Archive for October 6th, 2012

Slipknot Guitarist Mick Thomson Gets Married

Jo Hale, Getty Images Congrats are in order for Slipknot guitarist Mick Thomson, as Blabbermouth reports he wed girlfriend Stacy Riley Friday (Oct. 5). Photos of the happy couple can be seen on Riley’s Tumblr account . Thomson has enjoyed the fall months after a busy summer out on the road with Slipknot. Not only did the group headline the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival , but they also put together their inaugural two-destination Knotfest event. Having toured Europe and North America over the last two years while celebrating the memory of late bassist Paul Gray , the band members appear to be getting closer to making their musical return. The group also issued their ‘ Antennas to Hell ‘ greatest hits package. Corey Taylor , who had been one of the more reluctant members when it came to discussion of continuing without Gray, recently confirmed that the group had been putting together demos  for their fifth album. However, no timetable has been given for the recording and release of the disc. Slipknot recently were confirmed as one of the headliners for the 2013 Download Festival . [button href=”http://loudwire.com/slipknot-the-heretic-anthem-top-21st-century-metal-songs/” title=”Next: Slipknot – Top 21st Century Metal Songs” align=”center”]

Green Day Reveal ‘Troublemaker’ Video, ‘¡Dos!’ Track Listing + ‘Twilight’ Contribution

Reprise The good thing about having an album trilogy is that there’s a lot of music to pick from, and Green Day have new info regarding all three records – ‘¡Uno!,’ ‘¡Dos!,’ and ‘¡Tre!’ First up, the group is digging deeper into the ‘ ¡Uno! ‘ disc by premiering another video for the song ‘Troublemaker.’ The video once again focuses on the performance aspect of the band, taking the viewer both inside the studio as the track was being recorded and up onstage for the audience reaction to the song. The clip can be seen below. Secondly, with the ‘¡Uno!’ album out, the group has started turning their attention to the ‘¡Dos!’ disc. The 13-track collection, due Nov. 13, has primarily been kept under wraps until now even though the group has played the song ‘F— Time’ at shows. Fans can start speculating about the next disc as the full ‘¡Dos!’ track listing has been revealed. It can be seen below. ‘¡Dos!’ can be pre-ordered here . And finally, Green Day has landed a song on the upcoming ‘ Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 ‘ soundtrack. The group is easily the biggest act on the primarily alternative and indie-leaning collection. ‘The Forgotten’ is the name of their contribution, and it will also be featured on the ‘¡Tre!’ album. Green Day are currently taking some time off the road while singer Billie Joe Armstrong completes his substance abuse treatment . Watch Green Day’s ‘Troublemaker’ Video Green Day’s ‘¡Dos!’ Track Listing: 1. ‘See You Tonight’ 2. ‘F— Time’ 3. ‘Stop When the Red Lights Flash’ 4. ‘Lazy Bones’ 5. ‘Wild One’ 6. ‘Makeout Party’ 7. ‘Stray Heart’ 8. ‘Ashley’ 9. ‘Baby Eyes’ 10. ‘Lady Cobra’ 11. ‘Nightlife’ 12. ‘Wow! That’s Loud’ 13. ‘Amy’ [button href=”http://loudwire.com/green-day-rock-star-cameos-on-the-simpsons/” title=”Next: Green Day – Rock Star Cameos on ‘The Simpsons'” align=”center”]

