch now the “Bleed Me Dry” videoclip:

The debut album entitled “Divanity” will be released worldwide on Frontiers Records in January 2010.

Weblinks: www.myspace.com/themurderofmysweet

THE MURDER OF MY SWEET races ahead with an unforgettable thrill of your lifetime
flavour. Check the band out in action.

Frontiers Records is pleased to announce the release of the long awaited ON THE RISE second album “Dream Zone” on December 4th in Europe and January 12th in the USA..

ON THE RISE debut album caused a stir among the Melodic Rock fans community in 2003. Several magazines stated that ON THE RISE created the Melodic Rock ultimate debut album, boasting influences from the likes of Toto, Nelson and Boston with elements of the typical Scandinavian melodic rock. Thanks to the amazing songwriting and vocal abilities of founding member Terje Eide, ON THE RISE were catapulted in a few weeks on the headlines of all the Melodic Rock press.

Hailing from Bergen, Norway, Terje Eide is now the only member of ON THE RISE. His musical career started at 17 when he won a local talent contest. He later enjoyed a stint with the band Heaven & Hell, a rock institution in Bergen in the 80s. In 1986 he won the Norwegian National Rock Championship on national TV with the band The Heat. Terje went back to his Melodic Rock roots in 2000 starting a project who later on became ON THE RISE. A demo was made in early 2001 which immediately raised the interest of Frontiers Records who signed the project in June 2002.

“I’m very happy with the new album” says Terje, “The songs are catchy, groovy and they’ve got the strong choruses and melody lines that I always want them to have. It’s been a joyful musical journey. It’s an album I can support 110%. It’s got the typical ON THE RISE sound, but at some point it’s a little rougher than what has been written and produced before“. Some songs have been written by Terje in collaboration with Christian Wolff (who also appears playing keyboards and some bass and guitars on the record). Christian appeared already as songwriter in the Ambition album (featuring vocals by Thom Griffin of Trillion) and is currently collaborating with Joe Vana on the second Mecca record. Other musicians include Erik Engebretsen on drums and Eric Ragno on keyboards, while Terje took care of the vast majority of the guitar parts and all vocals, together with some keyboards and bass.

“Dream Zone” final tracklisting includes:

Lifeline; Lost Your Track; Dream Zone; Edellyn; Alive; In the Line of Fire; Get Out of Here; Fly Away; No Time To Lose; Why Wait Another Day; Tomorrow Never Dies; Howling at The Moon, Find a Way (bonus track).

Them Crooked Vultures is made up of Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme, Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl and Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones. They are releasing their self-titled debut album on November 17^th. The album is available for pre-order on iTunes now. You can also download their first single, “Mind Eraser, No Chaser”, for free on iTunes!

Get the Free Download At This Link!

The Swedish metal band Lion’s Share released their sixth album, Dark Hours in 2009.  This is the first album that I have checked out from them.  Judging from the cool tunes on Dark Hours, I have a lot of catching up to. The music on this CD reminds me of a cross between Judas Priest, and Thunderstone, with a dabble of Sabbath for good measure.

I don’t know why it took me so long to check out this band, but one thing is for certain, they are bloody good. Patrik Johansson has a fantastic voice, and Lars Chriss is one amazing axeman.

My first taste was with the awesome rocker, “Judas Must Die” (see video below).  If you like this tune, you are going to love Lion’s Share. “Phantom Rider” demands immediate replays.  This riff heavy tune is going to please the most persnickety head bangers on the planet.  What a great song!

“Heavy Cross to Bear” could have easily been on the last Black Sabbath record.  Its deep tones and heavy bass line, mixed with some cool keyboards could give Iommi and company a run for their money.

Lion’s Share has released one kick ass, melodic metal monster with Dark Hours. I could not find one bad tune on this CD.  Lion’s Share has dished out one of my favorite metal albums of 2009.

You can check out some of the songs from Dark Hours on the Lion’s Share myspace page.  Check them out, you will be glad you did!

