Van Halen Rumor Confirmed

That rumor appears to be confirmed as Scoop sent over a "Van Halen Sneak Peak" with a photo by Robert Yager of a group shot at an undisclosed venue in Los Angeles that features Alex Van Halen; Wolfgang Van Halen; Eddie Van Halen; Jimmy Iovine, Chairman, Interscope Geffen A&M Records. See the photo here.

Black Sabbath's Initial World Tour Dates

Black Sabbath will kick off their world reunion tour next year by headlining a number of Europe's premier music festivals in 2012.

They will kick thing off on Friday May 18th in Moscow at Olimpski, followed by performances at Download Festival [UK], Azkena Rock Festival [Spain], Hellfest [France], Graspop Metal Meeting [Belgium] and Gods of Metal [Italy].

According to a statement, the group's global tour which will take the band around the world including countries the band has never played before and others they have not visited in more than three decades. more on this story

Rolling Stones Reunion Jam With Mick Taylor and Bill Wyman

(Gibson) The Rolling Stones are regrouping in December for a jam session. Keith Richards has revealed that it won't just be him, Charlie Watts, Ron Wood and Mick Jagger.

"I was going to ask Bill Wyman to come by, too. And Mick Taylor. The whole lot," Richards told Spinner. "They're all Stones, you know? Why not?"

Bassist Wyman was a founding member of the band who left in the early '90s. Guitarist Taylor was brought into the group in the late '60s, following the departure (and then death) of original member Brian Jones. He left the group in the mid-'70s and was replaced by Wood. more on this story

KK Keeping Mum on Judas Priest Departure

(hennemusic) In a new interview, former Judas Priest guitarist K.K. Downing says he'll never completely share the reasons why he decided to retire from the band prior to their 'farewell' Epitaph world tour.

"It was a set of circumstances that led me to not go out [on tour with Priest] this year," Downing tells Valley reporter Grace Bailey at his home at Astbury Hall in Shropshire, England. "I was kind of geared up for it, but there was a multitude of reasons. It pretty much came down to an unsettlement on my part with working relationships.

"It's like anything else," continues. "If anybody out there is thinking it's hard to live with one woman, they should try to live with four guys and hold it together. [Laughs] It gets to be like that, but obviously, with certain things, I just wasn't completely happy with the way things were, with the way it was, [and I just felt like] it was probably best if I stepped down, and I did." more on this story

Iron Maiden Plan Edventure Weekend

Iron Maiden fans mark your calendars for Rocktober 2012 as the band have announced a three day Edventure Weekend.

Here is what they had to say: We are very excited to announce that after a lot of searching for the right venue, with the help of Arena Travel, we have arranged to take over the whole of Hopton Holiday Park near Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, UK for three full nights next October.

We plan to cram, the long weekend full of Maiden madness including guest speakers, themed events and tournaments. There will be quizzes to test your Maiden knowledge and if you fancy being Bruce for a while then you can show off your vocal talent in a karaoke competition. If you need to find that elusive piece of Maiden memorabilia then you might just find it amongst the trading tables that we will set up. There are TV screens throughout the park that will be playing all of your favourite Maiden DVDs and videos.

We've already booked the bands that will rock your weekend! We've got two fantastic Maiden tribute bands -- Hi-On Maiden and Maiden Scotland. There's Pocket Godzillas with their own brand of pumped-up power punk pop and the brilliant rock covers band The Fallen to fill the weekend with all the kind of music you love! However there is a catch.... Read the rest of the details here.

Led Zeppelin IV Back On The Charts

(hennemusic) Led Zeppelin are back on the US charts. Billboard.biz reports that "Led Zeppelin IV" has re-entered the Billboard 200 charts for the first time since 1987.

With sales last week of around 3,600 copies, Zep IV is sitting at #166 on the list, having previously spent 260 weeks on the chart.

