Category: Hard Rock News
3 Hard Rock News – 3/22/2007 – Jorn Lande/ KISS
ALLEN/LANDE – The Revenge Due Out In May
Frontiers Records has announced the release of The Revenge the greatly anticipated second charter of the Allen / Lande musical alliance on May 11. The first result of Jorn Lande (ex-MASTERPLAN) and Russell Allen’s (SYMPHONY X) collaboration, The Battle was unleashed in September 2005.
Once again songs were written by guitar sensation Magnus Karlsson (STARBREAKER, LAST TRIBE), the second chapter aptly titled The Revenge is ready to be unleashed, with cover art specifically designed for this project by Rodney Matthews (DIAMOND HEAD, MAGNUM, ASIA) and heavier and with a tighter production, thanks to the involvement of Dennis Ward (PINK CREAM 69, ANGRA, PLACE VENDOME) at the mix.
The Revenge will include the following songs: ‘The Revenge’ (vocals: Jorn and Russell), ‘Obsessed’ (Russell), ‘Victory’ (Jorn and Russell), ‘Master Of Sorrow’ (Jorn), ‘Will You Follow’ (Russell), ‘Just A Dream’ (Jorn and Russell), ‘Her Spell’ (Jorn), ‘Gone Too Far’ (Russell), ‘Wake Up Call’ (Jorn and Russell), ‘Under The Waves’ (Jorn), ‘Who Can You Trust’ (Jorn and Russell), ‘When Time Doesn’t Heal’ (Jorn and Russell).
The Revenge will be out in Europe on Frontiers Records on May 11, with release in Japan scheduled on King Records.
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Sebastian Bach opens an EBAY store
Former SKID ROW frontman Sebastian Bach has posted the following message on his official web site:
“Anyone who has seen my MTV ‘Cribs’ episode knows that I have a lot of rock stuff. In fact, I have so much stuff that it is literally now overtaking my whole house. I just don’t have room for all of it! So my company Get Off My Bach Productions has opened the official Sebastian Bach eBay store. Here you can get one-of-a-kind, vintage rock items I have collected over the past 20 years of touring. Here is where you can find items that are official or are personally owned by me. There are a lot of fake autographs and merch on eBay, but if you get stuff from Get Off My Bach Productions you will know it’s the real thing and authentic in every way.”
Visit the official Sebastian Bach eBay store at this location.
Due later in the year via an as-yet-undetermined label, Sebastian Bach‘s new album, “Angel Down”, will be Bach‘s first solo CD since 1999’s “Bring ‘Em Bach Alive”, and first release since 2004’s “Forever Wild” DVD. Bach‘s band consists of guitarist “Metal” Mike Chlasciak (PAINMUSEUM, HALFORD), drummer Bobby Jarzombek (HALFORD, ex-ICED EARTH), guitarist Johnny Chromatic and bassist Rob DeLuca (SPREAD EAGLE).
Check out video footage of Bach performing several new songs live:
“You Don’t Understand” (video)
“Stuck Inside” (video)
“By Your Side” (video)
In a recent interview with Rock My Monkey, Bach stated about the upcoming CD, “There’s been a lot of stuff on the record about… kind of the war was on my mind, having the country at war, and also having a nineteen-year-old son. It’s kind of what the youth of America have in the back of their mind. Are they going to get drafted? It very well could happen. It’s a scary thing. So that was kind of on my mind when I was writing the lyrics for this record.”
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Gene Simmons finds a new way to get KISS in the record book. No its not his toungue…
According to KissOnline.com, KISS members Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, along with Scott Mitchell Rosenberg (chairman of Platinum Studios) were presented with a Guinness World Records certificate for “World’s Largest Comic Book” in connection with Kiss Comics Group’s “Kiss 4k Destroyer Edition” — unveiled last weekend at Wizard World Los Angeles. Check out a photo at this location.
KISS recently partnered with comic-book production company Platinum Studios to create a new comic-book entertainment company called the Kiss Comics Group.
The co-venture aims to be more than a publisher; it plans to expand the comic-book characters’ images onto multimedia platforms including print, mobile, online, film, television and licensed merchandise.
First up from the KCG is “Kiss 4K”, the story of Simmons, Stanley and other bandmembers’ transformation from rock stars to world-protecting warrior spirits. “4K” is being released as a three-foot comic priced at $50, with an intent to make it the largest comic book ever published. It will be followed by merchandise including apparel, video games and comic strips for cell phones.
0 Hard Rock News – 3/21/07 More Ozzfest Info – Bands
BAND LINEUP FOR OZZFEST!
“Come join us”, said OZZY and Sharon OSBOURNE February 6th at the Los Angeles press conference to unveil the bombshell: this year’s 12th annual OZZFest will be known as “FreeFest.” Ozzy and Sharon’s statement – with tour producer Live Nation – was an invitation for other artists to join Ozzy by performing for free, thus making the tickets to the summer’s premiere touring concert festival entirely free for fans.
This bold invitation to perform in front of tens of thousands of frenzied rock kids has already been accepted by such artists as LAMB OF GOD, HATEBREED and cutting-edge Finnish act LORDI, who will lead the charge with Ozzy in this historic move that redefines a concert industry marred by rising ticket prices. Lamb Of God and Lordi will perform on the main stage with Ozzy, while Hatebreed will headline OZZFest’s reliably down and dirty second stage with MONDO GENERATOR, ANKLA, CIRCUS DIABLO, NILE and THE SHOWDOWN. These are only the first artists who have stepped forward to be part of this ground-breaking touring extravaganza, with more artists to be announced in the coming weeks for the main and second stages.
The 24-city earth-pounding OZZFest will now launch July 12th in Seattle, WA at the White River Amphitheatre. The tour was originally announced to start July 7th in Southern California but had to be moved to accommodate the extension of Ozzy’s European tour. OZZFest will also hit Seattle, WA, George, WA, Sacramento, CA, Mountain View, CA, Devore, CA, Phoenix, AZ, Albuquerque, NM, Denver, CO, Kansas City, MO, Dallas, TX, San Antonio, TX, St. Louis, MO, Columbus, OH, Tinley Park, IL, East Troy, WI, Indianapolis, IN, Holmdel, NJ, Hartford, CT, Boston, MA, Philadelphia, PA, Pittsburgh, PA, Detroit, MI, Charlotte, NC and West Palm Beach, FL.
As OZZFest’s founder and namesake, Ozzy will make his triumphant return to the headlining position on this year’s mainstage after surprising fans last year by performing on the second stage at a handful of dates. Audiences can expect the Prince of Darkness to unveil new songs from his forthcoming studio album (release date TBA), Ozzy’s first disc of new material since 2001.
To gain entry into this year’s OZZFest, fans will go to www.ozzfest.com or www.livenation.com to find links that will direct them to special sponsor sites where tickets can be secured. Select sponsors will have a unique opportunity to engage fans one-on-one utilizing one of music’s best known brands. Tickets will be available for download on June 12. Stay tuned to www.ozzfest.com and www.livenation.com in the coming weeks for more ticketing information.
Artist quotes:
D. Randall, vocalist, Lamb Of God: “OZZFest! OZZFest!” When we left OZZFest three years ago, that was a mantra that burned itself into our collective subconscious, one that we repeat to this day in an almost autistic manner. To know once the power, the glory, the sheer brutality of the parking lot circus stupidity that is OzzFest is to be destined to repeat it. The fangs are out- our souls (and livers) needed three years to recover from the last run, but we are back and couldn’t be more excited! BUHWHUUURHHH! OZZFest? Bring it on! This time we have age and wis(dumb) on our side- be warned. It will be OVER this summer.”
Jamey Jasta, lead singer of Hatebreed: “We are absolutely honored and beyond excited to be the sole headliner of the OZZFest 2007 Second Stage. We had a great time on the Main Stage last year but it was obvious that our fans wanted to see us in the setting that they know and love. Having co-headlined the second stage twice in the past, once with Down in 2002 and again with Slipknot in 2004, it’s a great achievement for us to now be able to close the show on the second stage and truly make OZZFest history with our fifth appearance on the world’s best tour. We can’t wait to demolish the US once again, spending another crazy summer with Ozzy and his traveling circus of metal mayhem!!!! See you on the road!”
Mr. Lordi, Lordi: “It is a great honour for us to be on OZZFest and obviously it’s gonna be a great opportunity for us to show the people in the U.S. what we can do…or what they think we can do. [laughs] My best friend is a huge Ozzy fan he’s really jealous of the whole thing. I’m gonna try and remember to pick him up an OZZFest t-shirt when we return to Finland. For us the idea of playing OZZFest is still hard to believe. I’ll believe it when we’re there.”
Stay tuned for further information about ticket distribution.
0 Hard Rock News – Rush Tour Dates!
In Support of their Up and Coming Snakes and Arrows disc, to be released May 1st, Rush has announced the following Tour Dates:
June
13 – Atlanta, GA – HiFi Amphitheatre
15 – West Palm Beach, FL – Sound Advice Amphitheatre
16 – Tampa, FL – Ford Amphitheatre
19 – Charlotte, NC – Verizon Amphitheatre
23 – Bristow, VA at Nissan Pavilion
25 – Pittsburgh, PA at Post Gazette Pavilion
27 – Mansfield, MA – Tweeter Center
29 – Scranton, PA – Montage Mountain
30 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center
July
2 – Wantagh, NY – Jones Beach Amphitheatre
4 – Darien Lake, NY Six Flags
8 – Homdel, NJ – PNC Arts Center
9 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena
27 – Phoenix, AZ – Cricket Pavilion
28 – Las Vegas, NV – MGM Grand Garden Amphitheatre
August
4 – Marysville, CA – Sleep Train Amphitheatre
8 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre
10 – Dallas, TX – Smirnoff Music Center
30 – Cleveland, OH – Blossom Music Center
September
1 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
2 – Columbus, OH – Germain Amphitheatre
12 – London, ON – John Labatt Centre
15 – Montreal, QC – Bell Center
October
3 – Glasgow, UK – SECC Arena
5 – Newcastle, UK – Newcastle Metro Arena
16 – Rotterdam, Netherlands – Ahoy Rotterdam
17 – Rotterdam, Netherlands – Ahoy Rotterdam
19 – Oberhausen, Germany – tba
21 – Mannheim, Germany – SAP-Arena
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1 Hard Rock News – 3/18/2007 – Whitesnake / Def Leppard
WHITESNAKE – New Studio Album Due In October
WHITESNAKE mainman David Coverdale has issued the following update:
“Just a quickie to let you know that all is ship shape and moving along wonderfully. I am thrilled, erect nipples an’ all, with the new songs and very excited to be presenting them to you later this year. SPV’s wish-list is for an October release, so, we’re not having to pressure ourselves with too extreme a deadline. God Willing, those days be gone. As far as touring, it appears this will also be late summer, as the entire world is out there on the road through the summer, doing their very best to seduce y’all. My US agent told me that every single amphitheater in every major city in the States has a ‘name’ act headlining every night of the week this season…so, unless any significant touring opportunity presents itself I think we’ll concentrate on making a cracking record that will make us all proud. I see some of you were curious if I had ever met Mr. Brad Delp, who sadly, recently passed away. No… I didn’t have the pleasure, I’m sorry to say. I only crossed paths with Tom Scholz when we played the Texas Jam together way back when – a tale I will share at a later date. My sincere condolences to Brad’s Family – a tragic loss.. It’s interesting you should ask about GLENN (HUGHES). I was talking with Doug (Aldrich – guitar) recently that I was thinking that some of the new songs could use some of Glenn’s extraordinary singing, but, just a thought at this time. I haven’t discussed anything with him. We shall have to see how that goes, so please don’t be holding me to anything. Glenn and I were in touch recently, with him telling me about his tour in Russia. He tells me there is great interest in a DP Mark 3 reunion over there.”
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DEF LEPPARD Guitarist Vivian Campbell – We Will “Deliver A New Album This Year”
“Just a brief update from life in the trenches. Contrary to what I’m sure most of you believed when previously told, we are actually well ensconced in working on the new Leppard album and have been for some time. What’s more, the work is progressing at an unusually (for us!) healthy pace, so much so that we will, in fact, make our self-imposed deadline and deliver a new album this year.
I think it might have been mentioned before that we started writing and making demos for the record in our make-shift ‘sparkle lounge’ (Sparkle Lounge is the tentative album title) while on tour last summer. There’s nothing altogether unusual about that – for most bands, that is. For us, however, it was a major step towards upping our productivity and one which is now fully paying dividends. For not only are the songs coming together quickly, but they’re also sounding very energetic and natural, which might be as much to do with the pace of progress as with anything else.
By now you’ve likely noticed that we’re headlining the Sarnia Bayfest in Ontario, on July 21st. Talks are well under way for a full tour this summer to support the new record, and we should be able to make a formal announcement about the dates soon. 2007 is going to be yet another exciting year for us and we’re all very much looking forward to seeing your smiling faces again.
