Donald Bowers, Getty Images One of the most discussed topics of 2012 has been a possible Pantera reunion with Black Label Society frontman Zakk Wylde filling the spot of the late ‘Dimebag’ Darrell Abbott . Throughout the past year, drummer Vinnie Paul and singer Phil Anselmo have addressed the subject, as has Zakk Wylde, who has publicly stated it would be an honor if he was asked to take part in a Pantera reunion. Now, in what may come as a disappointment to some fans, Vinnie Paul no states that he has “no interest” in reuniting with his former bandmates. In an interview with MusikUniverse.net , Paul spoke in detail about leaving the Pantera legacy untouched. “It’s easy, man. I don’t live in the past, man,” begins Vinnie. “I wanna look forward, I wanna keep moving forward. I understand [fans] wanting to see it, especially people who’ve never had an opportunity to see Pantera, but without my brother being part of it, it just doesn’t make any sense. I’m not gonna trample on his legacy to make some people happy.” The drummer continues, “We had 14 amazing years together and we sold nearly 40 million records around the world. That’s some pretty amazing stuff. And the band is, actually, to me, bigger today than it was then. I mean, it really is; it’s really grown and grown and grown. There’s plenty of DVDs and videos out there for them to watch. And I would highly suggest you come and see me play with Hellyeah , ’cause that’s what I do.” “[It’s just] rumors, man,” Paul adds. “That’s all I got to say. And you heard that Aerosmith song, [singing] ‘Dream on, dream on.’ It ain’t gonna happen, man. I have no interest in playing with those guys. I love [Hellyeah]; I’m really into it. And I really believe if I stick with it long enough, it will see the same kind of success eventually.” Check out our exclusive interview with Hellyeah’s Vinnie Paul and Chad Gray by clicking the button below. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/hellyeah-vinnie-paul-chad-gray-band-of-brothers-touring-more/” title=”Hellyeah’s Vinnie Paul and Chad Gray Talk ‘Band of Brothers,’ Touring + More” align=”center”]
Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com / Liz Ramanand, Loudwire In a pairing of hit-making rock acts, Three Days Grace and Shinedown are teaming up for a co-headlining U.S. arena tour kicking off in February 2013. Adding more firepower to the bill will be opening act P.O.D. The trek kicks off Feb. 1 in Moline, Ill., and is currently scheduled through a Feb. 20 show in Lowell, Mass. Dates are primarily centered in the Midwest, with a couple of East Coast dates thrown into the itinerary. However, the bands promise more dates will be added shortly. Three Days Grace, who recently released the album ‘Transit of Venus,’ issued this band statement regarding the tour: “We can’t wait to get back out on the road to play live for our fans; that’s the best part of doing what we do.” The band’s current single ‘Chalk Outline’ spent several weeks at No. 1 on the active rock chart. Meanwhile, Shinedown will be out in support of their latest album, ‘Amaryllis,’ and singer Brent Smith says of the trek: “Shinedown prides itself on always taking our live shows to the next level and giving our fans everything they want – honest, emotional, and incendiary performances. This tour is no exception. In fact, we’re raising the bar.” This past summer, P.O.D. released ‘Murdered Love,’ which has yielded the No. 1 rock hit ‘Lost in Forever.’ They are gearing up to head out on the road with 3 Doors Down and Daughtry this month. Check out the current list of dates for the Three Days Grace / Shinedown / P.O.D. tour below: Three Days Grace + Shinedown + P.O.D. 2013 U.S. Tour Dates: 2/1 Moline, IL – iWireless Center 2/2 Madison, WI – Alliant Energy Center 2/5 Minneapolis, MN – Target Center 2/6 Green Bay, WI – Resch Center 2/8 Nashville TN – Bridgestone Arena 2/9 Huntington, WV – Big Sandy Superstore 2/10 Knoxville, TN – Knoxville Civic Auditorium Coliseum 2/12 Saginaw, MI – DOW Events Center 2/13 Battle Creek, MI – Kellogg Arena 2/15 Ft. Wayne, IN – Allen Co War Memorial 2/16 Lexington, KY – Rupp Arena 2/17 Reading, PA – Sovereign Center 2/19 Baltimore, MD – 1st Mariner Arena 2/20 Lowell, MA – Tsongas Center [button href=”http://loudwire.com/top-hard-rock-songs-21st-century/” title=”Three Days Grace, Shinedown + P.O.D. – Top 21st Century Hard Songs” align=”center”]
Seven Four Entertainment/Republic With a monstrous 16 year hiatus between Soundgarden ‘s last studio release and their newest offering ‘King Animal,’ the group’s fans likely had a lot of questions leading up to the return of one of rock’s most beloved bands. The biggest question of course lies within their sound. While it helped mold a new revolutionary genre back in the ‘80s and ‘90s, does it have staying power for a whole new century? The answer is a resounding ‘yes.’ ‘King Animal’ settles in nicely, picking up right where the band left off so many years ago and taking care of a lot of unfinished business. ‘King Animal’ displays the familiar sounds of Soundgarden without getting too caught up in nostalgia, something that can often handcuff bands trying to rise up from the ashes of their past. The band, feeling revitalized and a sense of renewal with this disc, see their reunion as more of a rebirth rather than a comeback, and the creative inspiration fueling that sentiment can be felt throughout ‘King Animal.’ Although the vibe is undeniably Soundgarden — moody, groove-laden rock — the band’s evolution is on full display, as Chris Cornell’s iconic vocals and Kim Thayil’s guitar work provide a sonic power that’s impeccably complemented by the the rhythm section of drummer Matt Cameron and bassist Ben Shepherd. The first single ‘Been Away Too Long’ serves as a battle cry for the band’s triumphant return. It’s almost as if the band wrote a personal letter to their fans with Cornell’s brooding confessions, “I’ve been away for too long” and “I only ever really wanted a break.” Sixteen years may have been too long indeed, but Soundgarden are clearly back. With everyone in the band with at least one writing credit to their name on ‘King Animal,’ the songs cover a lot of sonic terrain from the explosive drums that fuel ‘By Crooked Steps’ to the ethereal swirling vocals on ‘Blood on the Valley Floor.’ The haunting lingering vibe left by the intricate web of sound spun in ‘Bones of Birds’ is arguably one of the disc’s best offerings, followed by the visual soundscape painted by ‘Taree.’ ‘King Animal’ offers up an eclectic mix of visual imagery, thought provoking prose, all set to a timeless soundscape of flourishing rock with a reminiscent feel. In music, it’s sometimes difficult to stand the test of time but Soundgarden prove with ‘King Animal’ that they did not reassemble simply to preserve a legacy but to build on one that’s already firmly in place.
Photos: Facebook: Digital Summer / Octane Digital Summer and their new song ‘Forget You’ have taken down every opponent thus far but can they reach the Loudwire Cage Match Hall of Fame with their fifth and final victory? Hollywood Undead take the Cage Match by storm with their brand new single ‘We Are’ off of their forthcoming third album ‘Notes From the Underground.’ Vocalist Johnny 3 Tears talks about the new track by stating “The song is about collective resistance. It’s the silent majority, but we’re using Los Angeles as the backdrop.” ‘Notes From the Underground’ is set to drop in January 2013. So will Hollywood Undead rise up and takeover this matchup with ‘We Are’ or will Digital Summer have an unforgettable win with ‘Forget You’ and head to Loudwire’s Cage Match Hall of Fame? Get in on the action and vote for your favorite track in the poll below! (This Cage Match will run until Wednesday, Nov. 14, at 8AM ET. Fans can vote once per hour! So come back and vote often to make sure your favorite song wins!) Listen to Digital Summer, ‘Forget You’ Listen to Hollywood Undead, ‘We Are’ 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!
Bullet for My Valentine fans know that the band recently announced that their much-anticipated new full-length album, ‘Temper Temper,’ will arrive on Feb. 11, 2012, via Sony Music. Now, we have a new music video from the Welsh metallers for ‘Temper Temper.’ The song will be released via all major digital outlets on Nov. 25. Watch the video, which features one terrifying schoolroom of misfits, below. It was just a few months ago when Bullet for My Valentine’s Matt Tuck broke the news to Kerrang! that recording sessions for the new album were in full swing. “We’ve still got seven songs left to track vocally, but the other seven are done. So we’re seven songs in, and we listened to them in the car on the way up as well cause we wanted to show a few people and see what they thought and everyone was like, ‘Wow!’ So it’s an exciting, exciting time for everybody.” For ‘Temper Temper,’ the guys once again hit up producer Don Gilmore ( Linkin Park , Deftones ), who twiddled the knobs on the band’s last album, 2010’s ‘Fever.’ The set was mixed by Chris Lord-Alge of Deftones and Nickelback fame. Watch Bullet for My Valentine’s Music Video for ‘Temper Temper’
Yet another rock band has announced that they will launch a Las Vegas residency. With bands such as Motley Crue and Guns N’ Roses having successful tenures in Sin City, Def Leppard are the latest act to confirm a series of shows in Vegas. Def Leppard’s residency will be titled ‘Viva Hysteria!’ and will be focused around the band’s most beloved album, ‘Hysteria.’ The group will be playing the record in its entirety, which features the legendary tracks, ‘Animal,’ ‘Love Bites’ and ‘Pour Some Sugar on Me,’ along with select hits from their other albums. The famed Hard Rock Hotel and Casino will host Def Leppard’s residency, with nine shows scheduled to begin on March 22. “We’re very happy to be part of what I call the first wave of rockers to take Vegas back from the lounge singers — Wayne Newton and his type,” Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott tells USA Today . “Things like ‘Run Riot,’ ‘Don’t Shoot Shotgun’ and ‘Love and Affection’ got left by the wayside because of the popularity of other songs that, to be frank, if you don’t play them live, you don’t get out of the building alive. The oddest thing is going to be doing ‘Sugar’ fifth. In many respects, it’s like the Troggs opening with Wild Thing.” Elliot continues, “The downtime will not go to waste. Two of the guys in the band live in Dublin and the other three live in California. This is a great opportunity for a band that has