Coheed and Cambria Dismiss Mic Todd Following Bomb Threat Robbery

He was jailed on suspicion of showing a pharmacist a message on his phone claiming he had a bomb and it would be detonated if he wasn't given drugs. Six bottles of prescription painkillers were handed over. Todd posted bail of $25,000 last week and was freed, although it's not known who put up the money. more on this story

Reel Big Fish Singer Hospitalized

Aaron Barrett of Reel Big Fish was hospitalized this week forcing the group to cancel two concerts. They sent over the following word yesterday (Thurs Aug 5th):

Aaron Barrett and Reel Big Fish [did not perform last night] at the Fillmore in Charlotte, NC and will be forced to miss the 311 Pow Wow in Florida [today] Friday August 5th— he is in the hospital resting.

The front man confirmed he will be spending the night in a medical facility after feeling unwell following his performance [Wed] night at the NorVA in Norfolk, VA. more on this story

Dimebag, Randy Rhoads and Tony Iommi Among Greatest Metal Guitarist Of All Time

Gibson counts down the Top 10 Metal Guitarists of All Time. Here are four of their picks: 9. Dave Murray and Adrian Smith (Iron Maiden) When Iron Maiden came onto the scene, guitarists Dave Murray and Adrian Smith were quickly recognized for their high-speed agility of soloing, sinuous technique and telepathic rhythm work in partnership together. This duo, so it seemed, were true musical soulmates. Adrian Smith left Iron Maiden after 1988's Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, altering the band's musical chemistry and foreshadowing a grim creative drop for a period. But with Smith and Murray both back in tow, Iron Maiden are at their proggiest, and almost every track on 2010's The Final Frontier has a riff-heavy chorus that leaves its own stamp.

5. Dimebag Darrell (Pantera, Damageplan): The most popular metal band of the first part of the '90s, Pantera cut through '80s hair metal to establish their own unmistakable style. That signature sound largely came from guitarist Dimebag Darrell, whose rhythmic attack and hard-hitting sledgehammer tactics proved metal guitar could shred wildly, but still groove. Tragedy struck on December 8, 2004, when Darrell, then 38, was shot and killed by a concertgoer during a club show in Columbus, Ohio. He'll always be remembered as one of the most significant engineers of modern metal.

3. Randy Rhoads (Ozzy Osbourne): With Randy Rhoads on lead guitar, Ozzy Osbourne's debut solo release, 1980's Blizzard of Ozz, had no chance to fail. The record was one of heavy metal's supreme releases, very much thanks to Rhoads' blistering playing. While other guitarists of the era emulated Eddie Van Halen,Rhoads stepped out on his own, incorporating classical music into his passages. His untimely death in a freak airplane accident in 1982 remains one of metal's biggest heartbreaks.

1. Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath): Tony Iommi's dark, distinct guitar textures in Black Sabbath helped spearhead the heavy metal movement and its signature massive riffing. "Iron Man," "Black Sabbath" and "Paranoid" boast some of the most memorable riffs of all time, with lumbering heavy metal and crushingly heavy choruses. Iommi's playing is certainly immortalized through the generations of heavy metal bands that have followed. Check out the full list here

Red Hot Chili Peppers TV Special

(Gibson) The Red Hot Chili Peppers will release their new album, I'm with You, on August 30. That same day, the long-running rockers also will play a show in California that will be broadcast worldwide via cable channel Fuse.

The Chili Peppers will perform new and old songs at The Roxy in Hollywood at 9 p.m. ET, according to Ultimate Classic Rock. The concert will follow an interview with the group's members – singer Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea, drummer Chad Smith and new lead guitarist Josh Klinghoffer.

In the interview, the boys are sure to discuss the departure of guitarist John Frusciante, who left the Chili Peppers before sessions for the new album began. more on this story

Iron Maiden Promise One More Album

(Rock News Desk) Bruce Dickinson says Iron Maiden have committed to at least one more album, and it's likely to be a prog-rock record in the style of 2010′s The Final Frontier.

His comments put to an end speculation that their fifteenth album was their last, fuelled by recycled comments from the band's early years that mainman Steve Harris wanted to stop when he'd reached that milestone.

But the singer admits that, despite being three decades into their career, Maiden still find it difficult to share their feelings to each other. "Being English we have some reserve when we're communicating ideas," Dickinson tells the Daily Star. "We used to have a stand-up knock-down fight about anything – but we know each other better now and people do mellow. more on this story

Mastodon 3D Game

(Gibson) Mastodon fans will get a little extra for their money when they pick up new album The Hunter (due September 27 in the U.S.). Most editions of the album will come with a 3D game.

