Black Sabbath Cancel Festival Appearance Due To Iommi's Cancer?

Iommi, 63, is working with his doctors to determine the best course of treatment. It is unknown if further live dates will be affected by his diagnosis, including a previously announced headlining slot at the Download Festival in England in early June. more on this story

Wanna Sing for Killswitch Engage?

(Banana 101.5) Killswitch Engage are looking to continue work on their next album without vocalist Howard Jones. The band just announced that they will accept audition tapes via their website in hopes that they will find a suitable replacement.

KSE have begun the ever-daunting task of replacing a beloved vocalist. The band had started to work on new material with Jones when they realized his "heart wasn't in it," and then decided to move forward without their singer of 10 years. The singer-less metal group addressed the many questions regarding the vacant slot in a message posted to their official website:

"We've been getting a lot of inquiries about the singer position. If you are interested, please send an MP3 or a song link, a photo and a brief description of yourself to the management email address provided in the contact section of KillswitchEngage.com." more on this story

Paul McCartney New Album Details

Paul McCartney has released details about his forthcoming album, which has been dubbed titled 'Kisses On The Bottom' and is set for North American release on February 7, 2012.

We were provided the tracklisting and these details: The album is a glimpse into "the songs which inspired the songs" with a tribute to his personal favourites- plus two new McCartney compositions.

Paul has apparently had some fun with his choice of album title—while causing some confusion amongst those who have historically subjected his every move to microscopic scrutiny (with many fixating on an anatomical interpretation!). The phrase 'Kisses On The Bottom,' however, actually comes from the album's opener 'I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter'. Originally made a big hit by Fats Waller in 1935, the song opens with the lines 'I'm gonna sit right down and write myself a letter and make believe it came from you. I'm gonna write words oh so sweet. They're gonna knock me off of my feet. A lot of kisses on the bottom, I'll be glad I got 'em'. more on this story

Eddie Van Halen Donates 75 Of His Guitars To Public Schools

(HPM) Eddie Van Halen has donated 75 electric guitars from his personal collection to the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports music education in public schools across the country.

Per Van Halen's request, the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation will distribute the guitars to music programs in public schools throughout the Los Angeles area where there are not enough instruments to meet the demand of students enrolled.

"Music is the universal language. It has the ability to transcend and convey every human emotion that exists without saying a word. Music kept me off the streets and out of trouble and gave me something that was mine that no one could take away from me. Music education and families are dealing with the economic times, and I wanted to help them. If I can help a kid discover a liking, or even a passion for music in their life, then that's a wonderful thing. Music has provided a good life for me and hopefully it can help make life better for others with this donation." Said Van Halen. more on this story

The Polyphonic Spree Announce North American Tour Plans

The Polyphonic Spree have announced their first North American tour dates in more than four years.

The "You + Me" tour will see the band, whose membership currently numbers 21 musicians and choir members, return to the intimate venues that they started out on a decade ago.

The tour begins February 6 in Tulsa, followed by dates across the Southeast before returning home to Texas for shows in Houston, Austin and Dallas. See below for a list of confirmed dates; East and West Coast dates will follow in late winter and spring. more on this story

Mars Volta, Animals As Leaders and Suicidal Tendencies Supergroup

Mars Volta, Animals As Leaders and Suicidal Tendencies supergroup T.R.A.M. will release their debut album, Lingua Franca on February 28th.

We received the following background: It's extremely rare to come across a new band that just flips the script of conventionality throwing caution to the wind, but the debut effort from T.R.A.M. does just that while blazing a trail of creativity that will quickly turn heads across the world. This unit will be referred to by many as a "supergroup," however the members of this dynamic unit aren't in this for any reason but to use it as a platform to further express their art without limitations or any preconceived notions.

