Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com As Three Days Grace fans continue to absorb the surprising news from earlier today (Jan. 9) that frontman Adam Gontier has left the band, the singer himself has released a heartfelt letter explaining his departure. We reported that Three Days Grace have announced that Gontier left the band due to health issues and has been replaced by My Darkest Days singer Matt Walst for the band’s upcoming tour with Shinedown. With the unspecified ‘health issues’ being cited as the reason, speculation stirred that it might be connected to Gontier’s previously publicized struggles with drugs and addiction. But Gontier explains that he is perfectly sober and is just ready for a new chapter in his life. See Adam Gontier’s full ‘Address of Resignation’ from Three Days Grace below: To all of my fans, my friends, my family, these are my words coming from my heart, separate from my role as “lead singer of Three Days Grace”. I want you all to know how very thankful I am for your consistent love, your respect, and you’re undying support. It is important for me to address any concerns regarding my health being connected to drugs or addiction. The truth is, when I was struggling during that dark time in my life, I hit rock bottom, and I had the kindest of people reach out from all over the world, and reach their hands out to help pick me up. I am so blessed to be walking in the light now. I am reminded of your loyalty, always. The truth is, and I’m very proud to say this…, I am sober. That chapter in my life is over. There have been many defining moments in my life. My time as part of Three Days Grace is most definitely one of the miraculous ones. I have had so many tender hearted people share with me their stories. How I’ve touched, or changed their lives. My truth is that all of the love I have received has forever changed my life. Each letter I’ve read, every picture I’ve been sent, all of the voices I’ve heard sing along with me, I will forever remember, and never forget… After twenty years of being part of an ever evolving band, I have been inspired by life, to move on and to continue to evolve on my own terms. I could not be more grateful for all the souls who have travelled along with me. A journey I look back on with integrity, and a future I look forward to with such hope. I have always admired brave hearts. Life is always changing. I will continue to follow my heart, and what I love to do. I’m not sure what the next horizon will look like, but I do have all the faith in the world that whatever it is, It’s meant to be, and I have faith that blessings will continue to shine over all of us. I once heard a “brave heart” say: “When nothing is sure, everything is possible.” It’s because of my life’s journey, because of all of you, that I believe. Sincerely, with love, Adam Three Days Grace, with Matt Walst on vocals, are set to embark on a co-headlining tour with Shinedown at the beginning of February. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/matt-walst-new-role-three-days-grace-singer-status-my-darkest-days/” title=”Next: Matt Walst Discusses Role as New Singer of Three Days Grace” align=”center”]
Justin Sullivan, Getty Images After spending the last day teasing some of the people who would be joining him at the Sundance Film Festival , Dave Grohl has revealed all of the guests that will make up his Sound City Players lineup for the special show. As previously reported, Grohl will be playing a show in Park City Utah Jan. 18 to coincide with the premiere of his new ‘Sound City’ documentary , which is based on the legendary Hollywood recording studio. The singer already teased a photo with him performing alongside Queens of the Stone Age ‘s Alain Johannes and Foo Fighters ‘ Taylor Hawkins . Plus, Slipknot and Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor had confirmed his participation in a Salt Lake City newspaper. Now Grohl has revealed the full lineup in a new tweet . It includes many of the ‘Sound City’ soundtrack contributors, including his Foo Fighters bandmates Rami Jaffe, Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett and Pat Smear along with his onetime Nirvana partner Krist Novoselic . In addition, Grohl’s Queens of the Stone Age pals Johannes and Chris Goss are taking part. The rest of the lineup includes a number of familiar names. Rage Against the Machine drummer Brad Wilk, John Fogerty , Stevie Nicks , Cheap Trick ‘s Rick Nielsen , Rick Springfield, Fear’s Lee Ving and violinist Jessy Greene will also join in on the fun. Tickets for the show go on sale today at 5:00PM PT/8:00PM ET at www.parkcitylive.net . [button href=”http://loudwire.com/dave-grohl-sound-city-documentary-sundance-premiere/” title=”Next: Watch the ‘Sound City’ Trailer” align=”center”]
