Ex-KORN Guitarist BRIAN 'HEAD' WELCH: Pornography 'Sucks You In Like A Drug'
On the latest episode of IchthusTV, former KORN guitarist and current LOVE AND DEATH frontman Brian "Head" Welch talks about his former struggle with pornography and how it is a drug that sucks you in and gives you a false interpretation of what sex really is. Check it out below.
Welch exited KORN in February 2005 after announcing that he had been saved by Jesus Christ and was devoting his life and music to Christianity. He subsequently issued two books, a solo album and the debut LOVE AND DEATH CD.
Welch told Launch in 2007 that he was in especially bad shape the last two years before he left KORN. "2003 is when I started using speed every day," he said. "Meth. I got hooked on meth and in order to get up and function, even play the show, I had to snort lines, you know. And I told myself, 'I'll do this tour, I'll do this Ozzfest, and I'll do meth the whole time and I'll go home and check into a rehab.'And it scared me, you know, 'cause I was like coming — every month I would tell myself, 'I'm gonna stop this tour,'and I wouldn't be able to do it. Like a fear would come over me. I was just trapped."
KORN will reunite with Welch for several festival shows this summer, including two dates in Germany, one concert in the United Kingdom and at the upcoming Rock On The Range festival in Columbus, Ohio.
ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL: 2013 Lineup Officially Revealed
Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, the world's biggest hard and heavy music touring festival, has announced its electrifying sixth-year lineup. It is as follows:
Main stage:
ROB ZOMBIE
FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH
MASTODON
AMON AMARTH
Jägermeister Stage:
MACHINE HEAD
JOB FOR A COWBOY
BUTCHER BABIES
BATTLECROSS
HUNTRESS
Musicians Institute Stage:
CHILDREN OF BODOM
BEHEMOTH
EMMURE
BORN OF OSIRIS
MOTIONLESS IN WHITE
THROWN INTO EXILE
Sumerian Records / Headbang For The Highway Concourse Stage:
CITY IN THE SEA
+ local acts
All tickets go on sale March 22 at 12:00 noon local venue time. The tour will stop in 26 cities across the United States and Canada as it makes its way to the Gexa Energy Pavilion in Dallas, Texas on August 4, 2013.
In addition to catching their favorite bands live, fans can take part in a number of festival activities, including playing the newest video games, perusing vendors, attending autograph-signing sessions and a slew of various interactive activities that will only add to the festival experience.
Rockstar Energy Drink will be sampling their products and providing awesome surprises for all attendees. Rockstar will also present the VIP/Contest winner area designated as The Rockstar Lounge and the festival area Party Like A Rockstar Tent where fans can sample ice-coldRockstar and get autographs from their favorite bands.
As an addition to the festival's music and arts, Musicians Institute and the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival have partnered to create the Rockstar Mayhem Independent Artist Scholarship! This scholarship fully covers tuition and material fees for a two quarter IAP certificate (Room, Boarding and Travel are not included.) The application period runs from March 18 until June 1, 2013. Applicants must visit this location to enter.
Tour dates are as follows:
Jun. 29 - San Bernardino, CA @ San Manuel Amphitheater
Jun. 30 - Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre
Jul. 02 - Boise, ID @ Idaho Center Amphitheatre
Jul. 03 - Auburn, WA @ White River Amphitheater
Jul. 05 - Phoenix, AZ @ Desert Sky Pavilion
Jul. 06 - Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta Amphitheatre
Jul. 07 - Denver, CO @ Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre
Jul. 10 - Toronto, ON @ Molson Canadian Amphitheatre
Jul. 12 - Burgettstown, PA @ First Niagara Pavilion
Jul. 13 - Scranton, PA @ Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain
Jul. 14 - Darien Center, NY @ Darien Lake PAC
Jul. 16 - Mansfield, MA @ Comcast Center
Jul. 17 - Bangor, ME @ Bangor Waterfront
Jul. 19 - Camden, NJ @ Susquehanna Bank Center
Jul. 20 - Saratoga Springs, NY @ SPAC
Jul. 21 - Hartford, CT @ The Comcast Theatre
Jul. 23 - Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center
Jul. 24 - Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live
Jul. 26 - Noblesville, IN @ Klipsch Music Center
Jul. 27 - Tinley Park, IL @ First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
Jul. 28 - Clarkston, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre
Jul. 30 - Atlanta, GA @ Aaron's Amphitheatre at Lakewood
Jul. 31 - Tampa, FL @ Live Nation Amphitheatre at the Florida State Fairgrounds
Aug. 02 - Austin, TX @ Austin360 Amphitheater
Aug. 03 - The Woodlands, TX @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Aug. 04 - Dallas, TX @ Gexa Energy Pavilion
FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH: Audio Snippet Of New Song 'Here To Die'
An audio snippet of a new FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH song, "Here To Die", taken from the band's forthcoming fourth album, can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.
FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's new CD was recorded at Las Vegas' The Hideout Recording Studio and is due this summer. Helming the sessions once again is The Hideout's owner, Kevin Churko, the Canadian musician, sound engineer, songwriter and record producer, who has also previously worked with OZZY OSBOURNE and IN THIS MOMENT, among other acts.
FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH is scheduled to make a number of festival appearances this summer, including the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival in the U.S.
FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's third album, "American Capitalist", was certified gold last year for sales of 500,000 copies. Not only is it the band's third album, but it is the third consecutive release from the group to reach the gold mark, with previous efforts "The Way Of The Fist" and"War Is The Answer" also selling more than half a million copies each."American Capitalist" debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard album chart when it came out in October 2011.
FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's most recent tour was last summer'sTrespass America trek, also featuring KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, POP EVIL and others.
CLUTCH Drummer: 'We Realized There Was A Lack Of Straight-Up Rock And Roll Records Coming Out'
Matt Hinch of Hellbound.ca recently conducted an interview with drummerJean-Paul Gaster of Maryland rockers CLUTCH. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
Hellbound.ca: It's been said that "Earth Rocker" is your fastest and heaviest album to date. What was the impetus to move in that direction a little bit?
Gaster: There's definitely a few things. One of those things was going on tour with MOTÖRHEAD. Watching those guys play every night was very inspiring on a number of levels. I think we toured with THIN LIZZY not too long after that and it was on that tour that we realized there was really a lack of just straight-up rock and roll records coming out these days. So I think we wanted to make something that was, front to back, a very focused kind of a recording. A very efficient kind of recording. One that had good energy from the very beginning to the end.
Hellbound.ca: Going into the studio with that mindset, was your preparation any different?
Gaster: I think we were more selective of the kinds of parts that we wanted to have in the songs. I think we were more selective of how the tempos were. We were definitely a lot more focused on this record in the writing process. We actually talked about the kind of record we wanted to make. And that hadn't really happened before. Generally, we just get together and just jam and our favourite things are the ones that end up being on the record. This time, I think we wrote the same way but I think we really edited ourselves more and I think we had a real vision of what kind of record we wanted to make much sooner than we had with other albums.
Hellbound.ca: For a long time you bounced around on labels almost every album. Was that part of the reason behind starting Weathermaker Music?
Gaster: Yes. Over the years, the labels have always been a source of great frustration for us. And that holds true for when we were on little tiny independent labels all the way through to when we were on the major labels. That struggle was always the same and it was basically that the label was never satisfied with the amount of records that we sold.
Hellbound.ca: They couldn't grasp the intangibles.
Gaster: Correct! I think they would see the band touring and we had a very solid touring fanbase and we would sell a consistent amount of records album to album. And I think the label saw that and they'd get excited about that and they thought to themselves, "Well, surely this band can sell this many tickets and can sell 100,000 records. With any kind of help at all we can make this a gold band or even a platinum band." It didn't take them long to realize that it's tough work to sell real music. Radio stations are skeptical about playing new things. I think that had a lot to do with our battles with the labels, because back then, it was just all about getting your song on the radio. If you could do that, the sky was the limit. So it's really nice not to have to deal with that part of the business. We still talk about business and spend time on that part of what we do, but it's a lot more fun. It's easier and not nearly as stressful. And none of the fights that we used to have. It allows us to think about music and not about what some guy at the label is gonna say.
