GUNS N' ROSES singer Axl Rose will officially front AC/DC when the legendary rockers resume their "Rock Or Bust" world tour in May. The European stadium tour dates begin on May 7 in Lisbon, Portugal and run through June 12 in Aarhus, Denmark, as previously announced. Following this European run of dates with AC/DC, Axl Rose will head out on his GUNS N' ROSES "Not In This Lifetime" summer stadium tour. The ten postponed AC/DC U.S shows will be rescheduled and announced imminently, also with Axl Rose.

Guitarist Angus Young and his AC/DC bandmates scrapped some of their recent North American dates after doctors told singer Brian Johnson he faced "total hearing loss."

Commented AC/DC in a statement: "AC/DC band members would like to thank Brian Johnson for his contributions and dedication to the band throughout the years. We wish him all the best with his hearing issues and future ventures.

"As much as we want this tour to end as it started, we understand, respect and support Brian's decision to stop touring and save his hearing. We are dedicated to fulfilling the remainder of our touring commitments to everyone that has supported us over the years, and are fortunate that Axl Rose has kindly offered his support to help us fulfill this commitment."

A rumor started last month suggesting Axl would perform as a guest vocalist with AC/DC gained traction after Atlanta Rock 100.5 host Jason Bailey claimed that a "very, very good source" confirmed to him that the collaboration was happening.

The rumor began after AC/DC postponed the North American shows. The band promised to make up the gigs, possibly with "guest vocalists." Rose was spotted and photographed in Atlanta, where AC/DC was reportedly meeting with potential singers.

AC/DC European tour dates featuring Axl Rose:

May 07 - Lisbon, Portugal - Passeio Maritimo De AlgesMay 10 - Seville, Spain - Estadio De La CartujaMay 13 - Marseille, France - Stade VelodromeMay 16 - Werchter, Belgium - Werchter SiteMay 19 - Vienna, Austria - Erns-Happel StadiumMay 22 - Prague, Czech Republic - Letnany AirportMay 26 - Hamburg, Germany - VolksparkstadionMay 29 - Berne, Switzerland - Stade De SuisseJun. 01 - Leipzig, Germany - Red Bull ArenaJun. 04 - London, UK - The Stadium, Queen Elizabeth Olympic ParkJun. 09 - Manchester, UK - Etihad StadiumJun. 12 - Aarhus, Denmark - Ceres Park

Brian Johnson's close friend, comedian Jim Breuer, recently said there he saw the singer in Sarasota, Florida on March 11, where Johnson told him that his doctor had confirmed some hearing loss during the first, mostly outdoor, leg of AC/DC's world tour. According to Breuer, Johnson said, "[The doctor said], 'Now you're gonna go out and do indoor [shows]? I do not put my name on this. You're a grown man. You make a decision, but I would not mess around with this at all.'"

Johnson then went to guitarist Angus Young and AC/DC management to explain the situation, according to Breuer, who said: "[Brian] said that he called and let [AC/DC and Young] know, 'Hey, this is what the doctor said, but let's try to figure this out. I don't think it's as bad as he said it is.' Literally the next day in the press, it was 'Brian Johnson, tour canceled, he's losing his hearing.'"

Breuer continued: "[Johnson] said he just called and gave that information. He didn't say he wanted to quit. He didn't say he was done. He called with that information, and two days later, he read in the papers and heard on Twitter and everywhere else, 'Brian Johnson going deaf canceling tour.' A day later, and it was, 'Oh, we're gonna have guest singers.'"

Breuer said that Johnson still felt like a "hired gun" after 36 years, and that Angus Young as the band's youngest member wants to keep going for another decade and at least one more album and tour.

Johnson was AC/DC's singer since 1980, when he replaced the late Bon Scott. He made his recording debut with the group on the classic "Back In Black".

AC/DC has been on the road since last year in support of its 16th studio album, "Rock Or Bust".

Original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley was admitted to Wilkes-Barre General Hospital in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania following his show last night (Friday, April 15) at the F.M. Kirby Center in the city. After extensive testing, it was determined that Ace's symptoms were due to exhaustion and dehydration.

In consultation with his doctors, Ace, who aside from the exhaustion and dehydration has been given a clean bill of health, has reluctantly agreed to cancel tonight's sold-out show at the Chance in Poughkeepsie, New York. The venue is working to reschedule the date in late September and expects to announce an exact date later this week.

In the meantime, ticket buyers for tonight's show can use their tickets for the rescheduled date in September or return them at the point of purchase for a full refund. AceFrehley.com VIP Experience and Guitar Signature packages purchasers will be contacted by AceFrehley.com and can either obtain a full refund or use their packages on the rescheduled date.

Once released from the hospital, Ace will be heading home to Southern California to recuperate.

Fan-filmed video footage of the Wilkes-Barre concert can be seen below.

Ace has just released "Origins Vol. 1", a collection of twelve newly recorded classics from his formative years featuring some of the biggest names in rock and roll. Most notably, KISS frontman Paul Stanley joins Ace on FREE's hit "Fire And Water". This collaboration marks the first time that Ace and Paul appear on the same studio recording since KISS's 1998 reunion album "Psycho Circus".

According to ESPN, on his final NBA game, Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant broke Led Zeppelin’s merchandise record for single-day sales for any arena in the world.

The Staples Center sold $1.2 million worth of Kobe merchandise, Sean Ryan, AEG vice president of merchandise told ESPN.

The previous record, Ryan said, was set by Led Zeppelin, who sold $1 million worth of merchandise in London at the O2 Arena on December 10, 2007, the group's first full-length concert in three decades.

The average fan inside the arena spent $61 on merchandise alone, with the average bill being $230, Ryan said.

Grammy Award-winning Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductees and 2016 Record Store Day Ambassadors METALLICA performed live earlier today (Saturday, April 16) at Berkeley, California's legendary record store Rasputin Music in celebration of Record Store Day 2016. While a few lucky Met Club members and Rasputin customers won tickets to see the rare in-store performance in person, fans from around the world were also able to join from the comfort of their own living room via a live stream. You can now see video footage of the performance below.

METALLICA ended the show by taking a bow and pointing out some of the special people in attendance, singling out family members, as well as Ray Burton, the father of late METALLICA bassist Cliff Burton; FAITH NO MORE drummer Mike Bordin; and Jonny and Marsha Zazula, who signed METALLICA to the Megaforce label in 1983.

The setlist was as follows:

01. Helpless (DIAMOND HEAD cover)02. Hit The Lights03. The Four Horsemen04. Ride The Lightning05. Fade To Black06. Jump In The Fire07. For Whom The Bell Tolls08. Creeping Death09. Metal Militia

This is the third special show METALLICA has put out for free streaming in the past year, following a headlining set at last year's Rock In Rio USA and the concert they played in February at AT&T Park in San Francisco on Super Bowl weekend.

METALLICA frontman James Hetfield said: "METALLICA has been lifelong supporters of record stores and indie retail, because… well, because we grew up with it and no one would play our stuff, so that's where would meet friends, meet fans, hang out at the record stores and get to find out what cool new music is out there."

METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich added: "Independent record stores are part of METALLICA's DNA. They have been pivotal in shaping each one of us into the music fanatics we've all become. We could not be any prouder to be Record Store Day Ambassadors for 2016 and are looking forward to screaming from every rooftop the next few months about everything independent record store and beyond."

Previous ambassadors have included FOO FIGHTERS frontman Dave Grohl and Jack White.

Throughout the nine years that Record Store Day has been in existence, METALLICA has participated with events and special releases.

The band did a meet-and-greet with fans at Rasputin Records in Mountain View, California back in 2008 to help kick off the very first Record Store Day.

Last year the group issued a cassette version of its original 1982 demo, "No Life 'Til Leather", which ended up being Record Store Day 2015's biggest seller.

Following the tragic terrorist attacks in Paris in November 2015, METALLICA's release for this year's Record Store Day is "Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité, Metallica! - Live At Le Bataclan. Paris, France - June 11th, 2003", a CD featuring a live recording of METALLICA performing at the same venue that was the site of the deadliest of the November attacks.

Proceeds from sales of the CD will benefit Fondation de France's Give For France charity.

