Metallica To Stage 2nd Orion Festival In New City

Orion featured variety of on-site events and activities for fans, including Kirk's Crypt, a showcase of guitarist Kirk Hammett's passion for all things horror - vintage film posters, movie props, collectables and more; Ktulu's Rock 'N' Roll Emporium, a marketplace with dozens of vendors selling memorabilia; the Hit The Lights Films tent featuring movies all hand-picked by Lars Ulrich, each with a special connection to him and/or Metallica; and, the Orion Custom Car + Motorcycle Show, curated by frontman James Hetfield, which featured over 300 of the best Customs, Hot Rods, Muscle Cars and Custom Motorcycles on display inside the festival grounds throughout the weekend. Read more and watch the announcement video here.

Thin Lizzy Announce New Name and Lineup

(hennemusic) In October, Thin Lizzy announced that they would not be recording new material under the Thin Lizzy monicker. The last incarnation of the band - Scott Gorham, Brian Downey, Darren Wharton, Ricky Warwick, Damon Johnson and Marco Mendoza – would be looking to form a new project.

Step forward Black Star Riders… Today sees the announcement of the new band formed by Thin Lizzy alumni Ricky Warwick (vocals), Scott Gorham (guitar), Damon Johnson (guitar), Marco Mendoza (bass) with new addition Jimmy DeGrasso on drums (Alice Cooper, Megadeth, David Lee Roth, Suicidal Tendencies). The change in personnel came about as Brian Downey didn't want to commit to the touring cycle a new album would entail and Darren Wharton wanted to concentrate on Dare and other music and film projects.

Black Star Riders are set to enter the studio in Los Angeles in January to start recording their debut album with producer Kevin Shirley (Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, Aerosmith, Rush). The album will feature material the band wrote whilst touring as Thin Lizzy and the sound retains that classic feel but is very much its own as well.

The Black Star Riders record is the next step in the evolution of the Thin Lizzy story. "We are all very excited about the music that we have created for Black Star Riders," says Warwick. "The synergy between the five of us has been phenomenal and I can't wait for the world to hear these songs." More details including about the album.

Led Zeppelin Release Remastered Albums

(hennemusic) Led Zeppelin have reissued their catalog via iTunes. The band have remastered their studio albums specifically for the digital retailer.

The iTunes versions are a separate project from the long-term remastering plan for the Zeppelin albums revealed by guitarist Jimmy Page recently.

"The catalog was last remastered 20 years ago," Page told Rolling Stone, referring to the 1990 release of the four-CD box set, Led Zeppelin. "That's a long time. Everything is being transferred from analog to a higher-resolution digital format." more on this story

Krist Novoselic Explains Paul McCartney and Nirvana Collaboration

Nirvana bass player Krist Novoselic has posted a new blog explaing how the collaboration with the other surviving members of Nirvana and Paul McCartney came about.

Here is what he had to say: The collaboration came out of the Sound CIty film that was produced and directed by Dave. He asked me if I wanted to play with him, Pat and Paul? I said YES! It was a wonderful day -- Paul came in with this cigar box guitar and started playing some mean slide on it. He said it was in a "D". Hearing that, Grunge instincts took over my left hand and I dropped the E on the bass to D. Pat and Dave got into it and the tune took shape. Paul flashed a riff and we picked it up. I busted another one out and everyone picked it up. Things started coming together.

It was so exciting to play with Paul. I became seized with thoughts, for I hadn't played like that with Pat or Dave since the last Nirvana show in 1994. Wow, it was emotionally and musically heavy! Some other things brought me back; there was a Lefty on guitar who was a heck of a songwriter. Anyway, words can't really describe it and I returned to the task at hand. A new song was born! And that's about it. That's all it is -- a new song by some players who have doing it for a while.

The Sound City film is about people coming together to make music -- and I feel that's what we did. The Sandy Benefit was a lot of fun and it felt good to participate in a good cause. Don't have any crazy backstage stories -- Pat and Dave and I had this little corner of Madison Square Garden to hang out in. Except for Paul and his band, I didn't see any of the other big acts backstage. We got there around 5:30pm and waited until after midnight to play.

SNL was a blast. Martin Short was hilarious! My only disappointment was they actually cut a great skit from the broadcast. It was a great among greats so I guess that's what we get. I think that was our best performance of "Cut Me Some Slack" for the whole week. Watch video here.

Mitch Lucker Memorial Show Being Filmed For DVD

Tonight's 'Ending Is the Beginning: Mitch Lucker Memorial' event will be filmed for a future DVD release, according to Suicide Silence.

