Rock band SIXX: A.M. — which consists of bassist Nikki Sixx, guitarist DJ Ashba and vocalist James Michael — will release a new album in 2013 and plans to "hopefully" play some live shows, according to Sixx. No further details are currently available.
In May 2012, rock band SIXX: A.M. announced its support of City Of Hope through an initiative designed to help raise money for research, treatment and education for the fight against cancer, diabetes and HIV/AIDS. Joining other celebrities such as Ryan Seacrest, Vince Gill andSugarland in their support of City Of Hope, SIXX: A.M. offered their new music video for "Are You With Me Now" exclusively to the charity.
SIXX: A.M., made a rare appearance — its first in four years — on April 11, 2012 at Revolver Golden Gods Awards at Club Nokia in Los Angeles.
As each band member has been kept busy with their other careers — Sixxis also the bassist for MÖTLEY CRÜE and a syndicated radio host; Ashbais currently touring with GUNS N' ROSES; James Michael is a famed rock producer who is currently working on new records for PAPA ROACH,HALESTORM and others — this marked the band's first chance to perform in support of their current album, "This Is Gonna Hurt", which supplied the #1 rock anthem "Lies Of The Beautiful People".
"7", the latest EP from SIXX: A.M., came out in December 2011 and sold around 2,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The effort contained acoustic versions of songs from the group's first two albums — 2007's "The Heroin Diaries" soundtrack and 2011's "This Is Gonna Hurt".
Released on May 3, 2011, SIXX: A.M.'s sophomore album, "This Is Gonna Hurt" is a companion piece to Sixx's "This Is Gonna Hurt: Music, Photography And Life Through The Distorted Lens Of Nikki Sixx" book, a follow-up to his New York Times bestseller, "The Heroin Diaries".
DRAGONFORCE Featured In CAPITAL ONE Commercial
British epic power metallers DRAGONFORCE are featured in a new commercial for the Capital One mobile app, which "lets you bank where ever so you can keep doing what you're doing." Check it out below.
DRAGONFORCE's new album, "The Power Within", sold 5,800 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 74 on The Billboard 200 chart.
DRAGONFORCE's previous CD, "Ultra Beatdown", opened with 24,000 units back in September 2008 to land at No. 18.
DRAGONFORCE's recent North American headlining tour marked the band's first trek with new singer Marc Hudson, who also makes his recorded debut on "The Power Within".
"The Power Within" was released in the U.K. on April 16 via the band's own Electric Generation Recordings, distributed by Essential Music.
LOSTPROPHETS Frontman To Remain In Custody Until March
According to BBC News, singer Ian Watkins of the Welsh rock band LOSTPROPHETS will remain in custody until March after being charged with sexual offenses against children.
The 35-year-old musician, who is accused of conspiracy to rape a one-year-old girl along with other charges, appeared in Cardiff Crown Court earlier today (Monday, December 31) via video link from Parc Prison in Bridgend, Wales. He reportedly wore a black suit, shirt and tie and appeared beside two women who cannot be named for legal reasons. All three defendants spoke only to confirm their names at the hearing, which lasted "less than 10 minutes." They were remanded until March 11, after being arrested on December 18.
Defending barrister Tom Crowther had said on December 19 that Watkinswould be denying the charges.
LOSTPROPHETS members Lee Gaze (guitar), Mike Lewis (guitar), Stuart Richardson (bass), Jamie Oliver (keyboards) and Luke Johnson (drums) released a statement on their official web site expressing their shock at the charges against Watkins.
LOSTPROPHETS has sold more than three million albums worldwide and topped the U.K. chart with 2006's "Liberation Transmission".
The band's most recent CD, "Weapons", came out in April.
Source: Blabbermouth.net
Red Hot Chili Peppers Drummer Chad Smith Resolves to “Be a Better Friend”
Chad Smith isn’t a big fan of New Year’s resolutions. The Red Hot Chili Peppersdrummer says that people shouldn’t have to wait until January 1 to make important changes in their lives.
“I don’t know, I think that whole New Year’s resolution thing, maybe it’s a little overrated,” Smith tells ABC News Radio. “Do you really need New Year’s Eve to, like, be inspired to change your life and be a better person in some way? You can do that every day. So why not a New Year’s resolution every day?”
However, Smith adds that he does have one resolution for 2013, and that’s to be closer to the people he cares about. “I’m gonna work on being more involved in my friends' lives,” he reveals. “I’ll make a real conscious effort to be a better friend.”
Smith will be ringing in the New Year with the Chili Peppers, performing a sold-out show in The Chelsea Ballroom of The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, NV.
The Black Keys Ready for a Break in 2013
After ringing in the New Year with shows at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney are planning a long break in 2013.
Carney told theLas Vegas Journal-Review they will record their new CD during the first half of 2013, and then take a much-needed vacation. “We're going to go make an album and then we're going to take a break, mainly so that we don't start annoying the (crap) out of everybody because we've been constantly on tour and putting out albums,” he says. “I think we're going to try and sit tight for most of next year after the album's done."
Headlining in Sin City to close the year reminds Carney of how far the duo has progressed from their first tour in 2001, when they made their Vegas debut in a dive called The Cooler. "It was a really fun show, but really bizarre," he says. "We got in at 11 a.m., and there were literally people sleeping all over the bar."
The Black Keys' breakthrough came with their 2010 platinum album Brothers, which earned three Grammys, and since then Auerbach and Carney have had to adjust to success. "I had a much higher anxiety level about playing concerts," Carney says. "It really took over a year to just be able to calm down and realize that there's nothing different about playing a big show versus a small show...."
But, Carney notes, he's not complaining. "For as stressful and nerve-racking as it was getting used to playing arenas and big festivals, it's also been a really exciting two years," he says.
Doobie Brothers, Red Hot Chili Peppers Among Stars Performing New Year's Eve Concerts
New Year's Eve is almost upon us, and you know what that means -- a slew of famous artists will help ring in 2013 with special concerts all across America. Among the many big-name stars hitting stages this evening are The Doobie Brothers, The Red Hot Chili Peppers and REO Speedwagon. While there are way too many shows to list, we've compiled a selection of events worth mentioning.
Here are a few of the artists performing New Year's Eve shows in the U.S. and Canada, along with the corresponding locations and venues: The Beach Boys -- Prior Lake, MN, Mystic Lake Casino Chris Robinson Brotherhood -- Denver, CO, Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom
Ex-Guess Who frontman Burton Cummings -- Tacoma, WA, Emerald Queen Casino
The Doobie Brothers -- Richmond, Canada, River Rock Show Theatre Furthur (with Grateful Dead members Phil Lesh and Bob Weir) -- San Francisco, CA, Bill Graham Civic Auditorium Gov't Mule -- New York, NY, Beacon Theatre Queensryche -- Las Vegas, NV, Fremont Street Experience
Red Hot Chili Peppers -- Las Vegas, NV, The Cosmopolitan
REO Speedwagon -- Orlando, FL, Universal City Walk Plaza Stage War -- Vinton, LA, Delta Downs Racetrack & Casino
Watch Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong in Deleted Scene from This Is 40
A scene Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong shot for the new movie This Is 40 was left on the cutting room floor by writer/director Judd Apatow. But now Apatow has posted the clip online.
In the scene Armstrong meets with a record label owner played by Paul Rudd to pitch a side project so un-commercial and violent he doesn't even want his name attached to it. "My biggest frustration about my career is that I actually sell too many records," he says in the scene. "So I'm trying to change that by doing this side project. I kinda want it to sound like two radios going off at the same time in a white supremacist's car."
He also says he'd like to mix the sound of "Norwegian death metal" with the sound ofBelle and Sebastian. "It's sort of music that you can cry to but also maybe burn a church down at the same time," he says.
Jason Newsted Would Rejoin Metallica for a “Squillion Dollars”
It’s been eleven years since Jason Newsted left Metallica, and he says he would go back on tour with the band for a "squillion dollars.”
The bassist tells Swedish music blog Metal Shrine he'd consider it, "If they were 'brofessional' about it and if they came as my brothers and they were professional with the meeting and they're sitting there and looking me in the eye and the managers aren't around." And of course there's the money. He adds, "It would have to be these 30 shows in these 45 days for this squillion dollars. But it has to be that.''
Newsted was a member of Metallica for fifteen years, and despite quitting in 2001, he bears no bitterness toward the group. “'I love those guys and I always will and I will defend them to the end of time," he says.
QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE's 'Secrets Of The Sound' Mockumentary Posted Online
QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE has posted a "mockumentary", apparently inspired by "This Is Spinal Tap", in which they give fans a sneak peek into the making of the band's next studio album. The nine-minute"Secrets Of The Sound" segment, hosted by Matt Berry and Steve Agee, can be seen below.
FOO FIGHTERS frontman Dave Grohl, who plays drums on the upcomingQUEENS OF THE STONE AGE studio set, recently confirmed that he will not be part of the QUEENS touring lineup. Grohl played drums on theQUEENS' 2002 album, "Songs For The Deaf", and did go on a short club tour with the group before returning to active duty with the FOOS — who took QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE out as support.
There's no release date or title for the new QUEENS OF THE STONE AGEalbum yet, although it's expected to surface in early 2013.
The band is said to be auditioning drummers now. Grohl stepped in for the recording sessions after the group parted ways with longtime drummerJoey Castillo.
QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE's fifth album, "Era Vulgaris", came out in June 2007 and entered the Billboard chart at No. 14.
QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE commemorated the reissue of its classic 1998 debut with a limited series of intimate shows at which the band played the record in its entirety, plus B-sides and other rarities and hits from the early QUEENS catalog up to the present.
CLUTCH Frontman Says New CD Is 'Probably Faster Than Most Of Our Recent Albums'
Metal Chris of DCHeavyMetal.com recently conducted an interview with vocalist Neil Fallon of Maryland rockers CLUTCH. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
DCHeavyMetal.com: What can fans expect from the new album ["Earth Rocker"]?
Neil: Well, I think, as a whole, this record is probably faster than most of our recent albums. Maybe compared to some other bands, it's not the fastest thing on planet Earth. For us it was definitely a step up in the tempo. And I think the other thing that kind of stands out about this one is the blues influences that we've been flirting with over the past couple records is more or less absent in this record, which didn't really happen intentionally until we looked back at it. As a whole, it's just much more of a straight-up rock and roll record.
DCHeavyMetal.com: This will be the second studio release for CLUTCHon your own label, the Weathermaker Music label. Why exactly did you guys decide to ditch, say, a "traditional" label and instead create your own and put your own music out this way?
Neil: Well, we've tried it many many times with many different iterations with labels, and just to be frank about it, the major labels are in thebusiness of selling platinum records and even a gold record, probably, in their eyes is considered somewhat of a failure. CLUTCH is a band that, we're happy to be a touring band and continue to do what we do, but I don't think we're that band and we never were. But in the '90s, it did give us an opportunity to do a lot of touring, tour support and kick down a lot of doors that way to eventually put us in this position that we have now. And because of the Internet, and how easy it is to connect with people, it's very easy to cut out a lot of middle men and sell directly to the people that want to buy our records. It's more work and you can make mistakes, but if something goes wrong, you know who to blame and it's a lot easier to fix. And I think if any artist is in a position to do this, you know whether they be a writer or comedian or it doesn't matter, you'd be foolish not to. Because it just makes more sense. I don't see why you would subscribe to the kind of antiquated model of a major label. I think some people look at that as some kind of patron or home, but we never certainly thought that way.
DCHeavyMetal.com: So has it changed the way you put your albums out, like the way you record it or anything like that as well?
Neil: Um, I don't want to say it complicates it, but we have to kind of wear both hats. You know, on one hand we want to be the band and say well we want this amazing package. We want this to fold out. We want to do this, we want to do that. But at the same time, we're also the label and we're looking, well, that's going to cost X amount of dollars, that's going to cost Y. So we have to kind of find a happy compromise between those two. We certainly haven't changed any of the writing aspect of it, or the recording. We haven't tried to cut corners because of it. If anything, it's made our ability to do cool packages easier because it's much more cost effective. But other than that, not a lot has changed. It's going very well.
DCHeavyMetal.com: Well, you talk about the packages. You guys put out the "Blast Tyrant", you re-released it with some bonus material and stuff. A whole another disc, actually. Are you planning on doing that with any of your other older albums in the future?
Neil: Well, we've kind of exhausted that. "Blast Tyrant" and "Robot Hive/Exodus" and "Beale Street" were out on a label called DRT that was the last label we were signed to before we went out on our own. And to make a long story short, they just stopped paying us our royalties and we had to go to court to get the money. We won the case, but they still couldn't pay us, so in lieu of paying us what we were owed, we were awarded those masters for those records. It was sort of a windfall toWeathermaker to get these three records back and we could re-release them. But the ones prior to that, when you're talking about "Pure Rock Fury" and "Elephant Riders" and the self-titled, maybe in the distant future those records will revert back to us just because of the terms of the contract will expire. But that's not on our to-do list because trying to talk to Sony's lawyers is like launching a spacecraft.
You can read the entire interview at DCHeavyMetal.com. The chat is also available for streaming in audio format using the SoundCloud player below.
"Earth Rocker" (song) performance:
MEGADETH's DAVE MUSTAINE Allegedly Duped By Christmas-Card Contest Winner
MEGADETH and the band's official web site, Megadeth.com, hold an annual Christmas card contest where the top ten winners all win a prize, and the first-place winner receives a phone call on Christmas Day fromMEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine, along with other prizes. This year, the winner allegedly submitted the artwork of another artist.
A posting on Megadeth.com reads: "Although we were notified of the possible plagiarism by an anonymous fan in Brazil after the Christmas Day call was already placed, we are investigating this matter further. We stand by the fact that [the chosen winner] is innocent until proven guilty, and if our winner did indeed use someone else's artwork, we will be notifying the second-place winner to award him the first place prize and he will receive a phone call from Dave Mustaine. We hope to clear this up as quick as possible."
To see the winning artwork and what appears to be the original 2009 piece it is taken from, follow the links below.
Before the alleged fraud was uncovered, Mustaine had the following to say regarding the winning artwork:
"The reason that I picked this card over the others:
"Text: Some were funny, some were serious, and some were just simple text or bad clichés. I preferred both the classic and the funny, but there is only so much room for a funny Christmas card; although I have picked funny ones in the past. This year I leaned more toward the traditional 'Christmas' cards, since there is so much ridiculous disputing whether a 'Christmas tree' should be called a Christmas tree or a holiday tree — the idiot who came up with that is the mayor in Rhode Island, I believe.
