Drummer and good friend of Dio, Simon Wright, has revealed that there is a selection of material hidden away in the Dio Cave, but they’re up to the discretion of widow and manager, Wendy: ”There were three, or four, songs that he had been working on for Magica II and III. They were just demos, unfortunately. Wendy is in charge of all that and I am not sure what will happen. At some point, maybe, they will come out. We will have to see what Wendy wants us to do with them.”

He added, “You would have to be careful on how you approached it. You would not want to overstep your bounds. We would have to sit and listen to them and see how far he got with them. We would do it with totally respect and we would have to do it delicately.” You can read an entire interview with Wright here.

It’s been almost a year since Black Sabbath returned from atop their throne at the centre of the Earth, and four months since the band had any big news, having played at Birmingham and the Download and Lollapalooza festivals (and consequently, four months since some of Ozzy Osbourne’s onstage orange juice flew in to my mouth). Nonetheless, news on a new album, though officially announced, has been sparse.

A little tip from metalinjection, however, has gone someway to rectify that. Busy in Shangri La Studios, Malibu, the band is currently working on vocals under the eye of producer Rick Rubin, the guitar having been worked on by Tony Iommi in England earlier this year. The guitarist seems in good spirits following treatment for lymphoma, managing to complete all 15 tracks.

The songs are to be completed five track installments, and it is known that at least one will be titled ‘God Is Dead’. As merry as ever, I see. Though its been expected for some time now, drummer Bill Ward’s non-involvement on the album seems to be sealed, especially because completed guitar almost certainly means completed drums. Those that swear by the original lineup will have to wait to see if a replacement drummer will suffice, as a release date has not yet been revealed.

The mere words ’16-minute epic’ could be enough to put anyone off this latest release by folky rock giant Neil Young and his long-time collaborators, Crazy Horse, but stick with it, and you’ve got a great experience on your hands.

My main criticism of the collaboration’s last effort, Americana was that it outstayed its welcome, but ‘Ramada Inn’ on the other hand, the first we’ve seen of the upcoming release Psychedelic Pill, manages not to mirror its predecessor’s mistakes. Unrestrained by outdated concepts, the song wisely chooses not to follow a strictly verse-chorus-verse structure, instead featuring quick verses and repeated choruses, broken up by Crazy Horse’s trademark jamming and a selection of solos, which make up the bulk of the epic, and do so hypnotically.

And every morning comes the sun / And it goes rising to the day / Holding on to what they’ve done / He loves her so / He does what he has to.

It’s certainly a bold move, but one that I believe pays off.

If you’re not in to devoting that much of your time to a single piece however, another value behind the tune lies in its functionality as both an intent, listening experience, and a rich piece of background music (yes, equip your bean-bags, lava-lamps and narcotics). If you want to get the most out of it though, I recommend taking some time out to give it a thorough listen. You may well find yourself rewarded.

‘Ramada Inn’ will be released along with the rest of Psychedelic Pill October 30th, and if you haven’t been devoured by your bean-bag, we’d love to know what you think so far.

I knew I wasn’t insane. My suspicions were well-founded. The Rolling Stones were recording new music. Yes, that twitch in my eye is normal.

Named ‘Doom and Gloom’ (don’t worry, it doesn’t take after its name), the new track is one of two new songs to feature on the forthcoming GRRR! compilation, and is the first original composition by the band in seven years.

In true ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash’ form, Jagger delivers adamant vocals of shooting zombies in swamps and the ever-persistant ‘funky noise’ that permeates the song. Not that this really compares to earlier Stones, who took their classic rock jamming with a good handful of innovation, but then again, it doesn’t really need to be. The fathers of classic rock and roll prove that after 50 years, they’re still up there with the best of them, and, more importantly, they haven’t quite yet gone senile.

I’m usually onboard the U.S.S. Cynic when it comes to bands re-releasing material. High chance is, if we’re fans, we probably own the albums, t-shirts and commemorative underwear already, so what are we doing going out to buy remasters that more often than not end up taking away a degree of charm from the original recordings?

