News

Alice Cooper Debuts "I'll Bite Your Face Off" Music Video

Josh Hart — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 02:07:55 +0000

Earlier today, shock rock legend Alice Cooper debuted a brand new music video for his song "I'll Bite Your Face Off." You can watch it below.

The track comes from Alice's latest album, last year's Welcome 2 My Nightmare.

"This is Alice's nightmare 35 years later," said Cooper of the Bob Ezrin-produced album. "Bob and I created this character and we know how to write for him. I play the part but we're not writing for me, we're writing for Alice. We kept the first Nightmare album very personal to us, on this one we found more humor and we were more open. This was our world and we want to present it to the fans. The original album was my first solo album after all those huge hit records with the original band and now that nightmare is exposed, this one can be a little bit more open. The music crosses all sorts of boundaries; we went where the lyrics took us."

Video: Eric Clapton's Isolated Guitar Track from The Beatles' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"

Damian Fanelli — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:17:37 +0000

On September 6, 1968 -- at the behest of George Harrison -- guitarist Eric Clapton entered Abbey Road Studio Two in London to overdub lead guitar onto a brand-new Beatles song called "While My Guitar Gently Weeps."

During the recording of The Beatles (aka "The White Album"), Harrison, Paul McCartney, John Lennon and Ringo Starr were seriously getting on each other's nerves.

To lighten the mood a bit, Harrison asked his friend Clapton to play on his new song -- which he felt was being overshadowed by Lennon's and McCartney's songs anyway.

Clapton originally wasn't all that into the idea, saying, "Nobody ever plays on The Beatles' records."

"So what?" Harrison said. "It's my song."

So Clapton showed up -- and, as it turned out, the battling Beatles were on their best behavior that day.

Anyway, the video below, which has been available on YouTube for about a year, features a beautiful isolated recording of Clapton's guitar track from the song -- solo and all.

Of course, if you've played The Beatles Rock Band, you might already know about this (and other isolated tracks from Beatles songs).

Gear-wise, it has been speculated that Clapton played a Gibson Les Paul through a Fender Deluxe amp; other Beatles know-it-alls think it was a Gibson SG with a Maestro Vibrola.

You decide!

No band made a bigger mark on rock and roll in the 20th century than the Beatles. Check out our "Guitar Legends: The Beatles" issue at the Guitar World Online Store.

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Lamb of God Create New “Vox of God” iPhone App

Damian Fanelli — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:51:51 +0000

Lamb of God -- who happen to be on the cover of the March 2012 issue of GW -- have issued a new iPhone app called "Vox of God."

It's a voice-modulating iOS app developed for Lamb of God in support of their new album, Resolution, and 2012 tour.

"Vox of God" creates a vocal simulation of lead singer Randy Blythe’s vocal style by applying audio-processing techniques and audio modulation to a voice that is recorded with the app. The results generate a simulation of Blythe’s signature scream/growl when the user records their voice with the app.

If features a growl-level indicator and several sharing options. Users can record with or without an instrumental version of "Ghost Walking."

The “Vox of God” app is now available in the iTunes App Store.

And if you're going app shopping anyway, be sure to check out Lick of the Day, a free download for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch available at the App Store.

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Exclusive: Guitarist Kerry King Gives Update on New Slayer Album

Josh Hart — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:33:03 +0000

While Kerry King stopped short of saying everything was smooth sailing when we talked to him at the Guitar World Rock & Roll Roast of Zakk Wylde in January, the Slayer guitarist seemed upbeat on what 2012 holds for thrash's most evil band.

"Before the holidays, me and Dave were already working," King said. "We got three songs down before we broke, and I sent him a fourth one, and we've got a couple we didn't use on the last record, so we're already six deep."

With King's bandmate and co-writer Jeff Hanneman still feeling the ill effects of a necrotizing fasciitis -- a flesh-eating disease he caught while on tour in Australia, likely from a spider bite -- King has taken the lead writing material for what will become the band's 12th studio album.

"I've got parts to like five or six songs I just can't finish. December was great, January's been a drought. I'm waiting for the drought to be over so I can finish them. I've got halves; I just can't marry the half to something else."

That’s not to say the follow-up to 2009’s World Painted Blood won’t feature some riffs from King’s partner in crime.

"We always said we'd never entertain the idea of doing an album without [Jeff]," King recently told Metal Hammer. “But there he is, getting those riffs ready!"

King was adamant that his comrade would be ready when the band hit the road in the late spring, but with some questions over Hanneman’s health lingering, the question remains: Will there be a new Slayer album this year?

