Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com Two years after he underwent an emergency procedure there to repair bleeding around his brain — and a year after he returned for heart surgery — Poison frontman Bret Michaels dedicated a new hospitality and music room at St. Joseph’s Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Ariz. Michaels was on hand for the ceremony on Tuesday (Oct. 9), along with Patty White, the hospital’s president and CEO, who told him, “We want to welcome you back this time for a celebration.” After thanking the neurosurgeon who saved his life, Michaels unveiled the Bret Michaels Hospitality and Music Room, “whose sole purpose is to provide comfort, serenity and peace to families that are going through a very trying time in their lives.” The singer was instrumental in the room’s design, right down to the decor — which includes photos and magazine covers of Michaels and his family, televisions playing Michaels concert footage, and Michaels quotes such as, “Raise your hands, rejoice and rock as if there is no tomorrow” and “Respect the past, dream the future, live in the moment.” “I think Bret has really inspired so many people with his recent medical illnesses and his remarkable recovery,” said Joseph Zabramski, the doctor who operated on Michaels’ brain. “And he will continue to inspire, particularly patients and their families who come here to Barrow and use this room to find peace and comfort during their stay with us.” [button href=”http://loudwire.com/bret-michaels-get-your-rock-on-video/” title=”Next: Watch Bret Michaels’ ‘Get Your Rock On’ Video” align=”center”]
Michael Buckner, Getty Images As we recently reported, Jack Osbourne got married to Lisa Stelly over the weekend in Hawaii. And while that is certainly wonderful news, it just might be what Ozzy Osbourne ‘s son did days after wedding that is truly remarkable. Jack and his buddy helped save the life of a woman who had a heart attack and started to drown in the surf on the Hawaii beach where he’s been enjoying his honeymoon. Jack’s new bride, Lisa Stelly, with whom he had a child earlier this year, broke the news via Twitter , where she told followers, “Really proud of Jack and his friend Tyler who saved a woman on the beach yesterday who’d had a heart attack and drown [sic].” She later followed with another status update, adding , “They resuscitated her until the ambulance came. We just found out she’s in a stable condition! Awesome!” Earlier this year, Jack revealed that the shocking news that he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis . It was then reported that NBC subsequently fired him from its reality series ‘Stars Earn Stripes’ shortly thereafter, but if anyone deserves a reality show, it just might be Jack. All the excitement also happened to take place around the same time Sharon Osbourne was celebrating her 60th birthday on her daytime show ‘The Talk.’ Jack appeared on the show with his baby Pearl via a video message, while Ozzy and Kelly Osbourne made surprise appearances in the flesh. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/ozzy-osbourne-son-jack-osbourne-weds-in-hawaii/” title=”Next: More on Jack Osbourne’s Wedding” align=”center”]
Kevin Winter, Getty Images Here’s a look at the top stories of the day on Loudwire and around the Web: – Has it really been 20 years? Rage Against the Machine ‘s groundbreaking self-titled debut album is being reissued in multiple formats with plenty of audio and video bonus content to celebrate its 20th anniversary. [ Loudwire ] – January will be here before you know it, and to get you prepped for what’s to come, Black Veil Brides have unveiled the album title and artwork for their next album. [ Loudwire ] – Guns N’ Roses ‘ Las Vegas residency may be good for more than playing shows. Guitarist DJ Ashba says recording is on the agenda, as well. [ Loudwire ] – Kiss are once again absent from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ballot. Paul Stanley shares his thoughts on the snub and if they would attend if chosen. [ Ultimate Classic Rock ] – Dethklok are building the buzz for their new ‘Metalocalypse: Dethklok Dethalbum III’ by issuing a sneak peek at the “making of” their deluxe edition documentary DVD. [ Rock Music Report ] – Train is not exactly the steadiest mode for touring these days, so after the cancellation of the Railroad Revival Tour, Band of Horses have moved quickly to book new shows. [ Diffuser.fm ]
