This year New York City Hardcore legends Sick Of It All are celebrating their 25th anniversary. After touring the world, the band made time to enter Antfarm Studio with Producer Tue Madsen and recorded "Nonstop", an album full of re-recorded classics. Set to be released on October 31 in Europe and on November 1 in the United States via Century Media Records, "Nonstop" is the follow up of "Based On A True Story" (2010).
01. Clobberin' Time
02. Injustice System!
03. Sanctuary
04. Scratch The Surface
05. Us Vs. Them
06. The Deal
07. Just Look Around
08. Ratpack
09. World Full Of Hate
10. Pushed Too Far
11. GI Joe Headstomp
12. Never Measure Up
13. Chip Away
14. Busted
15. Locomotive
16. My Life
17. Friends Like You
18. Relentless
19. No Labels
20. Built To Last
As we reported last week, it has been 10 years since Slipknot released their critically acclaimed sophomore album entitled "IOWA". Released in August 28, 2001, "IOWA" has sold over two million copies in the United States alone. In order to celebrate this special anniversary, the band has announced that on November 1, 2011, they will be releasing a reissue of "IOWA" via Roadrunner Records.
Slipknot's frontman Corey Taylor can be seen below describing his feelings about 'Iowa' and the impact it had in his life.
The reissue features a 2CD/1DVD set, which includes:
- The original album.
- Previously unreleased live audio from the band's 2002 DVD "Disasterpieces".
- "Goat", an-hour long film capturing the insanity that was "IOWA".
Official track listing of 10th-Anniversary Reissue of 'Iowa':
\m/ Disc 1:
"Iowa"
01. (515)
02. People = Shit
03. Disasterpiece
04. My Plague
05. Everything Ends
06. The Heretic Anthem
07. Gently
08. Left Behind
09. The Shape
10. I Am Hated
11. Skin Ticket
12. New Abortion
13. Metabolic
14. Iowa
15. My Plague (New Abuse Mix)
\m/ Disc 2:
"Disasterpieces - Live In London 2002"
01. (515)
02. People = Shit
03. Liberate
04. Left Behind
05. Eeyore
06. Disasterpiece
07. Purity
08. Gently
09. Eyeless
10. Drum Solo
11. My Plague
12. New Abortion
13. The Heretic Anthem
14. Spit It Out
15. Wait And Bleed
16. 742617000027
17. (sic)
18. Surfacing
\m/ Disc 3:
- "Goat" (hour-long film capturing the insanity of Iowa, directed by M. Shawn Crahan.
Music Videos:
- My Plague
- Left Behind
- The Heretic Anthem (Live)
- People = Shit (Live)
Southern Metal bad-asses Down, have just confirmed that they will be playing two shows during Halloween weekend. The events are scheduled to happen at the Southport Music Hall on October 29th and October 30th in New Orleans, Louisiana.
In other Down news, the band is scheduled to release four EP's within the next few years. This is what Pepper Keenan had to say about this.
"We're going to do four EPs, and they'll all be different. We have many elements to our sound, so each one will have its own characteristics. Like, for example, this one we're writing right now and are about to start recording will be really hard, with heavy Down stuff. Then we'll have a mellow one, then a doom one — you know, slower and doomy stuff. A little bit of everything."
During a recent interview we conducted with Kirk Windstein, he told us that Down is scheduled to release the first EP in early 2012.
Down is:
- Philip Anselmo (Pantera, Superjoint Ritual): Vocals
- Kirk Windstein (Crowbar): Guitars
- Pepper Keenan (Corrosion Of Conformity): Guitars/Vocals
- Jimmy Bower (Eyehategod, Superjoint Ritual): Drums
- Patrick Bruders (Crowbar): Bass
On November 1st, 2011, Thrash Metal titans Megadeth are releasing their 13th studio album appropriately titled TH1RT3EN via Roadrunner Records. Here is the track-listing of one of the most anticipated records of 2011.
CD track listing:
01. Sudden Death
02. Public Enemy No. 1
03. Whose Life (Is It Anyways?)
04. We The People
05. Guns, Drugs & Money
06. Never Dead
07. New World Order
08. Fast Lane
09. Black Swan
10. Wrecker
11. Millennium Of The Blind
12. Deadly Nightshade
13. 13
Here is a track by track breakdown by Megadeth's bassist Dave Ellefson, courtesy of MusicRadar.com.
1) "Sudden Death":
Ellefson: "This is a track that was being worked on when I rejoined the band. I came in on a Friday, I played my part on a Saturday, and on Monday we put out the press release that I was back in MEGADETH. So this song represents a real homecoming for me. Musically, I wanted to combine a New Wave Of British Heavy Metal and a thrash style in my bass playing. There's some great rhythmic work going on, particularly in the intro, and the riff, especially towards the end, gives me a chance to move up an octave and create tension underneath the guitars. All by itself, it's a very exciting song. But when I think about what it represents, it's deep on an emotional level."
2) "Public Enemy No. 1":
Ellefson: "We started writing this song during a soundcheck in Croatia last year, and we finished it in Vienna, Austria a short while later. Funnily enough, earlier this year we wrote another song on the record called 'Never Dead' in the same venue in Austria. So that place has magic in it. Again, it's another New Wave Of British Heavy Metal-type song, at least as far as what I do. I loved the early DEF LEPPARD records, and I'm copping a bit of a Rick Savage bass approach on it. I really tried to write around the vocals. I love to hear as much of the band, especially the vocals, when I record a bass part. As a player, I want to be the mortar between the blocks that glue the building together. Once the vocal melody developed, Johnny [K, producer] and I worked with Dave [Mustaine, guitar/vocals], and that allowed me to put down a strong bass part. It was a fun way to record. I had a lot of note choices available to me, and there's a cool moving bassline in the B section of the verse as well as the chorus. As a listener, none of that matters, but hopefully, you'll feel the song jump."
3) "Whose Life (Is It Anyways?)":
Ellefson: “This is some of my favorite kind of bass playing. In a not very obvious way, it harkens back to a kind of punk-rock style of picking.
“I went at it with a lot of fervor and tried not to overthink what I was doing. My main goal was to lock in with the drums. It’s a blazing song. Total attitude, lots of fun.”
