But the guitarist reveals he could have been part of the lineup featuring Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan - but decided to turn it down. He tells Metal Insider: "Axl wanted me to be a part of it. I couldn't be more happy for it happening - I was stoked to find out about it. People have to remember, if I wasn't a fan of the band, I wouldn't have joined.
"I have great admiration for Axl, Slash, Duff, Steven Adler, Izzy Stradlin and everybody who's put into that thing. I have even more respect now after playing in the band for so many years. I'm just the biggest fan I've always been."
As for turning down the offer, Ashba says: "I just didn't feel like it was my place. If Slash has come back, I couldn't be more happy. At that point, it's best I go do what I'm really good at doing." Read more
here.
"Lemmy was a great friend and he always supported our band - as we did Motorhead - through ups and downs," says Saxon's Biff Byford. "We were touring with them when he died, so to be able to honour him at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods is a great opportunity to say goodbye."
"The Metal Hammer Golden Gods are about more than those who we honour on the night," says Alexander Milas, Editor-in-Chief of Metal Hammer Magazine and TeamRock Executive Director. "It's about letting the proverbial hair down and partying with the readers who've supported us for all these years, and the first act we're announcing for the night is sure to be emotional. A salute to Lemmy Kilmister with Saxon and Motorhead's surviving members Phil Campbell and Mikkey Dee is going to bring the house down, and means that June 13th will be one for the history books." Read more
here.
Last week, the band premiered their new single "Bored To Death", and announced a new album called "California" as well as a summer tour with A Day To Remember All Time Low and All American Rejects.
DeLonge followed with this statement on his official Facebook page, "Hi everybody- I understand all the craziness out there in Internet-land, it is an odd time for fans of the Blink-182 legacy, I know- It's odd for me, too. Well, I met with Mark yesterday, and Travis the week before.... I actually talk to Travis almost every day, now. In an odd way I'm almost closer to him more now than ever.
"The answer is this: We DO have a future together if we want it, but for now we are busy doing separate things. I am directing a movie this summer, releasing a couple more albums of music and digging deeper into my Sekret Machines Project with the US Department of Defense.
"I know people are comparing the Angels and Airwaves Chasing Shadows EP to the new Blink-182 music, and that is a failed task. We are different people after different things. For one, I think partnering with a song-writer on the Blink album (Feldy- 5 Seconds of Summer, Good Charlotte) was too far a change, but something they desired, and that in itself may be an indicator of some of our current artistic differences that are difficult to overcome. I guess I've always just liked the song-writing we did together. But, at the end of the day, I support their desires. And if they are happy, then that's what matters.
"Earlier this year, I was recording the song NEW WORLD (on the DEMOS album titled after my own name) and that was my first early opinion of where we could possibly take Blink for the next album. But again, that's just my idea, and I'm only one of three.
"At the end of the day, both of us have ideas, but from opposite sides of the road... Now, we are at different places in our minds, careers and goals, I get it.
"But that said, I obviously want them to make the music they wish. I have always been thankful for them in my life, but I am a forward thinking artist, and sometimes that leads me down a different and far-reaching path- That is why I have done progressive projects like: Box Car Racer, Angels and Airwaves- 'LOVE' Feature Film and it's albums, and even the 'Dream Walker' Album, with the accompanying animations and Novel etc...
"I look forward to my upcoming film and music adventures, and a hell of a lot more...
"....Maybe throw in a bit of Blink-182, if we can build back that 'special something' that was once there."
The band broke the news to fans with the following statement: "To our fans and friends... After 15 years of nonstop touring and writing, we decided that it is time for a break.
"A lot of you have been asking when we are coming to your part of the world and that means a lot to us. However, we feel it should be known that as of now we have no plans to play any shows or work on any new material. We have collectively decided to take a hiatus with no set date to reconvene." Read more
here.
He died last year of a heart attack while on tour with Adrenaline Mob. I Give is thought to be the last recording Pero played on before his death. Four By Fate frontman Tod Howarth says: "The inspiration for this song literally comes from when I was donating blood.
"As with the title of the CD, give all that we can to get this music out to our faithful followers and then some. As the lyrics say, 'I give my heart, I give my blood. And I give my voice.' Those are our true offerings."
Four By Fate sees Howarth joined by by bassist John Regan, guitarist Patrick James Gasperini and, since Pero's death, Skid Row drummer Rob Affuso. Check out the song
here.
The band played the complete album for the first time in the US and only the second time in history, following a March 13, 1992 set at the Nachtwerk club in Munich, Germany.
