Razor & Tie / Nuclear Blast If a random dude happens to hand you a pamphlet on how the apocalypse is coming, be sure to hand him back this list of upcoming rock and metal releases for January 2013. Hatebreed are set to release their seventh studio album, ‘The Divinity of Purpose,’ on Jan. 29. With the band’s new track ‘Put It to the Torch’ having just been inducted into our Death Match Hall of Fame, it’s certain that hardcore fans are foaming at the mouth for Hatebreed’s next offering. Punk rock legends Bad Religion will release ‘True North,’ their follow-up to ‘The Dissent of Man,’ on Jan. 22. That week will also see the debut album from Love & Death , featuring former Korn guitarist Brian ‘Head’ Welch on vocals. Black Veil Brides , Helloween, Trapt , Dropkick Murphys, Hollywood Undead and many more bands will unleash their latest efforts in the first month of 2013. Check out our full list of albums below and get ready for some new tunes in the new year. January 2013 Music Releases: Jan. 8: Alice in Chains, ‘Hollow’ (Single) Black Veil Brides, ‘Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones’ Dropkick Murphys, ‘Signed and Sealed in Blood’ Hollywood Undead, ‘Notes From the Underground’ Jan. 15: Rammstein, ‘Videos 1995-2012′ (DVD) Various Artists, ’12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy Relief’ Various Artists, ‘West of Memphis: Voices For Justice’ Jan. 22: Bad Religion, ‘True North’ Helloween, ‘Straight Out of Hell’ Holy Grail, ‘Ride the Void’ Love & Death, ‘Between Here & Lost’ Otep, ‘Hydra’ Rotten Sound, ‘Species at War’ (EP) Stellar Revival, ‘Love, Lust and Bad Company’ Trapt, ‘Reborn’ Voivod, ‘Target Earth’ Jan. 29: Accept, ‘Playlist: The Very Best of Accept’ Cult of Luna, ‘Vertikal’ Funeral for a Friend, ‘Conduit’ Hatebreed, ‘The Divinity of Purpose’ Stratovarius, ‘Unbreakable’ (EP)
Posts Tagged ‘earth’
New Music Releases – January 2013
December 18th, 2012 
Metalkult 
Posted in News 
Tags: band, concert, divinity, earth, hollywood, Music, new-albums, rock 
No Comments »Drummer of the Year – 2012 Loudwire Music Awards
December 4th, 2012 Metalkult Many will argue that the drummer is often the most important member of any band. Along with acting as a human metronome, drummers facilitate transitions, set the mood for each individual part of a song and add a tremendous amount of character to their band’s music. Simply put, drummers act as the foundation, provided they don’t spontaneously combust! The nominees in the Drummer of the Year category achieved great feats in 2012, driving their groups to new heights by adding a strong sense of identity of connectivity and using it as gunpowder. Check out the nominees below and be sure to vote in the poll below: ? Adam Jarvis, Pig Destroyer / Misery Index Adam Jarvis is a true force in the world of extreme metal. Not only does Jarvis possess the skills to play the most precise brands of metal in existence, he was recruited by Pig Destroyer for their 2012 album, ‘Book Burner.’ Jarvis’ drumming is incredibly strong on ‘Book Burner,’ bringing a noticeably nastier sound to the band. ? Arejay Hale, Halestorm Mainstream radio rock doesn’t tend to focus heavily on technical drumming, but Arejay Hale is an absolute exception. Fans who have seen Halestorm live bear witness to this fact, as Arejay regularly busts on monster drum solos while spinning his sticks like a veteran circus performer. ? Barry Kerch, Shinedown Berry Kerch has been holding down the drums for Shinedown since the band’s inception in 2001. Kerch’s skills have been broadcast on rock radio as much as any other drummer this year due to Shinedown’s domination of the airwaves. ? Blake Richardson, Between the Buried and Me The technicality displayed by Between the Buried and Me drummer Blake Richardson in ‘The Parallax II: Future Sequence in incredible, and his ability to transition the band’s complex music from part to part is extraordinary. Plus, to witness Richardson making a mistake live is like running into a Sasquatch. ? Chris Adler, Lamb of God Chris Adler put some impressive drumming onto tape with Lamb of God’s 2012 album, ‘Resolution.’ Not only does Adler remain tight and powerful, he also showcases his ability to write memorable drum parts, most notably heard in the intro of ‘Desolation.’ ? Gene Hoglan, Dethklok/Testament Gene Hoglan is a robot … actually he’s ‘The Atomic Clock,’ but either way he certainly is not human. The talent that Hoglan possesses is mind-boggling, and he lent his stellar abilities to Testament ‘s 2012 album, ‘Dark Roots of Earth’ and Dethklok ‘s ‘Dethalbum III.’ ? Mario Duplantier, Gojira The metal music community saw the rise of two brothers this year: the Duplantier brothers of Gojira . While Joe handles vocal and guitar duties, Mario Duplantier leads the rhythm section with pummeling drum lines. When listening to Gojira’s ‘L’Enfant Sauvage,’ the character Mario’s drumming adds to the band is unmistakeable. ? Matt Cameron, Soundgarden/Pearl Jam As if drumming for one legendary grunge band isn’t enough, Matt Cameron handles the sticks for both Soundgarden and Pearl Jam . Cameron has been most active with Soundgarden this year with the release of the band’s first full-length album since 1996, ‘King Animal.’ ? Roy Mayorga, Stone Sour Although vocalist Corey Taylor and guitarist Jim Root from Slipknot are funnily enough, the faces of Stone Sour , drummer Roy Mayorga deserves his share of praise. Mayorga’s drumming style is much different than that of Slipknot’s Joey Jordison, allowing Stone Sour to further develop their own sound. ? Vinnie Paul, Hellyeah/Pantera Vinnie Paul has turned 2012 into one of his definitive years with both Hellyeah and the legendary Pantera. With Paul working behind the drum kit, Hellyeah released their third full-length album, ‘Band of Brothers,’ while the legacy of Pantera continued with the release of the new song ‘Piss.’ ? 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 drummer wins! Sorry, you need to have javascript running to see this poll. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/rock-song-of-the-year-2012-loudwire-music-awards” title=”Next Category: Rock Song 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
Posted in News Tags: arejay-hale, band, barry-kerch, chris-adler, earth, hoglan, jarvis, loudwire-music, mario-duplantier-, Music, richardson, year No Comments »Guitarist of the Year – 2012 Loudwire Music Awards
December 4th, 2012 Metalkult You know them, you love them, and though the singer may get most of the spotlight, we all know that a good guitarist is what typically drives a band. Whether it be a flashy solo or just keeping time with the band, hanging on a heavy chord, the guitarist is one of the most key elements to a group, especially when it comes to hard rock and heavy metal. This Loudwire Music Awards category of Guitarist of the Year to narrow down to 10, as there are simply a lot of great guitarists out there, but here are the nominees for the Best Guitarist of the Year. Check out each and our argument for them, and then let your voice be heard by voting in the poll below: ? Alex Skolnick, Testament As far as thrash metal goes, there aren’t many guitarists that are held in as high regard as Testament ‘s Alex Skolnick . This year he got a chance to shine again on the band’s ‘Dark Roots of Earth’ album. Frequently working in tandem with Eric Peterson, Skolnick’s runs and riffs remain as fresh today as they did way back when. ? Jacky Vincent, Falling in Reverse One of the emerging guitarists on the scene is Jacky Vincent, who is getting plenty of notice for his work alongside vocalist Ronnie Radke in Falling in Reverse . Vincent’s riffing helps make ‘The Drug in Me Is You’ album really go. ? Jim Root, Slipknot / Stone Sour Onstage this year, Jim Root brought his energetic licks to Slipknot ‘s North American trek, and he further showcased his axe skills in 2012 on Stone Sour ‘s latest disc, ‘House of Gold & Bones, Pt. 1.’ Working opposite Josh Rand, Root delivered some of the most in-your face licks on the singles ‘Gone Sovereign’ and ‘Absolute Zero.’ ? Herman Li, DragonForce It was a welcome return in 2012 for Dragonforce ‘s Herman Li, whose band got back in the game after changing vocalists. ‘The Power Within’ album got the group back out on tour and refreshed in the minds of fans exactly how quick and masterful that the guitarist is at his instrument. ? Kim Thayil, Soundgarden Kim Thayil has been largely out of the spotlight since the late ’90s, when Soundgarden went their separate ways, but the time apart allowed Thayil to replenish his riff bank and it’s the fans that are reaping the rewards on the stellar new disc, ‘King Animal.’ ? Kurt Ballou, Converge Hardcore rockers Converge returned after a three-year absence with ‘All We Love We Leave Behind,’ an aggressive collection featuring the superb guitar (and production) work of Kurt Ballou. Ballou gets bonus points for doing it all organically, rocking without artificial distortion, triggers or Auto-Tune. ? Mark Tremonti, Tremonti / Alter Bridge /Creed We knew Mark Tremonti was a great guitarist before this year, but the Creed and Alter Bridge member showed he was a true artist with his ‘All I Was’ solo album. If anything, it allowed Tremonti rock even harder than he usually does and show off more of his metal side. ? Paul Waggoner & Dustie Waring, Between the Buried and Me Between the Buried and Me ‘s ‘The Parallax II: Future Sequence’ would not have been the standout set it was without the talents of guitarists Paul Waggoner and Dustie Waring. The pair perform in tandem for the majority of the 2012 record, making it nearly impossible to choose just one of the two. ? Siouxsie Medley, Dead Sara While Emily Armstrong is getting the bulk of the attention for her powerhouse vocals, Dead Sara ‘s Siouxsie Medley is the perfect compliment on guitar. It’s her mesmerizing guitar lick that pulls listeners into the lead single ‘Weatherman,’ and her bluesy work on ‘Sorry for It All’ and ‘Timed Blues’ show her versatility. ? Slash A perennial favorite for Top 10 lists anytime he’s involved with a record, Slash got to put more of a stamp than ever on his music with the ‘Apocalyptic Love’ disc. Whether it was the chugging ‘You’re a Lie,’ the hard-driving ‘Standing in the Sun’ or the groovy ‘Bad Rain,’ Slash got a chance to show his range with no real restrictions. ? 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 guitarist wins! Sorry, you need to have javascript running to see this poll. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/bassist-of-the-year-2012-loudwire-music-awards/” title=”Next Category: Bassist 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
Posted in News Tags: band, earth, loudwire, loudwire music awards, loudwire-music, metal, Music, rock, singer, siouxsie-medley, time, work No Comments »Metal Band of the Year – 2012 Loudwire Music Awards
December 4th, 2012 Metalkult Here we have a batch of stellar bands who just happened to shape the metal music landscape in 2012. The accomplishments made by the following acts cannot be underestimated, as metal as a genre continues to dominate the underground music world. Once again, we’ve got veterans facing new-school heroes for the title of Metal Band of the Year, and it’s the fans who will decide who deserves the award. Check out the 10 nominees in the Metal Band of the Year and be sure to vote in the poll below: Anthrax Having released ‘Worship Music’ in 2011, the thrash legends of Anthrax released ‘I’m Alive’ as a single in 2012, along with headlining the second stage at this year’s Mayhem Festival and touring extensively with Testament and Death Angel. ? ? ? As I Lay Dying Metalcore leaders As I Lay Dying had a strong year in 2012, releasing the album ‘Awakened’ to critical acclaim. The band turned the tracks ‘Cauterize’ and ‘A Greater Foundation’ into singles this year, along with performing on the 2012 Mayhem Festival. ? ? Between the Buried and Me Guitarist Paul Waggoner was hoping to create similar excitement for their 2012 album, ‘The Parallax II: Future Sequence’ that they conjured with ‘Colors’ in 2007. From fan reaction, Between the Buried and Me succeeded with their 2012 masterpiece. The prog metal act even gave fans a taste of ‘The Parallax II’ during the 2012 Summer Slaughter tour. ? Down Phil Anselmo and the rest of Down crunched their Southern sludge into an EP this year with ‘Down IV Part 1 – The Purple EP.’ Fans are absolutely rabid to check out these new tracks live, and they’ll get the chance to do so when Down hit the road early next year. ? ? Gojira The French mad scientists of Gojira absolutely exploded in 2012 with the album ‘L’Enfant Sauvage.’ The masterful album brought in a massive new group of fans while keeping the old ones happy, a feat that is among the most difficult of accomplishments for a progressive act. ? ? Lamb of God Having released ‘Resolution’ in early 2012, Lamb of God embarked on various tours before being stopped in their tracks by the arrest of vocalist Randy Blythe in the Czech Republic. Lamb of God persevered through the controversy, hitting the road once again later in the year to a red-hot ‘Welcome Home’ from fans. ? Machine Head Along with creating a more-than-impressive video for the song ‘Darkness Within’ in 2012, Machine Head treated fans worldwide to a string of live performances. After headlining a tour with support from Suicide Silence and Darkest Hour, Machine Head continued to play gigs with Dethklok, All That Remains and the Black Dahlia Murder. ? Napalm Death The British grindcore legends of Napalm Death blew away grind fans with their 2012 album, ‘Utilitarian.’ Having created one of this year’s most brutal and imaginative albums, Napalm took grindcore into a new realm proceeding their tour with Municipal Waste and Exhumed. ? ? Pig Destroyer After a five-year wait, grind masters Pig Destroyer released yet another pummeling triumph, ‘Book Burner.’ Under the influence of mastermind Scott Hull, ‘Book Burner’ showcases brilliant sonic attacks by all involved, including Kat Katz, Richard Johnson and broadcasting legend Larry King via his reading of Henry Miller’s ‘Tropic of Cancer’ audiobook. ? Testament Boasting one of metal’s most purely talented lineups, Testament crushed the world of thrash with their ‘Dark Roots of Earth’ album. The band made memorable videos for ‘True American Hate’ as well as ‘Native Blood,’ while touring with fellow thrash legends Anthrax and Death Angel. ? ? Sorry, you need to have javascript running to see this poll. 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
Testament, Overkill + More to Embark on 2013 Dark Roots of Thrash Tour
November 26th, 2012 Metalkult You will see this tour and you will like it ! Both Testament and Overkill successfully raided 2012 with awesome new albums, and luckily for thrash fans, the two bands have teamed up to create the must-see ‘Dark Roots of Thrash’ tour, beginning in January 2013. Many veteran thrash bands deserve the utmost respect when it comes to their accomplishments in 2012. Testament released their ‘Dark Roots of Earth’ album and toured extensively with Anthrax and Death Angel throughout the year; both the album and the tour were incredible well-received. Fellow thrash veterans Overkill unleashed their sixteenth studio album, ‘The Electric Age,’ in 2012 and embarked a mass of festival dates along with a monster tour with God Forbid . It’s only right that two of the greatest thrash acts outside of the ‘Big 4′ converge for a tour of mammoth proportions, taking along Arizona thrashers Flotsam and Jetsam along with Australian thrash metal act 4ARM. “It’s a thrill to announce our upcoming dates with Overkill and Flotsam and Jetsam,” says Testament guitarist Alex Skolnick . “It’s a tour that brings together three different metal bands from three different regions: West Coast, East Coast and Southwest. All three bands sound very different from one another yet are highly compatible. All have been around the block (and the world) a few times and all have managed to keep a sound that feels current. This tour will be a ‘must see’ for fans who remember the early days of thrash/speed metal as well as those whose age is younger than the genre itself.” Find out where you’ll be kicking in skulls by checking out the official tour dates below. ‘Dark Roots of Thrash’ 2013 Tour Dates: 01/30 – San Francisco, Calif. @ The Filmore (no Flotsam And Jetsam) 01/31 – Anaheim, Calif. @ House Of Blues (no Flotsam And Jetsam) 02/01 – Tempe, Ariz. @ The Marquee (no Flotsam And Jetsam) 02/02 – Hollywood, Calif. @ House Of Blues (no Flotsam And Jetsam) 02/04 – Albuquerque, N.M. @ Sunshine Theater (no Flotsam And Jetsam) 02/05 – Austin, Texas @ Emo’s 02/06 – Houston, Texas @ House Of Blues 02/07 – Dallas, Texas @ House Of Blues 02/09 – Atlanta, Ga. @ Masquerade 02/10 – Charlotte, N.C. @ The Fillmore 02/12 – Silver Spring, Md. @ The Fillmore 02/13 – Philadelphia, Pa. @ Trocadero 02/14 – New York, N.Y. @ Best Buy Theatre 02/15 – Huntington, N.Y. @ The Paramount 02/16 – Worcester, Mass. @ The Palladium 02/17 – Buffalo, N.Y. @ Town Ballroom 02/18 – Toronto, Ontario @ Phoenix Concert Theatre 02/20 – Cincinnati, Ohio @ Bogart’s 02/21 – Grand Rapids, Mich. @ The Intersection 02/22 – Milwaukee, Wis. @ The Rave 02/23 – Minneapolis, Minn. @ First Avenue 02/25 – Denver, Colo. @ The Summit Music Hall 02/26 – Salt Lake City, Utah @ In The Venue 02/27 – Reno, Nev. @ Knitting Factory 02/28 – Sacramento, Calif. @ Ace Of Spades
GWAR Terrorize Suburbia in Hilarious Trick-or-Treating Adventure
