In an exclusive interview with People, Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler talks about the tragic loss of musical icon Prince Rogers Nelson, who was found unresponsive on the morning of Thursday, April 21st at his home at Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, a Minneapolis suburb, and later declared dead. The Grammy/Oscar/Golden Globe winning artist was 57. An autopsy was conducted Friday at the Midwest Medical Examiner's Office in Ramsey, Minnesota, but it could be weeks before results are complete.

"I've certainly had my moments of crying about him," Tyler says. "He was a saint. He was a musician and he spoke my language so it's a little harder to take. I would love to just tell you I'm crying because we're going to miss him and his music, but I think it's deeper than that."

Read more at People.

A rep for Prince told TMZ yesterday that “Prince was celebrated by a small group of his most beloved: family, friends and his musicians, in a private, beautiful ceremony to say a loving goodbye. Prince's remains have been cremated and their final storage will remain private. We ask for your blessings and prayers of comfort for his family and close friends at this time. The cause of death remains unknown and it will be at least four weeks before we receive the results of the autopsy. An announcement will be made at a future date for a musical celebration."

 

Lorenzo Gandolfi of Italy's Chitarre magazine recently conducted an interview with Greek guitar virtuoso Gus G., well known in rock and metal circles for his work as Ozzy Osbourne's guitarist and as leader of his own band FIREWIND. You can now watch the chat below.

Speaking about the changes in the music industry and his decision to have more control of his releases by making them available through his own record label imprint, Gus said: "I'm the kind of guy who always had to… I embrace it. I don't have a problem. I mean, of course, you can bitch about it, or you can just work around it and find your way somehow. Yeah, whatever that means. Forming my own label was one of those changes that I did. And I didn't do it only for this album; I did for the last FIREWIND album four years ago."

He continued: "Yeah, I mean, basically, the market is open these days. You just have to pick and choose which platform and channel you choose to release your music. You don't have to be tied into any kind of deal you're not comfortable with. Okay, it depends also on what type of artist you are. If you're a young band, you definitely still need the channels of a proper record label to go through to go through the first steps. For somebody like me, who's been doing it for almost fifteen years now, probably more, I know who my audience is and I know how to reach them."

According to Gus, he hasn't completely freed himself of outside record-label influence. He said: "I'm still with Century Media for this record [Gus's latest solo album, 'Brand New Revolution'], so I kind of work with them and also on my own in America. In America, what I did, I picked my own team, basically — my radio team or the publicist or the distribution and all that stuff — but I also work through the same team that I've had for more than fifteen years with Century Media as well. When it came to that, nobody ever kind of pushed me to do something different than I didn't wanna do."

He continued: "These solo records are just another platform for me to explore other things and just co-write with different people. You know, being in a band for so many years, it's me and the guys and we just do our thing and we have our own sound. And you can't step right out of that box so much; there's a certain kind of area that you design in your sound, and I think the fans expect you to… Everybody expects you to do a certain thing, in a way, to put it kind of very bold. But doing a solo record doesn't have to follow any rules or boxes, so to speak."

"Brand New Revolution" was released in Europe in July 2015 via Century Media. The CD was made available through Century Media in Australia and South America, Dismanic/eOne in North America and King Records in Japan. The cover artwork was once again created by Gustavo Sazes, who previously worked with Gus on the guitarist's debut album, "I Am The Fire", and also took care of artwork duties by such bands as ARCH ENEMY, KAMELOT and FIREWIND.

"Brand New Revolution" features guest vocal appearances by Jeff Scott Soto (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, JOURNEY, TALISMAN), Elize Ryd (AMARANTHE), Jacob Bunton (ADLER, LYNAM) and Mats Levén (CANDLEMASS, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, TREAT).

Fan-filmed video footage of GUNS N' ROSES' April 23 performance at the Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival in Indio, California can be seen below.

Even though it had been rumored prior to last night's show that GUNS N' ROSES was planning on paying tribute to Prince, the band only reportedly dedicated the concert to him. In addition, GUNS N' ROSES bassist Duff McKagan used a bass that was adorned with a purple version of the unpronounceable "love symbol" Prince used for seven years, until he reverted back to his given name in 2000.

GUNS N' ROSES' setlist for Saturday night's show was as follows:

01. It's So Easy02. Mr. Brownstone03. Chinese Democracy04. Welcome to the Jungle05. Double Talkin' Jive06. Estranged07. Live and Let Die08. Rocket Queen09. You Could Be Mine10. New Rose11. This I Love12. Coma13. Speak Softly Love (Love Theme From The Godfather)14. Sweet Child O' Mine15. Civil War16. Better17. Wish You Were Here18. November Rain19. Out Ta Get Me20. Knockin' on Heaven's Door21. Nightrain22. Don't Cry23. Used to Love Her24. The Seeker25. Paradise City

For this, GN'R seventh appearance since the reunion of singer Axl Rose, guitarist Slash and Duff McKagan, Rose was still confined to a throne after snapping his metatarsal bone while singing during the Troubadour reunion show on April 1. It is apparently the same custom throne Dave Grohl used last year for FOO FIGHTERS concerts after breaking a leg.

A full GUNS N' ROSES North American tour is on tap for this summer.

Only Rose, Slash and McKagan from GN'R's "Appetite For Destruction"-era lineup took part in the seven shows the band has played this month. They were joined by keyboardist Dizzy Reed, guitarist Richard Fortus and drummer Frank Ferrer. Also appearing with them was second keyboardist Melissa Reese.

GUNS N' ROSES got a reported $8 million for its two appearances at Coachella and will make an average of $2.75 million per show on the tour.

By comparison, Rose's most recent pre-reunion lineup of GUNS N' ROSES was getting somewhere between $350,000 and $500,000 per show, according to Billboard's industry sources.

L.A. GUNS frontman Phil Lewis paid tribute to late superstar Prince by giving a controversial speech about the supposed lack of diversity in the type of music that is performed by African-American artists.

Lewis's comments came during the opening concert of L.A. GUNS' current U.S. tour, which kicked off Friday night, April 22 at Fish Head Cantina in Arbutus, Maryland.

While introducing L.A. GUNS' breakthrough hit single "Ballad Of Jayne", Lewis — who was born in England but has lived in the U.S. since the 1980s — spoke about Prince's passing and recalled L.A. GUNS' first performance at the club that the iconic artist helped turn into a must-see mecca after featuring it in his breakthrough 1984 film "Purple Rain": Minneapolis's First Ave.

"I don't wanna bum you out," Lewis began (see video below). "You know who just died, and I don't wanna make a big… I don't wanna bring it down or anything.

"I remember when we were working on [L.A. GUNS' 1989 album] 'Cocked & Loaded', we were on tour, and they said there was a venue that we could play in Minnesota; it was called First Avenue. And I didn't know too much about it at the time. But after I saw the movie, and I got it; I was with the program.

"We were all into that Prince, right?! 'Purple Rain'. It was so cool, because, you know, you had all your heavy shit, and then you had the pop shit, and there was Prince doing his own fucking thing.

"The problem is, right now — and I'm not gonna be a racist about it — but black people are all one-dimensional. We need more Princes, man. We need less fucking rappers and more people like Prince.

"There, I said it.