But every so often, a band will go out of their way to make a re-release worthwhile. Iron Maiden did it with those delicious picture-disc vinyls, and now Rage Against the Machine have done it with the inclusion of B-sides, original demos, DVDs, music videos and live compilations in the same damn package. In celebration of their self-titled debut’s 20th birthday, the compilation will be entitled Rage Against the Machine – XX, and will be made available in three formats:

-The 20th Anniversary Edition Deluxe Box. Two CDs, two DVDs, one 12″ 180gm vinyl LP (also available as a separate purchase), one 40-page booklet and a two-sided poster.

-The 20th Anniversary Special Edition. Two CDs and a bonus DVD featuring six tracks in an oversized softpack.

-The 20th Anniversary Edition single CD, with three bonus tracks.

The bonus CDs will include original demo tapes, which haven’t been available since they were sold for $5 at the band’s first gigs, so unless you’re lucky enough to have been hanging on to a 21 year-old CD, this is a unique opportunity for fans. The DVDs on the other hand, will include the free UK performance in Finsbury Park after the country’s battle to have ‘Killing in the Name’ as their 2009 Christmas Number 1, as well as footage of the band’s first public appearance and other rare footage.

So show your rage against the machine this Nov. 27, by forking out a buttload of cash!

Having taken full advantage of System of a Down‘s ongoing hiatus, frontman Serj Tankian has explored a number of styles in his five-year solo career. More and more often, we find the Armenian wizard delving in to experimental, jazz and orchestral styles. Put shortly, he went from this to this in five years.

And now, top hat in hand, Tankian is ready to release his first full-blown symphony. The project, Orca, has been floating around for a while, and having worked with Austrian orchestra Das Karussell in the past, performing symphonic versions of tracks from Elect the Dead, Tankian is keen to see the group return for the studio and live performances of Orca.

Calling the project his most personal, compelling work yet, Tankian has launched a Kickstarter campaign to help see it funded with assistance from fans. The singer has issued a $25,000 target, which, if reached by October 26th, will go towards the costs of hiring and recording with the orchestra.

While its uncommon to see established musicians using such a medium, Serj is making it worth your while, with a number of rewards being given depending on the size of your donation. Want a personal thank you email? Only a buck. Want dinner, credits on the album, signed copies of all Serj’s solo work and a place on stage during the symphony’s first performance? You better be ready to hand over $10,000.

On a completely unrelated note, I am currently $10,000 in debt, and will soon be starting a Kickstarter project to help pay my rent. Watch this space.

Fans of the Deftones have been rewarded for their service as of late. First they got news of a new album, Koi No Yokan, then they were treated to an ongoing North-American tour with Scars on Broadway, before getting a taster of the new work with the track ‘Leathers‘. And now, presumably fueled by a blood-lust for more, they’re getting another tasty sampling – ‘Tempest’.

The 6-minute track is made predominantly by Chino Moreno’s haunting vocals, which open the floodgates for a barrage of strangely melancholic guitars and prog-influenced melodies. They’ve never been one for convention, and this is a fact cemented by Tempest’s unique sound, the track working together to create a feeling of forlorn desperation, raw emotion, heartfelt sentiment and gut-bursting anger. I hope you’re having a merry Friday evening.

It’s not exactly easy listening, but if you like your metal with a dash of something more challenging for the ear, you should definitely give this one a try, and keep an eye out for future Koi No Yokan news.

• The Paul Butterfield Blues Band
• Chic
• Deep Purple
• Heart
• Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
• Albert King
• Kraftwerk
• The Marvelettes
• The Meters
• Randy Newman
• N.W.A
• Procol Harum
• Public Enemy
• Rush
• Donna Summer

Another distinct feature of this year’s list is the sheer range of genres that it covers, seminal hip hop groups N.W.A and Public Enemy being the obvious example. If you’re as confused as I am, president of the hall, Joel Peresman has made a statement on the ‘broadness’ year’s nominees.

The definition of ‘rock and roll’ means different things to different people, but as broad as the classifications may be, they all share a common love of the music [...] This year we again proudly put forth a fantastic array of groups and artists that span the entire genre that is ‘rock and roll.’

