Jim Dyson, Getty Images / Michael N. Todaro, Getty Images / Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com The year 2012 turned out to be a strong one for rock albums. We saw the highly anticipated return of '90s favorites Soundgarden , the continued brilliance of acts like Deftones and Stone Sour , the emergence of females in hard rock courtesy of Halestorm and Dead Sara , among others, to go along with memorable releases from a number of other rock acts. Unfortunately, all of our favorite albums couldn't make this list, but after much debate among our entire staff, we've come up with our official picks for the best rock albums of the year. If metal is more your speed, don't worry, we've got a separate list for you headbangers. But for now, strap in and turn it up, as we count down the 10 Best Rock Albums of 2012: ? 10 'Dark Adrenaline' Lacuna Coil ? ? Lacuna Coil's 'Dark Adrenaline' album, released early on in 2012, finds the band rediscovering their gothic roots while expanding their sound in the process. 'Trip the Darkness' was a dark sounding gem off the record, and the song got an extra boost when a remix by Dillinger Escape Plan 's Ben Weinman appeared on the 'Underworld: Awakening' soundtrack. 'Fire' showed off a more radio-friendly side, while 'End of Time' served as the band's late year ballad. The disc also included an interesting cover of R.E.M.'s 'Losing My Religion.' Listen to 'Trip the Darkness' ? ? 9 'King Animal' Soundgarden ? ? The promise of Soundgarden's 2009 reunion was finally realized in 2012, as the band released their 'King Animal' album in November. The grunge goliath's first new album since 1996 proves that Soundgarden are still on top of their game. 'Been Away Too Long' became a major hit at radio, while tracks like 'Non-State Actor' and 'Worse Dreams' generated plenty of buzz in advance of the album. Chris Cornell 's voice is as strong as ever, and the full band feels as though they haven't lost a step. Welcome back, Soundgarden, and kudos for delivering one of the 10 best rock albums of 2012. Listen to 'Been Away Too Long' ? ? 8 'Amarylllis' Shinedown ? ? Shinedown had a tough task in matching the success of 2008's 'The Sound of Madness,' but they succeeded in cranking out another hits-filled collection with 'Amaryllis,' certainly showing that there is no slowing down this juggernaut. Both 'Bully' and 'Unity' took the band back to the top of the charts. And the group got great mileage out of 'Enemies' and 'I'll Follow You,' making for a very successful 2012. Look for the output to continue, with the single 'Miracle' lined up to hit radio in early 2013. Listen to 'Bully' ? ? 7 'Born Villain' Marilyn Manson ? ? For longtime fans of Marilyn Manson, 'Born Villain' provided a much welcome creative resurgence. The lead single 'No Reflection' was just the sort of gritty-meets-groovy rocker that the singer built his career upon, and 'Slo-Mo-Tion' and 'Overneath the Path of Mystery' show the true depth of the record. In addition, Manson got some notice for including the bonus cover of 'You're So Vain' with his longtime pal Johnny Depp. Listen to 'No Reflection' ? ? 6 'Harakiri' Serj Tankian ? ? The man of many musical inspirations, System of a Down singer Serj Tankian found his latest solo disc embracing rock, punk and new wave, among other genres. 'Harakiri' earns its spot as one of the 10 best rock albums of 2012 by delivering socially-minded statements through infectious songs. 'Figure It Out' is an in-your-face track that pulls no punches, while 'Cornucopia' showcases Tankian's versatile talents as a musician. But the standout cut just might be the title track, which features a chorus as catchy as any in System of a Down's catalog. Listen to 'Figure It Out' ? ? 5 'The Strange Case of …' Halestorm ? ? Halestorm went from being the “next big rock band” to fulfilling that prophecy with 'The Strange Case Of…' The group rocketed up the charts in early 2012 with the single 'Love Bites … So Do I' and the attitude that Lzzy Hale provided set the tone for the rest of the disc. They enjoyed crossover pop success with 'Here's to Us,' but once again embraced their hard-rock fans with the scorching track 'I Miss the Misery,' which shows off Hale at her belting best. Listen to 'Love Bites (So Do I)' ? ? 