Lars Upset Metallica Missed Justin Bieber Opportunity

"Can you imaging that picture? Metallica, Lou Reed and Justin Bieber? We could have put it out that this is our next project. The fans would go f**king crazy," He said. "People already accuse us of betraying metal by working with Lou. Wait till they hear what we can do with Bieber…" more on this story

Guns N' Roses' Axl Rose Gets Keys To Utah City

(hennemusic) Guns N' Roses leader Axl Rose hooked up with the Mayor of West Valley City at the band's Tuesday night concert in the Utah city.

The Salt Lake City Tribune reports about one hour into the show at the Maverik Center, Mayor Mike Winder stepped onstage and greeted Axl.

Winder congratulated the band on this past week's announcement that GNR had been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and presented Rose with a key to the city. more on this story

New Foo Fighters in 2012?

(Gibson) Dave Grohl has posted a lengthy message on the Foo Fighters' website expressing his gratitude to fans for helping make 2011 "an amazing year."

"Where do I begin?" he writes. "Thank you all for making Wasting Light the most incredible album experience of our band's 17 year history. For real. The fact that a rock and roll record, made in a garage, completely analog to tape with no help from computers, could be a #1 album around the world, AND get a Grammy nomination for 'Album of the Year' ...well...these days that's no small feat. It's truly inspiring, and it makes us feel like the luckiest band in the world."

Grohl went on to give details about the experience of making Wasting Light, which he called "the album of a lifetime." He also hinted that fans could expect a new Foo Fighters album in 2012. "If you would have told me 17 years ago that in 2012 I would be writing songs for our 8th studio album...well...," he writes. Read his full post here. more on this story

Dave Mustaine Talks Metallica Reunion Jam

(hennemusic) Beyond the Big 4 events, it's been many years since Megadeth's Dave Mustaine stood on stage with his old bandmates in Metallica.

Mustaine joined the band last weekend for the final night of their 30th Anniversary shows at the Fillmore in San Francisco, rocking out tracks he first recorded with Metallica three decades ago.

In a new interview with Powerline, Mustaine shares his thoughts on the evening and revisiting some of his classic Metallica songs. "You know, it felt fun to play them," Dave explains. "I wish I would have had a little bit more opportunity to get prepared with the band. You know, because I'm a perfectionist. I would have liked to have had my sound just so and make sure when I did the solos they would jump up the volume and stuff like that that I'm used to, but we were at a club and playing at a club and playing like a club band. It was fun to take off all the rules and regulations and stuff and kind of shoot from the hip." A little about the song choice

Shinedown Working On Different New Album

(Banana 101.5) Shinedown band began recording the follow up to their massive hit record 'The Sound of Madness' in August so it is likely that the new material will surface sometime in 2012 — but not definite.

The Sound of Madness' brought all kinds of new ears to Shinedown thanks to the crossover success of mega-hits 'Second Chance' and 'If You Only Knew.' Now the question is will they return to more rock-oriented fare — like Theory of a Deadman did after dabbling with success at Top 40 radio — or will they walk the line between both genres like Nickelback? Vocalist Brent Smith said this this of the new record speaking to Artisan News last May:

"We can't compare any of the other records to this one — just like we can't compare the first one to the second one or the third one to the first one. We pride ourselves on being a band that each record sounds completely different than the last. The beautiful thing is the journey and finding out where you are in your life, not only as a person, but where you are as an artist and as a musician and how far you've come and how far you've grown. So, for us, we tour a lot — our last record, we toured for almost three years — so it's very, very crucial and very, very important for us for this fourth record [to be as strong as possible], so we take our time." more on this story

Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers Plan North American Tour Dates

Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers will warm up for their first tour of Europe in 20 years with a number of North American tour dates next Spring.

The North American tour includes the band's first ever show at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival where they will headline the first weekend of the annual event on Saturday, April 28.

Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers will also perform in the Canadian provinces of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia for the first time. The band will play in St. John's, NL on June 3 and in Halifax, NS on a date to be announced shortly. more on this story

Seether Score No 1 Active Rock Song of 2011

Loadwire has some big Seether news: Seether have had much success with their latest album 'Holding Onto Things Better Left to Fray.'

Now the disc's debut single 'Country Song' has been named Billboard's Active Rock Song of the Year and Mediabase's No. 1 active rock song of 2011 in terms of airplay.

Seether also took Billboard's No. 1 spot for Artist of the Year in both Active Rock and Heritage Rock. more on this story

The Shins Set New Album Release

(Gibson) The Shins have announced that their new album, Port of Morrow, will be released in March, according to NME.

The album from the indie stars will be the first since 2007's Wincing the Night Away.

