Sammy Hagar Changes His Mind About Van Halen Reunion

See who else he wanted on the album and why Metallica frontman James Hetfield took a pass here.

Jason Newsted and Megadeth's Metallica Jam Finally Happens

(Gibson) They'd talked about doing it, and for a while it looked like it wasn't going to happen, but Megadeth and former Metallica bass player Jason Newsted finally shared the stage on the final night of the touring Gigantour festival.

Newsted joined Dave Mustaine and co on stage in Toronto, Canada last night to perform lead vocals on a cover of Metallica's "Phantom Lord," one of several songs from Metallica's debut Kill' Em All that were primarily written by Mustaine. (You can watch video of the jam here.)

The other Kill 'Em All songs were "Jump In The Fire," "Metal Militia" and "The Four Horsemen," which was originally titled "The Mechanix" and was featured on the first Megadeth album, Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good). more on this story

Country Singer Issues Challenge To Tom Petty

(Radio.com) Country singer and songwriter Chris Stapleton has thrown down the gauntlet. In a note published on his Facebook page, he responds to recent comments Tom Petty made about contemporary country music by suggesting that Petty "put [his] money where [his] mouth is in a tangible way." And he's even offering to help.

This past May, Petty called current country music "bad rock with a fiddle." Then this past week, he told Rolling Stone that, to him, contemporary country "reminds me of rock in the middle Eighties where it became incredibly generic and relied on videos." In the same interview, however, Petty also admitted: "I don't want to rail on about country because I don't really know much about it."

Stapleton, then, thinks it's high time Petty was schooled. "Your recent comments lead me to believe you see room for improvement in modern country music," writes Stapleton. "So, in the interest of making Country music less "sh*tty" (your words), I suggest a collaboration."

Stapleton isn't just bluffing–he's actually a person Petty could almost certainly learn from. A veteran songwriter, he's penned hits for such superstars as Kenny Chesney, George Strait, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, Vince Gill, and Darius Rucker, among many others. He's also worked in bands such as GRAMMY-nominated alt-country favorites the Steeldrivers and Southern rockers the Jompson Brothers. Stapleton is also now gaining traction for his own new country single, the powerful "What Are You Listening To?," which is easily among the freshest songs to come out of Nashville in ages.

Watch the promotional video which includes comments from Stapleton and his producer, Tony Brown here and read Stapleton's full statement.

Stone Temple Pilots With Chester Bennington Score No. 1 Song

Stone Temple Pilots and their new frontman Linkin Park's Chester Bennington have scored a No. 1 song with the debut single from their collaboration.

The group's debut single 'Out of Time' reached the number one position on both the Mediabase Active Rock and Mainstream Rock chart on Monday, according to the band.

"We're really thankful to all the people listening to our music that made this happen," says Stone Temple Pilots' Robert DeLeo. "It feels great on so many levels."

Stone Temple Pilots and Bennington plan to release more music. They are currently working on music that will be featured on new EP that they will be releasing this fall.

The group will also be launching a North American tour on September 4th that will feature support from Filter. more on this story

Allman Brothers Reveal Final Peach Music Festival Details

The Allman Brothers Band have announced the final details for their second annual Peach Music Festival which will be taking place at the end of this week, August 15-18, at the Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain Water Park in Scranton, PA.

Allman Brothers Band will be headlining two nights of the four night festival. Bob Weir & Ratdog will be performing on two nights and Weir will be performing a solo acoustic set on the final day.

The festival will feature performances across three stages including the main stage (Peach) and the secondary stages (Mushroom and Grove Stages). The lineup includes The Black Crowes, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals and Gov't Mule.

The festival will launch with the kick off party on Thursday. The Allman Brothers Band will headline Friday and Saturday night with The Black Crowes giving the close out performance on Sunday.

The Allman Brothers Band sent over the full lineup and set times for the festival here.

One of Mike Scaccia's Final Performances Captured On New Ministry DVD

Ministry has announced that they will be releasing their new live DVD "Enjoy The Quiet - Live At Wacken 2012" on August 27th in North America.

