OK.. I'm going to attempt to do a news section.. for the millionth time.. it's jus the most updated thing, and at times.. I don't have time.. but I figure any news, is better then no news.. So Ill do what I can..

12.3.07

According to TMZ.com, VELVET REVOLVER singer Scott
Weiland was arrested for DUI (Driving Under the
Influence) late last month.

The former STONE TEMPLE PILOTS frontman was driving on
an L.A. highway around 6:15 PM on November 21 when he
crashed his car. While the California Highway Patrol
was investigating the non-injury wreck, they noticed
Weiland appeared to be impaired. According to the
police report, Weiland failed sobriety tests and
refused to take a blood or urine test. He was booked
for "driving under the influence of a drug."
 

ANTHRAX will release "Sound Of White Noise (Expanded
Edition)" and "Stomp 442 (Expanded Edition)" as
digital releases for the first time via Anthrax Ltd./
Megaforce Records on December 18, 2007. In addition to
being available at digital outlets such as iTunes,
Rhapsody, etc., ringtones will also be available via
all major cell phone providers.

ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian recently told MTV.com that
he, drummer Charlie Benante and bassist Frank Bello
have spent most of 2007 writing and fine-tuning a
batch of new songs, which Ian said are along the lines
of the band's 2003 album, "We've Come for You All".

At this point, ANTHRAX have a pile of songs, and
they're just waiting for the right guy to fill the
frontman position so they can proceed. While they've
got a short list of singers with whom they're in
discussions, there's no word regarding who will fill
John Bush and Joey Belladonna shoes.

"It's getting to be a little bit of a problem with the
material we're writing," Ian admitted. "Because the
singer we use will obviously have some bearing on what
kind of songs we write. But we know that we want to
make a proper follow-up to 'We've Come for You All',
which we all loved. But we want it to be even better:
heavier, faster, hookier. As songwriters, you try to
improve on your craft. And fortunately, we've got the
time to make that happen. We have no deadline at all
because we've got no label deal, so my attitude is,
'Let's make the most metal record we've ever made in
our lives,' and I would have to say that's coming to
fruition."

11.30.07

Guitarist Rudolf Schenker of the veteran German hard
rockers SCORPIONS has issued the following statement:

"Dear fans, during our show last Friday [November 30]
in Clermont Ferrand, France I tore a muscle in my
foot. Therefore, I was forced to play the rest of the
performance in just one area of the stage.

"To cancel that concert or to cancel any upcoming
performances would disappoint the fans so that was out
of the question.

"I hope that all the fans will understand that I will
not be able to exhibit my full stage energy until my
injury heals.

"I have consulted with Germany's best sports medicine
physician and I am receiving the best treatment.

"I look forward to the future shows where I am able to
give my maximum stage performance. Until then, thank
you for your continued support and see you in Portugal
and India in the coming weeks."

Late '80s/early '90s hard rockers TRIXTER will reunite
for a tour in 2008, the group's guitarist Steve Brown
revealed during a recent appearance on the "Red &
Jerry's Rockin' Metal Revival" radio show. Although no
official timetable has yet been set for the reunion,
Brown stated that the trek would most likely take
place "in the spring or summertime."

Formed in Paramus, New Jersey in 1984, TRIXTER's
self-titled debut album attained gold status (reaching
#28 on The Billboard 200 in 1990), and spawned three
minor hit singles: "Surrender" (#72), "One In A
Million" (#75), and "Give It To Me Good" (#65).
Despite the fact that none of the singles made the Top
40 or garnered much radio airplay, the videos for all
three tunes were in heavy rotation on MTV (especially
"Give It To Me Good", which was #1 on the channel for
several weeks). A follow-up effort, "Hear", came out
in 1992, but failed to reach the same commercial
heights.

The band recorded an album of cover songs,
"Undercovers" , in 1994, which garnered little
commercial success, and TRIXTER broke up shortly after
its release. Today, the former TRIXTER members are
working on various solo projects while drummer Mark
Scott owns a successful restaurant, The Copper Bottom,
in the Village of Florida, New York. PJ Farley is
currently the bass player for the band RA.

Coming 'atcha with another round of JOP  (John Oliva's Pain)
studio antics!....and trust me, it's never a dull moment with this
band.

We took sometime this week to really reflect on what
Greg "Super G" Marchak meant to all of us and our
music. I have a picture of him right over the
Pro-tools rig to constantly remind ourselves of what
he will always mean to us.....and we are always
looking to him for inspiration and guidance. How we
miss you G!

Onto the recording sessions: Monday was an awesome day
at Morrisound. Kevin had 2 weeks prior to review his
initial performance and some of the changes Matt "the
musical note police" Laporte inflicted on these new
songs. Kevin was of course very prepared and his new
vintage Ampeg bass rig, along with a new fretless
bass, allowed him to lay down some of the best
performances he has done to date. His bass tone is
without description and will be a feature highlight on
the new Cd. It's f*cking thunderous. Nice job Sir
Rothney!

Oliva rounded out the day by completing his final
guitar rythym tracks and his grand piano performances.
The rest of the key tracks will be done here at our
studio, now properly named "Shabbey Road Studio's".
Pretty cool, huh?

Tues-Weds were just me and Laporte continuing to lay
down his massive amount of lead guitar work. I have to
say that nothing amazes me about Matt anymore....he
just comes to the table with the most un-predictable
idea's and a real talent for distorted melody. He
makes everything, even the most basic of riff's sound
exciting and most of all...memorable. He has completed
about 6 songs worth of leads....just 8 more to go!

Oliva was here on Friday and will be back today to
continue on the journey of keyboard, string, and
special effects. His ability to create unlimited
counter melodies within every song is awe inspiring.
He plays violin and chelo like a real player would,
and while we will have some live string players on
this CD.....no one will be able to tell the difference
between the actual player and his expert keyboard
string tracks.

We should begin vocals in the next week or so. Oliva's
voice is once again in perfect shape and the amount of
backing vocals that we have to record will make us all
dizzy before it is done. But god-damn is it cool!
Zahner will be coming in at the end to add all the
bells, whistles, B3 organ and whatever else we need.

So it's back to the grind. Touring news will be
available very soon. Expect a spring tour almost
immediately after the release in April!

Cheers and beers to you all.
 

11.27.07

"Warpaint" — BLACK CROWES' first album of all-new
studio material in seven years, due out March 4
worldwide — will be independently released on the
band's own newly formed Silver Arrow Records and
distributed through Megaforce/Sony Red BMG. It's their
first studio release since the acclaimed "Lions" album
in 2001 (on V2).

Produced and mixed by Paul Stacey at Allaire Studios,
Woodstock, NY, the album features 11 songs, all of
which were written by Chris and Rich Robinson, except
"God's Got It" by the Reverend Charlie Jackson. The
album builds compellingly on the band's trademark
adventurous brew of rock, blues, country, soul and
gospel.

"Warpaint" marks the recording debut of two new band
members — guitarist Luther Dickinson and keyboardist
Adam MacDougall — who join Chris and Rich and drummer
Steve Gorman and bassist Sven Pipien. Dickinson, of
NORTH MISSISSIPPI ALLSTARS, officially steps in to
replace producer/guitarist Paul Stacey, whose position
with the band was always intended to be temporary. THE
BLACK CROWES are deeply appreciative that Stacey
committed his genuine talent and time to the band and
their performances for most of 2007.

The album's complete track listing is:

01. Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution
02. Walk Believer Walk
03. O, Josephine
04. Evergreen
05. We Who See The Deep
06. Locust Street
07. Movin' On Down The Line
08. Wounded Bird
09. God's Got It
10. There's Gold In Them Hills
11. Whoa Mule

Chris says the album's title signifies "the revolution
that could take place in all our souls."

Meanwhile, for the first time in their 18-year career,
THE BLACK CROWES will perform an album of theirs in
its entirety. On a special run of "one-night-only"
shows beginning on March 4, fans will experience
"Warpaint" performed in its entirety, after which the
band will play songs from their catalog and selected
surprises. Dates are to be announced.

THE BLACK CROWES will begin their world tour March 24
by headlining the Byron Bay Festival in Australia.
They'll continue their down under trek — their first
since 1991 — through April 5 before playing special
engagements in Tokyo, Amsterdam and London, and
concluding with shows in Hamburg and Cologne, Germany
(dates to be announced).