KILLSWITCH ENGAGE: 'The New Awakening' Song Available For Streaming
"The New Awakening", a brand new song from Massachusetts metallers KILLSWITCH ENGAGE — singer Jesse Leach, guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz, bassist Mike D'Antonio, guitarist Joel Stroetzel and drummer Justin Foley — can be streamed below. The song comes off the band's forthcoming album, "Disarm The Descent", which will be released on April 2 via Roadrunner Records. The follow-up to KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's 2009's self-titled release is the band's first album with original singer Leach at the vocal helm since 2002's now-classic, genre-defining"Alive or Just Breathing". Leach returned to the band in January 2012 after a decade-long absence. The artwork for the new CD was created byD'Antonio.
"Disarm The Descent" was selected by Alternative Press magazine for its "Most Anticipated Albums of 2013" issue, and the band was profiled inGuitar World as one to watch in 2013. Clearly, buzz from fans and the metal and hard rock community regarding new KILLSWITCH ENGAGEremains deafening.
"It is with a grateful spirit that we prepare for this record's release,"Leach said. "From the music, to the lyrics, to the artwork, we are all proud of what we have accomplished. To me, this is by far my best vocal performance, much thanks to Adam's guidance and faith in my abilities. I am very grateful to be where I am in life, back in an amazing band with a record we are all excited for the world to hear. Thanks to all the fans for their warm welcome back and their undying love for KILLSWITCH ENGAGE."
"Disarm The Descent" track listing:
01. The Hell In Me
02. Beyond The Flames
03. The New Awakening
04. In Due Time
05. A Tribute To The Fallen
06. The Turning Point
07. All That We Have
08. You Don't Bleed For Me
09. The Call
10. No End In Sight
11. Always
12. Time Will Not Remain
"Disarm The Descent" was mixed by veteran British producer Andy Sneap, who has previously worked with MEGADETH, TESTAMENT,EXODUS, ACCEPT, ARCH ENEMY and NEVERMORE.
ROB ZOMBIE Says Playing 'Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival' This Year Will Be 'Amazing'
ROB ZOMBIE and FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH will headline the lineup for the 2013 Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival, which will kick off its sixth year on June 29 in San Bernardino, California. Also coming along on the ride for the 26-date jaunt will be MASTODON, AMON AMARTH,CHILDREN OF BODOM, MACHINE HEAD, JOB FOR A COWBOY,BEHEMOTH, HUNTRESS and other heavy acts spread across four different stages, one of which will also showcase local acts at each stop on the tour.
Rob Zombie told The Pulse Of Radio why he's looking forward to playingMayhem again two years after he last appeared on the bill. "Well, I think it's gonna be amazing," he said. "I mean, I like doing things like that 'cause playing shows, I mean a lot of people are like, 'Oh, I like intimate shows, that's fun.' But I don't like intimate shows. The bigger the better. So doingMayhem Festival's perfect because, you know, it'll be the biggest hard rock tour of the summer for sure, and headlining it is perfect because we have a huge show and we can do everything and there's no limitations and the people that put the concert on are great, so it's just a great setup."
All tickets go on sale March 22 at 12:00 noon local time at either the festival web site or Live Nation.
Rob Zombie will have both a new album, "Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor", and a new movie, "The Lords Of Salem", out next month.
METALLICA's LARS ULRICH: 'We Never Want To Turn Into A Nostalgia Band'
With METALLICA frontman James Hetfield recently telling an Australian rock station that "gigs keep popping up" which delay work on the group's next album, The Pulse Of Radio asked drummer Lars Ulrich for his take on the band's more leisurely approach to recording. "There'll be a new record and we certainly never want to turn into a nostalgia band, but at the same time, you've got to keep yourself, I guess, creatively alive and that's what we do by playing these gigs and doing all these other projects and doing movies and festivals," he said. "I mean, it's just, all that stuff's a lot of fun, but it takes a lot of time, you know."
