Posts Tagged ‘a-rock-band’

Spoken, ‘Illusion’ – Exclusive Album Stream

eOne Arkansas rockers Spoken have taken things up a notch with their latest disc, ‘Illusion,’ and you can check it out for yourself with Loudwire’s exclusive album stream, available right here in advance of next Tuesday’s (Feb. 12) release. The hard-hitting rockers definitely grab your attention right out of the gate with a pair of brutal tracks — ‘I Stand Alone’ and ‘Beneath the Surface.’ But it’s not all in-your-face aggression as songs like ‘Don’t Go’ and ‘Through It All’ show off a more melodic side. ‘Through It All’ and the anthemic ‘Take Everything’ are already targeted as singles from the effort. Singer Matt Baird says, “We wanted a record that both fans and musicians would appreciate. We spent so much time on it, rewriting and reworking over a period of years. This is the most fast, heavy, riffy stuff we have done.” The singer cites Slipknot and As I Lay Dying as bands that might have comparable sounds on some of the tracks, but he adds, “In the end, we are a rock band that has really aggressive moments. This is more accessible as we have ever gone, as well as heavier than we have ever gone.” For Spoken, ‘Illusion’ is the culmination of a period of determination and Baird says he’s anxious to share his passion for their work with fans. He explains, “‘Dedicated beyond reason’ has always been our philosophy and it has brought us through the storms to this point. I feel like I have been called to this from above, and this record is another evidence of that in my life. I can’t wait to see the impact it has, the people we will be able to bless in the process.” Spoken will play a handful of February shows around the album’s release and will then join Volbeat for their North American trek in March and April. Check out their tour dates here . Take a listen to Spoken’s ‘Illusion’ album below and if you like what you hear, you can order the album or any of its bundle packages here . Listen to Spoken’s ‘Illusion’ Album [button href=”http://loudwire.com/2013-albums/” title=”Next: Most Anticipated 2013 Albums” align=”center”]

Nikki Sixx Provides Update on Sixx: A.M. Album + ‘The Heroin Diaries’ Broadway Production

Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com Nikki Sixx has a lot on his plate at the moment, but the Sixx: A.M. bassist and creative force took some time to speak with Loudwire and other reporters during a roundtable interview at the NAMM conference in Anaheim Saturday (Jan. 26).  Sixx was at NAMM to promote his new Schecter Sixx signature bass, which we detailed in our previous article, but the following Q&A focuses on the status of Sixx: A.M.’s  next album  and Sixx’s foray into launching a  Broadway production  based on his memoir, ‘The Heroin Diaries.’ You’re taking ‘The Heroin Diaries’ to Broadway. Can you tell us how the idea came about and what all it entails? The book inspired me, [and Sixx: A.M. bandmates] James Michael and DJ Ashba to write a soundtrack to that book. It was always in my head [either] a movie or a play. And when we met the right partners to start that process happening, it was interesting how we’re referencing the book and referencing the music in the play as we’ll also be writing new music. We’ll also be writing new music and continuing to flush out the story. It’s a different environment like having the book and the music in a real 3D experience, and I think it’s the perfect next step. How far along are you at this point and when might we expect it to premiere? It’s moving really quickly … We just finished our third time through, what you would call a script, it’s called a book, and we’re placing characters and music and making our changes and I just met with a fantastic set design person and we have directors and producers and investors, so it’s moving along quickly. In a perfect world, I’d love to see something maybe spring of 2014, but since this is my first at bat doing something like this, I don’t know. These things do take time. It’s very creative and very exciting. Following up on Sixx: A.M., in general, the first two albums accompanied books. Will you be following a similar format this time? This time we really want to fly on our own. We started out the songwriting process by having conversations about how far we can push ourselves musically … Our conversations were, ‘Let’s go as far to the left as we can, musically’ and once we finish up a handful of songs that are pretty out there … I don’t even want to use any kind of references because it’ll throw people and they won’t really understand what I’m talking about. But we’re just taking a lot of chances musically and at this point nothing sounds at all like Sixx: A.M. that you would know, because we’re taking such huge leaps of faith that we’re going to land on our feet. But once we finish what we have now, we’re going to start backtracking into who we are as a band that we know at least. I think you’re going to end up with some songs on the album that are sort of surprising and bands that always did that for me were like Queen . There would be songs on Queen’s albums that would be like, ‘I can’t even believe that came out of a rock band,’ and that’s what we want to do. We want to take those leaps of faith and in the end, we are a rock band so we’ll go back to that at some point. What’s the status on Sixx: A.M.’s album at the moment? How far are you along? We’ve got six [songs] done, so we’ll probably knock another 10 around and then we’ll figure out which 10 we put on a record and then we’ll figure out when we’re gonna release it. The biggest problem for Sixx: A.M. is that I’m in Motley Crue . It’s a great thing because people know of Sixx: A.M. because if they like me in Motley Crue then they’re willing to give it a listen. But, Motley Crue is a big machine and it’s busy and it takes up a lot of time. So there’s very little amount of time for me to take [Sixx: A.M.] out and tour. I think I would like to go out in 2013 and do some shows, maybe a month’s worth of shows, just to kind of feel what it feels like. I think at some point I would like for Sixx: A.M. to be a bigger priority as far as a live act than it is now. Stay tuned for the third part of our Nikki Sixx interview from the NAMM convention. He talks about what’s next for Motley Crue and more. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/nikki-sixx-bassist-of-the-year-2012-loudwire-music-awards/” title=”Next: Nikki Sixx Named 2012 Loudwire Bassist of the Year” align=”center”]