But what is to be made of this news? Obviously it will divide those who hear it, but in an age where new, desirable artists can get all the publicity they want with a little lovin’ from VEVO or YouTube, it is more important than ever to remember the forebears of our musical genres. More often than not, these people remain some of the most creative and talented minds out there, and are often deserving of such reverence.

The words 'German propaganda' have taken on a whole new meaning in recent years.

Nonetheless, people are still going to question if the quite-possibly-cyborgs of German electronica fourpiece, Kraftwerk can really be described as rock and roll.

Maybe we should start building fancy pyramids for all music categories. Its a nice sentiment, but there’s always going to be at least one furious spacesynth or nintendocore fan out there, declaring that Furious Gnome and the Teriyaki Warriors don’t belong in their damn pyramid.

With a title that will surely go down in the history of incredibly appropriate titles, Soundgarden have dipped in to their upcoming sixth record to release the single ‘Been Away Too Long’. The album, King Animal, will mark the first full release from the band in over sixteen years, following 1996′s Down on the Upside. 

The Washington four-piece have been slowly edging back in to the public consciousness over the past few months, releasing the compilation album Telephantasm in 2010 and playing this summer’s Download Festival. You may also have heard them serenading the Hulk as he pummelled aliens in to the concrete of New York - ’Live to Rise’ having been contributed to Marvel’s ‘The Avengers’ soundtrack.

This new release however, is certainly not the sound many will think of when they hear the name ‘Soundgarden’. Far from the oddly-tuned, grungy guitars and furious-but-brooding vocals of Superunknown and Badmotorfinger, the song is built around a sturdy hard rock riff and follows a fairly basic structure.

Hints of the band’s classic sound come through with the bridge’s atonal solo-work, but overall, if ‘Been Away Too Long’ is comparable to anything, it’s the crooning rock n’ roll of head-banging veterans AC/DC. Come to think of it, it’s actually managed to get Highway to Hell‘s ’Beating Around the Bush’ stuck in my head.

But to each their own. Let us know what you think of Soundgarden’s latest effort in the comments. Worth the wait? Well time will tell, as King Animal is due for release November 13th.

Sometimes musicians are just too damn good for the Earth to safely contain the hefty magnitude of their greatness, and thus they must be taken from us abruptly and before their time. Such was the case with original Metallica bassist Cliff Burton, who died 26 years ago yesterday (September 27th), following a fateful swapping of tour bus beds with lead guitarist Kirk Hammett, which resulted in the bassist being crushed.

Speaking to Revolver earlier this year for their ‘fallen heroes’ issue, drummer Lars Ulrich spoke of Burton’s influence on the music of the band:

It was definitely his music, and his attitude, and his approach towards life that really inspired me and James to broaden our horizons, broaden Metallica’s horizons musically. So when I think of Cliff, that’s what I think…variety and unpredictability, you know.

Indeed, the best way to honour fallen heroes is to observe their accomplishments, and while Metallica have taken to their Facebook page to offer remembrance in the form of a free, classic concert download from the 1984 Ride the Lightning tour, I have taken it upon myself to form a list of my personal favourite Cliff Burton songs.

5. For Whom the Bell Tolls

That intro. That ball-droppingly incredible into. Having listened to the studio version, you could be forgiven for thinking that the sound actually belonged to Hammett’s lead, but you’d be wrong. Proving himself a master of unconventional techniques, Burton and his distorted bass manage to bring the fist of Zeus to pound on our imploring eardrums.

4. (Anesthesia) Pulling Teeth

Yes, a bass solo is an obvious choice for any Cliff Burton ‘best of’, and yes, the simple words ‘bass solo’ may be enough to make some people skip ahead to the next track. Nonetheless, in this showing of skill from Metallica’s first outing Kill ‘Em All, Burton, an inhuman mass of hair and torn jeans, reminds us all of the true capabilities of his instrument in the hands of a master. The bass need not peddle to the needs of other, louder sounds, or be confined to simply keeping rhythm – it can itself steal the show.

