Ronnie James Dio's Final Recording Online?- Avenged Sevenfold Almost Quit- Glee Vs Rolling Stones- New Guns N' Roses Release- Colosseum Singer Dies- more

Graves Of Valor will be performing alongside Eyehategod, Goatwhore, Vital Remains, and others throughout the spring. The quintet will also be headlining dates in their native South Carolina as well as appearing at this year's Central Illinois Metalfest. dates -

Addiction, Not Scott Weiland Killed Velvet Revolver

(Rock Radio) Slash doesn't blame Scott Weiland for the controversies that led to the singer's departure from Velvet Revolver. In fact, the guitarist believes the whole band became victims to their chemical addictions – only Weiland suffered worse than his colleagues.

The singer recently said he wishes Velvet Revolver well. Now, after the pair spent time together recently Slash tells Spinner.com: "I still love the guy and there's not any hard feelings.

"Velvet Revolver was intended to be a lot of fun and we started off having a great time, but I think we all had chemical issues as the thing wore on." He said. "Scott had his issues. Even Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum went down the same road. The only one who stayed sober was Dave Kushner." - more on this story

Ronnie James Dio Public Memorial Announced, Vinny Appice Says Goodbye

The official website for Ronnie James Dio announced that there will be a Public Memorial Service on Sunday, May 30th at 2:00 PM at The Hall Of Liberty located at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, 6300 Forest Lawn Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90068.

The site says: This will be a celebration of the life and music of Ronnie James Dio and is open to all of his friends and fans from around the world. For those of you that will be flying in from out of town or out of the country, we have made special rates at various local hotels available to you! Just go to our official Facebook Page for hotel information here

In other news, Dio's Heaven & Hell/Black Sabbath bandmate Vinny Appice has issued a statement: Hey Ron, I never thought the day would come so suddenly. Ronnie was everything to me. He was my best friend, he was my brother. I sat behind him on my drums each night and played, watching him sing, hearing his roaring voice thru my monitors. Every night he sent chills down my spine with his singing, inspiring me to push it further and play the best I can to the limit. I always knew how lucky I was to be in a band with him, but to become friends was even more special. - more on this story

Stone Temple Pilots Kick Off Vh1's HD Concert Series This Friday

VH1 have announced the lineup of their "Friday Night Alright," concert series, which features a continuing lineup of popular rock and pop concerts from around the world presented in HD every Friday night at 11pm*.

The summer schedule kicks off this Friday, May 21 2010 at 11pm* with Stone Temple Pilots and continues every Friday night all summer long.

Some of the rock highlights include U2, Bruce Springsteen, Linkin Park, and Vampire Weekend. Jim Shearer, host of VH1's "Top 20 Video Countdown," continues to present the series. - more on this story

Country Roots Rockin' Foo Fighter

Chris Shiflett is already known as the lead guitarist for Foo Fighters and the frontman for Jackson United. Now his other group, Chris Shiflett & The Dead Peasants will release their eponymous debut album on July 13, 2010 on Le Coq Napoleon/RCA.

Steeped in his love for classic country artists (Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings), rockabilly (Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran), and deep-rooted rock bands (The Rolling Stones, The Replacements), this new album is packed with soulful pedal steel- and twang guitar-accented songs.

The album highlights his talent and versatility not only as a skillful guitarist, but also as a songwriter. These infectious Americana-laced rock songs are some of the best he's penned, from the chiming keys and buoyant, ringing guitars of "Get Along" to the pedal steel- and mandolin-lined heartache of "Bandaged," and from the spry, Old 97s-ian "Baby, Let It Out" to the rueful country swing of "Death March." - more on this story

Saving Abel New Album and Tour in June

Saving Abel have announced new tour dates with We Are The Fallen this summer. They'll be out supporting their brand new album Miss America which hits stores on June 8, 2010.

The lead single "Stupid Girl (Only In Hollywood)" is flying up the rock charts, currently bulleted at 19, while the accompanying video is in rotation on MTV2.

In front of the imminent release of Miss America, guitarist Scott Bartlett shares, "There is always anticipation when it comes to the release of a new record. You're nervous, excited, and vulnerable. The key is to remember that this is rock and roll and those emotions don't matter once the record is done. We roll the dice and the game begins. We couldn't be more proud of the way it turned out. Now it's up to the public. Get ready." - more on this story

We Are The Fallen' Announce Summer Tour Dates

Following We Are The Fallen's short European festival run in early June which includes performances at the Download Festival in the UK, Rock am Ring and Rock im Park in Germany, the band will return to North America for a summer long tour with Saving Abel.

