Now, John Paul Jones who is currently playing with THEM CROOKED VULTURES, also featuring FOO FIGHTERS' Dave Grohl and Josh Homme from QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE — said things have worked out for the best. "Jimmy [Page] and I rehearsed a bit with Jason Bonham and we couldn't really agree on singers and that fell by the wayside," he said. "Then this came along and to be honest, I'm really happy."
THEM CROOKED VULTURES made their first official single, called "New Fang", available to radio stations on Monday (October 26). The track is also streaming at the trio's web site and is taken from the band's self-titled debut album, which is due for release on November 17. Meanwhile, following their first North American tour of mostly East Coast cities earlier this month, the group will next head west for four gigs in November.
The band will perform on November 17 at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles, November 19 at the Fox Theater in Oakland, November 21 at the Paramount Theater in Seattle, and November 22 at the Roseland Theater in Portland, Oregon. Tickets go on sale this weekend for all four shows.
THEM CROOKED VULTURES will head to the U.K. and Europe in December, followed by Australia and New Zealand in January.
Greece's Rockpages caught up with RONNIE JAMES DIO before HEAVEN & HELL's concert in Greece a couple of months ago. Ronnie talked about a variety of subjects and here's an excerpt where he commented on the OZZY OSBOURNE's conflict with his ex-band members:
Q: Well, since Tony (Iommi) and Ozzy are in a legal fight right now, it doesn't seem to be BLACK SABATH soon anyway…
A: "Yeah, it's suing something… I was very surprised for that… I don't know what Tony will do. I don't know what Ozzy will do. I don't know what Geezer will do… I don't know what Sharon will do. I don't know what any of them will do. I only know what I will do and I think that's the most important. I will once again listen to the offers that are there and if it makes sense to me, then perhaps I will do it. But I just know I have another life. I'm lucky. And they have another life perhaps, too, with Ozzy, to do that. But I don't think they want to do that. I really don't. I think going back to that, for them, is not joyful. It's not musically joyful. This band is so good and it represents each other so well. I think they are sick and tired of playing Iron Man and Paranoid all their lives… which is not a challenge I think. This band is a challenge. I'd like to think that I'm one of the people who challenge them musically
and I think that they would like to carry on and do this. But we shall see. It's not a matter of my not wanting to do it; I just wanna see what is going to come up. Two times not being in this band anymore, being kicked out of it, it doesn't make you feel very good, especially when you have a good opinion of yourself and I know there is nothing I did wrong… You can feel very vengeful, perhaps, at times. I've forgiven the bad treatment I got from him [Tony Iommi]. We don't talk about it, but I've forgiven it. But that doesn't make me, any less… You know, I guess, I still do think about it, I remember what he did to me… and the life that I had without you [referring to Iommi and Black Sabbath] has been comfortable and happy one with the Dio band. I love those guys; I love to play with them. I insist upon playing with them again, which I will do. So, I don't have to wait till the end of all this… whatever it's going on here… and
see what happens. I'm not committing myself to anything, so we'll see what happens."
Hawes Spencer of The Hook reports: The parents of missing Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington urge would-be sleuths not to blame the 20-year old woman's friends for failing to report her disappearance during an October 17 METALLICA concert in Charlottesville.
"They're not to blame," says father Dan Harrington. "Everyone wants to make them out to be the bad guy, but they're not the bad guy."
The woman's disappearance didn't get reported to authorities until the next day when her father called police after she failed to show for a pre-arranged visit home to study math and balance her checkbook.
But should the friends at the concert have reported her missing?
"I wish they had," says her dad, "but I don't know that it would have changed anything. She's not a 7-year-old. They wouldn't have put out an Amber Alert."
Alan Cross of ExploreMusic.com conducted an interview with METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett yesterday (Monday, October 26) prior to the band's concert at at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Watch the chat in two parts below. A couple of excerpts follow.
On METALLICA's October 30, 2009 performance at Madison Square Garden as part of the 25th-anniversary celebration of the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame:
Hammett: "The people behind the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame were so impressed by our induction and our attitude toward the induction and all the good, positive things we had to say about the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame that they actually asked us back to participate in this benefit. And I'm all for it, because I'm a big supporter of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and keeping the memory of rock and roll through the years alive. Being acknowledged by the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame means a lot to me, so when they asked us to do this, we said, 'Oh, yeah. Absolutely.' So exactly what we're gonna do is... it's gonna span the history of rock and roll and what it's attempting to do — this benefit — is to put together current artists with Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductees from past years. And so there's these collaborations that are gonna be [taking place]. We're gonna be playing with Ray Davies [from THE KINKS] — we're gonna be playing 'You Really Got Me'
with him; we're gonna be playing with Lou Reed, we're gonna be playing a Lou Reed song; and then we're gonna be playing with Ozzy, we're gonna be playing a BLACK SABBATH song. And it should be a lot of fun. It's a two-day thing. On our day, it's ARETHA FRANKLIN, JEFF BECK, us and U2. So it's gonna be a pretty interesting show altogether, as far as the audience is concerned. It's gonna be a big mash-up of talent."
On Morgan Dana Harrington, the missing 20-year-old junior from Virginia Tech who was last seen at METALLICA's October 17, 2009 concert at the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Virginia:
Hammett: "I can only tell you what everyone knows, really. She went to the show in Charlottesville, got separated from her friends, never really got reunited with them, and later on they found her purse and cell phone, but not her person. So there's been a missing person report filed and there's been a reward put out by the family and we decided to contribute to that reward, 'cause we would like to see — as parents and just of our own good nature — we would like to see her found and reunited with her family. It's a very sad thing to hear about. We're just trying to do what we can to help her and help her family out. It's a pretty intense, screwed up thing that's happened, and I really hope that she's found and that she's OK."
