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Day in Rock Report for 04/21/2015


AC/DC's Phil Rudd Pleads Guilty To Threatening to Kill, Drug Charges

AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd entered a guilty plea to charges of methamphetamine and cannabis possession and one count of threatening to kill in a New Zealand court on Tuesday, according to a local media report.

New Zealand media outlet Stuff.co.nz reports that Rudd's attorney Craig Tuck said that he will seek a "discharge without conviction". Sentencing for the veteran drummer is scheduled for June 26th, according to the report.

A second charge of threatening to kill has reportedly been dropped. The drummer was arrested following a police raid on his New Zealand home on November 6th of last year.

He was originally charged with attempting to procure a murder, threatening to kill and possession of the drugs. Authorities quickly dropped the attempt to procure a murder charge.

His arrest came as AC/DC prepared to launch a world tour in support of their "Rock Or Bust" album. They recruited former AC/DC drummer Chris Slade for the tour.

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Motley Crue Add Over 20 Shows To Farewell Tour

Motley Crue have added over 20 dates in the U.S. and Canada to their farewell tour. In a Facebook post the band called the additions the "last round of N. American dates".

The new round of dates includes a run of shows in October and another run in December. The new dates begin with a show in Hidalgo, TX on October 5th and conclude with a Las Vegas show on December 27th.

The band's North American "Final Tour" will be kicking off on July 22nd in Eugene, Or at the Matthew Knight Arena and the band will be playing the last tour date of their career on December 31st at Staples Center in Los Angeles on New Year's Eve. See all of the North American Final Tour dates here.

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Slayer Finished Recording New Album

Thrash legends Slayer have announced that they have completed recording their 11th studio album which they will be releasing later this year on their own record label.

The band has recorded eleven tracks for the new album. The yet-to-be-titled album was produced by Terry Date at the Henson Studios in Los Angeles and is currently being mixed.

The album features founding members Tom Araya (bass/vocals) and guitarist Kerry King, as well as drummer Paul Bostaph and touring guitarist Gary Holt, who is making his first appearance on a Slayer album.

Although Holt is filling the void of late guitarist Jeff Hanneman, the founding guitarist did make a contribution to the new album. Araya explains, "Jeff had always been writing and demoing songs, even up until shortly before he passed. You can tell by the quality of his songwriting that this was his passion.

"There will be a song written by Jeff on the new album.
Everything but the vocals had been completed, so we did the vocals and it's done. And there are a few more of Jeff's songs that we might record and release in the future."

Kerry King adds, "With this new album Tom, Paul and I put all of our ideas out on to the table, working in a more collaborative way toward the ultimate heavy outcome. And I've got to give big props to Gary who played lead on several of the new songs. I think he got all of his leads done in one day - he's a maniac!"

The band also have plans to hit the road for tour plans that include headlining this year's Mayhem Festival, as well as several "An Evening With..." Slayer shows and festival appearances.

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Slipknot Had To Steal Their Own Album To Fix It

(TeamRock Radio) Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor reveals that the band stole the master tapes to their 1999 self-titled debut to mix it themselves because they didn't like the mixes they were hearing.

The frontman was asked to rank the band's albums and sharing stories about them with Noisey when he made the following revelation, "I don't know if anyone's ever told this story, but Clown, Joey, and Ross Robinson broke into the studio where the master tapes were, because we weren't liking the mixes we were getting.

"They broke in, stole the tapes, and mixed it themselves! [Laughs] I think Paul was there too. I had to go back to Iowa to go back to work, and I get a call from Clown: "By the way, we committed grand larceny, we just stole our own f***ing album."

"And they sat down and mixed it because no one else understood it. When you're the first, no one knows. There's not track record for it. So we'd get these sh*tty f***ing mixes that were either too thin, too bass-laden. People didn't understand what this noise was. So we ended up mixing it ourselves, man."

"There's so many crazy stories from that first album, I can look back and smile that it's happened to us, and the subsequent years. It all started from the first album and all the crazy sh*t." Read more here.

