KILLSWITCH ENGAGE Guitarist Says Leaked Song Is Not Representative Of Forthcoming Album
Massachusetts metallers KILLSWITCH ENGAGE are currently mixing their new album with veteran British producer Andy Sneap (MEGADETH,TESTAMENT, EXODUS, ACCEPT, ARCH ENEMY, NEVERMORE) for an early 2013 release via Roadrunner Records. The recording sessions for the CD were overseen by KILLSWITCH ENGAGE guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz, an acclaimed producer in his own right who has previously worked with ALL THAT REMAINS, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA and AS I LAY DYING, among others.
KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's forthcoming album will mark the return of the band's original vocalist, Jesse Leach, who rejoined the group earlier this year following the departure of Howard Jones after nine years and three successful albums. Having Leach — who had appeared on the band's first two albums and more recently played with Dutkiewicz in a new project,TIMES OF GRACE — back in the fold has "felt 100 percent natural," Adamtells Guitar World magazine. "Jesse sounds a little different from Howard — he's obviously not a big black man," he says with a laugh. "But he's bringing his own thing to it."
KILLSWITCH ENGAGE fans have already had the opportunity to hear one of the cuts that will appear on the upcoming CD: a rough mix of the song"No End In Sight" was recently leaked online, and as a result the band has started playing it live. "It's actually the one tune that's pretty different from the other stuff," Dutkiewicz tells Guitar World. "Overall the rest of the album is a little faster, a little meaner, a little growlier — thrashy but with lots of clean parts. We're going a little more extreme this time."
In an interview with the "Brock And The Fatguy" radio show, Leachstated about KILLSWITCH ENGAGEd's new material, "People are gonna be really surprised; [we're] setting the bar up high once again. It's really fast and it's really heavy. It's not what people are going to anticipate, I'm sure. I literally am getting chills right now talking about it. It's gonna blow the doors off people, man. It's gonna be great."
Leach sang on the band's first self-titled album, which came out in 2000, and on their landmark release, 2002's genre-defining "Alive Or Just Breathing".
KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's April 22 performance at at the New England Metal & Hardcore Festival marked the band's first concert with Leach in more than nine years.
KILLSWITCH ENGAGE will celebrate the 10th anniversary of "Alive Or Just Breathing" by performing the entire album during their U.S. headlining tour in November/December. Support on the trek will come from SHADOWS FALL and ACARO.
New KILLSWITCH ENGAGE song "No End In Sight" (demo version) audio stream:
SOIL Singer Defends Band's Decision To Launch Fundraising Campaign For New Album
SOIL singer Ryan McCombs has defended the band's decision to launch an interactive pre-sale campaign on Kickstarter to enable fans to participate in the release of the band's forthcoming album. Fans will receive exclusive shirts, a chance to have dinner with the band, autographed merchandise, attend studio sessions, an exclusive new MP3 download of the first studio song with McCombs since 2004's "Redefine"album and more. They also will be the first to receive the new album when it's released.
After a SOIL fan posted a message on the band's Facebook page calling the musicians "cheap motherfuckers" and telling them to "use [their] own money to record [their] music and not ask the fans like him, who have " always paid top price" for their CDs, McCombs responded in the following way: "I hope that, before assuming we were asking for handouts, you went to the Kickstarter site where you can see that we are actually offering opportunities to people to do things and recieve things they normally wouldn't. And, in fact, the most basic package is only asking you to pay for the CD beforehand, allowing the money to go to making an pushing the hell out of this CD the right way instead of lining a disk jockeys' pockets.
"Please understand if we had the money that our music has made others over the years instead of being on the bottom of the food chain within the business we've been in, we would gladly fund it. Without question. The industry is a mess.
"Here is one of many simple facts that would leave you scratching your head: I personally have NEVER recieved a dime for the sales of any CD I have been a part of. The contracts you sign are set up to make that so. But you sign it 'cause if you don't, there are a million bands that will.
"I am sure that the music I have been a part of has bought plenty of cars and made plenty of house payments for many managers and the types over the years.
"Because your CD is on the same shelf as METALLICA's doesn't mean you're making METALLICA money.
"The industry is fucked. For every METALLICA, there are hundreds of bands such as ourselves counting on the shows we play to pay the monthly bills at home.