4 'Yellow & Green' Baroness ? ? Baroness may not get as much attention as some of the bigger names on this list, but the band delivered one of the best front-to-back efforts of 2012. The two-disc collection 'Yellow & Green' features such standout tracks as 'March to the Sea,' 'Take My Bones Away' and 'Board Up the House.' Unfortunately, the band wasn't able to support the album as much as they has planned, as a terrifying bus crash led to major injuries and kept Baroness off the road for much of the year. Listen to 'Take My Bones Away' ? ? 3 'Dead Sara' Dead Sara ? ? Looking for the next big rock band? It's worth a look at Dead Sara and their self-titled breakout album. The group garnered notice for their single 'Weatherman,' which features Emily Armstrong's powerhouse vocals and some terrific guitar work from Siouxsie Medley, but the disc as a whole is great. Second single 'We Are What You Say' is another notable track, while songs like the chilling ballads 'Dear Love' and 'Sorry for It All' should deserve a longer look in 2013. Listen to 'Weatherman' ? ? 2 'House of Gold & Bones, Pt. 1' Stone Sour ? ? You can't have a Best Rock Albums of 2012 list without Stone Sour's ambitious record 'House of Gold & Bones, Part 1.' Singer Corey Taylor got things rolling with the double-single 'Gone Sovereign' and 'Absolute Zero,' both of which set a hard-driving tone for the disc. Meanwhile, 'Taciturn' shows that the band can hit hard even when not rocking out at 11, providing one of the more moving songs on the record. We have no doubt that 'House of Gold & Bones,' with the second half of the double album coming next year, will play a major role in 2013. Listen to 'Gone Sovereign' ? ? 1 'Koi No Yokan' Deftones ? ? Deftones have found their creative rebound in recent years, and they're making sure to pounce while it's going good. Fresh off the critically acclaimed 'Diamond Eyes' album, the band continues to rock at the top of their game. 'Koi No Yokan' hits on all cylinders with cuts like the single 'Tempest,' and standout tracks 'Leathers,' 'Poltergeist' and 'Rosemary.' With the disc just arriving in mid-November, it looks as though Deftones will have plenty to celebrate over the next year – starting with being named Loudwire's Best Rock Album of 2012. Listen to 'Tempest' ? ? What's Your Favorite Rock Album of 2012? There you have it — the 10 Best Rock Albums of 2012 — at least in our opinion. But that's why we have a comments section. You can let us know if we hit it right on the head, if there's any glaring omissions, or if there's an album you think has no right even making the cut. Let us know what you think in the comments section below. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/best-metal-albums-of-2012/” title=”Next: 10 Best Metal Albums of 2012″ align=”center”] ?
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10 Best Rock Albums of 2012
November 28th, 2012 
Metalkult 
Posted in News 
Tags: actor, career, charts, darkness, disc, green, lists!, original features, record, rock, single, Stone Sour, villain 
No Comments »Soundgarden Rock ‘Live on Letterman’ Gig at New York’s Ed Sullivan Theater
November 13th, 2012 Metalkult SoundgardenWorld.com New Yorkers had the opportunity to see Soundgarden play at the very intimate Ed Sullivan Theater as part of the ‘Live on Letterman’ concert series. Soungarden are out in promotion of ‘King Animal,’ their first album in 16 years, and they kicked off the night with new tracks ‘Worse Dreams’ and ‘By Crooked Steps.’ Seven out of the 10 songs they played were off of ‘King Animal’ which gave fans a first listen at hearing the new tunes in a live setting. It took a while for the crowd to warm up, as many were hearing these songs for the first time, but the enthusiasm built pulled out some classics such as ‘Incessant Mace,’ ‘Beyond the Wheel’ and ‘Fell on Black Days.’ Soundgarden sounded flawless as Cornell’s vocal range took our ears to an entirely new level. The serious shredding skills of guitarist Kim Thayil is mind blowing when you see him perform live, and the booming bass of Ben Shepherd and steady beats from drummer Matt Cameron topped it all off. During the performance Cornell, joked that that David Letterman was managing them now. Earlier in the evening, while they were taping their appearance on CBS ‘Late Show,’ host David Letterman told the band after their performance that he’d like to manage the band. Cornell went on to quip that the band is not doing any more small gigs, only Madison Square Garden from now on. That joke didn’t last long, since right after ‘Live on Letterman,’ Cornell did in fact play a “small gig,” for a big cause. Cornell performed a solo set which was a benefit show for Hurricane Sandy victims at Bowery Ballroom. In a surprise, he was joined by his Soundgarden bandmates during that gig. Soundgarden’s takeover of New York City continues tonight (Nov. 13) with a gig at Irving Plaza. Check Out Soundgarden’s ‘Live On Letterman’ Set ‘Live On Letterman’ Set list: 1. Worse Dreams 2. By Crooked Steps 3. Incessant Mace 4. Beyond the Wheel 5. Taree 6. A Thousand Days Before 7. Eyelid’s Mouth 8. Non-State Actor 9. Fell on Black Days 10. Rowing