WSLS 10 reports that additional details were released in the disappearance of Morgan Dana Harrington, the missing 20-year-old junior from Virginia Tech who was last seen at METALLICA 's October 17, 2009 concert at the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Interviews with various arena staff and other people in the vicinity of the arena that night have placed a young woman matching Harrington's description outside the facility from approximately 8:30 p.m. to approximately 9:30 p.m.:
8:20 – 8:30 p.m.* - Harrington is outside the arena near the main entrance and is attempting to re-enter the arena, but is told that arena policy requires her to have a ticket stub to do so.
8:30 – 8:48 p.m.* - Witnesses recall seeing a woman fitting Harrington's description outside the arena at various locations.
8:48 p.m.* - Harrington talks to her friends by cell phone.
8:48 – 9:00 p.m.* – Additional sightings of her outside the arena are reported.
9:00 - 9:10 p.m.* - Harrington is seen walking through the University Hall parking lot towards Lannigan Field.
9:10 – 9:20 p.m.* - Individuals report seeing Harrington walking in the grassy, overflow parking lot at Lannigan Field. The lot is often used for RV parking.
9:20 – 9:30 p.m. - She is seen walking on the Copeley Road railroad bridge, between Ivy Road and the track at Lannigan Field. Investigators are asking for anyone who might have seen a young woman fitting Harrington's description getting into a vehicle around this time or later to contact police. Also, anyone who might recall seeing a vehicle randomly stopped in the roadway on Copeley Road that night is asked to notify police. Copeley Road is about two blocks away from the John Paul Jones arena.
Police are asking anyone with information call the tip line at 434-352-3467.
MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine has posted the following message in the "Forums" section of the band's official web site:
"I am so happy that you are digging the station [MEGADETH's radio station 'Megadeth Radio', which Mustaine has complete control over]. Hopefully a lot of the talk in between will keep you amused. And I know that the song selection is getting groomed and improved every day except Sundays, you know why, and because I think I am also going to see my hometown team the Chargers (you know, the ones without the ponytails and the players having a hard time deciding if they are football players or rock stars) take on my favorite team since I was a kid, the Raiders.
"This will be tough, but in a way kinda like watching two friends fight.
"Ever notice how chick fights are so much more vicious than dudes'? I remember watching some girls that appeared to be in some group, beat up a lone girl, and I was just a 12-year-old, but it was savage! Even while sitting on the ground in complete submission, this group of girls found it necessary to keep attacking this single girl, kicking her in the face and head.
"Life is so funny at times how quickly people can turn on something or someone. That is why I am so grateful right now for the success we have, and for the way that the band keeps growing in stature and status, but also how we continue to put great performances down, keep growing closer to you all, and continue to outlast the critics.
"Our next leg will be with SLAYER and people said 'it wouldn't happen, then they said, 'well, it won't last for long,' then they said, 'well, it won't happen again,' and we are heading back up to Canada to meet with them.
"I was in my dressing room with Dave [Lombardo, SLAYER drummer] and Kerry [King, SLAYER guitarist] hanging out and we were all celebrating our success, and I got to ask Kerry, 'What it was that I did that pissed you off so bad, so that I can fix it?' and of course we were interupted and the conversation stopped. So, I look forward to seeing the guys, and some of you don't know that when Tom [Araya, SLAYER bassist/vocalist] got sick, I actually invited Kerry to come play an old MEGADETH song, because he played in MEGADETH for a very short time, while helping me out because I was still looking for a guitarist and he was already in SLAYER.
"Now, I imagine they will be saying, 'Well, that's it, and those lucky f*ckers, we'll never get to see this event.' To this I say, 'Anything is possible!'"
The Metal Den recently conducted an interview with former MEGADETH and current F5/HAIL! bassist David Ellefson. A few excerpts from the chat follow below.
The Metal Den: What do you think is the biggest misconception people have about you?
Ellefson: Maybe that I should return back to my "former" band. Truth is when that ended, I moved on and am very happy with exploring new territory now. At the end of the day, my resume speaks for itself. You don't get that body of work unless you've actually earned that body of work. Nay-sayers be damned.
The Metal Den: Are you still doing work for Peavey as an artist relations representative?
Ellefson: Yes, I started that back in 2002 and it has been a really cool gig. I'm generally a pretty good people-person so it's been a good fit. I'd like to think I'm able to be very helpful to the company as well as many, many artists worldwide.
The Metal Den: You, like Dave Mustaine, are a committed Christian, right? Do you currently go to church?
Ellefson: I do go to church when I'm home but I rarely talk about it openly because so much antagonism surrounds the subject, especially in the metal community. For me, I'd rather "walk the talk" than always be out "talking the talk." I find the ones who poke fun at me for it are the very ones who probably need a little church in their lives!
The Metal Den: Let me ask , have you listened to MEGADETH's "Endgame" yet? If so, what did you think of it?
Ellefson: I have not heard it.
The Metal Den: Mustaine seems to really hate metal news sites like BLABBERMOUTH.NET and others. Do you enjoy these sites? Don't you think sites like The Metal Den do good to help promote metal music, whereas most music sites/magazines (Spin, Rolling Stone) don't even talk about metal music really?
Ellefson: I think when the general spirit is to promote the unity of metal, then it is good. However, when the spirit is to slag artists and entice the fans to throw us under the bus (hence cause division), then they are used with a wrong purpose.
The Metal Den: Did Dave Mustaine seem to always have a problem with his METALLICA days when you were around him in the past? He seems to dwell on it a bit still and blow up in interviews over the subject.
