Sebastian Bach's Home Destroyed By Hurricane Irene

"In the two decades I have lived in this home, there has never been a single drop of water in the basement or anywhere else in the structure. Now Irene has overflowed the reservoir adjacent to my house. The surging waters have snapped the bridge in half next to my house (see photo above) and sent the bridge straight into my garage, knocking the house off of its foundation. The basement that has been dry for over two decades is now overflowing with water and I am not even allowed to start pumping the water out due to fears of electrocution." He has a lot more to say here

KISS' Gene Simmons Wedding Date- Slayer Condoms- Megadeth Tease Big Announcement- Korn Set Title and New Release Date- Killswitch ReEngaged - more

(BW&BK) After 28 years, KISS' Gene Simmons' proposed to long-time girlfriend Shannon Tweed in Belize during an episode of Gene Simmons' Family Jewels. According to BW&BK sources, Simmons has set October 1st at his wedding day more

(Classic Rock) Megadeth are to make a major announcement at 2pm UK time on Wednesday, September 7. The nature of this announcement is currently a mystery, but the band are doing a countdown on their website. more

(Loudwire) Korn reportedly have scheduled a Nov. 15 release date for their next album, which has been titled 'The Path to Totality.' The disc, the band's 10th full-length studio effort, originally was due to drop Oct. 11. more

(FMQB) Portishead have announced a North American tour. The group does not have a new album to promote, and will focus setlists on tracks from 2008's Third, Dummy (1994) and Portishead (1997). more

(The 1st Five) After releasing a cryptic website to herald the coming of their new album The Black Mass This Is Hell's latest effort will finally see release on October 11th, 2011 via Rise Records. You can check out the track listing here

(MU) Sony Legacy has announced the release of a new, two disc Danzig compilation album on October 25th as part of the 'Essential' series more

(Loudwire) Slayer and drugs don't always mix, but when it comes to sex and rock 'n' roll, the thrash-metal masters have you covered — literally. In the grand tradition of Kiss and U2 prophylactics, Slayer have released their very own line of custom-branded condoms. more

(Classic Rock) Clive John, keyboard player with Welsh band Man, died on August 24. Regarded as a crucial part of Man's style and sound, John had fought a lengthy battle against emphysema. more

(Lambgoat) After being out of action for an extended period of time, Massachusetts metal band Killswitch Engage has reconvened and is preparing to commence work on their next album. more

F**ked Up and Wavves will co-headline a brief fall tour late next month. more

(MU) Gorgoroth has announced that the re-recorded edition of their 1996 album, 'Under The Sign Of Hell,' which is simply entitled, 'Under The Sign Of Hell 2011,' has had to have been delayed once again to financial problems. The record was initially scheduled to be released on August 29th but now faces an uncertain future more

(Loudwire) Throat issues were the root cause of Jane's Addiction being forced to bow out of the Reading Festival in the UK on Saturday, Aug. 27. Apparently, colorful and flamboyant frontman Perry Farrell had such a serious sore throat that he could barely make a sound. more

(BMN) Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson will join Jethro Tull frontman Ian Anderson and Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues on Saturday, December 10 for what is being billed as "Canterbury Rocks At Christmas" in the nave at the famed Canterbury Cathedral in Kent, England in support of The Canterbury Gift, which raises money for renovation work on the cathedral. more

(MU) Pro-Pain will soon be releasing a CD/DVD collection titled '20 Years Of Hardcore,' and the band has now announced new tour dates in support of the release. Support on the European trek will come from Undivided, Soulline, and Morrigu. more

(Lambgoat) Every Time I Die, The Acacia Strain, and The Word Alive will team up for some Australian shows this fall. more

(SRX) On October 7th Escape Music will be releasing Shy's new self-titled album, their first album with vocalist Lee Small. more
more on this story

Avenged Sevenfold Taking A Break

(RockAAA) Avenged Sevenfold singer M Shadows has revealed the band are plotting a well-earned breather after their wrap up their touring cycle for current album 'Nightmare' and he says the length of break and whether they will do any writing in that time is up in the air.

Speaking on the band's tradition of taking time out between record's Shadows points to the recent rumours of a split with metal heavyweights Disturbed as evidence their method works.

"We've always taken a long time (between albums), and everyone's told us we're stupid for doing that," he tells Billboard.com. "But I think bands burn themselves out. Look what happened to Disturbed; those are good friends of ours, and you just get caught up in the do a record, tour for two years, do a record, tour for two years…We're very cautious of making sure that everybody has their time. We need to go home…and make sure everybody's mentally in the right spot to do a new record." more on this story

Guns N' Roses North American Date Sparks Tour Speculation

(hennemusic) There's rumblings of a possible US date for Guns N' Roses this fall. Miami's classic-rock station Big 105.9 reports GNR have confirmed a live date at American Airlines Arena in Miami on October 29th.

