Chris Cornell Cancels Tour Due To Injury

"After Chris was forced to cancel the November 27th show in Delaware to rest his shoulder for 2 days, he returned to the tour in Atlanta at Center Stage last night. This morning, the doctor has advised complete rest as the injury has worsened." more on this story

Def Leppard's Vivian Campbell Working On Solo Album

(hennemusic) Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell has revealed that he is currently working on a solo album and also says that he is writing new music for Def Leppard.

"I got together with [bassist] Lou Castro and [drummer] Glen Sobel today to run through 5 songs for my new record," posted Campbell on Tuesday. "We'll be cutting demo tracks Dec 16th. Big excitement! Well, it is for me, at least..."

Vivian shared additional details in a post on Wednesday. "A few peeps have asked questions about my upcoming recordings, so here are some of the facts: I'm making a rock record (lots of guitar).

"I intend to sing, however, I may ask a real singer to help out if I fail miserably at the demo stages. I'm also writing for Def Leppard (we all are) as Leppard will be recording new music in February. So, all in all it's a busy time creatively." more on this story

Ozzy Osbourne Celebrates Birthday With Family Feud

(Classic Rock) Ozzy Osbourne took to his Facebook page on his 65th birthday to wade into a family feud between wife Sharon and her brother David Levy. The siblings have been at odds for decades, with a truce of several years dissolving after they fell out over where their late father Don Arden was to be buried in 2007.

Earlier this week Levy, who suffers from MS, like the Osbourne's son Jack, said he wanted their mutual illness to heal the family rift and also discussed his concern for Sharon's interest in cosmetic surgery.

She lashed back, "I'm fuming. We call him Fredo after the weak son in The Godfather who sold the family out – that's my brother. It seems all he wants is our money. I want absolutely nothing to do with him," Sharon told the Mirror. "I feel very bad for him that he has MS but I can't help him with that. As far as him wanting to help Jack with his MS, I think it is an excuse.

Yesterday Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy joined the attack saying: "David Levy, brother-in-law in name only, leave my family alone. Stop selling false stories on my family. Get a job and be a man.

"Thank God you can choose your friends but you are stuck with your family – even though David Levy has never been and never will be family." They both had more to say.

Metallica Reveal By Request Tour Details

(hennemusic) Metallica have revealed the full list of dates for their summer 2014 "Metallica By Request" tour of Europe. After sharing select festival dates, the band have announced two legs of the trek, each with two week runs in June and July.

The first leg starts May 30 in Helsinki, Finland and wraps at Germany's Rock Am Ring and Rock Im Park festivals over the weekend of June 5 – 9.

The second leg fires up July 1 in Rome, Italy and finishes at Sonisphere festival in Warsaw, Poland on July 11.

"As we embark on two short treks through Europe, we're going to give you, the ticket holders, the chance to vote on what songs you would like to hear at the show(s) that you attend," posted Metallica. "It will be pretty simple... pick up your ticket(s) online and you'll receive an e-mail shortly after with a code and a link to a site on which you may cast your ballot."

"We normally play around 18 songs a night, and since we didn't want to be left out of the fun, the band also gets to vote . . . and we vote for a NEW SONG!," added the group. "That leaves the other 17 slots for you to choose, so vote for all your favorites from the close to 140 songs we've recorded in our career and to make it more fun along the way, you'll be able to follow what you and your fellow fans are selecting by watching the site for continuous results." Check out the dates here.

Arcade Fire Expand Reflektor Tour

(Radio.com) Arcade Fire fans will soon have extra opportunities to dance under the disco ball, as the band has added additional dates on the extensive Reflektor Tour, with even more to be announced.

Originally slated for a two-night stand at Brooklyn's Barclays Center August 22-23, the band will saddle up for a third show on August 24. Next August also finds Win Butler and company going deep into the great Northeast with a visit to Bangor, Maine (August 20), as well as a new date in Toronto (August 29).

While Arcade Fire has generated grumblings for asking that fans either dress in formal wear or costumes to the Reflektor Tour, to the point that the band had to explain that "it's super not mandatory," a fan across the pond has take the idea to a rather scorching extreme.

Twenty-year-old Inigo Lapwood attended a costume party at Oxford University dressed as "Arcade Fire," which simply entailed him walking around with a homemade and fully functional flamethrower.

