The Greatest Rock News Report: 01.23.2008

Posted by Daniel Wilcox on 01.23.2008

We've got a ton of news regarding Coachella, System of a Down, KoRn and more, album updates from Metallica, Velvet Revolver and more plus tour dates from Serj Tankian, Rush, Robert Plant, Down, and so many more all inside!

Morning all, and welcome to another edition of the Greatest Rock News Report Vol. 666! And after a week where I completely half-assed a report due to illness, and I once again apoligize for that, I'm back with a vengeance.

We've got a plethora of major news, album updates and tour dates today as well as a new mini-feature at the end of the report.

With all that being said, let's waste no more time and simply get on with the show!

The News

Metallica's 9th album delayed yet again

According to Stereo Warning, Metallica's label Elektra has stated that the band's untitled ninth studio album has been delayed.

Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich stated that the album would be out by February, but then it was delayed until April. The new date is now rumored for sometime in September. Nothing else has been said about the release date at this time.

Coachella 2008 line-up revealed

Portishead, MIA, The Breeders, Spiritualized, Kraftwerk, Justice and Pink Floyd's Roger Waters will perform at this year's year's Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, it was announced today (January 21). They'll join The Verve, The Raconteurs, Rilo Kiley and My Morning Jacket at the ninth annual festival, set to take place April 25-27 at the Empire Polo Field in Indio, California, as previously reported. Also on the bill are Hot Chip, The Streets, Jack Johnson, Cold War Kids, Enter Shikari Metric, Death Cab For Cutie, Reverend And The Makers, Love & Rockets, The Bees, Jamie T, Vampire Weekend and Simian Mobile Disco, among others. Waters will recreate Pink Floyd's legendary 1973 album 'Dark Side Of The Moon' on the festival's Main Stage on Sunday (April 27).

Tickets for the event go on sale Friday (January 25) at 10:00 am PST via Ticketmaster.

The complete lineup is:

Friday (April 25)
Jack Johnson
The Verve
The Raconteurs
The Breeders
Fatboy Slim
Tegan and Sara
Madness
The Swell Season
The National
Animal Collective
Slightly Stoopid
Mum
Pendulum
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings
Stars
Battles
Aesop Rock
Midnight Juggernauts
Does It Offend You, Yeah?
Minus the Bear
Spank Rock
Dan Le Sac Vs. Scoobius Pip
Diplo
Adam Freeland
Santo Gold
Jens Lekman
John butler Trio
Vampire Weekend
Dan Deacon
Architecture in Helsinki
Sandra Collins
Busy P
Cut Copy
Black Lips
Datarock
Professor Murder
Reverend and the Makers
The Bees
Porter
Rogue Wave
Modeselektor
American Bang
Lucky I Am

Saturday (April 26)
Portishead
Kraftwerk
Death Cab for Cutie
Cafe Tacuba
Sasha & Digweed
Rilo Kiley
Dwight Yoakam
M.I.A.
Hot Chip
Cold War Kids
Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks
DeVotchka
Flogging Molly
Mark Ronson
Turbonegro
Scars on Broadway
Islands
Enter Shikari
Calvin Harris
Boyz Noise
Junkie XL
Cinematic Orchestra
Jamie T
The Teenagers
VHS or Beta
Carbon/Silicon
Erol Alkan
Yo Majesty!
Little Brother
Bonde Do Role
St. Vincent
Akron Family
MGMT
Institubes DJs
Surkin, Para One and Orgasmic
James Wabiela
Sebastian
Kavinsky
Dredg
The Bird and the Bee
Grand Ole Party
New Young Pony Club
120 Days
Yoav
Electric Touch
Uffie

Sunday (April 27)
Roger Waters 'Dark Side Of The Moon'
Love and Rockets
My Morning Jacket
Spiritualized
Justice
Gogol Bordello
Chromeo
The Streets
Metric
Danny Tenaglia
Simian Mobile Disco
Booka Shade
Murs
Dmitri From Paris
Autolux
The Field
Linton Kwesi Johnson
Les Savy Fav
The Cool Kids
Sons & Daughters
Sia
Holy F---
Black Kids
Black Mountain
The Annuals
Kid Sister with A-Trak
Man Man
Duffy
I'm From Barcelona
Manchester Orchestra
Deadmau5
The Horrors
Austin TV
Shout Out Louds
Platiscenes
Brett Dennen

Three US headliners set for Reading and Leeds shows

Three "American headliners" have agreed to top the bill at the Reading and Leeds Festivals this August, organiser Melvin Benn has confirmed.

