SLASH ANNOUNCES U.S. HEADLINING TOUR BEGINNING MAY 3

Posted in Artist Watch, News, Releases with tags , , , , , , on February 13, 2012 by Randy

As he puts the finishing touches on his as-yet-untitled second solo album due out May 22, SLASH–the iconic, Grammy-winning rock guitarist and songwriter–has announced that his headlining U.S. tour will begin May 3 in Baltimore. A fan pre-sale begins this Wednesday, February 15, with the regular on-sale starting Friday, February 17. Tickets will be available at: http://www.slashonline.com/.  The itinerary (see below) encompasses three festival appearances: Saturday, May 5 at Carolina Rebellion, Saturday, May 19 at Rock On The Range and  Friday, May 25 at Rocklahoma.

Meanwhile, this Saturday, February 18, SLASH will join Stevie Wonder, Sean Combs, Chris Cornell, Lenny Kravitz, LL Cool J, Common, Snoop Dogg, former President Bill Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, actors Anthony Hopkins, James Gandolfini and more at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas for a 70th birthday celebration to honor boxing legend Muhammad Ali. “Muhammad Ali is & always has been a role model & a hero to me,” says SLASH. “It’s a huge privilege to be able to perform in his honor. He is one of the great icons of American culture and history.” The 16th annual “Power of Love Gala” celebrates the life and legacy of Muhammad Ali and his contribution to the world and raises awareness for Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s, ALS, Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s, the disease “The Champ” has been battling since 1984.  Proceeds from the event will benefit the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health’s work toward enhanced treatments and research of neurocognitive disorders and the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, Ky. The show will also feature appearances from boxing legends such as Sugar Ray Leonard, Ken Norton, Tommy “Hitman” Hearns, and more. Tickets for this once-in-a-lifetime event are on sale now. ABC will also televise the show nationally on Saturday, Feb. 25, at 7 p.m. EST/ 4 p.m. PST. For tickets and more information, visit: keepmemoryalive.org.

 

SLASH is currently in a Los Angeles studio working on his new album with Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators. It will be released SLASH’s own label Dik Hayd International distributed through EMI and will follow his 2010 debut album Slash and his November 2011 first-ever live  solo album, the two-CD/DVD set Made In Stoke 24/7/11. Notably, the Slash album debuted on the Billboard Top 200 chart at #3 (#1 on the Rock chart, #1 on the Independent chart, and #1 on the Hard Music chart). Digitally, the album also became the #1 overall digital album and hit #1 on iTunes in 13 countries. Internationally, the disc achieved Top 5 chart positions in over a dozen major territories, hitting #1 in both Japan and New Zealand.

For the new album, SLASH–along with and his bandmates Myles Kennedy (vocals), Brent Fitz (drums) and Todd Kerns (bass)–have teamed with producer Eric Valentine, who also produced the Slash disc. All the songs were written together by SLASH and Kennedy, and cameras have been rolling throughout the entire making of the album. Check out exclusive behind-the-scenes footage airing weekly at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIYbyb8xXTQ.

www.slashonline.com

https://twitter.com/#!/slash

SLASH’s 2012 headlining U.S. tour dates are as follows:

Thu 5/3 Baltimore MD Rams Head Live
Sat 5/5 Charlotte NC Carolina Rebellion, Rockingham Speedway
Mon 5/7 Orlando FL Hard Rock Live
Thu 5/10 Biloxi MS Hard Rock Hotel & Casino – Hard Rock Live
Sat 5/12 Kansas City MO Liberty Memorial Park
Sun 5/13 Indianola IA National Balloon Classic Field
Mon 5/14 Minneapolis MN The Brick
Wed 5/16 Madison WI Orpheum Theater
Thu 5/17 Grand Rapids MI Orbit Room
Sat 5/19 Columbus OH Rock On The Range, Columbus Crew Stadium
Sun 5/20 Camden NJ Susquehanna Bank Center
Fri 5/25 Pryor OK Rocklahoma
Sat 5/26 Albuquerque NM Route 66 Casino

About SLASH:

Slash is widely considered one of the greatest rock guitar players of all time. He has received countless accolades and awards including his forthcoming induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame set for April 2012. In 2007, Slash was inducted into Hollywood’s RockWalk (located in front of Guitar Center in Hollywood) alongside his idols Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix. An original member of iconic rock band Guns N’ Roses, the Grammy-winning Slash helped the band create signature sounds like the guitar riff of #1 hit “Sweet Child o’ Mine” and “Welcome To The Jungle.”  The band dominated the 1980’s and 90’s music scene selling more than 100 million albums worldwide and ushered in a decade of hard-charging rock music. After leaving the band, Slash went on to critical acclaim in his personal project Slash’s Snakepit, and global success with the supergroup Velvet Revolver.  He has been widely sought after by the biggest musicians of all time, performing with everyone from Michael Jackson to Stevie Wonder to Ray Charles.  Slash recently landed on the top of the charts with his first true solo album, Slash.  In addition, Slash was honored by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce who named him as an official selection for 2011 to receive a star on Hollywood’s iconic Walk of Fame. In February 2011, he performed at the Super Bowl XLV half time show, seen by more than 106 million people, becoming the most-watched program in U.S. television history (Nielsen Co.).

