Razor

SLIPKNOT Drummer Says Band Will Not Replace Late Bassist

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

According to The Pulse of Radio, SLIPKNOT drummer Joey Jordison, who's out touring with ROB ZOMBIE, has confirmed that the band will continue making music despite the death in May of bassist Paul Gray. While SLIPKNOT is only in the very earliest stages of planning its next record, Jordison says they've already decided they will not recruit a new bassist: "There will be no other bass players besides Jim [Root, guitarist], Mick [Thomson, guitarist] and me, more than likely. Everyone actually kind of plays guitar in the band, so I think we're all gonna play bass on the record. We're not gonna have anyone come in. But live, we'll deal with that when it comes."

A short audio clip of Jordison making the above-mentioned comment can be streamed at this location (Real Media).

A new SLIPKNOT album is not likely to come out until 2012 at the earliest.

OZZFEST: Get Hitched Here!

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

Hard rock fans looking to get hitched can do it this summer at Ozzfest. The festival promoters are offering up "Unholy Matrimony Packages," where the bride and groom and a wedding party of eight get general admission pit tickets, an official wedding ceremony by an ordained minister (Ozzfest's MC Big Dave), an Ozzfest cake and champagne toast as well as an exclusive backstage tour. Ozzfest kicks off its brief run August 14th in Devore, California with Ozzy Osbourne, Motley Crue, Black Label Society, Drowning Pool and Nonpoint on the bill.

GODSMACK Singer Sets Release Date For Solo Album

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

According to The Pulse of Radio, GODSMACK frontman Sully Erna has set September 14 as the release date for his long-in-the-works debut solo album, titled "Avalon". A first single from the disc, called "Sinner's Prayer", will arrive at rock radio stations next week. Erna finished work on the record in early 2009 but has held off on releasing it until after GODSMACK completed and issued its fifth studio album this year, called "The Oracle".

Erna told The Pulse of Radio his solo effort doesn't fit into one musical genre: "I'm not sure what category it falls in," he said. "I think ultimately, you know, it's somewhat of a rock record, but it's not really a rock record. It's very eclectic and it's very spiritual and it's very hypnotic and primitive. It'll be interesting to see how the public reacts to it. But all in all, people I have played it for so far have been honestly blown away by it."

CHEVELLE Celebrates 10 Successful Years In Music With 'Ten In 10' Anniversary

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

After 10 successful years in music, multi-platinum, Epic Records recording artist CHEVELLE kicks off their "Ten in 10" anniversary celebration as look back at the bands top ten greatest hits, over the past 10 years which include "The Red", "Send The Pain Below", "Closure", "Vitamin R", "The Clincher", "Well Enough Alone", "I Get It", "The Fad", "Jars" and "Letters From A Thief". In an effort to give back to the fans that made it all possible, the band will perform two nights at the Metro in Chicago on October 28 and October 29, the venue where they got their start a decade ago.

"After more than 10 years of writing and releasing records, we thought 'What better place to come back to than the place where we were first inspired,'" said CHEVELLE. "We saw our first real rock show at the Metro is 1988 and we thought it would be amazing to mark this point in our career with a show there."

Joining SHINEDOWN on the road for shows across North America, the band will not only be celebrating but promoting the third single, "Shameful Metaphors", from their current album. The Chicago trio has supplanted themselves as one of rocks most unique, successful and relevant alternative post grunge bands of the decade, and is taking 2010 to celebrate with their fans.

To kick off the "Ten in 10" celebration, fans will have the opportunity to upload personalized video messages for the band on the newly created "Happy Anniversary" section of Chevelleinc.com. The most inventive fan message will win a signed guitar from the band making it the ultimate memorabilia. VEVO, the web's leading premium music video and entertainment service, is also celebrating CHEVELLE's success by featuring their music as a premiere playlist as well as all "Ten in 10" videos throughout the summer.

ALICE IN CHAINS: Beyond the Black Diamond Skye

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains tells us that they intend to take some time after they complete this fall's Black Diamond Skye tour with Deftones and Mastodon to assess what they want to do next. "The cycle of creating an album, getting it out and touring to support it is a serious effort, but we had an extra couple of years of just kind of celebrating the music without even thinking of putting a record out. We wanted to do that for ourselves and our fans and also to remember our good friend Layne, who's no longer with us." He adds that they're very happy with the way things have gone and that "hopefully, we'll make another record."

Rockstar Mayhem Festival: Video of Religious Protesters Getting Booted from Albuquerque Show

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

MetalSucks has provided the entertainment for us all. They unearthed this gem of a video showing police officers removing religious protesters from the Albuquerque, NM Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival 2010 show. QQ more, we say:

ROB ZOMBIE: 'Mars Needs Women' Video Released; 'Hellbilly Deluxe 2' Special Edition Detailed

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

"Mars Needs Women", the new video from ROB ZOMBIE, can be viewed below (courtesy of AOL's Noisecreep). Footage for the clip was compiled during the "Gruesome Twosome Tour" featuring Zombie and Alice Cooper.

In other news, the CD/DVD edition of Zombie's latest album, "Hellbilly Deluxe 2", will arrive in stores on September 28 via Roadrunner Records. The expanded version of the album will feature three brand new tracks recorded with the band's current touring lineup, including SLIPKNOT drummer/MURDERDOLLS guitarist Joey Jordison, along with a reworked version of the song "The Man Who Laughs". A bonus DVD featuring live footage and a 30-minute touring documentary, dubbed "Transylvanian Transmissions", will also be included.

LINKIN PARK: That's One Expensive Box

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

Fans who feel compelled to empty their wallets in support of Linkin Park will be able to do so this fall. The band is selling a Deluxe Fan Edition Box Set of A Thousand Suns for $99. It's a custom-hinged box containing two vinyl records with album, CD and DVD digi-paks with the album and the making of A Thousand Suns documentary and a hardcover art book. A Thousand Suns will be in stores September 15th -- but fans who order the deluxe version through LinkinPark.com will have to wait until mid-October to get their box.

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE Announces North American Headlining Tour

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

Welsh metallers BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE will return to North America in September. In support of its latest album, "Fever", the four-man band will kick-off a 32-date tour on September 16 in Wichita, Kansas at The Cotillion. ESCAPE THE FATE, BLACK TIDE and DRIVE A will open all shows. A special pre-sale will start this Tuesday, July 27, and fans can log on to to the group's official web site to obtain the special code needed for the pre-sale. General online sales begin July 30.

The dates are as follows:

Sep. 16 - Wichita, KS - The Cotillion
Sep. 17 - Oklahoma City, OK - Diamond Ballroom
Sep. 18 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live
Sep. 19 - Austin, TX - Stubbs
Sep. 21 - Tampa, FL - The Ritz Ybor
Sep. 23 - Orlando, FL - House Of Blues
Sep. 24 - Charlotte, NC - The Fillmore
Sep. 25 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
Sep. 26 - Norfolk, VA - The Norva
Sep. 28 - Scranton, PA - Cultural Center
Sep. 30 - Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory
Oct. 01 - New York, NY - Roseland Ballroom
Oct. 02 - Albany, NY - Armory
Oct. 03 - Atlanta, GA - Verizon Wireless Amphitheater (WKLS radio show)
Oct. 05 - Providence RI - Lupo's
Oct. 06 - Montréal, QC - Metropolis
Oct. 08 - Toronto, ON - Sound Academy
Oct. 09 - Cleveland, OH - Tower City Amphitheatre
Oct. 10 - Buffalo, NY - Town Ballroom
Oct. 12 - Indianapolis, IN - Egyptian Room
Oct. 13 - Madison, WI - Orpheum Theatre
Oct. 14 - Fargo, ND - The Venue
Oct. 15 - Winnipeg, MB - The Garrick
Oct. 17 - Edmonton, AB - Edmonton Events Centre
Oct. 18 - Calgary, AB - McEwen Hall @ University Of Calgary
Oct. 20 - Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom
Oct. 21 - Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory
Oct. 22 - Seattle, WA - Showbox Sodo
Oct. 23 - Portland, OR - Roseland
Oct. 25 - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory
Oct. 26 - Reno, NV - Knitting Factory
Oct. 27 - Los Angeles, CA - Palladium

"Fever", the third album from BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, sold 71,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 3 on The Billboard 200 chart. "Fever" also landed in the Top Five in Australia, the U.K., Japan, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. In the U.K. it reached No. 5 on sales of 21,965.

Avenged Sevenfold Speaks About "Nightmare"

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

The new album from Avenged Sevenfold, Nightmare, arrives in stores today, and as fans know, it marks the first effort without drummer James "The Rev" Sullivan, who passed away on December 9, 2009 from an accidental drug overdose. Once the band recovered from the shock of his death, they faced the task of finishing the record they had already started writing with Sullivan, and then they enlisted one of his favorite drummers to fill in: Dream Theater's Mike Portnoy. But even so, the band is not sure what the future holds.

"We're not sure what's going to happen after this touring cycle," lead singer M. Shadows told Billboard.com. "Our goal right now is to just get kids to hear the record, because we want them to remember the Rev."

However, Shadows does seem intent to stay on the road. "Our fan base stays with us, and it grows with each album too," he added. "Last time we went on the road, our audience jumped 40 percent... We go look at [Nielsen] SoundScan and we'll sell 8,000 records in a market, and when we play there, 14,000 people show up. We want to be like Slayer or Megadeth; those bands never sold tons and tons of albums, but they can tour forever and always have people come out."

Avenged Sevenfold has a handful of tour dates planned before kicking off the Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Festival on August 17 in Minneapolis, along with Disturbed, Stone Sour, Halestorm, Hellyeah, Airbourne, Hail The Villain and New Medicine. The tour will wrap up the tour in Madison at the Alliant Energy Center on October 4th.

What's In A Name? Ask PAPA ROACH

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

According to The Pulse of Radio, PAPA ROACH frontman Jacoby Shaddix dished on the name of his band and several others in a feature at Spin.com titled "Why They're Called . . ." Shaddix said that his own band came up with its name in 1993 when they were "young and dumb" and listening to "lots of bands with funky names — stuff like MR. BUNGLE, PRIMUS, and the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS." He explained, "I thought, what if we named it after my grandfather — his last name is Roach. The other guys were like, 'You mean roach like as in weed?' But I also thought PAPA ROACH had a dirty, grimy sense of longevity that really represented where we were as people at the time. Roaches last, you know?"

Shaddix added that rejected names for the group included PAPA GATO, NUDE and THE GROOVE MERCHANTS.

The singer said that STONE TEMPLE PILOTS and DEFTONES had two of the best band names ever, explaining, "At a point in time in my life, those were bands that had a huge impact on me, and I always thought they had slick, cool names."

As for the worst band names, Shaddix said, "I always thought LIMP BIZKIT was a really bad name, but I guess it's no worse than PAPA ROACH. THE ROLLING STONES was weird to me when I was a kid . . . KORN is a really, really bad name. I was a huge fan of theirs, though."

PANTERA: 'Cowboys From Hell' Limited-Edition Box Set Detailed

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

To celebrate the 20-year anniversary of PANTERA's classic major-label debut, "Cowboys From Hell", the band's official webstore is offering a limited-edition exclusive box set. This box set contains merchandise only available in the band's official webstore.

Box set includes:

* "Cowboys From Hell" logo flask
* Belt-buckle bottle opener
* "Cowboys From Hell" exclusive T-shirt
* Four-piece guitar pick set
* "Cowboys From Hell" 20th-anniversary expanded CD

All items come in a Texas-shaped collector's box.

To pre-order this item, go to this location.

It's Official: SOIL Recruits 'Fill-In' Singer, Drummer For Upcoming Shows

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

Guitarist Adam Zadel and bassist Tim King of Chicago heavy rockers SOIL have released the following update:

"I'm sure you are all wondering what is happening in the world of SOIL after all the rumors and statements that have been going around.

"Late last week we learned of A.J.'s [Cavalier, SOIL vocalist] intentions as he notified us of his 'indefinite hiatus.' Then we learned of Tom's [Schofield, SOIL drummer] intentions, as did all of you, via the Blabbermouth statement he issued a few days ago.

"We have decided that the show must and will go on. We refuse to let the fans, promoters, and radio stations down on such short notice.

"We decided to ask our friends Jordan Lee [vocals; ex-SILVERGUN] and Mike Tignino [drums] from CHAINWAX to fill in.

"Both Jordan and Mike are awesome musicians and have been longtime SOIL followers and to us it is an honor to have them join us for the already confirmed shows.

