Classic Rock News

Metallica has raised $4 million for charity in between the band’s recent Helping Hands benefit concert and 2021’s Metallica Blacklist tribute album.

Helping Hands, which took place in December, brought in $3 million for Metallica’s All Within My Hands Foundation, which supports causes including workforce education, and hunger and disaster relief.

The concert featured a rare acoustic set by the “Enter Sandman” metallers, as well as an electric performance, including the live debut of the ‘Tallica single “Lux Æterna.” Greta Van Fleet opened the show, while St. Vincent made a surprise appearance during Metallica’s rendition of “Nothing Else Matters.”

Meanwhile, the Metallica Blacklist album raised $1 million for charities chosen by artists who participated in the project, which features 53 covers of songs off Metallica’s 1991 Black Album in honor of its 30th anniversary. The first round of donations is going to charities picked by Weezer, Miley Cyrus, Ghost and Volbeat, among others.

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Scorpions is the latest band to join YouTube’s Billion Views Club. The rockers’ 1991 hit “Wind of Change” just surpassed 1 billion views on the site. 

“1 Billion views on the ‘Wind of Change’ video!!! What a milestone,” the band shared on social media. “Thank you to all the Rock Believers for watching.”

“Wind of Change” was featured on the German band’s 11th studio album, Crazy World, and topped the charts in several countries, peaking at four in the U.S. The lyrics, written by the band’s lead singer, Klaus Meine, celebrate the end of the Cold War.

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Journey is currently on their 50th anniversary tour, and it looks like there’s something special in store for fans going to their upcoming show in Austin, Texas.

Guitarist Neal Schon took to social media to tease what he’s calling a “special surprise” at the February 22 show in Austin. While he didn’t say anything else, fans think they know what it is.

Schon has said in the past that he was hoping to get Journey’s original keyboardist, Gregg Rolie, to join the tour. Fans think that’s what Schon’s teasing, especially since Rolie currently lives near Austin.

“Yes, a surprise… I wonder who lives in Texas,…hmmm, I wonder….who could it be??” one fan commented alongside a keyboard emoji, with another adding, “I’m gonna take a swing and say Mr. Rollie [sic] is gonna join you guys haha I hope my guess is right brother. Love it man, you deserve it.”

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While their contemporaries Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails are already in, Soundgarden and Rage Against the Machine still haven’t been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. This could finally be their year, though, as both the “Black Hole Sun” and the “Killing in the Name” rockers are among the 2023 nominees to be inducted.

Speaking with ABC Audio, Jason Hanley, Rock Hall’s vice president of education and visitor engagement, says, “Clearly, both of those bands are very, very deserving of the honor.”

In making Soundgarden’s case, Hanley says Chris Cornell and company “did do something different” from the rest of the bands of the ’90s grunge scene.

“They had a different rock sound that was maybe a little more rooted in heavy metal than some of the others,” he says.

Rage, meanwhile, was not only “impactful” with their political activism, but also with their “innovative” music.

“Tom Morello‘s guitar playing alone could get them inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame,” Hanley laughs. “Not to mention the great lyrics and the presentation of it, that mixed hip-hop style and rock.”

Soundgarden is a second-time Rock Hall nominee, while Rage has been on the ballot four times previously, the most for any artist among this year’s potential inductees.

“I think maybe the issue is these bands often keep ending up on the ballot with a lot of other new names that keep coming out,” Hanley says.

Indeed, eight of the 2023 nominees are on the ballot for the first time, including The White Stripes, Joy Division and New Order, Willie Nelson and Missy Elliott. Meanwhile, artists including Iron Maiden and Kate Bush are among returning nominees.

The 2023 Rock Hall inductees will be announced in May.

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Megadeth has been sued for copyright infringement by the person who created the artwork for the band’s latest album, The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead!

In the suit, which was obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, artist Brent Elliott White, who created art for previous Megadeth albums, alleges that the thrash metallers used his his work for the cover of The Sick “all without having paid [White] and without his permission.” It names Megadeth, frontman Dave Mustaine and the label Universal Music Group among the defendants.

When details of The Sick were first announced in June 2022, White claims that, “Without a signed agreement with Plaintiff in place and without paying Plaintiff anything for his work, Megadeth knowingly released Plaintiff’s artwork and — shockingly to Plaintiff — credited its lead singer, Dave Mustaine, for the album’s ‘Art Concept.'”

White says he then reached out to Universal Music Group, reiterating that they “don’t have a contract or art release or usage agreement.” White alleges that, “Defendants attempted to force Plaintiff to accept the same terms as for the first Megadeth album he provided artwork for,” which he had previously stated “would not be acceptable.”

