Queen Want Lady Gaga As New Singer- Bret Michaels Extreme Makeover- Metallica Want To Help Save The Next Girl- Blink-182 No 2- Fake Singer Murder Plans- more

(PNO) More than a quarter century after it's founding, long-running indie/rock magazine Spin is scaling back significantly on their print edition. more

Steve Jobs RIP

We are sad to report that the visionary cofounder of Apple Computer, Steve Jobs, died Wednesday after a long fight against pancreatic cancer. He was 56. Here is our tribute to the man and his legacy:

Steve Jobs' impact on modern society can not be understated. He may not have invented the internet, but he helped make it possible. Jobs helped usher in the age of personal computing by first seeing the potential of his friend Steve Wozniak's homemade computer and helping to create the first mass-market personal computer with the Apple II.

It was a visit to Xerox PARC where Steve's dream of something "Insanely Great" was first sparked. It was on that visit that Jobs was exposed to three technologies which dominate computing today: object oriented programming, Ethernet and a revolutionary new way of computing... the Graphical User Interface (GUI). more on this story

Warrant's Jani Lane Died From Alcohol Poisoning

(hennemusic) Authorities have determined the cause of death of former Warrant singer Jani Lane.

Lane's autopsy proved inconclusive pending the results of toxicology tests; Los Angeles Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter said, at the time, that it may take seven or eight weeks to finalize the cause of death.

Law enforcement sources now tell TMZ that Lane died from alcohol poisoning. TMZ has been told the L.A. Coroner's Office has finished its investigation and concluded Lane had suffered from "acute ethanol poisoning" when he died in an L.A. motel room on August 11. more on this story

Why Anthrax Ditched Their Singer

(hennemusic) In a new interview with Guitar World, Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante and guitarist Scott Ian shed some light on the abrupt 2009 resignation/firing of singer Dan Nelson, after he spent less than two years with the band. At the time, the group issued a press release stating Nelson's departure was 'due to illness', and that upcoming tour dates were cancelled.

Nelson fired back online with a statement of his own: "It was the other band members' decision to cancel the tour dates, not mine. I was ready, willing and able to do my job. After issuing the press release, the other band members decided, on their own accord, that I had 'resigned' from the band. I never resigned from the band."

Until now, Anthrax have chosen not to elaborate on what went down.... According to Ian, "(Nelson's) words were, 'I quit. I'm not doing this. Don't come to my house. Don't try and talk me out of this.' Again. Because that wasn't the first time he had quit Anthrax; it was the third time. But that was his M.O. He would quit, and then he would make a bunch of demands on us, and we would cave and he would come back."

"First show we did with him, backstage, big argument, big blowout," added Benante. "It was unbelievable. And from that moment we should have known. And all along, he just kept pulling weird s**t. Like, he would call me and not tell the other guys, or call one of them and not tell the rest of us, and just talk s**t." more on this story

Billy Corgan Refutes Smashing Pumpkins Break-Up Reports

(Banana 101.5) Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan explains an ominous statement he made last week about the band's fate being tied to the success of their new album 'Oceania'.

Most reports on the interview with Billboard cited his comments as a dark cloud over the future of the band. Corgan recently did some clarifying in an interview with Crestfallen.com:

"I would say those reports are irresponsible. We are very happy together as a band and as friends, and there are no plans to disband, nor any discussions about disbanding. My point was if Oceania is not well received, it would be time to change our focus as a band. I have plenty of projects that have been sitting on the shelf for a while that I'd be more than happy for us to get into. That said, Oceania is a record we are very proud of and we hope people feel about it as strongly as we do." more on this story

Avenged Sevenfold Was The Beginning of Portnoy's End in Dream Theater

(hennemusic) The Mike Portnoy situation is a topic Dream Theater will likely have to address for some time to come, and guitarist John Petrucci does just that in a new interview with Guitar World. One of the first signs of an issue with Portnoy was the drummer's plan to tour with Avenged Sevenfold at a time when Dream Theater were planning to record.

