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On this day in 2001, American guitarist-songwriter Bryan Gregory, died after suffering a heart attack in Anaheim, California at the age of 46. He was a founding member of The Cramps. Find out what else happened on this date in music history here

Ronnie James Dio Didn't Have To Die

(Rock AAA) Black Sabbath/Heaven and Hell singer Ronnie James Dio would still be alive today if he'd had a medical check-up while his bandmates had theirs, says friend and bandmate Geezer Butler.

Dio died of cancer in May last year after a six-month battle against the disease. But Butler says the frontman had stage-four stomach cancer by the time it was discovered – and it was already too late for him.

The bassist tells Noisecreep: "By the time Ronnie was diagnosed it was inoperable. The doctor hinted it was just a matter of time and there was nothing they could do. They said if he'd gone in for a check-up a year or two earlier they could have treated him." more on this story

Steven Tyler Says Joe Perry is MIA

(Rock AAA) Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler wants to get back to work on the band's long-awaited next album – but the Boston giants are finding it difficult to locate guitarist Joe Perry.

The Toxic Twins' volatile relationship took the band to the edge of collapse in 2009, with Perry actively inviting singers to replace Tyler after the frontman distanced himself from his colleagues. They settled their differences and went back on the road, but Tyler's decision to become a judge on the American Idol TV gameshow upset Perry once more.

Now the singer feels he's had enough of a break from rock music, but he can't find his lead axeman. "As far as Joe goes, the guy's got LSD – Lead Strummer Disorder. I think the rings of Saturn are composed entirely of unrecorded Joe Perry licks floating around in the ether," Tyler tells Rolling Stone. "We've been brothers for ever and he's just going through his thing. I don't know where he is. But Joe, just come down to LA at the end of January – I've have enough downtime." more on this story

Velvet Revolver To Go Heavier With New Singer

(Gibson) It seems like Velvet Revolver have found their new frontman, although they're still not willing to say exactly who the new member is. Drummer Matt Sorum recently dropped a few hints when talking to The Pulse of Radio.

"[The] guy that we're liking right now is a known guy," he said. "A very strong guy, too. And it seems to, at this point, in my opinion, metaphorically, it makes perfect sense because... a little younger, a little stronger, a little bit heavier rock 'n' roll than we are, that's all I can say, but in a way we want to come out stronger. The older you get, the stronger you have to be, the harder you have to work."

The boys are replacing Scott Weiland, who parted company with Velvet Revolver to return to Stone Temple Pilots. The band auditioned a group of new singers last year. Slash told ArtistDirect.com that fans could expect an announcement in January. more on this story

Paramore's Hayley Williams Feels Victimized By Former Guitarist

(Rock AAA) Paramore frontwoman Hayley Williams has lashed back at former guitarist Josh Farro by saying she wrote most of the lyrics on the band's last album about him.

He says the band were made to feel like no more than a backing outfit for Williams. But she's responded by claiming she felt her "face was underneath a boot all the time" because of Farro, who she dated for a while – and she wrote the album on behalf of all bullied women in the world.

She tells MTV: "There are a lot of specifics I pulled from my experience with just feeling like my face was underneath a boot all the time. I felt so alone in that fight. I would never want another young woman to feel that way. There are a lot of girls I've talked to who go through the same thing in relationships and families. It just sicks to feel kinda victimised." more on this story

Hear An Unreleased Phil Lynott Song

(Rock AAA) An unreleased Phil Lynott track has appeared online on the 25th anniversary of the Thin Lizzy star's death.

The Story of My Life features Snowy White on guitar and was recorded during 1981 sessions which spawned the unsuccessful single Trouble Boys.

At the time band members weren't clear on whether they were recording for the upcoming Lizzy album, Renegade, or working on solo Lynott material. Check it out and read more

Def Leppard Tribute Band Looking For One-Armed Drummer

(Rock AAA) A Def Leppard tribute act have distanced themselves from an advert posted by an outfit of the same name, who say they're looking for a one-armed drummer to join them.

California-based Pyromania are furious that a Texan band are asking musicians "without prosthetics" to audition for the role of real Def Lep drummer Rick Allen, who lost his left arm in a car crash on New Year's Eve 1984.

The angry act say: "We have nothing to do with the ad, and we're not even looking for a drummer. We feel it's in very bad taste – we have a lot of respect for Rick and Def Leppard, and we love and honour their music. Please do not confuse us with the people demonstrating this disgusting and disrespectful behaviour." On a far more respectful note, read an insider's tribute to the late Steve Clark

Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax Double Platinum

(hennemusic) Metal's "Big 4," Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax, are sure on to something.

