Deep Purple's Ian Gillan Rails Against Rock Hall Of Fame

"You know, in all seriousness, they don't pay enough. Teachers, policemen, firemen' The most important jobs don't pay very well, which is why you're not gonna get the best talent.

"The best talent are in the financial sector -- you know, big corporate entities, hedge fund and venture capital and so on. So' Or if you'd make me the benevolent dictator, just give me six months, I'll do it for one dollar -- 'cause I make a living -- but I want total power."

In the interview, Barker--who has played drums for Blink 182, +44 and The Transplants--opens up about his battle with pill addiction. He said in 2004 he was so addicted to Oxycodone that he had a security guard watch him sleep to make sure he was breathing. "I had this moment when I got to Europe for that tour where I really identified myself as a dumpster. And I wasn't proud. I was scared. I had to call [Blink-182 member] Mark [Hoppus] and say, 'Hey, man. I'm like borderline suicidal. I'm going crazy. I need to go home.' Like not even one show had started. I'd been there two days. I hadn't slept one day." He added, "I think that was the most disappointing time."

Stapp has so far revealed the initial details for two legs for the trek beginning with three shows in South Africa in December, followed by a North American run early year.

The dates and routing for the North American trek have been revealed and they kick off on January 15th in St. Petersburg, FL and wrap up on February 10th in Dallas, TX. Venue details are expected soon.

Stapp addressed some of the trials that he went through last year in the tour's announcement video. He says, "Last year I went through one of the toughest experiences of my life.

"I nearly lost everything, including myself. I was in a dark hole and falling deeper. I didn't know where to go or how to find myself through all the damage."

The album will come in numerous formats, ranging from a "best-of" double-disc which includes highlights from the three-night set at Chicago's Soldier Field to a 12-disc mega set that compiles every song from the July 3, 4 and 5 performances.

The official Grateful Dead website will be the only place to get the complete audio and video for all three shows. The two dead.net exclusive versions, one 12-CD/7-Blu-ray and the other 12-CD/7-DVD, will each be limited to 20,000 individually numbered copies.

The LGND album has been released digitally and the band will follow up with a physical release. LGND lyricist and vocalist Chad Ruhlig had the following to say, "After nearly 4 years without new music on the shelves I'm very proud to announce the release of our 3rd full length album LGND. This self titled record marks the start of a new era for this band. While a majority of people will cast us out for taking a step in a new direction, it also comes with much pride to release an album with an individual who has the same drive and vision as yourself.

"There's a point where every artist takes a step back to look at where they are in an industry flooded with trends, scams, and politics. This album is a product of two men who have nothing left to prove to anybody in this world. We wrote a record that we wanted to release regardless of what we thought ANYBODY would want to hear. We opened our minds to progression and something new. While this album still has what many of you have been expecting from us, it also shows you where we are heading with the future of LGND. With that being said, thank you to everyone who has stuck by our side in silence waiting for this album to drop. We hope you enjoy this one, and the many more to come."

Guitarist Daniel "DL" Laskiewicz adds, "Hi everyone! You have all been patiently on hold and I think its time you deserve you get what you've been waiting for. The new LGND. As much as we wrote this record for you, the listener, we also did this for ourselves. This was a challenge based on the fact that Chad and I live nowhere near each other and he was touring full time during the making of this. We had to figure out a system to make this work long distance and it took some time and effort, but now we know how to get things done together, better and faster. This is the first time in a long time where I had a lot of fun writing an album. This content is something I've wanted to do since I starting playing.

"We are also excited to mention that while you're reading this, we are already writing and putting together more music. We love creating and hope to put out material that you love with us. Thank you for all your support and you'll be hearing from us very soon! Much love."

"Battering Ram," the band's 21st studio album, was produced by Andy Sneap (Megadeth, Testament, Exodus, Accept) at his Backstage Recording Studios in rural Derbyshire, England.

Frontman Biff Byford had the following to say, "This one's a natural progression from Sacrifice. There's a bit less rock'n'roll and a bit more 'heavy' on it. We wanted to keep focused on a style rather than moving around too much."

Byford adds the following about working with Sneap on the album, "Yes, Andy has been in charge of everything with this album, I keep on overview of it all, but he's done a great job and we're both pleased with the results. We have a great partnership."

He tells May The Rock Be With You: "We're working on our third album. That one is going to be released early next year - as soon as possible. It's going to be produced by Ross Robinson. I've worked with him a couple of times before, we're friends and he likes the band, so I decided to hand over the producer role to him."

Daniel Gildenl�w had the following to say about the new studio effort, "We have a few gigs on the horizon, but in all honesty, our true focus is on the next studio album right now.

"Ragnar and I truly enjoy writing music together, and have that sort of completing-each-other's-sentences dynamics to our writing that I have only found in very few people over the years.