"Mike had played on Avenged's album ['Nightmare'] and that was fine," explains Petrucci. "We all do side projects when time permits. But touring with the band, that was a different story. That was taking significant time away from Dream Theater at a point when we were all planning to start recording. Initially, we put off recording to go on tour with Iron Maiden — that was too good an opportunity for us to turn down. And then when Mike said he was going on the road with Avenged Sevenfold right after the Maiden tour, that didn't feel right."

Portnoy then asked DT to take an extended hiatus, with no timeline to regroup. "In the end, it was something we couldn't do," says John. "Mike wanted to hold all the cards. He wanted to get back together when it suited him. We couldn't abide by that. So he decided to quit. It was quite a blow. As much as we wanted to continue as a band, we didn't want Mike to leave."

more on this story

U2 Going All Out for Achtung Baby 20th Anniversary

U2 have announced the details for the 20th anniversary edition of Achtung Baby which is set for release on October 31st and will come in various configurations. Here are the details they released:

Recorded at Hansa Studio in Berlin and Windmill Lane in Dublin, Achtung Baby was U2's seventh studio album and went on to win the Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance, becoming one of the most significant records of the 1990s.

A raft of unreleased material including video, remixes, b-sides and documentary footage features in the anniversary edition - scroll down for complete tracklistings of the five physical formats. more on this story

Switchfoot Score Top 10 Debut

(AR) Switchfoot have scored a No.8 debut on The Billboard 200 album chart with their new album Vice Verses.

Vice Verses also debuted at No.5 at iTunes Album chart, No.5 on the Internet Album chart and No.3 on iTunes Alternative chart.

The band will perform "Dark Horses," their new Top 15 Modern Rock hit, on "Conan" on October 25th. more on this story

Fleetwood Mac Won't Be Back In 2012

(Ultimate Classic Rock) Contrary other recent rumblings in the press, it now appears that Fleetwood Mac won't be back in 2012. Ultimate Classic Rock caught up with Lindsey Buckingham to discuss his new solo album and learned that things have changed. They report:

"If I knew the real story, believe me, I would tell you. I wish I could. I would like to know what I'm doing next year," the guitarist tells Ultimate Classic Rock. "If you had asked me two months ago, I would have said 'Absolutely.' Now I'm not sure."

One reason, said Buckingham, is that vocalist Stevie Nicks is enjoying the success of her just-released solo album. more on this story

ZZ Top Embrace A Tribute From Friends

(hennemusic) The new ZZ Top album, "A Tribute From Friends," is out next Tuesday (October 11), and it is exactly what it says it is: other rockers playing the tunes of "That Little Ol' Band From Texas."

It's a high-profile salute from the likes of Nickelback, Steven Tyler, Wolfmother, Daughtry, Filter and more….and guitarist ZZ guitarist Billy Gibbons is humbled and excited at the same time.

"Of course, we were stunned, flattered and humbled...and also very intrigued," Billy tells Music Radar. "We rang up some of our pals, spilled the secret, and we got the good guys on the record. And gals! There's some very impressive women on here, too." more on this story

Jane's Addiction To Rock Jimmy Kimmel Tonight

Jane's Addiction are set to perform on tonight's edition of Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC.

This October 6th appearance makes Jane's Addition's first late-night TV performance in eight years.

On the show's outdoor stage, the band will perform "Irresistible Force," a Top Ten hit on the alternative rock chart, and then one of their classic songs. more on this story

Rod Stewart To Tell His Tale

(hennemusic) Another rock n' roll autobiography is on the way. A year away, to be precise: Rod Stewart has signed a deal with Random House to publish his memoirs in October, 2012.

"I thought long and hard before committing to write my book," says Stewart. "It is a funny old thing telling my life story but I truly intend to hold nothing back. I've had quite a life, known some extraordinary people and had some amazing experiences. I've waited all this time, until my 50th year in the business, and realize I can no longer put it off. Forget skeletons in the closet; this one's going to be socks and knickers under the bed."