4) "We The People":
Ellefson: “This song is like riff-mania. Dave has a great ability to write a fantastic array of riffs, and he’s a master at compiling them to create a song. He writes a riff, then he writes another riff, and when you think he can’t come up with another one, he does so – and then he puts them all together.
“Anybody who loves amazing Megadeth riffs will really be into We The People. It’s a total explosion of great parts.”
5) "Guns, Drugs & Money":
Ellefson: “I can’t even tell you how happy I am that we have a song that is made up of one riff. [laughs] That’s not always easy to do. I know a lot of metal fans don’t like Green Day, but I think they’re masters of the one-riff song. That’s what we did here, and it works beautifully.
“It’s so punk rock, the one-riff idea. The Ramones did it on so many of their songs - maybe all of them. When I heard Dave play this part, I knew that was all we needed. The band shifted dynamics in the chorus, Dave played around with the vocal melody…and it was a song!
“Many of our tracks are quite complex; that’s probably something a lot of our fans like about what we do. The genius of Guns, Drugs & Money, however, is in its simplicity.”
6) "Never Dead":
Ellefson: "When Dave first played me this riff, I was floored. It was so violent and in your face, it reminded me of the 'Peace Sells' album. In particular, it sounded a little like 'Good Mourning/Black Friday', but in a great new way. I loved it. What's funny is, Dave forgot about it for a while. We got together earlier this year to work on some stuff, and I reminded him about this one, and he couldn't remember it. Fortunately, he had recorded it on his BlackBerry, so he was able to find it. As soon as we all started playing it for real, we were like four little kids jumping around a room. It's such a strong riff. It's so huge, you can't help but get crazy when you hear it."
7) "New World Order":
Ellefson: “This one goes way back. We wrote it on the Clash Of The Titans tour in 1991 and made a demo of it for Countdown To Extinction, but it didn’t fit on that album for whatever reason. So it sat on the shelf all these years – however, it was included on the remixed and remastered Youthanasia record.
“Shawn Drover really pushed to have New World Order be on this record. Of all the songs that have never been officially released as formal master recordings, he really thought it was ready.
“It’s such an old-school thrash tune. We re-recorded it, and I think we improved the outro section for the solos. Dave updated some parts and made them more violent. It’s so cool! [laughs] Here we are, 20 years later, finally getting the song right and made into a master recording.”
8) "Fast Lane":
Ellefson: “Fast Lane was a funny one. As a bass player, it was all about learning some fancy licks, going into the studio and having the producer say, ‘Man, can’t you just play some eighth notes?’ [laughs]
“This song was me hunkering down and knocking it out and making my wrist a fulcrum. I'm just playing eighth notes, sixteenth notes, holding down the fort. I got going and locked in with the drums, and pretty soon, I didn't even know the tune was over – I was in the zone.
“Another cool driving song. You put this one on in your car, and you’re flying.”
9) "Black Swan":
Ellefson: “Black Swan had been recorded and not officially released during my time away from the band. When I heard it, it was one of my favorite tunes, and I could never figure out why it was never put out there. [laughs]
“I love the melody, the lyrics, the whole vibe. It was written before the movie Black Swan, so it has nothing to do with that - although people might naturally assume that's the case.
"I was really happy that Johnny K picked Black Swan out and said we should finish it up. As a listener, it really gets me.”
10) "Wrecker":
Ellefson: “This has one of the wittiest and funniest set of lyrics. I know Dave’s words are sometimes kind of dark, but Wrecker represents more of the humorous side to him.
“The riff is massive. It’s one of those parts where the whole band just rallied around and dug in and blew the house down. Some riffs are good, others are great, and then there’s riffs that just rock your world. Wrecker is the last example.”
11) "Millenium Of The Blind":
Ellefson: “Funnily enough, another song that was started in 1991. I don't know what it was about 1991. Anyway, a demo was made, but it was never released. We only had a few minutes of it on tape, so it needed some development. Dave and Johnny K really brought it up and made it into a full-length song.
“I’m glad they took the time with it, because it always had the startings of greatness, but it was never nurtured properly. Now it’s lived up to its promise.
“A lot of our stuff has to sit for a while. A great idea is a great idea, and if you come back to it, there’s gotta be a reason. I’m glad this song’s time has finally come.”
12) "Deadly Nightshade":
Ellefson: “Originally, the riff was written during the sessions for Youthanasia, or maybe Cryptic Writings. It’s been around for a while. See what I mean? Some of our stuff has to sit for a while.
“I’m so happy that the riff matured into a complete song – it's so menacing. [laughs] I seem to recall playing the basis for the song in Rome, Italy, during a soundcheck, and I remember seeing the janitor and the popcorn lady turning around and getting into it. That meant something to me.
“When you get right down to it, that’s the true test of a great song. Plenty of people will tell you something is cool, but if you can get the janitor and the popcorn lady at a venue rocking out to an unfinished song, come on, then you know it’s cool!” [laughs]
13) "13":
Ellefson: “It really epitomizes the story of Megadeth. Before starting the record, Johnny K had read Dave’s autobiography, and I think that helped him understand Dave’s psyche, as well as what Megadeth is all about.
“As the song was being developed musically, the words started to spill out onto the page, largely from Johnny’s conversations with Dave. If you ever wanted to hear a song that summed up the arc of Megadeth as a band, 13 is it.
“Chris Broderick did a great job with the acoustic and clean-sounding electric guitars. As a bassist, I love playing to those kinds of tones. They’re very open, and they let me be creative with the licks and the lines. It’s like bass playing from the 1970s, or even the ‘60s. James Jamerson, the great Motown bassist – I definitely tried to cop some of his groove, a very flowing style.
“The song ends on such a high. Megadeth hasn’t had a big, theatrical kind of song since In My Darkest Hour, so now we’ve got another one with 13. It’s the perfect ending to a great album.”
Vinyl track listing:
Side A:
01. Sudden Death
02. Public Enemy No. 1
03. Whose Life (Is It Anyways?)
04. We The People
Side B:
01. Guns, Drugs & Money
02. Never Dead
03. New World Order
Side C:
01. Fast Lane
02. Black Swan
03. Wrecker
Side D:
01. Millennium Of the Blind
02. Deadly Nightshade
03. 13
Here is an interview we conducted with drummer Shawn Drover, in which we discuss the bands new album, the Big 4 and more!
