Archive for January 22nd, 2013

Daily Reload: Soundgarden, Anthrax + More

Jim Dyson, Getty Images – Soundgarden ‘s Chris Cornell discusses the likelihood of more music and touring from the band. [ Loudwire ] – Anthrax ‘s Scott Ian offers a few more details about the exit of the band’s guitarist Rob Caggiano . [ Loudwire ] – Ozzy Osbourne ‘s recent house fire may put a damper on the potential sale of the estate to Jessica Simpson . [ Loudwire ] – There are now dates for the fifth annual ‘HardDrive Live’ tour, featuring Bullet for My Valentine and Halestorm . [ Loudwire ] – Cannibal Corpse and Napalm Death head up to the 2013 Decibel Magazine tour. [ Loudwire ] – Rush will continue support of their ‘Clockwork Angels’ album with a 2013 trek. [ Ultimate Classic Rock ] – Happy 64th birthday to former Journey singer Steve Perry . Ultimate Classic Rock looks back at his finest work with the 10 Best Journey Songs. [ Ultimate Classic Rock ] – Black Rebel Motorcycle Club will follow their upcoming ‘Sound City’ performance with a string of spring 2013 tour dates. [ Diffuser.fm ] – Kings of Leon will headline the 2013 Governors Ball. [ Diffuser.fm ]

Bad Religion, ‘True North’ – Album Review

Epitaph Bad Religion are to punk rock what Iron Maiden are to heavy metal. Along with both groups brandishing unparalleled quality within their genres in over three-decade-long discographies, both Bad Religion and Iron Maiden are storytellers at heart who paint vivid visual pictures through their music. Fans are able to immerse themselves into the worlds birthed by Bad Religion with even greater intensity than their own personal realities, which is a testament to how many pairs of eyes Bad Religion are able to lend their fans for short bursts of multidimensional insight. ‘True North’ refers to the most perfect precision of one’s own moral compass, a theme that repeats itself in different forms throughout the band’s new album of that name. As Bad Religion’s socio-political foundation remains steady and without a crack, the band bursts into the album’s title track with a distinct old-school sound. ‘True North’ is an example of a perfect Bad Religion song: short and concise with profound lyrics topped off by a power chorus harnessing their trademark multipart vocal harmonies. The infinite perfection theme of one’s moral compass starts with the declaration of “ Keep searching ’til the end ” within the album’s opening track. The thesis continues into the standout anthem ‘Robin Hood in Reverse,’ which addresses the controversial laws that gift corporations the same rights as singular human begins. The line, “ Here’s the church, there’s the steeple / Open up the doors, corporations and people / Wait, what did he say? / What the f— did he say? ” forcefully tackles the subject of greed, which resonates further in ‘Land of Endless Greed’ and ‘Dept. of False Hope.’ ‘True North’ gets increasingly personal while orating topics such as the individual’s own conscience in ‘Popular Consensus’ and ‘In Their Hearts is Right,’ the latter of which seems to challenge the religious argument that the moral compass is directed by God rather than natural instinct. Bad Religion’s scientific and secular views are carried further by vocalist Greg Graffin in ‘Crisis Time’ with the lyric, “ Keep yourself in line / There’s no design .” Musically, ‘True North’ bears Bad Religion’s classic stamp, so expect no shock or surprise in the construction of the record. They’ve still got those rich vocal harmonies, guitar leads with plenty of distorted bends and choruses that will get stuck in your head for days. The album will fulfill both casual listeners and those searching for lyrical wisdom while clutching a notebook and magnifying glass, which has been Bad Religion’s M.O. for well over 30 years. ‘True North’ isn’t just another notch on Bad Religion’s bedpost. Much like their 2010 LP, ‘The Dissent of Man,’ their latest album is masterfully directed and offers a wealth of depth along with a spotlit entrance for both longtime fans and curious newcomers.

