Iron Maiden Turn Music Piracy To Their Advantage

Instead of pursuing legal action, the band used the information to target the locations where Iron Maiden music was surging. Noticing a huge upswing of popularity in South America, the group began plotting tours throughout the region, hitting countries like Brazil, Venezuela and Mexico extensively, selling out multiple shows in the process. They also saw tremendous growth in fans on social media. more on this story

Queen's Brian May Suffers Injury

Queen guitarist Brian May revealed to fans last week that doctors have confirmed that he has injured his back. The injury comes a few months after he received a knee transplant.

May Tweeted last week, "My MRI says I have two torn discs, pressing on a nerve. Well, at least I know I wasn't imagining the pain now ! Bri thanks for yr concern."

He did not disclose what the doctor's plans are to fix the issue but the Daily Express reports that May had been "suffering agonizing pain in his buttock muscles" since he performed at the iHeart Radio Music Festival back in September.

He sought medical attention last week after he posted this tweet, "I'm having a bad day. Knee pain now dwarfed by crippling pains in glutes, which I've had since Vegas iHeart. Then my iPhone died. Great.")

Tommy Lee Plays Satan in Fall Out Boy's New Video

(TeamRock Radio) Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee appears as Satan in Fall Out Boy's new music video for the song "Death Valley." The track comes from FOB's comeback album Save Rock And Roll.

Save Rock And Roll was released in April and rereleased in October alongside an EP called Pax Am Days. It is being accompanied by a series of promo clips grouped under the title The Young Blood Chronicles.

Lee's appearance comes in part eight of eleven. Bassist Pete Wentz recently said of the series: "It's a basic guide to curing teenage suburban boredom."

FOB play the 2014 edition of the Download festival. They tour the UK in May. See the tour dates and the new music video with Lee here.

L.A. Guns' Tracii Guns and Phil Lewis Reunite On Stage

It only took a U.S. Marines 'Toys For Tots' charity concert to bring classic era L.A. Guns frontman Phil Lewis and founding guitarist Tracii Guns back together again to reunite on stage.

SleazeRoxx reports that the reunion took place during the Sin City Sinners' annual 'Toys For Tots' gig at Count's Vamp'd in Las Vegas. Sin City Sinners' manager Jason Green was ecstatic, stating, "It wasn't easy, but the Christmas Miracle happened, as promised. Philip Lewis and Tracii Guns made a lot of people very happy tonight (including me) but most importantly, because of them performing with Sin City Sinners we collected close to 300 toys, so that a less fortunate child can have a gift on Christmas! Thank you everyone for your generosity, all of the toys will be brought to our annual Holiday show at Vinyl this Saturday and will be collected by the US Marine Corp to be distributed to the kids by Christmas."

Tracii Guns had been advertised to play the live show, but it was a complete surprise to many in attendance when singer Phil Lewis joined his former guitarist on stage for a roaring ten song set. Accompanying the duo were L.A. Guns bassist bassist Scotty Griffin, keyboardist Michael T. Ross and Sin City Sinners members Brent Muscat (guitar, formerly of Faster Pussycat) and Rob Cournoyer (drums, formerly of Raging Slab).

Tracii Guns later shared his feeling about the event. "We did something right last night -- we made people happy! We got a lot of toys for a lot of children. Phil, Brent, Rob, Scotty, Michael T, Jason Green, Danny, Vamp'd, Kevin, all the Las Vegas crew, you are amazing people and it really shows how much good people can do when they come together. The Sinners actually are saints. What a beautiful night. Long live L.A. Guns (Phil and I) and let's keep the positive energy flowing." Read more and watch video of the reunion here.

Ex-Five Finger Death Punch's Matt Snell Releases Free EP From New Band

(TeamRock Radio) Matt Snell, who was fired by Five Finger Death Punch in 2011, has released a free five-track EP with his new band My Acumen. And he tells Hollywood Music his latest project is all about harking back to a time when he enjoyed making music.

"We are giving the tracks away because we want people to hear the music," Snell says. "There's way too much emphasis from bands trying to make money; personally I don't believe in Kickstarter programmes and asking people for money to make a record.