The virtual reality game is called Augmented Reality and was produced by Total Immersion. It "combines virtual and real worlds to create a 3D one-of-a-kind interactive experience that users can control," says a press release. One feature: you can put your own face on the album's cover art.

The Hunter will be available as a single CD, in a CD/DVD set that includes music videos for "Black Tongue" and "Deathbound" and a direct-to-fans set that includes two bonus tracks and a 20" by 30" poster of the album cover. more on this story

Rod Stewart Can No Longer Hit Faces Notes

(Rock News Desk) Faces keyboardist Ian 'Mac' McLagan says Rod Stewart couldn't sing the band's songs in their original keys when they gathered for an attempted reunion – and that's one of the reasons why Mick Hucknall was a good choice as another vocalist.

The band have tried to regroup with their original singer on a number of occasions, but after another failure they made the controversial decision to tour with the Simply Red frontman in his place.

And McLagan admits the band weren't happy with the changes required to accommodate Stewart's twenty-first century vocal abilities. "Rod's voice isn't what it was. He had surgery on his vocal cords a few years ago and it's changed the way he sings," The keyboardist tells MusicRadar. "We had some rehearsals a couple of years ago and we basically had to re-learn all the songs in different keys. Ron Wood had to put heavier strings on his guitar and tune everything down. more on this story

The Offspring Trying To Avoid Doing A Chinese Democracy

(RockAAA) The Offspring have confirmed they are currently putting the finishing touches on their follow-up to 2008's 'Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace.'

The band's singer Dexter Holland and guitarist Noodles revealed the band have wrapped up the guitars and drums for all 12 of the tracks they are planning on putting on the record and they are now working on the lyrics.

The frontman also insists the band have had their noses to the grindstone in the studio ever day but are now taking a time out to write some lyrics. He also claimed the band has a 'good chunk of music recorded' and that most of the musical pieces for their songs have been completed. But while the album probably won't come out this year Noodles promises it won't turn into a long-running saga like Guns N' Roses infamous 'Chinese Democracy.' more on this story

Bob Dylan and Jack White Recording Unheard Hank Williams Songs

(Gibson) Bob Dylan and Jack White are among the artists who've contributed to a collection of previously unheard songs by country legend Hank Williams. The set, titled The Lost Notebooks of Hank Williams, also features Sheryl Crow, Norah Jones, Levon Helm and Jakob Dylan, among others.

As the album's title implies, the songs on the disc were crafted from notes found in a leather briefcase that had belonged to Williams, following the country star's death. Song ideas and lyrics found in the briefcase have been fleshed out by the 13 artists featured on the new album.

As reported by Rolling Stone, the album was originally conceived as a Dylan solo project, but later evolved into a multi-artist tribute. The disc will be released October 4 on Dylan's imprint, Egyptian Records. more on this story

Uber-Deluxe U2

(Gibson) Earlier this year, U2 announced that they'd be celebrating the 20th anniversary of Achtung Baby, with a special re-release. Now, the Irish rockers have set a release date (November 1) and released details about what's being included.

According to Rolling Stone, U2's 1991 album will be available in five different remastered re-releases, including packages that include vinyl, CDs and DVDs. The Super-Deluxe Edition includes all the same CDs, DVDs, art prints and book. There will also be a vinyl box set, a 2-CD version with an extra disc of rarities and a single CD of just the remastered original album.

The most extensive set is the Uber-Deluxe Edition, which includes the following: Six CDs, including remastered versions of Achtung and 1993's Zooropa, plus B-sides, outtakes and rarities * Four DVDs, including ZOO TV: Live from Sydney, the new documentary From the Sky Down and all U2 music videos from the era * Five clear, 7" singles in replica packaging * 16 art prints * 84-page hardback book * Issue of Propaganda fanzine * Four badges * Sticker sheet * Replica of Bono's "The Fly" sunglasses

Slash Working on Next Album

(hennemusic) Slash continues the forward progress on his solo career as he's just come off the road from a bunch of European dates and is headed straight into the studio.

"Started 2nd round of pre-production" on his second solo album, tweeted Slash this week. "It's going to be a rockin' fn' record."

Slash began the process of getting songs down on tape with an initial round of pre-production in June with drummer Brent Fitz and bassist Todd Kerns, both members of Slash's current touring lineup. more on this story

Trivium Disturbed By Breakup Talk

(RockAAA) Trivium mainman Matt Heafy says the world needs Disturbed and he has admitted his hope the rumors of a split aren't true.