There's no word whether the Miami date is part of a North American tour, but the date does fall at the end of the band's South American/Mexican tour.

Guns N' Roses' last US concert appearance was their first in four years and their only one of 2010 when the band headlined the closing night of the Rock 'N Rev Festival at the 70th annual Sturgis Bike Rally in Sturgis, South Dakota on August 13, 2010. more on this story

Aerosmith Rarities Coming

We have details about the Columbia Records era (1973-1987) Aerosmith recording that are set to be released digitally for the very first time and learn that rarities will also be going digital.

The classic Aerosmith catalog will be released at the iTunes Store beginning Tuesday, September 6th. Here is the official word with the details:

The classic Aerosmith catalog will be available to purchase and download on iTunes and other digital retailers as full albums or individual tracks. The band's catalog releases include: Aerosmith (1973) - Get Your Wings (1974) - Toys In The Attic (1975) - Rocks (1976) - Draw The Line (1977) - Live! Bootleg (1978) - Night In The Ruts (1979) - Aerosmith's Greatest Hits (1980) - Rock In A Hard Place (1982) - Classics Live (1986) - Classics Live II (1987)

Check out the list of rarities and stand alone tracks

Lou Reed Reduced Metallica To Tears

(Rock News Desk) Lou Reed reduced Metallica men James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett to tears with just one line from a song, says the thrash lead guitarist.

The band recently revealed details of the album they recorded with art-rock icon Reed in May, following both parties' enjoyment of playing a live show together two years ago.

The record is called Lulu and it's based on Reed's reworking of a musical he'd written, inspired by German playwright Frank Wedekind's material from the early 1900s. But when it came to laying down the song Junior Dad, half of Metallica found themselves overcome with emotion when they heard the lyric "Say hello to Junior Dad, the greatest disappointment – age withered and changed him." more on this story

Queen's Brian May Joins Lady Gaga at VMAs and Maroon 5 Slams MTV

(hennemusic) Sunday night, Queen's Brian May made a surprise appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles, joining Lady Gaga for the show's opening number, "You And I." May also appeared on the track on Gaga's latest album, "Born this Way."

MTV hasn't been about rock music for many years, and if you spent any time watching the VMA's, you certainly weren't going to find any rock in the house – May's cameo was all the rock the night had to offer…save for the Foo Fighters picking up Best Rock Video honors from a channel that hardly plays any.

In fact, the lack of videos played by MTV prompted Maroon 5's Adam Levine to issue a stern note the other day in advance of the event. "The VMA's. one day a year when MTV pretends to still care about music," Levine posted on Twitter Saturday afternoon. "I'm drawing a line in the sand. F**k you VMA's." Check out video here

70s Era Rush Concert Coming To CD

(hennemusic) RushIsABand reports UK online music store Plastichead.com has an October 24 release date for Rush's live WMMS radio broadcast of their August 26th, 1974 show at the Cleveland Agora.

Left Field Media is releasing "Rush ABC 1974," the show marks Rush's first recorded performance in the US, as well as their first recorded performance with Neil Peart - who had only just joined the band a month prior to the show.

The broadcast also includes recordings of the two unreleased Rush tracks: "Fancy Dancer" and "Garden Road." The WMMS broadcast has been available as a bootleg for years, but this may be the first legal release (legal according to UK laws at least). more on this story

Biohazard Holding Open Auditions To Replace Evan Seinfeld

(RockAAA) Biohazard are throwing the doors open to the band and hosting open auditions to find a new frontman to replace the recently departed Evan Seinfeld.

The New York hardcore metallers parted company with Seinfeld in June just before their scheduled appearance at the Download Festival with the frontman stating 'personal reasons.'

Speaking exclusively to RockAAA at the time Biohazard guitarist Bobby Hambel said the fans would be the first to know when they had news of a replacement. "We're going to go back, regroup and try and get everything together and we'll make some announcements and let everyone know what's going on," He said. "By the time the record (since revealed as 'Reborn In Defiance') drops everyone will know what." more on this story

Roger Glover Returns With If Life Was Easy

(Kayos) Deep Purple bassist Roger Glover will release his new album, If Life Was Easy, on September 6th via Eagle Rock and earMusic.

