Music: November 2011

According to The Pulse Of Radio, Jimmy Page paid tribute to old friend Ronnie Lane by posting a message on his official web site, JimmyPage.com, commemorating the November 28, 1983 benefit concert for the late FACES co-founder. Page was among the first musicians to sign on to the first ARMS concert at London's Royal Albert Hall to benefit multiple sclerosis research. Ronnie Lane died of the disease in 1997 at age 51.

Page posted: "After the original ARMS show at the Royal Albert Hall, there was great interest from the artists involved when it was suggested that we do a short American tour. Everybody came over with the exception of Steve Winwood, whose slot was taken by Joe Cocker . . . It was great to see Ronnie Lane again and there was a spirit of goodwill and camaraderie between the artists that endured throughout the tour."

Among the other rock legends who performed at the ARMS shows were THE ROLLING STONES' Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts, John Paul Jones, FACES and THE WHO drummer Kenney Jones, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, among others.

Page's good friend and THE FIRM co-founder Paul Rodgers recalled to The Pulse Of Radio how he and Page first came to write together prior to their live team-up at the 1983 ARMS shows to benefit multiple sclerosis research. "When Jimmy had come 'round to my studio, I had actually left BAD COMPANY, I was working on a solo album at home," he said. "And I just love the guy. And he brought some things — some music along and said, 'Y'know, can you write some lyrics to this?' And I was totally flattered, y'know? And the first thing we wrote was 'Midnight Moonlight Lady', and we started just writing. And we got a call from the ARMS people saying, 'We're putting this show together and we hear you guys are in the studio, would you like to come out and play?' And we said, 'Well, we've got, like, 15 minutes of music, or 20 minutes of music,' and they said, 'Oh! That's fine. That's all we need."

Mark Evans would be easy to resent if he weren't so damned likable.

Authors might understandably be envious to see his book, Dirty Deeds: My Life Inside/Outside AC/DC, blow up globally, enjoying uniformly positive critical and commercial receptions in Australia, Europe and North America.

Musicians certain have ample reasons to resent him. First, with his bass and guitar skills hotly in-demand, Evans still gigs with some of Australia's biggest acts, having managed to navigate his last forty years without needing to wear a tie or polish his shoes to go to work. Secondly, in addition to his high-profile musical engagements and his successful book, Evans has managed to put together a new CD of his own with blues singer Dave Tice, which is being released next week.

But hey, most people are jealous because he played bass with AC/DC. Those ripping bass runs on classics like "Let There Be Rock," "Whole Lotta Rosie," "Jailbreak," and "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" are all his.

Nonetheless, through green with envy, we were thrilled that Mark agreed to chat with us about his book, his music and his favorite bass player joke.

Your new book Dirty Deeds focuses on your time with AC/DC but covers your whole life. What compelled you to release it now?

Over the years I'd been approached by publishers a number of times to write something like this, and it was obviously going to be an AC/DC thing. Now with what's happened with me over the past couple of years, family-wise, it seemed the right time to sit down and take stock of what's been going on. I needed something to immerse myself in and it just struck me as the right time to do it.

I figured I'd sit down and write a few stories and see what happens. So what I did was I started writing about a few episodes in my life, the AC/DC stuff, and it became apparent to me pretty quickly that I could do it– that it was going to work. So I showed it to an author friend of mine named Peter FitzSimons, who's a well-respected author here in Australia, and he said, "Man, you gotta do this." Not that I needed anyone to green-light me on this, but personally it felt like the right time.

The other side of it is that over the years I've had so many punters come up to me and say, "I really dig the old AC/DC stuff. What was it like being in the band? What was Bon like?" So to me, it's a way to repay all the support I've had over the years, because the fans of that band and the fans of my other music have been really, really cool, to a person. They're really genuine, you know? So it's nice to be able to come back and put something in the pot after all the support I've been shown over the years.

You get into pretty intricate detail with stories that are upwards of thirty years-old. Was it tough to remember any of them?

My family are blessed with two sort of generic throwdowns– we can all eat as much as we want, we don't put weight on; and we've all got really good memories. So I can tell you that all of the stuff that came out basically came out of my head. The only thing that I had to check back on, I think there were a couple of stories relating to a couple of tours in the UK and I had to double check which AC/DC headliner tours they happened on. There were a couple of times when I transposed one incident to an earlier tour and vice versa. But other than that, it's all come straight out of my head.

If you asked me now what my phone number was when I first move moved to Sydney, I could tell you what that phone number was. My recall is very, very clear. It's always been very good, but it's a family trait and when it comes to writing a book, that's a really good plus to have.

And among rockers who have been in the game as long as you have, that's fairly unique.

(laughs loudly) I've gotta tell you, I have knocked myself around a bit over the years, too. It's very fortunate that it hasn't affected my memory. I hear what you're saying, pal… I think it's amazing that Ozzy wrote a book, right?

And Keith Richards. He didn't just write a book, he published an encyclopedia. He's telling you what he had for breakfast twenty five years ago.

I just finished reading his book last night. I'm a big Keith fan. It was a good book, huh?

Yeah, I liked it. Were you OK with the level of detail?

Yeah it was good. I've never met the guy, but I've spent a bit of time with Ron Wood over different stages and you know, [Keith] could have written a ten page pamphlet. I'm a big fan and I would have read it anyway. He's put the score on the board, man, he can do what he wants.

I would say the same goes to you. You've got a few decades under your belt and over time, stories emerge that take on their own life. Were there any misinterpretations that you intended to correct?

Yeah, there's a few things. I won't point to any particular book, but there's a number of books that people have passed on to me that were about AC/DC, and I'd be reading the part where I was involved with the band, and it was like I was reading about another band. I'd think, "Well that wasn't the atmosphere at all," and "That's not what happened."

When I first started with the band, we were playing to fifteen to twenty people a night. It was that early on in the piece. It grew very quickly of course.

Another thing is that I've read quite a few times over the years that I had some serious personal clashes with Angus (Young, lead guitarist for AC/DC), and while I did have some clashes with Angus, there's no question about that, so has everyone, you know? (laughs) So I wasn't exactly Robinson Crusoe in that respect. The reason my clashes came up with Angus, I would say, is because that guy is so amazingly committed to what he does, and his performance level is so intense, and his commitment is so unbelievably strong, that it's probably a simple matter of him to view someone's commitment as not being as strong as his. So for anyone to be committed as he is to his craft is utterly impossible. If anything was an issue for us, it's that he might have thought I wasn't as committed to the cause as I possibly could be. In my heart, I know that not to be true, but I think that would be the genesis of any issues we had. But I certainly wasn't the only one, so while it's been pointed out that was the reason for my slip with the band, I don't think that's necessarily the case.

So when you say that's what other accounts haven't gotten right, that's what you're talking about?

Yeah, pretty much. They haven't necessarily gotten it right from how I remember of the band, and of course I only speak of the time that I was with the band, 'cause that's the only time that I'm qualified to speak on, of course. But the band then, while we were all intense little fellas, and arrogant, we always had a fairly lighthearted attitude to it. There was always a lot of fun, a lot of joking and a lot of humor around the band. And that was revealed in Bon's lyrics too (Bon Scott, former lead singer of AC/DC). There was a lot of humor in his lyrics. Even the front cover of the American version of the book, that was taken when we'd come back to Australia at a press conference. There's a lot of fun in that photo, and that photo really captures the personality of the band– Bon's at the back making a stupid face and I'm rolling around with Angus. We weren't exactly a comedy act, you know, but it was certainly a lot more lighthearted than people would assume from what they've read before.

When you joined AC/DC, it sounds like they made it clear to you that they were hell-bent on world conquest. Did you believe the band was capable of that when you joined?

Right at the outset. I was getting dropped home by one of the road crew after my first jam with the guys, and he basically said, "There's two things you've got to remember: number one, it's Malcolm's band (rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young); and number two, we're gonna be in the UK in twelve months." And that was after not even playing a gig with the band. So it was put on the table from the start that this thing was moving ahead. When I got out of the car after the roadie told me that, he may as well have said to me, "Remember that it's Malcolm's band, and we're gonna be playing on the moon in twelve months." I just took it with a grain of salt.

But it didn't take me very long to realize, and it would have been in the first couple of weeks, that these guys were deadly serious– particularly Angus and Malcolm, and with Michael Browning, the new management, that they intended to pick up all the marbles. And you got infected by it. Angus and Malcolm's vision for that band, and particularly Malcolm's vision, was always that the band's the band, straight down the line, and we're gonna do it. And more credit to him, but it became apparent to me very early on that along with George Young (Malcolm and Angus' older brother and the band's early producer), that the band expected to be big. It wasn't expected to fail, it was going to work. And we all knew it was going to take a lot of work too, which it did, but there's never been anything wrong with that band's work ethic. It was amazing.

