Universal Danish rockers Volbeat have a ton of captivating news to offer fans. Along with unveiling the title, release date an cover artwork of their upcoming fifth studio album, ‘Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies,’ Volbeat have also announced that former Anthrax guitarist Rob Caggiano has joined the group as a full-time member. Only one month after Rob Caggiano announced his departure from Anthrax to focus on production work, the guitarist is back to play music with Volbeat. Having recently stated that his “ heart simply wasn’t in it anymore ” when it came to Anthrax, it seems that Caggiano has found his passion once again. In a new statement about joining Volbeat, Caggiano says the following: Wow! I have to say I’m completely blown away by the turn of events over the last few weeks here in Denmark and at this point an update is definitely in order. To start with, I came to Denmark about a month ago to produce the new Volbeat record which in and of itself has been an incredibly exciting adventure from a producer’s perspective thus far. However, I’m extremely happy to say my relationship with these guys will not end there as it turns out……it’s just beginning! Michael had asked me on the phone before I got out here if I would play some guest solos on the new album in addition to my other duties and of course I was thrilled about that and agreed to do so. When I actually got to Denmark and started going through the material, this turned out to be so much more than that. After weeks of collaboration between Michael and I it became quite clear that we had an amazing creative chemistry together and a huge mutual respect for one another. It’s so refreshing and inspiring to be creative again on a songwriting level that words can’t even describe it and the vibe between Anders, Jon, Michael and I is just awesome. I’d say an artistic relationship like this one is very rare and it’s also something I don’t take for granted. When the guys asked me if I was interested in joining Volbeat the other day, my jaw just about hit the floor! It actually didn’t even register in my brain properly until the next morning but I gotta say, it also didn’t take me long to decide. It really isn’t the way I envisioned the rest of my year to play out but at the same time, THIS feels more “right” to me than anything I could have possibly imagined and I’m going for it! To all my fans, family, friends and overall supporters that have reached out to me over this last month wondering if I’m ever gonna play guitar again or what I’m up to in general etc……..See you all soon my friends and get ready for a wild ride!!! Produced by Rob Caggiano, Volbeat’s fifth studio album, ‘Outlaw Gentleman & Shady Ladies,’ has been stamped with an April 9 release date. “Half of the album tracks will take you into the world of outlaw gunslinger stories sometime in the 1800s,” begins frontman Michael Poulsen. “Some of the characters are true legends, while others are fiction. The listener will hear inspiration from old classic spaghetti western movies which gives you a clue to the album title and cover artwork.” Poulsen continues, “We are still ‘rocking out’ in the studio, and working on the last details. We are very excited about this album. We feel that we’ve achieved the goals we set out. The heavy stuff on the album is perhaps more old school heavy riffs than earlier, and the rock songs rock out with tons of melodies and take us into uncharted territory. All that without losing the Volbeat sound that is the cornerstone of our band.” Volbeat are set to invade North America for a full-speed-ahead tour with Danko Jones beginning March 6. New Volbeat Band Photo With Rob Caggiano (Far Right) Universal ? [button href=”http://loudwire.com/guitarist-rob-caggiano-anthrax-exit-my-heart-simply-wasnt-in-it-anymore/” title=”Rob Caggiano Talks About Departure From Anthrax” align=”center”]
Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Sevendust are currently ramping up to their latest studio album, ‘ Black Out the Sun ,’ but singer Lajon Witherspoon is also mapping out his future beyond that disc. The frontman will follow in the footsteps of some of his bandmates by planning a side project during the group’s next break. Speaking with AlternativeAddiction.com , the vocalist explained, “Once this album has taken its course and Sevendust slows down again, I’ll start working on my solo stuff. I feel that life and music is like a chess game, and so I’m waiting to make my next move.” Talking about the sound, he explains, “I think it will always have that Sevendust sound to it. When I sing and people hear my voice, I have to believe they’ll compare it to Sevendust, which I don’t mind because that’s where my roots are. But I think my stuff will definitely have rock and a lot more soul. Sevendust has a groove, but I think I’ll be a little bit different, and I plan on not shutting the door to anyone who would want to work with me. I’m a lover of music and it doesn’t have to be just one way for everything.” But before a Witherspoon solo effort comes to fruition, he figures on spending plenty of time touring in support of the ‘Black Out the Sun’ album. The disc drops March 26, featuring the lead single ‘Decay.’ The band just shot a video for the track this past week. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/sevendust-coal-chamber-2013-must-see-rock-concerts/” title=”Next: Sevendust – Must-See 2013 Rock Concert” align=”center”]