He said he had booked the acts for the events but would not name them yet. He said the headliners for the events, to be held on the bank holiday weekend of 22 to 24 August, were "in place".

"Interesting this year is that - probably for the first time, in my memory - we're actually going with three American headliners."

But he added: "I'm not at liberty to let you know who they are."

This news has kicked off rumors that two of the three headliners are Rage Against The Machine and Metallica. The Metallica rumors have been fueled by the fact that the band recently announced a series of dates in Europe for this summer (see tour dates section for more info).

This would be great for the Reading and Leeds show, which have been plagued by a ton of crappy indy bands and unpopular emo groups in recent years and have lacked a huge name like Metallica or Rage (although we were treated to RHCP last year). Bringing in either of those bands to headline would attract more people than just the typical emo crowd and will make for an all-round very entertaining show.

Also rumored for the Reading and Leeds weekend are regulars My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, Panic At The Disco and Green Day. Thankfully, no 50 Cent this year!

AC/DC set to tour down under?

News.com.au reports that speculation is mounting over who is next to take the Suncorp Stadium stage in Brisbane, Australia.

An AC/DC tour has been rumored for years, but industry insiders reckon the kings of hard rock will hit the road this year, including a Suncorp blitzkrieg.

And local promoters salivating over Led Zeppelin are on the phones to Canada. Following the band's London reunion gig, Toronto-based promoter Michael Cohl is reportedly stitching up a Led Zep tour. The cost? $200 million for North America alone.

But with Zep singer Robert Plant touring with recent collaborator Alison Krauss in April and May, a Led Zep jaunt to Oz could take place next year.

So the rumor mill continues to focus on Led Zepellin. Any big names going to Australia is always a positive as those guys down under always get ignored when it comes to big tours so when they hear that bands like Zeppelin and AC/DC are set to tour there, they have a right to get excited.

Robert Plant apparently doesn't like Radiohead or RHCP

Robert Plant demanded a London bar stopped playing Radiohead, branding it "rhyming crap". The Led Zeppelin frontman dislikes the five-piece so much he asked the staff at Camden's Fifty Five Bar to change the record because it was ruining his night.

A source told Britain's The Sun newspaper: "Robert was drinking with a woman and didn't like the choice of tunes playing. "Radiohead was on and he started complaining. He said, 'What's this rhyming crap?'" However, when staff put on the Red Hot Chili Peppers instead, the 59-year-old was still unimpressed as explained by the staff: "The staff were obviously keen to please so they changed their music. They put on the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who they thought might be more up his street. But he didn't like their stuff either and said it was like a 'nursery rhyme'... He then said he wanted to listen to Captain Beefheart, an American musician who was famous at a similar time to Zeppelin from the 60s to the early 80s."

Whitesnake album set for April

To celebrate their 30th Anniversary, Whitesnake will release Good To Be Bad, through SPV / Steamhammer at the end of April in Europe and USA - their first studio album in a decade. The album features 11 new Whitesnake songs.

Front man, David Coverdale, says, "The new album contains all the elements I enjoy about Whitesnake, and more. I can hear moments that take me back to the bluesy, early years of the band all the way through the band's musical history to fully embrace the more electric aspects of where we are now, as a band. I'm thrilled with it and can hardly wait to unleash it on an unsuspecting public! If this is indeed the last Whitesnake studio record then I'm happy to finish like this. It was a labour of love making this record...a joy... and I'm still enjoying listening to it. Can't be bad!"

KoRn guitarist leaves tour, citing "personal reasons"

KoRn guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer has left the band's European tour, citing personal and family reasons for his departure. In a statement, singer Jonathan Davis said, "We fully support Munky's need to be home right now and because we want to come through for all of our European fans, the tour will go on. It's what Munky wants us to do, too. We promise to give it our all every night!"

System man talks priorities

System Of A Down's Daron Malakian told Revolver that his new band Scars On Broadway is his priority for the foreseeable future. "System is not my band right now. I'll go back and do that someday," Malakian said. "I'd expect [a second] Scars album before I'd expect another System album." Malakian is currently recording Scars On Broadway's debut.