"Anyway… When we first played First Avenue, nobody knew whe the fuck we were; we were opening for someone. I don't know. And it wasn't going very well, I'll be honest. You never know with these things. And then we played this song and it changed everything."

Video of Lewis's entire speech, including a performance of the song "Ballad Of Jayne", can be seen below.

Metal Wani editor in chief Owais "Vitek" Nabi recently conducted an interview with guitarist Wolf Hoffmann of German/American metallers ACCEPT. You can now listen to the chat in the YouTube clip below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On the progress of the songwriting sessions for ACCEPT's follow-up to 2014's "Blind Rage" album:

Wolf: "[It's coming together] a little bit slow, but we're getting into it. We started writing riffs and songs and all that, and sometimes there's this initial phase where we struggle a little bit to come up with really meaningful stuff, and then we'll go through it and all of a sudden, this wave of ideas comes crashing in, and that's what we're getting into right now. We're just getting warmed up, so to say. We're not constantly writing. We usually have a different approach. We sort of set time aside and then really get into it and lock the doors and don't wanna be disturbed and eventually we'll come out with an album. But it's not like we're constantly writing on the road, and every other day we have a new riff and always collect ideas. It doesn't work that way for us, for some reason. We're different."

On taking the time to make sure the songs on the album are as strong as possible:

Wolf: "Actually, 'Blind Rage' wasn't too bad. It was the album before, 'Stalingrad', where we were really striggling with the time, because we had already committed to a tour and time was running out and we had to get this album finished no matter what, and that was tough. 'Blind Rage' wasn't so bad — we actually had enough time — and we wanna make sure we have enough time this time as well. Because what happens is you get so deep into the writing process that you lose objectivity very easily, and everybody knows what. But it's great comfort to just sort of let songs simmer for a while and not listen to them for a week or two and then go back to them and think, like, 'Oh, this is really good,' or, 'Oh, this is terrible,' with fresh eyes, or ears rather."

On making music that will keep the ACCEPT fans happy:

Wolf: "We always try to write what fans wanna hear from ACCEPT. At the end of the day, our criterion is always, 'Is this really ACCEPT or is this just something that we like?' 'Cause a lot of times we'll write stuff and I think it's good and I love it personally, but at the same time I know it's not quite right for ACCEPT stylistically, and it sounds maybe like somebody else too much, or it may be a little bit too off course, and we toss it aside. And you have to be brutally honest. At the end of the day, we're making music for the fans and not just to satisfy us. I mean, we're never gonna make a jazz album just because we feel like it. Not that we could, but even if we could, we wouldn't do it."

On whether any of the ideas that will appear on his upcoming solo album were originally written for ACCEPT:

Wolf: "Not at all, because the solo stuff that I'm doing is all based on classical music. Just like the first album that I did, it's all existing classical melodies that I just metal up and just sort of rearrange as metal instrumentls. One has really nothing to do with the other, and there's no overlap. And I've never felt like I have a ton of ideas that I couldn't use with ACCEPT, because Peter [Baltes, bass] and I, we are the heart of the band, and everything we wanna out out, we do. If it's right for the band, we will, but there's not a ton of… You know, I don't have any other side projects other than this classical thing. [But the new solo album] is actually in the can, it's delivered to the label [Nuclear Blast], and it will see the light of day sometime this year, probably towards the summer. This new one will actually be a lot more metal than the first one I made, which was more of a studio production, no strings, and not as big of a production as this one. It will maybe even surprise a few people how heavy it is. And even though it's classical music, yeah, but some of it is quite heavy, yeah."

Ahead of their dates down under in May, Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain spoke with Australia’s MusicFeeds about the upcoming shows, the band’s new album The Book Of Souls, and more. A couple of excerpts follow:

MusicFeeds: What is the key to keeping up stamina as a performer, for you? Most of the band is in their 60s now, and you’ve been playing at fairly high speeds across quite a big drum-kit for over 30 years. An Iron Maiden show is a big enough task in and of itself, but one can only imagine the gruelling nature of doing it almost every single night…

Nick McBrain: “The answer to that is that I stopped drinking. May 25th last year, I stopped. My brother had a clean bill of health, and I realized that I had a massive world tour to come up. That influenced my decision to get off the grog for a month. One month lead to two, and then after that I decided to look after myself a lot more. I focused on setting aside an hour to play drums every single day. I would rehearse the six new songs that we would be playing on the tour, and I would play them through twice. It was almost like playing half a gig. “The Red And The Black” is 13 minutes – playing it through twice is nearly half an hour of playing right there! I got myself match-fit, so to speak. I started changing my diet a bit, and I lost weight. That’s how I’m coping right now.”

MF: Australia is up next on The Book Of Souls tour, as well as New Zealand. It will be the first time the band has been out here since headlining the 2011 Soundwave festival, and your first headlining tour since the Somewhere Back In Time tour in 2008. Of course, Maiden has been coming to Australia for years – do you have any special stories or vivid memories from early on in the band’s visits here?

NM: “Cor blimey, mate, that was back in my drinking days! [laughs] I do remember when I got to Melbourne, and the first thing that I did was get in 18 holes at Royal Melbourne Golf Course. That was special for me. Not only was I so excited about playing these shows with the band, but I was getting to experience my second passion – which is golf – on the other side of the world. There was one tour we did, back in the early 90s, and I had a drum-kit that I trashed. We were doing shows in Sydney, Melbourne, Wollongong… am I saying that right? Wool-en-gong?”

Read the full interview at MusicFeeds.com.au.

Iron Maiden’s live itinerary can be found at this location.

KFMA conducted an interview with DISTURBED at the KFMA Day on April 16 in Tucson, Arizona. You can now watch the chat below.

Asked about the incident last month when he called out a fan for texting during the band's show in Dallas, DISTURBED frontman David Draiman said: "In all honesty, and to hopefully finally put this baby to bed, it was all meant tongue in cheek, in all honesty. I don't know if you actually ever saw the video clip that went viral, but I was lighthearted and laughing about it on stage. I was only trying to draw her in and engage her, not really attack her for doing whatever she was doing on the cell phone; that's her own business. And truth be told, that's my bad. Truth be told. Because I had no idea what she had going on, I wasn't privy to the kind of crisis she was dealing with, and I meant it all in good fun. She, unfortunately, took it the wrong way, and I feel bad about that, and that's the truth."

He continued: "We never wanna make anyone who comes to any of our shows feel like they're not welcome or that they leave with any kind of negative feeling. So that really wasn't the intention. The whole thing got spun from all kinds of directions inappropriately, 'cause that's what people do. But I genuinely don't want to make any DISTURBED fan feel like they don't belong. They all belong and they've certainly earned the right to do whatever it is that they wanna do during our performance. And me, as the frontman, I just try to bring everybody in."

Added DISTURBED bassist John Moyer: "David's always had a long history of, anybody who seems distracted or not into the show, he engages them, and that's part of what makes him a great frontman. And what happened with this cell phone incident, for whatever reason, turned into a bigger deal than, really… We were just blown away by it, because he's always… Anytime you come to a DISTURBED show, you know that David's paying attention. I mean, she should be, like, 'Oh my God! I can't even believe this guy even noticed me.' And that he does. He notices everyone in the crowd. He not only sings to the audience, but he makes sure that everyone is part of the experience. And when you're not, he focuses on you and he brings you in, and that's all that was about."