Legendary drummer Vinny Appice (HEAVEN AND HELL, DIO,
BLACK SABBATH) has issued the following update:

"Well, the HEAVEN AND HELL tour has finally ended
after performing 98 shows in 98 cities in numerous
countries around the world. Not bad! It was the best
tour this band has ever done and just playing with
these guys again was totally amazing. No one in this
band has ever let up or let down in all the years of
playing together; it just kicked ass every night! I
had the pleasure of trying to destroy the drums every
night playing some of the heaviest rock classics in
rock. Nice!

"A big thanks to all the fans and family who have made
this gathering a success and big thanks to the
management and crew who made it happen."

According to TMZ.com, MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx
and his ex-wife Donna D'Errico were in court today to
settle financial matters in their divorce.

Despite the fact that the judge expressed concern for
Donna, both parties waived their rights to financial
support.

The former couple did reach a settlement agreement on
the rest of their finances, but that was not
immediately released. The judge assured both parties
that all matters related to their daughter,
Frankie-Jean, would be kept confidential.

Court proceedings were originally slated for Monday
but were postponed because the Malibu wildfire made it
impossible for D'Errico to return home to retrieve her
case files.

Mark Carras of Rock My Monkey recently conducted an
interview with former SKID ROW vocalist Sebastian
Bach. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

Rock My Monkey: One thing that I did notice on this CD
["Angel Down"] is that you're using your higher
octaves more than you have in a long time.

Sebastian Bach: Yeah. That's true.

Rock My Monkey: What was the reason behind that?

Sebastian Bach: That's very, very true. One thing, I
did a play, "Jesus Christ Superstar" in 2002 that
really got me screaming high again. It felt so good
that I really said to myself "I'm always going to sing
like this, only because I can.' You know what I mean?
(laughs) And why not? So I said, "My next record, man,
I'm going to scream like 'Slave To The Grind'. I'm
going to try to sing like that first SKID ROW album,
that really high style." And a lot of singers came out
that were singing in that style that are starting to
make it cool again. One guy is AFI, Davey Chaos,
and-there's a lot-is that his name? Davey Havok,
sorry. (both laugh)

Rock My Monkey: Havoc, chaos.

Sebastian Bach: (laughs) A lot of these high singers
were coming out. The thing is when I recorded most of
the vocals for "Angel Down", I was coming right off
the GUNS N' ROSES tour. We did a couple weeks of shows
with GUNS N' ROSES in Europe and then flew, we flew
straight from Vienna, Austria. We did a festival with
TOOL and GUNS N' ROSES all in the same day. It was an
amazing festival. Then I got right on a plane and we
flew right to L.A. from Vienna, and started recording
right when we got there. And so my voice on the record
is really high on the record on some of the songs
because I was screaming with Axl Rose every night, and
doing my set, and then doing my set and then "My
Michelle". And I can remember coming in to do the
vocals for "Angel Down", and my voice was so fucking
high. Like really high! And it was hard to get it to
go low. Like the last song, "Falling Into You", is
quite low, the verses, and I was so used to singing
high that that was one of the hardest ones for me to
nail, because my voice was really, really, really high
when I was singing the album. And "You Don't
Understand" — I'm glad you mentioned that one. Because
one thing I definitely concentrated on that song was
to do it clean, and that's very challenging to sing
really clean and pure for a guy my age. (laughs) So I
really concentrated on that song, making it really
pure and clean, and I love how it turned out. I love
that song, too. I'm glad you dig it.

Rock My Monkey: Other than getting you to do "Back In
The Saddle", what do you think Roy Z's brought to the
CD as a producer that would not have been there
otherwise?

Sebastian Bach: He brought one thing that was totally
essential, and he really made the album a better
album. And I'll tell you why. Because as you said, my
band is a great metal band, but they are real metal
players. Like, Steve DiGiorgio plays bass on the
record. He plays a fretless bass throughout the whole
record, and he's one of the world's best heavy metal
bass players. And to have him on my record is such an
honor, and he did such a great job. Blows me away. But
here's the deal. We had songs like "Negative Light". I
wrote that with Steve. "Take It Down With Me", I wrote
that with Steve. Metal Mike, I had "American
Metalhead". Johnny had "Stuck Inside". We had "Angel
Down", because I had that from Adam Albright. What I'm
trying to say, all the songs I'm mentioning are
fucking all super-metal songs. And Roy said, "Dude,
this is great, but you know what you need?" I go,
"What?" He says, "You need straight-up rock." And I
didn't really know what he meant, because I'm the
artist. That's why you get a producer. So he's like,
"Let me fucking show you some shit." Then he plays me
the riff to "Love Is A Bitchslap", which is (imitates
guitar riff). It's just fun. It's not like "Negative
Light", which is so metal. So what he did was he made
the record more balanced. He balanced it out, which
was very important. It was his idea to do "Back In The
Saddle", which I never would have thought of. It was
his idea to add more straight-up rock like "Love Is A
Bitchslap", which is actually the first single. Rock
and roll should always be fun, you know? And that's
what he brought to the table. A real fun, straight-up
rock vibe. That's what he did.

Following the successful launch of Royal Underground,
Kelly Gray and MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx are
expanding into the women’s clothing industry.

Royal Underground, which Gray co-founded in
conjunction with Sixx, made its fall debut in 2006
with its menswear line to the acclaim of stylists,
fashion editors and store buyers who raved about the
collection’s profound rock 'n' roll attitude.

Given the elevated success of the men's collection,
Gray and Sixx decided to take the next obvious step:
clothing for women.

Not surprisingly, the line embodies the same soulful,
chic and luxurious vibe as the men's line. The line
will consist of between 25 and 40 pieces influenced by
the French Revolution, as well as images of artwork
culled from that era.

Sixx, a longtime fashion aficionado, said the women's
line was precipitated by something as elemental as
customer demand. "It's almost more exciting to design
women's because with men, there is a limit to how far
they can make everything go, fashion-wise, " said Sixx.
"When I started to find myself jealous of Nikki's
clothes, I couldn't stop thinking about the
possibility of a women's clothing line," said Gray.

The collection will fall between the price range of
$100 and $1,200 and will be available in select
Bloomingdale' s, Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom stores
across the country, and specialty boutiques such as
Boogie's in Aspen.

11.25.07

Ben Rayner of the Toronto Star recently conducted an
interview with ROCK STAR SUPERNOVA frontman Lukas
Rossi. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

On ROCK STAR SUPERNOVA coming to an end this past
spring after dismal sales of its debut album and
disastrous concert reviews:

"It takes a chunk out of you, man. I'm not gonna lie.
I thought it was gonna go on longer. I think my ego
got blown a little out of proportion after it was all
said and done, and coming back down to earth is
obviously where I belong. Coming off that tour, it was
like: 'Where's all the glory?' But I like it where I
am right now. If I have to pay my dues until I die,
that's the way God wants it to be."

On weaving his way across Canada on a small-venue
acoustic tour that brings him to Lee's Palace in
Toronto Sunday night (November 25):

"It's not really an adjustment. I've always been a
really hard worker. In my other bands, no one did shit
for us. It's just as hard on my wife [former porn star
Kendra Jade] as it is on me. I failed my driver's test
four times so, unfortunately, she's been having to do
all the driving. She basically tour-manages and
handles all the crazy people and so forth that I
can't. ... She's good support. We get hard on each
other sometimes – it's pretty grueling, driving and
playing, driving and playing, especially in the
winter. I'm sick now and I have 10 shows in a row to
do. But the fans are waiting, man, so it's my pleasure
to do it."

On ROCK STAR SUPERNOVA's possible comeback:

"It actually felt like a real band. I thought it was
gonna go on much longer. But at the end of the tour,
everyone just kind of went off and started deejay-ing
or whatever [apparently referring to ROCK STAR
SUPERNOVA drummer Tommy Lee]. I don't know what that's
about, but let 'em do what they want. I'd just started
to fire. I'm ready to start rockin'. I'm just getting
my feet wet and I've got no time to relax. I don't
have time to make pit stops. I'm not a deejay.

"All these [solo acoustic] shows in Canada are sold
out, man, and they're not there to see Tommy Lee.
They're there to see me. And that's a good feeling."