Bullet for My Valentine, Halestorm + More Reveal Dates for 2013 HardDrive Live Tour

Jo Hale, Getty Images / Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com As announced last week, Bullet for My Valentine will be headlining the fifth annual ‘HardDrive Live’ tour this year, and now there are dates and a confirmation on all the support acts for the 2013 run. The trek launches April 12 in Denver at the Fillmore and continues through a May 22 finale at Milwaukee’s Eagles Ballroom. Bullet for My Valentine will be joined on the run by the previously revealed Halestorm and Young Guns , as well as newly announced upstarts Stars in Stereo. Tickets for the tour go on sale this Friday (Jan. 25). Bullet for My Valentine’s Matt Tuck says, “We’re super stoked to be touring America again. We’re going to be bringing the big hits and big guns. With the new album (‘ Temper Temper ‘), our fourth, we’ve got loads of songs to choose from. Thanks to HardDrive, sky’s the limit in the States!” Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale adds, “HardDrive has been such a huge part of us breaking in the last couple of years. The show has always supported us and what we do. We can’t wait to get back on the road in front of real rock fans with our friends in Bullet, Young Guns and Stars in Stereo. It’s going to be a great time.” Bullet for My Valentine are currently ramping up to the release of the ‘Temper Temper’ album on Feb. 12. Halestorm, meanwhile, are continuing promotion of the 2012 effort, ‘ The Strange Case Of… , ‘ while Young Guns are seeing their audience grow thanks to their 2012 disc, ‘Bones.’ Stars in Stereo are touring in support of their self-titled effort, which features their current single ‘The Broken.’ Bullet for My Valentine / Halestorm ‘HardDrive Live’ 2013 Tour Dates: 4/12 — Denver, Colo. — Fillmore 4/13 — Salt Lake City, Utah — Great Salt Air 4/14 — Boise, Idaho — Revolution Center 4/16 — Reno, Nev. — Grand Sierra Theater 4/17 — San Francisco, Calif. — Warfield 4/19 — Pomona, Calif. — The Fox 4/21 — Tempe, Ariz. — Marquee 4/23 — Dallas, Texas — House of Blues 4/24 — Houston, Texas — Warehouse Live 4/30 — New York, N.Y. – Roseland 5/1 — Worcester, Mass. — The Palladium 5/3 — Silver Spring, Md. — Fillmore 5/5 — Philadelphia, Pa. — Electric Factory Outdoors 5/7 — Toronto, Ontario — Sound Academy 5/8 — Fort Wayne, Ind. — Expo Center 5/10 — Buffalo, N.Y. — Town Ballroom 5/11 — Grand Rapids, Mich. — Orbit Room 5/15 — Minneapolis, Minn. – Myth 5/17 — Pittsburgh, Pa. — Stage AE 5/19 — Stroudsburg, Pa. — Sherman Theater 5/21 — Chicago, Ill. — Riviera 5/22 — Milwaukee, Wis. — Eagles Ballroom [button href=”http://loudwire.com/alice-in-chains-2013-must-see-rock-concerts/” title=”Check Out the Must-See Rock Concerts of 2013″ align=”center”]

Suffocation vs. Aborted – Death Match

Nuclear Blast / Photo Credit: Patrick Häberli We hope you enjoyed Loudwire’s most brutal Death Match to date, which featured  Suffocation taking on Dying Fetus. After tons of votes and an incredibly close race between two of brutal death metal’s founding acts, Suffocation snagged a win to claim their second consecutive victory. Don’t turn your speakers down yet though, because Suffocation have another heavier-than-hell opponent to face. Belgian death metal veterans Aborted have just released the track ‘Vermicular, Obscene, Obese’ as a single from their 2012 full-length album, ‘Global Flatline.’ The punishing tech-death act now look to dethrone Suffocation and embark on their own quest for the Death Match Hall of Fame. Will Suffocation smother their latest Death Match opponents? Or will Aborted put an end to Suffocation’s run to victory? Your votes decide their fates. Choose your favorite track in the poll below. (This Death Match ends on Tuesday, Jan. 29, at 10AM ET. Fans can vote once per hour! So come back and vote often to make sure your favorite song wins!) Suffocation, ‘As Grace Descends’ Aborted, ‘Vermicular, Obscene, Obese’ Sorry, you need to have javascript running to see this poll. ? Email Me When Death Match Winners Are Announced Enter your email address below to receive the Loudwire newsletter, which will include notification of the weekly winner of the Death Match, as well as our top stories of each day. Email Rules of Death Match Two bands fight to the death each week. Fans can vote once per hour. The triumphant band goes on to compete in the next Death Match. If a band wins four straight Death Matches, its song will be honored as immortal in the Loudwire Death Match Hall of Fame.