Here is our Big Four 4 special, featuring Megadeth!
Tour-dates:
Latin American tour:
11/9 - Buenos Aires, Argentina - Estadio Cubierto Malvinas
11/10 - Estadio Cubierto Malvinas - Buenos Aires, Argentina
11/12 - Maquinaria Festival, Club Hipico - Santiago, Chile
11/14 - SWU Music & Arts Festival - Sao Paulo, Brazil
11/16 - Jose Cuervo Salon - Mexico City, Mexico
11/17 - Jose Cuervo Salon - Mexico City, Mexico
11/19 - H&H Metal Fest, Calle 2 - Guadalajara, Mexico
11/20 - Banamex Auditorium - Monterrey, Mexico
Ever since they surfaced into the Heavy Music spectrum in late 2006, Tennesse's Deathcore kids Whitechapel have been pushing the boundaries of Metal with plenty of vicious power. Lead by vocalist Phil Bozeman, Whitechapel has three guitarists on board who exchange highly powerful technical guitar parts in order to match the groove of the speedy double bass drumming and skull popping bass parts.
When we interviewed Bozeman at the bands co-headlining run on this years Summer Slaughter tour (see below), he told us that the band has been working on new music and that they should have a new album ready by Summer 2012. Well, he wasn't kidding! The band has a new song called "Section 8" that will absolutely crush all your senses.
'Section 8' Lyrics (By: Phil Bozeman)
We are nothing
Fuck your lives
... I hate everyone
Look through the eyes of a madman.
The skeletons in your closet, have rotted to the bone. They're your families, your loved ones, they're never coming home.
This world will rot from the inside out.
We all have created the evil that worships our souls
I am no exception
We all have hidden agendas we claim don't exist.
You are no exception
How many times will it take
to open your eyes to reality's flaws. How many minds will it take to rot away and shut the system down.
Now society's future cries can be heard in present day. And your ancestors are turning in their fucking graves.
We are nothing, we are worthless. Medicate your brain to eliminate all the hate you create. We are nothing, we are worthless. This will be the day we all meet our fate and forever decay.
(I am already dead, I am already forgotten. Until the day comes that I am proven wrong, I will wither away with the rest of you. We have made us this way. We have become worthless.)
Korn is ready to once again revolutionize the ears of the Heavy Music fans with the release of their tenth studio album titled "The Path of Totality" (set to be released on December 6th via Roadrunner Records). For "The Path Of Totality", the band collaborated with some of the leading dubstep and electronic producers in the world, including Skrillex, Excision, Datsik, Noisia, Kill the Noise, and 12th Planet. The result is something completely new, yet utterly and definitively Korn. Leave it to a band like Korn to continue to reinvent itself two decades deep into its career.
In anticipation of their upcoming release, the band recently premiered their music video for "Get Up". The song is one of the tracks that will be part of on "The Path of Totality". The song is a collaboration between the band and dubstep's hottest producer, Skrillex. It was also the surprise rock hit of the summer, the buzz of which started in Coachella's dance tent in April 2011, when Jonathan and Munky joined Skrillex on stage for a show stealing unannounced performance of the song.
"The title "The Path of Totality" refers to the fact that in order to see the sun in a full solar eclipse, you must be in the exact right place in the exact right time. That's how this album came together. I think all the producers feel the same way. I'm not sure it could ever happen again." - Jonathan Davis
Some of the song titles from "The Path of Totality" are:
- "Narcissistic Cannibal"
- "Burn the Obedient"
- "Illuminati"
- "Kill Mercy Within"
- "Chaos Lives In Everything."
The album will be released in two configurations: as a standard 11-song CD and a special edition CD that will include bonus tracks as well as a DVD of "The Encounter", a full-length video concert of Korn's mind-blowing, once-in-a-lifetime performance in the middle of a 900-foot long crop circle in a wheat field in Bakersfield, California. The complete concert, previously seen last year on TV and online in an abbreviated form, will be offered in its entirety to those who purchase the deluxe version.
Additionally, today Korn announced that the first leg of their "Path of Totality (P.O.T.)" tour will play key ballrooms and feature dubstep DJ's Datsik and Downlink, as well as young upstart Dutch Dub-rockers Dope D.O.D. Expect a groundbreaking experience unlike any other Korn tour.
- Nov. 3 Boston
- Nov. 4 New York City
- Nov. 5 Philadelphia, PA
- Nov. 6 Huntington, NY
- Nov. 9 Miami FL
- Nov.10 Orland, FL
- Nov. 11 Tampa, FL
- Nov. 12 Atlanta, GA
- Nov. 16 Tulsa, OKA
- Nov. 18 San Antonio, TX
- Nov. 19 Houston, TX
- Nov. 20 Dallas, TX
*More dates and specific venue information to be announced shortly
Tickets to some of the shows go on sale this weekend to the general public, but pre-sale and brand new VIP packages are available now exclusively at the link below.
Legendary Heavy Metal band Judas Priest is currently busy on the road in Latin America, as part of their farewell world tour dubbed as the "Epitaph Tour". The band will kickoff the North American leg of the tour on October 12th, in San Antonio, TX, alongside Thin Lizzy and Black Label Society. The tour will conclude on December 12 in Biloxi, MS. More information below.
"We're pulling out all the stops. We've built a brand new stage set, we've got all the effects that people love us for — the lasers, the fire, the bombs, the smoke, new costumes, and the bike. It's just a full-on metal extravaganza." - Rob Halford
In anticipation of the North American leg of the "Epitaph Tour", Judas Priest will be the musical guest on "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon" on Friday, October 7. The show airs on NBC at 12:30 ET/PT and 11:30 CT.
Additionally, the band will also appear on the nationally syndicated radio show "Rockline" with host Bob Coburn on Wednesday, October 5 at 11:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. PT. Fans can call in to talk with the almighty Judas Priest: 1-800-344-ROCK (7625).