3. To Live is to Die

Though he was two years gone prior to the release of …And Justice For All, Burton and his monstrous bass lived on with this composition, the band remembering him not only through sentiment, but the music itself – which features riffs written by the bassist before his passing. And you know you have achieved something when your memory sounds like Godzilla stomping around a city, stopping to weep briefly, and then resuming to destroy.

2. The Call of Ktulu

It takes a twisted genius to capture the essence of author H.P. Lovecraft’s brand of cosmic horror with music, but Burton, wah pedal underfoot, somehow managed it with this epic number. In no short accomplishment, the bassist succeeds in summoning the octopus-faced demon from the depths that is Cthulu, and then proceeds to kick his arse, all in the same song. It truly is hard to believe that something as trivial as a bus crash could stop the man.

1. Orion

Drawing on his classical training and interest in prog rock, Orion is a demonstration of everything that Cliff Burton gave to Metallica, forming a true instrumental masterpiece, by all accounts. Orion cements Burton’s reputation as not just a bassist, but an expert composer – and one who drove Metallica to be more than a simple thrash metal band.

Rage Against the Machine, Rise Against and System of a Down have all been, at some point, big names in politically-charged rock, and up until now, one could only guess as to what would happen if members of all three bands got together – either society would collapse or some kick-ass tunes would be created.

Well the latter may well just have happened, as Rage guitarist Tom Morello, Rise Against singer Tim Ilrath and System frontman Serj Tankian have all joined hands (presumably interlocking middle fingers) to create an anthem for the Occupy Wall Street protests, of which Morello in particular is an outspoken supporter.

Playing at rallies since the movements beginnings last autumn, Morello recently told Rolling Stone that he tired of the ”earnest folk songs” (i.e. hippy wailing) of Occupy, and wished to create “a huge riff-rock anthem”. With its refrain “selling souls to pay the rent / we are the 99%”, the song certainly achieves what it sets out to do. And as with every fist-pumping anthem, the tune is completed with recordings of real life protestors in Zuccotti Park and Liberty Square.

While it remains to be seen in the song will Mitt Romney to spontaneously burst in to flames, it should at least do something to satisfy Morello’s wish to “re-energize” the movement, which he sees as capable of “[injecting] into the global dialogue the horrific economic inequality that plagues the planet”.

The song can be streamed on Rolling Stone here, and will soon be made available through the Axis of Justice site. Romney better fire-proof his toupée.

It’s hard work being the vocalist of a progressive metal band. Unless you have a ridiculous range, pull your weight as a guitarist or kick some serious ass on the synth, you’re probably not going to receive the frontman kudos that comes so easily to your heavier brethren – from Corey Taylor to Ozzy and Dio.

Such is the case with TesseracT, who have employed two singers in as many releases – and have introduced a third for their upcoming album. Northampton-born Ashe O’Hara will be following Elliot Coleman and Daniel Tompkins, who appeared on this year’s ‘Perspective’ E.P. and 2011 debut album One, respectively.

Commenting on his upcoming work with the band, which can be previewed below in a clip of ‘Nocturne’, O’Hara stated “I have always been an admirer of their work so it’s pretty awesome to be passed such a challenging flame.” Speaking on ‘Nocturne’, TesseracT claim the song as “one of the most uplifting and exciting pieces of music we have created. It faithfully continues down the same vein of groovy and euphoric progressive soundscapes that we’re known for.” If the words ‘groovy’ and ‘euphoric’ don’t do it for you, you’re either too damn grumpy or have been brainwashed by the Man, man.

Either way, the band is clearly doing something right, having received a pat on the back from their peers at this year’s Prog Awards, and with a short European tour underway this October, things certainly seem to be heating up for this, most interesting up-and-coming act.

Watch this space. This proggy, ambient, groovy space.

The resultant ’50 Years of Loud’ event was held in honour of the late Jim Marshall, whose pioneering line of amps are widely considered to be up there with Leo Fender and Les Paul’s guitars as one of the staples of rock technology. The musicians were joined by technical masters Joe Satriani and Yngwie Malmsteen to perform a collection of rock classics, from ‘Ace of Spades’ to ‘Living After Midnight’, presented, somewhat obscurely, by English comedian and mock-pub landlord Al Murray.