"Absolutely," King said. "I want to be [in the studio] in March and April. I want to be done before we go on tour, which is May 25."

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Reader Reviews: Van Halen's 'A Different Kind of Truth'

Guitar World Staff — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:00:42 +0000

After much fanfare, two surprise shows, a Times Square billboard -- and a ton of website posts by us -- Van Halen's new album, A Different Kind of Truth, is now available.

After hearing us talk about it for the last month, we thought it'd be nice to give you all a chance to voice your opinions and tell us what you, the readers, think of the band's first album with David Lee Roth in 28 years.

Does Roth still have it or should they call Sammy Haggar? Is Eddie's guitar tone better than ever or should he get the Frankenstrat and Plexis out of storage? How does Wolfgang compare to Michael Anthony as a bassist? Where does this album rank all-time against the other Van Halen records?

Let us know in the comments!

And in case you haven't heard the album yet, ESPN.com is hosting a special Van Halen takeover featuring six new tracks, and you can listen here.

A Different Kind of Truth is also now available on Spotify.

The Eddie Van Halen Guitar World Box Set is a limited-edition package that includes all four Guitar World February 2009 issues, each of which has a unique cover photo featuring Eddie Van Halen with a different version of his new EVH Wolfgang guitar. It's available now at the Guitar World Online Store.

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Interview: Testament's Alex Skolnick on Practicing, Gear and Taking Lessons from Joe Satriani

Dave Reffett — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:40:53 +0000

Here's part two of my recent interview with guitarist Alex Skolnick of Testament and the Alex Skolnick Trio.

To check out part one, which focused more on Skolnick's unique journey as a jazz fan and guitarist, head here.

When we left off, Skolnick was about to answer questions from readers on a variety of topics -- including taking guitar lessons from Joe Satriani.

GUITAR WORLD: An anonymous reader wants to know what it was like being taught by Joe Satriani.

It was a wake-up call (laughs). I had already had several guitar teachers at that point, and I always went into these lessons sort of like a lamb where I looked up to all my teachers. I thought, “They’re teachers so they must be the highest level of player,” and I did have a couple of good teachers. But Satriani was the one teacher who showed me everything a teacher should be.

I was so young when I studied with him, I actually think I wasn't ready for a lot of stuff. I was a bit slow with music theory or mechanical elements of playing. I was definitely more of an "ear" player, but I saved the notes from the notebook he gave me, and later, after I had played guitar for two years, I was really ready for that stuff and it really started to take shape. I think he was surprised I turned into the player I was because when I studied with him, I was just a little bit overwhelmed.

I did good, I did my best, I practiced hard. But you the really advanced stuff took a few years to take shape. But yes, studying with him and being able to eventually teach myself, that's the best kind of teacher -- one you can study with who enables you and gives you the tools you need to self-teach.

Steve in Massachusetts wants to know about your practice routine with Testament. What was it like when you were on the way up, and how does it differ now?

When Testament was up and coming, that was when we were doing local gigs, clubs in Berkeley and San Francisco. That was the first incentive I had to practice hard and get it together. There is nothing like knowing you're going to be in front of an audience. I remember we used to tape some of the gigs on little cassette recorders that sounded terrible, but you got an idea of how you sounded.

That was also a wake-up call that I really needed to focus. I can’t imagine what it would be like today because now everybody tapes shows with their cell phones and posts them on the Internet for everybody to see. So at least some of those early gigs, they're just memories now. As for my practice routine, I was studying the basic scales. I think one thing that hasn't changed is I always warm up a lot before I have a show. Whatever I need work on, that's what I warm up on. Back then, it was memorizing scales and patterns; now it's more transcribing solos by my favorite artists. I'm always working on lines by Henderson, Chick Corea or John Scofield. So I learned all the scales from that. But then I had to forget them and learn licks and learn how to trust myself.

Did it seem your success with Testament was overnight or more of a grueling process?

It felt like forever, but then again my first big gig with Testament was when I had just turned 16. From that time till the time we did the first record at age 18, it that felt like forever. That's a big chunk of your life. But, you know, now that same amount of time feels like nothing.

Which Testament record are you the most proud of?

I think it's a tie between the second one The New Order and the third one, Practice What You Preach. I like Practice What You Preach because I felt like it had a real identity you can really tap into that a lot of the other bands weren't doing. But as far as staying power, the album that has the most resonance with fans would be The New Order. Those are the songs that, more than ever, feel current and timeless.

How did you get hooked up with Heritage guitars, and what effects do you use?

