Dimitrios Kambouris, Getty Images With the recent release of ‘Rage Against the Machine – XX,’ the 20th anniversary edition of Rage Against the Machine ‘s self-titled debut disc, fans had plenty of reason to celebrate in hopes that it marked only the beginning of fresh new things to come from the band. However, guitarist Tom Morello has squashed that dream for now, even going so far to say that the band may never play together again at all. Say it isn’t so, Tom! In a new interview with Rolling Stone , the Rage guitarist gave his honest assessment on the current status of the band and what the future holds. “Whether or not we ever play music again in any capacity is unknown,” Morello said. “I’m grateful for the music we played together, and thank goodness the cameras were rolling.” Morello made it very clear that the resilience to record new music and tour is not coming from him directly. “If it were up to me, I would’ve made two records a year,” Morello confided. “As it is, we have just three records of original material over 20 years.” He also talked about what he hoped the anniversary release might spawn, explaining, “It was my great hope that we’d celebrate the 20th anniversary with a five-continent world tour.” Without a tour in sight, Morello is still grateful about everything the box set stands for and hopes that in addition to making longtime fans happy that it will turn on some new fans as well. “The reason why we’re doing this is very clear and simple: it’s for our fans, which I believe are the single most dedicated, wild in concert, and patient fans maybe in the history of rock music,” said Morello.“It was past due that we really did something that honored their commitment to us over the course of 20 years.” While this might not breed a lot of hope for a future Rage Against the Machine tour, the idea is always on the table. “Once a year, the band meets and very seriously discusses and turns down awesome offers to tour the world,” admitted Morello. “That’s part of the program.” Morello doesn’t seem to harbor any resentment regarding the frustrating situation though, he considers his Rage bandmates family, “I love them,” he said. “I consider them brothers and brothers-in-arms.” [button href=”http://loudwire.com/best-rage-against-the-machine-songs/” title=”10 Best Rage Against the Machine Songs” align=”center”]
Here we have a batch of stellar bands who just happened to shape the metal music landscape in 2012. The accomplishments made by the following acts cannot be underestimated, as metal as a genre continues to dominate the underground music world. Once again, we’ve got veterans facing new-school heroes for the title of Metal Band of the Year, and it’s the fans who will decide who deserves the award. Check out the 10 nominees in the Metal Band of the Year and be sure to vote in the poll below: Anthrax Having released ‘Worship Music’ in 2011, the thrash legends of Anthrax released ‘I’m Alive’ as a single in 2012, along with headlining the second stage at this year’s Mayhem Festival and touring extensively with Testament and Death Angel. ? ? ? As I Lay Dying Metalcore leaders As I Lay Dying had a strong year in 2012, releasing the album ‘Awakened’ to critical acclaim. The band turned the tracks ‘Cauterize’ and ‘A Greater Foundation’ into singles this year, along with performing on the 2012 Mayhem Festival. ? ? Between the Buried and Me Guitarist Paul Waggoner was hoping to create similar excitement for their 2012 album, ‘The Parallax II: Future Sequence’ that they conjured with ‘Colors’ in 2007. From fan reaction, Between the Buried and Me succeeded with their 2012 masterpiece. The prog metal act even gave fans a taste of ‘The Parallax II’ during the 2012 Summer Slaughter tour. ? Down Phil Anselmo and the rest of Down crunched their Southern sludge into an EP this year with ‘Down IV Part 1 – The Purple EP.’ Fans are absolutely rabid to check out these new tracks live, and they’ll get the chance to do so when Down hit the road early next year. ? ? Gojira The French mad scientists of Gojira absolutely exploded in 2012 with the album ‘L’Enfant Sauvage.’ The masterful album brought in a massive new group of fans while keeping the old ones happy, a feat that is among the most difficult of accomplishments for a progressive act. ? ? Lamb of God Having released ‘Resolution’ in early 2012, Lamb of God embarked on various tours before being stopped in their tracks by the arrest of vocalist Randy Blythe in the Czech Republic. Lamb of God persevered through the controversy, hitting the road once again later in the year to a red-hot ‘Welcome Home’ from fans. ? Machine Head Along with creating a more-than-impressive video for the song ‘Darkness Within’ in 2012, Machine Head treated fans worldwide to a string of live performances. After headlining a tour with support from Suicide Silence and Darkest Hour, Machine Head continued to play gigs with Dethklok, All That Remains and the Black Dahlia Murder. ? Napalm Death The British grindcore legends of Napalm Death blew away grind fans with their 2012 album, ‘Utilitarian.’ Having created one of this year’s most brutal and imaginative albums, Napalm took grindcore into a new realm proceeding their tour with Municipal Waste and Exhumed. ? ? Pig Destroyer After a five-year wait, grind masters Pig Destroyer released yet another pummeling triumph, ‘Book Burner.’ Under the influence of mastermind Scott Hull, ‘Book Burner’ showcases brilliant sonic attacks by all involved, including Kat Katz, Richard Johnson and broadcasting legend Larry King via his reading of Henry Miller’s ‘Tropic of Cancer’ audiobook. ? Testament Boasting one of metal’s most purely talented lineups, Testament crushed the world of thrash with their ‘Dark Roots of Earth’ album. The band made memorable videos for ‘True American Hate’ as well as ‘Native Blood,’ while touring with fellow thrash legends Anthrax and Death Angel. ? ? Sorry, you need to have javascript running to see this poll. 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
Twitter: @OfficialOzzy Yesterday (Dec. 3) was Ozzy Osbourne ’s birthday and if you’ve spent any time wondering how the Prince of Darkness celebrated his 64th, all you had to do was follow him on Twitter to find out. Ozzy posted the photo seen here of him working in the studio along with the tweet: “Spending my birthday tracking vocals on the new Black Sabbath album.” Although various reports have speculated that several songs for the Sabbath disc have already been recorded, guitarist Tony Iommi said that’s not the case in a recent interview. On ‘The Blairing Out With Eric Blair Show’ (via Blabbermouth ) Iommi cleared things up, explaining, “We’ve written 15 songs and we’ve played them all. But now, at the moment, we’re recording them.” He continued, “We recorded them at my house first, in England, just as demos, but now we’re doing them for real. So we’re about six tracks in now, at the moment.” Osbourne also recently went on record talking about the writing and recording process, calling it a lot of fun in comparison to their earlier years when the drugs, alcohol and egos got in the way. He talked about the music taking center stage, stating, “So what it boils down to now is the music — and that’s what got us where we are in the first place. We have come through the other side, we’re still able to work together, and that’s where the enjoyment comes from. It’s been a lot of fun making this record.” Ozzy certainly looks like he’s having fun in the studio … even while working on his birthday! [button href=”http://loudwire.com/best-ozzy-osbourne-solo-songs/” title=”10 Best Ozzy Osbourne Solo Songs” align=”center”] ?
Ethan Miller, Getty Images As reported yesterday (Dec. 3), Lamb of God frontman Randy Blythe has been indicted on manslaughter charges in the Czech Republic by the State’s Attorney Office in Prague and, as a result, will likely stand trial in the near future. Following the news of Blythe’s indictment, Lamb of God’s manager offered a lengthy statement . Many musicians are also speaking out, one of them being Disturbed frontman David Draiman who took to the band’s official Facebook to speak his mind about this situation. Draiman states: “MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS MY BLOOD, OUR FRIEND RANDY BLYTHE OF LAMB OF GOD HAS NOW OFFICIALLY BEEN INDICTED ON CHARGES OF MANSLAUGHTER. THIS IS A TRAVESTY OF JUSTICE. HE IS BEING A MAN AND STANDING UP TO THESE CHARGES. SHOW YOUR SUPPORT BY ON THEIR FACEBOOK PAGE AND TWITTER PAGES, RAISE AWARENESS AMONGST YOUR FRIENDS, AND TAKE THE TIME TO DONATE TO HIS DEFENSE FUND ON BOTH PAGES. YOU CAN ALSO HELP BY WRITING YOUR LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS AND PRESSURING THE U.S. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS/STATE DEPARTMENT TO GET PERSONALLY INVOLVED. WE STAND BEHIND RANDY, HOPE ALL OF YOU WILL AS WELL. AS ALWAYS, MUCH RESPECT. -DAVID P.S. BEEN USING CAPS FOR YEARS, NOT CHANGING. BIGGER PROBLEMS IN LIFE. BUILD A BRIDGE AND GET OVER IT.” Blythe was arrest was arrested in June of this year in regard to an alleged incident where a man died a few weeks after an apparent stage fall at a Lamb of God concert in the Czech Republic in 2010. The vocalist spent five weeks in a Czech prison before being released in early August. If Blythe is convicted of manslaughter, he could face 5-10 years in prison. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/lamb-of-god-randy-blythe-indicted-manslaughter-charges-czech-republic/” title=”Next: More on Randy Blythe’s Indictment” align=”center”]