During the recent Big 4 Concert at Yankee Stadium in New York City, Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax, hit a grand slam that will forever live in the memories of the 40,000+ fans that took over the home that Babe Ruth built through blood, sweat and tears!
Prior to taking over center stage and delivering furious Heavy Metal to the masses, Metallica's James Hetfield, Slayer's Tom Araya and Megadeth's Dave Ellefson, sat down with Jose Mangin from Sirius XM Liquid Metal and MTV2.com's Headbanger's Ball, for in-depth interviews about the historical concert in the Bronx, New York! Here is what went down!
Holland's progressive technical Metal band Textures have finally released their highly-anticipated new full-length album, "Dualism", via Nuclear Blast! The album was recorded at Split Second Sound Studios in Amsterdam with Textures guitarist and producer Jochem Jacobs.
GuitarWorld.com recently teamed up with the band to bring you an exclusive full album stream of "Dualism". The exclusive also features a special video introduction recently filmed at the Guitar World studios in New York City. You can listen to their NEW album below.
You can purchase Dualism digitally at Amazon.com MP3 and iTunes, and physically at Indiemerch.com, Nuclear Blast USA, Amazon.com, FYE, Metal Club Stores, or your favorite local and national music retailer.
Textures are currently on their inaugural North American tour with Periphery, The Human Abstract and The Contortionist. Remaining “Frak The Gods” tour dates are:
- 09-29-2011: Mojoe’s at Joliet, IL
- 09-30-2011: Rave Bar at Milwaukee, WI
- 10-01-2011: MXTP at Grand Rapids, MI
- 10-02-2011: Wreck Room at Toronto, ON - CANADA
- 10-03-2011: La Tulipe at Montreal, QC - CANADA
- 10-05-2011: The Palladium at Worcester, MA
- 10-06-2011: Gramercy Theatre at New York, NY
- 10-07-2011: First Unitarian Church at Philadelphia, PA
- 10-08-2011: Kingdom at Richmond, VA
You can watch the new music video for the first single cut from the album, ‘Reaching Home’, below! The video was directed by Textures bassist Remko Tielemans together with the help of Kunststoff Media.
Savannah, Georgia's Black Tusk is gearing up for the release of their new studio album entitled "Set The Dial" (set to be released on October 25th via Relapse Records). Produced by Jack Endino (Soundgarden, High On Fire, Skeletonwitch), Set the Dial’s ten tracks cook like the Savannah heat, raising up their signature brand of primal, triple-vocal, chromatic madness, and tattooing it across canyon-wide grooves.
Today, the band is streaming a brand new song titled 'Crossroads and Thunder' on Noisecreep (see link below), which will instantly catch your ears attention. Additionally, the band is streaming the first single from their forthcoming release "Set the Dial" on their Facebook Page. The song 'Bring Me Darkness' can be heard at the link below.
The artwork for "Set the Dial" was designed by John Dyer Baizley who has illustrated all of the band's releases.
Black Tusk recently announced an Eastern US headlining tour and a string of regional record release shows in support of their forthcoming new record "Set the Dial". The Eastern US tour starts November 2nd in Charlotte, NC and runs through mid-November, including a stop as part of the Metal Suckfest in New York, NY. Support on this run comes from Thou and MonstrO on select dates. Here are the tour-dates.
- Oct. 1: Statesboro, GA at Dos Amigos
- Oct. 21: Athens, GA at The Caledonia as part of Devilneck Festival
- Oct. 22: Savannah, GA at The Jinx - "Set the Dial" record release show
- Oct. 23: Tallahassee, FL at St Michael's Pub
- Oct. 25: Austin, TX at La Zona Rosa (w/ Mastodon)
- Oct. 27: Houston, TX at Fitzgerald's (w/ Mastodon)
- Oct. 28: New Orleans, LA at Babylon
- Oct. 29: Atlanta, GA at Drunken Unicorn - Set the Dial record release show
- Nov. 2: Charlotte, NC at The Casbah at Tremont Music Hall (w/ MonstrO)
- Nov. 3: Richmond, VA at Kingdom (w/ MonstrO)
- Nov. 4: New York, NY at Irving Plaza (as part of Metalsucks Fest)
- Nov. 5: Reading, PA at Reverb (w/ MonstrO)
- Nov. 6: Boston, MA at Great Scott (w/ MonstrO)
- Nov. 7: Poughkeepsie, NY at The Loft (w/ Thou, MonstrO)
- Nov. 8: TBA
- Nov. 9: Baltimore, MD at Sonar (w/ Thou, MonstrO)
- Nov. 10: TBA
- Nov. 11: Rochester, NY at Montage Music Hall (w/ Thou, MonstrO)
- Nov. 12: Cleveland, OH at Now That's Class (w/ Thou, MonstrO)
- Nov. 13: Chicago, IL at Ultra Lounge (w/ Thou, MonstrO)
- Nov. 14: St Louis, MO at Fubar (w/ Thou, MonstrO)
- Nov. 15: Memphis, TN at Hi Tone (w/ Thou, MonstrO)
- Nov. 16: Little Rock, AR at Downtown Music (w/ Thou, MonstrO)
- Nov. 17: Nashville, TN at The End (w/ Thou, MonstrO)
During the last month, Arch Enemy has been destroying stages all across North American at the appropriately dubbed "North American Khaos 2011" tour. For this epic trek of Heavy Music, the Swedish Metal meisters were joined by DevilDriver, Skeletonwitch, and Chthonic. So far, the tour has been a huge success and the fans have been praising about the tour. We wouldn't be surprised if Arch Enemy returns in early 2012 with a second leg of the "North American Khaos 2011" tour!
The band has just released a Behind the Scenes video filmed during the current tour, which comes to a conclusion this Tuesday, October 4th, at the House Of Blues in Chicago, Illinois. Check it out!
Here is an interview we did with Arch Enemy's founder/guitarist Michael Ammot, during the bands New York City takeover.
Here is an interview we did with Arch Enemy's vocalist/front-woman Angela Gossow, before the tour kickoff.
Finally, here is an interview we did with DevilDriver's founder/vocalist Dez Fafara, right before the band took center stage in New York City.
