Archive for November 16th, 2012

The Sword Unveil Cosmic Hallucination Video for ‘The Veil of Isis’

Razor & Tie Groove metal masters the  Sword have just released one of the most mesmerizing music videos of the year. In a refreshing turn to the creative, the Sword have unleashed a story within the video for ‘The Veil of Isis’ that will leave you hitting the replay button over and over again. With the release of the Sword’s fourth studio album, ‘Apocryphon,’ the band has achieved the highest chart position in their act’s history, along with collecting a new mass of fans from diverse rock and metal sub-genres. ‘Apocryphon’ showcases beefy groove riffs that display the influence of bands such as Black Sabbath and stoner doom pioneers Sleep. To delve deeper into the sonic realm of ‘Apocryphon,’ check out our recent review of the record. The video for ‘The Veil of Isis’ follows a female protagonist who is stalked and pawed at by shady street-people before meeting a mysterious and run-down wizard on those same streets. The woman is given some sort of black stone by the man, which transports her to an alternate universe either physically or mentally. Could it be a representation of the drug addict / drug dealer relationship? Or does the video tell a tale of a woman with true and mystifying powers? The visuals in this video are incredible, acting as somewhat of an extension of the incredible cover art for ‘Apocryphon.’ The Sword offers a tripped out, captivating and visually brilliant music video, which is absolutely a must-see. Check out The Sword’s new vid for ‘The Veil of Isis’ for an unforgettable trip. The Sword, ‘The Veil of Isis’ [button href=”http://loudwire.com/the-sword-apocryphon-prize-pack-giveaway/” title=”The Sword ‘Apocryphon’ Prize Pack Giveaway – Enter Now!” align=”center”]