See you out there!”
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POISON, RATT And GREAT WHITE To Tour Together This Summer
BW&BK has learned that POISON will once again be embarking on a North American Summer Tour. This year, they will co-headline with a reunited RATT and special guests GREAT WHITE, in addition to one other band yet to be named.
Ratt’s lineup is expected to feature vocalist Stephen Pearcy, guitarist Warren DeMartini and drummer Bobby Blotzer. Bassist Juan Croucier is still discussing the possibility of joining the festivities.
Great White will be celebrating their 25th anniversary as a band.
Currently, only one date has been confirmed – August 12th at The Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, California. The full routing will be announced shortly.
As previously reported, Poison is currently working on a record of classic rock cover songs due to be released later this year.
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MEGADETH – New eBay Auctions Up And Running
MEGADETH’s official eBay store is open for business again. This week, frontman/founder Dave Mustaine is auctioning signed promo sheets, collectable backstage sticky passes and laminates, posters, and other items. Go to this location to check out all the items up for sale.
As previously reported, Megadeth’s new single from their forthcoming United Abominations album, ‘Set Me Free (A Tout Le Monde)’, has gone to radio in the U.S. The song is an updated version of ‘A Tour Le Monde’ from Megadeth’s Youthanasia album and features guest vocals from LACUNA COIL singer Cristina Scabbia.
United Abominations will be released on May 15th through Roadrunner Records.
0 Top Last FM Artists for Week Ending March 11th
0 Hard Rock News – 3/14/2007 – Ozzfest
OZZFEST Dates released
The complete itinerary has been announced for this year’s Ozzfest, which is scheduled to kick off July 12 in Seattle, WA.
It is as follows:
Jul. 12 – White River Amphitheatre, Seattle, WA
Jul. 14 – Gorge, George, WA
Jul. 17 – Sleep Train Amphitheatre, Sacramento, CA
Jul. 19 – Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA
Jul. 21 – Hyundai Pavilion, Devore, CA
Jul. 24 – Cricket Pavilion, Phoenix, AZ
Jul. 26 – Journal Pavilion, Albuquerque, NM
Jul. 28 – Coors Amphitheatre, Denver, CO
Jul. 30 – Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Kansas City, MO
Aug. 02 – Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, San Antonio, TX
Aug. 04 – Smirnoff Music Center, Dallas, TX
Aug. 06 – UMB Bank Pavilion, St. Louis, MO
Aug. 08 – Germain Amphitheatre, Columbus, OH
Aug. 10 – First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre, Tinley Park, IL
Aug. 12 – Alpine Valley Music Theatre, East Troy, WI
Aug. 14 – Verizon Wireless Music Theatre, Indianapolis, IN
Aug. 16 – PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel, NJ
Aug. 18 – New England Dodge Music Theatre, Hartford, CT
Aug. 20 – Tweeter Center, Boston, MA
Aug. 22 – Tweeter Center, Philadelphia, PA
Aug. 24 – Post Gazette Pavilion, Pittsburgh, PA
Aug. 26 – DTE Energy Music Theatre, Detroit, MI
Aug. 28 – Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Charlotte, NC
Aug. 30 – Sound Advice Amphitheatre, West Palm Beach, FL
The traveling extravaganza will once again be headlined by OZZY OSBOURNE, with the rest of the lineup yet to be announced. Ozzfest co-founder Sharon Osbourne said during a press conference last month that doing the tour like this was unprecedented: “We’re doing 25 shows across America, and it’s the first time that actually a summer festival tour has gone out free. There’s been millions of free one-off shows, but this is gonna be a 25-city tour. And we’re having our second stage, as usual, and everything goes as normal, except it’s free.”
2 Hard Rock News 3/13/2007 You Tube
Viacom sues Google, YouTube for $1 billion
Media conglomerate claims massive intentional copyright infringement
NEW YORK – MTV owner Viacom Inc. said Tuesday it has sued YouTube and its corporate parent Google Inc. in federal court for alleged copyright infringement and is seeking more than $1 billion in damages.
Viacom claims that the more than 160,000 unauthorized video clips from its cable networks, which also include Comedy Central, VH1 and Nickelodeon, have been available on the popular video-sharing Web site.
The lawsuit marks a sharp escalation of long-simmering tensions between Viacom and YouTube. Last month Viacom demanded that YouTube remove more than 100,000 unauthorized clips after several months of talks between the companies broke down.
In a statement, Viacom lashed out at YouTube’s business practices, saying it has “built a lucrative business out of exploiting the devotion of fans to others’ creative works in order to enrich itself and its corporate parent Google.”
Viacom said YouTube’s business model, “which is based on building traffic and selling advertising off of unlicensed content, is clearly illegal and is in obvious conflict with copyright laws.”
A representative for Google didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Other media companies have also clashed with YouTube over copyrights, but some, including CBS Corp. and General Electric Co.’s NBC Universal, have reached deals with the video-sharing site to license their material.
0 Hard Rock News 3/12/2007 Rush, Triumph, Boston
New Rush Track – Far Cry
If you visit Rush’s website, you can listen to their new track, Far Cry, off of their new upcoming disc Snakes and Arrows. Click Here to listen! It sounds pretty good to me!!
Here is the track listing off of the Snakes and Arrows disc that is due on May 1st:
01. Far Cry
02. Armor and Sword
03. Workin’ Them Angels
04. The Larger Bowl
05. Spindrift
06. The Main Monkey Business
07. The Way The Wind Blows
08. Hope
09. Faithless
10. Bravest Face
11. Good News First
12. Malignant Narcissism
13. We Hold On
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Triumph Reunion?
From Launch Radio Networks:
When Triumph is inducted into the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame tomorrow (March 10th) in Toronto, it will mark the first time that singer-guitarist Rik Emmett, bassist Mike Levine, and singer-drummer Gil Moore will appear together in almost 20 years. There was a fair amount of bad feelings on both sides when Emmett left the group to start a solo career back in 1988, but that’s all in the past now.
In fact, Moore told us that he and Emmett have become fast friends again: “I felt badly that it went off the rails, you know, when it did a long time ago, and I, you know, I’ve always wanted to try to get back to talking, and this provoked it, and it’s been great, you know? I spent four hours last Sunday (March 4th) with Rik Emmett, just sitting (and) drinking coffee (laughs), talking, and it was like, ‘Where’s this been for the last 15 years? ‘It was great.”
Now that everything’s OK between them, people have started to wonder about the chances for a Triumph reunion tour. Emmett’s got a full plate with his career, and Moore is deeply involved in the day-to-day operations of his Metalworks recording studio complex in Mississauga, Ontario, so it would take a lot to get the band on the road. But Moore told us that promoters call regularly, and he expects to get more pressure at the ceremony tomorrow from a band insider: “We’ve been getting them (calls), you know, every year, and, you know, of course, it’s always the same thing: ‘You know, we’re at odds with Rik, so there’s no chance of that.’But now that we’ve reconciled with Rik, I think the prospect of playing is just something that we’d have to see how it works out in the future. Our, our agent’s flying up from L.A., so he’s gonna be here for the ceremony. I’m sure he’ll be twisting all three of our arms really hard.”
Triumph, along with songwriter and producer David Foster, will be honored during the Canadian Radio Music Awards at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel, which is part of the annual Canadian Music Week.
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Boston Vocalist Brad Delp Dead At 55
Brad Delp, the lead singer for the band Boston, was found dead Friday in his home in southern New Hampshire. He was 55.
Atkinson police responded to a call for help at 1:20 p.m. and found Delp dead. Police Lt. William Baldwin said in a statement the death was “untimely” and that there was no indication of foul play.
Delp apparently was alone at the time of his death, Baldwin said.
The cause of his death remained under investigation by the Atkinson police and the New Hampshire Medical Examiner’s office. Police said an incident report would not be available until Monday.
Delp sang vocals on Boston’s 1976 hits “More than a Feeling” and “Longtime.” He also sang on Boston’s most recent album, Corporate America, released in 2002.
He joined the band in the early 1970s after meeting Tom Scholz, an MIT student interested in experimental methods of recording music, according to the group’s official Web site. The band enjoyed its greatest success and influence during its first decade.
The band’s last appearance was in November 2006 at Boston’s Symphony Hall.
On Friday night, the Web site was taken down and replaced with the statement: “We just lost the nicest guy in rock and roll.”
A call to the Swampscott, Mass., home of Boston guitarist Barry Goudreau was not immediately returned Friday night.
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Set List from the March 11th Megadeth Heaven and Hell Show:
MEGADETH Set List (45 min):
1. Sleepwalker
2. Wake Up Dead
3. Kick The Chair
4. Washington Is Next
5. A Tout Le Monde
6. Symphony Of Destruction
7. Trust
8. Peace Sells
9. Holy Wars
Black Sabbath Setlist (110 Min.)
- E5150
- After All (The Dead)
- The Mob Rules
- Children of The Sea
- Lady Evil
- Ear In The Wall
- I
- The Sign of The Southern Cross
- Voodoo
- The Devil Cried
- Vinny Appice Solo
- Computer God
- Falling Off The Edge of The World
- Shadow of The Wind
- Die Young
- Heaven & Hell~ENCORE~
- Lonely Is The Word (**dropped due to time)
- Neon Knights
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Tigertailz signs with Sanctuary Records
Reunited U.K. rockers TIGERTAILZ have inked a deal with Sanctuary Records for the release of their new album, “Thrill Pistol”. “This new TAILZ album will be a double CD pack that will also include a ‘bonus’ disc of the original ‘Wazbones’ album which was originally recorded in 1991 but never officially released,” reads a posting on the band’s web site. “In many people’s opinion, the ‘Wazbones’ record was the best album the ‘TAILZ ever made. The later released version was re-recorded with new songs. [The CD will] feature all the original songs which were recorded in 1991 at Monnow Valley Studios [in] Monmouth, Rockfield Studios [in] Monmouth and Front Page Recorders [in] Costa Mesa, CA, USA. The album featured a ‘Clockwork Orange’ theme with all the band members decked out in the same clothes as the characters in film.”
TIGERTAILZ will enter the studio in April to record the new CD for a tentative August/September release.
TIGERTAILZ bassist Pepsi Tate recently spent time working on what will be the ‘TAILZ’ first official DVD release. The new DVD (provisionally entitled “Blast”) will contain footage from last year’s European live shows as well as lots of outtakes, interviews and also the recent promo video “Falling Down”.
1 Hard Rock News – 3/9/07 – Heaven and Hell Stage
HEAVEN AND HELL STAGE SET IMAGES
A nice little news brief that fits right in with DIO week is the release of pictures of the stage for the upcoming Heaven and Hell (Black Sabbath) tour.
The lighting designer for the HEAVEN AND HELL tour, Paul Dexter, has posted several computer-generated, photo-realistic images of the band’s stage set for the current North American trek, which is scheduled to kick off this Sunday, March 11 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Check them out at this location (click on “Next” for more images).
HEAVEN AND HELL‘s North American tour will launch with 11 Canadian dates, wrapping up March 28 in Ottawa, featuring opening acts MEGADETH and DOWN. A U.S. tour with support from MEGADETH and MACHINE HEAD will launch April 22 in Phoenix, Arizona.
The shows are expected to only feature material from Dio‘s era with BLACK SABBATH, including three new songs that were recorded for the upcoming anthology “Black Sabbath: The Dio Years” that’s due April 3.
As previously reported, HEAVEN AND HELL will be the featured guests on the nationally syndicated radio show “Rockline” airing Wednesday, April 11. The live show begins at 8:30 p.m. PT / 11:30 p.m. ET, and fans are encouraged to call in with questions during the program at (800) 344-ROCK (7625). To find a station near you, check out www.rocklineradio.com.
0 Hard Rock News 3/8 Rock on the Range MEGA Concert
MEGA CONCERT Coming to Columbus, Ohio 5/19/2007.
This is a pretty awesome bill for this show. Check out this lineup:
Black Stone Cherry
Breaking Benjamin
Buckcherry
Chevelle
Evanescence
Hinder
Papa Roach
Puddle Of Mudd
The Operator
Three Days Grace
Velvet Revolver
ZZ Top
Presale went on sale yesterday. Tickets on sale Saturday March 10th. Show starts at 12 P.M. on Saturday May 19th.
Go to the official site,
Rock on the Range for more info.
0 Hard Rock News – 3/7/07 – Internet Radio
Do you enjoy listening to Internet Hard Rock and Metal Radio Stations? Do you listen to radio programs like the Hairball John Radio show over internet radio? Your listening habits are being threatened right now, and you may not know it.
Stations like Stickman Radio have a huge metal library, and play deep tracks from bands that you will not hear on any other terrestrial, or satellite station any where.
On March 2, 2006, The CRB approved royalty rates that will bury any small webcaster, and create a heavy burden even for big broadcasters like Yahoo, AOL Music and Pandora. How high will these rates be? Around 100% of a small webcasters revenue, give or take a few points, in most cases.