Ellefson: Not to dodge the question, but I think that is all pretty well documented now for quite a few years.
The Metal Den: Do you — like me — think heavy metal gets a bum rap for being this "Satanic devil-worshipping" music?
Ellefson: Well, rock n roll has by its very nature has always gone to the edges to rebel. That is probably why the church crowd and conservatives don't like it, because it is often directly opposed to how they view God, thus the "anti-Christ." Hence, rock 'n' roll being shunned by that legion of believers. To add fuel to the fire, certain metal guys rebel even further and take it out even more extreme and blatantly call themselves devil worshippers. I get the fun in that but at the same time when was the last time you heard someone at the Grammys or anyone in their life become hugely successful and give thanks to the devil?
The Metal Den: Let's change gears. How do you spend down time away from music?
Ellefson: I mostly spend time with my family. We're active in sports. I value my life as it is right now, in that I can choose the work and travel I want to do so I can be active with my kids growing up. I've had a great career and now I want to spend time with them so they are hopefully raised well.
The Metal Den: Do you watch reality television?
Ellefson: I hate that stuff. After a full day of reality, why would I come home and watch more of it?! I'm not mesmerized by watching train wrecks in people's lives, partly because I've worked really hard to get away from all of that myself over the last 20 years. I think most of them are sad and pathetic.
According to Live Nation, SEBASTIAN BACH and DANKO JONES will support GUNS N' ROSES on their upcoming Canadian tour.
The dates are as follows:
Jan. 13 - Winnipeg, MB - MTS Centre
Jan. 16 - Calgary, AB - Pengrowth Saddledome
Jan. 17 - Edmonton, AB - Rexall Place
Jan. 19 - Saskatoon, SK - Credit Union Centre
Jan. 20 - Regina, SK - Brandt Centre
Jan. 24 - Hamilton, ON - Copps Coliseum
Jan. 25 - London, ON - John Labatt Centre
Jan. 27 - Montreal, PQ - Bell Centre
Jan. 28 - Toronto, ON - Air Canada Centre
Jan. 31 - Ottawa, ON - Scotiabank Place
Feb. 01 - Quebec City, PQ - Colisee Pepsi
Feb. 03 - Moncton, NB - Moncton Coliseum
Feb. 04 - Halifax, NS - Metro Centre
Bach's current solo band includes guitarist Nick Sterling, drummer Bobby Jarzombek and bassist Rob DeLuca. Playing second guitar with the former SKID ROW frontman will be either Johnny Chromatic or Charlie Bellmore.
Sebastian recently collaborated with HATEBREED frontman Jamey Jasta on several tracks for Bach's new solo album, with Nick and Charlie Bellmore of the Connecticut band PHANTOMS assisting during the pre-production process. The singer has also written material with John 5 (ROB ZOMBIE, MARILYN MANSON).
Bach is best known for selling 20 million albums as the former lead singer of SKID ROW. He has gone on to star on Broadway and television, including five seasons on CW's "Gilmore Girls", as well as hit shows on VH1, MTV and CMT. Bach's most recent studio project was "Angel Down", his first solo album since 1999. The record features 14 songs with a guest appearance by GUNS N' ROSES front man Axl Rose on three cuts, including a blistering version of AEROSMITH's "Back In The Saddle".
Premiere Radio Networks has announced it will launch "Sixx Sense with Nikki Sixx" on rock/alternative music stations in January 2010. Hosted by Nikki Sixx, co-founder/bassist/songwriter of the world-renowned band MÖTLEY CRÜE and chart-topping act SIXX: A.M., producer, clothing designer and best-selling author, the program will air nationwide Monday through Friday from 7 p.m. to midnight local time. Each night, Sixx will discuss music and lifestyle topics as he gives listeners a backstage look at the world and mind of a rock star. Delivered with his unique perspective and attitude, Sixx will welcome celebrity guests, recording artists and fascinating characters from all walks of life. All this and more will be coupled with radio station playlists. In addition, Sixx will host a two-hour original weekend program titled "The Side Show Countdown with Nikki Sixx". Debuting in January 2010, Sixx will air top-charting songs, showcase new and emerging artists,
and welcome guests from the worlds of music and entertainment. The program will be available for air Saturday or Sunday between 6 a.m. and midnight local time. Sixx will broadcast both programs from Premiere's Los Angeles studios.
Sixx commented, "Radio has been instrumental in almost every successful endeavor of mine and it is the best way to connect with a wide audience on a daily basis. I look forward to being involved in every aspect of building 'Sixx Sense', from the content of the show, to the web site, to the logo, to the music beds, to, of course, hosting every day."
Premiere Radio Networks SVP of Programming Jennifer Leimgruber commented, "We are tremendously excited for the opportunity to work with Nikki Sixx and to make great radio together. The combination of his passion for music, unbridled creativity, humor, curiosity and dedication will create a program that surprises and entertains a wide range of listeners."
In a sudden and unexpected move, multi-platinum hard rock artist Rob Zombie has inked has a new worldwide deal with leading rock label Roadrunner Records through its Loud & Proud imprint.
This shocking announcement comes as Zombie exits his former label and of eighteen years, where he sold fifteen million records as a solo artist and with his former band WHITE ZOMBIE. Zombie's new album, "Hellbilly Deluxe 2", previously set for release on 11/17 will now be released by Roadrunner/Loud & Proud Records in early 2010.
"It certainly wasn't an easy decision to make after all this time, but it had to be done," states Zombie. "I love this new record and wanted to surround myself with an excited new group of people who can reignite my enthusiasm for working within a hard rock record label. Roadrunner seems to be the perfect place."