"Ten" marks its 25th anniversary this year and the group's second show in Philadelphia also delivered Pearl Jam their 10th consecutive sell-out at the venue, which honored the band with a banner in the rafters.
The 32-song set clocked in at almost 3 hours in length and also featured covers of tunes by Pink Floyd, Wayne Cochran, Neil Young, Dead Boys and The Who.
It's the second full-album performance on the Seattle rockers current North American tour: they played 1993's "Vs." in Greenville, SC on April 16.
Pearl Jam's spring shows wrap up May 11 in Toronto, ON before the band plays Bonnaroo in June, two festivals in July and pairs of stadium shows this summer at Boston, MA's Fenway Park and Chicago, IL's Wrigley Field. Watch the videos
here.
"Between this album and Vol. 2," says frontman James Michael, "we'll leave no stone unturned in our quest to create important music and push the boundaries of rock."
Bassist Nikki Sixx is now available full-time for the group following the completion of Motley Crue's farewell tour, which wrapped up at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on New Year's Eve, and the same applies to guitarist DJ Ashba following his exit from Guns N' Roses in 2015 after six years with that band.
"Sixx:A.M. is in the most creative place of our careers," explains Sixx. "For James, DJ and myself, we think it's the perfect time to release so much quality music to our fans who've been supporting us over the last 3 albums." Stream the album
here.
The life-sized sculpture was revealed at event in the town this weekend, and was attended by locals along with former AC/DC bassist Mark Evans, Scott's 'soulmate' Mary Renshaw and sculptor John McKenna.
Event organizers DD8 Music secured funds for the project via a Crowdfunder campaign that raised more than �50,000. McKenna told the crowd: "When I was a kid, I used to listen to Bon Scott and when I did that, I never in a million years thought I'd be a sculptor and never thought I'd be making a statue of Bon Scott, the son of Kirriemuir, this musical icon.
"This has happened because fans from all over the world donated money for this statue - it wouldn't have happened otherwise." Check out video from the event
here.
The video was made my YouTube user Insane Cherry, who has previously brought animal magic to tracks by Linkin Park, System Of A Down, The Prodigy, Green Day and many more.
Where Is My Mind? has also been covered by the likes of Arcade Fire, Placebo, Kings Of Leon and Alice Donut. Check out the new animal mashup version
here.
Guitarist Tom Maxwell said of the follow-up to 2014's Blood For Blood: "There's a lot of new stuff coming out that we've never tried before, and a lot of heavy sh*t. It's going to be moody, it's going to be dark, it's going to be crushing, it's going to be heartbreaking, it's going to be everything.
"So it's going to be a proper take-off from our last record, but with a lot of new surprises, musically and lyrically. We are moving forward with the path that we've taken with Blood For Blood. It's a really, really savage album, and we're really excited for fans to hear it." Check out the video
here.
On the album's sound, Stills says: "We basically just went after a natural sound, the way the old bands used to do it. Get in there and record it. It's just, you know, go to the bar, pick up the waitress, puke on your boots rock'n'roll."
They've previously streamed the tracks Virtual World, Kick Out Of It and I've Got To Use My Imagination. The blues-rock outfit tour North America in May and June. See the dates and stream the album
here.
The former Deep Purple and Black Sabbath singer formed BCC in 2009 under the name of Black Country. But when a group from Baltimore with the same name objected, Hughes and co were caught up in a legal battle.
With the clock ticking on the release of their self-titled debut album, the band had to pick a name before the legal discussions had been settled. Hughes tells Loudwire: "We were in a law thing with them for maybe 10 weeks and we needed to get the album done and brand it, so I said let's just call the band Black Country Communion.
"Then we bought the name from them. We do own the name Black Country, and we should have called the band Black Country. These fellows from Baltimore were verbally fighting with us and threatening us, saying 'We'll have thousands of our fans follow you.'
"I googled them and they've got seven hits on YouTube. I'm not being disrespectful, they're young guys who wanted to make a buck, and they did make a buck. We basically threw away some money there." Watch the full video segment
here.
Muse keeps the synths that define the original track, but their take on "Sign O' The Times" has a much louder and more energetic feel thanks to the electric guitars and resulting heavy metal sound. The song ends up being a mix between 80s pop-funk and the mid-90s heavy metal/alt trend.
It just goes to show no matter the style of music Prince originally composed, his influence reached far and wide, especially if an English rock band can take his music and revamp it in their own style. Watch
here.