T.R.A.M. is comprised of such renowned musically proficient artists as Adrian Terrazas (The Mars Volta) on saxophone, flute, bass clarinet and percussion, Javier Reyes (Animals As Leaders) on guitars, Tosin Abasi (Animals As Leaders) on guitars and Eric Moore (Suicidal Tendencies) on drums. This is a group of likeminded individuals that are naturally gifted and the collaboration of their unique talents results in something truly amazing. more on this story

KISS Destroyer 35th Anniversary Edition Coming

(hennemusic) KISS are marking the 35th Anniversary of their 1976 classic, "Destroyer," next month. Universal Music in Denmark has set a February 27 European release date (Feb 28 in North America) for the Deluxe Edition of the album.

The 2CD set will feature remixes of the original LP by producer Bob Ezrin, outtakes from the original sessions, and include the record's original cover art.

The legendary cover was painted by Ken Kelly; his original version of the album cover was rejected by the record company because they felt the scene was too violent looking with the rubble and flames. In addition, the original version had the band members wearing their "Alive!"-era costumes, which were updated for the album and tour. more on this story

Angels & Airwaves For KROQ Radio and Web Special

Angels & Airwaves have added an additional date to their upcoming Southern California tour and announced a radio/web broadcast for later this month.

Serving as a launch pad for their upcoming world tour beginning in Brisbane, Australia on February 25, AVA's SoCal dates include shows at House of Blues in Anaheim on Sunday, January 22; Velvet Jones in Santa Barbara on January 25; Los Angeles on Thursday, January 26 (venue TBA); Belly Up in Solana Beach on February 1. A fifth show has just been announced for the Glass House in Pomona on February 2

AVA will perform at the "Sound Space at KROQ," fusing together an on-air broadcast with a live USTREAM webcast. At 3:00 pm PST on Tuesday, January 24, fans are invited to take a front row seat at this new "global" venue here.

"Five years of hard work are finally being realized in 2012. While it has been quite a rollercoaster ride, we are happy to have succeeded in making this a band of true 'dreamers/modernists,'" said Tom DeLonge, frontman for Angels & Airwaves. "This month, we launch our much anticipated year with a few intimate shows in Southern California, but we plan to return soon with a full not-so-secret 'LOVE' experience."

Jane's Addiction Set For Theatre of the Escapists Tour

Jane's Addiction have announced cities for their upcoming North American tour, dubbed "Theatre of the Escapists," in support of their latest album The Great Escape Artist.

The trek will feature support from Black Box Revelation and will bring the band to intimate venues, most of which are classic theatres.

"We chose to play as many of the great theatres that we could find because we wanted to immerse the audience in a unique experience unlike any they have ever seen at a rock show," says Farrell. "Expect an orgy of musical and visual delights. We like orgies, and hope you do too." more on this story

Radiohead Expand Tour Plans

(Gibson) Radiohead have added a batch of West Coast dates to their upcoming tour. The announced concert will precede the band's two-show stint at Coachella on April 14 and 21, according to Spinner.

Before then, Radiohead will bring music from last year's The King of Limbs to Seattle on April 9, San Jose, California, on April 11 and Santa Barbara, California, on April 12. The band have already announced 10 U.S. shows, beginning in February in Miami.

In addition, Thom Yoke and pals have added another date to their summer international schedule – July 25 in Taipei, Taiwan. Radiohead are already scheduled to play in Germany, France, Spain, Portugal and Italy. more on this story

Sevendust Members Form New Band

(Banana 101.5) Sevendust guitarist Clint Lowery and drummer Morgan Rose have put together a new band called Call Me No One and plan to hit the studio very soon.

Sevendust fans will have plenty of side projects to keep them occupied until the Atlanta hard rockers release the follow-up to 2010′s 'Cold Day Memory' — which they plan to begin writing soon with the goal of a 2013 release.

Guitarist Clint Lowery's side band Dark New Day will finally release 'New Tradition' — an album recorded in 2007 that was never released — on February 28th, right around the time he plans to enter the studio with yet another side project. more on this story

Chickenfoot Deliver Different Devil

(hennemusic) Chickenfoot have just released the third single from their "Chickenfoot III" album.

