Rock Report January 31st, 2012
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February 1, 2012 has been named "National Rush Day" by a handful of hard rock radio stations. In honor of the band's legendary album Rush 2112, fans are encouraged to crank up the prog rock giants on 2/1/12 and pay homage to the seminal prog-metal album. "Rush's 2112 is probably the first album that can rightfully be called progressive metal, so it's only appropriate we blast the album from the rooftops, from our cars, from our iPods, from everywhere, to celebrate this landmark album and Rush's incredible longevity and lasting influence," said Jeff Wagner, author of Mean Deviation: Four Decades of Progressive Heavy Metal, tells Gibson.com. More
THE CULT has set "Choice Of Weapon" as the title of its long-awaited ninth album, due on May 22. The group's first original full-length work in five years was co-produced by Chris Goss (QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, U.N.K.L.E. ) and longtime collaborator Bob Rock (METALLICA, AEROSMITH). A new THE CULT song entitled "Lucifer" can be streamed at RollingStone.com. Fans can get an early taste of the album by logging onto the band's web site, www.thecult.us, where the track "Lucifer" is now available as a free download. The band is also working on film and graphic elements to accompany the album's release, and plans are being confirmed for the band's 2012 world tour. More and more and more
Listening to Metallica could help stimulate the brain, says one professor from New York's Columbia University. In her new book – “Your Playlist Can Change Your Life: 10 Proven Ways Your Favorite Music Can Revolutionize Your Health, Memory, Organization, Alertness and More” professor Galina Mindlin says the metal giants' fast paced tracks can create helpful activity in the brain. "It's [about] how music affects you - how it can improve your memory, how it can relieve anxiety, enhance your mood, how we can use playlists for specific tasks," Mindlin tells Gibson.com. "Using music with certain frequencies, you really can create the desired state of mind." More
MÖTLEY CRÜE will hold court in The Joint at Las Vegas' The Hard Rock Hotel for three weeks, performing a total of 12 shows starting February 3rd. About being Sin City's first residency by a rock band, singer Vince Neil tells USAToday.com: "A lot of the perception is that musicians go there to die ... 'Oh, you guys must be ending your career.' In reality, Vegas is a happening place where you can be so creative. The show will be more of a spectacle — "something we could not do on a regular tour" when sets have to be put up and pulled down every night. There will be nine dancers, aerialists, plus "a lot of songs MÖTLEY hasn't played in many years," according to Neil, including "Piece Of Your Action". And if it all goes well, the band may be back for another Vegas residency. Here
Meanwhile in a brand new posting on his Twitter profile, MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx wrote, "We're looking for an angry midget for our Vegas shows and was thinking of using the singer from GODSMACK." Sixx's comments were undoubtedly fueled by his ongoing war of words with GODSMACK frontman Sully Erna reportedly wrote the band's song "Cryin' Like A Bitch" about Sixx after the two musicians clashed during the 2009 Crüe Fest 2 tour, on which GODSMACK was a support act and CRÜE was the headliner. More and more
Jack White is releasing his first solo album "Blunderbuss" on April 24th. Yesterday, he released a single called, "Love Interruption," which is featured on the set. The album is White's first album since he announced the breakup of The White Stripes last year. He didn't give many details about the new album but said he produced it and recorded it at Third Man Studio in Nashville. He said the songs were written from scratch, had nothing to do with anyone or anything else but his own expression, his own colors on his own canvas. More
Garbage announced the drop date for their new album, "Not Your Kind Of People". Their first album in seven years will hit stores May 15th. The group is also heading out on a European Tour in May. North American dates will be announced soon. More
MASTODON have announced that they will hit the road for a spring North American tour, with an amazing night of powerful music featuring OPETH as co-headliners, with special guest GHOST providing support on all dates. The tour will stop April 13 at Chicago’s Riviera Theatre Tickets go on sale February 3. More tour details at MastodonRocks.com. More
KISS drummer PETER CRISS will publish a memoir, titled Makeup To Breakup, and slated for release in the fall of 2012. In an Artisan News report, Criss talks about the memoir.