decided to live all over the world to be in one room at one time, to look each other in the eyes and to come up with ideas.” Ultimate Classic Rock actually spoke with Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen earlier this year about the possibility of a Las Vegas residency. “We’ve been talking about this for 10 years, me and Joe Elliot, more than anyone else. We [would] do [whole albums like] ‘Hysteria’ or we do ‘Pyromania’ one night and something like that would be great, but we’ve just talked about it. Obviously we haven’t got it into gear, it would be cool. It’s getting the time to do it in a venue; I think that’s brilliant Motley Crue doing it.” Check out Def Leppard’s upcoming Vegas dates below. Tickets go on sale Nov. 16. Def Leppard 2013 Las Vegas Residency Dates: March 22 March 23 March 27 March 29 March 30 April 3 April 5 April 6 April 10
Reprise The guiding principle of Deftones albums is the push and pull between singer Chino Moreno and guitarist Stephen Carpenter. That’s an age-old rock ‘n’ roll construct — the tension between singer and guitar player — and Moreno and Carpenter being at consistent sonic odds is what makes Deftones music so dynamic. They employ this technique on their new album ‘Koi No Yokan.’ It’s recommended that you listen to all Deftones albums, especially this one, in the dark, with the volume turned up, to fully absorb the layers of sound without distraction or interruption. There is so much more going on under the surface of those quiet-loud bursts and the exchange of energy between Moreno’s croon and Carpenter’s heavy artillery demands a deeper listen. ‘Koi No Yokan’ is erected on the aforementioned foundation, with Carpenter pounding out gritty, bottom-heavy, resonant riffery, while Moreno adds a bit of an androgynous touch, thanks to his clean vocals, which have always been indicative of his PJ Harvey worship. Moreno screams like a banshee, at times, but it’s his clean, pretty vocals which are way more interesting to Deftones fans. They are almost like an instrument unto themselves. ‘Koi No Yokan’ is a bloodied record that bares its claws. ‘Swerve City’ opens the disc, and is the get-it-out-of-the-way song in that it makes the point that the Sacramento, Calif., band is here to rock and retain its heaviness. The lush ‘Romantic Dreams’ has a whimsical bend, with Moreno cooing “I wish this night would never end” over a Meshuggah-influenced gust of Carpenter riffage. That’s the case for much of his techy guitar tone, which anchors the album and makes it feel constructed of iron ore. The dynamics aren’t just at play because Moreno and Carpenter face off musically. DJ Frank Delgado is also working overtime to spin those extra sonic flourishes into the mix, like the sound bites buried under that gnarly riff in ‘Romantic Dreams.’ ‘Leathers’ has a ghostly, cinematic quality to the first few seconds, before it erupts into a torrent of screams and wails. ‘Poltergeist’ kicks off with handclaps and a engine-revving riff that could cause a 50-car pile up. ‘Entombed’ is the prettiest song on the record, with sweeping vocals and a shimmery tone. But that doesn’t mean it’s soft. It’s just swells with beats that sound like a thumping heart and there’s an electrical, Delgado-designed current that buzzes through the fade out. ‘Graphic Nature’ is melancholic, with chunky riffery, while the undulating single ‘Tempest’ has a melody line similar to that of ‘Change (In the House of Flies),’ which is the band’s biggest radio hit. It doesn’t sound like ‘Change,’ but it is from the same melodic family. ‘Gauze’ could cause an involuntary ejection from your seat, since it comes on with a full blast of noise. ‘Rosemary’ is a sweeping exercise in quiet-loud, Deftonesian dynamics and contrasts. It starts the final moments of the album correctly. It sends volts of electrical charges rushing through your veins. ‘Koi No Yokan’ is 11 tracks, so it doesn’t wear out its welcome or leave you wanting more, either. It’s a satisfying length and since the songs have such a thunderous guitar bottom end, it would tire you out if it went on for too long, so the band and producer cut things off at the right time. Much of the underlying flourish, provided by Delgado, has a film score quality to it and could be cut up, dissected, re-arranged and used in noirish thrillers. No, we don’t mean slasher or horror flicks, either. While ‘Koi No Yokan’ might not match ‘White Pony,’ which is the transitional and pinnacle album for the band that came out over 12 years ago, it has a similar spirit to that album and the self-titled release that followed it. In fact, if ‘Koi No Yokan’ had come out after 2003′s ‘Deftones,’ it would not interrupt the catalog’s flow. Overall, if the Smashing Pumpkins were heavier, ballsier and angrier, they’d make albums that sound like this, since Deftones do have an alt-metal vibe. Moreno’s lyrics are often from-the-journal-page and stream of thought, making them entirely open-ended and capable of attracting the disaffected. The album’s title is a Japanese term for the moment you know you will fall in love with someone, and the disc itself delivers more of what the band’s fans have come to love. Deftones already made that creative left turn a decade ago, and it served them well, so they serve it up again.