Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com Three Days Grace and Papa Roach make strong showings on the latest Billboard 200 album chart, as both bands’ new discs debut in the Top 20. ‘Transit of Venus’ from Three Days Grace lands at No. 5 in its first week, selling 48,000 copies. Our review of the album states, “They’ve stepped out of their comfort zone, ditched the formula, and went all in, holding nothing back in the true spirit of rock. The reward clearly outweighed the risk on this one and the additional elements enhance the songs without taking them hostage and the identity that Three Days Grace has forged for the past 20 years is clearly better for it.” Papa Roach’s new album ‘The Connection’ also debuted in the upper echelon of Billboard 200, coming in at No. 17 with 22,000 copies sold. Our review of ‘The Connection’ reads, “The band mines the well of interpersonal connections again with their latest record. Jacoby Shaddix, a master at baring his soul in tracks like ‘Last Resort,’ ‘Scars,’ and ‘Broken Home,’ puts his heart clearly on his sleeve with the standout track ‘ Before I Die .’ ” After debuting at No. 2 last week, Green Day ‘s ‘ ¡Uno! ‘ slips to No. 11 this week, selling another 29,000 copies. Topping the album chart this week is ‘Babel’ from Mumford and Sons, followed by Muse’s ‘The 2nd Law.’ New albums from Between the Buried and Me , Converge and Nonpoint were all released this week, and we’ll see how they do on next week’s Billboard 200.
Christopher Polk / Carlo Allegri, Getty Images Green Day may be off the road due to Billie Joe Armstrong ‘s rehab stint , but the group is finding plenty of other ways to remain in the spotlight. One of them will happen on Oct. 19, when the group’s music is used to soundtrack an episode of the CBS crime drama ‘CSI: NY.’ According to the band’s website , songs such as ‘Stop When the Red Light Flashes,’ ‘Amy,’ ‘Night Life,’ ‘The Forgotten,’ and ‘Kill the DJ’ will help tell the story of the episode. In the episode itself, Lindsay (Anna Belknap) is injured while trying to stop the attempted murder of a political candidate. CSI: NY executive producer Pam Veasey states, “My ultimate goal was to tell a story without dialogue, and Green Day’s music and lyrics beautifully accompanied the visuals making it a very special episode.” The band stated, “We were stoked when we found out ‘CSI: NY’ wanted to use our music instead of dialogue to narrate the first few acts of the episode. It’s the first time something like this has been done on the series, and we are blown away with what we’ve seen.” ‘CSI: NY’ airs Fridays on CBS at 8PM ET/PT. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/green-day-uno-album-review/” title=”Next: Green Day’s ‘Uno’ – Album Review” align=”center”]
Metal Blade New York death metal band Sons of Azrael’s vocalist Joe Siracuse (pictured far right, above) has passed away at the young age of 29. Details regarding the cause of his death have not yet been revealed. Sons of Azrael posted the simple message, ‘Joseph R. Siracuse 1983-2012,’ on their Facebook page late last night (Oct. 9). Canadian hardcore band Liferuiner offered their condolences to the family and friends of Siracuse. “A very old friend of ours Joe has passed away,” the band posts . “We wanna send all our love out to the Sons of Azrael family and friends. We did some of our first tours together with those boys and he will be missed dearly. R.I.P.” Sadly, this is the second tragedy Sons of Azrael have experienced in less than a year. Guitarist Tony Lorenzo was shot in the back during an armed robbery on Oct. 26, 2011, which paralyzed the musician from the waist down. News channel WIVB reported on the incident last year, with Lorenzo offering his explanation of the shooting. “The kid asked me, ‘Give me what you got.” And before I could even get my wallet out, he shot me. I was robbed. I can’t feel my legs right now.” We like to send our condolences to the family, friends and bandmates of Joe Siracuse. To celebrate the life of Siracuse, please take a minute and listen to some of his music. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/adam-yauch-death-2012/” title=”See the Rockers We’ve Lost in 2012″ align=”center”] Sons of Azrael, ‘A Numbing Flood’
YouTube Linkin Park pack a powerful emotional punch with their latest video for ‘Castle of Glass,’ which tells the story of a military family losing their father to war. The clip, which was shot in association with the creators of the upcoming ‘Medal of Honor: Warfighter’ video game, centers on a young boy who is greeted at the door by a soldier preparing to break the news of his father’s death while his mother returns to his side crying about their loss. Inside the house, Mike Shinoda stands alone as the foundation begins to crumble around him, mirroring the emotional shock that is impacting the family. The powerful song takes on more resonance as the young boy begins to explore his father’s belongings and starts to understand what he sacrificed to serve his country and even though the boy has lost his father, he prepares to follow in his footsteps. Prior to the video’s premiere, the band offered fans a chance to unlock the clip by taking part in a ‘Medal of Honor: Warfighter’ beta test. The group coordinated with EA Games to create their new clip, and ‘Medal of Honor: Warfighter’ footage is worked into the ‘Castle of Glass’ video itself. Watch Linkin Park’s ‘Castle of Glass’ Video [button href=”http://loudwire.com/linkin-park-in-the-end-top-21st-century-hard-rock-songs/” title=”Next: Linkin Park – Top 21st Century Hard Rock Songs” align=”center”]
