It was a stellar year for metal, and we’ve got 10 very strong contenders in our Metal Album of the Year category in the 2012 Loudwire Music Awards. From grind to progressive metal to sludge to death metal and more, these albums have shaped 2012, but in the end, the fans will be the ones who choose this year’s top album. Check out the nominated album and be sure to vote in the poll below: Between the Buried and Me, ‘The Parallax II: Future Sequence’ Between the Buried and Me have perhaps created the most complex music ever set in outer space with ‘The Parallax II: Future Sequence,’ proving they are one of the strongest groups of pure musicians within the realm of metal. ? Converge, ‘All We Love We Leave Behind’ On ‘All We Love We Leave Behind,’ Converge stride closer to their hardcore roots with the track ‘Trespasses,’ continue the legacy of Kurt Ballou’s ingenious shredding with the song ‘Sadness Comes Home’ and even create experimental beauty with ‘Coral Blue.’ ? Down, ‘Down IV, Part I – The Purple EP’ Although ‘ Down IV, Part 1 – The Purple EP’ contains only six songs, the tracks within offer a sustaining energy that carries the weight of a full-length record. Moreover, Phil Anselmo’s voice sounds as powerful as ever. ? Goatwhore, ‘Blood for the Master’ Goatwhore ‘s blackened death metal gem ‘Blood for the Master’ is one of many great strides made by underground bands this year. Released on Feb. 13, the band unleashed one of their heaviest and greatest career achievements in 2012. ? Gojira, ‘L’Enfant Sauvage’ Although Gojira already possessed mountains of fans and a solid discography, the band is widely considered to be the breakout metal act of 2012. The French metallers successfully balanced their key components of brutality, beauty and progression. ? High on Fire, ‘De Vermis Mysteriis’ High on Fire ‘s ‘De Vermis Mysteriis’ explores the story of Jesus Christ’s time-traveling stillborn twin brother who drinks a serum to see the past through his ancestors eyes in order to discover how his brother became a religious icon. ? Lamb of God, ‘Resolution’ Lamb of God continued their streak of creating addictive “pure American metal” with ‘Resolution.’ The band stays the course with their latest album, with powerful consistency and strong execution. ? Napalm Death, Utilitarian’ ‘Utilitarian’ turned out to be not just a phenomenal album, but a monumental achievement for the British legends. Napalm Death ‘s songwriting created an avant-garde niche consisting of scattered saxophone solos and otherworldly clean vocals. ? Pig Destroyer, ‘Book Burner’ Pig Destroyer ended a five-year wait for new material in 2012 with ‘Book Burner.’ With the all-knowing guitarist / producer Scott Hull and tremendous guest vocalists accompanying J.R. Hayes, the grind of Pig Destroyer remains second to none. ? Woods of Ypres, ‘Woods 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light’ Tragically, Woods of Ypres mastermind David Gold did not live to see the release of ‘Woods 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light.’ Gold harnessed immense depth and introspective thought for the album, using death itself as the album’s central theme. ? 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
As the 2012 Loudwire Music Awards continue, we turn our attention to full bodies of work — that’s right — the Rock Album of the Year. We’ve got 10 stellar discs in contention for the title and need your assistance in determining the best. We’ve got a mixture of major radio acts, door-busting female-led hard rock outfits, ’90s mainstays enjoying a career resurrection and a handful of lesser-known acts who deserve consideration for potential breakout releases. But in the end, the final word comes down to you. Check out the nominated albums, read our cases for each, and be sure to vote in the poll below: Baroness, ‘Yellow & Green’ It’s a shame that Baroness ‘ year was cut short due to injuries sustained from a bus crash, but that doesn’t lessen the fact that ‘Yellow & Green,’ the band’s third album, was one of the year’s standout efforts. With ‘Take My Bones Away’ and ‘March to the Sea’ leading the way, this double-disc offered heavy rock with a sense of subtlety. ? Dead Sara, ‘Dead Sara’ Every year there’s the search for a new voice, and Dead Sara ‘s Emily Armstrong, with the emotion-filled rasp of a modern-day, hard-rock Janis Joplin, made her presence known. ‘Weatherman’ became the breakout single, but the remainder of their self-titled debut is a stellar effort, front-to-back. ? Deftones, ‘Koi No Yokan’ Deftones ‘ resurgence in recent years only continues with ‘Koi No Yokan,’ a magnificent disc led by the mood-shifting single ‘Tempest’ and the all-out aggression of ‘Leathers.’ The band, who’s made a career about exploring dynamic, continue to click on all cylinders with the highs, lows and atmospherics we’ve come to love. ? Halestorm, ‘The Strange Case Of…’ Sophomore slump? Never! If anything, Halestorm made significant strides with their second release ‘The Strange Case Of …’ ‘Love Bites (So Do I)’ was the kind of anthemic rocker that most bands would kill for and the angsty ‘I Miss the Misery’ struck a chord with listeners. ? Lacuna Coil, ‘Dark Adrenaline’ The ever-evolving Lacuna Coil actually took a step backward into their past, much to the delight of fans of their more gothic-sounding early years. ‘Dark Adrenaline’ connected with the lead single ‘Trip the Darkness,’ while the infectious drumbeat of ‘Fire’ was undeniable. There’s a comfort level and joy within almost every track. ? Marilyn Manson, ‘Born Villain’ Marilyn Manson , at least creatively, rediscovered his niche this past year. The ‘Born Villain’ album was reminiscent of the albums that made him a huge success in the ’90s, with the lead single ‘No Reflection’ sitting alongside the best tracks of his career. Other highlights included ‘Slo-Mo-Tion’ and ‘Hey Cruel World.’ ? Serj Tankian, ‘Harakiri’ After experimenting with a variety of styles in recent years, Serj Tankian ‘s return to rock was widely hailed. The vocalist provided a distinct point of view on a majority of his songs, with ‘Harakiri’ speaking to environmental concerns with aggression and ‘Figure It Out’ showing unrest with many of our corporate leaders. ? Shinedown, ‘Amaryllis’ Shinedown followed up ‘The Sound of Madness’ with another hits-filled set in ‘Amaryllis’ that’s definitely connecting with audiences. The topical ‘Bully’ was an early-year hit that not only delivered a message, but some ear-candy hooks to rope you in. Other standouts include the earnest ‘Unity’ and the in-your-face rocker ‘Enemies.’ ? Soundgarden, ‘King Animal’ Soundgarden showed no rust with ‘King Animal,’ there first album in 16 years. ’Been Away Too Long’ is the band’s new battle cry, signifying their official return with a track that connects as well as some of their biggest hits. ‘Non-State Actor,’ ‘Bones of Birds’ and the recently previewed ‘Rowing’ also show that the group is back to cranking out quality music. ? Stone Sour, ‘House of Gold & Bones Part 1′ Stone Sour ‘s ‘House of Gold & Bones, Part 1′ is highlighted by the double-single, ‘Gone Sovereign’ and ‘Absolute Zero,’ which provide the story of a man on a downward spiral. They’re both aggression personified. However, songs like ‘Taciturn’ and ‘Tired’ deliver a more melodic, yet no less powerful, statement. ? 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/metal-album-of-the-year-2012-loudwire-music-awards/” title=”Next Category: Metal Album 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
Samir Hussein, Getty Images These days, it seems as if you haven’t truly arrived until you’ve been awarded your very own SiriusXM show — so congratulations to Pearl Jam ‘s Eddie Vedder , who will kick off his brand new satellite radio series tomorrow (Dec. 5). Descriptively dubbed ‘The Eddie Vedder Radio Show,’ Vedder’s new program will air on SiriusXM’s Pearl Jam Radio channel, and is being presented in what the network is calling a “limited run.” According to a press release, episodes will find Vedder spinning “many of his all-time favorite songs, from early punk rock influences to unreleased material from his personal archives.” “Eddie has been the voice of a generation and a voice with a conscience and we are happy to have him take up residence here to do his own show,” said SiriusXM president and COO in a prepared announcement. “Eddie’s record collection could tell some stories all by itself, let alone with Eddie at the helm; we know our listeners will enjoy hearing this one.” The report comes amid a flurry of Pearl Jam news, including word that the band is deep into preparations for its next album, the follow-up to 2009′s ‘Backspacer’ although according to bassist Jeff Ament , there aren’t any concrete plans for 2013. While they take their time working on new material, it’s nice to know Vedder will be using his spare time to keep entertaining the fans. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/eddie-vedder-dave-grohl-12-12-12-hurricane-sandy-relief-show-madison-square-garden/” title=”Next: Eddie Vedder to Play 12-12-12 Benefit Show in NYC” align=”center”]
Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Waking up in sunny Key West Fla., after a serious night of partying was the case for some on the ship while others slept in and awoke to the sound of Lit in the afternoon to kick off the second day of music mayhem. Frontman A. Jay Popoff of Lit donned his very fashionable red-rimmed sunglasses as he worked the stage. It’s always a fun time when Lit perform, especially with their animated and energetic stage presence. After Lit, onetime Guns N’ Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke rocked the Deck Stage with some serious riffage. P.O.D. gave one hell of a performance as they unleashed in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Sonny Sandoval sang eye to eye with many fans but that wasn’t close enough for him as he belted out various P.O.D. anthems that ShipRockers knew and loved. After a half hour of technical difficulties and even a little bit of rain The Halo Method featuring — took the stage next and was joined by Art Of Dying frontman Jonny Hetherington performed Alice In Chains ‘Would?’ In This Moment crushed on their last day of the cruise since they had to fly to another show. They gave a blistering performance and got ‘Blood’ pumping by kicking off their set with ‘Adrenalize’ from their latest record. Korn ’s first performance of the cruise was indoor at the Carlo Felice Theater. The band put on a flawless show by playing numerous hits such as old school hits such as ‘Blind,’ ‘No Place to Hide’ and new school hits ‘Chaos Lives In Everything’ and ‘Get Up’ off of their ‘Path of Totality’ record. Other acts of the day included Fuel, Geoff Tate and Filter, who ended the night with an intimate set at the very aptly named Zebra Lounge. Check Out Photos of Bands Performing on Day 2 of Shiprocked 2012: Lit: Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Gilby Clarke: Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire P.O.D.: Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire The Halo Method: Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire In This Moment: Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Korn: Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire [button href=”http://loudwire.com/shiprocked-2012-godsmack-five-finger-death-punch-sevendust-more-day-1-recap-gallery/” title=”Previous: Shiprocked – Day 1 Recap + Gallery” align=”center”]
Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Earlier today, news broke from the Czech Republic that Lamb of God vocalist Randy Blythe has been officially indicted for the charge of manslaughter. Now, an update has come from the Lamb of God camp, who have issued a statement on the case’s most recent development. This latest development begins a new chapter of Blythe’s controversial case, and the indictment means that the District Court of ‘Prague 8′ has three months to either set a trial date for Blythe, or postpone the decision for the sake of continuing the ongoing investigation. Lamb of God manager Larry Mazer has responded to the indictment with a new statement. Mazer states: After a three month investigation, the prosecutor in the Czech Republic has decided to move forward with an indictment of Randy Blythe on the charge of manslaughter with intent to cause bodily harm. Obviously, we intend to fight vigorously against these charges as we feel that in no way did Randy intend to cause bodily harm on the young fan who subsequently died from injuries sustained at the show. As he has stated previously, Randy intends to go to Prague to defend himself at trial. While it is a tragedy that a Lamb of God fan died following a performance by the group, in no way do I feel that Randy did anything improper that led to the young man’s injuries and subsequent death. The price of a ticket to a show does not entitle audience members access to a band’s stage. In the years since the murder on stage of Dimebag Darrell Abbott, performers of all genres have had to become more guarded while performing in response to the dangers presented by fans trying to become part of the performance. We believe that Randy responded professionally to the numerous amount of fans rushing the stage that day, a number of them captured on videos that have been posted on the internet. We have testimony from the venue operator that acknowledges lax security and an improper barricade being used that evening. Numerous testimonies from fans also were contradictory as to the actions of the multiple fans that tried to access the stage. At this point, all that the band, myself, and our lawyers can do is to present a defense and try to convince the panel of judges who will hear the case that Randy is innocent of all charges and that his name and reputation need to be cleared and that he be permitted to carry on with his life and career always mindful that a fan passed away after a Lamb of God performance. Stay tuned for more on the Randy Blythe case as news breaks. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/lamb-of-god-randy-blythe-indicted-manslaughter-charges-czech-republic/” title=”Randy Blythe Officially Indicted by Czech Republic for Manslaughter Charges” align=”center”]
