All Request Rock Radio - Mega Rock Radio

Eric Blair of "The Blairing Out With Eric Blair Show" conducted an interview with bassist James Lomenzo (MEGADETH, WHITE LION, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, DAVID LEE ROTH, DIO DISCIPLES, HAIL!) at a massive gathering on December 14 at the Key Club in Hollywood, California to help celebrate the life and music of "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott (PANTERA, DAMAGEPLAN) as part of this year's Dimebash. You can now watch the chat below.

All proceeds from the concert went to Wendy Dio's charity Stand Up And Shout, which raises money for cancer research; her husband died of stomach cancer in May 2010.

The Key Club in Hollywood was scheduled to play host to all-star jams featuring the following musicians:

* Tim "Ripper" Owens (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH, DIO DISCIPLES)
* Geezer Butler (BLACK SABBATH, HEAVEN & HELL)
* Jerry Cantrell (ALICE IN CHAINS)
* David Draiman (DISTURBED)
* Duff McKagan (VELVET REVOLVER, GUNS N' ROSES)
* Serj Tankian (SYSTEM OF A DOWN)
* Mike Muir (SUICIDAL TENDENCIES)
* Sebastian Bach (SKID ROW)
* John 5 (ROB ZOMBIE, MARILYN MANSON)
* Scott Ian (ANTHRAX)
* Phil Demmel (MACHINE HEAD)
* Ben Harper
* Chris Howorth (IN THIS MOMENT)
* Tom Morello (RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE)
* Doug Pinnick (KING'S X)
* James Lomenzo (WHITE LION, MEGADETH, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY)
* Ginger Fish (ROB ZOMBIE, MARILYN MANSON)
* Brian Tichy (WHITESNAKE, OZZY OSBOURNE)
* Gene Hoglan (FEAR FACTORY, DETHKLOK, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD)
* Joey Vera (ARMORED SAINT, FATES WARNING)
* Robin McAuley (MSG, SURVIVOR)
* Nick Bowcott (GRIM REAPER)
* Richie Kotzen (MR. BIG, POISON)

The whole shebang was emceed by "That Metal Show"'s Eddie Trunk and his co-horts, Jim Florentine and Don Jamieson. In addition, kicking off the event was KILL DEVIL HILL, the band featuring Vinny Appice (HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, DIO) on drums, Rex Brown (DOWN, PANTERA) on bass, Mark Zavon (RATT, W.A.S.P., 40 CYCLE HUM) on guitar and Jason "Dewey" Bragg (PISSING RAZORS) on vocals. Also on deck was DIO DISCIPLES — the new project featuring former DIO members Simon Wright (drums), Craig Goldy (guitar), Scott Warren (keyboards) and Rudy Sarzo alongside singers Tim "Ripper" Owens (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, BEYOND FEAR, JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH) and Toby Jepson (LITTLE ANGELS, GUN) — with a special appearance by Glenn Hughes (BLACK SABBATH, DEEP PURPLE, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION).

100% of proceeds from the event will benefit the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up & Shout Cancer Fund. Additionally, attendees will be able to land some limited-edition merchandise and purchase Monster Energy cocktail drink specials with 100 percent of the proceeds benefitting the cause as well.

Fan-filmed video footage of Vinnie Paul Abbott (HELLYEAH, PANTERA, DAMAGEPLAN) and Chip Z'Nuff (ENUFF Z'NUFF) performing a cover version of THE KINKS classic "You Really Got Me" (as recorded by VAN HALEN) with Los Angeles glam metal jokesters STEEL PANTHER on February 10 at the House Of Blues in Las Vegas, Nevada can be seen below.