"Style: some were obviously cut-and-pasted, some were hand-drawn, and some were done in applications. It is unfair for the contest entrants that have no resources to expensive programs like AI, Photoshop, etc., and it is equally unfair for a normal Droogie with the desire to enter this contest to go up against someone who is a graphic artist. Having said that, one of the top ten was obviously a rendition of Charlie Brown and was an illustration, but I ended up going with the entry that had the horses and the outdoor winter scene.
"The call: The winner and I talked for about 5 or more minutes and we discussed several things, like music, art, politics, and future designs forMEGADETH. Our winner lives in Greece and it is no secret that the corruption of the officials in Greece (it's just as bad here in the U.S.) has led to terrible financial death for the beautiful people of Greece. We talked about the taxes are destroying the hopes and dreams of people all around the world, and how the world bankers are behind it all, and that they are using puppets to run our world governments and doing their bidding. We also discussed when we were going back to Greece, doing future artwork for MEGADETH (which I didn't rule out, but we are very happy with John Lorenzi and we are planning on using a picture for the new cover anyway).
"Hanging up: I asked our winner if there was anything else that he wanted to ask me and we talked for a few more minutes, we wished each other a merry Christmas, and then we hung up.
"I enjoyed this year’s Christmas card contest, and I really enjoyed talking to our winner. I can't wait for next year's contest to see what you creative Droogs will come up with next!"
KILLSWITCH ENGAGE: Video Footage And Photos Of 'Hometown' Show
AlexIsLegend.com has uploaded photos and video footage ofKILLSWITCH ENGAGE's December 19 "hometown" stop on their "Alive Or Just Breathing" 10th-anniversary tour at Pearl Street in Northampton, Massachusetts. Check out the clips below.
KILLSWITCH ENGAGE vocalist Jesse Leach announced during the band's December 16 concert in Brooklyn, New York that their studio album will be released in April 2013 via Roadrunner Records. The CD was recorded byKILLSWITCH ENGAGE guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz, an acclaimed producer who has previously worked with ALL THAT REMAINS, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA and AS I LAY DYING, among others. The mixing sessions were overseen by veteran British producer Andy Sneap (MEGADETH,TESTAMENT, EXODUS, ACCEPT, ARCH ENEMY, NEVERMORE).
KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's forthcoming album will mark the return of Leach, who rejoined the group earlier this year following the departure of Howard Jones after nine years and three successful albums.
Asked for more information about the status of the upcoming CD and how it came together, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE bassist Mike D'Antonio toldHorns Up Rocks!: "We've got the title, I've got all the artwork finished for it. I've just gotta fit in the lyrics. [There are] 12 songs on it. It was hard to whittle down which songs were actually gonna make it on the record, 'cause we like them all; we're really excited about it."
He continued: "It was weird. Jesse did two songs and then kind of wanted to get a feel for how the band was communicating and hanging out together. And he was, like, 'Let's go out on tour and see how it is and then I can come back and finish the rest of the record and really have a better headspace for what's going on with the band.' So he did two songs, we went out on tour, came back and all of a sudden, he started doing all this new stuff — like, eight or nine different, new voices we had never heard before. And we were were, like, 'Wait a minute, man! Now you're gonan have to redo the last stuff we did, because this stuff sounds so great.' So he just blew us away. This guy… I don't know if he's got split personalities or what's going on in his head, but he's got a million different voices going on there, and it sounds really cool on the record."
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".
Source: Blabbermouth.net
Kings of Leon’s Nathan Followill’s Christmas Gift: His First Child
Kings of Leon drummer Nathan Followill celebrated Christmas by becoming a father for the first time. On Thursday he revealed the news on Twitter: “I can proudly announce the birth of my sweet angel Violet Marlowe Followill. My heart has been stolen and it feels so good.”
According to Zap2it.com, Violet was born Wednesday at 4:01 p.m. in Nashville, weighing 7 pounds, 13 ounces. This is the first baby for Nathan and his wife, singer-songwriterJessie Baylin, who were married in 2009.
It is the third child for the family band. Nathan’s brother, lead vocalist Caleb Followill, and Caleb's wife, Lily Aldridge, welcomed their first child, daughter Dixie Pearl, in June. His cousin, guitarist Matthew Followill, and Matthew's wife, Johanna Bennett, became parents in 2011 with the birth of their son Knox.
Courtney Love’s Daughter Offers a Christmas Olive Branch to Her Mother
The Christmas spirit may be easing the bitter feud between Courtney Love and Frances Bean Cobain, her estranged daughter by late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain. On Tuesday, 20-year-old Francis reached out to her mother via Twitter, writing, "@Courtney merry Christmas kooksmcgee.”
Mom was overjoyed and replied to Frances, “That was best Christmas gift ever. proudest mama in the world thank you Bean. means the world to me.” She added, “That tweet was the best gift ever, its all I need even if its a dammed social network. Miss that little head of yours. That beautiful little head, and those long legs.”
Three years ago Courtney lost at least temporary legal guardianship of Frances, and at the time TMZ reported that a judge issued a restraining order prohibiting Courtney from contacting her then-17-year-old daughter, although the website reported the documents were filed under seal. Since then mother and daughter have been involved in a series of public feuds, including one in which Frances blamed Courtney for the death of her dog and cat.
Metallica Reveals Venue for Orion Music Plus More Festival in Detroit
Following the announcement that Detroit would be the location for Metallica’s second annual Orion Music Plus More Festival on June 8 and 9, 2013, it has now been revealed that Belle Isle will be the venue. According to the Detroit Free Press, the Detroit City Council has approved the landmark for the two-day event.
City Councilman Ken Cockrel Jr. anticipates the festival will make a positive financial impact on the city. “Anytime you have a two-day music festival like this, that’s going to bring fans from throughout the country and possibly throughout the world, it’s good for the city from an economic perspective," he tells the paper.
Metallica debuted the Orion Music Plus More Festival this past June in Atlantic City. The event also included a car show and horror memorabilia from guitarist Kirk Hammett.
Coheed and Cambria's Claudio Sanchez Talks Emotional Songwriting Process for The Afterman
Frontman Claudio Sanchez has grown as a songwriter since Coheed and Cambriareleased their first album in 2002, The Second Stage Turbine Blade. The singer says that he feels the band’s new double album, The Afterman, is a great example of how his songwriting process has evolved.
“Amory Wars, the original Coheed saga…that’s like me playing with my action figures,” the singer tells ABC News Radio. “That’s me trying to do something like a Star Wars if you will. But Afterman to me feels certainly more mature in terms of my writing where the emotions are really more the forefront of the story as opposed to the sci-fi epicness.”
Sanchez adds that one of highlights of making The Afterman was connecting with the band’s new bassist, Zach Cooper. Cooper replaced former bassist Michael Todd, who left the band last year shortly after his July 10 arrest in Attleboro, MA. Todd was charged with armed robbery for confronting a pharmacist with a bomb threat in order to acquire a quantity of the drug Oxycontin.
“I think [working with Cooper] was like the biggest treat because for the last couple of records I felt like there might have been a void,” Sanchez reveals. “Though those records are very much a statement to the band and how we’ve endured all the adversity…I just felt complete with this new team.”
The second installment of Coheed's double album, The Afterman: Descension, will be released on February 5. You’ll get your first chance to hear the new songs performed live when the band kicks off the next leg of their North American tour. That outing begins on February 4 at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. Visit CoheedAndCambria.com to view the full itinerary.
The Black Keys Looking Forward to First New Year’s Eve Concert in Vegas
After receiving five Grammy nominations, The Black Keys will be performing a New Year’s Eve concert in Las Vegas next Monday night. The show at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino will be the duo's first New Year's Eve in Sin City.
Speaking about the upcoming show, vocalist/guitarist Dan Auerbach told LasVegasWeekly.com that after performing live as a duo early in their career, he and his partner, drummer Patrick Carney, love having additional musicians on stage.
"It used to be we’d record our songs, and when we went to play them live we’d have to completely deconstruct them to make it work as a two-piece," he says. "But now, we bring on a couple of extra musicians, and we can play the songs really close to how we record them, which is fun for us."
The Blacks Keys' Grammy nominations include a nod for Album of the Year, for El Camino,and one for Record of the Year, for "Lonely Boy." Auerbach is also up for Producer of the Year. He appreciates the recognition, but says it’s not the only way to measure their success.
“A Grammy is really nice, but having lots of fans is really nice, too.” He adds," I think just getting a record out is a success on its own. I remember when we got our first record, how excited we were to just hold it in our hand. That was success.”
Pearl Jam Celebrates Christmas “In the Moonlight”
As a special Christmas gift, Pearl Jam presented members of their Ten Club fan club with the release of two live songs: “In the Moonlight” featuring Queens of the Stone Age’sJosh Homme, and “All Night” featuring Joseph Arthur, Liam Finn, and Glen Hansard.
According to ConsequenceofSound.net, both tunes were recorded in 2011 at the Pearl Jam 20 Music Festival in East Troy, WI. As previously reported, the group plans to begin writing and recording new music in March 2013 for the follow-up to their 2009 Backspacer CD.
Lars Ulrich Says Doing "Crazy" Things Is Key to Metallica’s Longevity
Metallica is now recording a new CD tentatively scheduled to be released in 2014, and drummer Lars Ulrich says the band does “crazy” things in order to maintain longevity and avoid boredom.
Ulrich told the U.K.'s Metal Hammer, “That’s why we do crazy s**t like Some Kind Of Monster and the 3D movies. We throw ourselves these challenges. It’s to make sure that boredom never sets in.”
The drummer adds that keeping things mentally fresh helps keep the band going after 31 years, but sometimes he does worry about the physical nature of being in a band like Metallica.
"We will always have the strength to do it mentally, so I’m not worried about that," he says, "But if there ever comes a time when we feel that it’s not going on all 12 cylinders [physically], then I hope that we have the guts to walk away from it.”
The still-untitled CD will be released on Metallica's new Blackened Recordings label. Last week the band announced that its second Orion Music Plus More Festival will be held in June 8 and 9 in Detroit.
Avenged Sevenfold’s M. Shadows Promises “Bigger Riffs” on Next Album
Avenged Sevenfold is heading into the studio next month to begin recording their follow-up to 2010’s Nightmare. Frontman M. Shadows says that fans can expect the band to deliver an album that features some heavy guitar work.
"This [new] album's a little more groove orientated," he tells NME. "There's a little bit more groove to it, a little bit more focused on bigger riffs. So that's where it's headed -– every song has gotta have a huge riff and every song has to have a groove to it."
Frontman Jacoby Shaddix Gets Ghostly in Papa Roach’s “Before I Die” Video
Papa Roach’s Jacoby Shaddix becomes a restless spirit in the video for “Before I Die,” a cut from the band's latest album, The Connection. The story line follows Shaddix as he gets poisoned by a beautiful woman, becomes a ghost and fights to save the love of his life from drowning.
In other Papa Roach news, the band will hit the road next month for a co-headlining tour with Stone Sour. That outing begins on January 20 at the Sands Bethlehem Events Center in Bethlehem, PA. Visit PapaRoach.com to view the full itinerary.
Fiona Apple, fun. Top Entertainment Weekly's Best Music of 2012; Marilyn Manson, Muse Among the Worst
Entertainment Weekly is out with its annual Best & Worst of the Year issue, and Fiona Apple was the top rock pick on the Best Albums of 2012 list. The magazine slotted Apple’s The Idler Wheel… at #2 on their tally, describing it as a “thrilling mood-tornado.” fun. also appears on the list at #10 with Some Nights.
And the worst albums of 2012? According to EW, their #3 choice is Marilyn Manson’sBorn Villain. While the mag praises the singer’s earlier work, they feel that Manson is now “just another sad goth with a sack of dirges and a melty face.”
As for the Best Singles of 2012, Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know" took the #2 spot while fun.’s “Some Nights” came in at #4. In addition, Alex Clare’s “Too Close” scored the #8 slot, and The Lumineers rounded out the top 10 list with “Ho Hey” at #10.
EW adds that the Worst Single of 2012 was Muse’s “Survival,” which was the main official song of the London 2012 Olympics.
Queens of the Stone Age Working with Scissor Sisters' Jake Shears?
Scissor Sisters frontman Jake Shears may be contributing his talents to Queens of the Stone Age’s upcoming album.
Shears tweeted a picture of himself and members of QOTSA on Thursday with the message, “Jake Shears + Queens of the Stone Age = satanic cabaret.” The Scissor Sisters singer offered further proof that he’s collaborating with the band, tweetinganother picture the next day featuring Shears with QOTSA frontman Josh Homme along with the message, “After singing together for awhile, Josh Homme and I settled down to watch some educational films. #newQueensOfTheStoneAgeAlbum”
If Shears is working with the band on their new release, he’ll join previously-announced guest stars Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor, Foo Fighters frontman/formerNirvana drummer Dave Grohl and former QOTSA bassist Nick Oliveri.
A title and release date for the forthcoming album has yet to be announced.
Green Day Pays Tribute to Cassette Tapes in "X-Kid" Video
Green Day takes us back to the days of cassette tapes in the new video for “X-Kid,” the lead single from ¡Tré!, the final album of their trilogy. The four-minute clip features footage of a cassette player playing a tape of the track in its entirety before rewinding to the beginning and stopping.
In other Green Day news, the band will release a new documentary, ¡Quatro!, sometime in 2013. The film profiles the recording process of the band’s album trilogy, ¡Uno!, ¡Dos!and ¡Tré!, as well as footage of a number of the group’s live performances in select cities across the U.S.
Jack White Talks “Obsession” with Self-Producing Debut Solo Album, Blunderbuss
2012 was a big year for Jack White as the singer went solo with his debut album,Blunderbuss. The album was written, recorded and produced entirely by the ex-White Stripes frontman, which White says was the only way he could ever consider making a solo record.
“I have an obsession with being hard on myself because I really need to feel proud of what I do,” he tells U.K. newspaper The Sun. “If I look back and see that I got the best engineers, that someone mixed the record for me, that it was just a bunch of people playing the parts, I couldn’t live with throwing my name on top of it.”
Fans can look forward to more solo music from him in the near future, as White reveals that “another album is on the way already.”