While METALLICA was Down Under performing at the Soundwavefestival, Hetfield told radio station Triple M, "We're trying to write (new material), but gigs keep popping up that are too exciting to stay home for. We have lots of material (we've been) working on from the day [2008 album] 'Death Magnetic' ended all the way up until now."
Asked what the new material sounds like, Hetfield told Triple M, "I don't know where it's going yet but we've got lots of different sounds, different styles."
METALLICA will headline its second annual Orion Music + More festival this June in Detroit, and plans to release a theatrical 3D movie called"Metallica Through The Never" on August 9.
Source: Blabbermouth.net
RHCP Drummer Chad Smith: “Music Saved Me from Going Down a Wrong Path”
Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith is currently in Washington D.C. with members of the National Association of Music Merchants in order to lobby Congress about the importance of funding comprehensive music education in the nation’s schools. Smith says he knew he needed to lend his voice to the cause because of the impact music education had on his life.
“Music saved me from going down a wrong path,” he tells ABC News Radio. “You’re going to school and they would have band classes after school instead of…getting in trouble. I mean, it’s just gonna keep kids off the street.”
The drummer adds that he’s shocked by the steady decline of music programs in public schools. “The arts and music [programs], it’s the first thing that goes now in schools,” says Smith. “They’ll buy new shoulder pads for the football team, but they won’t have a music program. It’s incredible to me.”
He notes that his ultimate goal is for kids to get the same opportunities that he did in school so they can achieve a career in music. “We need to have these things, and not just in private schools or taking private lessons," he explains. "We need them to be available to the kid that goes to the public school to have our next generations of great artists and great musicians.”
Smith will be speaking to NAMM delegates and guests at a dinner at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, and will be in meetings on Capitol Hill with members of Congress on Wednesday.
Filter to Release New Album, The Sun Comes Out Tonight, in June
Filter has a new album headed our way. The band has announced that they'll be releasing their sixth studio album this summer. Titled The Sun Comes Out Tonight, it features 12 new tracks and will be the first release since the band signed with Wind-up Records in January.
To give fans a taste of the upcoming album, the band has posted a stream of one of the new tracks, “We Hate It When You Get What You Want,” on their website. In addition to checking the song out online, you can also get a free download of it by submitting your email address. The Sun Comes Out Tonight will be available all the usual outlets on June 4, while the album’s first single, “What Do You Say,” arrives at radio stations on May 7.
Here is the track list:
“We Hate It When You Get What You Want”
“What Do You Say”
“Surprise”
“Watch the Sun Come Out Tonight”
“It’s Got to Be Right Now”
“This Finger’s for You”
“Self Inflicted”
“First You Break It”
“Burn It”
“Take That Knife Out of My Back”
“It’s My Time”
“It’s Just You"
30 Seconds to Mars Reveals New Album Title, Release Date
30 Seconds to Mars has unveiled the name and the release date for their fourth studio album. Love Lust Faith + Dreams will hit all the usual outlets on May 21. The upcoming album features 12 new tracks, including the first single, “Up in the Air,” which will be available at all digital retailers on Tuesday.
“[Love Lust Faith + Dreams] is more than an evolution, it's a brand-new beginning,” said frontman Jared Leto in a statement. “Creatively, we've gone to an entirely new place, which is exciting, unexpected, and incredibly inspiring."
30 Seconds to Mars has chosen two paintings by English artist Damien Hirst to be featured on the album’s packaging. The first, titled “Isonicotinic Acid Ethyl Ester,” will be the album’s artwork, while the second, “Monochromatic Sectors from Primary, Secondary & Tertiary Colour Ring, Dark Centre” will printed onto the CD itself.
Here's the track list for Love Lust Faith + Dreams:
“Birth”
“Conquistador “
"Up in the Air"
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