Music is all about connectivity, and those who establish that connection in the deepest of ways will surely create a fan base of rabid devotees. The love projected from the fans, to the band and back again is most notable with the following nominees, and if you’re reading this, you will likely pledge your allegiance to one of these 10 acts. From veteran acts to new addictions, these are your choices for Most Devoted Fans. Check it out and be sure to vote in the poll below: ? Avenged Sevenfold It’s no secret that Avenged Sevenfold have some of the most dedicated fans on the planet. Regardless of universal acclaim, mainstream success or negative criticism, A7X fans will be in it for life through thick and thin. ? ? Black Veil Brides Black Veil Brides possessed a massive fan base long before their debut studio album, ‘We Stitch These Wounds.’ The band are experiencing massive success driven by fans reminiscent of the emo and post-hardcore scenes in the mid-2000s. ? ? Dir En Grey When it comes to pure dedication, Japanese metal band Dir En Grey could easily build a legitimate cult with their listeners. Although underdogs from the beginning, the fans of Dir En Grey united with unmatched force for our Extreme Metal Olympics feature, leading the band to a gold medal. ? ? Falling in Reverse Although controversy seems to follow vocalist Ronnie Radke wherever he finds himself, his new band Falling in Reverse have exploded as one of the present day’s most popular ‘scene’ bands. Since the release of ‘The Drug in Me is You’ last year, the band has seen rare success due to their rabid fans. ? Iron Maiden As one of metal’s undisputed greatest bands in history, Iron Maiden fans are a breed of their own. Spanning all generations, Maiden are one of the few New Wave of British Heavy Metal bands who are still releasing brilliant material. Their American fans came in droves during this year’s ‘Maiden England’ tour, boasting the band’s grandest stage show to date. Up the Irons! ? Metallica When you’re the most commercially successful metal band in history, you can do anything and everything you want. For Metallica , this came in the form of their own Orion Music + More festival, where they performed both ‘Ride the Lightning’ and the ‘Black Album’ in full. You don’t need to know much about metal to recognize the ridiculously large following Metallica have gained. ? Suicide Silence Suicide Silence have been one of deathcore’s premiere acts for a number of years, but with the sudden death of vocalist Mitch Lucker on Nov. 1, fans of the band came together by the thousands in unity to memorialize the late singer. ? ? Slipknot Slipknot ‘s fan base of ‘Maggots’ have an animalistic dedication to their masked heroes. Even when headlining over legendary acts such as Slayer, Motorhead and Anthrax, the crowd was noticeably more massive for Slipknot throughout the 2012 Mayhem Fest. Maggots also rushed to the band’s very own two-city Knotfest events in 2012. ? Tool Maynard James Keenan is the Charles Manson of music. He could easily lead his legions of fans into a coup d’etat of the entire world, but luckily, he seems to be content with making wine instead. Each member of Tool is a genuine master of their instrument, while acting as true visionaries through their songwriting, and this has created one of the most notable and naturally-acquired fan bases in history. ? X Japan We witnessed the rabid nature of X Japan fans during a run of Loudwire Cage Matches earlier this year. The band’s followers allowed X Japan to defeat Black Veil Brides, In Flames, the Used, Bush and Jane’s Addiction in consecutive wins, proving how deeply-rooted and powerful their fan base truly is. ? Voting for the 2012 Loudwire Music Awards closes on Jan. 15 at 11:59 PM EST. Fans can vote once per hour, so keep coming back to make sure your favorite band wins! Sorry, you need to have javascript running to see this poll. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/rock-song-of-the-year-2012-loudwire-music-awards” title=”Next Category: Rock Song of the Year” align=”center”] Get Notified When Winners Are Announced Enter your email address below to receive the daily Loudwire newsletter, which will include notification of our full list of winners in the 2012 Loudwire Music Awards, as well as the top stories in rock and metal. Email
Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Korn are set to reunite with their founding guitar player Brian ‘Head’ Welch for two German festival gigs in 2013, and perhaps nobody is more stoked about the get-together than Welch. The metal six-stringer rocked out with Korn onstage for the track ‘Blind’ last May at the Carolina Rebellion festival in Rockingham, N.C., and he says jamming with Korn just felt right. “Last [May], I ended up at the Carolina Rebellion show,” he tells Revolver . “Evanescence played, and I had gone with P.O.D., because I was on tour with them. Korn was playing. I was just going to go say hi to them. I saw [Korn guitarist] Munky, and we talked for a long time. It was the first time we talked in seven years. He’s sober now and everyone’s in a good place.” Welch added that once he got onstage with the guys, he felt a connection. “It was all positive,” he said. “When I left Korn, there was all this negative crap everywhere. I went home and thought, ‘That was a cool experience.’ So Munky called me a little bit later about reuniting [for the shows in Germany]. I told him I didn’t think it was the right time, but maybe later. Then I thought about it more and I called him back. I had so much fun jamming I said, ‘Let’s do it.’ It’s a couple shows. I want to connect with the fans. It is the right time. We’re just going slow right now. We’re just gonna do those couple shows and see what happens. Just have a good time.” The big reunion is set to happen at Germanys Rock Am Ring and Rock Im Park festivals, scheduled for June 7 and 9. For more on the Korn reunion, check out Loudwire’s exclusive video interview with Munky: [button href=”http://loudwire.com/korn-munky-optimistic-permanent-reunion-brian-head-welch/” title=”Munky Optimistic For Permanent Reunion With Head” align=”center”]
As the 2012 Loudwire Music Awards continue, we take a look at the artists keeping things fresh. Sure, there are a lot of bands we all know and love, but the real exciting thing about music is making new discoveries and watching the upstarts you had never even heard of at the beginning of the year emerge to rock your radio or playlist right next to those big time acts. With that in mind, it’s time to select 2012′s Best New Artist. It’s an eclectic group of rockers on our list this year. Five of our ten acts have already established themselves in the rock and metal worlds with other projects but decided it was time to test out a new vehicle. Our other five acts are true newcomers that made significant inroads toward a bright future. Take a look at our 10 Best New Artist nominees and read about what made 2012 a breakout year for them. Then vote for your favorite in the poll below: ? Candlelight Red The seeds of Candlelight Red ‘s promise were sewn in late 2011 with their album ‘The Wreckage,’ which spawned the singles ‘Closer’ and their cover of Roxette’s ‘She’s Got the Look.’ After hopping in the studio with Sevendust’s Morgan Rose producing, things only picked up steam with the release of their ‘Demons’ EP, led by the disc’s title track. ? Dead Sara Childhood friends and musical partners Emily Armstrong and Siouxsie Medley hit on something special after adding bassist Chris Null and drummer Sean Friday to their group Dead Sara . The band’s self-titled debut featured the breakout single ‘Weatherman,’ the anthemic ‘We Are What You Say’ and the stirring ballad ‘Sorry For It All.’ ? Deuce After breaking free from Hollywood Undead, the rap-rock artist Deuce thrived with the ‘Nine Lives’ album, which spawned the breakout single ‘America’ and such fan favorites as ‘I Came to Party’ and ‘Nobody Likes Me’ (which featured a guest appearance by Falling in Reverse’s Ronnie Radke). ? ? Falling in Reverse Former Escape the Fate singer Ronnie Radke re-emerged on the rock scene with his new band Falling in Reverse , who enjoyed solid returns for their debut disc, ‘The Drug in Me Is You.’ It spawned the singles ‘I’m Not a Vampire,’ ‘Raised by Wolves,’ ‘Good Girls, Bad Guys’ and the title track. Plus, the group’s live energy made them a popular concert draw over the past year. ? Huntress Jill Janus emerged as one of the brightest (or shall we say darkest) new voices in the world of metal, pulling from both thrash and doom metal influences. Her band Huntress started garnering attention in late 2011 with the track, ‘Eight of Swords.’ In 2012, the track ‘Spell Eater’ kept the momentum going from the album of the same name. ? Kyng Kyng garnered critical acclaim in late 2011 with their debut album ‘Trampled Sun’ featuring singles like ‘Falling Down’ and ‘Trails in Veins.’ And in 2012, they were true road warriors for the entire year, most recently touring with the one and only Megadeth. ? ? Love and Death After several years of being billed as a solo artist, former Korn guitarist Brian “Head” Welch gave credit where it was due by deciding to switch to the band moniker Love and Death to show the unity of the musicians. The group garnered some attention with their single ‘Chemicals’ and picked up some momentum late-year single ‘The Abandoning.’ Look for their debut album, ‘Between Here and Lost’ in 2013. ? Otherwise Las Vegas rockers Otherwise enjoyed a breakout year with their ‘True Love Never Dies’ album. ‘Soldiers’ had a long run at radio earlier in 2012 and the hard-edged ‘Full Circle’ and melodic ‘I Don’t Apologize (1000 Words)’ showed some of the range the up-and-comers have. ? ? Storm Corrosion One of the more interesting collaborations of 2012 was that of Opeth singer-guitarist Mikael Akerfeldt and prog rock’s golden boy, Porcupine Tree leader Steven Wilson. The duo formed the band Storm Corrosion and issued a self-titled album back in May that could be best described as avant-garde experimentalism. ? Tremonti What started as a passion project for Creed and Alter Bridge guitarist Mark Tremonti turned into a surprise hit record for the rocker. ‘All I Was’ spawned the major radio single ‘You Waste Your Time,’ while ‘So You’re Afraid’ was picking up spins late in 2012. ? ? Voting for the 2012 Loudwire Music Awards closes on Jan. 15 at 11:59 PM EST. Fans can vote once per hour, so keep coming back to make sure your favorite band wins! Sorry, you need to have javascript running to see this poll. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/most-devoted-fans-2012-loudwire-music-awards” title=”Next Category: Most Devoted Fans” align=”center”] Get Notified When Winners Are Announced Enter your email address below to receive the daily Loudwire newsletter, which will include notification of our full list of winners in the 2012 Loudwire Music Awards, as well as the top stories in rock and metal. Email
Every Time I Die are in the midst of a tour with the Chariot, and have now announced they will be hitting the road again in February 2013 with the Acacia Strain . Also on the bill with ETID and the Acacia Strain will be Vanna, Hundredth and No Bragging Rights. The tour kicks off Feb. 6 in Chicago and after winding across the country and into Canada, wraps up in Allentown, Pa., on March 6. Every Time I Die are touring in support of their latest album ‘Ex Lives,’ which was released in March. The Acacia Strain were recently in a van accident that caused them to drop off their co-headlining tour with Veil of Maya. Band and crew members suffered some injuries, but thankfully they were minor, and the band will be ready to get back on the road in 2013. “Canceling tour dates is something we hate doing but we will make it up to all of you,” said frontman Vincent Bennet. “We are all very grateful to be alive and will see you in the New Year.” Every Time I Die, The Chariot, Letlive and Kills & Thrills Tour Dates 12/4 — Nashville, Tenn. — Exit/In 12/5 — West Columbia, S.C. — New Brookland Tavern 12/6 — Richmond, Va. — Canal Club 12/7 — Poughkeepsie, N.Y. — The Loft 12/8 — Providence, R.I. — The Met 12/9 — Holyoke, Mass. — The Waterfront Tavern 12/11 — Baltimore, Md. — The Ottobar 12/12 — Pittsburgh, Pa. — Mr. Smalls 12/13 — Bloomington, Ill. — The Castle Theater 12/14 — St. Louis, Mo. — Firebird 12/15 — Omaha, Neb. — Sokol Underground 12/16 — Madison, Wis. — The Loft 12/17 — Palantine, Ill. — Durty Nellies 12/18 — Lansing, Mich. — The Loft 12/19 — Buffalo, N.Y. — Mohawk Place 12/20 — Buffalo, N.Y. — Mohawk Place Every Time I Die, The Acacia Strain, Vanna, Hundreth and No Bragging Rights Tour Dates 2/6 — Chicago, Ill. — Bottom Lounge 2/7 — Milwaukee, Wis. — The Rave 2/8 — Minneapolis, Minn. — Mill City Nights 2/9 — Lawrence, Kan. — The Granada 2/10 — Denver, Colo. — Summit Music Hall 2/12 — Boise, Idaho — The Venue 2/13 — Seattle, Wash. — El Corazón 2/14 — Portland, Ore. — Branx 2/15 — Oakland, Calif. — Oakland Metro Operahouse 2/16 — Pomona, Calif. — The Glass House 2/17 — Los Angeles, Calif. — The Roxy Theatre 2/18 — Mesa, Ariz. — Nile Theater 2/19 — El Paso, Texas — Tricky Falls 2/20 — Austin, Texas — Red 7 2/22 — Houston, Texas — Warehouse Live 2/23 — Metairie, La. — The Cypress 2/24 — Atlanta, Ga. — The Masquerade 2/25 —Tampa, Fla. — The Orpheum 2/26 — Miami, Fla. — Grand Central 2/27 — Jacksonville, Fla. — Freebird Live 2/28 — Charlotte, N.C. — Amos’ Southend 3/1 — Washington, D.C. — Rock N Roll Hotel 3/2 — Cleveland, Ohio — Peabodys 3/3 — Detroit, Mich. — Magic Stick 3/5 — London, Ontario Canada — Rum Runners 3/6 — Toronto, Ontario Canada — The Opera House 3/7 — Ottawa, Ontario Canada — Ritual Nightclub 3/8 — Montreal, Quebec Canada — Club Soda 3/9 — Quebec City, Quebec Canada — L’Union Commerciale 3/10 — New Haven, Ct. — Toad’s Place 3/11 — Albany, N.Y. — Upstate Concert Hall 3/12 — Syracuse, N.Y. — The Lost Horizon 3/13 — Philadelphia, Pa. — Union Transfer 3/14 — New York, N.Y. — Irving Plaza 3/15 — Boston, Mass. — Royale 3/16 — Allentown, Pa. — Crocodile Rock