Danko Jones Reflect on Extended Lifespan With ‘Too Much Trouble’ Book

ECW Press For Danko Jones , 2012 is a year of transition. While the band has been busy working up to the release of the new studio album, ‘Rock and Roll is Black and Blue,’ they’ve spent an equal amount of time reflecting on their past with their ‘Bring on the Mountain’ documentary and now the forthcoming book, ‘Too Much Trouble: A Very Oral History of Danko Jones.’ Singer Danko Jones and bassist John Calabrese spoke with Loudwire about what made this the right time to reflect on the band’s past and what the experience was like putting together two time-consuming documents. Jones explained about the timing, “It just seemed the right time and we could do it in two years or three years or five years, but it had been the fifteenth year of the band as a band and when you think of seven years being the average lifespan for a band, nowadays, we’ve lived it two times. And that was two years ago. We’re now on our seventeenth year.” The singer admits that they’ve seen some highs and lows and transitions with their audience, and he views the ‘Too Much Trouble’ book as a way of bringing it all together. He explains, “We gained a new audience in some places and our older audience [is still there], so this is our chance to bridge the gap between the people who found out about us in the last two or three years because we’ve had singles on radio and the people who were into us a long time ago and moved on or annoyingly asked, ‘Whatever happened to that band?’” It also turned out that the time for reflection worked out perfectly for the band, as they changed drummers and added Rocket From the Crypt skinbeater Atom Willard, thus starting a new chapter in their history. Interestingly enough, Jones admits in the book that one of his goals when they started was to tour with Rocket From the Crypt, but although that never happened, he’s thrilled to have the drummer from the band as part of their lineup. For Jones and Calabrese, seeing both the documentary and the book finally arrive completes the labor of love they started after their fifteenth year. “It took two years to make and two years to track down the over 70 people who are in the book,” says Jones. Calabrese adds, “It’s gonna be great because the book and the DVD, they stand alone on themselves, but it’s a great way to bring everybody up to speed.” The ‘Too Much Trouble: An Oral History of Danko Jones’ book just arrived in stores internationally. The band’s new album, ‘Rock and Roll is Black and Blue,’ follows on Oct. 9, and the ‘Bring on the Mountain’ documentary was released earlier this year. Stay tuned for Loudwire’s full interview with Danko Jones, coming soon. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/danko-jones-just-a-beautiful-day-exclusive-video-premiere/” title=”Next: Watch Danko Jones’ ‘Just a Beautiful Day’ Video” align=”center”]

Coheed and Cambria Delay ‘The Afterman: Ascension’ Deluxe Edition Packages

Roger Kisby, Getty Images There is plenty of excitement in the Coheed and Cambria camp over their upcoming album, ‘ The Afterman: Ascension ,’ but at least one part of their album rollout isn’t going according to plan as the deluxe edition releases are being delayed. Coheed and Cambria, perhaps as much as any band over the years, have taken great pride in the overall presentation of their albums and the same thing is happening here with the group making sure the physical package is up to their standards before it arrives in the hands of fans. The group posted a message on both their Facebook and Modlife websites explaining the delay and thanking fans for their support and patience. They also revealed that those who’ve ordered the deluxe edition package will still get the digital portion of the music on time, with the physical sets not following too far behind the original schedule. The full posting can be read here: First of all, thank you. Since you are reading this, it means you are a massive supporter of ours – many of you we know or have met. Without you, we wouldn’t be able to play shows, record our records or follow our creative urges on a daily basis like we are allowed to do. Without you, we wouldn’t be here, and we never lose sight of that. Because of that, and our desire to deliver to you art that we are truly proud of; that we feel you will enjoy and appreciate many years from now; ‘The Afterman Amory Award Edition’ has not shipped yet, and therefore will miss our targeted delivery date of next Tuesday. All digital music, including the 9 demos will be delivered to you 24 hours early, on Sunday night at Midnight. We are told the physical sets will begin shipping mid to late next week. There are several reasons for this delay. The biggest reason is quality. We rejected several prototypes that would have saved us money and a little time, but that has never been what we are about. We made a conscious decision that we would not be taking shortcuts. We want each deluxe album to be better than the last, and as ‘The Afterman’ began taking shape, it just kept growing and evolving, and so even if you are a little pissed right now, we feel like a year from now, 2 years from now, 5 years from now, you will still appreciate this set. So much time went into the recording of this album, the creation of concept, the painting of the art – that we couldn’t cut corners. From Nathan’s Art, to the certificate, to the coin, to the paper it was printed on – there were a lot of moving parts, and pretty much each one had Its own pitfalls – but in turn, made the package stronger. Despite all of this, our printer told us that they had made up time and we would be able to ship this week, and we were very relieved to hear that. Unfortunately, we were told yesterday that another hiccup occurred in the pressing plant that pushed completion back at least a week. So in addition, we have decided that your VIP laminate will not only get you in early to our headline shows (you still need tickets) from now through next Spring, and select shows after, but for all these shows we will perform a special acoustic song before doors for you. You can be assured that we will be embarking on a major US headliner as well as touring all over the globe next year. For those of you who ordered in time for signatures – we decided to sign the laminates instead of the certificates. The first run of certificates were rejected because of the quality of the paper. It was a nice paper, but was just too thin, and when it was shipped to us, and as we began signing, the corners were getting bent, wrinkles began to form and it just didn’t cut it. The new certificates are a much better paper and without us handling them, will hopefully allow them to maintain a pristine quality. We apologize greatly for this inconvenience. We hope the music can hold you over for the short delay. We appreciate your patience and look forward to sharing the journey of ‘The Afterman’ with you. Meanwhile, singer Claudio Sanchez took the time to recently speak with Noisecreep about his feeling concerning the upcoming set. “Maybe we’re kind of coming out of the tunnel and into the light with this one,” explained the singer. “There’s just something about it with the good energy coming from the guys in the band, with the material that’s on the record and the message that we’re trying to convey with that stuff, the concept that translates from it. I just think that overall, it’s just really well done.” Sanchez also stated how personal ‘The Afterman’ is, explaining, “I find myself a lot more in the character of Cyrus Amory than I ever have in Coheed or Cambria or any of them. Because of the way we wrote this record, it was just an extension of myself and utilizing those emotions to compel that character, Cyrus Amory, to do his thing. Like the All Mother says at the beginning of the record, ‘I’ll be there every step of the way,’ and I feel like that. I feel like that to Cyrus.” Coheed and Cambria’s ‘The Afterman: Ascension’ arrives Oct. 9. Watch Coheed and Cambria’s Claudio Sanchez Share His Excitement Over Their New Album [button href=”http://loudwire.com/coheed-and-cambria-explore-the-afterman-concept-video-series/” title=”Next: Coheed and Cambria Post ‘The Afterman’ Concept Video” align=”center”]