STEEL PANTHER's sophomore album, "Balls Out", sold nearly 12,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 40 on The Billboard 200 chart. Released on November 1 via Universal Republic Records, the follow-up to 2009's "Feel The Steel" contains 14 soon-to-be classics such as "Just Like Tiger Woods", "Gold Digging Whore" and "Weenie Ride". The album also features cameos by Dane Cook on the album opener "In The Future" and NICKELBACK frontman Chad Kroeger and EXTREME axeman Nuno Bettencourt show up on an instant classic "It Won't Suck Itself". "Balls Out" was produced by Grammy-nominated producer/mixer Jay Ruston who produced the band's "Feel The Steel" debut and is known for his work with ANTHRAX, MEAT LOAF, THE DONNAS and MORRISSEY, to name a few.

STEEL PANTHER is Michael Starr (vocals), Satchel (guitar), Lexxi Foxx (bass) and Stix Zadinia (drums).

Earlier this month, Musician Photo Journal conducted an interview with HELLYEAH members Vinnie Paul Abbott (drums; ex-PANTERA, DAMAGEPLAN) and Tom Maxwell (guitar; ex-NOTHINGFACE). You can now watch the chat below.

In addition to Vinnie and Tom, HELLYEAH features in its ranks Chad Gray and Greg Tribbett (MUDVAYNE), and Bob "Zilla" Kakaha (DAMAGEPLAN) —

HELLYEAH's third album, "Band Of Brothers", will be released on July 17 via the band's new label home, Eleven Seven Music). The CD was recorded in Dallas, Texas at Vinnie Paul's home studio, VP's Upstairs Studio, and was produced by the band and Jeremy Parker (GODSMACK, EVANESCENCE), who also served as engineer.

HELLYEAH earlier in the month released the "War In Me" digital single via iTunes.

Having produced track after track of heavy-hitting, in-your-face, feel-good rock and roll on their previous two albums (2010's "Stampede" and 2007's self-titled debut), HELLYEAH takes a slightly different musical direction on "Band Of Brothers". Drawing on their former bands' collective metal roots for inspiration, the influences and style of MUDVAYNE, PANTERA, DAMAGEPLAN and NOTHINGFACE are immediately recognizable in tracks such as "Band Of Brothers", "War In Me" and "Rage Burn", while the party anthem "Drink, Drank, Drunk" retains the essence of earlier HELLYEAH.

Commented HELLYEAH singer Chad Gray, "I'm really excited about what we've done on this new album. I've always separated MUDVAYNE and HELLYEAH as much as I could, even though it was my voice. Melodies, lyrics and just the overall style of writing were different. With 'Band Of Brothers', I just quit being afraid of who I am in relation to this band. I think we've all really gotten back to the original roots of what we've done individually and brought it together on this album. As an artist, as long as you're painting with your own brush, no one can compare or challenge you. I just painted with a bigger, heavier brush than I had with HELLYEAH in the past. I think this is what fans have always expected to hear from us, and now were giving it to them."

Added Jeremy Parker, "It's impossible not to have a good time jamming this record. It has the anger and violence of PANTERA and MUDVAYNE, but a party vibe that can only be HELLYEAH!"

In a recent interview with Loudwire, Vinnie stated about "Band Of Brothers", "On our first two records, we were a new band. We really wanted to branch out and expand and experiment with all different styles. We all come from traditional metal bands and backgrounds, so it was a great breath of fresh air to play in a band that was rock 'n' roll, blues and Southern rock. We got that out of our system and got really focused on going back to our metal roots. It's heavy, focused, groove-oriented and I'm excited about it."

KISS guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley was among the biggest names in TV and radio who joined together at Dick Clark's Malibu, California home yesterday (Thursday, May 3) to pay tribute to the rock 'n' roll icon and TV and radio pioneer who passed away on April 18.

Commented Stanley: "Yesterday, the private memorial for Dick Clark took place, and I was there by invitation along with Erin [Stanley's wife], Gene [Simmons, KISS bassist/vocalist] and Shannon [Tweed, Gene's wife].

"Dick was a true icon who changed the world of rock and roll while making a career of using his love of music to make icons of others.

"To see rock's greats spanning five decades humbled and giving thanks to this giant only underlined once again the impact this wonderful man had on so many.