METALLICA has also released deluxe reissues of its first two albums, 1983's "Kill 'Em All" and 1984's "Ride The Lightning", on Record Store Day.

Cradle Of Filth have announced the release of a never-before-heard version of their 1996 release Dusk… And Her Embrace.

Says the band: “Cradle Of Filth begin writing for their next album (due in fall 2017) over the next few months, and the band are intrigued as to what fans are expecting/keen on, both in direction, theme and sound.

“Obviously we're going to partially ignore the naysayers who want everything to sound exactly like Cradle 1996 - the never-before-released version of Dusk.. And Her Embrace subtitled The Original Sin (1995) is out in July via Cacophonous Records, by the way - but everything will be taken onboard, baring in mind that people understand that the band is Cradle Of Filth 2016, and one that will be expanding on the continued success of last year's Hammer Of The Witches.

“And we are definitely curious, so please fire away…”

Cradle Of Filth will be returning to Belarus and Russia in May with support from Xandria. Dates are listed on the poster below.

The band’s video for the track "Blackest Magick In Practice" (streaming below) was directed by Sam Scott-Hunter. The track is taken from the groups latest tome of horror and romance, Hammer Of The Witches.

Comments the director: "There’s dark madness in this video. “Blackest Magick In Practice” is a deeply tragic tale of lost love. It’s the grief stricken insanity of trying to bring back that loved one from the dead; desperately trying to hold onto that person who’s gone, even if that leads down a dark and gruesome path. I don’t want to give it all away, but I will say that the hardest part of the production was getting hold of a human ear.

"I wanted to convey the power of the band too, in amongst the romance, madness and magick. Behind the imagery of the lyrics is a great and powerful metal band of amazing musicians, and I hope people can feel the intensity of the band when they watch this. It is intense viewing. There should be a bit of madness in the video, because there’s madness in this song."

John Blake Publishing has announced the publication of "Bring Me The Horizon: Heavy Sounds From The Steel City" by Ben Welch. For the first time, this book details BRING ME THE HORIZON's rise from hardcore shows in their native Sheffield, to sellout arena tours across the globe.

Taking to the main stage of the iconic Reading festival in August 2015, the sun set over an army of 50,000 fans, gathered to catch a glimpse of Britain's finest metalcore band, BRING ME THE HORIZON. Every lyric was sung back at such a deafening volume that lead singer Oli Sykes was all but drowned out.

Poster-boy Sykes is not one to bite his tongue, and when it comes to music, BRING ME THE HORIZON take no prisoners. One of the most polarising and eclectic bands to emerge from the U.K. rock scene, BRING ME THE HORIZON have refused to sit still. Taking their sound from its brutal roots and bone crunching riffs to ever more unexpected places, they have expanded the horizons of their own music, believing every album should sound different, while fighting their way from niche scene clubs to main stages worldwide. However, the band has also been the source of much controversy on its journey for international acclaim.

With notoriously fractious, rowdy live shows driven by the effervescent energy of frontman Oli Sykes, the band have overcome drug addiction, onstage assaults, clashes with critics and the departure of founding member and guitarist Curtis Ward. Despite the controversy of their image, the band has been credited by various journalists as being one of the most forward thinking heavy bands in the U.K. Behind the noise, there is a restless, pulsing creative spirit which, coupled with a brilliant business acumen; saw the band break out of the underground to become a sensation.

With all the pressures of being figureheads of a new musical movement, they've succeeded in becoming Britain's best metalcore band. Together, they have been through hell, and have come out the other side swinging. For BRING ME THE HORIZON, the sky is the limit.

Fan-filmed video footage of IRON MAIDEN's April 15 concert at the Forum in Inglewood, California can be seen below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. If Eternity Should Fail02. Speed Of Light03. Children Of The Damned04. Tears Of A Clown05. The Red And The Black06. The Trooper07. Powerslave08. Death Or Glory09. The Book Of Souls10. Hallowed Be Thy Name11. Fear Of The Dark12. Iron Maiden

Encore:

13. The Number Of The Beast14. Blood Brothers15. Wasted Years

A review of last night's show can be found at The Orange County Register.

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).

Support on the trek is coming from THE RAVEN AGE, the band led by IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris's son George Harris.

MAIDEN's sixteenth — and first-ever double — studio album, "The Book Of Souls", was released worldwide on September 4, 2015 through Parlophone Records (BMG in the U.S.A). The CD was recorded in Paris, France with producer Kevin "Caveman" Shirley in late 2014, with the finishing touches added last year.

IRON MAIDEN announced in May 2015 that touring plans to support the album wouldn't happen until this year to allow singer Bruce Dickinson time to fully recuperate after his successful cancer treatment.

"What's special about this tour is that a year ago I didn't even know if I could sing," Dickinson told reporters in February. "We've had an amazing turnaround in fortune after, obviously being ill a year ago, getting rid of that, and getting out and looking forward to doing the tour."

Regarding the fan reception to the new CD and the current tour, Dickinson said: "The album was a massive success, and we were about that far [finger and thumb barely separated] off from getting the No. 1 slot [in its debut week on The Billboard 200 chart]. So now, we get to bring it out to the people, and, I mean, there's a few tickets left but not many. Pretty much the whole of the U.S. is sold out. It's amazing."

LAST IN LINE — the band featuring DEF LEPPARD guitarist Vivian Campbell alongside fellow founding DIO member Vinny Appice, plus singer Andrew Freeman, who has previously fronted HURRICANE and LYNCH MOB — has recruited Phil Soussan (OZZY OSBOURNE, BEGGARS & THIEVES, Steve Lukather) to play bass for the group for its shows in April and May. Also joining them at the dates is virtuoso keyboardist Erik Norlander (Lana Lane).

Soussan made his live debut with LAST IN LINE this past Thursday night (April 14) at Count's Vamp'd Rock Bar & Grill in Las Vegas, Nevada. Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.

Freeman previously played with Soussan in the acclaimed Las Vegas rock and roll production "Raiding The Rock Vault".

Appice and Soussan had done a number of shows together as members of the all-star jam band BIG NOIZE.

Original LAST IN LINE bassist Jimmy Bain passed away in late January at the age of 68. He was reportedly suffering from lung cancer at the time of his death.

LAST IN LINE's debut album, "Heavy Crown", was released on February 19, 2016 via Frontiers Music Srl. The CD was recorded at a Santa Clarita, California studio with producer Jeff Pilson, a veteran bassist who has played with DIO, FOREIGNER, DOKKEN and T&N, among others.

Remaining LAST IN LINE tour dates:

Apr. 23 - Frontiers Rock Festival III - Milan, ItalyMay 24 - Ramona Mainstage - Ramona, CAMay 25 - Whisky A Go Go - West Hollywood, CAMay 27 - Rocklahoma - Pryor, OK

In a recent interview with Glide Magazine, Vivian stated about LAST IN LINE's future: "I honestly don't know. We're not in a position where we have to make that decision yet, fortunately, because we only have this opportunity to do these handful of shows. It would have been wrong to just go out on tour a month after Jimmy died with some guy playing bass. That would have been very disrespectful. So we're just trying to find the right balance now between doing nothing and giving up and doing something to help this record and consequently further Jimmy's memory, 'cause Jimmy really believed in this record and this band. In fact, so much so, last year Jimmy got a LAST IN LINE tattoo on his arm. When he died, it was the only tattoo on his body, the LAST IN LINE logo. He believed in this project so much and he was so involved creatively in this record, and it is a great record and a great bookend to his career.

"Like I said, we're fortunate we don't have to make that decision yet. We're just going to do these handful of shows and then I'm on tour with LEPPARD until mid-October. So if anything does happen further with LAST IN LINE, it wouldn't happen before the end of the year. So we have a lot of time to think about it and I guess, more than anything else, our decision on our future would be determined by what happens with the record. And so far it's very encouraging, the reviews and the responses have been tremendous. With that in mind, and if it continues that way, if there's enough of a desire for people to hear us play, then we probably would."

Video footage of DOKKEN performing the song "Alone Again" on April 15 at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California can be seen below (clip filmed by Jake Perry).