"We will take full advantage of this opportunity to perform some classic songs we haven't played in years and can promise you we will deliver a powerful and energetic show that will meet and surpass the standards we have always set for our live shows.

"You can either take a bad situation and make it worse, or you can rise above and make it a fun event that everyone can remember and walk away from having a good time. We plan on doing just that.

"So to the fans, come out to see some classics we haven't played in ages, Have a good time and enjoy yourself! After all, that is what rock and roll is all about!"

SOIL's next live performance is scheduled to take place on July 28 at Cabooze Outdoors in Minneapolis, Minnesota as the support act for BUCKCHERRY.

For a list of upcoming SOIL shows, visit the band's MySpace page.

'Sex Tips From Rock Stars' Book To Receive U.S. Release In October

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

Available in bookstores across Europe and scheduled for release in North America and Australia on October 1 is "Sex Tips From Rock Stars: In Their Own Words" — the new book from rock historian Paul Miles.

Published by Omnibus Press, "Sex Tips From Rock Stars: In Their Own Words" is the first confessional study of rock stars' sexual adventures told by the rock stars themselves. Featuring many celebrated rockers sharing their dos and don'ts in the bedroom; this book is an extensive and explosive no-holds-barred sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll expose.

The following rock stars had enough balls to be interviewed and go all the way in "Sex Tips From Rock Stars":

* Acey Slade (MURDERDOLLS, DOPE)
* Adde (HARDCORE SUPERSTAR)
* Allison Robertson (THE DONNAS)
* Andrew W.K.
* Blasko (OZZY OSBOURNE, ROB ZOMBIE)
* Brent Muscat (FASTER PUSSYCAT)
* Bruce Kulick (KISS)
* Chip Z'Nuff (ENUFF Z'NUFF)
* Courtney Taylor-Taylor (THE DANDY WARHOLS)
* Danko Jones
* Doug Robb (HOOBASTANK)
* Evan Seinfeld (BIOHAZARD)
* Ginger (THE WILDHEARTS)
* Handsome Dick Manitoba (THE DICTATORS, MC5)
* James Kottak (SCORPIONS, KINGDOM COME)
* Jesse Hughes (EAGLES OF DEATH METAL)
* Jimmy Ashhurst (BUCKCHERRY)
* Joel O'Keeffe (AIRBOURNE)
* Lemmy (MOTÖRHEAD)
* Nicke Borg (BACKYARD BABIES)
* Rob Patterson (KORN, OTEP)
* Toby Rand (JUKE KARTEL)
* Vazquez (DAMONE)

For more information, visit www.sextipsfromrockstars.com.

SOIL Singer On 'Indefinite Hiatus' From Band; Drummer Seeking 'New Musical Opportunities'

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

Drummer Tom Schofield of Chicago heavy rockers SOIL has informed BLABBERMOUTH.NET that singer/guitarist A.J. Cavalier is on an "indefinite hiatus" from the band but has not officially quit the group. Schofield also revealed that he is "looking for new musical opportunities while A.J. is on hiatus."

When asked about the rumors that SOIL may play its previously announced shows with replacement members — possibly in the form of ex-SILVERGUN
vocalist Jordan Lee and CHAINWAX drummer Mike Tignino — Schofield told BLABBERMOUTH.NET, "I don't know if Adam [Zadel, lead guitar] and Tim [King, bass] will continue with replacements or not. A.J. and I will not be a part of any of the dates."

SOIL's next live performance is scheduled to take place on July 28 at Cabooze Outdoors in Minneapolis, Minnesota as the support act for BUCKCHERRY.

For a list of upcoming SOIL shows, visit the band's MySpace page.

Cavalier, who previously fronted the California-based band DIESEL MACHINE (also featuring ex-DAMAGEPLAN singer Patrick Lachman on guitar), joined SOIL in late 2004 as the replacement for Ryan McCombs (now in DROWNING POOL).

SOIL's latest album, "Picture Perfect", sold 1,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 56 on the Hard Music chart. The CD was released in the U.S. on October 20, 2009 via Bieler Bros. Records and three days later in Europe through AFM Records/Soulfood.

SOIL's previous album, "True Self", opened with 4,000 units back in May 2006 (via DRT Entertainment).

"Picture Perfect" was created by the production team of Grammy-nominated producer Johnny K (DISTURBED, STAIND), Ulrich Wild (DEFTONES, INCUBUS) and SOIL, with Dave Fortman (MUDVAYNE, EVANESCENCE) handling mixing duties.

SOIL in 2007 amicably parted ways with guitarist Shaun Glass (now in DIRGE WITHIN) due to "personal differences." The band decided against seeking a replacement guitarist and opted to remain a four-piece, with Cavalier filling in on some of the guitar duties.

Saving Abel Postpone August 3rd concert in Green Bay

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

Saving Abel is RE-SCHEDULED inside The Club at TOM, DICK and HARRY's, located at 835 Potts Ave. Green Bay, Wisconsin to Thursday, September 02, 2010 at 7:00PM, Doors 6:30PM. This event is re-scheduled due to SAVING ABEL's performance on August 1st on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live show. All previous tickets that have been purchased will be honored on the new date. Due to the date change We Are the Fallen is unable to perform. New Lineup: Saving Abel, Taddy Porter, Red Sugar Drive and American Bang.

RED: Prepping for Third Album

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

Red are gearing up to record their third album this fall. They'll be working once again with Rob Graves, who helmed the band's breakthrough Innocence and Instinct. The band also plans on doing one more headline tour behind that album with The Almost and ex-Korn guitarist Brian "Head" Welch opening. Those fall dates will be announced next month.

MEGADETH, PANTERA, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE Featured On 'NHL 11' Soundtrack

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

MEGADETH, PANTERA, AIRBOURNE and BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE are among the bands who are featured on the soundtrack to "NHL 11", an ice hockey (sports) video game for Xbox 360, set for release on September 7, 2010. The game is developed by EA Canada and published by EA Sports.

"This year, it's all about authenticity," says Steve Schnur, Worldwide Executive of Music and Marketing for EA. "We talked to gamers and fans about what kind of music they wanted in this new edition, and they said they wanted the feel of a live NHL experience. So we've brought together the classic arena anthems by PANTERA, RAMONES, BLACK BOX and others, and combined them with the next generation of hard-hitters by THE BLACK KEYS, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, DANKO JONES and more. This is the true sound of the NHL, and the undeniable power behind EA's 'NHL 11'."

"NHL 11" soundtrack track listing:

* IN WHISPERS - "Here I Stand"
* AIRBOURNE - "Bottom Of The Well"
* BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE - "Your Betrayal"
* MEGADETH - "Dialectic Chaos"
* PANTERA - "Walk"
* DANKO JONES - "Full of Regret"
* 2 UNLIMITED - "Twilight Zone"
* BLACK Box - "Strike It Up"
* BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB - "Mama Taught Me Better"
* BOUNCING SOULS - "¡Olé!"
* DARUDE - "Sandstorm"
* DROPKICK MURPHYS - "Shipping Up To Boston (Live)"
* EUROPE - "The Final Countdown"
* FOXY SHAZAM - "Unstoppable"
* RAMONES - "Blitzkrieg Bop"
* THE BLACK KEYS - "Howlin’ For You"

CAVO: Expand Tour

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

Cavo have added more shows to their upcoming tour, expanding it into the fall. They hit the road July 29th in Little Rock, Arkansas and wrap it up September 25th in Peoria, Illinois.

Thu 07/29/10 Little Rock, AR Juanita's Cantina Ballroom

Fri 07/30/10 Abilene, TX Midnight Rodeo 3

Sat 07/31/10 Lubbock, TX Jake's Sports Cafe & Backroom

Mon 08/02/10 Beaumont, TX Antone's

Tue 08/03/10 Tyler, TX The Venue @ Down Under

Wed 08/04/10 Corpus Christi, TX Brewster Street Ice House

Fri 08/06/10 Houston, TX Scout Bar

Sat 08/07/10 San Antonio, TX Scout Bar

Sun 08/08/10 Lafayette, LA NiteTown

Tue 08/10/10 Shreveport, LA The Warehouse

Appearing at "Pointfest"
Sat 08/14/10 Maryland Heights, MO Verizon Wireless Amph. St. Louis

Sun 08/15/10 Lincoln, NE The Grove

Tue 08/17/10 Green Bay, WI The Club at Tom, Dick and Harry's

Wed 08/18/10 Traverse City, MI Ground Zero

Fri 08/20/10 Rockford, IL TBA

Appearing with Atom Smash
Mon 08/23/10 Grand Rapids, MI The Intersection

Tue 08/24/10 Flint, MI The Machine Shop

Thu 08/26/10 Dayton, OH McGuffy's

Appearing at "Kentucky State Fair"
Fri 08/27/10 Louisville, KY Kentucky Exposition Center

Sat 08/28/10 Parkersburg, WV TBA

Mon 08/30/10 Montgomery, AL Strange Days

Tue 08/31/10 Jackson, MS Club Fire

Wed 09/01/10 Huntsville, AL Sammy T's

Fri 09/03/10 Pensacola, FL Seville Quarter

Sat 09/04/10 Tallahassee, FL Floyd's Music Store

Sun 09/05/10 Jacksonville, FL Freebird Live

Wed 09/08/10 Charlotte, NC Amos' SouthEnd

Thu 09/09/10 Goose Creek, SC The Dive

Fri 09/10/10 Johnson City, TN Chrome

Sun 09/12/10 Virginia Beach, VA Diesel

Mon 09/13/10 Knoxville, TN The Valarium

Tue 09/14/10 Lancaster, PA Chameleon

Wed 09/15/10 Allentown, PA Crocodile Rock Cafe

Fri 09/17/10 Buffalo, NY The Tralf Music Hall

Sat 09/18/10 Clifton Park, NY Northern Lights

Sun 09/19/10 Hartford, CT Webster Theater

Tue 09/21/10 Austintown, OH Wedgewood Entertainment Center

Wed 09/22/10 Covington, KY Radio Down

Fri 09/24/10 Toledo, OH Headliners

Sat 09/25/10 Peoria, IL Whammy Bar

VINNIE PAUL: 'If There's One Big Fan Of HELLYEAH, It's DIMEBAG'

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

On July 14, HELLYEAH's Vinnie Paul Abbott and Greg Tribbett were interviewed on the Orlando, Florida radio station 101.1 WJRR. During the chat, Vinnie Paul and Tribbett discussed the band's second album, "Stampede"; how it is different from the group's debut; how the members keep the band's music separate from their other projects; some of Vinnie Paul's all-time favorite music; and how Vinnie Paul keeps the memory of his brother, late PANTERA/DAMAGEPLAN guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, alive through the music of HELLYEAH.

As previously reported, Vinnie Paul Abbott has done a new interview with Decibel magazine in which he talks about his unusual habit of putting strange personal items up for sale on eBay. Among the items Abbott has auctioned off are his old oven and his first cell phone. Explaining his hobby, Abbott said, "That was just comedy, dude. Anybody who thinks I'm hurtin' for money and I did that for any reason other than just for the fun of it is crazy . . . it was hilarious how much press coverage it got. The (oven) didn't even work, and I wound up getting $1,000 for it. The guy drove down from Seattle in his truck to pick it up, and I autographed it for him."

But Abbott's next possible sale is even more bizarre. He explained, "I'm seriously thinking about putting my toilets up there. My new house I bought in Vegas, I didn't like the toilets it came with. They were kinda old-school and small and had those wooden seat caps, so I replaced 'em all. And now I've got three toilets from my house in Vegas that I'm about to throw on eBay. I can't wait to see the shitstorm that causes!"

The full interview with Abbott can be read in the new issue of Decibel, on newsstands this week.

HELLYEAH's second album, "Stampede", arrived in stores on Tuesday (July 13).

SHINEDOWN, SEVENDUST: This Is How You Do It

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

We asked Shinedown frontman Brent Smith about all of the other bands on the Carnival of Madness tour, which starts Friday in Jacksonville, Florida. And he says that any band that tours with Sevendust had better be prepared to see how it's done. He tells us, "It's almost like study hall if you're on the road with them. It's like you should have had a desk off to the side taking notes, because that's how you do it."

FILTER: 'The Inevitable Relapse' Video Released

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

"The Inevitable Relapse", the new video from U.S. alternative rockers FILTER, can be viewed below. Directed by Jesus Rodriquez, the clip explores a slightly dysfunctional relationship intercut with live footage of the band.

"I always wanted to do a video that shows what a healthy addiction looks and feels like, without being some G-rated after-school special," says FILTER mainman Richard Patrick.

