Metal Singer Dies?- Guns N' Beatles- Sabbath Talks Queen- Grohl Tributes Cobain- All-American Rejects Plan New CD- Ozzy Super Bowl Auction- Seether Tour- Oh, Sleeper- more

1976, The Eagles Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 became the first album to be certified platinum by the R.I.A.A. New certifications represented sales of 1 million copies for albums and two million for singles. Find out what else happened on this date in music history here

Duff Regrets Guns N' Roses Reunion

(Rock News Desk) Duff McKagan wishes he hadn't appeared with Guns N' Roses onstage in London last year, because it's renewed anticipation for a classic lineup reunion he maintains will never happen.

But the bassist is glad he got to reconnect with his former bandmate, even if he doesn't quite remember the event clearly.

McKagan sent shockwaves through the band's army of fans when he guested with the current lineup at the O2 Arena in October after he and Rose ran into each other because they were staying at the same hotel. Now he says: "I almost wish the getting on stage part hadn't happened. more on this story

Metallica Announce Another Big 4 Show

More fans will be able to witness the Big 4 of Thrash this summer. Metallica announced that they have added another appearance with Anthrax, Megadeth, Slayer and hint that are more to come.

Metallica writes on their website: "Last week we told you there would be a few more Big 4 shows and today's installment takes us to Milan, Italy.

"Look for more good times with Anthrax, Megadeth, Slayer, and yours truly at the Fiera Open Air Arena on July 6th. more on this story

Zakk Wylde For a Pantera Reunion?

(The Metal Den) 1,500 fans on Facebook have now joined the effort in calling for a one-off reunion/tribute concert (or a series of US dates) with the surviving members of Pantera: vocalist Philip H. Anselmo, bassist Rex Brown and drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott.

Despite the ongoing rumor in the press recently that fans wanted the band's legendary former lead guitarist, Dimebag Darrell Abbott, who was shot and killed on stage in Dec/2004, replaced in a new Pantera band reformation, the Facebook Pantera Reunion Tour Cause wants to make it clear that they do not support the idea of replacing Dime, for nobody could ever truly replace the late great guitar God.

Sodahead.com recently launched a poll asking fans whether or not they do indeed want to see Zakk Wylde play guest guitar for a Pantera reunion event. more on this story

Paramore Members Reunite

We told readers about this in yesterday's Digest but Gibson has some more details for you today: Former Paramore drummer Zac Farro has landed a new job manning the skins in his brother's new band.

Following the controversial departure of the Farro brothers from Paramore, Josh Farro went on to form the group Novel American, with Nashville-based musicians Van Beasley, Tyler Ward and Ryan Clark.

On the group's official blog, Novelamerican.tumblr.com, Ward now writes, "I've decided to step away from Novel American and support them from a friendship level. But it turns out that the guy filling my seat happens to be an incredible drummer with an even more incredible heart. So please help me officially welcome as the new drummer of Novel American, Zac Farro!" more on this story

Marilyn Manson Loses Longest Running Member

MansonWiki.com sent over word about a major personnel change within the Marilyn Manson band. They report:

Kenneth Wilson, better known as Ginger Fish has announced via Facebook that he is leaving Manson to pursue other opportunities. Ginger was the longest running member of Manson, after replacing Sara Lee Lucas in 1995.

Official statement from Ginger Fish: I am regretful to inform the fans that I have decided to step down as a member of Marilyn Manson, and see where my life , and the knowledge of my availability cares to take me . I can't stand by to watch opportunities pass me by simply because the knowledge of my availability wasn't clearly expressed by me .

http://www.mansonwiki.com/

Jeff Beck and Rod Stewart Plan Chapter 2 of Beck-Ola?

(Gibson) As previously reported, old bandmates Jeff Beck and Rod Stewart are planning to release a collaborative album together.

The studio album would be the first for the pair since they worked together in The Jeff Beck Group in the late '60s (although they've since teamed up for individual songs and performances).