If Marshall is up there now, I’m sure God is telling him to turn the damn music down.

Check out a few fan-filmed videos below, as well as the full setlist at the bottom of the page.

COMPLETE SETLIST:

01. Instrumental Jam
* Jaz Lochrie
* Chris George
* Brian Tichy
* Adam Wakeman

02. Lil’ Devil (THE CULT cover)
* Corey Taylor
* Billy Duffy
* Jaz Lochrie
* Chris George
* Brian Tichy

03. Heaven And Hell (BLACK SABBATH cover)
* Tim “Ripper” Owens
* Doug Aldrich
* Jaz Lochrie
* Chris George
* Brian Tichy
* Adam Wakeman

04. Slide It In (WHITESNAKE cover)
* Tim “Ripper” Owens
* Doug Aldrich
* Jaz Lochrie
* Chris George
* Brian Tichy
* Adam Wakeman

05. Flight Of Icarus (IRON MAIDEN cover)
* Tim “Ripper” Owens
* Doug Aldrich
* Nicko McBrain
* Jaz Lochrie
* Chris George

06. Living After Midnight (JUDAS PRIEST cover)
* Tim “Ripper” Owens
* Doug Aldrich
* Nicko McBrain
* Jaz Lochrie
* Chris George
* Corey Taylor
* Nick Bowcott

07. Cheap Sunglasses (ZZ TOP cover)
* Paul Gilbert
* Mike Portnoy
* Eli Gilbert
* Jaz Lochrie

08. Manic Depression (JIMI HENDRIX cover)
* Paul Gilbert
* Mike Portnoy
* Eli Gilbert
* Jaz Lochrie

09. Rocky Mountain Way (JOE WALSH cover)
* Paul Gilbert
* Mike Portnoy
* Eli Gilbert
* Jaz Lochrie

10. Still In Love With You (THIN LIZZY cover)
* Corey Taylor
* Phil Campbell
* Jaz Lochrie
* Brian Tichy
* Tyler Campbell

11. Ace Of Spades (MOTÖRHEAD cover)
* Corey Taylor
* Phil Campbell
* Jaz Lochrie
* Brian Tichy
* Kerry King

12. Mouth For War (PANTERA cover)
* Kerry King
* Nick Bowcott
* Jaz Lochrie
* Brian Tichy
* Corey Taylor

13. Hell Bent For Leather (JUDAS PRIEST cover)
* Kerry King
* Nick Bowcott
* Jaz Lochrie
* Brian Tichy
* Tim “Ripper” Owens

14. Fairies Wear Boots (BLACK SABBATH cover)
* Zakk Wylde
* Kerry King
* Jaz Lochrie
* Brian Tichy

15. Into The Void (BLACK SABBATH cover)
* Zakk Wylde
* Nick Bowcott
* Jaz Lochrie
* Brian Tichy

16. Stillborn (BLACK LABEL SOCIETY)
* Zakk Wylde
* Nick Bowcott
* Jaz Lochrie
* Brian Tichy

17. Baroque And Roll
* Yngwie Malmsteen
* Jaz Lochrie
* Chris George
* Brian Tichy
* Adam Wakeman

18. Evil Eye
* Yngwie Malmsteen
* Jaz Lochrie
* Chris George
* Brian Tichy
* Adam Wakeman

19. Guitar Solo

20. Far Beyond The Sun
* Yngwie Malmsteen
* Jaz Lochrie
* Chris George
* Brian Tichy
* Adam Wakeman

21. Satch Boogie
* Joe Satriani
* Jaz Lochrie
* Chris George
* Brian Tichy

22. Always With Me, Always With You
* Joe Satriani
* Jaz Lochrie
* Chris George
* Brian Tichy

23. Goin’ Down (FREDDIE KING cover)
* Joe Satriani
* Paul Gilbert
* Nicko McBrain
* Jaz Lochrie
* Chris George

24. Black Country (BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION)
* Glenn Hughes
* Søren Andersen
* Brian Tichy
* Adam Wakeman