Rating:  Out of 10

Track Listing:

1. Judas Must Die
2. Phantom Rider
3. Demon In Your Mind
4. Heavy Cross To Bear
5. The Bottomless Pit
6. Full Metal Jacket
7. The Presidio 27
8. Barker Ranch
9. Napalm Nights
10. Space Scam
11. Behind The Curtain

Lion’s Share is:

Lars Chriss – Guitars
Patrik Johansson – Lead Vocals
Sampo Axelsson – Bass
Conny Pettersson – Drums

Something To Burn have made a brand new video available for the song “Say Goodbye,” which can be viewed below. STB released their new album Transitions digitally on September 15th on Softdrive Records, owned by Scott Weiland.  You can buy your download of Transitions here.

“Say goodbye to all the cookie cutter screamo/emo/metalcore bands & hello to the upcoming sophomore release from Sister Sin. “

-Its been  little over a year since “Switchblade Serenades” hit the streets and we felt it was about time to announce that we´re entering the studio again on February the 1^st to record what will be known as  the “True Sound of the Underground” for a 2010 release

This time Henrik Edenhed will produce & mix. We will lay down all the tracks in Stockholm at Studio 301 and Cosmos Studios.

-More to come so stay tuned for additional details & info soon.

Blaze Bayley’s second studio album ‘Promise and Terror’ will be released on the band’s own label – Blaze Bayley Recordings – on 1 February 2010 and distributed by Plastic Head.

The accompanying World Tour kicks off in the UK on 6^th February 2010 with European & South American tour dates to follow.

On 25 September the book ‘At The End Of The Day’ was released.  This follows the story of ‘Blaze’ Bayley Cooke from Wolfsbane to Iron Maiden to BLAZE and, ultimately, to the current self-titled Blaze Bayley band.  ‘At The End Of The Day’ is available to buy from the band’s website.

The double live album and live DVD ‘The Night That Will Not Die’, recorded at Z7 in Switzerland, have also been released on Blaze Bayley Recordings; the concert filmed by director Kris McManus and all audio mixed and mastered by producer Jase Edwards.

www.blazebayley.net

Today’s Biggest Bands in Rock Combine Their #1 Hits for New Tour

Multi-platinum, 2009 American Music Award nominee Shinedown and multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated Papa Roach announce co-headlining dates. Two of today’s biggest bands in rock, each delivering #1 rock hits this year (Shinedown’s “Second Chance” and “Sound Of Madness” and Papa Roach’s “Lifeline”) will kick off the tour December 5th in Highland Heights, KY. Tickets for Highland Heights, KY, Erie, PA and Binghamton, NY are available now and additional dates go on sale this weekend. To buy, please visit: www.shinedown.com.

One of the most successful rock bands of the decade, Shinedown has amassed a staggering record of 10 consecutive top 5 rock radio hits over their 3 studio albums. The Jacksonville, Florida-based band’s latest single, “If You Only Knew,” is already #10 on the Active Rock charts and climbing, with the companion video in rotation at VH1 and Fuse. Last month, Shinedown performed the song on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” and, later this month, the band will be attending the 2009 American Music Awards, where they’ve been nominated for “Favorite Alternative Rock Artist” alongside Kings Of Leon and Green Day. “If You Only Knew” follows the breakthrough success of “Second Chance,” one of the biggest cross over hits of the year with nearly 2 millions singles sold and going to #1 at Hot AC and top 5 at Top 40 after topping the Alternative, Active and Mainstream Rock charts. Both songs are featured on Shinedown’s current album, “The Sound Of Madness.” Produced by multiple-Grammy Award winner Rob Cavallo, “The Sound Of Madness” debuted at #8 on The Billboard 200 chart upon release last summer and has since been RIAA-certified Gold, spawning 3 consecutive #1 rock singles (“Devour,” “Second Chance” and “Sound Of Madness”).

“We’re really excited to combine forces with Papa Roach on these dates. Just like us, they bring it every night for their fans,” says Shinedown frontman Brent Smith. “I guarantee you this… it’s gonna be LOUD!”

