Alternative Music

After METALLICA finished its first 40th-anniversary concert at the Chase Center in San Francisco, California Friday night (December 17), guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo cut across town to the legendary Fillmore where they performed a late-night set of cover tunes with THE WEDDING BAND. In addition to Hammett and Trujillo, THE WEDDING BAND‘s lineup for last night’s show included their good friends Whitfield Crane (UGLY KID JOE), Mark Osegueda (DEATH ANGEL), Jon Theodore (THE MARS VOLTA, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE) and Doc Coyle (BAD WOLVES, GOD FORBID). Kirk told Cosmo Music about THE WEDDING BAND: “It’s just really fun jamming with these guys. It’s something different. For Rob and I, it’s cool, because we get to indulge our love of funk a...

QUEEN guitarist Brian May tested positive for COVID-19. The 74-year-old musician shared the news in an Instagram post, where he included a photo of his positive test result. He wrote in an accompanying message: “Yep. The shocking day finally came for me. The dreaded double red line. And yes – definitely NO sympathy please – it has been a truly horrible few days, but I’m OK. And I will tell the tale. PLEASE take extra care out there, good folks. This thing is incredibly transmissible. You really do NOT want it messing up YOUR Christmas. With love – Bri“. May, who lives in London, had in the past attacked U.K. prime minister Boris Johnson over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, telling The Independent: “I think it would have been impossible for anyone to mak...

Wolfgang Van Halen doesn’t think Alex Van Halen will perform at any of David Lee Roth‘s final concerts. The VAN HALEN frontman recently announced that was retiring, with his previously announced Las Vegas residency serving as his last set of shows. He also implied that his former bandmate Alex would make an appearance at some point during the run. But in a recent interview with SPIN, Wolfgang, who joined his father Eddie Van Halen in VAN HALEN at the age of 16 for the band’s 2007 reunion tour with Roth, replacing Michael Anthony, seemed to pour cold water on the idea. Asked about the possibility of Alex joining David on stage in Las Vegas, Wolfgang said: “I don’t think so.” When the interviewer pointed out that Roth had said it was happening, Wolfgang re...

SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor has praised director and producer Peter Jackson‘s “The Beatles: Get Back” documentary, calling it “one of the most fascinating things” he has ever seen. The three-episode, nearly eight-hour documentary features the four members of THE BEATLES — John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr — crafting what was to become their final album. (THE BEATLES recorded “Let It Be” before “Abbey Road” but released the latter first.) It also includes the band’s iconic final performance on a rooftop in London. Taylor, who released his first solo album last year, discussed “Get Back” in a recent interview with HardDrive Radio‘s Lou Brutus. He said (as transcribed by ...

SION, the new project featuring former KILLSWITCH ENGAGE singer Howard Jones and modern guitar virtuoso/content creator Jared Dines, has released the official music video for the song “Inside The Hollow”. The track is the fourth single from SION‘s self-titled debut album, which came out at the end of November. The 12-song effort was “almost two years in the making” and “was funded independently out of Jared and Howard‘s own pockets,” according to a statement released by the group. “Sion” track listing: 01. The Blade (03:39) 02. Drown (04:13) 03. More Than Just Myself (03:30) 04. The Worst Way (03:18) 05. Buried Alive And Wide Awake (03:50) 06. Skyfall (03:58) 07. Endless War (03:06) 08. A Constant Reminder (03:57) 09. Something To...

KISS frontman Paul Stanley underwent a shoulder surgery this past Tuesday (December 14). Several hours after the procedure, the vocalist/guitarist, who will turn 70 next month, took to his Twitter to share a post-op photo of himself resting at home, and he included the following message: “SHOULDER SURGERY TODAY! How many show related surgeries have I had?? I lost count at EIGHT!! Was it worth it?!? ABSOLUTELY! Judge the value of what of you have by what you sacrificed to achieve that goal. This was a joy-filled BARGAIN.” This past May, Stanley spoke to SiriusXM‘s “Jim & Sam Video Interviews” about how his stage performances have damaged his body. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Both my rotator cuffs have been repaired. I popped my bice...

In a new interview with Darren Paltrowitz, host of the “Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz”, DJ Ashba spoke about his decision to leave GUNS N’ ROSES more than six years and eventually launch a dance/rock hybrid called GDM (Guitar Dance Music) with his ASHBA project. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Financially, thank God, I’m in a place to where, honestly, I never have to hit another note. Everything I do at this point in my life is pure passion; it’s not money motivated. “When I created this new sound… I left arguably one of the biggest bands in the world, one of the biggest paychecks in the world, and I did it because I had a vision in my head to create something new,” he continued. “I’ve always gotten more pleasur...

On the heels of their critically acclaimed, acoustic release of “Riptide”, which was produced by Peter Cornell (brother of the late Chris Cornell), multi-platinum rockers CANDLEBOX have announced dates for their “Candlebox Unplugged” tour. The 14-show routing will kick off April 20 in Cincinnati, Ohio at Memorial Hall and hit the southern and East Coast states before culminating in a special two-show finale at City Winery in New York on May 7. Tickets are on sale now at www.candleboxrocks.com. Featuring frontman Kevin Martin and lead guitarist Brian Quinn, these stripped-down, intimate performances will bring fans inside the songs with stories and insights into the inspiration behind the music, as well as life on the road. During the show, audiences can expect to he...