25. Soul Mover
* Glenn Hughes
* Søren Andersen
* Brian Tichy
* Adam Wakeman

26. Mr. Big (FREE cover)
* Glenn Hughes
* Søren Andersen
* Brian Tichy
* Adam Wakeman
* Andy Fraser

27. Mistreated (DEEP PURPLE cover) / Rock Me Baby (B.B. KING cover)
* Glenn Hughes
* Søren Andersen
* Brian Tichy
* Adam Wakeman
* Yngwie Malmsteen

28. Smoke On The Water (DEEP PURPLE cover)
* Glenn Hughes
* Tim “Ripper” Owens
* Joe Satriani
* Yngwie Malmsteen
* Phil Campbell
* Paul Gilbert
* Doug Aldrich
* Søren Andersen
* Nicko McBrain
* Tobi Earnshaw
* Jaz Lochrie
* Chris George
* Brian Tichy
* Adam Wakeman

And now, after a busy touring schedule of the Mayhem, Heavy T.O. and Heavy MTL Festivals (and creating their own live event – Knotfest), the Iowan eight-piece have taken some time off to concentrate on new material, with percussionist  Shawn ‘Clown’ Crahan commenting on how Grey’s work will live on in future releases:

“There are songs that he’s written that will be a part of the next record. We’re all going to have to think like him, and he’ll be there. He’ll be there; there’s no way of Paul Gray not being a part of anything that we do for the rest of our career.”

Talking to Loudwire earlier this year, Crahan revealed the stress of continuing without a bandmate and personal friend, stating that “even though it’s been over two years, you’ve got to be able to go into the studio calm, cool and collected, because I’m not ready to walk into a studio and not see him.”

Keeping Grey’s spirit alive, his bass was present on stage for Slipknot’s last touring cycle, and replacement bassist / original member Donnie Steele remained offstage and out of the limelight for much of the shows. Crahan’s comments can be seen in full below, on the Artisan News YouTube page:

The show will most likely be drawn from the band’s recent ‘Maiden England’ tour, which just finished re-colonising North America. Commenting on the announcement, frontman Bruce Dickinson stated:

“We’re absolutely over the moon to be headlining Donington again. The idea of returning exactly 25 years later with a show inspired by that same 1988 “Seventh Son” Tour, was too good an opportunity to be missed! And, thanks to modern technology, we’ve been able to update and improve on the original production. We will be bringing a huge new lightshow, stage set, various incarnations of Eddie, plenty of pyro and all kinds of other exciting stuff for the fans. And of course treating the fans to lots of their favourite songs from that period! We’ve had many great times at Donington and there is always a wonderful mix of bands and a really wild crowd who love their metal, all of which makes for a memorable show and fantastic party atmosphere!”

With tickets going up eight months early, next Friday (September 28),it just proves that though the days may be getting greyer and colder, and the inevitable Christmas adverts are only a month or so away, a little summer festival news can never come too early.

Download was bloody muddy and cold this year anyway.

Jane’s Addiction and ex-Red Hot Chilli Peppers guitarist Dave Navarro has proved that, while he’s aging to look more and more like Scar from the Lion King, he’s still got some ideas left in his brain and his fingers, having revealed that he is working on two new solo albums.

As reported by Grunge Report, a fan calling in to online radio station Dark Matter poked Navarro enough to leak a few details about upcoming solo efforts. The guitarist responded; “I actually have two records that I plan on making simultaneously, completely different. They’re just two different musical styles. But I don’t have any like release date or any information like that.” Basically, Dave has written this article for me.

In all seriousness, the as of yet unnamed albums will mark the guitarist’s second and third official efforts, following 2001′s Trust No One and the hard-to-come-by EP, Rhimorse, both relatively unsung works. Navarro mentioned that his focus currently lies on a documentary he’s producing with Todd Newman, focusing on the murder of his mother, as well as some screen-based projects for Jane’s Addiction.