But yeah, it became plain to me that world domination was the only option.

If someone were joining AC/DC, what advice would you give them?

(Long pause)

(Explodes into laughter)

I've never been asked that question before! I don't think I'm all that qualified to answer it, because I fucked it up the first time! Oh, man… (laughing) That's a good one, man…

My advice would be, "Enjoy the ride, it's a great band. And turn up on time!" What can I say?

That's the best question I've ever been asked! Maybe I should have asked someone that question before I joined the band…

You got to play with Bon Scott. Where would you rate him among rock's great frontmen?

Oh, the best. He's the gold medalist, man. I'm biased, of course, because I knew what Bon was like. I knew the guy, you know? His lyrics are just second to none. He was a great frontman. When he was in AC/DC, he was very much the frontman. I think that once Brian Johnson took over, Brian is still the singer of the band, but I think the focus became that Angus was the frontman of the band, you know? When Bon was in, Bon was very much the frontman of the band and Angus was riding shotgun. Angus was his little mate on stage– his little partner-in-crime. I think that says a lot about Bon's stage presence and charisma that he was still very much the frontman.

But like I said, I'm biased because I knew the guy. The guy was a very warmhearted guy. Sure, he could get out of control and stuff, but the guy had impeccable manners and was just a real warmhearted soul. I think, no I don't think, I know that he did feel a very strong responsibility and a duty to the image of Bon Scott, which would probably cause him to push the envelope a bit too far on occasion, you know? But he was just a great guy to work with and a very warm soul, and when you looked at him, there was this hard-assed rock and roller, but inside there was a hippie, lemme tell ya… There was a lot of hippie about the guy. But he was just a wonderful, warm guy and I miss him very much to this day. He was just a cool guy.

And he could be a hard-ass when you wound him up! He was a tough guy, I'll tell ya. He was a softie at heart, but man, if you rattled his cage, he could fight, lemme tell you. He could protect himself and a lot of people around him, lemme tell ya…

Really?

Oh yeah. Hard guy. Really hard guy when he got going.

I once saw a picture of him where he's got a loose tooth hanging out. It looks like he's just come out of a fight. I haven't been able to find the picture since I first saw it, and I've spent a great deal of time looking around for it. Looks like he's just been through a punch up.

A tooth missing?

Yeah, it's like his tooth is hanging out from the front of his mouth. Does that sound familiar?

Aw, yeah! See, he got knocked around in a bike accident before he joined AC/DC, and he had some sort of bridge in there with a tooth, and it busted a couple of times. So yeah, he had a broken smile. He finally got his teeth done when we moved to England. He got a whole lotta teeth crowned and stuff. But he had a chipped front tooth for a lot of time in AC/DC, but there was also one that was on a plate, and I think it got broken a couple of times, and there were a couple of photos of him where he's missing a front tooth.

What would you say is your biggest takeaway from the AC/DC period? For you personally.

That's an unusual question. I don't think about my time in AC/DC in that fashion, you know? I just think that probably… (pauses) This is going to sound like an arrogant thing to say, but probably the credibility that it's given me over the years, being part of that band being on the ground floor of the band when the band was starting and working on those early albums. Being part of that, when we started hitting it here in Australia and then when we went to Europe and the UK. I think that the regard of doing the hard yards with the band and the credibility that comes with that, and from working on those early records like It's a Long Way to the Top and Dirty Deeds. I cherish those memories too, and I think a lot of people look back, particularly bass players, and they say "Your playing's influenced me a lot," and that's good to hear, you know? It's nice to think that you've switched people on to playing music. Or switching people on to playing bass– that's a really cool thing.

What's the difference between a good bass player and a great bass player?

Some guys can be technically amazing, and they can play the bejeesus out of a bass, but you'll get guys that are really simple bass players that are much better bass players. The best bass players don't necessarily play bass, they play what the tune calls for. They're the good guys. You can get guys that are very busy bass players that are amazing. Paul McCartney's one of them. He was a very busy bass player, but he played exactly what the tune needed, even if it was really complex. There's other guys, all those guys who played American soul stuff, like Duck Dunn and James Jamerson, those guys are amazing.

But what makes a good bass player is the guys who nail down the songs. You'll get guys who do that and are really individual, like Andy Fraser, the bass player in Free. He was an unusual bass player, but just an amazing bass player– completely unique. But the great bass players nail down the song and put their big, fat platform down with the drums, and everything goes on top and they don't get in the way. They're the great bass players.

Sometimes you can get individuals like John Entwistle, from The Who. John Entwistle was an amazing bass player, but he was almost like the lead instrument in the band, and that's unusual also. He's an exception. Not too many guys can do that.

But the great guys always have the song first in mind, the bass playing second. What's best for the song dictates what the bass playing is. They're the great players.

Do you have a favorite bass player joke?

A favorite bass player joke? (laughs) Aw, man…. um, yeah, I do.

What did the record producer say to the jazz bass guitarist?

I don't know.

Oh, I fucked it up! I fucked it up! I've got it the wrong way around…

What did the jazz bass guitarist say to the record producer?

I don't know.

Would you like fries with that?

(laughs)

(laughing) I got it ass up! It's still early in the morning- it's only nine a.m. here, I haven't had any coffee.

So you're keeping pretty busy now. What do you enjoy most about life after AC/DC?

Well obviously the book's keeping me very, very busy. But right now I've just gone back out on the road. I've gone back to my roots. Initially I was into playing blues music, like Robert Johnson, Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, all that sort of stuff. I got introduced to that stuff by the Rolling Stones. I was a Rolling Stones fan. So I do a blues duo. I work with a great blues singer over here, a guy named Dave Tice. And we've got a new CD coming out next week. It's like a mini-CD– it's got seven tracks on it. One of the songs is called "Brothers in Arms," so the CD's called Brothers in Arms. I know that's been used a couple times, but it's just that that track is so strong that it demanded that be the title of the CD. It's out on iTunes next week, so that's my main thing musically.

And I do a lot of other gigs, too. I'm back playing bass a bit. I'm doing some gigs with… you know that Australian band Rose Tattoo?

Absolutely.

I'm doing some gigs with a couple guys from Rose Tattoo at the moment. I do a lot of work with Angry Anderson and Paul DeMarco, the drummer. In times gone by I've done a lot of work with Pete Wells and Mick Cocks, too. We've lost both of them now, unfortunately, but I do a lot of work with the guys from the Tats. Which is great, because Rose Tattoo, as I mention in the book, are my favorite all-time band. I'm actually doing a gig with Angry next week, so we have a lot of fun.

Do you regret not getting the tattoo? (In the book, Evans discusses being offered a position in the band, which would have required him to get a rose tattoo, which he was unwilling to do at the time, so he passed on joining the band)

No, I'm still too chickenshit to get a tattoo now! (laughs) I regret not joining Rose Tattoo the band, man. But the thing with Dave Tice, we're pretty much on the road at the moment. I'm at home the next couple of days, but we're going out across Australia doing gigs, just the two of us playing acoustic guitars. It's very aggressive for a two-guitar thing. It's not Peter, Paul and Mary, mate, it's pretty hard-edged, lemme tell ya. And Dave Tice has an amazing blues voice He started out in a heavy metal band. He was in a band called Buffalo, and he started with Pete Wells (Rose Tattoo). Pete Wells was Dave's best mate when they were kids. Dave was in this band Buffalo with Pete, and they were signed to Vertigo Records (Black Sabbath). They were the first Australian band ever to get signed to Vertigo, and they were a big, heavy band.

But yeah, I'm back doing that blues thing with Dave and that's really fun.

The end of your book is absolutely devastating…

Yeah. Hey Joe, it sure was…

I can't imagine.

That's what I was alluding to at the beginning. It seems like a stupid thing to say, but I don't want to draw too much attention to it, but I really needed something to immerse myself in, and that's what it was. I needed to really get busy on something to you know, be introspective and just get my head right, you know? And that's where the (decision behind) writing of the book really came from.

How difficult was it to write about those incidents and did the writing process help you in some way?

The writing of the book in general has been very remedial, and certainly writing about losing Kristin was cathartic, you know? It was certainly difficult, but you know, by the time I wrote the end of the book, the good memories had started to win over a bit. It wouldn't have been possible to write about what was in there say, six months before, because I was still virtually catatonic.