The first fifteen dates are being announced this morning with the tour expected to run into September of this year. Rising stars Taddy Porter and American Bang will open these shows.

The quintet is comprised of former members of multi-platinum band Evanescence, guitarists Ben Moody and John LeCompt along with drummer Rocky Gray, joined by breakout American Idol finalist Carly Smithson on vocals. Acclaimed bassist Marty O'Brien (Disturbed and Static-X, among others) rounds out the line-up of this power combo. - more on this story

The Gaslight Anthem Premiere New Song From Forthcoming Album

The Gaslight Anthem's new album, American Slang, is slated for release on June 15 in the US and Canada (and around the world that same week) on SideOneDummy Records. The band premiered their new single, "Boxer," exclusively on their official MySpace Music profile today.

Produced by Ted Hutt (who produced the band's acclaimed second album, THE '59 SOUND), AMERICAN SLANG heralds a dramatic leap forward for the New Jersey-based band. Tracks such as "Bring It On," "Orphans" and "Stay Lucky" bristle and burn with the spirit of soul and the artistic adventurousness and confidence of a band that has come into its own and truly found its own voice.

The Gaslight Anthem will be performing a sold-out show in New York City to mark their US album release on Tuesday, June 15, at Irving Plaza. Special guests for the show will be Rival Schools and Tim Barry (Avail). The band recently announced the first run of dates throughout the US and Canada with Tim Barry and Chamberlain, and will also be performing at this year's Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival as well as on the Main Stage at the Austin City Limits Music Festival on October 9. Details on these performances can be found - here

Captain, We're Sinking Giving Away Live EP

Captain, We're Sinking has posted for free download a live EP titled Live At Fest 8. The EP includes tracks from a performance at a warehouse show the night before The Fest in Gainesville, FL. Bassist Zack Charett explains:

We set out from Philly and headed straight through to Florida. It was us along with Bill's brother Vinny, Joe Rogers and Shawn. Lots of cigs, tall boys of Arizona and bags of chips. Later we roll up to to meet with our boys American Armada, it's like 2 in the am. All of us were looking like some zonked weirdos from being trapped in a van for an indefinite amount of hours, when Cory Aramda says "You guys wanna play?" And we did. It was pretty rad and it is what it is. I had no idea it was being recorded and probaly would have begged them not to if i had, but f***! It's not to shabby for some sleep deprived fools!

Today also marks the release of the It's A Trap 7" through Kind Of Like Records. The EP is currently available for free download through If You Make It - here

Iced Earth's Jon Schaffer Launches Sons of Liberty

Iced Earth brainchild, Jon Schaffer, has developed a new project, Sons Of Liberty, for the purpose of spreading awareness about the current state of affairs worldwide. Sons Of Liberty: Brush-Fires of The Mind is set for a July 13th release.

Schaffer handles all vocals and instrumentation for Sons Of Liberty, but the effort also features guest solos by legendary producer Jim Morris, Iced Earth guitarist Troy Seele and world-class bassist, Ruben Drake.

Schaffer's goal for this project is not to sell records, t-shirts or tickets, but rather wake people up and to get them to start researching and talking with each other. - more on this story

Thy Will Be Done On Fear Factory's Fear Campaign Tour

Thy Will Be Done are hitting the road again on another US tour. This time they are out on the road with Fear Factory, Prong, and Silent Civilian.

The Fear Campaign Tour is set to tear across the US throughout the rest of the month of May and the first half of June. Special guests All That Remains will join up with the tour on June 8th.

No strangers to the road, Thy Will Be Done have been touring non-stop since the release of their 2007 debut album "Was And Is To Come" - more on this story

Singled Out: To Speak Of Wolves' Darkness Often Yields the Brightest Light

Welcome to Singled Out! where we ask artists to tell us the inside story of their latest single. Today Phil Chamberlain from metalcore rockers To Speak Of Wolves tells us about "Darkness Often Yields the Brightest Light" from their brand new album "Myself < Letting Go," which hit stores this week. We now turn it over to Phil for the story:

Our bass player Will McCutcheon actually came up with the opening riff. We were in the studio and needed another song to complete the record. Will showed us that riff and we really dug it. Corey Doran and Aaron Kisling had a few riffs they had been toying around with and it all pretty much came together in one afternoon at the studio. The chorus was the last part of the song to be written guitar wise. We wanted something we could sing over and tried a few different riffs until we came up with the final version.