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KILLSWITCH ENGAGE ANNOUNCE NEW SINGER: JESSE LEACH – HE SERVED AS BAND’S ORIGINAL SINGER ON LANDMARK ALBUM ALIVE OR JUST BREATHING

Posted in All Metal, Artist Watch, News, Releases with tags , , , , , , , on February 8, 2012 by Randy

(New York, NY): Killswitch Engage are pleased to announce that they have filled the singer vacancy in the band and they have done so with a familiar face: original vocalist Jesse Leach.

Leach sang on the band’s first self-titled album, which came out in 2000, and on their landmark 2002 Roadrunner debut Alive or Just Breathing. Leach left the band in 2002 and was replaced by Howard Jones, but his work on Alive or Just Breathing has always been revered by diehard, longtime KsE fans. Things have come full circle a decade later, and Leach and the band couldn’t be more pleased about this reunion.

The band revealed that Leach auditioned for the job he once held and pretty much blew everyone away and then some. The band stated, “After much deliberation and careful consideration, we are pleased to announce that Jesse Leach has rejoined Killswitch Engage. Our job was to find the best person to fill Howard’s shoes: a decision based on talent and not familiarity.”

The band further said, “Truth be told, Jesse blew us away in auditions. The room seemed charged with electricity. He commanded both new and old material, and proved, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he wanted to do this. The choice became very clear and apparent.”

The band also is psyched to share the news with fans, saying, “This change is very exciting. We know you’re going to love it. This is truly a new era in KsE history  and it is ready to shred your face off. So, please help us in welcoming Jesse back into the KsE family; he is a rare and great talent, a fact that older KsE fans have known for years. Here is to a killer new record and a bright future. The five of us cannot wait to write this record and play shows together and bring that feeling to our fans. It’s been far too long.”

The “new” guy himself also commented on his return to the band after a decade-long absence, saying, “It is a great honor to rejoin my brothers after all of these years. After some discussion and much reflection, it was obvious to me this was the path I was meant to take. We got together and jammed on the ‘Howard-era songs,’ as well as some Alive or Just Breathing-era songs and we all felt the synergy.”

He continued, “I look forward to writing the new record, since the demos sound absolutely amazing,  as well as breathing new life and getting comfortable with the soulful songs Howard has written. It is a new chapter of my life filled with new and exciting challenges. I will give all that I can to honor the position I have been given and take nothing for granted. I will sing every note with all of my soul. I am very blessed and very thankful to be back in the KsE family! All things happen in their due time and now is the time for this reunion and new direction.”

KsE remain hard at work on their latest album, which follows 2009’s second self-titled album.

The band will perform at the New England Metal and Hardcore Fest on April 22, 2012. Leach last performed with KsE in March 2010 in New York City, Clifford Park, NY, and Wallingford CT.

Tour dates are as follows:

4/22 Worcester, MA @ Palladium (New England Metal and Hardcore Festival)

6/1-6/3 Rock Am Ring/Rock Im Park

6/8 Nickelsdorf, Austria @ Pannonia Fields II (Nova Rock)

6/15 Copenhagen, Denmark (Copenhell)

6/16 Gothenburg, Sweden (Metaltown)

6/22 Milan, Italy @ Arena Fiera Milano (Gods Of Metal)

6/24 Dessel, Belgium @ Festival Park ‘Stenehel’ (Grasspop)

 

More tour dates will be announced shortly.

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BRITISH INVASION: STARSEED DEBUT’S PEACE MACHINE 2/21 ON AOL WITH CD LISTENING PARTY :: SONG PREVIEWS ALL MONTH LONG

Posted in Artist Watch, New Music, News, Releases with tags , , , , , , on February 8, 2012 by Randy

New York, NY – (February 7, 2012) –U.K. based hard rock band, Starseed, is preparing to hit the US like a roundhouse kick of rock with their debut of Peace Machine on February 21, 2012.  AOL Music will be holding a full CD listening party for the entire week. Additionally, throughout the month of February leading up to the release, fans will be able to preview select tracks from the album at Pastepunk.com today, February 7th, Loudwire.com on February 10th,  SkullsNBones.com and HearEvil.com on February 14th and on Revolver.com on February 20th.

