Sammy Hagar Still Angry Over Van Halen Split- Opeth Lose Member- Bloc Party Return- Against Me!- Dylan Censored- Ace Frehley Tour- Trivium Almost Done- more

On this day in 2000, Heinz (neé Heinz Henry Georg Schwartze), bass player and singer with The Tornados, died at the age of 57. The Tornados' Joe Meek-produced 1962 U.K. #1, "Telstar," made them the first British group to score a U.S. #1. Find out what else happened on this date in music history here

Black Sabbath Metallica Deep Purple Iron Maiden Supergroup Set Release

(Rock AAA) A new hard rock/metal supergroup called WhoCares features the monster talents of Deep Purple's Ian Gillan and Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi, who are joined by bassist Jason Newsted, keyboardist Jon Lord, Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain, and HIM guitarist Linde Lindström.

Built around Gillan and Iommi, WhoCares are about to release their debut single and the project has even loftier goals: raising funds to support the rebuilding of a music school in Gyumri, Armenia. Both Gillan and Iommi have spent a lot of time in Armenia and have dedicated a lot of work to a nation still shocked after the earthquake that struck Armenia on December 7, 1988 at 11:41am.

Due for release on May 6, WhoCares issues "Out of My Mind" and "Holy Water"; the single will be available in the following formats: • CD with bonus video clip of "Out Of My Mind" and a 40-minute documentary that shows Gillan's and Iommi's involvement with the Armenia cause over the years • digital download for all of the above • 7" vinyl limited to 1000 units worldwide more on this story

U2 Going Sci-Fi

(Gibson) U2's new album will have a "futuristic" sound, according to producer RedOne. Digital Spy reports that the sound guru behind Lady Gaga, who is working with Bono and Co., says their 13th album will have a sci-fi feel.

The producer told Billboard: "We've put down a few ideas, but we don't know how many will end up on there.

"They have a very special way of working. A song is never done until the day before it comes out almost, so you never know. Bono described [the album as] futuristic. U2 going sci-fi, or something. That's how he described it, but I don't know." more on this story

Rolling Stones, Springsteen, Tom Petty, Eric Clapton, Michael Jackson Record Store Day Special Releases

('stache) The Beach Boys, Eric Clapton & John Mayall, Michael Jackson, The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are just a few classic artists that will be releasing exclusive and limited edition pieces this year at participating stores on Record Store Day on April 16th.

The Beach Boys - Good Vibrations/ Heroes & Villains: Limited Edition double 78 RPM vinyl 10" single. Black vinyl comes in a single pocket jacket with foil stamp and numbering.

Eric Clapton & John Mayall - Lonely Years: The disc, originally issued in a limited edition on producer Mike Vernon's mail-order-only Purdah label, features a pair of spare duo performances: the loping Mayall composition "Lonely Years" and the rousing Clapton-penned instrumental "Bernard Jenkins." These two rare vintage gems, sourced from the original mono masters, capture both of these legendary blues masters in an intimate, stripped-down setting on this special Record Store Day 7".

more on this story

Styx and Yes Summer Tour

Styx will be teaming up with Yes for the "Progressive U.S. Tour" this summer. The 22-city trek is set to kick off on July 4th and will conclude on August 3rd in Mountain View, CA.

"When I first heard Yes, I knew that the music world was forever changed," says Styx singer/guitarist Tommy Shaw. "They took progressive rock to a place that had never been expressed in such an impressive yet accessible way. Who among you didn't make it a point to learn the acoustic guitar intro to 'Roundabout?' We're very excited to tour with them for the very first time."

"We are excited to have Styx on tour with us. I consider them to be in the vein of Yes and the cutting edge of prog-rock in America," says Yes founder/bassist Chris Squire. more on this story

Duff McKagan's Loaded Announce Release Show

Duff McKagan's Loaded have announced a special release show at the Viper Room in West Hollywood on April 19 at 9:30 PM to celebrate the release of their new album, The Taking.

Kayos sent over this info on how you can get tickets: Bring your purchase receipt to the show to get in. Admittance is first come, first served.