Once we laid the scratch guitar tracks down, I wanted to start the song with drums, since only one other song on the record starts that way. We tapped out a crazy beat on the computer desk while playing along to the scratch track and then I went in and laid down all the drum parts. We also built the second verse around the drum beat I wanted to use there.

The lyrics Rick Jacobs had been working on for a while and the vocal pattern for the chorus came together with help from our producer Brooks Paschal.

We were super stoked on the way the song came together. It was fun to write the last song for the record in the studio. Everyone put in something to the song and we had a great time doing it.

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself and learn more about the album - right here!

Playing For Change Live CD/DVD Set For Release

Playing For Change Records and Concord Music Group will release Playing For Change Live, a special two-disc CD/DVD, on June 15th.

Playing For Change Live contains a ten-song audio CD which includes guest appearances from Toots Hibbert, Keb' Mo and Ziggy Marley as well as a fourteen-track DVD documenting the Playing For Change Band's triumphant 2009 world-tour. Here is the official announcement complete with tracklisting and credits:

For the next chapter of Playing For Change's improbable journey, founder and architect Mark Johnson assembled a band with musicians from around the globe, many of whom appeared in the now ubiquitous "Stand By Me" video (which has been viewed on the internet more than 30 million times). - more on this story

Camper Van Beethoven Spawned Monks of Doom Announce Reunion Show

(Submitted News) Camper Van Beethoven offshoot, Monks of Doom will perform two special reunion shows in San Francisco next month.

The band (featuring Victor Krummenacher, David Immerglück, Greg Lisher and drummer Chris Pedersen) will play on Tuesday, June 1st (at Hemlock Tavern) and Thursday, June 3rd (at Eagle Tavern).

Jonathan Segel will be opening the first show at The Hemlock with his own band Chaos Butterfly, also featuring John Hanes and Helena Espvall, making this an extra treat for fans of CVB, Monks of Doom and Segel's own solo work. - more on this story

The Guess Who's Burton Cummings First New Album in 20 Years Coming Next Week

Burton Cummings, the famed lead singer, keyboardist and co-writer for The Guess Who has announced a new solo studio album that has been a long time coming.

Above The Ground (UMe), May 25, 2010, marks 20 years since his last such album was released in the U.S. Included in the package is a 60-minute DVD featuring colorful, behind-the-scenes footage about the making of the album, with a very enthusiastic and witty Cummings discussing the creation of the songs, recording them and even goofing off with the musicians, plus there's even a "blooper" segment.

Canadian rock royalty, Cummings had enjoyed seven previous solo studio albums from 1976 to 1990. North of the border, four of them went double platinum or better, and two others gold, including 1990's Plus Signs. - more on this story

Caddywhompus Hit The Road and Offer Free Album Download

Caddywhompus will be touring cross-country in support of their sophomore album 'Remainder'.

Released on May 11th, 2010 via Community Records, the album is a reflection of the bands energetic live performance and the explosive chemistry that exists between founding members Chris Rehm (guitar/vocals) and Sean Hart (drums).

Wanting to stay consistent with their D.I.Y. work ethic, Rehm and Hart completely self produced and engineered the entirety of 'Remainder' in New Orleans. Wanting their music to have a more immediate impact, and reach a further number of listeners, the duo is currently offering up the entirety of 'Remainder' as a free download on the Community Records band page. - more on this story

The Mission Rarities Collection Announced

The Mission may have split in 2008 but their music still keeps coming. The Mission returns next month with Dum Dum Bullet, a new compilation of rare B-sides, previously unreleased demos, new songs left over from the God Is a Bullet sessions and a brand-new extended remix of album cut "Dumb" by Mission guitarist Mark Gemini Thwaite.

Due out June 29th in the United States, the 14-track album (on CD and digital download) features six songs originally released as extra tracks on the Keep It in the Family EP and "Blush" digital single, both released in 2007 off that year's God Is a Bullet, THE MISSION'S final studio album. More intriguing to fans are seven tracks identified as new songs or Hussey demos (see full tracklist below) written during the God Is a Bullet sessions.

The comp wraps up with Thwaite's new seven-and-a-half-minute remix of God Is a Bullet's "Dumb." Thwaite states that he "decontructed the studio version and recreated a dancefloor monster with new sounds, loops and additional guitars."
- more on this story

Sun Domingo Announce Digital EP Release

Sun Domingo will be releasing a digital EP, "Piece," on June 22, 2010. The EP will be available via all digital download portals.

Says guitarist Edgel Groves: "The 'Piece' EP is a collection of five songs we are very proud of. We had the chance to try these songs out on the road over the past two years and get reaction from our fans."