Mark Metcalfe, Getty Images Robb Flynn has been playing some solo shows of late, but Machine Head fans should not worry about the band’s future. In fact, the rocker revealed in his latest online posting that he and his bandmates recently got in their first jam session hoping to spark material for their next album. The vocalist explained, “Dave [McClain], Phil [Demmel] and I practiced the other day and it was a really productive first jam session. McClain had about five rockin’ riffs, Demmel brought in the skeleton of what feels like a great song and I had a few riffs that we rocked on, no full songs, but solid riffs. It felt good, good to be moving on from ‘Locust.’ Super proud of that record, but it’s time to move on, and we’re ready to move on. Bring on the future with an open embrace.” As for his solo shows, Flynn also provided a recap of what his week of acoustic dates entailed. The vocalist recalled, “The shows were awesome, really, really, REALLY awesome! I needed this so bad. To everyone who came out to these shows and made them such a special and intense event, thank you. They got heavy, really heavy and I had no idea how heavy these would get. Therapeutic. I didn’t know what to expect or what they would be like. I made no set list except the opening and closing song. Chose songs we probably won’t play live again or at least haven’t played live in a reeeeeeeally long time, and cover songs we would never cover. To my surprise I ended up telling a lot of stories before each song. Every time I thought I’d been going on too long with a story, (‘am I talking too much?’) people would ask for more. In Fullerton I got a ‘sto-ry, sto-ry, sto-ry’ chant, it was hilarious. It was surprising how fun these shows were.” Flynn calls the performances “a massive communal release” and admits he got choked up by the response on more than one occasion. The vocalist also stated that he underwent a master cleanse and went beyond the ten-day process to make sure he remained sober while doing the performances. Watch Robb Flynn Covering Alice in Chains’ ‘Sunshine’ [button href=”http://loudwire.com/machine-head-to-begin-work-on-new-album/” title=”Next: Machine Head Discuss New Album Plans” align=”center”]
Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com Megadeth are inching closer to a new record. In their latest online update, singer Dave Mustaine provides the news that mixing has begun on their forthcoming release. Though the band has yet to reveal any key details like an album title, artwork, track listing or release date, they have been diligent in keeping fans up to date on the progress of their new disc. The group has been working on their fourteenth collection at Vic’s Garage studio in San Marcos, California. Mustaine revealed in his brief posting , “Played guitar, sang and did some minor adjustments yesterday to songs one-four. Mixing has begun and you’ll have something soon to hear! I’m so pumped.” Mustaine’s posting follows another entry from bassist David Ellefson , who commented earlier last week , “Really some great, great songs taking shape at this point in the recording process. I told Dave [Mustaine] today that one of them totally reminded me of the earliest stuff back when we first met — fast, rippin’ and fully bringing the REAL old-school Megadeth sound!!!” The group has been working with producer Johnny K on the effort and expects to release it via a new record label later this year. Footage of the band in recording sessions can be seen below. For members of the band’s Cyber Army fan club, drummer Shawn Drover will be dropping in for a chat this Thursday night (Feb. 7) at 7PM ET. For details on the Megadeth Cyber Army, check here . Watch Megadeth in the Studio Watch Megadeth in the Studio [button href=”http://loudwire.com/best-megadeth-songs/” title=”Next: 10 Best Megadeth Songs” align=”center”]