But an odd thing happened when I was writing the book. Writing the end of the book was obviously difficult, but one part that absolutely floored me too was writing about losing my father when I was twelve. Because all that stuff's in the back of your mind, and you know it's there, but it's been a very long time, if at all, that I went back and thought about it in detail and wrote about his last days. In detail. And that knocked me around like you wouldn't believe. I was floored for two to three days after writing that, because I went back and relived it.

With Kristin's situation, that's with me every day, so I'm not saying you get used to it, but you adapt to it and it's with you constantly. But going back and remembering and recounting something that I went through as a twelve year-old… I had a completely different take on it this time, because I was remembering, thinking as a twelve year-old kid, right? Remembering what this twelve year-old kid was going through then. It was like thinking about someone else. And I juxtaposed my youngest daughter Virginia and thought if she was in that position…

Oh man, it absolutely leveled me, man. You get to the situation where you start empathizing with and feeling sorry for someone else. Because you are virtually someone else at that stage. It was like this time shift thing that happened. I wasn't prepared for it to affect me as much as it did. With (writing about) the Kristin situation, I was steeled for it– I was ready for it, you know? Then this other part about losing my father really came out of the box, you know?

In general, writing the book has been a really interesting and cleansing experience. I'm so glad that I did it. It's been amazingly worthwhile.

OK, time for Either/Or. I'll give you a series of choices and you pick one or the other. Sound good?

Yeah, let's do it.

AFL Finals or The Ashes?

Oh, AFL Finals.

Yeah? Who do you support?

Carlton. And no one else, man. The Mighty Blues.

Melbourne or Sydney?

Dead heat.

Music of the Sixties or music of the Seventies?

Sixties.

Fender or Gibson?

Oh, man! (laughs) You did it again! You got me!

These are tough questions, man!

(long, long pause)

I can't… see I…

(laughing)

I have…

(pause)

Oh, man.. I can't do it. I love the Fender Tele and I love Gibson J-200s, I love Gibson Ripper basses and I love Fender Precision basses.

Alright, we'll let you off with "both."

Alright, thanks…

Last one– "Whole Lotta Rosie" or "Let There Be Rock?"

"Let There Be Rock."

Why?

Because of Phil Rudd. His drums in that are just absolutely fucking phenomenal, man. His performance on that is just amazing. What a great drummer! What a great drummer…

Phil is so important to that band, you know? I saw that band a few times when Phil wasn't there, and I still really enjoyed it of course, but you know, Phil's the heartbeat of that band. Malcolm is of course, too. Malcolm is also indispensable, but Phil is such a part of that band that it's unbelievable. He's the greatest rock and roll drummer of all time, man. But I'm biased.

You're allowed to be. Mark, thanks a bunch for your time. It's been a pleasure.

Thanks, Joe. Pleasure's all mine.

Brian McCollum of the Detroit Free Press recently conducted an interview with GUNS N' ROSES/ex-THE REPLACEMENTS bassist Tommy Stinson. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

On having been a member of GUNS N' ROSES for 14 years — making him the third-longest-tenured player in the band's history, behind singer Axl Rose (26 years) and keyboardist Dizzy Reed (21):

"It's been a good run, and I still have fun with it. This [U.S. tour] in particular has been one of the more enjoyable, one of the least stressful we've had."

On GUNS N' ROSES' latest addition, lead guitarist D.J. Ashba, who joined in 2009:

"D.J. made a good addition because he has fun with the gig and he doesn't take himself too seriously off the stage, which is important. You can't compete with each other. You can only do your own thing and have fun with it, and if you do that, you're ahead of the game."

On his relationship with GUNS N' ROSES leader, singer Axl Rose:

"If I feel something is a really terrible idea, or there's something good we're not getting to, I feel compelled to say something. But for the most part, Axl tells us what he wants, and it's: 'OK, cool. That's it. Make the dream real.' "

On how THE REPLACEMENTS' scruffy, spiky rock and GN'R's ambitious glam-metal may seem to inhabit distinct corners of the pop-culture kingdom:

"It didn't really occur to me to look at it in those terms. The funny thing is, as I've talked to people over the years, it turns out there's not actually much of that cultural difference. There are a lot of people who are fans of both bands, which was striking, because it's the last thing I would have expected."

This week, I was going to try to answer a few of the questions you have all sent into my "mailbag" here at ESPN. But, I have been overwhelmed this week with the sheer power of the mighty Motorhead and thought I'd share a bit of what that is like.

Oh, and to those of you who might blubber on about Motorhead not being sports-related, and "why am I reading about a rock band on ESPN?" I shall pre-empt all of that garbage with a simple suggestion: Go read some other dude's column this week. Period.

Yes, I am still on the road with my band, Loaded. This tour will, in the end, see me land in no fewer than five continents in a scant 30 days. To say that my bandmates and I are exhausted would be a laughable understatement. My kids, I hear, have begun to point at a picture on the wall back at home and say "That's my dad." I'm not a real physical personage anymore to them. My wife refers to me as "what's his name?" My clothes are filthy. My hands and vocal cords are ripped and torn. My eyes are so bloodshot that I don't even need rose-colored glasses anymore … I simply must just assume that life is just grand outside of my peripheral and double-vision'd view …

But, all of that is rather beside the point.

We are ending up this tour run, with seven sold-out shows in Germany, opening for Motorhead. If you are a rock band of Loaded's size and ilk, playing Germany with Motorhead is like making it to The Show when you get called up to the major leagues in baseball. We have been "called up," and even my wife and daughters from afar revere the great Lemmy, Phil Campbell and Mikkey Dee.

This past 10 days away from home have been the hardest, but playing with Motorhead makes things OK. We would have said "no" to any other offer and simply gone home after South America.

McKagan's Playlist

The Life asked columnist Duff McKagan to give us some music recommendations. Here's what he had to say:

Graveyard: "Satan's Finest" from "Graveyard" (iTunes | Amazon) -- This fine '70s-tinged rock band from Gothenburg, Sweden, just may be our brightest hope of what is to come in rock music.

Black Sabbath: "N.I.B." from "Black Sabbath" (iTunes | Amazon) -- Word is, that the mighty Sabbath shall be on the road again this summer. All original. All good!

Motorhead: "Killed By Death" from "No Remorse" (iTunes | Amazon) -- One of the all-time MH classics. There is nothing better than to hear the almighty Lemmy rip into the opening bass line of this song … live. His bass tone is comparable to a 747 taking off. Pure shred.

Motorhead came to be sometime around 1979. With a perfect mix of all the good parts of punk and heavy metal, Motorhead forged the way as leaders to all of the rest of us who would shortly form bands.

From Metallica to Megadeth to Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, Guns N' Roses, and on and on … they all have noted Motorhead as a key influence.

And it's not just the music of Motorhead that sets them apart from all of the rest of us. Lemmy's no-B.S. attitude toward touring and making records, and his relentless touring stamina, make everyone else rather pale and weak in comparison. He is like the Brett Favre of rock 'n' roll … well, except Lemmy Kilmister is still playing and doesn't cry.

Through all of the fads and assorted "press darling" bands and artists over the past 30 or so years, Motorhead just simply pinned their ears back and did what they wanted. They could never be bothered with trying to fit in. And their consistency remains a sort of explosive touchstone for all of us who need to be reminded of what is real and true and honest about rock music.

Actually being here on the road with Motorhead is to get an awe-inspiring peek into legend. Motorhead guitarist Campbell has never been better. Dee plays drums like a beast possessed. And Lemmy is still more on top of his game than five 20-year-olds combined.

If you get a chance to see this band, just don't even try to think twice about it. They are the very best of what it is all about … it is like going to rock 'n' roll church.

Musician Duff McKagan -- who writes for Seattle Weekly, has written for Playboy.com and has his autobiography out now -- writes a weekly sports column for ESPN.com. To send him a note, click here and fill out the form.

MÖTLEY CRÜE will make a "big announcement" during an appearance on this Thursday's (December 1) edition of "Piers Morgan Tonight", the nightly hourlong show that replaced "Larry King Live" on CNN in January. Tune in at 9 p.m. Eastern/6 p.m. Pacific to see it. Until then, the band is revealing some clues. The third one can be seen below. The three red letters spell out "sin," as a reference to Las Vegas, Nevada, which is commonly known as "Sin City" due to the popularity of legalized gambling, availability of alcoholic beverages at any time, and its tolerance of various forms of "adult entertainment", mainly prostitution and strip clubs.

