Tweeter Vs Black Sabbath

Bassist Geezer Butler wasn't the first to call it a "soap opera". But one Sabbath fan has taken it a step further with a Twitter account called "Sabbath Soap Opera" – and the username @Back_Stabbath. If you haven't been following the story you may not appreciate the cruel but observant humor in the spoof tweets here.

Judas Priest Plan Farewell Tour DVD

(hennemusic) Just a few weeks ago, Judas Priest played the final show of their "Epitaph" world tour.

The final Epitaph show - at the Hammersmith Apollo in London - was professionally filmed for a 2013 DVD release.

The work on the project has already begun, according to guitarist Richie Faulkner. "Had a sneaky listen to the recording of the Hammersmith show with [producer] Tom Allom. Rearrange these words: Face your off it's tear gonna," posted Faulkner on his Facebook page. more on this story

Festival Crowd Surfing Stunt Ends in Broken Neck

(Classic Rock) Stand-up comedian Bob Slayer broke his neck during his Comedy Tent performance at Download on Thursday night – and didn't even realise.

It wasn't until he went to hospital after being injured at another show he discovered the damage he'd done during a wheelie-bin crowdsurfing stunt at the Donington festival.

Ominously, Slayer had started his performance by saying: "This is the last gig I'll ever do" before an assistant helped push his bin into the crowd. more on this story

Fleetwood Shocked Over Bob Welch Suicide

(Gibson) Mick Fleetwood and Stevie Nicks have issued statements paying tribute to former Fleetwood Mac guitarist Bob Welch. "He was an amazing guitar player -- he was funny, sweet and he was smart," Nicks recalled. "I'm so very sorry for his family and for the family of Fleetwood Mac. So, so sad."

Welch was found dead at his home in Nashville, Tennessee, on Thursday. A police spokesperson said the 66-year-old musician died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. A suicide note was found at the house.

"He was a very, very profoundly intelligent human being and always in good humor, which is why this is so unbelievably shocking," Fleetwood told Reuters. "He was a huge part of our history, which sometimes gets forgotten…. Mostly his legacy would be his songwriting abilities that he brought to Fleetwood Mac, which will survive all of us." more on this story

Metallica's Lars Ulrich Moved By New Documentary

(Gibson) Metallica's Lars Ulrich said he found watching the new movie about a disabled fan's mission to meet Metallica, 'deeply moving.'

According to the Daily Express, the movie, Mission to Lars, focuses on Tom Spicer, who has Fragile X syndrome, and his sister Kate as they attempt to meet the band and Tom's hero, Lars.

"I thought the film was deeply moving. Meeting Tom and Kate, when they came out to film, it was an experience in itself. But seeing the film and reconnecting with the team was another experience," Ulrich said. "It's not something we're directly involved in - it's their film, their journey. But we're supportive of their endeavor. We don't want to take it over and have it turn into some kind of vanity project.

"It's a great testament into a world I didn't know much about and a great testament to the importance of music and what it means to different people." more on this story

Collective Soul Live TV Special This Weekend

Collective Soul fans are advised to tune into HDNet this Saturday, June 16, to watch the band perform live to the Roseland Ballroom in Portland, Oregon.

"An Evening with Collective Soul: The Dosage 2012 Tour" will include their memorable 1999 album Dosage in its entirety, and several of their #1 radio hits including "Shine," "December," "World I Know," "Where the River Flows," and many others.

The band will also premiere new, never-heard-before songs from their forthcoming studio album, which they plan to release in the near future. Check out a preview here.

Slipknot's Corey Taylor Slams Media Over Metal Coverage

(Classic Rock) Slipknot and Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor believes metal is the only genre in which musician keep trying to raise the bar and that's one of the things that makes it a unique art form.

His comments come during a Guardian discussion about why rock and metal is almost entirely ignored in mainstream media, despite a strong following and healthy sales.