Papa Roach frontman Jacoby Shaddix adds, “We are stoked to be touring with Shinedown, we have a lot of love and respect for them. It’s been a long time coming, be prepared, both bands are going to annihilate the stage.”

Known for their electrifying live shows, Papa Roach have been touring nonstop behind their new album and fifth studio recording, “Metamorphosis,” which debuted at #8 on The Billboard 200 chart earlier this year. Papa Roach is currently on tour with Australian sensation JET and fresh off the heels of their summer tour alongside Nickelback. Shaddix says, “Playing shows every night is what we’re built for. We make a club feel like an arena and we make an arena feel like a club.” Indeed Hit Parader raves, “Papa Roach’s live energy is like a pack of wild horses — unbridled and uncontainable.” “Metamorphosis” has already spawned the hits “Lifeline” and “I Almost Told You That I Loved You,” with “Had Enough” hitting radio now. “Had Enough” and many other songs on “Metamorphosis” address the current social and economic themes prevalent today.

Shinedown will be donating a portion of the proceeds from the tour to the Center for Autism & Related Disabilities (CARD) at the University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville. The hometown center works to educate and empower individuals and families through support, assistance and awareness within the community to optimize the potential of all individuals with autism and related disabilities. For more information about CARD, please visit www.shinedown.com.

Launching on this tour, Papa Roach has partnered with WHY (World Hunger Year — www.whyhunger.org) to support local and national efforts to end hunger and poverty. The band will be auctioning off special VIP fan experiences via www.paparoach.com including meet and greets, an interview with the band, side-stage tickets, soundcheck access and much more — with all proceeds going to WHY. In addition to raising money, Papa Roach will build awareness from the stage along their tour stops and visit local food banks and homeless shelters to lend support. The statistics are staggering: 36.2 million Americans are hungry and every day almost 16,000 children from around the globe die from hunger-related causes. Shaddix explains, “We’re proud to work with World Hunger Year to help those in need. We’ve been fortunate enough to have a voice and we want to use it by giving back. We encourage everyone to help out their local communities.”

Papa Roach on Tour with Shinedown:

12/5 Highland Heights, KY Bank of KY Center on-sale now
12/6 Erie, PA Erie Civic Center on-sale now
12/8 Binghamton, NY Broome County Veterans
Memorial Arena
with Shinedown and Halestorm on-sale now
12/12 Cedar Rapids, IA US Cellular Center with
Shinedown and Halestorm on-sale: 11/6
12/15 Rockford, IL Rockford MetroCentre with
Shinedown and Halestorm on-sale: 11/6
12/16 Poplar Bluff, MO Black River Coliseum with
Shinedown and Halestorm on-sale: 11/6

**PLEASE SEE www.shinedown.com AND www.paparoach.com FOR UPDATED TOUR
SCHEDULES**

Fans of Melodic Rock and AOR acts such as Journey, Giant, Whitesnake, and others will wet themselves after hearing the new project featuring Jeff Scott Soto, Lead Vocals,  Robert Sall, Guitars, and Erik Martensson, Guitars, Bass, & Keyboards, appropriately titled W.E.T.

“W.E.T” (Work of Art, Eclipse, Talisman) is an acronym for the bands which comprise this new act and if you are not familiar with the members previous work you should get ready for an album filled with big melodic hooks, fiery guitars, and melodies galore. Along with a little help from Magnus Henriksson, Guitars, and Robban Back, on Drums, W.E.T. have put together one of the best melodic rock records of the year.

“Invincible” is the perfect opener giving us a taste of what we can expect on this album right from the start with it grand keyboards, a driving intro from Martensson on guitar, and of course JSS’s vocals, who I think is one of the most underrated singers in the music business today. “One Love” was my first taste of W.E.T. and I was instantly hooked with it’s radio ready chorus, outstanding background vocals, and a great driving bass line that combined make you want to crank up the volume and sing along at the top of your lungs. Much like “Invincible” and “One Love”, “Brothers In Arms” is another radio friendly track custom made to light up the bics and cell phones throughout the stadiums.