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Foo Fighters Streaming 'Songs From The Laundry Room' EP

(hennemusic) The Foo Fighters are streaming "Songs From The Laundry Room", a collection of early demos that was released on 10-inch vinyl on Saturday as part of Record Store Day.

Recorded at Barrett Jones' Laundry Room Studios in Seattle, Washington, the package features demos of "Alone + Easy Target" and "Big Me", a cover of Kim Wilde's "Kids In America", and a previously unreleased song, "Empty Handed."

In addition to Dave Grohl's role as 2015 Record Story Day Ambassador, the group played a concert for 150 fans at an Ohio record store on Saturday to mark the annual event that celebrates independently-owned record stores in the USA and internationally.

The show at The Record Connection in Niles, Ohio saw the band deliver a 9-song set that included three tracks featured on "Songs From The Laundry Room." Check out the official stream here.

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Roger Waters The Wall Documentary To Hit Movie Theaters

(hennemusic) "Roger Waters The Wall", a documentary shot during the former Pink Floyd member's three-year solo tour, will be screened in US theaters and cinemas worldwide on September 29 via Fathom Events.

The Wall Live tour brought the famed 1979 Pink Floyd album to arenas and stadiums around the world between 2010 and 2013. Waters played 219 dates that brought in a total of approximately $458 million dollars in box office revenue.

"We were a big family on the road, 189 of us, give or take the odd Snoozy Walrus," says Waters. "We were happy, by and large, and I am really happy to welcome everyone at Fathom and Picturehouse aboard. I know, I know - mixing metaphors. Where was I? Oh yeah, with your help, this coming 29th September will be the perfect way to remember not just our loved ones but the other guys loved ones - fallen, living, and as yet unborn."

"Roger Waters The Wall" was shot in three cities across two continents by co-directors Waters and Sean Evans. Waters was on hand to premiere the feature at the Toronto International Film Festival last September, where he introduced the film and participated in a Q&A session after the screening. Read more here.

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Stone Sour Plan Two More Cover EPs

(Classic Rock) Stone Sour have two more cover EPs in the works, frontman Corey Taylor has confirmed. They released Meanwhile In Burbank� to mark Record Store Day on April 18 - and the Slipknot singer says there's more to come.

He tells Hatebreed frontman Jamey Jasta on The Jasta Show podcast, "The second one's called Straight Outta Burbank, and the third one's called No Sleep Till Burbank." Which are most likely references to N.W.A's "Straight Outta Compton" and the Beastie Boys' "No Sleep Till Brooklyn".

He adds: "The next album's got everything from Bad Brains to Motley Crue, and the third one is going to probably have Violent Femmes to Rage Against The Machine." Read more and stream the interview here.

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Anthrax Hope To Finish New Album In June

(Classic Rock) Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian says the band will put the finishing touches to their next album in June. They will take some time away from the studio to go out on tour later this month, before getting back to work on what will be the follow-up to 2011's Worship Music.

Ian tells The Metal Voice (via Blabbermouth)"It's coming along great. We're gonna take a break. We head out on tour on [April 24], we'll take a break and be able to get away from it, live with it for awhile, and then come back right at the beginning of June and spend another month finishing it up.

The guitarist adds, "We're in a really good zone creatively, and I think if you liked the last record [2011's 'Worship Music'], you're really gonna love this new one."

Ian also recalls hearing Metallica's early demo in 1982 and how it set the tone for the heavy metal scene from then on. Megaforce Records owner Jonny Zazula believed in the genre and went to great lengths to release Metallica's music. Read more and watch the full interview here.

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Panic! At The Disco Reveal New Song 'Hallelujah'

(Radio.com) Panic! At the Disco haven't made much noise since they finished promoting their last album Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die!, but it looks like we'll be hearing a lot more from them now.

On Monday (April 20), the group released the first taste of their next full-length, the single "Hallelujah!" Their return track fittingly opens with a lot of fanfare. It starts with a faded horns sample and then the track explodes into gospel harmonies, drums and frontman Brendon Urie singing, "say your prayers."