With his soulful and singular voice, narrative songwriting and passionate live performances, Rod Stewart has paved one of the most iconic and successful musical careers of all time. After more than five decades at its pinnacle, he is finally ready to take a candid and romping look back at his life - both on and off the stage. more on this story

Savoy Brown Celebrate 45th Anniversary With New Album

Ruf Records have set a November 8th CD and vinyl release date for Savoy Brown's label debut, Voodoo Moon.

Led by founding member and lead guitarist Kim Simmonds, Savoy Brown will celebrate the new album and its 45th anniversary with a series of CD party shows, including a very special concert at B. B. King Blues Club in New York City on October 7.

"I believe the songs on Voodoo Moon are the best I've written since the early '70s," says Kim Simmonds. "It is modern blues rock but with more song orientation than normally associated with the genre." more on this story

Sebastian Bach Ends Feud

(hennemusic) Sebastian Bach and CBC host George Stroumboulopoulos last saw each other 11 years ago, and the interview did not end well. It ended abruptly.

A host at MuchMusic back then, Strombo was speaking with Bach about his work on Broadway, and the conversation turned to hair metal and Poison; Sebastian lost it, said "this is over, f**k this," took off his microphone and walked off, ending the session on the spot.

Fast forward to 2011: Bach has a new album to promote, "Kicking & Screaming," and Strombo now has his own show at the CBC, Canada's public broadcaster. The two hooked up recently to chat, and the episode aired Tuesday evening. Check it out

Stabbing Westward, Murderdolls Supergroup The Dreaming Debut New Song

The supergroup The Dreaming, which features members of Stabbing Westward, Murderdolls & Living Dead Lights, have premiered the title track "Puppet" from their new album online.

The Dreaming's new album Puppet is set for release on November 1st, 2011 through Epochal Artists Records/EMI. You can listen to the title track here

"Universally 'Puppet' is about losing yourself in another person and allowing them to change you against your will into someone you don't even recognize anymore. It's about finding the strength to stand up and fight and take your life back. 'Puppet' is exorcising those demons for me and taking myself back," commented The Dreaming vocalist Christopher Hall. more on this story

Machine Head Score With Locust

Machine Head have scored a No 22 Billboard Top 200 chart debut for their new album, Unto The Locust, with over 17,000 albums scanned.

The new album debuts at #4 on the Hard Music chart and the Current Hard Music chart, as well as the top internet chart at #26.

The album came in at #19 on the overall digital albums chart with nearly 6,000 albums sold digitally, 35% of the overall scan. more on this story

Bob Dylan Classic Gets Reissue

(Ultimate Classic Rock) Ultimate Classic Rock Reports: Bob Dylan's classic 1989 album 'Oh Mercy' has been given the vinyl reissue treatment.

'Oh Mercy' reportedly came about as the result of an unexpectedly sudden burst of songwriting from Dylan, who had gone a while without feeling inspired to pen anything.

At the suggestion of U2 lead singer Bono, Dylan brought in Daniel Lanois, who had worked on their landmark 'The Joshua Tree' album as well as records by Peter Gabriel and others, to produce the album. more on this story

Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi Adds 2nd U.S. Tour Date

(hennemusic) Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi has added a second US stop on his fall book-signing tour.

His new memoir, "Iron Man: My Journey Through Heaven And Hell With Black Sabbath," will be released November 1 in the States, and Tony will be in New Jersey on that day for his first US appearance.

Iommi's second date is now confirmed for the Book Revue in Huntington, New York on November 2. more on this story

English Dogs Map Out Tour With The Casualties, Toxic Holocaust and Havok

English Dogs plan to hit the road for headlining Forward Into Battle North America tour with support by The Casualties, Toxic Holocaust and Havok.