According to Robin Leach of the Las Vegas Sun, MÖTLEY CRÜE will become the first hard rock band to sign a short-term residency at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas. The CRÜE is rumored to be playing a nearly monthlong series of three-and four-night concerts a week at the off-Strip casino starting at the end of February.

Ten years ago, MÖTLEY CRÜE's biography, "The Dirt: Confessions Of The World's Most Notorious Rock Band" — penned with collaborator extraordinaire Neil Strauss — set a new bar for rock 'n' roll memoirs. A runaway bestseller and genuine cultural phenomenon, this turbocharged blockbuster is still flying off shelves a decade after its initial publication.

The book takes readers along for the whole wild ride of MÖTLEY CRÜE — the voice of a barely pubescent Generation X, the anointed high priests of backward-masking pentagram rock, pioneers of Hollywood glam, and the creators of MTV's first "power ballad." Their sex lives claimed celebrities from Heather Locklear to Pamela Anderson to Donna D'Errico. Their scuffles involved everyone from Axl Rose to 2LiveCrew. Their hobbies include collecting automatic weapons, cultivating long arrest records, pushing the envelope of conceivable drug abuse, and dreaming up backstage antics that would make Ozzy Osbourne blanch with modesty.

Now, in time for MÖTLEY's 30th anniversary — and a new tour! — comes a deluxe collector's hardcover edition of the book, complete with a dazzling new effects-laden cover and all-new extra material from the band inside.

The deluxe collector's hardcover edition of "The Dirt: Confessions Of The World's Most Notorious Rock Band" was made available on December 6 via It Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

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Dave Mustaine is one of the most iconic and universally recognized personalities in the realm of heavy metal. His music career has spanned 30 years and he is recognized as one of the most significant lead guitarists and metal vocalists of all time. His career began with a brief, but extremely influential early stint Metallica from 1981 to 1983. After that, Mustaine founded Megadeth, which still stands as one of the musical juggernauts in the genre, and one of the "Big Four" of thrash (along with Slayer, Metallica and Anthrax). While Mustaine has been considered a controversial figure, at times, his talent and appeal are undeniable. Megadeth have recently enjoyed a career renaissance. They have recently released a new album, Thirteen, to positive critical reception. Mustaine also helms the infamous Gigantour, the next incarnation of which features Motörhead, Volbeat and Lacuna Coil and will be making its way across North America in early 2012.

What are you up to?
I just finished breakfast, and soon I'll be on my way to the airport. I'll have to fight through the fans downstairs, which is always great, but I've recently had neck surgery and so haven't been able to stop and sign stuff as I'd like to. I've had to do a lot more waving from the window than I'd like to.

What are your current fixations?
My current fixation is that I'm sadly mesmerized by watching the news and how the government is destroying this country. It's pretty obvious to me that they're trying to get rid of the middle class. It also seems like we're moving more towards a single world currency, and I find that very frightening.

Why do you live where you do?
My move was prompted by the feud with [former and now current bassist] Dave Ellefson. There was that falling out, and the lawsuit. I left at that time; it was better to leave Arizona, which is a small area. It felt too close. I figured I was too emotional about the situation to continue to live there, so I went back to California. I live in Fallbrook because it is quite removed; it's in the hills and you have to do a lot of trekking to get to where I live. There is no way you can wind up on my property accidentally. You essentially have to trespass to end up on the property.

Name something you consider a mind-altering work of art:
I've always loved Dali's stuff. I've always thought his work is most like witnessing artwork take acid. I really like the one he did with the melting clocks. I don't know exactly what they're called. There's another one of Jesus on a cross; I got that one in my house, and the melting clocks painting is really good.

What has been your most memorable or inspirational gig and why?
The most memorable would have been the performance for Jimmy Kimmel. We all donned actual makeup from Universal Studios, all done up like the classic Universal movie monsters. I was just coming off surgery and was not very mobile, so I decided to be Frankenstein so no one would care if I was stiff. Jimmy dressed as the Donkey Kong gorilla, too. We played four songs, and it was really great; we had a lot of fun.
We've played a lot of shows that were bigger, of course. The biggest was the Rock in Rio show; we played to 40,000 people. All of the Big Four shows were really amazing. Those shows were certainly the most cathartic, the most healing. It was really great to be able to bury the hatchet and just play together. That was very important to me.

What's the meanest thing ever said to you before, during or after a gig?
I don't really keep track. Probably people taking pot-shots at my music or ability. I'm generally pretty numb to any of it. I was picked on every day in school, called a freckle-faced kid and stuff, so that kind of thing doesn't affect me. When they start attacking the music, that's something that stings. That's something I've worked on, so some of those comments suck.

What should everyone shut up about?
Everyone needs to shut up about this whole Occupy Wall Street thing. I think the protesters have very good intentions, but it's an example of good being mislead. The President is setting these guys up to be dead in the road. Everyone should protest at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue if they want some change. I also really hate some of these bleeding hearts, like Michael Moore, the fat dude who does these exposés. We don't need more of that; we need lower taxes and governments that listen.

What traits do you most like and most dislike about yourself?
I love helping underprivileged kids. I really like going out of my way to help people who are down on their luck. I have met so many handicapped fans, or those that have diseases. Recently, I met a Kentucky fan with throat cancer, and that really shook me up, that he would still come and see me play like that. A couple years later on Mayhem fest, a soldier came up to me. He had pictures of him walking down a road, and then a cloud of smoke. He showed them to me and said: "This is the sequence of events that led to me getting my legs blown off." And I look down, I see he is wearing prosthetics, and I just started crying. I said, "I'm so sorry, thanks for fighting for my freedom." That really moved me, what people have to go through.

What's your idea of a perfect Sunday?
For me — and this not me pushing anything, this is just what I like — the perfect Sunday means having a nice breakfast, going to church and watching football for the rest of the day.

What advice should you have taken, but did not?
Not to do heroin. Heroin was destructive in my life; it hurt people, it hurt me, it really affected my career.

What would make you kick someone out of your band and/or bed, and have you?
Yeah, I've had to. The main thing is, if you don't have a common vision anymore. When you're in a band with someone, honestly that's the closest you'll ever be to anyone aside from sex or being romantically involved. Having experienced several line-up changes, it happens because our vision was not congruent — what we felt no longer matched. It's like having a car with three tires facing forward and one turned to the side. It will slow you down and cause problems.

What do you think of when you think of Canada?
I love Canada! Our drummer is Canadian, and at some points 50 percent of the band were Canadian, so it has always felt like another home. I also love hockey. Whenever I find out that an NHL player is a fan, I make a point to try and meet them and become friends. I've always really liked Canadian hockey players for their toughness.

What was the first LP/cassette/CD/eight track you ever bought with your own money?
David Bowie Changes. Before I bought that, though, I had the Kiss record, Hotter Than Hell. One day, I was ice skating, trying to get good enough to play hockey. I ended up playing only one game. I got checked really hard, told the coach to get stuffed and left. I was wearing this huge down jacket, and was in a bad mood. I went into the record store, and saw this record with a topless girl on the cover, and thought it was the coolest thing. So I stuck it up the back of my huge jacket, hid it there and walked out. That was the first record I had.

What was your most memorable day job?
I was on my own by the time I was 15. I worked as a foreign car mechanic as a kid, along with selling pot and working at a gas station. I liked working at the gas station the best; it was awesome. Pretty women would come in. It was a full service gas station, so I could fill up their cars, clean their windshields and check them out.

How do you spoil yourself?
I like red liquorice, and peanut M&Ms. There is a place here called Thrifty's, and they make a flavour of ice cream I really like. Otherwise, getting a massage is pretty nice, but hit and miss. It can be a bit embarrassing being a guy, if you're getting a massage you get a little stimulated.

If I wasn't playing music I would be…
A teacher. I taught martial arts in Arizona and really loved it. The best students were the kids. They weren't set in their ways the way some of the adults were. Adults don't like being corrected, but kids will try anything.

What do you fear most?
I fear broken glass; I fear intersections; I fear snakes. That's probably it. I didn't have a lot of phobias when I was younger, but I got scared as I grew up. I stepped on broken glass in a lake once, cut up my feet really badly, and so many of my friends have gotten T-boned at intersections. Once, when I lived in Arizona, I went to take the garbage out and there was a rattlesnake behind the garbage can. It scared me so badly that I came back a killed it with a rock and a hockey stick. Later, I felt terrible; it wasn't the snake's fault. Scorpions are scary, too. I once had a pet scorpion that I named Andre after an old tour manager of ours.

