Adam Lambert will be on tour with Queen this summer, but not as an opener.

DAVID SILPA/UPI/Fotoglif

The American Idol star has been asked to fill the band’s vacant lead singer spot for the tour.

“The intention is to pay tribute to Freddie and the band by singing some…great songs,” Lambert told the Daily Star. “It’s to keep the music alive for the fans and give it an energy that Freddie would have been proud of.”

Lambert, 30, has received mixed remarks on the gig, with opponents saying the singer is trying to replace the great Mercury. “There’s no intention in my mind of replacing Freddie. That’s impossible,” he said.

“The way I’m choosing to view it is that it’s a great honor and one I’m in no way going to shirk.”

Queen’s surviving members Brian May, 64, and Roger Taylor, 62, met Lambert in 2009, when the singer performed with the band during the Idol finale. The performance sparked speculation that Lambert would join the band at some point. In November, the trio also played together in Belfast at the MTV Europe Music Awards, Rolling Stonereports.

Freddie Mercury died in 1991, but Queen recorded an album and went on a reunion tour in 2005 with Paul Rogers, 62, singer from the band Free.

With his sophomore album Trespassing out in March, Lambert has definitely shown he’s got it together and he’s ready for a big future.

“Being asked to front Queen is the best thing that can possibly happen.”

Source:Thecelebritycafe.com

The Darkness have posted a brand new song.

The track, titled Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us, is available as a free download from the band’s official website .

The band have already announced appearances at the Isle of Wight Festival on Sunday June 24 and Thetford Forrest on July 14. For tickets, visit Aloud.com.

The band will announce more UK dates and album news in the near future.

Tennessee quintet Framing Hanley have offered fans a glimpse behind the scenes of their recent recording sessions.

The band – frontman Nixon, guitarists Ryan Belcher and Brandon Wooteen, bassist Luke McDuffee and drummer Chris Vest – are currently demoing material for their follow-up to 2010′s A Promise To Burn. A release date has not been set.

Check out the video below, which features a clip of a new song entitled Crooked Smiles.

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Paramore has traveled to Los Angeles to meet with producers, setting the wheels in motion for the band to eventually begin recording their fourth full-length. Check out the update below:

“Well… It’s been about 4 months since we’ve written to you guys. Awkward! But honestly, this “off-time” has set the record for the longest amount of time we’ve ever spent off since before the couple of weeks we spent making our 1st full length album back in 2005.

Don’t kid yourself though. It hasn’t been all hangs and no hard work!

What the three of us want you to know is we are headed to Los Angeles next week to meet with a whole mess of really incredible producers. And we are – basically – bringing you along with us to find the one that will help us create our 4th full length album.

So, we’re taking a video camera with us to producer meetings, hotel recording sessions, and all of our LA adventures. If you don’t know, now you know, next week is a big deal for us and we are psyched to make you a part of it.”

We are sad to report that Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi has been diagnosed with the early stages of lymphoma.

It is cancer of the lymphatic system, a network of vessels that forms part of the body’s immune system.

“His bandmates would like everyone to send positive vibes to the guitarist at this time,” reads a statement on the band’s official Facebook page. “Iommi is currently working with his doctors to establish the best treatment plan; [he] remains upbeat and determined to make a full and successful recovery.”

Black Sabbath - whose line-up is completed by vocalist Ozzy Osbourne, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward - are currently working on their first album together in 33 years in a Los Angeles studio with producer Rick Rubin (Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers).

Further information will be released as soon as it becomes available. For more information on lymphoma, click here. Everyone at Kerrang! hopes that Tony makes a speedy recovery.

Source: Kerrang!

Former Killswitch Engage frontman Howard Jones has revealed the reasons behind his departure from the band on January 4.

In a statement posted on the band’s official website,www.killswitchengage.com, Jones says that he was recently diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.

“Well, I guess I will shed a little light without going too deep,” begins Jones. “As some of you may know, I’ve had a pretty interesting couple of years, to say the least, battling with some personal issues. One of the low points being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes that went unchecked for years. The rest of the band stuck with me through it, and, to be honest, they are the ones that kept me going. The whole experience definitely put a scare in me.

“Recently we’ve all been in writing mode, but somehow I couldn’t get excited about the new album and all the touring that would go with it. The guys saw it before I did. In hindsight, I now realize that my heart wasn’t in it. I have had an amazing decade with Killswitch Engage. I love [the band] for hanging in there and standing by me no matter how bad it was. I have so many good memories, and those are the ones that I will keep.

“Will I be involved in music again? Sure. I have been in bands for a little over half my life; can’t stop now. Until then, get the new Killswitch Engage album; it’s going to be good.

“Thanks, everyone, for letting me try to entertain you, and I wish myself well in my future endeavours.”

Source:Kerrang!

Killswitch Engage have announced that they have parted ways with vocalist Howard Jones.

The band have released a statement about Howard’s departure through their label Roadrunner Records.

“To our family, friends and fans: We have decided to continue on without Howard Jones as the singer of Killswitch Engage.”

“We love Howard and are thankful for the nine years that we’ve had him in the band. Out of respect for everyone involved we will not be discussing the specific reasons behind this decision. Howard is a part of our family and always will be, and we wish him well. He has left big shoes to fill, so we certainly have our work cut out for us to find the next singer of Killswitch, something we plan on making priority #1 going forward.”

“Most importantly, thanks to all of you for all the support throughout the years and for sticking by us for all this time. We really do appreciate it and we very much look forward to having a new record for all of you in the not too distant future that we can all be proud of.”

“Sincerely, Adam, Joel, Mike & Justin.”

Source: Kerrang!

Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith has joined forces with former SikTh vocalist Mikee Goodman for a brand new studio band called Primal Rock Rebellion.

The unlikely partnership began a couple of years ago, while Adrian was in between tours with Maiden and started writing with the vocalist for fun. The guitarist says that the project - who currently have no plans to tour at this stage - was a chance to experiment and explore new ideas.

“I’ve enjoyed having the freedom to work at a different pace – to experiment and to sharpen a fresh set of skills,” says Smith. “Mikee is a unique talent, and his performance sets the whole thing apart.”

“I feel we have achieved something special,” adds Goodman, “and Adrian is experimenting with so many heavy sounds. I’m proud to be a part of it.”

The self-titled debut will be released on February 27 through Spinefarm. I See Lights is available as a free download at www.primalrockrebellion.com.

Source: Kerrang!

Van Halen may still be cagey about whether they will release a new album on Interscope sometime in 2012, but they have announced plans to tour through the year with original frontman David Lee Roth. The band confirmed that they will be hitting the road in a video posted to their website yesterday, but they have not yet announced specific dates. Those dates should be revealed pretty soon, though – tickets for the first wave of shows will go on sale on January 10th.

Van Halen’s new album, their first with Roth since 1984, is rumored to be hitting stores sometime in early 2012. Roth previously reunited with his former bandmates for a world tour in 2007 and 2008, and the success of that outing paved the way for this more permanent reunion.

You can watch Van Halen’s tour announcement video below.

Steel Panthers 12 Days of Christmas!