Five Finger Death Punch Drummer Jeremy Spencer Penning Autobiography

Gareth Cattermole, Getty Images Five Finger Death Punch drummer Jeremy Spencer has embraced the rock and roll lifestyle and all that comes with it over the years, and now that he’s sober he’s ready to tell his tales in the new autobiography, ‘Deathpunched: Cheers to My Sobriety.’ The book, which is expected next year, features Spencer on the cover with adult film legend Ron Jeremy. The drummer told Los Angeles’ ‘ Heidi & Frank Show ,’ “The story behind that is … obviously being in a rock band, you dabble in the party lifestyle from time to time. So after years of that catching up to me, I got sober. But we always used to have this saying about doing cocaine, like you would get so cranked on sexually in your brain when you do it — like everything is exciting — but then you get numbed out beneath the belt line area. So we always said, ‘Man, you feel like Ron Jeremy from the neck up and Christopher Reeve from the neck down.’ So the cover of the book is me in, like, a Superman kind of costume in a wheelchair cheersing a martini glass with Ron Jeremy and two hot chicks. So that’s the cover of my book.” Spencer, who just past a year of sobriety on Jan. 8, says he initially planned to self-release the book but now has a deal in place with a publisher and expects it out next year. As for the Five Finger Death Punch’s current status, he reveals that the band are “cocooned up” at the moment working on new music, but do have plans for some spring shows in Europe followed by a summer North American trek. Watch Five Finger Death Punch’s Jeremy Spencer Discuss His Upcoming Book on KLOS 95.5 FM [button href=”http://loudwire.com/five-finger-death-punch-the-pride-video/” title=”Next: Watch Five Finger Death Punch’s ‘The Pride’ Video” align=”center”] ?

Dave Grohl, James Hetfield + Axl Rose Among Richest Rock Vocalists

Justin Sullivan / Theo Wargo / Jason Merritt, Getty Images Being the frontman of a rock band can provide you with plenty of opportunities, including financial ones. Some rockers have benefitted more than others over the years, and Celebrity Net Worth has compiled a list of the richest rock singers, with Dave Grohl , James Hetfield , and Axl Rose among those doing well. The site compiled their list using publicly available information on salaries, real estate holdings, divorces, and endorsements as well as record sales and royalties. They then worked out a formula that subtracts taxes, manager’s fees, agents’ fees, and lifestyle to come up with their final estimate. As expected, the rockers that have been doing it the longest have amassed the biggest fortunes, with Paul McCartney leading the way at $800 million, followed by Bono at an estimated $600 million. Hard rock fans have to scroll all the way down to No. 11 on the list to find Foo Fighters singer and former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, who was estimated at earning $225 million. The next highest hard rock vocalist is Metallica ‘s James Hetfield, who reportedly netted $175 million, good enough to place him at No. 17. Following closely behind is Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose, who is worth $150 million, which lands him at No. 19. Other hard rock vocalists of note inside the Top 50 include: Red Hot Chili Peppers ‘ Anthony Kiedis at No. 25 with $125 million; Iron Maiden ‘s Bruce Dickinson at No. 28 with $115 million; AC/DC ‘s Brian Johnson at No. 30, tied with Black Sabbath ‘s Ozzy Osbourne with $95 million; Pearl Jam ‘s Eddie Vedder at No. 34 with $80 million; and Soundgarden ‘s Chris Cornell at No. 48 with $60 million. Aside from McCartney and Bono, the rest of the Top 10 includes Jimmy Buffett ($400 million), Elton John ($320 million), Mick Jagger ($305 million), Gene Simmons ($300 million), Sting ($290 million), Phil Collins ($250 million), Dave Matthews ($250 million), and Prince ($250 million). [button href=”http://loudwire.com/nirvana-metallica-green-day-members-land-on-30-richest-drummers-in-the-world-list/” title=”Next: See the Richest Drummers List” align=”center”]

Controversial Las Vegas Guns N’ Roses Posters Removed

Guns N’ Roses  are currently in the midst of their 12-show ‘Appetite for Democracy’ residency at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, but posters promoting the shows have been at the center of controversy. Those posters, which are based on the banned original album cover for ‘Appetite for Destruction,’ and show a woman who appears to have been sexually assaulted, have now been taken down. The artwork (seen to the left), which in addition to being on posters, was also used in newspaper ads, billboards, buses and taxis. It drew criticism for depicting violence against women. “This type of advertising is simply unacceptable,” Hannah Brook, executive director for The Rape Crisis Center told the Las Vegas Review Journal . “Not only for just the victims and the message of violence it brings, but also for the community in general. This is not the type of message we want to portray to tourists that are coming to our city. We want them to know it’s a safe place to come, and by putting a message out there with Las Vegas above it is concerning.” In honor of the band’s residency, the city of Las Vegas also temporarily renamed Paradise Road, which runs next to the Hard Rock Hotel, to Paradise City Road. Clark County commissioner Mary Beth Scow tells the Las Vegas Sun she regrets the county’s decision. “I hadn’t seen the advertising before the media event. It’s clearly inappropriate. Maybe it’s the risk of doing business with a rock band, but I guess we’ll have some remorse over this decision. It’s a lesson learned.” The Hard Rock Hotel has apologized for the artwork, issuing a statement Friday which reads, “Hard Rock Hotel & Casino regrets that the Guns N’ Roses advertising for their current shows has offended any member of the community. The resort has decided to further modify the art and began the process of changing the materials.” The GN’R residency in Las Vegas runs until Nov. 24. Read a recap of the opening night performance by clicking below: [button href=”http://loudwire.com/guns-n-roses-kick-off-las-vegas-residency-halloween-night/” title=”next: Guns N’ Roses Kick Off Las Vegas Residency” align=”center”]