If you aren't able to hit up the record shop that day to pick up The Taking, you can pay $15 at the venue for CD and admittance to show. Get there early – quantities are limited! The Viper Room is located at 8852 West Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, CA. more on this story

Shinedown New Somewhere In The Stratosphere CD/DVD Details

Shinedown has provided the details for their forthcoming live, multi-disc CD/DVD collection, "Somewhere In The Stratosphere," which will arrive on May 3rd.

The collection – which received its title from a member of the "Shinedown Nation" fan community – will include material filmed and recorded on Shinedown's two 2010 headline tours: the inaugural "Carnival Of Madness" tour, in which they topped a lineup that included Chevelle, Puddle Of Mudd, Sevendust, and 10 Years; and the "Anything & Everything" acoustic tour, which featured stripped-down versions of both chart-topping hits and fan favorites alongside intimate conversations with the audience about the stories behind the songs.

"SOMEWHERE IN THE STRATOSPHERE" showcases both the energy of their electric show and intimacy of their acoustic sets with a CD/DVD dedicated to each tour more on this story

Roxy Music's Bryan Ferry Hospitalized

We told you about this in yesterday's digest but Gibson has a little more information today: Roxy Music frontman Bryan Ferry was admitted to a hospital Tuesday night (April 5) after falling "seriously ill," London's Daily Mail has reported.

It was initially feared that Ferry had suffered a heart attack, but a spokesman for the 65-year-old singer said that was not the case.

"Bryan has been feeling rough for some time and he felt even worse today," the spokesman said. "So, he thought it was best for the doctors to look into it. We're all obviously very concerned for him." The representative went on to say that tests were being conducted as "a precautionary measure." more on this story

Rocklahoma Lineup

Rocklahoma sent over the daily performance lineup for this year's festival which takes place on May 27-29 at "Catch the Fever" Festival Grounds in Pryor, OK.

Friday, May 27: Whitesnake, Hinder, Skillet, Sick Puppies, All That Remains, My Darkest Days, Jonathan Tyler & The Northern Lights, Texas Hippie Coalition, New Medicine, Bad Things, Wildstreet, Loveblast, D'Molls, Alias, Blue Tiger, Firststryke, Chuck Cooley and the Demon Hammers, Signum A.D., Silverstone, Return to Custody.

Saturday, May 28: Staind, Sebastian Bach, Rev Theory, Cavo, Pop Evil, The Gracious Few, Hail the Villain, Taddy Porter, Electric Touch, Gypsy Pistoleros, Cutlass, Mock Star, Aura Surreal, Aska, Strikeforce, Siva Addiction, A Good Fight, Bait, Rocker Lips, Sweatin Bullets. more on this story

Y&T Announce The Late Phil Kennemore's Replacement

(Rock AAA) Y&T have faced a challenging year, as the rock veterans lost bassist Phil Kennemore to lung cancer in January.

Phil was diagnosed just last August, and was taken off the band's "Facemelter" tour while starting treatment; War & Peace's Brad Lang filled in so that the tour could continue as scheduled.

Now, Y&T have officially announced the addition of Lang to the group. Guitarist/vocalist Dave Meniketti shared some of his thoughts with fans here

Kurt Cobain Honored In His Hometown

A sculpted guitar made of concrete has been unveiled in Aberdeen, Washington, as a memorial to Kurt Cobain.

The dedication of the sculpture was timed to coincide with the 17th anniversary of the Nirvana frontman's tragic death in Seattle in 1994.

According to the Associated Press, a "diverse group of fans and Aberdeen residents," many born after Cobain's death, were present at the ceremony. The sculpture was placed in a park near the Young Street bridge where Cobain often spent time as a child. The bridge is mentioned in the Nirvana song, "Something in the Way." more on this story

The Resurrection Of Johnny Cash Coming in May

Jawbone Press have set a May 10, 2011 release date for The Resurrection Of Johnny Cash: Hurt, Redemption and American Recordings, a new paperback by Graeme Thomson. Here is the publisher's description:

In 1992, Johnny Cash was battered and bruised. In constant pain through heart problems, broken bones and the aftermath of a second bout of drug addiction, his career wasn't in much better shape than his body. One of his last singles for CBS, before they dumped him in 1986 after nearly 30 years, had been 'The Chicken In Black' – in the video for which he appeared as a superhero fowl, dressed in cape, yellow shirt and tights.