"I didn't like this option, but it is a possible answer that allows a band to control their fate, and again, offers special things to the fans that allow us to do what we do. I'm sorry this pisses you off so much, as I realize you don't know the financial facts of most bands in the industry. What we are doing here is risking taking the unpaved road in hopes of finding a way for bands like ourselves to survive. The paved road has led to the utter destruction of so many bands that deserved so much more. If taking the unpaved road leads to success, then perhaps it opens the door for others to follow and survive as well."
"For a band that is signed to a label, they HAVE to sell CDs. Do they get royally screwed? HELL YES!!! But if they do not sell enough CDs to be viewed as worthwhile by the label, they will get dropped.
"I had a conversation with a teenage fan once that just couldn't see what was wrong with illegally downloading a CD. Until, that is, I asked him what his Dad did for a living. He happened to be an auto worker. I then asked him, 'What if tomorrow EVERYONE in the world could come to your Dad's auto plant and drive off with any car they wanted, free of charge? How long will your Dad have a job if the product he creates doesn't make the owner of the company money?' It took a quick second but the light came on and he got it.
"If a band you like is employed by a label, buying the CD is absolutely supporting them... It's buying that product that they create.
"If I meet a band on the road and I like the people in the band, I go out and buy the CD. If friends within the industry release a new CD, I go buy the CD. It keeps them being able to do what they do, employment-wise. They aren't making shit off of it, but their boss is and that will keep them employed.
"What is happening more and more frequently is that even if a band can stay employed, eventually they, or members of the band, will reach a point that their cut isn't taking care of the bills at home and they have to choose between family/obligation and a dream that has ended up being very different then the one they had as an aspiring musician.
"We have survived as long as we have because of the support that people like yourself have given us for 12 years. I could never thank people enough for that. But because of the state of things in the industry through those years, we are where we are but we're not ready to fold our cards yet. There needs to be change.
"Like I stated before, this path is unpaved and a bit scary, but we have made a lot of connections over the years and we know a lot about the steps needed to hopefully be successful in this venture. If we are, perhaps we will give an alternative method to those kick-ass bands that fall though the cracks year after year after year.
"Hopefully you went and looked at the Kickstarter site and saw that we aren't asking for handouts. I couldn't be a part of that. We are simply offering the CD and packages to anyone interested. People like you that have always went out and bought that CD to help that band. We're just actually using that help to make the CD and not buy an executive's new car. We are trying to raise the funding for the recording and mixing of the CD. Anything else from the Kickstarter above and beyond will go towards helping out with the marketing, radio, publicity, etc. It's going to be tough, but for once in our careers, we'll be calling the shots, making the calls. I, too, have paid for many, many demos in my day.. but there is a large budget difference between a demo or shopping quality CD and the type you have to have for a chance at radio, movies, TV, etc. I know those are outlets that by us being allowed to be us musically may not have wide open doors to us, but I also think people are a little tired of the cookie cutter.
"We ran through a door in Chicago that DISTURBED kicked open years ago.. No ego here,.. it's the truth. If another door isn't kicked open soon, the rock/metal genre is going to be the way of the dinosaur."
SOIL will hit the road with FOZZY on a nine-date U.K. tour launching November 27 in Stoke, England and wrapping up December 6 in Brighton, England. The trek marks both bands' first return to the United Kingdom since highly successful appearances at this year's Download festival. The tour will also feature the U.K.'s own BREED 77.
SOIL released its first-ever DVD, entitled "Re-LIVE-Ing The Scars", on May 8 via Bieler Bros. Records. The two-disc set, which was recorded live on October 14, 2011 at Electric Ballroom in London, England, contains an audio CD version of the same concert. Also included is over one hour of backstage and behind-the-scenes bonus footage and photos.
SOIL's recording lineup for "Re-LIVE-Ing The Scars" consisted of founding members Ryan McCombs (vocals; ex-DROWNING POOL), Tim King (bass) and Adam Zadel (guitar) alongside former STAIND drummerJon Wysocki.
ZAKK WYLDE Jams With SLASH In Buenos Aires; Video Available
Zakk Wylde (BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, OZZY OSBOURNE) joined Slash(GUNS N' ROSES, VELVET REVOLVER) on stage for a jam last night (Saturday, November 17) at Estadio Cubierto Malvinas Argentinas in Buenos Aires, Argentina. You can watch fan-filmed video footage of the performance below.