The woman, Shannon Pardue, told the Dallas Observer that she was texting her 14-year-old daughter to calm her down as a hailstorm raged outside their house in a Fort Worth suburb. Pardue said she began texting during the break between DISTURBED's main set and its encore.

It was during this time that Draiman called her out from the stage, saying: "Up in the balcony...what is so important going on in the world that you need to be texting the entire fucking show? The whole show! You're right up front; I can see you clear as day. You've had your face in your fucking phone the whole goddamn show."

Pardue said she tried to shout to the singer that she was texting her kids, but he couldn't hear her. He also said to her, "Don't tell me to go fuck myself... I'm not wrong. Am I wrong? If you were up here and I did that to you, how would you feel? Seriously! It is fucking rude. It is!"

Draiman later explained his actions in a post online, saying: "That woman was not a fan. She was the date of a real fan who was standing next to her. She was face in phone from the moment the show started 'till the very end."

He added in a later post, "You may not agree with my calling out the girl texting/tweeting/Facebooking the entire show the other night… But when we musicians go up on stage, bleed for our art, leave everything up there, and someone doesn't even have the decency to watch for even one song, it's like a slap in the face."

After video of the exchange went viral, Pardue told the Dallas Observer: "At first, it ticked me off. But then I just wanted to go away. I told my husband, 'The most embarrassing thing in my life just happened to me.'"

She added: "Rock stars wouldn't be where they are without people who come to pay for the show. Whether I had my eyes on him or not, I am still there and I can hear them. He's an amazing singer, and they were good, but it was just his attitude. I'll never pay to see him again nor will my friends."

Pardue, who said her husband purchased the tickets for the show six months earlier, concluded that Draiman was a "jerk" and that DISTURBED "just lost two big fans."

The celebrations continue for Record Store Day ambassadors 2016 Metallica who - after performing at the record store Rasputin Music for Record Store Day (April 16th), - headed to El Cerrito, CA, to revisit their home from 1983 through 1986 where classics Ride the Lightning and Master Of Puppets were born!

“We thought it would be cool to come over here and buy the garage (at 3132 Carlson Boulevard),” Lars Ulrich remarks in the video below. “We were going to put it inside HQ in Marin, but the garage is long gone. Whoever has the garage please return it. Maybe we would finish the new record quicker if we were in that fucking garage!”

“This is unbelievable be back in this place,” Hetfield added. "I think we've all forgotten a lot of stuff that has happened in our history, but this is a great way to jog our memory.”

Brian Lew (co-author of Murder In The Front Row: Shots From The Bay Area Thrash Metal Epicenter) detailed the event on a Facebook:

“The band found a way to rent the old Metallica Mansion in El Cerrito for the weekend and brought in a production company to recreate the theme of the old Metal Days when James, Lars, Mark Whitaker, and Clive The Dog called it home. Beyond amazing. Sadly THE Garage is long gone and a three unit apartment / garage sits on the spot behind the house now... but it was one last party at 3132 Carlson.. and they amazingly rented out the new three car garage to serve as the bar for the event. Metal.

It was special that each of the band guys said something about what the house and those times meant to them. Kirk almost broke down. It was heavy and a celebration at the same time. Rob commented that he was 11 years old when parties raged in the house. Awkward.”

Read more on Facebook.

El Cerrito mayor Greg Lyman was also on hand to present Metallica with a proclamation, recognizing their close-knit ties to the city.

 

Potter of Charleston, South Carolina's 98 Rock radio station recently conducted an interview with HALESTORM frontwoman Lzzy Hale. You can now listen to the chat using the SoundCloud widget below.

Asked how she ended up dressing up as a nun for an onstage appearance during GHOST's October 6, 2015 performance at The Pageant in St. Louis, Missouri, Lzzy said: "One of our crew girls is dating one of their crew guys. So we had this day off and they just so happened to kind of cross paths. But we were just kind of go see the show. And then they asked both me and my friend, 'Would you like to be our 'sisters of sin'?' So we had to dress up like nuns. They had the costumes and everything all ready, and they were, like, 'Here you go.' So we fed people Communion."

HALESTORM's first two albums, 2009's "Halestorm" and 2012's "The Strange Case Of…" were both officially certified gold in March by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for sales of more than 500,000 copies. The certifications came after RIAA started including on-demand audio and video streams and a track sale equivalent in gold and platinum album award.

The band's third effort, "Into The Wild Life", debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 album chart, selling 56,000 copies in its first week of release — more than double the first-week haul of their second CD — but has not reached gold yet.




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Sometimes you have a day off in St. Louis on the same day that Ghost is playing in town. And sometimes Ghost not only...

Posted by Halestorm on Wednesday, October 7, 2015

ALICE IN CHAINS singer William DuVall is fronting a new act called GIRAFFE TONGUE ORCHESTRA, which is also comprised of members of MASTODON and THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN. While the lineup has changed since the project was launched in 2012 — with actress and singer Juliette Lewis allegedly fronting it at one point — DuVall has apparently settled into the lead vocalist position.

GIRAFFE TONGUE ORCHESTRA founder Ben Weinman (also of THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN) said that Juliette Lewis was never the singer but had contributed some material, adding: "She did some cool vocals on some of the GTO stuff. Actually, William from ALICE IN CHAINS is who has been singing with us."

Weinman noted that most of the music for GIRAFFE TONGUE ORCHESTRA's ten-song debut album had been written before DuVall joined the band. "But everybody is definitely in this band," he said. "It's a real democracy."

He added: "It's a little different for me. It's been great. Because DILLINGER has obviously been my baby since the beginning. You know while everyone contributes, it has always been my vision and baby. So, with GTO, it's really a combination of all the elements, all the pieces. So it's really interesting. It's been great for me to collaborate like that. And I think when you hear it, it really does sound like all of us in one band somehow."

GIRAFFE TONGUE ORCHESTRA — whose lineup also includes Brent Hinds of MASTODON — will make its live debut at this year's Reading (August 27) and Leeds (August 28) festivals in the United Kingdom.

From adventurous progressive-metal epics like "Crucifixion", "Broken Lines" and "Fragments & Ashes" to pounding rock anthems like "Adapt Or Die" and "Back To The Light" (featuring a vocal cameo from Lewis), to future crossover classics like the gorgeous power ballad "All We Have Is Now" and the electrifying made-for-radio dance-rock of "Everyone Gets Everything They Really Want", and the album's equally propulsive first single, "Blood Moon", GIRAFFE TONGUE ORCHESTRA's debut album promises to be one of the most exciting releases of 2016.

On April 21, DEEP PURPLE bassist Roger Glover was interviewed on the "Quinn & Cantara" morning show on Albany's classic rock radio station PYX 106. You can now listen to the chat using the widget below.

Asked what the "true story" was behind former DEEP PURPLE guitarist Ritchie Blackmore's absence from the band's induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, Glover said: "The true story is that Ritchie was free to come, but he was never gonna come. He always said he was never gonna come. I've read reports as well saying that we banned him. And that's ridiculous. We didn't ban him The word 'ban' never passed our lips."

Pressed about his current relationship with Blackmore, Glover said: "I'd be happy to be friends with him, but he's isolated himself. It's very difficult to reach him. That's his decision."