Which rock band stood out among the rest in 2012? These 10 acts all had huge years in 2012, creating notable accomplishments with their records, singles, tours and the growth of their respective fan bases. The list of nominees in the Loudwire Music Awards category of Rock Band of they Year is filled with newcomers, fresh faces, veterans and even modern-day legends to choose from, so check out these 10 bands and be sure to vote in the poll below: Baroness Georgia sludge band Baroness traveled into a new and experimental realm this year with their double album, ‘Yellow & Green.’ Before releasing the album, which turned out to be an absolute masterpiece, the band toured with Meshuggah and Decapitated. Despite a horrific bus accident in England, Baroness refuse to be stopped. ? ? Chevelle Chicago rockers Chevelle had a spotlit year in 2012. Riding off the release of their sixth studio album, ‘Hats Off to the Bull,’ and the single ‘Face to the Floor’ spending 13 weeks at No. 1 on the rock radio charts, Chevelle hit the road on the Carnival of Madness tour along with their own headlining dates. ? ? Dead Sara As one of this year’s most exciting breakout acts, Dead Sara left their mark on 2012 with their self-titled full-length album, along with the raw rock hit ‘Weatherman.’ The band captivated audiences with support slots on various tours, and the band is set to open for Muse’s 2013 U.S. tour. ? ? Deftones Having compiled an incredible discography in their career, Deftones needed to live up to massive expectations with their 2012 album, ‘Koi No Yokan.’ The band succeeded, creating yet another paramount record. The band also toured with both System of a Down and Scars on Broadway throughout 2012. ? ? Halestorm Halestorm had a breakout year with their second full-length album, ‘The Strange Case Of…” The group hit the road with the Mass Chaos and Carnival of Madness tours, along with their own headlining dates. ? ? ? Lacuna Coil ‘Dark Adrenaline,’ Lacuna Coil ‘s sixth studio album hit this year with acclaim from both critics and fans. In addition to their studio accomplishment, the band headlined their Dark Legacy tour and appeared on the 2012 edition of Gigantour. ? ? ? Shinedown Shinedown dominated the world of rock radio in 2012, with ‘Bully’ reaching No. 1 on the modern rock radio charts and sticking around for a very long time, and the tracks ‘Unity’ and ‘Enemies’ have also been mainstays on the rock airwaves. Shinedown also headlined this year’s Uproar Festival tour. ? ? ? Soundgarden Perhaps the most discussed comeback of the year, Soundgarden gifted fans with their first studio album since 1996 with ‘King Animal.’ The band is set to tour North America in 2013, and we can expect some follow-up hits to current single ‘Been Away Too Long.’ ? ? ? Stone Sour ‘House of Gold & Bones Part 1′ gave Stone Sour fanatics their newest fix, and the disc has been embraced with phenomenal passion. Singer Corey Taylor shows his range in the album, proving once again that he is one of the most versatile frontmen in rock or metal music. ? ? ? Volbeat Volbeat dominated the charts with ‘A Warrior’s Call’ and ‘Still Counting’ over the course of 2012. They also spent the year touring on the Gigantour and on their own headlining trek with Hellyeah and Iced Earth. ? ? ? Voting for the 2012 Loudwire Music Awards closes on Jan. 12 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/metal-band-of-the-year-2012-loudwire-music-awards” title=”Next Category: Metal Band 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