What can you do?
Click on the banner above and visit Save Net Radio. Sign the petition and take the time to write a Congressional Representative to put a stop to the exorbitant royalty fees that will put awesome stations like Stickman Radio out of business.
9 BLACK SABBATH ANNOUNCES U.S. TOUR DATES!!
Ronnie James Dio, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Vinny Appice will reunite for the first time in 15 years as HEAVEN AND HELL to cast a dark spell over spring as the quartet tours the U.S. Tickets will go on sale the weekend of March 9 for all 20 stops of the American leg (except Houston, on sale March 17), which is set to launch in Phoenix on April 22. There will also be a special fan presale for all dates beginning Wednesday, March 7 at 12 Noon EST. The tour will follow in the wake of the band’s highly anticipated Radio City Music Hall concert in New York City on March 30, which sold out in a matter of minutes.
Last year, the hard-rocking quartet convened to record three new songs for Rhino Records’ era-spanning collection, “Black Sabbath: The Dio Years”, due out April 3 on Rhino/Warner Bros. Records. One of the newly recorded tracks — “The Devil Cried” — is the first single. Bristling with the trademark SABBATH sound, the song is being well received by fans and critics alike.
The sessions for “Black Sabbath: The Dio Years” went so well that the band agreed to satisfy longstanding demands for a reunion tour. Set to launch in Canada on March 11, the HEAVEN AND HELL world tour will spotlight Dio’s tenure with SABBATH and will feature selections from all three of the group’s the studio albums, “Heaven And Hell” (1980), “Mob Rules” (1981) and “Dehumanizer” (1992), as well as the newly recorded tracks.
Multi-platinum recording artist MEGADETH will join the tour and preview never before heard material from the group’s new CD, “United Abominations”, due out May 8 on Roadrunner Records. All dates will also feature Roadrunner labelmates MACHINE HEAD who are supporting their latest album, “The Blackening”, set for release on March 27.
HEAVEN AND HELL, MEGADETH, MACHINE HEAD tour dates:
Apr. 22 – Phoenix, AZ @ Dodge Theatre
Apr. 24 – San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion
Apr. 25 – Los Angeles, CA @ Forum
Apr. 26 – San Diego, CA @ Coors Amphitheatre
Apr. 28 – Albuquerque, NM @ Journal Pavilion
Apr. 29 – Denver, CO @ Broomfield Events Center
May 01 – San Antonio, TX @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
May 02 – Houston, TX @ Cynthia Woods Pavillion
May 03 – Dallas, TX @ Nokia Theater
May 05 – Chicago, IL @ All State Arena
May 06 – Minneapolis, MN @ Theatre @ Target Center
May 08 – Cincinnati, OH @ US Bank Arena
May 10 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wachovia Arena
May 11 – Cleveland, OH @ Tower City Amphitheatre
May 12 – Detroit, MI @ Cobo Hall
May 14 – Albany, NY @ Times Union Center
May 15 – Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena
May 17 – Lowell, MA @ Tsongas Arena
May 18 – Baltimore, MD @ Merriweather Pavilion
May 19 – Holmdell, NJ @ PNC Arts Center
0 Hard Rock News 3/2/2007 VH, Def Leppard
VAN HALEN REUNION LIVE on VH1
For the first time ever, VH1 Classic will air the “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony” LIVE on Monday, March 12 at 8:30 p.m. ET. Music fans will get to see and hear VAN HALEN, R.E.M., PATTI SMITH, THE RONETTES, and GRANDMASTER FLASH AND THE FURIOUS FIVE get inducted into this esteemed musical institution as the action and music unfolds.
For the first time, this year’s induction ceremony will be telecast live from the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City on VH1 Classic and MHD: MTV Networks’ high-definition music channel on Monday, March 12 at 8:30 p.m. ET. In addition, a special two-hour highlight edition will premiere on VH1 on Saturday, March 17 at 9:00 p.m. ET.
The week leading up to the live special, VH1 Classic will air special programming to salute previous Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees including FLEETWOOD MAC, STEVIE WONDER, U2, BONNIE RAITT and more.
On Tuesday, March 6 beginning at 8:00 p.m. ET VH1 Classic will air a “Classic Albums” marathon focusing on the work of former Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees including FLEETWOOD MAC, QUEEN, THE WHO, STEVIE WONDER, U2, THE SEX PISTOLS and PINK FLOYD. Each “Classic Albums” episode tells the story behind the making of one of rock music’s most seminal albums.
VH1 Classic will also present a special “BBC Crown Jewels” marathon premiering on Thursday, March 8 at 8:00 p.m. ET. These rare performances from the BBC archives feature past Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees such as AC/DC, LYNYRD SKYNYRD, TOM PETTY, STEVIE WONDER, THE POLICE, ROD STEWART and BONNIE RAITT.
Select “Decades Rock Live” concerts featuring performances by LYNYRD SKYNYRD, ELVIS COSTELLO and THE PRETENDERS will air back-to-back on Saturday, March 10 beginning at 1:00 p.m. ET. “Decades Rock Live” is a critically-acclaimed original concert series that pairs celebrated artists from rock to soul who have influenced popular music over the last 50 years with some of today’s hottest recording acts who have been inspired by these legends.
Additional Rock Hall-themed programming to run throughout the week includes “Prince: Prince of Paisley Park” airing on Sunday, March 11 at 5:00 p.m. ET and the “Rock and Roll Picture Show” featuring LED ZEPPELIN’s “The Song Remains The Same” premiering on Monday, March 12 at 6:00 p.m. ET.
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DEF LEPPARD TO TOUR WITH FORIEGNER AND STYX in 2007!
DEF LEPPARD’s official web site has been updated with the following message:
“So, if DEF LEPPARD is not hitting the road with KISS this year (as previously rumored), then who will they go out with? Although there is no official word that it will be the case for ALL dates on the 2007 tour, we can spill that the band is currently in the process of booking shows in the U.S. and Canada with rock veterans FOREIGNER and STYX. That’s all we can tell for the time being, but stay tuned: more details and show dates will be announced on DefLeppard.com as soon as they are confirmed!”
DEF LEPPARD was scheduled to begin recording its next studio album in January at frontman Joe Elliott’s house in Dublin. Basic ideas were hashed out on the road during the band’s extensive tour in support of last year’s covers album “Yeah!”, a first for DEF LEPPARD.
“We’ve got about five or six songs on the go, and there’ll be 11 or 12 on the final version,” guitarist Phil Collen told Billboard.com in December. “We’re trying to get it out for next summer, which for us would be amazing. But we’ve never been this far along. We come off tour, wait six months, then we start writing. We’ve already got that sorted out.
Collen said the songs thus far have “absolutely” been influenced by the process of making “Yeah!”, which featured DEF LEPPARD’s spin on songs popularized by THIN LIZZY, THE FACES and MOTT THE HOOPLE. “We did that so quick,” he said. “It was raw, and it didn’t demand we sit around for months or years. That really inspired us.”
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New Release Date For W.A.S.P’s Dominator
W.A.S.P. will release its new studio CD, “Dominator”, in the U.K. on April 16, Scandinavia on April 20, and the rest of mainland Europe on April 27 via Demolition Records. The CD will arrive in South America and Russia in early May.
“Dominator” (view cover here) track listing:
01. Mercy
02. Long, Long Way To Go
03. Take Me Up
04. The Burning Man
05. Heaven’s Hung In Black
06. Heaven’s Blessed
07. Teacher
08. Heaven’s Hung In Black (Reprise)
09. Deal With The Devil
The LP will be released in three versions: a standard single CD package, a limited-edition digipack, and limited-edition vinyl.
Regarding the album title, Blackie Lawless said in a recent interview, “It is based on the idea of Western imperialism and about what’s wrong with Washington D.C. It’s important that people understand this is not about the American people and it is not a critique on the American people — it is a critique on the government in the United States. If someone looks at the lyrics of ‘Dominator’, they’ll think it’s a man talking to a woman. And I like the interesting concept of that because that’s what bigger countries do to smaller countries — they toss them like they’re their bitch.”
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1 Hard Rock News – 2/25/07
Jack Blades is a guest /Jorn Lande tune on Hairball John this week.
The Hairball John Radio Show features Jack Blades from Night Ranger. Hairball John will also be spinning a cut off of the new Jorn Lande disc, Unlocking the Past, and a new track from Private Line’s new disc Evel Knievel Factor Check it out!! This show can be heard on several different Internet Radio stations everyday. You can check out the daily schedule at Hairball John Broadcast Schedule. Just remember, THE PAST IS BACK TO KICK YOUR ASS!!
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ACE FREHLEY: ‘Rumors Of My Demise Have Been Greatly Exaggerated’
Contrary to published reports, former KISS guitarist Ace Frehley is alive and well and working on his highly anticipated solo album.
It has been erroneously reported on various web sites and wire services that the legendary guitarist had committed suicide.
Not so!
“I don’t know how this ridiculous rumor got started,” smiles Ace, as he eats his daily allotment of wheat germ, preparing to jump back on his treadmill.
In a January 2006 interview with Guitar World magazine, Frehley had the following to say regarding his current projects: “I’ve been working on a solo album and a few film projects. I’d love to do an instructional video, but I want it to be comedic. [Laughs] I don’t want it to be just another boring how-to-play video. I may not be the world’s greatest guitarist, but at least I’m never boring.”
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Eddie Trunk Interviews Former White Lion Guitarist Vito Bratta
In what was being billed as his first interview in over 15 years, Bratta discussed what he has been doing since the band’s breakup and spoke about the possibility of reforming WHITE LION with singer Mike Tramp.
When asked about the possibility of a WHITE LION reunion, Bratta said, “As far as working with Mike Tramp again and doing the WHITE LION thing, I’ve never said ‘No’ to anything. I’ve said ‘No’ for certain reasons. Things have happened in my life where I’ve had to say ‘No’ to people. ‘Listen, I just can’t do this right now.’ And there were reasons behind it. . . My father had a five-year illness, and it was just a nightmare. And there was no one who was gonna take care of him except for me and my mom, and that’s what we did to the very end. Unfortunately, you can’t just walk away. Now, in the WHITE LION days, it’s not just you that’s young — you’re in your 20s — but your parents are young, too. There’s really no medical stuff going on. I remember the tour bus pulling up… ‘Oh, there’s a two-year tour? Fine. Make it a three-year tour.’ None of this stuff [with the parents getting ill] happened. But as you get older, there’s responsibilities and things…. And there’s… you know, financial [responsibilities], too. When you’re young… I remember when WHITE LION went out — me, Mike, Greg and James — we never spoke about… I don’t think anybody ever said, ‘How much are we making tonight?’ No one said a word about money, because we were so used to not having any that nobody cared. But then it gets to a point in your life where you’ve got bills to pay, and it’s not just you that’s gonna suffer — there’s other people that are gonna suffer. ‘Oh, I’m gonna go out and do this WHITE LION reunion tour, and I’m not really gonna make much, but I’m gonna have a blast.’ Well, there’s bills to be paid, and you can’t tell the electric guy, ‘Well, I’m just out having a blast’ — you’ve gotta pay the bills. That, and like I said, the family illness… There just always seemed to be something. I never said ‘No,’ but the problem is… now I’m gonna use one of these stupid analogies I always do… When you’ve got a girlfriend and you break up, and she’s basically cheating on you in front of you, saying, ‘Well, if you don’t get back together with me, this is what I’m gonna keep doing. And the more she cheats, the more you’re not gonna get back with her. And the problem is that I have to keep watching Mike do these TRAMP’S WHITE LION [tours, featuring an all-new band playing WHITE LION songs] and all that stuff. I’ve always wished the guy luck, but the more he does these things, the more it makes me not wanna be part of anything. I don’t know how much I can do to stop it, I just wish I could… I wish that didn’t exist, I wish that part of it didn’t exist. I understand what he’s doing and all that stuff, I don’t like it… I wish he wouldn’t do it, but I understand why he’s doing it. I wish him luck, but I’m not gonna sit here and tell anybody I’m not gonna do the WHITE LION thing ever again. I did kind of lie to you a little bit, Eddie, when you had asked me one time if the rumors of a hand injury were true. I said, ‘No, they’re false.’ I mean, they actually were true. I did injure… I snapped something in my wrist about 1997, I think it was, that just prevented me from playing all day. It wasn’t a hand injury that… In other words, I didn’t know if I was making up my own excuses. This is gonna be ‘Dr. Phil’ now on Eddie’s show. But I did have a hand injury, and the thing is that I was the type that played 14 hours a day. I mean, it was ridiculous what I was doing. I used to get home at four o’clock in the morning from club shows and play another two hours. I just was always playing. Guitar players will understand — to get to a certain level, you have to maintain it. It’s like an athlete. And basically I was like a marathon runner who couldn’t run more than 10 feet. So how was I gonna keep it up? So these are things I’m hoping to get over.”
