Ethan Miller, Getty Images While Guns N’ Roses are off the road, guitarist Richard Fortus will help other aspiring musicians learn his chosen trade. The axeman has agreed to host a master class this coming week at the University of Central Oklahoma that will give him a chance to share his skill. Fortus is the latest musician to visit the campus’ ACM@UCO Performance Lab, following in the footsteps of Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Roger Daltrey and Jackson Browne , Black Country Communion ‘s Joe Bonamassa, Flaming Lips instrumentalist Steven Drodz and singer-songwriter Ben Folds among others. The guitarist joined Guns N’ Roses in 2001 and can be heard on the ‘Chinese Democracy’ album. He’s also performed or recorded with Thin Lizzy , the Psychedelic Furs, Fiona Apple and Jesse Malin among others. His master class will take place this Thursday (Feb. 21) at the Academy of Contemporary Music lab at the University of Central Oklahoma in Oklahoma City’s Bricktown district (329 E. Sheridan) at 7PM local time. For more information, visit the UCO website here . Fortus will take his place onstage with Guns N’ Roses this spring when the band headlines the Governors Ball and Rocklahoma festivals. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/guns-n-roses-offer-first-look-at-3d-concert-film-announce-tour-dates-in-australia/” title=”Next: Guns N’ Roses Offer Peek at 3D Concert Film” align=”center”]
Kathy Flynn, WickedGoddessPhotography.com / Gilbert Carrasquillo, Getty Images The rift between longtime Pantera bandmates Phil Anselmo and Vinnie Paul has been well documented, but that hasn’t kept Anselmo from offering olive branches to open communication in the media over the years. The former Pantera frontman once again opened up about his onetime band and their disintegrated relationships in Revolver magazine’s latest issue, which recently hit newsstands. “I feel bad for Vince,” explained Anselmo in the interview (excerpted by Blabbermouth ). “People should pity the guy. I wasn’t there when Dimebag [Darrell] was murdered, but he sure as f— was. That’s his flesh and blood, murdered right in front of him. It’s a shame that Vince never reached out to [bassist] Rex [Brown] and I. I think the healing process would have been beneficial to him, instead of his knee-jerk reaction to fear and his therapy through tit bars and whiskey.” The vocalist added that while he will admit his role through a fair share of mistakes that led to the downfall of Pantera, he wasn’t alone. “One guy can’t break up a band,” says Anselmo. “You have to understand, it goes all four ways when a band breaks up. Yes, I made mistakes. Yes, there was a lack of communication on both sides and some of it is my fault — a lot of it is my fault.” Anselmo also insists that he would have repaired his relationship with Dimebag had the guitar legend not been slain. “We would have made amends. I would like to think he would be proud of me for pulling myself out of the muck, the abyss,” says the frontman. “I just choose to remember the positive things. He was almost like the perfect counterpoint to me. We may have clashed to a certain extent, but we would always find a happy medium. It was a vital relationship that I miss greatiy.” [button href=”http://loudwire.com/vinnie-paul-on-pantera-reunion-it-aint-gonna-happen/” title=”Next: Vinnie Paul Says Pantera Reunion ‘Ain’t Gonna Happen'” align=”center”]
Nuclear Blast Records Meshuggah were back at full strength Friday night (Feb. 15) in New York, even if frontman Jens Kidman was still a bit under the weather. The vocalist has been suffering from the flu and recently had to miss a couple of the band’s shows , but he triumphantly returned for the New York performance. Though Meshuggah’s voice was conspicuously absent over the past week, the band was not. The group got through their scheduled performances placing a cardboard cutout of Kidman on the stage and requesting that the audience members provide the singing for the evening while the band delivered their usual pummeling passion during the sets. Following his return to the stage Friday night, Kidman took to Facebook and posted the following message: New York! Thanks to all of you for the amazing support tonight. It has truly been some rough days for me, but I refuse to let you guys down. You rule and you never disappoint!! Hats off, /Jens Meshuggah’s Marten Hagstrom admitted that playing without Kidman was a unique experience. Speaking to the Village Voice , he explained, “The way it sounds is not that different … but it’s more the way you feel walking up onstage, not seeing the entire band, because we’ve never done this before. You’re used to being that five-piece unit, walking up and doing this together. But there’s no use in complaining about it. The only thing we can do is try to make the most out of it. We’ve travelled over here now. A lot of places we play on this tour we haven’t really played for a long time, so canceling is not an option.” It’s expected that Kidman will be able to continue with the band after returning to the stage Friday. The group’s remaining dates on the trek can be seen here . [button href=”http://loudwire.com/decibel-magazine-tour-2013-must-see-metal-concerts/” title=”Next: Check Out Other 2013 Must-See Metal Concerts” align=”center”]
