Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Earlier this week Nonpoint and Taproot rocked an intimate show at New York City’s Gramercy Theater and brought some serious force with two powerful sets. Headliners Nonpoint are touring in support of their upcoming self-titled album due out Oct. 9. They rocked out a couple new tracks from the forthcoming disc, such as their single ‘Left for You’ and ‘I Said It.’ They also delivered such fan favorites as ‘Mind Trip,’ ‘Broken Bones,’ ‘Miracle,’ ‘What a Day,’ and ‘Bullet With a Name’ among numerous others, bringing the passion and sweat onstage throughout. Frontman Elias Soriano definitely had a captivated audience, as the crowd was moving throughout. Taproot also gave a vigorous performance and for someone who has had a rough year filled with health issues , frontman Stephen Richards sounded impeccable and was on top of his game. With his charismatic facial expressions and jumping rope with the microphone chord, his stage presence and the band’s overall energy resonated throughout the venue. Not to mention the “Let’s Go Rangers” chant Richards started also really got fans going and kept them in their corner for the rest of the night. The band performed new tracks such as their singles ‘No Surrender’ and ‘The Everlasting’ from their latest disc ‘The Episodes’ which dropped earlier this year. They also worked in older staples like ‘Smile,’ ‘Myself,’ ‘Path Less Taken,’ ‘Calling’ and of course ‘Poem’ just to name a few. To catch the remaining dates where you can see Nonpoint with Taproot, go here . [button href=”http://loudwire.com/nonpoint-reveal-new-album-track-listing-release-date-cover-art/” title=”Next: Nonpoint Reveal Self-Titled Album Track Listing + Cover Art” align=”center”] Nonpoint: Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Taproot: Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire
Columbia It was Sept. 29, 1992 when Alice in Chains released their sophomore set, ‘Dirt,’ a brooding masterpiece that would stand as one of the ’90s best works. Having made inroads with their debut full-length ‘Facelift’ and its pre-grunge explosion single ‘Man in the Box,’ many felt the group was primed for something big now that their music scene was finally taking off nationwide. They didn’t disappoint, and got an early boost when the song ‘ Would? ‘ from the forthcoming album would turn up on the ‘Singles’ soundtrack. The melancholy track was penned by guitarist Jerry Cantrell as a reaction to the death of his late friend, Andrew Wood of Mother Love Bone, who died from a heroin overdose a few years prior. Cantrell would state on the ‘Music Bank’ liner notes, “I was thinking a lot about Andrew Wood at the time. We always had a great time when we did hang out, much like Chris Cornell and I do. There was never really a serious moment or conversation, it was all fun. Andy was a hilarious guy, full of life and it was really sad to lose him. But I always hate people who judge the decisions others make. So it was also directed towards people who pass judgments.” The feelings brought about by addiction issues would play a large role in the recording of ‘Dirt.’ ‘ Them Bones ‘ would be the second single from the disc (first if you consider ‘Would?’ initially coming from a soundtrack prior to the album’s release). From a vocal standpoint, there’s not much more powerful than the primal scream that Layne Staley delivers at the beginning of the song. On the lyrical side, Cantrell would state that the track was his take on the mortality that faces us all. The guitarist also took great pride in the track’s 7/8 time signature, telling Guitar World , “Off-time stuff is just more exciting. It takes people by surprise when you shift gears like that before they even know what the hell hit ‘em … A lot of Alice stuff is written that way. ‘Them Bones’ is a great off-time song.” The other major songwriter in Alice in Chains, Layne Staley, stepped up with the band’s third single, ‘ Angry Chair .’ The singer even strapped on the guitar to add a little something extra to the track. ‘Angry Chair’ is also a notable song in the band’s history as it was one of the final moments where bassist Mike Starr got to shine. Starr would eventually exit the band, leaving Mike Inez to finish out the disc and eventually take over as a full-time touring and recording member. But before he left, Starr and drummer Sean Kinney laid down the killer low end on this classic cut. The group hit on something big with their fourth single, ‘Rooster.’ The haunting opening melody of Staley and Cantrell is spine tingling, and the way Staley moves between the moody intro into the full-on belting of “ I ain’t gonna die ” later in the track shows his range. Cantrell wrote the song about his Vietnam War-vet father, who was nicknamed “The Rooster,” and the track shares some of the horrors of war that his father finally opened up about. It would go on to become the biggest song on the disc, topping out at No. 7 on the Mainstream Rock Chart. Finishing out the singles was ‘ Down in a Hole ,’ a rare love song from Alice in Chains. Cantrell said in the ‘Music Bank’ liner notes, “It’s to my long-time love. It’s the reality of my life, the path I’ve chosen, and in a weird way it kind of foretold where we are right now. It’s hard for both of us to understand … that this life is not conducive to much success with long-term relationships.” In addition to the singles, the album is filled with heavy goodness, as the chugging rocker ‘ God Smack ,’ the darkly wailing ‘ Rain When I Die ,’ and the hard-hitting ‘ Sick Man ‘ are among the standouts that never got commercial airplay. By the time the album cycle was complete, Alice in Chains had gone from potential buzz band to having their rock ‘n’ roll legacy cemented. ‘Dirt’ was the right album at the right time, and took full advantage of being released at the height of the grunge era. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/best-grunge-bands/” title=”Next: 10 Best Grunge Bands of All-Time” align=”center”] Watch Alice in Chains ‘Rooster’
Lisa Maree Williams, Getty Images Those waiting for a new Queens of the Stone Age album will have to settle for the Josh Homme solo single titled ‘Nobody to Love’ for the time being. The track made a rather low-key debut late last week as it appeared over the closing credits of Jake Gyllenhaal-Michael Pena cop movie, ‘End of Watch.’ Antiquiet reported that Homme was breaking from the band’s current sessions back in July long enough to record the song for the film. The track was co-written with and also features producer Dave Sardy, who turns up with music throughout the soundtrack. Unfortunately, it does not feature on the commercial release of the film’s soundtrack , but fans can still get it on the iTunes version . The track itself begins with the sound of piano keys, but eventually morphs into a more Homme-sounding cut with fuzzed-out bass and the singer’s dream-like delivery of the lyrics. The sorrowful track hits home with the chorus, “ There’s nobody to love / No pill’s gonna cure my ill .” Homme has been rather busy of late, also recording an unnamed track with Queens for Amnesty International that will be part of a forthcoming release. In the process of revealing their involvement, Queens of the Stone Age also directed fans to read about the execution of Troy Davis and to join Amnesty International’s efforts dealing with human rights cases. Queens of the Stone Age scrapped their initial attempt at a record earlier in the year, but Homme and company returned to the studio in mid-August , posting a photo to let fans know that work had begun. Listen to Dave Sardy and Josh Homme’s ‘End of Watch’ Song, ‘Nobody to Love’ [button href=”http://loudwire.com/queens-of-the-stone-age-no-one-knows-top-21st-century-hard-rock-songs/” title=”Next: Queens of the Stone Age: Top 21st Century Hard Rock Songs” align=”center”]
Liz Ramanand, Loudwire / Ethan Miller, Getty Images Throughout the past year, the surviving members of Pantera have commented on the possibility of Zakk Wylde filling in for the late Dimebag Darrell if the band were ever to reunite. While it’s all been speculation thus far, singer Phil Anselmo now reveals that he recently discussed the topic with Wylde himself. Anselmo says that both he and Wylde would be open to it, but that his strained relationship with Dimebag’s brother and Pantera drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott, is a major obstacle to overcome first. “I talked to Zakk about two weeks ago, and he’s very open for it,” Anselmo tells the Village Voice . “He’s got an open mind about it. But, truth be told, Vince has got a grudge against me that is really unfounded. And, honestly, I’ve always had a wide-open door when it comes to Vince.” The singer adds, “If it takes me standin’ there and lettin’ that little guy punch me in the f—in’ face repeatedly, over and over and over, til his hands were tired of hittin’ my rock-hard f—in’ head, as long as we could sit down and talk afterwards, I’m all for it, man.” Earlier this year, Wylde said he would be honored to fill in for Dime if he got the call. “I love all those guys,” Wylde told the radio station Banana 101.5 . ”If they were ever to actually do that and they asked me — of course I would do that in honor of Dimebag. Why wouldn’t I? It would just be an amazingly beautiful thing to celebrate Dime’s greatness and what the band achieved.” Vinnie Paul, meanwhile, may have started the whole conversation when he said , “If [a Pantera reunion] ever were to happen, [Zakk] would be the guy [to step in for Dimebag]. But I honestly think, out of respect for my brother, we should just leave the 14 amazing years Pantera had be.” Whether fans are in favor of this potential reunion or not, Anselmo warns that the idea is still far-fetched at this point. ”I didn’t say that the Pantera thing is a realistic thing,” he explains in the Village Voice interview. “I don’t think that’s the important thing. I think what the important thing is, what Zakk and I discussed, is just Vince actually dropping his guard and realizing there is no treachery afoot.” Dimebag Darrell was tragically gunned down onstage by a deranged concertgoer while performing with Damageplan on Dec. 8, 2004, in Columbus, Ohio. Anselmo is currently out on tour with his band Down , who just released a new EP titled ‘Down IV Part I: The Purple EP.’ Vinnie Paul’s current group, Hellyeah , released their latest album, ‘Band of Brothers,’ earlier this year. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/phil-anselmo-talks-upcoming-down-ep-solo-album-more/” title=”Next: Phil Anselmo Discusses Down EP, Solo Album + Tour” align=”center”]