"Different Devil" surfaces just prior to the band's week-long Road Test tour dates across Europe, which begin January 12 in Manchester.

"Different Devil" represents a mid-tempo track from the band, following the first two rockers from the record – "Big Foot" and "Three And A Half Letters." more on this story

God Is An Astronaut Catalog Remastered For Their 10th Anniversary

God Is An Astronaut have remastered and repackaged their entire catalog to mark their 10th anniversary.

Digital downloads are available now, CD's will ship on January 20 and vinyl copies are expected later this year. Fans can purchase the remastered albums here.

Hailing from Glen of the Downs, Ireland, GIAA is comprised of Torsten Kinsella (guitar), Niels Kinsella (bass, visuals), Lloyd Hanney (drums) and Jamie Dean (piano/synths), who collectively have become one of the most widely celebrated underground post-rock, instrumental bands in the world, amassing a cult following of millions through word of mouth since their epic 2002 debut The End of the Beginning. more on this story

Baltic Guitar Quartet Does Metallica Classics

(hennemusic) Metallica at the Philharmonic. It happened last month at The Berliner Philharmonie, a concert hall in Berlin, Germany.

The Baltic Guitar Quartet presented an original programme at the famed German venue, where a part of the concert was performed together with double bass virtuoso Guy David Tuneh.

The unique ensemble collaborated on versions of Metallica's "Enter Sandman" and "The Unforgiven." Check out video here.

AC/DC's Debut Single eBayed

(Gibson) "Can I Sit Next to You Girl?" the debut single from AC/DC, has been sold to a fan for $1,225 on eBay.

The song was only released in Australia and features vocals from the band's original singer Dave Evans.

The single was released in May of 1975 and climbed to #19 on the Australian chart. The band re-recorded the track for their TNT album. Listen to the song here.

Muddy Waters Son Releasing Debut Album

Severn Records has announced a March 20 release date for Son of the Seventh Son, the label debut from Larry "Mud" Morganfield, son of the legendary Muddy Waters. Severn Records is distributed nationally by City Hall Records.

Recorded in Chicago and produced by Bob Corritore, Son of the Seventh Son features Mud Morganfield's earthy, soulful vocals backed by a cadre of blues all-stars, including Kenny Smith on drums, Rick Kreher and Billy Flynn on guitar, Barrelhouse Chuck on keyboards, E.G. McDaniel on bass, and Harmonica Hines and Bob Corritore on harp.

"I just couldn't have done this without those cats, man," Morganfield told writer Terry Mullins in an interview published in Blues Blast Magazine. "They brought something to the studio that will forever live in my heart. It brought out the best in me. It's a great CD, some of the best work I've done so far. It's got one great song after another on it." more on this story

God Forbid Finish Album and Announce Shows

God Forbid will celebrate the completion of their forthcoming album with two northeast area headlining shows.

Guitarist Doc Coyle says of the band's desire to play shows, "With only one show in 2011 and 2 months spent in the recording studio, we have been itching to get out and play. We thought it would be a great idea to get into an intimate setting in our area for the real GF fans. Expect to hear some new songs and some old cuts that haven't played in awhile. 2012 will be a great year!"

God Forbid Headlining Shows will take place on Feb 18th - Brooklyn, NY @ St. Vitus (Support TBA) and on Feb 24th - Clifton, NJ @ Dingbatz w/ Bound Alive, Lesson in Violence & More TBA

Mayday Parade and We The Kings Tour

Mayday Parade will hit the road next month for a North American co-headlining tour with We The Kings.

The trek will be kicking off February 2 in Louisville, Kentucky. This 4-week trek comes on the heels of a recent sold out headlining tour, and takes the band to both coasts. Downtown Fiction and Anarbor will support.

Co-produced by Zack Odom and Kenneth Mount, Mayday Parade marks a return to their songwriting roots; the entire album was self-written in a collaborative effort by the five band mates. more on this story

Mike Patton Scoring New Movie

(Sub) Mike Patton (Faith No More, Tomahawk, Mr. Bungle) is set to provide the score for The Place Beyond The Pines.