Not many acts can boast having household names covering their work – and fewer still can boast these covers ever seeing the light of day outside of concert intervals and guitar warm-ups. But that is exactly what has happened to The Who today, with news that members of Judas Priest, Def Leppard, King Crimson, Cream and The Kinks, amongst others, will be performing on a tribute album to the guitar-smashing gods.

As disconcerting as the word ‘supergroup’ is, the 16-track record, titled ‘Who Are You’, will be mostly made up of such collaborative efforts, with individual covers from the likes of Iggy Pop, The Raveonettes and Sweet.

In other news, The Who will embark on their Quadrophenia world tour this November, and guitarist Pete Townshend is set to publish his autobiography ‘Who I Am’ the month before. This will presumably be followed by the other word-play works ‘You’re the Who?’, ‘Am I Who?’ and the ever-confusing ‘Who am I?’

The tribute will arrive October 2nd, but is available for pre-order through Amazon.

The complete tracklist is as follows:

1. Eminence Front – John Wetton (Asia) K.K. Downing (Judas Priest) Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater)
2. Baba O’Riley – Nektar Jerry Goodman (Mahavishnu Orchestra)
3. I Can See For Miles – Mark Lindsay (Paul Revere & The Raiders) Wayne Kramer (MC5)
4. Love Reign O’er Me – Joe Elliot (Def Leppard) Rick Wakeman (Yes) Huw Lloyd-Langton (Hawkwind) Carmine Appice (Vanilla Fudge)
5. My Generation – Knox (The Vibrators)
Dave Davies (The Kinks) Rat Scabies (The Damned)
6. The Kids Are Alright – The Raveonettes
7. Won’t Get Fooled Again – Sweet
8. Anyway Anyhow Anywhere – Todd Rundgren Carmine Appice (Vanilla Fudge)
9. I Can’t Explain – Iggy Pop
10. Behind Blue Eyes – Pat Travers
11. Magic Bus – Peter Noone (Herman s Hermits) Peter Banks (Yes) Ginger Baker (Cream)
12. Who Are You – Gretchen Wilson Randy Bachman (Bachman-Turner Overdrive)
13. Pinball Wizard – Terry Reid Mike Pinera (Blues Image) Brad Gillis (Night Ranger)
14. Squeeze Box – John Wesley (Porcupine Tree) David Cross (King Crimson)
15. Bargain – 38 Special Ted Turner (Wishbone Ash) Ian Paice (Deep Purple)
16. The Seeker – Joe Lynn Turner (Rainbow) Leslie West (Mountain)

Screening in over 40 territories, on 1,500 screens, to a hell of a lot of fans wishing they could be there live, and should do something to satisfy the 19,982,000 people who applied for tickets in 2007, but didn’t make it. That’s half of England, or all of Beijing – the kind of statistics that make you glad that people still appreciate amazing music (but terrible for anyone organising seating).

The news comes after the band’s posting of a tantalizing, week-long countdown on their official Facebook page, consisting of stylised numbers, videos of screaming crowds and more than one instance of me wetting myself as I tried really hard not to get too excited.

A tour was speculated, but most knew that this was almost entirely out of the question. Speaking on the idea, frontman Robert Plant has stated: “It’s a bit of a pain in the pisser, to be honest. Who cares? I know people care, but think about it from my angle. Soon I’m going to need help crossing the street.”

We’ll take that as a ‘no’ then.

The concert will be released in audio format in November, with the following tracklist:

1. Good Times Bad Times

2. Ramble On

3. Black Dog

4. In My Time Of Dying

5. For Your Life

6. Trampled Under Foot

7. Nobody’s Fault But Mine

8. No Quarter

9. Since I’ve Been Loving You

10. Dazed And Confused

11. Stairway To Heaven

12. The Song Remains The Same

13. Misty Mountain Hop

14. Kashmir

15. Whole Lotta Love

16. Rock And Roll

As depressing as it seems for anyone born in the 1990s, it is an unavoidable fact that the decade is rapidly becoming 20 years old. As well as meaning that you’ll soon have to put aside your Pokémon obsession and become a functioning member of society, this revelation is also causing numerous albums that many still think of as MTV hits to be two decades old.

