Ministry's Mike Scaccia Dies After Collapsing On Stage

Corbitt (Rigor Mortis) released the following statement on Facebook: "My brother is gone! The only reason I am who I am is because of this man." more on this story

Metallica Album Sales Hurt By Spotify?

(hennemusic) Metallica's recent release of its full catalog on Spotify has negatively affected the group's album sales.

Based on the catalog's performance in previous years, album sales were 15% below expectations the week the titles were added to Spotify and 35% below expectations the following week. Sales were in line with expectations the week before the titles were added to Spotify, reports Billboard.biz.

Metallica sales had jumped 60% to 61% in the four-week period leading up to Christmas in both 2010 and 2011; in 2012 that four-week increase was just 27.2%. more on this story

Soundgarden Giving Away Free Download

(hennemusic) Soundgarden are thanking fans for their support for this year's comeback with a FREE download.

"It's been a big year for Soundgarden and we wanted to personally thank you for supporting us through it," wrote the band. "As a gift we would like to offer you a free download of two of our favorite tracks from our performance on Live On Letterman. Enter B33CMZ at this location to redeem the live recording of 'Thousand Days Before' and 'Rowing' from that performance; Thanks again and so much more to look forward to in 2013!"

The November 12th Letterman performance – webcast by hennemusic – was to launch "King Animal," the reunited band's first studio album in 16 years. Watch the FULL Letterman appearance

Dave Mustaine Begins Recording His Tracks For New Megadeth Album

(hennemusic) Megadeth are in the studio working on their 14th album and are, once again, teamed up with producer Johnny K.

On Friday, frontman Dave Mustaine posted an update on the project, writing, "Shawn [Drover, drums] and David [Ellefson, bass] have finished tracking songs 1, 2, and 3 and now it's my turn today. I feel a burning in my soul!!! Arrrrggghhh!"

The new album will be the first by the band in a new label situation, as they recently announced the completion of their deal with Roadrunner Records. more on this story

ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons Reuniting With Moving Sidewalks

(Gibson) ZZ Top frontman Billy Gibbons is getting back together with his band the Moving Sidewalks for their first performance in a 44 years.

The psychedelic group's original lineup -- Gibbons, bass player Don Summers, drummer Dan Mitchell and keyboardist Tom Moore -- will reunite for a show at New York City's B.B. King Blues Club & Grill on March 30, 2013.

So, why is now the perfect time to reunite? The gig is set to commemorate the guys releasing the compilation, Moving Sidewalks: The Complete Collection, so it's good timing.

Moving Sidewalks has a rich history. Gibbons first formed the group in Houston in '60s, and the band was eventually tapped to open for big names such as including Jimi Hendrix and the Doors. The guys released one album, Flash, in 1968 and broke up in 1969 when Summers and Moore were drafted to join the military. more on this story

Led Zeppelin Believe 2007 Reunion Validated Their Legacy

(hennemusic) Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones sat down for an in-depth interview with Charlie Rose on Friday's edition of "CBS This Morning".

The band discussed their career and receiving the Kennedy Center Honors, which also airs on CBS on December 26.

Discussing the band's 2007 reunion show, Plant said, "By song number three, I think we knew that ... we were on it".

"It was the perfect opportunity to go out there ... and show why we were who we were," Page added.

And while the band has no plans to reunite for a tour, they're confident in their place in rock history.

"It's such a textbook for young musicians," Page said, before adding, "I would say ... without being conceited here ... but yeah, it was the best band." more on this story

Motley Crue's Nikki Sixx Recalls Almost Dying In Christmas Message

(hennemusic) Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx is sharing a holiday message for fans where he looks back on when he almost died.

"25 years ago today I had 2 almost fatal drug overdoses that changed my life forever," writes Sixx on Sunday. "I can't even see myself these days as that kid who was running head strong into the abyss but i know he taught me how to live when he finally decided to do it for himself. I would of never seen the birth of my 4 beautiful children and had such a wonderful life ( even with its adversity ) if I had not kicked drugs. I cant say it loud enough if you're into them or considering doing them "DRUGS DON'T WORK". The downside is NEVER pretty."

"I am extremely grateful to be able to look back over these last 25 years and have all the memories that would of otherwise gone down up flames," he continues. "Today, I am going over more script material for 'The Heroin Diaries' for the broadway play. Life really is a crazy and fun journey isn't it?" more on this story

Rolling Stones Ron Wood Gets Married

(hennemusic) Rolling Stones just wrapped up their 50 & Counting tour and now guitarist Ron Wood has married for the third time.