Will the rest of the album have the same rock-fusion sound? Stay tuned. Panic! at the Disco have yet to announce any details about their fifth album, including the title. It seems likely they will soon though considering they're starting to make the promo rounds. Read more and check out the song here.

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Metallica Announce Historic Quebec City Concerts

(hennemusic) Metallica will perform a pair of historic concerts in Quebec City this fall. On September 14, the band will play the final event at Colisee Pepsi, a hockey arena first opened in 1949.

Metallica have played seven shows in the arena, including two that were filmed for 2012's "Quebec Magnetic" DVD release. On September 16, the band will play the first event at the brand new Centre Vid�otron.

"Always one of our favorite places to visit, Quebec City also has a long history of being the home to some of the most rabid 'Tallica fans anywhere," says the band. "It only seems fitting that we share this special passing of the torch with you!

"Each show will be a completely different experience right down to where we set up the stage. Look for one night with the classic end stage, the other in the round, different set lists and even different opening bands . . . two totally different Met experiences in one 48 hour period!" Read more here.

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AC/DC Add Tour Dates After Original Dates Sell Out

(hennemusic) AC/DC have added three shows to their Australian tour after selling out the initial five dates within hours of going on sale Monday. News.com.au reports more than 300,000 tickets went quickly for the band's "Rock Or Bust" stadium tour, leading the group to add concerts in Sydney and Melbourne.

A November 7 show at ANZ Stadium in Sydney, a December 8 date at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne and a November 14 stop in Brisbane were announced and were close to selling out within minutes of going on sale.

AC/DC will now play eight stadium shows in Australia starting November 4 in Sydney followed by a pair of concerts in New Zealand. "Rock Or Bust" debuted at No. 1 on the Australian charts upon its release late last year, shipping platinum and opening with first week sales of 26,730. Read more here.

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Foo Fighters Announce Fall European Tour

(hennemusic) The Foo Fighters have announced dates for a fall tour of Europe in support of "Sonic Highways." Already scheduled to play a series of concerts on the continent this summer, the group will return for an 8-show run starting November 5 in Amsterdam.

On Saturday, the Foo Fighters played a concert for 150 fans at an Ohio record store as part of Record Store Day, an annual event that celebrates independently-owned record stores in the USA and internationally.

The band are set to play Gulf Shore, Alabama's Hangout Fest next month before launching a summer run across Europe in Norwich, UK on May 24. Check out the new fall dates here.

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Nick Marsh Family Launches Cancer Fund

(Classic Rock) A fundraising drive has been set up to help Flesh for Lulu and Urban Voodoo Machine guitarist Nick Marsh. He underwent months of radiotherapy and chemotherapy last year after he was diagnosed with throat and mouth cancer. And although he thought he was on the road to recovery, it's now been confirmed that the cancer has returned.

And with him unable to work, he and his family face eviction from their home and a fund has been set up to alleviate their immediate financial problems.

A statement on the Marsh Family Cancer Crisis page reads: "Nick is unable to earn a living now as he is unable to tour. Before he got ill, Nick's other source of income was decorating houses. Due to the complexity of his first surgery, Nick's body can no longer handle the physical demands of painting and decorating." Read more here.

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David Bowie Thinks Metallica Album Was Lou Reed's Masterpiece

(Classic Rock) David Bowie described Metallica's controversial collaboration with Lou Reed as "genius", according to Reed's widow Laurie Anderson. Anderson accepted her late husband's induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame as a solo artist at the weekend, where she said Bowie told her after Reed's death that Lulu - his 2011 album with the heavy metal giants - would one day be seen as his masterpiece.

Bowie added that the record would grow on people, much like Reed's 1973 effort Berlin, which was initially branded a flop. Anderson said the following during her speech, "One of [Lou's] last projects was his album with Metallica and this was really challenging, and I have a hard time with it. There are many struggles and so much radiance.

"And after Lou's death, David Bowie made a big point of saying to me, 'Listen, this is Lou's greatest work. This is his masterpiece. Just wait, it will be like 'Berlin'. It will take everyone a while to catch up.'" Read more here.

