C101 HITMAN ROCK REPORT

The first single "My Only Angel" came out last month, but the band decided to take another swing at it, adding a long-time friend to the mix. Reaching out to comedian (and banjo legend) Steve Martin, the band felt he had something to add to the track.

Slash doesn't think the Las Vegas Sphere is rock 'n' roll friendly because of the focus on projected visuals.  He says Joe Walsh, who's played there with the Eagles, agrees.

Head bangers, get ready. Iron Maiden has announced they're bringing their "Run For Your Lives Tour" to North America in 2026, and they won't be alone. Megadeth will be on all shows, and Anthrax will open the bigger shows.

Ace Frehley was laid to rest on Wednesday in New York City.  The small, private ceremony was attended by the other three original members of KISS:  Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, and Peter Criss.

40 years on, Axl Rose is still gonna be Axl Rose. The fiery Guns n' Roses frontman showed that he can still engage in some attitude on stage at the band's recent concert in Buenos Aires.

More names have been added to the growing list of performers and presenters for the upcoming Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

UPDATE 10/21/25: Two more men have been arrested in connection with the death of Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins.

Judas Priest just engaged in a significant bit of philanthropy. The legendary band wrote a check for $100-thousand to the Los Angeles Fire Department before their show at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles on Sunday.

Slipknot have filed a lawsuit against an alleged cybersquatter who's been using the URL slipknot.com to advertise counterfeit merchandise for nearly a quarter-century, Billboard reports.

Perhaps they read the Rush subreddit, where fans were complaining about the limited number of shows and tickets available for the band's "50 Something" tour. Yesterday, Rush announced the addition of 17 more shows to their 2026 reunion tour, the second time they've added dates to the upcoming trek.

We've heard from Neal Schon. We've heard from Jonathan Cain's reps. Now let's hear from Cain himself on the conflicting, confusing stories about his status in Journey.

Limp Bizkit bassist Sam Rivers died Saturday, at the age of 48.  There's no word on the cause of death, but he did have liver disease.  He took a hiatus from the band in 2015, but returned in 2018, following a transplant.

KISS co-founder and original guitarist Ace Frehley has passed. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer had what was first described as a "minor fall" in his home studio last month, but as the weeks passed and more concert dates were canceled, fans grew concerned. Yesterday, the shocking news came that Ace had been put on life support and the prognosis was not good. Hours later, his family announced that the guitar legend had passed away.

Disturbed have now issued a statement after their Belgian concert originally scheduled for Brussels on Oct. 15 was called off with local officials citing safety concerns.

It seems as though the concert may be turned into an annual memorial event to honor the life and legacy of Ozzy as an application has been submitted to trademark the "Back to the Beginning" name in the U.S., according to U.K.'s Mirror. 

Following the success of the first two, Iron Maiden is getting a third volume in the "The Official Iron Maiden Colouring Book" series. "Volume III" is specifically designed to celebrate the band’s 50th anniversary, and their "Run for Your Lives Tour."

LYLVC rocked the house at Brewster Street Icehouse last night wrapping up their tour with Saliva. I recently asked Alyse from LYLVC that her day job is a hacker?

There's a lot of Nickelback hate out there (though Ryan Reynolds is a staunch defender), but if you're one those that slags the band, you at least have to recognize that Chad Kroeger is a beast.

A tribute to Ozzy Osbourne utilizing over 10-thousand pumpkins has caught the attention of his family. A massive pumpkin mural made in honor of the late legend at Sunnyfields Farm in Totton, Hampshire, England is made entirely of black, white and orange pumpkins.

It was a heavy metal wedding, from the bride and groom to the officiant to the guests. Anthrax/Pantera drummer Charlie Benante and Butcher Babies/The Violent Hour singer Carla Harvey were wed over the weekend.

Police have now reportedly arrested two men in the prison attack on former Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins that claimed his life.

It seems like everything Journey does ends in some sort of disagreement. On Thursday, Neal Schon said in a social media post that Jonathan Cain had "announced his farewell" from the band.

It's been 17 years; almost time for a new Guns N' Roses album, right? It was 17 long years between 1991's "Use Your Illusion I & II" albums and 2008's "Chinese Democracy" (not counting their covers album, 1993's "The Spaghetti Incident?" So, quick math tells us that it's been 17 years since their last collection of original tunes. So....? Isn't it time?

We'd heard from Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee about the 2026 Rush tour, but one voice remained silent: new drummer Anika Nilles.

Chevelle frontman Pete Loeffler and drummer Sam Loeffler revealed in a podcast episode that they haven't spoken to their brother and ex-bandmate Joe Loeffler in 20 years.