By the time The Sick was eventually released in September 2022, White says he still did not have a contract or usage agreement with the defendants, thus they were using his artwork “without his permission.”

The suit also alleges that Megadeth improperly licensed White’s artwork to third parties.

“To date, Megadeth has still failed to pay Plaintiff for the work he performed for Megadeth,” the suit reads. “Moreover, Plaintiff has not been credited for his artwork.”

Reps for Megadeth and UMG have not responded to The Hollywood Reporter’s request for comment.

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Music producer Steve Albini recently went on a Twitter rant about how much he hates Steely Dan, and now other artists have chimed in on the debate.

“I will always be the kind of punk that sh*ts on Steely Dan,” he tweeted. “Christ the amount of human effort wasted to sound like an SNL band warm up.”

But apparently not everyone agrees with Albini’s take, with rockers like Jenny Lewis and St. Vincent, plus actor Ben Stiller, not afraid to show their love for the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers. 

“i f***ing love steely dan,” wrote Lewis, with Stiller commenting on her tweet, “Me too.” And St. Vincent agrees,  tweeting, “For the record – I F***ING LOVE STEELY DAN.” 

But not everyone disagrees with Albini’s take. Americana artist Jason Isbell chimed in that his wife, fellow Americana artist Amanda Shires, is anti-Steely Dan, too. He tweeted, “My wife hates Steely Dan so much she’s starting a fan group called the Albini Babies.” Albini responded, “Sir please pass on from me to your kind missus the highest appropriate compliment. She is a good woman. And now I’ll leave you be.”

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On this Day, February 8, 1975:

Bob Dylan’s fifteenth studio album Blood on the Tracks enters the Billboard 200 album chart, eventually peaking at number one. 

The album, Dylan’s return to Columbia Records after two albums with Asylum, featured such future classics as “Tangled Up in Blue,” “Idiot Wind,” “Shelter from the Storm” and others.

Considered one of Dylan’s greatest albums, Blood on the Tracks was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2015. It has made several best-of album lists, including Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list, landing at nine in 2020.

The album was certified double Platinum by the RIAA, and remains one of Dylan’s best-selling studio releases.

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As pioneers of heavy metal, Black Sabbath has inspired countless bands over the years. Now, the “Iron Man” outfit has inspired something a bit more unexpected.

England’s Birmingham Royal Ballet, based out of Ozzy Osbourne and company’s hometown, has announced Black Sabbath – The Ballet. The production will consist of three acts and will feature “re-orchestrated” versions of classic Sabbath tunes, including “Iron Man,” “Paranoid” and “War Pigs,” as well as “original new compositions” inspired by the band.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how this all develops!” says Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi. “Black Sabbath have always been innovators and never been predictable, and it doesn’t come any more unpredictable than this! I’d never imagined pairing Black Sabbath with ballet but it’s got a nice ring to it!”

Black Sabbath – The Ballet will premiere September 23 at the Birmingham Hippodrome theater. For more info, visit BRB.org.uk.

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Pat Benatar and husband Neil Giraldo have announced a new set of spring dates that will have them playing venues on the East Coast.

The eight-show run will kick off April 12 in Port Chester, New York, and wrap April 29 in Hollywood, Florida, with tickets set to go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. local time.

The new shows add to the pair’s already busy 2023. They kick off the year with an appearance at the annual Love Rocks Benefit in New York March 9 and will later spend part of their summer opening for Pink on her Summer Carnival stadium tour. Those shows kick off July 31 at Boston’s Fenway Park. 

For a complete list of Pat Benatar/Neil Giraldo dates, check out benatargiraldo.com.

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The late Warren Zevon is one of the 14 artists in the running for Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction this year. It’s his first nomination, and for many fans and folks in the industry, the wait has been way too long.

“Warren Zevon is an artist we have heard about a lot,” the Rock Hall’s Jason Hanley tells ABC Audio. “Many bands have come out and asked us why isn’t he in.” 

Zevon, who passed away in 2003, may not be as well known as some of this year’s other nominees, but he’s certainly made a big impact on his fellow artists. “Warren was not one of those guys the critics didn’t like. I mean, people loved his music at the time,” Hanley shares. He “influenced so many other artists and songwriters over the years.”

“I think it’s great, this is the first time he’s been nominated on the ballot, and I think a lot of fans have been asking for that,” Hanley offers. “I think you might see a lot of people, particularly voters … who are music historians, scholars and other inductees, are really gonna respect the work Warren Zevon has done over the years. So I think, he’s got a real chance to see a lot of votes.”

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