Watch Papa Roach Perform “Still Swinging” from UpcomingGuitar Center Sessions Episode
Papa Roach is the next guest scheduled for the Guitar Center Sessionsseries, which airs on DirecTV. A sneak peak of the band’s episode has been posted online, featuring a performance of “Still Swinging,” from the band's latest album, The Connection.
Each episode of Guitar Center Sessions is filmed in front of a live studio audience and includes a performance as well as a Q&A segment, sponsored by the Guitar Center chain of music stores. Papa Roach’s episode will premiere on Friday, December 28 at 9 p.m. ET.
Vocalist Jesse Leach of Massachusetts metallers KILLSWITCH ENGAGEannounced during the band's performance last night (Sunday, December 16) at the Music Hall Of Williamsburg in Brooklyn, New York that their new studio album will be released in April 2013 via Roadrunner Records. The CD was recorded by KILLSWITCH ENGAGE guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz, an acclaimed producer who has previously worked with ALL THAT REMAINS,THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA and AS I LAY DYING, among others. The mixing sessions were overseen by veteran British producer Andy Sneap(MEGADETH, TESTAMENT, EXODUS, ACCEPT, ARCH ENEMY,NEVERMORE).
KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's forthcoming album will mark the return of Leach, who rejoined the group earlier this year following the departure of Howard Jones after nine years and three successful albums.
"[The recording process] was great," Leach told Loudwire. "I came off tour I was filled with energy, ready to go, we knocked out a bunch of stuff. I had joined the band, the record was there, we're on tour so I really didn't have time to write. I took the past two months not only recording but writing so I'm there with an idea, being in the other room writing and going to Adam saying, 'Here's my idea I just wrote, what do you think?' So there's real spontaneity some of the songs that we just finished up. I had maybe five or six solid ideas when I came off tour and the rest had to be developed as we were recording it. It was exciting but at the same time tough because for me I'm digging deep down into my emotions and my psyche trying to come up with stuff that is honest and emotive and relevant, hopefully for the listener. It's tiring but well worth, anything that's worth achieving you got to suffer a little bit for it. I think mentally and spiritually and a little bit physically we were suffering but all of that made for an amazing record that I'm really proud of."
He added, "The music is definitely the fastest KILLSWITCH record ever. It's very heavy but still maintains the signature KILLSWITCH hooky, melodic stuff there, too. There's definitely melody attached, but I pulled out some new styles vocally, yelling and screaming and growling and layers and it sounds massive."
Asked what the vibe has been working on the new record with the other members, Leach said, "These guys have welcomed me back with open arms and just very encouraging and digging the stuff that I'm doing and these guys were just like, 'Wow! We're really excited. We feel like it's been a long time since we've been this excited about music,' and that just makes me feel amazing. It makes me feel like I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing."
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.
"That song is the weakest song on the whole record," Leach toldLoudwire. "That's my opinion. I actually almost wouldn't mind if it wasn't even on the record because I think other stuff is much better, but probably since we played it and fans know it, we'll put it on, but in my opinion, that's definitely the weakest song. Now that the record is done, in retrospect, that would not be the song that we would be playing live."
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".
SLASH To Guest On CHARLIE SHEEN's 'Anger Management'
Legendary guitarist Slash (GUNS N' ROSES, VELVET REVOLVER) has filmed a cameo for actor Charlie Sheen's new TV sitcom "Anger Management". Slash writes on Twitter: "Charlie's working with a great bunch of people of there."
Sheen, a neighbor and personal friend of Slash's who called himself a "Rock Star From Mars" when he underwent a public meltdown amid his firing from the CBS show "Two And A Half Men", spoke at Slash'sHollywood Walk Of Fame induction ceremony in July. He said, "It's quite fitting that Slash is getting a star on the very street Axl Rose will one day be sleeping on."
He added, "This star is going to be stepped on more than the coke we did in the '80s."
In an interview with Australia's long-running rock station Triple M during his tour with the Soundwave rock festival in March 2011, Slash spoke about the troubles Sheen was facing at the time.
"I love Charlie," Slash smiled. "Charlie is probably the most rock 'n' roll character in entertainment today. All things considered, he's been having a little bit of a hard time recently with all the bad press and everything. But he's been managing to get away with what he's been doing on that show and get a raise over the last more than ten years. I think that's pretty cool," he laughed.
Source: Blabbermouth.net
Listen to Studio Version of Paul McCartney's New Song with Nirvana, Online Now
Over the weekend, Paul McCartney treated fans to a second live rendition of "Cut Me Some Slack," his new collaboration with the surviving members of Nirvana, when theBeatles legend and the grunge veterans performed the tune on Saturday Night Live. Now, you can hear the entire studio version of the track on YouTube. The song, which is the lead single from the soundtrack to former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl's upcoming documentary, Sound City -- Real to Reel, is available for purchase now as a digital download.
McCartney, along with Grohl, founding Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic and ex-Nirvana touring guitarist Pat Smear, debuted the tune last Wednesday at the star-studded12.12.12 Hurricane Sandy relief benefit show at New York City's Madison Square Garden.
In case you missed Sir Paul's SNL appearance, he also played two other songs during the show and participated in one sketch. Early in the program, he sang his Kisses on the Bottom tune "My Valentine," with help from his regular backing group, plus some guitar accompaniment from The Eagles' Joe Walsh. To close out the episode, Macca was featured in a tongue-in-cheek segment in which he and host Martin Short played a somewhat hapless musical duo who were auditioning for a Christmas pageant. At the end of the sketch, McCartney hit the stage for a festive rendition of his holiday classic "Wonderful Christmastime" that also featured a children's choir.
Slipknot/Stone Sour Frontman Corey Taylor Says Next Book Will Be About Ghosts
It appears that we’ll be getting another book from Slipknot/Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor in the near future. Earlier this year Taylor released a book about his life as a “sinner,” titled Seven Deadly Sins: Settling the Argument Between Born Bad and Damaged Good. Now the singer says that he’s almost completed writing his second book.
“I’m about 15-20,000 words from being finished,” Taylor tells ABC News Radio. “Book two should be turned in the next few months and hopefully get out by summer.”
Taylor revealed that the focus of his next book will be ghosts. “The working title is A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Heaven, and it’s basically my experiences with ghosts, which I know is going to freak a lot of people out,” he explains. “It’s just about the things I’ve seen, the places I’ve lived, telling some of my friend’s stories, because it seems like everyone either has a ghost story or desperately wants one.”
Jack White Drops Out of Scoring The Lone Ranger Due to “Scheduling Conflicts”
Back in April, Jack White was tapped to write, produce and perform the score for the upcoming movie The Lone Ranger, starring Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer. Now,IndieWire reports that the while the ex-White Stripes frontman has created some music for the flick, Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer has been brought in to create the official score for the film. The Lone Ranger’s production company, Walt Disney Pictures, issued a statement noting that White has “contributed several pieces of music to the production,” but wasn’t able to complete his work on the movie due to “scheduling conflicts that arose when the film’s release moved to July of 2013.” The Lone Ranger will arrive in theaters on July 3, 2013.
Papa Roach Post Performance Video for “Where Did the Angels Go”
Papa Roach has released the video for “Where Did the Angels Go,” the next single from their latest album, The Connection. The three-minute clip features footage of the band performing the track in an empty warehouse, in front of a large backdrop of the album’s artwork.
In other Papa Roach news, the band will hit the road in 2013 on a co-headlining tour withStone Sour. That outing begins on January 20 at the Sands Bethlehem Events Center in Bethlehem, PA. Visit PapaRoach.com to view the full itinerary.
BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE: 'Temper Temper' Track Listing Revealed; New Single Streaming
"Riot", the new single from Welsh metallers BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, will be available at all digital providers on January 15. The track, which can be streamed below, is the first official single from the band's fourth studio album, "Temper Temper", set for release February 12, 2013. The LP will be available in both standard and deluxe editions on RCA Records.
BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE last month filmed a video for "Riot" in New York City with renowned director P.R. Brown, who has previously worked with such artists as MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, John Mayer, Alicia Keys,Carrie Underwood, Prince, AUDIOSLAVE, MÖTLEY CRÜE and SIXX: A.M.
"Temper Temper" was once again produced by Don Gilmore (LINKIN PARK, GOOD CHARLOTTE), who worked on the group's last LP, 2010's"Fever", and was mixed by noted engineer Chris Lord-Alge (DEFTONES,NICKELBACK, AVENGED SEVENFOLD).
BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE frontman Matt Tuck recently revealed that the band's recording process on this album was influenced in part by his work in his side project AXEWOUND. "We approached the record a lot differently this time around," he said. "It was kind of more inspired by the way I did the AXEWOUND record. And that was basically: Get in the studio and write and record as you went along."
"Temper Temper" track listing:
01. Breaking Point
02. Truth Hurts
03. Temper Temper
04. Pow
05. Dirty Little Secret
06. Leech
07. Dead To The World
08. Riot
09. Saints n Sinners
10. Tears Don't Fall (Part 2)
11. Livin Life (On The Edge of A Knife)
Deluxe-edition bonus tracks:
12. Not Invincible
13. Whole Lotta Rosie (from the "Live Lounge" show on BBC Radio 1)
14. Scream Aim Fire (from the "Live Lounge" show on BBC Radio)
The "Temper Temper" title track was released on November 25 across all digital providers.
BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE will embark on a U.K. tour in March. Support on all dates will come from HALESTORM.
Source: Blabbermouth.net
Track List, Release Date for Soundtrack to Dave Grohl’sSound City Documentary Posted Online
The track list for the soundtrack for Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl’s documentary,Sound City, has been revealed. The album, titled Sound City -- Real to Reel, features exclusive performances from artists who have recorded at the legendary Sound City Studios, where Grohl and Nirvana recorded the band's 1991 iconic album, Nevermind.
The forthcoming release includes 11 new tracks, with Grohl performing with unique groups of musicians including Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme and Alain Johannes, Rage Against the Machine’s Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk, Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor, and Foo Fighters’ Pat Smear and Taylor Hawkins, among others. It also includes the studio version of “Cut Me Some Slack,” the track that Grohl, Smear and Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic played with Paul McCartney during the recent star-studded 12.12.12 -- The Concert for Sandy Relief benefit show at New York City's Madison Square Garden. Sound City -- Real to Reel will be released on March 12. You can pre-order the album now on iTunes. The Sound City movie will be available on February 1. If you order the film now at SoundCityMovie.com, you'll get access to “some super sweet stuff,” in addition to paying only $10 for the flick.
Here is the track list:
“Heaven and All” -- Dave Grohl, Peter Hayes and Robert Levon Been
“Time Slowing Down” -- Brad Wilk, Chris Goss, Dave Grohl, and Tim Commerford
“You Can’t Fix This” -- Dave Grohl, Rami Jaffee, Stevie Nicks, and Taylor Hawkins
“The Man That Never Was” -- Dave Grohl, Nate Mendel, Pat Smear, Rick Springfield, and Taylor Hawkins
“Your Wife Is Calling” -- Alain Johannes, Dave Grohl, Lee Ving, Pat Smear, and Taylor Hawkins
“From Can to Can’t” -- Corey Taylor, Dave Grohl, Rick Nielsen, and Scott Reeder
“Centipede” -- Alain Johannes, Chris Goss, Dave Grohl, and Joshua Homme
“A Trick with No Sleeve” -- Alain Johannes, Chris Goss, Dave Grohl, and Joshua Homme
“Cut Me Some Slack” -- Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, and Pat Smear
“Once Upon a Time…the End” -- Dave Grohl, Jessy Greene, Jim Keltner, and Rami Jaffee
“Mantra” -- Dave Grohl, Joshua Homme, and Trent Reznor
Godsmack's Sully Erna Talks Avalon Live Release, Next Solo Album
Godsmack frontman Sully Erna will release his solo live CD/DVD package, Avalon Live, on Tuesday. The release features 14 tracks that were recorded during Erna’s solo concert on December 16, 2011 at The Wilbur Theatre in Boston. The singer says he decided to release the set because he’s proud of the tracks from Avalon, which he had been saving for years.
"Throughout the years, sometimes you just stumble onto some stuff that you feel is really beautiful music or something that you want to represent but it’s not quite right for the band and so I would just kind of store it away,” he tells ABC News Radio. “I just knew we had something a little bit more special than we thought we were gonna have when we were just trying to put a project together.”
Sully adds that while Godsmack is currently on hiatus, he’s already begun working on new material for a second solo album. “I have a small handful of music right now that I’ve been working on and completed,” he reveals. “Because what I do want to do is keep people on their toes and I want to continue to experiment myself with different sounds and I don’t think it’s gonna sound like Avalon, but in the end who knows, you know? I don’t know what it’s gonna be like.”
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 some extra goodies, such as 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.
Marilyn Manson Gets 24 Stitches to Attach Ear Following “Dangerous Fight”
Marilyn Manson is lucky to have both his ears. The singer posted a message on his Facebook page on Tuesday that he received medical treatment after one of his ears was injured during a brawl while on his Twins of Evil tour with Rob Zombie in Switzerland.
“I was hit by a glass table in a very dangerous fight,” he wrote. “I was however, the victor but had to have 24 stitches to keep my ear from becoming Van Goth.”
Manson confirmed that he has indeed had some serious damage to his ear, posting a picture after getting the stitches, with the caption “Zurich.”
Items Signed by 12.12.12 Concert Performers Being Auctioned to Aid Sandy Relief Efforts
12.12.12 -- The Concert for Sandy Relief is over, but some cool collectibles signed by many of the superstars who performed at the benefit show are up for bid now online to help raise more money for those affected by the devastating storm.
Among the items being auctioned are several electric guitars, drum cymbals, commemorative posters and a Marshall amplifier autographed by such famous musicians as Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Bruce Springsteen, The Who's Roger Daltrey andPete Townshend, Roger Waters, Billy Joel, Jon Bon Jovi, Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder,Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl and others.
Other signed pieces of memorabilia being sold include the shirt Springsteen wore on stage during the big event; Coldplay singer Chris Martin's personal backstage pass, which he and his special guest, R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe, both autographed; and the drumsticks Grohl played during the surviving members of Nirvana's reunion performance with McCartney.
The auction, which is being hosted by CharityBuzz.com, closes on Thursday. Proceeds from the sale will benefit the Robin Hood Relief Fund, which is providing money, materials and information to charitable organizations that are helping families and areas severely affected by the storm.
