Steven Tyler Blew 20 Million On Drugs- Black Sabbath's Iommi Memoirs- Sepultura Set Release- Less Than Jake DVD Box- 69 Cent Songs- Devildriver Replacement- Slipknot- more

Finally for our readers that are also car nuts, you gotta check this rockin' mod out!

Sammy Hagar Asked To Join Motley Crue, Pantera, Aerosmith and Velvet Revolver

(Gibson) Sammy Hagar has been on the biggest press junket of his career since the launch of his autobiography, Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock. Incendiary quotes about former band mate Eddie Van Halen and alien abductions have kept him on the front of music pages for months. Now, Hagar is back in the headlines as a result of comments the Red Rocker made on Forbes.com in which Hagar claims to have been asked (and refused) to join some of the biggest acts in hard rock.

"I was asked at one time to be in Mötley Crüe," Hagar said. "I was asked at one time to be in Pantera by their mangers. I was asked to be in Velvet Revolver when Scott Weiland quit and went back to the Stone Temple Pilots. I was waiting to be asked to be in Led Zeppelin to say 'no,' since they were the greatest band on earth and no could replace Robert Plant. I was asked to be in Aerosmith and I said 'no.' Certain bands and certain front man singers are more difficult to replace than others. Steven Tyler and that band have stayed together for forty years and you don't to walk into something like that. They had one moment years ago, when they replaced Joe Perry, but it's still always been Steven at the front of Aerosmith. You don't replace that."

Hagar says there is a difference between the Aerosmith job and the Van Halen gig he took in 1985. "When I came into Van Halen, it was easy because Dave wasn't a great singer, but he was a good front man. In those times, I was selling out the same arenas they were, so it was like the combination of two forces and it worked—but it's a rare thing. We were all lucky that the fans accepted it and it got bigger. I would avoid bands that are going to break up pretty soon." more on this story

Vince Neil Headed To Trial

(hennemusic) Motley Crue frontman Vince Neil has been ordered by a Las Vegas judge to stay away from, and not to have contact with, his ex-girlfriend, Alicia Jacobs. And vice versa.

The Las Vegas Sun reports that order was given Monday by Justice of the Peace Pro Tem Linda Norvell Marquis in Las Vegas Justice Court during Neil's arraignment on a misdemeanor battery charge involving Jacobs on March 24 at a show at the Las Vegas Hilton.

The 50-year-old rocker, who wasn't in court, pleaded not guilty through his attorneys to a charge of battery constituting domestic violence for allegedly striking Jacobs, 45, in the chest with his finger. Judge Marquis set Neil's trial for 8:30 a.m. Aug. 8 in Las Vegas Justice Court. more on this story

Pneumonia Sidelines Stevie Nicks

Good news and bad news for Stevie Nicks fans. The good news is that her new CD "In Your Dreams" hit stores today. The bad news is she has fallen ill. Here reps put out the following statement on Monday:

Stevie Nicks has been forced to cancel several upcoming appearances in New York due to coming down with pneumonia and the flu. Her doctor informed her over the weekend that she needed to "stay in bed and not fly" until she gets better. Nicks was scheduled to perform at a star studded event thrown in her honor by her record label Reprise Records at NY's Webster Hall on May 4th and was also planning on appearing on the Today Show and Good Day NY on May 3rd.

"I want to apologize to all my fans and hope that we can reschedule and of course I hope you love the new album. It's for you," commented Nicks.

Rare Randy Rhoads Era Ozzy Osbourne Video Released

The Ozzy camp has released some previously unreleased live footage of guitar great Randy Rhoads from the Palladium in New York City from 1981. The footage is as part of the run-up to the 30th anniversary reissues of his iconic first two solo albums and part of DVD documentary that is part of box set version of the reissues.

hennemusic has this background on why these reissues are so important: On May 31, the musical legacy of Ozzy Osbourne is finally getting cleaned up. The release of reissues of Ozzy's first two solo albums, "Blizzard Of Ozz" (1980) and "Diary Of A Madman" (1981) is long overdue, given the antics of Sharon Osbourne.

The legacy of these albums was scarred in 2002 when Sharon let her emotions get the better of her during legal issues with former Ozzy bandmates Bob Daisley (bass) and Lee Kerslake (drums). Sharon tried to erase Bob and Lee's contributions by re-recording the bass and drum parts on these records with Ozzy's then-current band members, Robert Trujillo (now with Metallica) and drummer Mike Bordin. The original versions of the albums disappeared.