The DVD features the band's performance during the last show of their Relapse Tour in 2012 when they played before 75,000 fans at the Wacken Open Air festival.

The release is bittersweet for fans and the band as it was recorded less than five months before Ministry lead guitarist Mike Scaccia died soon after collapsing on stage during the 50th birthday party for Rigor Mortis singer Bruce Corbitt.

Ministry frontman Al Jourgensen had this to say: "Not only is this DVD a great recording of Mikey at his absolute best performance, in his element, having the time of his life, it's one of the last live official videos of the band ever.

"If you didn't see the tour, you'll want to catch what you missed. And if you were there, well, you saw a piece of history and the DVD will make a great souvenir - or a great drink coaster." more on this story

Lorde Becomes First Woman In 17 Years To Hit No. 1 On Alt Chart

(Radio.com) Lorde hasn't even released a proper album yet, but she's already reached No. 1. The 16-year-old singer from New Zealand, whose real name is Ella Yelich-O'Conner, owns the top slot on the Alternative Songs chart this week with her song "Royals" off her EP, The Love Club.

According to Billboard, she's the first female solo artist to do since Tracy Bonham hit No. 1 with her song "Mother Mother" 17 years ago. Yeah, the last time this happened, Lorde wasn't even born yet.

"It's beyond my wildest dreams," Lorde recently told Radio.com regarding the popularity of "Royals." "I try not to let it freak me out too much."

With a hit single already under her belt, Lorde is looking toward the release of her debut album, True Heroine, which Universal announced today (Aug. 12) will be released Sept. 30.

"Everything on the EP was written when I was 15," she said. "So much has happened in my life since then, and I really want the album to reflect those changes and experiences."

This week, "Royals" sits at No. 14 on the playlist of influential Los Angeles alternative station KROQ (a Radio.com) station. more on this story

Jimi Hendrix Purple Box Set Expanded For Reissue

An newly expanded edition of The Jimi Hendrix Experience's Purple Box four-disc box set will be released next Tuesday, August 20th by Legacy Recordings. We were sent these details and the tracklisting:

The expanded "The Jimi Hendrix Experience" box set (a.k.a. the Purple Box) features the previous box set's tracks as well as four additional tracks. All told the box set presents 60 studio and concert recordings dating from 1966 to 1970.

First released in 2000, The Jimi Hendrix Experience box is sequenced in chronological order, beginning with the first known recordings of the Jimi Hendrix Experience in October 1966, and continuing through the recording of his studio albums as well as a variety of performances, and ending with the Hendrix's final multi-track recording session at New York's Electric Lady Studios in August 1970.

The new edition of The Jimi Hendrix Experience--which includes all the alternate versions of classics like "Purple Haze," "Foxey Lady," "Bold As Love" and "Little Wing" and stunning, unheard Hendrix music such as "It's Too Bad" and "Country Blues" contained in the original 2000 box--offers fans additional new tracks either previously unreleased such as a commanding performance of Bob Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone" from Hendrix's unforgettable October 1968 performances at Winterland in San Francisco.

The original recording of "Peace In Mississippi" from the October 1968 sessions at TTG Studios, previously available only as the b-side of the 2010 "Valleys Of Neptune" single is a welcome addition to the collection as is a rare, recently discovered 1967 performance of "Burning Of The Midnight Lamp. The — original UK single mix of "The Stars That Play With Laughing Sam's Dice," now makes its US debut as part of this special collection.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience includes an 80 page color booklet filled with rare photos, essays and annotation by Dave Marsh and John McDermott, detailed track notes and more.

You can order the new Purple Box here. Check out the tracklist here.

Saxon and Fozzy Announce Sacrifice and Sin Tour

Saxon have announced that they will be launching a North American fall "Sacrifice and Sin" tour with Fozzy, featuring support from Halcyon Way, that will be hitting several markets that Saxon has not visited in the recent past.

The tour will be kicking off on September 12th in Patchogue, NY at The Emporium and will conclude on October 10th in Vancouver, BC at The Venue.