Very seldom, am I impressed with ballads, but not only am I impressed with “Comes Down Like Rain” it is the best song on this album  and quite possibly one of the best songs of the year. JSS sings this song to absolute perfection and Magnus Henriksson plays one of the best solos I’ve heard this year. “Comes Down Like Rain” is one of those songs you just want to put on repeat and listen to it over and over non-stop. “Running From The Heartache”  is a mid tempo track in the vein of Giant and Foreigner, Erik Martensson continues to impress me with his keyboards which enhance this album instead of trying to overpower the album like a lot of keyboards tend to do.

Other stand-out tracks include “I’ll Be There”, “Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is”, “My Everything” and “If I Fall”. If you like your rock a little on the heavier side W.E.T. may not be your cup of tea, but if you like songs filled with sing along choruses, background vocals, and some stellar guitar and keyboards, W.E.T. will definitely fit the bill. I can’t see fans of Journey, Giant, Hardline, or Foreigner not having this album in their collection. Hopefully this will not be the first and last W.E.T. album, as I am definitely looking forward to seeing how the band can progress after this debut.

Rating: Out of 10

Track Listing:

01. Invincible
02. One Love
03. Brothers In Arms
04. Comes Down Like Rain
05. Running From The Heartache
06. I’ll Be There
07. Damage Is Done
08. Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is
09. One Day At A Time
10. Just Go
11. My Everything
12. If I Fall

W.E.T. is:

Jeff Scott Soto: All Lead Vocals
Erik Martensson: Guitars, Bass, Keyboards, Background Vocals
Robert Säll: Lead Guitar on Running From the Heartache.

With
Robban Back: Drums

‘77, the new hard rock act from Spain, has released a new album, 21st Century Rock.  Check out their new video, “Big Smoker Pig”.

Frontiers Records announces the return of GIANT for the release of a brand new album in early 2010.

After recording two albums with christian rockers Whiteheart in the early 80’s and having made a name as session players in the Pop and Rock scene, guitarist / vocalist Dann Huff and his drummer brother David hooked up with Alan Pasqua, an experienced keyboards player which lent his talents to loads of Jazz and Rock artists and Nashville session bass player Mike Brignardello to form Giant.

They eventually signed with A&M Records and released 1989’s “Last of the Runaways”, featuring a classic, melodic hard rock sound, which yielded a top-twenty hit with “I’ll See You in My Dreams“. Giant’s debut album is still regarded nowadays as one of the highest points in melodic hard rock of the end of the eighties melting diverse influences such as Van Halen, Journey and U2 to create an instantly recognizable sound. After countless tours and live performances in the US and Europe, the band recorded the follow up album Time to Burn in 1991. Slightly more aggressive than it’s predecessor, but still magnificent in the production and songwriting departments. this album is also regarded as a main source of influence for many melodic and hard rock bands nowadays.

Soon after the release of “Time To Burn”, Alan Pasqua decided to quit the band and went back to session work. The band toured once again Europe and US without him, but soon after disbanded. Dann Huff then became one of the most respected producers of our era, working in the Rock, Pop and Country Music with countless artists including Shania Twain, Megadeth, Faith Hill and several others. His brother David also started to become more and more involved in the production business and thanks to a mutual friend he was introduced in 1999 to Frontiers Records managers Serafino Perugino and Mario de Riso. This eventually brought to a meeting in Chicago were the label proposed David to bring back the name and the music of such a great band. The “III” album was released in 2001 with major acclaim in the Classic and Melodic Hard Rock community.