"Roadrunner is thrilled to be involved with Rob Zombie on a worldwide basis as he is a multiple-threat artist whom we've admired for many years," said Roadrunner president Jonas Nachsin.
Tom Lipsky, founder and president of Loud & Proud echoed Nachsin's sentiment, "Rob Zombie hits hard on 'Hellbilly Deluxe 2' and the fans expect nothing less. We are excited about the monster mayhem that he is certain to create!"
The first single from the new album, "What?", recently launched at all rock radio formats and is quickly climbing the charts. This latest album marks the follow-up to 1998's triple platinum "Hellbilly Deluxe".
The track listing is as follows:
01. Jesus Frankenstein
02. Sick Bubblegum
03. What?
04. Mars Needs Women
05. Werewolf, Baby!
06. Virgin Witch
07. Death and Destiny Inside The Dream Factory
08. Burn
09. Cease to Exist
10. Werewolf Women of the SS
11. The Man Who Laughs
Zombie hinted in an online post that his new CD could be his last, saying, "Well, pretty soon the CD will be dead. All you will have left is digital downloads. So before we say goodbye to the almighty CD, I thought I would give it a big send-off. I love being able to get great artists involved on my CD artwork and this time is the best yet. Since this may be the last true CD I make, I thought I would gather three of the top artists around to contribute some killer new Zombie art for the booklet."
The artists contributing work to the CD's booklet are Nocturnals comic book creator Dan Brereton, animation and storyboard artist David Hartman and Italian artist Alex Horley, who has worked for Image Comics and DC Comics .
Rob Zombie will kick off his upcoming North American tour on October 29 in Phoenix, Arizona, according to a press release. he will hit the road with the same band that toured behind his 2006 CD, "Educated Horses", consisting of guitarist John 5, bassist Piggy D. and drummer Tommy Clufetos. Although Zombie is also busy these days directing movies, he told The Pulse of Radio he can always count on his current bandmates to return. "Whenever I'm making a movie they go off and do whatever they want, but they're all part of this band," he said. "We just did all of our photos for the tour and stuff. It's the same band, it's just that I know those guys get itchy to play."
Support on the tour will come from NEKROMANTIX and CAPTAIN CLEGG & THE NIGHT CREATURES. The latter band appeared in Zombie's latest film, "Halloween II".
The trek will include a very special Halloween event on October 31 in Hollywood, California hosted by Uncle Seymour Coffins, also seen in "Halloween II".
The "Hellbilly Deluxe 2" tour will mark Zombie's return to the road after moderate box office success as the writer and director of "Halloween II" (Dimension). His R-rated, animated feature, "The Haunted World Of El Superbeasto", was made available everywhere on DVD and Blu-ray September 22.
"Halloween II", the follow-up to Zombie's successful 2007 remake of the original 1978 horror classic, came in at No. 3 in its opening weekend, earning $17 million at the box office. That's far less than the $31 million his first "Halloween" flick did two years ago.
Zombie's next film will be a remake of "The Blob", which he is slated to begin shooting in the spring of 2010.
Rob Zombie told Billboard.com that he decided to push back the release date of his fourth solo album, "Hellbilly Deluxe 2: Noble Jackals, Penny Dreadfuls and the Systematic Dehumanization of Cool", because "everything was turning into a chaotic mess." ("Hellbilly Deluxe 2", had been bumped from a November 17 arrival to an undetermined 2010 release date.)
"Basically the label (Geffen) wasn't really in a position to promote it or deal with it," Zombie explained. "It was basically everything, from getting advance copies to the press to...There wasn't even time to make a video (for the first single, 'What?') and we were leaving for the tour. There was the sense that every little thing about the record was rushed — not the music, 'cause that was done for a long time, and that was the thing that was so annoying. We spent so much time crafting the record, we didn't want it to be something that was so chaotic that it became, 'Oh, that's done and gone' two weeks later."
Zombie is offering "Ultimate Fan Packages" through I Love All Access for his upcoming North American tour, which begins this Thursday (October 29) in Phoenix, Arizona. The package includes one ticket per buyer, priority access where allowable, a meet-and-greet with Zombie, a pre-show party, an exclusive Zombie gift bag, a souvenir tour laminate and parking. If you already have a ticket, you can upgrade your existing ticket through the package.
Zombie will be joined on his first headlining trek since 2007 by openers NECROMANTIX and CAPTAIN CLEGG AND THE NIGHT CREATURES. Zombie told The Pulse of Radio that the latter band may be familiar to fans who saw his latest effort as a director, "Halloween II". "CAPTAIN CLEGG AND THE NIGHT CREATURES are . . . they're sort of like the MONKEES," he said. "They were a fictitious band that now became real. They're the band that's playing in the Halloween party in 'Halloween II', which this friend of mine, Jesse Dayton, we formed this fake band for the movie, and people seemed to love it so much it sort of took on a life of its own, and now it's like a real band that's on tour with us."
"Halloween II", Zombie's sequel to his own hit 2007 remake of the iconic horror classic, will be re-released in theatres on October 30 in time for the holiday it's named after.
"Hellbilly Deluxe 2" is the "sequel" to Zombie's first solo studio effort, "Hellbilly Deluxe", released in 1998.
The Pulse of Radio reports: Rob Zombie kicks off his first North American tour in two years on Thursday (October 29) in Phoenix, Arizona, and he said on a conference call with reporters earlier this week that fans can expect surprises in both the set list and stage production. "We have a lot of new things this time, you know," he said. "We didn't want to go out and just do the same old show, so we've dug deep and we've kind of tried to mix it up. You know, there's always the obvious songs that you have to play for people that they want to hear, but we're actually going back and we're grabbing some songs that I've actually never played live ever. And as far as the stage show, there's been some pretty incredible advancements in digital technology, so we have a pretty high-tech show going on. It's pretty awesome."
