Alice Cooper Wants To Break World Record This Halloween

The show is part of Cooper's Halloween Night Of Fear tour. Alice said: "What would Halloween be without me anyway? I mean, I practically invented it." more on this story

Posthumous Album From Boston Singer Brad Delp Coming

(Classic Rock) The family of Boston singer Brad Delp are preparing to release a posthumous album of solo material.

His daughter Jenna says: "This has been a massive undertaking. Many of Dad's master tapes were damaged in a flood. His good friend Roger Carmody spent many months baking the mould off the tapes – and getting sick in the process. We've managed to salvage a great deal of the recordings and we're in the home stretch."

The album will include material from the 1970s until the 1990s. Delp, who struggled with depression, took his own life in 2007. More rock news here.

Metallica Black Album Tribute Coming Next Week

(Gibson) Metallica's Black album turns 21 this year. In honor of that milestone, U.K.'s Kerrang! magazine will release a special tribute album, titled The Black Album: Covered, in next week's (June 20) issue, featuring a wide range of fiery metal bands.

Rise to Remain, the Defiled, Lost Alone and Your Demise are among the bands that appear on the upcoming album to put their personal spin on Metallica's always-fierce tracks.

In 2009, The Black Album outsold Shania Twain's 1997 album, Come on Over, as the No. 1-selling disc of the SoundScan era. The Black Album has sold 15.7 million-plus copies in the United States to date. more on this story

Beastie Boys Have A Lot Of Unreleased Material

(Banana 101.5) Mario C., collaborator, producer and friend of the Beastie Boys, says that despite the untimely death of Adam "MCA" Yauch last month, we still may hear new Beasties songs in the future. He explains that there is still plenty of unreleased music on the way from the recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees.

"There's a handful of extra stuff from each record apart from 'Paul's Boutique,'" says Caldato. "I actually went through it all recently and checked out a few things that weren't used for 'Hello Nasty' and there's definitely two or three tracks that didn't get utilized that could be utilized."

New-old songs aren't the only goodies in store for fans, Mario confirmed that the band recorded shortly before Yauch's passing. "The guys told me that he wanted to record. So they hung out and did what they used to do – just lay it down and have fun." more on this story

KISS To Rock For UK Vets

(Classic Rock) KISS will play a one-off show in London on July 4 to support UK armed forces charity Help For Heroes.

The KISS Army have been invited to gather at the Forum, London, for an intimate performance by Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer. And proceeds from the band's upcoming single will go to the organisation that seeks to support wounded, sick and injured servicemen and women.

Kiss have a long history of supporting US troops, but their 2012 Independence Day show marks the first time they've done the same for British forces. more on this story

Kroeger Not Counting On Nickelback Rock Hall Induction

(Classic Rock) Chad Kroeger admits he doesn't expect Nickelback to be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame.

"I think it will probably show up the same time as our first Grammy," he says. The band are getting better and better at laughing about their massively negative press.

Discussing the backlash against their appearance as half-time entertainment at a football game last year, where over 50,000 people signed a petition to have them dropped, the singer says: "The National Football League was calling us twice a day going, 'We're so happy – the viewership just went up by 15 million…'" More rock news

Ringo Starr's Childhood Home Saved From Demolition

(Classic Rock) The house Ringo Starr grew up in has been saved from demolition. After a sustained public campaign Liverpool city bosses decided not to knock down the 1880s terrace building at 9 Madyrn Street in the Dingle area.

A total of 32 properties in the 'Welsh streets' part of the city will be refurbished and sold, although 400 are still scheduled to be demolished.

UK housing minister Grant Shapps said: "A tide od community support brought about this decision. The house is a beacon of Beatlemania." More rock news

Paul Weller Records 'Birthday' Tribute for Paul McCartney

(Gibson) Paul Weller has recorded The Beatles' song "Birthday" especially for Sir Paul McCartney's 70th birthday on June 18.