Marc Orrell announces departure from Dropkick Murphys

Marc Orrell announced that he is leaving Dropkick Murphys to fans on the ban's mailing list. Orrell writes:

Dear DKM friends & fans,
You may have heard some talk that I am going to stop playing with the Dropkick Murphys. I wanted to confirm that the rumors are true and I am leaving the band. I'm very grateful for everything playing with DKM has brought me and I'm sad to be going but I feel like the time has come for me to try working on different styles of music and some of my own projects, I'm ready to spread my wings as they say.

I've been pickin', ticklin', strummin', squeezin', crashin', trashin' and smashin' with the Dropkicks for many years and am proud to have been a part of all the achievements and success we've had. However the greatest achievement of all has been the friends I've made and the people I've met along the way. Everyone has always supported me and the rest of the guys 100% in everything we've done which makes my leaving all the more difficult.

Velvet Revolver planning work on new album

Slash, lead guitarist of Velvet Revolver, told Billboard.com that the group plans to start working on the follow-up to last year's "Libertad" in April, almost immediately after the band finishes a tour that starts Jan. 24 in Chicago and includes dates in North America, Australia and Europe.

In an interview with Billboard.com, Slash also had this to say about the new album: "I'm really jazzed about doing it. I've been working on new ideas, and we've had a couple times where the guys all got together and worked on some stuff. I'm itching to see what this third record's gonna be, 'cause I think it's gonna be fuckin' awesome, and I think we don't necessarily need to spend two years on the road like we did last time (for 2004's 'Contraband')."

While there are no official songs finished, the band has been working with a few ideas and song concepts.

Stone Temple Pilots reunion on the way

In a recent interview with MiamiHerald.com, current Velvet Revolver/former Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland revealed that Stone Temple Pilots could be reuniting in a couple of months.

Weiland made the announcement during an appearance this past Saturday (January 19) at an all-star gala event benefiting the AROD Family Foundation. The AROD Family Foundation is a non-profit organization to support programs focused on improving quality of life, education and mental health for families in distress. Nothing more was said other than that annoucement.

Velvet Revolver will begin a new U.S. tour on January 24 in Chicago, with dates confirmed through February 9.

Norma Jean reveal new drummer

Norma Jean has officially added Spitfire drummer Chris Raines to their line-up. Raines replaces Daniel Davison, who left the group in November. Here's a statement from the band:

"As you guys know, we have been in the process of finding a new drummer. So the past couple of months or so we have been playing shows, and writing songs with one of our good, long-time friends playing drums. It's been a great experience and we are so happy to officially welcome Chris Raines into the family. He's an awesome dude, and you have heard him play if you listen to the band Spitfire. And if you haven't heard them, you should check em out. They got some new songs up.

By the way, we have been working on new a new record. and it's been going so well. We couldn't be happier with how it's coming along. We are really stoked on it and can't wait to get it out to you guys. Thanks for all your support. We love you!"

Panic At The Disco drop the "!"

Last week, in addition to revealing the title of their new album and their spring tour plans, Panic At The Disco stunned their fans by simply... dropping the exclamation point from the middle of their name. Guitarist Ryan Ross explained to MTV News, "At least for me, it got a little bit annoying to try to write that every time you're typing the name. It was never part of the name to us... People started writing it, and then it ended up in more and more things like that, so there it was. When we started doing new promo stuff for this album, we just told everyone not to use it anymore."

P.O.D. vocalist talks new album, new record label

A two-minute video clip of P.O.D. vocalist Sonny Sandoval explaining the meaning behind the title of the group's upcoming album, "When Angels & Serpents Dance", can be viewed below.



P.O.D. will release "When Angels & Serpents Dance" on April 8 via INO/Columbia Records. The CD was helmed by Jay Baumgardner (Evanescence, Seether, Papa Roach) and features a guest appearance by Suicidal Tendencies frontman Mike Muir.

P.O.D. vocalist Sonny Sandoval recently launched a new label called Deadworld Records and is currently seeking submissions from artists. Sonny says, "Any genre is acceptable, as long as you're serious and dedicated musicians that love what you do. My crew and I will go over all the submissions personally."