If Life Was Easy, by Roger Glover and the Guilty Party- produced by Glover and Peter Denenberg. Taken from snippets of ideas that the bassist had for years, the album is introspective, thought provoking and its 16 tracks are filled with experimental techniques both instrumentally, compositionally and vocally.

Instrumentally, Glover plays the baglama on "Don't Look Now (Everything Has Changed)." He found the seven-stringed instrument—a cross between a lute and a sitar—in Istanbul. He's on fretless bass during "The Car Won't Start," a song inspired by the first music he ever loved, skiffle (a British take on folk music that most Brits of Glover's generation, including the Beatles, loved when they were kids). Still, the song comes out more ska than skiffle! Fellow Purple bandmate Don Airey plays his own personal pianet (a rare German electric piano only made from the '50s to the '70s) on "Stand Together." more on this story

The Rolling Stones Keith Richards' Life A Huge Success

(Gibson) The Rolling Stones Keith Richards' memoir, Life, has become one of the best-selling rock autobiographies of all-time. As reported by RollingStone.com, the legendary guitarist's tell-all book has sold more than one million copies, a total that's the literary equivalent of achieving platinum status in the music world.

In addition to earning Richards a massive payday – he received a $7 million-plus advance for the tome – the book earned nearly universally positive reviews. Chief among these was effusive praise lavished on Life by rocker Liz Phair, in a lead review for the New York Times.

Richards, who penned the book with British author James Fox, chronicled the arc of his life thus far, including his post-war boyhood, his adventures with The Rolling Stones and the dynamics of his creative bond with Mick Jagger. He also wrote freely and openly about his past troubles with substance abuse. more on this story

Led Zeppelin Legend Makes Surprise Appearance

(hennemusic) Another UK festival appearance by bluesman Seasick Steve has brought former Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones out to play.

Jones joined Steve at the Reading Festival Saturday, the third UK festival show this summer where the two have performed together.

JPJ jammed with Steve at the Isle Of Wight in June, and last month, the bassist played with him at the iTunes Festival in London, along with Dead Weather bandmates Jack White and Alison Mosshart. more on this story

David Crosby and Graham Nash Announce New Tour and DVD

David Crosby and Graham Nash have announced a new leg to their 2011 tour and also a DVD release. Here is the official word with details:

The duo kicks off the European leg of their 2011 tour with a show in Dublin. Dates in Europe continue through November 2, with a final show at Teatro Sistina in Rome.

Earlier this year, Crosby and Nash — who have been harmonizing ever since Crosby, Stills & Nash formed in 1968, and have recorded and toured as a duo for almost as long — launched their new independent label, Blue Castle Records. On October 11, Blue Castle will release globally the HD DVD Crosby-Nash: In Concert. more on this story

Rise To Remain Set Album Release

Century Media Records have set an October 11th release date for Rise To Remain's debut album, City of Vultures. Here is what they had to say:

Named both the Best New Band at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards and the Best British Newcomer at the Kerrang! Awards, Rise To Remain has high aspirations for the new album.

"I hope a lot of people will respect this record, especially coming from a really young band, because there's a lot that's outside the usual metalcore cliché thinking box," says vocalist Austin Dickinson. more on this story

Mickey Hart Won't Rule Out Grateful Dead Reunion

(Gibson) Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart won't rule out another reunion for the legendary band. In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Hart said, "as long as we're above ground, there's always a possibility." How's that for optimism?

The band last toured in 2009, although the reunion was fraught with tension and some creative differences. Last year, Bob Weir suggested that drummers Hart and Bill Kreutzmann weren't as current, musically, as much as other members of the band.

But Hart dismissed the comment, laughing it off. "It doesn't really make sense. I mean, it's almost ludicrous. It's not a place that's beneficial to anyone," he said. In the past I've said things that I've wished I could have taken back. Besides, I just saw Bob and Phil at [San Francisco's] AT&T Park when they had Grateful Dead day. It was really nice hanging out." more on this story

Def Leppard Set To Perform on America's Got Talent

(hennemusic) Def Leppard have announced an upcoming appearance on "America's Got Talent."

Leppard will perform on the talent competition series on September 7; the show airs at 9:00 PM ET on NBC.

AGT producers revealed the musical performers that will be stopping by for the rest of the season; they include Tony Bennett with Queen Latifah, Susan Boyle, Il Divo, David Guetta with Nicki Minaj and Flo Rida, and Cirque du Soleil 'Iris.' more on this story

Eagles of Death Metal Devil Releases Boots Electric Theme Video

Eagles of Death Metal frontman Jesse "The Devil" Hughes' Boots Electric have released a new video for the single "Boots Electric Theme".