Taylor argues that if the press are going to ignore the good points of the genre, they shouldn't keep digging up the bad points instead. He says: "The thing that really pisses me off is they only talk about metal in the sense: 'Metal is going to kill your children.' It would almost be better if they never talked about us at all." more on this story

Rock & Roll All Nite: A Tribute to KISS Coming

Versailles Records are eyeing a 2013 release for 'Rock & Roll All Nite: A Tribute to Kiss.'

The record will feature current/former members of Alice Cooper Band, Trans-Siberrian Orchestra, RATT, Keel, LA Guns, Megadeth, Metal Church, Dangerous Toys, Lillian Axe, White Lion, Slash's Snakepit, Richard Kendrick, and others to be announced.

This summer Versailles Records will also deliver star-studded tributes including 'No More Tears: A Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne- 1971 - 2012,' 'Take Your Whiskey Home: A Tribute to Van Halen- 1978 - 1984' and 'Two Minutes to Midnight: A Tribute to Iron Maiden.' more on this story

Le Butcherettes Hitting The Road With The Mars Volta

Le Butcherettes will be heading to Europe this week to kick off a tour where they will be The Mars Volta.

Le Butcherettes are currently at work on a followup to last year's breakout debut, Sin Sin Sin.

Omar Rodriguez Lopez -- who is also reprising his role as producer and bass player for the band's sophomore album -- will be pulling double duty for these shows, as the permanent bassist for Le Butcherettes in addition to his role as co-founder and guitarist in The Mars Volta. more on this story

Lucero Summer Tour

Lucero will be hitting the road for a North American tour which will kick off on June 20 in Carrboro, NC.

Lucero will be touring in support of their latest album, Women & Work on ATO Records Women & Work, the band's eighth album, is a love letter to their hometown of Memphis.

"Having a band in Memphis puts you through a tradition," says frontman Ben Nichols. The band immersed itself in Memphis' long skew of musical traditions: Sun, Stax, Elvis and Al Green, Jim Dickinson and Alex Chilton. more on this story

Nashville Pussy's First Ever Summer Rock n' Roll Showdown

Nashville Pussy will be playing a very special hometown show in Atlanta, Georgia on June 27th at The Star Bar.

The event which has been dubbed "Nashville Pussy's First Ever Summer Rock n' Roll Showdown", sees the return of bassist Karen Cuda who has been recovering from a neck injury. The show will feature support from The El Camino's and The Babyhaters.

Nashville Pussy recently released a live record recorded all over Europe in a special 2 CD re-release of their last studio album From Hell To Texas which was completely remixed for this edition. more on this story

Queensryche Members Debut New Band Rising West

(hennemusic) Queensryche members Michael Wilton, Eddie Jackson, Scott Rockenfield and Parker Lundgren debuted a new band Friday night in Seattle with vocalist Todd La Torre of Crimson Glory.

Rising West played their first show at the Hard Rock Café, where they performed rare and classic hits from the first five Queensryche albums; the set also included a cover of Iron Maiden's "Wrathchild."

Last week, the Rising West crew were denied access to Queensryche's social media platforms to promote their new project. Read more about that and watch video from the debut gig here.

Black Sabbath Rock Download Fest

(hennemusic) Black Sabbath headlined the closing night of the 10th annual Download Festival on Sunday.

It was Sabbath's second show of 2012 and, like last month's warm-up gig in their hometown of Birmingham, the band used fill-in drummer Tommy Clufetos in place of the absent Bill Ward, who continues to sit out the group's planned reunion due to a contractual dispute.

NME reports the metal pioneers came onstage at Donington Park on Sunday to a montage of vintage photos, opening the show with their eponymous track from their eponymous debut album. Guitarist Tony Iommi was in full force on a crucifix-adorned fretboard while frontman Ozzy Ozbourne played harmonica. More including video here.

Girl In A Coma Summer Tour

Girl In A Coma will be heading out on the road for a headlining summer North American tour.