Anthrax’s Scott Ian Offers New Details on Guitarist Rob Caggiano’s Departure

Mary Ouellette, shewillshootyou.com / Kevin Winter, Getty Images The departure of Anthrax lead guitarist Rob Caggiano came as a shock to the metal world, as the thrash legends had just begun to truly celebrate their comeback with classic vocalist Joey Belladonna . Having torn through the 2012 Mayhem Festival, headlined an unforgettable tour with Testament + Death Angel , earned a 2013 Grammy nomination and just finished tracking their ‘Anthems’ covers EP, Caggiano suddenly left the band, and guitarist Scott Ian has just offered some insight into Caggiano’s exit. Caggiano formally announced his departure from Anthrax on Jan. 4, revealing his desire to fixate his creativity upon producing. “The fact that Anthrax is at the top of their game right now and totally ‘out for blood’ after all these years is a testament to this band’s longevity and conviction!” states Caggiano. “I’m truly honored to have been a part of their brilliant legacy.” Although Caggiano’s exit was sudden, Anthrax assured fans that there were no hard feelings, wishing Caggiano the best with his future projects, which includes producing the new Volbeat album. Despite the brotherly send-off, Anthrax’s statement didn’t reveal any specific details about exactly how the guitarist left. In a new interview with MTV Hive , however, Scott Ian offers an explanation: We didn’t know he was planning on leaving while we were tracking this [‘Anthems’]. He was literally finishing solos in Berlin on the last days of the tour. It wasn’t until after the tour ended and we started having conversations, and just to put it in a nutshell, he just needs to do his own thing at this point in time. We knew he had a record that he was going to be doing possibly. We had already told him, if you need to take a hiatus, that’s fine. The best thing I can say is that he’s on a mission to do his own thing at this point. And I’m certainly not going to stand in his way. As for choosing Caggiano’s temporary replacement, Jon Donais of Shadows Fall, Ian says: It was actually Rob. He had already spoken to Jon and had kind of filled him in about what his plan was. He didn’t want to leave us hanging. As much as it sucks, this whole thing has been friendly. I may think Rob has made a mistake by leaving the band, but at the same time he’s my friend and I back his decision all the way in whatever he needs to do. He feels the same about us. We all know Jon. I’ve actually worked with him before on [comedian] Brian Posehn’s record. We all know he’s a great lead guitar player. And Jon said absolutely he wanted to do it. Anthrax are set to headline the 2013 Metal Alliance Tour , performing their classic album ‘Among the Living’ in full during each stop. The band will also cap off the first date of the 2013 New England Metal and Hardcore Festival . [button href=”http://loudwire.com/volbeat-new-album-produced-by-former-anthrax-guitarist-rob-caggiano/” title=”Volbeat Prep New Album Produced by Rob Caggiano” align=”center”]

Baroness Members Deliver Surprise Performances at Converge and Neurosis Shows in Philadelphia

BaronessMusic.com Decibel Magazine recently celebrated their 100th issue with an insane concert in Philadelphia, a show we dedicated ourselves not to miss. The show’s lineup itself was incredible, presenting Converge , Pig Destroyer , Repulsion, Municipal Waste , Tombs + Evoken live, but the most incredible parts of the evening came from Baroness frontman John Baizley , who offered not only a surprise speech, but shared the stage with Converge for the song ‘Coral Blue.’ After Pig Destroyer grinded the Philly crowd into a brutal dust, John Baizley took a microphone right before Converge started their set to share his passion for the band and their newest album, ‘All We Love We Leave Behind.’ Having suffered through serious injuries after Baroness’ tour bus crashed in England last year, Baizley revealed how crucial ‘All We Love We Leave Behind’ was to both his physical and metal rehabilitation. Baizley addressed the crowd: About five months ago, I was in a f—ing bad wreck. I was laid up in the hospital for while; too long. I was going through what I would describe as the worst thing, mentally and physically, that one could go through, at least in my opinion. There came a point where I needed something to get past the hump that I was in, you know, just this state of depression or pain or whatever it was, and so I thought, ‘Well, music is this thing that’s meant to soothe the savage beast,’ and I had my wife bring me an iPod collection of mellow songs; Emmylou Harris, just old country stuff mostly. I put the headphones in and listened to it, and what was happening was not soothing at all in any way, shape or form. It was harsh and it was grating, and in that first moment when I was trying to listen to something relaxing and trying to get myself through a very difficult time, I became scared s–tless and I thought that I had lost the ability to enjoy music and I had lost the magic that music had over me. I think it was about three-and-a-half weeks after the crash, I had the new Converge record [‘All We Love We Leave Behind’] and I was like, ‘Well, Emmylou is not doing it for me, let’s try the opposite.’ And that record brought me back into the fold. Thank you for writing music that truly inspires, and I mean this when I say this, that truly rehabilitates, not just offers me a release from aggressions or from bulls–t, but something that helps me look forward to tomorrow when today is as tough as it gets. Near the end of Converge’s set, the band invited Baizley onstage to sing and play guitar for ‘Coral Blue,’ easily the most Baroness-like track from Converge’s 2012 album. As extra proof of Baroness’ massive desire to return in full-force, Baizley and fellow Baroness guitarist Pete Adams opened for the legendary Neurosis the night in Philly. Watch the footage from that show here . Check out both Baizley’s speech and his performance with Converge in the videos below. Keep feeling better, John! We can’t wait to see Baroness take the stage once again. John Baizley Addresses Crowd at Decibel’a 100th Issue Concert John Baizley Joins Converge Onstage for ‘Coral Blue’ [button href=”http://loudwire.com/baroness-john-baizley-health-update-acoustic-jam/” title=”Baroness’ John Baizley Gives Update on Recovery” align=”center”]