Speaking to Artisan News Heafy heaped praise on the Chicago metallers, who are currently being dogged by murmurs of a split, and insisted they are one of very few bands who can produce record quality sound on the live stage. Heafy began: "As tours go, it's like high school, so anytime you hear anything, it spreads like wildfire and it always changes up a little bit. But I've said to the guys in the band myself, even last night, and I'll say it here… The world needs that band.

"We're big fans of them, we look up to them. I don't know what's going on, I don't know what the deal. I'm sure it's a lot of rumor-mill stuff and there's some stuff… No one really knows what's going on but them." more on this story

Static-X's Wayne Static Announces Solo Album

Static-X's Wayne Static has announced the October 4th release of his debut solo album, Pighammer. We received the following colorful description:

Pighammer comes from the depth of Wayne Static's darkest last year and brings to light his inner turmoil with an aggressive driving force of new music.

Pighammer has a disarming raw quality of heavy driving guitar riffs and lyrics that will take hold of your bowels and into the mind of Static's dark past and warped mind. This is blatant as the first single Assassins Of Youth, was inspired by Wayne Static's last days of drugs and partying. "I wrote this song while living in a hotel room, listening to Pink Floyd, drinking Crown and doing whippits," explains Static. "I started the song in that condition but never finished it until years later after dumping off the drugs. Now the song has a whole new meaning from when I started it." Assassins Of Youth is an old-school term for drugs. The first verse is about doing drugs, the chorus is going dry and the 2nd chorus is about getting off and no longer being slave to the drugs. more on this story

Alice Cooper Gets Theme Park Attraction

(Gibson) Visitors to the Universal Studios theme park in Los Angeles this Halloween should prepare to be scared, Alice Cooper-style. According to NME.com, the Alice Cooper Welcome to My Nightmare attraction is a "spooky" maze containing snakes, spiders, guillotines and electric chairs. It will be at Universal only for this year's Halloween season, from September 23 to October 31.

Universal Studios creative director John Murdy said: "As a life-long Alice Cooper fan who's been motivated and inspired by his craft, I am absolutely thrilled by this incredible opportunity. It's a nightmare come true."

The maze also will preview music from Cooper's new album, Welcome 2 My Nightmare, to be released on October 17. more on this story

Led Zeppelin and Cream Make Best Live Albums Of The Rock Era List

(Gibson) Defining the 10 best live albums of the rock and roll era is no easy task – especially since measures like the intensity and durability of performances, the key considerations here, are subjective. But taking a shot at that Herculean task requires revisiting greatness, and that's always a pleasure. Here are a couple of highlights:

10. Led Zeppelin, How the West Was Won (2003): This release doesn't carry the same historic weight as the others on the list, since it came after Zeppelin's breakup, but this three-disc set is arguably the most fiery portrayal of one of he world's greatest rock bands caught onstage. Cut during the group's potent 1972 tour of the States in Long Beach and Los Angeles, California, Gibson Les Paul giant Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham are in peak form on the heels of Led Zeppelin IV's release. Everything from the scalding pairing of "Immigrant Song" and "Heartbreaker," which starts the set, to an incendiary "Since I've Been Loving You" to the closing stomp through the Sonny Boy Williamson II hit "Bring it on Home" crunches with brutal power. How the West Was Won does nothing less than define the sound and power of hard rock in the 1970s.

1. Cream, Live Cream (1970): The band had been gone nearly two years when this collection of live recordings from San Francisco and New York City concerts was released, but it captures the on-the-fly creativity of the greatest improvising group in blues-rock. Eric Clapton was laying into Gibson Les Pauls, Explorers, SGs – including his psychedelic painted "the Fool" SG – and an ES-335 during his tenure in Cream, and the potency of humbucker-decked Gibsons paired with Marshall amps rockets out of these tracks, which helped to define that durable combination. And Gibson EB-3 legend Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker remain one of the most dynamic rhythm sections on the planet. Plus, Live Cream is where in-concert envelope pushing in blues begins – and the set still stands in testament to the genre's flexibility and durability. more on this story

Untold Story of Bruce Springsteen Mystery Video

The Golden Age Of Music Video reports to have the untold story of the Bruce Springsteen "Dancing in the Dark" video mystery. They put this out on the wire: Last week, a video surfaced online of a music video of Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing in the Dark", but not the iconic version directed by Brian DePalma where Courtney Cox makes her famous appearance at the end and dances with the Boss. This one is a somewhat blurry, copy-of-a-copy duplicated-tape version with Springsteen and Clarence Clemons on a soundstage, literally dancing in the dark.

