The Maltese vocalist was invited to audition for Angus Young and co in 1980, following the death of Bon Scott. But he declined because Swiss outfit Krokus were enjoying their own success at the time.
AC/DC this month reported that Johnson was ordered to stop touring immediately or risk a total loss of hearing. They cancelled a run of shows on their Rock Or Bust world tour, but said they'd be rescheduled, probably with another singer in place.
Storace tells Blastechno: "Obviously there's my loyalty to Krokus, but the guys would understand if the offer came. I would certainly take it up this time and go for an audition.
"Then it's up to Angus to decide. For me, AC/DC is Angus Young - no offence to Brian Johnson. I think Brian did a magnificent job with his unique kind of voice. But losing your hearing is not a nice thing."
Both bands are signed to the Sony label, making it possible that negotiations are already underway. Storace says: "I actually didn't even have to call Sony. They were already on the ball. This thing is not an easy thing to decide.
"I don't know what's happening and I don't want to ask. If they decide it's going to be someone else, I'll continue with my life like I've always done." Read more
here.
He said, "I will be looking at putting together a tribute show to Keith Emerson hopefully in June this year, and I hope this is something you will all want to come along and see to help celebrate his music. This I feel, is the very least I can do to honor Keith's talent and musicianship in the best way I know. "
He added "I will deeply miss Keith and I want you all to know I will carry on flying the ELP banner and playing the great music with my band for many years to come' We have lost a very talented and gifted musician but this great music will continue for a long, long time." Read more
here.
He was joined by three friends, who listened to him via headphones. After the gig, Tuck says: "I've played some incredible gigs around the world, but that was right up there, literally. Jager's Ice Cold Gig was one of the very best and definitely the most extreme.
"It was my first skydiving experience, so dealing with the excitement and nerves - even before you add in the ruthless cold - was intense, but totally worth it.
"It's awesome to say you did a world's first in music, but to do it with my best mates, the guys who were there with me from the beginning, made it unforgettable." Read more and watch video
here.
Guitarist Downing - who left the band in 2011 and was replaced by Richie Faulkner - said this month that he would only consider a return to Priest if they embarked on a "greatest metal tour" with other giants of the genre or as part of any future Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction.
Now Halford says the idea excites him too. He tells Metal Shock Finland: "I think that's the dream of a lot of people, to imagine Maiden and Sabbath and Priest and Led Zeppelin. Can you imagine what that would be like at Wembley? Oh my God! It would just be mad.
"It would be like multiple nights. Forget about 50 shows that Michael Jackson didn't do. It would be 100 shows at Wembley. So, yeah, it's great to hear that there's that passion still in KK's voice for Priest." Read more
here.
Frontman Jesse Leach recently told Metal Hammer: "There was no discussion with Incarnate - people just wrote demos, submitted them, and that was what it was. It was a natural progression.
"We definitely pushed our style a bit and didn't stick to the formula, but we also made a record that to me still sounds like Killswitch Engage." Check out the stream
here.
After several news stories based on his comments surfaced, the Saturday Night Live alumni Breuer walked back his remarks while reminding people that he is a comedian that exaggerates and gets carried away.
Here is the clarification Breuer posted on Facebook, "I have seen some stories circulating about my podcast. As a friend, I saw Brian withdrawn for the first time in my life. He's not a quitter, he seemed hurt by the situation of being between a rock and a hard place. I spoke as a true fan and friend, simply venting as if he was a brother of mine. I hope to see him Rock Out one more time. You have to remember I'm a comedian & a storyteller. I definitely exaggerate and sometimes I get a little carried away!! And this was one of those times!"
The comedian later took to Twitter to further explain, "As far as the podcast - I was not quoting Brian Johnson's words- he was down & out - hoping to finish the tour! It's mostly me venting." He also tweeted, "I had no clue that story would go so viral- but people need to understand . I'm just a friend & fan - with hopes they all finish the tour!"
You can listen to his original comments that sparked the controversy below:
Having been fired by Britain's heavy metal pioneers Black Sabbath, by 1980 Ozzy Osbourne was, for all practical purposes, washed up. Ozzy found himself with low self esteem and a raging drug and alcohol problem. If not for the heroic actions of his then-manager and future wife Sharon Arden, Ozzy would never have been offered the chance to clean up his act and hold auditions for a new band, where he discovered a diminutive 25-year old guitarist, Randy Rhoads, who inspired Osbourne.
After waiting nearly six months for Blizzard of Ozz to be released in the US, Ozzy's "Crazy Train" nearly derailed his solo career with two of the most notorious incidents ever in rock history, including a shocking stunt in a record company conference room involving a live dove. Ozzy explains to InTheStudio host Redbeard what happened.