The benefit is being staged to honor the memory of Suicide Silence frontman Mitch Lucker, who died in a motorcycle accident on Halloween and also raise money for an education fund for his daughter, Kenadee.

The band announced the filming plans on their Facebook and also promised that there would be "big names" attending who they are not announcing prior to the event tonight (December 21st) at the Fox Theater in Pomona, Ca.

The names that have been announced include Asking Alexandria's Danny Worsnop, Hellyeah's Chad Gray, As I Lay Dying's Tim Lambesis, Of Mice & Men's Austin Carlile, All Shall Perish's Eddie Hermida and more.

Cradle of Filth, The Faceless, Decapitated and The Agonist Tour

Cradle of Filth will be playing North American for the first time in almost two years when they launch a new headline tour next spring.

The North American tour will also feature support form The Faceless, Decapitated and The Agonist.

The tour will be kicking off on February 22nd in New York City and will conclude on March 26th in Guelph, ON.

Cradle of Filth will be touring in support of their 10th studio release, The Manticore and Other Horrors. more on this story

Terror and H2O Plan Coheadlining Tour

Terror will be teaming up with H2O for a North American coheadlining tour early next year.

The trek will also feature support from Backtrack and Code Orange Kids and will kick off on February 1st in Washington, DC and will conclude on March 3rd in Richmond, VA.

Terror will also be releasing a new album next year, Live By The Code, which was recorded by Chad Gilbert (New Found Glory, Shai Hulud) and mixed by Matt Hyde (Hatebreed, Slayer). more on this story

Krokus Releasing New Album in March

The End Records have set a March 5th release date for Krokus' new album, Dirty Dynamite. The label sent over these details:

The band spent a whole two years working on the new album with Chris Von Rohr. 'We didn't spend all that time on golf courses or tennis courts. No, we just wanted to make our best album yet, the magnum opus of the new Krokus era," says the producer.

Guitarist Mark Kohler has this to add: 'This is not just another Krokus album. I think we have definitely passed another rock milestone with this record.'

To reach this goal, no expense was spared; the band booked into the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London. Krokus went back to their roots, back to where it all began with the Stones, the Beatles, the Free, the Who, and the Bluesbreakers; back to where the band headlined concerts in the Hammersmith Odeon, celebrating their first international success. more on this story

Ritchie Blackmore Final Deep Purple Concert Being Reissued

earMusic/Eagle Rock have set a January 29th release date for the double disc reissue of Deep Purple's Live In Paris 1975.

Live In Paris 1975 has been digitally remixed and re-mastered from the original multi-track recordings.

Recorded on April 17, 1975 at the Palais des Sports in Paris, this was the very last concert with famed guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, who was leaving Deep Purple to form Rainbow.

Blackmore, vocalist David Coverdale, bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes, keyboardist Jon Lord, and drummer Ian Paice roared with strength on such classics as "Burn," "Stormbringer," "Highway Star," "Space Truckin'," and the smash hit "Smoke On The Water." more on this story

Of Mice & Men Release New Video and Plan Winter Tour

Of Mice & Men have released a music video for their new track, "The Depths", from their recent The Flood (Deluxe Reissue).

The clip was shot in the UK by Sitcom Soldiers (Hyro da Hero, Bury Tomorrow) during the band's recent headline tour. Watch it here.

Front man Austin Carlile says, "Happy Holidays everyone! Wanted to give our listeners a little gift in light of the season! We shot this music video for our single 'The Depths' at the end of our amazing UK/EU headlining run in October."

"The Depths" appears on The Flood Deluxe Reissue (Rise Records), the 2012 expanded edition of their breakthrough '11 sophomore release The Flood, which features 4 brand new tracks recorded with producer Cameron Webb (Motörhead, Social Distortion) and mixed by Joey Sturgis.

The band will be hitting the road this January along with Woe, Is Me, Texas In July, Volumes and Capture The Crown. more on this story

KISS Kruise III Website Launched

(hennemusic) KISS recently announced details for KISS Kruise III, and now the band have launched the website for the 3rd annual trip.

KISS Kruise III is set for October 28 - November 1, 2013 on board The Norwegian Pearl sailing from Miami, Florida to Key West, Florida and Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas.

The Kruise will feature some new additions including KISS will be hosting a Meet & Greet JUST FOR KIDS (2-14, no parents allowed)! Each child will get ONE item autographed along with a large group photo with the band. Find out what else is new here.