The four bands teamed up for a series of seven shows on last year's Sonisphere Festival through Europe, including one stop that made it into movie theaters and on home DVD.

"The Big Four: Live From Sofia, Bulgaria" DVD and Blu-ray, containing footage of the June 22nd, 2010 Sonisphere cinecast from the Sofia, Bulgaria stop, has been certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments in excess of 100,000 copies. more on this story

Slash, Tom Morello, Corey Taylor and Chester Bennington On Travis Barker Album

(Gibson) While Blink-182 are working on their reunion album, drummer Travis Barker has also been prepping a solo album. Barker got some all-star guests to contribute to Give the Drummer Some, which will come out in February, according to Blabbermouth.net.

Among those appearing on the album: Slash, Tom Morello, Corey Taylor (of Slipknot and Stone Sour), Chester Bennington (Linkin Park) and rappers RZA, Lil Wayne and Lupe Fiasco. The CD was produced by The Neptunes, DJ Khalil and Barker and is set for a February 22 release.

"I just love music. The more I can be around it the better, so with my album it's no one genre," Barker told Spinner.com last year. "It goes from everything from punk rock to hip-hop to some electro stuff on there to a metal song with Corey Taylor from Slipknot. It's been really fun and interesting up 'til now." more on this story

Rammstein Vs Apocalyptica

(Rock AAA) Cello metal band Apocalyptica have been fined for infringing German outfit Rammstein's rights by making an inaccurate claim while marketing their 2007 album Worlds Collide.

The record featured a guest appearance from Rammstein singer Till Lindemann, but a sticker on the album cover stated the entire band could be heard.

Now a German court has agreed the misleading claim amounts to copyright infringement, and has fined Apocalyptica €45,000 (approximately £38,000 of $60,000). more on this story

Metallica Still Hold Record

(Gibson) At the close of 2010, Metallica's Metallica (the "Black Album") remains the biggest selling album of the SoundScan era. The Metallica disc has sold 15,620,000 units since SoundScan began tracking sales in 1991.

The album boasted sales of 120,000 last year. Shania Twain's Come on Over ranks second in sales during the era, with Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill holding the third spot.

Nielsen's SoundScan further reports that U.S. album sales, in total, decreased by 12.7 percent in 2010, a slump that matches the drop in sales that occurred in 2009. Americans purchased 326,200,000 albums in 2010. more on this story

Call for AC/DC, Metallica, Ozzy, The Who, Queen, Def Leppard Ban

(Rock AAA) Eccentric blog the Donnybrook Writing Academy has published a list of tracks including a stack of rock classics which should be banned from the airwaves.

The Who, Queen, Springsteen, Def Leppard, AC/DC, Metallica, Ozzy and Soundgarden all make the 'bottom 100′ alongside the Led Zeppelin and George Thorogood ones.

Author Colonel Hector Bravado says: "Some of these songs we love. Some of them, if they were people, we'd burn to death in front of their families. But what do they have in common? All have succumbed to the putrefaction of overplay. None of them should be played anywhere for any reason." Check out the list here

Crosby, Stills and Nash Part Ways With Rick Rubin

(Gibson) Crosby, Stills and Nash are no longer working with producer Rick Rubin on their planned covers album.

According to the Daily Express, the trio have also reportedly split from Columbia, the label backing the album. The group's official statement says: "We have amicably parted ways with both Rick Rubin and Columbia."

Rubin, who produced critically acclaimed comeback albums for Johnny Cash and Neil Diamond, was working with CSN on an album of songs by The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Bob Dylan and The Grateful Dead. more on this story

Of Mice & Men Address Austin Carlile Reunion and Lineup Changes

Of Mice & Men have issued a statement about the return of their original vocalist Austin Carlile as well as announcing another lineup change. Here is what they had to say:

So an entire year of touring on our debut album has come to an end and the approaching date of entering the studio to make our next album has come closer and closer, it's become time for us to decide the kind of album we want to make, for us, as well as for all of you!

With having recently made amends with our original vocalist, Austin Carlile, and not after discussing all of our previous disputes and issues we've had with each other (like any other relationship, its not always a friendly exchange of happy words) we've collectively decided to return to, or as close to, our original lineup as we could. more on this story

RIP Y&T's Phil Kennemore

(hennemusic) For those that missed the sad news on Friday: (hennemusic) Y&T bassist Phil Kennemore has lost his battle with cancer, dead at 57.

Y&T leader Dave Meniketti made the announcement: It is with profound sadness and disbelief that I tell you that my best buddy for 37 years passed away this morning, January 7, 2011 at 1am at Stanford Hospital. Bravely and steadfastly battling the horrible spectacle of lung cancer, at the end he was surrounded by his family members, and the Y&T family up until his final breath.

