Archive for December, 2012

Dave Mustaine Finds Inspiration in Jesus and Clint Eastwood for Upcoming Megadeth Album

Twitter: @DaveMustaine Megadeth mastermind  Dave Mustaine has been keeping fans updated on the status of their new album by making the most of social media – posting Twitter updates and Facebook postings on all the latest happenings. He most recently posted news yesterday that three new tracks were almost complete. Mustaine followed up on that news with more detail, posting the photo seen here on Twitter citing some inspiration for his vocal chops, saying, “Cutting vocals today! Some inspiration! Jesus and Clint Eastwood!” The picture, seemingly depicting a photo of Clint Eastwood as his character Josey Wales from the 1976 Western flick ‘The Outlaw Josey Wales,’ sits alongside a crucifix. Next to the in-studio inspiration lies what could perhaps be the lyrics to one of the new Megadeth songs, titled ‘Nothing To Remember.’ The new Megadeth disc is being produced by Johnny K. Although no drop date has been officially announced, the disc is slated to come out sometime in 2013. It’s not all work for Mustaine over the holidays though, he also posted that he went to see the new film ‘Les Miserables’ starring Hugh Jackman and seemed to enjoy it, expressing, “Saw Les Miserables last night. If Hugh Jackman doesn’t get nominated for an Oscar I will be surprised. He was superb!” Hopefully all this new inspiration will convince Mustaine to keep up the great first-person coverage of all the Megadeth magic going down in the studio while fans wait patiently to hear the new music. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/megadeth-progress-new-album-dave-mustaine-sells-gear-from-old-studio/” title=”Next: Megadeth Make Progress on New Album” align=”center”]

Metallica Obsessed Couple Announce Birth of Baby Orion

Facebook: Metallica Metallica fans Dennis Ortiz and his wife Annette Ortiz-Diaz created quite an Internet buzz when they got hitched in 2010. After making their entrance as a married couple, the two joined the wedding band to jam Metallica’s ‘Master of Puppets’ at their own wedding reception and the video, seen below, went viral. Both Dennis and Annette are seasoned musicians both with many bands under their belt. According to Blabbermouth.net , Dennis even had a Metallica tribute band called Trapped Under Rice, showing his allegiance to the band. When Metallica played their week of intimate fan club shows at the Fillmore in San Francisco, Calif., last year, Dennis and Annette even had the opportunity to join the band that inspired them so much. During the Dec. 10, 2011, show, drummer Lars Ulrich played their video and invited them up onstage. Annette took over the drum kit while Ulrich recorded the video for the excited couple and then joined in on a second kit. The two were performed ‘Blackened’ from ‘…And Justice for All’ live with the band. Now, the metal inspired Mr. and Mrs. are back with a very special new video, announcing the birth of their son, aptly named Dax Orion Diaz. The birth announcement starts off with video clips of Annette behind the drum kit with her baby bump, playing the classic Metallica tune ‘Orion.’ It ends on a happy note, with “The birth of a Metal God” showing baby Dax Orion Diaz in the hospital shortly after his arrival. Congrats to the faithful Metallica fans on the new addition to the family; check out the videos below. Watch Metallica Couple Videos [button href=”http://loudwire.com/best-metallica-drum-tracks/” title=”10 Best Metallica Drum Tracks” align=”center”]