"So Sharon (manager) says to me 'We've got to make an impression.' She says, 'I want you to go into the board room, take these two doves, and throw them up in the air as a peace offering.' So, I drank a bottle of booze in the morning and said, 'I'll make an impression.' - Ozzy Osbourne
Nevertheless Osbourne would end up selling over four million copies in the US alone while helping to define the '80s pop-metal movement with classics "Crazy Train", "Mr. Crowley", "I Don't Know" , and "Suicide Solution". Additionally in this interview, Ozzy makes a passionate plea for anyone struggling with substance abuse to seek free help. Stream the episode
here.
Mainman Claudio Sanchez says: "When I think of these two iconic characters, I think of opposite attraction. I think of myself and my wife. How two opposite ends of a spectrum can create harmony and balance.
"In one way or another, these characters have been paired up with like-minded love interests - the bat and the cat, the alien and the Amazonian. I wanted to bring the Dark and the Light together." Watch the video
here.
He tells the Irish Times: "It was in the summer of 2014 at the Los Angeles Forum. We were on tour with Kiss and I was having chemotherapy at the time, scheduling my treatments around the shows and the travel.
"It was one of the three regimes of chemotherapy that I had gone through over the last several years, but this was a particularly brutal one. It was called Ice - named after the combination of drugs used: ifosfamide, carboplatin and etoposide.
"I don't remember a thing about that show, but I do know we had to cut out a few of the songs as I sing a lot of the high parts and there was no way I was going to reach those notes that night. I've no idea how we got through it, but somehow we did."
He continues: "I had been at hospital the whole night before this show getting an infusion of Ice. I didn't realise it at the time, but it turns out I had a bad allergic reaction to one of the chemotherapy drugs.
"My eyes were completely swollen and I looked as if I had just done 10 rounds with Mike Tyson. That was the first time in my life that I wore sunglasses indoors for an arena show, but I looked truly horrendous and needed something to hide behind." Read more
here.
Guitarist Scott Holiday has previously said that the band wanted to challenge themselves on Hollow Bones, the follow-up to 2014's Great Western Valkyrie.
Discussing the album artwork, which was created by Martin Wittfooth, Holiday said: "I won't try to overly interpret the album cover or explain in detail why I believe it works perfectly with the album. But I can safely say I think this just might be my favorite cover of ours yet." Check out the song
here.
"The Shadow Self is full of songs that are very dear to me. I cannot wait for you to hear the record that I believe is one of my heaviest albums to date. Keep your eyes open as there will be many surprises along the way to the album release on August 5. I really mean it. Surprises will follow very soon."
Tarja's fourth rock album is now available for pre-order in various formats, including standard CD, special edition CD/DVD and digital. See the cover art and upcoming live dates
here.
Singer Craig Mabbitt said: "Lyrically, a lot of these tracks are based around the hate we've received over the years and just embracing that and using it to our own advantage.
"It's very humbling for me to be able to listen to this collection of songs and think about where we've come from and what we've been through to get to this point."
Escape The Fate will also kick off on the 18-date We're All In This Together Tour in May with From Ashes To New and New Years Day. Watch the new video
here.
Frontman Joey Tempest says: "With a catalogue of songs as big as ours, it is hard to devote so much of the setlist to one album. But this anniversary is special and we want to give the fans what they have asked for.
"The whole band is proud and excited to play the whole album from start to finish, especially as this, our third album, made it possible for us to fulfil our dream to become an international touring band.
"To make it extra special we will try and play songs from War Of Kings and other albums we haven't played before and at the same time we want to design a show that will be majestic and memorable for all of us." See the dates
here.
July 1978: The Complete Recordings will be released on May 13 and is available for pre-order now at Dead.net. The set is limited to 15,000 individual numbered copies and includes five complete shows: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri (July 1), St. Paul Civic Center, St. Paul, Minnesota (July 3), Omaha Civic Auditorium, Omaha, Nebraska (July 5), and Red Rocks Amphitheater, Morrison, Colorado (July 7 & 8).
The band will also release a stand alone three-disc set of their complete July 8, 1978 show at Red Rocks, which will be available on May 13 as well. The show is widely considered one of the greatest concerts in Grateful Dead history.
1978 was a banner year for the San Francisco band who performed over 80 shows, including three historic concerts at the Gizah pyramids in Egypt. That year the band also released their tenth studio album Shakedown Street, which features the iconic title track as well as classics like "I Need a Miracle," "Fire on the Mountain" and a cover of The Young Rascals' "Good Lovin'." Read more
here.
Frontman Keith Buckley says: "You would think that by now the studio process is pretty familiar to us, but in just the first week Will has taught us things about ourselves that make it feel as if we've never even stepped foot in one.
"He has stripped our music down to the bolts and laid everything out on display and only now that we're able to see how each part functions can we fix it, shine it and put it back together into a machine that runs better than it ever has." Read more
here.