Cut to a little under two years later, December 1993, Cash is being introduced by Johnny Depp at the Viper Room in LA, with Sean Penn, Juliette Lewis and assorted Red Hot Chilli Peppers in the crowd, cheering, for the full ninety minutes. He had just completed recording his landmark American Recordings with Rick Rubin and would win a Grammy for that and four other American Recordings albums. He played an unforgettable Glastonbury set in 1994 and from thereon, until his death in 2003 (and beyond), Cash was the epitome of hip. Big Daddycool. more on this story

Anathema Coming To America

Anathema are coming to America. First with their first ever North American tour and also with the North American release of "We're Here Because We're Here" on June 7th.

The tour dates will be support of Blackfield and will kick off on May 18th in Washington, DC.

A special, limited edition deluxe edition will include three bonus tracks, 7 inch with two unreleased tracks, and a DVD 5.1 surround version of the album, along with the stereo version, both mixed by Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree. more on this story

Porcupine Tree Side Project Blackfield Announce Album and Tour

Blackfield, the collaboration between Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree) and Israeli artist Aviv Geffen, have announced a North American release of their new album as they kicked off their European tour last night (April 6th) in Leamington.

This is the first of four dates in the UK before visiting Holland, Germany, Poland, Switzerland, Italy, Belgium and France followed by an American tour in May and June

Welcome To My DNA, the band's latest album will be released April 19th in the US (and is already in stores overseas). The album entered the UK indie chart at #17 and has been getting great reviews. more on this story

Flaming Lips Hoping for Jimmy Page Collaboration

(Gibson) Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne recently talked about the wide variety of collaborators the band have been working with. The Oklahoma rockers are putting out new music on a USB stick ensconced in a gummy skull.

"You know, you come in with this half-baked, caffeinated idea, and, if you're lucky, there are some other people around that are making records at the same time," he told Spinner.com. "So for our last record, we got a hold of Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and MGMT, you just never know ... the serendipity that's going to come."

In terms of future collaborations, the Lips are aiming to work with a rock legend. "I was talking about Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin to do one of these tracks with us, and, you know, if he's not available next month then we'll keep trying, maybe the next month or maybe six months," Coyne said. "Because I have this lax timetable I'm working with, I feel like anybody that's interested in doing something, we should be able to do it with them. more on this story

Singled Out: Todd Grubbs' Barto'k Off

Today guitar virtuoso Todd Grubbs tells us about "Barto'k Off" from his brand new album "Return of The Worm". Here is the story:

A big majority of my songs are very composed. I do use improvising as a tool when composing and live I improvise extensively but most of the time my compositions are very crafted. When working on my new CD (Return of the Worm) I decided to do something a little different and create a song that was completely improvised. When I play live I always make sure to record the performance for reference, but most of the time the club or theater turns music on as soon as we finish.

One time this small club we were playing at didn't turn on the tunes and I ended up with about 15 minutes of pure unadulterated bar talk. It was amazing, crystal clear and full of all kind of interesting noises and sounds, so I decided to turn it into a song. I started by improvising a bass part then I had my drummer Jeff Improvise a drum track, after that I added two guitars one left and one right, kind of talking to each other, again all improvised. I of course did a little fixing and tweaking but 95% of this song was off of the top of my head and came together almost instantly. This was a very wonderful thing for me as I can take months to complete projects, sometimes even years. I have always had the dream of recording a CD all in one take, a full album in a couple of hours maybe this experience will give the confidence to do it.

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself and learn more about the album right here!

Joe Elliott's Down 'N' Outz Releasing Live DVD

(hennemusic) Down 'N' Outz – the Mott The Hoople-inspired side project of Def Leppard's Joe Elliott – is set to release its first live DVD. "Live At The Hammersmith Odeon" was filmed at the legendary London venue on October 6, 2009 when Down 'N' Outz opened for the reunited Mott The Hoople.

There's some cool launch plans for the DVD: it will first be available at merchandise stands at shows on the British Paul Rodgers/Down 'N' Outz tour, which starts next week.