The 12.12.12 concert was held Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Court Date Set for Lamb of God Frontman Randy Blythe's Trial in Prague
Randy Blythe will get his day in court. According to The Prague Post, the Lamb of Godfrontman will stand trial on February 4 on a manslaughter charge in connection with an incident that took place during the band’s 2010 concert at Club Abaton in Prague.
"We have issued Randy Blythe with a court summons, and he is obliged to attend the hearing in person," court spokeswoman Martina Lhotáková tells the newspaper. "The trial will determine the culpability of Blythe, and his potential punishment."
Blythe is being accused of roughing up a fan named Daniel N. after the fan leaped onto the stage during the show. Czech Republic authorities allege the incident caused injuries that led to Daniel's death 14 days later. The singer could serve as many as 10 years in prison if he's convicted.
Coheed and Cambria Unveil Track List, Artwork for The Afterman: Descension
Coheed and Cambria has released new details about the second part of their concept album, The Afterman. The Afterman: Descension will feature nine tracks and continues the story line from the first installment of the double album, The Afterman: Ascension.
In addition, the band has unveiled the artwork for The Afterman: Descension. It's very similar to the cover art for The Afterman: Ascension, created by Heidi Taillefer, which is a sketch of “The Afterman” being pulled apart by “five entities” surrounding him.
You’ll get your first chance to hear the new songs performed live when Coheed and Cambria kick off the next leg of their North American tour. That outing begins on February 4 at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. Visit CoheedAndCambria.com to view the full itinerary.
Here's the track list for The Afterman: Descension:
“Pretelethal”
“Key Entity Extraction V: Sentry the Defiant”
“The Hard Sell”
“Number City”
“Gravity's Union”
“Away We Go”
“Iron Fist”
“Dark Side of Me”
“2's My Favorite 1”
Rammstein Explores Twisted Mental Hospital in New Video for “Mein Herz Hrennt”
Rammstein confronts their darker side in a new video for their old single, “Mein Herz Brennt,” from 2001’s Mutter.
The five-minute clip features scenes of children and adults being tortured by ghoulish creatures and female dominatrices in what appears to be a mental hospital. The video ends will some of the "patients" taking their revenge by killing their captors and burning down the hospital.
Though "Mein Herz Brennt" -- German for "My Heart Burns" -- is included on Rammstein’s upcoming three-DVD box set, Videos 1995-2012, which contains the group’s complete music video catalog, the song never had a music video, prompting the band to create one just for the box set. Videos 1995-2012 is set to arrive in stores on January 15. You can pre-order your copy now at Amazon.com.
Tenacious D’s Jack Black Reacts to Grammy Nomination
Last week, Tenacious D received the first-ever Grammy nomination of their career. The band’s third album, Rize of the Fenix, is up for Best Comedy Album at the 2013 Grammy Awards. Frontman Jack Black says that the nod is not only a victory for the band, but for their loyal fans as well.
“I feel like the Tenacious D nation would've staged some kind of protest if we hadn't won,” Black tells Billboard.com. “So I'm just happy that there won't be a riot.”
He adds that Rize of the Fenix is The D's “best album so far” and was destined to be recognized with a Grammy nomination. “We just wrote what I consider to be a masterpiece,” the singer notes. “Very proud of the work. Not just as comedy, but as just a musical piece.”
Once their current tour wraps up, Black expects Tenacious D to take another hiatus. “We need to now just enjoy life and live life and experience the world,” he reveals. “And then we'll come back with fresh eyes again in a couple of years.”
HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD's Collaboration With SLIPKNOT's CLOWN: 'We Are' Video Released
"We Are", the new video from HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD, can be seen below. The clip was directed by M. Shawn Crahan (a.k.a. SLIPKNOT'sClown). Clown has been an acclaimed director for years working in the field of music video, delivering clips for his own bandSLIPKNOTthroughout their multi-platinum Grammy-winning career. Crahan also directed SLIPKNOT's 2005 DVD, "Voliminal: Inside The Nine".
HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD recently released "We Are" to rock radio. The track reunites the band with producer Danny Lohner (NINE INCH NAILS,PUSCIFER), and delivers an epic call-to-arms laced with gnashing guitars, lyrical jabs and fiery beats. Selecting the track as the lead entry on the weekly playlist, USA Today stated, "The horror-loving rap-rock outfit HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD previews January's 'Notes From the Underground' with 'We Are', an anthem for disenfranchised youth. A brutally captivating chorus wraps desolation and desperation into the lyrics 'We are made from broken parts ... we are broken from the start'. It's self-destructive and cathartic." Band member Johnny 3 Tears elaborates, "The song is about collective resistance. It's the silent majority, but we're using Los Angeles as the backdrop. Every time we work with Danny, he takes our music to the next level. Think of it as an ode to our misled youth."
"We Are" is the lead single from HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD's new album,"Notes From The Underground", The CD title is a homage to theFyodor Dostoyevsky novel — a Johnny 3 Tears personal favorite — and the moniker alludes to what's really under the mask. He elaborates, "We've maintained an underground identity. When we write songs, we're coming from a place people don't like to look at or talk about openly. As people get older, they get used to lying. We have a bond with so many kids because they appreciate that honesty. They don't know how bad some things get yet. We tell them the truth."
While the band's roots are in the underground, the band has drawn mainstream attention since the release of their 2008 near platinum-selling debut "Swan Songs" and its acclaimed 2010 follow-up "American Tragedy". "Swan Songs" has moved well over 900,000 copies, and "American Tragedy" debuted on The Billboard 200 at #4 with first-week sales exceeding 67,000. They've played sold out headline shows all over the world as well as rousing appearances at festivals such as the Rock On The Range, Epicenter and U.K.'s Download festival.
The masked Los Angeles collective — Johnny 3 Tears, J-Dog, Charlie Scene, Danny, Funny Man, and Da Kurlzz — are excited about the release of their third album in January. "Nothing could change us or our music," assures J-Dog. "We may change the method but not the message."
"Notes From The Underground" was produced by Griffin Boice, Sam & Sluggo and Danny Lohner.
LINKIN PARK Gives Away Free Song To StageLight Music Users
On the heels of LINKIN PARK and Open Labs' launch of Windows PC music software StageLight, the band's founder, Mike Shinoda, composed and distributed a brand new song file direct to StageLightusers via BitTorrent "as a thank you to all our early adopters."
StageLight is designed to give virtually anyone the ability to create a song they can share in minutes. With built-in support for the world's leading social sound platform — and priced at just $9.99 at www.openlabs.com — StageLight is poised to open up the world of music creation to more people than ever before.
StageLight is a great solution for everyone on Windows 7 and 8. The software allows all levels of musicians to learn how to create and share their music on a PC. LINKIN PARK has not only used Open Labs products for the last four years in the studio and on stage, they have also been intimately involved in creating the current and future software product.
Shinoda, co-lead vocalist and producer of LINKIN PARK, said, "I would recommend StageLight to anyone. It doesn't matter if you're just starting or a touring professional. It's the perfect tool for anyone wanting to create or perform live."
The song Mike created with StageLight can be found here. He invites users to listen and manipulate it in their own version and add to it. Mikewill be appearing at Dell World in Austin, Texas this week to do a live demo of the program.
LINKIN PARK, together with Open Labs and Dell, are also launching the Linkin Park Edition product line. It will include the StageLight software with customized and exclusive LINKIN PARK sounds on a high-performanceDell computer. The band is providing a robust library of sounds, loops and drum kits, allowing users to create their own songs using signature sounds created by the band. The Linkin Park Edition is available as of December 10, with LP sounds continuing to be updated throughout 2013.
LINKIN PARK has just announced a show at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas on Saturday, February 16. This will be the band's only North American show in 2013. Pre-sale for LINKIN PARK fan club members will be December 11. Tickets will go on sale to the public on Friday, December 14 at 10 a.m.
Source: Blabbermouth.net
Trent Reznor to Launch Daisy Streaming Music Service; Says NIN Greatest Hits Compilation in the Works
Trent Reznor has announced that he’s going to launch a new music streaming service with rapper Dr. Dre’s company, Beats by Dre. The Nine Inch Nails frontman says that the new service, called Daisy, promises to provide a better way of recommending new music to its users.
“[Daisy] uses mathematics to offer suggestions to the listener... [but also] would present choices based partly on suggestions made by connoisseurs, making it a platform in which the machine and the human would collide more intimately," Reznor tells The New Yorker.
Reznor adds that Daisy’s service will include a form of “intelligent curation,” which he describes as like “having your own guy when you go into the record store, who knows what you like but can also point you down some paths you wouldn't necessarily have encountered." He also noted that Daisy is expected to launch sometime early next year.
In addition to the new streaming service, we can look forward a new release from Nine Inch Nails. Reznor says that Interscope Records is planning to drop a new greatest hits compilation from NIN that will feature two new songs. That album is expected to arrive in stores sometime in 2014.
US State Department "Closely Monitoring" Progress of Trial of Lamb of God's Randy Blythe
The U.S. State Department has weighed in on an online petition about Lamb of Godfrontman Randy Blythe’s recent indictment on a manslaughter charge in connection with an incident that took place during the band's 2010 concert at Club Abaton in Prague.
Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Michael Posnerposted a message on WhiteHouse.gov, writing that while he can’t discuss the details of the case, the State Department is “closely monitoring the progress of his trial." Posner adds that the State Department "expect[s] that the Czech government will make all efforts to ensure a fair, transparent and timely trial for Mr. Blythe, and guarantee full protection of his legal rights under Czech law and his welfare."
Blythe has said that he expects to return to the Czech Republic to face the manslaughter charge, where he could serve as many as 10 years in prison if he's convicted. The court has three months to set a date for Blythe’s trial or send the case back for further investigation.
3 Doors Down Extends Co-Headlining Tour with Daughtry into 2013
3 Doors Down is having such a great time on their co-headlining tour with Daughtry that they'll be extending it into the new year. The tour, which started November 17, will wrap its first leg on December 15 in Anaheim, California. The new dates will resume January 25 in Dallas and will continue through the end of February.
In a statement, 3 Doors Down frontman Brad Arnold says, "This tour with Daughtry has been amazing, and we are excited to keep it rolling into 2013! See you on the road my friends!" Chris Daughtry adds, "We're very happy to continue the tour with 3 Doors Down, and look forward to getting this show to the fans that we missed on the first leg of this tour!"
Most tickets go on sale this Friday, December 14.
Here are the tour dates:
1/25 -- Dallas, TX, Verizon Theatre
1/26 -- Tulsa, OK, Tulsa Civic Center
1/29 -- Tupelo, MS, Bancorp South Center
1/30 -- St. Louis, MO, Peabody Opera House
2/01 -- Battle Creek, MI, Kellogg Arena
2/02 -- Louisville, KY, Palace Theatre
2/05 -- Erie, PA, Erie Civic Center Complex
2/06 -- Poughkeepsie, NY, Mid Hudson Civic Center
2/08 -- Worcester, MA, DCU Center
2/09 -- Rochester, NY, Main Street Armory
2/10 -- Bethlehem, PA, Sands Bethlehem Event CTR
2/17 -- Uncasville, CT, Mohegan Sun Arena
2/20 -- Sunrise, FL, BB&T Center
2/22 -- Pensacola, FL, Pensacola Civic Center
2/23 -- Clearwater, FL, Ruth Eckerd Hall
Shinedown Adds More Co-Headlining Tour Dates with Three Days Grace
Shinedown has extended their North American co-headlining tour with Three Days Grace. The band has announced a second leg of their spring tour, which includes stops in Orlando, Baton Rouge, Wichita and Sioux City, among others cities. P.O.D. will continue to support the band on all the newly-announced dates.
Tickets for most of the concerts will go on sale on Friday. Here are the tour dates:
3/9 -- Orlando, FL, Amway Center
3/11 -- Estero, FL, Germain Arena
3/12 -- Savannah, GA, Savannah Civic Center
3/14 -- Pensacola, FL, Pensacola Civic Center
3/15 -- Jackson, MS, Mississippi Coliseum
3/16 -- North Little Rock, AR, Verizon Arena
3/18 -- Baton Rouge, LA, Baton Rouge River Center
3/19 -- Belton, TX, Bell County Expo Center
3/21 -- Oklahoma City, OK, Chesapeake Energy Arena
3/22 -- Lubbock, TX, Lonestar Event Center
3/23 -- Wichita, KS, INTRUST Bank Arena
3/25 -- Broomfield, CO, 1st Bank Center
3/26 -- Lincoln, NE, Pershing Center
3/28 -- Sioux City, IA, Tyson Events Center
3/29 -- La Crosse, WI, La Crosse Center
3/30 -- Fargo, ND, Fargodome
Muse Adds More Dates to The 2nd Law Tour
Muse is giving you a few more chances to see their upcoming North American tour. The band has added six dates to their calendar in support of their latest album, The 2nd Law. The newly-announced dates include stops in Los Angeles, Portland and Seattle, among other cities.
Pre-sale tickets will be available to members of Muse’s website starting Tuesday at 10 a.m. local venue time. General ticket sales for most of the shows will begin on December 14. Visit Muse.mu for more information.
Here are the tour dates:
1/26 -- Los Angeles, CA, Staples Center
1/29 -- Sacramento, CA, Sleep Train Arena
1/31 -- Portland, OR, Rose Garden
2/1 -- Seattle, WA, Air Canada Centre
4/10 -- Toronto, ON, Air Canada Center
4/24 -- Montreal, QC, Belle Centre
Buckcherry to Release Confessions in February; Posts Lyric Video for "Gluttony"
Buckcherry has revealed the release date for their sixth studio album. Confessions will arrive at all the usual outlets on February 19. The new album will feature a central theme focused on the seven deadly sins: wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy, and gluttony.
The band offered up their first taste of Confessions on Friday by unveiling a lyric video for the album’s first single, “Gluttony.” You’ll be able to purchase the track on iTunes on Tuesday.
Buckcherry will be previewing new songs from the release on their upcoming tour dates with Kid Rock and Hellbound Glory. That outing kicks off on February 2 at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, MO.
DAVE GROHL Won't Tour With QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE
FOO FIGHTERS frontman Dave Grohl, who recently confirmed that he laid down the drum tracks for QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE's forthcoming sixth album, told CBS Local in a new interview that he won't be touring with the band in support of the record.
Grohl stepped in to play on the album, which is expected in early 2013, following the departure of Joey Castillo. Grohl last played drums forQUEENS OF THE STONE AGE on 2002's "Songs For The Deaf".