The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony seemed like a rare opportunity for DEEP PURPLE to reunite with Blackmore, who wrote many of the band's most memorable riffs, but hasn't played with the group since 1993.

METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich inducted DEEP PURPLE into the institution, after which the current lineup of DEEP PURPLE performed a mini-set that included "Hush", "Highway Star" and "Smoke On The Water".

Blackmore later posted a statement on his Facebook page in which he said: "I have my reason for not attending the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony, although I appreciate the award.

Despite Blackmore being a no-show at this year's Rock Hall, he was given several shoutouts during the induction speeches of the DEEP PURPLE members in attendance. In addition, Ulrich praised "Ritchie fucking Blackmore" for one of the most memorable guitar riffs of all time on "Smoke On The Water".

Nuno Bettencourt (EXTREME) paid tribute to Prince by performing a snippet of the iconic artist's classic song "Purple Rain" this past Thursday, April 21 at Hard Rock Live in Orlando, Florida during the "Generation Axe" tour.

After the concert, Nuno posted a message expressing his grief over Prince's death and thanking the fans in Orlando for joining in during the "Purple Rain" performance. He wrote: "Tonight was supposed to be a night of guitars... So I have to thank you, Orlando, for giving me just a few minutes of your time and your voices and your hearts, to help me heal... and allow me to shed a few tears. I really needed that. And I know he heard you."

He added: "Prince... The joy you have given me throughout my life, the way you made me move. You taught me to learn all instruments, not just to be a guitarist, but a musician, an individual. That the priority wasn't the skill, but the emotion behind it. And the songs, the way you'd make my pain go away when I couldn't bear it. The songs you have given all of us to play for the ones we adore when we couldn't find something deeper to say than just... I love you. You truly are and will always be an actual prince... Love you."

In addition to Bettencourt, the "Generation Axe" tour features Yngwie Malmsteen, Steve Vai, Zakk Wylde and Tosin Abasi.

Prince's body was discovered this past Thursday, April 21 in the elevator of his Minnesota estate Paisley Park. The sheriff's office later released a statement saying they were "continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death," but had no further details. Foul play and suicide are not suspected.

On May 30th, Swedish stoner rockers Spiritual Beggars are back with a new 7" vinyl featuring two classic cover versions, previously only available on the Ltd. Mediabook Sunrise To Sundown.

Limited up to 450 copies: 80 on brown / 150 on green and 220 on black vinyl.

Tracklist:
Side A: “Thumbsucker” (Mountain cover)
Side B: “Stoned Woman” (Ten Years After cover)

Thumbsucker/Stoned Woman (H42-032) by Spiritual Beggars

 

Fan-filmed video footage of BLACK SABBATH's April 17 performance at the Entertainment Centre in Adelaide, Australia can be seen below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Black Sabbath02. Fairies Wear Boots03. After Forever04. Snowblind05. Into The Void06. War Pigs07. Behind The Wall Of Sleep08. N.I.B.09. Hand Of Doom10. Rat Salad11. Iron Man12. Dirty Women13. Children Of The Grave

Encore:

14. Paranoid

SABBATH is playing dates in Australia and New Zealand this month, with European festival shows taking place during the summer. The band will then return to North America for its final stint.

BLACK SABBATH recently revealed that it is selling a new limited-edition CD titled "The End" at the shows on its farewell tour. The disc features four previously unheard studio tracks left off the band's 2013 reunion album, "13", as well as live versions of four songs from the world tour the band did in support of that disc.

The four studio cuts are "Season Of The Dead", "Cry All Night", "Take Me Home" and "Isolated Man". They feature drums by Brad Wilk.

The live tracks, with drumming from Tommy Clufetos, are "God Is Dead?", "Under The Sun", "End Of The Beginning" and "Age Of Reason". The live cuts were recorded in Sydney, Australia, Auckland, New Zealand and Hamilton, Ontario.

Wilk and Clufetos had to get involved after founding SABBATH drummer Bill Ward withdrew from the reunion after initially agreeing to participate in it.

"13", the first SABBATH full-length studio album in 35 years to feature original members Geezer Butler (bass), Tony Iommi (guitar) and Osbourne, also became SABBATH's first No. 1 album in the U.S. when it was released in June 2013. The band abandoned plans for a follow-up after deciding that the current trek would be its last.

Vocalist Tim "Ripper" Owens (JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN), guitarist Glen Drover (MEGADETH, KING DIAMOND, TESTAMENT, EIDOLON), drummer Shawn Drover (MEGADETH, ACT OF DEFIANCE, EIDOLON) and bassist Adrian Robichaud (EIDOLON) joined forces to perform heavy metal classics under the "A Special Night Of Metal" banner on March 5 at The Rockpile in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Video footage of the concert can be seen below.

Owens recorded two studio albums with JUDAS PRIEST — 1997's "Jugulator" and 2001's "Demolition" — before the band reunited with Rob Halford.

Drover left MEGADETH at the end of 2007 and was replaced by Chris Broderick, who previously played with NEVERMORE and JAG PANZER.

Shawn joined MEGADETH in 2004 as the replacement for Nick Menza, who had only just rejoined the group. Drover performed on four MEGADETH studio records: 2007's "United Abominations", 2009's "Endgame", 2011's "TH1RT3EN" and 2013's "Super Collider".

On April 15, Higher Purpose Events hosted "Rock For Reason", a benefit concert for The Boys And Girls Club Of Placer County. Higher Purpose Events and Pat Martin's All Stars brought together the musical talents of the following:

* Jeff Keith, Brian Wheat and Frank Hannon of TESLA* Jacoby Shaddix and Dave Buckner of PAPA ROACH* Brad Lang, bassist for Y&T* Joe Fraulob, former guitarist for the band DANZIG and DECONSTRUCT* Jerry Woods, well-known guitarist in Northern California music circles* Vince DiFiore, trumpet and keyboards, founding member of CAKE* Rob Sabino, legendary keyboardist for David Bowie, Todd Rundgren, Mick Jagger, Jeff Beck and many more. Rob was a member of the band CHIC ("Le Freak") and has written songs with Peter Frampton* Matt Pinder, bassist for THE PINDER BROTHERS and THE KEVIN RUSSELL BAND. Matt's dad is Mike Pinder, former and founding member of THE MOODY BLUES* Kelly Smith, drummer for THE FRANK HANNON BAND, and former drummer of SOULMOTOR

Video footage from the event can be seen below.

Higher Purpose Events' mission is to utilize its resource and event skills to put on large events that will raise money to support programs and other nonprofits benefiting men, women, and children and renew hope for a better tomorrow.

Progressive metallers FATES WARNING will release their twelfth studio album, "Theories Of Flight", on July 1 via InsideOut Music. The effort will be made available in the standard version and a two-disc mediabook edition, which will include a trio of unreleased originals, as well as three additional never-before-heard cover tunes. A double-LP version will also be available. The bonus disc is entirely acoustic.