Weller said: "I wanted to do something for Paul's 70th, the man's been, and still is, an immense and enduring inspiration for me.

"It was him and his three friends that made me want to pick up a guitar in the first place. I saw him play live recently and he inspired me just as much as ever, he was brilliant.

"I just hope he likes our little version, a token of my and the bands love for him and his music. Rock on Macca." more on this story

X Summer Tour With Pearl Jam

Veteran punk band X will once again hit the road with Pearl Jam when they join the group as special guests on their European Summer Run.

This past November, X joined Pearl Jam on their South American tour, visiting various parts of Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Costa Rica and Mexico City for the first time. During the tour, Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam– joined X on-stage each night during their encore. The X song "Devil Doll" was recorded during these impromptu performances and Pearl Jam has just released it as the 'b' side to their 2011 "TenClub Single," available to Pearl Jam fan club members exclusively.

Once X returns from Europe, the band will continue with two West Coast shows; July 13th at Hollywood Park and July 29th, where they will join the Indie West Fest in Ventura, CA. The band will also travel across the country for one East Coast show where they will once again, join Pearl Jam as a special guest on their "Made in America" Festival with Jay Z taking place on September 1 & 2nd in Philadelphia. more on this story

Iced Earth Celebrate Volbeat and Hell Yeah With Special Release

Iced Earth are giving fans another reason to catch them on the road this summer with Volbeat, Hellyeah, and The Sixxis.

The band is releasing a limited tour edition of their latest album, Dystopia. Currently available only at the merchandise stands on the tour, the 2-disc Dystopia Tour Edition contains the original full-length album, as well as b-side covers of Iron Maiden "The Trooper" and Black Sabbath "Mob Rules," as well as the classic 17-minute Iced Earth track "Dante's Inferno" re-recorded with vocalist Stu Block.

The bonus disc also contains both music videos from Dystopia - the title track and "Anthem" - as well as a 'Making of Dystopia' studio interview with the band, and exclusive cell phone skins and desktop backgrounds. more on this story

Soundgarden Pick Up Where They Left Off For New Album

(Gibson) Soundgarden main man Chris Cornell is dropping new details on the band's upcoming the full-length, which marks the grunge rock outfit's first studio album in a decade and a half. While Cornell says it's "hard to describe" the style of the new songs, he thinks that the fresh tracks will keep in line with what fans know and love about Soundgarden.

"It's sort of picking up where we left off," Cornell told NME. "We're a band where every single member contributes music so that makes it very diverse. It's a very rich album with a lot of different moods to it."

Cornell also stated that the guys wrote the new album to be played as an entire collection of songs, as opposed to random singles.

"We're an album-orientated band, so I look forward to getting into long-form listening," he said. "That seems to have disappeared over the last ten years. People seem to now be more into one song at a time." more on this story

Molotov Solution Deny Breaking Up, But Are On Hold

Molotov Solution deny breaking up, but have put themselves on inactive status, cancelling all upcoming live dates.

Singer Nick Arthur told fans on Wednesday via their Facebook page: "Bad news guys: First off, I want to thank everyone for all or any support given to help us through the years. Secondly, I want to apologize to our friends and fans for canceling our upcoming shows and tours. It has been a great adventure, but unfortunately I have reached a point where I can no longer continue touring full time. A realization I initially made a couple years ago, but tried to push through for the rest of the band and the fans. Future plans for Molotov Solution are still up in the air, as I would not like to see this be the end. Please continue to support our members in their future endeavors. Either way, we will all continue creating music. Thank you for your time and support. We have dropped all upcoming tours and shows as a result. Nick."

Yesterday the band updated fans: Nick did not quit Molotov Solution and the band is still a band, we are just inactive. It's going to take time to figure things out and get our feet back on solid ground. This band will probably never tour full time again, hell, it may never tour ever again, that's what "future plans are still up in the air" means. We will stay active on the Facebook and continue spreading news, support, and our message any way we can. And of course as soon as we have Molotov Solution news or announcements you will know as soon as possible. Thanks again for all the love and support. And again sincerest apologies for cancelling our future tour dates.