Ian Hitchcock, Getty Images When, oh, when will fans get served the uber-anticipated follow-up to Guns N’ Roses ’ 2008 album, ‘Chinese Democracy’? According to guitarist DJ Ashba , new music from GN’R may not be too far away! “[Axl Rose] has tons of stuff done [and] recorded that he’s played for me and wants my input on,” Ashba says in an interview with Rolling Stone . “Axl’s put together such a talented group of musicians and there are so many songs that are already worked out. So we’ve got a good jump on it, for sure.” Right now, Guns N’ Roses are gearing up for their 12-date residency at the Joint at Hard Rock Hotel Las Vegas, which kicks off Halloween night. DJ Ashba says the residency provides a great opportunity for GN’R to get serious about writing music for their next album. “[The Vegas residency] is the first time we’re all gonna be in the same place for a month solid and that will be, and already has been talked about, our main focus,” he said. “So I think we’re gonna get a lot of done. He adds, “There’s a lot of stuff recorded and I think it’s just a matter of sitting down and working together as a band, putting together what we feel is gonna be the next best Guns N’ Roses record. And I can’t wait; I’m so excited to dive even deeper into that.” [button href=”http://loudwire.com/guns-n-roses-announce-fall-2012-las-vegas-residency/” title=”Next: Guns N’ Roses Announce Vegas Residency” align=”center”]
Epitaph Records Converge have just released their greatest achievement since 2001′s ‘Jane Doe,’ and yes, the levity of that claim is understandably huge. ‘Jane Doe’ is almost universally praised as one of the most important, if not the most important extreme record of the 2000s thus far, so with our claim set in stone, here’s the case to back it up. Converge have been on an unparalleled hot streak when it comes to the albums they’ve released throughout their career. ‘Petitioning the Empty Sky,’ although considered as more of a compilation, powerfully issued an open challenge to what a hardcore band could achieve creatively, and as ‘Jane Doe’ hit the shelves in 2001, the barriers violently shattered. Since ‘Jane Doe,’ Converge have released three additional full-length masterpieces, ‘You Fail Me’ (2004), ‘No Heroes’ (2006) and ‘Axe to Fall’ (2009), but ‘All We Love We Leave Behind’ evokes something more visceral. No matter what styles of metal Converge have integrated into their works, even if the band seems to defy all established genres at times, they have always been both adamant and proud to keep their ‘hardcore’ identity. Although that rationale has gone over the head of many listeners, ‘All We Love We Leave Behind’ shines a massive spotlight on the hardcore element of Converge, while continuing to remain highly experimental. New tracks ‘Trespasses’ and ‘Sparrow’s Fall’ are fundamentally hardcore punk songs, which will surely lead to dozens of broken teeth and busted lips if played live. ‘Vicious Muse’ even begins with a poppy Ramones-like drumbeat, though Ben Koller continues to deliver utterly stupefying and rabid drum parts. Guitarist and producer Kurt Ballou lends his trademark touch to ‘All We Love We Leave Behind,’ with the chaotic sound of the album complementing its musicianship perfectly. Along with his monogram spastic tapping style and sluggish, twisted breakdowns, Ballou delivers a … dare we say … gorgeous performance in ‘Coral Blue’ — the album’s standout track. ‘Coral Blue’ is the only Converge song in recent history that could be easily mistaken as the product of another band, as it courses through the same vein as Isis or even Baroness. Yet another change fans will surely notice is that there are no guest vocalists within ‘All We Love We Leave Behind.’ Converge have a rich history of collaboration, but the lack thereof may have directed the band to focus not only on their internal chemistry as a four-man unit, but possibly on the group’s foundation as a predominantly hardcore outfit. Although their past guest vocal spots have added a lot to past recordings, Jacob Bannon’s unmistakable squawks, along with backing help from Ballou and bassist Nate Newton, keep the album sounding full and sturdy. ‘All We Love We Leave Behind’ continues the band’s tradition of recording albums that sound like Converge, but not the Converge you’ve already heard. This record is essential listening (especially if you buy the deluxe edition with three extra songs), and will surely go down as one of 2012′s greatest sonic achievements. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/converge-fault-and-fracture-top-21st-century-metal-songs/” title=”Next: Converge – Top Metal Songs of the 21st Century” align=”center”]