Lester Cohen, Getty Images Here’s a look at the top stories of the day on Loudwire and around the Web: – Great news for Black Sabbath fans! Ozzy Osbourne celebrated his 64th birthday yesterday (Dec. 3) by recording vocals for the new Sabbath album. Find out more here. [ Loudwire ] – Alice in Chains have announced that they’ve finished recording their new album. What are you waiting for?! Click here —> [ Loudwire ] – Foo Fighters played a special set to honor Led Zeppelin, with a twist: Dave Grohl played drums and Foos drummer Taylor Hawkins handled vocals during the performance. [ Loudwire ] – The third part of Green Day ‘s album trilogy, ‘¡Tré!’, is now available for streaming in full. Check it out here! [ Loudwire ] – Tom Morello admits that he’s unsure whether Rage Against the Machine will ever perform again. [ Loudwire ] – Metallica release ‘The Day That Never Comes’ from ‘Quebec Magnetic.’ Watch it here. [ Ultimate Metallica ] – Led Zeppelin discuss vikings, sex and hobbits on ‘David Letterman.’ [ Ultimate Classic Rock ] – Jon Bon Jovi discusses his fatherly fears following his daughter’s heroin overdose. [ Ultimate Classic Rock ] – Amy Winehouse’s home sells for $3.2 million at auction. [ Diffuser.fm ] ?
Razor & Tie / eOne Congrats to Hatebreed for snatching their second consecutive win in our latest Death Match. The hardcore heroes managed to beat out death metal veterans Nile, but now, we’ve got a band from the new school of technical death to face Hatebreed. The Contortionist have been scooping up fans since their beginnings in 2007. The Indianapolis metallers just released their second full-length, ‘Intrinsic,’ to a notable amount of praise in the metal underground. The band have just released a music video for ‘Dreaming Schematics,’ which delivers a spacey and brutal punch, despite the majority of the track’s vocals being squeaky clean. Can Hatebreed punch out yet another foe? Or can The Contortionist turn the hardcore band into a musical pretzel? Let your voice be heard by voting in the poll below. (This Death Match ends on Tuesday, Dec. 11, 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’ The Contortionist, ‘Dreaming Schematics’ ? 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.
Facebook: Alice in Chains Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell has confirmed that the band recently finished recording their new album, due out in 2013. The new disc will mark the follow-up to their 2009 release ‘Black Gives Way to Blue.’ Alice in Chains started working on the new tunes back in 2011 but were sidelined when Cantrell had to undergo surgery on his shoulder. Back in the saddle, Cantrell recently spoke to Guitar World about the pressures surrounding the new disc, saying, “It’s like having to deal with the sophomore jinx for the second time in our career.” Cantrell, of course, is referring to writing and recording music with the band’s new lineup several years after the tragic passing of singer Layne Staley in 2002. The band’s current lineup features Cantrell joined by William DuVall on vocals and guitar, Mike Inez on bass and Sean Kinney on drums. For the new disc, Alice in Chains worked with producer Nick Raskulinecz whose resume includes work with the Deftones and the Foo Fighters and engineer Paul Figueroa. Cantrell talked about how the post-Staley Alice In Chains measures up, explaining, “In my opinion, that record [Black Gives Way to Blue] stood up to anything else we’ve put out in our career and this new one is right up there, as well.” Although no official release date has been confirmed yet, it has been speculated the disc may make its debut within the first few months of the new year. With Alice in Chains already confirmed as one of the top acts for the 2013 Download festival, it looks like it could be a busy year for the Seattle rockers. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/alice-in-chains-queens-of-the-stone-age-motorhead-more-added-to-download-2013/” title=”Alice in Chains, Queens of the Stone Age + More Added to Download 2013″ align=”center”]