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Former Britny Fox Singer releases solo disc
Dizzy Dean Davidson, the former lead singer for ’80s hard rock band BRITNY FOX, has released, a n new CD, Drive My Karma. This is more of a melodic rock effort than it is a hard rock or metal disc. You can listen to some of the new tracks at Dean’s myspace page here.
0 Hard Rock News – 2/23/2007 – Van Halen
New LA Times article sheds very little light on the current Van Halen Debacle
For Van Halen, the stars seemed aligned for a triumphant 2007. Next month, the group will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the plan was to follow that with a summer reunion tour that would feature David Lee Roth back at the mike for the first time since the Reagan years.
But, once again, the backstage soap opera of Van Halen is the story of the day.
The Van Halen tour has been “shut down,” according to a top official at Live Nation, the huge concert promoter that finally surrendered in the face of the chaos surrounding guitar hero Eddie Van Halen. Roth, meanwhile, says he is unsure whether the mercurial guitarist will even travel to New York for the Hall of Fame induction on March 12.
“We have fragile politics in Van Halen; please accept that as a partial answer,” Roth said. “But I don’t know if the Van Halens are going to go….I hope they do, but right now, I just don’t know. Hope springs eternal.”
Eddie Van Halen declined interviews through his publicist and girlfriend, Janie Liszewski. Conversations with the business team behind the tour paint a picture of a rock star who is somewhere between Axl Rose and Michael Jackson on the music industry scale of eccentric recluses. The result is that the Van Halen venture imploded before takeoff, even as the Police, the Eagles and Genesis have efficiently geared up for lucrative reunion tours.
“I cannot tell you how frustrating and completely nuts this has been,” one key business figure in the reunion effort said while asking not to be identified on the outside chance that the reunion might be salvaged. “Right now, I have to say, I don’t see that happening.”
It’s a disheartening situation for the fans who pine for a Roth-led lineup of the iconic metal band. Among those devoted is Wolfgang Van Halen, the 15-year-old son of Eddie and, according to Roth, a key force behind the reunion.
Wolfgang, a precocious musician, was “the maestro” at the reconstituted band’s lone rehearsal, picking the set list and using his iPod to remind his father of the nuances of his solos on the old albums. Wolfgang was tapped by his father to play bass on the tour too, replacing founding member Michael Anthony, a jolting choice considering the child’s age and Anthony’s status as one of rock’s best backup singers and most relentlessly cheerful presences.
Eddie Van Halen remains, by all accounts, a gifted guitarist and rock auteur, but the decision to jettison Anthony in favor of a teenager may have been the first sign that the new enterprise was guided by creaky logic. Now all eyes will be on the Hall of Fame banquet to see who shows up, who performs and how Roth interacts with old rival Sammy Hagar, the man who replaced him as lead singer in 1985 and who will be inducted as an equal.
On Valentine’s Day, when the tour still looked viable, Roth was all smiles as he sat down for an interview in a bungalow at Chateau Marmont. The 52-year-old was wearing a snappy black suit and the short haircut that has recently replaced his old pro-wrestler cut. He still flashes a karate smile, but the singer seems calmer and more focused than in years past. The reason, he said, is that he’s fresh from working as an emergency medical technician in New York. It’s a longtime dream of his to be a paramedic, and the unglamorous gurney and rubber-glove duty humbled him, he said.
“I was working in neighborhoods that were almost exclusively black and Spanish-speaking, so only maybe twice out of 200 clients was I recognized…. I was joking about this in the truck on New Year’s Eve, which was my last shift — I was working in Brooklyn, down in Coney Island — I said that I’ve been in more project apartments than Jay-Z and Diddy combined.”
Roth was the rock frontman on top of the world when he went solo, but — as Mick Jagger and Robert Plant also learned — fans treasured him more when he was side-by-side with an equal on guitar. Roth seemed like a vainglorious sex panther in Van Halen, but on his own he often came off as a relentless jive salesman whose only product was his own past. Roth is still “on” all the time — he calls it his “incandescent personality” — but lately he comes off as the voice of reason, a pretty stunning change.
That, and the financial prospects, made him jump at the chance to work with Eddie Van Halen again. Of the old days, he says: “There was a lot of sparks and a lot of tension, like your favorite movies, especially those underground ones…. There was a lot of anxiety too, but it was about ambition, not ego.”
Roth was optimistic that the band would follow up the tour with new music; he also pointed to the cache of 1996 recordings that he did with Van Halen during an earlier reunion flirtation. Now it appears the entire output of this new reunion was a single rehearsal in January and a photo shoot with Roth and Eddie, Wolfgang and Alex Van Halen. Alex is Eddie’s older brother and the band’s drummer.
“Hearing it again, that’s an elixir…. What we sell is that we make all the guys feel young and invincible and all the girls feel young and desirable,” Roth said. “I watched it happen to everybody that was listening in the studio.”
Van Halen was a monster of rock and, for a time, arguably the biggest band in the world. According to the Recording Industry Assn. of America, Van Halen albums have shipped more than 56.5 million copies, which is more than the career totals of U2, Celine Dion, Shania Twain or Prince.
Roth said that he and Anthony will be in New York for the Hall of Fame, as will Hagar, the affable “red rocker.”
Last month, Hagar publicly chided Eddie Van Halen for taking his son on tour. He also added that “the guy is a genius, but he’s just out there and it’s hard for people around him.”
In 2004 and 2005, Van Halen toured with Hagar and, according to Pollstar, grossed $55 million playing arenas. But Hagar said that Eddie Van Halen was drinking heavily and, on some nights, it showed. In Chicago, Eddie stumbled throughout the set and, at one point, quit playing and sacked out, telling the crowd: “I done run outta gas.”
There were tender scenes too. With the tour winding down in Los Angeles, for instance, Wolfgang came on stage at the Staples Center to play. The body language of father and son made it clear that they reveled in the shared spotlight. Roth said that that affection led to the hopes for the Van Halen reunion.
“I’m going to put some words in Ed’s mouth,” Roth said. “Whatever explanation he may give about having his son in the band, I’m going to superimpose: He wants to play with his kid while he’s still at the top of his game and able to … and that’s also the same reason I’m in the band in its current configuration. No questions asked. He said, ‘Hey, c’mon up the hill and make some music.’ I said, ‘Great. I’d love to play with you while you’re still on the top of your game.’ ”
Roth smiled, but a moment later, when he was asked about what he feared most about the reunion, he didn’t hesitate with his answer: “The two worst words in the English lexicon are ‘band meeting.’ ”
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New Tesla Cover Album Real to Reel Due in May
The new Tesla Cover album called Real to Reel is due to be released on May 22nd, 2007.
Here is the track listing for the new disc:
Bad Reputation
Ball of Confusion
Beer Drinkers and Hellraisers
Bell Bottom Blues
Day of the Eagle
Dear Mr. Fantasy
Do You Feel (Like I Do)?
Honky Tonk Woman
I Want To Take You Highter
Is It My Body?
I’ve Got A Feeling
Make It Last
Not Fragile
Rock Bottom
Saturday Night Special
Season’s of Wither
Shooting Star
Space Truckin’
Stealin’
Street Fighting Man
Thank You
Walk Away
War Pigs
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New Black Sabbath Track will be available on March 13th, 2007.
According to Black-Sabbath.com, the new BLACK SABBATH track “The Devil Cried” will be released in digital form to the public via all digital retailers on Tuesday, March 13. The song was written and produced by guitarist Tony Iommi and singer Ronnie James Dio and was recorded with bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Vinny Appice in November 2006 in the U.K. The cut was engineered and mixed by Mike Exeter, who worked on Iommi’s “Fused” and “The 1996 DEP Sessions”.
“The Devil Cried” is the first single off the group’s forthcoming “best-of” collection, “Black Sabbath: The Dio Years”. The first comprehensive introduction to the band’s legacy features a dozen classic studio recordings, plus one live track — “Children Of The Sea” from 1982’s “Live Evil”. The collection also contains the three brand-new tracks — the aforementioned “The Devil Cried”, plus “Shadow Of The Wind”, and “Ear In The Wall”. The disc will be available April 3 at all physical retail outlets and at http://www.rhino.com for a suggested list price of $18.98. The album will also be available at all digital retail outlets for a suggested retail price of $11.99. Check out the cover artwork at this location.
Arranged chronologically, the compilation spotlights singer Ronnie James Dio’s time with BLACK SABBATH and draws heavily from the lineup’s 1980 debut and 1981 follow-up, “Heaven and Hell” and “Mob Rules” respectively. Recognized as back-to-back metal classics, the albums feature such signature songs as the title tracks, “Neon Knights”, “Die Young”, “Turn Up The Night” and “Voodoo”. “The Dio Years” also features “After All (The Dead)”, “TV Crimes” and “I” from the singer’s brief reunion with SABBATH for the “Dehumanizer” album and tour.
“Black Sabbath: The Dio Years” track listing:
01. Neon Knights
02. Lady Evil
03. Heaven And Hell
04. Die Young
05. Lonely Is The Word
06. The Mob Rules
07. Turn Up The Night
08. Voodoo
09. Falling Off The Edge Of The World
10. After All (The Dead)
11. TV Crimes
12. I
13. Children Of The Sea – Live
14. The Devil Cried*
15. Shadow Of The Wind*
16. Ear In The Wall*
* Newly recorded tracks
2 Hard Rock News 2/19/2007 XM/Sirius, Judas Priest
Bone Nation? Hair Yard? XM Radio and Sirius to merge
NY Post: XM, Sirius Merger Deal Near
By Ed Oswald, BetaNews
February 19, 2007, 12:30 PM
Rumors of a marriage between satellite radio companies XM and Sirius again are at the forefront thanks to an article in the New York Post that claims the two sides are close to announcing a merger.
Both sides were meeting in Washington, DC to finalize an agreement, with an announcement coming as soon as Monday, the Post claims. Neither company could be immediately reached for comment.
Antitrust concerns way heavy on the negotiations, thus lawyers on both sides were working to address them in the final agreement. The companies were expected to take an equity stake in any combined entity.
The Post says that Sirius CEO Mel Karmazin would retain his position in the combined company, as would XM Chairman Gary Parsons. It appears that XM CEO Hugh Panero may not have a high-ranking position, as it was unknown if he would have a role.
As much as $7 billion could be saved annually with a combined company that would have approximately 12 million subscribers. The combination would also merge Sirius’ premier content such as Howard Stern and Martha Stewart with XM’s, which includes Major League Baseball and Oprah Winfrey.
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Judas Priest’s Nostradamus is going to be an 18 track, 90 minute monster!
Posted on Saturday, February 17, 2007 at 15:41:24 EST
In an EXCLUSIVE chat with BW&BK this afternoon (February 17th), JUDAS PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing took some time to discuss the band’s upcoming concept album about the life and predictions of 16th-century French prophet Nostradamus.
“Myself and Glenn (Tipton – guitar) have been in the studio for the last month and a half non-stop, laying and formatting the tracks,” Downing reveals before heading off to the pub! “Basically we’re doing a lot of the groundwork. Roy (Z – guitarist/producer; also HALFORD, BRUCE DICKINSON) hasn’t been involved in the new record as yet. He has really been quite busy with Rob (Halford – vocals) in his band as well. We’ll have to see what happens on that front. Rob’s already put vocals down on some of these tracks, but they’ve only been kind of roughed out. So, he’s been refining the lyrics for the album. But the thing with this one is that the music is running an a hour and 39 minutes at the moment. So it’s literally almost twice as long as what we’ve done previously. This concept is going to be that way, pretty intense, in-depth and length – and hopefully a masterpiece.”
Will it stay that length?
Well, were were hoping we’d get it onto one CD, but knowing that a CD holds only 80 minutes, it’s looking that we’ll have two CDs I guess.”
Is the material taking shape to the point that you can’t edit it down?
“I think there is one idea that we can afford to leave off, but the rest is still going to run about an hour and a half.”
Describe the material?
“It’s tough and we are ready for anything. The only thing I know is that it sounds like music,” he laughs! “Hopefully songs that sound like music – that’s all I can say.”
How many songs are there in the can?
“I think there are 18, but there are a lot of links between songs. There are lots of instrumental parts, so it’s a full-on musical really.”
What about orchestration?
“Yes, there’s going to be orchestration. It’s all myself and Glenn putting it together. We dabbled with Midi Guitars back in the ’80s, with the Turbo (1986) album. Now things have moved on a lot and now we’ve got some pretty high tech gear. The tracking is very good, so we can put the orchestrations together ourselves. Also, we’ve always dabbled with keyboards as well. Godin, the guitar company from Quebec, I’ve been using those for about a year and that’s working out really well. They are the best people in the world if you want Midi converters on an instrument. So we can actually play their guitars and go through a Roland or Axiom interface. It can sound like anything you know. We’re getting all these really heavy, orchestral sounds and stuff.”
Are any outside orchestrations being considered or will it strictly be all Priest?