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Van Morrison and Tom Jones Lead Bluesfest Lineup

(Classic Rock) Van Morrison and Sir Tom Jones have been confirmed as joint headliners for this year's Bluesfest. Jones and Morrison have been friends since the 1960s and have appeared together on various records, but have never performed live together.

The icons will perform as part of a double bill called Bring It On Home at The O2 in London on November 8, the final night of the event sponsored by Prudential.

Organisers say the night is a nod to the 2003 studio session which featured Morrison, Jones and Jeff Beck performing a unique rendition of Sam Cooke's Bring It On Home To Me. The concert will feature two full solo sets and the likely prospect of various duets throughout the evening. Read more here.

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Coal Chamber's Dez Fafara Defends Nu Metal Movement

Coal Chamber and Devildriver frontman Dez Fafara defends the "nu metal" movement when asked in a recent interview if it has become a "dirty word" like "hair metal."

Fafara was interviewed on "The Chainsaw Symphony" radio program in Niagara Falls, New York in late March when he was asked about the comparison of nu metal and hair metal.

He told the show (via Blabbermouth), "I think 'hair metal' was cheesy. [But] I think 'nu metal' was different. I think what's beautiful about 'nu metal' is it's different. And you've got so many different influences. Look at the biggest bands on the planet right now: Slipknot, Deftones, System Of A Down� I mean, I could go on endlessly with our peers that have never gone away that have still stuck to that same formula. And I think there's this generation now of not only 15-to-17-year-olds but even [people who are between] 20 and 30, why they go back to that music and listen to it, or why they would even wanna listen to a new Coal Chamber record is they know it's gonna be something different.

"And that's what was beautiful about that time and era and that music -there was so many different influences to that music. You know, Coal Chamber has this metal influence along with this Bauhaus and goth kind of thing with us. Then you've got Korn [who've] got kind of a rap influence with their thing."

He also sees a new appreciation for the genre, "I think what you're gonna see, especially in the future, and I've seen it on the road now, especially with the meet-and-greets and the younger fans coming to the shows is that they're [getting into] the music that's different, because what's happening now in and around the heavy music scene is truly - and I have my ear to the ground; I hear every new band comes up, from demos to new releases - I think a lot of the stuff is sounding awfully the same. And that's pretty sad� You're not gonna get that with any of the so-called 'nu metal' bands or Coal Chamber whatsoever; you're gonna get something totally separate from other music. And, after all, isn't that what music is all about? It's supposed to be special and different."

He adds, "They called it 'nu metal' is because it damn well was. When we came out of Hollywood, the 'hair metal' bands totally killed the scene. The Roxy, the Whisky� nobody was drawing anybody. And here comes Coal Chamber, here comes the Deftones, selling out shows. The Roxy, the Whisky� Here you've got this new scene - 'nu metal,' cause it was heavy sh*t. But I think the term 'nu metal 'is almost, like, pretty badass. Because you're doing something new within a genre that existed forever and is heavy as hell, but it sounds newer and [with] newer influences."

Stream the full interview here.

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Periphery Release 'The Bad Thing' Video

(Prog) Periphery have released a live video for their track The Bad Thing. It's taken from Juggernaut: Omega, the twin album of Juggernaut: Alpha, both of which were released in January.

Drummer Matt Halpern tells Billboard:
"We thought that a live performance for 'The Bad Thing' video was a great way to show the intensity of the song and to show our direct expression of how it makes us feel onstage."

Halpern adds, "That being said, we hope to release more visual assets in the future that tell the Juggernaut story as a whole, rather than one song at a time." Watch the video here.

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Rhys Marsh's Mandala Release 'Sun' Video

(Prog) Rhys Marsh's Mandala have released a live video of them performing their track Sun, exclusively via Prog. The song is taken from the band's debut album Midnight Twilight. Made up of songs written between 1997 and 2005, the record is due for release on May 4.