North American Khaos Tour 2011:
- Sept. 29 – Phoenix, AZ at The Marquee
- Sept. 30 – Albuquerque, NM at The Sunshine Theater
- Oct. 01 – Denver, CO at The Gothic Theatre
- Oct. 03 – Minneapolis, MN at First Avenue
- Oct. 04 – Chicago, IL at House of Blues
Ever since 1994, Bradley James Fafara (A.K.A. Dez Fafara) has been pushing his artistic abilities to the furthest limit possible. Founding member of the Heavy Music powerhouses Coal Chamber and DevilDriver, Fafara is constantly perfecting his music abilities. Just like a true warrior, Fafara knows that the only way to stay on top is to keep on fighting by working hard on his craft and persevering regardless of the obstacles his faces.
As we all know, Fafara left Coal Chamber in 2003 due to internal problems and soon after formed DevilDriver. While both bands possess a similar flavor when it comes to the energy that Fafara transmits through his vocals, DevilDriver seems to be the hard-hitting aggressive child of Coal Chamber! While Dez's main focus at the moment is DevilDriver, he recently announced that Coal Chamber is reuniting for a series of shows in Australia that are part of the Soundwave festival series.
Currently, DevilDriver is on tour with Arch Enemy, Skeletonwith, and Chthonic, as part of the 'North American Khaos' tour! A few weeks ago, this stellar lineup took over the Best Buy Theater in Times Square, New York City. Prior to DevilDriver warming the crowd up for headliners Arch Enemy, we had the chance to speak with Dez Fafara about his musical career with DevilDriver and Coal Chamber, among other things. Check out this awesome interview out!
North American Khaos Tour 2011:
- Sept. 29 – Phoenix, AZ at The Marquee
- Sept. 30 – Albuquerque, NM at The Sunshine Theater
- Oct. 01 – Denver, CO at The Gothic Theatre
- Oct. 03 – Minneapolis, MN at First Avenue
- Oct. 04 – Chicago, IL at House of Blues
European tour with Machine Head, Darkest Hour and Bring Me The Horizon:
This summer, the very outspoken Corey Taylor from Slipknot and Stone Sour, released his first book ever titled "Seven Deadly Sins - Settling The Argument Between Born Bad And Damaged Good". While Taylor could have easily written an autobiography like other established artists do, he decided to write something very different. This is what he had to say about this:
“I’ve been threatening to write a book for a long time, but since every Tom, Dick and Harry writes an autobiography, I didn’t want to just do that. My approach to writing is the same as my approach to music: I don’t want to do what everybody else is doing.”
“Seven Deadly Sins” is Taylor’s candid, outrageous manifesto reflecting on the subject and nature of sin. The audio version of "Seven Deadly Sins - Settling The Argument Between Born Bad And Damaged Good" was released on September 26 in the U.S. and Canada. This is what Corey Taylor had to say about the recording process of his new audio book.
"I always had a plan that if I didn't get to read it, I had three people that I wanted to read it: Morgan Freeman, Christopher Walken or Betty White. Those are my three that, I'm just like, I would love to have that happen. But I'm not gonna get out of it; I'm gonna have to read it myself. Which is fine, seeing as it's my kind of flow.
"People who know me, they call me and it's like, 'Dude, I can't get your voice out of my head when I'm reading this book. It's like I'm talking to you!'. And that, that's the best compliment I could ever get, you know, because that's really what it's supposed to be, is a conversation. It's supposed to be me trying to make a point and trying to make an argument, and apparently I've done pretty well."
Here are a few previews of Corey Taylor reading "Seven Deadly Sins - Settling The Argument Between Born Bad And Damaged Good".
In anticipation of the sophomore album by Charred Walls of the Damned titled "Cold Winds on Timeless Days" (to be released on October 11, 2011 via Metal Blade Records), Richard Christy has partnered up with Modern Drummer Magazine to premiere his studio performance video for the song 'Admire The Heroes'.
Richard filmed his drum takes while recording "Cold Winds On Timeless Days" at the Hit Factory Criteria in Miami, FL earlier this year. Those takes from two different cameras were edited into the video you can see below. Christy's approach to this record was that he wanted a more organic and spontaneous sounding album. Amazingly, drums were recorded in a mere two days and the video is evidence to his ability to record the songs in an entire, contiguous take. Here is what Richard had to say about this innovative drumming concept.
"The drum sound on the second Charred Walls of the Damned album "Cold Winds On Timeless Days" turned out better than I ever could have imagined thanks to engineer Mark Lewis, the amazing drum room at Hit Factory/Criteria in Miami, and all of the great equipment that I endorse like Ddrum, Sabian, Vater, Axis and Aquarian! Rehearsing the full album every day for two months straight definitely helped too. Fortunately I set up a couple of video cameras at the studio and filmed a lot of my drum tracking for our second album. We did three or four takes straight through on the drums for each song so what you'll see on these videos isn't necessarily what we used on the album (some of the drum fills don't match up exactly) but they'll give you a great idea of how amazing the drum room at Hit Factory is and how we were able to get a very natural drum sound on the new Charred Walls of the Damned album!"
On "Cold Winds On Timeless Days" Richard Christy, Tim "Ripper" Owens, Jason Suecof and Steve DiGiorgio once again join forces to bring to life to another musical joyride. The writing process for the new album actually began while the band was mixing their 2010 debut. Richard Christy used his experience on the first album to write songs that catered not only to each member's playing style, but to Jason Suecof's production style. The result: demos that turned out nearly identical to what ended up on the album.
Cold Winds On Timeless Days track listing:
1. Timeless Days
2. Ashes Falling Upon Us
3. Zerospan (Listen below)
4. Cold Winds
5. Lead the Way
6. Forever Marching On
7. Guiding Me
8. The Beast Outside My Window
9. On Unclean Ground
10. Bloodworm
11. Admire the Heroes
12. Avoid the Light
Fans that want to read more about the album can read an article about Richard Christy and Charred Walls of the Damned in the December issue of Modern Drummer, which hits shelves in October.
The story behind Bakersfield, California's Korn is one like none-other. Formed in 1993 after the demise of L.A.P.D., which featured part of the bands current lineup. The minute Korn released their self-titled first album, the Heavy Music world was changed forever. Arguably considered the godfathers of Nu Metal, the band keeps reinventing their musical craft album after album.