Port of Morrow, The Shins' fourth album, will be released on frontman James Mercer's Aural Apothecary label (and not Sub Pop, which the band split from in 2008). The band, which also includes Yuuki Matthews, Jessica Dobson, Richard Swift and Joe Plummer, will tour next year. more on this story

Eagles, Foo Fighters and Tom Petty For Jazz Fest

(Gibson) The Foo Fighters, the Eagles and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers are among the headliners for next year's New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, the Associated Press has reported.

The outdoor event, which emphasizes Louisiana-based artists from a wide variety of genres, will feature hundreds of acts on approximately a dozen stages. The 2012 festival extends through two weekends, from April 27 through May 6.

Other nationally renowned acts who will accent the event include the Zac Brown Band, Al Green, Bonnie Raitt and My Morning Jacket. Still, roughly 85 percent of the lineup hails from Louisiana. "This festival really offers the best of both worlds," said Quint Davis, the festival's producer. "The heart and soul of the festival is all the Louisiana artists, but added to that is the very best of all these other genres." more on this story

Jimi Jamison Returns To Survivor

Jimi Jamison has returned as the frontman of Survivor, after leaving the band in 2006 to focus on his solo career.

Survivor – Jimi Jamison (vocals), Frankie Sullivan (guitar), Marc Droubay (drums), Billy Ozzello (bass) and Walter Tolentino (keyboards/guitar) – will begin working on a new album, expected for release in 2012.

"It feels great to be back with Frankie and the band, singing the songs that the fans love," says Jamison.

Frankie Sullivan adds, "I'm excited to have Jimi back up front singing the hits, and giving the fans what they want."

http://www.survivormusic.com/

Yngwie Gets His Own Sharpies

(Gibson) Guitar wiz Yngwie Malmsteen has been given a special gift from Sharpie. According toClassic Rock magazine, the world famous pen manufacturers have made the guitarist his own personalized set of pens.

Sharpie president Ben J. Gadbois is a huge Yngwie fan, telling Blabbermouth: "It was fantastic to meet one of the greatest guitar players of all time and talk about music and several of our common interests. It was also an honor to present Yngwie with his own personalized Sharpies.

"It means a lot that he chooses our markers to sign autographs. He's definitely made an indelible mark on music, and in some small way, we hope Sharpie has helped him make a lasting impressions with his fans." more on this story

Gibson Repairs and Restores Cheap Trick Guitarist's Classic Les Paul

(Gibson) Last summer, the members of Cheap Trick narrowly escaped a terrible stage collapse. As you might recall, the power pop legends were playing the Ottawa Bluesfest in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada in July when the stage collapsed, leaving a few people injured – although the band members came out OK.

Of course, a fair amount of Cheap Trick's gear took a beating, including some of guitarist Rick Nielsen's most prized instruments. Gibson Repair and Restoration has been working their magic on Nielsen's guitars, a few at a time.

The latest guitar to get the Repair and Restoration treatment is Rick's 1968 Les Paul Standard, which was converted to 1959 LP specs. Check out some images detailing the process

X Factor Contestant Rocks Beatles Classic

(hennemusic) It's semi-finals week on the American version of X Factor, as the show is down to the final four contestants. On Wednesday, the singers performed two songs each to help fill out the 90-minute program.

We've already seen Josh Krajcik cover tracks by the Foo Fighters, The Rolling Stones and The Beatles for the contest, and this week fans voted for the songs in the first round; in Krajcik's case, it was the Beatles' "Come Together."

The song's traditional drum beat was stripped down to more simplified arrangement, as the production tried to highlight Krajcik's Joe Cocker-esque vocal style. Check it out here.

Kid Rock Gives Back

Kid Rock is once again giving back to those less fortunate in Detroit. This year he has purchased 1,200 $25 Meijer gift cards that he plans to distribute throughout the city as a Christmas present to people in need in his hometown.

The gift cards, which will be distributed through local radio stations in the area, will be good for redemption at any local Meijer store. The gift cards will become available starting today, Dec. 14th. This is becoming an annual tradition for Kid Rock.

Last year around Thanksgiving, Kid Rock donated 1,000 meals in the same way, and since the reaction was so great he has upped the amount to 1,200 this year. more on this story

Eisley Delivering New Music Next Year

Equal Vision has set a February 14th, 2012 release date for Eisley's new five-track EP, "Deep Space".

The Deep Space EP was recorded in Eisley's hometown of Tyler, TX with engineer/mixer Andy Freeman.