The tour takes its name from the most recent album releases from Saxon and Fozzy. Saxon will be touring in support of the album "Sacrifice" while Fozzy will be supporting "Sin And Bones"

Saxon frontman Biff Byford had this to say about the trek, "We're really glad to announce a new tour of North America and Canada with the Sacrifice world tour!

"The album has done fantastic around the world! We can't wait hit your shores with the Saxon invasion with very special guest Fozzy. It should be a fantastic tour for all metal heads.

Fozzy's Chris Jericho adds, "After our highly successful US tour last summer on Uproar, we've been chomping at the bit for the right opportunity to return to North America ...and now it has arrived!

"To tour with the legendary Saxon is a metal dream come true and the perfect way to satisfy all of our Amazing fans in the US and Canada and to make tons of new ones in the process. Get ready for Sacrifice and Sin...we're gonna tear your heads off and leave u screaming Fozzy, Fozzy, Fozzy!!" more on this story

Lamb Of God Announce First UK Tour Since Randy Blythe's acquittal

(TeamRock Radio) Lamb Of God will tour the UK in January, which will be their first nationwide visit since frontman Randy Blythe was acquitted of the manslaughter of fan Daniel Nosek.

He spent five weeks in a Prague prison last year and his ordeal only ended in June when the ruling at his trial three months earlier was confirmed by the Czech Republic's final appeal court.

The band later admitted his legal fees, which amounted to more than $500,000, bankrupted them. Lamb Of God appeared at the Bloodstock festival at the weekend and delivered a set that Metal Hammer says didn't quite live up to the hype. But they'll return to the UK to put things right at the beginning of 2014. more on this story

Mike Portnoy Expands Progressive Nation Lineup

As previously reported, Mike Portnoy has resurrected his former Progressive Nation tour, but with a twist. Progressive Nation will now be an ocean cruise and the lineup for the inaugural cruise has been expanded.

The cruise will take place aboard the Norwegian Pearl and will be launching from Miami, Fl on February 18th and will cruise to Freeport, Bahamas. The cruise will conclude on February 22nd.

Portnoy had revealed the expanded lineup and also offered some comments about the cruise and why he decided to launch it. Progressive Nation lineup will include Transatlantic, Portnoy Sheehan Macalpine Sherinian, Jon Anderson, Adrian Belew's Power Trio, Devin Townsend, King's X, Spock's Beard, The Flower Kings, Pain Of Salvation, Riverside, Animals As Leaders, The Safety Fire, Tony Harnell & Bumblefoot, Bigelf, Beardfish, The Dear Hunter, Haken, Jolly and Next To None.

Here is what Portnoy had to say about the cruise: "In 2008 & 2009, I created a touring package called Progressive Nation and with Dream Theater headlining, we did three full tours (two in North America and one in Europe) that showcased a variety of bands that embraced the spirit and musicality of progressive music.

"Well after a 5 year hiatus, I have decided to resurrect Progressive Nation and this time we are taking it to the seas! But rather than a 4 band bill like previous Progressive Nation tours, we have expanded the bill to OVER A DOZEN of today's greatest progressive bands, musicians and artists! (and there may be one or two more still to be confirmed)

"Myself and my former DT bandmate Derek Sherinian have teamed up with Sixthman (who have done incredibly successful cruises with Kid Rock, Lynyrd Skynyrd and the annual Kiss Cruise to name a few) as well as our friends at InsideOut Music and look forward to a very successful inaugural launch of Progressive Nation At SEA Feb 18th thru 22nd 2014

"We are so excited to take part in this historic maiden voyage and look forward to sharing this one of a kind event with fans from all around the world!" More details here.

Rory Gallagher Offshoot Band Of Friends Announce Fall Tour

(The Blues Rory Gallagher offshoot outfit Band Of Friends will tour the UK in November, they've confirmed. The lineup consists of bassist Gerry McAvoy and drummer Ted McKenna – both former members of Gallagher's band – along with guitarist-vocalist Marcus Scherpenzeel.

Their stated aim is to deliver not just the notes, but the sound, energy and feel of Gallagher, and their live shows appear to have been passing muster with acclaim from all over Europe.

McKenna recently told The Blues Magazine that the band are planning to release original music in the very near future. Check out the upcoming tour dates here.

