Warner Bros. Records Serj Tankian is quickly becoming one of modern rock’s most prolific musicians. Along with fronting both System of a Down and his solo project, Tankian recently created his ‘Orca’ symphony and released an album of classical music. Now, Tankian steps into the realm of video games for the second time in his career, composing the score for the upcoming Industrial Toys video game ‘Morning Star.’ The System of a Down singer expressed his enthusiasm for the project in the following statement. ”I’m really enjoying working on ‘Morning Star’ because it gives me the ability to create new musical worlds to complement the new visual worlds in the game. Though most of the gameplay will be action oriented cues, the stunning artwork and static scenes have inspired unique sounds unheard before.” Meanwhile, Industrial Toys CEO Alex Seropian adds, ”We’ve been big fans of Serj’s for quite some time. The opportunity to collaborate with him on ‘Morning Star’ gave us a way to take the game to a whole new level. We knew his score would be unique, but it’s his ability to interpret a scene or gameplay element and come up with something that makes it moodier, more dramatic or just more awesome that’s really got us pumped.” Tankian first took on the challenge of scoring a video game for the critically acclaimed John Woo third-person shooter ‘Stranglehold.’ For ‘Morning Star,’ Tankian has concocted a sonic experiment to create sounds from 120 years in the future, acting as the background for players transporting across the cosmos to fight massive intergalactic battles. ‘Morning Star’ is scheduled for a spring 2013 release for IOS devices. Check out a trailer for the game featuring part of Serj Tankian’s musical score below: ‘Morning Star’ Video Game Trailer [button href=”http://loudwire.com/best-rock-albums-of-2012/” title=”Serj Tankian – Best Rock Albums of 2012″ align=”center”]
Posts Tagged ‘career’
Bush Frontman Gavin Rossdale Joined Onstage by Wife Gwen Stefani for ‘Glycerine’ in Los Angeles
The couple that plays together, stays together! A rock music rarity took place during Bush ‘s set at the 23rd annual KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas at the Gibson Ampitheatre in Los Angeles on Dec. 8. Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale was joined onstage by his wife Gwen Stefani , a successful artist in her own right as the singer of No Doubt and as a solo act who has churned out hit after hit. As he usually does, Rossdale started playing ’Glycerine’ by himself for the first minute or so, until Stefani surprised the crowd when she took the stage to lend her distinct vocals to Bush’s mid-’90s smash hit. It was the first time that the musical couple has performed together in more than a decade, according to band management. Christmas is always the most magical time of the year, and some real rock ‘n’ roll magic took place on the stage of this yearly event. While Stefani has primarily been delivering pop music these days, she looked right at home offering a vocal assist on a rock song. She was dressed in her trademark stage clothes — plaid pants, a sheer top and heels, with her hair pulled back. She even rocked out a bit onstage as the pace of the song picked up when the rest of Bush joined in for the climax of the song. The pair sealed the performance with a kiss on the lips! How romantic, since they made beautiful music together – literally. We would not be surprised if the couple’s young sons Kingston and Zuma end up as musicians, with this kind of DNA in their veins. Watch Bush Perform ‘Glycerine’ With Gwen Stefani [button href=”http://loudwire.com/bush-frontman-gavin-rossdale-feels-solo-career-was-almost-a-douche-bag-route/” title=”Next: Gavin Rossdale Blasts Own Solo Career” align=”center”]
Rock Album of the Year – 2012 Loudwire Music Awards
As the 2012 Loudwire Music Awards continue, we turn our attention to full bodies of work — that’s right — the Rock Album of the Year. We’ve got 10 stellar discs in contention for the title and need your assistance in determining the best. We’ve got a mixture of major radio acts, door-busting female-led hard rock outfits, ’90s mainstays enjoying a career resurrection and a handful of lesser-known acts who deserve consideration for potential breakout releases. But in the end, the final word comes down to you. Check out the nominated albums, read our cases for each, and be sure to vote in the poll below: Baroness, ‘Yellow & Green’ It’s a shame that Baroness ‘ year was cut short due to injuries sustained from a bus crash, but that doesn’t lessen the fact that ‘Yellow & Green,’ the band’s third album, was one of the year’s standout efforts. With ‘Take My Bones Away’ and ‘March to the Sea’ leading the way, this double-disc offered heavy rock with a sense of subtlety. ? Dead Sara, ‘Dead Sara’ Every year there’s the search for a new voice, and Dead Sara ‘s Emily Armstrong, with the emotion-filled rasp of a modern-day, hard-rock Janis Joplin, made her presence known. ‘Weatherman’ became the breakout single, but the remainder of their self-titled debut is a stellar effort, front-to-back. ? Deftones, ‘Koi No Yokan’ Deftones ‘ resurgence in recent years only continues with ‘Koi No Yokan,’ a magnificent disc led by the mood-shifting single ‘Tempest’ and the all-out aggression of ‘Leathers.’ The band, who’s made a career about exploring dynamic, continue to click on all cylinders with the highs, lows and atmospherics we’ve come to love. ? Halestorm, ‘The Strange Case Of…’ Sophomore slump? Never! If anything, Halestorm made significant strides with their second release ‘The Strange Case Of …’ ‘Love Bites (So Do I)’ was the kind of anthemic rocker that most bands would kill for and the angsty ‘I Miss the Misery’ struck a chord with listeners. ? Lacuna Coil, ‘Dark Adrenaline’ The ever-evolving Lacuna Coil actually took a step backward into their past, much to the delight of fans of their more gothic-sounding early years. ‘Dark Adrenaline’ connected with the lead single ‘Trip the Darkness,’ while the infectious drumbeat of ‘Fire’ was undeniable. There’s a comfort level and joy within almost every track. ? Marilyn Manson, ‘Born Villain’ Marilyn Manson , at least creatively, rediscovered his niche this past year. The ‘Born Villain’ album was reminiscent of the albums that made him a huge success in the ’90s, with the lead single ‘No Reflection’ sitting alongside the best tracks of his career. Other highlights included ‘Slo-Mo-Tion’ and ‘Hey Cruel World.’ ? Serj Tankian, ‘Harakiri’ After experimenting with a variety of styles in recent years, Serj Tankian ‘s return to rock was widely hailed. The vocalist provided a distinct point of view on a majority of his songs, with ‘Harakiri’ speaking to environmental concerns with aggression and ‘Figure It Out’ showing unrest with many of our corporate leaders. ? Shinedown, ‘Amaryllis’ Shinedown followed up ‘The Sound of Madness’ with another hits-filled set in ‘Amaryllis’ that’s definitely connecting with audiences. The topical ‘Bully’ was an early-year hit that not only delivered a message, but some ear-candy hooks to rope you in. Other standouts include the earnest ‘Unity’ and the in-your-face rocker ‘Enemies.’ ? Soundgarden, ‘King Animal’ Soundgarden showed no rust with ‘King Animal,’ there first album in 16 years. ’Been Away Too Long’ is the band’s new battle cry, signifying their official return with a track that connects as well as some of their biggest hits. ‘Non-State Actor,’ ‘Bones of Birds’ and the recently previewed ‘Rowing’ also show that the group is back to cranking out quality music. ? Stone Sour, ‘House of Gold & Bones Part 1′ Stone Sour ‘s ‘House of Gold & Bones, Part 1′ is highlighted by the double-single, ‘Gone Sovereign’ and ‘Absolute Zero,’ which provide the story of a man on a downward spiral. They’re both aggression personified. However, songs like ‘Taciturn’ and ‘Tired’ deliver a more melodic, yet no less powerful, statement. ? Voting for the 2012 Loudwire Music Awards closes on Jan. 15 at 11:59 PM EST. Fans can vote once per hour, so keep coming back to make sure your favorite band wins! Sorry, you need to have javascript running to see this poll. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/metal-album-of-the-year-2012-loudwire-music-awards/” title=”Next Category: Metal Album of the Year” align=”center”] Get Notified When Winners Are Announced Enter your email address below to receive the daily Loudwire newsletter, which will include notification of our full list of winners in the 2012 Loudwire Music Awards, as well as the top stories in rock and metal. Email
10 Best Metal Songs of 2012
Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com / Spencer Kaufman, Loudwire / Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Another year has brought us another barrage of songs to knock around your senses. After a great deal of thought, we've compiled our picks for the 10 Best Metal Songs of 2012. Along with tracks from bands such as Gojira , Testament and Between the Buried and Me , who released on some of 2012's best albums, we've also included songs by Anthrax and Machine Head , which were featured on 2011 albums, but officially released as singles this year. It's all about which bands truly shaped the musical landscape of 2012, along with who brought their songwriting skills to a whole new level with their latest offerings. With that in mind, we present our choices for the 10 Best Metal Songs of 2012: ? 10 'Darkness Within' Machine Head ? ? From: 'Unto the Locust' Although 'Darkness Within' is featured on Machine Head's 2011 album, 'Unto the Locust,' the song was officially released as a single in July of 2012. Accompanied by an incredible music video, 'Darkness Within' showcases the wide musical range of Machine Head, who parallel music and religion with the line, “ Music my savior, save me. “ Listen to 'Darkness Within' ? ? 