Posts Tagged ‘a-major-label’

How to Destroy Angels Stream ‘An Omen’ EP Ahead of Release

Columbia Records Trent Reznor fans were recently treated to ‘ Keep It Together ,’ the lead song from the ‘ An Omen ‘ EP from his How to Destroy Angels  outfit. Now the full six-song disc has found its way online for fans to check out. Aside from the moody digitalism of ‘Keep It Together,’ the set includes such new standouts as the plucky and somewhat folky ‘Ice Age,’ Reznor’s wife Mariqueen Maandig’s melodically mesmerizing showcase ‘On the Wing,’ and the vintage groove of ‘The Loop’ among others. ‘An Omen’ is serving at the precursor to a full-length disc that will follow. Though a title and release date for the album has not been announced, it is expected within the next year. The new EP drops in stores onTuesday (Nov. 13). Reznor recently revealed that How to Destroy Angels signed to a major label because of what it could offer them going forward, as he views the group reaching a different audience than just those who know him for Nine Inch Nails and needing a way to get new listeners. He  explained , “The main reason I do what I do is I want to do something that matters. I want to be able to create art that reaches the maximum amount of people on my terms … That was a key component … Because it came down to us — us being the band now — sitting around and identifying what our goals were. And the top priority wasn’t to make money. It was to try to reach the most amount of people, and try to reach the most amount of people effectively, that doesn’t feel like it’s coming completely from my backyard. Because I don’t want this project, ultimately, to just be dismissed as a ‘side project’ or … (loud sigh) … a ‘patronizing affair with Trent and his wife.’ Sounds terrible, you know?” In other Trent Reznor news, the singer just revealed he’s begun working on Nine Inch Nails music and he’s also set to appear on the ‘ Call of Duty: Black Ops II ‘ soundtrack that arrives later this month. Check out the stream of the ‘An Omen’ EP (via  Hype Machine ) below. Listen to How to Destroy Angels ‘An Omen’ EP [button href=”http://loudwire.com/mariqueen-maandig-hottest-rockstar-wives/” title=”Next: Mariqueen Maandig – Hottest Rockstar Wives” align=”center”]

Trent Reznor’s How to Destroy Angels Set to Release New EP

Facebook: How To Destroy Angels Trent Reznor ’s multi-faceted creative collective known as How to Destroy Angels have announced their plans to release their latest disc titled ‘An Omen EP,’ due Nov. 13 digitally and on 12″ vinyl. The six-song EP will be released via Columbia Records. How to Destroy Angels is made up of Reznor, his wife Mariqueen Maandig, Atticus Ross, who shares the Academy Award with Reznor for their score of ‘The Social Network,’ and visual artist Rob Sheridan, who previously worked as creative director for Nine Inch Nails . So judging by all accounts this lineup serves as much more than just a band. Reznor posted an open letter on his Facebook page touching on all the details and confirming that their upcoming plans include making some new videos and performing live – something that Reznor had showed some apprehension about in the past while still remaining excited about the next chapter in his career. He also comments on his decision to return to a major label with the new project and how it compares to an independent release. Read Reznor’s letter below: Sorry for the radio silence lately… I’ve been busy! There’s a number of things to be revealed over the coming months. Some you may expect, others you may not. Patience, my friends. Today’s news is about my band How to Destroy Angels. I’m happy to announce we’ve formally partnered with Columbia Records for our next series of releases. The first of these will be available in November and it’s called ‘An Omen EP.’ As you may have guessed, it’s an EP. It contains six songs, some of which are from our full-length LP which is coming early next year. We are making some videos, we are going to be performing live, and that’s all the details I have for now on those matters. Regarding our decision to sign with Columbia, we’ve really spent a long time thinking about things and it makes sense for a lot of reasons, including a chance to work with our old friend Mark Williams. There’s a much more granular and rambling answer I could give (and likely will in an interview someplace) but it really comes down to us experimenting and trying new things to see what best serves our needs. Complete independent releasing has its great points but also comes with shortcomings. We are all very excited about you checking out the new stuff. Wish I could tell you more, but you know how this works … it would take all the fun out of it! In addition to the EP, the band is planning a full-length release with a target release date of spring 2013. For all the latest on How to Destroy Angels follow them on Twitter and Facebook . [button href=”http://loudwire.com/how-to-destroy-angels-best-animated-album-covers/” title=”Next: How to Destroy Angels: Best Animated Album Covers” align=”center”]