The following story is courtesy of Bringbackglam. com:

After two decades of on again, off again shows, San
Francisco rockers JETBOY are back with The Glam Years
CD and DVD package. Lead guitarist Billy Rowe has kept
busy with AMERICAN HEARTBREAK, but he's glad to be
back on the road with Jetboy for a holiday tour with
RATT frontman Stephen Pearcy. Recently, Billy chatted
with Bring Back Glam! about the Glam Years, the death
of bassist Todd Crew and his relationship with GUNS N'
ROSES. A few excerpts follow:

Bring Back Glam!: How did your recent tour come about?

Billy Rowe: "It’s because of our new DVD (The Glam
Years). That DVD has been in the works for almost a
year and once we got the ball rolling, our commitment
was to get out and there start playing. Stephen’s
(Pearcy, RATT) manager is a good friend of mine, he
actually managed American Heartbreak for awhile, and
that helped him out…land the Percy thing. When I said
we wanted to do some dates, I asked him if Pearcy
would be interested since he was always a fan of the
band (Jetboy). He was all for it, and it just kind of
came together."

Bring Back Glam!: Do you know that Jetboy is mentioned
several times in the new Slash autobiography? It seems
like Slash was a big fan.
Billy Rowe: "Yeah. It’s really interesting. Fern read
the whole thing on the way to Vegas and back. It so
personal because Todd (Crew - bass) died and was fired
from the band due to substance abuse, mainly alcohol.
We tried to get our manager and the band…we were
buddies, two bands connected at the hip. Actually,
Fernie (Rod - guitar) and I knew Axl (Rose) and Izzy
(Stradlin) before Guns N’ Roses even formed and then
once we got our bands going…well, Hollywood Rose was
hanging on by a thread. Axl was like 'Dude, I got a
new band, let’s start doing shows together.' Me and
Izzy were pretty tight…it’s kind of funny. We were the
two that introduced Todd to Guns N’ Roses and got that
whole connection going. You know, Todd ended up just
looking at different things… a lot of partying. When
Todd joined Jetboy, he wasn’t that much of a partier.
It got to the point where we went to Guns N’ Roses and
said 'Todd is going to die. He’s bad off, you need to
something.' They were like 'Todd’s fine. We all party.
You guys are tripping.' We didn’t know what to do. We
were meeting with labels, our producer was making
comments that he was cheating the band…we were a team.
It was a hard decision – and to this day I don’t know
if it was the right decision – but from that day on,
the two of us - Jetboy and Guns N’ Roses - were at
war. Six months later, Todd was dead. Todd’s family
went after Slash. They hired a private investigator
and all this stuff. Guns N’ Roses started badmouthing
us all the way to the top. They became the biggest
band in the world. A year later, they fired Steven
Adler for the same reason. Is it the pot calling the
kettle black? I say yes all the way around. It’s very
personal. I think they have guilt. They know we went
to them. He was only 20 years old. He was doing too
much and he died. It’s a shame. When I read the
book…there’s a lot of stuff that isn’t true. It
bothers me. Slash wants the last laugh."

Bring Back Glam!: Were you surprised Jetboy didn’t get
huge?
Billy Rowe: "Um, you know it’s not that I’m not
surprised…I don’t know what the word is. We went
through so much crap politically with the label
(Elektra) and I think people are starting to see that
now. Our album was supposed to come out two months
after Appetite For Destruction. Part of me does
believe that if our record had come out at that time,
things would have been different. I don’t know how
different, but it could have been a good chance that
Appetite wasn’t what it became. I don’t know. I’ll
never know. Even in Billboard, when (Feel The Shake)
came out a year later – after we’d been dropped by
Elektra and picked up by MCA – that magazine said the
album was going to be the most important release since
Hysteria (DEF LEPPARD) and Appetite For Destruction. I
think the timing sucked and we paid for it – I don’t
know if it was bad karma letting go of Todd or if it
was the way the planets were aligned for our time in
our careers. I really have no idea."
 

Michael Politz of The Vegas Eye reports that QUIET
RIOT frontman Kevin DuBrow was found dead in his Las
Vegas home on Sunday, November 25. According to
Politz, DubRow — whom Politz calls "one of my closest
friends" — recently celebrated his 52nd birthday in
New Orleans "where he ate great food and even caught
THE CULT at The House of Blues."

Although the band has yet to issue an official
statement on the matter, bassist Kelly Garni, who was
one of the founding members of QUIET RIOT, has posted
the following message on the Randy Rhoads (late QUIET
RIOT/OZZY OSBOURNE guitarist) web site RandyRhoads. tk:

"I ask this to all of you not only for myself but for
other friends and family. I ask that no one here offer
any speculation or opinions, theories or other things
that could be construed as negative or, and I'm sorry
for this, even sympathetic, right at this immediate
time. I am already within hours of this having to deal
with untrue rumors and speculation and that only adds
fuel to that. There is a tendency for the subject of
Kevin to incite flames on every board and now is not
the time for that. I will explain to everyone here the
facts and the truth in the next 24 to 48 hours as I
realize this will effect us all. So please, until
then, be patient. All details and other pertinate info
will be passed on to you here when it becomes
available to me. Thank you."

11.21.07

QUEENSRŸCHE's collection of covers, "Take Cover", has
sold 5,500 copies in the United States in its first
week of release to debut at position No. 173 on The
Billboard 200 chart.

Singer and chief songwriter Geoff Tate, guitarists
Michael Wilton and Mike Stone, bassist Eddie Jackson,
and drummer Scott Rockenfield put their stamp on 11
classic tracks with "Take Cover".

Not known for playing many covers live, Tate says the
album gave the band a chance to relax and have some
fun. "During soundchecks, Stone and Michael like to
play 'name that riff,' and sometimes the whole band
joins in. That's really the way this album came
together too. We got together and started playing
songs to each other, and then we picked our
favorites."

The eclectic list of songs reflects the members'
divergent tastes and includes a few surprising
selections such as "Heaven On Their Minds" from the
hit musical "Jesus Christ Superstar", the O'JAYS R&B
classic "For Love Of Money" and an operatic epic
originally performed by the Italian duo of CARLO
MARRALE & CHEOPE, "Odissea". Recognized as an
accomplished vocalist, Tate says he enjoyed the song's
demanding arrangement. "I really like this song
because there is a lot for a singer to sink his teeth
into, plus I got a chance to sing in Italian, which
was interesting considering I don't speak a word of
it."

The set covers a lot of ground both lyrically and
musically, opening with "Innuendo", QUEEN's epic song
about life and death; "Almost Cut My Hair", CROSBY,
STILLS, NASH & YOUNG's paean to freedom; and the
medieval metal of BLACK SABBATH's "Neon Knights".

"Take Cover" also features QUEENSRŸCHE's distinctive
arrangement of PINK FLOYD's "Welcome To The Machine",
an acoustic version of BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD' s "For What
It's Worth", and a highly charged live version of U2's
"Bullet The Blue Sky". "We'll never top the originals;
they're classics for a reason," Tate says. "We were
more focused on finding different approaches that took
the songs in unexpected directions."

Singing PETER GABRIEL's "Red Rain" and THE POLICE's
"Synchronicity II", Tate says, were opportunities for
him to explore music he'd previously overlooked. "I'd
heard these songs on the radio before, but I didn't
really appreciate them before the guys suggested we
record them. It was a rewarding experience doing this
album because it gave us all a chance to pay tribute
to some of the bands that have meant so much to us
over the years, and we all discovered new songs to
love."

"Take Cover" track listing (original artist in
parenthesis) :

01. Innuendo (QUEEN)
02. Bullet The Blue Sky - Live (U2)
03. Synchronicity II (THE POLICE)
04. For What It's Worth (BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD)
05. Welcome To The Machine (PINK FLOYD)
06. Red Rain (PETER GABRIEL)
07. Neon Knights (BLACK SABBATH)
08. Almost Cut My Hair (CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG)
09. Heaven On Their Minds ("Jesus Christ Superstar")
10. For The Love Of Money (THE O'JAYS)
11. Odissea (CARLO MARRALE & CHEOPE)
 

Former MEGADETH guitarist Jeff Young has issued the
following update:

"Since a majority of my time these days is spent
playing nylon-string classic and flamenco guitars,
I've decided to part with my most precious amplifier
pieces. A part of me didn't want to let go of these
items, many of which have been with me through
important recordings and performances. However, after
much reflection, I've come to the following
conclusion: if you own something, store it, never use
it — it's probably time to pass it on to someone who
WILL use it.