Grohl and QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE mainman Josh Homme also teamed up in 2009 with LED ZEPPELIN bassist John Paul Jones in the band THEM CROOKED VULTURES.
Jones had played on the FOO FIGHTERS' 2005 album "In Your Honor"(playing mandolin on "Another Round" and piano on "Miracle"), and at the 2008 Grammy Awards, he conducted an orchestra that backed theFOO FIGHTERS on their performance of "The Pretender". But Grohltold CBS Local that actually being in a band with the man meant a great deal to him.
"It was one of the highlights of my life when John Paul Jones said, 'Now I've been in two great bands,'" Grohl said. "That was a huge deal for me!"
Grohl, who recently directed his first documentary, "Sound City", is confident that THEM CROOKED VULTURES will become active again. "We've talked about it," he said. "I know that someday we'll get back together and do stuff, because we love playing with each other."
Grohl recently told BBC Radio One about recording the sixth QUEENS album, "There were no boundaries with that band, there were no limits with them . . . I'll do something so completely ridiculous, I'll just, like, 'There's no way that that Josh is going to let me do that,' and he'll say, 'Do that for forty-five seconds, over and over again, that's become, like, part of the song, that is a big part of the song,' and that's the way they work."
CLUTCH: Footage From 'Super-Secret' 'Earth Rocker' Party
On October 17, Maryland rockers CLUTCH played a "super-secret" party to celebrate the completion of their next full-length studio album, "Earth Rocker". Check out footage from the event below.
Before they hit the road for their annual holiday run, CLUTCH will headline the KBPI "When Hell Freezes Over" event on December 21 at the Fillmore Auditorium in Denver, Colorado.
CLUTCH's holiday dates kick off December 26 in Washington, D.C. and conclude with a special New Year's Eve performance in Worcester, Massachusetts at The Palladium. The show originally scheduled for December 30 at Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey has been moved to Allentown, Pennsylvania at Crocodile Rock due to damage sustained from Hurricane Sandy.
CLUTCH's new album, "Earth Rocker", will be released in March 2013 via the group's own Weathermaker Music label. The CD was produced byMachine (LAMB OF GOD, FOUR YEAR STRONG, FALL OUT BOY) and is described by CLUTCH guitarist Tim Sult as "the heaviest and fastest CLUTCH album to date."
Source: Blabbermouth.net
Dave Grohl to Release Sound City Documentary in February
Dave Grohl has revealed the release date for his documentary, Sound City. The Foo Fighters frontman posted a message on his Facebook page on Thursday to announce that the film will be available starting February 1. Sound City profiles the legendary Sound City Studios, where Grohl and Nirvana recorded the band's 1991 iconic album, Nevermind, and features interviews and exclusive performances from artists who have recorded at the famous studio during their careers, and others. Some of those featured artists include Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich, Nine Inch Nails singer Trent Reznor, Slipknot/Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor, Queens of the Stone Age singer Josh Homme, former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic, and producer Butch Vig.
If you order Sound City now at SoundCityMovie.com, you'll get access to “some super sweet stuff,” in addition to paying only $10 for the flick.
The Black Keys Celebrate Grammy Noms; Talk Next Album
The Black Keys are riding high after recently scoring five Grammy nominations in connection with their latest release, El Camino. While guitarist Dan Auerbach is excited about the nods, he’s especially thrilled to receive a nomination for Producer of the Year for his work on Dr. John’s album, Locked Down.
"The producer one was a real shock to me,” he tells Rolling Stone. “I was just really, really happy for [Dr. John] to get nominated. I was texting with him last night. He's excited."
Auerbach adds that The Keys will begin working on their next album in 2013. "Late January is when we're going to record," the guitarist reveals. "We never really rehearse or practice before we get into the studio. I've been writing every day, but I never know what's going to be a song we use or not, you know."
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's Class of 2013 to Be Announced on Tuesday
The newest set of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees will be revealed at a press event at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles this Tuesday at 11 a.m. PT. Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea will announce the respected performers who will make up the Rock Hall's Class of 2013. Flea also will disclose the luminaries who will receive the Ahmet Ertegun Award, which recognizes producers, songwriters and other non-performers who have had a major influence on rock and roll.
Among the artists who've been nominated for induction into the Rock Hall are The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Deep Purple, Heart, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Kraftwerk,Randy Newman, N.W.A., Procol Harum, Public Enemy and Rush.
Some of the honorees are expected to attend the announcement event. Next year's ceremony will mark the first Rock Hall induction to take place in Los Angeles since 1993. The event will be held at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on April 18. A special featuring highlights from the gala will air on HBO at a later date.
Check Out Metallica Performing “The Four Horsemen” from Quebec Magnetic Live DVD
Metallica keeps on giving us tastes of their upcoming live DVD, Quebec Magnetic. The band has released a new video excerpt online, which features the guys performing “The Four Horsemen” from the band’s 1983 debut studio album, Kill ‘Em All. Quebec Magnetic, which documents two sold-out concerts that the band filmed in the Colisée Pepsi in Quebec City in 2009, is set to be released on Tuesday. It will be the first release from Metallica’s new record label, Blackened Recordings.
Muse, Alice in Chains Added to 2013 Rock in Rio Festival
Muse and Alice in Chains have signed on to perform at the 2013 Rock in Rio festival, which takes place in Rio de Janeiro from September 13-22.
Muse will take the stage for a headlining set on September 14 and will be supported by Alice in Chains, who are making their first appearance at the fest. The bands join previously announced headliners Metallica, Iron Maiden and Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.
More performers are expected to be announced soon. Visit RockInRio.com for more information.
Rob Zombie to Release The Lords of Salem Book in March
Fans who are looking forward to Rob Zombie’s upcoming horror flick, The Lords of Salem, will get their hands on something scary a month before the film arrives in theaters. The singer has just announced on his website that he’ll release an official movie tie-in book, which he co-wrote with multiple-award-winning horror author B.K. Evenson, on March 12.
"The book offers a different experience from the film since it can obviously go into much more detail,” said Zombie in a statement. “The book and the film really complement each other." In addition, the book promises to “plunge readers into a nightmarish world where the sins of Salem are paid for in today’s blood.”
Zombie also reveals that The Lords of Salem movie will arrive in theaters on April 26.
"We're beyond excited to announce that music from every singleMETALLICA album is now streaming on Spotify!
"In our never-ending quest for total control of the way our music is presented, we always make it a point to be sure that we are offering you the very best service by partnering with ground-breaking technology companies. So with that said, we are extremely proud to be a part ofSpotify, who not only has a proven track record, but is by far the best streaming service.
"Spotify was launched in Sweden in 2008 and has grown into a massive world-wide service with on-demand access to over 20 million songs. You can create and manage all your play-lists, share them with your friends and add to them by importing MP3s you already own. Now you can also take Spotify with you through their new mobile app.
"We're always looking for more ways to get our music out to you, whether it's streaming live videos through our tour page on this site or offering downloads of live shows through LiveMetallica.com. Connecting withSpotify was the next logical step and we can't wait to see what the future brings!"
Back in 2000, METALLICA launched legal action against Napster, claiming that the pioneering music file-sharing service was illegally allowing users to download METALLICA tracks without paying royalties to the band. Although the case was settled out of court, 300,000 users were banned from Napster as a result and METALLICA's image took a tremendous beating in the eyes of music fans.
METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich, who was the main spokesperson forMETALLICA in the Napster battle, later admitted that he wished he had dealt with the situation differently.
METALLICA announced on November 30 that it has taken ownership of all the band's master recordings and long-form videos under a provision of the band's 1994 joint venture agreement with the Warner Music Group. According to that provision — almost unheard of for acts signed to major label contracts — all the masters reverted back to the band as of Friday. Frontman James Hetfield said in a statement, "We would like to thank everyone at the Warner Music Group for 28 years of a fantastic relationship, particularly since 1994 where we truly felt we had partners in every aspect of our business in North America."
The band has also revealed that it is launching its own label, calledBlackened Recordings, that will be the new home for all of their recordings and videos, as well as anything else that the band may come up with. All marketing and promotion will be handled by Blackened, with distribution through Rhino Entertainment in North America and theUniversal Music Group internationally. Drummer Lars Ulrich said, "Forming Blackened Recordings is the ultimate in independence, giving us 100 percent control and putting us in the driver's seat of our own creative destiny."
Ulrich told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that METALLICA was long past the point where the band needed a corporate record label to support it. "The great thing about being in a band like us is that we're in a position to bypass the record company," he said. "Basically record companies act like banks. And when you don't need the bank element of a record company, then you can kind of do it yourself."
METALLICA is also working on a 3D feature film for release next summer, as well as a new studio album that should surface in early 2014.
RANDY RHOADS' Mother Interviewed By His Brother
Kelle Rhoads, the brother of legendary OZZY OSBOURNE guitarist Randy Rhoads, conducted an interview with Randy and Kelle's 89-year-old mother, Delores Rhoads, a public school music teacher who founded the Musonia School Of Music in North Hollywood, California in 1948, forHailsWebzine.com. You can now listen to the chat in the YouTube clip below.
As previously reported, fans are invitied to celebrate Randy Rhoads' birthday with his family this week at Kathryn Rhoads D'Argenzio and her husband Richard D'Argenzio's wine-tasting room in Burbank, California.
The Randy Rhoads Birthday Tribute weekend starts Thursday, December 6 and ends Saturday, December 8 — open from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
This will be a weekend to remember for all fans and friends alike. You will get to meet the whole Rhoads family, taste the Randy Rhoads wine, and see personal memorabilia that has not been shown for public viewing.
The D'Argenzio winery has, for several years, produced a special wine in the name of Randy Rhoads with all proceeds of this wine going to fund the Randy Rhoads Foundation to assist kids in learning music.
A special note from Delores Rhoads, Kelle Rhoads and Kathryn Rhoads D'Argenzio: "The Rhoads family wishes to thank you all for all the heartfelt support and love for Randy. We also thank you for keeping his memory alive. Happy birthday to my loving son and our dear brother."
D'Argenzio Tasting Room
1204 W. Burbank Blvd
Burbank, CA 91506
818 846 8466
3 p.m. to 9 p.m.
In 1982, Rhoads, the then-lead guitarist for OZZY OSBOURNE, and two others were killed at Flying Baron Estates, just outside Leesburg, Florida, when their small plane struck Osbourne's tour bus, then crashed into a mansion.
SULLY ERNA Says GODSMACK Will Take 2013 Off
ARTISTdirect.com editor-in-chief Rick Florino recently conducted an interview with GODSMACK frontman Sully Erna. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
ARTISTdirect.com: Do you feel like the "Avalon" box set is the best gateway into and overview of your world?
Sully: Yeah, I'm really happy with it. We all just stumbled onto this idea. The more I was doing solo activity, the more I was documenting. At first, we didn't even realize we were capturing what we had. We had a couple of friends, myself, and some of the band filming in the studio while we were recording the record. Later on, when we were trying to make something out of nothing, I handed this editor a big box of tapes and said, "Make some kind of cool, making-of thing." I didn't it was going to be for all of this. That's what triggered this whole thing. It went from finding this really cool making-of the album to tying into the whole theme of music for me. When I was going out on my solo shows, it had "an evening with,""Storytellers" vibe. I fell upon this idea of, "Wow, what a gift music really is." That started triggering all of this stuff. What I started to realize, just from sharing a bottle of wine with somebody, we'd be talking about music and theory and how music is just vibrations. It's just strings vibrating, and yet when they create different frequencies, it creates emotions in people — even without lyrics. You can hear a violin player play something and get teary-eyed. I thought, "This is heavy, man. That really is the power of music. It's a miracle." It's a universal language, and it's almost unexplained. From there, we'd film a live show. All of these different things became components for the box set. We kept building off of that. Once we had the idea of putting this together as a package, we started thinking, "What else can we include?" That's when we came up with the "Golden Ticket" concept. We wanted to personalize it so it's "Sully Ernaeverything." It's a little bit of a history of me and my life, from how I grew up to what my favorite t-shirts and incenses are. Plus, it's the making-of everything.
ARTISTdirect.com: Does the open the door to the next project?
Sully: Of course! I'm building towards branding my name and freeing up myself to do what I want to do without having a ceiling over my head. As much as I love GODSMACK and my boys in GODSMACK, it really is what it is. Over the years, we've tried to branch out and create songs like"Serenity" and "Shine Down". Even though our audience accepted it and they became successful singles on the radio, they weren't really crossover singles for us. They were kind of saying, "They're cool songs, but when are you guys going to play 'The Enemy' or 'Bad Religion'? Let's get back to the muscle!" [laughs] Over the years, we've identifiedGODSMACK to be a powerhouse rock band, which it should be, but there's also this other side of me. I can't keep it trapped inside. I have to explore it and release this other kind of music that I love playing. I also love sitting down at the piano with my daughter and creating music and playing acoustically. "Avalon" helped me branch out and allow more vulnerability and things like that. That creates an opportunity to not have a ceiling over my head whether it gets into acting, TV, film, and different things I'd like to pursue. I think it's going to open up that avenue for me. I heard an interview with [AEROSMITH's] Tom Hamilton, and he struck the nail right on the head for me. He said, "I realized music is always something I wanted to do with my life, but it's not everything I wanted to do with my life." I was like, "Boom, there it is right there. That's exactly how I feel. Music is one of those things I wanted to do my whole life, but I also realized that it's not everything I want to do." Even though I think I'll always be a musician and entertain in some way, I may want to tap into some other avenues and continue to brand myself rather than being pigeonholed into a certain genre of music.
ARTISTdirect.com: What's next with GODSMACK?
Sully: We're going to take some time away now because we just ran for the last two years. It's time for us to take a break and get away from the markets for a little bit so we don't overplay them. We're taking 2013 off. Maybe towards the end of the year or early 2014, we may start getting into the studio and writing. Now, we're going to lay low. We may pop up once in a while to do a radio festival or something. I'm going to take all of 2013 to focus on my solo stuff and see any doors I can open along the way.
ALICE IN CHAINS: New Song 'Hollow' To Make Its Online Debut In Two Weeks
ALICE IN CHAINS has issued the following update:
"Every day for the next 10 days, a new lyrical phrase from our brand new song'Hollow' will be posted at @aliceinchains on Instagram. We want you to create an image inspired by or featuring a single word or phrase from those lyrics. Next, share those photos on Instagram or Twitter tagging #HOLLOWAIC. On [December] 18, visit [this location] to see your photos and other fan photos from around the world, then hear and become 'Hollow'."