However Dann’s busy schedule along with the other members’ commitments, made the reunion impossible to carry on. However the vision of bringing back Giant as a living band unit with a recording and touring line-up and with of course the possibility to carry on the enormous legacy of the music produced so far with the same quality was raised a few times in conversations between David Huff and Frontiers. As time went by it became apparent that Dann Huff could not be a full part of this concept, even though he loved everything that Giant was. Thus original members, drummer David Huff and bassist Mike Brignardello, who wanted to go back to Rock, started an endless research for the right musicians that could be part of a renewed Giant line-up. And in the end the choice fell on singer extraordinaire Terry Brock (Strangeways, Seventh Key) and on John Roth (Winger) on guitars. David Huff comments: “Yes, we have decided to move forward. But we’re not trying to replace Dann, because that could never be done. We have picked up where we left off and have added a great new flavor. We will always stay close to the original core of what Giant was: a melodic arena rock band based around guitar riffs. We will stay with the same principle of vocals too–great harmonies and melodies. Terry’s vocal style is very complimentary to Giant’s core sound–he has tremendous feel (soul) and range along with power. John’s guitar playing is very powerful too”.

The band has completed the songwriting and according to David: “It feels good to be working on Giant again! In early April we had an incredible week with the new Giant line-up, we have some great new songs and we are working also on some ideas that have been taking dust on the shelf for years. Dann was part of our meeting and has co-written several songs which no doubt have his guitar flavors all over them. He was also very excited and he has agreed to appear in the album playing guitar on two songs”.

It is now possible to hear a sample from the first single “Promised Land”, which will also be the title track of the forthcoming album, that will exclusively appear on the Rock the Bones vol. 7 sampler that will be on sale from November 7^th. More song titles include: Our Love, Complicated Man, Two Worlds, Plenty of Love, I’ll Wait For You and more.

GO HERE to download “Awake,” a blistering new track from Mutiny Within. The download will take place for 24 hours only, available now and ending tomorrow (11/3) at 11 PM EST.

GO HERE to check out footage of the band performing “Awake” live on tour with Soulfly!

For the majority of 2009 I have been preaching to anyone that will listen how great English rockers Heaven’s Basement are and how big I think they are going to be. So naturally I was thrilled when I made contact with drummer Chris Rivers back in August on the possibility of interviewing the band. The band agreed and everything was set to go and unfortunately as fast as it came together it also ground to a halt with the announcement of bassist Rob Randell leaving the band for personal reasons, a few canceled dates, and finding a new bass player, and not to mention getting back on the road to finish a European tour.

Finally Chris and I were able to make contact and reschedule, so  now without further delay I proudly present to you one of the best new bands of 2009…Heaven’s Basement!

HRH: First off guys I would like to thank you for taking the time to talk to us here at Hard Rock Hideout.

Chris Rivers:: Our pleasure! Thank you!!

HRH: For the fans that may not know four of you guys (Richie, Chris, Rob, and Jonny) have been playing together for quiet a while first as Hurricane Party and then Roadstar. You released an e.p. as Hurricane Party and two kick ass albums as Roadstar.

Chris Rivers: Rob is actually no longer a member of the band, but yes, myself, Richie and Jonny have played together for 3-4 years in those bands. Jonny and Rob were actually the roots of this band, they have played together in bands since they were 14 years old. Myself and Richie joined Hurricane Party later on, we released one E.P as Hurricane Party on Sanctuary Records, soon after this the band changed name to Roadstar and later released 2 albums, the second was released at the same time as we split up.

HRH: What happened with the band as Roadstar after the release of the second album (Glass Mountain)?

Chris Rivers: We got ourselves into a very bad and unproductive situation with the bands management/label, it happened over time and one day we just all looked at each and said what the fuck have we got ourselves into. It wasn’t always like that, during the Hurricane Party days we had a fairly healthy working relationship with the people that worked for us and with us but that took a massive wrong turn around the time we changed name.

It came to the point were we all became sick of it and situation we were in, it didn’t feel like our band anymore so we ended it. We had some great times during that band, but it was totally clear to us when we had to leave it behind.

HRH: How long was it after Roadstar finished that you decided to give it another go?