Meanwhile, it was announced late Wednesday (October 28) that Zombie has left Geffen Records, his label home for 18 years, and signed a new deal with Roadrunner Records' Loud & Proud imprint. The label will release his new album, "Hellbilly Deluxe 2", in early 2010.
Zombie sold more than 15 million records on Geffen as a solo artist and with WHITE ZOMBIE. He said in a statement, "It certainly wasn't an easy decision to make after all this time, but it had to be done. I love this new record and wanted to surround myself with an excited new group of people who can reignite my enthusiasm for working within a hard rock record label. Roadrunner seems to be the perfect place."
Zombie added that he will play songs from "Hellbilly Deluxe 2" on the tour, although the record's release has been pushed back. Geffen was initially supposed to issue the CD on November 17. It was abruptly yanked from that date, with sources saying that Zombie was at odds with his longtime label.
The singer also said he "toyed with" the idea of bringing out the original "Hellbilly Deluxe" stage set from 1998, but decided in favor of an updated version.
Zakk Wylde's wife Barbaranne revealed in a Twitter update that the BLACK LABEL SOCIETY frontman has been 63 days sober as of Wednesday, October 28.
Wylde is reportedly suffering from "a rare genetic clotting disorder" for which he is currently receiving treatment in California.
In a recent radio interview, Wylde's former OZZY OSBOURNE/BLACK LABEL SOCIETY bandmate Robert Trujillo (who is currently playing with METALLICA) stated about the guitarist's health status, "I think he is doing a lot better. The last I heard, he hasn't had a drink in over a month, which is absolutely incredible for him, because this guy, if you don't know him, he's a drinking a machine and can be dangerous [laughs] if you catch him at the wrong time, or the right time. But Zakk has a heart of gold; he's really a special human being. He's very giving. And we all hope that his health gets better and that he gets it right, 'cause he is a good person. We all make mistakes and sometimes we make mistakes because of the drinking. I'm sure he's hopefully learning from that. When alcohol or drugs start taking over your health and your family and all that, that's crazy. But again, Zakk's a wonderful person; I love him dearly. He's an amazing musician, and I don't
just mean guitar player. The man can play piano, he can sing, he's a got a lot of soul and he's a good spirit."
Zakk stated in an August 2009 Twitter message that he "was given a CT scan where they found three clots. I was then told each one of the clots passed through my heart. . . My left leg has a clot above the side and behind my knee, my calf and running into my heel. My right leg has a clot in between my calf and ankle."
BLACK LABEL SOCIETY was forced to drop off the "Pedal To The Metal Tour" due to Zakk's condition. The rest of the bands on the trek — MUDVAYNE, STATIC-X, SUICIDE SILENCE and BURY YOUR DEAD — carried on with the remaining dates on the tour after BLS's departure.
Wylde got the "green light" from his doctor to take part in the Halloween (October 31) BLACK LABEL SOCIETY performance in Times Square (New York City) to promote his new limited-edition Epiphone Graveyard Disciple guitar. Zakk has also scheduled an in-store signing session on October 30 at Sam Ash in New York City to unveil the guitar.
STONE TEMPLE PILOTS spent the last few months working on a new studio album with producer Don Was. The band currently has tour dates through the beginning of 2010, after which the group is expected to resume recording the CD for a tentative spring/summer release.
"When we get back, we're going to finish the album," singer Scott Weiland tells Spinner.com. "And then when we finish the album, there will be a big tour around its release and that will probably be a long tour."
The upcoming release of PILOTS' sixth studio album and first since 2001's "Shangri-La-Dee-Da" has been complicated by a contractual dispute between Weiland, drummer Eric Kretz and STP's label, Atlantic Records.
STONE TEMPLE PILOTS were reactivated in 2008 after a six-year layoff, during which time Weiland recorded two albums with VELVET REVOLVER before being dismissed in April 2008.
Weiland issued a second solo effort, called "Happy In Galoshes", last November and has been touring on his own behind that release.
SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor has confirmed that he was being considered for the singer slot in VELVET REVOLVER following the departure of Scott Weiland. Speaking to Altitude TV (see video below), Taylor said, "I had a meeting with those guys , we did some demos together, and it just didn't work — for whatever reason."
He added, "It was just really cool. It was one of those things where it's like I could have got to jam with legends, man, in my opinion. But, you know, it was cool, and I still know those guys, I still hang out with them, and I still have nothing but respect."
VELVET REVOLVER/ex-GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash was asked a few months ago by the webmaster of his official fan site if there was any truth to the rumor that Taylor was going to be the next VELVET REVOLVER singer. According to a posting on the site, Slash "said it looked like it for a minute, but they had decided against it."
In his SeattleWeekly.com column, VELVET REVOLVER /ex-GUNS N' ROSES bassist Duff McKagan wrote about playing with Corey's solo band at a couple of festival shows this past summer. "You may know Corey as the lead singer from SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR, but I know him as a guy who just likes to rock and have fun doing it," Duff said. "His band out-Loaded LOADED [Duff's other group] as they came on stage to the 'Magnum P.I.' theme song doing a choreographed dance, and then proceeded to play 'Let's Go Crazy' by PRINCE.
"They crushed it! The heavy-metal crowd was further bewildered when they saw their SLIPKNOT hero go from the theme song from 'Cheers' into 'Pig' by NINE INCH NAILS. It was absolutely superb.