In other news, FILTER has teamed up with ThePublicRecord.com for a promotion that provides fans the opportunity to collaborate on a new version of "The Inevitable Relapse". The track will be posted on ThePublicRecord.com for fans to download, remix, overdub and repost their own version.

"The Inevitable Relapse" is the first single off FILTER's fifth studio album, "The Trouble With Angels", which will be released on August 17 via Rocket Science Ventures. Fans of the band's "Short Bus" and "Title of Record" will be ecstatic to hear Richard Patrick return to his industrial roots.

Rocket Science owner Kevin Day says, "I have known Richard for a good while and have been a fan of his music and the FILTER 'sound' since their first release. 'The Trouble With Angels' is exciting because it's a strong return to the sonically dark jet engine growl that FILTER invented and defined."

Produced by Bob Marlette (BLACK SABBATH, ATREYU, SALIVA), the album's debut single, "The Inevitable Relapse", features thundering chords and an isolated bass line that both conjure and modernize FILTER's signature sound.

"People think 'The Inevitable Relapse' is about addiction, consumption, and obsession, but they're wrong," says Richard Patrick. "It's a love song."

End Of The Line For METALLICA...For Now

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

According to The Pulse of Radio, METALLICA has confirmed that a newly added last show on its fall South Pacific tour, on September 22 in Christchurch, New Zealand, is the last gig the band has booked in support of its 2008 album "Death Magnetic". A post at the official METALLICA web site said, "All of our play dates have now filled up with the addition of this show...that's right boys and girls, this will be the last date added to the 'World Magnetic Tour'! So if you're waiting for us to come to the Polar Ice Caps, your undiscovered planet or even your basement, sorry, this is as good at it gets."

The post added, "It has been a very long, and most amazing run . . . What we DO care about is letting you know the immense gratitude we feel for all of your love and support over these past two and half years. When we embarked on this 'magnetic' journey, none of us ever, in our wildest dreams, imagined how truly incredible it would be and it's all because of hanging out with YOU!"

The post claims that METALLICA has played a total of 212 shows in 153 cities since hitting the road in May 2008 to promote "Death Magnetic", which came out that September.

The last show on the trek will be November 21 in Melbourne, Australia.

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY: Tour Warm-Up Is a Benefit

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

Black Label Society will warm up for their stint on Ozzfest and their own headlining tour with a benefit for the St. Jude's Children Hospital at The Roxy in Hollywood on August 10th. That's the same day their album Order of the Black hits stores. Also on the bill will be Cycle of Pain, the band led by Black Label Society bassist John "J.D." DeServio.

Black Label Society makes their way to The Rave in Milwaukee with Clutch, Children of Bodom and 2 Cents on October 2nd.

STONE SOUR: New Single 'Say You'll Haunt Me' Available For Streaming

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

"Say You'll Haunt Me", the new single from STONE SOUR, is available for streaming using the audio player below. The track comes off the band's third album, "Audio Secrecy", which is scheduled for release on September 7 via Roadrunner Records.

STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor told The Pulse of Radio that it took him a while to warm up to "Say You'll Haunt Me" during the making of the record. "It was one of those songs that I didn't really feel until it was finished," he said. "I enjoyed the lyrics but I wasn't sure about the music. I'd come in and I'd sang it, and I put my heart into it because the lyrics are about my wife and how I feel about my wife, and then I left. And I came back and they (the band) had just made it incredible. Now I can't get it out of my head."

SHINEDOWN, PUDDLE OF MUDD: Such a Sweet Guy

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

We asked Shinedown frontman Brent Smith about all of the other bands on the Carnival of Madness tour, which starts Friday in Jacksonville, Florida. Smith says he really likes Puddle of Mudd because frontman Wes Scantlin can write great sarcastic songs, but then come up with a sweet song like "Blurry" about his son. Smith adds that he's looking forward to hearing "Control" because "I think one of the greatest lines in rock history is, 'I like the way you smack my ass.'"

New 10 YEARS Single Takes On Music Biz

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

10 YEARS will release its new album, "Feeding The Wolves", on August 31, but the first single, "Shoot It Out", is already on the radio now. The title of the record is actually taken from a line in the song, which singer Jesse Hasek says is about the pressures the band has faced in the music business. "It's a very aggressive song and it's a little bit of angst towards just how they don't leave you alone to be the musicians you are," he tells The Pulse of Radio. "You hear it with a lot of bands, the whole 'jaded' scenario, but it's true, because we're a bunch of musicians that were writing music all on our own with no outside sources affecting us. And then you get, it turns into a profession and you get pulled in all sorts of directions. And we just said, 'Enough's enough, we're just gonna do what we want.'"

The band recently promised that "Feeding The Wolves" will be "the heaviest album they've made in nearly a decade."

IN OTHER NEWS...

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

** Creed will play an acoustic set at singer Scott Stapp's house that will be on UStream.TV starting tonight at 7:00 p.m. [ET].

** Metallica's Kill 'Em All will be released on limited-edition red vinyl tomorrow through their fan club website, MetClub.com.

APOCALYPTICA: Video Trilogy

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

Shinedown's Brent Smith shot the final footage yesterday in Nashville for a video trilogy that will encompass three of the four vocal tracks on Apocalyptica's upcoming album, Seventh Symphony. Director Lisa Mann had already shot clips with Gavin Rossdale of Bush and Flyleaf's Lacey Mosley for the songs they sing on the album. The video for the first single, "End of Me" featuring Rossdale, is up on Apocalyptica.com. The next two will share its look and continue its storyline.

Apocalyptica are playing a few U.S. dates, but tell us they'll be returning to the States for a proper tour right around the album's August 24th release.

TANTRIC, ADEMA, BURN HALO: Tour Dates Announced

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

TANTRIC, ADEMA, and BURN HALO will be teaming up for a US tour, with FLAW appearing on select dates. TheLiveLine will be powering all mobile efforts for the tour, including tour mobile clubs, in-venue mobile discounts on merch, and more.

TANTRIC, ADEMA, and BURN HALO tour dates:

July 28 – Denver, CO @ Grizzly Rose
July 29 – Grand Junction, CO @ Mesa Theater
July 30 – Vernal, UT @ Western Park
July 31 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Club Vegas
August 3 – Sparks, NV @ The New Oasis
August 5 – Santa Rosa, CA @ Chrome Lotus
August 7 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Hard Rock Café on the strip
August 8 – Tempe, AZ @ Club Red
August 9 – Tucson, AZ @ Club DV8
August 11 – Abilene, TX @ Midnight Rodeo III
August 12 – Harker Heights, TX @ The Music Vault
August 13 – San Antonio, TX @ Scoutbar
August 14 – Houston, TX @ The Scoutbar
August 15 – Dallas, TX @ Trees
August 18 – Jonesboro, AK @ The Brickhouse Grill
August 19 – Little Rock, AK @ The Village
August 20 – Charenton, LA @ Rox Nightclub (IN) Cypress Bayou Casino
August 21 – Panama City Beach, FL @ Club La Vela
August 22 – Jacksonville, FL @ Brewsters Pit Live
August 25 – Philadelphia, PA @ Polaris
August 27 – Watertown, NY @ The Exhibition Hall
August 28 – Rochester, NY @ The Montage Music Hall
August 29 – Cheswick, PA @ Ches-arena Entertainment Complex
August 31 – Baltimore, MD @ Bourbon Street Quarter
September 1 – Eden, NC @ Modelo Bay
September 2 – Charlotte, NC @ Amos’ Southend
September 3 – Jacksonville, NC @ The Party Zone (no BURN HALO)
September 4 – Fayetteville, NC @ Jester’s Pub (no BURN HALO)
September 5 – Wilmington, NC @ The Soapbox Laundro Lounge (no BURN HALO)
September 9 – Bay City, MI @ Prime Event Center
September 10 – Warren, MI @ The Ritz
September 11 – Glendale Heights, IL @ Shark City
September 14 – Waterloo, IA @ Spicoli’s Grill And The Rever
September 15 – Maplewood, MN @ The Rock Night Club
September 16 – Madison, WI @ The Annex
September 18 – Rockford, IL @ Kryptonite Bar

SHINEDOWN, CHEVELLE: They Are Original

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

We asked Shinedown frontman Brent Smith about all of the other bands on the Carnival of Madness tour, which starts Friday in Jacksonville, Florida. Smith says Chevelle always stand out on the radio because they have a "really eclectic, very versatile style." He adds that his favorite Chevelle track is "The Clincher," which he calls "one of the most underrated rock songs of all time."

Linkin Park Get More Eclectic On New Album

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

Last week, Linkin Park announced their new studio album will be titled A Thousand Suns and is due out September 14. The first single, "The Catalyst," will arrive at radio on August 2. The band worked with uber-producer Rick Rubin for the second straight record, following 2007's Minutes To Midnight Speaking to Rolling Stone, singer Chester Bennington says, "On the last record, Rick's challenge was getting us to open up our perception of what our music could be. This time we realized it doesn't matter what the songs sound like. If we like it and it comes from us, it's Linkin Park."

Co-frontman and album co-producer Mike Shinoda adds, "We’ve got rapport with radio stations and people who want to put our band on the front page of their site. They’re gonna give us a shot more so than a band they’ve never heard of. So we’ve got this opportunity to take bigger chances with our records and do something a little more challenging."

Rolling Stone says A Thousand Suns is the most eclectic LP release yet, with topical lyrics addressing war in the Middle East and the recession. An as-yet-untitled song combines Nine Inch Nails industrial influences with psychedelic synths, while another new tune features heavy, Hip-Hop beats.

"At this point we're writing such great music that I almost want to go do 50 shows around the world and then get right back into making another record," Bennington says. "Once the ball starts rolling, it's all I want. It's like a drug."

KORN: III's the Charm

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

Korn return today with their first new studio album in three years. Korn Three: Remember Who You Are reunites the band with producer Ross Robinson, who did their first two albums. It's also Korn's first effort with drummer Ray Luzier, who joined as a full-time member two years ago. Luzier, who says he was a fan for 15 years before he joining the group, feels that the album really goes back to Korn's roots and that singer Jonathan Davis "really shines on this record."

KORN: Crop Circle Performance Available Online

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

KORN performed for an hour and twenty minutes inside the mysterious crop circle that was recently revealed in the final installment of a viral web campaign. The band worked closely with longtime U.K.-based circle makers, CircleMakers.org, on the shadowy design which features a series of intricate circles, one of which includes the iconic KORN logo, and stretches over 920 feet long and 350 feet wide. The concert event, which is a first for a rock band, takes inspiration from the eerie atmosphere of PINK FLOYD's legendary "Live at Pompei". The concert made its North American broadcast premiere on HDNet on Sunday, July 11 and had a worldwide online premiere on Monday, July 12 via MySpace in countries all over the world.

Check out footage of the performance below.

"The setting and the mood took us into a totally new direction musically. We took the opportunity to stretch out and experiment with the performance. I don't think we'll ever be the same," said frontman Jonathan Davis.

"I felt like we were on some new frontier musically for KORN," said guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer. "This is definitely going to add a new dimension to our live shows."

Over the last month, web watchers were exposed to mysterious, unexplainable footage shot from a wheat field near KORN's native Bakersfield, California. The viral series lead many to wonder what was going on and what exactly KORN had in store for their loyal fans. Well, the time has come to find out what is really going on with these ominous "signs." The band performed several songs from "Korn III - Remember Who You Are", their new album which is due out July 13. KORN also dipped into its beloved catalog and played numerous classics and fan favorites.

"We spent a lot of time fooling around in the wheat fields and corn fields surrounding Bako when we were kids, and it gets pretty spooky out there at night. That's where we got the inspiration for the whole thing, so we decided to have some fun with the viral videos," Davis also said.

KORN is one of the co-headliners of the third annual Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival.

The band performed earlier this month on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"'s outdoor stage, playing two new songs from "Korn III" as well as four fan favorites.

KORN LIVE: THE ENCOUNTER

Korn MySpace Music Videos

STONE SOUR Members Discuss Making Of 'Audio Secrecy'- Part 1

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

Guitar Edge's Elliott Politte recently sat down with STONE SOUR's Corey Taylor (vocals), Josh Rand (guitar) and Jim Root (guitar) inside Nashville, Tennessee's Blackbird Studios for an in-depth interview about the band's new album, "Audio Secrecy"; the sorry state of the music industry; and the reason the group chose to work with producer Nick Raskulinecz (FOO FIGHTERS, ALICE IN CHAINS, DEFTONES) again on the new CD after initially announcing someone else. Part one of the chat can now be viewed below.