Mandala was the first group Marsh was involved in - formed in 1997 before the birth of The Autumn Ghost. After a break, Mandala are back together. The live video of Sun was filmed in the studio where the band were recording the album.

Marsh tells Prog: "Sun is actually the first song I ever wrote. I was meant to be heading to college, but I picked up my acoustic guitar, put it into an Eastern tuning and about five minutes later the song was born. We rehearsed it that evening, and it became our trademark song." Read more and check out the video here.

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Paradise Lost Release 'No Hope In Sight' Lyric Video

(TeamRock Radio) Paradise Lost will release their 14th full-length album, entitled "The Plague Within," this June, and have released a lyric video for the opening track "No Hope In Sight".

Speaking about the meaning behind No Hope In Sight, Nick Holmes tells Metal Hammer (in cryptic fashion): "With an inner peace or a youthful fight, the end is approaching.

"Many things can soften the blow, our family and our friends. We can choose to welcome it or fight it, but in the end the deadly King will have his way." Watch the video here.

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Neil Young Announces New Album With Willie Nelson's Sons

(hennemusic) Neil Young will release a new album, "The Monsanto Years", on June 16. The project sees Young team with Promise Of The Real, featuring Willie Nelson's sons Lukas and Micah Nelson.

On April 16, Young and Promise Of The Real performed a surprise concert at San Luis Obispo, California's SLO Brewing Co. where they debuted 11 new tracks that might appear on the joint album.

The pairing will launch the "Rebel Content" tour on July 5 at Summerfest in Milwaukee. "The Monsanto Years" marks Young's third album in the past year, following "A Letter Home" and "Storytone." Check out tour dates here.

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Spike's Free House To Play Shows Despite Andy Fraser's Death

(Classic Rock) Spike's Free House will press ahead with their 2015 touring plans despite the death of bass player Andy Fraser. Fraser passed away in March at the age of 62.

The Free bassist had battled Aids and cancer but was due to perform with The Quireboys frontman Spike in his band Spike's Free House - set up to celebrate the music of Free and Frankie Miller.

The band sees Spike joined by Free's Simon Kirke, Thunder's Luke Morley and Magnum's Mark Stanway. The Quireboys' Nick Mailing will be on bass duties.

Spike says: "There was a lot of soul searching after we heard the terrible news about Andy. He was a huge part of what we were doing and was so excited about hooking up with Simon again.

"We weren't sure whether we could - or should - continue but I have a feeling it's what Andy would have wanted. Emotionally, it will be a tough show for all of us but I'm confident it can still be the celebration of great songwriting we always intended it to be." Read more here.

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Singled Out: Native Construct's Mute

Today progressive metal group Native Construct tells us about the song "Mute" from their brand new concept album "Quiet World", which was released this week by Metal Blade. Here is the story:

Since our new single is part of a concept album, I must first give a little backstory about the album itself. Quiet World is about a guy who loves a girl. The guy is a bit of an odd and eccentric person - an outcast. He's also a mute, and a little unstable, as it turns out. The girl doesn't return his feelings, but he can't bring himself to let go. As his unrequited passion for her devolves into obsession and eventual resentment, his mind begins to slip further and further away.

He convinces himself that he can't be loved because of his condition and abnormalities. So he decides to create for himself a new, fantastic world of which he has complete control - a world where there are no oddballs or outcasts. A world where everyone is surrounded by people who are just like themselves. A much quieter world.

It's at this point that the first track of the album (which also happens to be our new single), "Mute," begins. Throughout the course of this track, the main character fleshes out his plans and establishes his new world. And it turns out that many of the subjects of this new world are not as content living this way as he is.

In the second track of the album, we see a new character, the Archon, rise up and unite his people in the clouds with the once distant people in the sea. He leads an opposition to "Sinister Silence," as the people come to call him. The rest of the album unfolds with events within the Quiet World and manifestations of the enduring struggle between the Archon and Sinister Silence.

The lone exception is track number four, "Your Familiar Face," which steps out of this world for a moment to give a closer look at the events prior to the first track and the tragedy of Sinister Silence.

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

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