Jay-Z: Kurt Cobain ‘Stopped Hip-Hop for a Second’

Jason Kempin / Frank Micelotta, Getty Images The grunge scene of the early ’90s has been credited for flipping the music world on its ear and effectively shoving the hair metal dominance of the late ’80s to the side. However, grunge’s takeover didn’t just affect hair metal, and rapper Jay-Z says in a new interview that even the growing popularity of hip-hop stalled out a little bit when Nirvana came to prominence. In the new coffee-table book ‘Pharrell: The Places and Spaces,’ (excerpted by Spin ) singer-producer Pharrell Williams interviewed rap icon and music mogul Jay-Z, who recalls in particular what an important record Nirvana’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ was in the history of music. Jay-Z says, “First we’ve got to go back to before grunge and why grunge happened. Hair bands dominated the airwaves and rock became more about looks than about actual substance and what it stood for – the rebellious spirit of youth … That’s why ‘Teen Spirit’ rang so loud because it was right on point with how everyone felt, you know what I’m saying?” The rapper adds, “It was weird because hip-hop was becoming this force, then grunge music stopped it for one second, ya know? Those hair bands were too easy for us to take out. When Kurt Cobain came with that statement, it was like, ‘We’ve got to wait awhile.’” Jay-Z says that while keeping an eye on the big picture, he’s always been fascinated by the acts that emerge as a powerful force, regardless of the genre. He adds, “When those forces come on the scene, they are inescapable – can’t take your eyes off them, can’t stop listening to them. [Cobain] was one of those figures. I knew we had to wait for a second before we became that dominate force in music.” The ‘Pharrell: The Places and Spaces I’ve Been’ book is due Oct. 16. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/best-grunge-bands/” title=”Next: 10 Best Grunge Bands of All-Time” align=”center”]

Deftones Post ‘Koi No Yokan’ Album Artwork + Discuss Musical Dynamics

Reprise Deftones are inching closer to a new album, and have now revealed the artwork for their ‘Koi No Yokan’ collection (posted to the left). The visually intriguing cover, which they debuted at their website and Facebook pages, appears to be mirrored sections of a dark room, with only a dulled green entryway and glowing orange floor lights reflecting back. The ‘Koi No Yokan’ album is due Nov. 13, and earlier this week Deftones unveiled that ‘ Tempest ‘ would be the lead single. The song features a drifting vocal line balanced with a certain amount of aggression, once again showing the dramatic shifts the band is able to pull off. The track follows the cuts ‘ Leathers ,’ ‘ Rosemary ,’ and ‘ Roller Derby ,’ which all surfaced in either live or studio preview form over the last few months. Speaking of those dramatic shifts, singer Chino Moreno spoke about how the dynamics will play out on their new album in a recent interview. He told NME , “It’s not a super fast or slow record. It’s very dynamic. Some of my favorite things about Deftones are the dynamics. Yes, we’re a heavy band, but we’re not just in-your-face aggro the whole time, punching you in the face. There’s a lot of aggression in some of the music, but there’s also this very soothing element where there’s a lot of soundscapes rather than attack, attack, attack the whole time.” While Deftones are known for their hard rocking intensity, Moreno says he also has a soft spot for electronic elements. He opened up to San Francisco’s Live 105 about his personal love of electronic music, but added that he’d likely never pursue dubstep like some of his rock and metal peers. He explained, “I’m not a big fan of dubstep, but there is so much good electronic music out there. I grew up in the ’80s, that’s probably why I like some of the earlier electronic [material] from Kraftwerk to all throughout new wave and things like that. A band like Depeche Mode would go out and record them hitting a trash can with a steel rod or something and recording it. And that would be one of their sounds of the drums. I love the creativeness of that kind of raw sampling.” Deftones are currently out on tour building up to the ‘Koi No Yokan’ release. They’re sharing stages with Scars on Broadway , with shows lined up through the end of October. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/best-deftones-songs/” title=”Next: Top 10 Deftones Songs” align=”center”]

