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Amanda Medina, Special to Loudwire Fresh off their first Grammy nomination (for best hard rock/metal performance), Halestorm are thinking of recording another EP of cover songs. They released ‘Reanimate: The Covers EP’ in 2011. ‘Reanimate’ featured covers of tunes by a diverse group of acts such as Skid Row, Lady Gaga and Guns N’ Roses. Halestorm are now asking fans to suggest songs for the band to cover, and Lzzy Hale posted the following message on their Facebook page : Hello Freaks… The boys and I are tossing around the idea of putting out another cover EP. We know a lot of you have ideas…so let’s hear ‘em! What songs would you love to hear us record? Thank you for being such a big part of our lives! The band says they will choose the top entries and let fans vote to see which ones will end up on the EP. Speaking of voting, Halestorm fans also have a chance to vote for the band in several categories of the 2012 Loudwire Music Awards. They are nominated for Best Rock Song (‘Love Bites’), Rock Album of the Year, Rock Band of the Year and Live Act of the Year along with individual nods for Lzzy Hale (Vocalist of the Year, Rock Goddess) and Arejay Hale (Best Drummer). Start voting here . Lzzy Hale recently spoke with Loudwire about Halestorm’s Grammy nomination. “It’s crazy, it means a lot considering the rock/metal performance category – it’s kind of like a personal victory for the four of us,” Hale told us. See more of our interview with Hale by clicking below: [button href=”http://loudwire.com/halestorm-lzzy-hale-on-grammy-nomination-personal-victory-for-the-four-of-us/” title=”Lzzy Hale Talks Halestorm’s Grammy Nomination” align=”center”] ?
YouTube Korn fans now have a chance to see singer Jonathan Davis in a different environment, as the rocker’s recent short film, ‘ Wounded Warriors ,’ is streaming online. The 17-minute film follows Davis as he tours Germany’s Ramstein Air Base. The movie, directed by Sebastien Paquet, finds Davis experiencing several of the tasks that soldiers go through on a daily basis. The singer says, “I’m just in shock. This film is not about me. It is about all the troops and what they sacrifice to keep our life going. I am truly grateful for every single one of them.” During his time at the base, Davis gets a tour of the C130J Hercules Aircraft from airmen of the 37th Airlift Squadron and an explosives demonstration from the 886th Civil Engineer Squadron Explosive Ordinance Disposal Flight. In addition, Davis spent part of the trip visiting with soldiers at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center and talking with them about their sacrifices. “Reality’s a bitch,” says Davis in the film. “You’re watching the news and you’re seeing everything that’s going on and It doesn’t really hit you until you actually get there and see the actual faces and the actual equipment and you see what’s going on. I really do think that people should go meet these guys and see what goes on. [They’d] be a little bit more appreciative of what they have.” The film made its debut Nov. 10 at the GI Film Festival in Hollywood and won the “Audience Choice Award.” It will make its television debut on the Pentagon Channel as part of the GI Festival next May. Check out the ‘Wounded Warriors’ short film starring Korn’s Jonathan Davis below: Watch the ‘Wounded Warriors’ Short Film [button href=”http://loudwire.com/korn-fan-presents-uniform-of-fallen-marine-brother-to-jonathan-davis/” title=”Next: Jonathan Davis Receives Fallen Marine’s Uniform” align=”center”]
Kevin Mazur, Getty Images We all know how awesome AC/DC ‘s music is, but their classic hard rock anthems appeal to people from all walks of life. Even British engineers rock out to ‘Highway to Hell’ while they’re on the job! They just happen to be using the song to test new laser technology for in-flight drones. You may remember a story that broke earlier this year, when AC/DC’s ‘Thunderstruck’ was blasted at immense volume at an Iranian nuclear power plant thanks to a computer hacker . Now, British engineers have chosen AC/DC for military drone testing … sound like a conspiracy, Dave Mustaine ? In fact, the laser technology that was tested using ‘Highway to Hell’ is being developed to make drones lighter and operate longer without having to refuel. EADS Innovation Works in Newport, UK, are working on the laser reflector, which they call ‘Dazzle.’ Since we’re not all that bright when it comes to complex engineering, check out this description of the laser reflector courtesy of Gizmodo : After the laser beam enters the reflector, it passes through a transparent switch, called a light modulator, that adds the digital zeroes and ones of the video data to the beam. The light then hits a mirror and is reflected back to the spot it came from – carrying the video data. The tech will allow a speed boost to 1 gigabit per second – easily allowing faster delivery of HD video, which struggles to top 20 megabits per second with radio frequencies. Scientist Yoann Thueux is that man who chose ‘Highway to Hell’ for the inaugural testing of the laser technology. “It was on my iPod and I thought it would be a good song to go first because I know it completely by heart,” says Thueux. “I’d be the first to tell if the technology was not working properly on playback.” As for the next song to be beamed into a drone, Thueux hopes to use one of his own band’s tracks, although Frank Sinatra’s ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ has also been suggested. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/acdc-back-in-black-album-grammy-hall-of-fame/” title=”AC/DC’s ‘Back in Black’ Album Inducted Into Grammy Hall of Fame” align=”center”]
Mike Lawrie / Mark Davis / Stephen Lovekin, Getty Images The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced its class of 2013 inductees, and leading the charge are Rush , Heart and Public Enemy. There have been many fans on the hard rock and classic rock side who have been clamoring for Rush to get their due, and next year they will be among the class of new inductees. “It’s a terrific honor and we’ll show up smiling,” said vocalist-bassist Geddy Lee to Rolling Stone . “It made my mom happy, so that’s worth it.” Lee was well aware of the fan support to get them into the Rock Hall, adding, “It was a cause they championed. I’m very relieved for them and we share this honor with them, for sure.” Heart , like Rush, had been passed over on their first try, but sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson & co. will enter the Rock Hall in 2013. Singer Ann Wilson said, “Some people have an idea of what the shape of rock and roll is supposed to look like. We’re not really it. Personally, that’s why I think it’s taken awhile … We’re always traveling and out there doing it. It can start to feel like you’re a tree falling in the forest, but nobody notices. So this kind of acknowledgement is really sweet.” On the rap side, Public Enemy became the fourth hip-hop act to be inducted, following Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Run-D.M.C. and the Beastie Boys . The group crossed boundaries with their collaboration with Anthrax on the rap-meets-metal single ‘Bring the Noise.’ This year’s other inductees include singer-songwriter-composer Randy Newman, disco queen Donna Summer and blues great Albert King. Also joining the Rock Hall are Quincy Jones and Lou Adler, both of whom will receive the Ahmet Ertegun Award for non-performers. The 2013 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place Apr. 18 at Los Angeles’ Nokia Theater and will air on HBO May 18. Meanwhile, finalists like Deep Purple, N.W.A. and Joan Jett didn’t make the cut for the 2013 class. To see the other acts that were initially nominated, click below: [button href=”http://loudwire.com/deep-purple-rush-joan-jett-more-announced-as-2013-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-nominees/” title=”Next: See the Initial 2013 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Ballot” align=”center”]
Razor & Tie / Sumerian Hatebreed have defeated yet another band, bringing the Connecticut hardcore heavyweights only one win away from their track ‘The Divinity of Purpose’ attaining immortality in our Death Match Hall of Fame. To give Hatebreed one last run for their money, we’ve put them against one of extreme metal’s most up-and-coming acts. Upon a Burning Body have been making deathcore, death metal, extreme metal, or whatever you choose to call it, since 2005. Hailing from San Antonio, Texas, the band released its second studio album, ‘Red. White. Green.,’ earlier this year, with ‘Sin City’ having just been chosen as the latest track to get a music video. Can Hatebreed complete their journey to the Death Match Hall of Fame? Or will Upon a Burning Body reduce their competition to ash? Vote for your favorite track below! (This Death Match ends on Tuesday, Dec. 18, at 10AM ET. Fans can vote once per hour! So come back and vote often to make sure your favorite song wins!) Hatebreed, ‘The Divinity of Purpose’ Upon A Burning Body, ‘Sin City’ ? 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.
Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com Nikki Sixx may not be a frontman, but you’d be hard pressed to find a bassist that deserved the spotlight more. As a songwriter, Sixx had a hand in creating a majority of the hard-rocking hits Motley Crue have cranked out over the years. Plus he’s shown that even outside of Crue, he’s still a creative force to be reckoned with as the namesake member of the powerful trio Sixx: A.M. He even turned in some solid work in the lesser-known bands 58 and Brides of Destruction. With that in mind, we salute Nikki Sixx’s contributions to the world of hard rock and metal with this list of his best work. So let’s kickstart our countdown of the 10 Best Nikki Sixx Songs: 10 ‘Looks That Kill’ Motley Crue From: ‘Shout at the Devil’ (1983) ‘Looks That Kill’ gave Motley Crue their first national music video exposure and the track introduced fans to Vince Neil ‘s soon-to-be-recognizable voice and some stellar guitar work from Mick Mars. Sixx penned the track, which provides a more sinister feel to describing a gorgeous woman. ‘Looks’ aren’t the only thing that kill with this song. This driving track slays in concert, as well. Listen to ‘Looks That Kill’ 9 ‘Lies of the Beautiful People’ Sixx: A.M. From: ‘This Is Gonna Hurt’ (2011) Nikki Sixx’s passion for photography find its way in his second book-album amalgamation, ‘This Is Gonna Hurt.’ The Sixx: A.M. bassist took pleasure in shooting non-traditional beauty, and even leads off the song’s video by stating, “It’s okay to be different.” Musically the track ‘Lies of the Beautiful People’ is driven by Sixx’s chunky bass and guitarist DJ Ashba ‘s licks, while singer James Michael offers the requisite amount of emotion using his upper register to make the song an inspirational one. Listen to ‘Lies of the Beautiful People’ 8 ‘Girls Girls Girls’ Motley Crue From: ‘Girls Girls Girls’ (1987 Motley Crue’s partying was reaching its height in the mid-to-late ’80s and you tend to write what you know. The anthem ‘Girls, Girls, Girls’ was an ode to the strip clubs where the band enjoyed some of their best times. Sixx’s chugging bass, Mars’ memorable guitar licks and the boastful wail of Vince Neil led this track. It’s still a staple today both in strip clubs and as part of the band’s live set. Listen to ‘Girls Girls Girls’ 7 ‘Shout at the Devil’ Motley Crue From: ‘Shout at the Devil’ (1983) ‘Shout at the Devil’ is the track that gave the Crue their first radio success. The song itself features Mick Mars ‘ blistering guitar and Tommy Lee ‘s cymbal mastery. Sixx, who penned the track, took some criticism over the song’s alleged satanism, but the rocker would say in ‘The Dirt’ autobiography, “It just looks cool. It’s meaningless symbols and s–t. I’m just doing it to piss people off. It’s not like I worship Satan or something.” Listen to ‘Shout at the Devil’ 6 ‘This Is Gonna Hurt’ Sixx: A.M. From: ‘This Is Gonna Hurt’ (2011) When it comes to straight-up, adrenaline-filled rockers, there’s no doubt that Sixx: A.M.’s ‘This Is Gonna Hurt’ deserves its spot among the 10 Best Nikki Sixx Songs. The second single from the band’s sophomore album is one of the more rocket-fueled tracks that Sixx has come up with. There’s some serious shredding by Ashba on guitar and James Michael’s vocals deliver one of the catchiest choruses in the band’s catalog. Listen to ‘This Is Gonna Hurt’ 5 ‘Dr. Feelgood’ Motley Crue From: ‘Dr. Feelgood’ (1989) One of Motley Crue’s biggest songs has Sixx’s fingerprints all over it. The chugging opening of ‘Dr. Feelgood’ immediately grabs your attention and doesn’t let go. As for the title and lyrical content, Sixx would tell Rolling Stone , “It had a whole different theme to it. It was called ‘Dr. Feelgood,’ but a whole different thing lyrically. In the end, it was inspired by drug dealers. Is there ever just one? A good drug addict always has more than one dealer.” Listen to ‘Dr. Feelgood’ 4 ‘Wild Side’ Motley Crue From: ‘Girls Girls Girls’ (1987) ‘Wild Side’ is one of the more non-traditional songs in the band’s catalog, with its shifting time signatures and equal parts swinging and rocking moments. But that doesn’t mean it rocks any less. In fact, it’s a live favorite with the band getting to show off more of their skill. Lyrically, the track deals with the band’s own hardships in the Los Angeles music scene and is meant as a rallying cry to those who’ve lived life on the ‘Wild Side.’ Listen to ‘Wild Side’ 3 ‘Life Is Beautiful’ Sixx: A.M. From: ‘The Heroin Diaries’ (2007) ‘Life Is Beautiful’ deserves its spot on the 10 Best Nikki Sixx Songs list as it is arguably his most personal track. The bassist lays his soul bare on this one, expressing the emotions he felt upon almost dying from his drug addiction and what he endured while kicking his habit. Beautifully and powerfully delivered by singer James Michael, the song is one of the most affecting songs in Sixx’s arsenal. Listen to ‘Life Is Beautiful’ 2 ‘Home Sweet Home’ Motley Crue From: ‘Theatre of Pain’ (1985) Look up power ballad in the dictionary and this song should be the definition. ‘Home Sweet Home’ finds drummer Tommy Lee delivering the opening piano notes and Vince Neil joining Sixx and Lee in receiving writing credits. After the opening stanza, the song rocks out with Lee returning to drums and Sixx’s bass work keeping the pace in place of the piano. The song is also notable for arguably the band’s most recognizable guitar solo from Mick Mars. Listen to ‘Home Sweet Home’ 1 ‘Kickstart My Heart’ Motley Crue From: ‘Dr. Feelgood’ (1989) While Nikki Sixx has penned some serious songs about his drug addiction and near-death experience, this one offers a lighter take. It was inspired by the two adrenaline shots needed to revive him after he was clinically declared dead. Sixx told Rolling Stone he initially considered the track “a throwaway,” but that it fit the band’s album better than expected. Luckily the band held onto the song, as it yielded a Grammy nomination and turned into one of their most requested live tracks. Listen to ‘Kickstart My Heart’ What Is Your Favorite Nikki Sixx Song? So there you have it — a pretty impressive list of songs that Nikki Sixx has had a hand in recording over the years. Did your favorite Nikki Sixx song make the cut? Would you like to make an argument for a Brides of Destruction or 58 song to make the list? Here’s your chance to give us feedback on this list. Tell us what you think in the comments section below.
Liz Ramanand, Loudwire The Danish metallers of Volbeat are gearing up for a massive headlining tour of the United States and Canada in 2013. The band will be supported on the trek by Danko Jones, who recently released their latest album ‘Rock and Roll Is Black and Blue.’ Volbeat, meanwhile, will continue to support their fourth studio album, ‘Beyond Hell / Above Heaven,’ but are also expected to reveal details on their upcoming fifth studio album in the coming weeks. We recently reported that Volbeat will debut some new material during their Danish tour in February. The North American tour kicks off March 6 in Dallas and wraps up April 11 in Philadelphia. Check out the full list of tour dates below: Volbeat 2013 North American Tour Dates: 3/06 Dallas, TX Palladium Ballroom 3/07 Oklahoma City, OK Diamond Ballroom 3/09 San Antonio, TX Freeman Coliseum 3/10 El Paso, TX Speaking Rock Entertainment Center 3/11 Lubbock, TX Lonestar Pavilion 3/12 Denver, CO Ogden Theatre 3/14 Las Vegas, NV House of Blues at Mandalay Bay 3/15 Los Angeles, CA House of Blues 3/16 Anaheim, CA House of Blues 3/17 Reno, NV Knitting Factory 3/19 Boise, ID Revolution Center 3/20 Missoula, MT The Wilma Theater 3/22 Seattle, WA Showbox At The Market 3/23 Spokane, WA Knitting Factory 3/24 Calgary, AB MacEwen Hall 3/25 Prince George, BC CN Centre 3/27 Dawson Creek, BC EnCana Events Centre 3/28 Edmonton, AB Shaw Conference Centre 3/30 Regina, SA Brandt Centre 4/01 Saskatoon, SA Credit Union Center 4/02 Winnipeg, MB MTS Centre 4/06 Ft. Wayne, IN Piere’s 4/09 New York, NY Best Buy Theatre 4/10 Baltimore, MD Rams Head 4/11 Philadelphia, PA Trocadero [button href=”http://loudwire.com/volbeat-michael-poulsen-talks-success-in-u-s-upcoming-album-more/” title=”Read Our Interview With Volbeat Frontman Michael Poulsen” align=”center”]