BBW has reported that Vinny Appice is currently in the U.K laying down drums on the two new tracks that will be included on BLACK SABBATH 's forthcoming box set, "Black Sabbath: The Dio Years" . In addition, Appice will be manning the drums on the upcoming 2007 tour by HEAVEN AND HELL — the new band featuring legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio ( DIO , BLACK SABBATH , RAINBOW ) alongside original BLACK SABBATH members Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler . Founding SABBATH member/drummer Bill Ward , who was originally announced as being part of the HEAVEN AND HELL lineup, will apparently not take part in the group's upcoming trek.

Appice , 49, joined BLACK SABBATH in 1980, and appeared on the albums "Mob Rules" (1981) and the album recorded on that tour, "Live Evil" (1983). In late 1982, before "Live Evil" even hit the shelves, he left SABBATH with vocalist Ronnie James Dio and formed the band DIO . He appeared on the DIO albums "Holy Diver" (1983), "The Last in Line" (1984), "Sacred Heart" (1985), "Intermission" (1986), and "Dream Evil" (1987). In 1992 Appice returned to BLACK SABBATH (with Ronnie James Dio ) for the "Dehumanizer" album and tour.

Source BBW

Pieter M Van Hattem from Uncut issued the following message:

Neil Young has made 20 years' worth of benefit performances available as “The Bridge Collection” – but only as downloads on iTunes.

The 80-track six-volume compilation is compiled from the numerous concerts that Young and his wife Pegi have held in support of the Bridge School – for speech-impaired children in the San Francisco Bay Area.

All proceeds from the tracks will be donated to the school.

The collection features a multitude of special guests who have appeared live and acoustically with Young over two decades.

Artists include Crosby, Stills & Nash, Bruce Springsteen, Green Day, Lou Reed, Metallica, Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers, R.E.M., Smashing Pumpkins, The Pretenders, Wilco and Radiohead's Thom Yorke.

Two of the tracks, Neil Young's "Comes a Time/Sugar Mountain" medley and a collaboration with Dave Matthews on “Cortez the Killer", will be available only to those who purchase the entire “Bridge Collection” although all the other tracks are available for separate downloads.

The Youngs still support the Bridge School with concerts, the most recent being in October, when rockers Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews and Dave Grohl's Foo Fighters all played.

Uncut's music editor John Mulvey explains the significance of this magnificent Neil Young archive – much of which has never been released or heard – unless you were there…

He says, “This is fantastic news. Young has been promising to unlock his library of unreleased material for years now, only to be distracted by new projects. The appearance last month of his Live From The Fillmore East [1970] set was pretty significant.

"But The Bridge Collection is a monument to Young's influence over generations of rock's finest, and further evidence that - following the streaming of Living With War earlier this year - that he's become an unlikely internet proselytizer. “

Mulvey adds optimistically, “With a bit of luck, the long-rumoured Archives box set might even appear in 2007.”

Source Uncut

The Stooges have completed their first new album in more than three decades, Iggy Pop has confirmed.

The legendary punk icons recorded the LP with Steve Albini in Chicago this year, and it is now scheduled for release in March 2007.

Speaking about their first new material in 33 years, Iggy said: "The one thing that kind of amazes me is that it sounds like us. But it doesn't sound quite like Fun House , Raw Power , or our first one. You put it on, and right away, you'd know, well, that's them. There they go."

Among the 16 tracks set for inclusion on the album, which will be mixed in London next month, are "The Weirdness," "You Can't Have Friends," "ATM," and "Trollin'," reports Billboard .

Iggy Pop & the Stooges will play the Sonic Youth-curated "Nightmare Before Christmas" show at the Butlins Holiday Camp in Minehead, England in December.

Source DotMusic