"Audio Secrecy" is scheduled for release on September 7 via Roadrunner Records. The follow-up to 2006's "Come What(ever) May" was recorded with Raskulinecz at Blackbird Studios in Nashville during the destructive storms and devastating floods that hit the historic heart of Music City.

SLAYER, MEGADETH, ANTHRAX To Join Forces For Leg Two Of 'American Carnage'

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

1991's original American "Clash of the Titans" lineup — SLAYER, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX — will hit the road together once again on leg two of the "American Carnage" tour. This trek kicks off September 24 at Verizon Wireless Theatre in Dallas, Texas and will play 20 dates, including New York's Nassau Coliseum, concluding at Gibson Amphitheatre in Los Angeles on October 21.

On leg two of "American Carnage", MEGADETH will continue to roar through its landmark 1990 album "Rust in Peace" from front to back, while SLAYER will rip the roof off by performing its much-lauded "Seasons in the Abyss" album, which was also released in 1990. ANTHRAX recently welcomed back singer Joey Belladonna, who defined the band during its heyday, and now permanently back in the band, will be front-and-center.

A special pre-sale will launch this Wednesday, July 14, and Razor Rock Legion members should log on to Razor947.com to obtain the special code needed for the pre-sale, and then go to Ticketmaster.com to purchase tickets. The public on-sale will begin July 23 in most markets.

In the spirit of beating the recession, there will be pre-sale discounts on all tickets in most markets (see below for more details), and if that's not enough, a limited amount of $10 tickets will be available in many cities. Log on to any of the bands' web sites or on to Ticketmaster's site for those details.

But wait, there's even more. For leg two of the "American Carnage" tour, MEGADETH has teamed up with ILoveAllAccess.com to provide fans with VIP experiences including priority venue access, meet-and-greets, parties, exclusive gifts and more. Logging on to Megadeth.com will provide those details. Plus, fans who purchase their tickets online at either Slayer.net or Ticketmaster.com will receive a free download of the live audio track "War Ensemble", set to be included on SLAYER's forthcoming, as-yet-unannounced "Live Intrusion" DVD release.

Confirmed dates for leg two of the "American Carnage" tour are as follows:

Sep. 24 - Verizon Wireless Theatre, Dallas, TX*
Sep. 25 - AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX*
Sep. 26 - Verizon Wireless Theatre, Houston, TX*
Sep. 28 - Lakefront Arena, New Orleans, LA*
Sep. 30 - Civic Coliseum, Knoxville, TN
Oct. 01 - The Arena at Gwinnett Center, Atlanta, GA*
Oct. 02 - Hard Rock Live, Orlando, FL
Oct. 03 - Bayfront Park Amphitheatre, Miami, FL*
Oct. 05 - Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA
Oct. 06 - 1st Mariner Arena, Baltimore, MD*
Oct. 08 - Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, Long Island, NY*
Oct. 09 - Toyota Pavilion @ Montage Mountain, Scranton, PA*
Oct. 10 - LC Pavilion, Columbus, OH**
Oct. 12 - Freedom Hall, Louisville, KY
Oct. 14 - War Memorial Coliseum, Ft.Wayne, IN*
Oct. 15 - DeltaPlex, Grand Rapids, MI*
Oct. 16 - Eagles Ballroom, Milwaukee, WI**
Oct. 19 - E Center, Salt Lake City, UT
Oct. 20 - The Pearl, Las Vegas, NV
Oct. 21 - Gibson Amphitheatre, Hollywood, CA*

ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL Kicks Off In San Bernardino; Behind-The-Scenes Footage

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

KORN and ROB ZOMBIE are topping the bill on this summer's Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival tour, which kicked off yesterday (Saturday, July 10) in San Bernardino, California.

Behind-the-scenes footage from the first show — featuring your hostess, Fuse TV's Mistress Juliya — has been posted on the Rockstar Energy YouTube channel and can be viewed below.

The complete billing for the festival is as follows:

Main Stage:

KORN
ROB ZOMBIE
LAMB OF GOD
FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH

Mayhem Festival Stage:

ATREYU
NORMA JEAN
IN THIS MOMENT
3 INCHES OF BLOOD

Jägermeister Stage:

HATEBREED
CHIMAIRA
SHADOWS FALL
WINDS OF PLAGUE

The world's greatest freestyle motocross team, Metal Mulisha, is returning to rev up audiences with its unique style of death-defying motorcycle stunts. Also featured on this year's tour is the bombastic Beacher's Madhouse, a sexy costume party combined with outrageous variety acts, beautiful dancers, scantily-clad Beacher's Babies, DJs and so much more. Comedian Jay Oakerson (seen on Comedy Central) is also on hand to deliver an onslaught of unbridled awesomeness and raunchy rock 'n' roll comedy.

In addition to catching their favorite bands, Mayhem-goers can enjoy a plethora of festival activities, including playing the newest video games, perusing vendors, attending autograph signing sessions and a slew of other interactive activities that enhance the concert experience.

HELLYEAH: Entire New Album Available For Streaming

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

"Stampede", the sophomore album from the metal juggernaut known as HELLYEAH — featuring Vinnie Paul Abbott (PANTERA, DAMAGEPLAN), Chad Gray and Greg Tribbett (MUDVAYNE), Tom Maxwell (NOTHINGFACE) and Bob "Zilla" Kakaha (DAMAGEPLAN) — is available for streaming in its entirety at MSN Music.

"Stampede" will be released in North America on July 13. The "super deluxe" edition of the CD will feature the album itself, a bonus DVD, a limited-edition lenticular 3D cover with an expanded booklet, a HELLYEAH bull skull, instant downloads of the album tracks "Cowboy Way" and "Hell Of A Time" and an MP3 download of the full album. The standard "deluxe edition" will contain the album, a bonus DVD, instant downloads of the album tracks "Cowboy Way" and "Hell Of A Time" and an MP3 download of the full album.

ATREYU: 'Gallows' Video Released

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

"Gallows", the latest video from Orange County, California's ATREYU, can be viewed below. The song comes off ATREYU's latest album, "Congregation of the Damned".

LINKIN PARK: New Album on 9/14

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

Linkin Park's new album, A Thousand Suns, will hit stores on September 14th. It was co-produced by Rick Rubin and Linkin Park vocalist Mike Shinoda, who did the band's last album, 2007's Minutes to Midnight. The first single, "The Catalyst," will be released on August 2nd.

Linkin Park are offering fans a chance to put their own spin on "The Catalyst" with the Linkin Park, Featuring You contest. Starting today, you can download parts of the song at MySpace.com/LinkinPark and create your own version to upload to the band's page. The best version will either be a bonus track on the album or earn the winner an invitation to perform with the band on a song on the disc.

KORN, ZOMBIE: Mayhem Starts, Crop Circle Show Debuts

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

Korn and Rob Zombie kick off the Rockstar Mayhem Festival tour on Saturday in Devore, California. They'll be joined on the road by Five Finger Death Punch, Atreyu and 10 other bands until August 14th in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

If you can't catch the opening of the Rockstar Mayhem Festival, you can check out a Korn show on HDnet Sunday night at 8:00 p.m. [ET]. They filmed the show at the crop circle with the band's logo in it just outside their hometown of Bakersfield, California. The concert will start steaming on MySpace on Monday.

Artist Spotlight: Buckcherry Guitarist Keith Nelson

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

Buckcherry is gearing up to release its fifth studio album, All Night Long, on August 3 via Eleven Seven Music. Fans have already been getting an early taste of the album from the single of the same name, and Buckcherry also recently released a new version of the track "Our World" from All Night Long as an iTunes exclusive single to benefit charities devoted to helping victims of the BP oil spill in the Gulf. Furthermore, the band has been taking their new tunes on the road, and they have a number of big shows still to come this summer, including the Rock On The Range festival in Canada and the famous Sturgis Bike Week motorcycle rally in South Dakota, not to mention gigs with Aerosmith and Alice Cooper and a fall tour with Nickelback. Just as the band was hitting the road in June, FMQB spoke to founding guitarist Keith Nelson to get an inside look at All Night Long as well as what's ahead for Buckcherry.

Click here to read the interview.

ZAKK WYLDE: Doctor Told Me If I Kept Drinking I'd Be Dead By The Time I Was 50

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

Andrew Vaughan of Gibson.com recently conducted an interview with BLACK LABEL SOCIETY mainman and former OZZY OSBOURNE guitarist Zakk Wylde. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

On discovering that he had blood clots in his leg:

"The doc was like, 'You have, what, a drink a day? Six? 12? A case?' I'm like, 'It's a liquid diet.' I mean, I'd drink beer while lifting weights. That's BLACK LABEL SOCIETY style for you right there. But the doc told me if I kept this up, I'd be dead by the time I was 50. So I stopped drinking. No big deal."

On hearing that Ozzy Osbourne wanted a new guitarist to replace Wylde:

"I heard that, and to me, hey, the glass was half-full. It's like, thanks for letting me be there for 23 years! I'll always cherish that. What more could Ozzy do for me at this point? I look at it this way: instead of 24-7, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY is now my life 25-8."

On recording the new BLACK LABEL SOCIETY album, "Order Of The Black", in his home studio, a.k.a. the Black Label Bunker:

"I gutted the whole place, made it state-of-the-art, mixed and recorded there — the whole thing came out slammin'."

On how he would describe the new BLACK LABEL SOCIETY album:

"It's just whatever the songs are. I hate bands who are like, 'This is our heaviest yet'… so it's just picking and screaming now? Or, 'This is the fastest guitar playing I've ever done.' Then you're listening to notes. My favorite artists — ZEPPELIN, SABBATH, ELTON JOHN — the whole thing is songs. 'Back In Black' wasn't the heaviest or most vulgar AC/DC album — it has the best songs."

Read the entire interview from Gibson.com.

SHINEDOWN: Ah, The Hotel Life

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

Shinedown frontman Brent Smith says there's one nice thing that's happened since the band struck platinum success in the past year with The Sound of Madness -- they get to enjoy days off in plush hotels. Smith admits that some people "might think it sounds kind of pretentious. But it didn't happen overnight to be able to do it." He says things have really changed from the days of "go four days without a shower, then stay in a hotel with one, then another five days without one."

ROB ZOMBIE: Here Comes the Judge

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

Rob Zombie will be judging short horror films for the Halloween Horror Nights Film Competition. Aspiring directors can submit films of 90 seconds to three minutes at HalloweenHorrorNights.com. Zombie will pick the Top 10, with the winner be determined by fan voting in September. The winning film will debut on Chiller TV and appear SyFy.com, and the filmmaker will receive $1000 and be flown to the opening night of Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood.

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE To Begin Work On New Album

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

According to The Pulse of Radio, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE and THEM CROOKED VULTURES guitarist and singer Josh Homme told RollingStone.com that once the QUEENS finish a run of European festival dates they'll settle into making their sixth studio album this fall. He said, "I have ideas already, absolutely. It's all about wiggling hips. The music is gonna go further down that strange and lovely path of (2007 effort) 'Era Vulgaris'." Homme added that he hopes to have the new QUEENS record out by the middle of next year.

In the meantime, fans will have to content themselves with the deluxe reissue of the band's second album, 2000's "Rated R", which will arrive this fall with B-sides and a complete concert included.

Homme hinted that the group has also played with the idea of performing all five of their albums in concert, explaining, "We've talked about how much we enjoyed when CHEAP TRICK performed their first three records and we've thought about doing five nights for each record. It's been discussed — after a few shots."

Homme has also revived his custom record label, Rekords Rekords, and plans to launch a new series of his famous "Desert Sessions" jam sessions, a box set of all the previous "Desert Sessions" recordings and the solo debut from QUEENS and THEM CROOKED VULTURES guitarist Alain Johannes. That album, called "Spark", is due out August 31.

KORN: More Acts Join BP Boycott

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

More acts have joined the BP boycott led by Korn. Shinedown, 30 Seconds to Mars, Chevelle, Sevendust, Puddle of Mudd, Halestorm, Saliva, Adelitas Way, 10 Years and Hail the Villain have signed on to not use BP products for their tour vehicles, making it more than 30 acts that have followed Korn's lead.

30 Seconds to Mars frontman Jared Leto says, "As someone born in Louisiana, this hits close to home. It is an already fragile ecosystem hit by this terrible and senseless tragedy of unprecedented proportions. It is heartbreaking that this has happened."

STAIND: Aaron Goes Country?!?!?

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

Staind frontman Aaron Lewis has finished his first solo album -- and he says it's got a hefty dose of country. Lewis recorded it in Nashville with a roster of country studio musicians. He tells Billboard, "It's kind of somewhere between country and James Taylor and 'It's Been Awhile.'" Lewis expects to release the album in the fall and do a brief tour behind it before reuniting with his Staind bandmates to start their next album.

