--Metallica Making Plans For Next Studio Album

Metallica plans to begin focusing their efforts on their next album this fall.  At a media event in conjunction with the upcoming Outside Lands festival, drummer Lars Ulrich said the group already has plenty of material for the studio project.  He explained that frontman James Hetfield has been coming up with "brilliant riffs" on the guitar and he's been crafting drum parts for them, so the band has "tons of ideas sitting around" just waiting to be turned into songs.  But he admitted it'll likely be September before they really get started developing the material.  Ulrich said the group wants to finish their summer road work and complete their upcoming film project before returning to the studio.  He added that they'll be working with producer Rick Rubin on the project, which will be Metallica's follow up to 2008's "Death Magnetic."

Metallica will be debuting their new stage show this weekend.  The band will launch an eight-night stand at Mexico City's Sports Palace Saturday night, which the group has said will kick off "a new era in Metalli-shows."  Metallica will appear at San Francisco's Outside Lands festival on August 11th.  The group will then head to Canada for shows in Edmonton, Alberta and Vancouver, British Columbia.  The band plans to use footage shot at the Vancouver shows for their film.


--Alice Cooper Developing New Maze For "Halloween Horror Nights"

Alice Cooper is finding yet another way to scare fans.  The original shock rocker is developing a new maze for Universal Studios Hollywood's "Halloween Horror Nights."  "Alice Cooper Goes to Hell 3D" is based on Cooper's 1976 "Goes To Hell" album.  A statement on the project describes it as a "terrifying maze" through which visitors will experience Alice's version of "hell's interminable inferno."  Those who wander the maze will do so wearing 3-D glasses "for an optimum up close and personal three-dimensional encounter with Alice Cooper's underworld.  Cooper adds that he "can't wait to see the final terrifying masterpiece."

Meanwhile, "Alice Cooper: Welcome To My Nightmare," which the rocker created for Universal Studios Hollywood last year, will be added to this year's "Halloween Horror Nights" at Universal Orlando Resort.  Alice says he's "even more excited" about having his first maze at the Florida complex.  "Halloween Horror Nights" will open at both the Los Angeles and Orlando facilities on September 21st, and run through October 31st.


--Lamb Of God Cancels Tour Plans While Frontman Remains Jailed

The show will not go on without their frontman, who's still sitting in a jail cell in the Czech Republic.  Metal rockers Lamb Of God have canceled their planned co-headlining tour with Dethklok, citing the uncertainty of Randy Blythe's legal situation.  In a statement released Thursday, the band offered regrets for the cancelation of the tour, which was to kick off August 1st in Seattle, but said it hoped to re-book a tour when Randy is finally released.  Blythe has been denied the opportunity to post bail since his arrest on manslaughter charges at the airport in Prague on June 27th.  He's accused of shoving a fan from the stage during a Lamb Of God concert in Prague in 2010.  Czech media says the fan, a man identified only as "Daniel N.," suffered a brain hemorrhage that left him comatose for two weeks before his death.  

Blabbermouth.net reported last week that Blythe recently told the Czech tabloid "Blesk" that he doesn't remember anything about the alleged incident that led to his arrest.  Blythe's bandmates have set up a legal fund to raise money for his defense.  


--Jon Bon Jovi's Dad Launches Line Of Pasta Sauce

Bon Jovi fans can now get a taste of frontman Jon Bon Jovi's past.  The rocker's father, John Bongiovi, Sr., has launched a new line of pasta sauces.  He says on the Bongiovi Brand website that the recipes for his sauces were created in Sicily by Great Grandma Bongiovi, who always made enough food to feed the entire neighborhood.  He explains that throughout the generations the ingredients and cooking process were a "close-kept secret of the Bongiovi family," and the sauces captivated everyone who tried them.  The elder Bongiovi says people have continually urged him to "bottle this sauce," but "the idea of a jarred sauce was unheard of" in his home.  But he's now reconsidered, and is now sharing the flavors of the Bongiovi home.  There are three sauce varieties -- Marinara, Garden Style, and a spicy Arrabbiata.  Additional details are available at www.BongioviBrand.com.


--Paul McCartney Shares Challenges Of Olympics Performance

Paul McCartney is experiencing a career-first this weekend with his performance at the Opening Ceremony of the Summer Olympic Games.  The 70-year-old rocker has been an international superstar for nearly 50 years, but he tells ShortList.com taking part in the sporting event is definitely a career highlight.  He also calls it "a completely different beast" than a typical concert, in part because he's not performing for his own audience.  He adds that at his shows he'll ramp up to "the big crowd numbers," and play them at the end of his set.  The Olympics are different for him, however, as he has to "come in cold" and instantly "get up to speed."  He compares it to an athlete who's being asked to run a race without having time to warm up before hitting the track.  McCartney adds that the pressure is on because he can't exactly stop the song, collect himself, and start over again if he makes a mistake.

The 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony will be staged in London Friday night.  Details on the festivities have not been revealed, but McCartney has said he's "closing the opening."  A tape-delayed broadcast of the four-and-a-half-hour event will air on NBC on Friday a 7:30 p.m. Eastern.


--Today's Birthdays

Marshall Tucker Band flute and sax player David Muse is 63.  
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds keyboardist Conway Savage is 52.
Former Pantera bassist Rex Brown is 48.
Juliana Hatfield is 45.
Deftones drummer Abe Cunningham is 39.
Pete Yorn is 38.
Former Taking Back Sunday lead guitarist Fred Mascherino is 37.


--Today in Rock  History

In 1969
Led Zeppelin and The Doors performed at the Seattle Pop Festival.

In 1973
The New York Dolls released its self-titled debut album.

In 1976
Bruce Springsteen sued his manager for breech of contract and fraud.  A subsequent counter-suit prevented Springsteen from officially working for a year.

John Lennon finally won his battle to remain in the U.S.  He was granted a green card.

In 1977
Led Zeppelin cancelled the remaining dates of their North American tour because Robert Plant's son, Karac, died of a respiratory ailment.

In 1979
Alice Cooper's Indian Art Store in Scottsdale, Arizona, was firebombed.  Roughly 200-thousand-dollars in merchandise was destroyed.

In 1983
Metallica began their first tour, called "Kill 'Em All For One."

In 1991
Warrant's Jani Lane married Bobbie Brown.

In 2001
Lynyrd Skynyrd bassist Leon Wilkeson died in his sleep.  He was 49.
 
In 2007
Kiss frontman Paul Stanley was hospitalized after suffering a "cardiac event" while prepping for a concert in San Jacinto, California.  Doctors became concerned when the rocker's pulse skyrocketed to 190 beats per minute, and stayed that high for more than an hour.  Because it was so close to showtime Stanley encouraged his band mates to play the show without him, marking the first time Kiss performed as a trio.

In 2009
Former Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash and drummer Steve Adler both received a restraining order against the same woman.  The woman had been pursuing Adler, claiming that they were long lost lovers who met in rehab in the early '90s, and had made multiple appeals to Slash and members of his family hoping they would connect her with Adler.