On Tuesday, Gene Simmons landed in the hospital when he passed out behind the wheel of his Lincoln Navigator in Malibu, crossed several lanes of traffic, and hit a parked car.

The legendary trashed home from Slipknot's "Duality" video is about to go on the auction block again, according to The Des Moines Register.

For heavy metal fans looking for that one-of-a-kind conversation piece, have we got news for you. Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler is giving fans a chance to own a piece of history.

Bring Me The Horizon has announced their "N. American Ascension Program 2" tour for April and May 2026 with Motionless In White, The Plot In You and Amira Elfeky. The tour kicks off April 28th in Toronto and includes a show at New York City's Madison Square Garden on May 2nd.

Rush is back, for a "fifty-something" anniversary tour next year.  Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson will be joined by German drummer Anika Nilles, who has the unenviable task of sitting in for the late Neil Peart.

When Chris Daughtry set out to finish his latest EP, Shock to the System (Part Two), he admitted that it felt like a daunting task.

Dickinson has been tapped to sing the National Anthem prior to tomorrow night's Los Angeles Kings-Colorado Avalanche hockey game at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles as part of the National Hockey League's first day of regular-season play.

In a recent interview with Des Rocs I asked him what his dream duet would be with and you would be surprised who he says it would be! Check out the full interview on "Classic Hitz" with Hitman #podcast on the @iHeartRadio app!

The Smashing Pumpkins' breakout album "Melon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" turns 30 years old later this month.

We just got new music from Judas Priest last week (the charity single "War Pigs" featuring Ozzy Osbourne), but fans will be psyched to know there's more new music coming.

Nine Inch Nails will return for their second leg of North American tour, announcing their first 20 tour dates of 2026.

Earlier this year, Alice Cooper reunited with his original band for the first time since the early 70s, and the resulting album, "The Revenge of Alice Cooper," was a critical and commercial success.

A federal court has ruled in favor of the members of Nirvana in a case brought by Spencer Elden, the now grown man who was the naked baby that appeared on the band's iconic 1991 album cover for Nevermind.

It's a long way from Sheffield, England to Hollywood, but Def Leppard has finally made it. The legendary band will receive their long-overdue star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame on Thursday, October 9th at 11:30AM Pacific in front of the Capitol Records building.

Axl Rose is getting his own comic book series - sorry, graphic novel series. The Guns N' Roses singer has teamed up with Sumerian Comics to launch a brand-new multi-volume graphic novel series, "Axl Rose: Appetite For Destruction."

Evanescence's Amy Lee caught up with Loudwire's Kat Mykals backstage at the 2025 edition of the Louder Than Life festival. This exclusive conversation aired on our radio show, Loudwire Nights, on Monday (Sept. 29).

Avenged Sevenfold were set to launch their late 2025 South American tour this past Thursday (Sept. 25) in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

It's been 40 years since Motley Crue's landmark album "Theatre of Pain" came out (June 1985, to be exact), and to mark the occasion, the band has announced the release of a 40th anniversary box set.

Ace Frehley's show tonight in Lancaster, California has been cancelled after the guitar icon suffered what has been described as a "minor fall." The news broke in a statement to his socials.

The long-awaited official version of "War Pigs" that pairs up Judas Priest and Ozzy Osbourne is now out. The cover of the Black Sabbath classic has been teased for months, and with its release hopes to both thrill fans and do some some good for a couple of charities along the way.

A mom who attended Riot Fest with her son is thanking Green Day after becoming separated from the boy at the festival on Sunday (Sept. 21).

If ever there was a venue tailor-made for the legendary Freddie Mercury, the Sphere in Las Vegas is it. Even with Freddie gone, the members of Queen would love to bring their live show to the Sphere's stage.

Ghost canceled their Mexico City show last night (Sept. 23) minutes before they were set to take the stage. The venue shared a message with the crowd and then the band posted a statement on social media revealing that Tobias Forge had fallen ill.

More than a quarter-century into their career, Creed has announced they're releasing their first "greatest hits" collection. The career-spanning retrospective, "The Best of Creed," will cover the hits from all four of the band's studio albums,

Mudvayne officially reunited in 2021, but singer Chad Gray says we're now reaching a period where the one essential necessity of his return to the group is coming into play. The band most recently released their first new music in 16 years and it's something the singer is grateful for.

My Chemical Romance are taking The Black Parade into 2026, revealing both a U.K. and European leg of touring followed by another North American leg taking place next year.