In support of the new EP, Eisley will venture out on a US tour in March 2012 supported by Christie DuPree and Tampa, FL-based band Marksmen. more on this story

Sebastian Bach Delivers Tunnel Vision Video

(hennemusic) Sebastian Bach has issued the second video from his 2011 release, "Kicking & Screaming."

The "Tunnel Vision" video mixes rehearsal studio/soundstage with live footage.

A longtime pal of Axl Rose's, Bach recently opened a couple of shows for Guns N' Roses – a third one in Albany was canceled due to production issues. watch it here.

Tom Petty Holding Online Chat Today

(hennemusic) Tom Petty will be hosting a Twitter chat with fans today – Thursday, December 15.

Petty will be live on Twitter for a 1-hour chat session with fans starting at 5:30pm EST.

Use the hashtag #TompettyTCS to join the session with Tom Petty live on Twitter from 5:30pm - 6:30pm EST. more on this story

L.A. Guns Pick New Singer

(Gibson) Tracii Guns' version of L.A. Guns is fast overtaking Van Halen in the "Oh what have they done this week?" stakes. Now, a mere 71 days after announcing that Dilana Robichaux was the last singer that L.A. Guns would ever have, Robichaux is out and serial TV talk show guest Tony West is in.

The band has not yet given any indication whether West's appointment is permanent. West, the 40th member of L.A. Guns and their 11th singer, has appeared as a guest on the Sally Jesse Raphael Show, Jerry Springer Show, Maury Povich, Geraldo Rivera, the Ricki Lake Show and the Richard Bey Show, with some clips even making their way onto the E! program Talk Soup.

For her part, Robichaux says on Facebook that she never quit the band. "Tracii walked out saying 'Thank you, it was fun while it lasted,'" she said, before calling the band a [expletive] joke and hinting that she was planning to write a book on her two-and-a-bit months as singer for one version of the classic '80s band. "I have all the notes written n some recorded about this very [expletive] up L.A. Guns tour," she wrote. "One day, you will understand!" more on this story

Stray From The Path Debut New Video Online

Stray From The Path have posted their new music video for the song "Bring It Back To The Streets" on their Facebook page.

The clip features Andrew Neufeld from Comeback Kid and was shot by renowned director Scott Hansen (After The Burial, As Blood Runs Black). You can check it out here.

The band will be joining Everytime I Die, Terror and Former Theives from Feb. 17th to March 8th. You can also catch them on their own headlining run in Jan. alongside Cruel Hand / Structures / Counterparts / Betrayal January 24-February 11. more on this story

Poison Idea Classics To Be Reissued

(Earsplit) Southern Lord Recordings have announced plans for a reissue campaign next year for hardcore punkers Poison Idea.

Southern Lord will be releasing CD versions of several Poison Idea reissues that TKO Records are currently re-releasing on vinyl. All of the material is being re-mastered by Jack Control (World Burns to Death) and each release includes new, extensive liner notes as well as never before seen photos and previously unreleased bonus material.

This Poison Idea reissue series kicks off January 31st, with the re-release of Darby Crash Rides Again: The Early Years. Boasting twenty-nine tracks from the band's earliest days, the album includes the 100% previously unreleased Boner's Kitchen demo from 1981, the complete Darby Crash Rides Again demo from 1982, the complete uncut live-on-the-air set from the 1983 KBOO radio benefit, and outtakes from the Record Collectors Are Pretentious Assholes recording session. Much of this material has either been out-of-print or never before officially released! more on this story

My Ticket Home Tease

(ESM) Rise Records are providing fans with a teaser video of the song "A New Breed" from My Ticket Home's upcoming album.

The album, To Create A Cure, will be out January 31st and the single for "A New Breed" will be available Dec. 20th but you can watch the video tease here.

The follow-up to the Columbus, OH band's 2010 The Opportunity To Be EP, To Create A Cure was produced by Caleb Shomo of Attack Attack! My Ticket Home is currently out on tour. more on this story

Red Hot Chili Peppers Add Another Date

Red Hot Chili Peppers have announced a second Los Angeles show will be added to their I'm With You World Tour.

The 2012 arena tour will be the band's first full-scale tour of the U.S. since 2007 when they hit the road in support of 2006's Stadium Arcadium.

Joining the Red Hot Chili Peppers will be Janelle Monáe. Red Hot Chili Peppers received a Grammy nomination for "Rock Album of the Year" and were just announced to be inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012. more on this story

Godseed CD and DVD Details

Godseed have announced the tracklisting for their "Live at Wacken" CD/DVD combo.

The combo set will be released on January 27th in Europe and January 31st in North America.