"I used it for about ten minutes, and it's not as though I set any of my friends on fire," Lapwood said after his antics forced authorities to shut down the party (via The Telegraph), adding, "I thought about doing the pun 'Sex is on Fire,' but I think that one would definitely be going too far." more on this story

Black Sabbath Almost Top DVD Chart

(hennemusic) Black Sabbath's new live DVD, "Black Sabbath: Live… Gathered In Their Masses", has debuted at No. 2 on the Top Music Videos chart with opening week sales of around 9,000 copies in the United States.

The set features the band recorded over two shows – April 29 and May 1 – in Melbourne, Australia during the early stages of the group's world tour in support of their latest album, "13."

Black Sabbath are currently playing live dates throughout Europe; the fall trek wraps up in the band's hometown of Birmingham, England on December 22. more on this story

Eddie Van Halen Admits He Has Destroyed Vintage Guitars

(hennemusic) Eddie Van Halen appears on the cover and is the featured interview in the January/February 2014 edition of Guitar Aficionado magazine, and a preview of the issue is now available.

The story spotlights a personal tour of Eddie's favorite guitars, and the magazine has posted an excerpt of the story. "I'm not the typical guitar collector in the least," Van Halen tells the magazine. "I've bought a lot of vintage pieces over the years, but I've destroyed quite a few of them. People might think, How could you desecrate the Mona Lisa? but I really don't care what something looks like. I'm more concerned with a guitar's functionality, sound, and playability. That's why I started building my own guitars. Other guitars wouldn't do what I needed them to do, so I made my own."

Van Halen's most famous guitar is the red, white and black-striped homemade axe, alternately dubbed "Frankenstrat" or "Frankenstein." A copy of the iconic guitar that helped launch a DIY generation of players is currently housed in the Museum of American History at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C.

"What trips me out about this guitar is that when I painted it red, that made it more famous," Eddie explains. "A lot of people still don't know that it's the same guitar as the black-and-white guitar on the cover of the first Van Halen album. That guitar went through a lot of different phases and changes." more on this story

Stone Temple Pilots with Chester Bennington Release Live Video

(Classic Rock) Stone Temple Pilots with Chester Bennington have released a live video of their performance of Black Heart, shot last month at the Hard Rock festival in Biloxi, Mississippi.

For many fans it's the first chance to see the Linkin Park singer fronting the band after he was revealed as Scott Weiland's replacement following the original vocalist's dismissal in February.

Black Heart is one of several numbers STP have written with Linkin Park frontman Bennington. It was released as part of their five-track EP High Rise in October. Watch the video here.

Tool's Maynard James Keenan Plans His Own 50th Birthday Party

(Gibson) Maynard James Keenan, the singer for Tool, A Perfect Circle and Puscifer is throwing a special Cinquanta birthday concert in honor of his 50th year. Keenan has announced he'll take the stage with two of his bands, A Perfect Circle and Puscifer, May 10 at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles.

"Making it to the half century mark can be equal parts daunting and relieving," Keenan said in a statement. "I figured I would remove the sting of officially being referred to as 'Gramps' by throwing a party and outlasting all of my rude friends."

The event will also offer a reunion performance by the group Failure, which is extra special for Keenan. The group features Troy Dean Van Leeuwen, who played guitar in A Perfect Circle before joining Queens of the Stone Age in 2003.

"This was the perfect opportunity to tick off one of my bucket list items in the form of a Failure reunion," Keenan said. "What better birthday present could one ever hope for?" more on this story

Evening with Zakk Wylde Tour Details Revealed

(Gibson) Zakk Wylde loves Canada, and he's showing that appreciation with a new Canadian tour, set to kick off in February. The Black Label Society frontman will embark on an "Evening with Zakk Wylde," a solo, 13-city tour across Canada highlighting acoustic versions of some of the group's most popular songs, plus tunes from Wylde's solo release, "Book of Shadows," and Southern rock band Pride & Glory.

"This is a special Thank You to the Canadian fans for making 'Ain't No Sunshine' top 20 - Top 20 people!" Wylde said in a statement. "I love Canada! They always welcome BLS and are so supportive. To do a more intimate, stripped down show, especially in cities where you're so embraced -- is just the ultimate.

