The Day in Rock Digest for 04/21/11: BW&BK starts us off with this sad news: News is still coming in, but Jon Oliva's Pain guitarist and collaborator with many a Florida based metal outfit, guitarist Matt LaPorte has passed away. Circle II Circle bassist Mitch Stewart referenced the unfortunate event on his Facebook page. moreThe Big Four - featuring Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax - will play one exclusive show on Metallica's home turf this Saturday, April 23rd at the Empire Polo Club, Indio, CA. Listen to footage of Metallica rehearsing their classics 'Fade To Black', 'Phantom Lord', 'Orion' and 'Leper Messiah' here
Slash will reportedly play a secret gig in Stoke, where he was born, during July with details being announced shortly. more
After weeks of waiting, the Beastie Boys star-studded video for their new track Make Some Noise has made its debut, building anticipation ever more for the upcoming release of Hot Sauce Committee Part Two. The number of celebrities involved is ridiculous, with Danny McBride, Elijah Wood, Steve Buscemi, Ted Danson, Chloe Sevigny, Kirsten Dunst and more joining the party. Oh yeah, and Jack Black climbs out of a motherf**king DeLorean. Check it out here. Funnier sneak peak at the short film is here (and uncensored)
Underoath are reportedly teaming up with Times Of Grace (featuring members of Killswitch Engage) for US tour this summer according to this.
Thrice will be entering the studio on May 2 to begin recording their seventh full-length and follow up to 2009's Beggars. A fall release is expected via Vagrant Records. more
Infernaeon have announced the departure of vocalist Brian Werner. Commented the band: After much forethought, Infernaeon has decided to part ways with our singer Brian Werner. He was planning on leaving the band after our appearance at the Babylon Rising festival in Puerto Rico, and it was decided afterwards that it would be beneficial if he carried out those plans. more
Epitaph has updated their Kings Road Merch site with a number of cassette tapes of their early to mid 1990′s releases. more
Deception Of A Ghost, Catalepsy, and This Time It's War will team up for some touring next month more
Vocalist Niklas Kvarforth of Shining has issued the following update: Guitarist Fredric Grεby has left the ranks of Shining today because he no longer felt able to continue playing. Unfortunately, this means that we have been forced to cancel our appearance at the Ragnarok Festival this month as there is not enough time for a new guitarist to learn the material. We are also pleased to announce that Christian Larsson, who has been playing bass with the band for some time on a temporary basis, has now has joined Shining as a permanent full-time member." more
H2O has wrapped work on Know Your Roots, a covers album that's expected to be released later this year via Bridge Nine Records. more
Crimson Glory will celebrate their 25th anniversary by embarking on a headlining tour of Europe with support from Triosphere and Cirrha Niva. more
On this day in 1967, Working at EMI Studios in London, The Beatles completed the sessions for Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band by recording a short section of gibberish which would play in the LPs run-out groove. They record assorted noises and voices, which engineer Geoff Emerick then cut-up, randomly re-assembled and edited backwards. At John Lennons suggestion, this was preceded by a high-pitch, 15 kilocycle whistle audible only to dogs.
On this day in 1973, Tony Orlando & Dawn started a four week run at #1 on the U.S. singles chart with Tie a Yellow Ribbon (Round the Old Oak Tree), which became the biggest seller of 1973, selling more than 6 million copies. The song is based on a true story of a prisoner who wrote to his wife asking her to tie a yellow ribbon around an oak tree in the town square of White Oak, Georgia, if she still loved him. Find out what else happened on this date in music history here