"One of our personal favorites and fan favorites is 'Mad Maze,' an instrumental we crafted from pure improv and named after our manager Matt Mayes, who inspired the song from his guijo playing in the band Jupiter Coyote," says Groves. "The EP version of this song showcases John Wesley of Porcupine Tree on guitar. For anyone who has not heard John play, it is a treat and well worth a listen. World class musician and guy. - more on this story

Havok and Primal Fear Tour Kicks of Tonight

Havok are ready to kick off their next tour in support of their 2009 debut, Burn. The tour, alongside Primal Fear, begins Thursday, May 20 at New York's Gramercy Theater and follows their early April performances in support of Hammerfall.

For these dates, the band will be performing as a trio due to the recent departure of guitarist Shawn Chavez.

The Denver-based band will perform selections from Burn and several new songs the band has recently written for their next album currently planned for early 2011. - more on this story

Good Old War Announce Live Webcasts

Good Old War will be doing weekly live performances on Ustream in anticipation of the June 1st release of their new album.

Performances will take place every Monday at 7PM. Fans can view the sessions here: www.ustream.tv/goodoldwar.

The band's first live Ustream event, which took place on May 11th, attracted more than 20,000 viewers and resulted in more than a thousand Facebook and Ustream comments. - more on this story

The Amity Affliction Announce Free MP3 and Tour With Misery Signals

The Amity Affliction are offering fans a download of a free MP3 of their new song, "I Hate Hartley" from their forthcoming sophomore album Youngbloods, due in stores on June 18th!

The track is available for free download on the band's website here .

In addition to the release of Youngblood, the band is just days away from a tour, where they'll hit the road with Misery Signals, Confession, and Flood of Red. - more on this story

I Am Abomination Map Out Tour Plans

I Am Abomination are set to embark on their upcoming tour with Jamie's Elsewhere and Memphis May Fire, beginning this Friday, May 21s

The band is also pleased to announce a summer run with Four Letter Lie, kicking off in La Crosse, WI on June 19th! All tour dates are available below.

Vocalist Phil Druyor says,"We're extremely excited to appear on stage with Jamie's Elsewhere, and we're equally thrilled to have been invited out on the road with them! Also, we've wanted to tour with Memphis May Fire for a while, and we're finally getting the chance!" Druyor is also energized to re-appear with past show-mates on I Am Abomination's second summer run. "We've played with Four Letter Lie before, and we love the dudes in that band! We've also toured with Lower Definition before they took their break, and we're stoked that they're back on their feet so we can tour with them again!" - more on this story

Terra Nova Come Alive Again

Terra Nova will release their new album "Come Alive" on July 2nd in Europe and July 27th in the USA.

"Come Alive" is the band's 5th original studio album and their first full length release over the last five years.

Terra Nova started the work for the recording of the new album in 2008. Their vision was to go back and recreate the exciting sound of their debut album "Livin' It Up", a milestone record which captured the sheer joie de vivre of the eighties AOR and melodic rock and catapulted Terra Nova into the vanguard of the genre, both in Europe and Japan. - more on this story

The Funeral Pyre, Early Graves Summer Tour

The Funeral Pyre have announced summer tour plans with their good friends, Early Graves.

The Funeral Pyre are touring in support of their new album, "Vultures At Dawn," which hits the streets on June 8. - more on this story

Bonded By Blood Preview Another New Song Online

Bonded By Blood have released a new track from their forthcoming album, Exiled To Earth, will be available in North America on August 10th.

The track, entitled "Blood Spilled Offerings" gives a look at the inner workings of the Crong. They are the alien race that have taken control of future Earth in the band's original Sci-Fi tale.

On the music itself, Bonded By Blood vocalist, Jose "Aladdin" Barrales says: "Blood Spilled Offerings is another taste of what Exiled to Earth has to offer. Nothing but heavy ear shattering music." - more on this story

Shwa Losben Releasing New Fan Funded Album Next Week

Shwa Losben will independently release his second solo record Good Times, Good Times on Tuesday, May 25. The fan-funded album is a collection of catchy, yet sophisticated rock songs recorded in Fall 2009.

Drawing on influences from Pulp to Pearl Jam, the record contains ten hook-laden songs and marks a major musical leap for Losben. Throughout the album, he seamlessly weaves stories touching on good times and bad decisions.

From the opening track "Trainwreck" about a friend who went to Mexico with a guy she met on Craigslist, to "Brooklyn Girls," a catchy critique of mean hipsters, Losben paints vivid images of his characters. - more on this story