Stone Temple Pilots Fire Scott Weiland?

"That's because he got fired from STP," said Slash, adding, "I think, all things considered, because these things always catch me by surprise, too, because I only find out about it through the media. I'm on the road in another country and I start hearing all this stuff, so I inquire within, and that's what I was told." Listen to the interview here.

Jason Newsted Finishing Album With New Band

Former Metallica bass player Jason Newsted has revealed that he is almost finished recording an album with his new self-titled band.

Newsted gave fans a hint of his return to the music scene recently when he launching a new website but now he has followed up with a Facebook message about his new band and album.

He writes: "I am very happy in my life now! I have a new band that bears my own name. We're just finishing our first record. I'm feeling strong again playing bass and singing lead vocals and you all will be hearing it in one month's time!!! New year, new band, new life!!! Bless you all and I can't wait to share my music with everyone!!! I'm entrusting all of my friends to get the word out!!! Jason's back!!!" more on this story

Hawkwind Guitarist Huw Lloyd Langton Dies

Hawkwind guitarist Huw Lloyd Langton died on Thursday (Dec 6) after a battle with cancer.

The band broke the news to fans with the following message: "It is with immense sadness that we have to let you know our great friend of many years and fellow musician Huw Lloyd Langton passed away peacefully last night.

"Huw had been bravely fighting cancer for a couple of years, but was determined not to let the battle affect his day to day life. He continued to play his guitar, laugh, joke and share the great love he had in his heart, with all who knew him.

"As he wished, he was at home when the time came, with his ever strong and loving wife Marion at his side.

"Huw was one of the great guitarists with an individual style and character. He is gone but never forgotten by any of us. He will live on in our music and in our hearts." The band followed up with details about the funeral.

RHCP's Flea To Announce Rock Hall Class of 2013

Red Hot Chili Peppers bass player Flea is set to reveal the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame class of 2013.

Flea was inducted into the Rock Hall last year as a member of the Red Hot Chili Pepper, and now he was announce the next round of inductees on December 11th at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

The class of 2013 nominees include Rush, Deep Purple, Procol Harum, The Meters, Public Enemy, N.W.A., Albert King, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Kraftwerk, Randy Newman, Heart, Donna Summer, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts and Chic. Read the Hollywood Reporter story here.

State Department Not Helping Randy Blythe Fight Manslaughter Charge

The U.S. State Department has responded to a fan initiated petition to the White House to respond to Lamb of God singer Randy Blyth's arrest for manslaughter charges in the Czech Republic. But it doesn't appear they will do anything to help him.

Blyth was arrested when his band visited the country in June on manslaughter charges stemming from the death of a fan who died two weeks after being allegedly injured at the band's concert in Prague in 2010. He was later released and returned to the U.S. but was formally indicted on the charges last week (see story here)

At the time of his arrest fans used the petition system on the White House website asking for an official response and finally Michael Posner, Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor has issued one.

Here is the response: We appreciate your inquiry about the case of D. Randall Blythe, who was released from detention in the Czech Republic on August 3, 2012, and returned to the United States shortly thereafter. Mr. Blythe has publicly stated his intention to return to the Czech Republic to face trial for the alleged manslaughter of a Czech man at a concert in 2010. He recently told MTV, "It's the correct thing for me to do ... this poor young man's family deserves some answers." Pending Mr. Blythe's trial, we cannot discuss the details of his case. We are closely monitoring the progress of his trial. more on this story

Rolling Stones To Present Letterman Top 10 List

(hennemusic) Rolling Stones legends Mick Jagger and Keith Richards return to the Ed Sullivan Theater stage in New York when they present the "Top Ten List" on the Late Show with David Letterman on Tuesday, Deecember 11.

Jagger and Richards, who first graced the Ed Sullivan Theater stage when the Rolling Stones made their first of many performances on "The Ed Sullivan Show" on Oct. 25, 1964, will be making their first visit to the Late Show.

The Stones are currently celebrating their 50th anniversary with recently completed sold-out "50 & Counting" shows at London's O2 Arena in late November. more on this story

Motley Crue's Vince Neil Lands New Reality Series

(hennemusic) Motley Crue's Vince Neil learns to fly in a new reality series. "Vince Neil Escapes" will follow Neil in his dream to finalize his pilot's license, for which flight training occurred on-camera during Season three of the popular PBS aviation program, "The Aviators."

Episodes will accompany Neil and his girlfriend, his manager, and his mentor/flight instructor as they embark on various whirlwind flights across North America and the Caribbean, enjoying rock-star level treatment along the way.

Throughout the season, Vince battles FAA regulations to earn the right to fly on his own due to a long history of DUI convictions, including a fatal 1984 collision where Vince's actions killed Hanoi Rocks drummer Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley. more on this story

Hirax Plan Next Album And Tour

Hirax will enter the studio early 2013 for a new album release in September under their new worldwide deal with Steamhammer/SPV. The album will be followed by a world tour.