Cannabis Corpse and Ghoul Team Up For Tour and Split Release

(Sub) Cannabis Corpse and Ghoul will be teaming up early next year for a European and UK tour.

The tour will kick off on January 23rd in Newcastle, UK then make its way through France, Germany, Austria, Denmark, and Italy before winding up back in Blighty to wrap things up with a duo of dates in London and Leeds.

Cannabis Corpse and Ghoul are hard at work on a split 12" release that will see the light of day via Tankcrimes in spring 2013. more on this story

Circle Takes The Square Releasing New Album Today

Circle Takes The Square are self releasing their new album, Decompositions: Volume 1, today as "pay what you like" download.

Over two years in the making, Decompositions: Volume 1 is CTTS's first new album in over eight years. You can get it here. We were sent these details about the album:

Recorded/Mixed/Mastered by Anthony Stubelek at Rockstudio in Brunswick, GA, Decompositions: Volume I is a collection of songs, comprised of three central musical narratives. Each composition maintains its own identity and story arc, while also playing an integral role in the overarching plotline that unfolds throughout the Decompositions' two chapters.

In Chapter 1: Rites Of Initiation, CTTS push their intricate and circuitous writing style to it's furthest reaches, evoking labyrinthine soundscapes and psychological/visionary imagery in songs like "Way Of Ever-Branching Paths" And "Spirit Narrative" - all within an eclectic yet cohesive collage of punk, metal and even indie sounds.

In Chapter 2: Totem Polaris, CTTS breaks ground in new territories, often only hinted at in their past work. What may have been a fleeting moment of crushing sludge, or straight-forward thrash in their previous compositions, becomes the keystone in songs like "Arrowhead As Epilogue" and "Singing Vengeance Into Being," where the prog-influenced nuances of Chapter 1 are still present, but used primarily as embellishments rather than foundations. Earthy overtones and esoteric references swirl around within the angular dirges Circle Takes the Square has conjured up in Decompositions: Volume 1, wherein the least expected sounds and passages (to those already initiated into the realm of CTTS), seem to ensure the band's commitment to challenging themselves and their fans, with continued experiments inside the beautifully dark universe they've manifested. more on this story

Today Is The Day Announce North American Tour Dates

Today Is The Day have announced the initial dates for their upcoming North American spring tour.

Support throughout most of the tour will be provided by Black Tusk, KEN Mode and Fight Amp. But Black Tusk will drop from the trek after a month on the road, and will be replaced by a special guest to be announced shortly.

Additional American and Canadian shows and more action for this year's SXSW and more will be confirmed soon as well more on this story

Lynyrd Skynyrd's Craig Ferguson Performance Re-Airing

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson will be rebroadcasting Lynyrd Skynyrd's performance of "Last of a Dyin' Breed."

The performance is set to re-air on CBS on December 27 at 12:35am/11:35pm CT.

The original performance aired on October 1 while the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers were touring in Los Angeles in support of their latest album, Last Of A Dyin' Breed.

The album release was their highest charting album since 1977, debuting at No. 14 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart. more on this story

Scott Lucas & the Married Men Announce Hideout Holiday Music Hour

Scott Lucas & the Married Men have a special Christmas present for fans in the form of a streaming special of their holiday special.

For the third straight year, the group recorded their holiday show, which took place on December 9th at the Hideout Inn in Chicago, and will broadcast it as an hour-long special -- The 3rd Annual Hideout Holiday Music Hour -- from their website, beginning at 4p.m. on Christmas Eve. It will run repeatedly on the site for a limited time.

At each holiday show, the band pays homage to "A Prairie Home Companion" with the evening's set and structures the broadcast program as an old tyme radio variety show, complete with a host, surprise guests and faux sponsors. Teen indie pop quartet Purple Apple joined the Married Men for a couple of songs at the Hideout and will appear on the Hideout Holiday Music Hour.

Lucas, who is best known as the singer/guitarist for the two-man, Chicago rock band Local H, tackles plenty of Christmas classics throughout the show, including "Run Run Rudolph," "Last Christmas" by Wham and "Christmas In A Chinese Restaurant," written by Deer Tick's John McCauley, with whom the Married Men toured earlier this year. (The song appears on McCauley's Diamond Rugs album). more on this story

Halestorm To Perform On Jimmy Kimmel Live

(Gibson) It's been a big year for Halestorm. First, the band unleashed their most successful album to date, The Strange Case Of... Then, the group earned a Grammy Award nomination for their breakthrough single, "Love Bites (So Do I)," in the "Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance" category.

Now, fans will be able to check out a performance from frontwoman Lzzy Hale and her band mates on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live, scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 29.