"To me, when you can flat-out rock and also take the piss out of yourself... then you are doing something right."
(Story last updated on October 29 at 9:55 p.m. EST) Legendary hard rock drummer Chuck Biscuits (born Charles Montgomery), whose lengthy résumé includes stints in such flagship underground acts as BLACK FLAG and SOCIAL DISTORTION, appears to have been the victim of a death hoax involving a Facebook page and several months' worth of correspondence from someone claiming to be Chuck. (More information can be found on the blog of James Greene, Jr., a freelance music writer from Brooklyn, New York.)
A person using the e-mail address that was previously believed to have been utilized by Biscuits sent out an e-mail Tuesday morning (October 27) claiming that Chuck, who is 44 years old, died on October 24 after a prolonged battle with throat cancer.
"In response to the inquires, thank you for all the support," the e-mail stated. "Chuck did not survive his battle with throat cancer. He passed surrounded by his family on 10/24/09."
Since the original death story went viral, several people (including former DANZIG bassist Eerie Von and Chuck's brother Bob Montgomery, who was apparently "somewhat estranged" from Biscuits for a time) have openly questioned the reports of Chuck's passing. It is also being claimed that Biscuits was seen at work earlier today and that he is "pissed off" about the rumors of his demise. As of this writing, however, he has yet to come forward and pubicly confirm that he is alive and well.
Chuck Biscuits is probably best known for his work with DANZIG. Beginning in 1988, Chuck played on that group's first four albums, which are often hailed as DANZIG's best (thanks in no small part to Chuck's powerful drumming style). The percussionist also appeared on 1993's "Thrall: Demonsweatlive" EP; that release yielded an unexpected chart-burning hit for DANZIG in "Mother" a song the band originally included on their self-titled debut.
New Jersey thrash metal veterans OVERKILL have scheduled the following South American tour dates:
Mar. 16 - Santiago De Chile, Chile - Teatro Teleton
Mar. 18 - Porto Alegre, Brazil - Opiniao
Mar. 19 - Recife, Brazil - Clube Portugues do Recife
Mar. 20 - Sao Paulo, Brazil - Via Marques
For more information, read the rest of James Greene, Jr.'s October 27, 2009 blog entry.
According to Slayerized.com, Swedish metallers THE HAUNTED will support SLAYER on their upcoming European tour , which kicks off on November 18 in Nottingham, England.
Commented THE HAUNTED frontman Peter Dolving: "This is great beyond words. Since the very first THE HAUNTED record we've enjoyed great support from SLAYER and we've talked many times about how cool it would be to support our favorite band in the world. SLAYER are without competition the one band that's inspired and motivated us over the years. In many ways SLAYER personify the measure by which we live and act as a band, and to finally get to head out with these dudes is awesome, and fucking beautiful! This is going to be utter complete fucking mayhem!"
German metallers MOB RULES will support DIO on the following dates:
Dec. 16 - Bremen, Germany - Aladin
Dec. 18 - Nürnberg, Germany - Lowenssal
Dec. 19 - Reichenbach, Germany - H20
"Astral Hand", the new video from MOB RULES, can be viewed below. The clip was filmed on April 18 at Jahnhalle in Nordenham, Germany. Directing the video was Ronald Mattes from ROAX Film, who also worked with the band on the "Black Rain" and "Last Farewell" clips.
"Astral Hand" comes off MOB RULES' sixth album, "Radical Peace", which is scheduled for release on November 13 via AFM Records. The CD was recorded at Bazement Studio with longtime engineer Markus Teske (VANDEN PLAS, SPOCK'S BEARD, OASIS). A single, "Astral Hand", preceded the full-length CD on October 9.
"Radical Peace" track listing:
01. Children Of The Flames
02. Trial By Fire
03. Warchild
04. Astral Hand
05. The Oswald File (Ethnolution II - A Matter Of Unnecessary Doubt)
- Chapter I (Prologue)
- Chapter II (Desperate Son)
- Chapter III (11:30 AM)
- Chapter IV (Unnecessary Doubt?)
- Chapter V (A Dead Man's Face)
- Chapter VI (Did You Reach The Sun?)
06. Waiting For The Sun
07. The Glance Of Fame
Australian rockers AIRBOURNE have set "No Guts, No Glory" as the title of their second album, due on February 23, 2010 via Roadrunner Records. The CD was recorded in Chicago with noted producer Johnny K (DISTURBED, 3 DOORS DOWN, STAIND). The band relocated from its shared home in Warrnambool and moved into K's spacious studio to record the album.
Frontman Joel O'Keefe says: "Working with Johnny was great; he's one of the boys. We basically just set up all the gear, chucked a few mics around and went for it! Good times!" Brother and drummer Ryan confirms the precarious microphone placement: "With this album, we threw the mics all over the building, left the doors and windows open and pressed record!"
AIRBOURNE, known for its adrenalized, "work hard, play harder" style of rock, will embark on a two-month European tour in early February that will span two months and kick off with several U.K. dates. The band will commence U.S. touring of major markets beginning in April. They will live on the road through the summer.
"No Guts, No Glory" follows up the band's 2008-released debut, "Runnin' Wild", which went on to sell upwards of 250,000 units worldwide and earned the band heaps of critical accolades.