Sky News reports Wood wed his 34-year-old fiancée, theatre producer Sally Humphreys, in a low-key civil ceremony Friday at London's Dorchester Hotel.

The couple are said to have known each other for nine years and have been dating for around six months. more on this story

Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi Issues Christmas Message

(hennemusic) Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi has posted a Christmas message to fans: "What a year! Certainly not the one I was expecting.

"Thanks to you all for your massive help and support, it was very encouraging. I'm still working on the album and managed to play three shows, not bad given the news a year ago. I'm looking forward to next year, seeing what you think of the record and touring as much as we're able.

"My Best Wishes to you all, I hope you have a great Christmas and New Year, most of all, stay positive."

Iommi was diagnosed with lymphoma in 2011 and underwent chemotherapy earlier this year. more on this story

Black Keys Member Launches Radio Show

(Gibson) Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney has begun hosting a new satellite radio show on Sirius XMU. The show, titled "Serious Boredom," made its debut Thursday night (Dec. 20), in an episode that featured music from Pavement, Guided By Voices and Yo La Tengo, among others.

Future episodes will air on the first Thursday of each month throughout 2013. "I'm excited about the show and the opportunity to host Sirius XMU's 'Serious Boredom,'" Carney said, in a prepared statement. "I've wanted to do a DJ gig like this for a while now and looking forward to being on air."

Meanwhile, it's presumed the Black Keys will resume work soon on the follow-up album to 2011's El Camino. The duo – which includes guitarist Dan Auerbach – spent time recording in Nashville this past July.

Most recently, the Black Keys joined the Rolling Stones during the Stones' Newark show for a performance of Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love." more on this story

Singled Out: Christian Hansen

Today Christian Hansen tells us about the song "Ma-Me-O" which comes from his namesake band's new album "C'Mon Arizona". Here is the story:

Our band was originally formed in Edmonton, Alberta. There, the winter's are particularly brutal and the drivers drive particularly dangerously, especially on the ice covered stretch of road that connects Edmonton to Calgary. It's know as the QE2 or the Queen Elizabeth Highway. It's a road that our band drove many times, and each time my mind was tortured by the myriad of crosses and home made memorials that line the side of the road. They're all markers of people that have died in wrecks on that road, created by their grieving family members. Sometimes the little crosses are well maintained and last forever. Other times they linger, getting progressively more weather-beaten until they eventually become the ricketty bones of a memory.

Each time we drove past those crosses it got me thinking how awful it would be to go through that, and I think to deal with my fear, my mind started to formulate a song about it. I just imagined one story out of the hundreds. A young couple driving down the QE2 in the middle of the winter. The man thinking he was an excellent driver but making a fatal mistake on the ice covered road and sending the car rolling. The accident kills him, but the woman survives. Here's where it gets really bad: The man sticks around. Even though he's dead, he can't really move on. He is a ghost. He follows his love around as she recovers from the accident and deals with his death. He sticks around to see her eventually begin driving again. He haunts her back seat and remembers all the details about their life in cars: the way she crosses her legs in the passenger seat, the tightness of the seat belts etc. He sticks around long enough to see her find a new love and to see her and her new love driving down the same stretch of road that killed him. Only this time, it's in the middle of summer. The road is clear. The weather is fine. Life goes on.

I guess this is what the song is really about: getting left behind; seeing everyone around you move on and being powerless to do so yourself. As a ghost haunting your own life, you'll replay all the details, wondering what could've been different and how you should have done things. Ma-Me-O is a beach community that you can access off the QE2. In the song, the girl is on her way there, with her new love and her new life. It's summertime and her dead love is just a bad memory. At the end of the day, all my songs are about my fears. Perhaps my worst fear is being separated from the woman I love: a ghost in her back seat, to suborn to move on.

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

Wedding Band's Metallica Cover Goes Viral

(hennemusic) An Australian wedding band's version of Metallica's 1991 smash, "Enter Sandman," has gone viral.

Guitarist Marcel Yammouni and his group played a bossa nova version of the metal classic during the dinner set at a recent event and shared the footage via YouTube.

The clip has racked up more than 400,000 views since going online in mid-November, and the attention has spurred the band to hit the studio.

"We are so excited that this video has received a lot of attention that we are going to do an album's worth of material," writes Yammouni. "Recording commences in mid January." Watch it here.

Eddie Van Halen Christmas Photo Goes Online

(hennemusic) Eddie Van Halen is spending the holidays at home in Los Angeles and a new photo of the guitar icon with his Pomeranian named Kody has surfaced on Kody's Facebook page.