The CD will include footage of the group's infamous live show from the 2008 edition of the Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany, where they headlined the main stage in front of 75,000 screaming fans. The concert featured sheep heads on stakes, "crucified" nude models, satanic symbols, and gallons of sheep's blood. more on this story

Scale The Summit Announce Headline Tour

Scale The Summit will embark on their first ever headline tour, "Their Strings Are Voices" in January with support from Elitist.

Scale The Summit are currently on the road with Protest the Hero and label mates, Last Chance to Reason, and are supporting their most recent release, "The Collective."

Guitarist Chris Letchford commented on "Their Strings Are Voices:" I am very excited to announce our first ever headlining tour! We decided to go with only one support band for this tour so that we are able to ensure our fans that they'll be getting a full set from us each night. Since it's our first headliner, we'll be playing tracks from all three full lengths: Monument", "Carving Desert Canyons" and our most recent release, "The Collective". Support for this tour is Elitist, a young band from California; all very talented and proficient players and a great addition to the bill. We will also be having a few locals open the show each night. Make sure to not miss this tour and come out early to support your local music scene! See you guys on the road! If you guys are interested in choosing the songs that we play, please go and check out the poll, now! more on this story

O'Brother and Junius Team Up For Tour

O'Brother will be hitting the road early next year with Junius for a co-headlining tour of North America.

The trek will kick off at DC9 in Washington, DC on February 16th and wrapping up at Warehouse Live Studio in Houston, TX on March 11th.

The band will be hitting the road in support of the January 10th CD release of their debut album Garden Window (Triple Crown Records/Favorite Gentlemen) and before heading out with Junius, O'Brother is set to headline a hometown release show at the Masquerade in Atlanta, GA on January 6th. more on this story

Ribozyme New Album Release Set

Indie Recordings will release Ribozyme's new album on February the 10th in Europe and February the 14th in North America.

They had this to say about it: For over a decade Ribozyme has been a connoisseur's choice and a front-runner for the diversity and integrity of Norwegian rock & metal. Ribozyme's solid approach to their work has been evident from day one. Ribozyme has been compared to numerous giants of their genre: from Tool to Filter, from Nine Inch Nails to Sigur Rôs, although the distance to the above has never been greater.

With their new album, Ribozyme once again continue to push boundaries and redefine the trio format, through a horizontal vision on songwriting and, in the words of lead singer and guitarist Kjartan Ericsson; "combining power, precision and melody in an unpretentious way.

Vampires Everywhere! Get Warped

Vampires Everywhere! is one of the five new artists that have been announced for the Warped Tour 2012.

"We are excited to announce that we are playing the 2012 Vans Warped Tour! We feel honored to be a part of this amazing tour that has spawned so many incredible artists. We plan on bringing our brand of Shock Rock to the Advent Stage along with an intense stage show!" Says vocalist Michael Vampire. "We have many amazing surprises coming in 2012 and we are very excited to share them with you all this summer!"

Vampires Everywhere! will join Bayside, Chelsea Grin, Memphis May Fire, Sleeping With Sirens and a number of other artists that will be released shortly.

Evile To Headline Next Big Thing Music Festival Event

Evile are set to headline the February 11th, 2012 HMV's third annual Next Big Thing music festival tour event.

HMV's Next Big Thing tour takes place at nine venues across the UK and celebrates the very best in new and emerging talent, drawn from all genres of music, with performances from bands and artists who are tipped to make it big in the coming year.

Evile are set to perform at the HMV Ritz in Manchester, UK on February 11th, 2012. Joining them will be Cerebral Bore, Savage Messiah and Woods Of Ypres. more on this story

Historic KISS Mannequins Up For Grabs

High River Entertainment sent over the following big news for KISS rarity collectors: Avid KISS collectors Jae Connor and Johnny McLaughin of Electric Lotus Tattoo have decided to unearth this full set of very rare KISS mannequins.

These one of a kind mannequins originally came from Fat Vinnie Gonzales, who at one time had the largest collection of KISS memorabilia in the world. The mannequins were made in 1976 and came directly from the Aucoin Management warehouse.

One recalls that not only was these from the Aucoin warehouse, but that the band members themselves actually worked on these mannequins, assembling and hand painting their own faces. more on this story

The Kooks Announce Dates With Foster The People

The Kooks will return to North America in 2012 as special guests of Foster The People on their upcoming tour.

They will be touring in support of their latest Astralwerks release, Junk of the Heart was produced by Tony Hoffer (Beck, Air, Belle & Sebastian), and recorded in The Sound Factory (Los Angeles) and Sarm Studios (London).

The band's third album sees The Kooks solidifying their position as a bona fide album band with trademark hooks from their first single "Junk Of The Heart (Happy)" to the electro dub of "Runaway" and the infectious new radio single "How'd You Like That." more on this story