Hey Mike, what day is it? What Day Is It? It’s Stanley Cup Finals night! Go BlackHawks! Go Lightning. (I’m trying to be impartial, but I have a soft spot for both teams since I knew both the great Phil Esposito and his brother Tony, who was a BlackHawk goalie back in the day. Phil used to run the Lightning after he retired from the legendary Boston Bruins. We used to hang out after Bruins’ games. Man, that guy could put away about 10 beers before he’d go to the loo. I mean, his bladder must have been the size of a washing machine tub, I’ll tell ya! A fan once asked him, ‘Phil, I’m matching beer for beer with you and I’ve been to the bathroom twice! You haven’t left this bar stool!‘ At which Phil said, ‘When you play hockey, you have to hold it. And once you go once, you’ve broken the seal!’ LOL
Very happy to report on our friend Mark Tremonti’s new Tremonti album, Cauterize! #1 this morning on iTunes Rock Chart! # 2 in Germany after the classic rock compilation “Now That’s Classic Rock,” so actually it doesn’t count, Tremonti should be # 1 new rock album there! LOL Mark’s currently on tour in Europe. Pulse Of Radio reports Cauterize follows up Tremonti’s 2012 debut, All I Was, and is the first of two new albums that Tremonti has recorded. The second, called Dust, will be out later this year. Mark Tremonti told us both sets feature the same level of quality material: “We went in there with the goal of recording 20 songs, and then when it came time to release the songs, I didn’t want to put 13 songs on one record and then have seven B-sides. I wanted all these songs to be thought of as songs that were meant to be on an album. None of these are throwaway songs. So we cut ’em into two 10-song albums that are kind of two dynamic records. If there was two chill songs, one would go on the first, one would go on the second and so on.” The first single from Cauterize is called “Another Heart.” Although Van Halen bassist Wolfgang Van Halen was part of Tremonti’s touring band in 2013 and played on the new record, he is sitting out Tremonti’s tour schedule because of commitments with Van Halen. We’ll be announcing new Tremonti North American tour dates later this month! Tremonti’s other band, Alter Bridge, released its last studio effort, Fortress, in 2013 and will get to work on album number five later this year. Did you know: Mark was an original founding member of Creed, whose original name was Naked Toddler?!!!! Um, yeah. LOL
Wow, I am surprised to read this. Loudwire reporting the Rockstar Energy Uproar Festival, which has lasted for five years and featured acts like Disturbed, Avenged Sevenfold, Halestorm, Three Days Grace, Seether, Godsmack, Shinedown, Alice In Chains and many others, will not go out this summer. Promoter John Reese cited the lack of strong headlining acts as a reason, saying, “It takes a lot of money to break rock bands, and with the record labels being where they are, it’s getting tougher and tougher on the rock and metal side to come up with new headliners that make us feel great.” Reese said he approached the surviving members of Pantera about reuniting to headline the tour, but was rebuffed, saying, “I know that a heavy, heavy tragedy happened and there are some hard feelings, but it’s up to those three dudes to decide if they ever want to do something or not.” Hmmm, I wonder what has changed? There’s a bunch of killer bands coming with new music this summer, all of who are headliner worthy. Guess the idea of taking a year off, or maybe pushing to another time of the year, might be the way to go. Maybe these destination festivals are more in line with today’s economy? I dunno, but I am disappointed and was hoping to see a killer line-up this summer. 🙁
More reasons why we love Corey Taylor! He told England’s New MusicExpress (NME) if his bands, Slipknot and Stone Sour, had been asked to support a new music streaming service like Trent Reznor is doing for Apple Music or Jack White has done for Tidal. Taylor replied, “Of course not, because they can’t use our music to sell anything. That’s fine with me, you know, I don’t give a s**t. Let the f**king Taylor S**ts and One Erections sell their f**king sodas and edible panties. I don’t give a s**t about any of that.” He added, “The second that I’m writing music written specifically to sell somebody a f**king motorcycle book, that’s it for me. I’m done.” What are your thoughts on those new streaming pay services? Are you signing up? Does it interest you? Let me know! I’d like to survey our listeners!
San Diego’s P.O.D. will release its ninth studio album, The Awakening, on Aug 21st. The 10-track record will feature guest appearances from In This Moment‘s Maria Brink and Sick Of It All‘s Lou Koller. The first single from the set yesterday and is called “This Goes Out To You.” P.O.D. will be on tour throughout the summer and fall, and will perform a special pre-game “Party At The Park” set at San Diego’s PETCO Park this Friday (June 12th) before the San Diego Padres take on the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Oh man, I am sworn to secrecy but there’s something really HUGE happening! Actually, two things happening. So bear with me and just know, IT’S HUGE!
Metal Hammer’s Golden Gods Awards takes place on Monday, Jun 15 in London at IndigO2 . For the first time, they are announcing in advance who is to receive this year’s Golden God Award and it’s (drumroll please) Dave Mustaine of Megadeth! (and the crowd goes wild!) Blabbermouth reported the band celebrates their 30th anniversary of the release of its seminal album “Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good!” (originally made available on June 12, 1985).
Formed in 1983, Megadeth is one of the true pioneers and innovators of metal music. The band has sold more than 38 million albums worldwide, earning numerous accolades, including 11 Grammy nominations and scoring five consecutive platinum albums — including 1992’s two-million-selling Countdown To Extinction. The band has released iconic albums such as Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?, Rust In Peace, Countdown To Extinction and Th1rt3en. Read more here.
Well, it is a little more serious than originally thought. Blabbermouth reporting this morning Of Mice & Men frontman Austin Carlile says he is “never giving up” and has asked fans to keep sending messages of support, just three days after he became ill at the tail end of the band’s Full Circle tour. Carlile, who was forced to undergo surgery in 2010 for an enlarged aorta valve, was admitted to a hospital June 6, forcing the cancelation of the last two shows of the trek. In a series of Twitter updates, Carlile explains that he has been transferred to Stanford University to be treated by “cardiologists and marfans specialists.”
Marfan synbdrome is a genetic disorder that affects tissue connectivity and commonly involves defects of the heart valves and aortas.
Carlile says: “Thank you for the get-well wishes, everyone. I’m transferring to Stanford University this week to be in care of my cardiologists and marfans specialists until my health situation at hand is under control. It has been a long past few days, and the ones following will be just as much of a struggle, but I can do this. And I believe that wholeheartedly. If I believe in it, so should you. I’m sorry to anyone who missed the last two shows of our tour. I would have much rather been there than a hospital bed, I assure you. Love to everyone, band, family and you. I’m never giving up. Thanks for being there for me. Waking up over and over in the middle of the night, or the nurses helping me pee, reading the tweet help.”
Last August, Austin’s recurring heart issue forced Of Mice & Men to cancel some European tour dates. “I don’t like to talk about my heart thing,” the vocalist told Revolver magazine, “because I don’t want that to be what this band is about. Yes, I have to deal with it every day, and it’s a hard thing sometimes, but being able to make music and get up onstage is what makes it easier to deal with. I don’t know how I’d deal with it if I didn’t have music.” So fans, let’s get the tweets and good wishes going to out to Austin!