Cooking Vinyl Here’s a look at the top stories of the day on Loudwire and around the Web: Marilyn Manson has released his third music video from the polarizing rock icon’s eighth album, ‘Born Villain.’ Check out Manson’s new video for ‘Hey, Cruel World…’ here. [ Loudwire ] Rob Zombie talks to Loudwire Radio about his new movie ‘The Lords of Salem,’ the upcoming tour with Marilyn Manson, Zombie’s upcoming album + much more. [ Loudwire ] In memory of the late bassist Cliff Burton , Metallica have offered a free download of a classic concert featuring Burton in action. Yesterday (Sept. 27) marked the 26th anniversary of Burton’s passing. [ Loudwire ] Neil Young shares how Kurt Cobain ‘s suicide affected him. [ Ultimate Classic Rock ] Mumford and Sons’ ‘Babel’ nearing record-breaking first-week album sales. [ Diffuser.fm ] Slipknot ‘s Sid Wilson (aka DJ Starscream) joins the Rob Zombie / Marilyn Manson ‘Twins of Evil’ tour. [ Rock Music Report ]
Jason Merritt / Adam Bettcher, Getty Images Fozzy treated Los Angeles fans to a show at the Roxy last night (Sept. 27). Right before the band began to play the single ‘Sandpaper’ from their latest album, ‘Sin & Bones,’ the crowd was surprised by Avenged Sevenfold singer M. Shadows , as he took the stage with Fozzy to perform guest vocals. Before jumping onstage with the band, M. Shadows was recruited to the studio by Fozzy to be featured on ‘Sandpaper’ as they were recording ‘Sin & Bones.’ With the help of M. Shadows, Fozzy’s ‘Sandpaper’ went undefeated in our Cage Matches, earning a retirement to the Cage Match Hall of Fame . There is also a ‘Evil Dead’-inspired music video for ‘Sandpaper,’ that features a cameo from M. Shadows, but it has yet to be released. Chris Jericho told us about the upcoming ‘Sandpaper’ video during our recent interview with the singer. “It kind of started from that and then we said, ‘What if we do a whole Evil Dead-type homage?’ And then we found this bad-ass cabin in the woods in Atlanta, and just everything kind of fell together from there. We found, right by the cabin, there was a civil war burial ground, and there was this creepy bridge that was near it, and the cabin couldn’t have been more perfect for what we were looking for.” Jericho continues, “We just filmed M. Shadows’ stuff too, so he’s going to be in the video. So I think it’s going to be something no one else has seen before. It’s very, very cool and it’s just what we wanted.” The A7X fan site Deathbat News also reports that Chris Jericho and M. Shadows got matching Jack-O-Lantern tattoos, as pictured below: Twitter: IAmJericho [button href=”http://loudwire.com/fozzy-chris-jericho-uproar-festival-sandpaper-more/” title=”Watch Loudwire’s Interview with Fozzy’s Chris Jericho” align=”center”] ?
George De Soto / Frank Micelotta (2), Getty Images Grunge — it was the sound that defined the early '90s, and with this list of the 10 Best Grunge Bands, we're looking back on the acts that started a musical revolution and turned the music world on its ear. As the '80s gave way to the '90s, there was a need to shake things up from the status quo, and the sound called grunge was there to not only fill a void but to engulf the music scene as a whole. It paved the way for a wealth of frequently overlooked acts and all of a sudden, harder-edged, gritty music typically only heard on college radio was finally making its way into the public lexicon. Seattle became the center of the music universe; sweaty concert halls were once again the place to be; and flannel became a fashion statement. So let's crank up some distortion and count down the 10 Best Grunge Bands: ? Sub Pop 10 Mudhoney ? ? Mudhoney are one of grunge's most consistently solid and enduring bands. The group had its roots in the '80s act Green River, a band that many point to as one of the pioneers of the grunge sound. Mark Arm and Steve Turner emerged from Green River to start Mudhoney and while they didn't reach the commercial success of some of their peers, tracks like 'Touch Me I'm Sick,' 'Let It Slide' and 'Suck You Dry' became well-respected grunge anthems. Listen to 'Touch Me I'm Sick' ? ? Frank Micelotta, Getty Images 9 Hole ? ? It took a while for Hole to emerge from the shadow of Courtney Love 's late husband, Kurt Cobain , but 1994's 'Live Through This' was the album that finally broke them to a mass audience. Courtney Love's raspy voice hit the perfect mark on 'Miss World,' 'Doll Parts,' and 'Violet,' and