Chris Rivers: After Roadstar split we all took about 6 months out in which we all went separate ways and done our own thing, we keep in touch and would regularly meet up to party, hang out etc.. It was only a matter of time before we started jamming together again! I think we all knew it was coming, it was just important for us to take some time out. There was no doubt that any of us wouldn’t be in a band again.

HRH: How did you come up with the name Heaven’s Basement?

Chris Rivers: During a party at Richie’s flat it was suggested we go down to Hevenz’s basement for a jam ! it stuck with us from then!

HRH: Was it frustrating starting over 3x as a band just when it seemed you were starting to build some momentum?

Chris Rivers: Not really, Heaven’s Basement was totally different to anything we had done in the past! It was just us five with no ties or music industry bullshit to deal with, just 5 guys who love playing music, the band was born on energy and good times..it wasn’t forced. If we didn’t feel any vibe we wouldn’t have bothered,  we didn’t have an attitude of ‘oh fuck, we gotta start again and get back to where we were fast!!’ When we started Heaven’s Basement we wanted to build up right from the start on our terms so it was an exciting challenge for us.

HRH: You have some great songs from Roadstar and Hurricane Party such as Crown of Thorns, Roadstar, Hold My Love, Stone, Get This, Rays, and especially If You Say. Do you still play any of these songs live or is there a chance we could hear new versions of them in the future?

Chris Rivers: 100% no, that’s all history for us, there is more chance of me becoming King of England haha! We need to make it clear that Heaven’s Basement is not another version of the former band,  it just so happens that 3 of us played in bands together in the past!

HRH: When did Sid Glover come on board as guitarist replacing Robin Hirschfield?

Chris Rivers: Sid joined as the band’s touring guitarist about 6 months before the end.

HRH: How did the band meet Sid?

Chris Rivers: A few of us met him at a guitar show a few years back and kept in touch.

HRH: The band has always had a bluesy sound a’la Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones. What are some of the other bands to influence Heaven’s Basement?

Chris Rivers: We take our influences from many genres of music, we don’t try to sound like one thing really..we know what we are which is a good time rock n roll band with influences of blues, punk and glam but we all listen to lots of different types of music so all those influences come into our song writing and live show.

HRH: You guys are a songwriting machine. You have a 6 song e.p. available on I-Tunes and Heavensbasement.com but you have posted around 16 songs on your Myspace and Heavensbasement.com player. Of the songs I’ve heard so far Can’t Let Go, N.P.D., Mirrors, and Such Is Life are my favorites, but to be honest I haven’t heard a bad song from you guys yet.

Chris Rivers: Cool, thanks! we feel our song writing is getting stronger all the time, there are so many ideas between the 5 of us that sometimes we have too much to work with haha! we are really excited about when we get into writing our debut album, we already have loads of ideas for it.

HRH: How did the band decide what songs would make the e.p.?

Chris Rivers: To be honest, we didn’t have many songs at the time, so we just got into the studio and slammed them down in about 2 days,  the songs that are on there are actually the only ones we recorded! We recorded ‘Can’t let go’, ‘Misunderstood’, ‘10 Minutes’ and ‘deadman’ in different session. Those tracks were produced by Bob Marlette, Bob is one of the most talented guys we have ever met..he’s an absolute pleasure to work with and really knows how to get the best out of a band. We are really excited about working with Bob again in the future!

HRH: What are some favorites of the band?

Chris Rivers: Live favorites are ‘Tear’, ‘Reign’, ‘Executions Day’..also the heavy shit like ‘10 mins’ is fun to play! I personally love the tracks where I get to really lay into my drums haha!

HRH: When will the world get a full album from Heaven’s Basement?

Chris Rivers: We are aiming for early 2010, that’s the plan.. we want to have it released before summer 2010, we will then do the full euro festival circuit next summer. We are still looking for the right label home, offers have come our way but nothing has felt right as of yet and we haven’t felt a desperate need to find a label so we won’t rush that side of things.

HRH: Will it be all new songs or will it have previously released songs also?

Chris Rivers: It will be all new songs, I am 99% sure of that.

HRH: Will you be posting anymore new songs on Myspace or the band’s website in the near future?

