The Ronnie James Dio-led version of Black Sabbath, now known as Heaven And Hell are set to release their first album under that moniker. “The Devil You Know” will mark the first studio effort from Dio, Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi and Vinny Appice, since the Sabbath album, “Dehumanizer” from 1992. With song titles like, “Bible Black”, and “Eating the Cannibals”, it’s good to know that these metal gods are still leaning towards hell.
A possible Faces reunion is a story we’ve been following very closely here at the Heap. And nothing would make us happier. I’m sure our minds could be changed, but right now, we’re higher on this reunion than on the debacle that has become the Zep reunion tour. Ronnie Wood was quoted in Rolling Stone saying, “We had a few fantastic rehearsals last week and we’re ready to go. It’s like no time has passed by.” Wood went on to say, “We just have to sort out when and where and drop all of the management egos and just do what we can. We know we can do it. It’s just a matter of getting everyone’s availability sometime next year.” He also mentioned some possible new studio work, as well as having guest bassists to fill Ronnie Lane’s spot. Holy shit, is basically all we can say about a tour in 2009. The Heap is feeling very psyched.
Apparently Jimmy Page does have a shred of self respect and reverence for Led Zeppelin. Through his management company QPrime, Page has issued the following statement about his new “project”. “Whatever this is, it is not Led Zeppelin,” “Not without the involvement of Robert Plant.” Oh really? Thanks for the heads up Jimmy. Rockheap has an idea, why not dig up the corpse of David Coverdale and call it Coverdale/Page Part 2, since that went over so well. What? Coverdale is still alive? That makes it even easier. Page, Jones and Bonham have been holding rehearsals with singers including Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler. Word on the street is that experiment didn’t turn out too well. Myles Kennedy, lead singer of Alter Bridge also known as fake Creed, is also a possibility. A suggestion on what to call this mockery…Led Shitlin.
After a massively successful reunion tour last year featuring Genesis’ most popular line-up, the band is setting it’s sites on a full scale reunion featuring original lead singer/freakshow Peter Gabriel and guitarist Steve Hackett. Genesis is releasing a box set of Gabriel-era reissues and the band hopes to bring it’s reluctant and reclusive original lead singer back in the fold. “We’ve never said never about it, you know,” Genesis keyboardist Tony Banks told Billboard. “I know Phil (Collins) would be quite happy with the idea of just playing the drums; it would be quite fun for him. Mike (Rutherford) and I are certainly happy to do it. I know Steve (Hackett) is keen as well. I think it’d be down to Peter (Gabriel) more than anyone else.” Gabriel first suggested the idea of a Genesis reunion back in 2004, when he wanted the group to play the classic album The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway live. When Genesis finally did reunite, Gabriel being Gabriel, decided to work on a solo album. “I think we should do this before one of us dies; we’re not getting any younger, to quote one of the songs, so maybe one day it’ll happen,” Hackett said of a reunion. Gabriel was too busy speaking Klingon to a tree in his backyard to comment.
The Dead reunited for a one time gig last night at Penn State for an Obama benefit. The mixture of drug-lovin’ heads and intense security made for a strange mixture that left many on edge.
No, seriously. Get the Led out of my life. I didn’t think this situation could get any worse, but just take a look at the above picture. Who the F is that you ask? According to Billboard, that just might be the new lead songer of Led Zeppelin. His name is Myles Kennedy and he is the lead singer of Fake Creed. Technically they’re called Alter Bridge, but the band consists of everyone from Creed except that douchebag Scatt Stapp. If this happens and they actually bill themselves as Led Zeppelin, I’m going to snap my vinyl copy of Houses of the Holy in half and slit my wrists with it.
We’re hearing that Steven Tyler has been auditioning for the Zep reunion tour and is indeed a leading candidate. I’m not sure who this information makes me hate more – Page, for even considering this, Plant, for being such a pompous moron, or Tyler, for just sucking so damn much. Check out the above video for a possible preview of this trainwreck.
After Yes lead singer Jon Anderson made public his feelings on being temporarily replaced for Yes’s upcoming 40th anniversary tour, due to his illness, YES has remained silent, until now. Bassist Chris Squire is quoted as saying, “We’ve been together longer than most marriages. Jon will always be a member of Yes. I hope he has a full recovery and that he can come back.” Squire also went on to say that he hasn’t actually spoken to Anderson, but has sent him flowers and cards. What??? You dick. How about be a man and call, if you guys have been together for 40 years, don’t you think you owe him at least that?
“The Yes fan base in general has been very frustrated that Yes hasn’t been doing shows for four years,” Squire says. “Of course I wish him a full recovery, and I hope he’ll be well enough to come back at a later date. On the other hand, this might not happen. So we decided to look into, in my own words, getting an understudy for him to fill in.” Well the YES fanbase and RockHeap would like to actually see YES, not some bullshit mishmash and “understudy”. What is this Broadway or rock and roll? Pete was right, Rock is Dead.
The rumor mill has been in overdrive these past few weeks, with every rumor taken for fact “Zeppelin will tour this year”, “Page, Jonsey and Bonhnam will tour without Plant”. RockHeap Rules!”(OK that one is fact). But all these rumors came to a Hindenburg type ending twith this release: “Robert has no intention whatsoever of touring with anyone for at least the next two years,” a statement on Plant’s official website reads. “Contrary to a spate of recent reports, Robert Plant will not be touring or recording with Led Zeppelin. Anyone buying tickets online to any such event will be buying bogus tickets.”
Plant then added “It’s both frustrating and ridiculous for this story to continue to rear its head when all the musicians that surround the story are keen to get on with their individual projects and move forward,” Plant said. “I wish Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham nothing but success with any future projects.” Plant is currently on tour with Alison Krauss to promote their album Raising Sand. Wow, that sucks. Nothing more we can say.
David Gilmour says there will never be a full on Pink Floyd reunion. The British rock icon and one of the wealthiest musicians in all of the U.K. raised fans’ hopes when the band performed at the Live 8 charity concert in London in 2005. It was the first time in almost a quarter of a century that Gilmour and estranged bandmate Roger Waters had appeared onstage together. But apparently once was enough. “The gig itself was excellent, really enjoyable,” said the 62-year-old guitarist and singer from The Astoria, his houseboat/recording studio on the River Thames. “The rehearsals were less enjoyable. The rehearsals convinced me it wasn’t something I wanted to be doing a lot of.”
He has a famously testy relationship with bassist and singer Waters, who walked away from Pink Floyd in 1985. “There have been all sorts of farewell moments in people’s lives and careers which they have then rescinded, but I think I can fairly categorically say that there won’t be a tour or an album again that I take part in”. “It isn’t to do with animosity or anything like that. It’s just that I’ve done that. I’ve been there, I’ve done it.” Gilmour’s latest project is a solo album and tour, captured on “David Gilmour Live in Gdansk,” a double concert album and DVD to be released Sept. 23 on Columbia Records. Gilmour says he’s happy these days to play the old Floyd songs. “I don’t like the idea of going out without a new album, without some new music to play,” he said. “But people have come long distances and paid a lot of money to see a show. I want to give them a bit of what they expect and will enjoy”. He says music is “one of the important things in my life, but it’s not the only thing. My family are more important. If I had to give one up, I wouldn’t be giving my family up”.