"Theories Of Flight" track listing:

CD 1

01. From The Rooftops (6:52)02. Seven Stars (5:33)03. SOS (4:34)04. The Light And Shade Of Things (10:14)05. White Flag (5:20)06. Like Stars Our Eyes Have Seen (5:13)07. The Ghosts Of Home (10:31)08. Theories of Flight (4:00)

CD 2 (Acoustic Bonus Disc):

01. Firefly (3:15)02. Seven Stars (4:25)03. Another Perfect Day (3:25)04. Pray Your Gods (TOAD THE WET SPROCKET cover) (3:45) 05. Adela (JOAQUIN RODRIGO cover) (2:25) 06. Rain (URIAH HEEP cover) (4:03)

FATES WARNING's previous CD, "Darkness In A Different Light", sold around 2,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The effort was issued in North America on October 1, 2013 via InsideOut Music.

FATES WARNING's lineup continues to feature founding guitarist Jim Matheos alongside classic-lineup members Ray Alder (vocals) and Frank Aresti (guitar), longtime bassist Joey Vera and drummer Bobby Jarzombek,

Speaking to Stormbringer webzine, Alder stated about how his vocal approach has changed over the years: "Yeah, [when I first joined FATES WARNING] I was young and everybody was doing the screaming and I thought that was cool. As I got older and progressed as a singer and realized what I wanted to do, I found it really silly. And then, even [singing] live in the old days, I tried not to do it as much. It just seemed silly to me. It doesn't make any sense. But as I grew as a singer, I knew what I wanted to do, and I realized that, I think, soul is more important than range. And it seems as though my voice just said, 'Yeah, I agree with you. Fuck it!' And it just kind of changed on its own. But, I mean, I like my voice where it is now. I have no problem… Again, I like where I am. Some people wanna hear the high screams, but… sorry! [Laughs]"

Asked if FATES WARNING has had to change the instrumental parts of some of the band's older songs in order to better suit his new vocal style, Alder said: "You've gotta work around different things where the high parts are, and a lot of the times I think it sounds much better the way it is, lowering certain things and [hitting] different notes. In hindsight, I wish I'd done what I'm doing now back then. [But] it was a thing at the time. Geoff [Tate] isn't really doing those anymore either… That's what we get for smoking and singing too much."

Regarding how he keeps his voice in shape when he is on tour, Alder said: "My main thing is I try not to smoke as much and definitely try not to drink as… It's not like the old days anymore. Of course when we were younger, we would party every night, and then I would really lose my voice. But now it's casual; [I have] a couple of glasses of wine and relax with everybody."

Mascot Label Group is proud to announce the signing of Ayreon, the highly acclaimed project from singer / songwriter / multi-instrumentalist / record producer Arjen Lucassen. The Ayreon catalog, comprising seven studio albums, was released on various digital platforms on April 22nd.

Arjen Lucassen and Mascot Label Group CEO Ed van Zijl go back twenty years. Ed was doing business out of his one-man office when Arjen showed up on his doorstep, with Ayreon’s debut album The Final Experiment in hand. They didn’t ink a deal that day, but both parties are extremely pleased to say that as of 2016, Music Theories Recordings (part of Mascot Label Group) is Ayreon’s new home.

Ayreon is in a class of its own. You might call Lucassen’s Ayreon studio albums “rock operas.” Or, to be more precise, you may prefer a description like, “ambitious studio projects combining progressive rock, metal, and folk over intricate storylines, brought to life by countless famous guest singers from all over the world.” But no matter how you categorize it, the Ayreon album collection offers highly creative rock music with a quality in composition and production rarely heard in the last twenty years.

Ten years with hardrock band Vengeance brought Lucassen recognition in not just the Netherlands, but in Germany, Switzerland, Japan, the UK and the USA, as well. When he started writing and recording on his own in the early 90s, it was the funding of a Japanese record label that got the ball rolling. The Final Experiment was Ayreon’s first album, released in the Netherlands in 1995 by start-up label Transmission Records. It set the tone for the project, with intricate sci-fi/fantasy storytelling and timeless progressive rock featuring a line-up of world class vocalists and musicians, including Barry Hay (Golden Earring), an-Chris de Koeijer (Gorefest), and Kingdom Come’s Lenny Wolf.

The follow-up, Actual Fantasy (1996), turned out to be a relatively modest production, but the phenomenal reception of these first Ayreon albums exposed Lucassen to world-famous singers and instrumentalists like Fish (Marillion), Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden), Devin Townsend, James LaBrie (Dream Theater), Neal Morse (Flying Colors, Spock’s Beard), Cristina Scabbia (Lacuna Coil), John Wetton (King Crimson, Asia), Mikael Åkerfeldt (Opeth, Bloodbath), Ty Tabor (King’s X, The Jelly Jam), Floor Jansen (Nightwish), Michael Romeo and Russell Allen (Symphony X), Steve Hackett (Genesis), Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater, Alice Cooper), Keith Emerson (Emerson, Lake & Palmer), and Rick Wakeman (Yes). Besides Lucassen himself, virtuoso drummer Ed Warby (Gorefest, Hail of Bullets, The 11th Hour) is the only other constant member of AYREON.

Into The Electric Castle was released to critical acclaim in 1998, and the album went on to sell over 100.000 copies. The twin albums Universal Migrator Part 1: The Dream Sequencer and Universal Migrator Part 2: Flight of the Migrator (2000) proved that Lucassen was not afraid to take Ayreon to yet another level of larger-than-life creativity. With The Human Equation (2004), Lucassen turned away from his earlier sci-fi themes to explore the realm of human emotions. The Human Equation was adapted for stage and performed in 2015 by a cast that included almost everybody from the original album. In 2007, Arjen returned to the sci-fi concept and linked all of the previous AYREON albums together, musically as well as lyrically, on 01011001. The album features no less than 17 vocalists.

The Theory of Everything (2013) again received rave reviews around the world and, like its predecessors, sold remarkably well in a time when few progressive rock acts manage to rise above the crowd. The album was released after a five-year break in which Lucassen concentrated on other projects, including Guilt Machine’s album On This Perfect Day, which was released on Mascot Records in 2009. The recording – quite a departure from AYREON’s bombastic approach – attracted a very dedicated audience of its own.

Some years later, a few Ayreon albums were released on vinyl and, according to Lucassen, “sold really well. That’s when I realized that fans of Guilt Machine would probably appreciate a vinyl release too.” By 2014, Lucassen met with Mascot’s Ed van Zijl again. “I asked him if he would be interested in releasing Guilt Machine on vinyl, and he immediately said yes,” explained Van Zijl. “It took months to figure out the details of the packaging and the extras, and then manufacture it. The fans were ecstatic! The first pressing was sold out online in just a few hours in June of 2015. Then Mascot decided to press more colours and black vinyl, as well.”

Obviously the two started discussing Lucassen’s other projects as well. When the topic of Ayreon came up, Ed van Zijl offered Lucassen a deal he couldn’t refuse… or could he? It took Lucassen six months to decide: “At first I didn’t feel the urge to change labels. But in the back of my mind was the feeling that I really liked the atmosphere and the people at Mascot. This Dutch company, close by, just felt good.” The idea of trying something new finally tipped the scales: “Ed simply said yes to everything I asked for! Plus, it was time for a fresh new start.”