According to the announcement, the clip is a comedic, raunchy 70's slant on a handful of classic Hollywood films. From "Pump Friction" and "Forrest Hump" to "The Bang Over," the video is chock full of more puns that you can shake a stick at. Watch it here

The song comes from Honkey Kong, Hughes' first solo outing, to be released on September 20th by Dangerbird Records. more on this story

The Latebirds New Album and Tour This Week

(Sub) The Latebirds, which features Laika & The Cosmonauts' former drummer and organist, will be releasing their US debut record, "Last Of The Good Ol' Days" tomorrow, 8/30 on Second Motion Records.

The new album was conceived with Grammy-winning producer Jim Scott (Wilco, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dixie Chicks, Johnny Cash, Tom Petty) and features appearances by Wilco's Nels Cline, singer/actress Minnie Driver and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers' keyboardist Benmont Tench.

To celebrate the release of the record, The Latebirds will embark on a mini-US tour in select cities in late August more on this story

Totimoshi Expand North American Tour

Totimoshi have added some additional stops on their current North American tour including dates in Oregon, Washington and California.

Commented guitarist/vocalist Tony Aguilar from the road: "Forget the economy and your troubles and come party with us! We only have half a tour left so your chance to shake our hand and kiss our ass is slowly running out. Don't miss that chance!"

The band is touring in support of their recently released Avenger full-length which officially hit streets on August 16 via At A Loss Recordings. Offering up their signature brand of heavy desert death rock, Avenger was produced by Toshi Kasai (Melvins, Shrinebuilder, Tool), mastered by John Golden (Melvins, Mike Watt, OM) and includes appearances by Dale Crover (Altamont, The Melvins, Shrinebuilder), Brent Hinds (Mastodon) and Scott Kelly (Neurosis, Shrinebuilder). more on this story

The Devil Wears Prada Announce Fall Tour

(HER) The Devil Wears Prada announces "Dead Throne Tour: North America 2011" the first North American leg of the band's 2011 - 2012 worldwide tour.

The 37-date headline trek kicks off on November 3 in Milwaukee and will criss-cross the U.S. and Canada over a six-week period.

"Dead Throne Tour: North America 2011" will feature Whitechapel, Enter Shikari, and For Today on all dates. more on this story

Limited Edition Jellyfish Reissues Coming

(superLOUD) Power pop fans, rejoice. Even though the band Jellyfish only lasted for two albums in the early 90s, their cult status and influence remain. Omnivore Records is going to release re-issues of both Jellyfish albums (Bellybutton and Spilt Milk) on vinyl this September.

The records are being mastered by John Golden at Golden Mastering and the original flat analogs are being used for the new cuts.

The re-issues will feature both albums in their entirety, with the first 1,500 copies of each album pressed on translucent vinyl (blue for Bellybutton and purple for Spilt Milk). In the case of Bellybutton, those limited copies will also feature the original gatefold sleeve. more on this story

Scott Henderson, Jeff Berlin and Mike Clark Fall Tour

Jazz-fusion legends Scott Henderson, Jeff Berlin and Mike Clark are hitting the road on September 14th for a North American Tour. Here is the official word along with the dates:

(Glass Onyon) The power trio promises to deliver an evening full of depth-defying virtuosic performances guaranteed to thrill and inspire all that attend. "Henderson-Berlin-Clark are the Clapton-Bruce-Baker of fusion music!" says Jeff Berlin

Scott Henderson is considered one of the premier jazz-fusion guitarists performing on the planet today. Although Henderson claims to be more of a blues-rock player, with influences like Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix and Ritchie Blackmore, it was the influence of jazz that led him to the style of playing and composing he is now famous for. Henderson has recorded and toured with such notable artists as Chick Corea's Elektric Band, Jean-Luc Ponty, Jeff Berlin and 'Players', and a four year stint with Weather Report legend Joe Zawinul. more on this story

Auroch To Headline Skull F**king Metal Fest

Auroch are now set to headline the third annual Skull F**king Metal Fest in Toronto as scheduled headliners Morbosidad are unable to make the concert.

"It's a shame that legendary Morbosidad couldn't make the bill, as always we're honoured to be playing with Canada's best black and death metal at this year's Skull F**king Metal Fest." commented Auroch guitarist Seb Montesi.

In addition, Toronto locals Sortilegia have been added to the bill which takes place September 3, 2011at The Blue Moon Pub.