The 55th Annual Grammy Awards will be held on Sunday, Feb. 10, 2013, at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Halestorm are up against several other rockers and metallers for "Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance," including Anthrax ("I'm Alive"), Iron Maiden ("Blood Brothers"), Lamb of God ("Ghost Walking"), Marilyn Manson ("No Reflection") and Megadeth ("Whose Life (Is It Anyways?)"). more on this story

Singled Out: A Rocket to the Moon

Today A Rocket to the Moon's Andrew Cook tells us about the new single "Ever Enough" from their forthcoming new album "Wild & Free". Here is the story:

Happy holidays my friends. I've been given the chance to talk a little bit about our new single, "Ever Enough."

Being the hopeless romantic that I am, this song has had a special place in my heart since I first heard the demo. When I listen to it now, I'm mainly taken back to the feelings I had while recording it (namely the cold winter nights driving back to our apt from the studio, reflecting on the day's work). It gives me a tremendous sense of longing, and speaks to a problem I find myself having when it comes to dealing with the fairer sex, which is wondering if what I have to give will ever be "enough."

I think as humans, we all struggle with insecurities, and the song calls attention to that, but tells us not to be ashamed of it. At the end of the day, it's a sweet little narrative about the power and possibility of love. That's something we can all identify with. I think we knew we had a special song when we watched the trailer for "The Notebook" on mute and let the song play over it in the control room of the studio. It fit perfectly, and since that was kind of the aim for this song from the start, we were all really excited.

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

Van Halen Dominate 2012 hennemusic Rock News Awards

(hennemusic) Van Halen have dominated the 2012 hennemusic Rock News Awards. The California rockers repeated their 2011 sweep by taking home top honors as both the Rock News Artist Of The Year and as the Rock News Story Of The Year.

Guns N' Roses were the runner-up for Rock News Artist, while Van Halen secured the top two Rock News stories of 2012.

Van Halen were the most read-about artist in both hennemusic categories, which are determined by music fans: numbers are based on the combined total page views of the top 50 hennemusic rock news stories of the past twelve months.

"Van Halen's first album with David Lee Roth in decades was the most-anticipated rock record in many years," said Bruce Henne. "Fans followed VH with intense interest, resulting in the band spending 21 weeks at the top of the hennemusic Hot 10 chart this year, including an impressive and unprecedented 9-week run." Read more and see both Top 10 lists!

Bob Mould Releases Dave Grohl Jam Video Preview From New Film

Bob Mould is giving fans a sneak peak of his new concert film, and what better performance to leak than Mould performing alongside none other than Foo Fighters main man Dave Grohl?

Grohl isn't the only famous musician making an appearance on the film. The release, See a Little Light: A Celebration of the Music and Legacy of Bob Mould, is also set to feature the Shins' Jessica Dobson, Spoon's Britt Daniel, Ryan Adams, the Hold Steady's Craig Finn and Tad Kubler and more. Nice!

The film chronicles a tribute concert for Mould that happened in November of 2011 at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.

Watch the former Hüsker Dü singer perform "Ice Cold Ice" with Grohl here.

Red Hot Chili Peppers Perform On From The Basement

The two latest episodes of From The Basement featuring Red Hot Chili Peppers are now streaming online.

The episodes feature RHCP performing "Did I Let You Know," "Goodbye Hooray," "Police Station," and "Meet Me At The Corner," among others.

Fans can watch them via Crackle which is the only multi-platform service providing free, on-demand viewing of the latest season of From The Basement, a series from multi-Grammy-winning producer Nigel Godrich, where viewers experience intimate performances and up-close looks at popular recording artists. Watch here.

Motorhead To Launch Motorheadphones at CES

(hennemusic) Motorhead will unveil the official U.S. launch of Motorheadphones at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Tuesday, January 8th at 4pm (CES – South Hall – Booth $35801).

Motörhead's Lemmy Kilmister will host an exclusive press conference to introduce the new product.

Motörheadphönes has had unprecedented success throughout Europe prior to making their US debut. The new product features professional audio quality, tooled to reproduce rock music or any played music. Motörheadphönes give smooth warm bass, bombastic drums and clear mid-range plus distinct high-end because of the 40mm neodymium high power speakers that takes 6-10 times more power than a standard headphone.

With the knowledge of using studio headphones for decades, Motorhead has made the mid and high frequencies so clear that you can easily separate the instruments from each other. Motörheadphönes allow anyone to enjoy the same music as professional musicians do in the studio. More details and video.