Liz Ramanand, Loudwire With just under two weeks before their upcoming album ‘The Parallax II: Future Sequence’ is released, Between the Buried and Me have premiered the first official video from the album, ‘Astral Body.’ The clip was directed by Wes Richardson. The video draws from the concepts of 2011′s ‘The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues’ EP and the new album. “To see lyrics and music come to life in a video is an unexplainable feeling. I literally am speechless every time I watch what he has done with this video,” says BTBAM singer Tommy Rogers. The ‘Astral Body’ video explores a design structure that would make up the creator’s dream while floating through space. The structure is a digital blueprint of the world he once knew. Richardson also made use of location photography, footage, and photo-real visual effects to capture the surface on the planet. “When we decided to create a video for this song I never expected to have visuals of this quality,” Rogers explains. “Wes has done an outstanding job of taking the lyrics and creating a world that won’t let the viewer turn away. We are very lucky to have such talented people surround us.” Guitarist Paul Waggoner details the concept of ‘Parallax II.’ “The two main characters of the story take on a journey through space and time with the unenviable task of having to cure the flaws of humanity by any means necessary. While the EP served mostly as an introduction to the characters, ‘Future Sequence’ contains the action of the story.” BTBAM kick off a European tour Oct. 1 in the UK followed by Japan, Australia and New Zealand dates. [button href=”http://www.altpress.com/aptv/video/video_premiere_between_the_buried_and_me_astral_body” title=”Watch Between the Buried and Me’s ‘Astral Body’ at AlternativePress.com” align=”center”]
Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com In late August, Papa Roach frontman Jacoby Shaddix received discouraging news. After experiencing issues with his voice and consulting a doctor, he was advised to undergo surgery due to a node on his vocal cord. The impending surgery caused Papa Roach to drop off of the Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Festival after only a week on the bill, an opportunity the band was hoping to use to showcase the new material from their upcoming disc, ‘The Connection,’ due out next week on Oct. 2. Well, good news: Shaddix tells Loudwire he is already on the path to a complete recovery after the surgery, and should be back on the stage in the very near future. Our phone conversation with Shaddix began with the Papa Roach singer serenading yours truly with his rendition of the classic Run-DMC tune ‘Mary, Mary,’ probably much to the chagrin of his doctor. When asked how his pipes were healing and how he was feeling, Shaddix was very positive about the whole experience. “Recovery is going really good,” Shaddix said. “It was a little tough in the beginning; I couldn’t talk at all so that sucked. It was the longest silence of my life since I was born; I just wanted to talk so bad.” As far as the physical healing, Shaddix said his last few appointments have been very encouraging. “Went to the first doctor’s appointment, all good,” explained Shaddix. “Went to another one yesterday and the doctor said I could start warming up. It was funny because they put a camera down my nose and down my throat to look down there and they couldn’t see which side they operated on because it had healed so well. They had to go back and look at the ‘before’ pictures, so that’s a god sign. It’s healing really well.” So what does the future hold for the singer? “I’m going to start warming up and I’ll be good to go here in the next two weeks. I’ll be full-voiced, buck wild, singing like a maniac,” Shaddix said. So in short, a true return to form. When we asked Shaddix if there would be any long-term effects to his singing voice, he responded, “I don’t think so. I’ll find out exactly how my voice sounds in the next few weeks. Anything is better than what it was, though, because it was f—ing terrible. I’m good.” Check back next week for the rest of our interview with Shaddix. In the meantime, you can pre-order Papa Roach’s new disc ‘The Connection’ here before its release on Tuesday (Oct. 2). [button href=”http://loudwire.com/papa-roach-still-swingin-video-jacoby-shaddix-recovers-vocal-surgery/” title=”Watch the Video for Papa Roach’s New Single ‘Still Swingin'” align=”center”]
YouTube Slash is once again delving into the animated world, but this time with a more sinister turn in the video for ‘Bad Rain.’ The guitar great and his animated counterparts turn up as the house band at a strip club that holds a dark secret. In the video, an older gentleman enters the club and is immediately transfixed by the fetching redhead with the snake tattoo dancing upon the stage while Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators play in the background. The woman has seemingly every man in the place glued to her every move, but the latest arrival is the one garnering most of her attention. As she continues to mesmerize the gentleman in the front row, he starts to notice that the people around him are not what they seem. But we won’t give any more of the video away. Watch for yourself below. This isn’t the first time Slash has been involved with animation, as Velvet Revolver ‘s ‘ Dirty Little Thing ‘ clip had animated elements. The rocker also appeared in animated form for Disney’s ‘ Phineas and Ferb ‘ film. ‘Bad Rain’ appears on Slash’s latest album, ‘ Apocalyptic Love .’ In other Slash news, the guitarist and his band will perform on TBS’ ‘Conan’ on Oct. 4. The guitarist has been a longtime supporter of the late night host, famously donning a ‘I’m With Coco’ pin while performing on Jay Leno’s late night show. Watch Slash’s ‘Bad Rain’ Video ?