"We really like what we have so far and we're not going to stray too far from it. We're going to go back to what I used to play when it was fun." My Acuman includes vocalist Mike Gerdts, guitarists Lamont Edgar (Maya Hyena, Son Of Sanford) and Andy Nixon (Eyes On Fire) plus drummer Tim Hassemer (Flatline).

They're currently working on a full-length album. Check out theopening track Burn and grab the download link here.

Man Gets Tattoo of Disgraced Rocker Ian Watkins' Mugshot?

(Banana 101.5) Someone has posted in the 'CringePics' section of Reddit a photo of a reported tattoo of the mugshot of disgraced Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins onto their skin.

Earlier this week, on Dec. 18, Ian Watkins was given a 35-year sentence after pleading guilty to multiple sexual offenses, most of which involved deplorable acts against children. The singer's sentence includes 29 years in prison and an additional 6 years on extended license (probation). Watkins will not be eligible for parole until he has served two-thirds of his sentence.

The apparent tattoo of Watkins shows the convicted pedophile's mugshot along with the phrase 'Mega Lolz' written below. According to UK newspaper The Mirror, Lostprophets adopted 'Mega Lolz' as their own catchphrase, even crafting a giant banner with the term to use as a backdrop during live performances. However, the phrase will be forever tainted due to a phone call Watkins made from prison the day after pleading guilty. Find out what that is about and see a photo of the tattoo.

Nirvana Day Coming to Washington City

(Radio.com) Alt-rock legends Nirvana recently became an official part of musical lore with the announcement that the band are among the latest inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame alongside such acts as KISS, Hall & Oates and Peter Gabriel, among others.

Now, the group will be the recipient of its 24-hour commemoration on April 10, 2014 (the same day as the band's induction into the Hall of Fame), when the small city of Hoquiam, Washington, celebrates the first Nirvana Day.

Nirvana's late frontman, Kurt Cobain, was born and raised in the nearby city of Aberdeen, and lived in Hoquiam for a brief period of time. "They bring great honor, I think as I say, to our entire community," Hoquiam Mayor Jack Durney told radio station KXRO. more on this story

Nightwish Fire Back Over Firing Claims From Former Singer

(Prog) Nightwish have released a statement lashing back at former singer Anette Olzon, who last week told Prog the band had fired her in 2012 instead of splitting by "mutual understanding," as had been announced at the time.

Olzon said she believed she was dismissed because she was pregnant with her third child and added she'd been treated the same way previous frontwoman Tarja Turunen had been.

Now the band have addressed specific comments she made in Finnish magazine Me Naiset, describing her claims as "misrepresentation and defamation."

Nightwish say via their website (in Finnish): "This 'one woman against Neanderthals' is an easy to way to take advantage of our history. Anette's departure was not due to pregnancy or illness – we found she was a misfit in our working community." They had more to say.

Rock Hall Helped Link Wray's Daughter Say Goodbye

(Classic Rock) The eldest daughter of late guitar pioneer Link Wray has told how a private visit to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame helped her say goodbye to her father.

Wray, who's credited with the development of the power chord and distortion, passed away in 2005, aged 76. But he lived in Denmark while his eight children remained in the USA – and by the time they'd heard he was dead, the funeral had already taken place.

Daughter Beth Wray Webb didn't achieve any closure until her visit to the Rock Hall's vault in Cleveland, Ohio, where staff showed her a guitar her father had donated.

She tells the Daily Press: "I started crying. I never got to say goodbye to him, but I did that day – it was like he was right there with me." more on this story

220 Volt Working On New Album With New Frontman

(Classic Rock) German veteran rockers 220 Volt have begun work on their sixth studio album, 30 years after their self-titled debut release and 25 after breakthrough record Eye To Eye.

The currently untitled studio album will feature former Therion and Lion's Share vocalist Anders Engberg, who joined took over vocal duties in the band earlier this year.

The lineup is completed by founding guitarists Thomas Drevin and Mats Karisson plus long-time drummer Peter Hermansson and bassist Mike Krusenberg. more on this story

Stephen Stills Reflects on His Youth, Box Set and More

(Radio.com) Stephen Stills' various projects in 2013 had him spending a bit of time in the past, but also living very much in the present. He released and promoted (reluctantly, it seemed) his career-spanning box set Carry On. Not a guy to dwell on his past too much, his bandmate Graham Nash produced the collection along with Joel Bernstein (they also produced Nash's box set Reflections, as well as David Crosby's Voyage).