Serosia Announce Tour Dates With Sevendust

Serosia have announced that they will be hitting the road with Sevendust for a series of North American dates this fall in support of their latest album, "Variables."

The tour will be kicking off on September 18th in Las Vegas, NV at the Hard Rock Live and will be concluding on October 10th in Wilmington, NC at Ziggy's By The Sea.

Serosia had this to say about the trek, "For us, this tour is a stepping stone for Serosia to be exposed to a much broader audience and to display our vision of the future of rock music. We are looking forward to connecting with all the fans along the way."

Drummer Anthony D'Agata says fans that watch the show are in for a treat as they promise to deliver "an actual show! Not just four dudes standing around playing meaningless repeated choruses, wearing all the newest fashion crazes.

"The end result/payoff of all of our efforts is the live show. We are intense and REAL. No choreographed stage moves, just us letting the music speak through our bodies. If there was a single word that could describe a Serosia show it would be, ENERGY."

For potential fans that are not familiar with the band, lead singer Lucas D'Agata offers this description, "The best way to describe our sound is expressive and meaningful," he explains. "We are not a love song band, nor do we care about how hard you can party or how many chicks you think you can score. Musically, we are aggressive yet delicate, with a strong sense of detail and vision."

As for the band's unusual name, D'Agata explains "We were looking to create a word, rather than use something already in existence. It seemed to fit the original and organic feel of the music better that way. After a bit of brainstorming, Derek concocted SEROSIA." more on this story

Annihilator Announce New Album and Special Edition Bonus Disc

Annihilator have revealed that their forthcoming fourteenth album "Feast" is set to be released in North America on September 3rd in various formats via UDR.

The standard edition of "Feast" will feature nine tracks and the limited edition deluxe ECO-book version will feature a 3D cover and is set to include a bonus disc entitled "Re-Kill" that will come with 15 additional tracks.

For vinyl fans, the band has announced that the album will also be offered in LP Gatefold format. And the deluxe edition will also be offered in digital format.

Band leader Jeff Waters had this to say, "We are truly are among the few bands with a long history, that have always waved the flag for honesty, integrity and perseverance in this hard-edge category of music." more on this story

David Bowie Provided Trent Reznor With 'Shamanish Advice'

(Classic Rock) Trent Reznor remembers being given "shamanish advice" by David Bowie when Nine Inch Nails were touring with the pop-rock icon and Reznor was at the height of his addiction issues.

Now he's cleaned up his act, and getting set to tour new NIN album Hesitation Marks, he appreciated Bowie's lesson all the more. Reznor tells the Guardian: "When we toured with Bowie, this was the Bowie that had come out the other side and was happily married. I was nearing the peak of my addiction, and his role to me was kind of mentor, big brother, friend – and also he'd give me kind of shamanish advice.

"He was playing everything from his Outside album and he said: 'You guys are going to destroy us on stage because we're not playing anything anybody wants to hear. Nobody really wants to hear this new album. What they want to hear is The Jean Genie and all the hits – but I don't have it in me to do that now.'

"I thought, 'That's kind of dumb on one hand.' Then I thought: 'To build a persona or a sound, and it's not broken and worn out, then throw it out and try something new? Man, it takes balls to do that. Would I ever have the courage to do that, or would I do careers and expectations and fitting in?'" more on this story

Red Hot Chili Peppers Close Out Outside Lands Festival

(Radio.com) The Red Hot Chili Peppers once again proved to be among the world's most reliable festival bands with a triumphant set packed with hits to close out the 2013 edition of San Francisco's Outside Lands music festival.

Facing a third night of a capacity crowd of 65,000, Anthony Kiedis, Flea and the band blitzed through radio-worn favorites like "Otherside," "Under the Bridge" and "Californication" next to their seminal '90s MTV hit "Give it Away" and their hard-charging cover of Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground" from 1989 album, Mother's Milk.