DOKKEN and LYNCH MOB (featuring former DOKKEN guitarist George Lynch) will share the stage for the first time ever in November. (Note: DOKKEN and LYNCH MOB played together at the recent Loud Park festival in Japan, but they did not perform on the same stage.) Confirmed dates are as follows:
Nov. 27 - House Of Blues - West Hollywood, CA
Nov. 28 - 4th And B - San Diego, CA
Nov. 29 - House Of Blues - Anaheim, CA
In a recent interview with Kevin "Taz" Conklin of "The Big Dumb Radio Show" (web site), which airs on Kalamazoo, Michigan's 92.5 WZUU FM radio station, Lynch was asked about a possible LYNCH MOB tour in support of the band's comeback studio album, entitled "Smoke And Mirrors". "I'm talking a little preemptively here, but one of the things on the table is a potential DOKKEN-LYNCH MOB tour — kind of like that WWF spectacle where you come out with all that history and get people talking, and that's always good," George said. "And we'll play some DOKKEN songs as well in our set. And they're welcome to play some LYNCH MOB songs, but that's not gonna happen... I'm kidding."
Regarding whether he would make an appearance on stage with his former DOKKEN bandmates if LYNCH MOB were to tour with DOKKEN, Lynch said, "Absolutely. That's be part of the deal. I'd come out at the end and we'd have a little reunion, and it'd be awesome. Me and Don [Dokken] could come out, make out for a while, and then we'd dive into a couple of old DOKKEN songs for old times' sake."
Audio samples of all 13 songs that appear on "Smoke And Mirrors" are available for download at HeavyHarmonies.com (scroll down). The CD was released in Europe on September 18 (October 13 in the U.S.) via Frontiers Records.
LYNCH MOB's current lineup includes Logan and Lynch alongside bassist Marco Mendoza (WHITESNAKE, THIN LIZZY) and drummer Scot Coogan (BRIDES OF DESTRUCTION, ACE FREHLEY).
BULLETBOYS have announce the return of original member and bassist Lonnie Vencent. Also rejoining the group is guitarist Tony Marcus.
Tony, most notable for his current role as a member in XYZ, also plays in ASHES OF YOUR ENEMY. He previously played in ARCADE with Stephen Pearcy (RATT) and VICIOUS DELITE with Pearcy and Mike Duda (W.A.S.P.).
Tony was the original replacement for BULLETBOYS' Mick Sweda when he departed in the '90s.
"Music is my life, and rejoining Marq and Lonnie is an honor," Tony says in a statement. Let's rock!"
"We've been in negotiations with Lonnie and Tony to get them back in the band since May 2009 and had hoped to solidify this lineup for the release of [BULLETBOYS' new album] '10c Billionaire' and the Rockfest tour," said Bill Chavis, CEO of Chavis Records. "Unfortunately, we didn't make the cutoffs and had to go with what was available to us at the time good or bad."
BULLETBOYS have been rehearsing in Los Angeles preparing for the second leg of the "Road To Nowhere Tour 09/10". Dates will be released in the next day or so.
BULLETBOYS are days away from launching their new web site which will include some new BulletPig merchandise. Also planned is a new shoot with world-renowned photographer Mark Weiss.
BULLETBOYS have scheduled the following dates:
Oct. 31 - Peoria, AZ - Skye
Nov. 02 - Casper, WY - Downtown Grill & Venue
Nov. 04 - Goshen, IN - Sunset Grille
Nov. 05 - Indianapolis, IN - 8 Second Saloon
Nov. 06 - South Barrington, IL - Penny Road Pub
Nov. 07 - Janesville, WI - The Back Bar
Nov. 08 - Lakewood, OH - The Hi-Fi Concert Club
Nov. 09 - Rockville Centre, NY - The Vibe Lounge *
Nov. 12 - Buford, GA - 37 Main (with L.A. GUNS)
Nov. 13 - New Port Richey, FL - Bourbon St. Nightclub
Nov. 14 - Jacksonville Beach, FL - Freebird Live
Nov. 17 - Austin, TX - Red Eyed Fly
Nov. 19 - Mission, TX - Smokin' Aces
Nov. 20 - The Woodlands, TX - The 19th Hole
Nov. 21 - Oklahoma City, OK - Rock Theatre
Dec. 18 - Santa Ana, CA - Galaxy Theatre (with PRETTY BOY FLOYD)
* Not a concert. Live On Eddie Trunk's show.
BULLETBOYS have just announced the return of original member and bassist Lonnie Vencent. Also rejoining the group is guitarist Tony Marcus.
Tony, most notable for his current role as a member in XYZ, also plays in ASHES OF YOUR ENEMY. He previously played in ARCADE with Stephen Pearcy (RATT) and VICIOUS DELITE with Pearcy and Mike Duda (W.A.S.P.).
Tony was the original replacement for BULLETBOYS' Mick Sweda when he departed in the '90s.
"Music is my life, and rejoining Marq and Lonnie is an honor," Tony says in a statement. Let's rock!"
"We've been in negotiations with Lonnie and Tony to get them back in the band since May 2009 and had hoped to solidify this lineup for the release of [BULLETBOYS' new album] '10c Billionaire' and the Rockfest tour," said Bill Chavis, CEO of Chavis Records. "Unfortunately, we didn't make the cutoffs and had to go with what was available to us at the time good or bad."
BULLETBOYS are days away from launching their new web site which will include some new BulletPig merchandise. Also planned is a new shoot with world-renowned photographer Mark Weiss.
Florida metallers TRIVIUM have issued the following update:
"We have a bit of news to announce as we gear up to start the second leg of our headline North American 'Shogun' tour 'Into The Mouth Of Hell'.
"Travis Smith [drums] will not be joining us on this leg and is home taking care of some personal business. Filling in on drums for the tour will be south Florida's Nick Augusto. Nick is a former TRIVIUM drum tech and is a member of the band MARUTA (Willowtip Records)."