Las Vegas turned into the ultimate music playground this past weekend as the iHeartRadio Music Festival lit up the T-Mobile Arena. For two nights, fans were treated to everything from nostalgic throwbacks to fresh new anthems from some of the world’s biggest stars.

Def Leppard are about to take fans back to their hometown of Sheffield, England, in the just-announced "Diamond Star Heroes Live From Sheffield."

As you might expect, Aerosmith's Steven Tyler, Joe Perry and collaborator Yungblud all receive writing credits on the new song "My Only Angel," but there is still one other writer on the song. Do you recognize the name Matt Schwartz, who also served as producer on the song?

Something is happening with My Chemical Romance as the band's fans have reportedly seen hints popping up in various U.S. cities.

Sammy Hagar was on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" and gave his thoughts on July's "Back To The Beginning" Black Sabbath farewell event. During the interview he mentioned one performance he loved (Yungblud) and one he was disappointed by (his own).

Fans were excited when it was revealed that Aerosmith and Yungblud had a new collab coming out; imagine how happy they'll be now that it's been announced that it won't be just one song, it'll be a five-song EP.

Aerosmith is back! Just days after teasing...something...on Instagram with a video clip of Steven Tyler hugging Yungblud and singing "We got a secret!"...the secret is out, and it's new music!

He's a Brit; he's heavy metal, so the choice of Bruce Dickinson to perform the National Anthem before the Pittsburgh Steelers-Seattle Seahawks game Sunday may seem like an odd one, but the Iron Maiden singer was up to the task.

It’s been almost two months since metal’s reigning Prince of Darkness died (on July 22, 2025), and this past Friday – Sept. 12 – Sharon Osbourne took to social media to thank fans for their “overwhelming love and support” as part of her first public statement since Ozzy’s death.

Over the weekend, Neil revealed that those health issues were in fact a stroke. In an interview with the "Las Vegas Review-Journal," Neil explained he woke up the day after Christmas in bad shape. "I had a stroke," Neil revealed. "My whole left side went out." The singer explained he went to bed feeling fine Christmas night, but when he woke up, his whole world had changed.

Limp Bizkit are officially back with new music, releasing a track that was recently teased through a TikTok drummer called "Making Love to Morgan Wallen."

Back in July we told you that everybody in Jane's Addiction that isn't Perry Farrell were suing the singer for last year's on-stage fight (and the fallout). Farrell responded with a countersuit, and this week the nuts and bolts of that countersuit were made public.

In this era of farewell tours and reunion shows, the latest one has hair metal fans excited. Twisted Sister has announced they're reuniting for a 50th anniversary tour in 2026.

On Wednesday (Sept. 10), Filter's Richard Patrick joined Loudwire Nights to dive into his band's latest album, the re-release of 2023's The Algorithm as The Algorithm: Ultra Edition — and he even had some thoughts to share on Filter's next record.

System of a Down have just announced their first tour dates of 2026. The seven-show trek will takes place in Europe, featuring support from alt-rock icons Queens of the Stone Age and the recently reunited New Orleans sludge battalion Acid Bath.

While there was almost universal praise for the Ozzy Osbourne tribute at this week's VMAs, one musician was not shy about voicing a dissenting opinion. Dan Hawkins, guitarist for The Darkness, was not kind in his comments about the performance by Yungblud, Steven Tyler, Joe Perry and Nuno Bettencourt.

Kelly Osbourne has found her smile again. The 40-year-old daughter of Ozzy Osbourne shared on social media over the weekend that she has found a new hobby that is making her happy: falconry.

Godsmack's Sully Erna says Aerosmith needs a fitting finale to their legendary career. The singer was doing a radio interview when the subject of the Boston band came up. Erna expressed his dismay that, at present, the band isn't planning a grand farewell.

Creed have just announced their final shows of 2025, which will take place the week before and after Christmas. The series of events has been dubbed Creedmas and will feature Sevendust on four of the five dates with Hinder performing at another.

During an interview on the red carpet last night (Sept. 7) at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs), Nuno Bettencourt revealed the last thing Ozzy Osbourne told him before his death in July.

There may be some new Limp Bizkit music on the way and we've got a TikTok drummer to thank for giving us our first taste.

Ozzy Osbourne will receive another all-star tribute during this Sunday's MTV Video Music Awards, with Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, Extreme's Nuno Bettencourt and punk star Yungblud honoring the recently departed metal legend.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has turned to AC/DC in their mission to protect cattle in Oregon and California. Drones with thermal cameras are used to identify nearby wolf packs. Loudspeakers in those drones can also throw out sounds to send the wolves running.