So what IS this footage, where was it shot, and why has it never been seen before? Legend told of a first video of the song shot before the DePalma version, but no consensus has ever been reached on what happened, because the film never saw the light of day until now.

Now, The Golden Age Of Music Video has uncovered the true story of this first attempt at creating the "Dancing in the Dark" video, straight from the two men who helmed the original shoot: director of photography Daniel Pearl and video director Jeff Stein. Check it out here

Four Deep Purple Double Live Discs Coming

(Kayos) Eagle Rock has set a August 16 release for four double-discs Deep Purple live albums: Scandinavian Nights, In Concert 1970-1972, Live In London and MK III: The Final Concerts.

Scandinavian Nights, from 1970, features the most classic of Purple lineups, lead guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, keyboardist Jon Lord, vocalist Ian Gillan, drummer Ian Paice and bassist Roger Glover. Recorded for Swedish radio while on tour in support of their groundbreaking In Rock album, the band, a well-oiled machine of epic proportions, rips through elongated versions of "Speed King," "Into The Fire," "Child In Time," "Wring That Neck," a cover of the Rolling Stones' "Paint It Black" (as a Paice drum solo), "Mandrake Root" and "Black Night."

The same lineup In Concert 1970-1972 recorded two shows for the BBC. The 1970 gig is four songs stretched out to almost 50 minutes in true DP style like no other band ever -- "Speed King," "Child In Time," "Wring That Neck" and "Mandrake Root." In the '72 concert, they performed every song off their classic Machinehead album (except "Pictures Of Home") including a 21-minute version of "Space Truckin'. more on this story

Madball Tour Starts Next Week

Madball are hitting the road next week for a string of late summer North American tour dates.

The tour kicks off in St. Louis, MO on August 8th and will run through the Midwest, ending in Philadelphia, PA on August 14th at "This Is Hardcore" Fest.

Madball are hitting the road in support of their most recent release, entitled Empire. more on this story

Dream Theater Fans Stun New Drummer

(Gibson) Dream Theater's new drummer, Mike Mangini, has responded positively to his first taste of the rabid fans who've been coming to see the band during their current European tour.

In an update on his Facebook page, Mangini writes: "I'm stunned at the crowds on this tour. I really am having so much fun that I can't wait to get back on stage. One more show: Budapest. As the rest of shows were too, the Athens crowd just rocked the Earth all the way to Africa tonight. EVERY crowd has simply gotten the band's message loud and clear and I'm so happy to be a part of all this joy."

Dream Theater wrap up their current tour of Europe today (Aug. 4), at the Fezen Festival in Hungary. The band's much-anticipated new album, A Dramatic Turn of Events, will be released September 13 on Roadrunner Records. Their forthcoming tour of North America kicks off September 24 in San Francisco. more on this story

Synchronicity For Black Country Communion

(hennemusic) "There's no mistakes here," says Black Country Communion bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes. "I believe in synchronicity. You may call it fate…mumbo jumbo…but I call it 'in time.'"

That's how Hughes sums up the formation of the UK's latest rock supergroup, which also includes blues-rock guitarist/vocalist Joe Bonamassa, drummer Jason Bonham (Led Zeppelin), and keyboardist Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater).

BCC came together in the UK Midlands, already a place with some staggering rock n roll heritage to live up to. "From the Midlands," Glenn explains, "you have four pretty huge bands: [Deep] Purple, [Led] Zeppelin, [Judas] Priest and Trapeze." (Ed. Note: think he forgot Black Sabbath on that list.) "I don't know what's in the water," Hughes continues. "I know this for a fact: we're all blue collar-raised – some are more middle-class than others, but we pretty much come from a blue collared background." more on this story

Between The Buried And Me, Tesseract and Animals As Leaders Tour

Tesseract have announced that they will be part of the Saints and Sinners' North American Tour this fall with Animals As Leaders and Between The Buried And Me.

Bassist Amos Williams says, "This bill is insane. We're gonna have to really be on the ball every night as the other two bands are masters of tech. After us will be Animals As Leaders. Tosin Abasi and Javier Reyes are probably the most exciting guitarists on the scene today. The pair are like aliens with super human skills and innovative ideas. Then headlining will be Between The Buried And Me...Intense and hugely energetic."

"We're so happy to be returning to the US and Canada re-visiting all our North American fans, and hopefully picking up a few new ones along the road!" more on this story

The Smiths Inspire Comic Book

(Gibson) A selection of songs by The Smiths has inspired a soon-to-be-released comic book story collection. As reported by The Guardian, the project was conceived by Shawn Demembrum, a "comics geek" based in Phoenix, Arizona.