Kaskade brought his stadium-sized dance tracks to the Twin Peaks stage across the park, turning up the energy by releasing dozens of giant white balloons as he dropped heavier and heavier beats to the heaving masses still up for the party as the festival was winding down for another year. more highlights

Valerie June Balances The Murder Ballads With Shotgun

(The Blues Valerie June jokes she was aiming to "balanced out the murder ballad situation" by recording her track Shotgun on recent album Pushing Against A Stone.

She's usually inspired by different singing voices heard in her head – but that song, which tells the story of a woman killing her man because he's about to leave her, came about in an entirely different way.

June tells NPR: "I met PJ Harvey when I was in England, and the first thing I do when I meet a songwriter I admire is to ask them how do they receive songs.

"She told me, 'I don't really hear voices. I have once, but I really see images, and I write what I see.' When I was writing Shotgun, it's one of the first songs that's come to me as an image.

"I was seeing this field, this prairie in the middle of America; the wheat was over-my-head high, almost, and it was blowing back and forth. There was this old house, like a haunted house, with a screen door flapping in the wind." More.

New Nine Inch Nails Song Goes Online

(Radio.com) At Nine Inch Nails's first show since 2009 at Japan's Fuji Rock Festival, they premiered their new song "Copy Of A," off their upcoming album, Hesitation Marks.

The band has begun their spectacular live show with the track at their U.S. festival headlining spots at Lollapalooza and this past weekend's Outside Lands festival in San Francisco.

Now all of those fans who were unable to catch the song in person are able to stream the track for themselves. The song, which hit the web Sunday (August 11), sets the tone for the band's two-hour concert that features new songs and hits like "Closer," "Hurt" and "Head Like a Hole."

It also kicks off the band's you-have-to-see-it-to-believe-it stage set-up that features "pre-rendered and real-time content for mobile LED screens" from the Moment Factory. Check out the song here.

Panic! At The Disco Release Macabre 'This Is Gospel' Video

(Radio.com) Following the news that Panic! At The Disco drummer Spencer Smith left the band to deal with his drug and alcohol addiction, the pop punk stalwarts released another macabre video, this time for the new single "This Is Gospel."

The heart-on-the-sleeve jam from the band's forthcoming album Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die!, due out October 8 via Fueled By Ramen. Heads up: this video NSF anyone who has a thing with needles, but other than that, enjoy the clip above.

This is the second single released from the band's fourth studio album. Back in July, Panic! dropped another dark, dark video for for "Miss Jackson."

The band also released tracklist for TWTL,TRTD! Check that, the artwork and the band's tour dates with fellow peas in the pod Fall Out Boy and the new video here.

Michael Monroe Releases Another Song From Forthcoming Album

Michael Monroe, the legendary frontman for Hanoi Rocks, is giving fans another advance taste of his forthcoming album, "Horns and Halos," ahead of the album's release later this month.

Monroe has released the song "Eighteen Angels," which is the second single from the new album. The new single follows the album's first single "Ballad Of The Lower East Side," which was released earlier this summer.

The new album, "Horns and Halos," by will be released on August 27th in North America (26th in the UK). You can listen to the stream of the new single here

War Generation (Further Seems Forever, Ignite) Release New Video

War Generation, the new group featuring past and current members of Sense Field, Further Seems Forever, Ignite and Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, have released a new video.

The band features vocalist Jon Bunch (Sense Field, Further Seems Forever, and Reason To Believe), bassist Brad Lehman (Maylene and the Sons of Disaster), drummer Craig Anderson (Ignite) and guitarist Stephen Bowman.

Rise Records will be releasing War Generation's new album, "Start Somewhere Never Surrender" on September 3rd but fans can get an early taste of what to expect with the new video for the song "Done and Gone". Check it out here.

Carcass Release Captive Bolt Pistol Lyric Video

(TeamRock Radio) The reactivated Carcass have released a lyric video for their track Captive Bolt Pistol. It's taken from their upcoming album Surgical Steel, due out on September 16 via Nuclear Blast.

Guitarist Bill Steer and bassist-vocalist Jeff Walker are joined in the latest incarnation of the band by drummer Dan Wilding and guitarist Ben Ash.

They'll take part in Metal Hammer's Defenders Of The Faith IV tour in November alongside Amon Amarth, Bleed From Within and Hell. Check out the video and tour dates here.