Bullet For My Valentine issuing comic book

Bullet For My Valentine has commissioned indie comic book writer and illustrator Tom Manning to create a mini-comic book for every one of the 11 songs on the band's new album, Scream Aim Fire, which will be released on January 29th.

Each book will be three-to-five pages in length and all are inspired by the lyrics of the songs on the new release. The first three ("Scream Aim Fire," "Waking The Demon," "Hearts Burst Into Fire") will be available on January 29th in the PDF booklet of the iTunes deluxe version of the album. Ultimately, all 11 books will be available for viewing on a micro-site found at safthecomics.com. Fans can access a free PDF download of "Scream Aim Fire" now when they sign up for the band's mailing list.

In addition to the actual comic book for every song, 15-second animated trailers have been created for each comic and have just been posted on media partner websites. The first trailer for the CD's title track can be viewed now on the band's YouTube channel and MySpace profile.

"Daydream Believer" songwriter passes away

John Stewart recorded some of pop music's most acclaimed solo albums, helping create a style that came to be called Americana, but he was always best known for writing the Monkees' enduring hit "Daydream Believer."

Stewart, who came to prominence in the 1960s as a member of folk music's Kingston Trio, died Saturday at a San Diego hospital after suffering a brain aneurism. He was 68. "He was a lovely man and a very gentle soul and I guess the only thing you can say today is that the world is less one great songwriter," the Monkees' Micky Dolenz told The Associated Press on Sunday. Stewart left the Kingston Trio shortly before the Monkees released "Daydream Believer" in 1967, then went on to record nearly four dozen solo albums, including the critically acclaimed "California Bloodlines" and "Bombs Away Dream Babies." The latter included the hit single "Gold," in which he dueted with Fleetwood Mac's Stevie Nicks. Still, as with "Daydream Believer," he was likely best known for writing songs for others, including Joan Baez, Nanci Griffith, Roseanne Cash and Anne Murray. "He was a cult hero, he never made it super huge," said his manager, Dean Swett. "He was one of those outlaw rebels, one of the people who refused to conform to what the record labels expected him to be."

A husky-voiced singer and accomplished guitarist who delivered his lyrics in a poignant, often longing voice, his music was hard to classify. It fell somewhere between rock, country and folk and eventually came to be called Americana. He wrote "Runaway Train," a country hit for Roseanne Cash, and "Strange Rivers," which Joan Baez included on her 1992 "Play Me Backwards" album. Nanci Griffith dueted with him on "Sweet Dreams" and Murray, like the Monkees before her, had a hit with "Daydream Believer."

"There are certain songs that you just go in humming. It was one of those," Dolenz said of "Daydream Believer," which also was Stewart's best-known recording. Although he sang background to Davy Jones' lead on the Monkees' version, Dolenz performs the song himself at his solo shows. "To this day it is one of the biggest songs that I do in concert," he said.

Stewart joined the Kingston Trio in 1961, replacing Dave Guard in the group that had helped usher in an American folk music revival in the late 1950s. "John truly was the right fit. A first rate entertainer and gifted songwriter," the group said in a statement on its Web site. He recorded more than a dozen albums with the trio before going on to a solo career in 1967. A year later he released "California Bloodlines," which included the minor hit "July You're a Woman." "Bombs Away Dream Babies" came out in 1979. He eventually recorded more than 40 solo albums. Others included "The Lonesome Picker Rides Again, "Airdream Believer" and "Rough Sketches," the latter a collection of songs about the iconic American highway "Route 66." Stewart was said to be at work on still another album at the time of his death.

Stewart's wife, Buffy, and children were at his side when he died, according to a statement on the Kingston Trio's Web site. There was no immediate word on funeral arrangements.