I started playing Heritage when I first got into jazz boxes. I realized that to do the chord melodies and all the Wes Montgomery-inspired stuff I was doing I really needed to change gear. I wanted the same gear the pro-jazz players have and I played mostly that stuff for a few years. It was all made by Heritage, so when the reunited Testament started happening, I had a couple of vintage Les Pauls I was playing. I just felt like I had outgrown the Ibanez guitars from the old days. They were great for back then, but they just didn't feel right. I think I was so used to jazz boxes.

The Les Paul is the one guitar that feels very close to a jazz box. It's got the thickness, and I was just very comfortable with them. I never had a professional relationship with Heritage before, but I guess someone made them aware of me and they got a hold of me and said that they’d like to send me out one of their solid-bodies -- just like a Les Paul but it's handcrafted like the classic Les Pauls and built in the same factory where all these great Les Pauls were built. So I said sure. And yeah, it worked out great. So then they sent me a couple more. Soon I was playing only the Heritages. Then, in the last couple of years, we developed a signature model.

So it's kind of like having a signature Les Paul. Different headstock and it's to my specs -- and it's really great. I think Heritage is one of the only new guitar companies that makes guitars that are as exciting as the ones you find in vintage stores. Like Gruhn Guitars in Nashville or Mandolin Bros. in Staten Island, New York. But I like that, I love shopping. Everybody loves shopping and checking out vintage guitars, but it's very rare that a new guitar has that same excitement, and I just believe in that kind of quality. I think that enhances my playing.

You endorse Seymour Duncan. Which Seymour Duncan pickups do you use?

All my signature Heritages have Seymour Duncans in them. I have the '59 and the JB. It's what I've always used in a Les Paul, even in the early days. My first professional guitar was a Les Paul. I eventually got those pickups, and they just felt right. It's just one of those rare pieces of gear that just seems to work, and it's pretty timeless no matter what other changes my gear goes through. I can even throw Ibanez a bone here. They have a Tube Screamer foot pedal, and it’s the same thing: It's a piece of gear I added in the rehearsal studio in my very first reversals with my band warming up for my first gigs. I read an interview with George Lynch where he said he used one, and here it is all these years later. I still use that as a component to my sound.

I'm often surprised by how many metal players are influenced by jazz. Has metal changed the way you, in particular, play jazz?

Absolutely. I think because I came from metal already, I stood out. Once I got my jazz playing together, there's just a sense of melody and conviction I was able to bring to the table that helped me play. Also the technical ability. At first, that made it more challenging because to play jazz is a much more relaxed intensity than when you play metal. And finding that balance of intensity and total relaxation and concentration is one of the hardest things about doing jazz. But the reverse is true, like having played jazz for so long, it's changed how I approach metal.

It’s not only given me more harmonic possibilities and more melodic ideas, but the zone I get into with jazz is absolutely incredible. And the zone I get into employing metal, it's a completely different rig, it's a completely different tone, it's really like being part of a machine. Whereas when playing in a improvisational group, you don't know what is going to happen, and it requires everybody to have this very sensitive listening. Which is not the case when playing metal. It's not about that. It's about everybody's got to be on the same page and everybody's got to be sort of gelling as a band. And you pretty much know how the song sounds. In jazz you don't know how it's supposed to sound. But I find these very surprising commonalities between jazz and metal.

Also, one of the most important things I have learned playing jazz was from a piano player named Paul Gilford who taught me that in jazz the striking of the note is only half of the equation. He helps all of his students create this awareness of not just the striking of the note but the back half. How does the note end? The note, chord, whatever. You don't just hit it; you also have to end, and that's part of the rhythm. It doesn't matter if you're playing a really simple or repetitive part or if you're playing very advanced, fast melodic lines or notes. There still has to be balance and everything has to stay with the rhythm.

So if you listen to a great Miles Davis horn line, for example, the way he comes off of the note is as concentrated and in the groove as the way he starts. And with great heavy metal, that's the case too. If you listen to a great rhythm guitar player like Malcolm Young or James Hetfield, you'll find that the way they come off the notes is just as strong as the way they start the notes.

I often point to “Back In Black” as a perfect example. It's not just the hitting of the note; it's coming off of the note. These are things that are often cool for looks, but both jazz players and metal players and even though the two genres have different types of rhythms, they have that in common. It's been a really interesting thing to notice about both genres.

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Disturbed Bassist John Moyer Joins Adrenaline Mob

Josh Hart — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:42:52 +0000

Adrenaline Mob have just announced that Disturbed bassist John Moyer has joined the band as a full-time member and will be hitting the road with them this spring.