Former DOKKEN and current FOREIGNER bassist Jeff Pilson recently told rock journalist Mitch Lafon about the possibility of a reunion of DOKKEN's classic lineup, featuring Pilson, vocalist Don Dokken, guitarist George Lynch and drummer Mick Brown: "We're actually working really hard to try and pull something together right now. It has to fall in spaces where there is time off [from my gig with FOREIGNER], so I don't know for sure whether it's gonna happen. So let's just say we're all friendly now, we're all past all the decades-old crap, and we all talk and everything's great. Now it really is just down to scheduling and trying to figure it out. Because, you know, you've gotta do it right, if you're gonna do it. We all feel that way."

He continued: "I think we've all come to a place where we're very appreciative of the legacy that DOKKEN has, and we would never wanna just do something for the money and take advantage… 'Cause we get offered a lot of things quite often, and if we wanted to do it that way, we could. But the fact that we don't, I think, is a great sign. I think when we do finally do something, we're gonna try and do it right. Although I don't know if we're gonna ever get to do the big sweeping tour that we've talked about — mostly because of the FOREIGNER commitment — but we're gonna try and do something. So hopefully I'll have something to report sometime soon."

Asked what would be the "right way" for a DOKKEN reunion to happen, Pilson said: "I think, really, to do it right means that when we go out there, we sound good — no matter how many or few shows we do, no matter… new music or old music. I would love to record some new music with DOKKEN; I would love that. I just don't know if we can or will. I have a sense that sometime we will, somehow, but we'll see. Again, it's just down to quality. Doing it right means doing it with quality. 'Cause we were always very quality conscious back in the day, and I don't think any of us wanna let that go now."

Regarding the current relationship between the members of the DOKKEN classic lineup, Pilson said: "No matter how argumentative a band is, no matter how much… I mean, think of all the time we spent together, think of what we accomplished together… I don't care what anybody says; we all love each other — we really do. There is a love in there that's… I mean, sometimes it's two siblings that love and hate at the same time, but there is a lot of love there. So I'm very glad that when I get an e-mail from Don, I'm not [going], 'Oh, God.' I'm excited to read it. George and I have been close for a long time, so that hasn't been an issue for a while. But, yeah, it feels really good."

He added: "We shared something very special together. I think we're all at the point in life where we kind of appreciate it now. And if we ever get a chance to do some more with it, I think… It would be very interesting, because we've never been in a situation where there wasn't animosity, so I don't know. [Laughs] Maybe it won't work. I don't know. [Laughs]"

Don and Lynch appeared on VH1 Classic's "That Metal Show" together back in May of 2010 in hopes that a reunion of DOKKEN's classic linep would follow. Despite their efforts, the reunion never happened and Don went forward with DOKKEN's current lineup.

All the members of DOKKEN's classic 1980s lineup reunited on stage for the first time in more than a decade on November 29, 2009 at the House of Blues in Anaheim, California. Don Dokken appeared on stage and said he had some friends he wanted to introduce. Pilson and Lynch joined Mick Brown for a two-song encore of "When Heaven Comes Down" and "In My Dreams".

SALIVA will release its ninth studio album, "Love, Lies & Therapy", on June 10 via Universal Music Enterprises (UMe). The band's second with lead vocalist Bobby Amaru joining co-founding member, lead guitarist Wayne Swinny, drummer Paul Crosby and newest member bassist Brad Stewart was produced by Amaru (with co-producers Nolan Neal and Damien Starkey) and sees the band finding a new energy and expanding their signature anthemic choruses and crunching riffs into different directions. The follow-up to 2014's "Rise Up" features power ballads ("Tragic Kind Of Love", "Break Down", "The Loneliest Know" and "Hand In Hand") alongside typical scorchers like "Trust", "Bitch Like You", "Unshatter Me", "Rx" and the rap-rock-flavored "Go Big Or Go Home". Adding to the eclectic approach is an unlikely, but powerful cover of Michael Jackson's "They Don't Care About Us", a single from his 1996 album "HIStory, Past Present And Future, Book 1". "It's time to ignite/I refuse to lose/Cause I've come alive," insists Amaru in "Refuse To Lose", as he sets the template for "Love, Lies & Therapy", which lives up to its name as a penetrating glimpse into the horrors of addiction — to either another person or drugs. "I'm addicted to the pain/It was all for you," he sings in "Tragic Kind Of Love", while in "Bitch Like You", he confronts the issue straight-on. "Starving your addiction leave you/Leaves you wanting more." In "Unshatter Me", Amaru cries out, "Kneel down and put me back together fix me like before/You crush me when you touch me then I spill out on the floor" and in the explicit "Rx", he leaves no doubt what he's singing about: "I've got a loaded gun but can't pull the trigger/You're the poison in my veins you're the cancer/I can't fight it off/I can't fight this disease." SALIVA does intend to overcome, though, as in "Go Big Or Go Home", where Amaru insists "It's my time to rise so let's go," or the closing "Hand In Hand", an elegiac, LED ZEPPELIN-esque number that seems to put his troubles behind him: "So I'll see you soon old friend/And we'll burn hand in hand," with a chilling Wayne Swinny guitar solo doing the honors in burying the past and facing the future. "Love, Lies & Therapy" track listing: 01. Trust02. Tragic Kind Of Love03. Bitch Like You04. Unshatter Me05. Broken Wings06. Rx07. Break Down08. Go Big or Go Home09. The Loneliest Know10. Refuse To Lose11. They Don't Care About Us*12. Hand In Hand

* Written by Michael Jackson

In a brand new interview with The Irish Sun, ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian spoke about how his band was affected by the terrosit attacks of last November when an EAGLES OF DEATH METAL concert in Paris was targeted, killing 89 people.

"Anytime a terrorist action happens like that, in any context, because we're all human, we all have to share this planet, so I get it," he said. "They crossed the line into the world of rock.

"When people say it hits closer to home, or does it hit closer to home, I understand that. But it hits close enough to home because we're all people that have to live on the same planet. That's close enough for me, and the fact that I have to live on the same planet as people with these ideals, that's too close.

"I don't want to live on the same planet, but I don't have a choice. I also don't have the solution, so all I can do is, once in a while, spew and vent a bunch of lyrics about it."

ANTHRAX was on tour in Europe with SLAYER at the time of the French attacks, but refused to cancel the rest of the dates, unlike bands like LAMB OF GOD and DEFTONES, who returned home to America almost immediately.

"We didn't go home, ANTHRAX and SLAYER," Ian said. "We didn't leave, and we finished our tour. Unless somebody was going to tell us 'You can't play the rest of your shows,' that was the only way we weren't going to finish.

"There have been times in the past when we were going to go to Israel and we were told it wasn't a good time to come, and it got postponed and we went months later. And I believe there might have been a time we were scheduled to go to Indonesia and the same thing happened. They said the climate just wasn't right. If somebody's telling you that, you listen to them. A year later, we went and played Jakarta, so it's not something we're actively thinking about."

ANTHRAX's latest album, "For All Kings", sold 34,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 9 on The Billboard 200 chart.

"For All Kings" is ANTHRAX's first studio album since 2011's "Worship Music" (No. 12 peak with 28,000 sold in its first week) and follows the 2013 covers set "Anthems" (No. 52; 8,000 sold in its debut frame).

BraveWords is on the scene in Oberhausen, Germany, where Overkill is scheduled to record a live Blu-Ray/DVD, commemorating 30 years since the debut and the 25th anniversary of Horrorscope. However, Pissing Razors drummer Eddy Garcia was drafted into the current live tour, and will appear on said recording. Friday, the band ran through almost 10 hours of rehearsals. Expect a full report tomorrow.

Overkill recently launched a new tour trailer video, featuring the track “Down To The Bone”, featured on their White Devil Armoury album. Watch below.

Upcoming Overkill dates include:

April
16 - Turbinenhalle 2 - Oberhausen, Germany

June
17 - Rue du Champ Louet - Clisson, France

July
14 - Bang Your Head Open Air - Balingen, Germany
15 - Gefle Metal Festival - Gavle, Sweden
      
November
11 - Ferienpark Weissenhäuser Strand - Bad Staffelstein, Germany

During a BraveWords interview for Dream Theater's current North American tour in support of their new album, The Astonishing, frontman James LaBrie discussed the possibiluty of recording a new solo album. His previous solo effort, Impermanent Resonance, was released in 2013:

“I think it’s just a matter of Matt Guillory (keyboards), myself, and all the other guys making time to get together,” says LaBrie. “It really is a band and me and Matt are really passionate about keeping the same players of the last 10 years. Matt and I have talked and we agree that we definitely have to do another one, we have to follow up Impermanent Resonance with an album that is just as killer. I think it’ll be better. It really is a matter of being able to sit down and put the time and focus into it that it deserves. But yeah, I do believe there will be another one. I really want to do another solo album before I say ‘I’m done, I don’t want to do this anymore…’ or ‘I don’t want to perform live anymore.'”