“We’re taking about that. We don’t really know. What we do know is what we’re putting together sounds really, really good you know. Obviously we want to go out and play and perform this concept in it’s entirety. Hopefully this will be the first ever metal opera in a sense. We’re talking staging now as well. We’re look forward to putting on a great show with this music. Who knows what’s going to happen yet. We’ll release the record and maybe go out on tour. Maybe play a couple of songs off the new record. It would be nice to tour with this record, once we establish with the people whether they like it or not.”
Have you encountered any problems with this massive undertaking considering you announced the project last April?
“No, actually. We’re pretty confident … quietly confident. The only question is the level of acceptance, because everybody, probably just want another Priest record you know! All of those ingredients will be in the record anyway.”
Is this coming together at the pace you expected?
“We’re belting along now. All the songs are down and formatted … were just getting ready to get Rob over now and looking forward to hearing his lyrics on this new record and us putting it all together.”
What’s your timeline? Will Nostradamus be out by the summer time?
“Yes, definitely. We may be back on the road in the summer, maybe late summer. There’s always somewhere in the world Priest can tour, so we’ll be looking to get out there and play some shows.”
Are you getting cabin fever?
“You do don’t you? When you finish a world tour like we did – we did almost 18 months of touring. I think we did the Ozzfest and the European festivals before we even released our last record (Angel Of Retribution). And then we did a world tour with that. It’s amazing, time goes by and you look forward to getting out there and cranking it up you know.”
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RATT reunion talks heating up!
Could today’s reported RATT reunion be without bassist Juan Croucier? Initial info suggests that original bassist Juan Croucier will sit out yet another RATT reunion, thus making this trip much like the 1999 reunion with Stephen Pearcy on vocals that also saw the band co-headline with POISON (with GREAT WHITE and L.A. GUNS) on a summer tour. The 2007 Ratt reunion will also feature guitarist Warren DeMartini and drummer Bobby Blotzer. An official announcement from the RATT camp is expected soon.
3 Hard Rock News – 2/13/2007 Stephen Pearcy
Stephen Pearcy Update
Former RATT singer Stephen Pearcy‘s official web site has been updated with the following message:
“Stephen to tour March-April 2007 doing a short run with his RAT BASTARDS. Stephen‘s also working on his third solo release with talk of former RATT producer Beau Hill to finish out the production before summer. Release date [to be announced]. Also ready for release 2007 (not one, but two) Stephen Pearcy ‘History in Muzik’ DVD compilations projects featuring MICKEY RATT, VICIOUS DELITE, ARCADE, VERTEX, RATT personal footage and his solo career. On stage, backstage footage spanning (25) years through his platinum-plus career in muzik. Pearcy [is] also putting final touches on a history in muzik ‘box set’ for release 2007. Release dates [to be announced].
“Rhino Records to release a RATT video history compilation DVD early 2007. The DVD will include both longform videos, certified platinum and gold respectively. RATT ‘The Video’ (1986) and RATT ‘Video Action’ (1991) collectively. Including possible new interviews and other videos not released by Atlantic Records. Release date [to be announced].
“Stephen hit the first drag race of the 2007 season at Pamona, CA hanging with four-time top fuel dragster world champ Tony Schumacher, driver of the Army car, qualifying #1 on the second day of qualifying.
“Top Fuel World is preparing to sponsor a top fuel car possibly by summer with associate sponsors [to be announced]. Keep your ears and eyes open for this 320 mph plus adventure! It’s been along time in the works.
“RATT’s ‘Back in the Cellar’ 2007? Keep the traps open for that one!”
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Scorpions New CD and Artwork
According to a posting on the web site of the official SCORPIONS French fan club Crazyscorps, the German hard rock veterans have set “Humanity – Hour 1″ as the title of their new album, due in Europe on May 14 via BMG.
SCORPIONS arrived in Los Angeles in October to begin
recording their new album with songwriter/producer Desmond Child. Child, who has worked with such high-profile pop/rock artists as AEROSMITH, BON JOVI, ALICE COOPER, KISS, RICKY MARTIN, CHER, MICHAEL BOLTON and BONNIE TYLER, recently worked with Michael Beinhorn, Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman as co-producer on MEAT LOAF’s “Bat Out Of Hell 3: The Monster Is Loose” CD, and has also been mentioned as MÖTLEY CRÜE singer Vince Neil’s likely collaborator on Neil’s upcoming solo album.
SCORPIONS’ latest album, “Unbreakable”, was released in the U.S. in June 2004 through Sanctuary Records. The CD was recorded at Peppermint Park Studio in Hannover, Germany and was mixed at Wisseloord studios in Hilversum, Holland.
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New Black Sabbath track
The first single from the upcoming Black Sabbath release (April 3 on Rhino Records), Black Sabbath: The Dio Years is a track called The Devil Cried. It’s one of three new tracks recorded last fall.
5 Hard Rock News 2/12/2007
Tonight on ROCKLINE!!
Monday – February 12, 2007
Black Stone Cherry
Well, it’s sure a long way from Edmonton, Kentucky to where they are now. In fact, pretty much everything is a long way from Edmonton, KY as the guys in Black Stone Cherry will readily admit. The band has come out of nowhere literally and figuratively. Things must be good growing up there though as the band has musicality far beyond that of most, regardless of seemingly remote geography. Ultimately it matters not the point of origination, Kentucky is as fine a state as any, what does matter is the gifts brought to the party and Black Stone Cherry has arrived with a truck-full. All four members will join us on our next show fresh from some dates in Canada and the night before playing on the biggest American stage of all, New York City. Full dates are available at Black Stone Cherry.com and Myspace
The first time Ben, John Fred, Jon and Chris joined us they were on the second half of a double bill and their debut album hadn’t even dropped yet. My, my, how things have changed. With a succession of songs validated by extensive radio play, their brand of bluesy, soulful, oh so Southern, but distinctly modern Rock has generated response from fans worldwide. One of the great things about this band is that they will obviously continue to grow into themselves and their music, and that is a delightful prospect to ponder for sure. We’ll check in with the band, find out how their lives have changed in recent months, ask them if they’ve gotten to know each other even better after being on the road for months at a time and let you connect with them as well. We’ll also find out why two new songs are available that weren’t included on their self titled album.
You just know some bands have destiny on their side and Black Stone Cherry is one of them. Check ‘em out on the next ROCKLINE!
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KISS by the numbers
The Biggest Band in the land has no Platinum albums?
KISS: SoundScan-Era Record Sales Revealed – Feb. 12, 2007
Ken Barnes of USA Today has posted the SoundScan-era sales of KISS, one of the bands most unfairly excluded from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Like RUSH and DONNA SUMMER (two other artists excluded from the Hall), KISS’ sales heyday came long before 1991, when SoundScan began tabulating record sales. They sold (and their label pressed) a ton of records in the ’70s; these SoundScan-era numbers will represent just a fraction of those older titles’ totals. Still, it’s always intriguing to see what’s continuing to sell and what’s mired in the doledrums.
The long list follows.
Year of release Title: Sales
1974 “Kiss”: 174,000
1974 “Hotter Than Hell”: 153,000
1975 “Dressed to Kill”: 166,000
1975 “Alive”: 258,000
1976 “Destroyer”: 580,000
1976 “Rock and Roll Over”: 183,000
1977 “Love Gun”: 193,000
1977 “Alive II”: 295,000
1978 “Double Platinum”: 510,000
1978 “Peter Criss”: 23,000
1978 “Ace Frehley”: 46,000
1978 “Gene Simmons”: 31,000
1978 “Paul Stanley”: 33,000
1979 “Dynasty”: 157,000
1980 “Unmasked”: 171,000
1981 “Music From The Elder”: 110,000
1982 “Creatures of the Night”: 148,000
1983 “Lick It Up”: 92,000
1984 “Animalize”: 93,000
1985 “Asylum”: 81,000
1987 “Crazy Nights”: 104,000
1988 “Smashes, Thrashes & Hits”: 810,000
1989 “Hot in the Shade”: 112,000
1990 “First Kiss”: 786 (hmm…, what is this, anyway?)
1992 “Revenge”: 596,000
1993 “Alive III”: 552,000
1996 “MTV Unplugged”: 300,000
1996 “You Wanted the Best, You Got the Best!!”: 329,000
1997 “Greatest Kiss”: 394,000
1997 “Carnival of Souls – The Final Sessions”: 175,000
1998 “Psycho Circus”: 479,000
2001 “Box Set”: 141,000
2002 “Very Best”: 433,000
2003 “The Millennium Collection”: 311,000
2003 “Symphony: Alive IV”: 134,000
2005 “Gold” (’74-’82): 105,000
Total: 8.6 million
Barnes writes: “So what can we conclude about latter-day KISS fans from all this? They like hits collections: ‘Smashes, Thrashes’ is the band’s best-selling album of the SoundScan era, and other, largely redundant collections have solid sales.
“The live albums score well, especially ‘III’, which actually came out during the SoundScan era.
“‘Destroyer’ is by far the best seller of the early studio albums. Hard to argue with this esthetically, considering the metafictional pinnacle that is ‘Detroit Rock City’ is on this album.
“There are about 90,000-100,000 fans out there that have to have everything in CD form. Except the four simultaneously released solo albums from 1978. And Ace is still winning that battle (of course, he had the only hit from the releases, his cover of HELLO’s ‘New York Groove’).”
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Grammy Award News
Wolfmother won a Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance for their song Woman .
(HRH – “Give me a break already!!, Buckcherry (also nominated for Crazy Bitch) has outsold Wolfmother bigtime. I guess they were too scared to say Bitch on a Grammy show. LOL)
Best Metal Performance goes to Slayer for their song Eyes of the Insane.
(HRH – I never thought I would see the day when Slayer would win a Grammy. This is kind of cool though.)
1 Hard Rock News 2/11/2007
BLUE MURDER REUNION?
Could the Metal Gods be similing on the Hard Rock Hideout?
Eddie Trunk of the “Friday Night Rocks” radio show on New York’s Q104.3 FM announced on his program Friday night (February 9) that a BLUE MURDER comeback consisting of all original bandmembers is being planned and that he is personally involved in putting a reunion concert together. Although Trunk was sure to point out that nothing has been confirmed, the show would likely take place sometime in the fall in New York City. No further details are currently available.
BLUE MURDER was the brainchild of guitar virtuoso John Sykes. Upon Sykes’ firing from the most successful version of WHITESNAKE, the former TYGERS OF PAN TANG and THIN LIZZY axeman set out to create a similar sounding bluesy hard rock band. They released three studio albums and one live album before breaking up in 1994. The late Ray Gillen, most famous for singing for BLACK SABBATH and BADLANDS, sang for an early version of BLUE MURDER, and the band reportedly recorded demos with him, but he didn’t appear on any of the group’s albums.
BLUE MURDER’s self-titled debut album (1989) featured Sykes alongside Tony Franklin (bass), Carmine Appice (drums) and Nik Green (keyboards).
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Vince Neil following in Gene Simmons and Ozzy’s footsteps?
MÖTLEY CRÜE frontman Vince Neil is working on the pilot for a new A&E reality-TV show. According to Vince, the program will follow the singer and his family after his parents have moved in with him. Neil told Eddie Trunk of the “Friday Night Rocks” radio show on New York’s Q104.3 FM last night (February 9), “My wife [Lia] hasn’t talked to my mom since the wedding,” which took place January 9, 2005 in Las Vegas.
In other news, Neil has confirmed rumors that MÖTLEY CRÜE will head back to Europe in June for some festival appearances, which will likely include a stop at the Download festival in England. According to Neil, the band has written more than a hundred songs for a proposed new studio album, which is expected to be released sometime in 2008.
Neil has scheduled a number of solo headlining dates in Australia and the U.S. during March/April. He will be performing the red-hot hits of MÖTLEY CRÜE (including “Kickstart My Heart”, “Girls Girls Girls”, “Dr. Feelgood” and “Home Sweet Home”) with his all-star band featuring Dana Strum (SLAUGHTER, VINNIE VINCENT INVASION) on bass, Jeff Blando (SLAUGHTER) on guitar and Will Hunt (TOMMY LEE, DARK NEW DAY, SKRAPE) on drums.
The hard-hitting Will Hunt is no stranger to MÖTLEY CRÜE, having substituted a tendonitis-suffering Tommy Lee last year for some shows on the CRÜE’s “Carnival of Sins” tour. He previously toured the world playing drums in Tommy Lee’s solo band.
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A new Black Sabbath Album in the future?
Philip Wickstrand of MetalEater.com recently conducted an interview with BLACK SABBATH/HEAVEN AND HELL guitarist Tony Iommi. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:
MetalEater.com: Now I know the question has already been answered in various outlets, but there’s still a lot of people that aren’t sure why the reunion is being called HEAVEN AND HELL, as opposed to BLACK SABBATH.
