Jon Wiederhorn

If you’ve been hoping and praying that the Big 4 will soon be playing a full U.S. tour, you might want to lower your expectations and be happy with that DVD of the Sonisphere show from Sofia, Bulgaria. In a recent interview with UK’s Classic Rock magazine, Slayer guitarist Kerry King said he can’t imagine Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax will stage any more Big 4 shows.

Even with decent guitar tablature, it’s sometimes hard to nail a complex Megadeth riff because some knowledge can only be gained from the source. That’s why Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine has joined forces with the makers of Rock Prodigy to help teach fans how to play Megadeth songs.

It looks like several ex-members of Guns N’ Roses have an appetite for reconstruction after it was announced that the band will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012. Drummers Steven Adler and Matt Sorum both expressed hope that everyone will be wash away years of bad blood are reunite onstage April 14 at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Cleveland.

Nine Inch Nails mastermind Trent Reznor has scored the soundtrack to the English-language remake of the Swedish film ‘The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,’ and his version of Led Zeppelin’s ‘Immigrant Song’ with Yeah Yeah Yeahs singer Karen O has surfaced.

Hard rockers Drowning Pool are once again seeking a new vocalist, having parted ways with singer Ryan McCombs.

Fans of the Red Hot Chili Peppers have waited patiently for news about a new North American tour since before the summer release of their 10th album, ‘I’m With You.’ Finally, the first half-dozen dates have been announced.

The late, great Jimi Hendrix was voted No. 1 by a panel of professional guitarists and other experts in a new Rolling Stone poll of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. Two other hard rocking trailblazers ranked in the Top 10 were Eddie Van Halen at No. 8 and Led Zeppelin legend Jimmy Page at No. 3.

If Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson was considering making a move towards retiring from touring, like his country mates in Judas Priest, he may want to re-evaluate. The airline he has been working for as a pilot, Astraeus Airlines, has just gone under.

A music fan in England apparently committed suicide earlier this year because a show by the supergroup Them Crooked Vultures (featuring Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl, Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme and Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones) left him with such severe tinnitus — a constant ringing in the ears — that he couldn’t sleep for three months, a UK coroner’s investigation reported.

Ex-Black Flag and Rollins Band frontman Henry Rollins has recruited Slipknot and Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor, Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian, Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo, Jane’s Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro and members of Rob Zombie‘s band, including guitarist John 5, for a benefit concert Nov. 30 at the Avalon Theater in Hollywood, Calif.

Time will tell whether Rage Against the Machine vocalist Zack de la Rocha’s involvement with the Occupy Movement will find its way into any of his future song lyrics. But for now, the rapper and rocker has written a poem for those who have been motivated into action by corporate greed and the division between those who have and those who have not.

To commemorate the 10th anniversary of the England’s Download festival, Metallica will play their mega-selling 1991 self-titled disc (aka ‘The Black Album’) in its entirety.