"Any of the current 'Idol'/'Voice'-type shows wouldn't exist without the trail that Dick Clark blazed to make them possible. He left an indelible mark on me for the irreplaceable generosity he showed KISS over the years. Always there with a word of guidance, we won't forget him. He will live on through his impact on countless aspects of American pop culture."

Clark died of a heart attack in Santa Monica, California at age 82. According to The Pulse Of Radio, Clark's death came a day after being admitted for an outpatient procedure. Clark, affectionately known as "America's Oldest Teenager," is survived by his wife Kari, and his three children Richard Augustus II, Duane, and Cindy. Memorial plans have yet to be announced.

Over the course of the show's 30 years, artists who performed on "American Bandstand" included the BEACH BOYS, THE DOORS, MADONNA, and literally hundreds of others.

In 1964, "American Bandstand" moved to Los Angeles, where it would remain until 1989 when the show was canceled.

"American Bandstand" became one of television's longest running music shows, and the first network series devoted exclusively to rock n' roll.

The four members of KISS spent all day (and late into the night) in the studio yesterday (Thursday, November 17) working on a new song for their upcoming album, "Monster". Check out photos from the studio at KissOnline.com.

In a recent interview with U.K.'s Classic Rock magazine, KISS guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley stated about the follow-up to 2009's "Sonic Boom", "We've recorded eight tracks. Everything's on except the vocals. There'll be 10 on the album, with a couple of tracks as bonuses for different projects.

"'Sonic Boom' was a pivotal album in the sense that we were aware of who we were as a performing band, but we had to re-establish who we are as a recording band. That being done, this is much easier and that much more self-assured.

Added bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons: "This new record feels heavier than 'Sonic Boom'. It feels like [it's] a connection between 'Destroyer' and 'Revenge'.

Regarding some of the tracks that will appear on "Monster", Stanley said, "I'd be surprised if the album didn't start with 'Hell Or Hallelujah'. It's up-tempo, a great riff, definitive KISS. There's a track called 'Born To Be A Sinner', and Tommy [Thayer, guitar] has a song called 'Out Of This World', which is terrific. They're anthemic songs. That's the nature of how we write. There are no ballads."

Added Simmons: "'Are You Ready?' is a new track that I worked out, wrote, and brought everyone into the studio and said: 'Let's bang this out.' Another of the new songs, tentatively titled 'Wall Of Sound', we just came up with on the spot. The guts of that song were written in 40 minutes."

"Monster" is tentatively due in early 2012.

KISS' official web site, KissOnline.com, has been updated with the following message:

"Twenty years ago today, our friend Eric Carr passed away after losing his battle with cancer. Over the eleven years Eric spent with KISS, he played over 800 concerts to millions of fans around the world, and he brought joy to and touched the lives of so many people. Here are some thoughts and memories that the band would like to share."

Paul Stanley (guitar, vocals): "At a time when KISS was in the midst of upheaval and turmoil, Eric brought calm and an optimism that refocused our priorities so we could move forward. I can't overstate his contribution to our rebirth. His dedication to his music was only matched by his dedication to his fans. He was a kind soul who couldn't say an unkind word about anyone and I think of him all the time."

Eric Singer (drums): "Eric Carr was a beloved member of KISS for eleven years. His drumming was as powerful as his love and devotion for the fans and remains in the hearts of many to this day..."

Tommy Thayer (guitar): "Eric Carr was a special person and a friend. He would always go out of his way to be friendly and say something nice. I remember the band was mixing 'Hot In The Shade' back in 1989 at Cherokee Studios in L.A. 'Hot In The Shade' was a mish-mash of sorts and everyone was throwing in their two cents on the mix — you know, 'Turn up the guitars, turn up the bass...' I was listening and remember saying to the engineer, 'Where's the drums?' At the end of the night, Eric quietly pulled me aside and said, 'Thanks for mentioning the drums.' He appreciated that... A good guy."

Gene Simmons (bass, vocals): "I never knew anyone more humble in my life. Eric Carr was a kind soul who never said anything bad about anybody. He was also a double threat on drums, and vocals. I miss him."

