Newsbites: Thin Lizzy start recording

Ready to record: Warwick and Scott Gorham of Lizzy

Thin Lizzy will gather to start recording work today. Guitarist Damon Johnson tweeted last night: “Thin Lizzy enters the recording studio tomorrow with electric guitars and amps a-blazin’, and Brian Downey’s full drumkit.” Frontman Ricky Warwick recently said: “We’re all working really great together as a band. Let’s get in there and see what ideas we have and take it from there.” He added they won’t record a full album unless they “100 percent believe in” the material.

Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson has hailed the band’s audience in Charlotte, North Carolina, after the opening night of their 80s-themed US tour. “We had expected this to me a sort of lower-key warm-up show to get the production, pyro and stuff into shape – and ourselves too,” he reports. “But a crowd this loud and supportive soon blew the cobwebs away. Thank you, Charlotte.”

Godsmack have cancelled three European shows after singer Sully Erna was ordered to rest his voice for five days. Performances at the Rock A Field festival in Luxembourg, the Bataclan, France and Komplex 457 in Switzerland will not go ahead.

Kiss have released a short clip from upcoming single Hell Or Hallelujah. Listen here.

Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor has posted a screen grab online showing part of the storyline for the band’s upcoming double-album House of Gold and Bones. It reads: “It was the looks on their faces that chilled me to the bone. I’ve never looked into the eyes of a killer before. I’ve never had to deal with the cold, insane blankness that mingles with ferocity in the mind of the unhinged until that very moment. If I hadn’t known better I’d have told you they were staring right through me. The entire mob seemed to pulsate with strength and dark ideas. One of the closest to me stepped forward. ‘Are you 486?’ There was that question again. Maybe I was too tired to care at that point, or maybe I was letting my frustration of its leach. But I was fed up with the whole scenario. Fuck the consequences; I wanted answers. ‘What the hell does that mean?’ I knew I was going to have to fight, and a feeling was coming over me that really wanted to. The leader, who I had to presume was Black John himself, narrowed his eyes and said, ‘Are you for 86?’ I don’t know why I did it. But I was feeling… invincible in that moment. So I stepped in close slowly. Then, without warning, drove a fist to Black John’s face as hard as I could.”

Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi will be honoured at the second annual Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund Awards Gala in October in Hollywood. He’ll receive the King of Rock’n'Roll Award. The Dio Disciples will perform at the event.

Metallica have thanked fans after declaring their Orion Music And More Festival a success. Frontman James Hetfield says: “There’s quite a few bands on the bill that I’m not a fan of, but I respect the fact they’re good at what they do. All of the bands, we’re proud to have here. Opening the door for someone who might enjoy that music is part of what we’re doing as well.” The band performed their Ride the Lightning album in full on Saturday, followed by the Black Album on Sunday. During the weekend they played the track Escape live for the first time ever.