Pearl Jam Making Another Major Announcement Today

Fans can expect definitive news from the Seattle band today, July 11 at 3:00 pm eastern. See the images here.

Gene Simmons To Duet With Engelbert Humperdinck

(hennemusic) KISS bassist Gene Simmons will record a duet with Engelbert Humperdinck for an upcoming duets album by the crooner. The 77-year old British pop singer is best known for his number one hits "Release Me" and "The Last Waltz", as well as "After the Lovin'".

"Isn't that something. It is going to be very exciting," Engelbert told Noise11. "I haven't had the pleasure of meeting him yet, but it's going to soon."

Humperdinck's duets album, due in October, already has an impressive line-up of stars who wanted to be part of the project.

"There's Elton John, there's Smokey Robinson, there's Willie Nelson, Kenny Rogers and Neil Sedaka and it goes on and on and on," he says. "It is very exciting names on this particular album. I'm so thrilled that everyone has responded and wanted to work on the album with me and I think it has been a very exciting project." more on this story

Rare Nirvana Promo Video Posted Online

Ahead of the September 20th anniversary deluxe reissue of Nirvana's "In Utero" album, a rare television promotional video has been posted online.

The clip is billed as a rarely seen 1993 clip featuring Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl being coached by Bob "Bobcat" Goldthwait.

What is he coaching them at? How to give birth. Goldthwait appears in drag in the clip and is seen coaching pregnant Nirvana members Cobain, Novoselic and Grohl in a birthing class.

You can watch the "slightly disturbing" promo clip here.

D.R.I. Cancel Tour For Medical Reasons

Punk rock veterans D.R.I. have been forced to cancel their upcoming European tour after founding member Spike Cassidy came down with a condition that prevents him from playing guitar.

The band had this to say on their Facebook page, "Due to unforeseen circumstances, it is with regret to announce the cancelation of 2013 Euro Tour... Stay tuned for the latest updates on tour dates and Spike's health. Thanks for all your support \m/"

Booking agency M.A.D. Tourbooking had this to say, "The guitar player of D.R.I. has huge problems with his finger, he can't bend it anymore, so he's unable to play guitar."

Cassidy gave fans a clue to what the problem might be when he wrote a posting on his Facebook page on July 5th the simply said "TENDINITIS" more on this story

Slash's First Horror Movie To Be Released In Time For Halloween

(Gibson) Guitar legend Slash will release the first horror movie on his new production company, Slasher Films, in October. Nothing to Fear was directed by Anthony Leonardi III, and will appear in selected theaters across the U.S. on October 4. It's based on a real town in Kansas which, according to legend, is one of the seven gateways to hell.

"It's [a] really good production team, the special effects people are great, the cast is great, the story's great - everything's great about it," Slash has told told the Pulse of Radio. "And it will be interesting to see where this particular one, how it comes out and where it goes, 'cause we're planning on doing two a year."

The movie is the first in a series of horror flicks that Slash plans to produce. Another is called Wake the Dead, based on a graphic novel about a college student. Slash describes it as "basically a modern, young Frankenstein story about a brilliant college student who's discovered how to animate dead tissue — but he's a teenager so he goes overboard."

Slash has been working on the movies for the last two years. He told Inside Movies that there are "four really great scripts" and that his Slasher Films company will "go into production with one right after another." more on this story

Sammy Hagar, Robert Plant, Steven Tyler In New Elvis Tribute Book

Sammy Hagar revealed that he is just one of the big names that will featured in an Elvis Presley tribute book called "Shades of Elvis" by Aneruos & Priscilla Presley.

The Red Rocker's official website tells fans that the book consists of many different celebrities wearing a pair of Elvis' personally owned famous sunglasses.

Aneruos & Priscilla reached out to Hagar because they really wanted him to be a part of this very special tribute and knew "he would look pretty cool with Elvis' glasses on."