Beck recently provided an update on the project. "I cut some tracks and sent them to Rod, and Im still waiting for a response," the guitar legend told USAToday.com. "Some are originals, and we've got great covers, too. It's sort of Chapter 2 of Beck-Ola. So yeah, ball's in your court, matey." more on this story

Gary Moore Laid To Rest

(hennemusic) Former Thin Lizzy guitarist Gary Moore was laid to rest on Wednesday, in a small village graveyard outside Brighton.

Moore passed away in his sleep February 6 at the age of 58, from a heart attack while on holiday in Spain.

The Belfast Telegraph reports Moore's family decided to hold his funeral not in Belfast, where he was born, but near where he had made his home in the past 15 years and where his children live. more on this story

Dave Matthews Band Plan Multi Day Music Festivals

(Gibson) The Dave Matthews Band may not be touring this year but they will still be performing in 2011.

According to Billboard, a band statement says: "2011 is our 20th anniversary as a band and we want to celebrate by playing music together. While we are still taking the year off from touring, we have decided to plan four multi-day, multi-artist music events that will take place this summer. We will be sending out save the date e-mails and announcing more information soon but we wanted to share the news with our fans first."

Their website says there will performances are booked for June 24-26 in the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic region and July 8-10 in the Midwest, with others to be determined in August and September. The band says they will play a headlining set each night and that more exact details will follow. more on this story

Paul McCartney Vs EMI Over The Beatles/Jay-Z Mashup

(Gibson) In an interview for an upcoming BBC Radio 1 documentary, entitled The Beatles and Black Music, Paul McCartney admitted that he secretly enjoyed Danger Mouse's 2004 Beatles/Jay-Z mashup, The Grey Album.

When EMI went after the DJ (a.k.a. Brian Burton) for illegally sampling from The Beatles' "White Album," Macca says he tried to ease back the hounds.

"I didn't mind when something like that happened with The Grey Album," McCartney said. "But the record company minded. They put up a fuss. But it was like, 'Take it easy guys, it's a tribute.'" more on this story

Clapton, Ringo, McCartney, Tom Petty's Concert For George Harrison This Friday

The memorable tribute concert in honor of George Harrison, the Concert For George, will be streamed for free on GeorgeHarrison.com this Friday to celebrate his birthday.

The site will offer the stream for 24 hours to allow optimal worldwide viewing across all time zones, beginning at 8AM London time (GMT) on February 25.

Originally released in High Definition, Concert For George will be released for the first time ever on Blu-ray and via digital download on March 22. The 2-disc Blu-ray set will include the complete concert on the first disc, with a second disc containing the original theatrical version featuring concert highlights, interviews with the performers, rehearsals, and behind-the-scenes footage. The second disc will also include a previously unreleased interview segment featuring Ringo Starr, Jim Keltner and Ray Cooper entitled "Drummers." more on this story

Deep Purple Ponder New Album

(hennemusic) Deep Purple are playing a few dates in Mexico this week. The band took part in a press conference in Mexico City on Tuesday, and were asked if there are any plans for a new studio album (their last was 2005's "Rapture Of The Deep").

"I guess it's about time, isn't it?!," replied Purple singer Ian Gillan. "So we're gonna get together and have a writing session quite soon. And if we get excited, then we'll probably have another [album finished and ready for release] shortly after that.

"We'll see how it goes. But there's no plans. But I think we're getting poked by various connections who would like to see another Deep Purple record. So I think it's about time." more on this story

The Strokes Announce Free Show

(Gibson) The Strokes will perform for free at the upcoming South By Southwest festival in Austin, Texas. According to NME.com, the band will play music from their new album, Angles, on March 17at the Auditorium Shores Stage at Lady Bird Lake.

The Strokes management says that the show will be totally free and will require "no badges, no lines, no nothin'!"

The band also will make footage available the following day on Twitter.com/wizkidmgmt. more on this story

Foo Fighters Stream New Song

(Gibson) The latest Foo Fighters single is now available for streaming. Titled "Rope," the soaring pop rocker will not be formally released until March 1, but fans can listen to the song in its entirety at the band's website.