A limited edition of only 500 copies will be made available initially, all of which are personally signed and numbered by Joe and the rest of the band. Any remaining copies, and a regular (unsigned) version will be available through the band's web site shortly after the tour. more on this story

The Grammys Become Even More Irrelevant To Rock, Hard Rock and Metal Fans

As you read this report from Gibson, consider that metal consistently outsells rap year after year and rock outsells everything!: The Grammys are slimming down for 2012. For the 54th annual awards next year, the Recording Academy is consolidating and eliminating categories – bringing the total amount of awards from 109 to 78, according to Billboard.com.

One of the changes is that Best Metal Performance and Best Hard Rock Performance will be one combined category (Best Metal/Hard Rock Performance). Another is the elimination of gender-defined awards in rock, pop, R&B and country. Instead of female or male vocalist awards, there will just be solo vocalist categories.

"Every year there are changes but we've never … stopped and stepped back to look at the whole thing," Recording Academy President/CEO Neil Portnow told Billboard. "[We asked], is there an underlying infrastructure and rationale across all the awards as to how we're doing this? And what we found is, there wasn't." more on this story

April Smith And The Great Picture Show Map Out Spring Tour Dates

April Smith And The Great Picture Show have announced a slew of live dates for this Spring.

They will support two weeks of dates with Fitz And The Tantrums this month, with several in-store performances and other dates along the way.

Smith and her band join Fitz from April 10 in Cincinnati through April 23 in Tucson, followed by a show in Phoenix with the Radar Brothers, an April Smith headline show at Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles, and free show in Mobile, Alabama, as well as in-store performances in Hoover, Alabama; Nashville (for Record Store Day); and San Diego. more on this story

Seether and Hinder Top Summer Slam Lineup

105.7 The X in Peoria have announced their Summer Slam Concert at the Expo Gardens Fair Grounds on Friday June 10th

The event will feature Seether, Hinder, Sick Puppies, Bad City, and Peoria's Mindset Evolution

Tickets for this all ages show go on sale today. Tickets for this show are $30 with only 200 VIP tickets available for $50. Grab more info here

Cauldron Release All Or Nothing Video

Cauldron have released a brand new music video for the track "All Or Nothing" as they prepare to hit the road with Holy Grail for a North American tour starting on April 15th.

Cauldron filmed the official video recently in the band's hometown of Toronto with director Kevin Macallister. The track "All Or Nothing" is taken from the band's new album, Burning Fortune. Check it out here

Cauldron frontman JASON DECAY had this to say about the video: "The video is basically a concentrated day, or a final straw in the life of Cauldron. We based the concept around the lyrics of the song, which is a bit of an ongoing theme with Burning Fortune. We went for a bit of an edgy type of music video rather than the same old thing 'cause we figured we wouldn't get played on TV anyway. more on this story

Within Temptation Announce North American Tour Dates

Within Temptation has announced a handful of new North American tour dates for September.

They will be touring in support of their new album, The Unforgiving, which debuted on charts this week at no. 50 on the top 200.

Internationally, the record continues to flourish, with top 50 debuts in nearly every territory: Netherlands (#2), Czech (#4), Belgium (#5), Germany (#7), Austria (#7), Sweden (#7), Switzerland (#9), Poland (#12), France (#18), Greece (#20), UK (#23), Australia (#27) and Norway (#40). more on this story

Love Members Reunite For Special Event

Members of Love reunite and the Kai Clark Band will play a live tribute to Gene Clark at the High Moon Records label launch party.

The event, hosted by Jim Ladd of KLOS, is set to take place at the The Roxy In Los Angeles on April 29.

In March, the label announced its plans to release the previously unreleased 1973 Love album 'Black Beauty' on June 7. more on this story

My Goodness Debut Coming This Month

My Goodness, the rock duo project from guitarist Joel Schneider (Absolute Monarchs) and drummer Ethan Jacobsen, have set a April 19th release date for their self-titled debut album on Sarathan Records.

On, My Goodness will release their, with distribution by Fontana. The record was engineered by Chris Common at Red Rooms Studio in Seattle and lovingly recorded to warm analog tape.