With nine studio albums under their belt, Korn is ready to once again revolutionize the ears of the Heavy Music fans with the release of their tenth studio album titled "The Path of Totality" (set to be released on December 6th via Roadrunner Records).
"The Path of Totality" is an experimental album which finds Korn shifting gears and exploring new territory. That should hardly come as a shock to the band's diehard fans, as Korn exploded onto the scene in the'90s and established themselves as hard rock game changers from that point on.
"The Path of Totality", the band collaborated with some of the leading dubstep and electronic producers in the world, including Skrillex, Excision, Datsik, Noisia, Kill the Noise, and 12th Planet. The result is something completely new, yet utterly and definitively Korn. This is what vocalist Jonathan Davis had to say about Korn's new musical project.
"The title "The Path of Totality" refers to the fact that in order to see the sun in a full solar eclipse, you must be in the exact right place in the exact right time. That's how this album came together. I think all the producers feel the same way. I'm not sure it could ever happen again."
The band's recent (and much lauded) collaboration with dubstep's hottest producer, Skrillex, titled "Get Up!," was the surprise rock hit of the summer, the buzz of which started in Coachella's dance tent in April 2011, when Jonathan and Munky joined Skrillex on stage for a show stealing unannounced performance of the song.
That performance generated the start of a deafening buzz. The track has sold over 150,000 downloads, while the lyric video (which you can watch below) has generated nearly two million views and counting. The song was a top 10 rock radio hit.
"Get Up" started as a bit of an experiment, but we had such an amazing response from our fans and had such a great time collaborating that a full album of tracks came together in a couple of months. We couldn't wait to get to the studio every day to finish the next song." - James "Munky" Shaffer
Some of the song titles from "The Path of Totality" are:
- "Narcissistic Cannibal"
- "Burn the Obedient"
- "Illuminati"
- "Kill Mercy Within"
- "Chaos Lives In Everything."
The album will be released in two configurations: as a standard 11-song CD and a special edition CD that will include bonus tracks as well as a DVD of "The Encounter", a full-length video concert of Korn's mind-blowing, once-in-a-lifetime performance in the middle of a 900-foot long crop circle in a wheat field in Bakersfield, California. The complete concert, previously seen last year on TV and online in an abbreviated form, will be offered in its entirety to those who purchase the deluxe version.
Additionally, today Korn announced that the first leg of their "Path of Totality (P.O.T.)" tour will play key ballrooms and feature dubstep DJ's Datsik and Downlink, as well as young upstart Dutch Dub-rockers Dope D.O.D. Expect a groundbreaking experience unlike any other Korn tour.
- Nov. 3 Boston
- Nov. 4 New York City
- Nov. 5 Philadelphia, PA
- Nov. 6 Huntington, NY
- Nov. 9 Miami FL
- Nov.10 Orland, FL
- Nov. 11 Tampa, FL
- Nov. 12 Atlanta, GA
- Nov. 16 Tulsa, OKA
- Nov. 18 San Antonio, TX
- Nov. 19 Houston, TX
- Nov. 20 Dallas, TX
*More dates and specific venue information to be announced shortly
Tickets to some of the shows go on sale this weekend to the general public, but pre-sale and brand new VIP packages are available starting today at noon ET exclusively at the link below.
Korn is:
- Jonathan Davis
- James Shaffer, A.K.A. Munky
- Reginald Arvizu, A.K.A. Fieldy
- Ray Luzier
Studio albums:
- Korn (1994)
- Life Is Peachy (1996)
- Follow the Leader (1998)
- Issues (1999)
- Untouchables (2002)
- Take a Look in the Mirror (2003)
- See You on the Other Side (2005)
- Untitled album (2007)
- Korn III: Remember Who You Are (2010)
- The Path Of Totality (2011)
Philip Anselmo (Pantera, Down, Superjoint Ritual) is one of the most charismatic vocalists in Heavy Music history. The vocal style he pioneered while he was in Pantera has influenced thousands of vocalists worldwide. His lyrics are honest and his delivery has always set him apart from other 'screamers'. After the demise of Pantera in 2001, Anselmo continued his musical careers with bands like Down and Superjoint Ritual.
During Down's most recent concert in New York City, "High Times Magazine" sat down with Anselmo and grilled him with tons of questions. During the chat he was asked about the impact of drug use on his life and on his music. As you will see in the extensive interview below, Anselmo looked healthy, strong and was very eloquent with all of his answers. As usual, he was uncensored and real, just like the way it should be! Check out the interview, courtesy of "High Times Magazine.
When we went to Los Angeles to cover the 2011 Revolver Golden Gods Awards and the "Big 4", we joined forces with our friends from Sirius XM Liquid Metal and headed over to a wild place called "Crazy Girls" to check out a live performance by the band Kyng. Even though we had heard the band cranked on Sirius XM many times, we had to lend our ears to the Kyng trio so they could deliver to them some live and loud music. Ever since then, we have seen the band perform live on various occasions and they keep getting tighter and better.
From the moment this band steps on stage they come at you like a freight train, thanks to their great stage presence and their musical abilities. While their music is a hard hitting balls to the wall experience, they definitely cater to all kinds of music fans. In times when many bands are creating music that is one dimensional, Kyng are definitely crossing into various musical dimensions. And this ladies and gentleman, is very refreshing.
The bad-boys of Los Angeles formed the band in January of 2008 in LA, when bassist Tony Castaneda, singer/guitarist Eddie Veliz, and drummer Pepe Clarke, joined forces and decided to put all their musical influences into a musical blender and create a unique mix of Hard Rock and Heavy Metal. This is exactly what the band has accomplished in the release of their debut album entitled "Trampled Sun', out today via REALID Records. You can listen to the entire album at the link below.
"We decided to form a band that would be able to take the shape and form of anything on the scene to maintain a cross-over ability and ended up with a sound that does exactly that."