Paul Hawthorne, Getty Images It has been five years since the last release from the legendary hardcore/punk band Bad Brains , but now they’re coming back with the new album ‘Into the Future,’ which will be released Nov. 20 via Megaforce Records. The title track is now available for streaming (click below to listen). Vocalist H.R. tells Rolling Stone the music connects the past to the future. “My vocalizing strengthens the impact of the group’s overall deliverance of the music, and the expression of the church of music. The new album wouldn’t be an A-plus new album if it hadn’t been for the earlier music, which was equally as inspirational. And it gets better and better.” Bad Brains produced ‘Into the Future’ themselves after their previous record ‘Build a Nation’ was produced by the late Adam ‘MCA’ Yauch of the Beastie Boys. The band included a remix of ‘Peace Be Unto Thee’ on this album as a tribute to Yauch, their longtime friend and fan. “‘Into The Future’ is the purest Bad Brains recording since the ‘ROIR’ cassette,” says bassist Darryl Jenifer. “This self-produced record shines with a true sense of freedom and musical experimentation, with blends of soulful backgrounds meshed with blistering hardcore and metal riffs, with classic dub.” A documentary about the band, ‘ Bad Brains: A Band in D.C. ‘ was released this year, and is being screened at various film festivals. It will be shown at the Woodstock Film Festival in New York on Oct. 12 and 13. [button href=”http://www1.rollingstone.com/hearitnow/player/badbrains.html” title=”Listen to Bad Brains – ‘Into the Future’ at RollingStone.com” align=”center”]
Photo by Mark Seliger Choosing the 10 best Slayer songs is a difficult task, considering the band's prolific career. Having unleashed a brand of unforgiving thrash metal for over 30 years, Slayer are one of the most iconic and influential bands of all time. Beyond the realms of metal, Slayer have almost built an entire ecosystem around their music, which has seen great appreciation and respect from all types of music fans. As one of thrash's 'Big Four,' Slayer have pummeled fans with 11 albums, two live records, four gold-selling discs and five Grammy nominations (including two wins). Slayer are currently in the process of writing their 12th studio album, which is tentatively set for a 2013 release, but for now, we celebrate the band's phenomenal career with our picks of the 10 Best Slayer Songs. ? 10 'Chemical Warfare' From: 'Haunting the Chapel' EP (1984) ? ? After the success of Slayer's debut album, 'Show No Mercy,' Metal Blade Records founder Brian Slagel reportedly pushed the idea of Slayer releasing an EP. Slayer were already playing 'Chemical Warfare' at their live shows, so releasing the song as soon as humanly possible was an obvious move. The track unveils an incredible power through pure grit, and is a favorite of old-school Slayer fans. 'Chemical Warfare' and the rest of the 'Haunting the Chapel' EP was later included in the 1987 re-release of 'Show No Mercy.' Listen to 'Chemical Warfare' ? ? 9 'Cult' From: 'Christ Illusion' (2006) ? ? After the strong response to 'God Hates Us All,' Slayer continued their challenge against religion with their 2006 full-length, 'Christ Illusion.' Although the album features two Grammy Award-winning songs, 'Eyes of the Insane' and 'Final Six,' track number nine, 'Cult' is arguably the album's greatest creative achievement. The Kerry King-penned track questions Christianity with vivid and intense lyrics that singer Tom Araya delivers with ultimate conviction. Listen to 'Cult' ? ? 