Speakeasy PR Between the Buried and Me are doing okay after undergoing a somewhat scary bus fire en route to a show in England. Luckily there were no injuries and the band was able to escape the bus unscathed. Tour manager Courtney Warner says, “As of now, we are at a service area awaiting transportation to a hotel. A new bus is on its way. We shouldn’t miss any shows because of this. All gear, luggage, personal items and most importantly, people, are all good. We just stink like smoke.” Guitarist Paul Waggoner adds, “Fuel line done broke. Dadgum flame come shootin out. Peeewwww eeehhhhh sometin’ stank. Crazy British feller come hollerin, ‘Bus on fire, ya’ll git.’ Climb up the ol’ hill barefoot and look back at them flames shootin sky high. Firemen folk come rushin up real quick like and squirt that fire plum out. It was lucky nobody was hurt, not even a stubbed toe. Luggage stank like a Mississippi cow pie on a mid-July heat. Hopefull, come tomorra, a new horse n’ buggy come. We’ll giddy on up to Belgium town for a good ol’ fashioned hootnanny. Whoo-Doggies!!!” The bus fire comes as the band is in the midst of an overseas trek promoting their ‘ The Parallax II: Future Sequence ‘ album. The band is currently trekking across Europe with Periphery and the Safety Fire, with their next show coming tomorrow night (Oct. 10) in Antwerp, Germany. The band will return stateside Nov. 4 for Austin’s Fun Fun Fun Fest, before once again packing up and heading overseas for dates in Japan, Australia and New Zealand to finish out the year. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/between-the-buried-and-me-colors-top-21st-century-metal-songs/” title=”Next: Between the Buried and Me – Top 21st Century Metal Songs” align=”center”]
Liz Ramanand, Loudwire It’s been a busy year for metal band Huntress with the release of their debut album ‘Spell Eater.’ In a new video, premiering right here on Loudwire, the band’s frontwoman Jill Janus talks all about the music of Huntress and their creative process. “Huntress is true heavy metal. We stay true to the roots of heavy metal, it’s fast, it’s vicious but melodic,” says Janus. “That’s the way that we write, we want to be melodic in all of our songwriting, the thrash elements, the elements of black metal and death metal and I wail. That’s what I do, I scream.” Janus also reflects on when she first met her current bandmates: “When I came to Los Angeles, I met a band named Professor and saw them perform and immediately I knew, I knew that we needed to join forces – so I begged them to listen to a demo that I had written. We rehearsed once and after that we decided to team up and Huntress was birthed.” Anyone who has seen the band live or watched their videos knows the intensity of Huntress. The song ‘Spell Eater’ was their lead single off of the debut record and fans have been hooked ever since. Check out a list of the band’s European tour dates below. As far as touring goes, Janus says Huntress are “conquering the world one metal head at a time, I’m coming for my crown and there will be blood.” Watch Huntress Frontwoman Jill Janus Discussing the Band’s Origins + More Huntress 2012 European Tour Dates: 10/9/12 Tillburg, Netherlands 013 10/10/12 Vosselaar, Belgium Biebob 10/12/12 Hanover, Germany Capitol 10/13/12 Cologne, Germany Live Music Hall 10/14/12 Copenhagen, Denmark Amager Bio 10/15/12 Oslo, Norway Rockeffeller 10/16/12 Stockholm, Sweden Tyrol 10/18/12 Seinajoki, Finland Rymikorjaamo 10/19/12 Helsinki, Finland Nosturi 10/21/12 Lund, Sweden Mejeriet 10/22/12 Gothenburg, Sweden Brewhouse 10/23/12 Arhus, Denmark Train 10/24/12 Hamburg, Germany Markthalle 10/26/12 Bournemouth, UK Sound Circus 10/27/12 Cardiff, UK Bogiez 10/28/12 Stoke-on-Trent, UK Minister’s Bar 10/29/12 London, UK 02 Academy 10/30/12 Munich, Germany Backstage 10/31/12 Berlin, Germany Postbahnhof 11/1/12 Dresden, Germany Reithalle 11/2/12 Erfurt, Germany HsD 11/3/12 Bochum, Germany Zeche 11/5/12 Frankfurt, Germany Batschkapp 11/6/12 Vienna, Austria Szene 11/7/12 Zurich, Switzerland Komplex 11/9/12 Florence, Italy Viper Theatre 11/10/12 Treviso, Italy New Age Club 11/11/12 Milano, Italy Alcatraz 11/12/12 Solothurn, Switzerland Kofmehl 11/13/12 Marseille, France Le Moulin Club 11/15/12 Barcelona, Spain Salamandra 1 11/16/12 Madrid, Spain Sala Arena 11/17/12 Lisbon, Portugal Cine-Teatro de Corrois 11/18/12 Barakaldo, Spain Rock Star Live 11/20/12 Toulouse, France Le Saints des Seins 11/21/12 Bordeaux, France Rock School Barbey 11/22/12 Paris, France La Cigale 11/23/12 Strasbourg, France La Laiterie 11/24/12 Lille, France Le Splendid 11/26/12 Amsterdam, Netherlands Melkweg 11/27/12 Esch/Alzete, Luxembourg Rockhal [button href=”http://loudwire.com/guys-of-huntress-talk-debut-album-spell-eater-odd-jobs-more/” title=”Check Out Our Interview With the Guys of Huntress” align=”center”]