A photo of Eddie putting up the Christmas lights was posted earlier this month. Eddie has been keeping a low profile over the past few months as he recovers following surgery this summer for a severe bout of Diverticulitis.

The illness caused the postponement and eventual cancellation of a series of Van Halen concert dates across North America, and the postponement of a series of shows in Japan that were scheduled for November – they've since been rebooked for June 2013. See the photos here.

Top 12 of 2012: January

Music news is slow during the holidays, so for the rest of the year in addition to the latest news, we will be looking back at the top 12 stories for each month of 2012. Today we look back at the top stories from January.

Velvet Revolver Reunion Speculation Shot Down (Top 12 of Jan. 2012)

(Gibson) Velvet Revolver Reunion Speculation Shot Down was a top 12 rock story of Jan. 2012: Although Velvet Revolver fans still are buzzing from the band's reunion with vocalist Scott Weiland for a performance on January 12, the band's drummer Matt Sorum says there has been no talk yet of the singer returning to the band full-time.

In an interview with Frankie DiVita of 96.7 KCAL Rocks at the 2012 NAMM Show, Sorum said of the performance, "It was cool, man. We hadn't played together in a long time. We soundchecked a few songs. We only played, like, three songs. But it was cool to be on stage and play music again. It was like riding a bike."

Sorum said Slash was booked for the next year to support his upcoming solo album, and that a reunion with Weiland hasn't yet been discussed. The concert was organized to raise funds to support the family of late award-winning composer John O'Brien. "Everyone had a good time and we raised some money for a really sad situation," Sorum said. "John O'Brien passed away and left a pregnant wife and another child. And a lot of people turned out for the show… Amazing turnout." more on this story

Sammy Hagar Not Impressed With New Van Halen Songs (Top 12 of Jan. 2012)

(hennemusic) Sammy Hagar Not Impressed With New Van Halen Songs was a top 12 rock story of Jan. 2012: While chatting with Radio Metal, Sammy Hagar says he isn't impressed with what he heard so far of Van Halen's new studio album with original frontman David Lee Roth and offered some other harsh views of his former group.

While chatting with Radio Metal, Hagar was asked how he is feeling now that VH are releasing a new album. "Oh, I'm okay with those guys doing whatever they want to do," says Sammy. "What I've heard so far, I wasn't impressed with at all, personally. I think in Chickenfoot, we've raised the bar a little bit on what a four-piece rock band can do, and I think they chose to take the easy route and take some of their old stuff and and re-record it instead of writing new songs. Who is Van Halen today? I don't know, I don't think the fans are going to be happy with it. I couldn't care less if it's the biggest album of the year, that wouldn't be important to me, what is important to me is that, as artists, why would you do that? They haven't released an album since my last album in something like 1991 or '92, (Ed. note: "VHIII" was issued in 1998) and then they just go back. To me it makes a strange statement, it kind of says 'We don't have anything, we're not a band anymore, we're not creative.' Isn't it a strange statement to you?"

Radio Metal: Do you think this was intentional? I mean, as a band it's normal to have some habits, some patterns, some ways of composing that come back, so do you think it really was intentional? Hagar: I don't know. To be honest with you, the last time I was around those guys was in 2004 on the reunion. It was a disaster, it was horrible, Eddie was in a really bad shape, I wrote about it a lot in my book. And I don't know what they're thinking to be honest with you. Because if they were thinking at all, they would certainly have Mikey in there playing bass. So I don't know what they're thinking. I believe it was probably intentional because I don't think they had any choice. If they had had a choice they would've done all new stuff. From today. They would've written together like a band.

Radio Metal: So you think they don't have any inspiration today? Hagar: I don't think so. I think there's zero inspiration and zero creativity. If there was any, they would write new songs. What does the band do? When Chickenfoot got together for our first album, we were four new guys and we got together and wrote ten, twelve songs and made an album. When we decided to do our second album, we didn't go back and take the two songs that were left over from the first album, we wrote all brand new songs. Because we're new people, we're inspired. Here's what we have to say, here's what we want to play now, here's who we've become since then. And you present yourself to the fans as who you are and what you've become. And if you don't have any idea of who you are or what you are and what you've become [laughs], then I guess you have to go back and show them what you used to be. I don't know, does that make sense? more on this story

Hulk Hogan Almost Joined Metallica (Top 12 of Jan. 2012)

(Gibson) Hulk Hogan Almost Joined Metallica was a top 12 rock story of Jan. 2012: Professional wrestling legend and reality TV star Hulk Hogan was nearly a member of Metallica. The Hulkster revealed in an interview with The Sun that he used to be a good buddy of drummer Lars Ulrich.