Apart from Hagar the book will feature Robert Plant, Steven Tyler, Willie Nelson, Sam Elliot, Johnny Depp, Elton John, Peter Fonda, Tony Hawk, and more.

Hagar shared some photos from the photo session that you can see here.

Hinder To Carry On With Tour After Frontman Pulls Out

Hinder have announced that frontman Austin Winkler is pulling out of the band's current North American tour for personal reasons and they have recruited Saving Abel's Jared Weeks and Drankmore's Marshal Dutton to fill in for him.

The band had this to say, "We want to let you know Austin has decided to temporarily leave the tour for personal reasons. Our thoughts and prayers are with him in this time and we know that he will be just fine.

"However, the band has decided, instead of canceling shows and leaving our die-hard fans hanging, we're going to keep the good times rolling on the road this summer. We have some guests filling in to help us out and promise you won't be disappointed! For those of you that have your tickets already, get ready for a great time! For those of you that don't, you won't want to miss out!

"Thanks again to our amazing fans for all your support. We can't wait to see you this summer…get ready for the party! - Cody, Blower, Mark & Mike" more on this story

Korn Going Back To Metal For New Album

(Radio.com) Korn have returned from a trip down EDM lane and are back with a new nu-metal album due October 1, titled The Paradigm Shift. The new album follows Korn's 2011 foray into dubstep with The Path of Totality, which featured Skrillex, 12th Planet and Datsik among its producers.

The Paradigm Shift will mark the return of co-founding guitarist Brian "Head" Welch. The band had an unexpected and emotional reunion with Welch during a performance in May at the Carolina Rebellion Festival.

"We got people that were working for us that were in tears. Jonathan was in tears. I almost cried four times. It was very overwhelming," Welch said of the impromptu on-stage reunion.

Welch had left the band seven years prior in search of himself, family and God, releasing a solo album in 2008.

Upon Welch's return, the band felt the good vibes return yet were decidedly cautious about jumping right back into the studio. Welch told Rolling Stone of the new album, "Since we got in the studio, everything just started pouring out, now I can't wait until our fans hear this stuff!"

For The Paradigm Shift, the band has teamed with producer Don Gilmore, famous for his work on Linkin Park's breakout album The Hybrid Theory. more on this story

Toto Announce Their First North American Tour In A Decade

AOR veterans Toto have announced that they will be embarking on their first full North American tour in almost a decade, which will be kicking off later this month.

The band will be launching the summer tour on July 26th in Belleville, ON at Empire Square Live and will be wrapping the tour up on September 14th in Chandler, AZ at Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino.

Toto's lineup for the tour includes Steve "Luke" Lukather, David Paich, Steve Porcaro, Simon Phillips (The Who, Judas Priest, David Gilmour), Nathan East (Eric Clapton, Stevie Wonder, Phil Collins), and Joseph Williams.

The North American trek is part of the band's current world tour. They recently wrapped up their European tour where they performed in 29 cities. more on this story

Black Star Riders Expand Fall Tour

(hennemusic) Black Star Riders have added dates in Germany and Holland to their upcoming European fall tour in support of their debut album, "All Hell Breaks Loose."

Formed from the final Thin Lizzy lineup, Black Star Riders launch their European dates October 17 in Paris, France, run through Europe and then perform a month-long tour of the UK from mid-November to mid-December.

The newly-announced shows, which run from October 23 to November 5, are a part of the group's fall tour schedule. Check out the new tour dates here.

Metallica Pro Pinball To Debut At Comic-Con

(hennemusic) The Metallica Pro Pinball machine will make its debut at Comic-Con in San Diego next week. The unveiling is part of a pinball tournament at Comic-Con that will see attendees competing for the chance to win a cash prize and pinball backglass.

The tournament starts July 17 on Preview Night, with the finals set for Saturday, July 20. Made by Stern Pinball, the machine includes 12 classic Metallica songs and features that include an electric chair, snake, grave markers and lots of other bells and whistles.