10 Best Lamb of God Songs

Epic Records The best Lamb of God songs are powered by their potent deep grooves. Not since Pantera, their fellow Southerners, has a band focused so much on power grooves. Those are what give a song depth and catchiness, not to mention muscle. Power grooves and supreme guitar prowess are certainly the hallmarks of this Virginia band's sound, as are the gritty, venomous vocals of frontman Randy Blythe. For all the fury present in LOG's sound, there's also an intelligence and attention to detail when it comes to the art of songcraft. Plus, you walk away remembering the melodies. The band formerly known as Burn the Priest has released six studio albums under the LOG moniker and they are as consistent as they are brutal. We have sifted through the band's entire cataLOG and have selected our picks for the 10 Best Lamb of God Songs. ? 10 'Ghost Walking' From: 'Resolution' (2012) ? ? 'Ghost Walking' is a textbook example of what's entirely familiar about Lamb of God at this point: rolling riffs, Meshuggah-meets-Pantera grooves and throaty, growled vocals. It's a chunky track with cajones that hang to the floor. From the first power riff, you know it's Lamb of God, from the tone and style. That's how you know they are one of the most important bands in metal – when they are identifiable by a few notes, chords or riffs. Listen to 'Ghost Walking' ? ? 9 'Set to Fail' From: 'Wrath' (2009) ? ? The fast and chunky 'Wrath' track 'Set to Fail' has a bit of hardcore energy coursing through its veins. Drummer Chris Adler's hand and footwork is particularly intense and impressive, as he smashes away at his instrument, infusing his percussion with passion in a way that would make Animal from The Muppets proud. It's a faster than what we'd normally expect from Lamb of God, but they certainly pull it off with poise. Even though the band feels the need for speed here, they never pull up the emergency brake on the groove. That's why it's one of the 10 Best Lamb of God songs. Listen to 'Set to Fail' ? ? 8 'As the Palaces Burn' From: 'As the Palaces Burn' (2003) ? ? Much like 'Ruin' from the same album, the title track from their 2003 release 'As the Palaces Burn' demonstrates a command of their instruments and of their grooves. Power grooves were perfected by Pantera, but Lamb of God came along and injected them with a bit of Swedish tech metal influence. Who knew that a pack of rednecks from below the Maison-Dixon line could cull so much inspiration from Scandinavia? They did, and the result is their own unique sound, as evidenced by 'As the Palaces Burn.' Listen to 'As the Palaces Burn' ? ? 7 'Walk With Me in Hell' From: 'Sacrament' (2006) ? ? Everything about the song 'Walk With Me in Hell' is devastating. It's a true LOG signature that inspires headbanging in even the stiffest wallflower. The song's layers upon layers of tension leap out of the speakers and will cause the kind of headbanging that leaves you with broken blood vessels in your neck and a massive migraine. Blythe also sounds like he scaled the bowels of Hades to spit lyrical venom … right into your ear. Listen to 'Walk With Me in Hell' ? ? 6 '11th Hour' From: 'As the Palaces Burn' (2003) ? ? Another quality, well-constructed song from 'As the Palaces Burn,' the track '11th Hour' is also a fan favorite. It's speeding-bullet fast and crunchy, with plenty of the requisite groove. It's nastier than a street fight, and that's why '11th Hour' is one of the 10 Best Lamb of God songs. When you get to the 56-second mark, you can imagine fingers running up and down a fretboard, as the song exemplifies the vivid playing of axemen Mark Morton and Willie Adler. Listen to '11th Hour' ? ? 5 'Laid to Rest' From: 'Ashes of the Wake' (2004) ? ? Despite being a steel-toe-to-the-teeth brutal song, 'Laid to Rest' is one of the 10 Best Lamb of God songs because, like many key songs in their catalog and on this list, it manages to thread a potent, unforgettable melody through all the maelstrom. The bluster is tempered by memorable melodic parts and singalongs. When Blythe dutifully barks, “Destroy yourself / See who gives a f—,” and guitarists Morton and Adler roll in like soldiers on tanks firing away with machine gun riffage, it knocks the wind out of you. Listen to 'Laid to Rest' ? ? 4 'Ruin' From: 'As the Palaces' Burn' (2003) ? ? Lamb of God were all fists and fury on their 2000 debut. They maintained the pace and they aggression on the followup, but there was a certain level of polish and maturity to songs like 'Ruin,' which meshed this Meshuggah-like technical prowess with that deep-fried, Southern groove, which picked is why they are largely considered to have picked up where the mighty. Pantera left off. The pupils transitioned to teacher on this song, which is one of Lamb of God's best. Listen to 'Ruin' ? ? 3 'Redneck' From: 'Sacrament' (2006) ? ? Being that Lamb of God are from Virginia, they wear their “American by birth, Southern by the grace of God” pride like a badge of honor. 'Redneck' is a bit of a salute to their heritage, in addition to being a blistering, groove-centered jam. It also earned them a much-deserved Grammy nomination. When Blythe snarls, “This is a motherf—ing invitation,” most fans take it as encouragement to mosh. The band, also known for asking fans to erect the “Wall of Death” in their moshpits, where the crowd splits and then runs at one another, 'Braveheart'-style on the count of three, perfected its formula here. Listen to 'Redneck' ? ? 2 'Black Label' From: 'New American Gospel' (2000) ? ? The accelerating opening riff, which repeats throughout the song, and the tin can drumming are easily the most recognizable elements of 'Black Label.' And that riff? Well, it's one of the most definitive in the entire Lamb of God song collection and one of the most memorable in metal as a whole. It's easily one of the 10 Best Lamb of God songs because it's as distinct as DNA. Devastatingly heavy sums it up. Listen to 'Black Label' ? ? 1 'Now You've Got Something To Die For' From: 'Ashes of the Wake' (2004) ? ? 'Now You've Got Something To Die For' has risen to be one of the most recognized and loved songs in the entire cataLOG. It features everything that fans love: power grooves, Blythe's “I gargled with whisky and razor blades” vocal viciousness and ticking time bomb percussion. It has a deeper message, lyrically speaking, and it's delivered in a way that demands your attention. It's also hooky as hell. It truly defines what Lamb of God are, where they've been and where they are going. Listen to 'Now You've Got Something to Die For' ? ? What is Your Favorite Lamb of God Song? Now that you've seen our choices for the 10 Best Lamb of God songs, we're inviting you to tell us your favorites. Did we miss your top track? Or do we have the same exact taste when it comes to LOG songs? Now is your chance to share your thoughts and opinions on the best songs by these metal titans. ?