"This gear is FAR SUPERIOR to what I used on
MEGADETH's 'So Far, So Good So What!' album. To this
day, I regret that I didn't have these pieces when
recording my tracks for that album. However, I did use
the equipment in question for rhythms and leads on all
the Young/Holiday studio tracks on my 'Lost Tracks'
myspace profile page. You can listen to these one-of-a
kind components in action at the following domain:
www.myspace. com/jeffyoungmus ic."

For more information, visit
www.myspace. com/guitaristjef fyoung.

Jeff Young will join the Guitar Institute of
Technology teaching staff at Hollywood, California's
Musicians Institute in January 2008.

Musicians Institute offers a comprehensive, hands-on
education in contemporary music performance,
recording, guitar making, music business and film.

Jeff's entire career with MEGADETH was spent recording
and touring in support of the band's 1988
platinum-selling album "So Far, So Good...So What!"

Following his stint with MEGADETH, Jeff began
contributing the "Fingerprints" column for Guitar
magazine. For a portion of the 1990s, Jeff stepped
away from his career to deal with the untimely deaths
of first his father and later his mother while
immersing himself in the further study of classical,
flamenco, gypsy jazz and other world music varieties.
In 1998, he resurfaced with new Brazilian musical
partner, Badi Assad. Together, the duo crafted exotic
soundscapes for their first collaboration entitled,
BADI ASSAD - "Chameleon". The album, co-written,
arranged, and produced by Jeff, introduced their
acoustic-world- fusion sounds to diverse audiences
worldwide. Opening concerts for renowned artists,
including Joe Cocker and Cassandra Wilson, as well as
performances on 1999's Lilith Fair and Farm Aid 2000,
are testament to the considerable cross-over appeal of
Badi and Jeff's "new world music" explorations. In
2003, the track "Waves" from "Chameleon" was featured
in the Michael and Kirk Douglas film "It Runs in the
Family", as well as on the movie's soundtrack.
 

According to Pollstar, veteran all-female hard rockers
VIXEN have been confirmed for next year's Rocklahoma
festival, which will be held July 11-13, 2008 at the
Catch The Fever Festival Grounds, four miles north of
Pryor, Oklahoma. Also scheduled to appear is
Switzerland' s KROKUS, whose participation in the event
was announced on Monday (November 19) by the
festival's organizers, Catch the Fever Music Festival,
via KMOD radio in Tulsa.

Tickets for Rocklahoma 2008 went on sale to the
general public on October 1. Over fifty percent of the
VIP seats have been renewed making the remaining seats
in great demand. The public is encouraged to get their
VIP seats early as they are becoming more limited.

Rocklahoma will re-create the Hollywood scene of the
Eighties with help from Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
member Whisky A Go Go and the famed Rainbow Bar and
Grill, both on West Hollywood's Sunset Blvd.

"The Eighties was a magical moment in regards to the
history of rock and roll as many of the hottest bands
at that time got their start right there on Sunset
Blvd.," said Mark Nuessle, general manager of the
Catch the Fever Music Festival.

The Pulse of Radio reports that VELVET REVOLVER and
former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash said backstage at
the American Music Awards on Sunday night (November
18) that there had been "some interest" from Hollywood
in a film version of his recently published
autobiography, but that he hadn't "really looked into
it." Slash told The Pulse of Radio that he'd be open
to the idea, but not without some restrictions. "The
one thing I wouldn't have them do or allow them to do
would be to actually do the book with the characters
in it, the way that they are in real life as far as
who they are," he said. "You know, if you wanted to
take the story and make up some people (laughs) and
change the names and all that kind of stuff, and make
everybody fictional, it could be interesting. But if
you were gonna try and go, 'Okay, this is Slash and
this is Axl (Rose) and this is Slash's mom, and this
character's gonna play Scott (Weiland),' no, I
wouldn't allow it."

Slash published his memoirs, simply titled "Slash",
last month.

VELVET REVOLVER singer Scott Weiland said at the AMAs
that he has had a publishing deal for the last year to
also write his autobiography.

VELVET REVOLVER had to cancel a four-city Japanese
tour slated to begin this week because of immigration
issues, but the band is still set to head to Australia
in December.
 

Australia's News.com.au reports that VELVET REVOLVER's
bass guitarist Duff says he's open to hooking up with
GUNS N' ROSES again and, of course, Axl Rose — as as
long as it's not too chaotic.

And he intends seeing Australia on a Harley-Davidson
when his band tours next month.

Speaking to News.com.au' s Qconfidential from a
beachside bar in Maui where he ordered a cocktail
during the interview, Duff said he and Slash had
discussed a possible GUNS N' ROSES show.

"It would be a lot of fun as long as it was on a fun
level and say just 10 shows to huge crowds," Duff
said.

"But we're not really hanging around for a call or
with our breath held."

Duff's more immediate focus is VELVET REVOLVER's show
on December at the Brisbane Convention Centre.

The band has visas for their visit Down Under, unlike
their tour of Japan which had to be cancelled because
they were denied visas.

He was last here with the band a couple of years ago
and surprised a number of locals, especially a
three-piece cover band, when they turned up at the
Victory Hotel on a Sunday night.

"Brisbane's an awesome place and I remember that pub
and the people were really friendly," Duff said.

"Anywhere where there's sunshine and palm trees people
are happy."

As for his love of Harleys: "We're going to get a
couple of bikes and on our days off tour around
country. It's better than staying in your hotel room."

Swiss hard rockers KROKUS are the first confirmed band
for next year's Rocklahoma festival, which will be
held July 11-13, 2008 at the Catch The Fever Festival
Grounds, four miles north of Pryor, Oklahoma. KROKUS'
participation in the event was announced on Monday
(November 19) by the festival's organizers, Catch the
Fever Music Festival, via KMOD radio in Tulsa.

Tickets for Rocklahoma 2008 went on sale to the
general public on October 1. Over fifty percent of the
VIP seats have been renewed making the remaining seats
in great demand. The public is encouraged to get their
VIP seats early as they are becoming more limited.

Rocklahoma will re-create the Hollywood scene of the
Eighties with help from Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
member Whisky A Go Go and the famed Rainbow Bar and
Grill, both on West Hollywood's Sunset Blvd.

"The Eighties was a magical moment in regards to the
history of rock and roll as many of the hottest bands
at that time got their start right there on Sunset
Blvd.," said Mark Nuessle, general manager of the
Catch the Fever Music Festival.
 

ADLER'S APPETITE, the band led by former GUNS N' ROSES
drummer Steven Adler, has cancelled its previously
announced European tour. ENUFF Z'NUFF's Chip Z'Nuff,
who is the current touring bassist for ADLER'S
APPETITE, has issued the following statement on the
matter:

"We sincerely apologize to all our friends and fans
for the cancellation of this tour. Of course, Steven
loves to play and meet his fans. Unfortunately, he has
some personal issues that prevented him from
participating. He was optimistic about doing the
shows, but when it came down to it, he just couldn't.
Steven's like a brother to us, and we just want to see
him healthy. We're looking forward to making up these
shows next year. Please forgive us, and thank you for
your patience and understanding. Peace."
According to the Mexican newspaper El Universal,
Steven Adler fell ill during a live performance in
Mexico City on September 19, 2007 and was treated by
paramedics at the scene, a Red Cross spokeswoman told
The Associated Press. The spokeswoman, who spoke on
condition of anonymity, said Adler was not
hospitalized after the Red Cross treated him. Initial
news reports saying Adler suffered from hypertension
could not be confirmed.

The other members of GUNS N' ROSES band threw Adler
out in 1989, saying his drug use was harming his
performance. In 1993, the band agreed to pay him $2.3
million to settle Adler's lawsuit claiming a 1990
agreement by which he gave up his interest in the band
was read to him and signed without his attorney present.

11.18.07

Philadelphia- based hard rockers BRITNY FOX have inked
a deal with Z Records. In addition, the band has been
confirmed for the Z Rock 08 festival, set to take
place April 20, 2008 at Maximes, Wigan, UK.

Commented Z Records in a statement: "The band's
manager, Chris 'Bog Poppa', and Z Rock label chief
Mark Alger finalized all parts of this impressive deal
during the late hours of Friday evening. Both parties
are extremely excited that BRITNY FOX will finally
return to the UK for this exclusive appearance after
18 long years and in the process record a live album
to make it even more special for fans!"

In addition to BRITNY FOX, Z Rock 08 will feature
performances by BONFIRE, BURN, STORMZONE and VON
GROOVE.