8 'Disciple' From: 'God Hates Us All' (2001) ? ? As somewhat of a return to form for Slayer, the band unleashed 'God Hates Us All' in 2001, with 'Disciple' instantly becoming a fan favorite. The unforgettable yell of 'God hates us all!' gave a new iconic phrase for Slayer fans to scream along with frontman Tom Araya. In an incredibly strange coincidence, the 'God Hates Us All' album was released on Sept. 11, 2001, giving the album an additional dark overtone. Listen to 'Disciple' ? ? 7 'Dead Skin Mask' From: 'Seasons in the Abyss' (1990) ? ? It's utterly ridiculous how Slayer were able to cram so many iconic riffs into one album, but they achieved unparalleled creative success with 'Seasons in the Abyss' and the standout track 'Dead Skin Mask.' The prime cut was inspired by infamous murderer Ed Gein, who wore the skin of his dead victims. Adding a further piece of horror to 'Dead Skin Mask,' a voice of a child can be heard in the outro, crying, “I don't want to play anymore, Mr. Gein,” and “Let me out!” Listen to 'Dead Skin Mask' ? ? 6 'Hell Awaits' From: 'Hell Awaits' (1985) ? ? As the title track to one of metal's most influential releases, 'Hell Awaits' is one of the key Slayer tracks that demonstrates the diabolic atmosphere that the band is able to conjure. Although the track is mostly instrumental, 'Hell Awaits' grabs you with a Satanic grip as is drags you down into the fiery pit. This track can only be described as purely terrifying. Listen to 'Hell Awaits' ? ? 5 'War Ensemble' From: 'Seasons in the Abyss' (1990) ? ? Opening the 'Seasons in the Abyss' album with Slayer's classic take-no-prisoners attitude, 'War Ensemble' is without a doubt one of the strongest beginnings to an album in metal history. Still a staple of their live show decades after the release of 'Seasons in the Abyss,' 'War Ensemble' never fails to incite screams of 'Sport the war! / War support!' while Tom Araya concludes the iconic chorus with, 'The final swing is not a drill / It's how many people I can kill.' Listen to 'War Ensemble' ? ? 4 'South of Heaven' From: 'South of Heaven' (1988) ? ? Honing yet another memorable lick that only Slayer could unleash with such undercurrent, 'South of Heaven' is yet another cut that delves its demonic hooks into your flesh. 'South of Heaven' floats somewhere within the many lakes of fire explored by Slayer, taking the listener to an igneous crypt completely new to metalheads at the time, but all too familiar to the devil's favorite band. Listen to 'South of Heaven' ? ? 3 'Angel of Death' From: 'Reign in Blood' (1986) ? ? Beginning with a scream that embodies the suffering felt within the walls of the Auschwitz concentration camp, 'Angel of Death' is written from the perspective of Nazi doctor Josef Mengele. The doctor has become infamous for the sadistic experimentations he performed upon Auschwitz prisoners, including children. For this, he was gifted with the title, 'Angel of Death.' Slayer explored the monstrous acts carried out by Mengele with lyrics such as “Surgery, with no anesthesia / Feel the knife pierce you intensely.” Listen to 'Angel of Death' ? ? 2 'Seasons in the Abyss' From: 'Seasons in the Abyss' (1990) ? ? As the closing chapter to the album of the same name, 'Seasons in the Abyss' shows what Slayer can achieve musically without constantly driving at full speed. Much like some of their earlier works, Slayer creates a hellish atmosphere with 'Seasons in the Abyss,' with the feel of the track complementing the title perfectly. Don't go to sleep while this song is playing, because you'll surely dream about walking through the realm of purgatory. Listen to 'Seasons in the Abyss' ? ? 