Axemaster Announce Special Guest

(Sub) Axemaster sent over word that bassist Jim Curtis will be featured on their next album. Jim was a member of the Inner Terror project in 2009-2010 and recently expressed interest in performing on the new CD.

As Joe Sims put it: "When I found out that Jim was interested in being on the CD it was a no-brainer. He's an excellent player and is familiar with me and Brian's writing and playing style, a perfect combination! He's gonna add an extra dimension to the rhythm section and make the disc just that much better!"

Jim stated: "I am honored and excited to be working with Joe, Brian and Tony in this newest version of Axemaster. I have known Brian for many years and met Joe 3 years ago when they asked me to be on the Inner Terror CD. The songwriting is strong and the riffs are brutal...nobody writes em like Joe...along with great drumming and now with Tony's talents I am looking forward to a killer release from the legends that are Axemaster!"
more on this story

Anniversary of the Beatles Last Concert

(Gibson) On this day in 1966, The Beatles played their last concert before a paying audience. Gibson takes a look back: Of the 25,000 people in attendance at The Beatles' 1966 concert at San Francisco's Candlestick Park, only six knew that this would be the band's final show: John, Paul, George, Ringo, the band's road manager, Neil Aspinall, and their assistant road manager, Mal Evans. As far as everyone else was concerned, this was just another stop for the rollercoaster that was Beatlemania.

But the mania had proved too manic for the Fab Four in the months leading up to the gig. Deafening (and non-listening) audiences, pushy promoters and local bigwigs, angry record-burners (following Lennon's infamous "Bigger than Jesus" comment) and a near riot in the Philippines had convinced the boys — even the ever-enthusiastic showman McCartney — that enough was enough. The circus had to stop.

There were also the band's musical ambitions to take into account. Emboldened by their ever-growing songwriting talents and energized by advances in studio recording technology, they would no longer accept the three-songs-in-a-day-squeezed-somewhere-between-tour-legs approach to recording. They wanted time to build layers upon layers of musical constructs that, themselves, would be too complex to ever reproduce on stage. Case in point is the band's set list from the 1966 tour, which included not a single track from their most recent album, Revolver.

So, when the band took the stage in the early evening of August 29, they knew this was truly the end of a significant stage of their career. To mark the occasion, they even brought cameras onto the stage to snap pictures of the event — which must have seemed odd to the Beatle worshippers in attendance. more on this story

Paul Weller Advises Female Artist To Get Over It

(Gibson) Paul Weller has expressed his displeasure at some female artists who dwell on personal issues in their songs. The Daily Express reports that the one-time Jam man told Q magazine: "I was watching a couple of female artists recently and their whole albums were about splitting up with their boyfriends.

"For [expletive] sake, get over it. See what's going on in the world. Write about God, write about love, write about death, write about war, write about people."

Not that he doesn't set himself high standards for song content. He tells the magazine that he still worries about how listeners will take his albums: "It's one thing being challenging but if people are just going to skip it what's the point?" more on this story

Singled Out: The Stone Chiefs' Vices

Today The Stone Chiefs singer Dallas Perry tells us about "Vices" from their brand new album "Drive On". Here is the story:

I've always been a fan of traditional, down on your luck, country music songs. I guess "Vices" was my attempt to recreate that sort of vibe. I wrote this song in my old apartment, shortly after moving in. At this point in my life, I was living on my own for the first time in my life, which obviously provided me with a lot of extra alone time to be creative. By creative, I mean drunk and bored as hell. Honestly, I didn't WRITE Vices so much as I found it midway through a bottle of whiskey. Remember how I said I was trying to recreate the feel of an old, haggard country song? The Whiskey helped.

The song basically tells a story of a guy who's been done wrong by his woman, decides to give himself a break, a drink, and a couple extra days to collect himself. Slippery slopes for slippery folks... His long weekend turns into a full on bender, with no light at the end of the tunnel. Grim, of course, but I think it's pretty universal and relatable. Contrary to popular belief, the song is about no one in particular, just a sort of idea that stuck to the wall. A couple weeks later, I brought it to the band, which helped me (as always) shape it, tinker with it, and turn it into a proper song.

Moral of the story...booze helps you write songs.

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

. Warped Tour 2011

A Gene Simmons look-alike was standing there like the rest of us, only he had knee-high metallic boots by his side, as well as a Maybellene counters worth of makeup on his face. Kiss Guy looked out of place, even at an event where tattoos and body piercing was nearly a prerequisite. - Read the full Warped Tour 2011 review

Wait there is more!