Archive for January 10th, 2013

How to Destroy Angels To Release Debut Album ‘Welcome Oblivion’ in March

Facebook: How to Destroy Angels After teasing fans in recent years with a pair of EPs,  How to Destroy Angels have revealed their plans for their first full-length album. The group, featuring Nine Inch Nails mastermind Trent Reznor , revealed in a posting at their website that the new disc, titled ‘Welcome Oblivion,’ is expected on March 5. While that was all that was revealed about the long-anticipated album, the group has dug a little deeper into 2012′s ‘ An Omen ‘ EP, with a trippy new video for the track ‘The Loop Closes.’ Just as the song is filled with all sorts of digital blips and bleeps, the accompanying video offers something visually similar, with quick cutting and often blurred or mangled images of animals, natural disasters, eyeballs, human limbs and even the shadowy faces of the band’s members. The video can be seen below. The clip follows the band’s more story-driven video for ‘ Ice Age ,’ which arrived last fall. That promo found the band members in a remote cabin, with singer Mariqueen Maandig looking out the window as the climate began to shift into something similar to the song’s title. Speaking about How to Destroy Angels last year, Trent Reznor explained, “We’ve just been chipping away at this thing, and it’s been a nice pressure release valve really to have something to dump this energy into that doesn’t fit the other containers. It’s been fun.” Watch How to Destroy Angels’ ‘The Loop Closes’ Video [button href=”http://loudwire.com/trent-reznor-how-to-destroy-angels-new-single-keep-it-together/” title=”Next: Watch How to Destroy Angels’ ‘Keep It Together’ Video” align=”center”]

Kent Abbott, Guitarist for the Bands Grade and Somehow Hollow, Dies at 32

Kent Abbott, guitarist for the bands Grade and Somehow Hollow, has died at the age of 32. Although no cause of death has been reported, we can confirm that Abbott passed away on Jan. 7. In the worlds of underground hardcore and modern punk, Abbott was an admired and respected guitarist, playing along with two truly solid bands. Canadian hardcore band Grade lasted for nearly a decade, releasing five full-length albums, three of which were put out by Victory Records. Abbott joined the band toward the end of their run, before the group split up in 2002. Grade posted a set of tweets paying tribute to their fone-time guitarist: Shocked and saddened to hear that friend and Grade/Somehow Hollow guitarist Kent Abbott passed away. All our thoughts are with his family. — Grade (@GradeHC) January 9, 2013 We will miss your energy, laughter and kind spirit. RIP Kent Abbott. Truly one of a kind. — Grade (@GradeHC) January 10, 2013 Kent Abbott also founded the band Somehow Hollow in 2000, creating Canada’s answer to up-tempo SoCal pop-punk. The band only released one full-length album, ‘Busted Wings and Rusted Halos,’ in 2003, capturing a definitive early ’00s pop-punk sound. “Kent had a passion for music and had played at venues around the world,” reads an  obituary  for Abbott. “He acquired a super sense of humour, was always attracted to people and would make them laugh.” In memory of Kent Abbott and his dedication to music, check out his work with both Grade and Somehow Hollow in the videos below. Grade, ‘Triumph and Tragedy’ Somehow Hollow, ‘Kamloops’ [button href=”http://loudwire.com/dean-hocking-death-2012″ title=”See the Rockers We Lost in 2012″ align=”center”]

