Lostprophets: Facebook Following the arrest of Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins for various unfathomable charges involving children, the rock world has held its breath with an unhinged discomfort. Facing some of the most heinous charges in recent memory, Watkins now finds himself sitting in a jail cell. Now, his bandmates have offered an official statement, citing their current “state of shock.” The official charges brought against Watkins include conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a 1-year-old female, two incidents of “sexual touching” involving young children and possession and distribution of “indecent images of children,” along with “extreme” animal pornography. These charges are enough to cause any human being’s jaw to drop, and Watkins is now scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 31 after he and his two alleged female conspirators, aged 20 and 24, were denied bail. Lostprophets have just offered a written statement addressing the situation via their official website: Following charges made today against Ian Watkins, we find ourselves in a state of shock. We are learning about the details of the investigation along with you. It is a difficult time for us and our families, and we want to thank our fans for their support as we seek answers. Jamie, Lee, Luke, Mike and Stu Stay tuned for further developments as news continues to break. [button href=”http://loudwire.com” title=”Lostprophets Singer Arrested for Child Sex Offense Charges ” align=”center”]
Michael Loccisano, Getty Images After spending a good portion of the year in the studio recording the upcoming Alice in Chains album, singer-guitarist Jerry Cantrell is in the mood to get out and play. Cantrell was a surprise guest of the Walking Papers during their performance at the Crocodile Café in Seattle Saturday night (Dec. 15). Seattle station KISW 99.9 FM reports that Cantrell joined the band, which features Duff McKagan , the Missionary Position’s Jeff Angell and Ben Anderson, and former Screaming Trees drummer Barrett Martin, for two songs during their performance. Cantrell rocked guitar on ‘Your Secret Is Safe With Me’ (which can be seen below) and ‘Two Tickets.’ Walking Papers released their debut disc back in October. It features a guest appearance from another Seattle favorite — Pearl Jam ‘s Mike McCready — lending some guitar assistance. As for the upcoming Alice in Chains disc, Cantrell told Revolver (excerpted by Grunge Report ) that the as-yet-untitled album stays true to form. He explained, “I don’t think you’ll be surprised by anything you hear. It’s us. It’s also really unique. It’s got all the elements of any record we’ve put out, but it’s unlike any record we’ve put out. Basically, it’s the next chapter in the Alice in Chains book, and it’s going to be a big one.” Though a release date and title have yet to be announced for the new Alice in Chains record, the new song ‘ Hollow ‘ just arrived, complete with a fan-generated lyric video. Watch Jerry Cantrell Join Walking Papers for ‘Your Secret Is Safe With Me’ [button href=”http://loudwire.com/jerry-cantrell-confirms-completion-upcoming-alice-in-chains-album/” title=”Next: Jerry Cantrell Discusses Completed Alice in Chains Album” align=”center”]
Robert Cianflone, Getty Images Black Sabbath guitarist and master of the riff Tony Iommi has been welcomed into the National Guitar Museum Board of Advisors. Iommi strives to help preserve the legacy of the guitar through the traveling institution, which will showcase its unique exhibit in six different cities between now and September 2015. The National Guitar Museum ‘s traveling instillation, ‘Guitar: The Instrument That Rocked the World,’ launched its first show in 2011, proclaiming the guitar as “The Most Popular Instrument. Ever.” As metal music’s most important six-string strummer, Tony Iommi is a natural fit to bring additional credibility to the museum and exhibit. “I welcome the opportunity to be part of the National Guitar Museum’s goal to highlight the history of the guitar — the instrument that has been part of my life since I was a teenager,” states Iommi. “There is so much more to the guitar than six strings and a slab of wood. Everything about it is fascinating, from how it is crafted to the legion of people who have played it.” Adds HP Newquist, executive director of the NGM, ”Tony is one of the most important rock guitarists to ever pick up the instrument. His guitar playing has defined the sound of heavy metal for more than four decades, and he has influenced countless thousands — if not millions — of players. Tony’s also had a huge affect on the instrument itself, from establishing the Gibson SG as an iconic guitar on to his own innovations in pushing the boundaries of string and pickup technology.” Iommi has joined a legendary group of guitarists already on the museum’s Board of Advisors, including Steve Vai, Ritchie Blackmore ( Deep Purple , Rainbow), Johnny Winter, Joe Bonamassa, Steve Howe (Yes), Liona Boyd, Pat Kirtley and Pete Huttlinger. Once the National Guitar Museum completes its string of instillations, one U.S. city will be named the permanent home of the Museum. Meanwhile, Tony Iommi is currently competing for Rock Titan of the Year in the 2012 Loudwire Music Awards. Place your vote here . [button href=”http://loudwire.com” title=”Former Black Sabbath Drummer Voices Tony Iommi Audiobook” align=”center”]
Thousand Foot Krutch press photo. Thousand Foot Krutch are hitting the road in 2013, and they’re taking along a lengthy list of openers, including former Korn guitarist Brian “Head” Welch ‘s band Love and Death along with the groups the Letter Black and the Wedding. The U.S. trek, billed as the War of Change Tour, is named for TFK’s current single ‘War of Change,’ off the band’s current full-length album, ‘The End Is Where We Begin.’ The 2013 jaunt launches Feb. 21 in Columbia, Md., and closes out March 17 in Huntington, W.V. Find a complete list of tour dates below. Thousand Foot Krutch, Love and Death, the Letter Black and the Wedding Tour Dates: 2/21 — Columbia, Md. 2/22 — Allentown, Pa. 2/23 — Lancaster, Pa. 2/24 — Asbury Park, N.J. 2/28 — Pittsburgh, Pa. 3/1 — Toledo, Ohio 3/2 — Flint, Mich. 3/6 – Dallas, Texas 3/8 — Lubbock, Texas 3/9 — Helotes, Texas 3/10 – Corpus Christi, Texas 3/14 — Joliet, Ill. 3/15 — Louisville, Ky. 3/16 — Chattanooga, Tenn. 3/17 — Huntington, W.V.