Guitarist-vocalist Travers and drummer Appice both say the record represents the best of their many collaborations. Appice comments: "I love playing with Pat, and this was one of the best albums I've made. Great songs, great playing, lots of energy, and each track has a lot of balls."
Travers adds: "I've been a fan of Carmine since 1967. I would bump into him at this and that affair over the years, then in 2003 we had a blowout jam at NAMM. That led to this amazing album." Watch the video
here.
Frontman Johan Hegg says: "The Jomsvikings were a shadowy and legendary sect of Viking mercenaries. Their code was simple - show no fear, never retreat, defend your brothers, and when called upon, avenge their deaths.
"The Jomsvikings and their world is the background for the story of a young man in love with a girl, but unfortunately she's being married off. He accidentally kills a man and has to flee, but he swears to have revenge and win her back. It is not a happy story." Watch the video
here.
He tells Kerrang: "There was definitely a lot of relief because of the pressure. It was always like, 'Gaslight Anthem is gonna be the next Bruce Springsteen, or the next Foo Fighters, or the next Pearl Jam - the next big rock'n'roll band'. And it kind of never happened.
"We got big, which was cool with us, but we didn't need to be the next big rock'n'roll band. We didn't expect to be millionaires. We just wanted to play, and it was awesome that we could pay our bills.
"But the pressure of, I don't know, 'saving' rock'n'roll� that bothered me. 'The Saviours Of Rock'N'Roll' always killed me. Because we were just like, 'Dude, we're not saving anything.'" Read more
here.
The Fall Of Hearts is now available for pre-order in CD, vinyl, earbook, CD/DVD and bundle editions. The band have also confirmed that Paradise Lost guitarist Greg Mackintosh makes a guest appearance on one of the bonus tracks.
Katatonia recently said: "This album is probably everything we unknowingly ever dreamed of. It's a bleak but adventurous journey through our elements. We have pushed to get forward and backward in the ever spiralling night of our musical legacy." Check out the trailer and the tracklisting
here.
A pre-sale for 02 customers begins on March 16 at 9am, while TicketMaster will hold a pre-sale from 9am the following day. TicketMaster will also offer access to VIP tickets.
The band say: "Opeth are very pleased to announce that on November 19 they'll headline the highly prestigious SSE Wembley Arena, London UK."
Opeth support Iron Maiden in Gothenburg on June 17 and also appear at the Be Prog! My Friend festival on July 2 in Barcelona. On July 7 they will play at Helsinki's Monsters Of Rock and on July 9 they are scheduled to appear at the Eistnaflug festival in Finland. Read more
here.
Blast is the band's first release since 2006's Bezerk 2.0. It includes track Pipped It Popped It, the song which they submitted for this year's Eurovision Song Contest - though it didn't make the cut.
Tigertailz say: "This is the first full Tailz studio album in nearly 10 years. And we are extremely excited and very proud of it. It's going to blow your crazy minds. Read more
here.
Frontman Per Valla says: "Vinteroffer was a good release, but our new album Violator takes our music to a whole new level when it comes to writing really powerful and well-composed songs. I feel confident that this album will be one to remember.
"With Violator I wanted to take a step back and focus on the feeling I used to get from listening to bands like Metallica, Pantera and Megadeth. This resulted in an album that isn't really focused on speed and aggression, but rather groove and power.
"It will be interesting to see how such an album will be received these days, when a lot of the focus seems to be on speed for many of the extreme metal bands out there today."
He adds: "The lyrics on this one are pretty dark. I was very much inspired by Stephen King and old horror movies while writing Violator. Personally I feel this is the best Vredehammer release so far." Stream the song
here.
Hey! Hello! are inviting interested singers to get in touch. The band say: "We are bitterly sorry to see our singer leave the band at this point, but we respect her decision and wish her nothing but good luck in the future.
"Right now, our main concern is finding a new frontperson - male or female - to lead our band to world domination. If you have the star quality that Hey! Hello! needs, then get in touch at [email protected] - the world is waiting for you." Read more
here.
"Girlfriend" was inspired by a very pesky habit I've displayed over my dating years. For some reason, I've found myself in-and-out of relationships with the same girls over and over. I've actually become pretty familiar and comfortable with the "on again/off again" concept, which probably isn't a good thing.
The original idea came about after Austin (Bass/Vocals) came up with the line "it just goes to show that no matter what you do, something bad will always catch up to you." The words immediately reminded me of my peculiar dating habits and from there it was kind of a "lightbulb" moment. The song just fell into place after that.
Every other line in the song is a (sometime's too honest) comment on the different relationships that I've revisited time and time again, now that they are all said and done. For example, the first line in the chorus "your love is like bad poetry, poorly written, but I know what you mean" refers to a relationship I was in that suffered because we could never quite find the right words to say to each other.
Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself as you watch the video
right here!
Click here to read today's full Day in Rock report
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