He added, "You can take a song that you've played thousands of times, rearrange it and suddenly it's something totally fresh and new. Acoustically, the songs are just as powerful and heartfelt. Even transposing them and performing them on piano, they are no less raw and familiar." more on this story

Michael Monroe Says Hanoi Rocks Has Been 'Put To Bed'

(Classic Rock) Michael Monroe hasn't spoken to Hanoi Rocks bandmate Andy McCoy since the band's last show in 2008 and insists he doesn't have any reason to pick up the phone.

The vocalist is riding high with his solo outfit's latest album Horns And Halos, released after he endured pressure to repeat the success of its forerunner Sensory Overdrive.

But veteran performer Monroe is looking firmly at the future, and doesn't intend to look back at his first big band, which was "reborn" with guitarist McCoy in 2001.

He says: "Hanoi Rocks is finished. The rebirth felt right at the time and I'm glad we did it. I got to see what I could accomplish working with Andy as an equal partner, because he'd had a different attitude about me writing.

"We made three good albums, but it ran its course. It wasn't fun any more so we put it to bed." more on this story

Robert Plant and Neil Young Perform at Bert Jansch Tribute

(Classic Rock) Robert Plant and Neil Young were among those who paid tribute to late folk-rock pioneer Bert Jansch at a memorial concert on Tuesday, marking what would have been his 70th birthday.

The Pentangle co-founder died in 2011 after a battle with lung cancer, leaving a musical legacy which inspired a wide range of musicians including Eric Clapton, Donovan and Elton John and Nick Drake.

Guest performers at London's Royal Festival Hall included Led Zeppelin frontman Plant, Ralph McTell, Donovan, and Pentangle bandmates Jacqui McShee, Terry Cox and Danny Thompson.

Young recorded an exclusive video performance of Jansch's Needle Of Death, which inspired the Canadian's own classic track The Needle And The Damage Done. Plant sang Go Your Way My Love, later saying: "We all came to a similar place but we concentrated on different levels. Bert was a digger for us all." more on this story

Queen: The Studio Experience Opens

(Classic Rock) Queen's Brian May and Roger Taylor were in Montreux on Monday evening (December 2) for the opening of a new exhibition dedicated to the band's long relationship with the Swiss city. During their visit, May also spoke about the forthcoming feature film based on the life and times of Freddie Mercury.

The event coincided with the renewal of Queen's partnership with Universal Music Group, with the promise of rare and unreleased material to be released. The deal was first struck in 2010, when a major catalogue reissue programme was launched that saw Queen material released on the Island label for the first time.

Queen: The Studio Experience focuses on their long history in Montreux, where they worked at Mountain Studios and created six albums between 1979 and 1995. The exhibition includes a wealth of Queen memorabilia, costumes, instruments, original handwritten lyrics to songs such as One Vision and Tie Your Mother Down, and other artefacts.

It also contains a small cinema and, as the centrepiece, the original control room of the studio, in which fans can sit at the desk and work the faders to create their own mixes from the master tapes of Made In Heaven and Mother Love, the last vocal take recorded by Mercury before his death from AIDS in 1991. More including photos.

Blink-182 To Headline Reading and Leeds Festivals

(TeamRock Radio) Blink-182 will headline next year's Reading and Leeds festivals in their only UK appearances of the year, it's been confirmed.They last appeared at the August Bank Holiday event in 2010.

This time they'll include tracks from their upcoming seventh album, which Tom DeLonge recently said would be much more risky than comeback effort Neighbourhoods.

Mark Hoppus says: "It's our fourth time playing the festivals, and we're very honoured. The new year will see us in the studio preparing new music, getting ready to rock the fine people of the UK – prepare for the fury!" more on this story

James Taylor To Cross The Pond Next Year

(Classic Rock) James Taylor will return to the UK for a ten-date tour starting next September, he's confirmed. The multi-award winning singer-songwriter's visit ends a three-year absence from the UK.

He'll arrive aboard Cunard's flagship the Queen Mary 2 after playing a handful of shows during the eight-day cruise which sets sail on August 27, with his first show on land on September 5.