Top 10 Albums of 2002

Sean Gardner / Jonathan Wood / Karl Walter, Getty Images As cliche as it may sound, it seems unbelievable that these 2002 landmark albums were released a decade ago. In a time when MTV was still playing music videos on heavy rotation, mainstream rock as well as underground metal had a very memorable year in 2002. Bands such as Queens of the Stone Age and Chevelle rocketed to worldwide notoriety, while various types of 'core' and progressive metal crowned some new heroes. Although 10 years have passed since the release of these albums, each one of them shares a timeless quality that to this day, allows these records to be constantly re-spun. Check out our list of the Top 10 Albums of 2002: ? 10 'Audioslave' Audioslave ? ? When it comes to rock 'supergroups,' few have been as successful as Audioslave were in the 2000s. Consisting of Tom Morello, Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk of Rage Against the Machine along with Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell, Audioslave's self-titled album is home to rock anthems like 'Cochise,' 'Show Me How to Live' and 'Like a Stone.' The band would release two more albums before breaking up in 2007. ? 9 'Perseverance' Hatebreed ? ? As the New Wave of American Metal swept through the 2000s, different types of 'core' began to gain a tremendous amount of attention. With the release of Hatebreed 's 'Perseverance,' they became one of the first truly heavy bands of the era to succeed on a major label [Universal]. As an essential piece of the New England metal scene, bands such as Killswitch Engage constantly praise Hatebreed for paving the way for modern metal acts and allowing others to succeed on major labels. Tracks such as 'Proven,' 'Call for Blood' and 'I Will Be Heard' allow for a unique catharsis, letting the listener “get the red out.” ? 8 'The Art of Balance' Shadows Fall ? ? In a quest to find the perfect balance between melody and aggression, Shadows Fall created 'The Art of Balance.' With tracks about yoga and meditation mixed in with negative points in life and thrashing aggression, the experiment worked, and 'The Art of Balance' received gleaming praise from critics and fans. Vocalist Brian Fair explains, “It's the idea of oneness and unity between all people and all things. It's the idea that all systems begin from the same spark and it's something we get further away from. We're all in this together.” ? 7 'Wonder Whats Next' Chevelle ? ? Chevelle released their breakthrough album 'Wonder What's Next' in 2002, and the disc went on to achieve platinum certification. The success of the album is largely due to Chevelle's signature track, 'The Red.' 'Wonder Whats Next' had a long and impressive ride after the its release, as the singles 'Send the Pain Below' and 'Closure' kept Chevelle going through a monumental period in the band's history. ? 6 'Alive or Just Breathing' Killswitch Engage ? ? Widely considered as pioneers of the 2000s metalcore explosion, Killswitch Engage released 'Alive or Just Breathing' to mass acclaim. It was the last album featuring original vocalist Jesse Leach, who returned to Killswitch in 2012 after a decade-long tenure elsewhere. The highly addictive album consists of fan favorites 'My Last Serenade' and 'Fixation on the Darkness,' among others. ? 5 'Oceanic' Isis ? ? Crushing, gorgeous, stunning, sludgy, mesmerizing … 'Oceanic.' New England post-metal band Isis delivered a true gem with the release of 'Oceanic.' Their sophomore effort is a conceptual masterpiece, which revolves around the themes of water, romance, incest and suicide. 'Oceanic' feels like it hasn't aged a bit in it's 10-year existence, with old and new fans continuing to immerse themselves in Isis' isolating depths, even if there is no land in sight. ? 4 'By the Way' Red Hot Chili Peppers ? ? With 'Californication' achieving phenomenal success, Red Hot Chili Peppers needed another incredible album to keep the momentum going. With the song 'Can't Stop' being a perfect manifesto to define RHCP, their 'By the Way' album carried the band into another monumentally high point in their existence. With the album's release, songs like 'By the Way' and 'The Zephyr Song' flooded the airwaves into the ears of joyful listeners. ? 3 'Deliverance' Opeth ? ? Opeth truly boast one of the most incredible discographies in metal music. With ironclad critical praise following their entire career, 'Deliverance' is one of 10 full-length milestones in the lifespan of Opeth. Although 'Deliverance' only consists of six tracks, the album clocks in at over an hour, with mastermind and frontman Mikael Akerfeldt brewing one of his best progressive death metal concoctions to date. ? 2 'Remission' Mastodon ? ? Mastodon 's debut album, 'Remission' proved to be the launching pad for an incredibly important and critically acclaimed band. Loosely based on the theme of fire, 'Remission' is an album with the power of an atomic bomb. The disc is home to a myriad of modern classics such as 'Crusher Destroyer,' 'Mother Puncher,' 'Where Strides the Behemoth' and 'March of the Fire Ants.' Simply put, 'Remission' is an album that redefines your perception of what humans can create. ? 1 'Songs for the Deaf' Queens of the Stone Age ? ? Queens of the Stone Age are a difficult band to nail down. Despite not fitting into any particular musical genre, 'Songs for the Deaf' exploded into the mainstream with an unexpected burst of originality and balls-out rock. The disc is thickly layered with addictive singles like 'No One Knows' and 'Go With the Flow,' combined with challenging and unrelenting barrages of guitar-driven tracks such as 'A Song for the Deaf.' For its overall originality, 'Songs for the Deaf' tops our list of the best 2002 albums. ? What's Your Favorite Album of 2002? Which of these 2002 albums is your favorite? Did we get the order right? Did we miss an album? If we didn't include your personal favorite, post it in the comments section below: ?