Universal Republic Records Hinder exploded upon the scene with their 2005 debut ‘Extreme Behavior,’ which sold over 3 million copies and spawned five singles that landed on the rock charts including the massive hit ‘Lips of an Angel.’ Their following two albums also did well and had top 10 rock singles, and now the Oklahoma band returns with their fourth effort, ‘Welcome to the Freakshow.’ That title is somewhat misleading, suggesting an album filled with wild and crazy upbeat songs. There are a couple of those, but ‘Welcome to the Freakshow’ is very ballad-heavy. It’s also the most diverse Hinder album to-date. You’ve likely heard the opening track ‘Save Me’ on the radio. It’s up-tempo and packed with hooks. It’s a great opener, and one with a lot of meaning for frontman Austin Winkler. ?”?I had just gotten out of rehab for drugs and alcohol and I revisited the song,?” ?he says.? “?To me,? ?it felt like I didn’t need anything negative like drugs.? ?Those aren’t going to save me.? ?I can save myself though.?” ?‘Ladies Come First’ is not quite as deep. It’s vintage Hinder, a good-time track that’s heavy, but also melodic and extremely catchy with racy (some would say dirty) lyrics. The title track is also edgy and aggressive, with Winkler’s trademark raspy vocals and a nice guitar solo from Joe Garvey. ?The middle section of the album doesn’t measure up to the first few songs. There are a couple generic ballads and the poppy ‘Is It Just Me’ that has some clever hooks but not much depth. Hinder does rebound during the last part of the album with a couple of standouts. ?‘See You In Hell’ references late great celebrities like Marilyn Monroe, Elvis, Jim Morrison and Janis Joplin, has a call-and-response chorus and is destined to become a staple at live shows. ‘Anyone Like You’ is another ballad, but it has a country flavor, making it more distinctive and less slickly produced than the rest of the ballads on the album. ?The closer ‘Wanna Be Rich’ has a lot of electronic elements and is downright dancy in spots. In some parts of the song the electronic influence is subtle enough to co-exist with the band’s guitar driven style, but other times it takes over and sounds out of place. ?There are songs on ‘Welcome to the Freakshow’ that are among the best Hinder has ever done. But there are also some misfires and filler that detracts from the overall quality of the release. Hinder are at their best when they showcase their own distinctive sound, and too often on this album the song quality is there, but their identity is obscured.
Kevin Winter, Getty Images Over the weekend (Dec. 2), several rockers descended upon Washington, D.C., to pay homage to one of the most influential rock bands of all time – the legendary Led Zeppelin . The tribute performances for the annual Kennedy Center Honors show would see the combined talents of Foo Fighters , Lenny Kravitz and Kid Rock all take the stage to play classics from Led Zeppelin and attempt to do them justice. It was in the practice stages for this main event that Foo Fighters lead vocalist Dave Grohl had an epiphany, thinking he might want to return to the drum kit for this one. Grohl told the Washington Post that the decision came during a practice run when he asked himself, “Can I sing Zep? I can drum Zep,” concluding with he and Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins swapping roles for the evening with Grohl taking over the drum kit and Hawkins providing vocals. Together, Foo Fighters conjured up their versions of Zeppelin tunes ‘Black Dog’ and ‘Rock and Roll.’ Grohl also spoke about the impact late Led Zeppelin drummer Jon Bonham had on him as a player. “I was completely obsessed with John Bonham,” Grohl gushed. “So much so, that I knew that I would never be technically able to do what he did. But I wanted to see if I could crack open his instinct and see why he did the things that he did.” He continued singing Bonham’s praises, “Because, as any musician or producer will tell you, John Bonham’s feel was legendary. Just the way that he held down a back beat was something that no one had ever heard. And no one has been able to recreate since.” It wasn’t just Bonham that Grohl had kind words for though, he called Led Zep “the most powerful musical entity in the world when they were together,” and said that “No one could touch them.” From one musical great to another, Grohl summed it up, saying, “They were fearless because they were so confident. And they had the chops to back it up.” Fans can tune in to see the Foo Fighters and many more honor Led Zeppelin when the Kennedy Center Honors award show airs on CBS on Dec. 26 at 9PM ET. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/eddie-vedder-dave-grohl-12-12-12-hurricane-sandy-relief-show-madison-square-garden/” title=”Dave Grohl To Perform at 12-12-12 Benefit Concert” align=”center”]