Hirax front man, Katon W. De Pena, on signing to SPV: "We are honored to now be a part of the SPV Records family and we appreciate their total support of our thrash metal music. Together we are going to bring the heavy metal music world one hell of a skull crushing album in 2013".

Steamhammer/SPV A&R Olly Hahn adds:" It´s an honor to have Katon and Hirax on our label. Through all the years Katon held the flag of metal high and also played places of the earth where nobody would. It´s time for another raging violence!"

Avenged Sevenfold To Rock in Rio With Iron Maiden

Avenged Sevenfold reprinted a short interview on their official site with Q1 where frontman M. Shadows confirms the band will take part in Rock In Rio and shares his excitement about sharing the stage with Iron Maiden and also says there is a possibility that they might put together some additional shows with Metallica and/or Iron Maiden.

When asked about playing with Iron Maiden, he said, "I love Iron Maiden. We've done some touring with them in Europe. We are part of that case that each one has its specific fan base, but there are many people who like both the bands, who have the passion for metal [and] like this kind of sound. [We] can't wait to be part of this festival. Luckily, I know the Brazilian fans of Iron Maiden like our music."

He was then asked about the possibility of playing additional shows in Brazil and responded, " We're talking to Metallica and Iron Maiden to know what they will do before and after the Rock in Rio. So, there's chance to take the fall and make at least two more shows. We are still seeing this …" more on this story

Thin Lizzy Memoir Sells Out Again

(hennemusic) Last month, Thin Lizzy guitarist Scott Gorham published his memoir, "The Boys Are Back In Town."

Now, the group is sharing news that, after the swift sell-out of the first edition of the book, the reprint has now practically sold out as well, so much so that publishers Omnibus Press have ordered a second reprint as fans are anxious to get their hands on the book, the exclusive story of the band's rise, fall and rise again.

A North American release date of May 1, 2013 has been confirmed for the rock memoir. more on this story

Eddie Van Halen Visits His Giant Guitar

(hennemusic) Eddie Van Halen stopped by Universal CityWalk on Sunday to check out the giant replica of his Frankenstein (or "Frankenstrat") guitar at the Hard Rock Cafe Hollywood.

Eddie's son, Wolfgang, tweeted a photo of the visit, writing, "Today was his first time actually seeing it in person! @eddievanhalen #finally #citywalk"

The Hard Rock updated the guitar display in November of 2011 as a salute to Van Halen's iconic homemade instrument. See the photo here.

Bruce Springsteen Photographers for Sandy Relief Effort Launched

(Sub) Rock Photographer James Shive of the ShiveArchive.com, noted for his collection of classic rock and roll images, is among the photographers donating images of Bruce Springsteen in a fundraiser Shive jumpstarted – aptly named "Photographers for Sandy Relief" – to raise money for victims of last month's Hurricane Sandy.

"Photographers for Sandy Relief" took a huge leap forward when Bruce Springsteen posted the credible effort to his Facebook page.

Shive, a native of New Jersey who was on the west coast when the storm hit, was already resolved to do something to aid the Garden state by time he returned back east, immediately reaching out to friend Eric Meola, author of the recent book "Streets of Fire" and infamous for photographing Springsteen's "Born to Run" album cover. Together, the two contacted their mutual friend Chris Philips, editor at "Backstreets Magazine," and in a short time every major Springsteen photographer came forward with contributions, among them Danny Clinch, Lynn Goldsmith, David Michael Kennedy, Joe Lopez, Neal Preston, Barbara Pyle, A. M. Saddler, Pam Springsteen, and Frank Stefanko, in addition to Shive and Meola. more on this story

Finntroll Begin Recording New Album

Finntroll have started recording their next studio album and are offering fans a listen to some of the demo recordings for the album tracks.

The band has entered the Sonic Pump Studios in Helsinki to record the album and expect to release it in late March 2013.

The band had this to say: "Combining our trademark sound with even more influences from non- traditional genres in metal music, we have created 11 songs which show you everything we want to offer. And boy, wasn't that one of the hardest tasks for some time. After all, how do you keep your sound fresh, yet familiar, after 6 albums and 15 years?

"At some point, we were afraid that the songs are not melodic enough. Then we started to fear they became too melodic. Then we let the songs rest for a while and molded them more in a way that the non-melodic stuff got something to hum with, and the cheesy pop songs were arranged more stripped and aggressive. We were confident, yet sometimes scared what will people think of the stuff we've been doing so hard. What if they hate it? That would be fine, but if they would hate it because the material was uninspiring, boring and done-to-death, that would be a huge disappointment. So, we kept pushing and tried to keep it fresh all the time, while still having the 'this has to be Finntroll because no other band sounds this insane' - grinning going on." The band posted a demo preview video here.