Nuclear Blast Records Testament took the stage at Huntington, New York’s Paramount Theatre Friday night (Feb. 15) with the primary goal of filming and recording the experience for an upcoming DVD and live album. In all, the band clocked in a 90-minute-plus performance and a set list from the show has now surfaced. As expected, there was a mix of older favorites and songs from the band’s latest album. The show began with ‘Rise Up,’ which serves as the lead off track from their most recent disc, ‘Dark Roots of Earth.’ ‘Native Blood,’ ‘True American Hate,’ and the ‘Dark Roots of Earth’ title track also made the night’s set list during the body of the show. The performance also featured a pair of encores, with the band rocking out ‘The Formation of Damnation’ during their first return and ‘Over the Wall’ and ‘Disciples of the Watch’ to close out the night. The still untitled live disc would be the band’s first concert release since 2009′s ‘Live at Eindhoven ’87.’ They also released their ‘Live in London’ DVD back in 2005 and ‘Seen Between the Lines’ on VHS in 1991. Though the entire show was recorded and the set list is offered below, things such as which songs make the cut and running order have not been decided. Singer Chuck Billy recently stated prior to the Huntington show, “We haven’t shot a live DVD or CD since our ‘Live in London’ release and we’ve had two killer albums since then. We thought it would be cool to put out a live DVD/CD focusing on the last three records (‘The Gathering,’ ‘The Formation of Damnation’ and ‘Dark Roots of Earth’) mixed in with a good amount of classics too. Last time we recorded anything live in America was for Live at the Fillmore on the West Coast. This time we thought we’d give the East Coast a chance to show the world how crazy and loud they can be. We’re going to be playing an extra-long 17 – 18 song set, which will be our lengthiest set of the tour. Let’s see all you thrashers stirring it up out there and singing along! See ya!” The band is currently on tour with Overkill , Flotsam and Jestam and 4ARM. The remaining dates of the trek can be seen here . Testament — Huntington, N.Y., Feb. 15, 2013 Set List: ‘Rise Up’ ‘More Than Meets the Eye’ ‘Burnt Offerings’ ‘Native Blood’ ‘True American Hate’ ‘Dark Roots of Earth’ ‘Into the Pit’ ‘Practice What You Preach’ ‘Riding the Snake’ ‘Eyes of Wrath’ ‘Trial By Fire’ ‘The Haunting’ ‘The New Order’ ‘D.N.R. (Do Not Resuscitate)’ ’3 Days in Darkness’ Encore 1: ‘The Formation of Damnation’ Encore 2: ‘Over the Wall’ ‘Disciples of the Watch’ [button href=”http://loudwire.com/testament-chuck-billy-touring-creating-music/” title=”Next: Chuck Billy Shares His Thoughts on Touring + Creating Music” align=”center”]
Scott Gries, Getty Images 2013 is a year that Danzig will always remember as the band is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Frontman Glenn Danzig and his cohorts have announced their first tour of the year and they plan on making it a real hard rocking celebration. As part of his lineup, Danzig will welcome his former Misfits bandmate Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein on a majority of the shows. In addition, the North American run will feature stellar support from Corrosion of Conformity and The Agonist . Extreme metallers The Agonist expressed their joy at being chosen to open shows during Danzig’s milestone year, especially after their proposed trek with Cradle of Filth fell apart due to unexpected immigration issues . The group stated, “When news of the cancellation came through, we were not only disappointed but heartbroken about losing the entire experience of touring with Cradle of Filth, The Faceless and Decapitated. All the members of The Agonist have been gearing up for this tour since the fall of last year and we were really looking forward to putting on amazing show for both old and new fans alike … But alas, The Agonist moves on and is proud to announce an upcoming tour with the almighty Danzig (!!!) as well as the legendary Corrosion of Conformity in the month of April 2013!” On the recording front, things have been quiet from Danzig of late. The group was reportedly working on a covers disc last year and their last original album was 2010′s ‘Death Red Saboath.’ The 25th anniversary trek launches April 17 in Las Vegas and continues through April 28 in Ventura, Calif. Danzig With Corrosion of Conformity + The Agonist 4/17 — Las Vegas, Nev. — House of Blues 4/19 — Denver, Colo. — Ogden Theater 4/20 — Albuquerque, N.M. — Sunshine Theater 4/22 — Austin, Texas — Stubbs BBQ 4/23 — Corpus Christi, Texas — Concrete Street 4/24 — Dallas, Texas — Palladium 4/26 — Phoenix, Ariz. — Marquee Theater 4/27 — Pomona, Calif. — Fox Theater 4/28 — Ventura, Calif. — Ventura Theater [button href=”http://loudwire.com/glenn-danzig-pulls-in-runaways-singer-cherie-currie-for-duet/” title=”Next: Glenn Danzig + Runaways Singer Cherie Currie Work on Duet” align=”center”]
Adam Bettcher, Getty Images David Draiman is making the most of his break from Disturbed with his industrial-leaning project Device and the band’s self-titled effort is one of the most anticipated discs of 2013 . In advance of the new album, Draiman has posted a new message online thanking fans for their support. Device’s first single is expected this next week and Draiman is prepared to see what the reaction to his new band is. In addition, the vocalist took the opportunity to address Disturbed and the group’s ongoing hiatus and give longtime fans of his band some assurance that they will return at some point. The vocalist, in his usual ALL CAPS typing, posted: MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, MY BLOOD;?? I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR COMING WITH ME ON THIS NEW JOURNEY THAT IS “DEVICE.” ??I AM ETERNALLY GRATEFUL FOR THE LOVE THAT YOU ALL HAVE FOR DISTURBED, AND I ALSO UNDERSTAND THE DEFENSIVENESS THAT CAN COME WITH ANY THING THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE PERCIEVED AS A CATALYST TO SOME SORT OF “BREAK UP THEORY,” THAT I ASSURE YOU, HAS NO BASE IN THE FIRST PLACE. ??IF YOU READ THE DEVICE BIO THAT WAS POSTED ON THE DEVICE FACEBOOK PAGE FACEBOOK/DEVICETHEBAND, YOU WILL LEARN THAT THE WHOLE PROJECT CAME TOGETHER QUITE ACCIDENTALLY, AND I’M VERY GLAD IT DID. I THINK YOU WILL BE TOO. ??DISTURBED IS STILL ON HIATUS. A HIATUS IS AN EXTENDED BREAK, NOT “BREAK-UP”. WE HAVE FOUGHT LONG AND HARD TOGETHER, ALL OF US, TO MAKE DISTURBED WHAT IT HAS BECOME, AND ARE NOT JUST WALKING AWAY FROM IT. WE ALL NEEDED TO JUST GIVE OURSELVES SOME TIME AWAY FROM IT.??THE EXISTENCE OF DEVICE, DOES NOT IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM, MEAN THE END OF DISTURBED. THEY ARE TWO COMPLETELY SEPARATE ENTITIES, AND I HOLD THEM BOTH IN THE HIGHEST REGARD. ??YOU ARE ABOUT TO GET YOUR FIRST TASTE THIS COMING WEEK. ??YOU HAVE ALL OF MY LOVE AND RESPECT,??-DAVID On the heels of the new music, fans can look for Device playing a number of hard rock festivals this spring. The group has been confirmed for Rock on the Range , Welcome to Rockville , Carolina Rebellion , Rocklahoma and the inaugural Fort Rock festival. Device’s self-titled album arrives April 9. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/david-draiman-device-teaser-video-self-titled-debut-album/” title=”Next: Device Offer Album Teaser Video” align=”center”]
YouTube Sibling rivalry can be tough, but it looks as though there’s nothing but love within the Cornell family. Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell may be a superstar, but the rocker is happy to salute his brother Peter, who is also a singer/songwriter. During the Cornell brothers’ first ever appearance ever together onstage together in 2011, Chris introduced Peter stating, “He was that guy for me. He was the guy that was the coolest person on Earth. He was also the guy, cause I was little, that he would beat the s— out of anybody if they f—ed with me.” Chris also credited Peter with turning him onto some great music at a young age. Now, Peter has released a couple of new songs via SoundCloud players. ‘Madman’ is a foot-stomping, bluesy rocker and it’s clear from listening that Peter and his brother Chris share vocal similarities. ‘Insides,’ meanwhile, also has some of that bluesy delivery that ‘Madman’ has. Check out Peter Cornell’s song clips for both tracks [via GrungeReport.net ] below, as well as his 2011 live performance of ‘I’m Still Loving You.’ Listen to Peter Cornell’s ‘Madman’ Listen to Peter Cornell’s ‘Insides’ Watch Peter Cornell Perform ‘I’m Still Loving You’ in 2011 [button href=”http://loudwire.com/watch-chris-cornell-perform-president-obama-commander-in-chief-ball/” title=”Next: Watch Chris Cornell Perform at Commander-in-Chief’s Ball” align=”center”]