Sharon said in the 2002 press release, saying "Ozzy wanted to remove them [Bob and Lee] from these recordings." In an interview with Classic Rock last summer, Ozzy busted Sharon publicly on this, letting fans know it wasn't his idea, he didn't approve of it and that he wanted the originals reissued. Grab all the details and check out the footage here

Down Give Rex Brown Ultimatum

(Rock News Desk) Bassist Rex Brown has been given an ultimatum by his bandmates in Down, says guitarist Pepper Keenan – and if he wants to remain in the metal supergroup he knows what he has to do.

Former Pantera man Brown joined his colleague Phil Anselmo in the outfit a decade ago. He's been replaced by Crowbar's Pat Bruders on their current US tour. Corrosion of Conformity axeman Keenan says he's not sure how the situation will play out.

"I don't know what to say. Rex is not out of the band, but he's not playing with us either," The guitarist tells the Daily Times. "He's got things he needs to deal with. We gave him an ultimatum and he's trying to work things out." more on this story

Motley Crue, Poison and New York Dolls Tour Details

(Gibson) Motley Crue have revealed further details of their forthcoming tour with Poison and New York Dolls, including drummer Tommy Lee's show-stopping drum solo gimmick.

Lee's solos are always a point of great discussion among Crüe fans – over the years they've included everything from a rolling drum kit to a magic trick involving a gun-toting astronaut. On this year's tour, Lee's drum kit will ride on a 360-degree roller coaster, and will be launched on multiple loops while he thrashes the skins.

Veteran production manager and set designer Robert Long says the 2011 set design is a "hard-hitting Crüe rendition of a rock 'n' roll burlesque theater," with the stage enveloped in red velvet drapery and a damask printed wall of guitar amps.

The tour's set list was selected by fans voting on MotleyCrue.com and includes tracks that haven't been performed by the band in nearly two decades. more on this story

A New First for Metallica

Metallica had some more big news for fans this week; they are playing two cities for the very first time. Here is what they had to say:

At this stage in the game, there are very few places in the world that we have not dragged our gear and crew to, so that makes this show announcement extra special . . . for the first time ever, we will be visiting India for two shows! It's about time, wouldn't you say?!?!

Up first will be Delhi on October 28, 2011 at F1 Rocks, held in Leisure Valley, Sector 29, Gurgaon as we help to celebrate the first Grand Prix race ever held in India. Night number two will find us at the Bangalore Palace Ground, Main Palace, Bangalore, on October 30 as part of the Sonisphere Festival. more on this story

Zakk Wylde's Black Label Society Name New Member

(Gibson) Zakk Wylde's Black Label Society have named Mike Froedge as their new drummer, filling the throne left vacant by Will Hunt and kept warm by Type O Negative's Johnny Kelly.

Froedge is a veteran of Atlanta, Georgia's doubleDrive, and he comes to the BLS family via his association with Black Label rhythm guitarist Nick Catanese. Catanese and Froedge are both members of Speed X with former Queensryche guitarist Mike Stone and doubleDrive bass player Josh Sattler. BLS embark on their Uranium tour in San Diego on May 4.

Kelly replaced Hunt for the remainder of Black Label Society's European tour, after Hunt returned to Evanescence. Kelly is hitting the road with Danzig, after appearing on that band's 2010 album, Deth Red Sabaoth. more on this story

Fans Celebrate Van Halen Anniversary In An Interesting Way

(Gibson) Popular Van Halen fan site Van Halen News Desk has pulled back the curtains on the band's 1981 classic Fair Warning for a look at Eddie Van Halen's isolated guitar tracks, as the site marks the album's 30th birthday.

VHND.com began a week of special Fair Warning coverage on April 29, the anniversary of its release. On April 30, the site featured an excerpt from a 1996 Guitar World article written by Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan in which he explains his love of the album: "This was a tired and taxed band, and if the lyrics and guitar riffs have anything to say, it is that they were living a freaky nightmare world of freaks, bleaks, decadents and hollowed souls. This is Van Halen blues as they lived it," Corgan wrote.