Ayreon studio albums re-issued via Mascot / Music Theories Recordings include:

The Final Experiment
Actual Fantasy
Into the Electric Castle
Universal Migrator Part 1: The Dream Sequencer
Universal Migrator Part 2: Flight of the Migrator
The Human Equation
01011001

Halestorm recently wrapped up a US tour with Lita Ford; vocalist Dorothy Martin was also on the bill as support. Fan-filmed video of Halestorm performing Foghat's 1972 classic "I Just Want To Make Love To You" with Dorothy can be viewed below.

Halestorm's tour schedule is currently as follows:

April
23 - Orlando, FL - WJRR Earthday Birthday 22
24 - Charleston, SC - WYBB Rock Fest

May
18 - Bloomington, IL - US Cellular Coliseum
19 - Saginaw, MI - FirstMerit Bank Event Park
21 - Schaghticoke, NY - Rock N’ Derby

August
5 - West Allis, WI - Wisconsin State Fair

Additional dates to be announced. Stay tuned.

“Mayhem” video:

Columbus, Ohio's BEARTOOTH will release its new album, "Aggressive", on June 3 via Red Bull Records.

In the two short years since their debut album was cooked up in frontman Caleb Shomo's basement, BEARTOOTH has catapulted into heavy music's stratosphere. They have collected over ten million views on YouTube, trekked around the globe sharing the stage with SLIPKNOT, PIERCE THE VEIL, BRING ME THE HORIZON and SLEEPING WITH SIRENS and playing festivals like Reading and Leeds, Download and the Vans Warped Tour.

For "Aggressive", Shomo again retreated to his home studio to write, perform and produce the album's twelve tracks, re-teaming with John Feldmann (THE USED, BLINK-182) for a bit of songwriting contribution and enlisting David Bendeth (KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, PARAMORE) to mix the release. The resulting songs have as much in common with stomping metalcore as old-school punk, vintage screamo and harder-edged pop punk, combining circle pit-inducing bangers with soaring choruses and bridging raw authentic intensity with accessibility.

"Aggressive" track listing:

01. Aggressive02. Hated03. Loser04. Fair Weather Friend05. Burnout06. Sick Of Me07. Censored08. Always Dead09. However You Want It Said10. Find A Way11. Rock Is Dead12. King Of Anything

The video for the "Aggressive" title track can be seen below.

BEARTOOTH will give fans a taste of "Aggressive" on the band's U.S. spring tour, which kicks off tomorrow and includes slots on the Welcome To Rockville and Northern Invasion festivals. A summer tour across Europe that includes main stage slots on Download festival will follow, with more dates to be announced soon. They will also be performing at the 2016 Alternative Press Music Awards on July 18.

"The Slab Was Trapped" is the first single by French heavy metal band Lorraine Cross. It will be released on all digital platforms on the April 22nd and is taken from the upcoming debut album Army Of Shadows to be released worldwide on August 26th.
 
Lorraine Cross was born in 2012 in Toulouse, South of France when two heavy metal enthusiasts - a couple in life, Katia Figuera (manager) and Guillaume (founder and bass player)  - decided to form a band to perpetuate the spirit of hard ‘n’ heavy.
 
Soon after this, four talented musicians joined their quest: Tony (lead singer) D.K and Florent (guitars) and Thomas (drums). After a demo (Lorraine Cross, 2014) the band received the support of French heavy metal specialist Christophe Bailet (ex-manager of Sortilège, ADX, Nightmare).
 
The album Army Of Shadows was recorded and engineered by François Merle (Manigance) and mastered by Tommy Hansen (Helloween, Gamma Ray, Pretty Maids) and is a mix of influences like US hard rock, British heavy metal and German speed metal. But even if Iron Maiden, Mötley Crüe, Judas Priest or Helloween are the inspirations, the heart of Lorraine Cross beats in France.
 
France and its tormented past, hence the name...Lorraine Cross, the symbol of Free French Forces during world war II. An iconic symbol, for all those who refuse to surrender and to live on their knees. Like Guillaume’s grandfather, a French resistant who was nearly shot by a German fire squad.
 
He was like his brother in arms, one of the anonymous martyrs fighting oppression. He was one, from the Army of Shadows.

Emperor frontman Ihsahn will release the sixth solo album, entitled Arktis, on April 8th. In a new interview with Metal Paths, Ihsahn discusses the new album. An excerpt follows:

Q: Do you feel, that releasing an album nowadays, is just another excuse to tour? Or every album needs to be released by an artist to “cleanse your ideas” till another set of songs is ready and for the next release?

A: “For many bands, especially bands that have been around so many years, like recently I read in an interview that Slayer’s Kerry King stated he was not into releasing more than three or four new songs, before they head out on a new world tour. So, obviously, the income is mostly coming nowadays from touring rather than record sales. Back in the eighties, I guess bands toured to promote the album, so that they can sell even more albums. Now it’s the opposite. Many bands release albums just to promote yet another tour! It’s a bit strange but, for me personally, the main focus is to be able to write new music! That’s the main excitement for me. To be able to write and produce music in my studio. It’s not that if there’s no more money, I won’t be doing any albums anymore, haha. I don’t think I can stop doing that. So as long as labels want to put them out there, and people still pick them up to listen to them, I think I will continue to do that! Maybe, also, it all is just being a phase. When we got the cassette, everyone started tape trading, and everyone thought that would be the end of the music industry. Of course, now we’ve seen a big change, but I think at the same time, streaming services and everything, it starts getting up. The outcome of streaming services will increase with more and more people paying for streaming services. Of course, you can get pissed off because “it’s not like the old days” blah blah blah, but still in music history the whole idea about selling physical copies of your music, is a rather new phenomenon, if you look it that way. It’s just a different phase. You either have to go with it, and being a musician kind of adapt to how you can perform and express your music or get a day job! You just have to adapt or not. That’s it and I’m willing to adapt. I think you can adapt and still keep your integrity, as a musician.

Read the full interview at MetalPaths.com.

Arktis was recorded at Ihsahn’s studio in Notodden, Norway and was mixed in Sweden by Jens Bogren (Opeth, Katatonia). The album features ten songs and is the longest and most spirited of Ihsahn’s solo recordings. It features guest appearances from Einar Solberg (Leprous), Matt Heafy (Trivium), Jorgen Munkeby (Shining), Tobias Ornes Andersen (Shining, ex-Leprous), and renowned Norwegian author Hans Herbjornsrud. Graphic elements for Arktis once again have been provided by award-winning Spanish designer Ritxi Ostariz.

Few artists in modern heavy music have created such an extraordinary and unique body of work as Ihsahn. Having refined and redefined black metal with the now legendary Emperor, Ihsahn is Norway’s foremost musical extremist. He has spent the last decade establishing himself as a fearless and wildly idiosyncratic solo artist and even by his own remarkable standards, Arktis is a bold and mind-blowing step into the unknown.

Ihsahn comments, “My focus for this album was to write within more traditional song structures and still give each song a strong individual identity, be that through a re-occurring melody, a chorus, sound design or the good, old guitar riff. I also wanted to explore this on the production side, blending organic rock sounds with more modern expressions.”

The stark visuals utilized in the video for “Mass Darkness” are inspired by late 1800’s Norwegian explorer and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Fridtjof Nansen. It depicts his famed three-year expedition to the North Pole first by ship and then by foot over land.