Megadeth‘s Countdown to Extinction is one such album, having been released in the summer of 1992 as what many believe to be an answer to Metallica‘s self-titled release the previous year, both bands toning down their thrash metal for a mainstream audience that was becoming more and more about hard rock, pop punk and grunge. The album went on to become a huge success, the single ‘Symphony of Destruction’ going up their with ‘Peace Sells’ and ‘Holy Wars’ to become one of the band’s most well-known songs – and one that you likely hear inspiring a few terrible Dave Mustaine impressions in your local rock-ish club.

In response to the album’s anniversary, the band are planning a special reissue due November 6th, as well as a North American tour, playing the record in full. The reissue will include live recordings of the band’s performance at San Fransisco’s Cow Palace, 1992, as well a new booklet, a poster and four collectable cards. It’s a tempting package, but you’ll have to tell us if it’s any better than the upcoming Iron Maiden vinyl reissues in the coming months.

This is the first Megadeth news we’ve heard in a while that doesn’t involve Mustaine making a fool of himself to the press – declaring Obama’s intent to stage public shootings and whatnot – so it’s probably best that the band get another tour out before the singer’s mental health disappears once and for all. The dates for the shows are as follows:

11/9 — Providence, R.I. — Lupo’s at the Strand
11/10 — Huntington, N.Y. — Paramount Theatre
11/11 — Worcester, Mass. — The Palladium
11/13 — Wallingford, Ct. — Oakdale Theatre
11/14 — Sayreville, N.J. — Starland Ballroom
11/16 — Atlantic City, N.J. — House of Blues
11/17 — Niagara Falls, N.Y. — Rapids Theatre
11/19 — Stroudsburg, Pa. — Sherman Theater
11/20 — Columbus, Ohio — LC Pavilion
11/24 — Myrtle Beach, S.C. — House of Blues
11/25 — Charlotte, N.C. — Fillmore
11/26 — Atlanta, Ga. — Tabernacle
11/28 — Kansas City, Mo. — Midland Theatre
12/1 — Salt Lake City, Utah — Great Salt Air
12/2 — Boise, Idaho — Knitting Factory
12/4 — Reno, Nev. — Grand Sierra Theatre
12/6 — Las Vegas, Nev. — House of Blues
12/7 — Pomona, Calif. — Fox Theatre

Anyone who has ever thrown the horns to the sky probably has some inkling of who Pantera, Slayer and Anthrax are. More likely than not, they worship nightly at shrines dedicated to these masters of shredding, and if they don’t, they bloody should.

It is a special, slightly terrifying night then, when members of all three bands get to together to play a variety of their hits for Metal Masters 4 at the Gramercy Theatre, New York. As Pantera singer Phil Anselmo put it, in a quote I would like written on my tombstone:

let’s f**kin’ jam our everlovin’ f**kin’ goddamn genitalia off

Anselmo was joined by Slayer‘s Kerry King and Dave Lombardo, as well as Scott Ian, Frank Bello and Charlie Benante of Anthrax, and Exodus / Slayer fill-in Gary Holt and bassist Billy Sheehan.

During the hour-and-a-half show, we learn that Phil Anselmo’s voicebox is still capable of singing in ways that should have long ago torn his throat apart, and that while most consider the late, great Dimebag Darrell as irreplaceable, most should also have to consent to the fact that Kerry King is more than a fine replacement – differences between thrash and groove be damned.

The setlist is made mostly of Pantera and Slayer tunes, but with a couple of surprise appearances from Benante and Milano’s second band Stormtroopers of Death (S.O.D.), as well as Exodus’s ‘Strike of the Beast’. As ever though, the highlight of the night for me proves to be a toss-up between Slayer‘s classic ‘Raining Blood’ and Pantera‘s ‘F**king Hostile’. If you can watch both in immediate succession without your head exploding, let us know which, if any, you think stole the show.

The show can be watched in its entirety on Usteam, here.