Last year, our most popular category in the Loudwire Music Awards was the Rock Goddess of the Year, celebrating the talented women in rock. But we also got some feedback from readers asking us to pay tribute to the men who best represented rock music over the year. We’ve answered the call with a brand-new category in 2012 – Rock Titan of the Year. A massive amount of bands have shaped the world of music in 2012, but some singular musicians have been especially important. Along with releasing quality music and/or touring this year, these titans have accomplished a variety of notable achievements. By making gigantic impacts, overcoming tragic circumstances, or both, we give you seven nominees for Rock Titan of the Year. Check out the nominated musicians and be sure to vote in the poll below: Corey Taylor, Slipknot/Stone Sour Slipknot / Stone Sour vocalist Corey Taylor accomplished a great deal this year. Not only did he headline the 2012 Mayhem Festival with Slipknot, but Taylor also released ‘House of Gold & Bones Part 1′ with Stone Sour. ? Jesse Leach, Killswitch Engage After vocalist Howard Jones announced his departure from Killswitch Engage , original Killswitch singer Jesse Leach returned to the band, receiving a red-hot reception from fans. Leach has also been working diligently with his bandmates on a new Killswitch record. ? John Baizley, Baroness Baroness released the brilliant double album ‘Yellow & Green,’ this year before surviving a terrifying bus crash while touring in England. John Baizley sustained some incredibly serious injuries from the crash, but despite the physical toll, Baizley has shared his story with fans, radiating an overwhelming amount of positivity. ? Phil Anselmo, Pantera / Down Legendary vocalist Phil Anselmo had prominent releases from both Down and Pantera this year. Down released their acclaimed ‘Purple EP’ while Pantera’s ‘Vulgar Display of Power’ got a 20th anniversary release with the added track ‘Piss.’ Anselmo even performed in both of the 2012 ‘Metal Masters’ clinics. ? Randy Blythe, Lamb of God Lamb of God vocalist Randy Blythe was unfortunately on the wrong side of metal’s biggest news story of the year. After releasing ‘Resolution’ with Lamb of God early in the year, Blythe persisted through over a month in Czech prison, while refusing to run from his controversial charges. ? Slash The iconic top-hatted guitarist took 2012 by storm with Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators. Slash released ‘Apocalyptic Love’ this year, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and helped spearhead a reunion performance of Guns N’ Roses sans Axl Rose. ? Tony Iommi, Black Sabbath The news of Tony Iommi ‘s lymphoma diagnosis hit metal fans straight in the gut this year, but the ‘Iron Man’ has been steadfast in fighting the condition while writing and recording a new Black Sabbath album. Iommi was also able to perform with Sabbath for three shows in 2012 and continues to work on a new Sabbath album. ? 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. 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
Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com The year 2013 is gearing up to be a big one for Motley Crue and Nikki Sixx . In addition to working on a broadway play based on his book ‘The Heroin Diaries,’ and his recent engagement to longtime girlfriend Courtney Bingham, the bassist recently confirmed that Motley Crue is indeed working on a brand spanking new full-length album. A fan posed the question to Sixx on his Facebook page , asking, “Do you think there will ever be another full Crue album?” Sixx, obviously feeling the holiday spirit, replied with an answer that should please a lot of Crue fans, saying, “’Sex’ was the first song and we’ve all been writing. Will get in the studio to finish what we started and deliver the best Crue album yet.” Many fans got a taste of the new material over the summer when Motley Crue toured with Kiss and debuted their first new track ‘Sex’ live. According to Sixx, that’s just the beginning and he’s been “writing [his] ass off for months now.” Apparently fans weren’t the only ones inspired by the new tune! 2012 has been a banner year for the Crue as well, now three decades into their career. They kicked it off with a residency at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, breaking ground for several other rock bands to follow in their footsteps, from Guns N’ Roses to Def Leppard. Here’s to a whole lot more new Crue in 2013! [button href=”http://loudwire.com/nikki-sixx-engaged-courtney-bingham-new-motley-crue-songs/” title=”Next: Nikki Sixx Engaged to Courtney Bingham” align=”center”]