Posted in News Tags: a-benefit-show, a-first-listen, actor, crooked-steps, david-letterman-, first, letterman, news, night, performance, soundgarden, wheel No Comments »30 Seconds to Mars on New Album: ‘This Could Be The Best Thing That We’ve Ever Done’
November 9th, 2012 Metalkult Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com 30 Seconds to Mars were a surprise name when the lineup for next summer’s Download Festival was revealed, which suggests that the group who played an ungodly amount of shows for their ‘This Is War’ album have returned to work on their next release. Singer Jared Leto told BBC’s Radio 1 that the group got past the fragile nature of their union as they started to burnout toward the end of the last album’s tour support and he feels that are now back on the path to something great. The vocalist explained, “It’s stronger, better and more evolved. It’s a complete transformation for us.” As for that new record, which they’ve managed to keep somewhat quiet, the vocalist adds, “I really think that this could be the best thing that we’ve ever done.” The group has spent time in Asia, Europe and America recording tracks for the forthcoming release. Leto, who also has a solid acting career, has taken advantage of his time off the road to work in another movie. According to the Hollywood Reporter , the actor will portray a “flamboyant cross-dresser with HIV” who helps a Texas electrician (Matthew McConaughey) smuggle alternative drugs into America to help other AIDS patients in ‘The Dallas Buyer’s Club.’ [button href=”http://loudwire.com/30-seconds-to-mars-the-kill-top-21st-century-hard-rock-songs/” title=”Next: 30 Seconds to Mars – Top 21st Century Hard Rock Songs” align=”center”]
Posted in News Tags: a-solid-acting, a-surprise-name, actor, bbc, dallas, europe, news, radio, texas, time No Comments »Soundgarden Stream New Album ‘King Animal’ Ahead of November 13 Release
November 6th, 2012 Metalkult Seven Four Entertainment/Republic It’s been an awfully long time between new albums for Soundgarden , but the band’s comeback disc ‘King Animal’ is almost here — and thanks to iTunes, we can actually hear it a week ahead of its release. While ‘King Animal’ won’t officially arrive in stores until next Tuesday (Nov. 13), iTunes is offering a free stream of the full album now (click on link below). And although it isn’t exactly the complete listening experience — you can’t skip between tracks, and the stream doesn’t provide song titles — it’s still a nice surprise for the fans who have been waiting more than 15 years for a new record from the band. The ‘King Animal’ stream follows months of buildup for the reunion album, starting with the release of the ‘Avengers’ soundtrack anthem ‘ Live to Rise ‘ over the summer, and continuing with teases and streams of an assortment of other tracks, including ‘ Worse Dreams ,’ ‘ Been Away Too Long ,’ and ‘ Non-State Actor ‘ — as well as the announcement of an expanded edition , complete with bonus tracks, that will be available exclusively at Best Buy. In the weeks and months to come, fans also have a North American tour to look forward to — but today, just crank up ‘King Animal’ and see if you agree with frontman Chris Cornell ‘s assertion that Soundgarden’s current creative vibe is “almost like it was in the beginning of the band.” [button href=”http://bit.ly/KingAnimaliTunes” title=”Listen to Soundgarden’s ‘King Animal’ at iTunes” align=”center”] Note: Outside the U.S. and Canada, ‘King Animal’ can be streamed at NME.com . [button href=”http://loudwire.com/best-soundgarden-songs/” title=”10 Best Soundgarden Songs” align=”center”]
Posted in News Tags: a-nice-surprise, a-week-ahead, actor, although-it-isn, animal, announcement, band, beginning, chris-cornell, new-albums, news, over-the-summer, soundgarden No Comments »Soundgarden Leave Nostalgia Behind for ‘King Animal’ Album