though the band's sound began to evolve with 1998's 'Celebrity Skin,' songs like the title track and 'Awful' still had their roots in that undeniably gritty grunge sound. Listen to 'Miss World' ? ? YouTube 8 Mother Love Bone ? ? For many, the brilliance of Mother Love Bone wasn't discovered until after the band was no more. Sadly, singer Andrew Wood died of a drug overdose just days before the release of their first disc. The album did produce such grunge favorites as 'Stardog Champion' and 'Crown of Thorns' (the 'Chloe Dancer' intro portion would be added for the 'Singles' soundtrack). The group was also notable for being the pre- Pearl Jam band for Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard. Listen to 'Chloe Dancer / Crown of Thorns' ? ? Facebook: Screaming Trees 7 Screaming Trees ? ? Screaming Trees may have hit it big with 'Nearly Lost You,' but the band was well versed in their sound long before most people picked up on grunge. Led by the increasingly deep vocals of Mark Lanegan and the driving bass and guitar work of brothers Van and Gary Lee Conner, the band emerged as one of the leaders of the grunge movement. While 'Nearly Lost You' became their calling card, tracks like 'Dollar Bill,' 'Shadow of the Season,' and 'Bed or Roses' were also favorites in the band's catalog. Listen to 'Nearly Lost You' ? ? Facebook: The Melvins 6 The Melvins ? ? The Melvins , led by singer/guitarist Buzz Osbourne and drummer Dale Crover, are considered one of the pioneers of what would become grunge and thus deserve their spot among the Top 10 Grunge Bands. Their slow-moving, trudging sound became an influence for up-and-coming Seattle bands like Nirvana and Soundgarden . The band is still going strong today, and songs like 'Hooch,' 'Honey Bucket' and 'Night Goat' are as solid as they come. Listen to 'Honey Bucket' ? ? Facebook: Stone Temple Pilots 5 Stone Temple Pilots ? ? Could grunge grow outside of Seattle? That was the question in 1992, when San Diego-based rockers Stone Temple Pilots arrived with their 'Core' album, leading the second wave of grunge. The brutal lead single 'Sex Type Thing' introduced the band and vocal style of Scott Weiland . But it was the second song 'Plush,' with its memorable rhythmic guitar lines that truly established the band. Though they would evolve into a more straight-ahead rock band over time, the 'Core' and 'Purple' records had songs firmly implanted in the grunge sound. Listen to 'Plush' ? ? Facebook: Soundgarden 4 Soundgarden ? ? After forming in Seattle in the '80s, Soundgarden finally broke through with the 1991 single 'Outshined,' followed by the spirited follow-up 'Rusty Cage.' Blending in some of their punk roots, Soundgarden provided a frenetic interpretation early on before settling into a moodier, more trudging sound. Singer Chris Cornell shined on such hits as 'Spoonman,' 'Black Hole Sun,' 'Fell on Black Days,' and 'Pretty Noose.' There's no doubt Soundgarden deserves their upper echelon ranking in the Top 10 Grunge Bands list. Listen to 'Outshined' ? ? LegacyRecordings.com 3 Alice in Chains ? ? Was there a more impactful partnership in the grunge scene than Alice in Chains guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell and powerhouse frontman Layne Staley ? The pair's harmonies were unmatched, with Staley delivering the extra punch when things got really heavy. 'Man in the Box' put them on the musical map in 1991, and by the following year, they spawned the grunge masterpiece, 'Dirt,' which featured such classics as 'Would?,' 'Rooster,' 'Them Bones' and 'Angry Chair.' Listen to 'Man in the Box' ? ? Facebook: Pearl Jam 2 Pearl Jam ? ? Formed after the demise of Mother Love Bone, Pearl Jam emerged from the ashes to soar with 1991's 'Ten' album. The rhythmically heavy 'Alive' set the tone for the group, while the hard-hitting 'Even Flow' cemented their status as a band to be reckoned with. And by the time 'Jeremy' commanded MTV's airwaves, everyone knew Pearl Jam. The 'Vs.' and 'Vitalogy' albums kept the grunge vibes going, and the band is still one of the most successful touring acts to this day. Listen to 'Alive' ? ? Facebook: Nirvana 1 Nirvana ? ? It's hard to argue against Nirvana as the No. 1 act of our 10 Best Grunge Bands list, as they essentially put the genre on the map with their 1991 classic, 'Nevermind.' But things didn't stop with 'Smells Like Teen Spirit,' as 'Come As You Are,' 'Lithium' and their 'In Utero' favorites 'Heart Shaped Box' and 'Rape Me' are as good as they come in the grunge world. Sadly, we lost Kurt Cobain in 1994, but the fact that the band reached iconic status speaks to the quality of the music and their dominance in such a short timespan. Listen to 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' ? ? What Are Your Favorite Grunge Bands? So there you have it, the 10 Best Grunge Bands. What do you think of the list? Is there a band missing that should be included? Is there a group that should be placed higher or lower? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. ?