Photos: BWR / Leann Mueller In a ridiculously close race in the last Cage Match, Hinder and their new single ‘Save Me’ edged out Thousand Foot Krutch, but will they be safe against today’s heavy hitters? P.O.D. enter the matchup with their new single ‘Higher’ off of their latest disc ‘Murdered Love.’ After being part of this year’s Uproar tour, the band is gearing up for some dates with 3 Doors Down, go here for a full list of dates. P.O.D. are also set to play Shiprocked 2012; check out our exclusive interview with P.O.D. singer Sonny Sandoval and In This Moment frontwoman Maria Brink about the rockin’ cruise. So will Hinder fans continue to ‘Save’ them or will P.O.D. reach a soaring victory with ‘Higher’? Get in on the action and vote for your favorite track below! (This Cage Match will run until Friday, Oct. 12, at 8AM ET. Fans can vote once per hour! So come back and vote often to make sure your favorite song wins!) Listen to Hinder, ‘Save Me’ Listen to P.O.D., ‘Higher’ ? Sorry, you need to have javascript running to see this poll. ? Email Me When Cage Match Winners Are Announced Enter your email address below to receive the Loudwire newsletter, which will include notification of the daily winner of the Cage Match, as well as our top stories of the day. Email Rules of Cage Match: Fans can vote once per hour for their favorite song. If a song remains the reigning champ for five straight cage matches, it is retired to the Loudwire Cage Match Hall of Fame. With so many great songs out there, we have to give other bands a chance!
Razor & Tie Nonpoint are back and rocking as hard as ever with their new self-titled album and Loudwire is teaming up with the band to offer you a prize package surrounding the new release. By simply entering your details below, you could win an autographed Nonpoint CD, an autographed Nonpoint poster, and a black Nonpoint TV t-shirt (as seen to your left). Though the band has reconfigured their lineup, singer Elias Soriano feels they are solid moving forward. The vocalist says of the new disc , ” We wanted this record to be a punch in the face. There was a lot of stuff I wanted to artistically vent about. It’s a fresh start for us. We felt like having a self-titled record says it all. We hit the reset button, and there’s life again. You can hear it musically. We’re not going anywhere.” Drummer Robb Rivera echoes those sentiments, adding, “This album is the beginning of a brand new chapter in the world of Nonpoint … rejuvenated and full of positivity. Elias has written his most personal lyrics yet that shows the signs of endurance this band has had in our 15 year career.” So far, the response has been mostly positive, with the group already releasing the preview track ‘ I Said It ‘ as well as the recent single, ‘Left for You.’ To hear those songs, as well as the rest of the band’s latest release, you can order their album in a variety of packages at the group’s website . You can also fill out the form below for a chance to win the Nonpoint Prize Package: Nonpoint Prize Pack Giveaway Enter your e-mail address and T-shirt size for a chance to win an autographed Nonpoint CD, an autographed Nonpoint poster, and a black Nonpoint TV t-shirt . Contest ends Nov. 10, 2012. Click here for official rules . By entering this contest, you will automatically start receiving daily newsletters from Loudwire. You can unsubscribe at any time. You will also be added to the Nonpoint mailing list. Email T-shirt Size
Ethan Miller, Getty Images Godsmack singer Sully Erna is extending the life of his ‘Avalon’ solo album with a limited edition box set . Only 5,000 copies of the collection will be sold, and Erna had done his best to pack the box sets full of material that will bolster its value for those who purchase it. Described as “the ultimate Sully Erna fan package,” the box set includes a full performance of the ‘Avalon’ record live from Boston’s Wilbur Theatre that was recorded last December. During the set, the singer displayed his many musical talents by tackling drums and piano, as well. The collection also includes the ‘Sully Erna: Journey to Avalon’ documentary, ‘The Making of Avalon Live’ featurette, and seven discs of material in total. There’s also a bloopers CD, an audio CD of the album, and plenty more. As if that weren’t enough, Erna is also packing the collection with a number of collectible items. Fans will get a coffee table book, hat t-shirt, guitar pick, poster, incense, Sully’s biography, a commemorative backstage pass, and a Sully Erna necklace. The entire set comes in a custom metal Sully Erna-engraved box with a suede lining. There will also be several golden tickets included with the box set, and those receiving them will have a chance to join Sully on all-expense paid trips to Las Vegas, Catalina Island, Napa, New York, and Boston. Other items like autographed guitars, handmade drums, and handwritten lyrics may also turn up as prizes for those purchasing the box set. Though an official release date has not been announced, the ‘Avalon’ box set is expected in November. Watch a Trailer for Sully Erna’s ‘Avalon’ Box Set Watch Sully Erna’s ‘Eyes of a Child’ [button href=”http://loudwire.com/godsmack-awake-top-21st-century-hard-rock-songs/” title=”Next: Godsmack – Top 21st Century Hard Rock Songs” align=”center”]