According to The Pulse Of Radio, ALICE IN CHAINS guitarist Jerry Cantrell has confirmed to Guitar World that the band has finished recording its fifth studio album and second without original vocalist Layne Staley. The new disc will follow up 2009's "Black Gives Way To Blue", which ended a 14-year gap between studio efforts for the group and featured singer/guitarist William DuVall. Cantrell said, "In my opinion, that record stood up to anything else we've put out in our career and this new one is right up there, as well."
ALICE IN CHAINS began working on new material in 2011, but the sessions for the album were delayed when Cantrell had to undergo shoulder surgery.
He said that the pressure in following up "Black Gives Way To Blue" was like "having to deal with the sophomore jinx for the second time in our career."
ALICE IN CHAINS all but faded from the scene after the release of its self-titled third album in 1995. Staley's death in 2002 seemed to seal the band's fate as well.
But Cantrell, drummer Sean Kinney and bassist Mike Inez regrouped in 2006 with DuVall, first for several tours and then eventually to create new music.
Although no official release date has been confirmed yet for the new album, it is likely that the disc will make its debut in early 2013.
METALLICA's LARS ULRICH At SPOTIFY's New York City Press Conference; Video Available
METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich joined Spotify founder and CEO Daniel Ek and former Napster co-founder and current Spotify investor Sean Parker on stage at today's press conference in New York City to announce that Spotify has reached an agreement with METALLICA to make the band's entire music catalog available for streaming. Video footage of the entire event can be seen below (Note: Lars appears starting at around 36-minute mark.)
Back in 2000, METALLICA launched legal action against Napster, claiming that the pioneering music file-sharing service was illegally allowing users to download METALLICA tracks without paying royalties to the band. Although the case was settled out of court, 300,000 users were banned from Napster as a result and METALLICA's image took a tremendous beating in the eyes of music fans.
Ulrich, who was the main spokesperson for METALLICA in the Napsterbattle, later admitted that he wished he had dealt with the situation differently.
"Our manager told us that our [unreleased] song was playing on the radio,"Ulrich said, recalling the time he first heard about Napster. "I told him 'Maybe we should go over there and...'." He punched his hand three times with his fist.
"When [Parker] and I saw each other a few months ago," Ulrichcontinued, "We could see that we had been put down as adversaries. We realize we had much more in common and sitting down was long overdue... We were younger, maybe somewhat more ignorant. [Parker and I] sat down and had a heart to heart."
"It was never about money, it was about control," Ulrich said. "It was about being in your bubble and controlling the access. If Napster had approached us first and given us options, it might have been a little different. Instead, control was taken away from us. It turned into, 'If you fuck with us, we'll fuck with you.' … Instead of Napster versusMETALLICA, it became METALLICA versus its fans."
Ulrich praised Spotify for being easy to use and making it easier for fans to access music.
"When I was trying out Spotify for the first time, I was stunned at the ease of it," he said. "This was so easy and set up for the fans."
Spotify has 5 million paying customers and 20 million users overall worldwide.
SEVENDUST: New Album Artwork Unveiled
The cover artwork for SEVENDUST's ninth album, "Black Out The Sun", can be seen below. Due on March 26, 2013 via the band's 7Bros. Recordslabel (through Warner Music Group's Independent Label Group), the CD's first single, "Decay", will be sent to radio and available for download at online retail outlets January 22, 2013. The effort was recorded atArchitekt Music studios in Butler, New Jersey with engineer Mike Ferretti.
"The craziest thing about this record is finishing it in about a month," guitarist John Connolly told Revolver magazine. "We haven't done that since our debut album [1997's self-titled effort]. This is one of the fastest records we've ever made, but also one of the strongest — working off instinct mostly."
According to Connolly, SEVENDUST's forthcoming CD finds the band exploring "a darker vibe," but "there's still plenty of melody," he added. "The record fits right in with 'Animosity' [2002], 'Alpha' [2007], and our self-titled album. Lots of heavy stuff and some more mellow, moody songs as well It's a nice balance of what makes for the SEVENDUST sound."
Songtitles set to appear on the 12-track CD, which was produced by the bandmembers themselves, include "Mountain" and "Murder Bar". The latter was reportedly inspired by a Butler, New Jersey bar across from the hotel where SEVENDUST was staying while recording the new CD. Rumor had it the place was popular with many of New Jersey's murderers.
"It's a basic SEVENDUST record," guitarist Clint Lowery recently told"Source Of The Sound With Wendy Campbell". "There's nothing, like, too completely different than anything we've done before. It's got a darker vibe to it. We've got a good amount of the programming element in there. It's a lot of what we do — it's heavy and it's got its melodic element in it. So if you're a SEVENDUST fan, it's more along the lines of the second and third records we did — it's kind of like that. It's got a couple of throwback vibes to it. 'Animosity' and 'Home' [1999], if I can put those two records together, it would [sound similar to the new CD]."
SEVENDUST and LACUNA COIL will join forces for a U.S. tour in early 2013. The bands will head out on a 17-date run throughout the month of February. The trek kicks off on February 2 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Source: Blabbermouth.net
RHCP Drummer Chad Smith Says Side Project Bombastic Meatbats Is About “Taking Risks”
While the Red Hot Chili Peppers are on a well-deserved break, drummer Chad Smith has lined up a few dates at the Iridium Jazz Club in New York City over the next few days to promote his side project, Chad Smith's Bombastic Meatbats. Smith says that the group’s latest release, a live record titled Live Meat and Potatoes, is a fair representation of what fans can expect to experience if they make it out to one of the shows.
“I think what’s captured on the Live Meat and Potatoes live record was a really typical night of what we do,” the drummer tells ABC News Radio. “It’s really about taking risks and changing it up and keep it exciting and that’s just what we do when we play and that’s what I wanna see when I go see a band, hear a band you know I like that, so that’s what we’re doing.”
Smith adds that fans can expect him to do more with the Meatbats and his other side project, Chickenfoot, in 2013. “I want to do things that are musically satisfying and also do things with people I enjoy playing with and are my friends,” he explains. “Both those are present with both [of] those groups. I see next year as, a little bit later in the year where I’ll have a little bit more flexibility in my schedule and I’ll be able to hopefully do more stuff with those groups.”
According to The Pulse Of Radio, TOOLsingerMaynard James Keenan has addressed his reputation for being a very difficult interview in the latest installment of his bi-weekly online column for the Phoenix New Times. Keenan, who doesn't give a lot of interviews to begin with, has also been known to shut down during question-and-answer sessions depending on the journalist or situation. He explained in his column that it all comes down to the way the journalist presents the questions, saying, "The awesome writers strike up a conversation and my publicist has to cut us off 'cuz we're having too much fun. We call these people journalists. The lazy ones have a list of questions to which they've already anticipated the answers, so they don't bother listening to my responses. We call these people never again."
Keenan added, "There seems to be an epidemic raging out there. A whole lot of people are calling themselves professionals who really have no business doing so . . . Their skill is squeaking and moaning in order to get their way. Which is fine with me. It makes for easier targets."
The vocalist also brought up the fact that he was interviewed for his upcoming "semi-autobiography" by his co-writer on the project, who told him how "forthcoming" he was during their interview.
Keenan continued, "She said it stood in direct contrast to some — but not all — of my tight-lipped discourse she'd found online. Her guess was that the journalists in question lacked enthusiasm. Her understatement was correct. This is not the case with all journalists I've encountered, but unfortunately, it's the norm."
Keenan has told The Pulse Of Radio in the past that he's not fond of the idea of musicians being treated like celebrities. "There's this kind of idol situation that's been set up," he said. "I think it's out of proportion with what's real. It's hyped up by damaged musicians who need some kind of acknowledgement and need to fill that empty hole for attention, for recognition. I would like to see it get to the point where it's just people enjoying music for music's sake."
Keenan's other band, PUSCIFER, will release a new EP called "Donkey Punch The Night" in February, while TOOL is expected to issue its first album since 2006 sometime next year as well. Details on that, however, remain unclear.
Source: Blabbermouth.net
Fun., Mumford & Sons, Black Keys' Auerbach Among Leading Grammy Nominees
It was a fun night for fun. on Wednesday, when the nominations for the 2013 Grammy Awards were announced.
On the strength of their smash hit "We Are Young," the pop-rock band earned a leading six nominations. Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, Jay-Z, Mumford & Sons, Frank Ocean, and Kanye West also earned six.
fun. is nominated in each of the four biggest categories: album of the year, for Some Nights; record of the year and song of the year, for "We Are Young"; and best new artist.
There's a decent chance that a rock artist will win album of the year. Aside from fun.'s disc, the nominees include The Black Keys' El Camino, Mumford & Sons' Babel, and Jack White's Blunderbuss.
The Black Keys are also a contender for record of the year, for "Lonely Boy." Though Auerbach has six nods, The Black Keys as a group have five.
Nominations in select categories were revealed during a one-hour CBS special, Grammy Nominations Concert Live!!!, hosted by Taylor Swift and LL Cool J in Nashville.
The program also featured performances by some of the newly-minted nominees as well as other prominent artists. They included:
-- Dierks Bentley and The Band Perry: the Johnny Cash-JuneCarter song "Jackson," in a tribute to The Man in Black.
-- Maroon 5: "One More Night," "Moves Like Jagger," "Daylight" and "Payphone."
-- The Who: "Won't Get Fooled Again."
-- Luke Bryan: "I Don't Want This Night to End."
-- fun. featuring Janelle Monae: "We Are Young."
-- Ne-Yo: "Let Me Love You (Until You Learn To Love Yourself)."
The 55th Grammy Awards will be held in Los Angeles on February 10, 2013. CBS will televise the ceremony.
A full list of nominees is available on Grammy.com. Here are the nominees in the notable categories: Album of the Year
The Black Keys, El Camino
fun., Some Nights
Mumford & Sons, Babel
Frank Ocean, Channel Orange
Jack White, Blunderbuss
Record of the Year
The Black Keys, "Lonely Boy"
Kelly Clarkson, "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)"
fun. featuring Janelle Monae, "We Are Young"
Gotye featuring Kimbra, "Somebody That I Used to Know"
Frank Ocean, "Thinkin Bout You"
Taylor Swift, "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together"
Song Of The Year [awarded to songwriter]
"The A Team," Ed Sheeran, songwriter (Ed Sheeran)
"Adorn," Miguel Pimentel, songwriter (Miguel)
"Call Me Maybe," Tavish Crowe, Carly Rae Jepsen & Josh Ramsay, songwriters (Carly Rae Jepsen)
"Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)," Jörgen Elofsson, David Gamson, Greg Kurstin & Ali Tamposi, songwriters (Kelly Clarkson)
"We Are Young," Jack Antonoff, Jeff Bhasker, Andrew Dost & Nate Ruess, songwriters (fun. featuring Janelle Monae)
Best New Artist
Alabama Shakes
fun.
Hunter Hayes
The Lumineers
Frank Ocean Best Pop Vocal Album
Kelly Clarkson, Stronger
Florence + the Machine, Ceremonials
fun., Some Nights
Maroon 5, Overexposed
Pink, The Truth About Love
Best Pop Solo Performance
"Set Fire To The Rain (Live)," Adele
"Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)," Kelly Clarkson
"Call Me Maybe," Carly Rae Jepsen
"Wide Awake," Katy Perry
"Where Have You Been," Rihanna
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
"Shake It Out," Florence + The Machine
"We Are Young," fun. featuring Janelle Monae
"Somebody That I Used To Know," Gotye featuring Kimbra
"Sexy And I Know It," LMFAO
"Payphone," Maroon 5 and Wiz Khalifa
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album Christmas, Michael Bublé A Holiday Carole, Carole King Kisses On The Bottom, Paul McCartney
Best Rock Performance
"Hold On," Alabama Shakes
"Lonely Boy," The Black Keys
"Charlie Brown," Coldplay
"I Will Wait," Mumford & Sons
"We Take Care Of Our Own," Bruce Springsteen
Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance
"I'm Alive," Anthrax
"Love Bites (So Do I)," Halestorm
"Blood Brothers," Iron Maiden
"Ghost Walking," Lamb Of God
"No Reflection," Marilyn Manson
"Whose Life (Is It Anyways?)," Megadeth
Best Rock Song
"Freedom At 21," Jack White
"I Will Wait," Mumford & Sons
"Lonely Boy," The Black Keys
"Madness," Muse
"We Take Care Of Our Own," Bruce Springsteen
Best Rock Album El Camino, The Black Keys Mylo Xyloto, Coldplay The 2nd Law, Muse Wrecking Ball, Bruce Springsteen Blunderbuss, Jack White
Best Alternative Music Album The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw And Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do, Fiona Apple Biophilia, Björk Making Mirrors, Gotye Hurry Up, We're Dreaming, M83 Bad As Me, Tom Waits
Best R&B Performance
"Thank You," Estelle
"Gonna Be Alright (F.T.B.)," Robert Glasper Experiment Featuring Ledisi
"I Want You," Luke James
"Adorn," Miguel
"Climax," Usher
Best Traditional R&B Performance
"Lately," Anita Baker
"Love On Top," Beyoncé
"Wrong Side Of A Love Song," Melanie Fiona
"Real Good Hands," Gregory Porter
"If Only You Knew," SWV
Best R&B Song
"Adorn," Miguel
"Beautiful Surprise," Tamia
"Heart Attack," Trey Songz
"Pray For Me," Anthony Hamilton
"Refill," Elle Varner
Best Urban Contemporary Album Fortune, Chris Brown KaleidoscopeDream, Miguel ChannelOrange, Frank Ocean
Best R&B Album Black Radio, Robert Glasper Experiment Back To Love, Anthony Hamilton Write Me Back, R. Kelly Beautiful Surprise, Tamia Open Invitation, Tyrese
Best Rap Performance
"HYFR (Hell Ya F***ing Right)," Drake Featuring Lil' Wayne
"N****s In Paris," Jay-Z & Kanye West
"Daughters," Nas
"Mercy," Kanye West Featuring Big Sean, Pusha T & 2 Chainz
"I Do," Young Jeezy Featuring Jay-Z & André 3000
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
"Wild Ones," Flo Rida featuring Sia
"No Church In The Wild," Jay-Z & Kanye West featuring Frank Ocean & The-Dream
"Tonight (Best You Ever Had)," John Legend Featuring Ludacris
"Cherry Wine," Nas Featuring Amy Winehouse
"Talk That Talk," Rihanna featuring Jay-Z
Best Rap Song
"Daughters," Nas
"Lotus Flower Bomb," Wale Featuring Miguel
"Mercy," Kanye West featuring Big Sean, Pusha T & 2 Chainz
"The Motto," Drake featuring Lil' Wayne
"N****s In Paris," Jay-Z & Kanye West
"Young, Wild & Free," Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa featuring Bruno Mars Best Rap Album Take Care, Drake Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album, Pt. 1, Lupe Fiasco Life Is Good, Nas Undun, The Roots God Forgives, I Don't, Rick Ross Based On A T.R.U. Story, 2 Chainz
Best Country Solo Performance
Dierks Bentley, "Home"
Eric Church, "Springsteen"
Ronnie Dunn, "Cost of Livin'"
Hunter Hayes, "Wanted"
Blake Shelton, "Over"
Carrie Underwood, "Blown Away"
Best Country Duo/Group Performance
"Even If It Breaks Your Heart," Eli Young Band
"Pontoon," Little Big Town
"Safe & Sound," Taylor Swift & The Civil Wars
"On The Outskirts Of Town," The Time Jumpers
"I Just Come Here For The Music," Don Williams featuring Alison Krauss Best Country Song
"Blown Away," Carrie Underwood
"Cost Of Livin'," Ronnie Dunn
"Even If It Breaks Your Heart," Eli Young Band
"So You Don't Have To Love Me Anymore," Alan Jackson
"Springsteen," Eric Church
Best Country Album Uncaged, Zac Brown Band Hunter Hayes, Hunter Hayes Living For A Song: A Tribute To Hank Cochran, Jamey Johnson Four The Record, Miranda Lambert The Time Jumpers, The Time Jumpers
Jack White Says Lady Gaga's Image Is "All Artifice" with "No Meaning"; Complains About Press Response
Jack White has a bone to pick with British music magazine, NME. In a statement provided to ABC News Radio, the ex-White Stripes frontman voiced his frustration at the magazine’s interpretation of a quote about pop superstar Lady Gaga from his recent interview with Esquire U.K.