ThreeDaysGrace.com The rock world was definitely in shock earlier today (Jan. 9), learning that not only was Adam Gontier exiting his post as singer of Three Days Grace , but that the band had already selected My Darkest Days frontman Matt Walst to replace him on their upcoming tour. The questions began to arise about My Darkest Days’ future as well, given that the band just bade farewell to longtime guitarist Sal Costa earlier this week. Even though the group had stated they were starting work on a new album, the major news about Walst joining his brother Brad’s band obviously followed the earlier new music discussion. With that in mind, Walst has posted a new Facebook message attempting to clear up some of the confusion and discuss his motivations about his work with both bands. It reads as follows: WHAT A CRAZY WEEK It has been a very emotional week for myself and the members of My Darkest Days. With the departure of Sal from the band I have to say that it has felt like I have been on a rollercoaster and I am not sure where the end is. When you are on the road with some one for the length of time that we were, you form a bond just like any other relationship and when one person walks away it is only natural to feel a wide range of things from sadness to anger. That being said please know that Sal chose to leave My Darkest Days and although we are disappointed we wish him the best of luck in his new life and his new endeavors. With every down there is an up! I am very excited to have the opportunity to share the stage with my brother Brad and the rest of the members of Three Days Grace on their Transit of Venus Tour. As most of you are, I was just as shocked as you to find out about Adam’s departure from 3DG. When asked, I was unsure at first as Adam, Brad, Neil and Barry have all been such huge influences on my life musically and personally. After some thought and a few sleepless nights I accepted. It has always been a childhood dream to share the stage with my brother and I get that opportunity on this upcoming tour. Adam is an amazing Singer, Performer and Role-model and all I can do is try and fill some enormous shoes. I wish him well in his recovery and hope to see him grace the stage again soon. With all that has gone on this week I want to assure everyone that My Darkest Days is stronger then ever! My bandmates are very excited for me and I have their full support. We have completed some songs that we are very excited about and my brothers, Brendo, Dougie and lil Reidy will continue to write with me while I am on tour. We are looking forward to putting out our third album and hope you are as excited about it as we are! Last but most important of all I want to thank all of you who have supported My Darkest Days in the past and continue to support us in the future. For those that have been there from the beginning and have stuck by us we thank you with all our hearts. For those who have just joined us we thank you. For those about to rock, we salute you! Matt Walst As previously reported, Three Days Grace have signed on for two legs of a co-headlining tour with Shinedown . The trek launches Feb. 1 in Moline, Ill. and continues through the end of March. Matt Walst will serve as vocalist of Three Days Grace for the entire run. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/shinedown-three-days-grace-add-second-leg-to-2013-co-headlining-u-s-tour/” title=”Next: See Where Three Days Grace Are Touring” align=”center”]
Mark Metcalfe, Getty Images / Men’s Wearhouse In part three of the Dave Mustaine vs. Men’s Wearhouse saga, the Megadeth guitarist scored a mention on a big-time news program. On Jan. 8, the tale of Mustaine’s public statement about how Men’s Wearhouse messed up a delivery made it all the way to CNN program ‘Anderson Cooper 360′ and the show’s ‘RidicuList’ segment. It was on a cold winter’s day that Dave Mustaine, filled with Christmas spirit, purchased a thoughtful present for Megadeth tour manager Jim Carroccio in the form of a gift certificate to Men’s Wearhouse. Unfortunately, the gift certificate wasn’t delivered on time, resulting in an amusing yet serious rant from the mind of Dave Mustaine posted on Megadeth’s Facebook page. Men’s Wearhouse apologized to Mustaine for the mishap, and CNN jumped in to cover the entire story. CNN host Anderson Cooper gave props to Mustaine for his hard work, legacy as one of thrash metal’s most important artists and even showcased a clip of Mustaine explaining the music theory behind the diminished fifth chord, also known as the “Devil’s Tritone.” Although Mustaine was given said respect, Anderson Cooper offered the witty line, “We are all old. You know that you’re old when one of the founding members of Metallica is upset about a customer service issue with a Men’s Wearhouse in Salt Lake City.” According to Cooper, Men’s Wearhouse did not respond to CNN inquiries about the debacle, leaving the host to playfully state, “Maybe they only like to tweet pioneers of thrash speed metal.” Funnily enough, Mustaine recently blasted CNN for claiming he still had a feud going with Metallica. This is actually the second time Dave Mustaine has been featured on ‘The RidicuList,’ so after you check out the CNN piece on the Mustaine vs. Men’s battle in the video below, click here for Mustaine’s first time on the list. Dave Mustaine Makes it Onto Anderson Cooper’s ‘RidicuList’ [button href=”http://loudwire.com/megadeth-dave-mustaine-rants-on-chemtrails-blasts-cnn/” title=”Dave Mustaine Rants on Chemtrails + Blasts CNN” align=”center”]
