Razor & Tie Nonpoint have just released their self-titled seventh studio album. The new disc is the first to feature guitarists Rasheed Thomas and Dave Lizzio as well as bassist Adam Woloszyn. Nonpoint come out swinging with the first track ‘Lights, Camera, Action.’ Frontman Elias Soriano’s signature vocal style of a quick deliverance of lyrics accompanies by some serious melody. Speaking of melody, Soriano shows off his melodic vocals in the track ‘The Way I See Things’ as he sings the chorus, “ The way I see things / I could use a serious change of scenery / The ways I see things / I’d be better off / Better off if I leave .” Even though the song ‘I Said It’ is not the strongest example of Nonpoint’s usual catchy chorus on the album, it does show another level of Soriano as the track displays aggressive screaming and the vigorous drums skills of Robb Rivera. The lead single off of the album, ‘Left For You,’ is filled with deep riffs, deep bass lines and soaring vocals with a certain softness. Two minutes into ‘Left For You,’ Soriano slows the pace down as he croons, “ I’m trying to lead you away but i can’t / ’cause trying to keep us together is something that i know i can’t… do / I know I can’t do / Without you .” Additionally, the album is filled with faster-paced anthems where Soriano spits out lyrics with venom on tracks like ‘International Crisis,’ ‘That Day’ and ‘Temper,’ which features lyrics that shout as much warning as the galloping drum patterns and stern guitar solo and riffs. Guitarists Thomas and Lizzio also offer some enticing riffs on ‘Go Time’ that ring like an alarm, while Rivera shows off his serious skills behind the skins on the song ‘Independence Day,’ which is a prime example of the way Soriano merges both screams and harmony. There is a certain balance to ‘Nonpoint,’ which weaves in mid-tempo tracks that show off the melodic flow of the band such as ‘Another Mistake’ and ‘Pandora’s Box.’ Another notable track is ‘Ashes,’ which is definitely one of the more eclectic tracks on ‘Nonpoint,’ complete with Woloszyn’s tantalizing bass lines as the album ends as strong as it begins. There’s no doubt this forceful record will make you sweat and even pull through those dreadful last 15 minutes at the gym, especially since Nonpoint, both the album and band, are filled with a continuous flow of unyielding energy. ? [button href=”http://loudwire.com/nonpoint-taproot-new-york-concert/” title=”Check Out Photos of Nonpoint Performing in New York City” align=”center”]
Donald Kravitz, Getty Images When we arrived at Bader Field the day before Metallica ‘s Orion Music + More festival, we were greeted with the band rocking out to one of our favorite tunes, ‘Creeping Death.’ It turned out that they were performing their usual pre-show soundcheck, working out all the kinks before they kicked off their first ever two-day fest. For those who weren’t lucky enough to be in Atlantic City to experience Orion, the band released both nights’ performances as downloads via LiveMetallica.com . While those cost money to download, Metallica has now released that Friday soundcheck as a free download . The soundcheck includes the aforementioned ‘Creeping Death,’ ‘Hell and Back’ from the ‘Beyond Magnetic’ EP and the instrumental ‘The Call of Ktulu.’ With this being a soundcheck, the band was not playing as serious as they would during an actual live performance. This is obvious when frontman James Hetfield, while jamming on ‘Creeping Death,’ decides to skip out on singing the first verse. This looseness provides a unique listening experience for ‘Tallica fans, making this a download you won’t want to miss. Orion Music + More was held at Bader Field in Atlantic City on June 23 and 24, 2012. It was Metallica’s first music festival that they created and the band has promised to turn it into an annual tradition. Download Metallica’s Orion Music + More Soundcheck here. [button href=”http://ultimatemetallica.com” target=”_blank” title=”Click Here For Complete Metallica Coverage” align=”center”]