Former PANTERA and current HELLYEAH drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott will stop by ESPN tomorrow (Tuesday, November 29) at 3:00 p.m. ET to take your questions about Alice In Chains & Friends Fantasy Football Charity League, which features some of rock music's biggest stars, his music career and just about anything else you may want to ask.

Each member of the charity league has put up a valuable piece of memorabilia to be auctioned off with the money going toward the league champion's charity of choice. Paul is playing for Little Kids Rock, a non-profit organization dedicated to restoring music education in disadvantaged public schools.

Submit your questions for Vinnie Paul now at this location.

As previously reported, HELLYEAH has tapped Jeremy Parker (GODSMACK, EVANESCENCE) to mix the band's third album for an early 2012 release. The CD was recorded at Abbott's home in Arlington, Texas, where he has a studio set up.

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.

Read the entire interview from Faster Louder.

Members of BLACK SABBATH, DISTURBED, ALICE IN CHAINS, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES and MACHINE HEAD gathered this past Wednesday night (December 14) at the Key Club in Hollywood, California to help celebrate the life and music of "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott (PANTERA, DAMAGEPLAN) as part of this year's Dimebash.

Two musicians that were conspicuously absent from this year's event were former PANTERA members Philip Anselmo and Vinnie Paul Abbott.

Anselmo was originally supposed to appear at last year's Dimebash but pulled out at the last minute after coming down with pneumonia.

When asked about Anselmo's non-appearance at this year's concert, Dimebag's longtime girlfriend Rita Haney — who organized the event — told Artisan News (see video below), "I think if we would have kept it on our original date, on [December 8], he would have been able to make it. Because Pepper [Keenan, Anselmo's DOWN bandmate] had obligations — they're doing a new DOWN record — and [Pepper] had obligations with [his participation in] the METALLICA [week-long 30th-anniversary celebrations in San Francisco]. So they were scheduled off through that time. But then when we had to move things, it's like, [Philip's] schedule, and doing… you know him — five projects at once… He sent the most apologetic letter; it was really, really cool, because it's the Philip I know. But he goes, 'Please don't count me out next year.' And like I said… I go, 'Hey, well, it could be three things. It could go either way. It could be, 'Third time's a charm,' or it could be 'Strike three, you're out.' So we'll see."

Haney recently called on Vinnie Paul Abbott and Anselmo to settle their differences in honor of Dimebag, who was shot and killed by a crazed gunman while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at a Columbus, Ohio rock club in December 2004.

Vinnie, who is Dimebag's brother, and Anselmo have not spoken since PANTERA split in 2003. But the relationship got even more acrimonious when Vinnie indirectly blamed Philip for Dimebag's death, suggesting that some remarks the vocalist had made about Dimebag in print just weeks earlier might have incited Dimebag's killer.

Haney spoke out about the long-running feud earlier in the year, saying, "Everybody still has resentment towards each other about things in the past. It's easy to direct your anger at the wrong people. Philip didn't murder Darrell and [he] would never have wanted that."

Haney added, "Yeah, I resent Philip for becoming a jackass and a drug addict, and I'm a little sketchy about trusting him all the way yet. But some of the things he's emailed and some of the thing he's said — that's the Philip I know, the 'stronger than all.' There's always room in my heart for him — I love him."

Haney admitted that Vinnie was not happy that she had been in touch with Anselmo, saying, "I just hope some day he sees the light that I know Darrell is about, which is forgiving. I know it'll come in time — you've got to let go to continue on."

When asked by Artisan News about Vinnie's apparent decision to sit out this year's Dimebash, Rita said, "I sent him [a message]… On December 8 [the seven-year anniversary of Dimebag's death], I wanted him to know I was thinking about him, that I love him no matter what, [whatever] issues that he has. But I haven't spoken to him in almost a year now. He doesn't… But you know what?! I don't give up. I still love him. I have no animosity. And I just hope that he comes and celebrates with us [at some point in the future]."