BRITNY FOX 2007 is:

Tommy Paris - Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Michael Kelly Smith - Lead & Rhythm Guitars, Backing
Vocals
Billy Childs - Bass, Backing Vocals
Johnny Dee - Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals

JUDAS PRIEST has begun mixing its new concept album
about the legendary 16th century prophet Nostradamus,
singer Rob Halford revealed during an appearance this
past Friday (November 16) on Eddie Trunk's "Friday
Night Rocks" radio show. In addition, JUDAS PRIEST
will make an announcement in the next couple of weeks
about tour dates for 2008. According to Halford, the
upcoming tour will include shows where the entire
"Nostradamus" album will be performed as well as
concerts featuring the band's classic songs.

Regarding the direction of the material and how whole
concept for the record came about, Halford recently
told PureGrainAudio. com, "It sounds absolutely fucking
amazing and that's not me inflating it, it is
genuinely spectacular. So we're still carrying on with
that and it should be out sometime in 2008. The idea
(for the record) came from our manager Bill
Curbishley, because we were ready to go in and do
another studio record, but Bill came to see us towards
the end of the 'Angel of Retribution' tour, he came to
Russia, we were playing Russia and we had lunch with
him and he said, 'Look, I have this idea.' Bill
manages THE WHO, you know, Pete and Roger, and Bill
was behind the enormous success of 'Tommy' and he
said, 'I just think that you know, maybe you should
think about this possibility of doing a concept album
and I've been thinking about this guy Nostradamus. '
And as soon as he brought the name up, I'm like, I'm
there, let's go, you don't have to say anything else.
I knew something of him already like everybody does
about the books that you read about him, or on the
Internet or on TV, documentaries and I thought wow,
this is absolutely brilliant so that's where it all
came about from."

On the rumors that "Nostradamus" will be a double
album, Halford said, "It is a rumor still. I mean,
there is an enormous amount of material and you can
only put so much on a single CD so you know, we're
trying to tell the story of his life and we're trying
to cover every significant moment of his life and I
think you know, when we got it all recorded, that's
when you're faced with the reality of how much time
you got and how much a CD will afford you and the
timing of it all. So we just ask everyone to bear with
us and as we actually get into the mixing mode, we'll
be able to be more definitive and tell everybody
exactly what we've got, but we just want to make sure
we tell his life story so we'll do whatever it takes
to do that."

Original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley has scheduled the
following dates:

Dec. 27 - Jaxx - Springfield, VA
Dec. 28 - Jaxx - Springfield, VA
Dec. 29 - The Norva - Norfolk, VA

Tickets are available now via Ticketmaster. com.

Frehley is aiming for an early 2008 release date for
his new solo album. The guitarist — who recently
celebrated one year of sobriety after relapsing during
the summer of 2006 — has finished recording around 10
new songs for the effort but is looking to lay down
two or three more in the next couple of months in
order to make the CD "really special," he revealed
during an appearance on the "Friday Night Rocks" radio
show.

Ace's new album was reportedly recorded with a trio of
Ace, Anton Fig on drums and new bassist Anthony
Esposito (LYNCH MOB).
 

MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine has issued the
following update:

"Far and wide, thank you all for you fabulous support
at the concerts and other various get-togethers. We
wrapped up 2007 in one of the warmest and kindest
countries to host heavy metal concerts.

"I look forward to a long relationship with the
Aussies, if not with just Gigantour, but definitely
MEGADETH too.

"I enjoyed seeing some of the last runs airport
friends, except hair-toucher.

"I am going to reflect on a very up-and-down year over
the holidays and get myself prepare to come back even
stronger next year.

"There will be updates and a new number to call me on
soon, so stay tuned.

"Until we speak again, thanks to BRING ME THE HORIZON,
LACUNA COIL, DEVILDRIVER and STATIC-X.

"It is time to try to sleep for three hours and then
shower and head for home. Wish us all safe travels."

Dave Mustaine will be the featured guest on the
nationally syndicated radio show "Rockline", hosted by
Bob Coburn, airing Monday, December 17 at 11:30 p.m.
EST/8:30 p.m. PST. Fans can talk live with Dave
Mustaine by calling 800-344-ROCK (7625). To find a
station near you or to listen to the show live via the
Internet, go to www.rocklineradio. com.

KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons has posted the
following message on his web site:

"I AM ALIVE AND WELL!!! Thank you all, for the kind
words and condolences. .. but I am alive and well.

"Recently, there has been a rumor spread on the
Internet of my passing. Our legal team is actively
looking into this and I intend to sue the people off
the face of the Earth. Can everyone say 'Bye, bye'
together? But thank you for the kind words. All is
good."

Simmons is writing his third book — "Ladies of the
Night", a "personal and historical overview" on the
profession of prostitution — coming this spring via
his own publishing company, Simmons Books. He also has
Simmons Comics, with three comic book series based on
characters he's created, according to Billboard.com.
Simmons also manages a host of efforts with partner
Richard Abramson as part of Simmons Abramson
Marketing. Of those is NGTV.com, a popular video web
site featuring uncensored celebrity interviews and
music videos in which Simmons is both the chairman and
an investor.
 

Chris Harris of MTV.com reports: Not only does Rob
Zombie hope to record another studio LP in 2008, he's
still working on the companion DVD to his recently
released album, "Zombie Live", Zombie's inaugural live
offering, which sold 15,000 copies during its first
week to debut at #57 on the Billboard top 200. He'd
like to have the DVD finished for a spring 2008
release, he said during a recent teleconference with
reporters.

"I'm not sure [when the DVD will be in stores], 'cause
right now, the editor who I'll have edit that is
editing [this] behind-the-scenes documentary,
documenting the making of 'Halloween', " he said,
referring to his re-imagining of the 1978 classic,
which hit theaters last summer. "So when he's done
doing that, he's then going to go do this one. So, who
knows?

"I didn't want to really just make a live DVD, because
I felt like, 'Ah, who cares?' " he continued. "What I
really did was [make] a tour documentary similar to
the documentary I made for the DVD for 'Devil's
Rejects', where it starts with the first rehearsal
through the building of the stage, through traveling
and flying and playing every show and after the show
and this and that."

So what of that long-rumored, oft-delayed WHITE ZOMBIE
box set, a compilation of every piece of music the
band ever put to tape?

"I don't know when it's going to come out," he
explained. "I always keep putting it on the backburner
to do other projects. What my plan for what to put on
it was basically every single thing ever, so that I
could put out the box set and go, 'That's everything.
Don't ask me about anything else. That is absolutely
everything that band's ever recorded.' There [won't
be] a lot of extra stuff, but there's tons of stuff
that was never even on CD that was just on these
limited vinyl releases. I'm not real good at going
back and wanting to redo old stuff. I always want to
do new stuff, so that's why the project keeps dragging
on forever."

Dean Goodman of Reuters reports that Scott Weiland
said on Sunday that he has a publishing deal to write
an autobiography, but is feeling overwhelmed by the
prospect of chronicling his eventful life to date.

"It's a weird thing," the VELVET REVOLVER frontman
told reporters backstage at the American Music Awards.
"You make a lot of records, write a lot of songs, but
all of a sudden you go into a whole different vein,
and it's a little bit scary to dive into."

Weiland, 40, said he would collaborate on the project
with David Ritz, the "Sexual Healing" lyricist who has
co-written autobiographies for the likes of Marvin
Gaye, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and most recently
Don Rickles. He did not reveal the name of the
publisher.

Weiland was accompanied by VELVET REVOLVER guitarist
Slash, who just wrote a self-titled memoir with
Anthony Bozza (Eminem, Tommy Lee).

Slash's advice to Weiland? "Just jump in, and once you
get going you can't stop."

Slash, 42, said there has been "some interest" from
Hollywood producers in adapting his book for the
screen, "but I haven't really looked into it."
 

11.15.07

Jason Price of Live-Metal.net recently conducted an
interview with former SKID ROW vocalist Sebastian
Bach. A few of excerpts from the chat follow:

Live-Metal.net: How long has ["Angel Down"] been in
the works?

Bach: I spent seven years writing the record. The
first song was written in the year 2000, right after I
was done with "Jekyll & Hyde" on Broadway. I wrote
"Falling Into You", which is the last song on the
record, with Desmond Child. Then I went through many,
many different band members over the course of the
years. I had many different guitar players and
musicians in my solo band, so each one of them had
something to offer and it basically took me seven
years to assemble 14 songs that I feel is an album.
That is why it took that long.

