Courtesy of Slayer – Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo has been dismissed from the band’s upcoming Australian trek after an ugly dispute over financial matters. [ Loudwire ] – Foo Fighters ‘ hiatus was a short one, as Dave Grohl revealed that he was planning to resume working with the band on a new album shortly. [ Loudwire ] – Papa Roach ‘s Jacoby Shaddix talks about making a connection through music and sober living in our exclusive video interview: [ Loudwire ] – Regardless of Randy Blythe ‘s legal matters, Lamb of God have booked their first show of 2013. [ Loudwire ] – Trent Reznor ‘s How to Destroy Angels have confirmed dates beyond their April concert debut at Coachella. [ Loudwire ] – What are the Best Rock and Best Metal Songs of 2013 so far? We provide our picks: [ Loudwire ] – Kiss are hitting the road north of the border, revealing their Canadian tour dates. [ Ultimate Classic Rock ] – Hawkwind ‘s founding member Nik Turner will perform the ‘Space Ritual’ album live in Los Angeles. [ Ultimate Classic Rock ] – Mumford and Sons and Adele are clearing space for more trophies after cleaning up at the 2013 BRIT Awards. [ Diffuser.fm ] – Recent Grammy winner Frank Ocean is pairing up with Depeche Mode ‘s Martin L. Gore on a track. [ Diffuser.fm ]
Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Legendary Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo has just detonated a pipe bomb regarding the thrash band’s business dealings and internal turmoil. One week ago, on Valentine’s Day, Lombardo was notified by the band’s lawyers that his services behind the kit would not be needed for Slayer’s upcoming Australian tour dates. The entire story feels beyond odd and incredibly cold, and Lombardo has detailed the sudden decision in an official statement. According to a Facebook post from Dave Lombardo’s personal account today (Feb. 21), the drummer alleges that there have been shady practices from the individuals who handle the business of Slayer. Lombardo explains that his efforts to secure more money for the band members themselves led to a butting of heads with guitarist Kerry King, and reveals he was ultimately dismissed from the Australian dates, which primarily consist of their run on the Soundwave Festival. Lombardo posted the following on his Facebook page: I want to personally apologize to all of our fans in Australia who have bought tickets for the tour expecting to see me in my usual place on the drums. So that you all know the truth, as of the end of the business day on February 14th, I was notified that I would not be drumming for the tour in Australia. I’m saddened, and to be honest I am shocked by the situation. Last year, I discovered 90% of Slayer’s tour income was being deducted as expenses including the professional fees paid to management, costing the band millions of dollars and leaving 10% or less to split amongst the four of us. In my opinion, this is not the way a band’s business should operate. I tried rectifying it by letting my band mates know, and Tom and I hired auditors to figure out what happened, but I was denied access to detailed information and the necessary back up documents. I spent the Christmas and New Year holidays realizing I had toured all over the world in 2012, but yet, had not been paid (except a small advance) or provided a proper accounting for a full year’s sweat and blood. On top of this, I was told that I would not be paid until I signed a long form contract which gave me no written assurance of how much or on what basis management would deduct commissions, nor did it provide me access to the financial budgets or records for review. It also forbade me to do interviews or make statements having to do with the band, in effect a gagging order. Last Monday, I sat down with Kerry [King] and Tom [Araya] to rehearse for Australia and to propose a new business model that I felt was the best way forward for Slayer to confidently protect itself so we could do what we do best . . . play for the fans. Kerry made it clear he wasn’t interested in making changes and said if I wanted to argue the point, he would find another drummer. On Thursday, I arrived at rehearsals at 1 pm as scheduled, but Kerry did not show. Rather, at 6:24 pm I received an email from the lawyers saying I was being replaced for the Australian dates. I remain hopeful that we can resolve our issues. But once again, I sincerely apologize to all of our fans in Australia who spent their money expecting to see the 3 of us original Slayer members. I look forward to seeing you in the future. Sincerely, Dave Lombardo As for Lombardo’s replacement, according to a Tweet from Soundwave Festival promoter AJ Maddah, Jon Dette will be manning the drums for Slayer while the band is playing Australia. Dette previously handled drum duties for Slayer in 1996 and 1997. It was also recently revealed that Dette would be filling in for Anthrax ‘s Charlie Benante for the same Australian Soundwave shows, after Benante was forced to take a break due to “ personal issues .” As far as the future of Slayer is concerned, the band is working on a new album, but with guitarist Jeff Hanneman still recovering from a spider bite and Lombardo being kicked off the Australia tour, things seem up in the air right now. We’ll be sure to keep you updated as news on the Slayer situation continues to break. Update: Slayer have issued a statement on the matter. It reads as follows: Slayer confirms that Jon Dette (Testament) will drum for the band on its Australian tour that starts this Saturday, February 23 in Brisbane. As regards Dave Lombardo’s Facebook post, Slayer does not agree with Mr. Lombardo’s substance or the timeline of the events, except to acknowledge that Mr. Lombardo came to the band less than a week before their scheduled departure for Australia to present an entirely new set of terms for his engagement that were contrary to those that had been previously agreed upon. The band was unable to reach an agreement on these new demands in the short amount of time available prior to leaving for Australia. There is more to the account than what Mr. Lombardo has offered, but out of respect to him, Slayer will not be commenting further. Slayer is grateful to its Australian fans for their understanding of this unfortunate last-minute change, and very much looks forward to seeing them at these shows. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/slayer-kerry-king-next-album-out-this-year/” title=”Slayer’s Kerry King ‘Very Comfortable’ Saying New Album Will See 2013 Release” align=”center”]
Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Legendary Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo has just detonated a pipe bomb regarding the thrash band’s business dealings and internal turmoil. One week ago, on Valentine’s Day, Lombardo was notified by the band’s lawyers that his services behind the kit would not be needed for Slayer’s upcoming Australian tour dates. The entire story feels beyond odd and incredibly cold, and Lombardo has detailed the sudden decision in an official statement. According to a Facebook post from Dave Lombardo’s personal account today (Feb. 21), the drummer alleges that there have been shady practices from the individuals who handle the business of Slayer. Lombardo explains that his efforts to secure more money for the band members themselves led to a butting of heads with guitarist Kerry King, and reveals he was ultimately dismissed from the Australian dates, which primarily consist of their run on the Soundwave Festival. Lombardo posted the following on his Facebook page: I want to personally apologize to all of our fans in Australia who have bought tickets for the tour expecting to see me in my usual place on the drums. So that you all know the truth, as of the end of the business day on February 14th, I was notified that I would not be drumming for the tour in Australia. I’m saddened, and to be honest I am shocked by the situation. Last year, I discovered 90% of Slayer’s tour income was being deducted as expenses including the professional fees paid to management, costing the band millions of dollars and leaving 10% or less to split amongst the four of us. In my opinion, this is not the way a band’s business should operate. I tried rectifying it by letting my band mates know, and Tom and I hired auditors to figure out what happened, but I was denied access to detailed information and the necessary back up documents. I spent the Christmas and New Year holidays realizing I had toured all over the world in 2012, but yet, had not been paid (except a small advance) or provided a proper accounting for a full year’s sweat and blood. On top of this, I was told that I would not be paid until I signed a long form contract which gave me no written assurance of how much or on what basis management would deduct commissions, nor did it provide me access to the financial budgets or records for review. It also forbade me to do interviews or make statements having to do with the band, in effect a gagging order. Last Monday, I sat down with Kerry [King] and Tom [Araya] to rehearse for Australia and to propose a new business model that I felt was the best way forward for Slayer to confidently protect itself so we could do what we do best . . . play for the fans. Kerry made it clear he wasn’t interested in making changes and said if I wanted to argue the point, he would find another drummer. On Thursday, I arrived at rehearsals at 1 pm as scheduled, but Kerry did not show. Rather, at 6:24 pm I received an email from the lawyers saying I was being replaced for the Australian dates. I remain hopeful that we can resolve our issues. But once again, I sincerely apologize to all of our fans in Australia who spent their money expecting to see the 3 of us original Slayer members. I look forward to seeing you in the future. Sincerely, Dave Lombardo As for Lombardo’s replacement, according to a Tweet from Soundwave Festival promoter AJ Maddah, Jon Dette will be manning the drums for Slayer while the band is playing Australia. Dette previously handled drum duties for Slayer in 1996 and 1997. It was also recently revealed that Dette would be filling in for Anthrax ‘s Charlie Benante for the same Australian Soundwave shows, after Benante was forced to take a break due to “ personal issues .” As far as the future of Slayer is concerned, the band is working on a new album, but with guitarist Jeff Hanneman still recovering from a spider bite and Lombardo being kicked off the Australia tour, things seem up in the air right now. We’ll be sure to keep you updated as news on the Slayer situation continues to break. Update: Slayer have issued a statement on the matter. It reads as follows: Slayer confirms that Jon Dette (Testament) will drum for the band on its Australian tour that starts this Saturday, February 23 in Brisbane. As regards Dave Lombardo’s Facebook post, Slayer does not agree with Mr. Lombardo’s substance or the timeline of the events, except to acknowledge that Mr. Lombardo came to the band less than a week before their scheduled departure for Australia to present an entirely new set of terms for his engagement that were contrary to those that had been previously agreed upon. The band was unable to reach an agreement on these new demands in the short amount of time available prior to leaving for Australia. There is more to the account than what Mr. Lombardo has offered, but out of respect to him, Slayer will not be commenting further. Slayer is grateful to its Australian fans for their understanding of this unfortunate last-minute change, and very much looks forward to seeing them at these shows. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/slayer-kerry-king-next-album-out-this-year/” title=”Slayer’s Kerry King ‘Very Comfortable’ Saying New Album Will See 2013 Release” align=”center”]