Guitar Wizards Book Series Coming

Versailles Records plan a Spring 2013 release for the first 2 volumes of their new series 'Guitar Wizards Book I/II and III/IV'.

The series is said to showcase many of the top guitarists including solos from such rock/metal greats as Damon Johnson (Brother Kane, Thin Lizzy), Jake E Lee (Ozzy Osbourne Band, Badlands), Keri Kelli (Alice Cooper Band, Ratt, LA Guns, Slash's Snakepit, etc), Jimmy Crespo (Aerosmith), Bernie Marsden (Whitesnake), Blues Saraceno (Poison), George Lynch (Dokken, Lynch Mob), Gilby Clarke (Guns N Roses, Heart, MC5), Ira Black (Metal Church, Lizzy Borden) on a track that also features Chris Slade (AC/DC), and Chris Poland (Megadeth), Glen Alvelais (Testament), and Jan Hammer (Miami Vice Theme Writer) among others.

It will also include lead solo-heavy originals from a collection from players around the world, including Richard Kendrick, Gary Schutt, David Reffett, Leaving Eden, Chris Johnson, Sean Gill, Soupbone, Arnold Marfoglia, Edward DiMenna, Eric J. Gosselin, Vid Payne, Mezzy Shredder, Aaron Seals, Atomick Cocktail, Blakenstein, Rob Burzon, The Beer Brothers, Monkeysoop, Leon Muhutdinov, Arctic Flame, MYSTIC FORCE, Erling Solem, Wicked Sins, Dead Man's Wake, Fredi Handshoe, Jason Rain, Peter Tripp, One World (R)evolution, Tony Rossi, Todd Gilmore, Scarlet Presence, Thiago Trinsi, Chris Garcia, Steve Pugh, Jason Daugherty, Richard Reynolds, Kevin Samuel, Authur Benitez, Eight Feet Deep, Jeff Terraglio, Vanja Tadic, David Russo, The Tequila Killers, Mike Stevenson, Jon Monter, Chuksingh, Michael Martinez, Robert Bussey, Nathaniel Villarreal, Conrad Swartz, Jeff Marcello, Shane Young, Stacy Noll, The Process, Steve Gregory, Mark Stowe, Don Denson, Bad Motherf#cker, Dana Roselli, Ernesto 'Xtone' Gerena, Ronny Gutierrez, Tom Kopyto, Dan Crenshaw of Garden of Eden, and Pete Pachio. more on this story

Suffocation Releasing New Album

Suffocation have set a February 15, 2013 European release date for their new album, "Pinnacle of Bedlam."

The album was produced by the band and tracked at Full Force Studios in New York by longtime collaborator Joe Cincotta. The mixing and mastering was handled by Zeuss (Hatebreed, Arsis, Suicide Silence). Cover artwork for Pinnacle of Bedlam was created by artist Raymond Swanland (Deeds of Flesh, Psycroptic).

The album features 10 tracks and also marks the return of drummer Dave Culross, who played with the band previously on their Despise The Sun EP. more on this story

Metallica Release Four Horsemen Video From New Live Release

(hennemusic) Metallica have offered up the third full song preview of their forthcoming live package, "Quebec Magnetic."

The band is sharing footage of their classic 1983 track, "The Four Horsemen," from the project.

"Quebec Magnetic" includes 26 songs plus bonus material, with over three hours of footage recorded live at Colisée Pepsi in Quebec City, Quebec on October 31 and November 1, 2009. Read more and watch it here.

Guns N' Roses and Van Halen hennemusic Rock News Awards Finalists

(hennemusic) Guns N' Roses and Van Halen lead the list of finalists for the 2012 hennemusic Rock News Awards, which recognize the biggest rock news artists and stories of the year.

Guns N' Roses, Van Halen and KISS are all up for the hennemusic Rock News Artist Of The Year, while stories on Van Halen and Guns N' Roses are contenders for the hennemusic Rock News Story Of The Year.

Finalists for the 3rd annual hennemusic Rock News Awards are chosen by readers: winners are determined by the combined total page views of the top 50 hennemusic rock news stories of the past twelve months. more on this story

Mary J. Blige Jams With The Rolling Stones

(hennemusic) R&B superstar Mary J. Blige was one of two special guests who joined the Rolling Stones at New York's Barclays Center Saturday for the first of three area shows marking the band's 50th anniversary.

Reprising her role from the "50 & Counting" tour's opening night in London last month, Blige handled vocals with Mick Jagger on the band's classic track, "Gimme Shelter."

Blues guitarist Gary Clark Jr. joined the Stones for "Going Down." Noticeably absent from the first US date were former Stones Bill Wyman and Mick Taylor, who played both UK concerts. Watch video of the Mary J. Blige jam here.