SoundgardenWorld.com New Yorkers had the opportunity to see Soundgarden play at the very intimate Ed Sullivan Theater as part of the ‘Live on Letterman’ concert series. Soungarden are out in promotion of ‘King Animal,’ their first album in 16 years, and they kicked off the night with new tracks ‘Worse Dreams’ and ‘By Crooked Steps.’ Seven out of the 10 songs they played were off of ‘King Animal’ which gave fans a first listen at hearing the new tunes in a live setting. It took a while for the crowd to warm up, as many were hearing these songs for the first time, but the enthusiasm built pulled out some classics such as ‘Incessant Mace,’ ‘Beyond the Wheel’ and ‘Fell on Black Days.’ Soundgarden sounded flawless as Cornell’s vocal range took our ears to an entirely new level. The serious shredding skills of guitarist Kim Thayil is mind blowing when you see him perform live, and the booming bass of Ben Shepherd and steady beats from drummer Matt Cameron topped it all off. During the performance Cornell, joked that that David Letterman was managing them now. Earlier in the evening, while they were taping their appearance on CBS ‘Late Show,’ host David Letterman told the band after their performance that he’d like to manage the band. Cornell went on to quip that the band is not doing any more small gigs, only Madison Square Garden from now on. That joke didn’t last long, since right after ‘Live on Letterman,’ Cornell did in fact play a “small gig,” for a big cause. Cornell performed a solo set which was a benefit show for Hurricane Sandy victims at Bowery Ballroom. In a surprise, he was joined by his Soundgarden bandmates during that gig. Soundgarden’s takeover of New York City continues tonight (Nov. 13) with a gig at Irving Plaza. Check Out Soundgarden’s ‘Live On Letterman’ Set ‘Live On Letterman’ Set list: 1. Worse Dreams 2. By Crooked Steps 3. Incessant Mace 4. Beyond the Wheel 5. Taree 6. A Thousand Days Before 7. Eyelid’s Mouth 8. Non-State Actor 9. Fell on Black Days 10. Rowing
Reprise Green Day have got love on the brain, while their toes are firmly dipped in the influences of eras gone by on ‘ ¡Dos! , the second album of their new trilogy. The disc even has a old-school pacing, clocking in at just under 40 minutes, but taking 13 tracks to get there. The quick-hitting nature of the songs makes the album a more immediate listen that seems to fly by. ‘¡Dos!’ comes across as a more cohesive collection than its predecessor (‘¡Uno!’) both lyrically and musically. The first part of the album follows the story of a man pursuing the girl that seems out of reach and the eventual comedown that follows, while the latter portion allows for a few steps outside the lyrical storyline. Album opener ‘See You Tonight’ and closer ‘Amy’ perfectly bookend the album with a restrained Green Day dipping into what feels like ’60s era Everly Brothers territory. The disc digs in with the out and out pursuit of the young woman on ‘F— Time,’ a song that almost brings to mind teens dancing the twist and a Georgia Satellites guitar lick thrown in in for good measure while singer Billie Joe Armstrong begins the courting process. ‘Stop When the Red Lights Flash’ continues the process, with the boast, “ Out of sight, out of mind, just give me one more time, I’ll make you surrender. ” For those looking for radio singles, ‘Stop When the Red Lights Flash’ seems like an obvious choice. But the wheels begin to come off with ‘Ashley,’ a frenetic track about the young woman of the singer’s desires falling further out of reach both romantically and in his desired interest. Highlights on the album include Armstrong’s exhausted lament on ‘Lazy Bones,’ a track that stands out from the rest of the disc and could potentially be its biggest single. Another standout, ‘Makeout Party,’ provides a showcase for drummer Tre Cool, who gets to steer away from keeping the beat to offer drum fills with reckless abandon while bassist Mike Dirnt fuels the song’s breakdown midway through. Current single ‘ Stray Heart ‘ was an obvious choice for radio play as well, as the bouncy feel of the track reflects the sound of ’80s era The Jam or more recently Weezer’s poppy side. It’s straight-up ear candy that instantly connects and is the poppiest track of a very commercial sounding release. For those looking for the hard-edged snarl of some of Green Day’s mid-2000s music, this album is not likely the place for you, but ‘¡Dos!’ does work extremely well as an infectious pop record with touches of early rock influences. Green Day will put a bow on the trilogy with the release of ‘¡Tre!’ on Dec. 11.