In the original Esquire article, which will be featured in the January issue of the magazine, White is quoted as saying, “I don’t think [Lady Gaga] lives it because it’s all artifice. It’s all image with no meaning behind it. You can’t sink your teeth into it. It’s a sound bite. It’s very of this age, because that’s what people want.” NME.com then reported that White “criticized Lady Gaga by claiming that her music is ‘all image with no meaning behind it,’” while the singer says that the statement was taken out of context.
White now takes issue with how NME reported his Esquire U.K. comments. “I never said anything about her music, or questioned the authenticity of her songs in any way,” said White the statement. “I was in a conversation about the drawbacks of image for the sake of image, and that it is popular nowadays to not question an image in front of you, but only to label it as ‘cool’ or ‘weird’ quickly and dispose of it. “
White adds that the press should be “held accountable for what they say” and that “tabloid drama” affects an artist’s ability to express their opinions in the media. The singer also notes that he respects Gaga for her social activism. “Peace to lady gaga and I fully congratulate and compliment her on her championing of gay rights issues and the momentum it's given to help create change,” he writes.
In other Jack White news, the singer will be featured in an upcoming episode of the long-running PBS series Austin City Limits. White will play a one-hour set during his appearance, which airs on January 5. Visit ACLTV.com for more information.
Stone Sour Announces Co-Headlining Tour with Papa Roach
Stone Sour is hitting the road in 2013, and they’re bringing along some friends for the ride. The band has just announced that they'll kick off a co-headlining tour with Papa Roach in support of the first installment of their concept double album, House of Gold & Bones.
The trek kicks off on January 20 at the Sands Bethlehem Events Center in Bethlehem, PA, and will make stops in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Las Vegas, among other cities. More shows will be announced in the coming weeks.
Here are the tour dates:
1/20 -- Bethlehem, PA, Sands Bethlehem Events Center
1/22 -- Niagara Falls, NY, Rapids Theatre
1/23 -- New York, NY, Terminal 5
1/25 -- Milwaukee, WI, Eagles Ballroom
1/27 -- Chicago, IL, House of Blues
1/29 -- Minneapolis, MN, The Myth
2/1 -- Amarillo, TX, Aztec Music Hall
2/2 -- Lubbock, TX, Lonestar Pavilion
2/4 -- Midland, TX, Midland Horseshoe Arena
2/5 -- College Station, TX, Hurricane Harry's
2/7 -- Corpus Christi, TX, Concrete Street Amphitheatre
2/8 -- Pharr, TX, Pharr Entertainment Center
2/9 -- Laredo, TX, Laredo Energy Center
2/12 -- Tempe, AZ, Marquee theatre
2/13 -- Los Angeles, CA, Club Nokia
2/15 -- Las Vegas, NV, The Joint
2/16 -- Salt Lake City, UT, Salt Air
2/17 -- Denver, CO, Fillmore
All-Star Hurricane Sandy Relief Concert to Be Simulcast for Free at Select Theaters in Northeastern US
How would you like to watch the star-packed concert to raise money for the victims of Hurricane Sandy that's taking place next Wednesday at New York City's Madison Square Garden free of charge on the big screen? Producers of 12.12.12 -- The Concert for Sandy Relief have organized a free simulcast of the event that will take place in a variety of movie theaters in the states hardest hit by the superstorm -- New Jersey, New York and Connecticut.
Tickets for the screenings are available now at participating cinemas' box offices on a first-come, first-served basis. Visit 121212Concert.org to find out if there's a theater showing the event near you. The simulcast will begin at 7:30 p.m. ET and is expected to run until about 11:30 p.m.
The lineup for the 12.12.12 concert includes Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, The Who,Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Billy Joel, Roger Waters, Bon Jovi, Eddie Vedder, Dave Grohl and more. Proceeds from the show will go to the Robin Hood Relief Fund, which provides money, material and know-how to local organizations that are helping the victims of the hurricane in regions hardest hit by the storm.
In addition, the event will air live on a wide variety of TV stations around the world and also will stream on select websites.
Blur, Morrissey, Yeah Yeah Yeahs Among Performers Lined Up for Mexico's Vive Latino Festival
An impressive and eclectic list of artists will participate in the 2013 edition of Mexico's annual Vive Latino festival, which will take place March 14-17 at the Foro Sol stadium in Mexico City. Over 100 bands are set to perform at the event, including Blur, Morrisseyand Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
A ticket pre-sale for the Vive Latino fest begins on Thursday at Ticketmaster, with the general public on-sale beginning Saturday. To see the complete artist roster for the extravaganza, head over to ViveLatino.com.mx.
Watch Metallica Perform “Master of Puppets” from Quebec Magnetic Live DVD
Metallica is sharing more footage from their upcoming live DVD, Quebec Magnetic. The band has released a new video excerpt online which features the guys performing thetitle track from the band’s 1986 major label debut album, Master of Puppets. Quebec Magnetic, which documents two sold-out concerts that the band filmed in the Colisée Pepsi in Quebec City in 2009, is set to be released on December 11. It will be the first release from Metallica’s new record label, Blackened Recordings.
You can pre-order your copy of Quebec Magnetic now on the band’s official website.
OZZY OSBOURNE Spends 64th Birthday Recording Vocals For New BLACK SABBATH Album
Ozzy Osbourne spent part of his 64th birthday yesterday (Monday, December 3) recording vocals on the new BLACK SABBATH album at a Los Angeles studio.
A photo of Osbourne in the studio laying down tracks on the CD can be seen below.
As previously reported, BLACK SABBATH took part in a photo shoot on Friday (November 30) with famed British photographer/artist Sam Taylor-Wood.
BLACK SABBATH guitarist Tony Iommi clarified the status of the band's new CD in an interview with "The Blairing Out With Eric Blair Show". Although it has been reported that the band has recorded 15 songs,Iommi explained, "That's wrong . . . We've written 15 songs and we've played them all. But now, at the moment, we're recording them. We recorded them at my house first, in England, just as demos, but now we're doing them for real. So we're about six tracks in now, at the moment."
Iommi, Osbourne and bassist Geezer Butler are recording their first album together under the SABBATH name since 1978's "Never Say Die".
The drums on the disc are being handled by Tommy Clufetos, who has replaced founding drummer Bill Ward due to a contractual dispute between Ward and the rest of the group.
Asked if there is any chance of Ward rejoining the band, Iommi said, "We'll always have a heart for Bill, but I think it's gone past that now, because it's gone on so long that I don't see that happening at the moment. Maybe at some point we might [play together again]."
Meanwhile, SABBATH has announced an Australian tour for next April and has also revealed that it will headline the first-ever Japanese version ofOzzfest on May 11-12, with SLIPKNOT also on the bill.
Photo below courtesy of Ozzy Osbourne's Facebook page
MASTODON To Contribute New Song To 'Monsters University' Animated Film
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Atlanta progressive metallers MASTODON are writing and recording a song for the upcoming animated film "Monsters University".
Due out June 21, 2013, "Monsters University" is the prequel to 2001's"Monsters, Inc."Billy Crystal and John Goodman reprise their roles in the prequel as the wise-cracking Mike Wazowski and lovable Sulley.
MASTODON contributed several original songs to the score to the 2010 motion picture"Jonah Hex" as a collaboration with Oscar-nominated composer Mario Beltrami ("The Hurt Locker", "3:10 to Yuma").MASTODON was asked to create the score personally by the film's director, Jimmy Hayward, who was inspired by repeated listenings ofMASTODON's 2006 album, "Blood Mountain".
MASTODON's latest album, "The Hunter", came out in September 2011 through Reprise Records.
DISTURBED Frontman: RANDY BLYTHE's Indictment 'Is A Travesty Of Justice'
DISTURBED singer David Draiman is among the artists who have spoken out in defense of LAMB OF GOD vocalist Randy Blythe, who has been officially indicted on charges of manslaughter by the State Attorney's Office in Prague, the Czech Republic. The charges were filed on Friday (November 30) and mean that Blythe will likely have to stand trial. TheLAMB OF GOD singer was arrested last summer and held in a Czech prison for five weeks when the band stopped there on a European tour. He was forced to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in bail before being allowed to return home.
The charges stem from an incident in 2010 in which a fan died nearly a month after he sustained a head injury following an apparent stage fall while attending a LAMB OF GOD concert in Prague. The prosecutor maintains that Blythe pushed the man off the stage, leading to his injury.
The District Court in Prague now has three months to either set a trial date or to delay the hearing for further investigation.
If the case goes to trial and Blythe is convicted of manslaughter, he could face five to 10 years in prison. He has declared his innocence and has vowed to return to Prague and stand trial if necessary, saying he will not hide out in the U.S.
In a new post on DISTURBED's Facebook page, Draiman writes: "My brothers and sisters, my blood, our friend Randy Blythe of LAMB OF GODhas now officially been indicted on charges of manslaughter. This is a travesty of justice. He is being a man and standing up to these charges. Show your support by on their Facebook page and Twitter pages, raise awareness amongst your friends, and take the time to donate to his defense fund on both pages. You can also help by writing your local elected officials and pressuring the U.S. dept of foreign affairs/state department to get personally involved. we stand behind Randy, hope all of you will as well. As always, much respect."
LAMB OF GOD's manager issued a response to the news of the charges, saying in part, "We intend to fight vigorously against these charges as we feel that in no way did Randy intend to cause bodily harm on the young fan who subsequently died from injuries sustained at the show . . . At this point, all that the band, myself, and our lawyers can do is to present a defense and try to convince the panel of judges who will hear the case that Randy is innocent of all charges."
Source: Blabbermouth.net
Dave Grohl Posts Trailer for Sound City Documentary
For months now, Dave Grohl has been leaking online clips of his upcoming documentary,Sound City. Now, the Foo Fighters frontman has unveiled a proper trailer for the film, which profiles the legendary Sound City Studios, where Nirvana recorded their classic 1991 album, Nevermind.
The two-minute clip features interview snippets from a wide variety of artists chatting about their experiences recording at Sound City Studios, including Metallica drummerLars Ulrich, Nine Inch Nails singer Trent Reznor, Slipknot/Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor, Queens of the Stone Age singer Josh Homme, former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic and producer Butch Vig.
While Sound City has yet to receive a release date, it will premiere at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, which takes place January 17-27 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden, and Sundance, Utah.
Tom Morello Says Future of Rage Against the Machine Is “Unknown”
Bad news for Rage Against the Machine fans: guitarist Tom Morello says that the band may never perform together again.
“Whether or not we ever play music again in any capacity is unknown,” Morello tellsRolling Stone. “I'm grateful for the music we played together. For me, as a fan, not just as a member of the band, it's some of the most exciting stuff I've ever had the pleasure to hear, let alone to be a part of.”
The guitarist adds that he hoped RATM would celebrate the 20th anniversary of the release of their self-titled debut album with a “five-continent world tour,” but it seems that the band wasn’t into the idea. “Once a year, the band meets and very seriously discusses and turns down awesome offers to tour the world,” he explains. “That's part of the program.”
Morello also reveals that the band might never record any new material either, noting that the group’s “combustible chemistry” is preventing the guys from making any new albums. “If it were up to me, I would've made two records a year,” he notes. “As it is, we have just three records of original material over 20 years.”
Tenacious D Schedules Acoustic Tour Dates in 2013
Tenacious D will return in 2013. The dynamic duo of actor/rocker Jack Black and Kyle Gass has just announced on their Facebook page that they’ll hit the road early next year to perform a series of acoustic shows across North America.
The trek kicks off on February 28 at the House of Blues at Showboat Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City and will make stops in Boston, Pittsburgh, Raleigh and Orlando, among other cities.
Exclusive ticket pre-sales for all the newly-announced dates begins on Friday at 10 a.m. local venue time. Visit Tenacious D’s Facebook page for more information.