"We have very creative writing sessions, and we can't wait for the fans to hear the new material! You'll see a hungry and strong Pain of Salvation, confidently returning to a harder and heavier form, musically. Still, as always, without losing the intimacy and originality that has been the trademark of the band ever since the first album.

"Anyone who has witnessed on stage what today's Pain of Salvation are capable of, will understand how much I am looking forward to show them what we can do in a studio."

The band has also announced a string of shows later this month in the Netherlands and two shows in Italy that will be taking place in mid-December, with more dates expected to be announced soon.

Guitarist Jonny Greenwood revealed during an interview on Russian radio that the band had recently recording new material, according to Consequence of Sound.

"I don't think there could be a more perfect year for us to honour Queen with the Roll Of Honour's headline award," says Si�n Llewellyn, Editor of Classic Rock Magazine. "Almost four decades to the day that one of rock's defining songs made its phenomenal presence known, we get to celebrate the incredible, unparalleled career of the band that made it and who changed the world's soundscape forever."

The new album was captured during Lofgren's UK tour at the beginning of this year. He had the following to say, "In January 2015, after a three year break from our traditional acoustic UK tours, we headed back in the dead of Winter, excited for another run of shows, town to town, on the bus, sharing music that hopefully spreads some good will and hope to linger with the wonderful audiences we've had, decade after decade.

"Accompanied by Greg Varlotta, our friend and amazing, multi-instrumentalist and our stellar crew, we all set out to do special, inspired shows everywhere.

"We were all thrilled with the audience response and it was Amy who insisted we record the last half of the tour, optimistic it could lead to an album of live tracks to commemorate this wonderful UK run. She was right and here it is. We hope you all enjoy it.

"It really is the audience that breaths the life, fire and inspiration into every performance. God bless you all and thanks again for your presence and magical energy, night after night, town after town, note after note. Peace and Believe."

The title track to his third album helped deliver Kravitz his first US Top 20 record, which peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard 200. Available on DVD, Blu-ray and digital formats, "Just Let Go" was filmed over three months in late 2014 during the European leg of the singer's world tour in support of his latest studio album, "Strut."

"I am a solo artist," says Kravitz, "but 'Just Let Go' reflects on the relationship with my band and the camaraderie that develops between us while out on the road.

"The film takes a deeper look into what it's like to be on tour and also gives an intimate perspective into my life with my band, both on and off the stage."

The Georgia band's 1990 debut, "Shake Your Money Maker", will be released as a one-album set, while their following three records - 1992's "The Southern Harmony And Musical Companion", 1994's "Amorica" and 1996's "Three Snakes And One Charm" - will be packaged as double-LP sets.

"Shake Your Money Maker" introduced the group with two Top 30 Billboard singles, a cover of Otis Redding's "Hard To Handle", and the acoustic ballad "She Talks to Angels."

"The Southern Harmony And Musical Companion" sold two million copies on the strength of four singles, including "Remedy", "Thorn In My Pride", "Sting Me" and "Hotel Illness."

The band's first studio effort as a six-piece, "Amorica" peaked at No. 11 on the US Billboard 200 with help from "A Conspiracy", "High Head Blues" and "Wiser Time."

Halford tells the Rock N' Roll Breakfast Show (via Blabbermouth): "Most of the Priest fans drink, but they keep me sober. That might sound crazy. But I have to go out there night after night and do my work in the way that's expected from me. And I can't go out there drunk.

"I can't go out there smashed and drugged. That's cheating my fans. That's giving them a poorer display. That's also part of my daily spiritual ritual - keeping clean and sober for my own well being, but also for my fans and everybody else."

Rounding off an astonishing 40 year career full of hairspray, make-up and wanting to rock, Twisted Sister's final trip to the UK culminates with topping the bill at the biggest metal festival in the country. This is your final ever chance to watch Twisted Sister live in Britain, so be there!

Blitz says he planted the seed of covering Cash in bassist Verni's head and the pair ended up singing a duet on the track. He says: "It's funny, when it comes to Johnny Cash I did a side project called The Curse. It was a metal-esque project but it had a lot of rock'n'roll in it and I wanted my presentation in it to be different.

"In Overkill, my presentation is high end, it's from the chest up. I wanted something that said, 'Okay, here's your chance to sing from the chest down.' I studied Cash for months getting ready for this Curse record and I said to DD, 'You gotta check out some of this hidden classic stuff from Cash. Maybe we ought to do a cover.

"I walked into the studio and he was sitting there with an acoustic guitar and banging the kick drum with one foot singing Man In Black and I said, 'That's it. That's the one.'"

Items in the bag included a Keith Richards t-shirt, a top she wore on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine in 1978, and a piece of cloth given to her by brother and road manager Todd Smith, who died in 1994.

The performance of the title track to the band's third album can be seen on "Live At Metropolis", which presents the group playing before a select audience at London's Metropolis Studios.

Due October 16, the concert film is paired with a companion career documentary, "Made In Scotland", which traces Nazareth's career from their formation in 1968 to their breakthrough in the 1970s, and their ongoing career.