Here is the background we were sent: In 1980, British punk / metal crossover band English Dogs were formed and gained immediate acclaim with top 10 indie chart releases.

Though these initial releases were more straight-forward punk rock, the band's metal leanings appeared on the highly acclaimed "Forward Into Battle" record, released in 1985. more on this story

All Mankind Deliver Can You Hear Me

All Mankind have released a new single, "Can You Hear Me" from their debut album, Simple Desire, physically in the UK and digitally worldwide this week.

Simple Desire was recorded with Mike Crossey (Arctic Monkeys, Razorlight, The Kooks, and Mercury Prize-nominated act Foals) at The Motor Museum studios in Liverpool, England.

The band is currently on tour throughout the UK with shows still set to hit Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield, Leeds and Brighton more on this story

Butch Walker Previews New Autobiography With Free Chapter

(superLOUD) Butch Walker has a new autobiography due out soon. Titled Drinking With Strangers: Music Lessons From A Teenage Bullet Belt, the memoir is due to be released on October 25th. Butch announced that he's made the first chapter available for free with this post on Facebook:

"Hi. I guess by now the cat is out of the bag about me having a book coming out this month. 'Drinking with Strangers' is coming your way for some quality nightstand reading or bathroom literature.

"Hey, I'm no Hemingway, but this s*** is pretty accurate and sometimes funny. Here's the first chapter to reel you in, hopefully. That's what they said in the marketing meeting anyways...." more on this story

Thousand Foot Krutch Repackage Masquerade

Tooth & Nail Records announced plans to release a Fan Edition of Thousand Foot Krutch's 2009 release, Welcome To The Masquerade, which will feature three new songs as well as exclusive fan photos.

They have set a October 11th release date and provided these details: It has been over two years since the release of their project Welcome to the Masquerade, which produced three No. 1 Christian Rock singles ("Fire It Up," "Bring Me To Life," "E For Extinction"), three top 10 Christian CHR singles ("Forward Motion, "Already Home," "Look Away"), one top 15 Active Rock single ("Fire it Up").

The band has been working hard on their new studio release in between tour dates, and will be performing at various Acquire the Fire events this fall as well as dates in Germany and Switzerland. more on this story

The White Buffalo Eyes Album Release

The White Buffalo has set a January 24, 2012 release date for his forthcoming album: Once Upon a Time in the West.

The White Buffalo is the apt alter-ego of Jake Smith, a southern California native who has been making waves with his powerful live performances.

Already a fixture on west coast's live music scene, the buzz on The White Buffalo is spreading, thanks to the intensity of the band's shows, including a much-talked-about appearance at Bonnaroo this year. more on this story

The Michael Williams Band Announce Dates With Buddy Guy

The Michael Williams Band will be hitting the road with Buddy Guy for the fall leg of Buddy's North American Tour.

The tour leg is set to kick off on November 4th in Rahway, NJ and finishing on November 20th in Newark, OH.

Just prior to the November run, The Michael Williams Band will once again join Jonny Lang for a 3-date California swing hitting Northern California at Napa's Uptown Theatre before heading south for two shows in the Los Angeles area. more on this story

Autopsy Recording New Songs

Autopsy will enter Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, CA later this month to record a few new tracks for an upcoming collection entitled, All Tomorrow's Funerals.

The 21-track release will contain remastered versions of all of Autopsy's EPs - everything from 'Retribution For The Dead' to the now sold out 'The Tomb Within' - as well as the new cuts.

All Tomorrow's Funerals will be presented on CD and vinyl with all original artworks, liner notes from the band and a killer new cover from Matt Cavotta. more on this story

. Catching Up With The Amboys

Earlier this year, we told you about The Amboys, a band hailing from New Jersey with touches of folk, Southern-Rock, rockabilly, and rock that drew our earbuds off the flatline of rock fusion. Well, theyre back with a second EP, a lot more confidence, (if that was even possible), and an even bolder sound. - Read the full Catching Up With The Amboys review

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