The classic 1971 album is up 273% in overall sales and 654% in downloads. "Led Zeppelin IV" is the third best-selling album of all time in the U.S. more on this story

Young The Giant Headline Tour Details

Earlier this week we told you that Grouplove were hitting the road with Young The Giant next year.

Yesterday Roadrunner sent over the full details and initial dates for the Young The Giant tour which include the dates with Grouplove supporting them as well as dates with support from Walk The Moon.

The tour is set to kick off in San Diego on February 10, 2012 and will go through mid-April. Young The Giant continue to tour in support of their self-titled album which has spawned two hit singles so far and landed them a prime booking on MTV Unplugged. more on this story

Bayside, Saves The Day, Get Up Kids Singers Announce Where's The Band? Tour

The frontmen are at it again but are going bigger this time. The Where's The Band? Tour will expand to a 20-date national tour in 2012.

The tour kicks off in Stroudsburg, PA, on January 19 and features the frontmen of several rock bands performing solo and collaborating onstage.

Returning to Where's The Band? for the 2012 edition are Anthony Raneri (Bayside), Chris Conley (Saves The Day) and Matt Pryor (The Get Up Kids); they'll be joined for the first time by Ace Enders (The Early November, I Can Make A Mess Like Nobody's Business) and Evan Weiss (Into It. Over It.). Thrice singer Dustin Kensrue, who was on all three previous editions of Where's The Band?, will return for three dates in southern California. more on this story

Rolling Stones Unlock Their Archive

(hennemusic) The Rolling Stones have unlocked the door to their archive, full of music, film and memorabilia from their almost 50-year career.

The band has launched www.StonesArchive.com, a site where fans can listen to unheard music, view unseen photographs and films, and look at rare merchandise. Stones fans also have the opportunity to buy items, such as signed lithographs, deluxe box sets, even personalized merchandise and tour gear in the shop.

The first item the band are releasing is the long-awaited download of a legendary 1973 concert, recorded at the Forest National in Belgium. Long hailed by die-hard Stones fans as one of the band's greatest live performances, "The Brussels Affair" has been a mainstay in the underground music world for years. more on this story

Four Year Strong Holiday Mini Tour With Set Your Goals and More

(UR) Four Year Strong has announced dates for their annual "It's A Wonderful Gig Life" holiday mini tour.

The holiday shows kick off on December 27th in Lancaster, PA with Set Your Goals, Balance and Composure, Transit and Diamond opening.

Fans purchasing pre-sale tickets to "It's A Wonderful Gig Life" will be treated to a special intimate acoustic performance and early entrance to the venue. more on this story

Local H Taking On Rush's 2112 For New Year's Eve Bash

Leave it to Local H to ring in the New Year in a big way with not only their own hits but with some hundred years premature Rush 2112 jams! We received the following details:

Chicago's Local H will ring in 2012 with a hometown set at the Bottom Lounge (1375 W. Lake St.). The New Year's Eve show will celebrate the end of the world (as predicted by the Mayans) with a salute to Rush's 2112 and handlebar mustaches.

"This is the end of our sci-fi New Year's trilogy," explains Local H frontman Scott Lucas. "We did 2001 and 2010 -- both of those were obviously nods to Kubrick. For 2012, we had no choice but to celebrate the oeuvre of Roland Emmerich. He's pretty much cornered the market on annihilation and destruction. Expect lots of explosions."

In addition to digging into their own deep catalog, which includes six studio albums, a quasi-greatest hits, a live album, an awesome mix-tape covers record and several EPs, Local H are preparing a slew of their favorite end-of-the-world songs, including bits of Rush's "2112" opus (Side A of the 2112 album). A video montage, edited by Felix Pinero of Bailout Pictures, will accompany the performance. more on this story

Metallica, U2, Bruce Springsteen, Lady Gaga, Steven Tyler for Thanksgiving

Vh1 has a little bit for everyone this Thanksgiving. They sent over their holiday weekend programming announcement which includes some big names. Here you go:

Beginning Wednesday, November 23 at 10PM*, music lovers can begin their Thanksgiving feast with a hearty portion of music by their favorite artists with the world television premiere of Clear Channel's "iHeartRadio Music Festival" taped September 23rd and 24th, 2011at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. This show-stopping concert, which celebrated the launch of the new iHeartRadio, Clear Channel's free, industry-leading digital radio product, includes performances by Carrie Underwood, Coldplay, Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga, Steven Tyler and many more.