Christopher Polk / Carlo Allegri, Getty Images Green Day may be off the road due to Billie Joe Armstrong ‘s rehab stint , but the group is finding plenty of other ways to remain in the spotlight. One of them will happen on Oct. 19, when the group’s music is used to soundtrack an episode of the CBS crime drama ‘CSI: NY.’ According to the band’s website , songs such as ‘Stop When the Red Light Flashes,’ ‘Amy,’ ‘Night Life,’ ‘The Forgotten,’ and ‘Kill the DJ’ will help tell the story of the episode. In the episode itself, Lindsay (Anna Belknap) is injured while trying to stop the attempted murder of a political candidate. CSI: NY executive producer Pam Veasey states, “My ultimate goal was to tell a story without dialogue, and Green Day’s music and lyrics beautifully accompanied the visuals making it a very special episode.” The band stated, “We were stoked when we found out ‘CSI: NY’ wanted to use our music instead of dialogue to narrate the first few acts of the episode. It’s the first time something like this has been done on the series, and we are blown away with what we’ve seen.” ‘CSI: NY’ airs Fridays on CBS at 8PM ET/PT. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/green-day-uno-album-review/” title=”Next: Green Day’s ‘Uno’ – Album Review” align=”center”]
Fin Costello/Redferns, Getty Images Picking the 10 best Metallica songs might just be the hardest thing we've ever tried to do. As one of the most successful and internationally recognized bands around, Metallica's discography includes nine studio albums and over 40 singles, all created and released over the course of more than three decades. This huge catalog is the foundation for Metallica's success that has now reached beyond the world of music, whether it be a critically acclaimed documentary or their own music festival or an in-the-works 3D movie that showcases their one-of-a-kind live concerts. As fans eagerly await the band's next studio album, we've racked our brains to a mushy pulp to come up with this list of the 10 Best Metallica Songs: ? 10 'Fuel' From: 'ReLoad' (1997) ? ? 'Fuel' is the most popular tune from 1997's 'ReLoad,' and it is hard to argue against it being one of Metallica's best songs. With the ferocious intro delivered a cappella by James Hetfield, the song never lets up for the four and a half minutes it runs. 'Fuel' definitely serves up the fastest-paced and most in-your-face song from 'ReLoad' – and arguably outshines any tune on the band's previous album, 'Load.' Listen to 'Fuel' ? ? 9 'Fade to Black' From: 'Ride the Lightning' (1984) ? ? Call it a ballad if you must, but 'Fade to Black' is one of Metallica's best songs if for no other reason than it shows just how talented the band really is. Being Metallica's first true slow song, it covers the theme of suicide and is the first track that guitarist Kirk Hammett received co-writing credit on. Despite being slow-paced, the tune still conveys brutality and intensity, whether it's through Hetfield's lyrics or Hammett's guitar solos. Listen to 'Fade to Black' ? ? 8 '…And Justice for All' From: '…And Justice for All' (1988) ? ? One of the most complex songs in Metallica's catalog, '…And Justice for All' stretches to nearly 10 minutes long. Due to its complexity and length, it has been a rarity for fans to enjoy the song live at Metallica concerts. However, the common absence of the song from setlists does not make it any less powerful. The band's fans had high expectations following 'Master of Puppets' and with the '…And Justice for All' title track, Metallica proved that they were still on top of the metal world. Listen to '…And Justice for All' ? ? 7 'Battery' From: 'Master of Puppets' (1986) ? ? Selecting the order of tracks for 'Master of Puppets' was no doubt a hard task, but picking 'Battery' to open the album was a stroke of genius. The song opens with an acoustic guitar riff – just like the opening track of 'Ride the Lightning' — that leads into the band joining in with full-on power and intensity. The song is one of current bassist Robert Trujillo's favorites as he requested to begin his audition with Metallica by jamming on the tune, further cementing late bassist Cliff Burton's legendary status. Listen to 'Battery' ? ? 6 'For Whom the Bell Tolls' From: 'Ride the Lightning' (1984) ? ? 