Swedish metallers THE HAUNTED have cancelled their previously announced U.K. tour (October 29 - November 4) with CASINO BRAWL and ROMEO MUST DIE as a result of "some very special circumstances," according to a statement released by the band. "We are very sad about this, and wish to apologize beforehand for any inconvenience this will cause," the group adds.
No further information is currently available.
THE HAUNTED frontman Peter Dolving recently told the German edition of the Metal Hammer magazine that the band has commenced the songwriting process for a new album. "Looking at the ideas that we're coming up with, looking at the stuff that we're doodling around with, it's gonna be a very heavy and it's gonna be a very strange record," he said. "It's gonna be like a continuation of what we started experimenting with both on 'rEVOLVEr' [2004] and on 'The Dead Eye' [2006], so it'll be eclectic and hard. 'Cause around the time of 'The Dead Eye', we felt that we really needed to do something that we hadn't done that we really wanted to do, and we got a lot of critique for it; a lot of people didn't like it. We loved it, and the songs that we're playing off that record are going over really well with the audience and we're really enjoying to play them. So we figure, why the fuck shouldn't we play and continue to try and evolve as musicians and songwriters?!
And that's what we'll do."
THE HAUNTED is continuing to tour in support of its latest album, "Versus", which entered the Swedish chart at position No. 14 and the Finnish chart at No. 12.The CD was recorded in part at PUK studio in Denmark with producer Tue Madsen (HEAVEN SHALL BURN, DARK TRANQUILLITY, MOONSPELL, etc), who previously worked with the group on its two previous LPs, "rEVOLVEr" and "The Dead Eye".
Seattle metallers NEVERMORE have confirmed the following European live dates next year:
May
13 - Dessau, Germany - Metalfest Open Air Germany
14 - Mining, Austria - Metalfest Open Air
15 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Metalfest Open Air
21 - Budapest, Hungary - Metalfest Open Air
22 - Pilsen, Czech Republic - Metalfest Open Air
23 - Gelsenkirchen, Germany Rock Hard Festival
Nevermore are putting the finishing touches to their new album, The Obsidian Conspiracy, due out in early 2010 via Century Media Records.
Nevermore rented a cabin on a lake in North Carolina close to Asheville this summer with Peter Wichers from SOILWORK producing. Andy Sneap (MEGADETH , ARCH ENEMY, EXODUS) will be handling the mixing of the album this fall in the UK.
Song titles set to appear on the album include: 'Emptiness Unobstructed', 'And The Maiden Spoke', 'Without Morals', 'Termination Proclamation', 'The Obsidian Conspiracy', 'The Blue Marble and the New Soul', 'She Comes In Colors', 'The Day You Built The Wall, 'Poison Throne' AND 'Beautiful Mistake'.
The band are recording two cover songs for this session: 'The Crystal Ship' by THE DOORS and 'Transmission' by THE TEA PARTY.
BOLT THROWER, DECAPITATED, EPICA and NEVERMORE are among the confirmed bands for next year's Metalfest Open Air, set to take place May 13-15 at Schloss Mamling in Mining am Inn, Austria. Three stages will feature 90 bands for only 59 euros.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows:
ALESTORM
BOLT THROWER
DECAPITATED
EPICA
HELLSAW
MILKING THE GOATMACHINE
MYSTIC PROPHECY
NEVERMORE
THE DEVIL'S BLOOD
For more information, visit www.metalfest.eu.
TOXIC HOLOCAUST and tour partners THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER are at the center of a heated debate amongst Nashville, Tennessee's most conservative residents about the bands' performances tonight (Tuesday, October 27) at the Christian-run Rocketown venue.
A news segment from Nashville's ABC network affiliate WKRN Channel 2 reporting on the controversy can be viewed below.
TOXIC HOLOCAUST's Joel Grind commented on the situation: "Unfortunately, the protesters here don't see the tongue-in-cheek aspect of any of this, and are taking everything at face value. What else is new? Whatever you do don't look into or research anything, and don't, god forbid, think differently. Fuck it, while we're at it, don't think at all.
"To clear a few things up, there was a news clip that showed our video 'Nuke the Cross' and then directly cut to lyrics for a song called 'Hang the Pope'. Even though we did record a cover of that song on our first demo, that song is actually by NUCLEAR ASSAULT. I think that was done intentionally to make the story have more impact and more shock value.
"Secondly, I want to thank the people running Rocketown for allowing this show to go on despite the protests. It just proves that being Christian and being closed minded doesn't have to be synonymous with each other.
"Everyone has a right to believe in whatever they want. If it empowers you and doesn't infringe on anyone else, then I'm all for it. Sadly the herd mentality of organized religion doesn't work like that. It's too much of a threat to the very foundation on which it's based. Let's end organized religion and stop the real evil in this world."
TOXIC HOLOCAUST is in the middle of a month-long U.S. tour with THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER. The band will then head to Europe for a three week co-headlining tour with SKELETONWITCH and GOATWHORE. This run of dates kicks off on November 27 in the Netherlands.
Swedish melodic death metallers DARK TRANQUILLITY have scheduled two Russian dates in December:
Dec. 18 - Club Tochka - Moscow, Russia
Dec. 19 - Glavclub - St. Petersburg, Russia
HELRUNAR and OBSCURITY have been confirmed for next year's Ragnarök Festival, set to take place April 30 - May 1, 2010 at Ostbayernhalle in Rieden/Kreuth, Germany.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows:
AGATHODAIMON
AKREA
ARKONA
HAGGARD
HEATHEN FORAY
HELFAHRT
HELRUNAR
KROMLEK
OBSCURITY
SÓLSTAFIR
THE VISION BLEAK
For more information, visit www.ragnaroek-festival.com.
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