Go to this location for the complete story.

Dream Theater's new album, The Astonishing, a character-based two-act double album that tells the story of dystopian future in which only machines can create music, was released on January 29th. An official trailer, as well as a full album stream, can be found below:

Tour dates:

April
16 - Toronto, ON - Sony Centre
18 - Albany, NY - Palace Theatre
19 - Boston, MA - Orpheum Theatre
20 - Hartford, CT - Oakdale Theatre
23 - New York, NY - Radio City Music Hall
24 - Baltimore, MD - Hippodrome Theatre
26 - Greensburg, PA - Palace Theater
27 - Cincinnati, OH - Taft Theatre
30 - Chicago, IL - Chicago Theater

May
1 - Minneapolis, MN - State Theater
3 - Denver, CO - Paramount Theatre
7 - Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern
10 - Portland, OR - Schnitzer
11 - Seattle, WA - Paramount Theater

For up-to-the-minute news and ticket information visit this location.

KISS performed as a trio at the Race To Erase MS fundraising gala last night (Friday, April 15) at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California. Absent from the event was KISS guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley, who was forced to sit out the show due to a shoulder injury.

KISS was introduced at the event by former "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson, who explained Stanley's absence and added that the KISS frontman would be well enough to tour with the band this summer. Special hosts for the evening included Ozzy Osbourne's wife and son, Sharon Osbourne and Jack Osbourne, the latter of whom was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2012.

KISS played four songs at the at the fundraiser that supports Nancy Davis's Center Without Walls program. The event, which also featured appearances by Eric Benet, David Foster and Jordan Smith, the winner of "The Voice", included a one-of-a-kind live auction featuring fabulous vacation getaways and experiential packages.

Stanley broke the news of his injury yesterday on Twitter. "Tore my bicep tendon," he wrote. "Surgery reattached it with a screw and stitches to anchor in place. Not much I can do now!" Several hours later, he added in a separate tweet: "Thanks to my AMAZING doctor I WILL be great & ready to rock WAAAAYYYY before the tour! CAN’T WAIT! #‎FreedomToRock‬" Video of KISS performing the songs "Cold Gin" and "Rock And Roll All Nite" at Race To Erase MS can be seen below.

Race To Erase MS has been instrumental in funding many pilot studies that have contributed to drugs now on the market and other very important therapies that are improving the lives of people suffering from MS.

The Center Without Walls program is a unique collaboration of the world's leading MS research scientists currently representing Harvard, Yale, Cedars Sinai, University of Southern California, Oregon Health Science University, UC San Francisco and Johns Hopkins.

KISS previously performed as a three-piece in 2007, when a heart issue forced Stanley to sit out the band's concert at the Soboba Casino in San Jacinto, California.

KISS's "Freedom To Rock Tour" is scheduled to begin July 7 at the Taco Bell Arena in Boise, Idaho. The two-month run will see the band playing cities that they haven't visited in more than ten years.

ZZ Top bassist Dusty Hill suffered a dislocated shoulder on Thursday (April 14th) at Lone Star Events Center Amphitheater in Lubbock, TX. The injury forced the postponement of that concert until a date in the future, to be announced.

The mishap also caused the postponement of ZZ Top’s concert last night (April 15th) at The Firelake Arena in Shawnee, OK. Due to this circumstance ZZ Top is unable to perform at today’s Chilifest in Snook, TX.

Details regarding rescheduling and future ZZ Top performance dates are expected in the near future. For updates visit ZZTop.com.

Banger Films, in association with Eagle Rock Entertainment, are currently producing the first-ever feature length documentary exploring the fascinating, mysterious tale of Texas band, ZZ Top. The filmmakers, Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn, are calling out to fans for help finding rare photos, videos, and audio to tell the story.
 
“We’re big admirers of ZZ Top, so we’re thrilled to be working on this film. ZZ Top is rock’s longest-standing power trio and have influenced legions of rock, pop and country artists, but there’s very little archival material documenting this band’s past. So we need their fans to help us out!,” says Sam Dunn.
 
ZZ Top’s Billy F Gibbons noted, “We’re excited that Banger Films have undertaken the challenge setting the ZZ Top story into motion. The band is enthusiastic about the effort. Yes, it’s going to be a fact-based documentary yet considering the subject matter, we expect there to be a continuing element of the band's infamous surrealism.”
 
ZZ Top, guitarist Gibbons, Dusty Hill on bass and drummer Frank Beard, ascended the rock ladder through a combination of infectious boogie-blues riffs, restless experimentation, and blistering live shows to become one of the most celebrated and successful bands of all-time. And yet for many music fans they remain a mystery. In the 1980s, when the group was at the top of the MTV heap, with fur-lined guitars, foot-long beards, a bevy of babes, and selling upwards of twenty million records, they remained shrouded in a gumbo of conjecture, folklore, and downright leg pulling. As 2016 dawns, with the band still beloved by fans and musicians alike, ZZ Top’s story remains untold – until now.

Leveraging on Banger Films’ own trailblazing documentaries, Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage and Super Duper Alice Cooper, the yet-to-be-titled ZZ Top documentary will be an unblinkered, uninhibited film featuring the band, their friends and intimates - stuffed with unseen footage and photos and never-before-heard audio tracks, detailing the band’s history. Viewers will witness the extraordinary story of three friends, each musical purists and master bluesmen on a lifelong mission to show music lovers a Texas-style good time.
 
As Banger FIlms digs deep into the vaults, the filmmakers are calling on fans to do the same by giving fans and collectors alike the opportunity to send descriptions of their ZZ Top footage, photos and audio to zzfans@bangerfilms.com with the subject “ZZ Top Fan Submission”.

It's fair to say nobody saw this coming, but Leaves' Eyes vocalist Liv Kristine - who launched the band in 2003 - has stepped down and been replaced. The band has issued the following press release:

Dear Fans and Friends,

With the upcoming shows, tours and releases Leaves' Eyes will introduce their new female singer: Elina Siirala, Finnish vocalist living in London. Leaves’ Eyes and former vocalist Liv Kristine will part ways.

Leaves’ Eyes: "Liv was the female voice of the band since the beginning in 2003. Together we toured through 50 countries and 5 continents, moreover we recorded 6 studio albums with outstanding singer Liv. We are full of pride in what we have reached together! From the bottom of our hearts we want to thank Liv for amazing 13 years of being our front lady, the work we have done together and all the passion for music that we shared all these years! We wish Liv all the best for the future, her solo career and other projects! Liv will always be an important part of the Leaves’ Eyes history but now we are looking forward to a new chapter and the new musical adventures of Leaves’ Eyes!"

Liv Kristine: "I am highly proud of having been founding member and front lady of Leaves' Eyes, which has played a vital role in my life since 2003. Good luck guys, thank you for the amazing music, outstanding moments with our worldwide audiences, moreover, the passion we all share. Love, Liv"

Elina: "I can’t quite express how grateful and honored I am for being asked to join Leaves’ Eyes, one of the most iconic bands in symphonic metal! I have the utmost respect for Liv and the band and what they’ve achieved over the years! I take on this challenge with a huge excitement and look forward to the new chapter in my career. It’s truly thrilling to be working with such talented musicians who also are some of the nicest people I’ve met. My biggest passion is to make music and perform, so right now I can’t wait to see what the future will bring!"

Leaves' Eyes: "We embrace Elina with open arms and hearts! She is a fantastic singer and performer. Please, welcome the new female voice of Leaves’ Eyes: sensational Elina Siirala!"

Leaves’ Eyes will be touring around the globe with the new singer Elina Siirala! Check out the tour dates. The live world premiere will be in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Moreover, there will be an Earbook tour edition of King of Kings released in June, including a new version and video clip of "Edge of Steel" featuribg new singer Elina! On top of that, there will be an US Edition of King of Kings including the new version of "Edge of Steel" as a bonus track. 