Epitaph As one of modern punk rock’s most prolific acts, Alkaline Trio have been constantly putting out music since the band came together in 1996. It feels like a strange knock to the skull to hear that Alkaline Trio will soon be releasing their ninth studio album, but the Trio have just released the first single, ‘I Wanna Be a Warhol,’ from their upcoming 2013 album. After what will likely be Alkaline Trio’s longest drought between 100-percent-new full-length albums, the band will release their yet-untitled ninth studio album this year. As a first strike from the upcoming disc, Alkaline Trio have just unleashed the song ‘I Wanna Be a Warhol’ along with a lyric video with a vintage biker theme. As a reference to famed artist Andy Warhol, the song parallels the need to be appreciated the way an art collector pines over and shows off a masterful painting. The track bares a classic Alkaline Trio sound reminiscent of ‘Good Mourning’ or ‘Crimson’ with a slight synth twist, containing lyrics such as, “ Give me a taste of your misery, let’s go / Won’t you please come play chemistry and sorrow / I can’t believe anything that you’re telling me, let’s go / The walls are closing in and melting nice and slow. ” Check out Alkaline Trio’s new song ‘I Wanna Be a Warhol’ and its accompanying lyric video below: Alkaline Trio, ‘I Wanna Be a Warhol’
Street punk mainstays the Casualties and extreme metal mavens Goatwhore have teamed up for a short string of tour dates. Bringing Havok along for the ride, this lineup is a seriously strong addition of dates to the previously announced sturdy grouping of Goatwhore touring with 3 Inches of Blood, Revocation and Ramming Speed to follow. Goatwhore have been developing a reputation as one of metal’s hardest working bands for over 15 years now. Created by Acid Bath guitarist Sammy Duet and Soilent Green vocalist Ben Falgoust in 1997, it seems like the band has never left the road since their inception, having toured with Lock Up , High on Fire and Hate Eternal , among others in 2012, it’s likely that almost anyone who frequents metal shows has seen Goatwhore in action. The New Orleans group also made our 10 Best Metal Albums of 2012 list with ‘Blood for the Master.’ The Casualties are also well-respected road dogs, having toured all around the world since they began jamming together in 1990. The New York punkers came out with their ninth studio album, ‘Resistance,’ last year, and guitarist Jake Kolatis and bassist Rick Lopez provided us with one of our most memorable video interviews ever. Check out the full list of tour dates below. The Casualties, Goatwhore + Havok 2013 Tour Dates: 03/27 Houston, TX – Fitzgerald’s 03/28 Corpus Christi, TX – Zeros 03/29 San Antonio, TX – Korova 03/30 Dallas, TX – Club Dada 04/01 Albuquerque, NM -2H Launchpad 04/02 Tempe, AZ – Rocky Point 04/03 Santa Ana, CA – Observatory (feat. Dr. Know) 04/04 West Hollywood, CA – House Of Blues 04/06 Oakland, CA – Oakland Metro 04/07 Reno, NV – The Alley 04/08 Portland, OR – Branx 04/09 Seattle, WA – Studio Seven [button href=”http://loudwire.com/3-inches-of-blood-goatwhore-revocation-ramming-speed-2013-must-see-metal-tours/” title=”Goatwhore + 3 Inches of Blood 2013 Tour Dates” align=”center”]
Primary Wave Music You may not see Mystic Falls, Va., on Dead Sara ‘s current itinerary, but the band will be making a visit to the fictitious town that serves as home to the hit CW series ‘The Vampire Diaries.’ The group will perform their latest single, ‘Lemon Scent,’ on the March 31 episode. In addition, the band will get in a second song, covering the Patti Smith favorite ‘Ask the Angels’ during their appearance. No further details were given as to what brings the foursome to Mystic Falls, but the performance should definitely liven up the episode. In other Dead Sara news, the band will hook up with hitmakers Muse for dates this year. After announcing the pairing last fall, the itinerary has filled out a little further. The next leg of Music’s current 2013 U.S. arena tour launches Feb. 22 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The trek runs through a March 17 finale at Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay Events Center. Muse / Dead Sara 2013 North American Tour 2/22 — Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. — Bank Atlantic Center 2/23 — Tampa, Fla. — Tampa Bay Times Forum 2/25 — Orlando, Fla. — Amway Center 2/27 — Cincinnati, Ohio — US Bank Arena 2/28 — Cleveland, Ohio — Quicken Loans Arena 3/2 — Detroit, Mich. — Joe Louis Arena 3/4 — Chicago, Ill. — United Center 3/5 — Columbus, Ohio — Schottenstein Center 3/7 — Minneapolis, Minn. — Target Center 3/8 — St. Louis, Mo. — Chaifetz Arena 3/10 — Tulsa, Okla. — BOK Center 3/12 — Houston, Texas — Toyota Center 3/13 — Dallas, Texas — American Airlines Center 3/16 — Phoenix, Ariz. — US Airways Center 3/17 — Las Vegas, Nev. — Mandalay Bay Events Center [button href=”http://loudwire.com/the-offspring-dead-sara-emily-armstrong-gone-away/” title=”Next: Dead Sara’s Emily Armstrong Performs with The Offspring” align=”center”]