Chris Rivers: We will actually have some brand new tracks on our myspace in the coming weeks!!

HRH: The band tours like crazy, you just wrapped up a tours with Buckcherry, appearance at Sonisphere, and Papa Roach. What were those experiences like?

Chris Rivers: Amazing! At the end of the day Heaven’s Basement is a live band, thats where we do our thing. Being on the road has become second nature to us, we are still unsigned so we don’t have a label giving us tour support, we have to support ourselves and we do it very well! Its quite a nice feeling to be able to do it that way, hard work pays off you know. We have had a great summer touring alongside the likes of Black Stone Cherry, Tesla, Shinedown, Papa Roach and Buckcherry..there are so many stories from these tours already haha! Playing with bands of of that caliber really pushes you to become better as well, sometimes a good arse kicking is a good thing!

HRH: You just came off the road with Papa Roach. What were those shows like?

Chris Rivers:..It was insane!!!! the crowds were wild and Papa Roach/Madina Lake are all great to hang with.

HRH: Now the big question when are you guys going to hit the U.S.?

Chris Rivers: Ask Buckcherry;) .. we want to get over to the states asap, I am sure we will be over in 2010 to take a break from Europe.

HRH: It seems like 5 new bands from Sweden come out every week, but the U.K. has been holding it’s own with new hard rock bands making noise not only Heaven’s Basement but the Answer, Million Dollar Reload, and the Glitterati to name a few. What are some of the other British bands we should keep our eyes and ears open for?

Chris Rivers: Yeah, there is a few good bands in the UK that are touring hard like us guys,  we have never really give a fuck about scenes, we are quite happy to do our own thing with or without other bands but there is no doubt that a few bands doing the same thing does help each other out, just like the the New wave of British metal back in the 80s, the thrash scene in LA, the grunge scene..etc etc. I would recommend people check out the following bands, Dear Superstar,  New Device, The Crave, Decadenze, Sworn to Oath, Hollywood Tease, Tequila Rocking Bird and Wired Desire. These are all bands we have played with that are touring the UK hard.

HRH: I’m a big fan of all your music both as Roadstar and Heaven’s Basement and I could sit here all day asking questions. But is there anything else you would like to tell the fans before I let you go?

Chris Rivers: Sure, a big thanks to everyone that has supported us guys, no matter when from and where from, it means everything to us.

HRH: One more question besides Heavensbasement.com and Myspace where else can the fans find you online?

Chris Rivers: Facebook and Twitter!

HRH: Thank you for taking the time to talk to us today we really appreciate it.

Chris Rivers:  Thanks Brian and Hard Rock Hideout for taking the time to do this!

Note: As I was putting the final touches on this interview, Heaven’s Basement announced Rob Randell’s replacement had been found. His name ironically is Rob (no last name needed)

Check out the brand new video “Skeleton Key” from Souls of We, featuring George Lynch on guitar!

Monster Magnet’s song, “Heads Explode” was featured on the 2001 album, God Says No. It was also on the Dracula 2000 soundtrack.

On a side note, the Dracula 2000 soundtrack also featured songs from Disturbed, Powerman 5000, Saliva, System of A Down and more.  You can find new copies of this soundtrack for less than $3.00, at this link.

Look for KISS to headline the Guitar Hero stage on November 19 with a three song track pack that’s sure to satiate the KISS fan in everyone. The track pack will feature “Modern Day Delilah,” the first single off their new album, Sonic Boom, “Lick It Up,” the title track from their 1983 album, Lick it Up, and “I Was Made for Loving You,” KISS’s second Gold single.

KISS Track Packs will be available on 11/19/09 via Xbox Live Marketplace for Xbox 360 for 440 Microsoft Points, on the PlayStation Store for the PS3 for $5.49 and for Wii for 550 Wii Points. In addition, all songs in the KISS Track Pack will be released as downloadable singles for Xbox 360 for 160 Microsoft Points each, PS3 for $1.99 each and Wii for 200 Wii Points each.