Saving Abel's Jared Weeks joined Loudwire Nights on Tuesday (Sept. 2) to dive into his band's new music as well as open up about why it's so important for him to stay healthy these days.

Six weeks after Ozzy Osbourne's death, Pink Floyd's Roger Waters has criticized the heavy metal legend for bringing "hundreds of years" of "idiocy and nonsense" into the culture, prompting an angry reply from Osbourne's son Jack.

Having recently announced their eighth studio album, Alter Bridge are now dropping the first song from the disc while also revealing the details of their first U.S. tour in support of the record.

The obituary for former Mastodon guitarist/vocalist Brent Hinds – who died tragically in a motorcycle accident on Aug. 20, 2025 – has been posted, offering a heartfelt remembrance of the revered musician before concluding: “A celebration of life will be held in Atlanta at a later date.”

A man was ejected from a Korn show in New Jersey last week for pleasuring himself.  But not before another fan jumped down from another row and punched him in the head.

There’s been a lot happening in the Cradle of Filth camp over the last week, with keyboardist/vocalist Zoe Federoff quitting mid-tour and her husband – guitarist Marek "Ashok" Smerda – being fired shortly thereafter.

Veteran rock drummer Josh Freese has opened up about his firing from Foo Fighters earlier this year.

Breaking Benjamin drummer Shaun Foist has announced he's stepping down from the group for the time being as he focuses on a disease that's been impacting his health in recent years.

Music fans of a certain age recognize that the music they grew up with, hair metal, rarely gets the credit they feel it deserves. The bigger the hair, the less seriously the "establishment" takes it, even four decades later.

Mudvayne have just dropped "Hurt People Hurt People," their first new song since releasing their self-titled album in 2009. The announcement officially ends all speculation about whether or not the group, who reunited in 2021, would eventually return to the studio to writer new material.

Back in April, Zak Starkey leaked an all-star cover of T-Rex's "Children of the Universe," a song he intended to benefit the Teenage Cancer Trust. At the time, he was imploring the song's participants to get on board the song's release. Update: he's still knocking on Axl Rose's door.

When Mudvayne embark on a tour to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their debut album next month, one fan each city can get a VIP "makeup experience" with Chad Gray - for $3,000.

The WWE's Becky Lynch has managed to cross Kelly Osbourne, and Kelly put the wrestler on blast for it. While appearing on "WWE Raw," which aired live from Birmingham, England Monday night,  Lynch and her upcoming opponent Nikki Bella were trash talking each other, when Lynch took things too far, in Osbourne's eyes.

Tico Torres is categorically denying he's thinking about stepping away from the the drum kit. The Bon Jovi drummer posted a video to the band's Instagram yesterday, addressing rumors that he's retiring from music.

Aaron Lewis isn't very happy with Bruce Springsteen. Start with the fact that they are pretty far apart politically, the Staind singer claims that The Boss duped most of America (himself included) with one of his biggest hits.

Mastodon paid tribute to their late co-founder Brent Hinds during their first show since his death at the Alaska State Fair.

Rob Halford singing...Tony Bennett? It's more likely than you think.

In a new interview, Judas Priest drummer Scott Travis says a new version of the song by the band exists, featuring vocals from both Rob Halford and Ozzy Osbourne himself.

Former Mastodon guitarist and singer Brent Hinds was killed Wednesday night in Atlanta, when an SUV failed to yield and crashed into his Harley.  He was 51.

Metallica has issued eight live albums over the years, but Lars Ulrich doesn't name one of them when he talks about his favorite live hard rock album.

We told you that David Lee Roth took a few good-natured jabs at Sammy Hagar mid-performance last week, with a story that built off Sammy's tale of being visited by Eddie Van Halen's ghost.

After Sharon Osbourne shot down sky-high estimates for how much Black Sabbath's "Back To The Beginning" concert brought in for charity, we now have revised numbers.

Not only was the "Back To The Beginning" event a memorable curtain call for Black Sabbath; it was also the highest-grossing charity concert ever.

The group Cold is hitting the road this fall for a new stripped-back tour called “Beneath The Low Hum: A Special Evening Of Songs Reimagined.”

During a recent appearance on The Strombo Show, Tom Morello called Kneecap “the Rage Against the Machine of now” before defending their controversial political nature. This has led to Disturbed vocalist David Draiman blasting Morello over his support for the provocative Irish rap outfit.

Soundgarden have issued a statement that both serves as a nod of tribute and respect to Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath and also provides an explanation for their absence at the Back to the Beginning concert.