Theo Wargo, Getty Images The Black Keys were one of the top nominees when the Grammy Award nominations were announced last month and the band has confirmed they will take the stage to perform at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 10 in Los Angeles. The group is among the first confirmed performers for music’s biggest night. They’ll join alterna-rockers fun. and Mumford & Sons , pop star Rihanna and country favorite Taylor Swift in playing this year’s ceremony. The band received five nominations — Album of the Year and Best Rock Album for ‘El Camino’ and Record of the Year, Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song for ‘Lonely Boy.’ In addition, singer-guitarist Dan Auerbach also earned a solo nod as Producer of the Year. While ‘El Camino’ has been a stellar record for the band and the group still has plans to promote it on tour, the duo are also trying to stay ahead of the game and have set aside some time to record for their next studio album this month. Speaking with Uncut magazine (excerpted by NME ), Auerbach stated, “We’re going to start making the new album in the second week of January and we’re hoping to have it done by some time in March. Then we have a couple of weeks of touring, then we’re going to take the summer off, which we haven’t done in a while.” Although there is studio time blocked out, the vocalist admits, “The record isn’t written yet. We’ll do it when we get in the studio. This is when we both work best, when we’re dying to make an album. All of our records take place in the studio, in that we make stuff up while we’re there.” As for the touring that Auerbach spoke of, he’s referring to the handful of shows they have scheduled for the spring with the Flaming Lips . The short, four-date run consists of performances in Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, and the Black Keys’ home base of Nashville. The Black Keys / Flaming Lips 2013 Tour: 4/28 — Kansas City, Mo. — Sprint Center 4/30 — Pittsburgh, Pa. — Consol Energy Center 5/2 — Atlanta, Ga. — Aaron’s Amphitheatre 5/3 — Nashville, Tenn. — Bridgestone Arena [button href=”http://loudwire.com/the-black-keys-patrick-carney-married/” title=”Next: The Black Keys’ Patrick Carney Gets Married” align=”center”]
Paul Natkin, Getty Images The family of late and legendary Ozzy Osbourne / Quiet Riot guitarist Randy Rhoads have taken legal action over a coffee table book titled ‘Randy Rhoads’ that has allegedly been published using unauthorized materials. According to a fresh press release, the family of Randy Rhoads entered into an agreement with producer Peter Margolis in 2007 to construct a documentary film on the life of Rhoads. Although the deal had been made, Margolis himself was not granted ownership of any ideas or materials that would be used for the documentary, including photos, videos and sound recordings. The Rhoads family is now accusing Margolis, along with book co-authors Andrew Klein and Steven Rosen and publishing company Velocity Publishing Group Inc. of using the unauthorized materials for the ‘Randy Rhoads’ coffee table book. Margolis and Klein were expected to work with Dakota Films for an official Randy Rhoads documentary, with Margolis reportedly promising the film would be completed within three years. Margolis had reportedly claimed, as of early 2012, that the film was completed, but family members who watched portions of the documentary claim it was “edited poorly and unprofessionally,” adding that the quality of the film was “abysmal.” Rhoads’ mother, Delores, and sisters Kathryn and Kelle, now claim that the ‘Randy Rhoads’ coffee table book, which was co-authored by Andrew Klein and rock writer Steven Rosen, contains more that 50 instances where unauthorized materials were used. The Randy Rhoads Estate has reacted by filing a lawsuit against Peter Margolis, Andrew Klein, Steven Rosen and Velocity Publishing Group Inc. The family claims the long process and alleged “betrayal” has been especially hard on Randy Rhoads’ mother, Delores, who is now in her 90s. “He was a saint … He was an angel, and too good for this world,” says Delores Rhoads. “His death’s always on my mind. Every year at the anniversary of his birth and death, fans from all over the world gather at his grave site to honor his passing. We will never forget him. His musical legacy lives on in the minds and music of his many fans.” Stay tuned for future updates on the legal proceedings as news breaks. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/randy-rhoads-videos-that-rock/” title=”10 Randy Rhoads Videos That Rock” align=”center”]
Liz Ramanand, Loudwire The New England Metal & Hardcore Festival celebrates its 15 year of anniversary with a massive lineup for the 2013 installment, including headliners Anthrax , Opeth and Hatebreed . The three-day festival will be held once again at The Palladium in Worcester, Mass., on April 19, 20 and 21, not to mention a pre-party on April 18. The festival’s founder, Scott Lee, of MassConcerts, states, “I am excited with how far we have come and am ecstatic for this to be on our 15th year! It has been a long, interesting journey. We always try to make it a memorable event and we really hope you all enjoy the festival this year.” Other bands confirmed for this year’s festival include Suicidal Tendencies , Shadows Fall , Municipal Waste , Katatonia , the Contortionist and much more. See the current lineup below. Stay tuned for many more acts to be announced in the coming weeks! New England Metal & Hardcore Festival XV Lineup: Anthrax Hatebreed Opeth Suicidal Tendencies After The Burial Alpha & Omega Antagonist AD Ark of the Covenant Black Breath Born of Osiris The Contortionist Dead by Wednesday Death Before Dishonor Ensiferum Erra Exodus Expire Fit for an Autopsy Heidevolk Hellsot Holy Grail I Declare War Incendiary Katatonia Legion The Mongoloids Mother of Mercy Municipal Waste No Mercy Power Trip Rude Awakening Saving Grace Shadows Fall Suburban Scum Those Who Fear Trap Them Trollfest Twitching Tongues Tyr Within the Ruins Xibalba ?