Patton was selected by writer/director Derek Cianfrance (Blue Valentine) to score the film which stars Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper and Eva Mendes.

Patton is also currently working on a new Tomahawk album with a projected late summer release date. more on this story

Omar & the Howlers Announce Special Record Release Show

Ruf Records will release Omar & the Howlers' Essential Collection, a special 2-CD set, on February 14 and have announced a special appearance that evening.

The twin-disc pack is comprised of one CD titled "The Best of," while the second one is called "Omar's Picks," which are songs that "represent a snapshot of influences and heroes throughout my career and are special to me for one reason or another," says Omar.

Omar & the Howlers will celebrate the release of the new album with a special in-store performance at Waterloo Records in Austin on February 14 at 5PM Central Time. more on this story

Former Motograter Members Return With Riven

Former Motograter members, lead by vocalist Michael "Angel" Woodruff, have announced their new project, Riven.

Riven is an ambient hard rock/metal ensemble featuring Angel and Harris on vocals, Nosler on guitar, Hole on bass and Twitch on drums. "We're really excited about the new sound and the energy that is surrounding the band right now", says Angel, "We're able to express ourselves in ways we may not have been able to in the past".

Tour announcements will be made in the near future. Meanwhile, the band is working hard in the studio, recording with Ahrue Luster of Ill Nino, as well as promoting their arrival with FM and Internet radio interviews all over the world. Check em out here.

Prototype Catalyst Details

Prototype have released the tracklisting for their third full length album, "Catalyst," which is set for release in the coming months via Nightmare Records.

Nearly 2 years in the making, "Catalyst" is a science fiction themed concept album featuring 12 tracks and over 60 minutes of all new music.

The effort was produced by Prototype and is currently being mixed by Neil Kernon. "Catalyst" will be mastered by Alan Douches and artwork will once again be created by Travis Smith. The release date for the album will be announced soon. more on this story

Recap of First Cory Smoot Tribute Show

(Freeman) On Saturday night, January 7th, 2012, the metal community took another step in dealing with the tragic death of long-time GWAR guitarist Cory Smoot by holding the first of two events in a three-show schedule of shows designed to support the Smoot Family Foundation and honor the life of this prolific artist, who died of a heart attack this past November at the age of only 34.

Cory had played the role of Flattus Maximus in the world's most infamous band for eleven years, as well as participated in many side projects, while at the same time producing and engineering tons of records at his always busy Karma Studios. In doing so he had become a treasured part of the local and national metal scene, and they turned out in force to both events, opening their hearts to Cory's family in a completely selfless display of solidarity, respect, and generosity.

Cory's widow, Jaime, who is pregnant with Cory's child, had this message for the fans- "I want to sincerely thank ALL the friends and fans for their amazing donations and support!! Thanks to Eve and Brent for organizing the events, to the businesses that contributed raffle prizes, and to the venues and bands for making the shows awesome!! You guys made Cory, the baby and me very proud!" more on this story

Nothnegal Delay American Album Release

Nothnegal have delayed the North American release of their new album Decadence to February 28th, 2012. It will be released internationally on January 20th.

Decadence is mixed by Greg Reely (Fear Factory, Machine Head, DevilDriver) and Ahti Kortelainen (Sentenced, Sonarta Arctica). Decadence marks the first official full-length release from Nothnegal.

Nothnegal will be performing select dates in India this winter. See all currently booked dates here

J Geils Band Freeze Frame InTheStudio This Week

(Sub) The latest installment InTheStudio: The Stories Behind Historyʼs Greatest Rock Bands celebrates the 30th anniversary of The J Geils Band's No. 1 selling album Freeze Frame.

Hailing from Boston, The J Geils Band went from regionally successful club act to one of the most popular live bands of the ʻ70s. After 14 years on the road and 11 albums the # 1 Billboard single "Centerfold" gave the band its just reward, a HIT album.