1 'Raining Blood' From: 'Reign in Blood' (1986) ? ? Thunder strikes as the sound of menacing rain and electric shrieks of perdition echo across the realm of the eternally damned. As the demonic sound begins to crescendo, Slayer take hold as they unveil one of the most evil riffs in metal history. From the 'Reign in Blood' album, which many considered to be the heaviest record on history at the time, 'Raining Blood' feels like it was handed down by the devil himself. As a band who perfected the concept of atmospherically evil thrash, 'Raining Blood' is certainly one of metal's highest peaks, as well as the most immortal achievement of Slayer. Listen to 'Raining Blood' ? ? What's Your Favorite Slayer Song? It wasn't easy coming up with a list of the 10 Best Slayer Songs, as there are so many tunes to choose from. Which Slayer song is your favorite? Which songs should have made the list? Let your opinion be known in the comments section below: ?
Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com / Warner It was a close race, but Marilyn Manson edged out Deftones in our last Cage Match. Can Manson’s ‘Slo-Mo-Tion’ win again versus today’s heavy hitters? Avenged Sevenfold enter the Cage Match with their track ‘Carry On,’ which is featured in the video game ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops II.’ The new song should keep fans satisfied as the band works on a follow-up album to 2010′s ‘Nightmare.’ So will Manson and his single ‘Slo-Mo-Tion’ be on the fast track to another win or will Avenged Sevenfold and their tune ‘Carry On’ gain a serious victory? Get in on the action and vote for your favorite song below! (This Cage Match will run until Friday, Sept. 28, at 8AM ET. Fans can vote once per hour! So come back and vote often to make sure your favorite song wins!) Marilyn Manson, ‘Slo-Mo-Tion’ Avenged Sevenfold, ‘Carry On’ ? 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!
Photo by Zac Fisher The Devil Wears Prada ‘s new single ’Mammoth’ is one of the most powerful songs off the band’s critically acclaimed 2011 album ‘Dead Throne,’ and now Loudwire is proud to bring you the exclusive premiere of the tune’s equally powerful music video (watch below). The video offers a visual contrast, as the clip opens with a joyful infant inside an open wooden coffin. As the camera opens to wider shots we see the coffin moving in mid-air in a contradicting world. Below there are fields of green, beautiful nature scenes and a ground lit by a sunny day. Above, ominous clouds hover over the child. As the video continues, that joyful infant grows into a young boy and eventually a elderly man, but the expression on his face has grown solemn, mirroring the intensity of the track and the skies above. The Devil Wears Prada themselves are also featured in the video, as Mike Hranica and Jeremy DePoyster deliver their vocals in silhouette against the backdrop of the burned out sky while the other band members pound away on their instruments. Not only is ‘Mammoth’ featured on the album ‘ Dead Throne ,’ it also has become a favorite at live shows and appears on the band’s ‘ Dead & Alive ‘ concert disc. At present, the Devil Wears Prada are catching a break in the schedule after a successful summer on the Mayhem Festival . The group will pick up their instruments again Oct. 18 when they launch a European trek that will keep them on the road through late November. Watch The Devil Wears Prada’s ‘Mammoth’ Video [Exclusive Premiere] [button href=”http://loudwire.com/the-devil-wears-prada-mike-hranica-talks-dead-throne-touring-with-slipknot-dance-parties/” title=”Next: The Devil Wears Prada Talk ‘Dead Throne’ + Dance Parties” align=”center”]