KORN: Entire New Album Available For Streaming

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

KORN's new album, "Korn III - Remember Who You Are", is available for streaming in its entirety at CraveOnline.com. The CD is due on July 13 via Roadrunner Records.

INCUBUS: Boyd Releases Surprise Solo Album

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

Incubus singer Brandon Boyd quietly released a solo album yesterday through I-Tunes. The Wild Trapeze is also available in a limited-edition CD through TheWildTrapeze.com. Boyd says the album "began as pot-induced meanderings on my dusty acoustic guitar while Incubus was off of the road, and has slowly been morphing into things that I originally could never have imagined."

Up next for Boyd is a new Incubus album, which the band plans to start recording at the end of the summer and release next year.

DISTURBED: Take Your Time, Do It Right

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

Disturbed have taken two to three years in between all their albums, with it being two years this time between Believe and the new one Asylum. Guitarist Dan Donegan says the gap between releases is a product of pushing themselves on each album. "We feel we have grown as songwriters and musicians and we want to make sure we're not rehashing old songs or old ideas with each album." Asylum will hit stores on August 31st.

NINE INCH NAILS: Trent Scores (a Film)

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor is using his time off the road to be very productive. First, he started a side project called How to Destroy Angels and now he's scored the new David Fincher film The Social Network, a film about the founding of Facebook, with his frequent collaborator Atticus Ross. Reznor writes on the band's website, "I've always loved David's work but quite honestly I wondered what would draw him to tell that story. When I actually read the script and realized what he was up to, I said goodbye to that free time I had planned." The film is due out October 1st with the soundtrack due out in mid-September

Courtesy of Steve Reynolds

Pearl Jam's New Video is for a Good Cause

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 12:00:00 CST

The digital sales of Pearl Jam's "Amongst the Waves" video will raise funds for Conservation International's Ocean Campaign. The clip is streaming at Pearljam.com/oceans, the band's new web page to raise awareness of the efforts of various organizations. The "Amongst the Waves" video will be available through I-Tunes starting Tuesday.

THIRTY SECONDS TO MARS: Teaser for Upcoming Short Film "This is War"

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 12:00:00 CST

THIRTY SECONDS TO MARS have just released a teaser for the upcoming short film “This Is War” on their YouTube Channel. The entire short film, inspired by the #1 Modern Rock song and title track of the critically acclaimed album This Is War, will be available for viewing worldwide in July.

STONE SOUR: Live Video Performance of New Song, "Mission Statement"

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 12:00:00 CST

ive performance footage, professionally shot of STONE STOUR at Download Festival 2010, is available for your viewing pleasure. It is of their new song “Mission Statement” from STONE STOUR’s new album Audio Secrecy.

Catch STONE SOUR live in the US this summer as part of the Rockstar Energy Uproar Tour 2010.

PAPA ROACH: 'Kick In The Teeth' Video Released

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 12:00:00 CST

PAPA ROACH: 'Kick In The Teeth' Video Released - June 30, 2010
"Kick In The Teeth", the new video from Californian rockers PAPA ROACH, can be viewed below. The song comes off the band's upcoming album, "Time For Annihilation...On The Road and On The Record", which will feature a mix of live tracks and new studio cuts. PAPA ROACH frontman Jacoby Shaddix told The Pulse of Radio why the band decided to issue a live album now. "Everybody keeps going, 'Man, you guys, you know, you guys kill it live, you guys are a great live band,' and we were like, 'You know what, it's time for us to do a live record,'" he said. "And so we wrapped up 2009, we were doing dates with SHINEDOWN, and we started recording shows towards the end of that. We got nine live songs, and then we have five studio songs, and so it's kind of like the best of both worlds."

Shaddix explained why the band split the album between live and studio material, saying, "We've always wanted to capture the energy of our live shows but didn't want to do the same old thing that most bands do, so we decided to put five brand new studio tracks on the record along with some of our favorites from the road and we are really proud of the final result."

Due on August 31, "Time For Annihilation" will be PAPA ROACH's first release on Eleven Seven Music, after parting ways with Interscope/Geffen Records earlier this year. Shaddix said about the move, "We wanted to work with a team who's focused on rock music rather than pop and urban. Moving to a successful indie like Eleven Seven Music gives us that without sacrificing the manpower of a major."

PAPA ROACH's last full studio album was 2009's "Metamorphosis".

Jim Root on Slipknot's Future

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 12:00:00 CST

After the death of bassist Paul Gray, the members of Slipknot are taking their time deciding what to do about the band. In an interview with Sonispherefestivals.com, guitarist Jim Root said it could be two years before Slipknot figures out the next step. "There's going to be a big healing process that needs to happen before we even think about whether or not Slipknot will continue. And right now that's the furthest thing from our mind," Root said. "Right now we are just grieving or trying to find time to grieve anyway for the fact that our bro's gone. It's weird because some days I don't even think it's real, so that one's not going to make sense for a while." Right now Root is focused on his new album with Stone Sour, Audio Secrecy, which is due on September 7.

APOCALYPTICA: Behind-The-Scenes Footage From 'End Of Me' Video Shoot

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 12:00:00 CST

APOCALYPTICA traveled to Los Angeles in early June to shoot a music video for "End Of Me", the first single from the Finnish rock cello quartet's upcoming album, "7th Symphony". The song features BUSH singer Gavin Rossdale on vocals, with Rossdale also making an appearance in the video.

Behind-the-scenes footage from the making of the video can be viewed below.

The clip will make its online debut on July 2, while the album surfaces on August 24.

Just like on their previous album, "Worlds Collide", APOCALYPTICA has employed guest vocalists for several tracks on the record. APOCALYPTICA member Eicca Toppinen told The Pulse of Radio that it's always a challenge to fit the band's music around each individual singer's style. "You know, there's certain challenges, but we also, we always want to see how the vocals fit in that, "he said. "(But) after that, we work on the arrangements and see what else with the cellos we can create around the vocals. But I think with everybody — we've been so lucky to work with some great people, so it's always pretty easy."

Other guest artists on "7th Symphony" include SHINEDOWN frontman Brent Smith, FLYLEAF singer Lacey Mosley, vocalist Joseph Duplantier of French metal act GOJIRA and drummer Dave Lombardo from SLAYER.

Not The Original BUSH

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 12:00:00 CST

According to The Pulse of Radio, the latest band to reunite, BUSH, is not bringing back all its original members. Frontman Gavin Rossdale is being joined in this incarnation by guitarist Chris Traynor and bassist Corey Britz, who are replacing Nigel Pulsford and Dave Parsons, respectively.

Traynor played in the last BUSH lineup before the band went on hiatus in 2001, after Pulsford left to spend time with his family.

BUSH will perform is first live show in eight years as part of the Epicenter weekend in Fontana, September 25-26, joining EMINEM and KISS at the Golden State's inland empire venue. Also in the fall, the first new studio album in nine years from BUSH will be released on Interscope, titled "Everything Always Now". The CD was produced by Bob Rock, who also helmed Gavin's 2008 solo debut, "Wanderlust", which spawned the crossover hit single "Love Remains the Same" (and whose credits include seminal work with METALLICA, MÖTLEY CRÜE, BON JOVI, AEROSMITH, and more).

It all came full circle for BUSH when Gavin previewed "Afterlife", the first single pick from "Everything Always Now", during an interview on the Los Angeles radio station KROQ.

KROQ launched BUSH's career on the rock charts in late 1994, with the band's debut hit single, "Everything Zen", from BUSH's six-times-platinum-certified debut album "Sixteen Stone". It was the maiden voyage of the British band that emerged two years earlier from Shepherd’s Bush and went on to sell more than 16 million albums in the U.S. and Canada alone: "Razorblade Suitcase" (1996), "Deconstructed" (1997), "The Science of Things" (1999), and "Golden State" (2001). Over the same period, BUSH compiled an amazing string of 14 consecutive Top 40 hit singles on the Billboard Modern Rock and Mainstream Rock charts, including ten that hit the Top 5. Four of these became #1 hits that forever define the decade of the '90s: "Comedown" (1995), "Glycerine" (1995), "Swallowed" (1996) and "The Chemicals Between Us" (1999).

METALLICA: Lars Ulrich in "Get Him To The Greek"

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 12:00:00 CST

METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich makes a cameo appearance playing himself in "Get Him To The Greek", an American comedy film, directed by Nicholas Stoller and starring Russell Brand and Jonah Hill. The movie, which was also written by Stoller, was released on June 4.

"Get Him to the Greek" is a spin-off from "Forgetting Sarah Marshall", reuniting director Stoller with stars Hill and Brand. Brand reprises his character Aldous Snow from "Forgetting Sarah Marshall", while Hill plays an entirely new character.

Artisan News Service spoke to Ulrich (see video below) about his involvement with the film at the movie's May 25 Los Angeles premiere at the Greek Theatre.

When asked about acting in "Get Him to the Greek", Lars said, "It was so much fun. I mean, they sent the script and I learned my lines. And when I showed up on the set, none of it mattered — they just took the script and threw it away. We were just improvising and having fun and insulting each other, and it was a great time. Russell, obviously, is a stand-up comedian, first and foremost, or at least he started as a stand-up comedian, so it's all just improvising."

Regarding whether he lent any real-life rock-star pointers to the "Get Him to the Greek" filmmakers, Ulrich said, "They kept asking me if I could give them pointers about what it's really like, and I tried to tell them, but in my world, most of what goes on in this world is so difficult to actually make anybody believe that it actually happened, so I think most of it just went over their heads."

So has Ulrich has had any Aldous Snow moments in his career?

"I've had way too many Aldous Snow moments, trust me," he replied. "But I will say that METALLICA, fortunately, were never quite the band that... None of us went missing for days or ended up in the gutter. We've had a few crazy moments here and there — close calls — but we always showed up on time, more or less, and played our shows. In 29 years of METALLICA, I've only missed one show, so that's not bad."

The film's synopsis reads as follows: "Aaron Greenberg (Hill) gets things done. The ambitious 23-year-old has exaggerated his way into a dream job just in time for a career-making assignment. His mission: Fly to London and escort a rock god to L.A.s Greek Theatre for the first-stop on a $100-million tour. His warning: Turn your back on him at your own peril. British rocker Aldous Snow (Brand) is both a brilliant musician and walking sex. Weary of yes men and piles of money, the former front man is searching for the meaning of life. But that doesnt mean he cant have a few orgies while he finds it. When he learns his true love is in California, Aldous makes it his quest to win her backright before kick-starting his world domination.

"As the countdown to the concert begins, one intern must navigate a minefield of London drug smuggles, New York City brawls and Vegas lap dances to deliver his charge safe and, sort of, sound. He may have to coax, lie to, enable and party with Aldous, but Aaron will get him to the Greek

Courtesy of Blabbermouth.net

KORN Singer: 'We've Explored All We Wanted To Explore'

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 12:00:00 CST

The Pulse of Radio reports: KORN makes a deliberate return to its musical roots on its upcoming album "Korn III - Remember Who You Are", which arrives on July 13 and follows up 2007's untitled eighth studio album. The band even recruited old friend and producer Ross Robinson, who worked on the band's 1994 debut and 1996's "Life Is Peachy", to produce the new record. Singer Jonathan Davis told The Pulse of Radio why the band decided to go retro. "We felt it was time for us to go back and try and do like an old-school record," he said. "After 'Peachy', we started, you know, working with different producers and really experimenting, and with Untitled it feels like we've explored all we wanted to explore, and it was time for us to strip things back down again and just write an intense, emotional record."

Davis told Billboard.com on Friday (June 25) that KORN "hit a wall creatively with all the experimentation" on its last effort, a fact perhaps represented in the album's less than stellar sales.

KORN also courted controversy on 2005's "See You On The Other Side" by working with songwriting team The Matrix, known for their work with Avril Lavigne.

"Remember Who You Are" is the band's first album with independent label Roadrunner Records after a two-record stint with EMI Music.

The first single and video from the album is called "Oildale (Leave Me Alone)". The clip was shot in the downtrodden California town of Oildale, near where KORN was formed in Bakersfield.

KORN will co-headline this summer's Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival tour, along with ROB ZOMBIE, beginning on July 10 in San Bernardino, California.

