Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com The U.S. government may not have been forthcoming with information to Randy Blythe before the Lamb of God singer traveled to the Czech Republic and found himself serving a jail stint over the summer, but they’re definitely keeping an eye on his alleged manslaughter case now. A Lamb of God fan from Brandenburg, Ky. was responsible for creating a petition on the White House website asking for the government’s help as the singer prepares to head back to the Czech Republic to answer to the charges. The vocalist was arrested this past summer when the band returned to play a show in Prague. Local officials claimed that Blythe was involved in tossing an audience member from the stage and that the man in question later died from an injury sustained when he hit the ground. The petition garnered 29,000 signatures over a 30-day period, which is 4,000 more signatures than necessary for it to receive the requisite attention. Michael Posner, the Assistant Secretary of State of Democracy for Human Rights and Labor, drafted a statement on the Randy Blythe matter. It reads as follows: We appreciate your inquiry about the case of D. Randall Blythe, who was released from detention in the Czech Republic on August 3, 2012, and returned to the United States shortly thereafter. Mr. Blythe has publicly stated his intention to return to the Czech Republic to face trial for the alleged manslaughter of a Czech man at a concert in 2010. He recently told MTV, ‘It’s the correct thing for me to do … this poor young man’s family deserves some answers.’ Pending Mr. Blythe’s trial, we cannot discuss the details of his case. We are closely monitoring the progress of his trial. The Department Of State noted in its 2011 Human Rights Report that in the Czech Republic, ‘The laws provide for the right to a fair trial, and the independent judiciary generally enforced this right.’ We expect that the Czech government will make all efforts to ensure a fair, transparent, and timely trial for Mr. Blythe, and guarantee full protection of his legal rights under Czech law and his welfare. If you would like to know more about what the Department of State does for U.S. citizens overseas, please visit our website at Travel.State.Gov. General information on U.S. human rights policy is available at HumanRights.gov. On Nov. 30, the Czech state attorney filed criminal charges against Blythe after reading the case file presented to him about the investigation. The Prague court has three months to set a trial date. Blythe, who already served a 37-day stint behind bars this summer, could face a long-term sentence if convicted. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/best-lamb-of-god-songs/” title=”Next: 10 Best Lamb of God Songs” align=”center”]
Grand Central Publishing Rob Zombie has spent 2012 juggling both his music and movie careers and he’s finally put the finishing touches on the highly anticipated ‘ The Lords of Salem ‘ film. The movie now has a release date of April 26 in North America. Zombie completed filming and premiered the movie at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this year and eventually found a backer in Anchor Bay, who now has the distribution rights for the film. In the months since the film festival, Zombie has been working with author B.K. Evenson to pen a book that will tie-in with the film. Readers will be able to pick up the page-turner on March 12 via Grand Central Publishing ahead of the movie’s April release. Zombie says, “The book offers a different experience from the film since it can obviously go into much more detail. The book and the film really compliment each other.” Fans of Zombie’s music work should also have something to celebrate next year as he’s called his forthcoming studio album “ the most inspired event ” of his career. ? Watch ‘The Lords of Salem’ Trailer [button href=”http://loudwire.com/rob-zombie-lords-of-salem-tour-with-marilyn-manson-upcoming-album/” title=”Next: Rob Zombie Talks ‘Lords of Salem'” align=”center”]
LitaFordOnline.com / Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com / Doromusic.de It’s not uncommon for teen boys to start fantasizing about beautiful and famous women, and Slipknot / Stone Sour singer Corey Taylor reveals that his adolescence was filled with fantasies about ’80s metal goddesses Lita Ford and Doro Pesch . Taylor says that while Joan Jett was hot, he wasn’t quite at the age yet where his fascination with women was such a major part of his life during her heyday. Instead, his love of metal introduced him to the blonde bombshells Lita Ford and Doro Pesch. He tells Armed Forces Network’s Russell Toof the following: “I had this amazing dream about being in a ménage-a-trois with Lita Ford and Doro Pesch, only because they had that great cover in ‘Ripped’ magazine which I used to collect. They had a big pullout poster that was on my wall forever. They were just the hottest women that I’d seen in my life. So that was my [crush].” Taylor also took time to address his comments about potentially pursuing a dance album and reaching out to Justin Bieber for a performance . The vocalist says that some of the commentary was meant in fun, as he admits, “I just love messing with the fans.” However, the attempt to reach out to Bieber for a one-off collaboration at his book event for an acoustic version of the ‘Psychosocial Baby’ was legit and something he thought would be fun even though it didn’t pan out. While