The trek focused on the East Coast and Midwest will kick off in Madison, WI on June 16th and will wrap up on August 16th in Pharr, TX

Girl In A Coma is hitting the road in support of their latest album Exits & All the Rest. more on this story

Former Angel Dust Singer Dirk Thurisch Returns With Mercury Tide

Former Angel Dust singer Dirk Thurisch returns after almost a decade with his new band Mercury Tide.

Limited Access Records have announced a July 10th North American release date for the group's debut album, Killing Saw.

The band's website is listing a May 25th released date for the new album in Europe. You can learn more about them and trade a "tweet" for a song here.

Red Fang Deliver Pizza Picture Disc

Red Fang have delivered a limited edition Pizza Picture disc of their album Murder the Mountains.

The A Side of the disc features The "Red Fang" Pizza, which is actually available on the menu at Relapse Records owner Matt Jacobson's restaurant Sizzle Pie, which has two locations in Portland, Oregon.

The B-Side of the disc features Red Fang's drink of choice PBR, pizza crusts and bloody band-aids. more on this story

PiL Changed Steve Vai?

(Gibson) John Lydon says guitarist Steve Vai's work on Album, the full-length disc PiL released in 1986, may well have marked a shift in Vai's approach to playing. "I think he kind of altered his perspective after working with us," Lydon said, speaking to MusicRadar. "He did some wonderful stuff after that. He got out of just heavy metal, and that's a good, good thing. To this day, I rate the man very, very highly. Very highly!"

Lydon said he was already familiar with Vai's work before recruiting him for the project. "People think that I wouldn't be listening to stuff like that, but I listen to everything," he said. "It was great. It was [producer-bassist] Bill Laswell who put us together."

Lydon said he was seeking more than musicianship, at the time he approached Vai. "I have a keen ear for sheer bravery and audacity, and people who are prepared to stretch the boundaries of what most musicians call 'common sense,'" he said. more on this story

Ian Gillan and Bernie Torme Giving Business Seminar

(Gibson) Former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Bernie Torme and Deep Purple's Ian Gillan will be teaching at a business seminar in Dartford, England on June 19.

The event, at the Hilton Hotel in Dartford on 19 June, says The Independent, is being put on by ex-manager the Peter Cook, a former manager who lectures on the parallels between music and business for corporate executives.

Cook said: "What we're teaching them is about balancing the need for order and structure with a little bit of creative spark which gives them the edge over their competitors."

Tormé said: "I have worked with a fair mix of Class A rock stars. The music business is a great teacher of life skills such as negotiating, marketing, teamwork, high performance and so on, both how to do them well and occasionally the dark side of the force. Big companies are far more complex, although it's not as different as you would think." more on this story

Download Got Off To Rainy Late Start

(Classic Rock) The tenth Download Festival was forced to start two hours late Friday amid worsening weather conditions that caused traffic chaos and forced organisers to cut bands from the bill.

Headliners The Prodigy closed out the iconic event's first day following performances by Machine Head, Slash, Nightwish, Little Angels, Terrorvision and many others.

But Europe, Cancer Bats, Rise to Remain and Six Hour Sundown were amongst those to miss their sets – although Cancer Bats managed to make two appearances later in the day. more on this story

Black Tusk Map Out Headline Tour Dates

Black Tusk will follow up their current North American tour with Municipal Waste and 3 Inches of Blood with their first ever European headlining tour.

Support on the tour will come from Okkultokrati. The tour is scheduled to begin July 8th in Köln, Germany and run through July 20th in Tonsberg, Norway with an appearance at Slottsfjell Fest.

Black Tusk will also be taking part in the "Orion Music & More Festival" curated by Metallica. The event is set for Saturday June 23rd and Sunday June 24th at Bader Field in Atlantic City, NJ. Black Tusk will be featured on the "Damage Inc" stage on Saturday June 23rd alongside label mates RED FANG and many others. more on this story

Natur Hit The Road With Occvlta

Natur kicked off a mini East Coast tour yesterday, ahead of the release of their debut album, Head Of Death.

Natur hit the road with Occvlta for the run of dates, which begins in Baltimore, Maryland at the Talking Head Lounge.

