Ace Frehley Interview Excerpt
Mood:  cool
Now Playing: Space Ace on his new album and KISS
Topic: Hard Rock

Buckcherry on CrueFest
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: From www.detnews.com.
Topic: Hard Rock
Adam Graham of the Detroit News reports that Buckcherry is ready for battle.

"We're about to get on a plane to start the war," says Buckcherry frontman Josh Todd, on the phone from Los Angeles last month. It's just days before the launch of Crue Fest, at which Buckcherry is appearing on alongside M?y Crue and Papa Roach.

Todd says Crue Fest, which hits DTE Energy Music Theatre on Tuesday, is the only pure rock and roll fest hitting the circuit this summer.

"You've got the pop-rock festival with the Vans Warped Tour, and you've got the Mayhem festival, which is metal. But there's no rock and roll festivals, and there hasn't been for a long time, and hopefully this is something we'll be a part of again at some point down the road."

In fact, the last time such a potent rock lineup hit the amphitheaters was, well, last year, when Buckcherry hit the road with Papa Roach and Hinder, on the Bad Boys of Rock tour.

He says they're glad to be teaming with Papa Roach again, and look forward to running into the notoriously hard-partying Hinder boys on the road. "Oh, I'm sure we'll see them around," he says with a slight chuckle.

Buckcherry is currently enjoying a second life after imploding earlier this decade. The Los Angeles rock band -- Todd describes their sound as "AC/DC meets the Sex Pistols" -- emerged onto the hard-rock scene in the late '90s with its slick, sleazy strip-club rock, and the svelte, heavily tattooed Todd became an instantly recognizable figure on the hard-rock landscape. The band's self-titled 1999 debut included the hits "Lit Up" and "For the Movies," but the band's 2001 follow-up, "Time Bomb," stiffed. Following its release, three of the five band members up and quit Buckcherry, leaving only Todd and guitarist Keith Nelson.

The future of the group was in doubt, and Todd nearly joined the band that would go on to become Velvet Revolver. Looking back, he says he just needed a little perspective.

"I knew we needed to take a step back," he says. "It seemed like we had been trying too hard, and we weren't getting the results we know we were capable of. So it was time to look at it from afar, and I'm glad we did. In retrospect, it was very hard going through it, but the time away made me really respect and understand our chemistry and our songwriting ability, and how special Buckcherry was."

Todd and Nelson hired three new members, hit the studio and recorded "15," which thanks to singles "Sorry" and "Crazy B----" became the band's biggest album to date.

After playing 300-plus shows behind "15," Buckcherry recorded its fourth album, "Black Butterfly," in May, and will release the album in September.

"Black Butterfly's" first single is due out in a few weeks, and it's "going to be a good rock and roll party song, a party anthem," says Todd, 37. "Nobody's writing party anthems in the rock genre. There's a huge void there, and sometimes I feel only Buckcherry can fill it."

Lemmy Talks
Mood:  cool
Now Playing: The Motorhead frontman does a short interview.
Topic: Hard Rock
The Pitch recently spoke with Motorhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister. A couple of excerpts from the interview follow:

The Pitch: L.A. seems too fake for you. What do you get out of being there?

Kilmister: It's isn't fake. There's a lot of really talented people here, too, don't forget. And anyway, home is in your head. You live inside your head. If you ain't comfortable there, it doesn't matter where you live. And if you are comfortable there, it doesn't matter where you live. So I'm quite happy. I've made a lot of really good friends in the States. I like Americans, apart from the government. I'm having a good time over here, so why shouldn't I live in L.A? It's no worse than anywhere else. There's a lot more fakes in New York, I think, because of that fuckin' artistic scene. All them wine-and-cheese parties in the afternoons. Painful.

The Pitch: You mentioned the U.S. government.

Kilmister: I don't like any government, truly. I hate all politicians just by definition. If somebody wants to be a politician, there's already a serious question mark next to them. Imagine wanting to kiss other people's babies! Fuckin' hell, it's hard enough kissing your own, you know! You have to be two-faced. That's the first requirement. In case the party changes its stance on something, you gotta be able to turn straight around 180 degrees and lie.

The Pitch: What's your take on 9/11?