Kyng represents the new sound of California Heavy Music, and we are not surprised at all that they have been making their impact be felt by the masses during the last 6 months. The Kyng boys are ready for bigger and better things thanks to Eddie's crisp vocals that are perfected by his excellent guitar skills, and complimented by the groove that Tony and Pepe deliver at every single show. Thanks to their mix of Classic Rock, Groove Metal and Alternative Music, nobody's ears are safe from getting addicted to Kyng as they continue to rise up to the top!
Trampled Sun (Deluxe Version):
1) Falling Down
2) Pushing & Pulling
3) Trampled Sun
4) Takes It Toll
5) Trails In Veins
6) I Don't Believe
7) Bleed Easy
8) Down On Me
9) Porcelain
10) Between the Blame
11) The Roses
12) The Beauty of the End / Shorelines, Pt. 1 & 2
13) Clouds of Endless Tears (Bonus Track)
14) Shine Like Before (Bonus Track)
15) Daybreak (Bonus Track)
16) Falling Down (Rock Edit)
AVAILABLE ON itunes (see link below)
KYNG is:
- Tony Castaneda (Bass/Back up Vocals)
- Pepe Clarke (Drums)
- Eddie Veliz Guitar (Lead Vocals)
Here is an interview we did back in April, with the Kyng boys!
The Project Independent Showcase is coming to New York City for two memorable nights! Headlined by last years showcase winner Aghori from California (Project Independent Featured Artist), and hosted by Heavy Metal icon Metal Sanaz, the Project Independent Showcase New York City takeover is an invitation for all the Heavy Music fans within the tri-state area to come out and be part of history by representing the scene. Check the Official event promo for all related information!
The Project Independent Showcase is sponsored by: Peavey, Schechter, Sonor, Paiste, GHS Strings, Rocktron, Regal Tip, RockyMountainHardcore.com & Full Metal Distro!
Today (September 27th), Atlanta's Art Rock masters Mastodon have released their fifth studio album titled "The Hunter" via Reprise/Warner Bros and the reaction of the public so far is very promising for the band. The majority of the album was recorded at Doppler Studios in Atlanta, Georgia with producer Mike Elizondo. The drums were tracked at Sound City Studios, which is were Nirvana recorded their hit album "Nevermind" (released 20 years ago).
The band has announced that they will be appearing on the Wednesday, October 5 edition of CBS-TV's "Late Show With David Letterman" at 11:35 p.m. ET/PT. Check local listings for details. This will be the bands second appearance on this hit late night TV show; on May 15, 2009 they performed their song 'Oblivion' from their critically acclaimed album "Crack The Skye".
"When you listen to the songs, they don't sound as 'fun' as we perceive them to be, I guess; it's still pretty extremely heavy material. We had a few songs that were kind of, not left over from 'Crack The Skye', but just stuff that we wanted to be on that album, but that album kind of took on a whole different thing of its own and there were a few stragglers that were super-heavy and crazy that didn't make it, and we finally got to put them on this record. And then we wrote a whole bunch of brand new stuff. There's, like, 14 songs that we recorded. And it's sort all over the place — a lot of different sounds. Some straight-up classic-rock-sounding songs, straight-up death metal-sounding songs and some completely bizarre, weirdo rock songs that we're not really sure what they are, but we love them." - Brann Dailor (On Metal Hammer)
You can pre-order a limited-edition package of "The Hunter" at MastodonRocks.com. It includes:
- A CD/DVD housed in a digipack with an exclusive alternative artwork cover!
- A 20" x 30" lenticular poster featuring the album cover of the standard CD!
- An Augmented Reality Experience by Total Immersion that will contain exclusive content only available to this package!
- Plus an instant download of the band's first new album track, "Black Tongue" (available for sale through all participating digital music retailers).
Track listing:
01. Black Tongue
02. Curl Of The Burl
03. Blasteroid
04. Stargasm
05. Octopus Has No Friends
06. All The Heavy Lifting
07. The Hunter
08. Dry Bone Valley
09. Thickening
10. Creature Lives
11. Spectrelight
12. Bedazzled Fingernails
13. The Sparrow
14. The Ruiner (limited-edition bonus track)
15. Deathbound (limited-edition bonus track)
They say that only the good die young; this is definitely the case when it comes to Cliff Burton, who died in September 27, 1986, on a fatal bus crash in Sweden while Metallica was on tour in support of their classic record "Master Of Puppets".
When it comes to bass players that have created a new style of playing that has influenced millions of bass players in the past, the present, and the future. Metallica's Cliff Burton is the guy to point the finger at when it comes to bass playing in Heavy Music. His unique style and precision have been instrumental in the evolution of Heavy Music.
At the recent 'Big Four' concert at Yankee Stadium in New York City, Metallica dedicated their entire set to the memory of Cliff Burton and we were there to capture the moment. Check it out.
Here are some facts about the great Cliff Burton:
- Cliff was born on February 10, 1969 in Alameda County, California.
- His musical career began at a young age when his father introduced him to classical music.
- The first instrument that Cliff learned was the piano. After many years of playing the piano, Cliff discovered Rock and eventually Heavy Metal.
- When he was only 13 years old his brother died in a tragic accident, this inspired Cliff to start playing the bass guitar. His parents quoted him saying: "I'm going to be the best bassist for my brother."
- In order to make his brother proud, Cliff would practice up to 6 hours a day, which didn't stop after he joined Metallica. Many say that Cliff's style was fundamental in the rise of Metallica to Heavy Metal stardom, here are some facts about Cliff Burton:
- Classical music and Jazz were instrumental in the development of Cliff as a musician, other influences of Cliff were Southern Rock, Country Music and Blues.
- The artists that influenced Cliff as a bass player were: Geezer Butler of Black Sabbath/Heaven and Hell, Blue Öyster Cult, Misfits, John Deacon of Queen, Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy, and Geddy Lee of Rush.
- This is Cliff's discography, as you will see he was part of the best Metallica albums ever, which are also some of the best Heavy Metal records of all time:
Studio albums:
* Kill 'Em All (1983)
* Ride the Lightning (1984)
* Master of Puppets (1986)
Demos:
* No Life 'Til Leather (1982) (credited but does not play)
* Megaforce (1983)
* Ride the Lightning (1983)
* Master of Puppets (1985)
Wherever Cliff is today, we are sure he is jamming and keeping the spirit of Heavy Music alive.