Natur drummer Tooth comments: "Finally! Our German brothers in Occvlta will be coming to our side of the planet! Very excited to hit the road and play some new places. This will be a great week for sure! After seeing them kill London two years in a row at the Live Evil Festival it was certain we had to host them in the States. Can't wait to bang skulls side by side again! Heavy metal is our way!" more on this story

Titans Eve Announce Tour With Anvil

Titans Eve have a set July 13th release date for their second full-length album, 'Life Apocalypse'.

In support of the effort, the band plan a Western Canadian tour with legendary Canadian metal band Anvil.

"Our album 'Life Apocalypse' drops on July Friday the 13th, just in time for our tour with Anvil!!! We are all very excited to start playing for you guys again and to be able to join Canadian metal legends this time!." says vocalist/guitarist Brian Gamblin. more on this story

Auroch Plan Summer Album Release and Tour

Auroch have officially named their debut full length album, 'From Forgotten Worlds,' which will be released in July.

"At long last we're excited to reveal the name of this first full length release and the songs that lie therein. This has represented a lot of work, sweat and blood and it is reflected in the music. Prepare for a total death metal onslaught!" comments Auroch vocalist/guitarist Seb Montesi.

Auroch are gearing up for their 'Canadian Abomination Tour' which will kick off on July 13th. more on this story

B Sides

Dee Snider Jams Skid Row Classic With Sebastian Bach

(hennemusic) Sebastian Bach played the Sweden Rock Festival Thursday night, and had a little help along the way.

Sebastian was joined by Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider for the Skid Row cut, "Youth Gone Wild."

Bach is currently on the road promoting his latest effort, "Kicking & Screaming." Watch the Dee/Bach jam

The Hives Deliver Go Right Ahead Video

The Hives have released their official music video for their single "Go Right Ahead" online.

According to the announcement, the concept is: Howlin' Pelle Almqvist & the gang take charge of a Gotham-esque city with their very own Hives blimp. There's chaos & confusion, plenty of top hats, and possibly even some space exploration.

"Go Right Ahead" comes off the band's new album, Lex Hives, which was released last week. Watch the video here.

Van Halen Light Up The Sky In St. Paul

(hennemusic) Van Halen have been mixing up the setlists on their current "A Different Kind Of Truth" tour, giving fans a chance to hear some classic deep cuts that haven't been played live in many years.

Video shot during a recent soundcheck in St. Paul, Minnesota captured the band playing the 1979 track, "Light Up The Sky," with background vocals by Wolfgang.

The video was shot by a fan who was in the venue early as part of a VIP package; occasionally, VIP ticket holders have been able to sit in on soundcheck during the tour. Watch the video here.

Duane Allman Taught Joe Walsh Slide Guitar

(Gibson) Joe Walsh has revealed it was Duane Allman who showed him the basics of slide guitar.

In an interview to be published by M – Music & Musicians, Walsh said, "The James Gang played lots of shows with the Allman Brothers Band, back when it was common to have two headliners on the bill. At some point I sat down with Duane backstage, and he showed me the basics – things like proper tunings to use, based on what you're trying to accomplish. He showed me how you put the slide directly over the fret, instead of between them, like you do when you're normally playing. And he stressed using a very light touch. Duane taught me these things out of the goodness of his heart. I've always tried to keep his tradition going, because he was such a good guy and such a great player."

Analog Man, Walsh's first solo album in 20 years, was released on Tuesday (June 5). more on this story

Terror Post Documentary Online

Terror posted their full, uncut version of their documentary about front-man Scott Vogel and Terror on YouTube.

Originally posted as a series, fans can now view the entire movie from start to finish. Focusing on Vogel's early bands, plus the history of Terror from the band's formation through the making of their latest album, Keepers Of The Faith. Watch it here.

Terror will be on tour in North America, Australia, New Zealand and Europe this summer, appearing at various festivals as well as hitting the road with BANE, NAYSAYER, and ROTTING OUT in July/August. more on this story