After the concert, Slash's lead singer, Myles Kennedy, tweeted, "Zakk Wylde jammed with us this evening in Buenos Aires. That guy can punish a fretboard. BLACK LABEL SOCIETY [who opened the cocert] was awesome as well."
Zakk tweeted: "BIG BL LOVE To SLASH n Co.!!!! Always Great Seeing you n Listening to You TEAR it UP My BROTHER!!! BIG BL Thanks To SLASH/MYLES n The CONSPIRATORS for letting Is Roll w/Them... GREAT PEOPLE=GREAT TIMES"
Slash tweeted: "Many thanks to Zakk for jamming w/us tonight. It was an honor & a privilege. iiii]; )'"
In a 2011 interview with Music Radar, Zakk stated about GUNS N' ROSES lead singer Axl Rose, "I've been friends with Axl for a long time. He's the last of the great frontmen. Seriously, who else is there? You hadElvis and Mick Jagger, then you had Jim Morrison and Freddie Mercury, Robert Plant, Ronnie Van Zandt, and of course you can't forget about Ozzy [Osbourne], David Lee Roth… After all them, Axl came out, and it was like, Wow! The ultimate frontman, you know? You've gotta give it up for Axl. Amazing songs, amazing production —'Appetite''s one of the greatest records of all time. The guy's got the whole nine yards. As a frontman, nobody's come close to him since he busted out."
ROCK ON THE RANGE Expands To Three Days In 2013
Rock On The Range, America's premier destination rock festival, is about to get bigger. The annual event is expanding to three days and will hit hard with performances from some of rock's biggest names on each night of the festival: Friday, May 17, Saturday, May 18 and Sunday, May 19, 2013.
Now in its seventh year, Rock On The Range will again take place at Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio and be marked by a spectacular lineup of rock heavyweights. With the addition of some notable headliners on Friday, festival organizers are also working on a series of additional enhancements for Rock On The Range 2013. Improvements, added amenities and updates will be announced in early 2013 with the festival's lineup.
"We are constantly working to improve upon the success of Rock On The Range," says Gary Spivack, co-executive producer of the multi-stage music and lifestyle event for Right Arm Entertainment. "For one, we'll have more ticket buying options than ever before and incentives for the 'Rangers' to buy early. Also, no longer will the Friday night be solely a 'pre-party;' it will be incorporated into the full weekend truly making Rock On The Range the biggest destination festival for rock 'n roll in the United States."
Pre-sale layaway tickets, including Weekend Field GA and Weekend Stadium GA tickets, go on sale Cyber Monday: November 26 at 10:00 a.m. ET through www.rockontherange.com. A four-ticket minimum purchase is required. Layaway tickets will be available for purchase through February 28, 2013 and regular tickets will go on sale in January 2013.
Once again Rock On The Range will offer premiere VIP Packages, Hotel and Ticket Bundles and Camping packages. All packages will also go on sale Thursday, November 29 at 10:00 a.m. ET. Details and prices for VIP, Hotel, and Camping Packages are online at www.rockontherange.com.
"Rock On The Range has become a high-profile national event and a staple of Crew Stadium over the past six years," said Columbus Crew President and General Manager Mark McCullers. "With more than 70,000 fans from 49 states attending Rock On The Range in 2012, we fully expect the seventh installment to be the best music festival to date in our venue."
The band lineup for Rock On The Range 2013 will be announced early next year.
Presented by Right Arm Entertainment, AEG live and Crew Stadium,Rock On The Range is a multi-stage music and lifestyle event featuring a potent lineup of bands on three stages and is proud to be sponsored byMonster Energy and Jägermeister. The nationally renowned festival, centrally located in the heart of the country, has annually drawn weekend crowds in excess of 70,000 since its inception in 2007.
Source: Blabbermouth.net
Dave Grohl to Deliver Keynote Speech at 2013 SXSW Festival
Dave Grohl has signed on to be the keynote speaker at the 2013 South by Southwest Music and Media Conference and Festival in Austin, Texas. The Foo Fighters frontman will present his keynote address on March 14 at the Austin Convention Center, the event's main venue.
Grohl joins a long list of illustrious music artists who have helped kick off the annual extravaganza, including Bruce Springsteen, Robert Plant, Pete Townshend and Neil Young.