Kilmister: September 11th was George Bush's Reichstag fire. It's exactly the same. Politician seizes disaster and takes away civil liberties in the name of freedom. It's just crap. The American people are no safer than they were before. It's just difficult to get on a plane.

Read Lemmy Kilmister's entire interview at http://www.pitch.com/Issues/2006-10-26/music/bonus.html.

Can Someone Say
Mood:  accident prone
Now Playing: Black Sabbath troubles.
Topic: Hard Rock

 On October 25, reuters.com released this statement about a so-called Black Sabbath reuinion:

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Ozzy Osbourne's bandmates in heavy metal group Black Sabbath have reunited without the singer for a planned tour early near year, a spokeswoman said on Wednesday.

The threesome have joined forces with vocalist Ronnie James Dio, who sang in the band during two stints in the 1980s and 1990s after Osbourne was ousted for his prodigious drug abuse, but will bill themselves as "Heaven and Hell."

Lest anyone think that Osbourne has been ostracized again, representatives for the so-called "Prince of Darkness" issued a separate statement, announcing "there is only one Black Sabbath," and that he would join forces with his old Birmingham buddies for a tour and new album late next year.

Original Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi and Dio "are working on a project together which has nothing to do with Black Sabbath," the statement said. "However, Ozzy wishes Tony and Ronnie much success in their project together."

The members of Heaven and Hell -- Dio, Iommi, bass player Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward -- were not available for comment. The group's spokeswoman said Dio and Iommi were in England writing songs together.

The combo takes its name from the first album Dio recorded with Black Sabbath in 1980. This lineup recorded another studio album in 1981 and a live album in 1982, after which Dio quit. He reportedly complained there were not enough photos of him in the live album artwork, while Iommi reportedly referred to the diminutive head-banger as a "little Hitler."

After a stint at the helm of a successful 1980s metal band bearing his last name, Dio briefly rejoined Black Sabbath a decade later, by which time Iommi was the only original member left and the group had lost most of its fans.

The founding foursome, famed for such jarring metal anthems as "Paranoid" and "War Pigs," buried their various hatchets in the mid-1990s for a successful series of tours, although plans for a new album never came to fruition. After years of being snubbed, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year.

Osbourne concurrently found mainstream notoriety as a reality TV star, thanks to his role as the perpetually confused paterfamilias in MTV's "The Osbournes."

Courtesy of www.reuters.com

And to combat with the statement, Ozzy released this on his Ozzfest website:

RPM Will Come In October
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: Skid Row's new album, Revolutions Per Minute, will be release in late October.
Topic: Hard Rock
The world would lack many a positive surprise if rock groups were to give up whenever an important band member leaves the fold. During the Nineties, Skid Row the band, were considered by some to be the medium of their frontman of that time. When they parted ways, many experts predicted the end of a superb act. Now, over ten years later, it is clear that this band always contained an inner substance characterized much more by its songs and guitarists, Scotti Hill and Dave 'Snake' Sabo, and bassist Rachel Bolan than even insiders had realized. Together with their current vocalist, Johnny Solinger, and new addition, Dave Gara (drums), Hill, Sabo and Bolan make up a tight unit, continuously refining their typical style without denying their roots. Their latest album, Revolutions Per Minute, presents Skid Row as a highly topical act who expertly present their typical trademarks, allowing for new influences at the same time. Revolutions Per Minute is sheer, concentrated power - pure energy – and the perfect example of dynamic songs, driven by wild guitar attacks at the interface of hard rock and heavy metal. While fans all over Europe are eagerly awaiting the new material, Skid Row will be demonstrating their fierce determination night after night during their American tour. These guys have never led a life of leisure.

The twelve new songs on Revolutions Per Minute see Skid Row pull out all the stops. Bolan, Hill and Sabo play their guitars with a vengeance, firing off power chords by the second, turning their amps to the max and apparently knowing but one direction: straight ahead! Whether on the hook-oriented opener, 'Disease', the aggressive 'Another Dick In The System', the catchy 'White Trash' or the programmatic 'Shut Up Baby, I Love You' - their unadulterated vitality seems to practically jump out at the listener. The three string magicians expertly throw the bait to vocalist Johnny Solinger, who skillfully elaborates on the theme, refining the material further. Solinger pulls all the compositional strings, the material is constructed around him, he is at the epicenter of a soundquake that shakes the audience with full force. It is the power of a track named 'Strength' that marks Skid Row in general and Revolutions Per Minute in particular. And it is the close attachment of the five band members to their home country that continues to shine through and that Skid Row express on their country rock number, 'You Lie'.