"Since their launch in May, Stern's Metallica machines quickly developed a massive following," said Jody Dankberg, Director of Marketing and Licensing for Stern Pinball. "We are thrilled to 'officially' debut the Pro version at San Diego Comic-Con where our craftsmanship will be put to the test as players experience the unique features and addictive nature of Metallica pinball." more on this story

Jon Dette Says Slayer Have Matured As People

(Classic Rock) Jon Dette says his stint with Slayer earlier this year was a more mature experience than his time with them in the 1990s. Dette, who was covering for Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante, performed double duties in Australia after Slayer ditched Dave Lombardo and later replaced him permanently with Paul Bostaph.

Dette tells Heavy Metal Hill: ""Despite what's happened with Slayer in recent years they've become much more relaxed as people, and maybe not so uptight with things. They've matured as people. I've matured.

"When I joined the band back in the 90s it was a tense time for them. There were a lot of things going on, not only drummer changes and things like that, but also in the music industry. Grunge was the big thing and metal was dead." more on this story

Raven Announce North American Tour

Metal veterans Raven has announced that they will be launching a North American tour this September in support of their forthcoming documentary DVD.

The tour will be kicking off on September 11th in Ft. Lauderdale, FL and will conclude on October 10th in Chicago, IL at Reggies. Raven will then hit the road with Diamond Head for a co-headlining tour that will visit the West Coast.

The tour will feature support from Mpire of Evil, which features former Venom members Tony Dolan (Demolition Man) and Jeff Dunn (Mantas).

Raven will be releasing their documentary DVD on July 16th. The film, entitled "Rock Until You Drop - A Long Day's Journey," documents the band's almost 40 year career. more on this story

Eric Burdon Was Profoundly Influenced By Chuck Berry

(Radio.com) Like most legendary rockers from the British Invasion, Eric Burdon and his then-band, the Animals, were profoundly influenced by Chuck Berry. Burdon says that Berry's influence on him and his band took an unusual form, resulting in: a) a song that bears no resemblance to Berry's music, yet remains one of the Animals' most enduring hits and, b) advice that Burdon probably should have taken.

"Chuck was responsible for a big part of [influencing] the British bands – the Stones, the Beatles, everybody," Burdon recently told Radio.com.

But when the Animals were on a package tour with a number of other artists all opening for Berry, Burdon noticed that every band on the bill was playing Chuck's riffs and his songs. This inspired him to go a different direction completely.

"I realized every other band was playing Chuck Berry-related songs… on a Chuck Berry tour!" Burdon explained. "I wanted to do something really different. I was thinking blues. I knew one and a half verses to 'House Of The Rising Sun.'"

When he heard Bob Dylan's version of the traditional folk song, the idea clicked in his head to have the Animals do their own take on it. However, Burdon merely didn't resist Berry's musical influence; he ignored personal advice from the legend himself.

"I knew he [Berry] had a reputation for being a rude, bad guy. And he was so nice to me, man! He took me out to dinner one day. He said to me, 'Keep your main money wad in your sock, and keep just a couple of dollars in your wallet. And don't let booze and drugs tempt you like they did me!"

He laughs, recalling the conversation: "Of course I didn't take any notice whatsoever!" See who else influenced him.

Queen's Brian May Investigating Freddie Mercury Gorilla Art Controversy

(hennemusic) Queen guitarist Brian May says he'll investigate this week's removal of a Freddie Mercury gorilla art statue in Norwich, UK at the request of the Mercury Phoenix Trust over copyright issues.

"I don't know anything about this," the guitarist said in response to a Twitter inquiry from a fan about the move by the Mercury Phoenix Trust. "I'll find out."

The BBC reports Wild in Art, the company that supplied the 5ft (1.5m) glass fibre gorilla canvases for a Norwich conservation art trail, was contacted by Queen's manager Jim Beach on behalf of the Freddie Mercury estate.