Live-Metal.net: In your opinion, where does "Angel
Down" stack up in comparison to your previous work?

Bach: Well, one thing that really surprises me about
"Angel Down" is how young my voice sounds on certain
songs. There is a song called "You Don't Understand"
on which I really concentrated on singing really clean
and pure. I have been beating the shit out of myself
and my voice for 20 years, and there is no way that my
voice should sound the way that it sounds on some of
these songs, which is just surprising to me. I can
only attribute it to theater and all the theater that
I have done. That taught me a lot about singing. I can
hear the theatrical influence in certain parts of the
record.

Live-Metal.net: You used artwork from your father,
David Bierk, as the cover for "Angel Down". The
painting is titled "David Watching". How did you
decide on this particular piece for the album cover?

Bach: Well, my dad was extremely prolific. There are
thousands of images that he painted during his
lifetime. So there is really a wealth of paintings
that I could choose from. When I did "Jesus Christ
Superstar" in 2002, that image really haunted me
because it looked like it was him in heaven, made of
rock, lifeless, looking down at Jesus in the painting,
and I was playing the role of Jesus at the time. So to
me it was like an image from beyond the grave. And
then we have the song "Angel Down". I had already been
thinking of using that as the title track because I
always want the title track to be super fucking ballsy
and heavy. And on that song, that is the heaviest riff
I have heard in years. So when I thought of the title
"Angel Down", with the painting, it was meant to be.
It totally fit together. Then, a lot of the lyrics on
the record have a lot to do with the war, and I am
sure any parent or family member or friend that has
lost a soldier in this war knows what an "Angel Down"
means. It is like saying "man overboard." It has a
very military feel to it, which again is what a lot of
the lyrics have to do with.

Live-Metal.net: You had the painting tattooed on your
arm by the legendary Kat Von D, what was that
experience like for you?

Bach: That was great, man! Because a lot of my tattoos
are really super old and Kat Von D has such a new
style with the way she does tats. It is so fucking
detailed and she has her own style that is very, very
happening and cool. So that was really great to do
that show. I loved how they played "Love is a
Bitchslap" on "LA Ink". A lot of the fans were like,
"Dude, your fucking song sounds KILLER on the show!" I
loved hearing it on the show. It was the first time
that I had heard one of my new songs on a TV show and
I freaked out. I was like, "Oh my God, I really do
have a new record!" [laughs]

Live-Metal.net: In many ways, especially in the "rock
media," you have become a sort of "unofficial
mouthpiece" for GUNS N' ROSES in the past few years.

Bach: Yeah.

Live-Metal.net: Does this ever put you in a bad spot
or become a bit of a burden?

Bach: Uh, yeah, actually it does. Actually, just
yesterday. I do talk about him a lot and I don't know
what to do. What, am I not supposed to talk about the
best singer in the world who just happens to be my
buddy? [laughs] It is kinda hard NOT to talk about it!
I did an interview with a magazine last week where I
went into detail about our collaboration and they
condensed it into about three sentences, which wasn't
cool. So, he [Axl] was asking me about it and I said,
"I never said this." So maybe sometimes I should talk
a little less about him, but it is hard. Number one, I
am a fan and mumber two, he is a friend, and number
three, he is on my record. So I just have to trust the
writers not to twist my words and I don't have a bad
word to say about him. It is not in my being. So I do
have to be careful.

Live-Metal.net: You have been in the public eye for a
very long time and have a very well documented career.
What do you think is the biggest misconception about
Sebastian Bach?

Bach: There are a lot of misconceptions. You know, I
don't like the word "80s" because it always makes me
cringe. Or "hair band," I hate that word. I don't like
being lumped in with a bunch of other bands that I
have never even met, have never even played with and
have nothing to do with, but somehow we are all in one
big band together. That drives me nuts. The real fans
know the difference between SKID ROW and a lot of the
bands that SKID ROW gets billed with. The SKID ROW of
2007 doesn't help matters at all by what they are
doing. They are wrecking the name worse than can ever
be wrecked. So they make my job harder when I am
trying to do something cool and new, and they are just
touring the world two out of five original members,
playing with all the bands that we would never have
toured with me in the band. So they make it hard. So I
have to fight "80s hair band" all the time and I guess
I don't make it any easier on myself when I have long
blonde hair down to my asshole, but that's just too
bad! [laughs] TOO BAD!

Live-Metal.net: Will you be doing anything special to
celebrate the release of "Angel Down" on November 20,
when it is released?

Bach: I do plan on going to my area stores and just
making sure that it is there! [laughs] Hopefully, I
don't have to yell at anybody on the phone at the end
of the day! Really, at this point, I have worked so
hard on it and listened to it so many times and I have
approved it. It's amazing. But I still haven't seen
the finished product yet! Hopefully, they didn't spell
something wrong or fucking leave a song off or
something! As long as it is like we approved it, it is
amazing and it is everything that I want it to be. So
really, all I can do then is just hope for the best!
It's like I put a stamp on an envelope and put it in
the mail, it's gone! It's out of my control! Once I
say it's done, it's yours as much as it is mine. So I
hope you like it! The other thing I would like to say
is, that if people really want to support rock n'
roll, please go to the store and buy the CD. CD stores
are going out of business to the point where it is
getting really fucking scary to be a musician. You can
download it, but you are gonna miss out on the full
sound of the CD, which is way better than MP3 sound.
You're gonna miss out on the artwork and the
double-sided poster which is included in the
packaging. And we all put a lot of work into making a
package that you are not even going to know about if
you just download an MP3. If anyone is thinking about
the CD, please, go to the store and support rock n'
roll, support record stores, support the CD industry,
support my kids! [laughs] And BUY THE FUCKING CD!
[laughs] We all have to do that. When I want a new CD,
I go to the store and buy it. That is the only way
rock n' roll is gonna survive and every rock n' roller
better know that! People talk about global warming,
let's talk about "rock n' roll colding!" [laughs] I
don't like seeing Tower Records going out of business
and Best Buy and Wal-Mart cut down their CD space.
Every rocker, go out and buy the CD to show the world
that we want to rock!

MEGADETH drummer Shawn Drover has issued the following
update:

"I gotta tell ya, this entire Oz Gigantour has been a
blast for me. At this juncture of the game, all the
bands have pretty much exchanged a warm hello, etc. to
which all of them seem to be having a good time out
here with us — at least, I certainly hope that they
are

"For a few shows now, most band members have jumped
onstage with us to sing the end of 'Peace Sells' (now
a Gigantour staple) hell, even the dude's from RATT
jumped onstage to sing with us the other night — that
was very cool of them, I must say. On top of that,
Cristina Scabbia from LACUNA COIL (as most of you know
by now) has been sharing the stage nightly with us to
sing 'A Toute Le Monde', to which she has really been
kicking ass. All in all, this really has been a fun
tour leg.

"Three days left and two shows remain before we head
back home to decompress, watch NFL football, and be
'normal' for a while.

"As much as I am looking forward to being home with my
wife, kids and animals, it has been so great to see
all of the happy faces in attendance at these shows. I
sincerely do hope that you have enjoyed these shows as
much as we have!!!!!"

World Entertainment News Network reports that Rob
Zombie quit eating turkey at Thanksgiving when he
learned all about the torture methods farms use to
fatten up fowl.

The animal lover insists he can't even look at a
frozen Butterball turkey (a brand of turkey and other
poultry products produced by Butterball LLC, a joint
venture of Smithfield Foods and Maxwell Farms)
anymore, and this Thanksgiving he's hoping to
encourage others to give up meat as part of a new
People For The Ethical Treatment Of Animals campaign.

Zombie is narrating the message on PETA's new holiday
hotline, 1-888-VEG-FOOD, where callers can hear the
"Halloween" and "House Of 1000 Corpses" director warn
that eating turkeys supports misery that even the
horror king can't stomach.

He says, "Every year, Butterball's Turkey Talk Line
answers questions about how to boil, broil, roast, and
toast the bodies of these gentle, smart, and social
birds.

"What Butterball doesn't tell you is that it, like
other meat companies, tortures turkeys before they end
up in grocery stores."

Zombie became a vegetarian in high school after seeing
a documentary about slaughterhouses. "It freaked me
out, and I found it so disgusting that I stopped
eating meat," he says.

After a successful run on MTV2's "Headbanger' s Ball",
SIXX: A.M.'s video for "Life is Beautiful" has been
added to rotation on MTV2.