In addition, VH1 is offering an encore presentation of Michael Jackson's "This Is It" on Thursday, November 24 at 10PM* ET/PT which captures footage of what was going to be the biggest pop spectacle ever – Michael Jackson's 50-date engagement at the O2 Arena in London. Director Kenny Ortega created a film that provides a jaw-dropping performance by the irreplaceable 'King of Pop.'

Hungry for more? VH1 invites you to indulge with the show-stopping second night of "The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary Concert," a legendary two-night show featuring performances by Metallica, U2, Bruce Springsteen and more taped October 2009 at Madison Square Garden, premiering on VH1 Friday, November 25 at 10PM* ET/PT. more on this story

Historic Beatles Letter Fetches Big Dollars

(Gibson) If there was ever a question whether The Beatles still draw major interest from music fans around the globe, those skepticisms are gone after the results of a memorabilia auction held Tuesday (November 15) at Christie's in London.

At the auction, a handwritten letter Paul McCartney wrote on August 12, 1960, in which Sir McCartney asks an unnamed drummer to audition for a spot in the Beatles, sold for nearly £35,000 , which translates to about $55,000.

The letter indicates that the guys were seeking someone to hold down the drum rhythms right up until they hired Pete Best, who, of course, was eventually replaced by Ringo Starr. This note also is speculated to be one of the first times the band called themselves, "The Beatles." more on this story

Guns N' Roses Now At Their Best?

(Gibson) With Guns N' Roses killing it on tour this fall, many fans are speculating about a possible follow-up to 2008's Chinese Democracy. After all, with so much hype building up to the at-long-last release of Democracy, it would be nice to get a more spontaneous collection of GN'R tracks, right?

According to longtime keyboardist Dizzy Reed, although the guys are having a blast on the road, he doesn't foresee a new album surfacing in the near future.

Reed added that this current configuration of GN'R is "the best version of Guns N' Roses that I've ever been in. I think everyone is just super-talented, and it's just great chemistry. Everyone is a lot of fun to be around and a lot of fun to play with, so to me it's definitely the best lineup we've had." more on this story

Springsteen Inspired New Coldplay Album

(Gibson) Coldplay singer Chris Martin, no doubt, is as squeaky-clean as it gets. Between his mellow, alternative pop-rock band and cream-of-the-crop wife Gwyneth Paltrow, it makes sense this guy would stay focused down the good-guy path.

So, when Maxim magazine recently asked Martin to reveal the strangest place he's ever woken up, he didn't take the bait. Martin explained that, "I woke up once somewhere south of Chicago in a children's playground at about five in the morning. I have a lot of trouble sleeping, and this is when we used to fight as a band, and I definitely remember taking too many Ambien, but I can't quite work out how I got there. I think I must've done that thing where you take Ambien and you start wandering around but then you just fall asleep somewhere. I woke up in this playground, but it was really quite near our hotel. That's not really a strange place."

As for Coldplay's recent album, Mylo Xyloto, he mentioned that Bruce Springsteen inspired many of the tracks. "Bruce in the past 10 years has turned a whole new generation on to him," he said. "And it's great in your 30s to discover a new favorite band, and at the same time, in the same decade, discover so much about Jay-Z and Kanye. It's been a nice two avenues of inspiration." more on this story

Beowulf Recruit Fear Factory Guitarist

(The Metal Den) Beowulf have officially announced that ex-Fear Factory guitarist Christain Olde Wolbers has joined the lineup and will be playing bass.