Cannibal Corpse, Napalm Death, Immolation + More to Embark on 2013 Decibel Magazine Tour

Decibel Magazine Crushing! Absolutely crushing! Decibel Magazine brought an incredibly evil tour headlined by Behemoth last year and a massive celebration for their 100th issue with Converge and Pig Destroyer this past weekend, but the publication has outdone itself once again with a 2013 tour featuring Cannibal Corpse , Napalm Death and many more. If your skull just happens to be in one piece and you’d like to change that in the near future, we highly recommend these upcoming North American dates. Beginning on May 10 in Houston, Texas, Cannibal Corpse will headline the 2013 Decibel Magazine Tour along with support from legendary grinders Napalm Death and death metal maniacs Immolation along with Beyond Creation, Cretin and Magrudergrind. These acts are all truly awesome, and are certain to keep North American crowds energized and entertained at each stop. Cannibal Corpse remains as one of death metal’s most legendary acts, having released their 2012 full-length, ‘Torture,’ to acclaim from both audiences and critics. “We’re psyched to be headlining this year’s Decibel Magazine Tour along with Immolation and Napalm Death,” remarks Cannibal Corpse bassist Alex Webster in a press release. “This is a lineup of bands that have been a consistent part of the death/grind scene for decades, and we’re proud to be a part of it. It will be a legendary night for extreme music.” Napalm Death also experienced a career-defining year in 2012, releasing the masterful ‘Utilitarian,’ which landed at No. 2 on our Top 10 Metal Albums of 2012 list. Check out the full list of tour dates below! 2013 Decibel Magazine Tour Dates: 5/10 – Houston, Texas @ Fitzgerald’s 5/11 – Dallas, Texas @ Trees 5/12 – San Antonio, Texas @ Backstage Live 5/14 – Tucson, Ariz. @ The Rock 5/15 – Ramona, Calif. @ Ramona Mainstage 5/16 – Santa Ana, Calif. @ The Observatory 5/17 – Oakland, Calif. @ Oakland Metro 5/18 – Portland, Ore. @ Wonder Ballroom 5/19 – Seattle, Wash. @ El Corazon 5/21 – Vancouver, British Columbia @ Commodore Ballroom 5/22 – Calgary, Alberta @ MacEwan Ballroom 5/23 – Edmonton, Alberta @ Starlight Room 5/24 – Regina, Saskatchewan @ Riddell Centre 5/25 – Winnipeg, Manitoba @ The Garrick 5/26 – St. Paul, Minn. @ Mill City Nights 5/28 – Chicago, Ill. @ Bottom Lounge 5/29 – Detroit, Mich. @ Harpos 5/30 – Buffalo, N.Y. @ Town Ballroom 5/31 – Toronto, Ontario @ The Phoenix 6/01 – Montreal, Quebec @ Club Soda 6/02 – Boston, Mass. @ Royale 6/04 – New Haven, Conn. @ Toad’s Place 6/05 – Brooklyn, N.Y. @ Music Hall of Williamsburg 6/06 – Philadelphia, Pa. @ Union Transfer 6/07 – Cleveland, Ohio @ Peabodys 6/09 – St. Louis, Mo. @ Pops 6/11 – Atlanta, Ga. @ Masquerade 6/12 – Orlando, Fla. @ Beacham [button href=”http://loudwire.com/new-england-metal-hardcore-festival-2013-must-see-metal-concerts/” title=”Check Out the Must-See Metal Concerts of 2013″ align=”center”]