The package sees Lintin Osborne fronting the Scottish band following the retirement of founding member Dan McCafferty, who left the group in 2013 due to health issues.

Am I Weird? compiles all the group's previous single releases and a limited-edition version comes complete with a bonus DIY hand-painted-sleeve CD featuring four different versions of the track Sunset Yellow.

With The Dead features former Electric Wizard bassist Tim Bagshaw and drummer Mark Greening, along with Cathedral singer Lee Dorrian. The promo for Crown Of Burning Stars is based on a concept developed by Dorrian and was directed by Nucleus films' Marc Norris.

On the album, Dorrian previously told Metal Hammer: "It's got that pure anxiety and animosity. It's probably come as a result of all the anger and hatred and negativity that I've been dealing with.

And while he loves the laid-back atmosphere of the acoustic show every bit as much as a BLS event, he does miss the release that comes with a plugged-in gig.

He jokes: "I love doing both, the heavy thing and then the mellow thing. Right after we get done doing the acoustic show, I just smash my head up against a wall several times.... I get the aggression out that way. It balances out."

A documentary on the expedition was also released. Now the stunt will be included in the 2016 edition of the Guinness Book Of World Records for becoming the first band to ever play an iceberg.

In addition, they've been confirmed as one of the headline acts at this weekend's Live Evil festival. They'll take to the stage at London's The Dome on October 18 (Sunday).

The band are hopeful of signing a new record deal in the coming weeks and are also putting plans in place for their first-ever dates in South America in 2016.

In addition, The Wildhearts man has announced a 2016 UK tour, kicking off in Huddersfield on February 18. He says: "I'll be heading out on tour in February with a full band, playing tracks from my solo albums as well as classic tracks from The Jellys and Honeycrack.

Admitting he has nowhere near the kind of cash he had when he was pounding the beat, Tompkins opens up about the hardships of life in a band in the latest issue of Metal Hammer.

He says: "I'm not lying when I say I've got �100 in my bank account right now. In the six years I've been doing this, I'm not anywhere near the wage that I used to be on when I was a copper."

It's said to be "a gorgeous album on a rich and deliciously varied musical palate - a sensuous garden to savour" and will see Richardson explore his rock, folk and classical influences across all 12 tracks.

Adkinson says: "I have always been a fan of their work so when we came up with the idea of this video, I know they would be the perfect fit."

He describes the song as a parody of modern society, where "people have become zombies, so glued to their social media and phones that they forget there is a world around them.

Mono guitarist Takaakira 'Taka' Goto previously reported that Death In Reverse would serve as a preview for their ninth album - expected to be released in early 2016.

He said: "The theme of this track is life and death and regeneration. Even when our bodies decay and decompose, our souls will prevail unchanged. Our bodies will act as seeds for the next generation, while our souls will journey together into our new eternal life."

Drummer Richard Danielson tells the Vanderbilt Hustler: "A lot of music is aged by the sounds and technologies of its times. To play music without all the extras gives it certain timelessness. For us, it's just bass, drum, guitar, and vocals as music was at the start."

They've opened for artists including the Who, the Rolling Stones and AC/DC. And frontman Ty Taylor reports they used their experience of life on the road to fine tune the follow-up to 2014's The Swing House Acoustic Sessions.

Shirley's worked with artists including Iron Maiden, Rush, Europe and Journey - and he's used his experience behind the desk to help the blues guitarist achieve huge commercial success.

Bonamassa tells the Newcastle Chronicle: "He's crucial. If I hadn't met Kevin I would probably still be playing shows to a few hundred blues fans - not selling out Red Rock three years in a row or playing arenas around Europe.

"Kevin tells it as it is - and then some. I can still recall one of our first meetings and he didn't mince his words. 'The band's dreadful, your songs are weak and your voice needs improvement,' he said.

The game features music from a number of bands from the Nuclear Blast roster including Sabaton, Epica, Suicide Silence, Exodus, Threshold and Vader, while the aim is to defeat the hordes of hell and save the world.

"The goal is simple," says Billy Anderson, founder and CEO of Team Rock, "We want to be the global home of rock and metal. We already know the crossover between gaming, rock and metal is huge. We want to give every player, every listener, every fan the chance to experience the music they love in new ways.

Mainman Robb Flynn says: "We are really excited about playing longer sets, throwing in some deep cuts, and just having it be our own world. We did this in the US and eastern Europe recently and it's worked amazingly well. Fans seem to really love the 'Evening With�' format for a band like us who has a long-standing and diverse catalogue."

The album was recorded during performances at the Greenman festival in Wales, a show in Tunbridge Wells, and at London venues the Garage and the Forum.

Berry, known for his TV roles in The IT Crowd and Toast Of London, says: "The Maypoles are a mixture of incredible people, some of which I've been playing with for over 10 years.