Roadrunner Records Stone Sour singer Corey Taylor knew early on he wanted to do something special with their latest disc, and with ‘ House of Gold & Bones Part 1 ,’ the band doesn’t disappoint. In fact, this dark tale of a person’s inner battles getting over a traumatic relationship break leaves us yearning for more (thankfully, there will be a ‘Part 2′). The singer says of the disc , “It’s really a morality play. It’s about a person trying to find himself, or herself. You know, everyone in their lives finds themselves inevitably at a crossroads when it comes to a personal evolution and whatnot, trying to figure out what they want to do with the rest of their lives.” Much like a person trying to move on from a difficult split, ‘House of Gold & Bones Part 1′ plays like the emotions of that experience, spanning from bitter, vitriolic, and selfish to broken, mournful and depressive. Listeners got their first introduction with the release of the double-single, ‘Gone Sovereign’ and ‘Absolute Zero.’ The two songs lead off the album and descriptively show where the title character is at their life — a splintered shell of themselves feeling that every legend has been shattered in ‘Gone Sovereign’ and that they’re so filled with hate that there’s nothing left to offer in ‘Absolute Zero.’ Both tracks are filled with hard-hitting guitars courtesy of Josh Rand and James Root and at times powerful and thunderous drumming from Roy Mayorga. Rand recently stated , “‘House of Gold & Bones’ takes everything that’s great about this band and amplifies it. The riffs, the lyrics, the grooves and the songs are like Stone Sour times 10. There’s also heavy stuff that’s like nothing we’ve ever done before. It’s dark as hell and a complete experience from the first track to the last.” Taylor vocally is hitting on all cylinders with this album. ‘A Rumor of Skin’ shows him delivering a deeper register; ‘RU486′ and ‘Last of the Real’ unleash a full blast of his aggression; and ‘Taciturn’ allows the listener to feel every ounce of emotion he’s pouring into the track. ‘ Taciturn ‘ received its live debut by Taylor earlier this year, with the singer primarily on acoustic guitar. While it can pass as a solo song live, on the album there’s some extra pieces as the track builds from an intimate and sorrowful song into something more epic and filled-out by the end with Taylor begging, “ Give me a sign / Show me a light / Maybe tonight I’ll tell you everything .” ‘The Travelers, Pt. 1′ and ‘Tired’ also flow particularly well together in the middle of the record, with the string-backing coming to the forefront. ‘The Travelers, Pt. 1′ provides ‘A Day in the Life’-type conclusion to the title character’s downward spiral, while in ‘Tired,’ the strings pick up the pace and provide a building feel of the character’s increasing instability. While we’re not sure how many singles ‘House of Gold & Bones Part 1′ may have, that’s not the point of the record. Stone Sour have provided the story of a character’s personal voyage and their inner dialogue that works as one album-length idea, and in that aspect they have definitely succeeded and left us anxious to see where the story continues in ‘House of Gold & Bones Part 2.’
Victory Records Ill Niño ‘s new album, ‘Epidemia,’ hits stores on Oct. 22, but fans won’t have to wait until then to hear the disc. The band is teaming up with Loudwire to provide listeners with an exclusive stream of the album. The New Jersey-based rockers took a musical journey with their sixth release, recording in Hoboken, Austin and Denver before wrapping up the disc. Singer Cristian Machado tells Loudwire, “The recording of ‘Epidemia’ was definitely an amazing experience. We’ve set the bar higher than ever before. I truly believe this record is one of Ill Niño’s best efforts. I really can’t wait for our fans to hear the new record. I know it will connect with many of them on a new level. I can definitely say it’s going to be a crusher but will not lack any of the beauty and passion that appears on our early records.” Machado previously stated that this was the time for the band to redefine Latin metal, while drummer Dave Chavarri mentioned that they were delving more into Latin and tribal rhythms that will just expand their boundaries further than they’ve gone before. Ill Niño already gave fans a sample of the new music by recently unveiling a trailer that featured their song, ‘ The Depression .’ Fans also may have caught them building up to the new record over the past month while on tour with Static-X , who recently had to drop off the trek due to frontman Wayne Static’s medical condition. Ill Niño continue to remain on the road — check out their current tour itinerary here . So, listen to Ill Niño’s ‘Epidemia’ below. If you dig the tunes, you can pre-order the album here . Listen to Ill Niño’s ‘Epidemia’ Album