Tour Dates From Around The Globe

Rush have announced the following tour dates for their run which stretches from April through July;

April 11 - San Juan, Puerto Rico @ Coliseo de Puerto Rico
April 13 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ BankAtlantic Center
April 15 - Orlando, FL @ Amway Arena
April 17 - Jacksonville, FL @ Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena
April 19 - New Orleans, LA @ New Orleans Arena
April 20 - Woodlands, TX @ Woodlands Pavilion
April 23 - Austin, TX @ Frank Erwin Center
April 25 - Dallas, TX @ The Music Center at Fair Park
April 26 - Oklahoma City, OK @ Ford Center
April 29 - Albuquerque, NM @ Journal Pavilion
May 1 - Phoenix, AZ @ Cricket Wireless Pavilion
May 3 - Reno, NV @ Reno Events Center
May 4 - Concord, CA @ Sleep Train Pavilion
May 6 - Los Angeles, CA @ Nokia Theatre
May 10 - Las Vegas, NV @ Mandalay Bay Events Center
May 11 - Irvine, CA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
May 20 - Moline, IL @ iWireless Center
May 22 - St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
May 24 - Winnipeg, Manitoba @ MTS Center
May 25 - Regina, Saskatchewan @ Brandt Center
May 27 - Edmonton, Alberta @ Rexall Place
May 29 - Vancouver, British Columbia @ GM Place
May 31 - George, WA @ The Gorge Amphitheatre
June 1 - Ridgefield, WA @ Clark County Amphitheatre
June 3 - Nampa, ID @ Idaho Center
June 5 - Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre
June 7 - Kansas City, MO @ Starlight Theatre
June 9 - Chicago, IL @ United Center
June 10 - Detroit, MI @ Joe Louis Arena
June 12 - Montreal, Quebec @ Bell Center
June 14 - Philadelphia, PA @ Wachovia Center
June 15 - Mansfield, MA @ Tweeter Center
June 25 - Indianapolis, IN @ Verizon Amphitheatre
June 27 - Milwaukee, WI @ Summerfest
June 28 - Maryland Heights, MO @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
June 30 - Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center
July 2 - Burgettstown, PA @ Post Gazette Amphitheatre
July 4 - Atlantic City, NJ @ Marc Etess Arena
July 5 - Saratoga, NY @ Saratoga PAC
July 7 - Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun
July 9 - Toronto, Ontario @ The Molson Amphitheatre
July 11 - Manchester, MA @ Verizon Wireless Arena
July 12 - Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center
July 14 - Wantagh, NY @ Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
July 17 - Hershey, PA @ Hersheypark Stadium
July 19 - Bristow, VA @ Nissan Pavilion
July 20 - Charlotte, NC @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
July 22 - Atlanta, GA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss have confirmed the following dates for April;

April 20 – Louisville, KY @ Palace Theatre
April 22 – Knoxville, TN @ Knoxville Civic Coliseum
April 23 - Chattanooga, TN @ Memorial Auditorium
April 26 – Birmingham, AL @ BJCC Arena

Serj Tankian has announced a series of solo headline shows to go with his shows supporting the Foo Fighters;

Tour dates are:

Serj Tankian solo headlining dates:

Feb 11 Atlanta, GA, Roxy Theatre
Feb 12 Charlotte, NC, Amos's South End
Feb 13 Richmond, VA, Toad's Place
Feb 15 Norfolk, VA, Norva
Feb 16 Baltimore, MD, Ram's Head Live!

Foo Fighters support dates:

Feb 18 Worcester, MA, The Centrum
Feb 19 New York, NY, Madison Square Garden
Feb 21 Philadelphia, PA, Wachovia Center
Feb 22 Binghamton, NY, SUNY Gym
Feb 24 Detroit, MI, Joe Louis Arena
Feb 25 Chicago, IL, Allstate Arena
Feb 27 Minneapolis, MN, Target Center
Feb 28 Council Bluffs, IA, Mid-America Center
Mar 02 Phoenix, AZ, Jobing.com Arena
Mar 03 San Diego, CA, Cox Arena
Mar 05 Los Angeles, CA, The Forum
Mar 06 Los Angeles, CA, The Forum

Serj Tankian Solo headlining dates:

Mar 08 San Francisco, CA, Warfield Theatre
Mar 10 Portland, OR, Roseland Theatre
Mar 11 Seattle, WA, Showbox SoDo
Mar 15 Calgary, AB, MacEwan Hall
Mar 16 Edmonton, AB, Edmonton Event Centre
Mar 19 Salt Lake City, UT, In The Venue
Mar 21 Denver, CO, Ogden Theatre

Yellowcard will be touring this spring with MxPx supporting on the following dates;