While you wait, you can also rock out to KISS right now in GH5, which features “Shout It Out Loud!” For more information, visit www.guitarhero.com.

Aussie rockers Mammal sent out the following message tonight:

Due to long standing personal, political, musical and business differences, Mammal has decided it cannot continue and is no more.

Ezekiel Ox will be releasing the debut album for his folk/rock outfit THE OX AND THE FURY early 2010, as well as continuing to work with super-producer and long time friend Forrester Savell on their new incarnation SMASH NOVA. He will also continue his activist work with Musicians Against Police Violence (MAPV) and Melbourne Copwatch.

Pete, Nick and Zane will continue to work together with a new project scheduled for 2010.

We would like to thank all of our families and friends for all their love and support over these last 4 years. We would also like to give thanks and love to all the great bands we have had the pleasure of sharing the stage with, in particular Cog – a big thank you for giving us our start.

But most importantly we wish to thank the fans for their unbelievably loyal and heartfelt support which gave us the opportunity to play some amazing shows, to release our records and travel the world. We will never forget these times.

Peace, Love and Music.
Mammal

Happy Halloween from Hard Rock Hideout!  Enjoy our block of creepy rock & metal videos below!

The 69 Eyes – Dead Girls Are Easy

Pantera – Cemetary Gates

Blood Sucking Zombies From Outer Space  – Monster Mutant Boogie

The Misfits -Dig Up Her Bones

Lordi – Would You Love A Monsterman?

Twisted Sister – Be Cruel To Your School

The Monster Mash

When I recently found Vamp’s debut CD, The Rich Don’t Rock, I had to buy it. I could only vaguely remember this hair metal act from the late 80’s. I use to own this on cassette ages ago, but I couldn’t recall anything about the music. Judging from the CD cover, I was pretty sure that the music on this disc was going to be pure cheese. My incessant need to find the rarest rock on the planet wasn’t going to stop me from picking this up.

Oddly enough, this band is far better than I expected them to be. Vamp is not a Sunset Strip, Van Halen wanna be.  They are a German hard rock act whose musical roots seem to stem deeper than the rock coming out of Los Angeles in the 80’s. Ricolf Cross dishes out some wicked six string work on this CD. I am extremely impressed with his playing.  Where is this guy now?

Singer Tom Bellini’s voice takes a little bit to get used to, but it grows on you. He kind of reminds me of a higher pitched Kevin DuBrow.  Drummer Dicki Fliszar gets some moments to shine too. He has a pretty cool drum solo in the tune “All Nite”. I thought that was unusual, and cool all at the same time.

The best songs on this CD are “Like I Want” (my personal favorite), “Rich Don’t Rock”, “All Nite” and “Stand By Me”.

Very little information is available on the guys in Vamp. The Rich Don’t Rock is their only CD. Drummer Dicki Fliszar went on to play drums in the band SKIN.  The rest of the gents in the band are at large in the musical world. If you know what these guys are up to today, let us know.

Is The Rich Don’t Rock worth picking up? If you can find it, absolutely.  This CD has been out of print for a long time and is very hard to find.  There are a bunch of quality rockers on this disc, and I am definitely getting a kick out of them.  I am glad I rediscovered this band in 2009. Everyone needs a little Vamp before Halloween right?!

You can listen to the song, “Heartbreak, Heartache” and “Renegade” at the band’s myspace page.

Rating: Out of 10

Track Listing:
1.Heartbreak, Heartache
2. Like I Want
3. Rich Don’t Rock
4. Love Games
5. Renegade
6. All Nite
7. Lonely Nights
8. Stand by Me
9. Bleeding
10. Talk Is Cheap
11. Shout
12. Why

Vamp is:
Tom Bellini – vocals
Ricolf Cross – guitar
Oliver Scholz – bass
Dicki Fliszar – drums

Check out the latest video from Vampire rockers Soulidium, “Live Forever”. This video features the goth & metal girls of Vicious Angels.  Happy Halloween!!