Hollywood Undead vs. Motionless In White – Cage Match

Photos: Octane / Fearless Records Hollywood Undead continue on to the next round as they beat out Drowning Pool in the last Cage Match, but will they gain a win against their new opponents? Pennsylvania metalcore outfit Motionless In White heat things up with their track ‘Devil’s Night’ off of their recently released second studio album ‘Infamous.’ The band is currently on a headlining trek around the U.S. for the rest of 2012 and they will hit the road with Asking Alexandria for a European tour starting early 2013. For a full list of tour dates, go here . So will Hollywood Undead remain undefeated with their new single ‘We Are’ or will Motionless in White take them down with ‘Devil’s Night’? Two very different bands with two very different songs, listen to both and vote for your favorite in the poll below! (This Cage Match will run until Monday, Nov. 19, at 8AM ET. Fans can vote once per hour! So come back and vote often to make sure your favorite song wins!) Listen to Hollywood Undead, ‘We Are’ Listen to Motionless In White, ‘Devil’s Night’ Sorry, you need to have javascript running to see this poll. Email Me When Cage Match Winners Are Announced Enter your email address below to receive the Loudwire newsletter, which will include notification of the daily winner of the Cage Match, as well as our top stories of the day. Email Rules of Cage Match: Fans can vote once per hour for their favorite song. If a song remains the reigning champ for five straight cage matches, it is retired to the Loudwire Cage Match Hall of Fame. With so many great songs out there, we have to give other bands a chance!

Former Iron Maiden Singer Paul Di’Anno Flips Out at Heckler Yelling ‘Bruce Dickinson’

Paul Di’Anno: Official Facebook Although Bruce Dickinson is widely regarded as the definitive vocalist of Iron Maiden , fans of the band still hold much respect for Paul Di’Anno , who sang on the albums ‘Iron Maiden’ (1980) and ‘Killers’ (1981). However, at Di’Anno’s recent tour stop in Ukraine, the vocalist got into an altercation after being heckled by an audience member. Di’Anno has been making music since his departure from the band, along with performing songs from Maiden’s first two albums around the world. The 54-year-old Di’Anno has claimed that he will be bidding fans farewell , with 2013 to be his final year as an active touring musician. In what could possibly be his final Ukrainian show, Di’Anno found himself in a war of words after being heckled with “Bruce Dickinson” chants by a member of the audience. Mocking the broken English of the heckler, Di’Anno replied, “I am number one vocal Bruce Dickinson,” at around the 1:45 mark in the video below, adding, “I’m sorry, I don’t sing opera,” before comically singing the chorus of the Maiden staple ‘Run to the Hills.’ “If you like Bruce Dickinson; go home. Listen to his records. Why did you come and buy a ticket, motherf—er? This is real punk, man. This is what made Iron Maiden, not the money-making machine. If you don’t like it, go f— yourself.” Di’Anno continues, “Better still, you wanna fight? You’ll be sorry. I’ll rip off your head and s–t down your neck, you motherf—er.” Di’Anno threw some homophobic slurs at the Ukrainian fan, who tried to smooth things over with Di’Anno throughout the rest of his set. Di’Anno seemed to forgive the fan as the show came to a close with a cover of ‘Blitzkreig Bop’ by Di’Anno’s “favorite band,” the Ramones. Check out Paul Di’Anno’s Ukrainian altercation in the video below. Watch Paul Di’Anno’s Altercation with a Ukrainian Audience Member [NSFW]

Win a Trip to See Kid Rock Live on New Year’s Eve!

Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com We’ve got a hell of a prize for you lovely people. How would you like to spend your New Year’s Eve with Kid Rock in Hollywood, Fla.? We’re offering a chance to win a prize package you don’t want to miss. This Kid Rock prize package will be given to one lucky fan and a guest. It includes roundtrip airfare from your city to Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (departs on 12/30/12 and returns on 01/01/13), two tickets to Kid Rock’s New Year’s Eve show at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Fla., two nights stay that the hotel and $500 in spending cash. Make this coming New Year’s Eve the best one yet with this incredible prize package. To enter the contest, visit Loudwire’s brand new VIP section by clicking the button below to sign up. It’s free to enter. Good luck! [button href=”http://loudwire.com/vip/contest/featured-contests/kid-rock-new-years-eve/” title=”Enter the Kid Rock New Year’s Eve Contest Here” align=”center”]

Motley Crue’s Nikki Sixx Creating Broadway Play Based on ‘Heroin Diaries’ Memoir

Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx  may hold some sort of record when it comes to turning something negative into a positive. Sixx found success with his memoir ‘The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star’ in 2007, and now the bassist has revealed that he’ll be turning the book into a Broadway play. Sixx confirmed his plans for a ‘Heroin Diaries’ play via Twitter earlier today. “I’ve been getting asked this a lot lately…The answer is: Yes, “The Heroin Diaries” book is being turned into a Broadway play.” Sixx adds on his Facebook page, “More news to follow in the next few months….Were getting pretty far down the road…We hope for a late 2013 or early 2014 for it to open…” The 413-page collection of diary entries were written between Christmas of 1986 and Christmas of 1987, detailing the the recording of the band’s classic ‘Girls, Girls, Girls’ album, Sixx’s heroin overdose that momentarily left him clinically dead and much more. This is not the first time Sixx has taken ‘Heroin Diaries’ to another medium. His band Sixx: A.M. ‘s first album, ‘The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack,’ serves as a companion to the book. Stay tuned for more news on Nikki Sixx’s upcoming musical as news breaks. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/motley-crue-nikki-sixx-sex-twitter-dave-mustaine-sixx-a-m/” title=”Next: Nikki Sixx Talks ‘Sex,’ Twitter + More” align=”center”]

Top 20 Songs: Week of November 11-17, 2012

Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com In this week’s edition of Loudwire’s Top 20 Countdown, Stone Sour maintain their top spot with their single ‘Absolute Zero’ off of their brand new record ‘House of Gold & Bones Part 1.’ Three Days Grace also keep their No. 2 spot with ‘Chalk Outline’ off of their new album ‘Transit of Venus.’ Soundgarden hold steady in third place with their tune ‘Been Away Too Long,’ as do  Shinedown and their latest single ‘Enemies,’ which comes in at No. 4 for the second consecutive week. Linkin Park  and their latest track ‘Lost in the Echo’ round out the top five on this week’s list. Other songs on the list include Slash ’s new single ‘Standing in the Sun’ featuring Myles Kennedy & the Conspirators, In This Moment ’s new track ‘Blood’ and Avenged Sevenfold ’s new song ‘Carry On.’ 3 Doors Down make their countdown debut this week with their new single ‘One Light’ off of their ‘Greatest Hits’ collection. Check out the Top 20 songs below and be sure to tune in to Loudwire Radio this weekend to blast these tracks at full volume. Loudwire Radio Top 20 Songs of the Week: 20. 3 Doors Down, ‘One Light’ 19. The Offspring, ‘Turning Into You’ 18. Papa Roach, ‘Still Swingin’ 17. The Black Keys, ‘Little Black Submarines’ 16. Kid Rock, ‘Let’s Ride’ 15. Five Finger Death Punch, ‘Pride’ 14. Chevelle, ‘Same Old Trip’ 13. Halestorm, ‘I Miss the Misery’ 12. All That Remains, ‘Stand Up (Stand Up)’ 11. Deftones, ‘Tempest’ 10. Green Day ‘Let Yourself Go’ 09. Volbeat, ‘Heaven Nor Hell’ 08. Avenged Sevenfold, ‘Carry On’ 07. In This Moment, ‘Blood’ 06. Slash, ‘Standing In The Sun’ 05. Linkin Park, ‘Lost In The Echo’ 04. Shinedown, ‘Enemies’ 03. Soundgarden, ‘Been Away Too Long’ 02. Three Days Grace, ‘Chalk Outline’ 01. Stone Sour, ‘Absolute Zero’ [button href=”http://loudwire.com/loudwire-radio-station-list/” title=”See Which Stations Air Loudwire Radio” align=”center”]