Stone Sour’s Corey Taylor Offers Deeper Look Into ‘House of Gold & Bones’ Comics

Dark Horse Comics So far, music fans have been indulging in ‘ House of Gold & Bones, Pt. 1 ,’ the first of a two-part musical installment from Stone Sour . But those who’ve been following Corey Taylor ‘s exploits know that the music is only a portion of the ambitious scope the singer has for his latest artistic output. Coinciding with the second album release this April, fans will get to check out a corresponding comic book series . Taylor told Comic Book Resources , “The last 10 years of my life have been the most formative. I realized I was on the threshold of the rest of my life — I had an idea of who I wanted to be as a man and I realized who I was at the time didn’t exactly jibe with what that idea was. So I started the process of changing for the better … ‘House of Gold & Bones’ is loaded with that journey, but it also has a lot of pieces from my friends’ lives — some are a lot more ahead of the curve than others, but we all are trying to do the same thing: trying to figure it all out. That’s why I wanted to tell the story in the first place — to put it all in perspective and find my place in it all.” The singer says the comic series story spills out like a contemporary fable, with the hero waking up in a world he doesn’t understand and learning more about himself than he could have ever imagined. While the two albums tell part of the story, Taylor says it’s been enjoyable to translate the tale and expand on some of the ideas with the comic series. He’s also found that his two artistic loves balance each other out. “Both genres are fathomless when it comes to possibilities,” says Taylor. “But in music, you only really get the emotion of the singer or the music, which makes it hard if you’re trying to convey the emotion of the scene. With comics, you get that snapshot of emotion: the looks on the faces, the color of the sky, the veins in people’s necks, but you don’t get the fluid feel of being in the moment, like film or music. I hope between the two, we’ll be able to put these pieces together perfectly.” The first issue of the “House of Gold & Bones’ comic series arrives April 17. Artist Richard P. Clark’s variant cover for issue No. 1 is shown above. For more on Taylor’s discussion about comic books and more exclusive images, check out Comic Book Resources’ full interview  here . [button href=”http://loudwire.com/corey-taylor-stone-sour-elaborate-touring-plans-latest-on-slipknots-next-album/” title=”Next: Corey Taylor on Stone Sour Tour + Film Plans” align=”center”]

10 Best Shinedown Songs

Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com It's pretty much impossible to turn on rock radio without hearing one or more Shinedown songs. In the 10 years since they released their debut album, the Florida rockers have proven themselves to be one of the most reliable hit-makers of the 21st century. They've churned out hit radio tracks even as they expand their range beyond hard rock to include textured mid-tempo tracks and even tender ballads. With their latest album, 'Amaryllis,' Shinedown have continued their hit-making streak with more chart-topping singles. So, we give props to the band with our list of the 10 Best Shinedown Songs: ? 10 'If You Only Knew' From: 'The Sound of Madness' (2008) ? ? Sunny, airy acoustic guitars shimmer throughout this surprisingly lighthearted and upbeat track from Shinedown's third album, 2008's 'The Sound of Madness.' If it weren't for the pounding drums, you could almost call this an adult contemporary ballad, what with the epic proclamations of love, the strings, and, wait, are those bells? Listen to 'If You Only Knew' ? ? 9 'Bully' From: 'Amaryllis' (2012) ? ? There was plenty of aggression bubbling over on Shinedown's 'Amaryllis' album, beginning with the lead single, 'Bully.' The issue-oriented track dealt with some of the troubles going on in schools these days, with singer Brent Smith taking the opportunity to encourage those being bullied to stand up for themselves. The anthemic track is quite empowering with a sing-along chorus as well. Listen to 'Bully' ? ? 8 'The Crow & the Butterfly' From: The Sound of Madness' (2008) ? ? Guitarist Zach Myers' epic, melodic lead guitar work further ratchets up the intensity throughout the second half of this already stormy song from 2008's 'The Sound of Madness.' Reportedly, the song is about a mother whose young son dies, but the lyrics also mention the pair “getting high as outer space” together, so let's hope this is a friend they're talking about. Listen to 'The Crow & the Butterfly' ? ? 7 'Fly From the Inside' From: 'Leave a Whisper' (2003) ? ? You never get a second chance to make a first impression, and that's especially true for rock bands. So, the opening song on Shinedown's 2003 debut 'Leave a Whisper' needed to kick some butt and tell people what they're about quickly. The band wastes little time doing just that here, mixing hard rock riffs with a heightened sense of dynamics and a huge, anthemic chorus. Listen to 'Fly From the Inside' ? ? 6 'Devour' From: 'The Sound of Madness' (2008) ? ? Eschewing their more recent tendencies towards more dynamic music, Shinedown let it rip old-school style on the double-barreled opening track and first single from 2008's 'The Sound of Madness.' Reportedly an anti-love song to then-president George W. Bush, the track features lead singer Brent Smith railing against a clueless leader who is suffocating his own empire due to his own greed. Listen to 'Devour' ? ? 5 'Enemies' From: 'Amaryllis' (2012) ? ? What better to work out your aggressions than in song? That's the path Shinedown followed with 'Enemies,' an in-your-face confessional between warring sides. Not only does the track rock, but there's a certain amount of swing brought to the track by drummer Barry Kerch as well. This one's great to get your blood boiling. Listen to 'Enemies' ? ? 4 'Second Chance' From: 'The Sound of Madness' (2008) ? ? Supposedly, Shinedown themselves weren't very big fans of this tune, the appropriately titled second single from 'Sound of Madness,' when they first wrote it. Luckily, they gave the track a — wait for it — second chance, as it ended up being their biggest hit to date, a platinum selling smash that reached the charts on a wide variety of radio station formats. Listen to 'Second Chance' ? ? 3 'Save Me' From: 'Us and Them' (2005) ? ? Shinedown sing of a drug addict looking for salvation on this, the first single from their 2005 sophomore album 'Us and Them.' The repetitive, somber opening bass line helps to capture the mindset of a junkie living in day after day world of pills, needles and spoons, unable to muster the strength to break free on their own. Listen to 'Save Me' ? ? 2 'The Sound of Madness' From: 'The Sound of Madness' (2008) ? ? Shinedown breaks out their best Metallica impression on this riff-heavy slice of metal, which served as the title track to their third album. Lead singer Brent Smith, in particular, drops his voice down a notch and adds some menace, sounding eerily like James Hetfield as he calls out self-pitying so called “rebels” who really are just avoiding responsibility. Listen to 'The Sound of Madness' ? ? 1 '45' From: 'Leave a Whisper' (2003) ? ? Even if you ignore the fact that this song was the band's first major single, and therefore an important introduction to their brand of drama-filled melodic hard rock, this tune's powerful message about living each day to the fullest makes it one of the top Shinedown tracks. There was some controversy about the song's gun-related lyrics, but if you listen they hardly glorify violence — instead using the weapon as a metaphor for a person staring down big changes in their life. Listen to '45' ? ? What's Your Favorite Shinedown Song? What tune on our list of the 10 Best Shinedown Songs do you like the most? Or, if there's a Shinedown track we missed, let us know in comments section below: ?