“Mike Portnoy called me about auditioning for his new band, Adrenaline Mob,” Moyer said in a statement. “He had heard through the grapevine that I was looking to stay busy while Disturbed is on hiatus. After jamming with Russ, MO and Portnoy, the chemistry as musicians was undeniable. I am super-stoked about joining ‘The Family’ and I can’t wait to hit the road with these guys and see what kind of musical mayhem we can create!”

Moyer joins the band a little more than a month before the release of their debut full-length album, Omertá, which is due out March 13.

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Van Halen Howard Stern Special Now Streaming Online

Josh Hart — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:30:35 +0000

Van Halen's new album, A Different Kind of Truth, was released yesterday, and as part of the fanfare, Howard Stern ran a four-plus hour special titled The Whole Truth: The Howard Stern/Van Halen, which includes interviews with all members of the band (minus Wolfgang) over the years.

The special is now streaming online, and you can check it out in the YouTube player below.

If you want some reading material while listening to four and a half hours of Van Halen interviews, why not check out some of our classic interviews with Eddie over the years:

• Bill Corgan Interviews Eddie Van Halen (1996)
• Tony Iommi and Eddie Van Halen (2010)
• Eddie Van Halen Talks Balance (1995)
• Eddie Van Halen on His New Wolfgang Guitar (2008)
• Eddie's First Guitar World Interview, Part 1
• Eddie's First Guitar World Interview, Part 2

And if you've got an opinion on the new Van Halen album, we'd love to hear it. Head here to give us your reader review for A Different Kind of Truth.

Ringo Starr's All Starr Band to Include Todd Rundgren and Steve Lukather

Damian Fanelli — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:22:19 +0000

Ringo Starr has announced a 2012 All Starr Band summer tour, and he's named the band's new lineup.

This time around, the band will include Starr, Todd Rundgren, Gregg Rolie (Santana), Steve Lukather (Toto), Richard Page (Mr. Mister), sax player Mark Rivera and drummer Gregg Bissonette.

The tour kicks off June 14 in Niagara Falls and runs through July 21 in Los Angeles. More dates will be added as they are confirmed.

Starr has been hosting All Starr Band tours since 1989, and the band has seen numerous lineup changes. Among the latest crew, only Rundgren and Page have participated in previous tours.

While All Starr Band tours are usually fun blasts from the past, it is likely Starr will include songs from his new album, Ringo 2012, in the set list. The album, which was released January 31, includes new recordings of two Starr compositions from the 1970s -- "Step Lightly" and "Wings."

ALL STARR BAND 2012 TOUR DATES:

June 14, 15 – Fallsview Casino, Niagara Falls, ON
June 16 – Bethel Woods PAC, Bethel, NY
June 17 – Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, CT
June 19 – Bank of America Pavilion, Boston, MA
June 22 – Jones Beach Ampitheater, Wantagh, NY
June 23 – Ceasar’s, Atlantic City, NJ
June 24 – Meyerhoff, Baltimore, MD
June 26 – State Theater, Easton, PA
June 27 – Mayo Center, Morristown, NJ
June 29 – St Augustine Theater, St. Augustine, FL
June 30 – Seminole Hard Rock Arena, Hollywood, FL
July 1 – Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, FL
July 3 – Tuscaloosa Ampitheater, Tuscaloosa, Al
July 4 – The Wharf, Orange Beach, Al
July 6 – Fox Theater, Atlanta, GA
July 7 – Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN
July 8 – Horseshoe Casino, Hammond, IL
July 11 – Usana Ampitheater, Salt Lake, UT
July 13 – Northern Quest, Spokane, WA
July 14 – St Michelle Winery, Seattle, WA
July 15 – Edgefield, Portland, OR
July 17 – Mountain Winery, Saratoga, CA
July 19 – Humphrey’s, San Diego, CA
July 21 – The Greek, Los Angeles, CA

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Aerosmith Producer Says Steven Tyler Should Collaborate with Stephen King

Damian Fanelli — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:33:48 +0000

Aerosmith producer Jack Douglas told Classic Rock magazine that he recently suggested Steven Tyler write with author Stephen King "to get his creative juices flowing."

“They looked at me like I was crazy," said Douglas, who's also at the helm for the band's upcoming new album. "I said, ‘No, I’m serious. If there’s anyone who’s going to inspire him, it’d be Stephen King.' as reported. Steven doesn’t need melody -– he needs someone who’s going to inspire him as a wordsmith. I don’t want a guy who’s just writing hits right now.”

Will it actually happen? Who knows. The only things connecting Steven and Stephen -- besides their first names -- are their shared New England backgrounds.