As reported previously, the Foo Fighters' new album, Wasting Light, will be released on April 12. Produced by Butch Vig, and recorded on analog tape in Dave Grohl's garage studio, the album includes guest appearances by Bob Mould and Krist Novoselic, among others.

The band recently previewed several songs from the disc at surprise shows in Los Angeles. Those who pre-order Wasting Light at iTunes can obtain "Rope" as an instant download. Others can stream the song by clicking here.

Def Leppard New Album Details

(hennemusic) Details about the much-talked about Def Leppard live album have now surfaced.

"Mirrorball" will feature a mix of live Leppard classics, three brand new studio songs and a bonus DVD that contains live performances and intimate backstage footage captured on the road.

The band has not confirmed a release date for the record, but do say that "Mirrorball" will be out this summer. more on this story

Dino Cazeres's Asesino Going South

Dino Cazeres's Asesino are going South.... south of the border. U.S. fans will be able to catch them this Spring.

The band's Mexican tour kicks off on February 26 in Saltillo, Coahuila and concluding in Leon, Mexico on March 6.

"It's gotten worse, but it's always been going on," states Dino Cazeres referring Mexico's wave of murders that have intensified to epidemic proportions in the past few years. Cazares, who founded Asesino (translated: "The Assassin") with bassist/vocalist Maldito X (Tony Campos) and drummer Sadistico (Emilio Marquez). "This is something we've talked about in Brujeria forever." more on this story

The Dillinger Escape Plan Announce Free Show

Season of Mist sent over word that The Dillinger Escape Plan will be playing a special Free Show at 12PM at the Yuerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco next Wednesday, March 2nd.

The performance is part of the "Defend Your Homefront" rally in support of the March 15th release of one of the most highly anticipated video game releases of the year, Homefront.

The THQ video game hits stores on March 15th more on this story

Terrovision Looking Forward

(Rock News Desk) Terrovision split up ten years ago because they had nothing left to write songs about, says frontman Tony Wright. But after a decade outside the band doing some living, they believe the time is right to turn out a new album, Super Delux, along with a UK tour which they believe will show their love of what they do has never faded.

Long-standing drummer Shutty bowed out last year as they began to make live appearances again. He's been replaced by Cam Greenwood, who contributed to the upcoming material. The band has also taken the opportunity to shake down its organisation, and they'll be a self-run outfit from now on.

Wright tells Rock News Desk: "Ten years ago we didn't have another album to make. It's tempting to keep going so we can lean on bars and say, 'Yeah, I play in a rock band,' but we felt the best reason to play was to make great records. more on this story

Rush Alex Lifeson's Gets A Signature Les Paul

Rush legend Alex Lifeson has his own signature Les Paul. hennemusic has the details:

Created through extensive work with Alex Lifeson himself, the Gibson Custom Alex Lifeson Les Paul Axcess similarly redefines the boundaries of the classic Les Paul: packed in a single remarkable instrument, this guitar carries all of the traditional tones that have made the Les Paul legendary, along with unprecedented levels of sonic and performance versatility.

In addition to its traditional Les Paul tonewoods, the Alex Lifeson Les Paul Axcess carries two high-output humbucking pickups with series/parallel wiring options via its push-pull volume controls series/parallel options on its push-pull volume controls, and a Floyd Rose licensed unit that not only provides the world's most efficient vibrato system, but is also loaded with GraphTech Ghost piezo bridge saddles. more on this story

Saxon Not Going Down Under

(Rock AAA) Saxon have withdrawn from their planned tour down under. The dates were part of the Soundwave Festival which hits Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth from February 26.

Saxon were due to perform on a stellar line-up including Iron Maiden, Slash, Stone Sour, Bullet for My Valentine, Slayer, Rob Zombie and Devildriver.

The announcement was made on their official website and read: "We are unfortunately forced to cancel our Australia trip due scheduling problems with the new album recordings." more on this story

Hinder, Hellyeah, Sevendust and Rival Sons ShipRocked

ShipRocked 2011 will feature Hinder, Hellyeah! (featuring members of Mudvayne and Pantera), Sevendust, Rival Sons and more.