Peter Wolf reminisces to In the Studio host Redbeard about what fueled The J Geils Band for all those years and how it felt to finally be on top. "One of the things about the Geils Band, we really werenʼt that ambitious about having a zillion seller or something. We never really went into rockʼnʼroll to make money, we went into rockʼnʼroll so maybe we didnʼt have to work 9 to 5.

"It was probably the happiest time in my life, because we were doing tours where every place was sold out and thatʼs a performers dream... All the touring, all the one nighters and all the driving in station wagons and sleeping in funky hotels and funky dressing rooms, finally, there was a certain sense of respect coming back to the band."

J Geils Band/ InTheStudio show will air this week. Stream it here.

Say Anything Set New Album Release

Equal Vision Records have set a March 13th, 2012 release date for Say Anything's fourth studio album.

The new album, Anarchy, My Dear, was produced by Tim O'Heir (Say Anything, Sebadoh, Superdrag).

Say Anything is currently planning an extensive North American tour. Details are forthcoming but for now they have released the tracklisting for the new album. more on this story

Dying Fetus Kick Off Tour Tonight

Dying Fetus are kicking off their South American headlining tour tonight in Buenos Aires, Argentina at Asbury Bar.

The tour runs through January 18th where it will wrap up in Armenia, Columbia at Boston Avenue Bar.

Dying Fetus are currently working on their new album, entitled "Reign Supreme" which is set to be released in mid 2012 through Relapse Records. more on this story

Prong Update On New Album

(Freeman) Prong check in as they put the final touches on Carved Into Stone, their forthcoming studio album with producer Steve Evetts.

Says guitarist, vocalist and Prong founder Tommy Victor of the making of the album: "It was hardest I've ever worked in the studio on any record I've ever been involved with."

Prong (whose lineup includes bassist Tony Campos and drummer Alexei Rodriguez) has taken a major step forward in their constantly evolving brand of sonic schematics. more on this story

Anniversary of Jimi Hendrix's Purple Haze

(Gibson) On this day in 1967, The Jimi Hendrix Experience recorded "Purple Haze." Jimi also signed to the new record label Track Records on this day. Gibson takes a look back:

Before it became part of the soundtrack to the Summer of Love, before it became the musical representation of an acid trip, before it became one of the greatest rock songs of all time, before it became Jimi Hendrix's signature tune… "Purple Haze" was recorded by Hendrix, Mitch Mitchell and Noel Redding on this day in 1967.

The song that was to become The Jimi Hendrix Experience's second single was reportedly written in late 1966. According to Hendrix's manager, Chas Chandler, Hendrix was playing the riff backstage at a gig and Chandler encouraged him to put lyrics to the music. But there is plenty of debate as to when that happened or what the original lyrics contained. It's been reported that Jimi penned the words while in the dressing room of the Upper Cut Club on Boxing Day in '66. Hendrix later said that the lyrics were shortened later, but Chandler claimed that the words were recorded as written.

As far as Hendrix's inspiration for the song goes, "Purple Haze" had nothing to do with drug use. In 1969, he told NME that the song "was all about a dream I had that I was walking under the sea." The guitar legend claimed that the phrase, "Purple Haze," came from a science-fiction story. He also said that the tune was really a love song, pointing to the key lyric: "Whatever it is, that girl put a spell on me." more on this story

Fans Pick David Bowie's Best Song

(Gibson) To mark David Bowie becoming eligible for a state pension in England (he turned 65 on January 8), the Digital Spy website in the U.K. ran a poll of Bowie's most-loved songs.

The winner was "Life on Mars?" from his 1971 album Hunky Dory, picking up 21.4% of the votes. The top 5:

1. "Life on Mars?" (21.4%) 2. "Heroes" (12.5%) 3. "Ashes to Ashes" (7.3%) 4. "Let's Dance" (6.1%) 5. "Starman" (5.9%) more on this story