The Quireboys Release Diamonds and Dirty Stones Video

(Classic Rock) The Quireboys have released a lyric video for their track Diamonds And Dirty Stones. It's taken from their latest album Beautiful Curse, which came out in June via the band's own Off Yer Rocka label.

Their seventh studio outing is their last with drummer Matt Goom, who recently announced his decision to move on after three years, saying: "I'm now ready for a new adventure and I will see you all very soon."

Earlier this year they said: "2013 can be classed as the next generation for The Quireboys. With multiple festival appearances, The Monsters of Rock Cruise, a European Headline tour and three planned releases, things are ramping up in a manner that will put them back where they belong on the global playing field." Watch the video here.

kandodo's New Album Streaming Online

(Prog) Prog Magazine is proud to premiere k2o, the second album by kandodo, also known as The Heads guitarist Simon Price. The album goes on sale on August 20.

Star features of the record include field recordings of an Italian shoreline on waves, a Graceland tour guide on Elvis tribute grace and, plus contributions by The Heads percussionist Wayne Maskell. One of the most ambitious of ambitious tracks is the 22-minute swim into the sun, a masterpiece of what label Thrill Jockey describe as "liquid psych."

They add: "k2o was recorded in Bristol, London, Memphis, and Itay over the course of three years using Price's dependable Fender Mustang, microkorg, and as much fuzz as he could gather. He has ventured deeper down the rabbit hole of his own rich imagination – and we are all the better for it." Check out the album stream here.

Flashback: The Songs That Rocked 1993

(Gibson) 1993 doesn't seem all that far away to me. But when you stop and think about it, a lot has happened in the world of rock music over the past two decades. Twenty years ago the glam rock acts of the eighties were desperately trying to hold on as the spotlight moved towards Seattle and the bands associated with grunge rock. Music was shifting from light-hearted hair-metal, to introspective music by bands like Pearl Jam, and Nirvana. Here are several huge tracks from 1993.

Lenny Kravitz - "Are You Gonna Go My Way": Lenny Kravitz had been building a steady following with his first two releases, but it was with his third album Are You Gonna Go My Way that he became one of the biggest rock acts on the planet. The title track, which was written by Kravitz, and his long-time guitarist Craig Ross, reached number 4 on the charts in the UK. "Are You Gonna Go My Way" has become one of Kravitz' biggest hits and is a must at all his concerts

Nirvana - "Heart-Shaped Box": "Heart-Shaped Box" was the first release from what was to become Nirvana's last studio album, In Utero. The band was under pressure to follow up the hugely successful Nevermind; an album which basically set the tone for a whole new generation of band's. Courtney Love has said that Kurt Cobain would lock himself in the closet while working on the riff to "Heart-Shaped Box." The song's name was apparently inspired by an actual heart shaped box that Cobain had gotten from Love.

Aerosmith - "Livin' On The Edge": Aerosmith released their 11th album, Get A Grip, in 1993. The album was a huge success, producing several massive hits, like the ballad trio "Cryin'," "Amazing," and "Crazy." But the big rocker from the album was "Livin' On The Edge." This was when MTV still played music, and Aerosmith put a lot of effort in to making over-the-top videos to accompany the singles.

Stone Temple Pilots - "Plush": Although Stone Temple Pilots released their debut album Core in 1992, the single that would make them a household name, "Plush," was released in 1993. The song, which is characterized by its slow rock-groove by the DeLeo brothers and drummer Eric Kretz was a huge hit for the band. The slow riffing in the song make it a great tune for beginners to learn on acoustic guitar.

Soul Asylum - "Runaway Train": When Soul Asylum reached international fame thanks to the song "Runaway Train" in 1993, it wasn't an overnight success for the band. Having formed in Minneapolis in 1983, the band had released five albums before hitting the big time with Grave Dancers Union. The band's singer David Pirner started dating Winona Ryder, and was even featured in the nineties drama-comedy Reality Bites. Since then Soul Asylum has sort of faded back in to obscurity. They still tour and release new music, but it is hard to imagine them ever returning to the success of 1993. See more songs that had an impact in 1993.