SIXX: A.M. is the new band conceived by Nikki Sixx,
bassist and founding member of MÖTLEY CRÜE. "Life is
Beautiful" is the first single off "The Heroin
Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star,
The Soundtrack" (released August 21 via Eleven Seven
Music) — the accompanying album to Sixx's New York
Times best-selling (for eight consecutive weeks and
counting) book "The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life
of a Shattered Rock Star". The song is climbing
rapidly at radio, currently #3 at Active Rock Radio,
with early adds at major Alternative stations
including Q101 in Chicago.

SIXX: A.M. consists of Nikki Sixx (bassist and
songwriter), multi-platinum music producer James
Michael (vocals) and DJ Ashba of BEAUTIFUL CREATURES
(guitars). The band played their inaugural gig in Salt
Lake City as a special guest to KORN. SIXX: A.M.
filmed the video for their second single "Accidents
Can Happen" in Los Angeles earlier this month and is
considering a tour for 2008.

"The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered
Rock Star, The Soundtrack" was inspired by the dark
and crippling diary entries that later became "The
Heroin Diaries" book. In the tome, Sixx shares
mesmerizing diary entries from the year he spiraled
out of control in a haze of heroin and cocaine,
presented alongside riveting commentary from people
who were there at the time, and from Sixx himself.

In September, Nikki Sixx became the first member of
the rock world to speak on Capitol Hill at a NAADAC
event commencing National Drug & Alcohol Addiction
Recovery Month.

Twenty-five percent of "The Heroin Diaries"'s proceeds
is donated to Running Wild in the Night, Sixx's music
initiative for Covenant House, which helps keep abused
and abandoned kids off the streets.

On October 29, MTV2 began airing a Public Service
Announcement featuring Sixx, which offers viewers
instructions on where to seek help for recovery from
all manners of addiction.

VELVET REVOLVER guitarist Slash recently published his
autobiography and now has a solo album in his sights.
Although he doesn't have a timetable for the project,
Slash told The Pulse of Radio he already has a lot of
ideas for what direction he wants it to take. "I
really want to do a solo record and play with a lot of
different people that I've worked with before, maybe
some people I haven't worked with, and just do
something really, really sort of interesting, " he
said. "'Cause I've played on so many other people's
records, you know, and I want to write material for,
like, different individuals to sing on and whatnot. So
that's sort of like the main sort of backburner kind
of thing going on at the moment."

Meanwhile, VELVET REVOLVER was forced to cancel a
four-city Japanese tour after the band members were
denied visas. A spokesperson for concert promoter
Creativeman Productions noted in a statement that the
group had previously toured Japan in 2005, but now
explained, "The increasingly tough Japanese
immigration officials are taking exception with the
backgrounds of various band members, which have
included arrests." VELVET REVOLVER is appealing the
decision, but the process could take months to
resolve. "We want to apologize to our fans in Japan
that we won't be able to perform our scheduled
concerts," the band said in a statement. "We don't
understand why the authorities won't give us visas
when they granted them for us in 2005 for what was a
successful tour and a great experience. We love Japan
and look forward to our return there."

VELVET REVOLVER is still scheduled to tour Australia
in early December.

The group wrapped up a North American tour with ALICE
IN CHAINS last month as it continues promoting its
second album, "Libertad". The record has sold 250,000
copies in the United Staes since its release last
July, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Slash will appear as a presenter at the 35th annual
American Music Awards, which will broadcast live on
ABC this Sunday (November 18) from the Nokia Theatre
in Los Angeles, beginning at 8 p.m. ET.

The Rock 'n Roll Fantasy Camp Podcast sat down last
week with former MEGADETH and current F5 bassist David
Ellefson, who talked about his experience at camp, his
current projects, how he got into and out of MEGADETH,
and if he'd ever work with Dave Mustaine again.

On the topic of whether he will ever reunite with
Mustaine and his former MEGADETH bandmates, Ellefson
said, "Dave and I have met — about two years ago, it
was. He had reached out to me and I gladly
reciprocated and we met and we had dinner and buried
the hatchets. There was a lot of legal unhinging with
our business stuff together and that's, to some
degree… He and I will always be in business sort of
the way Lennon and McCartney are always in business
because we have a… sort of like we raised some kids —
we've got albums, we've got work, we've got our songs
we composed together — there's all this stuff, and
that's gonna be there. And it was nice for he and I to
sit down and look each other in the eye and talk
without having managers and attorneys and, you know,
the entourage and stuff, around. It was nice, because,
really, that's how he and I met — he and I met just
face-to-face — and it was nice that we got to have a
hook-up like that; I'm really happy about that. And I
don't know if that means one day we'll ever be in a
room with our guitars on again or if it'll just be,
like, when we come into each other's town, we call
each other and go out to Starbucks and hang out and
get caught up about what's happening with the kids,
you know what I mean?! [laughs] I don't know what that
is. But I think rather than trying to force it, it
needs to just sort of happen on its own time. I think
any successful reunion that I've seen — whether it's
MÖTLEY CRÜE or THE WHO or THE EAGLES, or whoever it is
— it seems like the only successful ones happen
because everybody… It's almost like enough time has to
go by where you're willing to forgive, you're willing
to let… it's, like, the time does heal the wounds, and
you're able to sort of move past all of that stuff so
that you can be in that place that I saw Roger Daltrey
and Pete Townshend being — which is with a real sort
of gratitude and a real zeal for the rock and roll
reason they got together in the first place."

It has now been confirmed that founding members of the
legendary Swiss hard rock band KROKUS will reunite
with vocalist Marc Storace for an appearance on a TV
show honoring the greatest Swiss songs of all time.
The "Die grössten Schweizer Hits" program will feature
KROKUS performing a medley of the tracks "Tokyo
Nights", "Bedside Radio" and "Heatstrokes" on November
18. KROKUS' lineup for the appearance will include
Storace, Chris Von Rohr (bass), Freddy Steady (drums)
and Fernando Von Arb (guitar).

KROKUS' latest album, "Hellraiser" , which was recorded
with producer Dennis Ward (PINK CREAM 69), entered the
Swiss album chart at position No. 2.

Cameron Edney of Australia's Inside_Out666 recently
conducted an interview with RATT guitarist Warren
DeMartini. A few excerpts from the chat follow:

Inside_Out666: You reunited not too long ago and you
had been apart for some time. Is there any chance that
next year we will see some brand new Ratt material
hitting the shelves?

Warren DeMartini: We did three months here in America
and there was a lot of talk about after this tour was
over, that we would roll up our sleeves and start
writing again. I've started to set up a place to write
again. It's something that we are going to seriously
explore. I don't want to guarantee that there is going
to be a new record in 08 but that is in the best-case
scenario what we're shooting for!

Inside_Out666: You have grown up influenced by some of
the world's greatest rock bands such as THE WHO, KISS
and of course LED ZEPPELIN. Do you feel you have
played a large role in influencing many of today's
hard rock and metal acts?

Warren DeMartini: I think so. When I do see a group
from time to time, it does come up that they were
transcendent to some degree, you never know how much
but I think we have passed the baton a bit!

Inside_Out666: Over the years you have shared the
stage with so many great bands. Who have you enjoyed
touring with the most and can you share a funny story
from the tour?

Warren DeMartini: In 1984 we did fifteen to twenty
shows with OZZY OSBOURNE, and that was just an
incredible experience. Prior to that we had never
played in arenas and it was something that we always
wanted to do. Ozzy was extremely funny, he was very
aware that it was a new experience for us and made us
feel welcome and wanted. There was camaraderie about
it. Oh, funny stories with Ozzy… there was never any
pretending with him!

Inside_Out666: [Laughs]

Warren DeMartini: Everything we had read about the
craziness surrounding Ozzy, next thing we were around
it. He was as crazy as he was made out to be. The
amount of partying that was going on was just over the
top. I couldn't do it again.

Inside_Out666: What are your thoughts on downloading
music and file sharing? Do you think it hurts an
artists like yourself or do you see it as a great way
to get your music out to so many more across the
globe!

Warren DeMartini: It's an amazing way to get your
stuff out there. I don't think that industry has
adjusted to it, because it is so powerful and so new
still. Record shops here and companies are changing
almost hourly. I think it's incredible, the speed is
amazing. RADIOHEAD put there latest CD up on the
website and you can pay for it if you want or you can
download it for free.