Stay tuned for more news, coming soon.

The Leaves' Eyes tour schedule for 2016 is currently as follows:

April
17 - Hammersonic Festival - Jakarta, Indonesia 
28 - Rider's Café - Lübeck, Germany
29 - High Voltage, Copenhagen, Denmark
30 - Effenaar - Eindhoven, Netherlands

On April 13th the Generation Axe tour featuring guitar icons Steve Vai, Yngwie Malmsteen, Zakk Wylde, Nuno Bettencourt and Tosin Abasi landed in Denver, CO. Fan-filmed video of the quintet performing Boston's "Foreplay", the instrumental lead-up to "Long Time", at the Paramount Theater show can be viewed below.

FOX News program 411 recently caught up Vai and Bettencourt to talk about the current Generation Axe tour, featuring Vai, Bettencourt, Zakk Wylde, Yngwie Malmsteen and Tosin Abasi. A partial transcript from the inteview is available below:

Do the solos get competitive?

Bettencourt: "Maybe a few years ago it’d be a lot more competitive but I think now it’s more inspirational. You know, you’re waiting for your turn and you’re watching these amazing players and they raise the bar. They sort of raise your game and it’s really healthy. It kind of makes the best version of you that you could be on that spot and really it’s influential at the same time.”

Vai: “When you’re standing next to them and they’re doing their thing at the top of their game, you can’t compete on their level with them, you’re forced to kind of compete with yourself so they raise your own game and you just can’t get that kind of education any place either."

Go to this location for more.

Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com

The term “supergroup” gets thrown around on a regular basis these days, however, a new tour featuring some of the greatest guitarists of all time is about to truly give the term a whole new meaning. Introducing: Generation Axe, featuring Steve Vai, Zakk Wylde, Yngwie Malmsteen, Nuno Bettencourt, and Tosin Abasi.

Beginning on April 5th in Seattle, Generation Axe - A Night Of Guitars hit the road for 26 performances in North America.

"The Generation Axe show is a unique performance of five fiercely talented guitar players coming together to create a 6-string extravaganza that is sure to amaze and delight,” commented Steve Vai.

The Generation Axe fan experience will go way beyond simply gathering five guitar greats on one stage to jam. Each tour stop will include a variety of collaborations by the five players, including everyone performing together as one cohesive band with a rhythm section including Pete Griffin (Dweezil Zappa, Stanley Clarke, Edgar Winter) on bass and Nick Marinovich (Yngwie Malmsteen) on keys. Vai, Wylde, Malmsteen, Bettencourt and Abasi will perform songs from their various catalogs and join forces on some well-known songs (as well as probably a few unexpected, unearthed gems).

Making this rare tour experience even more special, Generation Axe VIP packages will be offered, giving fans access to these guitars masters and exclusive one-of-a-kind memorabilia. A front row package (including a meet & greet), a meet & greet package, and a VIP tour package will be available. For more information, visit generationaxe.com.

Tour dates:

April
16 - Salina, KS - The Stiefel Theatre
17 - Dallas, TX - Bomb Factory
18 - Houston, TX - Revention Music Center
20 - Jacksonville, FL - Florida Theatr
21 - Orlando, FL - Hard Rock Live
23 - Wilmington, NC - Cape Fear Community College
24 - Washington, DC - Warner Theatre
25 - Cincinnati, OH - Taft Theatre
26 - Indianapolis, IN - Murat Theatre
27 - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
29 - Chicago, IL - Copernicus Center

May
1 - Madison, WI - Orpheum Theatre
2 - Royal Oak, MI - Royal Oak Music Theatre
4 - Toronto, ON - Massey Hall
5 - Upper Darby, PA - Tower Theater
6 - Westbury, NY - Theatre at Westbury
7 - Hampton Beach, NH - Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
8 - Providence, RI - Providence Performing Arts Center

Spark TV, which is part of the Czech monthly magazine Spark, recently conducted an interview with former ACCEPT and current U.D.O. vocalist Udo Dirkschneider. You can now watch the chat below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On his current relationship with the members of ACCEPT:

Udo: "There is no relationship at all. We don't talk to each other. It's, in a way, also sad, but what can you do?"

On whether he is interested in what ACCEPT is doing now and their music:

Udo: "Yeah, I mean, believe it or not, I don't know really the whole albums; I know a couple of songs. I mean, I think they did very good albums, they had, in a way, quite a good success, and the singer [Mark Tornillo] is not bad. I mean, I think he's got a little bit of problems when he has to sing the old stuff, but, I mean, come on, this is normal. To copy me really, it's not so easy, but I think he's doing a good job. And, yeah, we will see what they are doing, you know. I mean, I wish them all the best. And that's it."

On whether he ever thought he could be fired from ACCEPT:

Udo: "No. That was my own band. And that's really funny. But, you know, at this time, I was not really… Let's say in this way: I was not really thinking. Everything was easy. Of course, what I know now, of course, I would take a lawyer and all that stuff, but at this time, it was, like, 'Okay, I've got already a good album. [I'm] just looking for new musicians and here we go.' I was directly on tour in America with GUNS N' ROSES and all that stuff, so there was not much thinking about this. Everything for me with U.D.O. was going well. But if this thing happened now, with all the things that I know so far, definitely I would take a lawyer and take my name back. But now, everything is history and over."

Dirkschneider in February embarked on a special tour during which he is performing ACCEPT songs one last time before he closes the chapter for good.

The April 2 DIRKSCHNEIDER concert at Kaminwerk in Memmingen, Germany was professionally filmed and recorded for a DVD and CD release later this year.

U.D.O.'s latest studio album, "Decadent", was released in Europe in January 2015 via AFM.

Madcap Music Review 's John Golden conducted an interview with IRON MAIDEN drummer Nicko McBrain at this year's NAMM show, which took place in January in Anaheim, California. You can watch the chat below.

Asked why he has steadfastly refused to incorporate a double-bass setup into his playing technique, McBrain said: "People like [Keith Moon]… Well, Mooney had two bass drums, but he very rarely played on that side. I don't think he ever had a pedal on it. [John] Bonham… Ringo [Starr]… When I was growing up, learning and being enticed into the music of that genre, that decade… Yeah, Ed Shaughnessy was a a double-bass [player], Louie Bellson, of course, and then the great Ginger Baker. But at that time, I was a CREAM fan, but I wasn't a fan of Ginger's. It was weird. It's only later in life [that] I realized how really good Ginger Baker is… And then, of course, Cozy Powell came along a little later, and Tommy Aldridge, and in the late '70s, you'd see more of these double-bass-drum players. But I kind of grew up and learned with one, and I found it hard enough… I mean, I've always said the analogy, it's bad enough trying to use one pedal. Why compound it with two? But, in fact, it's the reverse: when you have two pedals, certain patterns are easier."

He continued: "I don't know… It's just… Why change it? You know, in late '75, when I joined Pat Travers, he asked me to use a big drum set; he wanted me to play a double-bass drum kit. I said, 'I will get a big kit, but I'm not playing two bass drums.'

"I see these guys like Dave Lombardo [SLAYER], and then you look at people like Thomas Lang; he's phenomenal. Aquiles Priester [ANGRA, PRIMAL FEAR]… you know, these wonderful double-bass players. I couldn't get into that. I mean, I would if I sat down probably for a year or two and practiced every day for eleven hours."

McBrain added: "Horse for courses. Whatever rocks your boat."

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).

McBrain recently rejoined the Sonor family after many yeas with Premier. He is currently playing his new SQ2 setup.

Sonor told U.K.'s Rhythm magazine: “The designers in MAIDEN's camp came up with a special 'The Book Of Souls' artwork that features the band's icon Eddie in different outfits, going around the shell. Only the bass drum and snare drum feature a slightly different design — the bass drum comes with Mayan symbols, the snare drum has the 'The Book Of Souls' album name written on it. But that's not enough. The entire kit is assembled with 24-karat gold plated hardware, as well as all hardware stands, a one-off and custom made for the band only."