Hollywood Undead, ‘Lion’ Lyric Video – Exclusive Premiere

Octane Hollywood Undead have returned to the music scene with their just-released third album, ‘ Notes From the Underground .’ Helping to grow the buzz this week is the band’s new lyric video for the song ‘Lion,’ which is exclusively premiering Loudwire (watch below). The video itself features time-lapsed footage of the sun setting into nightfall over a gated closure, presumably for a lion. In the background, you see a very well maintained grassy area shaded by the neighboring trees. Lyrically, the song takes you on a journey, opening in more restrained tones with, “ I am a lion and I want to be free / Do you see a lion when you look inside of me / Outside the window / Just to watch you as you sleep / Cause I am a lion born from things you cannot be .” But as the track builds, so does the title character’s inner turmoil and the aggression of the song. Creatively, the track is a little deeper than normal. Johnny 3 Tears recently told us that the band may not always receive artistic credit, but there are moments on the new album where it’s clear that songwriting is something they can do rather well. Though he was not speaking specifically about ‘Lion,’ it’s clear that the group offered something a little more personal on the song. ‘Lion’ can be heard on Hollywood Undead’s ‘Notes From the Underground,’ which is currently available for purchase  here . The song follows their previously released video for ‘ We Are ,’ which was directed by Slipknot ‘s Shawn Crahan . The band just launched their North American tour in support of the album. Watch Hollywood Undead’s ‘Lion’ Lyric Video [button href=”http://loudwire.com/hollywood-undead-johnny-3-tears-we-are-inspired-by-americas-youth/” title=”Next: Hollywood Undead’s Johnny 3 Tears Discusses ‘We Are’ Inspiration” align=”center”]