11.13.07

The L.A. GUNS version featuring Tracii Guns on guitar,
Jeremy Guns on bass, Chad Stewart on drums and Paul
Black on vocals has scheduled the following tour
dates:

Nov. 30 - Crowbar - Johnson City, Tennessee
Dec. 01 - The Sound Garden - Myrtle Beach, South
Carolina
Dec. 05 - The Lighthouse - Imperial, Pennsylvania
Dec. 06 - McGuffys - Dayton, Ohio
Dec. 07 - Shakers - Cambridge, Ohio
Dec. 08 - The Monkey Bar - Huntington, West Virginia
Dec. 09 - Zakks - Murfreesboro, North Carolina
Dec. 11 - Johnny B - Whitby, Ontario
Dec. 12 - ADC Perfomance Center - Southbridge,
Massachusetts
Dec. 13 - Brighton Bar - Long Branch, New Jersey
Dec. 14 - Jaxx - Springfield, Virginia
Jan. 04 - House Of Blues - Hollywood, California
Jan. 05 - Canyon Club - Las Vegas, Nevada
Jan. 10 - House Of Blues - San Diego, Californa

In other news, Tracii has issued the following
statement: "It has come to my attention that my old
band mates Phil Lewis and Steve Riley are desperately
trying to wage a campaign to have L.A. GUNS shows
cancelled.

"Although it is not an ideal situation, I think that
by now everyone is aware that there are two versions
of L.A. GUNS performing out on the road. I have
repeatedly tried to responsibly fix the situation, but
obviously some old wounds never heal — mine included.
Rather than insist on the other version of L.A. GUNS
immediately cease all activities, I have for whatever
reason allowed them to continue to exist for the
simple reason that I think the world is big enough for
both of us. I also think that they, like all of us,
have a right to make a living.

"Now I have learned that Phil has made it a personal
goal to basically attack the version of L.A. GUNS that
features me. They have sent false statements to
several promoters saying that I am not performing with
the 'real' L.A. GUNS, etc.

"Whichever version of L.A. GUNS the fans favor, I
would hope that everyone knows that this is completely
ridiculous.

"With all due respect to their contributions to L.A.
GUNS history, Phil and Steve were not even the
original members of the band. Now they have the balls
to say that I am not the 'real' version of L.A. GUNS?
I guess that is what I get for trying to mind my own
business and be a good guy.

"We have played all over the world this year to great
crowds including Trinidad, Argentina, two tours of
Europe, three U.S. tours, Korea, and now we are
looking forward to playing in 2008 all over and will
start the New Year on a West Coast run with SKID ROW."

RATT members Warren DeMartini and John Corabi joined
MEGADETH on stage in Melbourne, Australia on Tuesday,
November 13 for a rendition of the MEGADETH classic
"Peace Sells...But Who's Buying?!" Tony Campos from
STATIC-X and Dez Fafara of DEVILDRIVER also joined in.

The Australian leg of Gigantour — featuring headliners
MEGADETH alongside STATIC-X, DEVILDRIVER and LACUNA
COIL — wraps up Sunday, November 18 in Brisbane.

MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine will be the featured
guest on the nationally syndicated radio show
"Rockline", hosted by Bob Coburn, airing Monday,
December 17 at 11:30 p.m. EST/8:30 p.m. PST. Fans can
talk live with Dave Mustaine by calling 800-344-ROCK
(7625). To find a station near you or to listen to the
show live via the Internet, go to
www.rocklineradio. com. Mustaine will discuss
MEGADETH's "Warchest" 4-CD+DVD collection, which sold
1,100 copies in the United States in its first week of
release, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

HELLYEAH/ex- PANTERA drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott has
issued the following update:

"HELLYEAH's first DVD, 'Below the Belt', is in stores
now. Pick it up anywhere — it's a way to live a day in
the life of the HELLYEAH band and our rowdy crew.

"We are shooting our video for 'Thank You' in Dallas,
Texas at The Palladium the night before Thanksgiving,
November 21st... then the party moves to The Clubhouse
so bring your ass and let's make it the video and
party of the year!

"HELLYEAH will be on tour until December 15th and
possibly into next year.

"I wanna thank everyone for making my return to music
a great experience! It's been awesome!

"Please keep sending demos as I will get some time to
focus on the label (Big Vin Records) early next year
and plan on signing a few bands...

"Also, 'Dimevision 2' [DVD tribute to late
PANTERA/DAMAGEPLAN guitarist 'Dimebag' Darrell Abbott]
is coming along and the first official photo book for
Dime is being put together by me and my Dad and will
be out next year too. We are very excited about this
as it's a true tribute to the King himself!"

"Below the Belt" contains footage going back to the
formation of HELLYEAH, including the group's first
recording session, the making of its self-titled debut
album and various stops on the group's ongoing world
tour, as well as personal interviews and other
features. The two-hour DVD also includes videos,
backstage clips, footage from the band's April record
release party and a look inside Chasin' Jason, the
studio once owned by late PANTERA guitarist "Dimebag"
Darrell Abbott where HELLYEAH recorded.

Singer Chad Gray, who also fronts MUDVAYNE, told The
Pulse of Radio that HELLYEAH likes to bring a
light-hearted attitude to playing in a band. "Being on
the road and touring and playing shows is, like, fun,"
he said. "You know, to get all in your, you know,
leather and your spikes and get up and be all serious
and mean and whatever, it's like, that's just not the
vibe of our band. We just have a good time with it and
people seem to respond to that kind of HELLYEAH vibe,
you know, just like, let's have a good time, you know."
 

Chris Harris of MTV.com reports: It's been nearly two
years since the surviving members of ALICE IN CHAINS —
guitarist Jerry Cantrell, bassist Mike Inez and
drummer Sean Kinney — announced they'd be returning to
action for a series of reunion gigs. At the time, some
in the band even hinted at the possibility of some
fresh ALICE tunes somewhere down the line.

Now, two highly successful tours later, ALICE IN
CHAINS — with COMES WITH THE FALL frontman William
DuVall stepping in for late singer Layne Staley — are
ready to write and hope to have an LP recorded by the
end of 2008.

"Definitely possibly," Cantrell responded with a
healthy guffaw when asked whether fans could expect an
ALICE record next year. "I don't think you can put a
time limit on it, because first we have to come up
with a record we're satisfied with, and I think we can
do that."

No, ALICE IN CHAINS haven't written any complete songs
for their forthcoming record yet, but Cantrell said
they have been tinkering with a few ideas here and
there, and they'll start writing in earnest after the
holidays.

"The body of stuff that's been coming out so far — all
the riffs and song ideas — are really cool," Cantrell
explained. "It's really aggressive and everything
ALICE was, but it's moved on into a different thing
too. It's [indicative of the] transformation of this
band. The dynamic is different, and it should be. But
Mike, Sean and I, we're still here. We're still a big
part of how this band sounds. The elements that remain
and the element that William brings to the band are
powerful things. I couldn't put a time on it, but I
can tell you that [writing songs] is what we are
working toward. We're gathering material and doing
other business to help this band move forward."

In the second installment of Headbanger's Blog's
week-long series with DOWN/ex-PANTERA vocalist Philip
Anselmo, the pugnacious fighter steps into the ring
and talks about why he's the undisputed heavyweight
champion of heavy metal and how he’s working with the
best band playing today. Watch the two clips below.
(Note: Video stream is NOT available to non-U.S.
residents.)

In the first clip, Anselmo says: "I just think I'm the
best frontman in the world and I have the best band
behind and I'm the best at what I fucking do. And I've
known most of them since I was 13 years old. That's
the magic there. That's longevity. That's a team.
That's what got you there.

He continues: "We can't be categorized. We've taken
the southern rock thing… We wrote about being southern
on our first damn record. On our second record we
touched upon the fact… We have transcended the entire
thing. As a matter of fact, last night I think I saw a
confederate flag for the first time the entire tour
and it got yanked down into the crowd and I never saw
it again. I stand on no damn flag."

DOWN's video for the song "On March The Saints" will
make its "Headbanger' s Ball" debut this Saturday,
November 17 at 11:00 p.m. on MTV2 (re-air at 4:00
a.m.). This episode will also feature a piece with
Phil Anselmo in which he compares the world of boxing
to playing music.

The "On March The Saints" clip will make its online
debut tomorrow (Thursday, November 15) on the
Headbanger's Blog.

Forget whatever rumors you've been hearing about