'For Whom the Bell Tolls' is inspired from the Ernest Hemingway novel of the same name, and is one of the most-played songs at Metallica concerts. It has become a fan-favorite no doubt due to that unique opening that sounds like a guitar, but is actually the sound of Cliff Burton playing a bass fed through distortion. 'For Whom the Bell Tolls' was first released as a promotional single, which meant it never hit the charts. Listen to 'For Whom the Bell Tolls' ? ? 5 'Seek & Destroy' From: 'Kill 'Em All' (1983) ? ? 'Seek and Destroy' first made its debut on Metallica's demo tape, 'No Life 'til Leather.' Thirty years later, it still stands out as one of the band's premiere songs. Since around 2004, it has been the staple tune the band jams on to end their live shows. With obvious influences from bands like Diamond Head and Saxon, 'Seek and Destroy' has turned into an anthem for Metallica fans throughout the world. With the piercing opening guitar riff to the brutal lyrics of “ Running / On our way hiding / You will pay dying / One thousand deaths ,” everything builds up to the climactic and powerful chorus: “ Searching / Seek and destroy! “ Listen to 'Seek & Destroy' ? ? 4 'One' From: '…And Justice for All' (1988) ? ? The last single to be released from '…And Justice for All,' 'One' sets itself apart as one of the best songs recorded by Metallica because of its build-up from a slow, clean, haunting opening to a heavy, fast and absolutely shattering ending. That ending features an unforgettable solo from axeman Hammett as well as an earth-shattering display of Lars Ulrich's double-bass drum kit. To make the song even better, Metallica recorded their first music video around it, a dark video that splices together footage from the 1971 anti-war film, 'Johnny Got His Gun,' with shots of the band playing the song. Listen to 'One' ? ? 3 'Enter Sandman' From: 'Metallica' (1991) ? ? 'Enter Sandman' might have one of the most recognizable guitar riffs around, and as the first track, sets the stage for Metallica's self-titled 1991 disc (aka The Black Album). With a dark theme that follows a child and his nightmares, one of the most memorable moments in Metallica's career comes when producer Bob Rock's son recites the line 'Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep' alongside Hetfield. Nowadays, fans can hear the song in a number of places outside of the album, including football games, baseball games and a slew of other athletic events. Listen to 'Enter Sandman' ? ? 2 'Creeping Death' From: 'Ride the Lightning' (1984) ? ? Taking their cue from the Bible, specifically the book of Exodus, Metallica deliver an instant thrash classic from their second studio album. Packed with Metallica's signature sound, the highlight of the song has also turned into a staple at Metallica's live show. After a blistering guitar solo and about four minutes into the song, the chanting of 'Die! Die! Die!' makes 'Creeping Death' a song Metallica fans will always bang their heads to. Listen to 'Creeping Death' ? ? 1 'Master of Puppets' From: 'Master of Puppets' (1986) ? ? One of heavy metal's best songs ever, 'Master of Puppets' opens with a crushing guitar riff that carries the tune for over eight and a half minutes. The dynamic opus that covers the theme of drugs and addiction has become a mainstay in Metallica's live set. It's been covered an innumerable amount of times by bands of several different genres, and was reportedly Cliff Burton's favorite Metallica track. While fans will argue over this for years to come, 'Master of Puppets' tops our list of the 10 best Metallica songs of all time. Listen to 'Master of Puppets' ? ? What's on Your List of the Best Metallica Songs? Now that you've seen our list of Metallica's best songs, what do you think we missed? With nine studio albums, it was nearly impossible to cover every epic song released by the legendary band. Should there have been a tune from 'Death Magnetic?' More from the 'Black' album? What about a cover song from 'Garage Inc.?' Sound off and let the debate begin in the comments section below! [button href=”http://ultimatemetallica.com” title=”Next: Click Here for All Things Metallica” align=”center”] ?