Here are the tour dates:
2/28 -- Atlantic City, NJ, Showboat Hotel & Casino: House of Blues
3/2 -- Boston, MA, House of Blues
3/3 -- Providence, RI, Lupos Heartbreak Hotel
3/5 -- Pittsburgh, PA, Stage AE - Indoor
3/6 -- Columbus, OH, The LC Pavilion
3/8 -- Raleigh, NC, The Ritz Theatre
3/9 -- Myrtle Beach, SC, House of Blues
3/11 -- Orlando, FL, Hard Rock Live
3/12 -- Miami Beach, FL, The Fillmore at Jackie Gleason Theater
KORN Guitarist MUNKY Optimistic About Permanent Reunion With BRIAN 'HEAD' WELCH
KORN will reunite with founding guitarist Brian "Head" Welch for two German festival shows next summer. The shows, set to take place at theRock Am Ring and Rock Im Park festivals that take place between June 7 and June 9, will feature Welch playing full sets with the group. KORNposted a statement at its web site saying, "Head returns as a special guest to play two full shows with KORN for the first time since 2004."
Speaking to Loudwire at last week's ShipRocked 2012 music cruise(see video below), KORN guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer said that he was optimistic about the possibility of Welch rejoining KORN on a full-time basis after the upcoming dates.
"I don't project it, but yeah, that's the hope, that's the optimism of this," he said. "But we do one thing at a time and see how it develops and then talk about it, instead of rushing into something and then being… everyone's unhappy again and then there's an ugly split. That's the last thing we want. So we'll just take it step by step and sort of figure out how each thing… we'll see how the shows go, we'll see how things transpire [before the gigs]. 'Cause there's gonna be rehearsals, there's gonna be interactions, obviously, because we have to get ready for the show and anything else that might happen. Who knows?! We might get in a giant fight and then call the whole show off. But I doubt it."
Welch joined KORN onstage for the song "Blind" last May 5 at theCarolina Rebellion festival in Rockingham, North Carolina, marking the first time in eight years that KORN played with Welch.
"Everybody was talking about this show in North Carolina where it was sort of unplanned and he showed up and I hadn't seen him in, oh my God, like, seven years — I hadn't seen or talked to him," Shaffer said. "So it was a little bit… It was great seeing him, and we stayed in contact after that. You know, let's just see how it will work — 'just try it out, see if you like it, see if we like it,' and go from there. I think it's a good opportunity for fans to witness something and also us to have our brother — he's our brother — have him be on stage with us again. 'Cause he's one of the members of the band that helped define this sound. And I'm looking forward to having some good laughs, for sure. 'Cause he's a funny guy and he brings the funny out in people. That's what I'm looking forward to."
Welch left KORN in 2005 to become a born-again Christian. The band never officially replaced him and stayed a four-piece, although they've used several touring guitarists for live work.
Welch and bassist Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu have said in interviews that a full reunion could be possible one day. Welch's new band, LOVE AND DEATH, will release its debut album, "Between Here & Lost", in January.
KORN has been touring for much of the past year behind its 10th studio album, "The Path Of Totality", but plans to begin work on a new set of material in early 2013.
Source: Blabbermouth.net
Dave Grohl to Premiere Sound City Documentary at Sundance Film Festival
Dave Grohl's new documentary, Sound City, will premiere at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.
The film profiles the legendary Sound City Studios, where he and Nirvana recorded the band's 1991 iconic album Nevermind, and features interviews and exclusive performances from artists who have recorded at the famous studio during their careers. Some on the artists featured in the film include Weezer, Queens of the Stone Age frontman Joshua Homme, Slipknot/Stone Sour singer Corey Taylor, Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor, producer Butch Vig and many more.
"As a first time director, I am humbled to be able to share my passion for songwriting and storytelling with this incredible cast of legendary musicians, as seen through the extraordinary story of America's greatest unsung recording studio, Sound City,” said Grohl in a statement. “Being included in this group of artists is a true honor, and the Sundance Film Festival is the perfect place to premiere a film about craft, integrity, and passion for art. I am over the moon!"
The Sundance Film Festival takes place January 17-27 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah.
Chevelle Release Lyric Video for “Fizgig”
Chevelle has released a lyric video for their new single, "Fizgig," which is featured on the band’s first-ever greatest hits CD, Stray Arrows -- A Collection of Favorites. In the five-minute clip, the lyrics to the song appear to be lowered onto a stage while a stream of repeating images dance around them. Stray Arrows -- A Collection of Favorites features hits from every part of Chevelle’s career, including "Send the Pain Below," and "The Red,” from 2002’s Wonder What’s Next, as well as “Vitamin R (Leading Us Along)” and “The Clincher” from 2004’s This Type of Thinking (Could Do Us In). It also features “Face to the Floor," “Same Old Trip,” “The Meddler,” and the title track from Hats Off to the Bull, among others. Stray Arrows -- A Collection of Favorites will arrive at all the usual outlets on Tuesday.
Three Doors Down Give $15K to Hurricane Sandy Relief
When 3 Doors Down’s current tour with Daughtry stopped in New Jersey last week, the group left behind much more than happy fans: they also left behind a sizable donation to a local charity to help with rebuilding the area after Hurricane Sandy.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, 3 Doors Down singer Brad Arnold and Chris Daughtry presented a check for $15,000 to the New Jersey charity Hometown Heroes when they performed in Asbury Park, New Jersey. That area was among the hardest hit by the superstorm. The check officially came from The Better Life Foundation, the charity founded by 3 Doors Down. The band, who hail from Mississippi, can relate to what locals are experiencing, given their own experience with Hurricane Katrina.
After the show, Arnold and Daughtry met with the charity's founder and executive director to talk about the charity's efforts.
Buckcherry to Premiere New Songs from Confessions on Upcoming Tour with Kid Rock
If you're lucky enough to attend Buckcherry’s upcoming tour dates with Kid Rock, you'll get to preview new tracks from the band’s forthcoming release, Confessions. The new album is set to be released in early 2013 and features a central theme focused on the seven deadly sins: wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy, and gluttony. The band has revealed that they’ll release the album’s first single, “Gluttony,” on iTunes starting December 11.
Buckcherry’s North American trek with Kid Rock kicks off on February 2 at the Sprint Center in Kansas City and will make stops in Nashville, New Orleans, Tulsa and Memphis, among other cities.
“’Great American Rock n’ Roll’: Kid Rock and Buckcherry,” said Buckcherry frontman Josh Todd in a statement. “That’s all you have to say. The baddest rock n’ roll tour with the American badass himself.”
In addition to Buckcherry, Hellbound Glory will support Rock on all dates.
Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong Puts Newport Beach Cottage Up For Sale
Billie Joe Armstrong is looking to unload his cottage in Newport Beach, CA. The Real Estalker blog reports that the Green Day frontman is selling the vacation property for the bargain-basement price of $1.89 million.
The petite cottage, located a few short blocks from the Peninsula Point area of Newport Beach, features three bedrooms, 3.5 baths, and a brick-paved and bamboo-shaded side/back yard patio with an outdoor shower for rinsing off the sand and salt after trips to the beach. The actual square footage of the property isn’t listed.
The blog reports that Armstrong paid $1.69 million for the place back in 2006 and re-built it “from the studs up” in 2007. You can see pictures of the cozy cottage at the website.
Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe Officially Indicted on Manslaughter Charge
It appears that Randy Blythe will soon be returning to the Czech Republic to face charges.
Czech news portal Novinky.cz reports that the State Attorney's Office in Prague officially indicted the Lamb of God singer on a manslaughter charge on Friday, in connection with an incident that took place during the band's 2010 concert at Club Abaton in Prague. The singer is being accused of roughing up a fan named Daniel N. after the fan leaped onto the stage during the show. Czech Republic authorities allege the incident caused injuries that led to Daniel's death 14 days later.
In a statement provided to ABC News Radio on Monday, Lamb of God’s manager Larry Mazer says that the band “intend[s] to fight vigorously against these charges” as they feel that Blythe didn’t “intend to cause bodily harm” or do anything “improper” to Daniel N. Mazer goes on to say that the band has testimony from the Czech Republic venue’s operator and “numerous testimonies from fans” to help back up their claim that Blythe is innocent.
The court has three months to set a date for Blythe’s trial or send the case back for further investigation.
Watch Metallica Perform “The Day That Never Comes” fromQuebec Magnetic Live DVD
Metallica wants to give you a taste of their upcoming live DVD, Quebec Magnetic. The band has released a new video excerpt online which features the guys performing “The Day That Never Comes” from their 2008 album, Death Magnetic. Quebec Magnetic, which documents two sold-out concerts that the band filmed in the Colisée Pepsi in Quebec City in 2009, is set to be released on December 11. It will be the first release from Metallica’s new record label, Blackened Recordings.
You can pre-order your copy of Quebec Magnetic now on the band’s official website.
SLASH Records Song For 'Nothing To Fear' Soundtrack
Slash has revealed via Twitter that he has recorded a song over the weekend for the first horror film from the guitarist's production company,Slasher Films, called "Nothing To Fear". "Myles [Kennedy, singer ofSlash's solo band and ALTER BRIDGE] did a fantastic vocal," Slashadded. "[It sounds] haunting/creepy as hell."
Anthony Leonardi III, a creature artist and storyboard artist who worked on "Rango" and "47 Ronin", is directing the movie, which began shooting in May in Louisiana.
Slash told The Pulse Of Radio that he's looking forward to seeing how"Nothing To Fear" turns out. "It's [a] really good production team, the special effects people are great, the cast is great, the story's great — everything's great about it," he said. "And it will be interesting to see where this particular one, how it comes out and where it goes, 'cause we're planning on doing two a year."
"Nothing To Fear" has already been picked up for distribution by Anchor Bay Entertainment.
The movie is the first of a proposed series of horror films produced bySlash's company, which he launched last year in partnership with two other producers.
"Nothing To Fear" is based on an actual town in Kansas, which, according to legend, is one of the seven gateways to Hell.
The company has three other films in development, including "Wake The Dead", which based on the graphic novels by Steven Niles, with Haley Joel Osment playing Victor Franklin, a college student experimenting with reversing death.
Slash described "Wake The Dead" in an interview as "basically a modern, young Frankenstein story about a brilliant college student who's discovered how to animate dead tissue — but he's a teenager so he goes overboard."
Source: Blabbermouth.net
Muse Cancels Three Concerts Due to Frontman Bellamy’s Foot Injury
Muse has just canceled three of their upcoming gigs in Europe due to frontman Matt Bellamy breaking some bones in his foot. The band posted an apology on their website, explaining that they needed to cancel the shows so Bellamy can have time to heal from his injuries.
“We're very sorry to have to announce that Muse's forthcoming shows in Oslo, Stockholm and Malmo have been cancelled as Matt has broken two bones in his foot,” wrote the band in a joint statement. “The band have therefore made the difficult decision to cancel these gigs as they feel that they will not be able to do justice to their live show and the fans who have bought tickets with Matt performing on crutches. Muse would like to apologize to all their fans who have tickets to these shows.”
The message goes to say that Bellamy’s “progress will be monitored over the next few days” and that the remainder of the band’s tour is expected to go on as planned. Ticket holders for the canceled shows are advised to contact the venue’s box offices for refunds.
In addition, Bellamy took to his Twitter account on Thursday to confirm that he has indeed caused some serious damage to his foot, tweeting, “Ouch! Broke my foot...,” along with a photo of an X-ray of his injured foot. When a fan asked him how he sustained the injury, he tweeted, “I was running barefoot and slipped -- my foot broke the fall on a concrete step!”
Muse’s next scheduled date is at the Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, Finland on December 10.
Metallica Takes Ownership of Master Recordings; Launches New Record Label
Metallica is celebrating thier freedom from their longtime record label, Warner Brothers Records. Thanks to a deal that the band worked out with Warner Music Group in 1994, the band has now taken ownership of all their master recordings, including all music and long-form videos.
"We would like to thank everyone at the Warner Music Group for 28 years of a fantastic relationship, particularly since 1994 where we truly felt we had partners in every aspect of our business in North America," said frontman James Hetfield in a statement.
But the good news doesn’t end there: Metallica has also launched their own record label, Blackened Recordings. "It's always been about control for us as a band," said drummerLars Ulrich. "Forming Blackened Recordings is the ultimate in independence, giving us 100% control and putting us in the driver's seat of our own creative destiny."
The first release from Blackened Recordings will be the band’s live DVD, Quebec Magnetic, which will arrive in stores on December 11. The DVD documents two sold-out concerts that the band filmed in the Colisée Pepsi in Quebec City on October 31 and November 1 of 2009. You can pre-order your copy of Quebec Magnetic now on the band’s official website.
Ozzy Osbourne Says Black Sabbath is Enjoying Making New Record
In an interview with The New Zealand Herald, Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourneis giving fans an update on his first record with his old band mates in more than 30 years. According to Ozzy, the process of working with Sabbath is going more smoothly, now that he and his band mates have mellowed with age.
"What's different now is that none of us get drunk or stoned or any of that stuff," the singer tells the Herald. "We're all clean, and all in control of ourselves, we're not intimidated by each other, there are no arguments, and it's the way it should be."
He said when the members of Sabbath were younger, their rock-and-roll lifestyle sometimes got in the way of the music. "When you're 21 and you get some success it takes a while to get your head around," he tells the paper. "You have an ego, you have the spoils of success, the cars, the houses, the money, the alcohol, the drugs, the groupies, and all the rest of it, and if you go through all of that and you are lucky enough to survive you get married, you get divorced, you get married again, and it's a journey."
Now, he says, the band mates are just focused on music. "We have come through the other side, we're still able to work together, and that's where the enjoyment comes from," he says.
One thing that hasn't been so pleasant during the album process has been guitaristTony Iommi's ongoing treatment for lymphoma, which, Osbourne says, "has been a bit rough on him but he still manages to come up with those great riffs."
Still, Osbourne remains a little nervous about how the new Sabbath material will be received by longtime fans. "I just hope the people who have waited all these years aren't disappointed," he frets.
Avenged Sevenfold's M. Shadows Has "About Six Songs" for Next Album
Frontman M. Shadows is hoping Avenged Sevenfold will deliver its next album in 2013. The singer says that the band has been hard at work since September on the follow-up to 2010’s Nightmare.
“The album has been getting worked on and we’ve been pretty quiet about it,” Shadows tells Revolver. “I think that’s because we’re really trying to make this thing as good as possible without getting all these expectations. All I can say is that I’m really, really happy with the album, and I’m really proud of it so far.”
He adds that the writing process for the album has been going smoothly and that the band has a wide variety of material to choose from. “There’s about six songs, whole song ideas that I’m 100 percent happy with,” reveals Shadows. “There’s a lot of other ideas and if those pieces find their place in other songs that could be....Let’s just put it this way, a million ideas and six solid songs.”
Shadows says that he expects the band to hit the studio to begin recording the new album sometime in January.
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