he didn’t foresee it going anywhere beyond that, Taylor says, “The funny thing is if he came to me, I’d be all about it. I don’t even care. Because it’s not about what people think at the end of the day. It’s about what you want to do. And trust me, I’ve turned down weirder gigs to be honest.” As for the dance record, that was something that was just in fun that evolved into something much bigger during Twitter conversations with fans. That being said, Taylor adds, “At this point man, anything’s possible. Who am I to not want to make music? It doesn’t matter what kind it is. I would love to do a tune with Prince or Willie Nelson . That to me is the true representation of being a lover of music and not caring about your q points and all that crap, so, hey, you never know, right?” He also addressed pulling double-duty with Slipknot and Stone Sour at Ozzfest Japan next year, explaining, “Obviously I can’t do it all in one night or I’d kill myself, but you know having Slipknot headline an Ozzfest gig, that’s an honor and it makes me proud of what we’ve accomplished and whatnot and then to turn around the next night and basically have Stone Sour open for Black Sabbath , I mean that’s pretty damn sweet. I have no complaints at this point in my life.” To hear more of Taylor’s interview, in which he also discusses reaction to Stone Sour’s ‘House of Gold & Bones Pt. 1′ being named one of Loudwire’s 10 Best Rock Albums of 2012 , his favorite TV theme songs and his relationships with Seether and Halestorm , click play below: Listen to AFN’s Russell Toof Interviewing Corey Taylor [button href=”http://loudwire.com/stone-sour-corey-taylor-house-of-gold-bones-movies/” title=”Next: Corey Taylor Eyes Movie Adaptations of Stone Sour Albums” align=”center”]
Valerie Macon, Getty Images Here’s a look at the top stories of the day on Loudwire and around the Web: – Metallica say yes to offering their music via Spotify as drummer Lars Ulrich and former Napster foe Sean Parker make peace. [ Loudwire ] – Anthrax have been nominated for the Best Hard Rock / Metal Performance category. Find out what drummer Charlie Benante had to say about it in an exclusive interview. Guitarist Scott Ian has also announced a solo ‘Speaking Words’ tour. [ Loudwire ] – Sully Erna has announced that Godsmack plan to take a year-long vacation throughout 2013. [ Loudwire ] – Our exclusive coverage of the 2012 Shiprocked cruise continues with a recap of Day Four featuring Filter , Korn , Sevendust + more. [ Loudwire ] – Motley Crue singer Vince Neil is set to soar in the new reality TV series ‘Vince Neil Escapes.’ [ Loudwire ] – Metallica christmas light show powered by ‘Creeping Death,’ ‘Battery’ + More. [ Ultimate Metallica ] – Paul McCartney thinks ‘Meat Free Monday’ could help save the planet. [ Ultimate Classic Rock ] – 43 Years Ago: Rolling Stones Altamont Speedway concert end in homicide. [ Ultimate Classic Rock ] – 18 Years Ago: Pearl Jam ‘s ‘Vitalogy’ album was released. [ Diffuser.fm ] – Queens of the Stone Age ‘s Josh Homme discusses “Deeper, Richer, Stranger” new album. [ Rock Music Report ]
Recording Academy While hard rock and metal bands were snubbed in most of the categories for the 2013 Grammy Awards that were announced tonight (Dec. 5), the one category devoted to those genres features a diverse range of nominees. The Best Hard Rock / Metal Performance category boasts nominations for Anthrax , Halestorm , Iron Maiden , Lamb of God , Marilyn Manson and Megadeth . Of all those acts, only Iron Maiden has previously won a Grammy. Anthrax are nominated for ‘I’m Alive’ off their album ‘Worship Music,’ while Halestorm got a nod for ‘Love Bites (So Do I)’ from their full-length effort ‘The Strange Case Of …’ Meanwhile, Iron Maiden scored a mention for ‘Blood Brothers’ from their ‘En Vivo’ CD/DVD and Lamb of God got a nod for ‘Ghost Walking’ from their ‘Resolution’ album. Finally, Marilyn Manson earned a nomination for ‘No Reflection’ off ‘Born Villain, while Megadeth scored a mention for ‘Whose Life (Is It Anyways?)’ from their album ‘TH1RT3EN.’ Congrats to all of those acts for representing hard rock and metal at the upcoming 55th annual Grammy Awards taking place on Feb. 10, 2013 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The event will air live on CBS at 8PM ET. In other rock categories, the Black Keys and Jack White led the way with multiple nominations. Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance Anthrax, ‘I’m Alive’ Halestorm, ‘Love Bites (So Do I)’ Iron Maiden, ‘Blood Brothers’ Lamb of God, ‘Ghost Walking’ Marilyn Manson, ‘No Reflection’ Megadeth, ‘Whose Life (Is It Anyways?)’ [button href=”http://loudwire.com/rock-song-of-the-year-2012-loudwire-music-awards/” title=”Next: Vote in the 2012 Loudwire Music Awards” align=”center”]
Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com (2) – North America, it’s your turn! Stone Sour and Papa Roach are bringing their co-headlining tour stateside in 2013. [ Loudwire ] – The 2012 Loudwire Music Awards voting continues with the addition of several newly revealed categories. [ Loudwire ] – Guitarist Brian ‘Head’ Welch says the timing is right to reunite with Korn for some upcoming gigs. [ Loudwire ] – Metallica tease their ‘Quebec Magnetic’ DVD with the new ‘Master of Puppets’ performance video. [ Loudwire ] – Mastodon are writing music for next summer’s ‘Monsters Inc.’ prequel, ‘Monsters University.’ [ Loudwire ] – The dates for Mountain Jam 2013 have been revealed. Check out a list of the Top 10 Mountain Jam performances. [ Diffuser.fm ] – The Rolling Stones ‘ Mick Jagger and Keith Richards discuss their complicated relationship. [ Ultimate Classic Rock ] – Fleetwood Mac intend on releasing three songs before their 2013 tour. [ Ultimate Classic Rock ] – Twisted Sister have revealed plans for a Hurricane Sandy benefit show. [ Rock Music Report ]
Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com Lamb of God drummer Chris Adler was the guest on Full Metal Jackie’s radio show this past weekend. Adler spoke all about Lamb of God’s current trek with In Flames, Hatebreed and Sylosis as well as awaiting the trial in Prague for frontman Randy Blythe . Adler also spoke of the brotherhood of Lamb of God and the band’s future music. Read the full interview with Chris Adler below: I had the chance to see you guys at the start of this tour, happy to have you guys back and finally doing a tour for ‘Resolution.’ Yeah it feels good, we did a pre-release week of small shows in January and then the plan was to do the longer summer tour but things got derailed a little bit but we’re very happy to get on the road here and work the new record. Has the chain of events from the last few months created a frustration that’s resulting now in greater aggression onstage? I think we’ve come to a point where we’ve realized how fragile, what we do is. Not that we were taking any of it for granted before but it does become a bit routine after 16, 17 years of playing these shows. To have something like this happen you get shocked by it and it definitely was a wakeup call to us all – especially for this tour because with the situation not resolved and Randy [Blythe] having to go back to trial sometime next year, they said somewhere between January and April so we can’t make any plans after this tour. Right now we’re looking at every night as the first and last so it’s really exciting and putting a lot more positive energy into the show. Before you get on tour and you start to turn gray and drink too much and everybody is sleeping all day and now everybody’s up and laughing and we’re having a good time and getting along. The shows have been really good and very energetic. In what ways has the situation in Prague change your appreciation for each other as band mates and also individuals? Yeah I think we’ve all come through some periods with the band that not a lot of bands are able to get through. Obviously we start as friends and things go awry and end up in fist fights and people leave and somehow we made it through that – knowing that together we are much greater than the individual parts. It’s taken a long time but I think we’ve come to the conclusion that we do have a lot of respect for each other and what we’re able to do together. Having this situation go down and having to lose a family member – to us the band is family so to have this happen was just shocking. We’ve all come together as much as we can to support Randy and try to do the right thing. It’s a complicated situation but we’re certainly hoping for the best. Randy has stated that he’ll return to the Czech Republic to stand trial, if necessary. Should that happen what’s the Lamb of God contingency plan for the down time while he’s in Prague? Right now we’re being told that the trial will be between January and April so we can’t really make any plans, we can’t tour. What we may do is begin some sort of preliminary writing process and hopefully the result that we’re hoping for this trial, we’re able to get back out on the road. I think the plan is assuming all is going to go well – which may not be the case but we certainly hope it is – we’re going to do two more world tours on ‘Resolution’ so the idea would really be to go into about the middle of 2014 on this record and then begin writing. If we can get a head start on that – that would be great. All summer long, we spent at home and I was lucky to spend the time with my daughter and wife but I know that Willie [Adler] and Mark [Morton] have already spent some time writing some new material and Randy while he was doing nothing but time, writing some stuff. I think we’ve got the element there to begin this creative process I’m just not sure how quickly we’ll be able to get to it. Do you think there’s going to be any kind of a different direction of the music being as what has happened or in terms of anything that you’ve heard or lyrics of anything that you’ve seen? As you mentioned earlier there certainly is a continuing sense of frustration about this scenario and what happened and obviously the important part of this is that somebody lost their life and we’re not going to glance over that we have to try and do the right thing – so in that there are certainly a lot of deep thoughts on what we do and how we do it and what it is we’re doing with this music. I think what it has in what I’ve heard from the guys and what Randy has explained to me in his time there – I think it is going to be a bit darker. I think it is going to go in some directions that maybe a band like us, at this point – maybe we just kind of lighten up and in the distance rest on our laurels kind of thing but I think this particular circumstance is going to push us even further in a dark direction. Full Metal Jackie will welcome Robb Flynn of Machine Head to her program this coming weekend. She can be heard on radio stations around the country — for a full list of stations, go to fullmetaljackieradio.com .