What has been your strangest celebrity encounter?
Oliver Stone. I met him at the Democratic National Convention when I was covering it for MTV. I asked him a question and it seemed like he was in a million other places. The most disappointing celebrity I ever met was John Kerry; he was really rude.

Who would be your ideal dinner guest, living or dead, and what would you serve them?
Lincoln. I have lots of respect for him, freeing the slaves and working for equality, although it seems even all these years later it hasn't sunk in. Hundreds of years later, and there's still a racial divide in this country. I also would like to meet Bruce Lee. I've done martial arts since I was 12, and it would be great just to meet him. I heard he was just a little guy.

What does your mom wish you were doing instead?
Nothing. My mom is gone now, and for years she didn't understand or approve of what I did, and that kept us apart. But she got to see me be successful and had embraced me again, became proud of me again near the end of her life. She loved to pay for everything with a cheque, so that people at the checkout would see the name Mustaine and she could tell them I was her son.

What song would you like to have played at your funeral?
[Johnny Winter's] "Still Alive and Well."

ANTHRAX is featured in a new series of albums "featuring the greatest hits, signature tunes and fan favorites of the most popular artists in music history," which promise to offer "unprecedented value to consumers." The aptly named "Icon" series from Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) launched in August 31, 2010, with releases from 30 major artists spanning rock, pop, R&B and country.

Each album, at a "great price," includes roughly a dozen hit tracks.

Due on January 10, 2012, the ANTHRAX "Icon" compilation (Island/UMe) will feature the following songs:

01. Madhouse
02. A.I.R.
03. Armed And Dangerous
04. I Am The Law
05. Indians
06. Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.)
07. Antisocial
08. Got The Time
09. Belly Of The Beast
10. Bring The Noise
11. I'm The Man 91

Check out the cover artwork below.

ANTHRAX has just completed a U.S. tour with TESTAMENT and DEATH ANGEL. The trek kicked off on October 14 in Grand Rapids, Michigan and concluded on November 19 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

ANTHRAX's new album, "Worship Music", sold 28,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 12 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous studio CD, 2003's "We've Come For You All", opened with just under 10,000 units to debut at No. 122

CIRCLE II CIRCLE, the band formed by ex-SAVATAGE frontman Zak Stevens, has been confirmed for next year's edition of the Wacken Open Air festival, set to take place August 2-4, 2012 in Wacken, Germany. The group will be joined at the event by special guest guitarist Chris Caffery (SAVATAGE, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA) for a special performance of the classic 1997 SAVATAGE album "The Wake Of Magellan" (which featured both Stevens and Caffery) in its entirety.

CIRCLE II CIRCLE released its fifth album, entitled "Consequence Of Power", in September 2010 via AFM Records. The second concept effort for the band was recorded at Sweet Spot Studios and was described in a press release as "a melodic power metal album catering to all fans from the old SAVATAGE era to all CIRCLE II CIRCLE European fans and breaking new ground for an all new fan base in America."

CIRCLE II CIRCLE's current lineup consists of Zak Stevens (vocals), Rollie Feldmann (guitar), Mitch Stewart (bass/keyboards) and drummer Johnny Osborn, formerly of DR. BUTCHER.

Australia's Faster Louder recently conducted an interview with SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Faster Louder: The white elephant in the room is obviously regarding the tragic death of [SLIPKNOT's] bassist, Paul Gray, it's obviously a difficult subject, but how have you reflected on it, and has it inspired you in any way?

Corey: It's been over a year now, and I've been slowly but surely talking a little bit more about it. Obviously, it's still with me, and it's still hard to talk about it. But I've found the more I talk about it, the easier it is to deal with it. The biggest thing it has taught me, is to not take anything for granted, you know. Paul was one of those guys who really lived it. He lived it right to the hill. He fought his demons, but he didn't let his demons control his personality. If you had just met him, you wouldn't have thought that he was fighting those demons. He was such a sweetheart, and there were times that I forgot that he had issues that he was fighting against, and it really kind of made him almost indestructible in my eyes. So when he passed, it fucked me up, to be honest. It was hard, and it is still hard, but it taught me that you have got to cherish every day and cherish every moment. I don't mean to be overly sensitive or anything like that, but you just have to take a minute in every day, and just reflect on where you are, and just realise what you've got, because you just never know where the next huge change in your life is going to come from. That's the biggest lesson I've taken from it.

Faster Louder: SLIPKNOT are due to tour Australia as part of the Soundwave Festival in 2012. How has the dynamic of the live performances changed as a result of not having Paul there on stage with you, and having SLIPKNOT's original guitarist Donnie Steele filling in for live duties?

Corey: It's definitely changed, you know!? It's a subtle change, but it's a subtle change that's almost deafening. Paul's style was so distinctive, and his sound was so distinctive, that not hearing it took me a while to get used to, and still don't think I'm fully used to it. But it's about soldiering on, is really what it comes down to. It's seeing the audience and being in front of the audience that definitely helps, especially in countries that we haven't played in a while, and if it's their first time in seeing us without Paul, there's such a huge explosion. It's almost like they've been holding their breath for too long, and it comes out in a rush and it hits us. It reinvigorates us to just give it even more, for him, for the audience, for ourselves. I'm just really happy that we have Donnie to do that; he's one of the most selfless people I've ever met. He was like, "You know what?! I'm only going to do this if it feels right," and we all got together and it felt good. It felt right. We were all so close that there was only really only one person who was going to be able to fit those shoes.

Faster Louder: How important was it then to have someone close to the band to perform that duty?

Corey: It was a weird discussion, let's put it that way. There were a handful of names that were thrown about, but we all mentioned Donnie's name, and once we realized we were all on the same page, we were like, "Right — he's the one. He's the guy." He's the type of person that we were able to kind of put our emotions in his hands, and he kind of just walked with it. It's been really good to know that we still have the backbone of this band, because Paul's spirit is still with us, in so many different ways. I mean, there's not a day that goes by that at least once every hour that I don't think about him, so it's just knowing that someone who had Paul's back has ours now. It makes it infinitely easier.

Faster Louder: There are rumours that the next STONE SOUR album is going to be a double concept album. Can you shed some light on that, and what your influences were in writing it?

Corey: I've been writing almost non-stop. The idea that I have is very grand, and if we do it right, it will probably be the biggest thing of our careers. There are influences from stuff like ALICE IN CHAINS, old-school thrash like ANTHRAX and MEGADETH, with some really cool acoustic passages. It's going to hit on every cylinder and packed into the biggest engine ever, let's put it that way. It's a pretty serious story that I'm trying to weave in and out of all these riffs and stuff, so it's really exciting. It's basically the story of a man who's trying to figure it out. He can't figure out if he's happier when he's miserable, or if he's miserable about not being happy. It's almost like a midlife crisis, in a way. He's young enough that he knows that there's still alot of life to live, but he's old enough to realise that he can't be hung up on the romance of teenage depression and youthful aggression. Stuff like that. So he's really standing at the crossroads of his life, trying to figure out where he wants to go. There are stories about the people around him, stories about his romantic life, and there's really this internal struggle where he's going to burn forever or figure it out. Let's put it that way.

SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR singer Corey Taylor has slammed Scott Weiland as a "lazy piece of shit" following the STONE TEMPLE PILOTS/ex-VELVET REVOLVER frontman's decision to record and release "The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year", an album of holiday standards.

During the spoken-word segment at Corey's November 28, 2011 "An Evening With Corey Taylor" solo appearance at Radio Radio in Indianapolis, Indiana, the SLIPKNOT vocalist expressed his disdain over the lack of imagination in modern art, particularly a it relates to movie sequels and remakes.

"Tonight's topic, if you haven't figured it out, is sloth," Corey said. "Because these motherfuckers would rather just 'cha-ching' than actually use their fucking brains to give us anything good these fucking days.' He added, "More and more people are only interested in money than fucking doing anything that's good. I'm not saying everyone, but there's a lot of fucking people out there who would rather just take your money and leave you with nothing. I'll give you another example. Does anyone know who Scott Weiland is? Do you know that Scott Weiland has a Christmas album now? [Laughs] Oh, it's bad. It's bad. Let me fucking explain to you how bad it is. There is a video online of him singing, and he's very serious. 'Cause Christmas is serious. His hair is all slicked back and he's in his shitty tuxedo. He goes [imitates Weiland's singing]. So I'm watching this — painfully watching this, because hey, know your enemy — and I'm just like, 'Why?' It's not that he's a bad singer, 'cause he's not. I love STP, I love some of the shit that he did with VELVET REVOLVER. It's not that he's a bad fucking singer. He's a lazy piece of shit, is what he is at this point. 'I'm gonna get up here…' [imitates Weiland singing and makes snoring sound]. It's all these people who would rather cash in on the little fucking notoriety that they have and take your money and give you nothing back. And that, to me, is the real — the real — sloth in this country. Because I don't know about you, [but] I work really hard for my money — I work very fucking hard for my money — and when I actually spend money on something, I expect it not to suck. Is that too much to fucking ask for anymore, man?"