Ihsahn notes, “The whole atmosphere of facing the cold, immense unknown fits rather good with the general lyrical concept of the entire album. It paints a sense of doubt, hopelessness and frustration yet celebrates curiosity, free will and the choice to avoid conformity. It is, at best, an observance of one’s insignificance in relation to time, nature and space yet each individual’s ability to make things matter even if only to themselves.”

For the 40-year old musician, the global accolades have yet to impact his creativity with each and every album pushing boundaries and preconceived sounds typically assigned to heavy music. With Arktis, he continues his blending of extreme metal and progressive rock that will easily sustain his already massive fanbase while opening even more doors for the humble multi-instrumentalist.

Ihsahn says, “With the contributions from several of my talented friends and the incredible mixing skills of Jens Bogren, I feel the end result is just as varied yet cohesive as I hoped for. Actually, I can’t recall having had such a great time making an album before and hopefully that comes across too.”

Arktis tracklisting:

“Disassembled”
“Mass Darkness”
“My Heart Is Of The North”
“South Winds”
“In The Vaul”
“Until I Too Dissolve”
“Pressure”
“Frail”
“Crooked Red Line”
“Celestial Violence”

“Pressure”:

“Mass Darkness” lyric video:



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U.K. rock writer, author and TV and radio program maker Mick Wall has just released a new book on iconic MOTÖRHEAD frontman Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister called "Lemmy: The Definitive Biography".

Based on Mick's original interviews with Lemmy conducted over numerous years, along with the insights of those who knew him best — former bandmates, friends, managers, fellow artists and record business insiders — this is an unputdownable story of one of Britain's greatest characters. As Lemmy once said of Wall, "Mick Wall is one of the few rock writers in the world who can actually write and seems to know anything about rock music. I can and do talk to him for hours — poor bastard."

In "Ace Of Spades", MOTÖRHEAD's most famous song, Lemmy sang, "I don't want to live forever." Yet, as he told his friend of 35 years, former PR and biographer Mick Wall: "Actually, I want to go the day before forever. To avoid the rush." This is his strange but true story.

Brutally frank, painfully funny, wincingly sad, and always beautifully told, "Lemmy: The Definitive Biography" is the story of the only rock'n'roller never to sell his soul for silver and gold, while keeping the devil, as he put it, "very close to my side." From school days growing up in North Wales, to first finding fame in the mid-60s with the ROCKIN' VICARS ("We were very big up north, I had a Zephyr 6"); from being Jimi Hendrix's personal roadie ("I would score acid for him"), to leading HAWKWIND to the top of the charts in 1972 with "Silver Machine" ("I was fired for taking the wrong drugs"); from forming MOTÖRHEAD ("I wanted to call the band BASTARD but my manager wouldn't let me"), whose iconoclastic album "No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith" entered the U.K. chart at No. 1 — and its title into the lexicon of hip-speak.

With the hard part of his journey now over, Lemmy is set to become a legend. "Lemmy: The Definitive Biography" explains exactly how that came to be.

Wall is the author of numerous critically acclaimed books, including titles on LED ZEPPELIN ("When Giants Walked the Earth"), METALLICA ("Enter Night"), AC/DC ("Hell Ain't a Bad Place To Be"), BLACK SABBATH ("Symptom Of The Universe"), Lou Reed, THE DOORS ("Love Becomes A Funeral Pyre") and FOO FIGHTERS. He lives in England.

For more information, visit OrionBooks.co.uk.

Marillion and PledgeMusic are joining forces to take the direct-to-fan business to a new level in the launch of the new Marillion album.

Marillion have long demonstrated their prowess in working with their fans. They started the whole direct-to-fan funding business model in 1997. The pioneering work that they have done with their fans on the internet, has paved the way for bands to operate in the digital age in a truly independent way.

Marillion have spent much of the year holed up in their Racket Club studio, jamming, writing and recording. The band reports that the initial tracks put down are sounding truly outstanding. The band's 18th studio album F.E.A.R will be released on September 9th.

The PledgeMusic Marillion campaign offers on the special PledgeMusic/Marillion storefront and PledgeMusic website include pre-ordering the CD, LP, Deluxe CD, a Special Edition box set and digital formats, with limited edition signed copies also available. A private show at the band's Racket Club studios in Aylesbury is also in the listing. Additional special offers will be introduced throughout the campaign and later in the year once the album is finished, the band will be adding the opportunity to buy tickets to exclusive Listening Parties around the world. To make a pledge please visit this location. Pre-order ends on June 17th.

Throughout and up to the album release, the band will keep the PledgeMusic and Marillion fans updated with the album's progress and news from their world through the PledgeMusic AccessPass.

Marillion promise that the campaign will be bigger and better than ever before; "We consider PledgeMusic to be the best in their field and after much thought feel that they as the new masters of the art, offer the band and the fans the most exciting possibilities. PledgeMusic have the same level of great customer service that we pride ourselves on and totally understand the relationship that we have with our fans".

Benji Rogers, Founder of PledgeMusic cites Marillion as a pivotal influence on the formation of PledgeMusic in 2009; "Partnering with Marillion in 2015 is an incredible honour for me personally and for the team at PledgeMusic. Their pioneering approach to direct-to-fan was both and inspiration and a guiding light for PledgeMusic from business plan to launch and beyond and we could not be more excited to have them as part of our story."

Marillion recently announced dates for a North American tour in October / November, with support from Porcupine Tree’s John Wesley.

Confirmed dates include:

October
21 - San Francisco, CA - The Regency Ballroom
22 - Beverly Hills, CA - Saban Theater
25 - Denver, CO - Paramount Theatre
27 - Chicago, IL - Vic Theatre
28 - Chicago, IL - Vic Theatre
29 - Northfield, OH - Hard Rock Live
31 - Toronto, ON - Danforth Music Hall

November
1 - Montreal, QC - Virgin Mobile Corona Theatre
2 - Québec City, QC - L'Impérial Bell
4 - Boston, MA - Royale Boston
5 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
6 - Philadelphia, PA - Keswick Theatre
8 - New York, NY - PlayStation Theater

The band will also perform at the Prog and Classic Rock's Stone Free festival featuring Alice Cooper and Steve Hackett at London’s O2 Arena in June.

SOUNDGARDEN frontman Chris Cornell has paid tribute to legendary singer, guitarist, songwriter and producer Prince, who died unexpectedly on Thursday, April 21 at the age of 57 in his Minnesota home.

Cornell's stripped-down, stirring rendition of Prince's "Nothing Compares 2 U" can be streamed below. The track is one of several covers Cornell has incorporated into the sets of his extensive acoustic tour, which began last September.

Said Cornell: "Prince's music is the soundtrack to the soulful and beautiful universe he created, and we have all been privileged to be part of that amazing world.

"I performed his song 'Nothing Compares 2 U' for the first time a couple months ago. It has a timeless relevance for me and practically everyone I know.

"Sadly, now his own lyrics in this song could not be more relevant than at this moment, and I sing them now in reverence as I pay tribute to this unequaled artist who has given all of our lives so much inspiration and made the world so much more interesting.

"We will miss you, Prince!!!"

Reports of Prince's death began surfacing Thursday morning and were soon confirmed by his publicist. At press time, the death was being investigated and a cause of death had not yet been announced. The singer was said to be ill with the flu in recent weeks

Prince has won seven Grammy Awards, and he won an Oscar for the original song score to the classic film "Purple Rain", in which he also starred.