VHND.com reader and longtime Van Halen fan Scott Esman's look at the album is accompanied by guitar-only YouTube clips which use files extracted from the Guitar Hero: Van Halen game. The files give listeners a rare first-hand peek into EVH's creative process on the groundbreaking album, while Esman painstakingly dissects the compositions and performances as a whole. more on this story

Rear Beatles Era Paul McCartney Album Set For Release

(Gibson) Paul McCartney's first non-Beatles work, the soundtrack for the 1966 film The Family Way, will be released for the first time in its original form on CD, according to Examiner.com.

The soundtrack was originally released in January 1967 under the name The George Martin Orchestra – though the music was written by McCartney, who also contributed bass, piano and vocals to the recording. Despite the fact that album won an Ivor Novello Award in 1967, it was not released on CD until 1996, and that version was embellished with additional recordings by Canadian guitarist Carl Aubut.

The new disc, released by Varese Sarabande, has been taken from the original mono master tapes and will feature the original running order of McCartney's 13 untitled compositions, along with one bonus track: a previously unreleased stereo mix of "A Theme from The Family Way," the b-side of a single by the Tudor Minstrels. more on this story

Taking Back Sunday, Thursday and Colour Revolt Tour

Taking Back Sunday have announced the dates for their upcoming North American summer tour, which is set to kick off on June 14th in Denver.

The band had the following to say about the trek: "Alright, we are hitting the road this summer with our friends Thursday and Colour Revolt and we will also be joined by The New Regime and We Are The In Crowd on select dates."

The recently reunited Taking Back Sunday will be touring in support of their forthcoming self-titled album which is set to hit stores on June 28th. more on this story

Manchester Orchestra Puzzle Fans With New Album Preview

Manchester Orchestra are giving fans a chance to hear their new album, Simple Math, before it hits stores on May 10th... but you are gonna have to work for it...

Visit www.TheManchesterOrchestra.com and solve the puzzle to unlock the album stream. Drag and drop any five pieces into their proper slots to start listening.

If you need help getting started, simply click the "cheat" tab for hints from partners that are floating around the internet. more on this story

Singled Out: Tokyo Rosenthal's The Librarian

Today Tokyo Rosenthal tells us about "The Librarian" from his brand new album "Who Was That Man?" This is one of the funniest Single Out stories we've every had the pleasure to publish! Here is the story:

I grew up in a "Norman Rockwell Painting" sort of a town, aptly named Green Acres. All the kids went to a brand new grammar school in walking distance called The Forest Road School. It was great and had some very dedicated teachers. It also had a small but state of the art library ruled over by a very stern, older woman named Rose Agree. Rose didn't particularly like me. Never the less I enjoyed the weekly library session on Thursday mornings for the 6 years I attended the school.

Fast forwarding ahead, at 87 years of age, Rose Agree became the oldest woman to ever actively participate in a porn film. As a matter of act she participated in four of them. This impossible to explain behavior was brought to my attention by a group on Facebook know as "I Grew Up In Green Acres", complete with a nude publicity shot of Rose. Now I don't want to be elitist but I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that Rose was not what you'd call a handsome woman so this adventure in her life was even harder to understand.

Still, ever the opportunist, I smelled a song here and lifted myself off the floor, where I'd fallen after reading this, and "The Librarian" pretty much wrote itself. Why the music took on a mariachi feel, complete with horns by the popular British band, Pancho and the Banditos, I can't really explain. I was also compelled to compose one of the bridges in Spanish, again for no exact reason.

But if you Google Rose Agree it will credit her "acting" as per my song and will also credit her with "previously being a librarian at a Long Island Grammar School" just in case you might think there was a case of mistaken identity.

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

KROQ Weenie Roast Lineup Announced

A Day To Remember had this exciting news for fans: Los Angeles radio station KROQ has just announced the acts for its annual Weenie Roast.

Along with headliners Linkin Park, A Day To Remember will be joining Rise Against, Bad Religion, The Stokes, Cage the Elephant, Face to Face, Neon Trees, The Airborne Toxic Event, Lykke Li, Foster the People, and Young the Giant on Saturday June 4th at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Irvine, CA.

The show is a mere 3 weeks before the Warped Tour kickoff in Dallas, TX, which A Day To Remember will be headlining all summer. KROQ site for more info and ticket details

Godsmack, Seether, Stone Sour and More To Rock Rockville This Weekend

Mistress Juliya from Fuse TV will be the host for the first annual Welcome To Rockville festival. She will be introducing the bands and interacting with fans throughout the day.