In a recent interview with The Sudbury Star, Weiland stated about his decision to record a Christmas album, "Um, well, why not?" He continued, "Well, you know what, man? People don't know me. They know what someone's opinion is. And they know my songs. But they really don't know me. Christmas, ever since I was a kid, was a big thing. It still is a big thing."

"My memories of Christmas are very joyful," he added. "It was a special time. I remember we would wake up in the morning, and my father would put on the record player and play old albums. He would usually start out with orchestral versions of classics and chorals. Listening to those songs is something I always remember."

Taylor earlier in the year recorded an album's worth of material with VELVET REVOLVER, which has been more or less on hiatus since its split with Weiland in April 2008.

VELVET guitarist Slash admitted in a recent interview that he was the main reason why Taylor didn't get the frontman job, explaining, "It just didn't seem to fit right to me. And he's great, and I love Corey, but it didn't seem like the answer to the VELVET REVOLVER problem."

Taylor told a Canadian radio station after hearing of Slash's comments, "I guess it just wasn't working for him, which . . . He's Slash and he's entitled to have that, and I'm not gonna argue with him. But it was cool to just be able to get together and jam with those guys and I made some really cool friends."

Massachusetts metallers SHADOWS FALL are putting the finishing touches on the follow-up to their 2009 album "Retribution".

"[We're] heading the studio for FINAL day of tracking," tweeted vocalist Brian Fair on November 29. "Can't wait to get some mixes going."

Due in early 2012 via Razor & Tie, SHADOWS FALL's seventh official studio record sees the band reuniting with longtime friend, producer/engineer and KILLSWITCH ENGAGE/TIMES OF GRACE guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz. Adam, who has previously helmed the boards on albums by ALL THAT REMAINS, AS I LAY DYING, UNEARTH, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA and EVERY TIME I DIE, was also intimately involved in the writing of the new SHADOWS FALL material.

Fair previously stated about SHADOWS FALL 's forthcoming album, "SHADOWS FALL has always been a band that tried our hardest to not be confined by the restraints of a single sub-genre of metal. We cover a ton of ground on this new album — encompassing everything we have done musically over our career and incorporating new ideas into the mix. Our influences are an eclectic mix that cover the full spectrum of heavy music and it's always been our goal to combine those ideas into our own unique sound that is constantly evolving. The songs on this forthcoming new record reflect that goal to the fullest."

SHADOWS FALL's "Madness In Manila: Shadows Fall Live In The Philippines 2009" concert DVD/CD was released on October 25, 2010 via Everblack Industries/Ferret Music. The set includes over 60 minutes of footage that was shot on April 30, 2009 at the Pulp Summer Slam in Manila, Philippines as well as a live audio CD.

SHADOWS FALL's latest album, "Retribution", came out on September 15, 2009. The CD sold around 13,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 35 on The Billboard 200 chart. The effort was made available via Everblack Industries, the label SHADOWS FALL created in conjunction with Warner Music Group's ILG, Ferret Music and ChannelZERO Entertainment.

The curtains at the top of the stage caught fire during AVENGED SEVENFOLD's November 29, 2011 concert at Eastern Kentucky Exposition Center in Pikeville, Kentucky. No one was injured in the incident, which was caused by the band's pyrotechnics, and after the small flame was extinguished, the show continued.

Commented AVENGED SEVENFOLD singer M. Shadows from the stage, "I guess that's what happens when we try and blow everything up."

AVENGED SEVENFOLD's headlining "Buried Alive" tour launched in Ft. Meyers, Florida on November 23. HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD, ASKING ALEXANDRIA, and BLACK VEIL BRIDES are also on the bill, offering fans an incredible value with four of the hottest bands in rock today. Ticket prices range from $35 to $45, including special family four-pack offers in particular markets.

In keeping with its fans-first ethos, AVENGED SEVENFOLD has announced that it will perform a free show on December 16 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California. The concert is free to all fans, regardless of whether they were at the Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar festival or not. However, Uproar ticket holders will be guaranteed free entrance and first pick of seats. Anyone who purchased a ticket for the October 14 Uproar festival date at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California will receive an e-mail with redemption details. For those who purchased with cash, on site or at a venue, please visit www.rockstaruproar.com/mv and submit your e-mail address. These tickets will only be available one week ahead of the general public starting on November 17 at 10 a.m. PT through November 23 at Midnight PT.

The tour takes its name from "Buried Alive", the fourth single from the Huntington Beach

, California rock band's gold album "Nightmare". All three previous singles from "Nightmare" — the title track, "Welcome to the Family" and "So Far Away" — have peaked at No. 1 on the Active Rock chart. Released worldwide in July 2010, "Nightmare" earned AVENGED SEVENFOLD its highest-ever debut on the Billboard album chart when it bowed at No. 1 and topped Billboard's Rock, Hard Rock, and Digital charts. The title track was the most played song at Media Base Active Rock for 2010.

Greek melodic metallers FIREWIND have spent the past few months writing material for their new album for an early 2012 release via an as-yet-undetermined record label. The band's guitarist, Gus G., who is also a member of Ozzy Osbourne's band, writes on Twitter, "I've been rehearsing this past week with FIREWIND like crazy. We're ready to start recordings."

FIREWIND is currently seeking a new label home following the expiration of the band's contract with Century Media Records.

In a recent interview with Oregon Music News, Gus stated about the relative lack of promotion for FIREWIND's latest studio album, "Days Of Defiance", "If were up to me, I would have released the album after I would be available to tour behind it. This was the label's idea who wanted to the album out. Our current label, Century Media, wanted it released. They said, 'We paid you to record the album and we want the masters.' I said, 'Okay, here you go.' I didn't feel good about it. This is the politics of the music business, I tried to make the label see that sure we'd get some press due to my involvement in Ozzy's band, but we would not be able to tour. Waiting 10 months to tour behind an album isn't a good business."

When asked if there were any plans for FIREWIND to re-release "Days Of Defiance" as an "expanded" edition to coincide with the band's recent North American headlining tour, Gus said, "We have thought about it but it goes back to the politics with our label. This was our last album for Century Media and unless you're signed for a long-term contract, they aren't going to do much for you. So for FIREWIND, this time around, there wasn't any creative marketing behind the album. It's sad, because I do feel that it's our best album to date and the fans absolutely love it. Unfortunately, there could have better promotion and Century Media should have waited a few months to release it, but that's record label politics for you."

Quality multi-camera video footage of FIREWIND's October 16, 2011 concert at Peabody's in Cleveland, Ohio as part of the "Frets Of Fury" tour with ARSIS, WHITE WIZZARD and NIGHTRAGE can be viewed below (filmed in 1080p high definition by Ken Kitt and Kim Schleeper; edited and produced by Ken Kitt for FIREWIND and Vidz-R-Us.com).

"Days Of Defiance" landed at position No. 53 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200. The CD was released in North America on October 26, 2010 (one day earlier internationally) via Century Media Records.

ANE'S ADDICTION frontman Perry Farrell outraged Brazilian music fans shortly after announcing that Lollapalooza will come to that South American nation for the first time next April. According to Rolling Stone, Farrell angered fans by saying they were "uneducated about music" in an interview with the country's largest newspaper, Folha de S. Paulo. He also criticized the promoters for problems with online ticket sales for the event, saying, "They should know what they are doing. They sell tickets to football matches!"

A ticket pre-sale for Lollapalooza Brazil reportedly turned disastrous when the web site crashed within minutes and hackers posted buyers' personal information on the Web.

Brazilian fans went on Twitter to slam Farrell for the remarks. Farrell later posted on Twitter himself, saying that the newspaper's reporter took his comments out of context. He tweeted, "Brazil, I NEVER SAID you were not educated in music! . . . Unfortunately that writer took liberty & put words in my month. Invented things that I DID NOT say in order to cause a sensation. That writer is the disappointment of my otherwise amazing visit to Brazil."