All the beautiful things that I could say about my buddy Phil could never be summed up in a short sentence or two, and I promise that I will be back to say so much more about how I feel about him and his talents in due time. But for now, at 3am, after just having returned home from his passing, let me at least put this out there. more on this story

Helloween's Michael Kiske Asked To Join Iron Maiden?

The latest episode of the Mars Attacks Podcast features the second half of the interview with Michael Kiske.

Items discussed during this interview are his thoughts on metal, and the many rumors surrounding the supposed love/hate relationship he has with metal and its fans. The rumors surrounding being asked to join Iron Maiden.

He admits to listening to Helloween albums he wasn't a part of, and his currently relationship with the members of Helloween. Aside from all of this, he goes on to discuss what the future holds in store for his project with Amanda Somerville and Unisonic. Check it out here

The Hold Steady, Black Keys and Wolfmother on New Ron Howard, Vince Vaughn Film Soundtrack

Chop Shop and Atlantic Records have set a January 11th digital and a January 18th physical release date for The Dilemma Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.

The soundtrack is from the upcoming Universal Pictures comedy starring Vince Vaughn and Kevin James. The film, directed by Ron Howard and produced by Brian Grazer, opens in theatres across North America on January 14.

"The Dilemma—Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" features a brand new track from Brooklyn-based band The Hold Steady. Titled "Just Saying," the song was written specifically for the comedy. The collection also includes tracks from The Black Keys, Band of Skulls, The Fratellis, Wolfmother and The Virgins. "The Dilemma—Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" is produced by Chop Shop's Alexandra Patsavas and executive produced by Brian Grazer. more on this story

The Beatles Still Top Sellers

(hennemusic) The Beatles made headlines in 2010 with the hugely successful launch of their music on iTunes, but there's a (literal) flip-side to the story: they were also the biggest-selling vinyl artist and album of the year.

Figures released this week by Neilsen Soundscan and Billboard place The Fab Four at the top of both the vinyl album and artist lists.

The Beatles sold 36,700 units of vinyl, solely on the strength of sales of "Abbey Road," which made up 35,000 of the total. The Black Keys were a very close second at 36,000 – just 700 copies behind the legendary British band. Other rockers on the top 10 Artist list

King of Leon Beats Prince

(Gibson) It was a royal showdown at London's O2 Arena recently, when Kings of Leon's Nathan Followill took on Prince Harry in the ancient and hallowed game of table tennis. According to Followill, Princess Di's youngest was milling about backstage when he ran across the fearsome netted table.

"He picked up a ping-pong bat backstage and we went at it," said Followill, who was quietly urged to let the prince win.

He continued, "I'm not sure what the etiquette is when you play a prince at table tennis, but hey, I'm a king aren't I? A king trumps a prince. I think the other guys thought, 'Maybe you should let a real prince win.' But he is so tall and he's got military training, so I figured he can look after himself." more on this story

The Sleeping, Bayside and Terrible Things Tour

The Sleeping are hitting the road this week with Bayside and Terrible Things for a short tour.

The tour kicks off on Thursday (January 13th) in Westchester, PA and will wrap on January 21st in Farmingdale, NY.

"This Bayside/Terrible Things Tour is something we are very excited about. Bayside are some of our best friends and we have known Fred and Josh from Terrible Things for a long time. We admire both of those bands as musicians and as people. It's always a great thing to share the stage with musicians that you highly respect. "-Said Vocalist Douglas Robinson more on this story

Wildhearts Future in Doubt

(Rock AAA) Wildhearts mainman Ginger is bored with being restricted to playing rhythm guitar in Michael Monroe's band. But the future of his own outfit is completely in the hands of bassist Scott Sorry – and if they do get back together, Ginger has a stack of his own songs he'd rather never play again.

The enigmatic frontman admits much of the band's back catalogue holds nothing but unhappy memories for him. He also reckons some of them rank among his worst musical efforts.

Despite having toured with the Ginger Wildheart Mutation, he tells RockAAA that coming back to a set of his own tracks isn't always like visiting old friends. Ginger says: "It's pointless me playing a song I can't stand. I just think some of them are a bit crap. And sometimes the subject matter can turn me off. The audience don't always know what a song's about." more on this story

Gold for The White Stripes

(Press Here) Under the Great White Northern Lights, the Emmett Malloy-directed documentary film that captures The White Stripes' cross-country Canadian tour from 2007, has been certified gold.

Under the Great White Northern Lights has also been nominated for two Grammy Awards: "Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package" and "Best Long Form Music Video."