John Shearer, Getty Images Drummer Matt Sorum looks upon his tenure with Velvet Revolver as some of the best times of his career, but he definitely has some reservations about whether the band will continue. Speaking with ‘Source of the Sound With Wendy Campbell’ (audio below), Sorum initially referred to the band in past tense while using the term “broke up,” before correcting his wording and explaining, “I can’t say we’ve broken up because it’s a hiatus.” When asked about the possibility of continuing with former frontman Scott Weiland , he moved on from the notion quickly and changed the topic to Slash and his satisfaction with his current band. Sorum explained, “I think Slash is really kind of happy being Slash and not really dealing with the drama of being in a band. He’s the leader of his band and they go on stage on time and they play songs. And I’ve gotta kind of respect Slash for that, because he spent most of his career waiting around for people to show up. [laughs] [So he wants to just] go out on the road and have a nice easy go of it. Get on a tour bus [with] a new band, play songs. I totally respect that.” Sorum says of his time with the band, “Velvet Revolver, in my opinion, was a miracle, in a way. Because here we are, guys in our 40s, putting together a band that’s gonna be [perceived] as a modern rock and roll band. And we achieved that. We were competing against much younger guys, we had a huge success with it. I got my first Grammy, which was amazing and it was really, for me, one of the highlights of my life, because number one, I was an original member for the first time ever; I was always the guy that came in and took somebody’s place. Velvet Revolver [consisted of] guys that I already played with before, but it was considered a new band.” Though Velvet Revolver continues to be on hold, Sorum hasn’t let it stop his musical pursuits. He’s been working with a group of rock vets called Kings of Chaos, and also taking on more production roles of late. He recently finished a record with Diamond Baby and is heading into the studio to oversee another band’s record. Sorum also turns up on the ‘ Re-Machined ‘ Deep Purple tribute album. Listen to Matt Sorum Discussing Velvet Revolver [button href=”http://loudwire.com/duff-mckagan-velvet-revolver-lead-singer-search-nowhere/” title=”Next: Duff McKagan Discusses Velvet Revolver Singer Search” align=”center”]
Reprise Deftones got fans excited for one of 2012′s most anticipated albums, ‘Koi No Yokan,’ by recently unleashing the awesome track ‘ Leathers .’ Today happens to represent another monument for ‘Koi No Yokan,’ as Deftones have released ‘Tempest’ as the first official single from the album. ‘Tempest’ is purely and undoubtedly Deftones, as singer Chino Moreno begins the track with a drifting vocal line. Deftones constantly balance beauty and aggression in ‘Tempest,’ lending a slightly schizophrenic feel to the song, as the development of ‘Tempest’ takes many spikes and dips. This first single from ‘Koi No Yokan’ maintains the fact that no band on the planet sounds like Deftones. The little nuances that have existed during the band’s career are still firmly in tact with ‘Tempest,’ which heightens our excitement for the Nov. 13 release date for ‘Koi No Yokan.’ Deftones are currently on a North American tour with Scars on Broadway, which features Daron Malakian from System of a Down. The band is giving fans a taste of ‘Koi No Yokan’ by playing both ‘Leathers’ and ‘Rosemary’ live, and have also performed ‘ Roller Derby ‘ recently, which was reportedly the working title for ‘Poltergeist,’ the opening track on ‘Koi No Yokan.’ Check out the new Deftones track ‘Tempest’ in the player below. Listen to Deftones, ‘Tempest’ [button href=”http://loudwire.com/deftones-release-new-song-leathers-as-free-download-koi-no-yokan-track-listing/” title=”Next: Listen to Deftones’ ‘Leathers'” align=”center”]
MachineHead1.com Congrats are in order for Machine Head guitarist Phil Demmel and his new bride, Bleeding Through keyboardist Marta Peterson. The couple wed in Las Vegas over the weekend after two years of dating. Just after the beginning of 2012, the couple revealed their engagement . Demmel stated in an interview last fall, “I met the girl of my dreams in Australia the last time we were down there. One of the greatest things that has ever happened to me was on that run. I have very special memories of Australia and know that I was in love for the first time when I was in Brisbane.” The two bands toured through Australia and Japan in early 2010. Demmel’s bandmates were among the first to wish the happy couple the best. In a Facebook posting , they stated, “A hearty congratulations to newlyweds Phil Demmel and Marta Peterson from the entire Machine Head family.” In addition to their marital and musical partnership, Demmel and Peterson have launched the neoFatal lifestyle brand within the past year. You can find out more about the brand here . [button href=”http://loudwire.com/machine-head-aesthetics-of-hate-top-21st-century-metal-songs/” title=”Next: Machine Head: Top 21st Century Metal Songs” align=”center”]