In a letter to the Sonor production staff, Nicko said: "Amazing, wonderful, imaginative and most of all a B-E-A-utiful drum set. I cannot express how proud I am for you all. This drum set sounds as good as it looks and it looks a million dollars. The workmanship and love that has gone into the production of these tubs is without a doubt the Sonor legacy. I'm am proud and honored to be back with the family that I should never have left but am humbled to be back."

Danish / American rock singer Maryann Cotton  is currently on his European Tour for his latest album, Into Eternity, and played in Riga, Latvia on Thursday, April 14th.

He and guitarist Sebastian Sly went to an unofficial after-party after the show in Riga City at a local night club, when two people suddenly attacked Maryann with a beer bottle and stabbed him, braking the bottle on his head.

It ended up in a dramatic fight, and Maryann is now hospitalized in Riga, but will be rushed to Liepaja by the Police today, Friday, April 15th, to do the show at the Fontaine Palace! Maryann was hospitalized and treated at the Riga Maternity hospital in Latvia with five stings in his head, but insisted to continue the shows and tour today.

More details to come.

 

 

Original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley was interviewed by rock journalist Mitch Lafon for a recent edition of the "One On One With Mitch Lafon" podcast (Facebook page). You can now listen to the chat using the Spreaker widget below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On getting KISS frontman Paul Stanley to sing on Ace cover version of FREE's hit "Fire And Water" for the upcoming "Origins Vol. 1" a collection:

Ace: "It was really, actually, rather easy. And I originally had been trying to get Gene [Simmons, KISS bassist/vocalist] on the record, and he never got back to me; I guess he was tied up with one thing or another. But, you know, I said to myself, 'Let me give Paul a call.' And I called Paul, and he picked up the phone right away, and I told him what I was doing, and he was very receptive from the very beginning about getting on the record. He said, 'Oh, that'll be fun.' And it took a while to figure out what song we were gonna track. It came down to two songs: we were either gonna do 'My Generation' by THE WHO or 'Fire And Water', and we both agreed 'Fire And Water' would be a better song. And we just tracked it. It all came together. I didn't actually see Paul, 'cause I was busy mixing and overdubbing, and he was very busy at the time, so we just forwarded him the basic tracks, and him and his engineer threw on the lead vocal, and while he was doing that, I was doing something else. And then we got it back, and I took it home with me and threw down the guitar solos. And it just kind of came together. It's amazing how quickly and painlessly you can work these days with e-mails. You just fly stuff into Pro Tools and it pops up on the screen, and you're good to go, as long as you know what you're doing."

On whether Paul's appearance on "Origins Vol. 1" opens up the possibility of Frehley rejoining KISS in the future:

Ace: "We haven't discussed that at this point, but I'm not ruling it out. I've always said that, you know, I always leave the door open. I know the fans have been… there have been rumors and stuff, but there hasn't been any talk of us getting back together. Right now it's just the excitement of this record, and I'm very excited about 'Fire And Water'. There's a good chance that we're gonna release that as a single, maybe. Paul's really happy with the way it turned out, I'm very happy, the record company's very happy, so we're just moving forward in a positive way. And whatever happens in the future, it happens, or if it doesn't, it doesn't."

On rejoining KISS for the "Kiss Unplugged" album in 1995 and the subsequent reunion tour:

Ace: "It was a little nerve-racking. We weren't sure how the fans were gonna receive it. I know there was a lot of excitement around the whole thing. But, you know, when we actually taped the show, the fans just went crazy when me and Peter [Criss, drums] walked out. It was just one of those moments in time where everything solidified, and Paul and Gene realized that they couldn't even put out the record that they had just recorded with Bruce [Kulick, guitar] and Eric [Singer, drums]; they had to scrap it and move forward with me and Peter, because the fans wouldn't have it any other way."

On the KISS reunion tour, which kicked off in 1996:

Ace: "It was a lot fun in the beginning, but as the years progressed, it got a little weird. Paul and Gene know how to push my buttons and Peter's buttons. Some of the things that we had talked about in the initial outset of the reunion tour… things started changing, the rules started changing, decisions were being made without consulting me, and I started feeling like I was a hired gun instead of part of the creative process, which is what I wanted. So when that started going down, I realized I had to move on with my own career and put KISS on the backburner, which is what happened."

On the making of KISS's 1998 album "Psycho Circus" on which Frehley and Criss were used only sparingly:

Ace: "It was my feeling… I felt it would have been a better album if me and Peter had played more on it… [Why that happened is] really a question you need to ask Paul and Gene, because they were the ones that made the decision. I was living in L.A. at the time — I had gotten an apartment — and they were calling the shots, which kind of rubbed me the wrong way. 'Cause initially I was an equal partner, and here I am kind of like a hired gun and not getting the respect I felt I deserved. And that was kind of the beginning of the end, I think. People make bad decisions, and there's repurcussions that are gonna take place."

Gene Simmons has once again responded to Ice Cube's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame speech. As previously reported, the KISS bassist/vocalist recently made negative comments about the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame inducting rap artists, saying he was looking forward to the death of hip-hop.

During his acceptance speech, the N.W.A. rapper said: "Now, the question is, are we rock and roll? And I say, you goddamn right we rock and roll. Rock and roll is not an instrument, rock and roll is not even a style of music. Rock and roll is a spirit. It's a spirit. It's been going since the blues, jazz, bebop, soul, R&B, rock and roll, heavy metal, punk rock and yes, hip-hop. And what connects us all is that spirit. That's what connects us all, that spirit. Rock and roll is not conforming to the people who came before you, but creating your own path in music and in life. That is rock and roll, and that is us."

Simmons later responded via Twitter, saying, "Respectfully-- let me know when @JimiHendrix gets into the hip hop hall of fame. Then youll have a point. @icecube."

Cube then replied, also via Twitter, saying: "@genesimmons Who stole the soul? Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Chubby Checkers help invent Rock 'n' Roll. We invent it. Y'all reprint it."

Simmons fired back: "Cube - I stand by my words. Respect NWA, but when Led Zep gets into Rap Hall of Fame, I will agree with your point."

Cube later said during an interview with Howard Stern: "I think [Gene] believes [the Hall Of Fame is] straight for rock and rollers. I got a lot of respect for Gene Simmons. I met him a couple of times, he's actually pretty cool. But I just think he's wrong on this."

The rapper continued: "Everybody's got their own opinions and Gene, he's an OG in the game, but he's just wrong on this. It's a spirit and it's been going on since before they called it rock and roll. I hate it when hip-hoppers, some of them go to the band. I'm a turntable guy, like old-school RUN-DMC dudes. So I be having my feelings sometimes. But, ultimately, we in, baby."

Simmons originally took issue with hip-hop acts — and other non-rock artists — being inducted into the Rock Hall Of Fame during a 2014 interview with Radio.com. He stated at the time: "It's really back-room politics, like Boss Tweed. A few people decide what's in and what's not. And the masses just scratch their heads. You've got Grandmaster Flash in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame? RUN-D.M.C. in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame? You're killing me! That doesn't mean those aren't good artists. But they don't play guitar. They sample and they talk. Not even sing!"

He continued: "If you asked Donna [Summer], 'What kind of artist are you?', do you think she would say 'rock?' If you asked Madonna, 'What kind of artist are you?' do you think she would say, 'Oh, rock!' So what they hell are they doing in the Hall Of Fame? They can run their organization any way they'd like, but it ain't rock! It just isn't! If you don't play guitar and you don't write your own songs, you don't belong there."

In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Simmons predicted that rap would soon die out, and he'll be the first one to dance on its grave.

"Rap will die. Next year, 10 years from now, at some point, and then something else will come along," he told the magazine. "And all that is good and healthy. I am looking forward to the death of rap. I'm looking forward to music coming back to lyrics and melody, instead of just talking. A song, as far as I'm concerned, is by definition lyric and melody, or just melody."

Cube's N.W.A. bandmate MC Ren responded to Simmons during his Rock Hall acceptance speech. He said: "Mr. Gene Simmons, hip-hop is here forever! Get used to it!"

KISS frontman Paul Stanley has torn a bicep tendon and has undergone surgery to repair it. His condition is not expected to affect the band's "Freedom To Rock Tour", which is scheduled to kick off in early July.

Stanley revealed his injury via Twitter earlier today. He wrote: "Tore my bicep tendon. Surgery reattached it with a screw and stitches to anchor in place. Not much I can do now!"