Ethan Miller, Getty Images Korn guitarist James “Munky” Shaffer has taken his experimental rock side project Fear and the Nervous System on the road for the first time, playing two shows over the weekend in California. He has also unveiled a documentary on the project (watch below). The band’s self-titled debut album was released last month, and the documentary features never-before-seen footage of 2007 jam sessions with Brooks Wackerman (Bad Religion) and Billy Gould ( Faith No More ) that shaped the album. “Zac Baird (Korn touring keyboardist) and I had worked on a few ideas while touring with Korn,” Shaffer says. “So, when we started to record, those song ideas were our jumping off point. But, 90 percent of the album was created on the spot, then recorded. We were lucky to get the people we wanted to become involved with the project.” Rehearsal footage of Fear and the Nervous System preparing for last weekend’s kickoff of their first tour is also included. In addition to Shaffer, Baird, Wackerman and Gould, the band includes Repeater vocalist Steve Krolikowski and guitarist Leopold Ross. Fear and the Nervous System have two more shows scheduled next weekend. On Friday (Oct. 19), they will play in Bakersfield, Calif., and on Saturday (Oct. 20), they are in West Hollywood at the Roxy. Watch the Fear and the Nervous System Documentary
Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com Three Days Grace and Papa Roach make strong showings on the latest Billboard 200 album chart, as both bands’ new discs debut in the Top 20. ‘Transit of Venus’ from Three Days Grace lands at No. 5 in its first week, selling 48,000 copies. Our review of the album states, “They’ve stepped out of their comfort zone, ditched the formula, and went all in, holding nothing back in the true spirit of rock. The reward clearly outweighed the risk on this one and the additional elements enhance the songs without taking them hostage and the identity that Three Days Grace has forged for the past 20 years is clearly better for it.” Papa Roach’s new album ‘The Connection’ also debuted in the upper echelon of Billboard 200, coming in at No. 17 with 22,000 copies sold. Our review of ‘The Connection’ reads, “The band mines the well of interpersonal connections again with their latest record. Jacoby Shaddix, a master at baring his soul in tracks like ‘Last Resort,’ ‘Scars,’ and ‘Broken Home,’ puts his heart clearly on his sleeve with the standout track ‘ Before I Die .’ ” After debuting at No. 2 last week, Green Day ‘s ‘ ¡Uno! ‘ slips to No. 11 this week, selling another 29,000 copies. Topping the album chart this week is ‘Babel’ from Mumford and Sons, followed by Muse’s ‘The 2nd Law.’ New albums from Between the Buried and Me , Converge and Nonpoint were all released this week, and we’ll see how they do on next week’s Billboard 200.
Razor & Tie Nonpoint are back and rocking as hard as ever with their new self-titled album and Loudwire is teaming up with the band to offer you a prize package surrounding the new release. By simply entering your details below, you could win an autographed Nonpoint CD, an autographed Nonpoint poster, and a black Nonpoint TV t-shirt (as seen to your left). Though the band has reconfigured their lineup, singer Elias Soriano feels they are solid moving forward. The vocalist says of the new disc , ” We wanted this record to be a punch in the face. There was a lot of stuff I wanted to artistically vent about. It’s a fresh start for us. We felt like having a self-titled record says it all. We hit the reset button, and there’s life again. You can hear it musically. We’re not going anywhere.” Drummer Robb Rivera echoes those sentiments, adding, “This album is the beginning of a brand new chapter in the world of Nonpoint … rejuvenated and full of positivity. Elias has written his most personal lyrics yet that shows the signs of endurance this band has had in our 15 year career.” So far, the response has been mostly positive, with the group already releasing the preview track ‘ I Said It ‘ as well as the recent single, ‘Left for You.’ To hear those songs, as well as the rest of the band’s latest release, you can order their album in a variety of packages at the group’s website . You can also fill out the form below for a chance to win the Nonpoint Prize Package: Nonpoint Prize Pack Giveaway Enter your e-mail address and T-shirt size for a chance to win an autographed Nonpoint CD, an autographed Nonpoint poster, and a black Nonpoint TV t-shirt . Contest ends Nov. 10, 2012. Click here for official rules . By entering this contest, you will automatically start receiving daily newsletters from Loudwire. You can unsubscribe at any time. You will also be added to the Nonpoint mailing list. Email T-shirt Size
Epitaph Records Converge have just released their greatest achievement since 2001′s ‘Jane Doe,’ and yes, the levity of that claim is understandably huge. ‘Jane Doe’ is almost universally praised as one of the most important, if not the most important extreme record of the 2000s thus far, so with our claim set in stone, here’s the case to back it up. Converge have been on an unparalleled hot streak when it comes to the albums they’ve released throughout their career. ‘Petitioning the Empty Sky,’ although considered as more of a compilation, powerfully issued an open challenge to what a hardcore band could achieve creatively, and as ‘Jane Doe’ hit the shelves in 2001, the barriers violently shattered. Since ‘Jane Doe,’ Converge have released three additional full-length masterpieces, ‘You Fail Me’ (2004), ‘No Heroes’ (2006) and ‘Axe to Fall’ (2009), but ‘All We Love We Leave Behind’ evokes something more visceral. No matter what styles of metal Converge have