Albums From Megadeth's Marty Friedman Coming To America

American fans will be able to get their hands on three albums from Megadeth and Cacophony star Marty Friedman this summer.

Three recent albums by Friedman will receive North American releases by Prosthetic Records on August 14. The label sent out these details:

Two of the titles – 2010's Bad D.N.A. and 2008's Future Addict – have until this year only been available in Japan, where Friedman now lives, while 2006's acclaimed Loudspeaker, originally released Stateside by Shrapnel Records, will be made available domestically once again. more on this story

New Raconteurs DVD Preview

We were sent a couple of preview videos from the new The Raconteurs' Live At Montreux 2008 Blu-Ray and DVD which hit stores next Tuesday, June 2012 via Eagle Rock.

This is the first ever video release by The Raconteurs and features tracks from both their top 10 albums including the singles "Steady, As She Goes", "Many Shades Of Black", "Broken Boy Soldier", "Salute Your Solution" and more. Watch clips of Steady, as She Goes here and You Don't Understand Me here.

The Raconteurs were formed in 2005 by Jack White of The White Stripes, acclaimed solo artist Brendan Benson and drummer Patrick Keeler and bassist Jack Lawrence from The Greenhornes. Their debut album "Broken Boy Soldiers" charted at No.2 in the UK and follow up "Consolers Of The Lonely" went in at No.8. Both albums were also Top 10 in the USA. This performance from Montreux in 2008 was part of the tour in support of their second album. The setlist is split between songs from the two albums and includes covers of Terry Reid's "Rich Kid Blues" and the old Charley Jordan track "Keep It Clean". more on this story

Lemmy Saved Twisted Sister From The Wrath Of Angry Motorhead Fans

(Classic Rock) Dee Snider has recalled how Lemmy saved Twisted Sister from the wrath of angry Motorhead fans and how the moment set them on the road to stardom.

In an excerpt from his autobiography Shut Up and Give Me the Mic, Snider tells how he worried that his first UK appearance would be his last. Twisted Sister were opening for Motorhead and their start time meant the stage would be flooded with daylight – so their trick of having played half a song before people say their eccentric stage gear wasn't going to work.

"We'd been warned about the potential reaction and we were freaking out. As we stood in our dressing room Lemmy came in and made an unsolicited proposition that blew us all away. Lemmy offered to introduce the band," Snider says. "To this day I am not sure why Lemmy showed us this kindness. It's probably just the way he is wired and one of the reasons he is so beloved." more on this story

KISS Teaming Up With Family Guy

(hennemusic) KISS and Family Guy have announced a new partnership that will see a Family Guy/KISS product line hit shelves this coming fall.

The Family Guy/KISS line is a collaboration that taps into the band's references within the show. So far, KISS has appeared three times on the series, providing viewers with insightful and hilarious nuggets that include Peter Griffin's love for the band and the fact that Lois Griffin once dated Gene Simmons before he became famous.

"With KISS merchandise, endorsements and co-branding heading to the billion dollar mark we are focusing more and more on the upper tier, blue chip opportunities for prestige partnerships," says KISS co-founder Paul Stanley. "Family Guy's track record and consistent success with it's demographic makes this match up ideal." more on this story

Original AC/DC Member Wants His Due

(Classic Rock) AC/DC's first singer Dave Evans is proud to be a part of the band's history but wishes his former colleagues would be more up-front about their early years.

He feels he and original drummer Colin Burgess have been unfairly written out of the Australian giants' official story. And he regrets his next band, Rabbit, never got the chance to share a stage with them, because he believes they'd have bested his old outfit.