He added in a separate tweet: "Thanks to my AMAZING doctor I WILL be great & ready to rock WAAAAYYYY before the tour! CAN'T WAIT!#FreedomToRock"

In a 2013 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Stanley talked about how his stage performances have damaged his body. He said: "My boots weigh 30 pounds. I'm running around and kicking with 15 pounds on each leg. We do at least four shows a week, and the days off are recuperation time."

He continued: "What I do has taken its toll. I've had both my rotator cuffs surgically repaired. They're all similar to sport injuries. I've torn my meniscus in both knees and had a hip replacement. This is all from onstage performances. It's like doing a triathlon with a guitar around my neck. You have to jump, sing, swing your arm and play the right chord. With that combination, anything can go wrong. I used to jump up in the air and land on my knees. It didn't hurt then, but it does now."

Stanley reiterated those sentiments in a 2014 interview with The New York Times. He said: "Things that didn't hurt me 40 years ago hurt me today. From 40 years ago. I've had both my rotator cups repaired, my knees. I've had a hip replacement. But I'm doing splits and everything on stage. I'm blessed. Every time I go out on stage, it is exhilarating."

Stanley, who had his first hip replacement at age 52, told U.K.'s Independent that he had no regrets about the nightly strutting in his eight-inch heels. "Every scar on my body was proudly earned," he said. "There's nothing worse than looking back and wishing you had done things, but I did 'em all. That's how life is supposed to be lived."

Stanley, who grew up half-deaf and scarred with a deformed right ear, eventually had reconstructive surgery in 1982 to create an ear using a piece of his rib cage.

Tore my bicep tendon. Surgery reattached it with a screw and stitches to anchor in place. Not much I can do now! pic.twitter.com/qAffGBIYBG

— Paul Stanley (@PaulStanleyLive) April 15, 2016

Thanks to my AMAZING doctor I WILL be great & ready to rock WAAAAYYYY before the tour! CAN'T WAIT!#FreedomToRock pic.twitter.com/PhsQexDPsv

— Paul Stanley (@PaulStanleyLive) April 16, 2016

SOUNDGARDEN frontman Chris Cornell's cover version of of Lorraine Ellison's 1966 soul song "Stay With Me Baby" can be streamed below. The track is taken from the soundtrack for HBO's "Vinyl" series, which combines previously released tracks with a handful of songs that were previously unavailable.

"Vinyl: Music From The HBO Original Series - The Essentials: Best of Season 1" is being released today (Friday, April 15) on Atlantic/Warner Bros.

"Vinyl" is the Martin Scorsese- and Mick Jagger-produced HBO drama that stars Bobby Cannavale as troubled record-label executive Richie Finestra. The series concludes its first season on Sunday, April 17.

"I was very honored to be asked to record a version of 'Stay With Me Baby' for 'Vinyl'," Cornell told Vulture. "I get to pay tribute to Terry Reid, whose version of the song has been a favorite of mine for many years, and be included on a great soundtrack with an amazing group of artists."

The second North American leg of Cornell's critically acclaimed "Higher Truth" world tour will kick off on June 16 in Clearwater, Florida and travel up the East Coast through the Midwest and up to the Pacific Northwest before winding down on July 27 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Along the way, Cornell will make his first appearance at the Ravinia festival on July 3 in Highland Park, Illinois.

"Higher Truth" was released on September 18, 2015. Cornell's first album on his own since 2009's controversial "Scream" is in the singer-songwriter vein and very different from his work with SOUNDGARDEN.

EAGLES OF DEATH METAL performed their song "Silverlake (K.S.O.F.M.)" on last night's (Thursday, April 14) episode of Conan O'Brien's nighttime talk show, "Conan". You can now watch the performance below.

"Silverlake (K.S.O.F.M.)" is taken from EAGLES OF DEATH METAL's most recent album, "Zipper Down", which was released in October and entered at No. 59 on The Billboard 200 album chart.

EAGLES OF DEATH METAL will tour North America from April to July before going back to Europe for a series of dates in August and September.

The band has been in the news extensively since the November terrorist attack that killed 89 concertgoers at EAGLES OF DEATH METAL's show in Paris. They returned to the city in February for another show and will perform there again on August 26 at Rock En Seine.

EAGLES OF DEATH METAL was founded in 1998 by QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE mainman Josh Homme and his longtime friend Jesse Hughes. Homme appears on all the band's albums but only plays live with them occasionally.

Texan classic rockers SCORPION CHILD will unleash their second album, "Acid Roulette", on June 10 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment.

The official lyric video for the "Acid Roulette" track "My Woman In Black" track can be seen below.

SCORPION CHILD vocalist Aryn Jonathan Black comments: "'My Woman In Black' is a key song on the record that describes that first time you laid eyes on the love of your life. Whatever or whoever it was. The impact, euphoria, and almost Déjà vu-like experience it is. For the subject, he was forever inspired!"

Receive "My Woman in Black" as well as "She Sings, I Kill" instantly when you pre-order "Acid Roulette" digitally via iTunes, Amazon and Google.

"'Acid Roulette' chronicles the life trials of a traveling man who was imprisoned for a murderous crime," comments Aryn. "He was forced into confessing by his wife and her wealthy lover so that they could live out their romance without him in the picture. Once sentenced to a life's term, he goes through extreme emotions dealing with the only woman he'd ever loved taking everything he'd known as 'real' away from him. He has to create and redefine his own reality accompanied by its roller coaster of emotional reflection. He experiences many different psychological changes throughout the years and escapes by means of drugs and his writings. These songs become his diary of a madman. The focus is mainly on the seasons in a year, for each song represents a month. The songs exist to drive home the full power of human emotion as many albums do. However, 'Acid Roulette' wires us into those extremes." SCORPION CHILD once again recorded "Acid Roulette" at The Bubble in Austin, Texas with Chris "Frenchie" Smith (THE ANSWER, AND YOU WILL KNOW US BY THE TRAIL OF DEAD... ), who produced and arranged the band's self-titled, first full-length. "Acid Roulette" was mixed by Dave Schiffman (THE MARS VOLTA, DEAD MEADOW, JANE'S ADDICTION, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE). The album's artwork, pictured below, was a collaboration by Aryn Jonathan Black, photographer Max Taylor and graphic designer Rob Kimura.

"Acid Roulette" track listing:

01. She Sings, I Kill02. Reaper’s Danse03. My Woman In Black04. Acid Roulette05. Winter Side Of Deranged06. Séance07. Twilight Coven08. Survives09. Blind Man's Shine10. Moon Tension11. Tower Grove12. I Might Be Your Man13. Addictions SCORPION CHILD is:

Aryn Jonathan Black - VocalsChristopher Jay Cowart - Lead GuitarJon "Charn" Rice - DrumsAlec Caballero Padron - BassAJ Vincent - Keyboards

Photo credit: Rodrigo Fredes

America's preeminent progressive rock band Kansas will be touring select cities this fall celebrating the 40th Anniversary of their breakthrough album Leftoverture. To celebrate, for the first time in history, the band will be performing the album in its entirety. The tour will showcase two hours of classic Kansas music including hit songs, deep cuts, and new songs from their soon to be released album, The Prelude Implicit.

In 1976, Kansas released the album Leftoverture. Containing the smash hit, and million-selling single "Carry On Wayward Son”, along with fan favorites such as "The Wall," "Miracles Out Of Nowhere," and "What's On My Mind”, Leftoverture became the band's breakthrough album. The album peaked at #5 on Billboard's Album charts and reached sextuple-platinum status for more than 6 million copies sold.

"These definitely will not be your typical Kansas concerts of the past few years," commented original Kansas guitarist Richard Williams. "This is incredibly exciting for the entire band, and hopefully our fans. It's something we've never done before, play an album in its entirety, as part of a set. 'Leftoverture' was our breakthrough, and it's special that we are getting to celebrate it 40 years later. We've never even played "Questions of My Childhood" live before. I can't wait!"

The tour will also debut performances of songs from the band's latest studio release The Prelude Implicit. The new album, scheduled for release in September 2016 is the band's 15th studio album and first new album since 2000.