"I used to be a session musician before I was a wrestler," he said. "I played bass guitar. I was big pals with Lars Ulrich and he asked me if I wanted to play bass with Metallica in their early days but it didn't work out."

In the interview, Hogan also discussed that he's a big fan of The Stone Roses. "I love the Stone Roses," he said. "They're getting back together, right? That's cool man. I used to work out to some of their songs." more on this story

Lost Beatles Solo Discovered (Top 12 of Jan. 2012)

(hennemusic) Lost Beatles Solo Discovered was a top 12 rock story of Jan. 2012: The guitar solo from The Beatles' 1969 hit single "Here Comes The Sun" has been discovered after 43 years.

The solo was discovered by Harrison's son Dhani, Beatles' producer George Martin and his son Giles during a visit to Abbey Road Studios, according to NME.

The solo track was discovered while the three were listening to the Abbey Road classic when a chance move of a fader on the mixing board uncovered the lost guitar solo. Check out the video here.

AC/DC Delayed By Illness (Top 12 of Jan. 2012)

(hennemusic) AC/DC Delayed By Illness was a top 12 rock story of Jan. 2012: AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson has revealed that the group's plans for a new album have been put on hold due to a band member's health issues.

"One of the boys is a little sick and I can't say anything, but he's getting better," Brian tells Mike "Cowhead" Calta of "The Cowhead Show." "He's doing wonderful. Full recovery fully expected."

Johnson is hopeful that the group will be able to reconnect and hit the studio sometime this year. "It's a wonderful thing when we get in a room," says Brian. "Whenever the boys get back together, I get all excited. The boys, after a while, pick the guitars up, Phil [Rudd] will make his way to the drums, Cliff [Williams] will pull his bass out and then all of a sudden this noise comes out and I sit there with just this big old grin on my face." more on this story

KISS' The Elder Movie Finally Being Made? (Top 12 of Jan. 2012)

(hennemusic) KISS' The Elder Movie Finally Being Made? was a top 12 rock story of Jan. 2012: A film inspired by the 1981 KISS concept album "(Music From) The Elder" may be coming to the big screen.

The album was intended to be the soundtrack to a movie — a movie which, due to the relative commercial failure of the album, was never made.

30 years after the album's original release, U.K.-based writer, musician and independent filmmaker Seb Hunter has announced plans to produce a "post-apocalyptic road movie" based on '(Music From) The Elder'", with production slated to begin this summer. more on this story

At the Drive-In Reunite (Top 12 of Jan. 2012)

At the Drive-In Reunite was a top 12 rock story of Jan. 2012: At the Drive-In surprised fans yesterday with a Twitter message which hints that the group is regrouping.

On Monday morning ATDI fans received the following tweet, "¡ ATTENTION ! To whom it may concern: AT THE DRIVE-IN will be breaking their 11 year silence THIS STATION IS …NOW…OPERATIONAL."

AntiQuiet dug a little deeper and report: Reliable inside sources have led us to confidently believe that At The Drive-In will in fact be reuniting at Coachella 2012, with all Relationship Of Command-era members, including super famous martians Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodríguez-López. But wait there is more!

Dave Grohl Records Song With Slipknot's Corey Taylor (Top 12 of Jan. 2012)

(Gibson) Dave Grohl Records Song With Slipknot's Corey Taylor was a top 12 rock story of Jan. 2012: Few people really know exactly what Dave Grohl is up to, but his new project is boasting big names. Following news two weeks ago that Ratt's Stephen Pearcy and Warren De Martini had recorded a song with Grohl, Corey Taylor of Slipknot and Stone Sour has revealed that he has been working with the Foos man.

In a Tweet on January 18, Taylor said: "HUGE checks off the Bucket List today – did a song with Dave Grohl and Butch Vig. Do the words 'holy s--t' say enough about it?!?"

It could well be a project about Sound City Studios. In 2011, Grohl said he was working on a film about the Los Angeles studio. "When Sound City closed last year it was a very sad day. That place was like a church. The list of people that recorded there is like a virtual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. We recorded Nevermind there back in 1991. That funky old place had the best drum room in the world. The drum sound at the beginning of 'Smells Like Teen Spirit?' That's Sound City. I decided to make a film about that feeling when you put five guys in a room, hit 'record' and the hair on the back of your neck stands up. Expect some epic jam sessions." more on this story

Steve Perry Plotting His Return (Top 12 of Jan. 2012)

(hennemusic) Steve Perry Plotting His Return was a top 12 rock story of Jan. 2012: Former Journey singer Steve Perry is planning to get to work recording in a studio that's nearing completion in his southern California home.