March 7th in Salt Lake City, UT @ The Avalon
March 8th in Denver, CO @ The Gothic
March 10th in St. Paul, MN @ Station 4
March 11th in Chicago, IL @ Metro
March 13th in Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theater
March 14th in Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
March 15th in New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
March 16th in Boston, MA @ Middle East
March 17th in Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero
March 19th in Baltimore, MD @Recher
March 20th in Greensboro, NC @ Green Street
March 21st in Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
March 22nd in Orlando, FL @ House of Blues
March 24th in Tampa, FL @ State Theater
March 29th in Austin, TX @ Emo's
March 31st in Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theatre
April 3rd in Boise, ID @ Big Easy
April 4th in Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
April 5th in Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theater
April 6th in San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
April 8th in Ventura, CA @ Ventura Theatre
April 10th in Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
April 11th in San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
April 12th in Los Angeles, CA @ House of Blue

Fight Amp are set to hit the road at the end of next month for shows on the following dates:

2/29 Baltimore, MD @ The Nerve Center
3/1 Washington, DC @ The Party Pit
3/2 Richmond, VA @ Ramakins
3/3 Virginia Beach, VA @ Gils Bar and Grills
3/4 Greenville, NC @ Spazzatorium Galleria
3/5 Columbia, SC @ The 112
3/6 Atlanta, GA @ TBA
3/7 Savannah, GA @ The Jinx
3/8 Tampa, FL @ TBA
3/9 Tallahassee, FL @ TBA
3/10 Shreveport, LA @ TBA
3/11 Austin, TX @ Red 7
3/12 Dallas, TX @ TBA
3/13 San Antonio, TX @ TBA
3/14 El Paso, TX @ Zeppelin's Underground
3/15 Tucson, AZ @ Dry River
3/16 Tucson, AZ @ Gnarwhal House
3/17 Phoenix, AZ @ The RUby Room Lounge
3/18 San Diego, CA @ Scolari's Office
3/19 Glendale, CA @ TBA
3/20 Oakland, CA @ The Stork Club
3/21 Sacramento, CA @ TBA
3/22 Salt Lake City, UT @ TBA
3/23 Grand Junction, CO @ TBA
3/24 Denver, CO @ Kingdom of Doom
3/25 Wichita, KS @ TBA
3/26 Sioux City, IA @ TBA
3/27 Joplin, MO @ Cesspool Castle
3/28 St. Louis, MO @ Camp Concentration
3/29 Louisville, KY @ TBA
3/30 Indianapolis, IN @ TBA
3/13 Cincinnati, OH @ TBA
4/1 Columbus, OH @ TBA
4/2 Cleveland, OH @ TBA
4/3 Albany, NY @ TBA
4/4 Wilkes-Barre, PA @ TBA

Drowning Pool and Saliva will be teaming up for the following dates starting next week;

January 29th in Melbourne, FL @ County Line Saloon
January 30th in West Palm Beach, FL @ South Florida Fair
February 1st in Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
February 2nd in Huntsville, AL @ Sammy T's
February 7th in Knoxville, TN @ The Valarium
February 8th in Cookeville, TN @ Sisco's Mix Factory
February 10th in Clarksville, TN @ Kickers
February 12th in Pittsburgh, PA @ Rex Theater
February 13th in Springfield, VA @ Jaxx
February 14th in Fayetteville, NC @ Jester's
February 15th in Jacksonville, NC @ Hooligans
February 19th in Hattiesburg, MS @ Remington's Hunt Club
February 20th in New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues
February 21st in Starkville, MS @ State Theatre
February 22nd in El Dorado, AR @ Municipal Auditorium
February 23rd in Fayetteville, AR @ George's Majestic Lounge
February 29th in Evansville, IN @ Vanderburgh County Fair
March 1st in Libertyville, IL @ Austin's Fuel Room
March 2nd in Maplewood, MN @ The Rock

Down are set to head to Europe this Spring on the following dates;

March 18th Moscow, RUS - B!
March 19th St. Petersburg, RUS - Port Club
March 21st Tampere, FIN - Pakkhuone
March 22nd Helsinki, FIN - House of Culture
March 24th Stockholm, SWE - Debaser
March 25th Oslo, NOR - Rockefeller
March 26th Copenhagen, DEN - Pumpehusset
March 28th Prague, CZE - Rock Cafe
March 29th Warsaw, POL - Stodola
March 30th Berlin, GER - Huxley's
April 01st Munich, GER - Eiserhalle
April 02nd Stuttgart, GER - Longhorn
April 03rd Brussels, BEL - AB
April 05th Amsterdam, NET - Melkweg
April 17th Tilburg, NET - Roadburn Festival
April 18th Wiesbaden, GER - Schlachtof
April 21st Zurich, SWI - Rohstofflager
April 22nd Milan, ITA - Alcatrazz
April 24th Barcelona, SPA - Apollo
April 25th Madrid, SPA - Joy Salva
April 27th Lisbon, POR - Coliseum