Trower says of the title track: "It's actually about my career from leaving Procol Harum and starting the trio and what it was like to become famous. The turnaround idea at the end of it is, no one asks where you came from or where you're going to."
He also also goes into detail about album opener When Will The Next Blow Fall. "That was really the first song on the album where I felt it was more rock'n'roll than the previous album," he says. "In a way it defined the avenue I was going to head down.
"It's all about what I was seeing on TV about the refugees from Syria - people that are displaced because of wars. They lie awake at night wondering when the next blow is going to fall." Watch the video
here.
Monster Truck say: "Excited to announce that we're sponsoring Brandon McReynolds #24 JGL Racing car this weekend at Talladega. Watch Nascar on FOX on Saturday to see him race and for tons of content featuring Monster Truck all weekend."
The band, who released latest album Sittin' Heavy in February, have also announced a further batch of 2016 tour dates. After a run of North American dates, they head to Europe in June and will support Nickelback throughout September and October. See the dates
here.
So Good - featuring bassist Emma Richardson on lead vocals - is available as an instant download with pre-orders of By Default. Pre-orders are available now via iTunes and Amazon.
On the album, guitarist Russell Marsden says: "It's definitely a new era. The first three records were like a trilogy, a piece of work in of themselves. We wanted to do those things, and we did them all. We took a breath, took a look at what we'd done, and started from scratch again." Stream the song
here.
It includes the former Jethro Tull keyboard player's four albums - Objects Of Fantasy (The Music of Pink Floyd), We Know What We Like (The Music of Genesis), Passing Open Windows (The Music Of Queen) and Symphonic Music Of Yes (The Music of Yes).
Objects Of Fantasy sees Palmer joined by a string of guests, including Steve Hackett. Passing Open Windows features The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, while Symphonic Music Of Yes includes contirbutions from Jon Anderson, Bill Bruford and others. We Know What We Like sees Palmer joined by Ian Anderson and Hackett. Read more
here.
The album is the follow-up to the Swedish band's 2014 effort Triumph And Power. Vocalist JB Christofferson says: "We put all of our sweat, blood and tears into this new album and I think that you can hear that. For me, Sword Songs is the best Grand Magus album ever.
"The new songs are faster and more aggressive than on Triumph And Power, and we have also included some more extreme and harder stuff. I'm convinced that there are some future classics on the disc." Stream the song
here.
The Swedish band covered the tune as the title track to their 2013 Dave Grohl-produced EP after it originally appeared on Erickson's 1981 album with The Aliens, "The Evil One."
The legendary Austin guitarist was a founding member of The 13th Floor Elevators and a pioneer of the psychedelic rock genre. While at the El Paso station, Ghost also performed "Jigolo Har Megiddo" from 2013's "Infestissumam" and "He Is" from their latest release, "Meliora", ahead of their show later that evening at Tricky Falls.
The Texas stop is part of the group's Black To The Future North American tour in support of "Meliora." Watch the video
here.
She previously issued promos for Hole and In Need Of A Shepherd, along with streams of Burning Sea and Ebb And Flow. Susanna says: "I wanted to have a lot of videos made for the tracks on the Triangle album, by a lot of different people, to have their visual interpretation of my songs.
"For Sacred Revolution, Helge Sten - aka Deathprod - who I have worked close with throughout my time as a recording artist, has made a beautiful and abstract video based on processing of colors and textures." Watch the video
here.
Clifton said he was "fuming and furious" about the mix-up, adding: "What a cock-up. It has been a nightmare to sort out and has cost me a fortune to reprint the 1000 CDs. My act has never been described as an Abhorrent Decimation and I'm too scared to even listen to their songs."
But despite the printing error, Clifton invited the band to his Sheffield home for tea and bacon sandwiches where they joked about the situation. Abhorrent Decimation frontman Ashley Scott says: "What a wonderful blunder. We can't control many things in this weird and wonderful life. Fancy a death metal band getting such exposure from a national treasure in an ostrich suit." Read more
here.
Belew says: "On April 21 the entire world mourned the sad loss of Prince. Few people realise on the very same day we lost another legendary guitarist. His name was Lonnie Mack and he was a friend of mine.
"Lonnie was 74 and had spent a hard life in music - a good-hearted country boy who would rather go fishing than be a star. But he was known and revered by musicians like Keith Richards and Stevie Ray Vaughan for his searing guitar sound, a Gibson Flying V through a cranked Magnatone amp.
"I remember being 17 years old listening to Lonnie outside a bar in Covington, Kentucky. I was too young to get in. At that time I had just started playing guitar and the intensity of Lonnie's guitar sound caught me by surprise."
Belew finally got the chance to meet Mack in 1985 when he was in New York recording Graceland with Paul Simon. Read about that
here.
The track features a guest appearance from Sepultura guitarist Andreas Kisser and tattoo artist Bob Tyrrell - who also created the cover art for the new album.
Death Angel guitarist Rob Cavestany says: "Both vocalist Mark Osegueda and I had been tattooed by Bob, and when the subject of album artwork came up, we approached him to create the design.
"We wanted an image that would represent the idea of The Evil Divide - something beautiful, yet simultaneously wicked, hence the death moth." Watch the video
here.
Holopainen had the following to say to Roppongi Rocks: "The last show is going to happen in October, then all of 2017 off - and back with a vengeance in 2018."
He created 2014 solo album Music Inspired By The Life And Times Of Scrooge during the band's last downtime. But on this occasion, he says, "I don't think I will be doing music. That's the idea of the break. I enjoy the idea of getting to be at home, doing the gardening, taking care of the horse, just being steady for a while." Read more
here.
The band's keyboardist Nik Comoglio says: "We make very expressive and quite symphonic music, so that one day I began to define it as movierock. Sometimes it's really comparable with film scoring and the idea of the concept album - not a more segmented speech of unrelated songs.
"The concept album represents the progressive tradition - it's good for us to join the old style for respecting the genre but the main goal of Syndone is to go beyond." Read more
here.
Says director Hugh Ip of the clip: "Our concept for Rattlesnakes is based on social behaviour and prejudice being learned behaviour. We train animals to become who we want until it is implicit and instinctual to them. Humans can be trained as well - to be unpredictable, aggressive and extremely defensive. Sometimes for no reason whatsoever.
"Disliking another human being can be complex, caused by seeing a distorted view of that person, skewed by a personal, emotional or past event sometimes even unrelated to that person," he continues. "The only reason people do not kill, hurt or ruin each others lives is because society teaches us not to do so. Nevertheless, there is still a survival instinct humans have, an instinct that cannot be unlearned and in the right conditions, can strike out without control." Read more
here.
In the video, young Lily identifies a series of Led Zeppelin riffs played by her dad, Matthew Canning, including Heartbreaker, Houses Of The Holy, Dancing Days, Immigrant Song, Whole Lotta Love and Black Dog, before dancing around the room and singing along to Rock And Roll with somewhat wild and reckless abandon.
Matthew, who identifies himself as a technologist, author, dad, music snob, and oneironaut, was formerly guitarist in the hardcore band Shai Halud, but daughter Lily is already more famous. Good parenting skills. Watch the video
here.
It's also been confirmed that Gallops have reformed for the festival and it'll be Cleft's final ever gig. The other artists confirmed today are mewithoutyou, Enemies, Let's Talk Daggers, Eugene Quell, Adam Betts, Vasudeva, Viva Belgrado, Fall Of Messiah, Zeus, Plini, The Brackish, Envoys, Bearded Youth Quest, Super Goliath, Foes, Weddings, Space Blood, Classically Handsome Brutes and Sleep Kit.
They'll join artists including Godspeed You! Black Emperor, American Football, Animals As Leaders, Mono, Nordic Giants, Toe, La Dispute, Sikth, Three Trapped Tigers and Meet Me In St Louis at the TeamRock-sponsored event. Read more
here.
They've just released their second album Desire's Magic Theatre - and Cunningham says that although prog used to be a "dirty four-letter word" she completely embraces the genre.
She says: "I'm very comfortable about the word 'progressive.' To me, it's a good thing - but I am aware it was a dirty four-letter word that no one wanted to be associated with. But to me, progressive just means that it takes you somewhere, that it does something more interesting than an ordinary pop or rock song."
The cover of the new album shows Cunningham naked and painted blue. "I'm not quite sure where that idea originated," she says. "Obviously, it's influenced by the Hindu goddess Kali of destruction but it's not specifically about that." Read more and watch the full interview
here.
Being As An Ocean launched single Dissolve in February. Frontman Joel Quartuccio said: "Dissolve has been about three to four months in the making, being written over one of our longest timelines, and we think it is one of our best yet. We, simply, have never had the time to make something this special before, and I think it really shows.
"In 2016, our listeners and fans should expect a lot of amazing tours, more and more singles, and a band full of best friends excited and ready to make this year one of the best that Being As An Ocean has ever had." See the dates
here.
Click here to read today's full Day in Rock report
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