Iommi: “Well, originally, it started up, we were going to call the tour ‘Heaven And Hell’ and it went from there to ‘Yeah, let’s call the band HEAVEN AND HELL and separate the two things so people know what they’re getting. It’s not the Ozzy version of… if we go out as BLACK SABBATH, it could confuse things because we’ve just done a tour as BLACK SABBATH with Ozzy, and so we thought it’d be nice to have a fresh start, go out as something different, because all the set’s going to be Dio-era music, so it just sounds right to call it HEAVEN AND HELL. I mean, we could call it SABBATH, I own the name, but we thought it was best to do this and call it… then you don’t get everybody going ‘oh, bloody hell, I thought it was BLACK SABBATH.’ And it keeps it clean, I think and we like the idea of going out as something different and we don’t need to have to play the old BLACK SABBATH stuff if we don’t want to.”
MetalEater.com: Why was Bill Ward unable to participate in the reunion?
Iommi: “Well, it started off with Bill. Bill came over to England here and I worked with him for a week, but we didn’t feel as if it was going quite right from both sides, from Bill’s side and our side and we thought, a majority of the set we’ll be playing is what Vinny’s played anyway. So we thought it would probably be best if Bill thought it would be best for Vinny to do it, to be honest. Which is no bad feelings, there’s no bad vibes or nothing, it’s no breakup or anything like that; it’s just a choice and Bill thought it would be best to have Vinny do it as anybody.”
MetalEater.com: Can we expect the possibility of a new studio album?
Iommi: “With?”
MetalEater.com: With Dio.
Iommi: “With Dio… well, nothing’s out of the question. I think… we actually talked about it when everybody was at my house here, when we were recording these three tracks. We said ‘bloody hell, we could record an album at the moment’ and we had to sort of stop ourselves at three songs. And at first, the record company didn’t want to put three songs, and anyways, we sort of said ‘we’ve got to have three songs’, but we were already together, we could have done it and who knows? I mean, it would be nice to do an album I think. I think whatever comes now to just take it and do it, you know; I’ve got no boundaries at all.”
MetalEater.com: What about the possibility of a live CD and/or DVD from the tour?
Iommi: “Yes, we’re talking about that, we’re talking about doing that on this tour. And that would be nice to do that, I think it would be good to have that… I think the fans would like that.”
MetalEater.com: What are your expectations for the tour?
Iommi: “I don’t even have any expectations; I just want to get out and play and do… and play good and have a good set. I mean, I know with the people involved in this lineup, it will be a good set, and that’s what I want; I want to be able to go out and enjoy it, really. I don’t look for… I’m not looking for problems or anything like that — I just want to go out and play and enjoy it and hope the fans enjoy it and I think it will be very interesting.”
MetalEater.com: As far as North America, are you surprised at all that you’re playing full-fledged coliseums with this particular lineup rather than, say for instance, more mid-sized, five-thousand capacity venues?
Iommi: “No, I’m not surprised. The whole thing… we wanted to go out in a big way, it’s no point and going out and playing the little club up the road and stuff like that; I think you’ve got to go out and be able to be what’s best for you, you know, to be able… to play on these gigs and I’m looking forward to that.”
MetalEater.com: As far as the U.S. leg of the tour, is that going to be a full U.S. tour or is it just going to be more like select cities?
Iommi: “I’ve not got any definite things on that yet. We’ve been treading very lightly, really, to go out there and things are being changed at the moment now, as we speak. In fact, I spoke last night to my management and dates are being swapped ’round now for the States, because we’re supposed to be going to Brazil after the Canadian tour. After New York, we were going to go to Brazil, but I think we’re swapping ’round now, so I can’t give you any information on that, I’m afraid and the only thing that’s set in stone after is the European tour. Then we’re negotiating when to do Australia and Japan, I’m not sure if that’s before or after now.”
Read the entire interview at MetalEater.com.
2 Hard Rock News 2/9/2007
Russel Allen/ Jorn Lande – The Revenge
Recording sessions of the second chapter of the highly anticipated album from Jorn Lande and Russell Allen have started during august. Once again Magnus Karlsson (Last Tribe, Starbreaker) penned a set of songs which fit perfectly to the voices of the two characters. The album will be entitled The Revenge and some songs titles include “Victory”, “The Revenge”, “Who Can You Trust”, “Wake Up Call”, “Gone Too Far”, “Under The Waves”. Once again cover art will be designed specifically for the project by Rodney Matthews (Diamond Head, Magnum, Praying Mantis etc.). Release shall happen sometime during 2007.
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New Dream Theater CD in June
Roadrunner Records has announced the signing of progressive metal pioneers DREAM THEATER. A new studio album, “Systematic Chaos”, is due in June. DREAM THEATER will hit the road in support of the album for a world tour, including major festival appearances in Europe.
Since their first studio release in 1989, this U.S.-based five-piece has notched up record and DVD sales in excess of six million and headlined to audiences of 20,000. Having undertaken seven world tours across 42 different countries, DREAM THEATER has established a live reputation that has swept them to arena-status around the globe. They have appeared alongside acts such as DEEP PURPLE, IRON MAIDEN and YES.
Recognized by peers and public alike for their advanced musical expertise, the band (Mike Portnoy, drums; John Petrucci, guitar; John Myung, bass; James LaBrie, vocals; Jordan Rudess, keyboards) has long held the ability to combine complex arrangements with unadulterated songwriting skills, the material often underpinned by riffs as heavy as anything in the METALLICA repertoire.
“This album’s got all of the elements we’ve become known for,” reveals Portnoy. “The focus on musicianship, the skull-crushing riffs, the big progressive epics and the heart-wrenching melodies. We’ve got one of the strongest and most devoted fan bases in the world, and they should certainly be happy with the new material. By working closely with the label we hope to turn a great many new heads too.”
“DREAM THEATER and Roadrunner Records have led parallel careers on the cutting edge of metal for many years,” say A&R men, Derek Oliver and Dante Bonutto, “We’re thrilled to be working with a genuine market-leader, and when you add everything the guys bring to the table to the independent spirit and work ethic of the label, the results can only be exciting in the extreme!”
Prior to teaming up with Roadrunner, DREAM THEATER was signed to a seven-album deal with Warner Music Group worldwide. The deal commenced with the critically acclaimed and commercially successful “Images And Words” (1992), a gold-certified U.S. release, and concluded, in equal style, with “Octavarium” (2005), a Top 40 Billboard outing. In August of last year the band issued “Score”, a live album/DVD (recorded at Radio City Music Hall in New York), which went straight to the No. 1 spot on the Billboard DVD charts, knocking PINK FLOYD from the top!
By the following month, the five were holed up at Avatar Studios in New York, working on the new album with veteran engineer/ mixer Paul Northfield (RUSH, QUEENSRŸCHE, PORCUPINE TREE). As usual, Portnoy and Petrucci chose to co-produce the project, which features seven compositions (one a 25-minute epic), and word on the grapevine is that the DREAM THEATER/Roadrunner alliance looks all set to kick off with a classic.
“Systematic Chaos”, DREAM THEATER‘s ninth studio release, arrives at a time when the band is casting a longer-than-ever shadow across the rock and metal landscape. Their influence is being acknowledged by an increasing number of contemporary, cutting-edge acts such as STONE SOUR, TRIVIUM, SHADOWS FALL, OPETH as their fan base continues to grow.
Touring plans will be announced shortly.
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Adriangale is back…..sort of!
Jamie Rowe, Vic Rivera and Eddie Campbell – formerly of the highly-acclaimed act Adriangale – have regrouped to form Crunch, their brand-new venture.
Joining the trio are TNA’s Doug Odell on bass (who played on AdrianGale’s Reprogram) and newcomer Joe Cruz on drums.
Messrs. Rowe, Rivera and Campbell are completely ecstatic to be working with each other again and while each of them are busy with separate projects/bands, they eagerly look forward to writing/recording/performing together.
Commenting on the newly-formed act are Jamie, Vic and Ed themselves –
Vic Rivera: “I am thrilled to once more be working together with Jamie and Ed, both of whom I have remained in close contact with the past few years while we’ve been pursuing other endeavors. It will be amazing to write new music with my good friend Jamie that I can promise will live up to and expand upon our prior body of work; it is awesome to finally have the great player (and gentleman) in Doug as a full-fledged part of my musical family; I am pumped to have such a truly talented drummer (and great guy) as Joe to be the backbone for the music and I am totally revved to be musically reunited with my buddy Ed, whose immense talent I can’t wait to reincorporate into the picture. This project will be a pleasure to undertake!”
Jamie Rowe: “I always knew that Vic and I would work together again. And I am stoked to have it happen so soon! Vic is one of the best songwriters in the melodic rock scene and our musical chemistry has produced some highly regarded recordings. We plan to continue that tradition with Crunch. Having Eddie Campbell back in the mix is icing on the cake! Eddie’s talent speaks for itself and he’s a good friend too. Same thing goes for our bassist Doug Odell who has always been a support and now has the prestige (ok, that’s pushing it a little) of being a full fledged member. I’ll sum it all up with this – I’m looking forward to recording and playing with Crunch.”
Eddie Campbell: “I am looking forward to re-igniting the flame that AG started some time ago. A lot has changed through the years but one thing has remained constant and that is our passion to ROCK! It will be exciting to work with great talents Jamie and Vic again and, adding the new monster backbone Doug and Joe, the band is guaranteed to be bigger and better than ever…Crunch.”
Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available!
1 Hard Rock News 2/7/2007 Hell Yeah, Led Zeppelin
HELL YEAH! New band, new tracks
Former Pantera Drummer Vinnie Paul’s new band, Hell Yeah has a new disc coming out in April. You can hear two new tracks here!
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Brett Michaels new tracks
New teaser tracks from Poison front man’s upcoming solo CD can be heard here!
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Led Zeppelin reunion heating up?
According to Toronto-based radio station Q107, these Led Zeppelin reunion rumors are really heating up. Original bassist John Paul Jones was seen at Trinifold Management in London, England recently with singer Robert Plant and guitarist Jimmy Page apparently discussing plans for as reunion that will feature late drummer John Bonham’s son Jason on the skins. The last time the original three performed was on July 13, 1985 at the Live Aid concert at JFK Stadium, Philadelphia, for a short set featuring drummers Tony Thompson (Chic) and Phil Collins (Genesis). Jones has been noticeably “absent” during Page/Plant’s musical activities post-Led Zeppelin.
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Scorpions working on new disc
SCORPIONS arrived in Los Angeles in October to begin recording their new album with songwriter/producer Desmond Child. Child, who has worked with such high-profile pop/rock artists as AEROSMITH, BON JOVI, ALICE COOPER, KISS, RICKY MARTIN, CHER, MICHAEL BOLTON and BONNIE TYLER, recently worked with Michael Beinhorn, Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman as co-producer on MEAT LOAF‘s “Bat Out Of Hell 3: The Monster Is Loose” CD, and has also been mentioned as MÖTLEY CRÜE singer Vince Neil‘s likely collaborator on Neil‘s upcoming solo album.
SCORPIONS‘ latest album, “Unbreakable”, was released in the U.S. in June 2004 through Sanctuary Records. The CD was recorded at Peppermint Park Studio in Hannover, Germany and was mixed at Wisseloord studios in Hilversum, Holland.
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Big Cock
Check out the new video from Big Cock. This video has had over 20,000 views on You Tube! Crazy!!
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Happy Birthday Vince Neil. Vince turned 46 today!
0 Hard Rock News 2/6/2007
OZZFEST Announcement – Free in 2007?!!
| OZZFEST 2007…FOR FREE – Feb. 6, 2007 |
“This will change everybody’s impression of the way touring in the summer in America should be.” — Sharon Osbourne
Imagine a day of wall-to-wall hard rock.
Imagine the world’s greatest headliner sharing a bill with cutting edge new artists.
Imagine if this brass-knuckled beast was hellbent on coming to your town.
Imagine this earth-pounding event…FOR FREE.
2007 will forever mark the year Ozzfest spiked the concert industry’s punch and gave every head-banging American kid a reason to strap on an air guitar with the historic announcement that tickets to the summer’s premiere touring concert festival won’t cost fans a dime.
Testing one, two, three…
That’s right, Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne and tour producer Live Nation broke the news today at the Concert Industry Consortium in Los Angeles that their 12th annual hard rock spectacular — a 25-date extravaganza launching July 7 in Los Angeles — is pulling the plug on ticket prices and giving the power back to the fans calling this summer’s Ozzfest “FreeFest.” The other Ozzfestcities as of now are San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, Albuquerque, Phoenix, Dallas, San Antonio, Kansas City, St Louis, Chicago, Indianapolis, Columbus, Pittsburgh, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Hartford, Charlotte, Atlanta, West Palm Beach, Nashville. Note: a final confirmed list of cities and dates is forthcoming.