Douglas (who also produced John Lennon's Double Fantasy album in 1980) said Aerosmith have recorded 15 songs for the new album and have plans to add at least one more.

It's Official: Jesse Leach Is the "New" Lead Singer of Killswitch Engage

Josh Hart — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:09:25 +0000

Yesterday, we pointed out the new picture on Killswitch Engage's website that featured original vocalist Jesse Leach, and speculated that this was surely a sign that Leach had official rejoined the band after the departure of Howard Jones.

Now, we can confirm the news that Leach has indeed rejoined the band.

"After much deliberation and careful consideration, we are pleased to announce that Jesse Leach has rejoined Killswitch Engage," the band said in a statement. "Our job was to find the best person to fill Howard's shoes: a decision based on talent and not familiarity."

They added, "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."

Leach commented, "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."

Killswitch Engage are currently in writing mode for a new album.

Municipal Waste Unveil "The Fatal Feast" Album Art

Josh Hart — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:03:51 +0000

Virginia-based thrash metal band Municipal Waste have just unveiled the artwork for their upcoming new album, The Fatal Feast. It can be seen below.

"I wasn’t given any of the new song demos beforehand," said artist Justin Osbourn. "Ryan [Waste, guitarist] kinda gave me an overall theme and certain elements that they wanted to see in the artwork. Being a fan of the band, I just took that and added what I thought would enhance it further."

The Fatal Feast is set for release on April 10 via Nuclear Blast.

"We actually took a whole year off of touring to write a new record, and we've never done that before," guitarist Ryan Waste told us last year. "We definitely spent a lot more time on it."

He continued, "On other records we'd be on the road, rushing everything, throwing songs together and not really overanalyzing anything. This time, we put everything under the radar, practiced everyday, kept writing and weeding out the bad stuff and improving on everything."

Read the full interview here.

Jack White Streaming New Song, "Machine Gun Silhouette"

Josh Hart — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:40:19 +0000

Update: It looks like the track has been removed from Soundcloud. We'll keep you posted when another stream appears!

Jack White's first solo single, "Love Interruption," is out now as a 7-inch single and features the B-side "Machine Gun Silhouette," which is now streaming below.

"Machine Gun Silhouette" will not appear on White's upcoming solo debut, Blunderbuss, which is out April 24 on White's own Third Man Records.

"I've put off making records under my own name for a long time but these songs feel like they could only be presented under my name," White recently said. "These songs were written from scratch, had nothing to do with anyone or anything else but my own expression, my own colors on my own canvas."

You can still listen to "Love Interruption" here.

Rumor: Bill Ward Fired from Black Sabbath?

Josh Hart — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:38:57 +0000

Update: Sharon Osbourne has posted the following message on her Facebook account: "I am not in any position to hire or fire anyone in Black Sabbath. I don't manage the band, I manage my husband." The original story follows.

The drama surrounding Bill Ward's relationship with Black Sabbath is still heating up, and according to MetalTalk.net, Sabbath's original drummer has been fired by Sharon Osbourne.

The website cites a "reliable source" who told them Ward was sacked from the band, and would be replaced with Ozzy Osbourne's solo drummer, Tommy Clufetos, in the meantime.

This all stems from a long message Ward posted on his website last week, letting fans in on the fact that he may quit the band unless a "fair contract" is drawn up that he feels recognizes his contributions as a founding member of the band.

Sabbath posted a response the next day, saying, "We were saddened to hear yesterday via Facebook that Bill declined publicly to participate in our current Black Sabbath plans...we have no choice but to continue recording without him although our door is always open... We are still in the UK with Tony. Writing and recording the new album and on a roll... See you at Download!"

We'll keep you posted as the facts surface.

If you want to throw your support behind Ward, there's a new Facebook group called "1,000,000 Black Sabbath fans say yes to Bill Ward" that you can check out here.

Video: Behind the Scenes at Motley Crue's Las Vegas Residency

Josh Hart — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:31:28 +0000

Last week, Motley Crue kicked off their three-week residency at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. A new behind-the-scenes clip from the show has been posted, and can be seen below.

"We're the first hard rock band ever to have a residency [in Las Vegas]," lead singer Vince Neil said last month. "There's been bands like Santana and Elton John and these kinds of acts, but for us… Motley Crue, we're all about theater and about over-the-top stage show, so it's a perfect fit for us. So we're really, really excited."

On top of playing a show in Vegas on Super Bowl Sunday, the band also made an appearance on millions of TV screens around the world when they starred in a new commercial from Kia that aired during the big game. You can watch the extended version of the commercial here.