Serj Tankian Launches Campaign to Fund ‘ORCA’ Symphonic Album + Show

Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com Those who’ve followed Serj Tankian since System of a Down first went on hiatus have seen the singer follow a variety of muses, including a growing love of orchestral music. Tankian is now ready to take his biggest step yet in the orchestral direction by recording his first-ever full symphony record, and he’s launched a Kickstarter campaign to make his musical dream come true. Tankian first ventured into symphonic territory during support of his ‘Elect the Dead’ album when he invited several orchestras to help translate some of the tracks live. That resulted in the ‘Elect the Dead Symphony’ CD and DVD, and the project only enhanced his thirst for more, leading him to work on his first four-act symphony. The vocalist also intends to utilize an Austrian orchestra from his past tour with the idea that they will record Tankian’s work, as well as play it live for an audience. The singer makes his plea as follows: I am very excited to share my most personal, compelling musical project to date: my first-ever full symphony called ORCA. I have an incredible opportunity to record and perform ORCA live with the world renowned Das Karussell Orchestra (featuring members of the Bruckner Orchester) at Brucknerhaus in Linz, Austria on Oct. 28th, 2012 and with your involvement and support, we can make it happen! While I have rearranged some of my past rock compositions to be performed as orchestral pieces, such as the Elect The Dead Symphony in 2010, ORCA is the first 4 act symphony that I have composed, a mix of early 20th century compositional styles combined with the powerful range of film scoring. I decided to name my symphony ORCA because orcas “appear to have no parallel outside humans” in terms of their cultural faculties. An orca is really a dolphin with much darker tendencies. I see this dichotomy as a great metaphor for humanity. Last year, I wrote and recorded a professionally sampled studio version with the goal of being able to record it properly with a full orchestra … this was not something I could capture in a small home studio. I was able to play with The Das Karussell Orchestra at Brucknerhaus during the ‘Elect The Dead Symphony’ world tour, which was an amazing experience. I shared my sampled recording of ORCA with them, and together we made plans for the live performance and recording to fully bring the work to life and share and distribute it to as many people as possible. We have put together many different ways for fans to get involved and be a part of ORCA from the ground up, all of which are outlined in this Kickstarter campaign. We tried to think of ways to give you every bit of music possible, and interactive, personalized experiences for those who can attend the show on Oct. 28th, and for those who can’t. Our goal is $25,000, which is the minimal cost for the recording. Any additional funds will be used to cover the expenses of mixing, mastering and promotion. We will keep you updated with news and progress so you are able to see what we do as this project grows. Please check it out and I hope to share this journey for ORCA with you all. Thank you for the support. Peace,??Serj At present, Tankian is attempting to reach the $25,000 goal, and he’s just under $15,000 shy with 19 days left to go. In order to help sell the idea, Tankian has come up with a number of rewards depending on how much fans donate to his goal. For a contribution as minimal as $1, fans will get a personalized email from the singer. Other tiers include such draws as CD packages, early downloads, autographed score sheets, t-shirts, album credits, meet-and-greet VIP tickets to the show, and lunch with Tankian. The top-priced package for those donating $10,000 or more includes all of the previously mentioned items, plus the opportunity to spend a portion of the recording day with Tankian and the Das Karussell Orchestra, executive producer credit on the disc, a professionally framed plaque with the ORCA score sheet, show poster, and personalized placard and the opportunity to join Tankian onstage at the show taking a bow after the performance. Watch Serj Tankian’s ‘ORCA’ Symphony Plea [button href=”http://loudwire.com/serj-tankian-harakiri-best-rock-songs-of-2012/” title=”Next: Serj Tankian – Best Rock Songs of 2012″ align=”center”]