Dimitrios Kambouris / Larry Busacca, Getty Images Tom Morello may not be rocking with Rage Against the Machine at the moment, but the guitarist has found another tour that will keep him occupied. Morello has agreed to play in Bruce Springsteen ‘s band for their upcoming Australian tour while regular guitarist Steven Van Zandt (above, right) takes a break to shoot episodes of his television series ‘Lilyhammer.’ The admiration between Tom Morello and Bruce Springsteen has been there for years, and the guitar great has frequently joined Springsteen for performances of ‘The Ghost of Tom Joad,’ a song that both ‘The Boss’ and Rage have recorded as part of their catalogs. In addition, Morello turned up on multiple recordings on Springsteen’s most recent album, ‘Wrecking Ball.’ The RATM axeman has also signed on to perform at the 2013 MusiCares benefit tribute saluting Springsteen next month in Los Angeles. For those wondering, Morello will perform on shows between March 14-31, with multi-night stops in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Macedon along the way. Little Steven is expected to resume his guitar duties with Springsteen’s band beginning Apr. 29 in Oslo, Norway. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/tom-morello-unsure-if-rage-against-the-machine-will-ever-perform-again/” title=”Next: Tom Morello Unsure of Rage Against the Machine’s Future” align=”center”]
Kevin Winter, Getty Images We now know that Black Sabbath ‘s as-yet-untitled new album is set to be released in April of 2013. Last night (Oct. 31), guitarist Tony Iommi was interviewed at the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund awards in Hollywood, and he gave an update on the album’s progress. Iommi told Eric Blair (watch below) that previous reports that he had finished the guitar parts for the album are not true. “That’s wrong. When Ozzy said it [in a recent interview], I think he meant what we’ve done. We’ve written 15 songs and we’ve played them all. But now, at the moment, we’re recording them. We recorded them at my house first, in England, just as demos, but now we’re doing them for real. So we’re about six tracks in now, at the moment.” Geezer Butler, Ozzy and Iommi are all part of Sabbath’s new album, but after a contract dispute, drummer Bill Ward is not. Iommi says although they might play together in the future, it won’t be on this album. “We’ll always have a heart for Bill, but I think it’s gone past that now, because it’s gone on so long that I don’t see that happening at the moment. Maybe at some point we might [play together again].” The purpose of last night’s event was to raise money and awareness for the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund. Having battled cancer himself recently, Iommi was happy to receive the ‘King of Rock N’ Roll’ award. “Well, I’m a survivor up until now. I’m still very new to it. It’s great that there’s somebody doing something about it and trying to get rid of this awful disease. You can’t praise it enough. Things like this is what is needed to make people aware of what is going on.” Iommi shared a favorite memory of Dio. “Oh, I’ve got a lot of memories of Ronnie. We had some great times. Particularly when we’d done the last album with Ronnie [‘The Devil You Know’] and the last tours, it was a whole new world. We had such a great time and we were looking forward to doing another album. So there’s a lot of great memories of Ronnie.” In addition to the album release month, Sabbath also announced they will be doing an Australian tour in late April and early May of 2013. And if that weren’t enough Black Sabbath news for one day, they also confirmed that they will be headlining the second night of the inaugural Ozzfest Japan in May of 2013. Watch Eric Blair Interview Tony Iommi [button href=”http://loudwire.com/black-sabbath-new-album-april-2013-australian-tour-dates/” title=”Next: Black Sabbath Announce April 2013 Release for New Album” align=”center”]
Chris Hyde, Getty Images Craig Nicholls, frontman for the Vines, has been arrested in Australia after an apparent bizarre attack on his parents. The vocalist, who suffers from Asperger’s syndrome, reportedly punched his mother twice in the head and injured a police officer who attempted to detain him. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the rocker attempted to flee when police arrived on the scene and officers eventually used capsicum spray to subdue the singer. Inspector Robert Duncan told the paper, “He tried to evade police and [a] violent struggle ensued. A police officer suffered grazes, cuts and bruises to both elbows and knees and was treated at St. George Hospital.” Nicholls was charged with five offenses, including two counts of domestic assault, stalking or intimidation, resisting arrest and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. His parents took out an apprehended violence order against the singer, which is the Australian equivalent to a restraining order for those who feel they are in danger of bodily harm. The Vines were part of the garage rock explosion of the early 2000s that brought acts like the White Stripes, the Hives and the Strokes to prominence. However, Nicholls’ erratic behavior became an issue and eventually he was diagnosed with Asperger’s. The group’s ability to tour extensively has been hampered as a result, but they still managed to put out several records in the years that followed. Their fifth album, ‘Future Primitive,’ arrived last year. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/musician-mug-shots/” title=”Next: See Musician Mugshots” align=”center”]
Slash‘s love of animals has given the guitar great a new mission. While on a trip to Australia, he took wildlife warrior Bob Irwin up on an invite, but left the meeting by signing on to aid Irwin’s new conservation initiative. ? The Australian reports that Irwin, who is the father of late ‘Crocodile Hunter’ host Steve Irwin, reached out to the guitarist when he learned the tour was coming