Held along the beautiful St. Johns River in Downtown Jacksonville at Metropolitan Park on Sunday May 8th 2011.

Featuring over 20 bands including Godsmack, Seether, Stone Sour, Theory Of A Deadman, Puddle Of Mudd, Skillet, Halestorm, Rev Theory, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, My Darkest Days, and many others. more on this story

Deftones Plan Next Album

(Gibson) Deftones are not about to let the momentum the band gained after last year's release of Diamond Eyes go to waste.

Though the group are just about to wrap up a North American tour and have summer festival dates lurking on the calendar, they are already planning to record another album.

"We're going to have a month off," frontman Chino Moreno told Billboard.com. But in that month, we're talking about going in and starting to write again, maybe even two or three weeks in a rehearsal spot just recording ideas and keeping it going, so if all goes well, hopefully we'll have some product for early next year." more on this story

Weird Al Yankovic Announces Album and Tour

Jive sent over word that "Weird Al" Yankovic will release his 13th studio album Alpocalypse on June 21st and is launching a Spring/Summer tour.

It is his first full studio release since the 2006 Grammy nominated album Straight Outta Lynwood that spawned the platinum hit single "White & Nerdy."

Alpocalypse will be available in both standard and deluxe formats and will include the much talked about Lady Gaga parody, "Perform This Way", that generated two million Youtube hits within two days and at its fever pitch was the #5 trending Twitter topic in the world. The deluxe set will have a bonus DVD containing 10 music videos. more on this story

Steve Vai Launching Guitar TV

(Gibson) Steve Vai will launch his own 24-hour online guitar channel on May 10 at GuitarTV.com.

In a note on his website, Vai says he purchased the GuitarTV.com domain 10 years ago with a dream of some day launching an interactive, 24-hour online video channel to stream performances of the world's greatest guitar players in multiple genres, live concerts, guitar-related movies and more. "Well, some day is here!" he said.

GuitarTV.com – the brainchild of Vai and Andy Alt – will be launched on Tuesday, May 10 with a live event streamed from Musician's Institute in Hollywood. more on this story

Steven Adler Lovingly Calls Axl The Greatest A**hole Of All Time

(Rock AAA) Ex-Guns N' Roses drummer Steven Adler reckons Axl Rose made an error in releasing 'Chinese Democracy' under the band's name while being the sole surviving member of the classic line-up.

Adler, currently playing drums for his own band Adler's Appetite, says the album would have performed better and been more warmly received had Rose released it under a different banner.

In a lively interview on Matty P's Radio Happy Hour Adler said: "He should have called it W.A.R for W. Axl Rose. He shouldn't have called it Guns N' Roses. Had he called it W.A.R then I think it would have done a lot better."

Adler also denied his former band mate was a diva, instead labelling him an a**hole but he says it is a tag he gives him with warm intentions. "He's not a diva, he's an a**hole. One of the greatest a**holes of all time — and I say that with love." more on this story

Loverboy Singer Releases Canucks Hockey Team Theme

(PR) Loverboy lead singer Mike Reno is a Vancouver native and a huge fan of the city's NHL team the Canucks, who just finished taking an incredible seven-game playoff series against their rivals the Chicago Black Hawks to move onto the next round.

After winning the first three games, the Canucks dropped the next three, only to capture the series with an exciting overtime victory on their home ice, inspiring Reno and his producer Ben Karlstrom on local station Classic Rock 101's top-rated morning program The Bro Jake Show, to come up with "Flying High," a song they hope can carry the home team all the way to their first-ever Stanley Cup.

"It's been a roller coaster of emotions for sure," acknowledged Reno, who says several members of Loverboy are huge ice hockey fans, including drummer Matt Frenette, a Montreal Canadian follower. more on this story

Willie Nelson and Rolling Stone Rock for Kidz

(Gibson) America's Baby Cancer Foundation is launching a new program, Rock for Kidz, with the help of some of the biggest names in popular music. Up for sale are the worldwide publishing rights to a previously unreleased song by Willie Nelson and a rare print by Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood.

The Willie Nelson song, titled "Indian Paintbrushes, Blue Bonnets and You," was recorded by Nelson with the late Johnny Darrell. Nelson gifted the song to Darrell and his wife Jody. Darrell, who had hits in the '60s and '70s with "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town" and "With Pen in Hand," died in 1997 from complications related to diabetes.