FILTER: This Time, It's Personal

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 12:00:00 CST

Richard Patrick has finally completed the new Filter album he's been working on since last year with producer Bob Marlette and various members from both present and past lineups of the band. An August 17th release date has been set for The Trouble With Angels, and Patrick tells us it's a lot more about personal subjects than their last effort, 2008's Anthems for the Damned, which had "an agenda" that was "political and specific, against the Iraq War and stuff like that."

DISTURBED Frontman On BP Crisis: 'I Think It Is An Embarrassment And It Is Unforgivable'

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 12:00:00 CST

DISTURBED frontman David Draiman was recently asked by AOL's Noisecreep if he had an opinion about the BP crisis. "I have a significant one," he replied. "I think it is an embarrassment and it is unforgivable. We should have sent every available resource the minute it occurred, but watchdog organizations are in bed with these people and nothing is done. I think that it is ridiculous that we didn't accept aid from the Saudis right away; the freighters they have, and have used, with suction capabilities?"

He continued, "We left it to BP, who did not take accurate measurements of oil and who lied all along. All they are concerned about is diverting and saving the constantly leaking orifice instead of damming it up and losing the oil. They aren't worried about saving an ecosystem and way of life of fisherman along the Gulf Coast."

Draiman also deemed the White House's reaction to the BP spill as "tantamount to how Bush handled Katrina. It gets worse every day. The marine life is hardest hit, since they have to come to the surface to breathe and instead take in the toxins. I am beyond disgusted with the situation. I have followed it like a madman. It's unforgivable."

Read more from Noisecreep.

BREAKING BENJAMIN: Not Lights Out

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 12:00:00 CST

Contrary to Internet rumors, Breaking Benjamin is not breaking up. Letter from frontman, Ben Burnley, as posted on the band's website, shallowbay.com

Hey everyone, Benjamin here. I am officially letting everyone know that Breaking Benjamin has NOT broken up! This is just a false rumor that, through the miracle of modern technology, has unfortunately spread.

I am currently taking some time off from touring to further address some health issues that I have been dealing with for some years now which has been posted previously on the shallow bay website and expressed in many recent interviews. I am performing two solo acoustic shows in July but this in no way means that I have left, or am ever going to leave, Breaking Benjamin.

In closing I’d like to thank our incredible fans for their concern. The only thing that I ask, is for everyone to not believe any rumors you hear on the Internet especially when it does not come directly from the band. We hope that our fans know that we love them and are forever grateful of their continuing support.

Much love,
Benjamin Burnley

ALL THAT REMAINS: New LP Title

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 12:00:00 CST

All That Remains have picked For We Are Many as the title of their fifth album. It's tentatively due out in mid-fall. It was produced by Killswitch Engage guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz, who previously worked with the band on their second and third albums. Look for a full U.S. to happen in the fall.

SEETHER: Working on New Disc

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 12:00:00 CST

Seether have tapped Brendan O'Brien (Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots) to produce their new album. The band worked on the disc earlier this spring in Nashville, and will be back in the studio after the Fourth of July holiday to finish it. Look for the as-yet-untitled album -- the band's first since 2007's Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces -- in late September or early October.

ROB ZOMBIE To Record New Music Next Week

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 12:00:00 CST

Rob Zombie will head into the studio next week to record several new tracks with his current touring band, which includes guitarist John 5 (ex-MARILYN MANSON), bassist Piggy D. (ex-WEDNESDAY 13) and drummer Joey Jordison (SLIPKNOT, MURDERDOLLS). Zombie states, "These are some of the fastest, heaviest tracks we have recorded in a long, long time. These songs will available in September."

Rob Zombie's fourth solo album, "Hellbilly Deluxe 2", debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard album chart on February 10, selling 49,000 copies in its first week of release. That total was less than 50 percent of the number of copies that his previous effort, "Educated Horses", sold in its first week back in April 2006, when it moved 107,000 copies to land at No. 5 on the chart.

Zombie was originally supposed to issue the album last November through his longtime label, Geffen Records, but delayed its arrival to February 2 after abruptly leaving to sign with the Roadrunner label. He admitted to The Pulse of Radio that he was a little unsure at first whether that was the right thing to do. "Well, I mean, it was weird because at first you think like, well, you know, you're on Geffen, do you want to make the switch, should you just change next time on the next record, you know, just ride out what you started," he said. "I struggled with it but I thought, you know, my gut is telling me this is the thing to do because I have a feeling if I put it out in November, the label's not gonna support it, and by December the record will be dead. And I just said, you know, screw it. Whatever the repercussions, let's just do it."

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE: Deluxe "R"

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 12:00:00 CST

The 10th anniversary deluxe edition of Queens of the Stone Age's breakthrough album Rated R will be released August 3rd. The double disc adds an entire concert from England's Reading Festival in 2000, as well six B-sides, including covers of Romeo Void's "Never Say Never" and The Kinks' "Who'll Be the Next in Line."

OFFSPRING: New Cd

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 12:00:00 CST

The Offspring are writing new material for the follow-up to 2008's Rise And Fall, Rage And Grace, and hope to debut at least one new song on their summer tour. Guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman tells Billboard, "We started recording awhile ago. We've only got the one song that's close to being done and... five or six songs that I'd say are close. We want to get this record out as soon as possible, so we work at it, but at the same time you don't want to put out something that's not great. So we spend plenty of time trying to get it right, and maybe our senses are a little more fine-tuned, so we tend to nitpick." Noodles says the band will return to the studio following their summer co-headlining tour with 311, which began yesterday in Vancouver.

NICKELBACK: On Rock Band, Finally

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 12:00:00 CST

Nickelback are finally making their debut on Rock Band tomorrow. The Nickelback Pack 01 contains "Burn It to the Ground" and "This Afternoon" from 2008's Dark Horse; "Photograph" and "Rockstar" from 2005's All the Right Reasons; "Figured You Out" from 2003's The Long Road; and "Never Again" from 2001's Silver Side Up. The tracks will be available for download for Xbox 360, PS3 and the Wii.

SLIPKNOT, STONE SOUR: Corey Honored in Vegas

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 12:00:00 CST

Slipknot and Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor will be honored with a new exhibit of his memorabilia that will be unveiled at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas on July 15th. Taylor will be on hand for the ceremony, and then will play a show with his Junk Beer Kidnap Band on the 16th and a solo acoustic show on 17th.

SEVENDUST's Self-Titled Debut Reissued As 'Definitive Edition' With Bonus Tracks

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 12:00:00 CST

Atlanta hard rock giants SEVENDUST continue their explosive spring/summer this week with the deluxe, digitally remastered reissue of their self-titled debut. "Sevendust (Definitive Edition)" provides some extra muscle to all of the original hits (including "Black" and "Bitch") and tacks on five bonus tracks and a DVD, which features the nationally aired TV special "Live and Loud", recorded at the Metro in Chicago, and additional never-before-seen live and behind the scenes footage of the band.

This Thursday, SEVENDUST is taking to its Facebook page to stream the entire bonus DVD and chat with its fans. The DVD will air at 3 p.m. PST/6 p.m. EST, and the band will be chatting live on Facebook immediately following the DVD broadcast.

The bonus tracks on "Definitive Edition" have been culled from various releases, making it must-have for any fan. "Breathe" was previously only available on the "Strangeland" film soundtrack, "Terminator (Breathe Remix)" on the "MTV Celebrity Death Match" soundtrack, and live renditions of "Bitch" and "Prayer" were only released on the Japanese edition of the record. "Sevendust (Definitive Edition)" also includes a cover of Alice Cooper's legendary summer anthem "School’s Out".

"Sevendust" was recorded in Atlanta during the tragic terrorist bombing of the 1996 Summer Olympic Games. The widespread panic in Atlanta at the time fueled the band to create one of the fiercest albums to date. Produced by Jay Jay French and Mark Mendoza of TWISTED SISTER, the original has sold more than 700,000 copies and was certified gold in 1999.

Originally known as CRAWLSPACE, the SEVENDUST lineup is made up of singer/frontman Lajon Witherspoon, bassist Vince Hornsby, guitarists John Connolly and Clint Lowery, and drummer Morgan Rose.

PAPA ROACH: Text to End Hunger

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 12:00:00 CST

Papa Roach have placed a hidden track on their upcoming album Time for Annihilation...On the Record and On the Road in hopes of getting fans to donate to charity. The track has a message from frontman Jacoby Shaddix that asks fans to send a text to donate $5 to WhyHunger, the anti-hunger and poverty organization. The charity is one of Shaddix's favorites, as he was homeless for a time as a child.

Time for Annihilation...On the Record and on the Road is due out August 31st.

METALLICA's HAMMETT On Possibility Of U.S. 'Big Four' Tour: 'Never Say Never'

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 12:00:00 CST

BackstageAxxess.com caught up with METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett at Jeff Beck's June 9, 2010 tribute concert to Les Paul at the Iridium Jazz Club in New York.

While METALLICA takes some time off this summer, Hammett plans to write his first book, called "Too Much Horror Business". Hammett told RollingStone.com that the book will be all about his favorite genre, saying, "Horror movie posters, toys, artwork, comic books, the whole thing. It's something I've been into ever since I can remember. I remember finding my first monster magazine in San Francisco when I was six years old."

Hammett is famous for his collection of horror memorabilia, and has been known to occasionally auction off rarities like the only known lobby card for the lost 1927 Lon Chaney film "London After Midnight" and a Swedish poster for the 1933 "King Kong".

He said his favorite horror movie is either 1932's "The Mummy" or 1935's "The Bride Of Frankenstein", adding, "I'm an old school guy, you know, a big Boris Karloff fan. If you want to bring it up to present times, I really love "The Evil Dead" and "Re-Animator". I'm still waiting to see "The Human Centipede"! I can't wait!"

Hammett says the book will come out next year and will be "quirky Kirk Hammett — not too serious, but not too goofy, either."

METALLICA started a short run of European dates last week as part of the "Big Four" tour — featuring METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX all sharing the stage for the first time. The June 22 show was simulcast to U.S. movie theatres.

BUCKCHERRY: New Track for Charity

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 12:00:00 CST

Buckcherry have announced that all the proceeds from the I-Tunes sales of their new track "Our World" will go to charities devoted to helping victims of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The band originally posted the song -- from the upcoming album All Night long -- on its website last week as a free download. Then singer Josh Todd went into the studio and recut some of his vocals with revised lyrics. That's the version now available through I-Tunes.

Viral Video: Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax Perform "Am I Evil?" Live in Bulgaria!

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 12:00:00 CST

Check out this low-quality footage of Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax performing the Diamond Head classic “Am I Evil?” live at the Sonisphere festival in Sofia, Bulgaria. Also, don’t forget to read Revolver‘s interview with Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine and Slayer’s Kerry King right here.

THREE DAYS GRACE: Yes, We're Always Working

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 12:00:00 CST

Three Days Grace are on a well deserved break from the road for the next month, and they're spending this time going through a lot of musical ideas they came up with on tour. Singer-guitarist Adam Gontier says having two buses for themselves and their crew allowed him the chance to lay down some music without bothering anyone else trying to rest or sleep.

Three Days Grace will return to the road July 13th in Calgary in their native Canada for the first of a few festival shows that fill out the rest of the summer.

JANE'S ADDICTION: Now We're Ready to Record

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 12:00:00 CST

After a few months of writing and breaking in new bassist Duff McKagan, Jane's Addiction are starting their new album. They've tapped Rich Costey (Muse, Franz Ferdinand) to produce the disc, which they're recording in their hometown of Los Angeles. The new album is due out early next year, to be followed by a world tour.

ADELITAS WAY: Oh Brother

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 12:00:00 CST

When Adelitas Way return to the road next week, pay special attention to frontman Rick DeJesus when he sings "Brother" from their self-titled debut album. DeJesus wrote the song about his brother, who's battling a heroin addiction. The singer says he hoped the tune would convince his brother to kick the habit, but so far he's had no such luck.

Adelitas Way and Halestorm hit the road July 2nd in Evansville, Indiana.

SLIPKNOT: Gray Died of OD

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 12:00:00 CST

Slipknot bassist Paul Gray died of an accidental overdose of morphine and fentanyl, a synthetic morphine substitute, according to autopsy results released on Monday. Gray was found dead in a hotel room in Urbandale, Iowa on May 24th. The Polk County Medical Examiner Dr. Gregory Schmunk also noted in his report that Gray had significant heart disease.

METALLICA: Big Four on Screens Tonight

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 12:00:00 CST

Tonight Metallica's Sonicore "Big Four" show with Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax in Sofia, Bulgaria will be shown in movie theaters here in the U.S. But you won't get full sets -- the broadcast will just show highlights from each band's performance. Fans should check out TheBigFourLive.com for theater locations, as more have been added in the past week due to demand.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH To Perform On 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!'

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 12:00:00 CST

Los Angeles metallers FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH will perform their cover version of the BAD COMPANY classic "Bad Company" on the Tuesday, August 17 episode of ABC-TV's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" (which will actually air the morning of Wednesday, August 18).

As they gear up for this summer's Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, where they'll be sharing the main stage alongside KORN, ROB ZOMBIE and LAMB OF GOD, the members of FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH are making waves around the globe.

Last weekend, the quintet won back-to-back hardware at this year's Kawasaki Golden Gods Awards (formerly Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards) in London for "Best Breakthrough Band" and "Best Shredder" for guitarist and band founder Zoltan Bathory. FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH won last year for "Best New Band" at the Golden Gods Awards, making them three-for-three with winning awards at the heralded annual ceremony. The group also marked the occasion with a blazing performance at the year's Kawasaki Golden Gods Awards, televised on BBC.

A few days earlier, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH caused even more buzz and controversy with its explosive performance at the Download festival in Donington, U.K. At the end of the band's set, the crowd of 90,000 became so rowdy that the festival shut down the P.A. Crowd surfers rushed the stage to shake the hand of FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH frontman Ivan Moody, which created a historically out of control atmosphere on the festival grounds.

While concert-goers were upset that the show was stopped, the buzz has been palpable. In its live review of FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's Download set, Kerrang! magazine said it "bolstered their reputation as metal's big stars in waiting." The performance at the festival caused a huge jump in U.K. sales this week.

The same fervor continues here in the U.S., where front man Ivan Moody graces the cover of Revolver magazine (for its upcoming Mayhem preview issue) dressed as Frankenstein — one of the "Monsters of Mayhem."

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's video for "Bad Company" can be viewed below. The clip features footage from FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's recent trip to Iraq for the troops, and is a salute to the brave men and women who dedicate their lives to protecting our freedom.

"Bad Company" is the latest single from FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's second album, "War Is The Answer", which came out last fall. The CD has sold 246,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Bad Company- by Five Finger Death Punch

Five Finger Death Punch MySpace Music Videos

DANZIG: Entire New Album Available For Streaming

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 12:00:00 CST

The charismatic and complex singer/songwriter Glenn Danzig will unleash his first new DANZIG studio album in six years, "Deth Red Sabaoth", on June 22 via Evilive/The End Records. Produced by Glenn, the CD Was recorded in Los Angeles over the course of 2009.

The 11-track collection, penned by Danzig, is laced with Glenn's lycanthropic growls and blues-infected wailing. Tracks including "Black Candy", "The Revengeful" and "On A Wicked Night" emit a spectral glow to rival the highest points in Danzig's colossal discography. Part I of the exquisite two-part "Pyre of Souls" opens with acoustic guitar, haunting piano, Glenn's plainsong vocal, and an almost dirge-like feel; Part II explodes with electric guitars and a driving, mesmerizing cadence.

"Deth Red Sabaoth" track listing:

01. Hammer of the Gods (5:20)
02. The Revengeful (4:10)
03. Rebel Spirits (3:58)
04. Black Candy (4:08)
05. On a Wicked Night (4:02)
06. Deth Red Moon (3:58)
07. Ju Ju Bone (4:45)
08. Night Star Hel (6:42)
09. Pyre of Souls (Incanticle) (3:18)
10. Pyre of Souls (Seasons of Pain) (7:17)
11. Left Hand Rise Above (4:22)

The entire album is now available for streaming at AOL Music.

"I think that fans will really dig this new album," said Glenn. "I've been told several times that the album has a cool vitality to it, that it sounds energized, and I got that feeling when I was recording it. I wanted to have an organic sound, bigger and thicker, so I went out and bought some 1970's Kustom tuck 'n roll bass amps to play some of the guitar parts through. You'll hear real reverb, real tremolo on this album, which sounds completely different than the stuff that's done with computer chips."

Joining Glenn in the studio for the recording of "Deth Red Sabaoth" were guitarist Tommy Victor (PRONG, MINISTRY), a Danzig cohort on and off since 1996, and drummer Johnny Kelly (TYPE O NEGATIVE, SEVENTH VOID). While Kelly has toured with Glenn intermittently since 2002, this is the first time he has recorded with the band. Glenn handled the bass chores for most the album, and played drums on "Black Candy".

BUSH: Reunion Album in October

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 12:00:00 CST

Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale made it official yesterday that the band is indeed back. He went on the air at an L.A. radio station and not only confirmed that they'll co- headline the second edition of the Epicenter Festival in Ontario, California on September 25th, but announced that they'll release their first album in nine years in October. It's titled Everything Always Now, and they've been recording it in L.A. Rossdale previewed a new track called "Afterlife" during the visit. Yesterday evening, he was one of the celebrities manning phones on Larry King's Gulf Coast telethon on CNN.

METALLICA Bassist: It Was Important For LARS And JAMES To Reconnect With DAVE MUSTAINE

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 12:00:00 CST

METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX — the so-called "Big Four" of 1980s thrash metal — played together for the first time in history this past Wednesday night (June 16) in front of 81,000 fans at the Sonisphere festival at Bemowo Airport in Warsaw, Poland.

A video interview with METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo conducted by NME TV prior to the band taking the stage in Warsaw can be viewed below.

"[I asked the other guys] When's the last time METALLICA shared the stage with SLAYER, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX?' Robert said. "And they were, like, we've actually never played the same gig together. And, obviously, [METALLICA] has done shows with each of these bands separately on different occasions.

"Time went on, and it was brought up again, I guess, around the completion of [METALLICA's 2008 album] 'Death Magnetic'. And then James [Hetfield, METALLICA guitarist/vocalist] kind of took the torch and ran with it and started planting the seed with some of the people from management and Lars [Ulrich, METALLICA drummer]...

"Once Lars gets his head wrapped around it, then the wheels start moving.

"All the bands were well into it, the timing seemed right, everyone's got new releases, and the momentum is strong... strong, actually, for metal in general.

"This is the right time. Who knows?! Maybe a year or two from now, it wouldn't mean as much. Maybe it wouldn't have meant as much a couple of years back.

"Last night [Tuesday, June 15], we had dinner with the other three bands [in Warsaw, Poland], and it was great. Only bandmembers. It was kind of a setup to where we were in a smaller environment, it was a smaller restaurant. The tables were even smaller — maybe four per table. [Laughs] So we really had to kind of unite and bond.

"I hadn't seen Tom [Araya, SLAYER bassist/vocalist] in, it seems like, eight years. Dave Lombardo [SLAYER drummer] I've seen recently, Kerry [King, SLAYER guitarist] I've seen. [Dave] Mustaine [MEGADETH frontman and former METALLICA guitarist], I hadn't seen him in, it feels like, 12 years. Maybe it was 10 years. But I know more than anything, for Lars and James, to reconnect with Dave Mustaine was a really big deal — it was important to them.

"Once you get into it, there's just no shortage of conversation. The difficult part is kind of making your way to the next guy. There's always something great to talk about."

Several more "Big Four" shows will take place across Europe, with a June 22 concert in Bulgaria to be beamed to U.S. movie theatres. There are still no plans for a U.S. run.

MEGADETH's New Song 'Sudden Death': Hear It Here First

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 12:00:00 CST

A new MEGADETH track called "Sudden Death", which will serve as the finger-busting finale to the forthcoming Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock game, can be heard in its entirety in IGN Entertainment's live demo of the game in the YouTube clip below.

MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine tells RollingStone.com the track is brutal, and "I'm sure some fans will think it's the greatest thing we've ever done. But other people will say it sucks. That's just the way of the world."

Mustaine tells RollingStone.com the song has a "funky kind of polyrhythm to it" which will make it even more difficult for the Guitar Hero elite. "Just the sheer repetitiveness of it can blow people's minds," Mustaine explains. "And, my guitar style is way different than [other MEGADETH guitarist] Chris Broderick's. Chris plays with a lot of love and I play with a lot of hate. My guitar playing is explosions, and his is more like fireworks. When you are trying to emulate the two kind of guitar styles, it's tricky. I don't care what anyone says, you've gotta be good."

"I thought it was a great idea for us," says Mustaine. "We've had experience with games in the past, and our songs have been in sports games and Grand Theft Auto, but we never really got into the Guitar Hero thing. When they talked to us about doing this, I never imagined it would be something this honorable."

"Only once in my career have I had this happen before," Mustaine says, referring to 1991's soundtrack for "Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey", when the band crafted "Go to Hell". "We had written something and Interscope told me to make the lyrics even darker. Activision heard the track, and said, 'We want more solos on it.' And I said, OK, I can do that.'"

KORN: Getting Others to Boycott BP

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 12:00:00 CST

Korn's call for other artists to join them in boycotting BP this summer seems to be gaining support. Disturbed, Rise Against, Godsmack, Rob Zombie, Megadeth, Black Label Society, Creed, Filter and Hellyeah have all pledged to avoid using fuel sold by BP on tour. Korn frontman Jonathan Davis says, "I'm really proud that this many artists have already come on board, and I hope more will join soon."

APOCALYPTICA Reaches The 'End Of Me'

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 12:00:00 CST

The Pulse of Radio reports: APOCALYPTICA has released "End Of Me", the first single from the Finnish rock cello quartet's upcoming album, "7th Symphony". The song features vocals from former BUSH frontman Gavin Rossdale. APOCALYPTICA member Eicca Toppinen told The Pulse of Radio about selecting the right singer to fit the track's style. "This time we had loads of songs and we were always like, 'Okay, who could we get to nail this song down in the right way?' But the song itself, I think, is pretty much straight kind of, it's more like FOO FIGHTERS-ish style than really a metal song. It's a really catchy and cool song."

APOCALYPTICA has also shot a video for "End Of Me" that features Rossdale.

"7th Symphony" will arrive on August 24. It follows up 2008's "Worlds Collide", the first APOCALYPTICA album to really break through in the U.S.

Just like that record, "7th Symphony" includes a number of guest vocalists such as SHINEDOWN frontman Brent Smith, FLYLEAF singer Lacey Mosley, vocalist Joseph Duplantier of French metal act GOJIRA and Rossdale.

The Black Label Society Interview -- ''Creep Show"

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 12:00:00 CST

During our animated conversation with Zakk Wylde, the Black Label Society guitarist and former Ozzy Osbourne axeman said that if Ozzy didn't go into music, he could have been a comedian. Providing he took the stage with a translator, Wylde could well be right, but you know what they say about birds of a feather.

Wylde is one of the funniest, most energetic dudes in metal, and we could easily see him tearing it up at the Comedy Connection all on his own, no translator required. Even before the ''Creep Show' camera started rolling, he was 'on,' joking about emo bands who wear 'guyliner,' mocking BP Chief Executive Tony Hayward and telling some killer Ozzy stories -- a practice that continued throughout on-air interview.

Wylde talked a little bit about the creation and content of Black Label Society's upcoming album, 'Order of the Black' (out Aug. 10), explained how he recorded the whole disc at home sober in his newly built studio, tipped his hat to new Ozzy guitarist Gus G and mentioned his upcoming Ozzfest shows with Black Label Society. But he spent most of the interview talking about what a blast it was to work and hang out with Ozzy and shared hysterical anecdotes about: Ozzy complaining about the unfortunate side effects of a life free of hedonism; the Prince of Darkness not recognizing the image on a poster of Aleister Crowley; and Ozzy warning Wylde about the dangers of flipping through the pages of an occult book at a religious artifacts store.

Considering how upbeat and entertaining Wylde was, it's easy to forget that just under a year ago he canceled a Black Label Society tour because he developed life-threatening blood clots that went up his leg, through his heart and lodged in his lung. It might seem remiss of us not to talk about such things, but Wylde's not the kind of guy who gets all serious about dramatic episodes in his life. When I interviewed him for Guitar World shortly after he left the hospital, he talked candidly about how boozing for years had caused pancreatitis and that bad genetics left him with a blood clotting disease that he might have to take medication for as long as he lives.

But he never moaned or felt sorry for himself, and when I asked him if he looks at life differently now than he did before the brush with death, he laughed and said, "Yeah, I got no problem paying $18 for a 12-pack of Becks now." Then he got more serious for a brief moment. "Dude, whenever musicians start getting high and mighty and talking about the meaning of life and s---, I'm like, 'Man, please just shut the f--- up and sing one of your songs.' It's like, if you're a tool and a douche your whole life, do you have to get into a near fatal car crash to go, 'Maybe I should start acting cool to people and be nice?' I've always thought every day is a gift. And when bad s--- happens, there's two ways of looking at it. The glass is either half empty or half full. I always look at it like, 'Dude, there's half a beer left there. F---in' bring it on. The party ain't over yet."

With that in mind, the ''Creep Show' interview with Zakk Wylde is light on the drama and heavy on the funny. In fact, it's the funniest thing we were a part of all week. Now click play and bring it on.

BLOOD INTO WINE: Maynard James Keenan Film Out September 7

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 12:00:00 CST

Blood Into Wine, the award-winning documentary that Filmcritic.com dubbed a “rock ‘n roll version of Sideways” will be out September 7. Blood Into Wine will feature DVD extras that include extended interviews with Tool/A Perfect Circle/Puscifer front man Maynard James Keenan and vineyard partner Eric Glomski, Puscifer concert footage and deleted scenes featuring Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim.

ROB ZOMBIE To Host 'WWE Raw' Episode

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 12:00:00 CST

Rob Zombie will guest-host the June 28 edition of "WWE Raw", the professional wrestling television program for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) that currently airs on the USA network in the United States. Zombie will host the event live from the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

"Raw" airs live at 9 p.m. EST.

PUDDLE OF MUDD: Bassist Out

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 12:00:00 CST

Puddle of Mudd bassist Doug Arditio is out of the band. They haven't given a reason for the split -- frontman Wes Scantlin issued the traditional generic statement saying, "It's been a great nine years of rocking the music of Puddle of Mudd with Doug. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors." Damien Starkey will step in on bass until a permanent replacement is found.

METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH, ANTHRAX: The First 'Big Four' Photo

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 12:00:00 CST

METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX — the so-called "Big Four" of 1980s thrash metal — will play together for the first time in history tomorrow night (Wednesday, June 16) at the Sonisphere festival at Bemowo Airport in Warsaw, Poland.

The first photo of all the members of the four bands (minus SLAYER guitarist Jeff Hanneman) hanging out in a room together, apparently taken earlier yesterday, can be viewed below.

"It's about fucking time this happened," says SLAYER's Kerry King, "and about time the fans finally get what they want. This is fucking awesome."

ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian agrees, commenting on the enormity of the announcement. "People have been talking about these four bands playing together since 1984," he says. "That's twenty-six years of expectation!! And the thing is, I believe not only will we live up to the expectations, we will shatter them! No other four bands as influential as the four of us have ever done this. Imagine if THE BEATLES, STONES, THE WHO and ZEPPELIN had done shows? Or SABBATH, PRIEST, MAIDEN, MOTÖRHEAD? Well, I may be getting into some rarified air here but as a fan, that's how big I feel this is."

These four legendary acts broke out of the underground thrash movement to dominate the metal world in the 1980s, selling millions of records and packing arenas across the globe. The metal giants have never before all shared the same stage, despite huge demand.

A second "Big Four" appearance is planned for Sonisphere Switzerland two days after the Warsaw concert, with more Sonisphere shows featuring the awesome combo to follow.

"This is a 'once-in-a-lifetime' opportunity for heavy metal fans to see the four greatest heavy metal bands in American history back together on one stage," concludes MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine. "If there are any heads left at the end of this festival that haven't banged, they don't belong there."

The "Big Four" concert on June 22 in Sofia, Bulgaria will find its way to the U.S. via a satellite broadcast. That day's show, as part of the Sonisphere festival, will be beamed to more than 450 movie theatres in more than 140 markets in the U.S., along with cities in Europe, Canada and Latin America.

The concert will be broadcast to theatres in high definition. Delayed screenings are planned for Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.

METALLICA's Lars Ulrich said in a statement, "Who would have thought that more than 25 years after its inception, thrash metal's 'Big Four' would not only still be around, be more popular than ever, playing shows together at stadiums all over Europe, and on top of that, coming to a movie theater near you in high definition (for better or worse??!!). Bring it on!"

KORN To Perform On 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!'

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 12:00:00 CST

KORN will be the musical guest on ABC-TV's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on Thursday, July 1 (which will actually air the morning of Friday, July 2).

Audio samples of all 11 tracks that will appear on KORN's new album, "Korn III - Remember Who You Are", can be streamed at Amazon.com. The CD is due on July 13 via Roadrunner Records.

HELLYEAH: 'Hell Of A Time' Video Released

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 12:00:00 CST

"Hell Of A Time", the new video from HELLYEAH, can be viewed below. (Note: Video stream may not be available to some non-U.S. residents.) The clip was directed by Frankie Nasso and Nova Entertainment.

Hellyeah - New Music - More Music Videos

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY 'Berzerkus' Tour Dates Announced

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 12:00:00 CST

According to Billboard.biz, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY will headline the "Black Label Berzerkus" tour this fall. The two-month North American trek will feature CLUTCH, CHILDREN OF BODOM and 2CENTS, with the first two bands sharing the main support slot.

AEG Live, Live Nation and independents will promote dates on the tour, which is booked by Tim Borror at The Agency Group. "This is my first run working with the BLACK LABEL SOCIETY team and, not that I didn't know it already, but once you get past scratching the surface you really see how vital this band is and what a huge icon Zakk [Wylde] is," Borror tells Billboard.biz.

"This tour has more to offer than most, and I think we have a package that is going to wake people up to what BLS and the bands Zakk chose as support are capable of doing," Borror adds. "This new BLS record is incredible, and with everything that is going on with this band right now, BLS will be at their height and rising at the end 2010 leading into 2011."

"Black Label Berzerkus 2010" tour dates:

Sep. 21 - Roseland - Portland, OR
Sep. 22 - PNE Forum - Vancouver, BC
Sep. 24 - Edmonton EXPO Centre Hall D Arena - Edmonton, AB
Sep. 25 - Agribition Hall - Regina, SK
Sep. 26 - Big 4 - Calgary, AB
Sep. 28 - Winnipeg Convention Centre - Winnipeg, MB
Sep. 30 - Anchor Inn - Omaha, NE
Oct. 01 - 7 Flags - Clive, IA
Oct. 02 - Eagles Ballroom - Milwaukee, WI
Oct. 03 - Roy Wilkins Auditorium - St. Paul, MN
Oct. 05 - Expo Five - Louisville, KY
Oct. 08 - Convention Hall - Asbury Park, NJ
Oct. 09 - The Colisee - Lewiston, ME
Oct. 12 - Cunard Centre - Halifax, NS
Oct. 14 - Metropolis - Montreal, QC
Oct. 15 - Sound Academy - Toronto, ON
Oct. 16 - Sound Academy - Toronto, ON
Oct. 20 - Hammerstein Ballroom - New York, NY
Oct. 22 - House of Blues - Myrtle Beach, SC
Oct. 23 - Masquerade Music Park - Atlanta, GA
Oct. 24 - The Fillmore Charlotte - Charlotte, NC
Oct. 26 - Hard Rock - Orlando, FL
Oct. 28 - Verizon Wireless Theater - Houston, TX
Oct. 29 - Concrete St. Ampitheater - Corpus Christi, TX
Oct. 30 - Verizon Theatre @ Grand Prairie - Grand Prairie, TX
Oct. 31 - Lonestar Pavilion - Lubbock, TX
Nov. 02 - Stubbs Waller Creek Ampitheater - Austin, TX
Nov. 03 - Brady Center - Tusla, OK
Nov. 05 - DeltaPlex - Grand Rapids, MI
Nov. 07 - The Fillmore Detroit - Detroit, MI
Nov. 09 - Main Street Armory - Rochester, N.Y.
Nov. 10 - The LC Pavilion - Columbus, OH
Nov. 12 - Cotilion - Wichita, KS
Nov. 13 - Uptown Theater - Kansas City, KS
Nov. 14 - The Fillmore Auditorium - Denver, CO
Nov. 16 - The Complex - Salt Lake City, UT
Nov. 18 - Dodge Theatre - Phoenix, AZ
Nov. 20 - Warfield - San Francisco, CA

VINNIE PAUL Talks New HELLYEAH CD, Death Of DIMEBAG, Unreleased DAMAGEPLAN Music

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 12:00:00 CST

Holland's FaceCulture recently conducted an interview with drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott (HELLYEAH, PANTERA, DAMAGEPLAN). You can now watch the chat in five parts here.

To promote HELLYEAH's forthcoming sophomore album, "Stampede", MTV2 will broadcast the band's "Hell Of A Time" video (directed by Frankie Nasso and Nova Entertainment) once an hour, every hour all day on Wednesday, June 16. You will also be able to see the clip online at www.mtv.com/mtv2.

PAPA ROACH: New Song Available For Streaming

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 12:00:00 CST

"Kick In The Teeth", the brand new single from Californian rockers PAPA ROACH, can be streamed in the YouTube clip below. The song comes off the band's upcoming album, "Time For Annihilation...On The Road and On The Record", which will feature a mix of live tracks and new studio cuts. PAPA ROACH frontman Jacoby Shaddix told The Pulse of Radio why the band decided to issue a live album now. "Everybody keeps going, 'Man, you guys, you know, you guys kill it live, you guys are a great live band,' and we were like, 'You know what, it's time for us to do a live record,'" he said. "And so we wrapped up 2009, we were doing dates with SHINEDOWN, and we started recording shows towards the end of that. We got nine live songs, and then we have five studio songs, and so it's kind of like the best of both worlds."

Shaddix explained why the band split the album between live and studio material, saying, "We've always wanted to capture the energy of our live shows but didn't want to do the same old thing that most bands do, so we decided to put five brand new studio tracks on the record along with some of our favorites from the road and we are really proud of the final result."

Due on August 31, "Time For Annihilation" will be PAPA ROACH's first release on Eleven Seven Music, after parting ways with Interscope/Geffen Records earlier this year. Shaddix said about the move, "We wanted to work with a team who's focused on rock music rather than pop and urban. Moving to a successful indie like Eleven Seven Music gives us that without sacrificing the manpower of a major."

PAPA ROACH's last full studio album was 2009's "Metamorphosis".

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH: 'Bad Company' Video Released

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 12:00:00 CST

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's video for its cover version of the BAD COMPANY classic "Bad Company" can be viewed below. The clip features footage from FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's recent trip to Iraq for the troops, and is a salute to the brave men and women who dedicate their lives to protecting our freedom.

"Bad Company" is the latest single from FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's second album, "War Is The Answer", which came out last fall.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH guitarist Zoltan Bathory recently did an interview with AOL's Noisecreep in which he explained the incident that happened earlier this month in which three members of the group were detained by German police on their way to a music festival. The musicians were taken into custody for an alleged international weapons violation — but the "weapon" in question turned out to be nothing more than a microphone in the shape of a brass knuckle.

Bathory said, "They did understand what was going on, but had no choice other than to uphold their laws. We get it. As visitors to any country, we have to respect their internal laws."

Bathory said that the German police have been friendly to the group, but added, "However, if you have microphones in the shape of brass knuckles, you will have to part with your precious stage prop, and expect a hefty fine for weapon violation, prop or not."

The guitarist also said, "I think it was a good choice to not to bring our six-foot, M2 machine guns, the 50-cal bullet belts and the M16 microphone stands we are regularly using in the States . . . They probably would have called the UN."

Three members of the band — Bathory, drummer Jeremy Spencer and bassist Matt Snell — were detained while the band was on its way to perform at the Rock Am Ring festival on June 4. The band was able to make its festival gig as scheduled.

The band will participate this summer in the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, beginning on July 10 in Devore, California.

Bad Company- by Five Finger Death Punch

Five Finger Death Punch MySpace Music Videos

COREY TAYLOR On New STONE SOUR Album, SLIPKNOT's Future

razor@wcinet.com (Razor) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 12:00:00 CST

According to Billboard.com, STONE SOUR's new song "Mission Statement" was downloaded last week over 50,000 times for free during a special 48-hour period at the group's web site. The track comes off the band's first new LP in nearly four years, "Audio Secrecy", which is scheduled for release on September 7 via Roadrunner Records.

"I'm just sort of blown away and ecstatic," singer Corey Taylor — who also fronts SLIPKNOT — told Billboard.com. "There's a lot of buzz and people are really stoked. This album is not only better than the first two STONE SOUR albums combined, to me it's the most well-rounded and diverse album I've ever been able to make. The music is just so visceral, and 'Mission Statement' is a perfect example of where it's at. That's a great anthem. It's got a little bit of the heavy but also is melodic as hell."

Although Taylor declined to comment directly about the recent death of SLIPKNOT bassist Paul Gray, he did offer a "too soon to say right now" regarding the masked band's future.

Read more from Billboard.com.