When we had the chance to interview Devin Townsend (A.K.A. Hevy Devy) in July, he showed us parts of the bands new video for their song "Juular". What we saw that day was just a rough draft of the video, but nevertheless our eyes were attached to the screen while watching parts of the latest creation from director David Brodsky of MyGoodEye Productions. You can view this interview below.
The video for "Juular" is taken from The Devin Towsend Project's new album 'Deconstruction', which was released simultaneously with the band's other latest effort, 'Ghost'. With a guest appearance by vocalist from Ihsahn (ex-Emperor) and a timeless performance by Hevy Devy, this video will leave fans dying for more madness delivered by The Devin Towsend Project.
Come October, The Devin Towsend Project will be back in North America for a headlining tour-and beginning Oct. 12 in Baltimore, The Ocean will also join the band as the supporting act for the run, making this one tour that you don't want to miss! Dates for the trek are below, so check to see when they'll be coming to a city near you!
THE DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT tour dates feat. THE OCEAN:
Oct. 8-Station 4-Minneapolis, MN **Devin solo date**
Oct. 9-Intersection-Grand Rapids, MI **Devin solo date**
Oct. 10-Ravari Room-Columbus, OH **Devin solo date**
Oct. 12-Sound Stage-Baltimore, MD
Oct. 13-The Note-Philadelphia, PA
Oct. 14-Rock And Shock-Worcester, MA
Oct. 15-The Chance-Poughkeepsie, NY
Oct. 16-The Altar-Pittsburgh, PA
Oct. 17-Peabody's-Cleveland, OH
Oct. 18-Harpo's-Detroit, MI
Oct. 19-Reggie's-Chicago, IL
Oct. 21-Black Sheep-Colorado Springs, CO
Oct. 22-Marquis-Denver, CO
Oct. 24-Troubadour-Los Angeles, CA
Oct. 25-Slim's-San Francisco, CA
Oct. 27-Hawthorne-Portland, OR
Oct. 28-El Corazon-Seattle, WA
Oct. 29-Commodore Theater-Vancouver, BC
The Devin Towsend Project has also announced UK dates including four special shows that will feature performances of the entire Hevy Devy Quadrology! From November 10th-13th, each of the four albums (Ki, Addicted, Deconstruction, Ghost) will be played in succession at the University of London. The Ki and Ghost shows are already sold-out, so be sure to reserve your tickets now for Addicted and Deconstruction while you still can!
Nov 5th - UK, Leeds, Damnation Festival
Nov 7th - IRE, Belfast, Spring And Airbrake
Nov 8th - IRE, Dublin, The Academy
Nov 10th - UK, London, Union Chapel - KI SHOW ***Sold Out***
Nov 11th - UK, London, ULU - ADDICTED SHOW
Nov 12th - UK, London, ULU - DECONSTRUCTION SHOW
Nov 13th - UK, London, Union Chapel - GHOST SHOW ***Sold Out***
Nov 15th - UK, Newcastle Upon Tyne, University
Nov 16th - UK, Sheffield, Corporation
Nov 18th - UK, Stoke, Sugarmill
After Evan Seinfeld left Biohazard in June, the Heavy Music community was clueless as in whither he was going to start a new musical project or just take a break from making music in order to focus on his career as an entrepreneur.
Well, we are pleased to inform you that Seinfeld has joined forces with bassist Tony Campos (founding member of Static X, who also currently performs in Soulfly, Prong, Possessed, Asesino and Ministry), drummer Dustin Schoenhofer (Walls of Jericho), and Master Bike Builder, Lead Guitarist and Songwriter Rusty Coones. The name of this brand new force in the ever-evolving Heavy Metal world is Attika 7.
The band is currently working on their debut album, which they are scheduled to release later this year. They are also currently working on their first video for the single ‘Serial Killer’.
Attika 7 describes their lyrics and ideology as genuine and conveys a true American outlaw lifestyle. Their sound boasts very heavy, down-tuned and melodic harmonies, all the while boasting brutal hooks and grooves. The band draws from several musical influences, including their own additional projects, and has been compared to the likes of Black Sabbath, Metallica, Godsmack, Pantera, and White Zombie.
The timeless no-frills songwriting of Attika 7 is set apart from today’s homogenized, derivative copycat bands by so many things, but above all: authenticity. The story of how this band formed is one that is very hard to beat!
The majority of the album was written by lifetime biker and Attika 7 lead guitarist Rusty Coones while serving a seven-year federal prison sentence for a false conviction. Rather than rat on his friends, Rusty used the tension to teach himself how to play guitar in solitary confinement. The passion and street credibility in his lyrics and riffs speak to the underdogs of the world who will not break, will not bend, but stand against forever.
When Rusty called best friend and riding buddy Evan Seinfeld to check in on whether he knew of a singer who could join his band, Seinfeld immediately jumped in without hesitation. Since then, Rusty and Evan have been writing, recording, living and breathing Attika 7 and haven’t looked back.
Evan feels that Attika 7 is the beginning of a new chapter. This is what he had to say about his new musical project.
“As much as Biohazard has been the biggest part of my musical past and my main musical focus for more than two decades, it is time for me to do something new. It is time for me to cement my musical future. I continue to stand behind the ideals projected in songs I wrote like ‘Down For Life’... and philosophies like standing up for what you believe in no matter what and sticking by your true friends and family to the end! I have so many creative ideas that needed a new home to flourish and I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a member of Attika 7!”
“It is time for me to go on to something exciting and fresh to pursue my dreams and expand my horizons in a more positive situation for me,” adds Evan. “Biohazard is a band that I personally conjured and founded in 1987 and helped me to realize many of my dreams, see the world, and connect with many fans everywhere. I hope to keep the memory of Biohazard where it belongs, in a place of dignity and respect!”
The rebellious anthems of Attika 7 speak volumes to the outlaws of society who refuse to compromise, refuse to fit in, refuse to play it safe, or refuse to sell out their beliefs, whatever they may be. Attika 7 is your own personal soundtrack to your badass lifestyle, as you speed past the cops on your beefed up Harley with your middle finger in the air!
Stay tuned for more information regarding Attika 7!