Titled Unite and Take Over: Comic Stories Inspired by The Smiths, the book will feature a series of four-to-eight-page comic strips, each based on a Smiths song. Thirteen writer/artist teams have been gathered for the project, which Demembrum says will consist of at least 72 illustrated pages. The contributors, he says, are using the songs as "an inspiration, a jumping-off point, a theme or a mood."

In an e-mail to The Guardian, Demembrum added: "As a teen in the '80s, one of my favorite soundtracks was the Pretty in Pink soundtrack. While training for cross country, I played the cassette over and over on my Walkman as I ran. There was always something about The Smiths' 'Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want.' It tapped into my teenage psyche, a combination of loneliness and yet hopeful optimism, that only Morrissey's vocals seem to capture." more on this story

American Bandstand Anniversary

(Gibson) On this day in 1957, American Bandstand first aired on U.S. TV. Dick Clark had replaced Bob Horn the previous year, when the show was still called Bandstand. Clark went on to host the show until 1989. Countless acts appeared on the show over the years, including ABBA, The Doors, Talking Heads, Madonna, Otis Redding, R.E.M. and Pink Floyd. Gibson takes a look back: Before American Bandstand became a national sensation, it was a local favorite of teenagers and housewives in Philadelphia. The show was simply called Bandstand and it aired live on weekday afternoons on WFIL. The program debuted in the fall of 1952, taking over an afternoon slot that was previously filled with broadcasts of British movies.

In its first incarnation, Bandstand was hosted by Bob Horn, who had a radio show (also titled Bandstand) that played the major hits of the day on WFIL radio. Initially, the program showed short musical films – which were later seen as the precursor to the music video. But, about a month after the show began, its format switched (at Horn's insistence) to a dance program, where local teenagers could be seen hopping and bopping to popular tunes.

About four years into the run, there was a major shake-up. Horn had been arrested for drunken driving, which put WFIL owner Walter Annenberg in a bad position. Annenberg also owned The Philadelphia Inquirer, which at the same time was running a series on drunken driving. Horn was fired on July 9, 1956 and replaced with producer Tony Mammarella on an interim basis. more on this story

White Wizzard Attack

Jon Leon of White Wizzard is the featured guest on the latest episode of the Mars Attacks Podcast.

The episode is broken up into three parts due to the fact that Jon Leon and host Victor M. Ruiz conducted these interviews over several sessions, a few hours at a time.

During the three part interview with Jon you'll hear him discuss their yet to be released album Flying Tigers (it comes out on September 19th), former members of the band, his side on why things didn't work out with them in the band, issues he's had with a certain metal website (Metal Sucks), and several uncertainties surrounding the band and their aforementioned new album. Along the way he brings up some interesting items regarding the band past and present, and names that might surprise you that where contacted to step in before Michael Gremio joined the fold more on this story

Singled Out: Circa (Former Members of Yes)

Today Billy Sherwood from Circa (and formally of Yes) tells us about the title track from their brand new album "And So On". Here is the story:

"And So On" is the 1st track from the record and sets the template for what's to come. It's a musical adventure which takes many twists and turns. The idea of the song is that no matter the odds one must always look forward and move towards the future and so on.

CIRCA: is known for experimenting with musical arrangements, time signatures and dynamics along with lush vocals and harmonies, this track lives up to that reputation and then some.

The lyrics and melodies are intriguing and thematic, Billy Sherwood's vocals have become a trademark sound within CIRCA: and guide you through the various musical landscapes. Billy also plays bass and commands the position with authority and grace. Tony Kaye brings years of musical experience to the band and provides the texture and backdrops for the record with soaring, atmospheric keyboards and of course his trademark roaring Hammond Organ. Johnny Bruhns plays amazing guitars throughout, tasty, energetic and melodic playing making Johnny a serious force to be reckoned with. Ronnie Ciago takes the drumming to a whole new level. CIRCA: contains 4 virtuosos and at the same time they act as one for the music, the give and take between all 4 makes the music fly and soar, it is a testament to their ability to yield to the other guy for the greater good of the whole. It's truly a shared musical experience by the band and by proxy the listener.

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

. Paul McCartney: Carrying the Weight (Live at Wrigley Field)

Over nearly three hours and thirty-seven songs (both nights) McCartney didnt just provide a snapshot of his illustrious career but proved that despite recently turning 69, he delivers a show that in many ways is untouchable. - Read the full Paul McCartney: Carrying the Weight (Live at Wrigley Field) review