Music is all about connectivity, and those who establish that connection in the deepest of ways will surely create a fan base of rabid devotees. The love projected from the fans, to the band and back again is most notable with the following nominees, and if you’re reading this, you will likely pledge your allegiance to one of these 10 acts. From veteran acts to new addictions, these are your choices for Most Devoted Fans. Check it out and be sure to vote in the poll below: ? Avenged Sevenfold It’s no secret that Avenged Sevenfold have some of the most dedicated fans on the planet. Regardless of universal acclaim, mainstream success or negative criticism, A7X fans will be in it for life through thick and thin. ? ? Black Veil Brides Black Veil Brides possessed a massive fan base long before their debut studio album, ‘We Stitch These Wounds.’ The band are experiencing massive success driven by fans reminiscent of the emo and post-hardcore scenes in the mid-2000s. ? ? Dir En Grey When it comes to pure dedication, Japanese metal band Dir En Grey could easily build a legitimate cult with their listeners. Although underdogs from the beginning, the fans of Dir En Grey united with unmatched force for our Extreme Metal Olympics feature, leading the band to a gold medal. ? ? Falling in Reverse Although controversy seems to follow vocalist Ronnie Radke wherever he finds himself, his new band Falling in Reverse have exploded as one of the present day’s most popular ‘scene’ bands. Since the release of ‘The Drug in Me is You’ last year, the band has seen rare success due to their rabid fans. ? Iron Maiden As one of metal’s undisputed greatest bands in history, Iron Maiden fans are a breed of their own. Spanning all generations, Maiden are one of the few New Wave of British Heavy Metal bands who are still releasing brilliant material. Their American fans came in droves during this year’s ‘Maiden England’ tour, boasting the band’s grandest stage show to date. Up the Irons! ? Metallica When you’re the most commercially successful metal band in history, you can do anything and everything you want. For Metallica , this came in the form of their own Orion Music + More festival, where they performed both ‘Ride the Lightning’ and the ‘Black Album’ in full. You don’t need to know much about metal to recognize the ridiculously large following Metallica have gained. ? Suicide Silence Suicide Silence have been one of deathcore’s premiere acts for a number of years, but with the sudden death of vocalist Mitch Lucker on Nov. 1, fans of the band came together by the thousands in unity to memorialize the late singer. ? ? Slipknot Slipknot ‘s fan base of ‘Maggots’ have an animalistic dedication to their masked heroes. Even when headlining over legendary acts such as Slayer, Motorhead and Anthrax, the crowd was noticeably more massive for Slipknot throughout the 2012 Mayhem Fest. Maggots also rushed to the band’s very own two-city Knotfest events in 2012. ? Tool Maynard James Keenan is the Charles Manson of music. He could easily lead his legions of fans into a coup d’etat of the entire world, but luckily, he seems to be content with making wine instead. Each member of Tool is a genuine master of their instrument, while acting as true visionaries through their songwriting, and this has created one of the most notable and naturally-acquired fan bases in history. ? X Japan We witnessed the rabid nature of X Japan fans during a run of Loudwire Cage Matches earlier this year. The band’s followers allowed X Japan to defeat Black Veil Brides, In Flames, the Used, Bush and Jane’s Addiction in consecutive wins, proving how deeply-rooted and powerful their fan base truly is. ? 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/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
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Most Devoted Fans – 2012 Loudwire Music Awards
December 5th, 2012 
Metalkult 
Posted in News 
Tags: avenged sevenfold, band, img-class, japanese, loudwire music awards, loudwire-music, MAIDEN, metal, olympics, rock, sevenfold, year 
No Comments »New Artist of the Year – 2012 Loudwire Music Awards
December 5th, 2012 Metalkult As the 2012 Loudwire Music Awards continue, we take a look at the artists keeping things fresh. Sure, there are a lot of bands we all know and love, but the real exciting thing about music is making new discoveries and watching the upstarts you had never even heard of at the beginning of the year emerge to rock your radio or playlist right next to those big time acts. With that in mind, it’s time to select 2012′s Best New Artist. It’s an eclectic group of rockers on our list this year. Five of our ten acts have already established themselves in the rock and metal worlds with other projects but decided it was time to test out a new vehicle. Our other five acts are true newcomers that made significant inroads toward a bright future. Take a look at our 10 Best New Artist nominees and read about what made 2012 a breakout year for them. Then vote for your favorite in the poll below: ? Candlelight Red The seeds of Candlelight Red ‘s promise were sewn in late 2011 with their album ‘The Wreckage,’ which spawned the singles ‘Closer’ and their cover of Roxette’s ‘She’s Got the Look.’ After hopping in the studio with Sevendust’s Morgan Rose producing, things only picked up steam with the release of their ‘Demons’ EP, led by the disc’s title track. ? Dead Sara Childhood friends and musical partners Emily Armstrong and Siouxsie Medley hit on something special after adding bassist Chris Null and drummer Sean Friday to their group Dead Sara . The band’s self-titled debut featured the breakout single ‘Weatherman,’ the anthemic ‘We Are What You Say’ and the stirring ballad ‘Sorry For It All.’ ? Deuce After breaking free from Hollywood Undead, the rap-rock artist Deuce thrived with the ‘Nine Lives’ album, which spawned the breakout single ‘America’ and such fan favorites as ‘I Came to Party’ and ‘Nobody Likes Me’ (which featured a guest appearance by Falling in Reverse’s Ronnie Radke). ? ? Falling in Reverse Former Escape the Fate singer Ronnie Radke re-emerged on the rock scene with his new band Falling in Reverse , who enjoyed solid returns for their debut disc, ‘The Drug in Me Is You.’ It spawned the singles ‘I’m Not a Vampire,’ ‘Raised by Wolves,’ ‘Good Girls, Bad Guys’ and the title track. Plus, the group’s live energy made them a popular concert draw over the past year. ? Huntress Jill Janus emerged as one of the brightest (or shall we say darkest) new voices in the world of metal, pulling from both thrash and doom metal influences. Her band Huntress started garnering attention in late 2011 with the track, ‘Eight of Swords.’ In 2012, the track ‘Spell Eater’ kept the momentum going from the album of the same name. ? Kyng Kyng garnered critical acclaim in late 2011 with their debut album ‘Trampled Sun’ featuring singles like ‘Falling Down’ and ‘Trails in Veins.’ And in 2012, they were true road warriors for the entire year, most recently touring with the one and only Megadeth. ? ? Love and Death After several years of being billed as a solo artist, former Korn guitarist Brian “Head” Welch gave credit where it was due by deciding to switch to the band moniker Love and Death to show the unity of the musicians. The group garnered some attention with their single ‘Chemicals’ and picked up some momentum late-year single ‘The Abandoning.’ Look for their debut album, ‘Between Here and Lost’ in 2013. ? Otherwise Las Vegas rockers Otherwise enjoyed a breakout year with their ‘True Love Never Dies’ album. ‘Soldiers’ had a long run at radio earlier in 2012 and the hard-edged ‘Full Circle’ and melodic ‘I Don’t Apologize (1000 Words)’ showed some of the range the up-and-comers have. ? ? Storm Corrosion One of the more interesting collaborations of 2012 was that of Opeth singer-guitarist Mikael Akerfeldt and prog rock’s golden boy, Porcupine Tree leader Steven Wilson. The duo formed the band Storm Corrosion and issued a self-titled album back in May that could be best described as avant-garde experimentalism. ? Tremonti What started as a passion project for Creed and Alter Bridge guitarist Mark Tremonti turned into a surprise hit record for the rocker. ‘All I Was’ spawned the major radio single ‘You Waste Your Time,’ while ‘So You’re Afraid’ was picking up spins late in 2012. ? ? 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/most-devoted-fans-2012-loudwire-music-awards” title=”Next Category: Most Devoted Fans” 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: artists, hollywood, loudwire-music, metal, Music, radio, rock, ronnie-radke, storm corrosion, vampire, words 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 »Rock Goddess of the Year – 2012 Loudwire Music Awards
December 3rd, 2012 Metalkult In many ways, 2012 could be called the Year of the Woman in hard rock and metal. In genres of music that have long-been male dominated, a handful of female-fronted acts stole the show this year, making the Rock Goddess of the Year an especially intriguing category in the 2012 Loudwire Music Awards. The women below are some of rock music’s most respected artists and front some of rock’s most popular and critically acclaimed bands. Last year’s winner, Sharon Den Adel, has been left off this year’s ballot, as 2012 was a relatively quiet year for her band Within Temptation. That leaves it open for a new artist to claim the coveted crown of Rock Goddess of the Year. Check out the seven nominees below and be sure to vote in the poll below: ? Amy Lee, Evanescence After returning to the scene in 2011 with their self-titled third album, Evanescence traveled the world in 2012 to support the effort. In addition to touring overseas in the first half of the year, the band headlined the Carnival of Madness tour in the United States over the summer. All the while, the band was led by the ethereal and beautiful voice of Amy Lee . ? Angela Gossow, Arch Enemy Arch Enemy toured the world in 2012 in support of their 2011 album, ‘Khaos Legions,’ as frontwoman Angela Gossow led the charge. The band filmed their fall 2012 Latin America tour for an upcoming 2013 DVD. With a combination of beautiful looks and brutal vocals, Gossow has been leading the Swedish death metal band since 2000. ? Cristina Scabbia, Lacuna Coil Lacuna Coil unleashed one of the best albums of 2012 with ‘Dark Adrenaline.’ The Italian band joined Megadeth, Motorhead and Volbeat on the 2012 Gigantour. With a stunning voice and gorgeous looks, the band’s co-vocalist Cristina Scabbia is among the finest female singers in rock or metal. Catch Lacuna Coil on tour with Sevendust in 2013. ? Emily Armstrong, Dead Sara Dead Sara were one of the breakout bands of the year, topping our list of the Best Rock Songs of 2012 with their powerful single ‘Weatherman’ off their self-titled debut disc. As the Los Angeles act’s frontwoman, Emily Armstrong’s powerful vocals are only matched by her uninhibited stage presence. Catch Dead Sara on tour in 2013 with Muse. ? Jill Janus, Huntress Los Angeles heavy metallers Huntress delivered their debut album, ‘Spell Eater,’ in 2012, led by the seductive and talented Jill Janus . The singer describes the band’s music as ‘vicious but melodic,’ and plans on ‘conquering the world one metalhead at a time.’ Huntress toured relentlessly in 2012, and have signed on for some major 2013 festivals. ? Lzzy Hale, Halestorm Did anyone on this list have a better year than Lzzy Hale ? Her band Halestorm became the first female-fronted act to top the Active Rock chart with their single ‘Love Bites (So Do I),’ off their 2012 album ‘The Strange Case Of …’ In addition, the lovely Lzzy & co. toured nonstop in 2012, including stints on the Mass Chaos and Carnival of Madness treks. ? Maria Brink, In This Moment In This Moment unleashed their latest album, ‘Blood,’ in August, and have since taken the world by storm. Led by sultry singer Maria Brink , the band scored a Top 10 rock single with the disc’s title track, which was accompanied by a seductively stunning video. Maria & co. were also one of the standout acts on the 2012 Uproar Festival tour. ? ? 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/rock-titan-of-the-year-2012-loudwire-music-awards” title=”Next: Vote for Rock Titan 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: daily, dvd, emily-armstrong, fall, italian, latin-america, loudwire music awards, loudwire-music, rock, show, songs, strange, woman, year No Comments »Metal Video of the Year – 2012 Loudwire Music Awards
December 3rd, 2012 Metalkult Who says the music video is a dead artform? MTV may not show them anymore, but thanks to the Internet, bands can still deliver some stunning clips, as evidenced by the nominees in the Metal Video of the Year category in the 2012 Loudwire Music Awards. We’ve got five nominees for this category, and in these videos you’ll be exposed to time travel, phallic evisceration, octopus transplants, assault rifles, Jesus Christ’s motorcycle-riding twin brother and much more. Check out the nominated videos and be sure to vote in the poll below: Dethklok, ‘I Ejaculate Fire’ Dethklok are metal’s most beloved animated band, and in their video for ‘I Ejaculate Fire,’ a pharaoh receives pleasure from a demon woman, giving the Egyptian leader the power to eviscerate anyone and anything with his naughty bits. ? High on Fire, ‘Fertile Green’ It’s hard to believe that High on Fire made a video as good as this song ‘Fertile Green’ itself, but the motorcycle riding, time traveling, clairvoyant, stillborn brother of Jesus Christ made it happen with some tripped out imagery to top it off. ? Job for a Cowboy, ‘Tarnished Gluttony’ This video is legitimately terrifying. If you’re easily disturbed by creepy and violent imagery, you may want to skip this one. Otherwise, this incredibly detailed video from Job for a Cowboy offers fascinating subtextual commentary on the nature of man and religion. ? Machine Head, ‘Darkness Within’ Machine Head ‘s video for ‘Darkness Within’ may have the best production standards of any metal video released this year. Along with style, the video for ‘Darkness Within’ contains a full serving of substance. ? Pig Destroyer, ‘The Diplomat’ High on Fire and Dethklok aren’t the only acts to feature time travel in their music video; Pig Destroyer toyed with the concept, as well, for ‘The Diplomat.’ In this vid, a deranged businessman introduces assault rifles to psychedelic primates, with brilliant results. ? 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. 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: daily, ejaculate-fire, jesus-christ, loudwire-music, machine-head, metal, motorcycle, nature, power No Comments »