Taylor's last studio album, his 16th, was 2008′s Covers, recorded with his touring band. He's spent much of this year working on a new studio outing. more on this story

UFO Reveal UK Tour Plans

(Classic Rock) UFO have added a series of UK shows around their appearance at HRH AOR in Pwllheli, Wales, in March. They'll play three other gigs as part of a wider European tour.

The band released their 20th album Seven Deadly in 2012, supported by a single featuring lead track Wonderland and two additional live recordings.

Former bassist Pete Way recently revealed he'd been diagnosed with cancer, and he's become an ambassador for the charity Prostate Cancer UK. more on this story

Soulfly Announce UK Tour

(TeamRock Radio) Soulfly will return to the UK for eight shows starting in February, they've confirmed. Max Cavalera and co are continuing to support their ninth studio album Savages, which was released in September.

The new album features a number of guest appearances including Neil Fallon of Clutch and Mitch Harris of Napalm Death. Cavalera recently told Metalpaths:

"The title 'Savages' refers to the state of humanity in general – we have advanced technology but we're still killing each other," he said. "It's a strong word, very powerful, and it means a lot of different things. The essence of the album is very powerful." more on this story

Cage The Gods Announce Dates With The Treatment

(Classic Rock) Rising stars Cage The Gods, tipped by Classic Rock as ones to watch for 2014, have been confirmed as special guests on The Treatment's UK tour in February.

Cage The Gods celebrated their first anniversary at Hard Rock Hell at the weekend. In that time they've toured in support of The Answer, secured a record deal and released their first digital EP, Favourite Sin.

Ahead of the February tour they'll play Planet Rockstock in Great Yarmouth on December 7; Rock City in Nottingham on December 12; Greystones in Sheffield on December 13 and the Deaf Institute, Manchester on December 14. more on this story

Heaven's Basement To Launch Their Very First European Tour

(TeamRock Radio) Heaven's Basement will play a stack of shows across the UK next March as part of their first-ever full-length European trek. They will also support Black Veil Brides, starting next week.

They're also gearing up for the release of their single, I Am Electric, on December 16, supporting the re-release of debut album Filthy Empire via Red Bull Records.

Drummer Chris Rivers says: "After having such a great time on the July UK headline tour, we're looking forward to stepping things up even more on this one." more on this story

John Butler Trio Premiere 'Only One' Video

(Classic Rock) John Butler Trio are back with a new lineup and a new music video. Classic Rock are hosting the UK premiere of the "Only One" video. It's taken from the Australian outfit's upcoming sixth album, Flesh And Blood.

Butler says: "I hope people take it with them on a journey. I hope it can be the soundtrack for some great moments in their lives – and some s*** moments in their lives – and I hope it can be there for them at the ebb of their energy wave and at the crest of it; In the loud times and the quiet times."

Drummer Grant Gerathy recently joined up, and, alongside Butler and bassist Byron Luiters, they'll play their biggest-ever tour of Europe next year. It includes the following UK dates. Watch the video here.

Chrome Division Release 'Endless Nights' Video

(TeamRock Radio) Chrome Division, led by Dimmu Borgir frontman Shagrath, have released a video for their track Endless Nights. It's taken from their album Infernal Rock Eternal, due for launch via Nuclear Blast on January 20.

Shagrath says: ""The doomsday rock legion are proud to announce that 2014 marks the 10-year anniversary for Chrome Division, celebrated with our brand new fourth album.

"It's been a year of intense team effort, combined with band parties and studio sessions, resulting in our most varied and best album to date. we can't wait to share it with you." Watch the video here.

Joan Jett Guitar Center Sessions Preview Goes Online

(hennemusic) Joan Jett and The Blackhearts are featured on this week's broadcast of DirecTV's Guitar Center Sessions series, and a video preview of the program is available.

Fans can check out some behind the scenes footage, as well as performances of "Bad Reputation" and the Runaways classic, "Cherry Bomb." Jett joins host Nic Harcourt for the show, which airs Friday, December 6th at 9 p.m. EST and 10 p.m. PST on DirecTV's Audience Network (Channel 239).

"Joan was very forthright in our conversation, which made for an exceptionally intriguing interview," Harcourt tells Rolling Stone. "That direct quality is not unlike her music. She is uncompromising in everything she does – rock & roll through and through." Watch the preview here.