Skid Row were founded in 1987 in a garage in Toms River, New Jersey - the band name referring to American inner city Ghettos and symbolizing the closeness of the musicians to the roots of heavy metal. Having been discovered by Jon Bon Jovi, Skid Row signed a management contract with McGhee Entertainment and a recording deal with Atlantic Records. Autumn 1988 saw the band ensconce themselves in the studio for the first time to record their debut album with the support of renowned producer, Michael Wagener. Skid Row arrived at the stores in 1989, immediately selling over five million copies in the U.S. alone, accompanied by a celebrated tour around the globe. Their second album, Slave To The Grind, came out in 1992, making it to No. 1 on the Billboard charts. Skid Row were the first metal act ever to achieve this feat. Slave To The Grind also sold several million copies, followed by another worldwide tour. Although there were a number of internal problems by 1995, the group returned to the recording studio to produce their album, Subhuman Race, which had the press suspect that it would be the last in Skid Row's career as the vocalist position was emptied, calling for an organizational restructuring phase.

In 1999, founder members Rachel Bolan, Scotti Hill and Snake Sabo decided to infuse Skid Row with new energy, refusing to have their band drift off into the land of rock memorabilia. Vocalist Johnny Solinger from Texas was suggested by a good friend of the band. The musicians visited Solinger's website and were immediately interested in what they heard. A few e-mails later, the vocalist found himself on a plane to New Jersey. "As soon as he walked through the door, he came across as confident and pleasantly low-key at the same time," Snake remembers. Rachel adds: "We knew after the first half of a song during that rehearsal that Johnny was our man. Great voice, amazing presence, and he knew exactly what this band is about."

In 2000, Skid Row scored the sought-after opening slot for Kiss' Farewell Tour - the mother of all tours, which brought Skid Row's music back to the starving masses. Since then, they have traveled thousands of kilometres on tour buses, played well over 400 shows and released their comeback album Thickskin. Revolutions Per Minute is another highlight in Skid Row's career. Who would have thought so ten years ago?

DISCOGRAPHY

SKID ROW (1989)
SLAVE TO THE GRIND (1991)
SUBHUMAN RACE (1995)
THICKSKIN (2003)
NEW: REVOLUTIONS PER MINUTE (2006)

Courtesy of www.skidrow.com

KISS Makeup
Mood:  accident prone
Now Playing: KISS' marketing continues... with makeup!
Topic: Hard Rock
According to a posting on KissOnline.com, KISS licensee Cinema Secrets will be releasing KISS makeup kits which are expected at retail outlets some time in early September. The retail price is estimated to be $14.99.

The first run will be released as shown at http://www.kissonline.com/news/images/makeupkits1.JPG, but the packaging is expected to change on the second run.

There are four makeup kits available — the Demon, the Starchild, the Spaceman and the Catman.

HD DVD Of Alice Cooper, Black Crowes
Mood:  rushed
Topic: Hard Rock
ALICE COOPER, BLACK CROWES Titles To Receive HD-DVD, Blu-Ray DVD And Standard DVD Releases - Aug. 25, 2006

Eagle Vision, a division of Eagle Rock Entertainment, the leading independent source for high quality music audio and audio/visual music programming, is once again at the forefront of new technology as it announces that it will become the first visual music company to embrace both the new High Definition formats with a simultaneous October 2 release on HD-DVD, Blu-ray DVD and standard DVD of ALICE COOPER's "Live At Montreux 2005" and BLACK CROWES' "Freak 'n' Roll... Into The Fog".

The introduction of High Definition is set to revolutionize the industry. Launched in May 2006, its enhanced picture quality is far superior to what is currently accepted as standard. "Eagle Rock is and has always been a forward thinking company and we strive to give our customers the best quality product that is possible," said Lindsay Brown, director of international sales and marketing for Eagle Vision. "We have been filming all our concerts in Hi-Def for several years now and our partners at Montreux Sounds have been filming in Hi-Def since the mid-'90s." (Eagle Vision is the sole representative for the catalogue of the world famous Montreux Jazz Festival). As well as enhanced picture quality, where possible Eagle Vision intends to feature DTS-HD, Dolby Digital Plus and PCM Stereo, giving an uncompressed sound substantially better than their standard DVD equivalents.