Kansas lead vocalist Ronnie Platt added, "This is going to be really special for both the band and our fans. It has been really wild recording 'The Prelude Implicit.' We are anxious to perform some of the songs for live audiences. To be able to do that while also be performing 'Leftoverture' in its entirety, and more; this is going to be a blast! Who knows, we may even have some more twists added in!"

Tickets & Kansas VIP Packages for most dates go on sale to the general public Friday, April 22nd. More ticket information can be found here.

Tour dates:
 
September
30 - Pittsburgh, PA - Benedum Center

October
1 - Philadelphia, PA - Merriam Theater
7 - Atlanta, GA - Atlanta Symphony Hall
8 - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
15 - Dallas, TX - Majestic Theater
21 - St. Louis, MO - Peabody Opera House
22 - Kansas City, MO - Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
27 - Indianapolis, IN - Murat Theatre at Old National Centre
28 - Detroit, MI - MotorCity Casino
30 - Cincinnati, OH - Taft Theatre

November
3 - Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theater
4 - Chicago, IL - Copernicus Center
11 - Clearwater, FL - Ruth Eckard Hall
12 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Broward Center for Performing Arts
18 - New Bedford, MA - Zeiterion Theatre
 
More dates to be added.

In the video below, Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and Joe Perry perform “Dream On” with Southern California Children’s Chorus as a tribute to the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing, the terrorist attack that took place on April 15th, 2013. Four were killed in the attack as well as many injured.

 

Although Tyler recently said that Aerosmith were "probably" going to embark on a farewell tour next year, Joe Perry tells Rolling Stone that the band is only "considering" it as an option.

"A farewell tour is something we've talked about doing for years, let's say roughly in the last five years," Perry says. "It's just something the band's talked about at various times. At this point, the five of us have never sat down and said, 'It's time to do it.' So 'considering' is an appropriate word for that statement. A farewell tour is definitely not confirmed."

Read the full story at RollingStone.com.

Following their wildly successful concerts at the Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles, in front of 100,000 screaming fans at the Rock In Rio festival, and their spectacular worldwide television debut on the 2016 Grammy Awards reaching a global audience of almost 25 million people, fans worldwide demanded more. Hollywood Vampires - Alice Cooper, Joe Perry and Johnny Depp – always deliver and arranged their schedules to give their fans what they want.

Hollywood Vampires have announced a full summer tour across the US and Europe kicking off May 24th in Verona, New York and continuing through.

Alice Cooper and Joe Perry spoke with Rolling Stone about the upcoming tour. Read an excerpt below:

Rolling Stone: What can people expect on this tour?

Joe Perry: “It's really about us having fun. Obviously, I love watching the audience get off, but to turn around and look at the people onstage with me, I've just got to shake my head. Never in my wildest dreams. To have Matt Sorum and Johnny Depp and Alice – I mean, I've known Alice for years and years and years, but we've never really had the chance to play together. And Johnny's sat in with us a few times on Aerosmith shows, but we've never really had the chance to do something like this. So it's really exciting. All that excitement is what we're going to bring to the stage and put it out there for the audience.”

RS: Will it be a theatrical show, like an Alice gig?

Alice Cooper: “I don't think it needs to be theatrical. It needs to have its own flavour.”

Perry: “It'll be a good rock show. I don't think we're going to go in with a bunch of bombs, fireworks and all that stuff. I don't think we need that. And it takes away from the music. We'll just let the music do the talking.”

Read the full interview at RollingStone.com.

Joining the Hollywood Vampires on tour will be their rock star musician friends and modern day Vampires Matt Sorum (Guns N' Roses/The Cult) on drums, Robert DeLeo (Stone Temple Pilots) on bass, Tommy Henriksen (Alice Cooper) on guitar, and Bruce Witkin (The Kids) on piano, percussion and guitar. For tickets, visit this location.

"Here is a gang of friends who came together really by chance and over the last year we were finally able to wrangle our schedules and the energy just fell into place. Playing with this line up is like a dream come true. After seeing the reaction at Rock in Rio in front of 100,000 fans, I know this band is going to tear the house down. Hell, I would want to be in the audience to see us rip it up." – Joe Perry

A super-group comprised of rock royalty and a Hollywood superstar, the Vampires will hit the stage offering fans a non-stop, energetic rock concert like no other, performing their new single "Bad As I Am" from their new deluxe album, as well as renditions of popular classics including "My Generation," "Whole Lotta Love," and a "School's Out"/"Another Brick in the Wall" medley.

Hollywood Vampires released a new digital deluxe version of their self-titled album. This expanded version includes three additional songs, including one original and two rocking covers. The deluxe version includes the scorching new single "Bad As I Am" an original song penned by Johnny Depp, Tommy Henriksen, and Bruce Witkin and features Matt Sorum, Alice Cooper, Joe Perry, and Johnny Depp. Also included is "I'm A Boy," a Who original, that was only available as a Japanese bonus track. "7 and 7 Is" is an unreleased track from the album sessions and is the classic song by the legendary Los Angeles band Love, a Vampires special pick and one that Alice covered on his 1981 solo album, Special Forces.

In 1969 on the Sunset Strip at a club called the Rainbow Bar & Grill, the Hollywood Vampires were born in the upstairs bar. It was a gathering place for the rock stars living in or passing through L.A. "To join the club, one simply had to out drink all of the members," says Alice Cooper, a founding member of the original Vampires.

Cooper and good friend Johnny Depp got together and decided the spirit of the Hollywood Vampires should live again (minus the drinking). Cooper and Depp were joined by Joe Perry, who is an old friend of both, and the recording began: a tribute to the original Hollywood Vampires. An environment was born for great artists to hang, laugh and play together.

Tour dates:

May
24 - Verona, NY - Turning Stone Casino
27 - Lisbon, Portugal - Rock in Rio
29 - Herborn, Germany - Hessentag Festival
30 - Stockholm, Sweden - Grona Lund

June
1 - Horsens, Denmark - The Prison
6 - Bucharest, Romania - Romexpo Parc C

July
1 - Bethlehem, PA - Sands Bethlehem Event Center
2 - Mashantucket, CT - The Grand Theater at Foxwoods Casino
3 - Atlantic City, NJ - Borgata Resort Spas and Casino Event Center
5 - Milwaukee, WI - Summerfest BMO Harris Pavilion
7 - Aurora, IL - River Edge Park
8 - Orillia, ON - Casino Rama Entertainment Center
9 - Niagara Falls, ON - Stage at Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino
10 - Brooklyn, NY - Coney Island Amphitheater
12 - Kettering, OH - Fraze Pavilion
13 - Mt. Pleasant, MI - Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort
14 - Cadott, WI - Rock Fest
16 - Clarkston, MI - DTE Energy Music Theatre
18 - Fargo, ND - Scheels Arena
22 - Rohnert Park, CA - Weill Hall
23 - Jacksonville, OR - Britt Pavilion
24 - Saratoga, CA - The Mountain Winery
25 - Paso Robles, CA - Mid State Fair

MOTÖRHEAD drummer Mikkey Dee took part in a "drum camp" during this year's Musikmesse trade show, which was held April 7-10 in Frankfurt, Germany. Video footage of the event — which includes a clip of Dee playing first drum solo since MOTÖRHEAD's final show on December 11, 2015 in Berlin, Germany — can be seen below.

Speaking about how he approaches playing a drum solo during a performance, Dee said: "When I think about a drum solo, it's really not a thing I like to do a million technical things. I want it to work in a song and in a set. And I think it did okay in the [context of a] MOTÖRHEAD [concert in] that I was playing that it was more of a power thing and [it had] little bits and pieces for everyone, really. Even critical drummers [would say], 'Yeah, that thing is pretty cool he's doing there, but the rest is pretty simple.' And it really is. It's just a matter of how you arrange it."

MOTÖRHEAD frontman Lemmy, who celebrated his 70th birthday on Christmas Eve (December 24), learned two days later that he was afflicted with an aggressive form of cancer. He died two days later, on December 28, at his home in Los Angeles.

The band was forced to cancel a number of shows last year, although they did manage to complete one final European tour.

Dee and MOTÖRHEAD guitarist Phil Campbell will join British heavy metal legends SAXON on stage during the Swedish racing series V8 Thunder Cars final, dubbed the "Lemmy 500", on September 24 in Ljungbyhed, to pay musical tribute to Lemmy.