The musical cruise sets sail November 14-19, 2011 heading for the tip of Mexico and its popular stretch of gorgeous Caribbean water known for scuba diving, shopping and bars aplenty.

ASK4 Entertainment's Alan Koenig promises "ShipRocked 2011 will be five days of wall-to-wall music, giving fans the rare opportunity to listen to and hang out with rock stars on a luxury cruise ship. With the confirmed artists onboard (and additional acts to be announced), there's enough music for whatever your heart rate can withstand" Main support comes from LA's In This Moment led by the vocal pyrotechnics of Maria Brink. And we're happy to have returning late-night favorites Lynam, as well as the inescapable Texas thunder of Broken Teeth led by the affable Jason McMaster, and new sensation Rival Sons and their brand of 70's style guitar groove." more info

The Heavenly States Announce New EP With Free MP3

(Hippies Are Dead) The Heavenly States will be releasing their brand new EP titled Oui Camera Oui on April 19.

Recorded and produced with Bill Lefler (Gym Class Heroes, Dashboard Confessional) in Los Angeles, CA, in the fall of 2009 and mixed by John Agnello (Dinosaur Jr., Sonic Youth, The Hold Steady, etc.).

To celebrate the release of the band's new EP, the track "Model Son" is now being given away for free. As the EP's opening song, "Model Son" is a foot-stomping rocker that reveals the scope of the band's highly ambitious music. The song is a journey through folk, blues by way of Britain, and southern rock, with surprises around every corner to the very end. The rasp, rhythm, and groove recall Bob Seger, Talking Heads and Modest Mouse. Grab it here

The Day Killing Me Softly Hit The Top

(Gibson) In the history of rock and roll, there are legions of songs penned by one musician in tribute to another. One of the most famous is Don McLean's "American Pie," which honored late rock greats Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper died. Almost as famous as that tune was a song written about McLean, "Killing Me Softly with His Song," which became a no. 1 hit for soul singer Roberta Flack on this day in 1973.

But it wasn't Flack who wrote the song. In fact, she wasn't even the first singer to record it. The idea for the song (or at least the title phrase) came to co-writer Norman Gimbel a few years before anyone even knew who McLean was. He explained the initial inspiration in a book titled The Craft of Lyric Writing.

"I came to California in the mid-'60s. I was introduced to the Argentinean-born composer named Lalo Schifrin (then of Mission Impossible fame). I ended up writing songs to a number of his motion pictures," he said. "I suggested we write a Broadway musical together. He gave me an Argentinean novel translated into English from the Spanish to read as a possible idea. Suffice it to say, we never made a musical from the book – but in one of the chapters, the principal character describes himself as sitting alone in a bar drinking and listening to an American pianist 'killing me softly with his blues.'" more on this story

Cauldron Hitting The Road with Holy Grail

Cauldron will be joining Holy Grail for a North American tour this spring.

Cauldron will be supporting Holy Grail on all US dates, but due to the overwhelming demand of their longtime Canadian fans, the band will co-headline each date in their homeland and play a longer set each night in the great white north.

Cauldron will be touring in support of their recently released album, Burning Fortune, which is currently the number 1 most added album on the CMJ Loud Rock charts. more on this story

Deerhunter Headlining Rhapsody Rocks

(Rhapsody) Deerhunter are going South By Southwest. The band will headline Rhapsody Rocks Austin, to be held on March 18 at Club Deville.

Deerhunter will be joined on the Rhapsody stage by Kurt Vile and the Violators, Glasser, Small Black, Ty Segall and DJ $mall ¢hange.

The event takes place at noon-6pm. Event is free, but you need to RSVP. Check out Rhapsody's Facebook page and @Rhapsody on Twitter for details.

Beady Eye Is Really Just Oasis Without Noel?

(Gibson) With Beady Eye doing the rounds in anticipation of the February 28 release date of their first album, Different Gear, Still Speeding, Liam Gallagher and company have been fielding questions left and right about his falling out with brother Noel and the subsequent breakup of Britpop mega-band Oasis. But beyond the tales of Parisian hotel blowups is the equally captivating story of his new band, which is really just his old band minus Big Brother.