The legendary act is self-releasing a sixth studio effort on December 23, 2011, entitled Jesus Freak.

The album was produced by founding member, vocalist/guitarist Dale Henderson and ex-Fear Factory guitarist, Christian Olde Wolbers. more on this story

Black Veil Brides Map Out Tour Plans

Next March, Black Veil Brides will launch their biggest UK tour to date, including their first ever Irish dates.

Special guests will be D.R.U.G.S with another act still to be announced. Original tickets for the postponed Wolverhampton and Bristol dates remain valid.

Additionally, the band have just confirmed they'll be releasing a new single "Fallen Angels" on Monday 9th January through Island Records. more on this story

Keller Williams Giving Fans Bass Next Month

(MH) Keller Williams has set a December 13, 2011 release date for his 17th album, entitled Bass.

Starting with 1994's Freek, Keller has done solo albums, live albums, one with The String Cheese Incident, another with Bob Weir, Michael Franti, Bela Fleck and a bunch of other personal heroes, a bluegrass covers album with Keller & The Keels, a children's album, a remix album, and more.

Here Keller shows off, you guessed it, his bass skills with his first record that finds the multi-instrumentalist only on bass guitar. more on this story

Riot Preview New Album

(Freeman) Riot will release their fourteenth album 'Immortal Soul' in North America via SPV/Steamhammer this coming Tuesday November 22nd.

Metal Insider is giving fans an exclusive chance to hear the album before it hits stores. You can grab a listen here.

Right now Riot is about to confirmed a few US shows in early 2012- dates and venues to be revealed soon - and are looking forward to play the 70,000 tons of Metal Cruise in January. more on this story

Steve Kimock & Friends New Years Eve Party

Steve Kimock will joined by friends and family, including funky bassist Bobby Vega (Zero, KVHW, Sly & the Family Stone), legendary keyboard player Bernie Worrell (founding member of Parliament Funkadelic), and prodigy drummer John Morgan Kimock for a New Year's Eve show.

Steve Kimock & Friends New Years Eve Party is set to take place at the Rex Theatre in Pittsburgh, PA. Here is a little background on the guitarist:

After four decades as a professional musician, the world of Steve Kimock is a more adventurous place than ever as he continues to raise the bar in diverse musical landscapes. Earning a solid reputation as a gifted guitarist with an inspiring approach to melodic improvisation, Kimock captivates audiences with his genre-bending, enlightened guitar speak and highly refined signature sounds from his arsenal of fretless, lap steel, acoustic and electric guitars. more on this story

D Generation Announce Guns N' Roses Dates

D Generation have announced that they have been selected to support Guns N' Roses at two concerts next month.

D Generation will be opening for GNR at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Detroit on December 1 and at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati on December 2.

"We're really honored to have been asked to play with Guns N Roses," says vocalist Jesse Malin. "Tommy Stinson played on one of my solo records a while back and we've known each other for years. We've always had great shows in the mid-west and are looking forward to it again." more on this story

Mavericks Frontman Raul Malo Announces Holiday Tour

(Conqueroo) Raul Malo plans to wrap up an eventful year with his annual Holiday Tour, accompanied by a full band.

The 14-city tour will take him to such cities as Washington DC, Baltimore, Chicago, Wilmington, Pittsburgh, Ann Arbor, St. Louis and Kansas City, as well as many smaller towns.

An exciting year for Raul Malo is about to wrap up. He began the year touring behind his Sinners & Saints release, which brought the Florida native and current Nashville resident into the studio with Texas musicians he's come to know (Ray Benson, Texas Tornados, the Trishas). The year ended with a major announcement about the Grammy Award-winning Mavericks — for whom he was frontman — reuniting at the Stagecoach Festival in April 2012 following a nine-year hiatus. more on this story