He recorded some 39 studio albums, recording and touring prolifically even after a very public battle to get out of his major label contract threatened to derail his career.

British heavy metal legends IRON MAIDEN have released an All Blacks-themed t-shirt ahead of the New Zealand leg of their world tour in tribute to the men's national rugby union team's Rugby World Cup victory last year.

The top features the band's mummy-like mascot Eddie wearing black rugby gear complete with sweatbands and a ball under his arm as he charges to the try-line in a packed stadium. There are tackled players strewn behind him in the colors of the teams the All Blacks beat in the World Cup.

According to Wales Online, IRON MAIDEN manager Rod Smallwood is a huge rugby fan and was at both World Cup finals in 2011 and 2015 to see New Zealand lift the Webb Ellis Trophy.

Said Smallwood: "We did a tribute to the legend that is Colin Meads on our 2011 New Zealand tour t-shirt which went down so well with the rugby fraternity there that [All Blacks] assistant coach Wayne Smith, a mate for many years and big MAIDEN fan along with some other current ABs, asked to use this art on some special [t-shirts] he was going to use as prizes for the players for outstanding defensive performances in each game of last year's World Cup. He had done similarly in the 2011 Cup with our 'Fear Of The Dark' design T's."

He added: "This new tour shirt commemorates the victory last year at Twickenham and is a tribute to the [All Blacks]."

IRON MAIDEN's world tour, in support of the band's latest album, "The Book Of Souls", kicked off on February 24 in Sunrise, Florida (a suburb of Fort Lauderdale).

Back in November 2014, the helicopter descended upon the infamous Hard Rock Hotel as KISS invaded Las Vegas for an historic nine-show run. Now, for one night only on May 25, fans will be able to experience this spectacular night for themselves as "Kiss Rocks Vegas" hits cinemas across the globe. From this blistering live show, fans can expect sky high flames, ear-bursting volume and a few drops of blood! Includes exclusive interviews with band and footage you will only see in the cinema.

A new extended trailer for "Kiss Rocks Vegas" is available below.

Famed for their iconic face paint and stage attire, KISS was formed in New York City in 1973 by Paul Stanley (vocals, rhythm guitar) and Gene Simmons (vocals, bass guitar). Their sensational live performances feature fire breathing, blood-spitting, smoking guitars, shooting rockets, levitating drum kits, and pyrotechnics to spare. Tommy Thayer (lead guitar, vocals) and Eric Singer (drums, percussion, vocals) round out the band's powerful lineup. Tommy is also producer of the film "Kiss Rocks Vegas".

Said Stanley: "See us on the big screen with the awesome power of Surround Sound. Feel like you are in Vegas and don't be shy to 'shout it out loud!'"

Added Simmons: "Join us for a 'crazy crazy night' in your cinema!"

Stated Thayer: "We are all tremendously proud of this production; it captures a truly unique performance. You need to see it in a cinema to get the full on experience."

Said Singer: "We rocked The Joint at Hard Rock in Las Vegas. You get up close and personal with KISS. You're going to love it."

A select number of cinemas worldwide will also be screening the concert in Dolby Atmos, providing a powerfully immersive and moving audio experience for the cinema audience.

For more information and to book tickets for the cinema event please visit www.kissmycinema.com.

Speaking to Las Vegas Weekly, Stanley stated about how the idea for the KISS residency came about: "To spend as much time as we do in Vegas and to live as close as we do, the idea of doing a residency and leaving our stage setup, as opposed to breaking it down nightly, was really appealing."

He continued: "We just finished 42 cities and played for 600,000 people, but that meant that every night the show got disassembled and moved. There’s something appealing and challenging about building a set that doesn’t have to be moved. You don't have to take into account the practicality of it, being able to be broken down constantly and reassembled. So this was something that we had wanted to do for quite a while; it was just a matter of making sure we found people who were in agreement on how to do it. The Joint was the natural place to do it."

Multi-national newcomer sensation Blues Pills have announced the title of their second album. Lady In Gold is expected to be released during the summer and will contain ten brand new tracks.
 
Commented singer Elin Larsson on the choice of the album's title: "Lady Gold is a character who symbolizes death. We wanted a twist on the typical stereotype of death being the grim reaper. So instead we made her a lady in gold."

Tracklisting:

“Lady In Gold”
“Little Boy Preacher”
“Burned Out”
“I Felt A Change”
“Gone So Long”
“Bad Talkers”
“You Gotta Try”
“Won’t Go Back”
“Rejection”
“Elements And Things”

Just as its successful predecessor Lady In Gold was once again produced by Don Alsterberg (Graveyard, Division Of Laura Lee, José González, Jerry Williams). More info to be revealed soon.

(Photo by: John McMurtie)

Ted Poley’s new solo album, Beyond The Fade, will be released on May 13th. Best known as lead vocalist for the legendary melodic rock masters Danger Danger, Ted Poley is also an accomplished solo artist, having released two acclaimed releases, Collateral Damage (2006) and Smile (2007). The album track, “Stars”, is streaming below.

The story of Beyond The Fade starts after Danger Danger's performance at Frontiers Rock Festival in Milano in 2014, when he and the label developed the idea to work together on some new music. The next step was to speak to producer Alessandro Del Vecchio (Hardline, Edge Of Forever) and with a band that he put together, Ted performed at the second edition of the Frontiers Rock Festival. A few months later, Ted came back to Italy to finish the vocals on the album.

Ted says: "I am absolutely thrilled with the way the whole album came out. If I have one quote: "ITS AWESOME!" My great friend and co-producer Alessandro Del Vecchio brought my sonic vision to life and no request from me was too great for him toward his goal of making "The Ultimate Ted Poley Solo Album" and he surely delivered on his promise. We had a lot of fun making the album and its obvious when you hear it. You can practically hear my smile while I am singing. We decided to make it sound BIG and there are a ton of backing vocals (in some cases more than 80 tracks of them!), along with great songs, soaring melodic guitar leads, pounding bass and big drums, all layered with cool keyboards... like a delicious Musical Cake! Save some room for dessert, I KNOW THAT YOU ARE GOING TO LOVE THIS ONE!"

With songs penned by the brothers Tom and James Martin (Vega) and "Hands Of Love" written by Tony Bruno (Joe Lynn Turner), the sound of the record is nothing else but Ted Poley at his best, with immediately recognizable hooklines, amazing guitar work, immaculate production and total 80's attitude! Beyond The Fade is sure to please not only Ted Poley's fans, but all fans of melodic hard rock.

Beyond The Fade tracklisting:
 
“Let's Start Something”
“Everything We Are”
“Hands Of Love”
“The Perfect Crime”
“Stars”
“Higher”
“Where I Lost You”
“You Won't See Me Cryin'”
“We Are Young”
“Sirens”
“Beneath The Stars”

“Stars”:

“Hands Of Love”:

“Higher” video:

EPK:

Lineup:
 
Ted Poley - lead vocals
Issa - duet vocal on “The Perfect Crime”
Alessandro Del Vecchio - drums, keyboards, backing vocals
Mario Percudani - guitars
Anna Portalupi - bass