“For the last few years,” says Sharon, “ticket prices have steadily climbed as artists demand more and more money for summer tours. We certainly want everybody to make money, however we also want the kids to be able to afford to come out and have an incredible experience. If we continued with the traditional touring festival model, we would have no choice but to raise ticket prices again this year.”
Cited as “one of rock’s biggest juggernauts” in the cover feature of Sunday’s New York Times‘ “Arts and Leisure” section (6/25/06), Ozzfest and Live Nation will turn to sponsors to provide added support for the festival’s new incarnation. This summer’s Ozzfest will provide select sponsors with a unique opportunity to engage fans one-on-one utilizing one of music’s best known brands.
“We’re reaching the same point we did years ago when kids no longer wanted to pay for overpriced CDs,” compares Sharon. “As a result, they found alternative ways of getting music. That’s what’s happening with summer touring in this country, it’s out-pricing itself. We started this and we want to keep it and we want to make it bigger and bigger each year by getting bigger sponsors to be involved with the festival and underwriting the festival. That’s what it’s about.”
“For the past 11 years, music fans have made Ozzfest the most successful and enduring rock music festival in the United States,” said Jason Garner, Live Nation President of North American Concerts. “What better way to say ‘Thank You’ to the music fans who have made this possible than inviting them to attend Ozzfest for free.”
To gain entry into the event, fans will go to http://www.ozzfest.com or http://www.livenation.com to find links that will direct them to special sponsor sites where tickets can be secured. More details regarding the process are forthcoming.
As Ozzfest‘s founder and namesake, Ozzy will make his triumphant return to the headlining position on this year’s mainstage after surprising fans last year by performing on the down-and-dirty second stage at a handful of dates. Audiences can expect the Prince of Darkness to unveil new songs from his forthcoming studio album, Ozzy‘s first disc of new material since 2001. While the rest of the in-progress bill is under wraps, Sharon points out, “we have bands committed, but we’re hoping that after today’s announcement we’ll have a whole influx of artists who want to be a part of something this ground breaking. We know there aren’t any major headlining acts that would tour all summer for nothing, but we’re confident we can turn some of the genre’s biggest bands on to what we’re doing and have them come out to play a date or two. If they’re in town and want the rush of performing in front of 20,000 frenzied kids, they’re more than welcome to join us. They can sell their t-shirts, CDs and whatever else they’ve got. They’re also welcome to book their own shows in local venues on the day of Ozzfest. I’m not stopping them. People have to be creative and think of alternatives.”
Since 1996, Ozfest has been a virtual breeding ground for rising bands. The festival has been instrumental in igniting the careers of platinum-selling artists like SYSTEM OF A DOWN, DISTURBED, LINKIN PARK, INCUBUS, SLIPKNOT, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE and GODSMACK. Along with supporting bands on the rise including AVENGED SEVENFOLD, MUDVAYNE, LAMB OF GOD, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE and LACUNA COIL, among others.
“Ozzfest was created to keep this genre of music alive by showcasing new talent,” states Sharon. “You better believe we’re going to keep perpetuating that by hand-picking compelling new bands that are hungry for Ozzfest‘s career-making exposure.”
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Dean Guitars wasted no time using Dave Mustaine and Megadeth to promote their guitars. Check out their website with the cool new intro here!
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Van Halen has opened up a new Myspace account for their upcoming 2007 tour. The link is www.myspace.com/vanhalen2007
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The Erotics has posted a new song, “It’s True” off of their upcoming disc, 30 Seconds Over To You, here!
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You can hear the new country tracks from Bon Jovi below:
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The new Masterplan video, for the track Lost and Gone featuring Mike DiMeo on vocals, can be seen below:
0 Hard Rock News – 2/3/07
Not so Groundbreaking news regarding Ozzfest
Rumors are running rampant that the “surprise groundbreaking, historic announcement” that Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne will make about this summer’s Ozzfest will involve a change from the tour’s traditionally open-air format to an indoor-arena setup, with Osbourne serving as the headliner on most, if not all, the dates, and around 5-6 additional bands on the bill and a few others on select stops. According to unconfirmed reports, the change will be made to reduce the high cost of running the festival as well as to address the sluggish ticket sales that have plagued the festival in recent years. In addition, it will deal with the fact that outside venues tend to cause Ozzy’s allergies to flare up — as they did on his most recent run as the Ozzfest headliner in 2005 — which invevitably leads to concert cancellations.
“He’s been having a lot of voice problems,” Sharon stated during Ozzfest’s 2005 run. “Ozzy suffers from hay fever. When the pollen count is high, he’s just wiped out. And there’s only so many things he can take for it.”
Ozzy and Sharon’s announcement will be made at CIC 2007 (Concert Industry Consortium) on Tuesday, February 6 at 11:00 a.m. PT at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel (The Westside Room), located at 2025 Avenue Of The Stars in Century City, California. Media arrivals begin at 10:15 a.m. The event is also open to registrants of CIC. Note: This private event is ***NOT*** open to the public.
Although there has been no official announcement on the matter, it is believed that ALICE IN CHAINS will take part in this year’s event, which is expected to kick off in late June or early July. Other bands that are strongly rumored to be in talks to perform are BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE and HELLYEAH (the new band featuring former PANTERA/DAMAGEPLAN drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott alongside members of MUDVAYNE and NOTHINGFACE).
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New Track by Masterplan
You can hear the new track Lost and Gone, by the Mike Dimeo lead Masterplan here!
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Endeverafter still working on debut
Endeverafter is finishing up the last few tracks for their debut disc to be released this summer. They will be touring in support of the new disc. This hot new band opened up for the Cinderella and Poison tour in 2006. You can hear 4 tracks off of their EP Blood on the Stage here!
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Raging Metal
The weekly hour long will be Raging Metal Show will be posted at the Hard Rock Hideout weekly. This is a must for you Metal fans to check out. There are some killer new tracks featured on this show every week!
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New Disc in 2007 from Rush
Rush is putting the final touches on their new album to be released this summer called either Snakes and Arrows or Snakes and Ladders.
0 Hard Rock News 1/30/07
Two new tracks, Livin’ In a Fantasy and Party Tonight were released by the UK band Headrush on ITunes yesterday. Judging from the sound of the new tracks, this is going to be a hot CD in 2007. Check out the tracks at Head Rush Rocks!
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The Answer has thrown up a cover of Aerosmith’s Sweet Emotion on their myspace page. You can check it out Here!
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New Artwork was posted online for the Upcoming Megadeth CD, United Abominations.
Check it out! 
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Frankie Banali was on the Eddie Trunk show last night on XM 41 the Boneyard. Quiet Riot will be hitting the road with soon with a lineup that includes Kevin Dubrow, Frankie Banali, Alex Grossi (Beautiful Creatures) on guitars and Chuck Wright on bass.
The following dates have been scheduled so far:
MARCH 2: AKRON, OH: TANGIERS
MARCH 3: SAHUARITA, AZ: DESERT DIAMOND CASINO
MARCH 9: CINCINNATI, OH: RHINO’S II
MARCH 10: OWENSBORO, KY: EXECUTIVE INN RIVERMONT
APRIL 5: WILKES-BARRE, PA: ROCK 107 BIRTHDAY BASH
APRIL 27: LYONS, TX: BIG CREEK
MAY 5: MEXICO CITY: AVANDARO OPEN AIR
JULY 14: VERNON HILLS, IL: VILLAGE OF VERNON HILLS
1 Hard Rock News 1/28/07 JORN! Chris Daughtry
Jorn Lande on U.S. Radio!
This Week On The Hairball John
Radio Show
This week, Hairball John and The Acid Chimp feed your new music hunger with Norwegian metallers Jorn, featuring vocalist Jorn Lande, the guys from Krokus and the metal god himself, Halford. We’ll also hear from Pete Loran of Trixter, Marc Storace of Krokus and Ron Keel. Also, Stephen Pearcy of Ratt tells us which Ratt song he “really hates“. |
Go to this link for the online schedule!
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Chris Daughtry hits # 1 Again!!
Press Release / It’s Official RCA/19 Recordings artist Daughtry has become the multi-format phenomenon of the year, leapfrogging from #5 to the #1 spot on The Billboard Top 200 Albums chart, selling over 65,000 albums this week as it cements its place as the fastest selling rock debut in Soundscan history. Debuting on November 21 at #2, Daughtry is also the first rock band release in nearly 20 years – since Bon Jovi’s 1988 classic New Jersey – to hit the top spot after debuting below #1. Such amazing milestones cap an incredible 8 week span of other unprecedented highlights for the debut artist A Top Ten single at multiple formats including Top 40 with It’s Not Over, a #1 christening on iTunes, a #1 Debut on VH1’s highly rated viewer-voted Countdown show, and a near-sold-out tour that runs through mid-spring. Daughtry’s commanding reign in the radio, digital, and video domains is virtually unparalleled for a rock newcomer. Competing with a flurry of ‘Super Tuesday’ releases during its opening week, (Jay-Z, The Beatles, Johnny Cash and others) Daughtry has proven to be music fans’ most popular and enduring currency, delivering what one critic has called the most ‘contemplative, explosive, insistent,(and) honest as it is accessible’ record released this year.
Fronted by rocker Chris Daughtry, the album’s kick-off single vaulted into the Top tier of virtually every format and radio playlist across the country – currently Top 10 at both Top 40 and Hot Adult Contemporary and rocketing into the Top 20 at Active Rock. The video for “It’s Not Over,” debuted at #1 on VH1’s viewer-voted VSPOT Top 20 Countdown, with Chris scheduled to make an appearance on MTV’s popular TRL show this Thursday, January 25. Daughtry has also owned the #1 position on iTunes, becoming the most popular new artist of the mobile and digital realm, attracting more than 2 million pageviews to his brand new website www.daughtryofficial.com.
Daughtry’s recently announced 2007 Winter Tour tour kicks off on January 28 at the House Of Blues in Anaheim, CA, with a much anticipated west coast romp in Los Angeles, CA at the El Rey Theatre on February 1. Fast becoming the hottest rock ticket of the new 2007 concert season, the Daughtry juggernaut will feature special guest Eve to Adam and opening act Cinder Road and run through mid-April, hitting New York City on March 19th. Because of the speed which tickets are selling out, Daughtry is also making a small pool of tickets available to registered members of his website. Log on for details.
1 Hard Rock News 1/27/07
RUDY SARZO Says It’s A ‘Real Mystery’ As To Why KEVIN DUBROW Continues To Bash Him In The Press – Jan. 27, 2007
Bassist Rudy Sarzo (DIO, QUIET RIOT, WHITESNAKE) has slammed QUIET RIOT vocalist Kevin DuBrow over DuBrow‘s constant slagging of Sarzo in the press, claiming that it’s “a real mystery” as to why the singer continues to bash him in interviews. In a recent chat with “The Classic Metal Show”, Sarzo insisted that DuBrow consistently didn’t show up for scheduled shows on the last tour featuring the band’s most popular lineup of DuBrow, Sarzo, Frankie Banali (drums) and Carlos Cavazo (guitar). Dubbing the vocalist “No-Show DuBrow,” Sarzo explained how they had to cancel seven gigs due to DuBrow‘s absence, were sued by one venue, and were losing money on the road. Sarzo further claimed that he has no idea why DuBrow hates him and regularly attacks him in the press. An excerpt from the interview follows:
The Classic Metal Show: We’ve interviewed the other guys in your former band before, and it seems like Kevin DuBrow always makes a point to bash on you. Why is that?
Rudy Sarzo: My question to you is, has he ever pinpointed why? Let’s say, in a band…let’s say that his anger toward anybody…I mean, did anybody screw his girlfriend? You know what I mean? Let me put it this way: Has he come up and said, “This is why I bash him!”
The Classic Metal Show: No.
Rudy Sarzo: …And you know what? I still don’t know myself (laughing).
The Classic Metal Show: Seriously? You don’t…
Rudy Sarzo: Yeah!
The Classic Metal Show: OK. Well, he did allude to…he was blowing off some steam and basically gave us the scoop that he has a big distaste for Spencer Proffer. I was just kidding with him. In fact, I had him on the show just a few weeks ago, and I said something about having you play bass on a new record with him, and he said, “I think Lucifer would be in the front of the line before he is.” What does that mean?
Rudy Sarzo: Well, Lucifer would be the devil, right? I don’t know (laughing). Your guess is as good as mine.
The Classic Metal Show: Well, Rudy, I’ve met you on several occasions, and you’ve always been a good dude to me – very friendly and very accommodating. We’ve always wondered why Kevin has such a hard-on for you.
Rudy Sarzo: It’s a mystery, man. (laughing) I have no clue. It’s becoming ridiculous proportions for him to have such anger toward someone. You know, you should be able to pinpoint why.
The Classic Metal Show: Well, he even went as far as to blame you for the breakup of QUIET RIOT three years ago.