Lollapalooza Brazil will take place on April 7 and April 8t in Sao Paulo and feature JANE'S ADDICTION, FOO FIGHTERS, ARCTIC MONKEYS, SKRILLEX, MGMT, TV ON THE RADIO, CAGE THE ELEPHANT, JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS, FOSTER THE PEOPLE and others.

Many of the same acts, minus JANE'S ADDICTION, will also perform at the second Chilean version of Lollapalooza set for Santiago on March 31 and April 1.

The 2012 version of the U.S. event, which will take place for the eighth time at Chicago's Grant Park, is set for August 3-5.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, HALESTORM singer Lzzy Hale told The Saginaw News that she has a secret dream to form a female super group — a modern version of the cult '70s band THE RUNAWAYS — with SICK PUPPIES bassist Emma Anzai, SKILLET keyboardist Korey Cooper and drummer Jen Ledger, and ALICE COOPER guitarist Orianthi. She explained, "It's funny, we secretly talk about it when we hang out. But the truth is that here we are, women in rock, and most of our influences come from our parents' generation."

Hale added that she sees the female musicians she named as part of a positive trend in music, saying, "There are so many of us out there, talented women making it in the business. We're breaking the rules in a business that hasn't had any real rules before. You can put a short skirt on anybody and go for cute, but this is a nice, refreshing trend. They inspire me to do better."

The vocalist says she's also influenced by artists like HEART's Ann and Nancy Wilson, as well as former THE RUNAWAYS guitarist Joan Jett.

Although Hale says she'd love to perform with some of her fellow women, she told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that she loves touring with the guys as well. "One of the most incredible things just from hanging out with all of these boys is that they're incredibly nice," she said. "And I'm gonna completely ruin their reputations, but they really — I mean, they're smart men you can actually have a conversation with, and it's incredible like how supportive they are to each other and it's just a complete pleasure to just be in the company of these guys."

HALESTORM has some scattered gigs on tap throughout the month of December, but the band is mainly gearing up to issue its sophomore album sometime in early 2012.

The release of the new CD was delayed from this fall to next year so that the band could work on additional songs for the set, which may also feature songwriting collaborations with Rivers Cuomo of WEEZER and others.

Some of the new song titles that could make it to the next CD are "American Boys", "Love Bites (And So Do I)" and "I Hate It When You See Me Cry".

HALESTORM's debut featured the rock radio hits "Familiar Taste of Poison", "I Get Off" and "Bet U Wish U Had Me".

Jenna Williams (a.k.a. "The Scream Queen") of TheScreamQueen.com conducted an interview with guitarist Jeff Kendrick of California metallers DEVILDRIVER. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

TheScreamQueen.com: How would you say that as a band DEVILDRIVER has grown within metal? Because you guys definitely have made a pretty substantial mark.

Jeff: I think that... I agree, I think that the band's progressively gotten better. We've obviously stuck in the realm of what we were doing and we've also not done the same thing over and over and over. We've picked a pretty decent amount of ground to, you know, write our music and exist in, and we've covered that well. It's not too narrow, but it's not too broad that it starts to lose people like crazy.

TheScreamQueen.com: How would you say that your connection with your fans has progressed throughout the duration of being in DEVILDRIVER?

Jeff: Connection with the fans... I think we all pretty much stayed the same people that we were when we started, and we're all very friendly people, and we're all on the same level as everybody else as working a normal job, even though it skips nine-to-five. There's nothing… there's no super-fame or super money. So, we're all pretty much normal people.

TheScreamQueen.com: Over the last few years, especially this year with the economy the way it has been, illegal downloading has been increasing, record sales have been decreasing... I've noticed many artists, very recently, have really been speaking out again on Facebook, Twitter, as well as in interviews, about this matter, too... What is your take on this?

Jeff: Yeah, it's bad. I mean, it affects an industry that affects musicians, because it's a record contract. There's a record deal, but there's a record business, and a band is a small part of the record business. You have the record company and you have their setup, then you have the band and there's a deal between that. So, when you steal the record, you essentially steal from the record company, which steals from the artist. But now, at this point, it's so far beyond it; I do think they will eventually come out with a platform that's going to work, where people get paid. I think there will be a period of time where there's going to be unrecoverable losses, but there will be a point where it gets figured out, and then they'll go from there. It'll be hopefully improved.

TheScreamQueen.com: Everyone goes through a musical journey, whether it be a guitarist, vocalist, drummer, bassist, etcetera... Would you say your musical journey of what you initially envisioned it to be, what it is now, or has that vision that you first had changed throughout the path you've taken?

Jeff: Hmmm... It's both... I envision it and then learn along the way. You can never really fully paint a picture about an experience until you experience it. But you can always visualize what you think it's going to be, but you never know until you walked in the shoes and walked in the experiences. It's definitely things that I thought and things that I didn't. But as I've gotten older, I've enjoyed it a lot more, I have a great time. I enjoyed a lot when I was younger, but just [is] a different place for me now.

Canadian metallers CANCER BATS have set "Dead Set On Living" as the tentative title of their fourth album, due in early 2012. Lead singer Liam Cormier tells AOL's Noisecreep that he and his bandmates have been looking outside the heavy music universe for inspiration.

"In a lot of ways we get really inspired by non-metal bands," he says. "For me, I find I really like looking at other things because I just don't want to make a traditional hardcore record lyrically. So for me, I listen to a lot of indie rock and I've been getting super psyched on a lot of that, like the new 'Helplessness Blues' by FLEET FOXES..."

Despite this, Cormier insists that he has no interest in moving away from the thrash-stoner-punk-hardcore sound which has characterized CANCER BATS' first three albums — 2006's "Birthing The Giant", 2008's "Hail Destroyer" and 2010's "Bears, Mayors, Scraps & Bones".

"I love what we do," he says. "I don't want to make this record be us trying to be MUSE, or us trying to extend ourselves into other things, like me trying to do clean singing parts so we can get played on the radio. When you hear bands that you love try shit like that it's just such a bum-out.

"The new stuff definitely doesn't sound like 'Bears' or 'Hail' or 'Birthing', but it sounds like where we should be at, trying to really fuckin' go for it.

"We really looked at it like, 'Let's make this album the ultimate party in every way that I know CANCER BATS fans want to get down.' Because I'm not sick of what we do, I fucking love playing these songs every night. That's the kind of vibe I still want to have going."

He continues, "I think the big thing, too, we've all turned 30. I'm going to be 32. Now that we're all older, we all really understand CLUTCH. I think there's like an age factor in understanding that band. If you're too young, you just don't get it.

"If you listen to CLUTCH, all their records sound like CLUTCH, and they're the best at doing that, but they still take really rad chances and do different things that are fun. Like, a lot of vocal stuff that's goofy, but it doesn't ruin the song, it just makes it really fun. I'm looking at someone who's been able to do that and still nobody's going to call those dudes a bunch of pussies, you know what I mean?

"So looking at that and not being too hung up on things we could over-think at this point, like, 'Ah, it needs to be super heavy and negative and brutal — metal can only be like this.' It's like, 'Naw, we can do whatever the fuck we want.' Because we're not 100 percent a metal band; we're like punk-weird-hardcore-whatever band."

Sweden's CARNIVORE has changed its name to ERUPTED.

Commented vocalist Daniel Ocic Sundberg: "[We have decided to change the name of the band] out of respect for the late [TYPE O NEGATIVE mainman] Pete Steele's CARNIVORE.

"Back when we picked the band name, we actually had not heard of the earlier CARNIVORE, and once we did, we guessed that a local band using the name really couldn't be such a big deal, we didn't expect the promo to get us signed or that we would get a chance to actually record a full-length. But, as things have worked out far beyond our imagination, we want you to wave goodbye to Växjö's CARNIVORE and give ERUPTED a brutal fucking welcome!! Same shit, new name."

ERUPTED will enter the studio in December to record its full-length debut for a 2012 release via Abyss Records.

A limited-edition version of the band's previously released "Faces Of Death" EP will be made available early next year.

Sweden's CARNIVORE was formed in 2010 when a former project of three of the members, called BEYOND HELL, underwent major lineup changes and decided to make a new start. The band played several local shows during 2010 and in 2011 recorded a three-song EP called "Faces Of Death".

According to a press release, ERUPTED's "musical style is based on old-school elements with a modern and progressive touch, as well as an philosophical and occult lyrical element."