"I'm finishing that room up and I've written a whole bunch of ideas and directions, all over the map, in the last two, three years," Perry tells Billboard. "So I plan on getting in the studio at some point and start trying to track these things and see where they go."

There's no formal timetable, however. "I don't want it to have pressure," explains Steve, "because I'll worry about it sucking, and then what am I gonna do? I've got all this pressure... that I just don't want on me, so I've allowed myself the ability to sketch and write as I go, and I'll do it at my own pace." more on this story

Zakk Wylde In Guns N' Roses? (Top 12 of Jan. 2012)

(Gibson) Zakk Wylde In Guns N' Roses? was a top 12 rock story of Jan. 2012: It could have been one of the most interesting heavy music collaborations in rock history: Zakk Wylde as a member of Guns N' Roses. And beyond that, it would have been a Les Paul-toting guitar dream team. And it very nearly happened in the mid-1990s. The rhythm guitar slot in Guns N' Roses was in a state of flux after the departure of Izzy Stradlin, the tenure of Gilby Clark and the is-he-or-isn't-he-a-band-member status of Axl Rose's friend and former Hollywood Rose bandmate Paul Huge. Meanwhile, Zakk Wylde's role as Ozzy Osbourne's right hand man had officially come to an end when Ozzy's No More Tours tour wrapped up in 1992 and the Ozzman entered a short-lived retirement.

Zakk released one album with his Southern rock-influenced band Pride & Glory before returning to Osbourne's employ for the recording of the album Ozzmosis. But by the time Ozzy's Retirement Sucks tour for Ozzmosis rolled around, Joe Holmes was in the lead guitar chair and Zakk was on the path that would eventually lead to the formation of Black Label Society.

So what would a Zakk/Slash guitar duo sound like in the context of Guns N' Roses? "It sounded like the riffs I write and the way I write, mixed in with the way the guys write, you know what I mean," Wylde says. "It would have been like, when I was jamming with Slash and all the guys, even if I'm in the band there's only one guy that's playing the solos to 'November Rain,' 'Sweet Child o' Mine' and all those classic songs. I'm not going to do anything there. But the future stuff that we would have been writing, it would have been cool! Because I love Slash's playing and I'm buddies with him. It would have been cool, but with those guys there was nothing happening, so we were jamming but it wasn't going anywhere." But the story doesn't end there.

Saliva Replace Josey Scott (Top 12 of Jan. 2012)

(Banana 101.5) Saliva Replace Josey Scott was a top 12 rock story of Jan. 2012: Josey Scott's has left Saliva to pursue a career in Christian music, but the band has decided to continue on without him and have found their new frontman.

Saliva have announced the addition of Burn Season drummer Bobby Amaru — who is also a singer/songwriter and producer. The band already has three demos with Amaru and plan to shop them around to labels soon.

Guitarist Swinny says the new lineup hits the road in February to let fans hear their new singer who "has a great voice and will not only bring some fresh blood into the band but; will also put a new spin on the Saliva sound." more on this story

Nearly 700 Unreleased Thin Lizzy Tracks To Be Released (Top 12 of Jan. 2012)

(Gibson) Nearly 700 Unreleased Thin Lizzy Tracks To Be Released was a top 12 rock story of Jan. 2012: Spinner reports that before his death in 1986, Thin Lizzy bassist/frontman and main writer Phil Lynott gave an unidentified caretaker 150 tapes of unreleased music. In 2012, some of the nearly 700 tracks included in the archive will see the light of day – Universal Music has acquired the tapes and the company is prepping a new Thin Lizzy box set which is due out later in 2012.

"This is an absolutely stunning find," project manager Steve Hammonds told the Irish Independent. The collection will feature outtakes and alternate versions of Lizzy hits, as well as "material which was recorded but never released at the time," Hammonds added. The recordings span from 1971 to 1981 and total approximately 150 hours.

The group's surviving members – Scott Gorham, Brian Robertson, Brian Downey, Eric Bell and others – are reportedly helping with the mammoth project. 2012 marks the 26th anniversary of Lynott's passing, but Hammonds insists this box set is no vulgar cash-in. more on this story