Starseed, who includes Russell Spence (Vocals, Guitars), Gerald Gill (Guitar, Vocals), Peter Wicker (Guitar), Murray McChlery (Bass, Vocals) and Andrew Spence (Drums, Vocals), produce some of the most satisfying melodic hard rock. Epic energy, powerful, and riff driven rock with electrifying stage shows, their music grasps many elements of the post grunge scene drawing influences from early Pearl Jam and Alice In Chains to the power and torment of Soil. More recent comparisons include the tenacity and energy of Stone Sour and intense melody of Alter Bridge.

Many members of the band were raised in Africa (South Africa and Zimbabwe) until re-locating to the U.K. where Starseed completed the current lineup and achieved success. Starseed has played major festivals alongside Rage Against The Machine, Rob Zombie, and Linkin Park. Most recently, they performed at the 2011 Download Festival.  With these achievements, Starseed are also proud endorsees of PRS Guitars, Blackstar Amps, Tama Drums, Roland, Sabian Cymbals, Rotosound Strings, Protection Racket and TC Electronic. Their reception by fans and media in the US has been extremely positive and welcoming.

For more information and to keep up to date on Starseed, visit:

www.myspace.com/starseedrock

www.facebook.com/starseedrock

www.planetstarseed.com

www.twitter.com/starseedrock

www.youtube.com/starseedrock

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OPETH’S MIKAEL ÅKERFELDT + PORCUPINE TREE’S STEVEN WILSON TEAM UP FOR STORM CORROSION

Posted in All Metal, Artist Watch, New Music, News with tags , , , , , , on February 7, 2012 by Randy

(New York, NY): Roadrunner Records is pleased to announce the signing of Storm Corrosion.
 
Storm Corrosion is the long-discussed and highly anticipated collaboration between two of the modern progressive rock scene’s most innovative and multi-talented artists: Mikael Åkerfeldt of Opeth and Porcupine Tree’s Steven Wilson. The pair will release Storm Corrosion on April 24 via Roadrunner Records.
 
A little background information on the genesis of this project: Åkerfeldt and Wilson  have been friends since the late ’90s, when Wilson co-produced Opeth’s revered Blackwater Park album. Over the years, they’d often spoken of working on a project together, but it wasn’t until recently that they managed to make something happen, when Mikael flew over to visit Steven in the U.K. and they ended up in Wilson’s home studio throwing ideas around. That visit was the nascence of a whole self-titled album, written and produced by the pair, and mixed by Wilson.
 
The sound of Storm Corrosion can best be described as enchanting, orchestral, ambient, epic (half the album’s tracks clock in around the 10-minute mark) and nothing short of surprising to the new ear.  However, the musicians’ respective fanbases will be primed to appreciate the new output, with Wilson’s recent solo album, Grace for Drowning, and Opeth’s Heritage having brought them to a logical place to understand Storm Corrosion. This eponymous collection is almost viewed as one side of a musical triangle.
 
Says Wilson, “If you’d asked me three months ago about the music, I would have said, ‘Expect the last thing you would expect.’  But actually, now that Heritage and Grace for Drowning have come out, I don’t think it’s going to be that much of a shock to people, because it’s almost like a third part of the trilogy, in a way.  If anything, it’s even more orchestral, even more stripped down, even more dark, twisted and melancholic… but it certainly feels like it comes from the same place as Heritage and Grace for Drowning, which indeed it does because it was written during the same period.”
 
“Some of the music on this record I think is the most beautiful music I have participated on ever,” adds Åkerfeldt. “There’s some magical sections on there.  Musically I think we’ve created something earthy, a bit frightening, exhausting, profound and rather intense.  All at the same time.  I can safely say I don’t know any other band or artist that sounds anything like Storm Corrosion.  I guess that was also one of our goals, so to speak.”
 
Roadrunner Senior VP of A&R, Monte Conner welcomed Storm Corrosion to the Roadrunner family, commenting,  “I am honored to have the Roadrunner logo on the Storm Corrosion album.  Steven Wilson and Mikael Åkerfeldt have demonstrated time and time again that they are two of the truest and most important artists working today, and it is not often that I get to work with musicians of this caliber.  This album is a beautiful piece of work that will appeal to fans of Steven and Mikael’s past records, while at the same time exploring new avenues for both artists.”

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