But in 2013 he also formed a new band — the Rides — who released their debut album and played several dates across the country. He also reunited with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young for two shows at Young's annual Bridge School Benefit concerts.

Radio.com spoke to him about the box, the Rides and, well, we tried to ask about that Crosby, Stills & Nash album that they had been working on with Rick Rubin.

So, Graham Nash co-produced the box set for you. How did that work? Did he email you mp3s? Mp3s are an abomination, they had to bring it to me with speakers. I couldn't listen to the whole thing at once, and neither did they, really. I don't know that any of us listened to all five and a half hours at once. It would be like going from New York to Montreal, put [the box set] on, and by the time you finish the trip you might be done. But I couldn't leave out any of it. They would bring like 20 songs at a time, and I would have to go through three or four alternative takes. I produced most of the original records, whatever the credits [said], I was very generous with [the credits] in the initial phases [of my career], but I pretty much ran the show. They did the lion's share of the work on the project.

Did you enjoy the process of going through your old music? I don't ever want to have to do that again. There's probably 2 more discs that can be mined out of what we have, but more than four discs is excessive. Plus, the record company cheaps-out and won't pay you.

You didn't use the usual rock critic types to write liner notes. I forbade the participation of any rock journalists. Michael Garcia, we learned blues together, I was in my early teens, he was about 18 months older than me, he went into a career in government service. He managed me for a while when he first got back from Vietnam. We've remained friends all our lives. He's a marvelous writer. (New York Times writer) Dr. Levitan, I didn't know he was going to go so deep into it (with his essay). He's a highly respected neurologist, psychologist, audiologist. He has a book called This Is Your Brain on Music: (The Science of a Human Obsession). It's a little dense to start with, but you've got to keep going, it'll explain a lot of things to you. Unfortunately, the decision was made — from above my pay grade, apparently — that the wonderful 600 word essay that (Boston Globe sportswriter) Dan Shaughnessy would have to be dropped. But the booklet (is so thick) it falls out of the box. Such is the fickle finger of fate!

The earliest track on the box set is "Travelin'," which you made at age 17 while living in Costa Rica. What did you think when you heard that song? Oh my god, I was in shock! The song is kind of silly, but it's all I knew, about moving from one place to the next. "Lord" is used more as an adjective than in a religious way. But the thing that shocked me was that my finger picking style emerged almost completely whole while I was in Costa Rica. There was nothing to do at night after homework except get in the bathroom — it had nice tiling — and play acoustic guitar.

Your family moved a lot when you were young. How did that affect your world view? Going to Central America at that age, it opened my brain up. But it also cost me my rock band. I would have been a much better electric rock player, much earlier! I didn't get any good (on electric guitar) until I was 50! But it was a great mind opening experience. I will admit to rather minding a few times when we had to move yet again. more.

Les Paul Was A Pioneer In More Than Just The Guitar

(Gibson) Les Paul will forever be associated with the Gibson solidbody guitar that bears his name, but the late maestro's achievements with recording technology were just as – if not more – influential on the scope of modern music.

In the early days of rock'n'roll, most records were simply the best live take a band could achieve. No overdubs, no tinkering. And some bands still like it that way. But even from the 1930s, Les Paul started experimenting with recording over his own playing so that he could play multiple parts in the same song.

From Acetate to Tape: In the 1930s, Les Paul began working on multitracking using acetate disks. Using really old-school wax disks, Les even built his own home-made disc-cutter assembly, based on automobile parts. Example? He favored the flywheel from a Cadillac for its weight and flatness. Even dentistry played a part.

"The other part we needed," recalled Les, "came from my drummer who was a dentist. One time, he was cleaning my teeth and I saw all these dental belts, so I asked where he got them and I ordered some because they were endless belts and they were perfect for isolating the flywheel, the turntable and the recording device from any vibrations in the motor or even from trucks driving by outside."

Innovation, for sure. But Les made it work, using his acetate-disk setup to record parts at different speeds and with delay, resulting in his signature sound with echoes and birdsong-like trills and riffs. In his head, Les Paul knew what he wanted to hear… and by the late 1940s he got the tools he needed.