Evans was replaced by Bon Scott in 1974 ahead of the outfit's climb to fame. The material he recorded with them has never been released outside Australia – and the Welsh-born singer says that annoys him and AC/DC fans. more on this story

Jackyl Frontman And Son Releasing Songs For Father's Day

Jackyl frontman Jesse James Dupree has set a July 31st release of the band's Best In Show via his label Mighty Loud (Fontana).

The same day, the company will street the debut from his son Nigel Dupree titled Up To No Good.

In celebration of Father's Day, each will issue a single to radio, Jackyl's "Screwdriver" and Nigel Dupree's "Tumbleweed," each set with an add date at radio of June 26. Jesse James Dupree emphasizes, "You have to raise them to ROCK." more on this story

Another Slash App Hits iTunes

(hennemusic) Yesterdays announcement of a new iApp from Slash isn't the only app featuring the former Guns N' Roses guitarist that has hit the iTunes App store: IK Multimedia has unveiled a new Slash app for your iPhone or iPod touch.

AmpliTube Slash is a full-featured mobile guitar effects processor and recording studio app that lets you play, practice and record with Slash's signature gear, anytime and everywhere.

AmpliTube Slash lets you configure a flexible guitar signal chain complete with 3 inline stompbox effects, an amplifier head and cabinet combination, and a single-track recorder (expandable to 4 tracks) for capturing your musical ideas quickly and easily. more on this story

Polar Bear Club Unplugged Album Coming

(SPR) Polar Bear Club will release a 9-song acoustic live album on July 31st which comes from their hometown show last July at Rochester, NY's Montage Theater.

Titled Live At The Montage, this album features songs spanning from all over Polar Bear Club's musical career thus far - tracks off of their debut album Sometimes Things Just Disappear, from their first Bridge Nine Records album Chasing Hamburg, and to their most recent masterpiece Clash Battle Guilt Pride.

Recorded and engineered by Jay Maas of Getaway Recordings (Defeater, Bane, Cruel Hand), this collection truly captures the energy and urgency of Polar Bear Club's live show.

Reverend Horton Heat Documentary Concert Film Coming in July

Yep Roc Records have set a July 24th release date for the documentary concert film from The Reverend Horton Heat titled The Reverend Horton Heat: 25 to Life.

The DVD bonus package will include the film 25 to Life, a live CD, and the first ever career-spanning "best of" compilation CD.

The concert footage for The Reverend Horton Heat: 25 to Life was recorded at the legendary Fillmore Theater in San Francisco in 2010, and includes live concert footage, band interviews, crew interviews and more. The footage captures the sights, sounds and energy of The Reverend Horton Heat doing what it does best - performing live. In addition, interviews, historical images and footage provide background and a deeper appreciation for one of the hardest touring bands in the business. more on this story

Steve Hillage Reissuing Live CD and DVD

(Glass Onyon) Prog guitar star Steve Hillage is set to rerelease 'Live In Amsterdam 2006 At The Gong Family Unconvention' CD and DVD on September 10, 2012.

The Gong Family Unconvention at the Melkweg club in Amsterdam in November 2006 was a unique 3 day event in which all the original members of the legendary psychedelic band Gong came together and performed their own individual sets. Guitar legend Steve Hillage, who was a prominent part of the "classic" Gong line-up of 1973-75 felt it was a great opportunity perform again some of the songs from his 1970s solo albums.

Steve Hillage is widely considered a guitar innovator, and is associated with the Canterbury scene, working in experimental domains since the late 1960s. Besides his critically acclaimed solo recordings, along with Gong, Steve has been a member of the ensembles Khan and System 7. more on this story

Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan Laments Insecure Society

(Classic Rock) Smashing Pumpkins mainman Billy Corgan says it's time for rock music to get dangerous again, because the world around us has more become dangerous than it's been in decades. And he says the reason artists aren't responding is that the Facebook era has made too many people scared to move away from the mainstream.

Corgan, poised to release new Pumpkins album Oceania, tells Antiquiet: "We're all insecure in our own ways, most of us. You've got a Facebook with a few hundred friends. If you do something truly radical are you ready to withstand the 40 negative comments? Most people aren't – so they're getting peer-pressured at levels they don't even realise."