"Band Of Brothers", the title track of the third album from the metal juggernaut known as HELLYEAH — featuring Vinnie Paul Abbott (PANTERA, DAMAGEPLAN), Chad Gray and Greg Tribbett (MUDVAYNE), Tom Maxwell (NOTHINGFACE) and Bob "Zilla" Kakaha (DAMAGEPLAN) — can be streamed below (courtesy of AOL's Noisecreep).

"Band Of Brothers" will be released on July 17 via the band's new label home, Eleven Seven Music. The CD was recorded in Dallas, Texas at Vinnie Paul's home studio, VP's Upstairs Studio, and was produced by the band and Jeremy Parker (GODSMACK, EVANESCENCE), who also served as engineer.

"Band Of Brothers" track listing:

01. War In Me
02. Band Of Brothers
03. Rage/Burn
04. Drink Drank Drunk
05. Bigger God
06. Between You And Nowhere
07. Call It
08. Why Does It Always
09. WM Free
10. Dig Myself A Hole
11. What It Takes To Be Me

"Band Of Brothers" (song) audio stream (courtesy of AOL's Noisecreep):

"Band Of Brothers" (song) lyrics:

We walk the walk, like we're 10 feet tall,
Hide in the tree tops of the timber, deliver death to all
We talk the talk, our voice is thunder,
My mission here is truly clear, I am the butcher
We are the shadow storm, rolling defenders,
Filled with piss and pride, and a courage unprecedented
It's time to man up, when you've got a man down
It's time to man up, never leave a man down

I've got your back and you've got mine,
As long as we stand together,
Everything's gonna be alright
I'll keep you high when you get low,
Just a band of brothers raising hell,
Like a murder of crows

We've got the skills, we've got the know how,
We bring a fury that makes you bow down,
My blood is poison, pumping through my veins,
Stalking like a madman killer, we bring the pain
I'd die for all of you, it's my destiny,
My killer instinct, iron man with a war face scream
It's time to man up, when you've got a man down
It's time to man up, never leave a man down

I've got your back and you've got mine,
As long as we stand together,
Everything's gonna be alright
I'll keep you high when you get low,
Just a band of brothers raising hell,
Like a murder of crows

We've got the look, and it's open season,
We've got that 1000 yard stare, and all we need is a reason
We're locked and loaded, full metal jacket
We're in the shit and we love it, let's motherfucking do this [End of lyrics]

HELLYEAH last month released the "War In Me" digital single via iTunes.

Having produced track after track of heavy-hitting, in-your-face, feel-good rock and roll on their previous two albums (2010's "Stampede" and 2007's self-titled debut), HELLYEAH takes a slightly different musical direction on "Band Of Brothers". Drawing on their former bands' collective metal roots for inspiration, the influences and style of MUDVAYNE, PANTERA, DAMAGEPLAN and NOTHINGFACE are immediately recognizable in tracks such as "Band Of Brothers", "War In Me" and "Rage Burn", while the party anthem "Drink, Drank, Drunk" retains the essence of earlier HELLYEAH.

Commented HELLYEAH singer Chad Gray, "I'm really excited about what we've done on this new album. I've always separated MUDVAYNE and HELLYEAH as much as I could, even though it was my voice. Melodies, lyrics and just the overall style of writing were different. With 'Band Of Brothers', I just quit being afraid of who I am in relation to this band. I think we've all really gotten back to the original roots of what we've done individually and brought it together on this album. As an artist, as long as you're painting with your own brush, no one can compare or challenge you. I just painted with a bigger, heavier brush than I had with HELLYEAH in the past. I think this is what fans have always expected to hear from us, and now were giving it to them."

In a recent interview with Loudwire, Vinnie stated about "Band Of Brothers", "On our first two records, we were a new band. We really wanted to branch out and expand and experiment with all different styles. We all come from traditional metal bands and backgrounds, so it was a great breath of fresh air to play in a band that was rock 'n' roll, blues and Southern rock. We got that out of our system and got really focused on going back to our metal roots. It's heavy, focused, groove-oriented and I'm excited about it."