November 3rd, 2012 Metalkult Mark Metcalfe, Getty Images When Soundgarden got back together, they started by touring and playing the old hits and getting back in the habit of performing their music again. But now, a couple of years later, the group is preparing to move forward in their career with their first full original studio album since 1996, and frontman Chris Cornell says that they’re looking forward and evolving with their next record. Cornell tells Spin , “We don’t feel nostalgia trying to remember who played what parts on a song that we recorded in 1988. It doesn’t feel like looking at baby pictures of me. It’s nice that we have fans that were fans in 1988. That’s great, but that’s not enough for us. And I would’ve never expected that to be enough.” Earlier this year, one of Cornell’s contemporaries, Smashing Pumpkins vocalist Billy Corgan , called out the group for cashing in on a reunion, stating, “When Soundgarden came back and they just played their old songs, great. I was a fan of Soundgarden, but call it for what it is. They’re just out there to have one more round at the till.” Corgan would add that it’s important for bands to make music for the present rather than relying on their past, and Soundgarden are definitely of the same mindset by moving forward with their new record. Though not addressing Corgan’s comments specifically, Cornell says, “If we’re writing and recording new and vital music, it’s taking care of itself. I definitely feel like there’s a place for who we are and what we do. We’re doing what we’ve always done as a band and we’re fortunate enough to have a long enough history that someone could actually suggest that we’re a nostalgia act. Good for us.” If anything, Soundgarden may actually be coming from a creative space where many new bands come from, as the group has been away long enough that all of the label entanglements and outside pressures that weighed on them at the height of their fame have fallen by the wayside. The singer adds, “We’re writing and recording an album ourselves. We do everything, from choosing producers to picking packaging, until it’s done. Then we find a label to put it out on [Universal Republic], and communication’s what it used to be. It’s almost like it was in the beginning of the band.” Soundgarden returns with their ‘ King Animal ‘ album Nov. 13. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/soundgarden-unleash-new-king-animal-track-non-state-actor/” title=”Next: Listen to Soundgarden’s Song ‘Non-State Actor'” align=”center”]
Posted in News Tags: a-place-for, actor, billy-corgan, called-out-the, career, chris-cornell, cornell, getty-images, looking-forward, Music, news, playing-the-old, soundgarden, state-actor- No Comments »Soundgarden Unleash New ‘King Animal’ Track ‘Non-State Actor’
October 31st, 2012 Metalkult SoundgardenWorld.com Soundgarden are gearing up for the release of their comeback album ‘King Animal’ on Nov. 13. The band recently shared the first single ‘Been Away Too Long,’ and is now following it up with the debut of another new tune, ‘Non-State Actor.’ Sonically harkening back to the Soundgarden sound of old without getting too caught up in nostalgia, ‘Non-State Actor’ chimes in like an old friend that’s been away for, say, oh, 16 years. Soundgarden fans will feel right at home with ‘Non-State Actor,’ while the song invites in new listeners as well to find out what the band is all about. However, as frontman Chris Cornell pointed out in a recent interview with Yahoo Music , you can’t judge the tone of the album by just two songs. “There’s always a broad spectrum of what’s going on musically on any Soundgarden album,” Cornell explained. “They usually tend to be long, there’s a lot of different feels, you’re never going to get the feel of the album from listening to one or two or even three songs.” He also talked about the band’s constant evolution. “I feel like we’re all very conscious about what we feel is the musical identity of the band,” said Cornell. “That’s always been very important to us but we also have all felt pretty comfortable with each other and pushing the boundaries of what we all think that is too.” Listen to ‘Non-State’ Actor below for a taste of what the band has in store with ‘King Animal.’ Watch the Video For the New Soundgarden Song ‘Non-State Actor’ [button href=”http://music.yahoo.com/blogs/live/soundgarden-song-check-non-state-actor-exclusive-interview-155804275.html” title=” Soundgarden’s ‘King Animal’ Best Buy Edition Bolstered With Bonus Tracks” align=”center”]
Posted in News Tags: actor, bonus-tracks, boundaries, chris-cornell, songs, soundgarden, state-actor-, video, watch-the-video, yahoo-music No Comments »
