The Day in Rock Digest for 12/13/10: While driving throughout the winter, watch out for black ice! It's advice Ross The Boss vocalist Patrick Fuchs wishes he had heeded as he drove on the Autobahn after departing a Kaiser Slautern, Germany recording studio on Wednesday morning. Neither speeding, nor under the influence, Fuchs hit a patch of ice on a sharp turn and lost control of his car, flipping it over and totaling it. Fuchs remains hospitalized in serious condition with broken ribs and a punctured spleen moreKing Diamond has undergone triple-bypass heart surgery. The famed Mercyful Fate/King Diamond band frontman was rushed to hospital on November 29, where it was found that he’d had several heart attacks, and that the only way to unblock three clogged arteries was open heart surgery. more
The recently-released double-disc DIO album, Dio At Donington UK: Live 1983 & 1987, is about to get a glorious vinyl makeover. On February 15th, 2011, the album will be issued as a double vinyl set with deluxe gatefold packaging, and on 180 gram vinyl - the first-ever Dio album to be released in this high quality vinyl format. more
It seems like R.E.M. fanclub members are getting an early Christmas present this year. Keeping with the tradition of releasing exclusive Christmas singles, the band has sent out discs featuring two new tracks: a cover of Darlene Love’s Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) The track features the return of original R.E.M. drummer Bill Berry. more
Whitechapel will embark on the "Welcome To Hell Tour" in February 2011 with support from The Acacia Strain, Veil Of Maya, Chelsea Grin and I Declare War. more
For their new album 'Killing Time' due out early next year, Bayside bassist Nick Ghanbarian says the band was given all the time they needed to record the new album, a first for the band. The extra time afforded the band the luxury having time to develop songs rather than write them and immediately record them like they had done in the past. more
Jesu have released a new digital single titled Christmas. The three-song single features the title track, clocking in at 8:45 and two remixes. more
Flotsam And Jetsam has announced that they have parted ways with guitarist Mark Simpson, following the revelation that the band would be utilizing their former duo of Michael Gilbert and Ed Carlson on their forthcoming Mexican shows. more
Mark Morton at Examiner.com contacted BW&BK today with the following update: "To try to brighten the somber day that is December 13th, I unearthed an old interview that I did with Chuck Schuldiner from 1995 while Death was on the Metal To The Masses tour. It originally appeared in the tiny fanzine Morbid Voice, which suffered from poor circulation (among other things), so I thought it might be a good time to give the interview new life, as it were." Check it out here
The former Accept frontman teamed up with the band Evil Disposition to record "Jingle Balls", a new interpretation of the Christmas song "Jingle Bells" and the Accept hymn "Balls The The Wall" more
Primal Fear have been confirmed for next year's edition of the Wacken Open Air festival, set to take place August 4-6, 2011 in the small town of Wacken in Schleswig-Holstein, northern Germany. more
Legend, Dr. Acula, Monsters, and We Are Defiance will team up for a January run. more
OneRepublic guitarist Zach Filkins told Alternative Addiction during a recent interview that the band has started working on their third album, their follow up to 2009's hit album "Waking Up." more
Sodom have announced the addition of drummer Markus "Makka" Freiwald to the group's ranks. more
Engineer Nick Blagona is mixing Deep Purple singer Ian Gillan's new solo album at Jukasa Studios - a tax-free, state-of-the-art recording studio built on a native reserve in Canada saves non-native Canadians money and non-residents hassle. more
Bon Jovi could sign a deal with an independent record company. Drummer Tico Torres has admitted to Undercover News: “We are still on a major label. But we can see the writing on the wall”. more
Suicidal Tendencies will embark on an Australian tour in May 2011. more
Misery Index has been confirmed for next year's edition of the With Full Force festival, set to take place July 1-3, 2011 at Flugplatz Roitzschjora in Löbnitz, Germany more
Leng Tch'e will be touring portions of Europe in February with Killchain more
Girlschool are currently recording a new version of their second album, Hit And Run. This will be released next year, to celebrate the album’s 30th anniversary. more
On this day in 1966, Jimi Hendrix made his TV debut on ITV’s Ready Steady Go! (Marc Bolan was also on the show). The Jimi Hendrix Experience also recorded “Foxy Lady” on this day. Find out what else happened on this date in music history here