Eagle Vision plan to continue supporting HD-DVD and Blu-ray DVD with selected releases in the future drawn from both existing catalogue and new productions.

Courtesy of www.sickthingsuk.co.uk

Audio Samples From Motorhead's "Kiss Of Death"
Mood:  loud
Now Playing: are available on their website.
Topic: Hard Rock
Audio samples of all 12 tracks that appear on Motorhead's new album, "Kiss of Death," are available at http://www.spv.de/motoerhead/kissofdeath/.

Due on August 29th via Sanctuary Records, "Kiss of Death" was recorded at the Paramount studios in Los Angeles with Cameron Webb, who also worked with the group on their last album. The CD includes guest appearances by Poison guitarist C.C. Deville and Alice In Chains bassist Mike Inez.

"It's better than 'Inferno,' and 'Inferno' seems to be the favorite of the later years so far," frontman Lemmy said. "It's better songs. Better arrangements and a better performance from me vocally, and a better performance from Phil Campbell on the guitar; he plays great on the songs."

"Kiss of Death" track listing:

1. Sucker
2. One Night Stand
3. Devil I Know
4. Trigger
5. Under The Gun
6. God Was Never On Your Side
7. Living In The Past
8. Christine
9. Sword of Glory
10. Be My Baby
11. Kingdom of the Worm
12. Going Down

Tom Hamilton Undergoes Throat Cancer Treatment
Mood:  don't ask
Topic: Hard Rock
Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton will be sitting out a few shows at the beginning of the band's upcoming "The Route of All Evil" tour.

Hamilton has just completed a seven-week course of radiation treatment for throat cancer. He will be with his family recovering and will join the tour in mid-October. He and his band mates look forward to his return. Filling in for Hamilton will be David Hull, a longtime friend of the band who played in the Joe Perry Project.

Billboard.com reported earlier today that Aerosmith plans to release a best-of, "Devil's Got a New Disguise," Oct. 10th via Columbia, in the midst of its fall tour with Mötley Crüe.

"We were working on getting a studio record out, but we just couldn't do it. There wasn't enough time," guitarist Joe Perry told Billboard.com, calling the hits set "a good holdover."

"Devil's Got a New Disguise" takes its title from one of two new songs that will be included on the 16-track album. Perry described it as "a classic Aerosmith rocker," while the other fresh track, "Sedona Sunrise," has been around for awhile and was considered for other Aerosmith albums. "We felt like it really had to come out," Perry said.

Paul Stanley Set To Release Solo Album
Mood:  loud
Now Playing: The "Star-Crossed Lover"is set to release a solo record and embark on a small club tour.
Topic: Hard Rock
NEW YORK (Billboard) - Kiss vocalist/guitarist Paul Stanley is preparing to release his first solo album since his self-titled 1978 debut.

"Live To Win" is due October 24 from Universal's New Door imprint. Stanley will support the release with a club tour this fall.

"It's not 1978 anymore," Stanley told Billboard.com of the album last November. "It's certainly the same mentality, and certainly I'm a better singer today. My perspective and where I'm at in my life at this point, and what I've experienced and seen, brings something else to the table that wasn't there then. But I still look back on that album as a really great snapshot of who I was and what I was doing then."

Joining Stanley on "Live To Win" are session drummer Victor Indrizzo, guitarist Corky James, former Marilyn Manson guitarist John 5, former Kiss guitarist Bruce Kulick (who plays bass on a few songs), keyboardist Harry Sommerdahl and noted string arranger David Campbell.

Among the songwriting collaborators are Desmond Child, Holly Knight, Andreas Carlsson and Marti Frederiksen. Stanley wrote the track "Loving You Without You Now" on his own.

Here is the track list for "Live To Win"

"Live To Win"
"Lift"
"Wake Up Screaming"
"Every Time I See You Around"
"Bulletproof"
"All About You"
"Second to None"
"It's Not Me"
"Loving You Without You Now"
"Where Angels Dare"

Courtesy of www.billboard.com