Antonio Marino Jr., MarinoPics.com With their new disc ‘King Animal’ out today (Nov. 13), Soundgarden gave New York one heck of a preview yesterday. They kicked the day off with a special performance for ‘Live on Letterman’ that was streamed via a live webcast allowing fans around the word to tune in. Performing a 10-song set, the band focused on their new music showcasing several tracks from ‘King Animal’ but also played some of their classic tunes as well like ‘Fell on Black Days’ and ‘Incessant Mace.’ Check out our recap and whole archived show here . After ‘Live on Letterman,’ Cornell set his sights on helping out those impacted by Hurricane Sandy with a benefit show at the Bowery Ballroom in NYC. Although the show was billed as a solo acoustic show, some fans must have held out hope that the rest of the band would join Cornell onstage at some point in the night, and during the evening, that wish came true. According to Brooklyn Vegan , the rest of the band assisted Cornell with six Soundgarden songs: ‘Fell On Black Days,’ ‘Black Saturday,’ ‘Blow Up the Outside World,’ ‘Halfway There,’ ‘Black Hole Sun,’ and ‘Outshined.’ Fan-filmed footage of ‘Black Saturday’ can be seen below in addition to Chris Cornell’s solo performance of ‘Hunger Strike.’ Soundgarden aren’t finished with New York yet, as tonight the band will play a headlining show at Irving Plaza. The concert is one of three 2012 club gigs that were announced before the band unveiled their 2013 touring plans . Fan-Filmed Footage of Chris Cornell’s Hurricane Sandy Benefit Show on Nov. 12 [button href=”http://loudwire.com/soundgarden-king-animal-album-review/” title=”Soundgarden, ‘King Animal’ – Album Review” align=”center”]
Facebook: Pantera – Pantera / Hellyeah drummer Vinnie Paul has seemingly put an end to the questions of whether or not a Pantera reunion with Zakk Wylde on guitar may happen. Read what he said here. [ Loudwire ] – Avenged Sevenfold will be a part of ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops II.’ At a certain point in the game, you can see an animated version of the band perform ‘Carry On.’ Watch here: [ Loudwire ] – Three Days Grace and Shinedown have announced a co-headlining U.S. arena tour featuring support from P.O.D. [ Loudwire ] – Bullet For My Valentine have released a new music video for ‘Temper Temper.’ Check it out here. [ Loudwire ] – In Dave Navarro doing awesome things news, the Jane’s Addiction musician recently sent a Canadian musician a new guitar after his was stolen. [ Loudwire ] – Royal Thunder join Monster Magnet for U.S. East Coast tour dates. [ Rock Music Report ] – Rockers salute military heroes via Twitter on Veteran’s Day. [ Ultimate Classic Rock ] – Paul McCartney and wife involved in near-disastrous helicopter incident. [ Ultimate Classic Rock ] – Sigur Ros announce 2013 North American tour, prep for Madison Square Garden. [ Diffuser.fm ] – What’s your favorite Metallica song from ‘Kill ‘Em All’? Vote for your top track here. [ Ultimate Metallica ]
Jim Dyson, Getty Images Mere hours before their new disc ‘King Animal’ officially hits the streets on Nov. 13, Soundgarden will be taking over the ‘Live on Letterman’ concert webcast tonight (Nov. 12) at 8PM ET. Following in the footsteps of bands like Foo Fighters and Kiss, Soundgarden will perform an intimate set during the upcoming event. But the good news is that you don’t have to be in New York to partake in the festivities. Soundgarden fans and music enthusiasts alike can tune in below to stream the concert live as the band takes over the Ed Sullivan Theater for the very special appearance. The band’s ‘Live on Letterman’ set will consist of a mix of new tunes, including the first official single off ‘King Animal,’ the aptly titled ‘Been Away Too Long,’ as well as some classics from the vault, so tune in to check it out! In addition to the webcast, the band will also be performing a song on tonight’s episode of ‘Late Show With David Letterman’ on CBS. Building on the momentum of ‘King Animal,’ Soundgarden recently announced a North American tour to kick off the new year. Check out all of the confirmed dates here . Tune In at 8PM ET To Stream Soundgarden’s Live on Letterman’ Concert Webcast [button href=”http://loudwire.com/soundgarden-king-animal-album-review/” title=”Soundgarden, ‘King Animal’ – Album Review” align=”center”]
Fox Last year, former Guns N’ Roses and current Velvet Revolver / Loaded bassist Duff McKagan revealed in his autobiography, ‘It’s So Easy: And Other Lies,’ that the iconic ‘Simpsons’ animated beverage Duff Beer was named after him. McKagan happily agreed for ‘The Simpsons’ to use his name, but now the bassist has admitted that he regrets not cashing in on the opportunity. McKagan writes in the book, “When Guns N’ Roses began to break into the public consciousness, I was known as a big drinker. A production company working on a new animated series called me to ask if they could use the name “Duff” for a brand of beer in the show. I laughed and said of course, no problem. The whole thing sounded like a low-rent art project or something — I mean, who made cartoons for adults? Little did I know that the show would become ‘The Simpsons’ and that within a few years I would start to see Duff Beer glasses and gear everywhere we toured.” Back when the young bassist gave the residents of Springfield permission to drink his namesake brew, McKagan admits that he wasn’t as business-minded as he should have been. “I knew nothing about branding yourself then or the royalties off it,” McKagan tells British newspaper The Independent . “I just thought cool, they wanna use my name and boom, ‘The Simpsons’ was born. Yeah, if I had a nickel for every time…but it’s fine.” Duff McKagan’s Loaded are set to perform a handful of dates in the coming months, including a Sunset Strip show with Social Distortion and some 2013 Soundwave Festival dates throughout Australia. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/duff-mckagan-advice-band-survival-the-road/” title=”Duff McKagan Offers Advice For Surviving a Tour” align=”center”]
Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com Video game fans have been anxiously awaiting the release of ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops II,’ which hits shelves tomorrow (Nov. 13). It was previously announced that Avenged Sevenfold ‘s song ‘ Carry On ‘ would be part of the game’s soundtrack, but now we’ve learned the band makes an appearance in the game, as well. If you stick around until the end of the credits, a virtual A7X performs ‘Carry On.’ In addition to the band, characters from the game join in as well. A nervous Raul Menendez plays guitar, and Sergeant Frank Woods is behind the drum kit. This is not Avenged Sevenfold’s first association with the ‘Call of Duty’ games. 2011′s ‘Call of the Dead’ expansion pack included their song ‘Not Ready to Die.’ The musical score for ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops II’ was created by Nine Inch Nails mastermind Trent Reznor . In addition to coming with the physical edition of the game, the 40 plus song soundtrack will also get a separate release tomorrow (Nov. 13). The ‘Call of Duty’ games are massively popular. The first ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops’ game was the largest ever entertainment launch, bringing in a staggering $650 million within five days of its release. That record was broken by ‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III.’ Could ‘Black Ops II’ be the biggest seller yet? We’ll find out beginning tomorrow. Watch Avenged Sevenfold – ‘Carry On’ Video (NSFW Language)