ERUPTED is:

Daniel Ocic Sundberg - Vocals
Tobias Pettersson - Guitar
Jonas Davidsson - Guitar
Cedrik Petersson - Bass
Marcus Nieminen – Drums

Dutch doom death metal legends ASPHYX have completed work on their new studio album, "Deathhammer", for a February 27, 2012 release in Europe and February 28, 2012 in North America via Century Media Records.

The cover artwork for "Deathhammer" was created by ASPHYX's longtime partner in designs, Axel Hermann. Hermann not only worked on all of the early ASPHYX artworks and most recently on their "Live Death Doom" release, but is also responsible for many of the classic Century Media artworks by bands like MORGOTH, UNLEASHED, SAMAEL and GRAVE.

Commented ASPHYX's Martin van Drunen: "ASPHYX and Axel Hermann is a fusion that has always functioned perfectly… from the days of 'The Rack' back in 1991, 'till 'Deathhammer' in 2012. Like others such as Dan Swanö, Axel may be considered as an external member of the band and when we asked him to do the 'Deathhammer' cover — and as usual we would leave him free in his expression — we were very pleased to hear he was willing to take it on. …And the man has exceeded himself! To the perfect death metal album comes the perfect cover that still leaves enough to everyone's imagination. We hope he is as proud as we are on the final result. It seems all falls into place for this deathdozer of an album. I guess Axel can expect an offer from Le Louvre any time now."

Added Hermann: "A cover is the visual extension of an album that translates music and emotional intentions (or should I say aggression) into a clear statement of what to expect before taking the record off the shelf. In seldom cases you're ending up with two perfect sides of the same coin. With ASPHYX and myself, it has always and luckily been that case. And I am really proud of that! Show 'em death and hit them with a hammer…visually and musically! Guess, we flipped the coin once more!?"

Recorded at The Mörser Studio as well as at Harrow Studio with ASPHYX's longtime engineer Harry Wijering, "Deathhammer" was mixed and mastered in Sweden by Dan Swanö, who previously worked with the band on "Death…The Brutal Way" and "Live Death Doom" releases. Songtitles set to appear on the CD include "Reign Of The Brute", "Vespa Cabro", "We Doom You To Death", "Asphyx-Minefield" and "Deathhammer".

ASPHYX will perform "The Rack" album in its entirety at this year's Eindhoven Metal Meeting on December 16 at Effenaar in Eindhoven, The Netherlands to celebrate the LP's 20th anniversary.

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/soulflypremiere/asphyxcover.jpg

GOD SEED's "Live At Wacken" DVD and CD will be released on January 27 in Europe and January 31 in North America via Indie Recordings.

The number of tracks on the "Live At Wacken" DVD was recently reduced to nine from the previously announced 13.

GOD SEED was the Norwegian band featuring former GORGOROTH members King (bass; real name: Tom Cato Visnes) and Gaahl (vocals; real name: Kristian Espedal).

"Live At Wacken" will include footage of the group's infamous live show from the 2008 edition of the Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany where they performed on the main stage in front of 75,000 screaming fans.

The Wacken performance was a reconstruction of GORGOROTH's controversial "Black Mass" show from Krakow in 2004 filmed in a TV studio in Kraków, Poland. The concert featured sheep heads on stakes, "crucified" nude models, satanic symbols, and eighty liters of sheep's blood. The band came under fire for violating Polish anti-blasphemy laws as well as Polish animal-rights laws, resulting in a police investigation with allegations of religious offence and cruelty to animals. The band went free of all charges and at Wacken 2008 they recreated this now-legendary show in all its glory.

This spectacular show is made available as a live CD, including the film of the entire show on DVD. The album is only available in a deluxe digipack edition and holds liner notes from the band about the process of recreating this special show.

"Live At Wacken" features session players Nick Barker (drums) and Ice Dale (guitar) alongside King and Gaahl.

"Live At Wacken" revised track listing:

01. Procreating Satan
02. Forces Of Satan Storms
03. Teethgrinding
04. Carving A Giant
05. A Sign Of An Open Eye
06. Wound Upon Wound
07. Godseed
08. Of Ice And Movement
09. Prosperity And Beauty

GOD SEED came to life after Gaahl and King lost a court battle in early 2009 against guitarist Infernus (real name: Roger Tiegs) over the rights to the GORGOROTH band name.

Commented King: "GOD SEED represents a more spiritual side to us than what GORGOROTH did. GOD SEED represents the will to grow; the will to be the super man, so to speak. I think it's a suitable name for what we will represent in the future. I am also aware of the fact that we use the word 'God' in the name. It will challenge the weak minded in the respect that we in the past used the word Satan a lot, but it's all about the same thing. The God within man, and the God within nature. I never believed in a Christian force named Satan. I believe in the God within man."

Gaahl left GOD SEED in 2009 because he chose to retire from metal music.

Norwegian blackened punk metallers KVELERTAK have brewed their own beer called Kvelerbier. The beer will be on sale exclusively at the band's Vienna, Austria concert at Szene on December 3. It's limited to 30 bottles only. There will also be a limited amount of fantastic tour posters and a special Vienna tour poster available, too.

According to a press release, Kvelerbier is "made out of honey and hate on Halloween 2011. Alc. vol. 6,66%. Brewed by brewmeister Thomas Shellraiser."

KVELERTAK's self-titled debut album, was released June 21, 2010 via Indie Recordings. Produced by Kurt Ballou and mixed by Alan Douches with artwork by John Baizley and guest appearances by Hoest (TAAKE), Andreas Tylden (JR Ewing and ALTAAR), Ivar Nikolaisen (SILVER), and Ryan McKenney (TRAP THEM), "Kvelertak" has been dubbed "the best Norwegian debut album of all time," and the band "the new MASTODON."

"Kvelertak" received a North American release on March 15 via The End Records. The North American edition includes six bonus tracks: live recordings of the songs "Fossegrim", "Sjøhyenar (Havets Herrer)", "Blodtørst" and "Mjød" from the BBC Sessions last year, as well as demo versions of "Ordsmedar av Rang" and "Utrydd Dei Svake".

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/soulflypremiere/kvelerbier.jpg

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[Classic_Rock_Forever] Led Zeppelin, The Faces, AC/DC, Guns N Roses, Motley Crue, MEgadeth, Anthrax and tons more hard rock and heavy metal news

Your new book Dirty Deeds focuses on your time with AC/DC but covers your whole life. What compelled you to release it now?

You get into pretty intricate detail with stories that are upwards of thirty years-old. Was it tough to remember any of them?

And among rockers who have been in the game as long as you have, that's fairly unique.

And Keith Richards. He didn't just write a book, he published an encyclopedia. He's telling you what he had for breakfast twenty five years ago.

Yeah, I liked it. Were you OK with the level of detail?

I would say the same goes to you. You've got a few decades under your belt and over time, stories emerge that take on their own life. Were there any misinterpretations that you intended to correct?

So when you say that's what other accounts haven't gotten right, that's what you're talking about?

When you joined AC/DC, it sounds like they made it clear to you that they were hell-bent on world conquest. Did you believe the band was capable of that when you joined?

If someone were joining AC/DC, what advice would you give them?

You got to play with Bon Scott. Where would you rate him among rock's great frontmen?

Really?

I once saw a picture of him where he's got a loose tooth hanging out. It looks like he's just come out of a fight. I haven't been able to find the picture since I first saw it, and I've spent a great deal of time looking around for it. Looks like he's just been through a punch up.

Yeah, it's like his tooth is hanging out from the front of his mouth. Does that sound familiar?

What would you say is your biggest takeaway from the AC/DC period? For you personally.

What's the difference between a good bass player and a great bass player?

Do you have a favorite bass player joke?

I don't know.

I don't know.

(laughs)

So you're keeping pretty busy now. What do you enjoy most about life after AC/DC?

Absolutely.

Do you regret not getting the tattoo? (In the book, Evans discusses being offered a position in the band, which would have required him to get a rose tattoo, which he was unwilling to do at the time, so he passed on joining the band)

The end of your book is absolutely devastating…

I can't imagine.

How difficult was it to write about those incidents and did the writing process help you in some way?

OK, time for Either/Or. I'll give you a series of choices and you pick one or the other. Sound good?

AFL Finals or The Ashes?

Yeah? Who do you support?

Melbourne or Sydney?

Music of the Sixties or music of the Seventies?

Fender or Gibson?

Alright, we'll let you off with "both."

Last one– "Whole Lotta Rosie" or "Let There Be Rock?"

Why?

You're allowed to be. Mark, thanks a bunch for your time. It's been a pleasure.

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