The South by Southwest music festival, which runs from March 12 to March 17, offers a variety of industry-related events to help educate musicians and assist them in networking. In addition, more than 2,000 artists -- both established and emerging -- perform at dozens of venues in Austin in conjunction with the event. To learn more about the South by Southwest fest, visit SXSW.com.
Godsmack’s Sully Erna Reveals Release Date, Track List forAvalon Live
Godsmack frontman Sully Erna has released new details about his upcoming solo live CD/DVD package, Avalon Live. The set will arrive in stores on December 18 and will feature 14 tracks which were recorded during Erna’s solo concert on December 16, 2011 at The Wilbur Theatre in Boston.
In addition to the standard CD/DVD release, a limited edition box set featuring five DVDs and two CDs will also be available. It includes audio and video of the concert as well as a 40-minute behind-the-scenes documentary, a DVD of bloopers and outtakes of Erna in the studio, along with a number of videos from Avalon.
The package also contains a number of extra goodies, including a limited edition t-shirt, hat, guitar pick, poster, coffee table book, commemorative backstage pass and custom Sully Erna necklace. Plus, each box set you buy will enter you into a “Golden Ticket” contest where you can win an all-expense-paid trip with the singer to Las Vegas, New York, Avalon Catalina Island, Napa and Boston. Other prizes include autographed guitars, custom hand drums and handwritten lyrics. Only 5,000 copies of the box set will be offered for sale.
Here is the track list for the standard Avalon Live DVD:
“Avalon”
"Sinner’s Prayer"
"Broken Road"
"The Departed"
"My Light"
"Cast Out"
"Piano Solo"
"Until Then"
"The Rise"
"Eyes of a Child"
"7 Years"
"Serenity"
"The Chain"
"Hey Jude"
Linkin Park, Tenacious D to Perform on Video Game Awards
Producers for the Video Game Awards have announced that Linkin Park and Tenacious D will perform at next month’s event.
LP will perform their single “Castle of Glass” on the telecast, which is nominated for Best Song in a Game for Medal of Honor: Warfighter. In addition, Tenacious D will make their second appearance at the VGAs, performing the title song from their latest album, Rize of the Fenix.
The Video Game Awards will be broadcast live on December 7 at 9 p.m. ET on Spike and will be hosted by actor Samuel L. Jackson. If you’d rather watch the show on your computer, you can join the audience online at Spike.com and GameTrailers.com.
New Kurt Cobain Documentary Coming in 2014
A new documentary about Kurt Cobain is headed our way. Filmmaker Brett Morgan, who recently directed the Rolling Stones documentary Crossfire Hurricane, says that he’s currently working on a new film about the late Nirvana frontman.
"Kurt was not only an amazing songwriter and musician, he was an incredible artist and filmmaker,” Morgen tells the New York Post. “So we are going to do the movie sort of like a third-person autobiography -- [as] if Kurt was around and making a film about his life."
Morgan adds that he’s been working with Cobain’s wife, Hole frontwoman Courtney Love, on developing the project since 2007. "Courtney is the one that brought me into this," he explains. "We’ve been trying to find the right time to put this film together and the time is now."
Morgan expects that his documentary on Cobain will be released sometime in 2014.
Coheed and Cambria Goes Boating in “The Afterman” Video; Release Demo Collection for Record Store Day
On Friday, Coheed and Cambria premiered the video for “The Afterman,” the title track from their concept double album.
The storyline revolves around The Afterman’s wife, Meri, who watches from the beach as her husband’s spaceship explodes over the ocean. Meri sees The Afterman, aka Sirius Amory, fall into the water and rows out to pick him up. The two spend some time together before Meri falls asleep and Amory sinks into the ocean and disappears.
While the second installment of the double album, The Afterman: Descension, is set to be released on February 5, 2013, the band will release a vinyl album, The Afterman: Ascension (Big Beige Demos), on November 23 for Record Store Day. The collection of demos features mostly acoustic versions of each song from The Afterman: Ascensionwhich were recorded in frontman Claudio Sanchez’s home studio.
Track list for The Afterman: Ascension (Big Beige Demos):
“Domino the Destitute” (Demo)
“The Afterman” (Demo)
“Mothers of Men” (Demo)
“Goodnight, Fair Lady” (Demo)
“Holly Wood the Cracked” (Demo)
“Vic the Butcher” (Demo)
“Evagria the Faithful” (Demo)
“Subtraction” (Demo)