Dimmu Borgir will soon hit the road with Behemoth and Kalessin supporting. Here are the dates;

04/02/08 Sound Academy - Toronto, ON – CANADA
?04/03/08 Metropolis - Montreal, QC - CANADA
04/04/08 The Trocadero - Philadelphia, PA
04/07/08 The Myth - Minneapolis, MN
04/09/08 Edmonton Events Center - Edmonton, AB - CANADA
04/10/08 Macewan Ballroom - Calgary, AB - CANADA
04/11/08 The Big Easy - Spokane, WA
04/12/08 Roseland Theatre - Portland, OR
04/14/08 The Warfield - San Francisco, CA
04/16/08 The Grove - Anaheim, CA
04/17/08 Rialto Theatre - Tucson, AZ
04/18/08 Sunshine Theatre - Albuquerque, NM
04/19/08 Ogden Theater - Denver, CO
04/21/08 Stubbs BBQ - Austin, TX
04/22/08 Cain's Ballroom - Tulsa, OK
04/25/08 Starland Ballroom - Sayreville, NJ
04/26/08 The Palladium (New England Metal Fest) - Worcester, MA
04/27/08 930 Club - Washington, DC
04/28/08 The Norva - Norfolk, VA
04/30/08 Culture Room - Ft. Lauderdale, FL
05/01/08 Jannus Landing - St. Petersburg, FL
?05/02/08 The Masquerade - Atlanta, GA
05/03/08 Bogarts - Cincinnati, OH
05/04/08 House of Blues - Chicago, IL

The Bamboozle Roadshow 2008 has been officially announced. This year's lineup will feature Saves The Day, Armor For Sleep, Set Your Goals, Metro Station and on select dates: A Cursive Memory and Lydia. Here are the dates:

3/28 Seattle, WA @ Neumo's
3/29 Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
3/30 San Francisco, CA @ Fillmore
4/1 Santa Cruz, CA @ Catalyst
4/2 Chico, CA @ Senator Theatre
4/3 Sparks, NV @ New Oasis
4/4 Las Vegas, NV @ The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel
4/5 Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theatre
4/6 Irvine, CA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater (Bamboozle Left)
4/8 Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theatre
4/10 Austin, TX @ La Zona Rosa
4/11 Dallas, TX @ House of Blues
4/12 Oklahoma City, OK @ Bricktown Ballroom
4/13 Houston, TX @ Meridian
4/15 Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution
4/16 St Petersburg, FL @ State Theatre
4/17 Orlando, FL @ House of Blues
4/18 Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
4/19 Cordova, TN @ Skatepark of Memphis
4/20 Cincinnati, OH @ Bogarts
4/21 Grand Rapids, MI @ Intersection
4/23 St Paul, MN @ Station 4
4/24 Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
4/25 Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
4/26 Detroit, MI @ St Andrews Hall
4/27 Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall
4/29 Norfolk, VA @ NorVa
4/30 Baltimore, MD @ Rams Head Live!
5/1 Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore at the TLA
5/2 E. Rutherford, NJ @ Meadowlands Sports Complex (Hoodwink Fest)
5/3 E. Rutherford, NJ @ Meadowlands Sports Complex (Bamboozle Fest)
5/4 Worcester, MA @ Palladium
5/6 Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
5/7 St Louis, MO @ The Pageant
5/8 Omaha, NE @ Slowdown
5/9 Engelwood, CO @ Gothic Theatre
5/10 Salt Lake City, UT @ Avalon Theater

The Hives have announced the following tour dates for Februart and March;

February
19 Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern
20 San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
21 Portland, OR - Roseland Theater
22 Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom
23 Seattle, WA - Showbox SoDo
26 Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre
28 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
29 Chicago, IL - Riviera Theater