Bassist Andy Bell recalled the aftershocks of the breakup to the Toronto Sun, "Obviously, we were all gutted and a bit shocked. But as time went on, we decided it would be a shame to just leave it and not play together. We thought, 'We are potentially a great band. Let's make a new band.'"

And they did, beginning the songwriting process almost the instant Oasis came off the road. "We just started demoing these songs," said Gallagher, "and they sounded good the minute we plugged in. We thought, 'This is it, man.' Even if we wanted to have a year off, we felt like there was a higher force saying, 'Get out there and get on with it. There's work to be done.' We knew instantly, man: 'We've got it.'" more on this story

180 Grams of Iggy & the Stooges

MVD have announced a special 180 Gram vinyl release from Iggy & the Stooges on April 5th.

Iggy & the Stooges "Raw Power Live: In the Hands of the Fans" is the vinyl document of the reformed Stooges' (Iggy Pop, Scott Asheton, James Williamson, Steve Mackay, Mike Watt) Raw Power performance at the All Tomorrow's Parties Festival on Friday, September 3, 2010.

Iggy and the band sound flawless as they rip through the archetype riffage of "Search and Destroy," "Raw Power," "Gimmie Danger" and more. This record is being rush released for Record Store Day 2011. more on this story

Between The Buried And Me Rarities To Be Released

Victory Records will release the "Best Of" from Between The Buried And Me on March 29th. Here is what they have say about it:

The compilation CD/DVD release contains 20 songs spanning their impressive career, including songs from The Silent Circus, Alaska, Colors, Colors-Live & The Great Misdirect as well as 5 bonus tracks never before released on CD.

The DVD portion of the release will feature music videos for "Moredecai", "Alaska", "Obfuscation", and "Synesthesia". All of this and more comes in an interactive package that uses a spectral decoder to unveil hidden messages and special imagery - a must have for any BTBAM fan.

Tracklist was not provided

Blind Pilot Hitting The Road With The Decemberists

Blind Pilot have announced that they will support The Decemberists' upcoming European tour.

The tour begins on March 4th in Dublin, makes stops in many UK cities as well as Amsterdam and Antwerp, and concludes with a show on March 16th at Hammersmith Apollo in London.

Blind Pilot are currently in the studio recording their second full-length album. more on this story

Warbringer Announce New Member

(Century Media) Warbringer have officially announced that Carlos Cruz (Hexen) is their new drummer. The delay in announcement was out of respect to their old drummer and Carlos' former band mates and there was no question about Carlos' playing, songwriting or personality as the band ironically offered Carlos the spot in 2008.

"After years of putting forth nothing but blood, sweat, and tears into my tireless ambitions for playing music, I have finally found an outlet where no more time is wasted. It was flattering to have been approached by Warbringer the first time they made a personnel change in 2008, but this time around it couldn't have felt more like perfect timing," states Carlos. "They're a collective group of humble, open-minded, down-to-earth guys who share the same fanaticism for music as I do and are the tightest musicians I have ever played with. I've never felt so welcomed and inspired to move forward. Even past members of the band have congratulated me and it feels very much like family, not just another band. From some recent serious downfalls in my personal life came this beautiful opportunity and I couldn't be happier. We'll be seeing all YOU Warbringers out on the road soon!"

Fans can see Carlos playing with the guys at his live debut in Mexico City on March 5th at the Eyescream Festival alongside Asesino, Anvil, Toxic Holocaust and Abigail Williams. Warbringer plan to record their third album in April with more live shows in May and June.

Sourvein Announce Disturbing The Peace Tour

(Earsplit) Sourvein are hitting the U.S. road this March for the "Disturbing The Peace Tour 2011." They will be joined by Jucifer on select dates

The 13-date trek will begin in Baltimore, Maryland at Club Sonar on March 1 and level cities in North Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana, Arkansas and Tennessee before coming full circle on March 13 at Krug's Place in Frederick, Maryland.

Said vocalist/guitarist T-Roy Medlin of the upcoming jaunt: "Can't wait to hit the road with Jucifer, bring the doom and unleash some new songs'!" more on this story