David Lee Roth is confident Van Halen will record a new album and tour in the future, but he can’t say when.
Van Halen’s most recent album was 2012’s A Different Kind Of Truth, which was their first since reunited with Roth in 2007. They wrapped up a North American tour last year and have been quiet since. However, the frontman is sure there will be more to come from the band.
On The Roth Show, he said, “It’s not like my career path is going to get altered. I sort of know what the next 10 summers are going to bring – Eddie Van Halen aside, those are ups and downs.
I don’t know when we’re going to tour, but I have a sense that we will. I don’t know that we’re going to record again, when that’ll happen, but I have a sense that it’s gonna happen.”
Roth stirred rumours that he was ready to quit the band when he released a solo track this year called Ain’t No Christmas. It includes the lyrics “Quittin’ while you’re ahead ain’t quittin’, and I’m quittin’.”
Former Van Halen vocalist Sammy Hagar said in March he was ready to reconnect with Eddie Van Halen.
Guitarist Vinnie Moore released a new solo album titled, Aerial Visions back in October of 2015. He recently released a video for his cover of ZZ Top’s, La Grange, Watch it below.
As previously reported, former Megadeth drummer, Nick Menza, passed away at age 51, after collapsing onstage.
According to the the official report from the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner, Menza’s death was due to cardiovascular disease.
The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner said Menza died of natural causes. His cause of death was listed as hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
Menza is most remembered for being a part of what was deemed Megadeth’s “classic” lineup. He was in the band for nine years, and appeared on the band’s iconic albums, Rust In Peace and Countdown To Extinction.
Manowar have announced they will retire after an upcoming farewell tour.
Date and venues for The Final Battle tour have not yet been revealed, but it will begin in Germany, the band say in a statement.
The New York metal band say their most recent trek – the Gods And Kings world tour – was a groundbreaking moment in their career and they aim to go out on a high.
Manpower says, “Message To All Manowarriors. The Gods And Kings tour was a groundbreaking moment in our career. The stage, sound, video and you, our fans, were magnificent.
Coming off such an amazing tour it was clear that the next time we must go even bigger and beyond anything we have ever done – something that will fulfil every Manowarrior’s dreams.
Then that will be the ultimate moment to say thank you and farewell. The Final Battle will begin in Germany and take us all over the world to say goodbye to all of you.”
Manpower continue, “Those who join this tour will be left with an eternal memory, having witnessed the band that has dedicated their blood, hearts, souls and every moment of their career to true heavy metal.
We are calling all Manowarriors to prepare yourselves now and to join us for The Final Battle.”
Manowar’s most recent studio effort was 2014’s re-recording of their 1988 album Kings Of Metal.
Greg Prato of Brave Words spoke with singer Joe Lyn Turner. Excerpts from the interview appear below.
BraveWords: ..You have some upcoming US dates and European dates this summer.
Joe Lynn Turner: “Yes, we’re doing two quick ones [in the US] – one at Vamp’s in Vegas and then we’re hitting the Whisky in Hollywood, then I come back for about a week or whatever it is, and then mid-June, we go back out to Europe and continue doing some pretty big festivals, some private shows – all kinds of stuff.”
BraveWords: What can fans expect from these shows?
Joe Lynn Turner: “I think the ones in California…because I haven’t been out there in forever, I think will be mostly the Rainbow/Purple stuff – maybe with one or two originals mixed in. And doing some acoustic. When I do acoustic, I do a lot of influences – everything from the Beatles, the Doors, Van Morrison. Whatever my influences were when I was a kid. So it’s going to be a mixed set of different things. Nobody was out there doing the Rainbow stuff and people want to hear it, so I was carrying the torch. I think next year I’ll change the set up to be completely just solo stuff.”
BraveWords: Any forthcoming projects?
Joe Lynn Turner: “I’ve got what I call ‘the secret project’ right now – I’m working with a producer in Sweden. He’s pretty well known and has done some really great things, and he’s got his own band which is pretty well known. But at the same time, it’s going to be a different style for me. When I say ‘different style,’ I mean it’s going to be a different usage of the voice – in a way that’s more dark, heavy, yet still accessible. When I say ‘accessible,’ it’s a dirty word for commercial, but I’ve always been a melodic singer. I like singing melodies, I like people to remember the choruses, the hooks. But at the same time, it will be a darker sounding record. I’m hoping to go to Sweden for two weeks and lock ourselves into the studio and do about six or seven more songs, and we’ll know better where the direction is. Right now, I’m also promoting Sunstorm, which just put out Edge Of Tomorrow and a brand new video (see below). It’s doing very well – it was just released May 13th. I’m trying to get a tour on that, but it’s very difficult these days, because the economy. Money’s tight – promoters are only betting on sure things. So Frontiers Records offered us a show in Milan, but you don’t rehearse a band for a week and a half/two weeks to do one show. You want to take it out on the road. But the days of tour support are pretty much over. It’s a whole different paradigm.”
BraveWords: When do you think the ‘secret project’ album will be released?
Joe Lynn Turner: “There’s a lot of factors – that’s why I’ve put a distant date on it, of the fall of ’17, because we’re going to work this summer, and then we’re going to record, and we’re going to get some guest stars, and we’ve got a whole bunch of different plans. To put all that together is not easy – especially when he’s got schedules and I’ve got schedules. That’s the tough thing nowadays – everybody’s got to eat and have families. We’re not kids anymore and we’ve got responsibilities. So it’s not like you can just take a month off. I mean, you can – I usually do during the winter months, but I record during the winter months. But we’re trying to get the writing done, then during the winter months record it all, and then hopefully we might even make a spring release.”
Greg Prato of the Long Island Pulse spoke with drummer Jason Bonham. Portions of the interview appear below.
Pulse: How would you describe your dad’s [late Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham] personality?
Bonham: I was fourteen when he passed away. I knew him as a very shy guy. Very quiet. Didn’t really make much noise, yet, when the family was together and the drink was flowing, the alcohol would open him up a bit and it would make him a little bit more jolly and fun. But for the most part, dad was very calm and very quiet. Loved music. Loved to sit and listen to music at home. He was not the “Bonzo” [Bonham’s nickname] that everyone remembers—this wild guy that would throw TV sets through windows and trash hotel rooms. I never saw that side.
Pulse: Many point to your father as one of the greatest rock drummers ever.
Bonham: I saw the recent Rolling Stone thing—he was voted the best drummer of all-time. That’s a big category to be in, with so many different styles and so many amazing drummers. I appreciate them voting for him. But without a doubt, every drummer I’ve ever met, dad is in their top three. And they don’t always say the same top three, but dad is always in there.
Pulse: Why do you think Led Zeppelin’s music continues to resonate with subsequent generations?
Bonham: As I’ve gotten older I could still put that music on and it still stands up to anything when you play it—sonically, sound-wise. There’s still nothing ever like it, the way it was written. It was written outside the box.
I know it was different times then. But the way they were individually as players, how good they were individually and collectively as a band, it was even better. It’s funny—I was talking to Robert only an hour ago and we were going through some old fun stories. It was just nice to grow up as a part of this. Even though my father is not around, there is a certain calmness that I feel through the music and what people write to me and talk to me about, and the work that dad did for them. I’m very lucky that I get to go and play this great music and have fun with it. And play live—which is what I love, when young people and fans come out to see the show. So thank you, to everybody.