The estate claimed the suit "worn" by the gorilla, painted by Norfolk artist Mik Richardson, breached copyright. The sculpture was removed on Monday. more on this story

Lars Ulrich To Marry Jessica Miller

(hennemusic) It appears that Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich will be giving marriage another try as he has become engaged to his girlfriend, fashion model Jessica Miller.

Ulrich has been married twice and he has two sons, Myles (14) and Layne (12), with former wife Skylar Satenstein, and a third boy, Bryce (6), with Danish actress Connie Nielsen.

Miller previously dated / was engaged to Incubus lead singer Brandon Boyd, as well as System Of A Down lead guitarist/vocalist Daron Malakian. more on this story

Singled Out: Venomous Maximus' Moonchild

Today Gregg Higgins from Venomous Maximus tells us about the song "Moonchild" from their brand new album "Beg Upon Light," which was released last week. Here is the story:

The song is actually considered to be old material to me now. But I remember writing it coming up with the idea in a house that I lived in alone during a dark period of my life.

I have always be an insomniac and have always loved the idea of guardian angels. But putting a night time twist on the whole idea. That during the day it would be male and at night would be a woman. It's me rationalizing why I stay up all night long is because my guardian angel of the night will not let me go to sleep.

I remember when I came up with the 1st vocal pattern for the song. I really felt the direction of the band coming out. So I guess you could say its an important song to us. This was also the 1st time I was given complete control in directing the video for it.

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself and check out the video here and learn more about the album right here!

August Burns Red Release 'Fault Line' Video

August Burns Red have released a new music video for their song "Fault Line," which is the first video from their brand new album, Rescue & Restore.

The video was directed by Daniel Davison and you can watch it online here. Guitarist JB Brubaker had this to say about the clip, "This was one of the most enjoyable videos we've ever made. Working with Daniel Davison was a pleasure.

"He had a vision for the video and knew exactly what he wanted from us before a second of footage had even been shot. The story sections of the video came out beautifully, and I'm pretty stoked on how it turned out."

The band is currently on the road as part of this summer's Warped Tour. more on this story

Megadeth's David Ellefson Releases Behind The Scenes Video

(hennemusic) Megadeth bassist David Ellefson has posted behind-the-scenes footage from the July 9th Gigantour stop at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois.

The festival, which launched last week in New Hampshire, sees Megadeth headlining the event with tourmates Black Label Society, Device, Hellyeah, Newsted and Death Division – all personally picked by Dave Mustaine.

The guitarist founded the tour in 2005 and over the years has had established artists such as Volbeat, Motorhead, Anthrax, Fear Factory and Dream Theater, as well as giving (then) up-and-coming artists Lacuna Coil, Into Eternity and Sanctity their first break on a national festival tour.

Megadeth are on the road in support of their latest album, "Super Collider," which debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 album chart last month with opening week sales of 29,000 copies. more on this story

Huey Lewis Celebrates Sports 30th Anniversary In The Studio

Syndicated radio show In The Studio are celebrating the 30th anniversary of Huey Lewis & the News' their seven million plus- selling breakthrough album Sports, with a special episode this week.

The show sent over these details: By the early Eighties, the music business had long established a formula where, by the third album, a recording artist was expected to go big or go home.

With Sports, Huey Lewis & the News went big. Really, really big. #1 sales big, 71 weeks on the Billboard charts, four Top 10 hit singles big, including "Heart and Soul", "If This is It", "The Heart of Rock'n'Roll" and "I Want a New Drug".

Huey is taking a thirtieth anniversary victory lap around the U.S. right now, and shares with InTheStudio host Redbeard what the mindset of the band was 30+ years ago, and remains today.

"There were a few of us who were over 25, dare I say it, or even over 30 who still liked to rock. And just because you weren't running around stealing cars didn't mean you weren't a real rock'n'roller." Stream the episode here.