Nonpoint Unveil 2013 Tour Dates With Candlelight Red and Digital Summer

Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Nonpoint recently wrapped up a U.S. tour with Taproot, but they’ve just announced a 2013 winter trek with support from Candlelight Red and Digital Summer . Nonpoint are hitting their road in support of their self-titled seventh studio album. Their lead single off the record, ‘Left For You’ continues to heat up radio charts since its release earlier this year. Candlelight Red are headed out to promote their ‘Demons’ EP, which was produced by Sevendust drummer Morgan Rose . Digital Summer are no strangers to touring with Nonpoint since they also served as support on their 2012 tour with Taproot. They are also touring in support of their album ‘Breaking Point.’ The band’s track ‘Forget You’ features another Sevendust member, guitarist Clint Lowery . The tour kicks off on Jan 18 in Illinois and wraps up Feb. 17 in Georgia. Nonpoint also have a one off date with P.O.D. on March 13 in Augusta, Ga. Check out the full list of cities and dates below. Nonpoint 2013 Tour Dates W/Candlelight Red and Digital Summer: 1/18 — St Charles, Ill. River –Rock House 1/19 — Rochester, Minn. — The Wicked Moose 1/20 — Fargo, N.D. — House Of Rock 2 The Hub 1/22 — Minot, N.D. — Original bar & Nightclub 1/23 — Mandan N.D. — O.N.E 1/24 — Casper, Wy. — The Place 1/25 — Denver, Colo. — Marquis Theater 1/26 — Colorado Springs, Colo. — The Black Sheep 1/27 — Cheyenne, Wy. — Atlas Theater 1/28 — Grand Junction, Colo. — Mesa Theater and Club 1/29 — Salt Lake City, Utah — In The Venue 1/30 — Billings, Mo. Manny’s 1/31 — Missoula, Mo. The Palace Lounge 2/1 — Boise, Idaho — Knitting Factory 2/2 — Spokane, Wash. — Knitting Factory 2/3 — Seattle, Wash. — El Corazon 2/5 — Sacramento, Calif. — Ace Of Spades 2/6 — Reno, Nev. — Knitting Factory 2/8 — Las Vegas, Nev. — Vinyl @ The Hard Rock Hotel 2/9 — West Hollywood, Calif. The Roxy Theater 2/10 — Scottsdale, Ariz. — Pub Rock Live 2/11 — El Paso, Texas — Tricky Falls 2/12 — Abilene, Texas — The Lucky Mule 2/13 — Denton, Texas — Rocking Rodeo 2/15 — Shreveport, La. — The Riverside 2/16 — Destin, Fla. — Club LA 2/17 — Savannah, Ga. — Wild Wing Cafe Nonpoint With P.O.D.: 3/13 — Augusta, Ga. — The Country Club Dance Hall [button href=”http://loudwire.com/nonpoint-taproot-new-york-concert/” title=”Check Out Photos of Nonpoint Performing in New York City” align=”center”]

Foo Fighters, Kid Rock, Lenny Kravitz + More Rock Kennedy Center Honors Tribute to Led Zeppelin

Getty Images (3) Foo Fighters , Kid Rock and Lenny Kravitz were among the musicians that rocked Led Zeppelin classics during the Kennedy Center Honors tribute to the legendary rock band, which took place a few weeks ago but aired last night (Dec. 26) on CBS. Only half of the Foo Fighters’ two-song set from the event, which was originally taped on Dec. 1, aired on TV, but at least we got to see the guys jam out to ‘Rock and Roll’ with the Foos’ drummer Taylor Hawkins stepping into the role of lead singer, doing his best  Robert Plant impression. Meanwhile, Grohl paid tribute to his drum hero, the late John Bonham, by pounding the skins during the performance. Kid Rock rocked the stage for a high-energy rendition of ‘Ramble On,’ off 1969?s ‘Led Zeppelin II,’ while Kravitz delivered a strong performance of ‘Whole Lotta Love’ with President Obama seen singing along from the audience. The Zeppelin tribute started with a comedic speech by actor-musician Jack Black and ended with a rendition of ‘Stairway to Heaven’ led by Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart. Check out the performances in the clip below: Watch the Led Zeppelin Kennedy Center Honors Tribute Performances

Queens of the Stone Age Get Their Spinal Tap on in ‘Secrets of the Sound’ Mockumentary

YouTube Queens of the Stone Age are in the process of finishing up their next album, but took time out of their schedule to give fans a little insight (or perhaps none at all) on exactly how the disc is coming along in a new mockumentary short inspired, in part, by ‘This Is Spinal Tap.’ The band, taking a jab at how many “behind the scenes” features there are concerning acts and the music making process, filmed the humorous 9-minute clip with hosts Matt Berry and Steve Agee. Berry and Agee venture to the band’s studio to film their ‘Secrets of the Sound’ segment, but find the group a little less than cooperative. Bassist Mike Shuman can’t be bothered to remove his headphones to answer a question. Troy Van Leeuwen seems more concerned with preening in front of a bathroom mirror before giving a straight answer. And multi-instrumentalist Dean Fertita simply sprays Agee with lilac-scented spray before storming off after one question. The bulk of the info comes from frontman  Josh Homme , who admits that he’s not sure about all of the instruments in their studio, reveals that a fan sent in a human ear at their request so they could test out the way things sound, and he also reveals that he’s the Encino Chapter head of the Patrick Swayze fan club. So there you have it — everything you never thought you wanted to know about Queens of the Stone Age and their forthcoming album. Meanwhile, we can tell you that the band has Dave Grohl playing drums on the new disc, with contributions from Nine Inch Nails mastermind  Trent Reznor , former QOTSA member  Nick Oliveri and Scissor Sisters singer  Jake Shears . Watch Queens of the Stone Age’s ‘Secrets of the Sound’ Mockumentary [button href=”http://loudwire.com/queens-of-the-stone-age-new-album-manic-and-unpredictable/” title=”Next: Josh Homme Discusses ‘Manic + Unpredictable’ Album” align=”center”]

Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale Talks Latex Pants, Christmas Presents + More

Twitter: arejayhalestorm Halestorm may have received an early Christmas gift with their Grammy nomination but when we spoke to frontwoman Lzzy Hale she humorously reflected on the presents she got last year and explains what she would like this Christmas. We asked Hale if she ever got her latex pants and custom Gibson guitar, the presents that she told us she wanted last Christmas, and she explained, “I didn’t get either of those items under the tree but it just so happens later on, after a month or so, things started happening.” She goes on to talk about actually getting the infamous latex pants: “I did end up getting them — [Laughs] I don’t know whether to be flattered or creeped out, but I got these latex rubber pants from a fan who actually heard that or saw that article. He was so sweet about it but it was basically in a brown paper bag [Laughs]. It was interesting.” She continued, “It was just a pair of latex pants and the funniest thing was — I still have them. I didn’t wear them yet because I’m trying to think of the most appropriate [time] — it has a couple of accessories on them that I don’t know if it would be appropriate to be photographed in. They have the crotch zipper. I’m like, ‘Well I’m just going to put these in a drawer and will save them for a special occasion’ or maybe not. More power to them, we have crazy fans — you got to respect the crazy.” Hale went on to say, “I also did end up getting a custom Gibson guitar, so it was very cool. They ended up making that for me — so yes both of those came true.” When asked what she would like for this Christmas she responded by saying, “This year you know what I would love, as much as I love to travel and I love how busy our schedule has been — what I would love right now is to be on a boat for three days [Laughs] take some time off. I can’t afford to do that yet but that’s what I want.” [button href=”http://loudwire.com/halestorm-lzzy-hale-on-grammy-nomination-personal-victory-for-the-four-of-us/” title=”Next: Lzzy Hale Talks Grammy Nomination” align=”center”]

Papa Roach Unveil ‘Before I Die’ Video

YouTube Papa Roach are ending 2012 with a little video extravaganza. Earlier this month, fans got the ‘ Where Did the Angels Go ‘ clip and now, getting in just under the 2012 deadline, there’s a new video for ‘Before I Die.’ The promo itself finds a grieving Jacoby Shaddix haunted by visions of lost love, often to his own detriment. Playing it close to the lyrical concept of the song, the video shows Shaddix expressing his heartbreak by chasing his visions into dangerous situations in an attempt to hold onto the past. Earlier this year, Shaddix told Loudwire about ‘Before I Die,’ “I was going through a separation with my wife during the process of making the record. Fast forward to the present and we’re working it out now, but in the process of making this record we were separated. I was at the end of my rope; I was in a lot of pain. This music is where I found my sanctuary, where I could express myself and just take myself out it for a second and not feel the pain and just be creative. During the process of making this song, ‘Before I Die’ I felt like everything was taken from me and I was just left out there raw and broken, it made everything clear to me, what really mattered to me.” ‘Before I Die’ is a key song for Shaddix as the vocalist says it spurred a change in his life. He explains, “At the end of the day it’s the people that I love in my life that are the most important to me and sometimes when you treat the people that you love the most the worst, that’s the wrong path. I had to take a long hard look at myself and realize how I was living my life and make those changes. Just being out there on my own and having those realizations, that’s where the song came from.” ‘Before I Die’ appears on ‘ The Connection ‘ album and likely will be part of the band’s performances when they begin their 2013 North American touring with Stone Sour . Watch Papa Roach’s ‘Before I Die’ Video [button href=”http://loudwire.com/papa-roach-still-swingin-guitar-center-sessions-exclusive-preview/” title=”Next: Watch Papa Roach’s ‘Still Swingin’ from ‘Guitar Sessions'” align=”center”]