As a result, he says, people are more likely not to share ideas they might have shared in the past. "It's the same thing with culture," he continues. "I'm just willing to say it, and deal with the 40 negative comments." more on this story

Emberghost Recruit Gwar Star For New Project

Emberghost have recruited Michael Derks of Gwar as the featured guitarist on their Not Long For This Earth project.

Derks connected with Emberghost via mutual friend Kristen Randall, who was announced last week as the replacement for departed keyboardist and co-vocalist Sarah Jennings.

Derks says of his new venture: "Kristen and I have been talking about doing a project for years, and when she introduced me to Emberghost, I saw the perfect opportunity to do something different." more on this story

B Sides

Black Sabbath's Full Download Concert Streaming Online

(hennemusic) A partially-reunited Black Sabbath headlined the closing night of the 10th annual Download Festival last 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.

Audio of the full Sabbath set has now surfaced online, giving fans a chance to hear – and/or relive – the UK festival performance. Check it out here.

Green Day Preview New Album

(hennemusic) Green Day offered fans a sneak peek of their forthcoming album, "¡Uno!," on Thursday, as they shared a video preview and the album's artwork.

The project is the first in a recently-announced trilogy, which features albums entitled ¡Uno!, ¡Dos!, and ¡Tré!.

"We are at the most prolific and creative time in our lives. This is the best music we've ever written, and the songs just keep coming," said the band. "Instead of making one album, we are making a three album trilogy. Every song has the power and energy that represents Green Day on all emotional levels. We just can't help ourselves... We are going epic as f---" Watch the preview here.

Metallica Share More Summer Vacation Tour Footage

(hennemusic) Metallica continue to share concert footage from their 2012 European Summer Vacation tour.

The band played the Rock Im Park festival in Nurnberg, Germany on June 1. Metallica are now sharing some footage from the event, including video of the pre-show meet and greet, tuning room and "Sad But True" from the concert.

Up next for the metal icons is the launch of their own festival, Orion Music + More, which happens June 23-24 at Bader Field in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Watch the video here.

The Day Peter Green Opened The Door To Fleetwood Mac

(Gibson) On this day in 1967, Guitarist Peter Green quit the John Mayall Band. Green went on to form Fleetwood Mac. Gibson looks back: In London in the mid-'60s, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers were THE blues act to see. When guitar god Eric Clapton left, Mayall turned to another young guitar player who had previously filled in for E.C. when he was on vacation, Peter Green.

After a while Green pushed for drummer Mick Fleetwood to replace Aynsley Dunbar. John Mayall agreed and The Bluesbreakers became Green, Fleetwood, John McVie and Mayall.

Mayall was a mentor by nature and gave Green studio-time for his birthday gift. Green, delighted, recorded four songs with Mick Fleetwood and John McVie. Tracks included a Green vocal on " First Train Home" and a prophetic instrumental, " Fleetwood Mac," so named after the band's rhythm section.

Things were hunky dory for a while, but when Mayall fired Fleetwood for being drunk it was the beginning of the end for Green and the Bluesbreakers. On June 15, 1967 Green quit to start a new band. Green and his agent called on slide guitarist Jeremy Spencer, Fleetwood, and he worked on getting McVie. But McVie opted to stay with Mayall, so Green used Bob Bruning instead. The new band made their live debut at the Windsor National Jazz and Blues Festival in August 1967 as Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac featuring Jeremy Spencer.

With Mayall starting to move away from blues to jazz, McVie decided to join Green after all. When The band's moody instrumental, "Albatross," hit #1 in the U.K., Fleetwood Mac headed to America, quickly becoming one of the coolest blues bands on the rock scene, with Green in particular winning acclaim and plaudits from critics and peers.

Carlos Santana called Green's playing "a holy grail of tone," while B.B. King said his playing gave "cold sweats". more on this story