integrated into their works, even if the band seems to defy all established genres at times, they have always been both adamant and proud to keep their ‘hardcore’ identity. Although that rationale has gone over the head of many listeners, ‘All We Love We Leave Behind’ shines a massive spotlight on the hardcore element of Converge, while continuing to remain highly experimental. New tracks ‘Trespasses’ and ‘Sparrow’s Fall’ are fundamentally hardcore punk songs, which will surely lead to dozens of broken teeth and busted lips if played live. ‘Vicious Muse’ even begins with a poppy Ramones-like drumbeat, though Ben Koller continues to deliver utterly stupefying and rabid drum parts. Guitarist and producer Kurt Ballou lends his trademark touch to ‘All We Love We Leave Behind,’ with the chaotic sound of the album complementing its musicianship perfectly. Along with his monogram spastic tapping style and sluggish, twisted breakdowns, Ballou delivers a … dare we say … gorgeous performance in ‘Coral Blue’ — the album’s standout track. ‘Coral Blue’ is the only Converge song in recent history that could be easily mistaken as the product of another band, as it courses through the same vein as Isis or even Baroness. Yet another change fans will surely notice is that there are no guest vocalists within ‘All We Love We Leave Behind.’ Converge have a rich history of collaboration, but the lack thereof may have directed the band to focus not only on their internal chemistry as a four-man unit, but possibly on the group’s foundation as a predominantly hardcore outfit. Although their past guest vocal spots have added a lot to past recordings, Jacob Bannon’s unmistakable squawks, along with backing help from Ballou and bassist Nate Newton, keep the album sounding full and sturdy. ‘All We Love We Leave Behind’ continues the band’s tradition of recording albums that sound like Converge, but not the Converge you’ve already heard. This record is essential listening (especially if you buy the deluxe edition with three extra songs), and will surely go down as one of 2012′s greatest sonic achievements. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/converge-fault-and-fracture-top-21st-century-metal-songs/” title=”Next: Converge – Top Metal Songs of the 21st Century” align=”center”]
Relapse Hooded Menace are one of modern metal’s leading doom bands. Having just conjured up their third full-length album, ‘Effigies of Evil,’ the band have released a must-hear album for fans of all heavy music. Without losing their edge or sacrificing their creative vision, ‘Effigies of Evil’ is arguably the band’s most accessible creation to date, and we recently had the chance to ask Hooded Menace vocalist / guitarist Lasse Pyykkö a few questions. Pyykkö tells us about ‘Effigies,’ the incredible artwork the album showcases, the future of the doom genre and much more. Is there anything you tried to accomplish on ‘Effigies of Evil’ that you didn’t attempt previously on your past records? I know the album is a bit more melodic and there’s more mid-tempos to bang your head to, but it all came out so naturally that I can’t really say we “tried” to accomplish that. I guess we only set out to make a good successor to “Never Cross the Dead”. The album art for ‘Effigies of Evil’ is incredible. How does the art act as an extension of the record? It’s slightly more elegant than before and I guess you can say the same about our music. It all intertwines even better than I dared to hope. Our trademarks (The Blind Dead references) are there, but the approach is different. There’s some kind of mystic and epic vibe to it. I hope you can get lost in it just as well as in the music. Tell us about the concept of the ‘Crumbling Insanity’ video. To put it shortly, there’s a wanderer who finds an ancient mystical text with illustrations. The pages tell a story of hooded figures terrorizing humanity and crumbling civilization. Hooded Menace has been a part of many splits. Are there any future splits planned and if you could do a split with any band, who would it be? We’re currently working on our song for the vinyl split with the US doomgodz Loss. As usually it will be released by Doomentia Records. As for the ultimate split … man, there´re so many bands to choose from, but if I can pick ANY band I suppose I’m almost obligated to say Black Sabbath. We’ve shared a wax with bands such as Asphyx and Coffins, so I consider us very fortunate already. Who are your biggest influences inside and outside the doom metal genre? Inside doom and doomy death metal genre: 80s Candlemass, Cathedral, Autopsy, two first Paradise Lost albums and Asphyx. Outside: 80s Maiden, Metallica (3 first albums only), Goblin, Fabio Frizzi… Where do you see the future of doom and do you believe that it is becoming a more accessible genre? Well, doom is now more popular than ever. I feel like it’s peaking already. Maybe this trend will go on for some time but there must be a downhill sooner or later. A lot of people will be somewhere else. I wish I was wrong, but that’s how I see it really. Hopefully the better bands will be around and there’ll be an audience for them. Stream Hooded Menace’s ‘Effigies of Evil’ album in full here and check out the band’s Facebook page. Watch Hooded Menace’s ‘Crumbling Insanity’ Video