9 'King of Days' High on Fire ? ? From: 'De Vermis Mysteriis' High on Fire 's 'De Vermis Mysteriis' album is packed with solid tracks like 'Serums of Liao' and 'Fertile Green,' we're going with disc's meatiest track, 'King of Days.' The band showcase their doom and sludge prestige in the seven-minute track, with Matt Pike staking his claim as one of metal's most powerful vocalists. With a bit of beauty as a kicker, 'King of Days' gives the listener guitar and bass solos, along with the 'time travel' drum theme repeated throughout the album. Listen to 'King of Days' ? ? 8 'Ghost Walking' Lamb of God ? ? From: 'Resolultion' Lamb of God took 2012 by the throat with the release of 'Resolution,' spearheaded by the first single 'Ghost Walking' a post-apocalyptic tale of no one left to save. The voice of Randy Blythe is in the spotlight as he tightens his serpentine twist with the words, “ Night blind on the shining path / Ghost walking in the aftermath / Hypnotized, 60 cycle hum / The broken cadence of a distant drum. “ Listen to 'Ghost Walking' ? ? 7 'The Wolf I Feed' Napalm Death ? ? From 'Utilitarian' British grindcore legends Napalm Death rejuvenated their creative prowess with their 2012 album, 'Utilitarian,' taking their songwriting craft to a more solid and progressive realm. Written about the 'rat race' of the business world, guitarist Mitch Harris shares vocal duties with the booming Barney Greenway, building up to an explosive chorus and supernatural bridge. Listen to 'The Wolf I Feed' ? ? 6 'I'm Alive' Anthrax ? ? From ' Worship Music' Anthrax's 'I'm Alive' was released on Jan. 4, 2012, just making the cut for this list and landing at No. 6. Housed inside the 2011 album 'Worship Music,' the song features singer Joey Belladonna opening with an infectious “ Whao-oah. ” 'I'm Alive' serves as proof that a veteran band like Anthrax can bust out new and fresh music three decades into their career. Listen to 'I'm Alive' ? ? 5 'The Bug' Pig Destroyer ? ? From 'Book Burner' “ I'm going to sing for you, a little off key perhaps, but I will sing. I will sing while you croak. I will dance over your dirty corpse. ” With this classic line from Henry Miller's 'Tropic of Cancer,' Pig Destroyer launch into 'The Bug,' one of the most powerful cuts from their 2012 full-length, 'Book Burner.' The band delivers unfiltered brutality with this track. Add in dueling vocals between J.R. Hayes and Kat Katz , and you've gone through a meat grinder of a sonic battering. Listen to 'The Bug' ? ? 4 'Piss' Pantera ? ? From: 'Vulgar Display of Power' Reissue A lost track from the landmark 'Vulgar Display of Power' album, Pantera 's 'Piss' is like a time capsule wrapped in solid gold. The overwhelming crunch of 'Piss' still feels unmatched by modern production techniques, reminding the world why Dimebag Darrell's guitar work remains so unmistakeable. Phil Anselmo delivers a crushing vocal performance, aggressively taking apart “ A self-centered procrastinator, attention seeker who's got nothing at all. ” Listen to 'Piss' ? ? 3 'True American Hate' Testament ? ? From ' Dark Roots of Earth' Testament are everything a thrash band strives to be. The 'Dark Roots of Earth' album was recorded by one of metal's most solid lineups: Chuck Billy, Alex Skolnick, Eric Peterson, Greg Christian and 'The Atomic Clock' Gene Hoglan. With that in mind, 'True American Hate' brings out the best in each performer, having crafted a classic thrash track that holds up in modern times against all possible competition. Listen to 'True American Hate' ? ? 2 'Telos' Between the Buried and Me ? ? From: 'The Parallax II: Future Sequence' Between the Buried and Me have stormed through 2012 with lots of touring along with a brilliant new album, 'The Parallax II: Future Sequence.' 'Telos' was the first track revealed by the band, and guitarist Paul Waggoner calls the track “the meat” of the record. BTBAM have continued into 2012 with their twisted concoctions, 'Telos' containing progressive and technical death metal with zone-out space blues and an epic crescendo containing but one word: “ Rebirth. “ Listen to 'Telos' ? ? 1 'L'Enfant Sauvage' Gojira ? ? From: 'L'Enfant Sauvage' French metal masters Gojira are the breakout metal act of the year for 2012, even with an incredible wealth of material released throughout the last decade. The title track of their 2012 album, 'L'Enfant Sauvage' hits the listener immediately, revealing its importance the second it hits your ears. Somehow Gojira have created a unique mix of progressive brutality and massive accessibility, and for this, they stand tall with the top metal song of 2012. Listen to 'L'Enfant Sauvage' ? ? What's Your Favorite Metal Song of 2012? Which one of our picks is your personal favorite? Is there a song that you feel we missed. Let the arguing commence in the comments section below: ?