"We are extremely thrilled about partnering with Sarathan Records and can't wait for people to have a chance to hear the record. We are super-excited about this signing and can't wait to get on the road to promote our debut release" say Joel & Ethan. more on this story

Chicago Blues: A Living History (R)Evolution Continues

(PR) Raisin' Music have announced the release of the 22-Track (plus Bonus), 2-CD set by Chicago Blues: A Living History (Billy Boy Arnold, John Primer, Billy Branch, Lurrie Bell, Carlos Johnson) "The (R)Evolution Continues" on JUNE 7, 2011, the follow-up to their 2009 Grammy-nominated self-titled release, "Chicago Blues: A Living History".

2009's self-titled landmark debut 21-track, 2-CD set "Chicago Blues: A Living History", paid homage to Chicago Blues' creators, its rich history, its current practitioners and its singular place in the (r)evolution of 20th century American music. For the first time on record, the men who played with the original Chicago-blues pioneers were gathered together with the artists who bridged the gap between those early icons and today's scene, all in honor of the past, appreciation of the present and hope for the future of Chicago Blues.

With "The (R)Evolution Continues", Chicago Blues: A Living History continues its tribute to Chicago blues with a second double-disc set that underscores the outsized and ongoing influence that this music continues to exert on music everywhere. more on this story

The Soulless Announce New Members

The Soulless have announced two new members as they prepare to release their new album, Isolated, on May 16th.

Formerly known as Ignominious Incarceration, vocalist Andy Wardle, guitarist Steve Brown and bassist Chris Ball have added Kristen Dawson as the group's second guitarist and Dan Wilding (Aborted, Trigger The Bloodshed) as the band's new drummer.

The Soulless comment on new guitarist Kristen Dawson: "We auditioned guitarists for months, with not much luck for the perfect shredder. The band While She Sleeps are great friends of ours and recommended a guy from their area. They said he was perfect for the band and we trust their opinion so we gave him a shot. more on this story

Pegazus Postpone In Metal We Trust Tour

Pegazus announce that due to circumstances beyond the band's control, they have to postpone their "In Metal We Trust Tour" till later in the year.

Guitarist and founding member Johnny Stoj about this news "Recently, we were hit with some unexpected situations which were unfortunately out of our hands. We feel very disappointed that the band won't be in Europe for this summer as planned for our club shows tour and festivals appearances.

"Now we have to wait a few more months before we can hit the European stages and do what we love to do best! The great news is, that Pegazus will be touring the world later in the year for our In Metal We Trust Tour.
"See you all out on the road soon !!! " more on this story

Reform The Resistance Set Album Release

Reform The Resistance has set an April 26th, 2011 worldwide digital release and May 17th, 2011 physical release of their new album, The Truth is Dangerous.

The Truth is Dangerous was completed in October 2010 and was produced by Reform The Resistance vocalist/guitarist Jason Moncivaiz.

The entire album was recorded and produced in Moncivaiz's personal studio, with exception of the drums which were recorded in Chicago, IL at Gravity Studios. more on this story

Fans To Fund New Margate EP

Margate are calling on fans to help fund their upcoming EP "Rock 'n Roll Reserve" by launching a Kickstarter campaign.

The campaign will last for 30 days, during which time the DIY band seeks to raise $2,500 to cover a portion of their upcoming studio sessions with world-renowned engineer/producer Paul Miner (New Found Glory, thrice, Atreyu, Death By Stereo).

Sneak-peak demos of two EP tracks are featured in the band's Kickstarter video, which also details the fund-raising process and the band's laughably futile attempts to raise money doing various odd jobs. Contributors to the campaign can choose between various EP pre-sale packages in appreciation of their donations. Kickstarter page

Desalmado Releases Coming

Earsplit has announced partnership with Greyhaze Records for their confirmed upcoming 2011 releases, including a brand new EP and full-length album to follow from Desalmado.

Greyhaze Records will release Desalmado's Hereditas 10" EP worldwide within the Summer months, with final release info and street date to be confirmed shortly.

The band are also currently recording a brand new full-length, which Greyhaze will release later this year. more on this story