The Ronnie Wood artwork, titled "Conversation Piece," was painted by Wood in 2005 and depicts the Stones rehearsing together. Only 290 numbered limited editions of the painting were made. more on this story

Steve Hackett's New Album Streaming Online

(Freeman) Steve Hackett's new album "Live Rails" hit stores today (Tuesday May 3rd) via InsideOut Music in North America.

This 2 disc live set features selections from Hackett's career in Genesis as well as his vast solo catalog.

AOL music is hosting a full album listening party where they featuring the album in its entirety here

Bono Wants Some New Pixies

(Gibson) Since the Pixies reunited in 2004, fans have been eager to have the alt-rockers regroup in the studio to make a new album. According to NME.com, even one extremely famous fan has encouraged the band to make new music together.

"Bono even asked… He's like, 'Please make a record!'" Pixies guitarist Joey Santiago said. Up until now, Black Francis and company have remained a strictly touring enterprise (with the exception of one single, "Bam Thwok"). Their last album, Trompe le Monde, was released 20 years ago. Santiago said that it might be time for a new full-length release from the band – which also includes Kim Deal and David Lovering.

"We can't leave that unturned," Santiago said. "That would frustrate me. It would. I think we should do it. But it's up to everybody." more on this story

Rush Benefit Auction

(Gibson) All three members of Rush – Alex Lifeson, Geddy Lee and Neil Peart – have signed a 2011 Gibson Les Paul Studio to benefit the Geneva Centre for Autism.

In the run-up to the charity organization's annual art and auction gala on May 17 in Toronto, they are running a silent auction for the guitar online.

Lifeson, Lee and Peart signed the Les Paul Studio during Rush's stop in Hamilton, Ontario on April 19. The guitar includes a case and a certificate of authenticity. Pre-bids will be accepted on the guitar until 3:30 p.m. EST on May 16. more on this story

The Best Of Willy DeVille Live Coming This Month

(Kayos) Eagle Rock have set a May 24 CD release date for Come A Little Bit Closer - The Best Of Willy DeVille Live.

Compiled from 1977 and 2005 in Amsterdam, with stops in between in the Netherlands, Montreux and Berlin that range from the '80s and '90s on into the new millennium, the depth of onstage artistry encapsulated herein is nothing short of amazing.

Singer/songwriter/guitarist DeVille (1950-2009) was a total original. He had no precedent…and there has been nobody like him since. Soaking up blues, doo-wop, R'n'B, Louisiana Swamp Rock, Cajun, Mexicali, Funky Soul and Cabaret into one dynamic all-encompassing eccentric vision of Americana (that ironically was beloved throughout Europe), DeVille thrived on a stage. His presence, his innate drama, his flair for the syncopated surprise, all made for an incredible concert experience. more on this story

Rare 1976 Live KISS Recording Posted Online

(The Metal Den) TMD has obtained rare concert audio of KISS performing the song "Hard Luck Woman" during the Rock and Roll Over Tour in New Orleans, Louisiana on April 12, 1976.

This track for collectors in particular is extremely difficult to find in live form and this version has never been circulated before until now.

For old school KISS fans this is as good as it gets: Paul, Gene, Peter and Ace – the original lineup – rocking out together and creating rock n roll music history. Check it out here

Official Word From Dream Theater About Mike Portnoy's Replacement

Roadrunner sent over the official word about Mike Portnoy's replacement in Dream Theater: A little more than a month after drummer Mike Portnoy's sudden departure from Dream Theater, the band held three days of auditions in New York City. Over an incredibly productive three-day period, the band played, jammed and spoke candidly and at length with seven of the world's greatest drummers.

The remaining members of the band got to know the candidates musically, personally and professionally and thus assessed the fit of each drummer's incredible chops with the band's trademark prog-rock sound.

After intense consideration, the band has unanimously chosen drummer Mike Mangini (Extreme, Steve Vai, Annihilator) to fill the seat behind the kit which was left vacant by Portnoy's departure late last summer. more on this story

. The Big 4: Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax

Almost 10 months to the day since the first ever Big 4 concert became a reality, it was time for the US to finally witness the historic bill some 25+ years in the making. For many a Metal fan, the idea of the four leaders of the 1980s Thrash Metal movement sharing the same stage was a dream come true. - Read the full The Big 4: Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax review