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NEW BOOK, “IRON MAIDEN: ’80 ’81’, ” TELLS STORY OF THE LEGENDARY METAL BAND’S “PAUL DI’ANNO YEARS”

By the mid/late ’80s, Iron Maiden was unquestionably one of the biggest heavy metal bands on the planet – regularly headlining arenas/stadiums, each new album rocketing up the charts, and t-shirts sporting their ghastly mascot (Eddie) was one of the most popular fashion statements by metalheads. But by this point of their career, most of the band members were different than the ones that appeared on their classic 1980 self-titled debut album, while musically, they had transformed from a raw “punk metal” sound to a more refined “prog metal” approach.

Written by journalist/author Greg Prato, ‘Iron Maiden: ’80 ’81’ focuses solely on the early era of the band. Set up in an oral history format, interviews include Paul Di’Anno (Iron Maiden singer, 1978-1981), Dennis Stratton (Iron Maiden guitarist, 1979-1980), Wil Malone (‘Iron Maiden’ producer), Biff Byford (Saxon singer), Udo Dirkschneider (former Accept singer), Kim McAuliffe (Girlschool singer/guitarist), Brian Tatler (Diamond Head guitarist), Lips (Anvil singer/guitarist), Doro (Doro singer), Scott Ian (Anthrax guitarist), Charlie Benante (Anthrax drummer), David Ellefson (Megadeth bassist), Dave Lombardo (former Slayer drummer), Mike Portnoy (former Dream Theater drummer), Richard Christy (Death and Iced Earth drummer), Glenn Tipton (Judas Priest guitarist), Pete Way (former UFO bassist), and Eddie Trunk (That Metal Show co-host, radio DJ), among many others.

Available as a paperback version [$16.99], a Kindle download [$9.99], and a Nook download [$9.99], ‘Iron Maiden: ’80 ’81’ helps put it all into perspective.

Read an exclusive excerpt here.

Click on the highlighted links for ordering information:

Paperback and Kindle
Nook

SLASH TO RELEASE “LIVE AT THE ROXY 25.9.14” ON 3LP, 2CD, DVD AND BLU-RAY ON JUNE 15TH

On September 25th, 2014, shortly after the release of their World On Fire album, Slash featuring Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators took the stage at the legendary Roxy Theatre on Sunset Strip in West Hollywood.

The atmospheric venue, steeped in rock history, gave fans a brilliant opportunity to experience the band up close as they delivered a set packed with more recent solo tracks, including several from the new album, and classics from Slash’s earlier career with Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver. The intimate setting inspired the band to deliver a scintillating, dynamic performance, due for release on June 15th on 3LP set, as well as 2CD, DVD and Blu-ray.

Live At The Roxy 25.9.14 track listing:

1. Ghost
2. Nightrain
3. Back From Cali
4. You Could Be Mine
5. Rocket Queen
6. Bent To Fly
7. Starlight
8. You’re A Lie
9. World On Fire
10. Anastasia
11. Sweet Child O’ Mine
12. Slither
13. Paradise City

Additional tracks:

1. Stone Blind
2. You’re Crazy
3. Wicked Stone
4. 30 Years To Life

Slash featuring Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators will begin Spring tour dates on April 25th in Orlando, Florida and wrapping up on May 24th in Dallas, Texas. See their entire tour itinerary here.

OVERKILL SIGN WORLDWIDE DEAL WITH NUCLEAR BLAST, BOX SET DUE IN THE FALL

Overkill have signed a new worldwide deal with Nuclear Blast Records. Previously signed to the label for Europe only, the band’s first worldwide release on Nuclear Blast will be a special box set comprised of the band’s entire back catalog, due out this fall.

“Overkill is now a part of the Nuclear Blast family for the entire world,” states band manager John Finberg. “I have worked with the U.S. office on various projects as of late, and they have a true understanding of what to do and how to do it. This upcoming box set is the start of the next chapter in the band’s career.”

Adds Nuclear Blast label manager Gerardo Martinez, “Nuclear Blast is proud to announce a worldwide deal with OVERKILL. We’ve worked with them outside North America for the past few years, but it was time to extend the deal and have them join the North American family as well. Nuclear Blast America welcomes the legends!”

Overkill and Symphony X will team up for a North American tour in September/October. Advanced tickets for the confirmed tour dates below are on sale exclusively at EnterTheVault.com until April 15th, when they go on sale everywhere. VIP packages include a meet-and-greet session with both bands and an exclusive poster.

DEF LEPPARD’S JOE ELLIOTT SAYS “NOBODY ELSE..SEEMS TO BE COMING THROUGH TO TAKE OVER [ROCK N’ ROLL]”

Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott recently spoke with the Associated Press. Fox 411 posted highlights from the interview and they appear below.

AP: Is Jethro Tull’s song Too Old to Rock and Roll: Too Young to Die! still relevant?

Elliott: He was probably just in his late 20s when he wrote it. Now (Jethro Tull frontman) Ian Anderson is in his 60s and still making great music. … Age doesn’t matter anymore. That’s the one thing that’s become a pattern over the last seven or eight years, with (Paul) McCartney still out there and the (Rolling) Stones still out there, and even Aerosmith and AC/DC getting up there. Billy Joel, Elton John. These are people that have been around since the ’60s and they’re still selling stadiums out. There’s nobody else that seems to be coming through to take over. They’re not stepping aside, they’re fighting. They’re fighting us, and we’re fighting the generation below us.

AP: Why do you keep going back out on the road?

Elliott: My generation grew up watching bands live. Yeah, we loved albums, but we never thought about how they were made. They just appeared. And you’d see the tours being announced. … I think that’s what attracted me to it. Seeing those people onstage and how us down on the floor were looking and cheering and going crazy, thinking this is pretty cool. I’d like some of that. I think that it’s the attraction of playing in front of people and creating music so you can go out and do that is what keeps us going.

AP: Did you have any idea that you would remain relevant for so long?

Elliott: No, not at all. When we first got together in ’77, ’78, there was no such thing as a band that had been around for 35 years.

AP: How did the new album come about?

Elliott: We got together in February 2014 for a month with the full intention of … just recording a couple of songs, maybe putting out an EP. By the end of February, we got 12 songs written, so we (were) like ‘Oh, ahh, I think we’ve got an album here’ by accident rather than design.

AP: Will you play anything from the new album on this tour?

Elliott: We won’t be playing any new songs because they just end up on YouTube in a really bad version filmed on somebody’s iPhone. We’ll play them when the album comes out and not just let them drift out into the ether.

AP: Has there been a shift in the so-called “rock star” lifestyle?

Elliott: We weren’t monks in the 1980s, but we weren’t as bad as everybody made out. We aren’t as boring as people might think, but we’re not exactly Motley Crue. … When we were doing ‘Pyromania’ and ‘Hysteria,’ we were all single and we didn’t have kids. Now we’re all married with children, so life has changed. Music is very important, but family is more important. Let’s be honest, we have to juggle both. It’s a case of getting everybody onboard.

In addition to a new album, Def Leppard have announced a summer tour with Tesla and Styx. Tour dates can be found here. Also, the band announced that they will be hosting a Caribbean cruise in 2016 called, Hysteria On The High Seas. More information about this event can be found here.

additional source: foxnews.com/entertainment