October 24th, 2012 Metalkult Fuse TV Intergalactic metallers GWAR provide planet Earth with a number of generous contributions, and although the band tends to hate the human race, they certainly provide us with an entertaining alternative to our typically mundane existence. Along with amusing us with their music and iconic stage show, GWAR have created another must see piece of amusement, as the band recently documented pre-Halloween round of trick-or-treating. Unaccustomed to many Earthly traditions, GWAR chose to give trick-or-treating a shot for the very first time, bringing Fuse TV along with them to film the occasion. Although GWAR were grossly misinformed of when trick-or-treating is socially acceptable, the space monsters went door to door in the beautiful suburbs of New Jersey. GWAR front-thing Oderus Urungus didn’t really wear a costume for the occasion, instead choosing to cover himself in colorful boas and a giant Barack Obama cutout mounted on his battle armor. Bassist Beefcake the Mighty donned a pink tutu for his costume, as new GWAR shredder Pustulus Maximus bought himself a giant cowboy hat for his first Halloween on Earth. Needless to say, hilarity ensues as GWAR proceed to pillage the neighborhood in search of tasty treats. To watch GWAR terrorize families, insult helpless suburbanites, run from their banana-people foes and collect a heroic amount of candy, check out the video below! GWAR Go Trick-or-Treating in Suburbia [via Fuse TV] [button href=”http://loudwire.com/gwars-oderus-urungus-pustulus-maximus-talk-writing-new-music-2012-election-more/” title=”Next: Loudwire Talks To GWAR’s Oderus Urungus and Pustulus Maximus” align=”center”]
Posted in News Tags: a-costume-for, a-giant-cowboy, earth, ensues-as-gwar, mighty, news, space, video, videos No Comments »The Sword, ‘Apocryphon’ – Album Review
October 22nd, 2012 Metalkult Razor & Tie The Sword caught the attention of critics and fans alike with their first three albums, and the band has steadily developed a strong following through relentless touring. Now, the Texas quartet is back with its fourth full-length effort, ‘Apocryphon.’ Their stoner metal sound is intact on ‘Apocryphon,’ but the Sword have stepped up their songwriting prowess. There are more hooks, and the songs are more direct while still leaving room for some experimentation and jamming. It’s a really good balance. The opener ‘Veil of Isis’ is a good representation of the album. There are heavy riffs, tempo shifts and plenty of instrumental breaks. It’s also the longest track on ‘Apocryphon,’ clocking in at just under six minutes. When it comes to tempo, the Sword are not your typical stoner/doom band. Instead of plodding, glacial songs, they keep the speed up, usually mid to up-tempo. Their sound is consistent, but the shifting tempos help add diversity. The faster songs also make them more appealing to those who might not typically listen to stoner metal. Guitars are front and center on ‘Apocryphon, with Kyle Shutt and J.D. Cronise getting plenty of opportunity to showcase their fuzzy riffs and psychedelic solos. Cronise is also the band’s vocalist, and his voice is melodic with a slight edge. There’s a hint of Ozzy-era Sabbath in his croon, but Cronise has a smoother delivery. The Sword’s rhythm section also deserves praise for ‘Apocryphon.’ Bassist Bryan Ritchie makes his presence felt and his rumbling rhythms are nice and high in the mix. Santiago ‘Jimmy’ Vela III is the newest addition to the band, and the drummer fits in perfectly, a rock solid anchor. There are some subtle electronic elements on the album, including the title track. ‘Dying Earth’ has a trippy synth intro before kicking into a fairly straightforward and catchy song. Speaking of catchy, ‘Execrator’ is packed with memorable hooks. It’s lean and mean, and you’ll find yourself singing along to the chorus after just a couple of listens. ‘Apocryphon’ is the Sword’s best album to-date. Their existing fan base will love it, and it will be a big draw for stoner metal fans. In addition, fans of classic rock, hard rock and traditional metal will find plenty to sink their teeth into, as well. You can also spend a couple of extra bucks and get the deluxe edition of ‘Apocryphon.’ It includes four live tracks and a cover of the ZZ Top song ‘Cheap Sunglasses.’
Posted in News Tags: a-really-good, a-rock-solid, and-psychedelic, and-traditional, apocryphon, earth, elements-on-the, keep-the-speed, live, songs, songwriting, the sword, voice No Comments »