Les Paul and Multitracking: Weird fact? Bing Crosby was one of Les's inspirations. In 1948, Les was given one of the first Ampex Model 200A reel-to-reel audio tape recording decks by crooner Crosby, and Les soon went on to use Ampex's eight track "Sel-Sync" machines for multitracking. Capitol Records released a recording that had begun as an experiment in Les's garage, entitled "Lover (When You're Near Me)," which featured Paul playing eight different parts on electric guitar. Some of them were recorded at half-speed, so they "double-fast" when played back. The b-side, "Brazil," was similarly recorded.

To Les's frustration, Sidney Bechet used multitracking (via acetate disks) in 1941 to play half a dozen instruments on his hit "Sheik of Araby." But Les took the idea further.

Les Paul and Mary Ford's version of "How High the Moon," which topped the Billboard singles chart for nine weeks in 1951, was a tipping point. It was a multi-layered, revved-up recording that highlighted not only Les's guitar virtuosity (on a Gibson Les Paul Goldtop model, naturally), but also the capabilities of multitracking. It may sound cute now, but this was a true "eureka!" moment for tape recording.

Mulitracking soon became a norm for recording. In the 1960s, The Beatles, The Beach Boys and Phil Spector maximized multitracking. But it was Les who bought the first Ampex 8-track recorder in 1957. These days, at least 24-track recording is standard – expandable to 48 or 72 tracks if wanted. But without Les Paul's pioneering efforts, it may have taken a lot longer. That's not all!

Black Sabbath Reveal Handwritten Lyrics To End Of The Beginning

(hennemusic) Black Sabbath have posted handwritten lyrics to "End Of The Beginning", a track from the band's latest album, "13." It's the latest in a series of handwritten lyric images the legendary metal band has published online recently.

Upon its release earlier this year, the project earned the legendary band the first US No. 1 album in their career, delivering opening week sales of 155,000 copies.

Black Sabbath have previously only reached the US top 10 once, when 1971's "Master Of Reality" peaked at No. 8. In the band's native UK, "13" gave the group their first No. 1 album in 43 years.

Sabbath now hold the Official Albums Chart record for the biggest gap between Number 1 albums: the last time they were Number 1 in the UK was 42 years and eight months ago - in October 1970 - with their second album, "Paranoid." See the lyrics image here.

Singled Out Classic: Foreigner's I Want To Know What Love Is

(Classic Rock) It's Foreigner guitarist Mick Jones' birthday today. He was born on December 27, 1941. To celebrate, Classic Rock has revealed the story behind the band's all-time mega-hit, I Want To Know What Love Is.

Insomnia had its benefits for Mick Jones in the 80s. As night fell on the circus his life had become since Foreigner released their all-conquering 4 album in 1981, the guitarist found himself with room to breathe and time to write.

"I always worked late at night, when everybody left and the phone stopped ringing," Jones recalls. "I Want To Know What Love Is came up at three in the morning sometime in 1984. I don't know where it came from. I consider it a gift that was sent through me. I think there was something bigger than me behind it. I'd say it was probably written entirely by a higher force."

As he sat at the keyboard in the studio of his Kensington apartment, Jones couldn't decide if his heart was half-empty or half-full. "The song was an expression of my tempestuous private life over the three years before," he says. "I'd been through a divorce, and met someone else who I was going to marry. There'd been turmoil in the band through the huge pressure of selling millions of albums, and me and Lou [Gramm, vocals] were entering a cold-war situation. I'd just come back to England from New York and was happy to be in touch with my roots. So it was an emotional time that stirred up a lot of things.

"That night I only managed the title, the opening chords and the chorus," Jones adds, "but that was enough to make me go into the bedroom where my soon-to-be wife was asleep and tell her I had an idea for a song called I Want To Know What Love Is. She just fixed me with this strange look and said [offended]: 'What do you mean? Don't you already know what love is?' I dragged her into the studio to hear it, which must say something. You always know when you've got something strong, and this song definitely moved me."

Jones was happy enough with the song to hand it over to Gramm, bassist Rick Wills and drummer Dennis Elliott for Foreigner's forthcoming Agent Provocateur album. "But I was still looking for ways to enhance it in a spiritual way," he remembers. "I'd even considered approaching Aretha Franklin." Find out what happened next.