Simone Joyner, Getty Images – Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins has been arrested on charges of some very heinous crimes. [ Loudwire ] – Dave Grohl has taken a shine to this directing thing, as he’s stepped behind the lens to film Soundgarden ‘s ‘By Crooked Steps’ clip. [ Loudwire ] – Flyleaf and Drowning Pool , both showing off new singers, will team up for a North American trek next year. [ Loudwire ] – Deuce provides a little cheer with new digital holiday cards. [ Loudwire ] – Twisted Sister ‘s Dee Snider will be roasted by the likes of Zakk Wylde and Scott Ian at the 2nd Annual ‘Rock & Roll Roast.’ [ Loudwire ] – Foster the People ‘s ‘Pumped Up Kicks’ has been pulled from rotation by a Los Angeles station in the wake of the Newtown, Conn. tragedy. [ Diffuser.fm ] – Former Ween member Aaron Freeman has apparently announced plans to undergo a sex change. [ Diffuser.fm ] – Bruce Springsteen , the Who and the Rolling Stones head up the new ’12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy Relief’ benefit compilation. [ Ultimate Classic Rock ] – Ted Nugent ‘s ‘Gun Country’ special will not be turned into a series for Discovery Channel. [ Ultimate Classic Rock ]
NewstedHeavyMetal.com Former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted is back rocking again and fans are getting the first taste of his new self-titled band with the just-released single ‘Soldierhead.’ The song comes from the four-track release, ‘ Metal ,’ due Jan. 8 via iTunes. Newsted shot a video for the song over the week that’s expected to debut shortly, but in the interim fans can check out ‘Soldierhead’ in the player below. The hard-driving track finds the bassist exploring his metal roots and delivering the type of head banging song that most fans would hope for. The bassist steps up to the mic on the ‘Metal’ EP and does an admirable job, but it’s the bass breakdown in ‘Soldierhead’ that stands out and makes it uniquely Newsted. In addition to ‘Soldierhead,’ fans can keep an ear out for ‘Godsnake,’ ‘King of the Underdogs’ and ‘Skyscraper,’ the three other songs that make up the ‘Metal’ EP. Though full versions of the tracks have yet to hit the Internet, song snippets can be heard at iTunes, where the disc is currently available for pre-order. ‘Godsnake’ is more a chugging track, while ‘King of the Underdogs’ finds the band rocking with reckless abandon and ‘Skyscraper’ is more of a straight-up, attitude-filled rocker. To hear the song snippets or to pre-order the ‘Metal’ EP, click here . Newsted has not announced any tour dates as of yet, but it is likely he’ll play some shows as some point. Listen to Newsted’s ‘Soliderhead’ [button href=”http://loudwire.com/ex-metallica-bassist-jason-newsted-details-plans-for-musical-comeback/” title=”Next: Jason Newsted Details Musical Comeback Plans” align=”center”]
Charlemange Productions Love metal? Dig Christmas? Then let legendary actor Christopher Lee entertain you with heavy metal versions of classic Christmas songs. The 90-year-old Lee is famous for his roles in ’Dracula’ and ‘Lord of the Rings,’ among countless other films. He has been crafting his voice for many years, having famously lent his pipes to the soundtrack for horror flick ‘The Wicker Man,’ released in 1973. Although Lee is a classically trained singer, the ‘Dracula’ icon released his first metal album, ‘Charlemange: By the Sword and the Cross,’ in 2010, receiving Metal Hammer’s Spirit of Metal award at their 2010 Golden Gods ceremony. Lee’s ‘Charlemange’ sequel, ‘The Omens of Death,’ is expected to see a 2013 release. “I was first introduced to metal when I sang with a [band] called Rhapsody,” Lee tells BBC Radio. “But what I sang was not heavy metal; I sang with a tenor. Then I worked with Manowar as a narrator, I think it was in Germany, and again, that was not me singing metal. I became rather fascinated by this, ’cause in terms of history of music, it’s fairly recent, really. And if it’s properly done and you can understand the story and you can understand what the people are singing and you have the right bands and the right singers, I think it’s rather exciting.” Christopher Lee’s surprisingly crushing renditions of ‘The Little Drummer Boy’ and ‘Silent Night’ are now available to purchase via iTunes and Amazon . Check out a preview of both tracks in the player below. Christopher Lee, ‘The Little Drummer Boy’ + ‘Silent Night’ (Teaser) [button href=”http://loudwire.com/lord-of-the-rings-actor-christopher-lee-recording-metal-album-at-90-years-old/” title=”Next: More on Christopher Lee’s Upcoming Metal Album” align=”center”]