Alter Bridge to tour 'Pretty Dark' Album

Alter Bridge will release new album ABIII in September and support it with eight UK tour dates in October.

Frontman Myles Kennedy, who's currently fronting Slash's band, says the subject matter makes ABIII "the darkest record I've been a part of."

He explains: "It's about a lot of questions I had over the last few years. Things I was struggling with. It was a very cathartic record for me, getting all that out. That's the way I like to write lyrics: honest and from the heart."

The album's track titles are: Slip to the Void, Isolation, Ghost of Days Gone By, All Hope is Gone, Still Remains, Make it Right, Wonderful Life, I Know it Hurts, Show Me a Sign, Fallout, Breathe Again, Couer d'Alene, Life Must Go On, Words Darker than their Wings.

Kennedy returns to Alter Bridge once the rest of the band have completed their tour as Creed.

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Dream Theater fans have got it wrong

Dream Theater mainman Mike Portnoy says a lot of the band's fans have missed the point about some members not being involved in songwriting.

He believes people have failed to understand that if certain musicians don't contribute a great deal, it's because they don't want to – and that suits the band dynamic.

He also thinks former keyboardist Derek Sherinian, now with supergroup Black Country Communion, got a bad deal from some fans, who should now realise what they're missing.

Portnoy tells Blistering.com: "The chemistry works. It's not what most would think is a normal chemistry because there's certain members way more involved than other members, but it's not by design.

"A lot of people look at John Myung's lack of lyrical contributions the last 10 years and they'll hold it against me or John Petrucci.

"But it's not the case. That's the way John Myung is – and if he doesn't want to contribute, he doesn't have to. Same with our singer, James LaBrie: he takes a lot of flak for not contributing to the music, but this is what works for us.

"When Kevin Moore was keyboardist in the band, it didn't work. He was miserable and made a lot of tension for us. When Derek Sherinian was in, there was a great personal chemistry — he's a great guy and easy to get along with. But the fans never truly accepted him and I don't think they truly embraced him until he was gone."

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Slipknot DO have a future?

Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison says the band will continue without tragic bassist Paul Gray, and won’t replace him with a new full-time member.

Instead band members will play bass on new studio recordings, and they’ll look at options for a touring musician when the time comes.

But frontman Corey Taylor, who plays Sonisphere this weekend, is less clear on the band’s future.

Gray was found dead in a hotel room in May after overdosing on prescription drugs.

Jordison says: “There will be no other bass players besides Jim Root, Mick Thomson and me. Everyone plays guitar in the band so I think we’ll all play bass on the record.

“We’re not going to have anyone come in. Live - we’ll deal with that when it comes along.”

But Taylor is less convinced about what happens next. He says: “We’re all talking. Everyone’s talking, and everything’s good - but we’ll see.”

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