Having first premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in September 2009, Under Great White Northern Lights documents the band playing to crowds in towns of all sizes across the Great White North - from traditional venues to matinee gigs at unusual locations such as a bowling alley, a boat and even on a city bus - culminating in a momentous 10th Anniversary show at the historic Savoy Theatre in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia. more on this story

Anniversary of Howlin Wolf's Death

On this day in 1976, blues artist Howlin Wolf (a.k.a. Chester Burnett) died of cancer, aged 66. The guitarist, singer and harmonica player's songs included "Smoke Stack Lightning," "Little Red Rooster" and "Spoonful." Gibson takes a look back:

Howlin' Wolf was, quite possibly, the most intimidating artist ever to take the stage. Standing 6'6" tall and tipping the scales at nearly 300 pounds, the Wolf was a massive presence, made even more fearsome by a thunderous, broken-glass voice. As bluesman John Shines once observed, "I was afraid of the Wolf, like you would be of some wild animal." And yet this giant of a man came from the most humble beginnings.

Chester Arthur Burnett (named after the president) was born on June 10, 1910 in White Station, Mississippi. He was the son of a farmer, Leon "Dock" Burnett, and a stern, religious mother, Gertrude Jones. Gertrude's father gave young Chester the nickname "Howlin' Wolf," telling him stories about how the wolves would get him if he misbehaved. His parents split when he was young and Chester lived with his mother until she left him with a cruel, abusive uncle. At the age of 13, he ran away from his uncle to find his father on a plantation near Ruleville, in the heart of the Mississippi Delta. more on this story

Jackson Browne To Get Signature Gibson Guitar

(Gibson) Gibson Acoustic will unveil the Jackson Browne Signature acoustic guitar at the NAMM show in Anaheim this month.

A Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and doyen of singer-songwriters, Browne has worked closely with the Gibson Acoustic Master Shop for five years on this exceptional guitar.

Browne, a Gibson collector, has guided the Gibson Montana Acoustic Master Shop in creating a guitar much like the legendary 1930s Roy Smeck model that can deliver a pure traditional acoustic sound as well as a flawless acoustic tone when amplified in a large concert arena. more on this story

Carson Recording With Producer Jamie King

Carson will be going into the studio January 23rd with producer Jamie King in Winston Salem, North Carolina.

Jamie King has produced albums for bands such as Between The Buried and Me, He Is Legend, For Today, and Alesana. The band will tracking five songs for a current demo to submit.

The band came together in late 2009 after some members met in highschool and recruited others from other local schools. During the time of their coming together they were able to record and post a short demo up on their sites. Though Carson is influenced by many other female-fronted bands it is apparent that they are carving their own path in the rock alternative genre. With major influences including Thrice, Underoath, and Circa Survive they are sure to secure themselves a slot in the future music movement. more on this story

Augury Concealed Again

Augury will have their debut album, Concealed, reissued by Sonic Unyon Metal on March 8th, 2011.

Originally released in 2004 via Galy Records, this updated version features a fully remastered recording of the album, also expanded to include two bonus tracks from the band's 2006 demo.

This definitive edition will also be packaged in a new digipak format, designed by Sven De Calluwe of Aborted. more on this story

The Naked And Famous Plan US Invasion

The Naked And Famous are setting their sites on the U.S. with the release of their debut album Passive Me, Aggressive You on March 15, 2011 via Universal/Republic records.

Coming together in 2008, Thom Powers and Alisa Xayalith met at music college and formed a songwriting partnership that would become the life force of TNAF. Aaron Short, a high school acquaintance of Thom's, was also studying at the same college and soon became a production foil to the duo as they toyed with song and recording ideas after hours in the college studio and various bedrooms. These eventually became TNAF's first releases, the twin EPs No Light and This Machine. Soon after Jesse Wood and David Beadle, two of their high school mates, joined the band and completed the final lineup. Working furiously throughout 2009 on developing a new live set and dozens of demos, TNAF embarked on an expansion of their sound, as together they experimented with the epic turns and cinematic moods that define them today.

Fast-forward to 2011, the band's debut single Young Blood and album Passive Me, Aggressive You has already hit #1 on the charts in New Zealand. The video for Young Blood, directed by Campbell Hooper and Joel Kefall, is also out now and can be viewed here

Evile Support

(Earache) Evile have confirmed the main support bands for their upcoming UK tour, which kicks off on February 9th in Manchester.

Joining Evile on the road will be fellow British thrashers Elimination and Mutant.

Each show of the tour will also see one extra lucky band opening the show, as chosen by Evile themselves and the readers of Metal Hammer. more on this story