Rudy Sarzo: Well, listen. He stopped showing up. He left us stranded at the airport seven times. By that, I mean that Frankie, Carlos and me would get to the final destination, and it would be “No-Show DuBrow.” We just couldn’t afford it. With that incarnation, we just couldn’t afford to keep touring. It was impossible. We were losing money. You know, we had to pay for our flights. On one occasion in particular, we got sued and had to pay for a lawyer. Plus the loss of revenue from having to perform. Plus you had to pay your crew members, and pay for his airplane tickets. Pardon me, but at least I showed up.
The Classic Metal Show: Well, Rudy, what about this rumor with him where he says that you made them turn the bass way up and turn everybody else way down?
Rudy Sarzo: What is he talking about? I’m going to ask you a question. Have you ever heard anybody in any other band complain? Actually I’ve played longer and with more people than him, and in more bands. Have you ever heard anybody say anything about that? Honestly, I think we are spending way too much time talking about a subject that I, myself, have every little knowledge of. At the end of the day, I find this totally silly, and it’s a real mystery.
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Saints of the Underground featuring Jani Lane (Warrant) and Bobby Blotzer (Ratt) have released new tunes at their myspace site Here!
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DC4 featuring Rowan Robertson (DIO) has also released some new tracks at their myspace site here!
0 Hard Rock News #3 1/25/07
Hard Rock Hideout favorite BLACK STONE CHERRY will perform live on the nationally syndicated radio show “Rockline” airing Monday, February 12. The live show begins at 8:30 p.m. PT / 11:30 p.m. ET, and fans are encouraged to call in with questions during the program at (800) 344-ROCK (7625). To find a station near you, check out www.rocklineradio.com.
You can see their videos here!
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DOKKEN 1985 VHS NOW DUE FOR DVD:
When Dokken released the home video Unchain The Night in 1985, the band was touring for its second platinum album, Under Lock And Key. The original VHS release contained on- and off-stage footage shot by the band while on tour in Europe and America. Also included were videos of the hit singles “It’s Not Love” and “In My Dreams” as well as “Into The Fire,” “Just Got Lucky” and “Alone Again” from 1984’s Tooth And Nail.
For its DVD debut, Unchain The Night is expanded with four previously unreleased videos: “Burning Like A Flame,” and “Heaven Sent” from 1987’s Back For The Attack, plus “Walk Away” a studio track added to the 1988 live album Beast From The East. Also included is the video for “Dream Warriors,” a song for A Nightmare On Elm Street III that featured the band and two stars from the film: Robert Englund (as Freddy Krueger) and Emmy’ winner Patricia Arquette. The DVD also features a newly recorded interview with the band.
Track Listing: Into The Fire, Just Got Lucky, Breaking The Chains, Alone Again, The Hunter, In My Dreams, It’s Not Love, Walk Away**, Dream Warriors**, Heaven Sent**, Burning Like A Flame**.
** Unreleased videos with new commentary from the band.
0 More VH News 1/25/07
From the LA Times:
Van Halen is back — withDavid Lee Roth
The band will launch its first tour with its original singer in 20 years this spring.
The mercurial Roth, who officially left Van Halen on April Fool’s Day in 1985, will reportedly reunite with his old band mates for a tour that kicks off in North Carolina in early May and includes June stops in Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties, according to sources in the concert industry.
The band has been planning a splashy press conference in Los Angeles to announce the news, but word leaked out today. There had been intense speculation that the reunion might happen after the announcement this month that the band would be inducted into the Hall of Fame in New York on March 12. That induction ceremony at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel could be a study in awkward stage politics now considering that Hagar, the on-again-off-again replacement for Roth is being inducted as well.
Hagar sang with the band on their lucrative tour dates in 2004 and 2005 and told The Times a few weeks ago that he hoped the ceremony would be a good-spirited celebration of the band’s legacy. Now, he faces the prospect of playing the rock bridesmaid at the public celebration of his band’s rekindled first marriage.
Hagar and Roth have feuded publicly and in 2002 when they turned their public animus into a tour of strange bedfellows, the venture dipped into soap opera almost daily.
It’s not technically Roth’s first return to the band; he appeared on stage with the band – which is guitar hero Eddie Van Halen, drummer Alex Van Halen and bassist Michael Anthony – at the MTV Video Music Awards in 1996. They recorded a few songs but then it was all off again.
Roth’s return will be met with exultation for fans of the band’s edgier and raunchier Sunset Strip metal roots and their remarkable six-album rise the top of rock stardom, which began with “Van Halen” in 1979, an album that has shipped more than 10 million copies to stores, according to Recording Industry Assn. of America.
Hagar’s entry into the lineup in 1985 marked a step toward a less aggressive edge and more mainstream sound. Fans have long debated which line-up truly rules and now Roth will get a chance to present his argument on stage for the first time since the Reagan administration.
0 Hard Rock News 1/24/2007
More Megadeth News from Dave Mustaine
Megadeth will do a 45 minute opening set on the Heaven and Hell tour.
You can see a video for the Gears of War track off the up and coming United Abominations below.
United Abominations will be released on May 8th, 2007 by Roadrunner records.
Tracks titles include:
- Gears of War
- Sleepwalker
- United Abominations
- Burnt Ice
- Never Walk Alone
- Amerikhastan
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QUIET RIOT frontman Kevin Dubrow has revealed that bad interpersonal relationships were largely to blame for the breakup of the band’s classic lineup. In an interview with “The Classic Metal Show” (which can be heard at this location), DuBrow lashes out at QUIET RIOT‘s former bassist Rudy Sarzo (also DIO, ex-OZZY OSBOURNE), while also admitting that the last few years of the classic lineup’s existence were riddled with disagreements, ultimately causing the group virtually split in two. An excerpt from the interview follows:
The Classic Metal Show: I know you have a certain affection for the ’60s and ’70s stuff, as [is evident on] your solo album. You seem to be going in that direction now because it is you and Frankie [Banali, drums], and you have a good working relationship as well as a friendship. You two seemed to be able to agree on that (direction).
Kevin Dubrow: “Exactly. The thing is, with the old band, I got along great with Carlos [Cavazo, guitar]. Frankie and him didn’t even speak. The less said about Rudy the better. Obviously, we were not friends and we did not enjoy each other’s company musically or personally. So, when you are in a band like that, the productivity is going to be somewhat limited.”
The Classic Metal Show: Sure, well now that you two have control…
Kevin Dubrow: “Yeah. We don’t have the distraction of people that have their own agendas. We did ask Carlos to rejoin, but he wasn’t interested unless it was with Rudy. That’s…that’s…That’s pretty much like asking me about Spencer [Proffer, ex-QUIET RIOT producer]. That would happen the day that hell does freeze over!”
QUIET RIOT‘s latest album, “Rehab”, was issued in the United States in early October via Chavis Records. The European release was handled by the U.K.-based Demolition Records.
For the new recordings, Kevin DuBrow and Frankie Banali were joined by Tony Franklin on bass (ex-THE FIRM and BLUE MURDER), session guitarist Neil Citron, and the voice of rock, Glenn Hughes (ex-DEEP PURPLE and BLACK SABBATH), who performed a vocal duet with Kevin DuBrow on the classic 1969 SPOOKY TOOTH song “Evil Woman” and also contributed the bass track for that song as well.
QUIET RIOT original members DuBrow and Banali recently reunited with Alex Grossi and Chuck Wright (bass) to tour worldwide in support of the “Rehab” release.
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Former VINNIE VINCENT INVASION singer Robert Fleischman will release a new solo album, “Look at the Dream”, in March through Spirt Box Music. For those who don’t want to wait, the CD will be available on iTunes next month.
Fleischman first came to prominence in the late 1970s as the original lead vocalist for multi-platinum rock band JOURNEY. His powerful singing voice and his undeniable songwriting talent helped the band make the transition from a rock-fusion band to the commercial success that they enjoyed from that point on. He wrote their first hit single, “Wheel in the Sky”, as well as other familiar JOURNEY songs. From there, Robert went for something totally out of character and joined former KISS guitarist Vinnie Vincent in the VINNIE VINCENT INVASION. Since then, Robert has been focused more on his songwriting than performing skills, having worked as a staff songwriter at Almo Irving Publishing and then as a composer of musical scores for TV and film projects. His solo performing career has been successful starting with the Jimmy Iovine-produced “Perfect Stranger” album on Arista which featured former JOURNEY bandmate Neal Schon on guitar. He has also recorded for Epic with his band, CHANNEL, and has released a variety of albums in a variety of genres — all of which are testament to the broad range of Robert‘s talent.
You can see the Robert Fleischman video from VVI below:
0 Hard Rock News 1/22/07
David Coverdale called into the Eddie Trunk Live show on XM41, The Boneyard tonight. David is working with current Whitesnake Lead Guitarist, Doug Aldrich on new material for the upcoming album tentatively titled, Good to be Bad. David sounds pretty inspired to be working on new tunes with Doug. We could have a monster Whitesnake album on our hands come summertime.
On a side note. Coverdale and company is interested in touring the United States this June and July, but the tour promoters are wanting to lump them together with a bunch of other 80’s hard rock bands. Coverdale has no interest in doing that. He thinks Whitesnake is a headliner, and I do not disagree with that notion at all. They headline shows that book 100,000 people in the UK. When will the U.S. tour promoters and record companies get a clue?
David also mentioned that the DVD – Live In the Still of the Night has almost gone Gold (50,000 units sold) in the Unites States without any promotion.
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According to a posting on BLACK SABBATH guitarist Tony Iommi‘s official web site, MEGADETH and DOWN have been officially confirmed as the support acts on HEAVEN AND HELL‘s previously announced Canadian tour. The trek will feature 11 Canadian shows, along with an exciting one-night-only performance at one of the most prestigious venues in the world, New York’s Radio City Music Hall. HEAVEN AND HELL reunites Iommi with Ronnie James Dio (vocals), Geezer Butler (bass) and Vinny Appice (drums) for the first time in 15 years.
Currently there are 12 scheduled stops, starting on March 11 in Vancouver and ending on March 30 in New York City. The HEAVEN AND HELL world tour will continue until the end of the year with shows in the U.S., Asia and Europe. Additional dates will be announced shortly.
HEAVEN AND HELL North American tour dates:
Mar. 11 – Vancouver, BC @ Pacific Coliseum
Mar. 13 – Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place
Mar. 14 – Calgary, AB @ Saddledome
Mar. 16 – Regina, SK @ Brandt Centre
Mar. 18 – Winnipeg, MB @ MTS Centre
Mar. 20 – Sault St. Marie, ON @ Steelback Centre
Mar. 22 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
Mar. 24 – London, ON @ John Labatt Centre
Mar. 26 – Montreal, PQ @ Bell Centre
Mar. 27 – Quebec City, PQ @ Colisee Pepsi Arena
Mar. 28 – Ottawa, ON @ Civic Centre
Mar. 30 – New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall ( Goes on Sale Friday 1/26/07 )
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Despite rumors of a forthcoming RATT reunion tour with original vocalist Stephen Pearcy, DiMartini answered “no” when asked if there are RATT tour plans for 2007.
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KROKUS vocalist Marc Storace recently spoke with “The Hairball John Radio Show” about the group’s new release, “Hellraiser”. Storace also spoke about a possible U.S. tour this summer.
Said Storace: “Our people are working on it right now. I don’t want to mention any names at this state, because I don’t want to disappoint anybody if it doesn’t work out. But it looks like a great tour. It would be a package tour and we would be able to reach a hell of a lot of our old fans as well as new ones.”
The entire conversation with Marc Storace is available in full streaming audio at the home site of “The Hairball John Radio Show”.
KROKUS‘s latest album, “Hellraiser”, entered the Swiss album chart at position No. 2. The CD, which was recorded with producer Dennis Ward (PINK CREAM 69), has already been certified “gold” in the band’s home country.
The KROKUS single “Angel of My Dreams” has been made available for download at this location.
KROKUS‘s current lineup is completed by Stefan Schwarzmann (drums), Tony Castell (bass), Mandy Meyer (guitar) and Dominique Fave (guitar).
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Frontiers salutes the multi-platinum metal artists Dokken with From Conception Live 1981 – A CD of an unreleased concert with 3 previously unreleased tracks.
Los Angeles rockers Dokken ruled the charts and airwaves in the 80s with a trio of platinum albums powered by an unforgettable mix of Metal and melody. With the band headed in the studio in January to record their ninth album Lighting Strikes Again due out summer 2007 Frontiers Records revisits the quartet’s early days with a Live CD from 1981, packed with unreleased material.
From Conception finds singer Don Dokken guitarist George Lynch, drummer Mick Brown and bassist Jeff Pilson ripping through 10 unreleased live performances of several songs that were eventually recorded for the band’s debut album, Breaking The Chains, including Live To Rock (Rock To Live), Knightrider, the title track, Paris Is Burning plus a showcase for Lynch’s formidable guitar heroics. The live disc also contains three previously unreleased tracks that didn’t make it onto the debut album because the label did not feel they were commercial enough at the time – Goin Down, Hit And Run and You’re a Liar.