March
01 Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall
02 Cleveland, OH - Agora Theater
03 Toronto, ON - Kool Haus
04 Montreal, QC - Club Soda
07 New York, NY - Terminal 5
08 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club

W.A.S.P. have updated their North American tour schedule. It is now as follows:

January
26 - San Juan, PR - The Arena
30 - Santa Ana, CA - Galaxy Theatre
31 - Las Vegas, NV - Canyon Club at Four Queens

February
8 - Dallas, TX - Granada Theatre **
9 - San Antonio, TX - Tiffany's Live **
10 - New Orleans, LA - House of Blues **
12 - Louisville, KY - Expo 13 **
13 - Charlotte, NC - venue tba **
14 - Huntington, WV - Monkey **
15 - Springfield, VA - Jaxx
16 - Springfield, VA - Jaxx
17 - Hartford, CT - Webster Theatre / Underground
20 - Long Island, NY - Crazy Donkey - Club Loaded **
22 - Sayreville, NJ - Starland Ballroom
23 - Poughkeepsie, NY - The Chance
24 - New York City, NY - The Fillmore at Irving Plaza
25 - Buffalo, NY - tbc **
26 - Quebec City, QC - Capital Theatre **
28 - Toronto, ON - The Phoenix Concert Theatre
29 - Detroit, MI - Harpo's **

March
1 - Flint, MI - Machine Shop **
2 - Mokena, IL - The Pearl Room
4 - Denver, CO - The Palladium **
5 - Salt Lake City, UT - Club Vegas **
6 - Las Vegas, NV - Canyon Club **
7 - San Juan Capististrano, CA - Coach House **
8 - Hollywood, CA - Key Club **

** new dates

Primal Fear are gearing up for their 10th Anniversary tour, officially dubbed the 10 Years Of Metal Tour. Mystic Prophecy has been confirmed as a support act, with a second band due to be announced shortly.

Confirmed dates are as follows:

April
25 - Berlin, Germany - K 17
26 - Rechenbach, Germany - H2O
27 - Pirmasens, Germany - Quasimodo
29 - Augsburg, Germany - Spectrum
30 - Bochum, Germany - Matrix

May
2 - Vosselaar, Belgium - Biebop
3 - Helmond, Holland – Plato

More dates will be announced soon.

The Sword, Saviours, and Black Cobra will team up for a UK tour in late-March and early-April. Here are the dates:

03/25 Nottingham, UK @ Rock City
03/26 Oxford, UK @ Carling Academy Oxford
03/27 Birmingham, UK @ Carling Academy Birmingham
03/28 Manchester, UK @ Manchester Academy
03/29 Glasgow, UK @ King Tut's Wah Wah Hut
03/30 Stoke, UK @ The Sugarmill
04/01 Newport, UK @ T.J.'s
04/02 Portsmouth, UK @ Wedgewood Rooms
04/03 London, UK @ The Underworld
04/04 Colchester, UK @ Colchester Arts Centre

Prior to their upcoming Australian shows with Pennywise and Sum 41, The Vandals will be headed out on a short March tour of the United States with a stop in Canada. Rumour has it the band is working on a new rarities record, with their previous studio album, Hollywood Potato Chip released in 2004.

March 7 – Salt Lake City, Utah, Club Sound
March 8 – Boise, Idaho, The Big Easy
March 9 – Seattle, Washington, El Corazon
March 14 – Chicago, Illinois, Reggie's Live
March 15 – Detroit, Michigan, Magic Stick
March 16 – Toronto, Ontario, The Reverb

Retro 100-Word Review of the Week

Turbonegro - Never Is Forever



From a time when Turbo were focused on fixing their sound, this album is a little different than most of their stuff, but it's pretty good nonetheless. While the normal guitar solos are somewhat lacking, plenty of more melodic tunes make this a pretty good album with a better lyrical content than other efforts. It's still a very heavy album as you'd expect, but it's much more thoughtful and a terrific effort. Be warned, this isn't exactly what you may expect from Turbo, but it's good nonetheless and album I'd recommend if you like the band. 7.5/10

And I'm done for another week. Feel free to hop on over to the wrestling zone where Jordan Linkous and myself have the return of the Fink's Payload up. But if you're not into that, be sure to check out 411 Music's Top 5 on Tuesday and be back here in 7 for more news from the Greatest Rock News Report on the web, on a Wednesday.