Motley.com Aerosmith vocalist Steven Tyler, his former management company Kovac Media Group and Tyler’s lawyer, Dina LaPolt, have been entrenched in a legal battle since October 2012, regarding issues with the singer’s stint as a judge on ‘American Idol.’ Tyler’s former management company accuses the singer’s lawyer allegedly sabotaged a multimillion dollar deal for the Aerosmith legend, resulting in Tyler’s exit from the popular TV show. As if this wasn’t dramatic enough, the Hollywood Reporter reports that Mick Mars and Tommy Lee of Motley Crue are now involved in another issue between both Kovac Media Group and lawyer Dina LaPolt, adding to the whirlwind of serious allegations. Although both Steven Tyler and Motley Crue are both caught in the middle of legal battles between Kovac Media Group and Dina LaPolt, the issues involving both bands are separate. Kovac Media Group, run by Allen Kovac, claims that LaPolt’s actions cost Steven Tyler his ‘American Idol’ deal, apparently worth a total of $6-$8 million. Despite Kovac’s claim, Tyler denies any sort of sabotage took place and has taken the side of LaPolt. After Kovac filed the Steven Tyler lawsuit, the media mogul added new claims, alleging that Dina LaPolt, in an act of retaliation, has been conspiring to set up her own management company in order to steal Motley Crue, who Kovac has represented for 15 years. Much like Steven Tyler, Motley Crue guitarist Mick Mars and drummer Tommy Lee are also supporting LaPolt, both Crue musicians having filed legal paperwork in an attempt to halt Kovac’s legal proceedings against their lawyer. Mick Mars first heard of the Steven Tyler case on Oct. 15, and was left aghast to say the least, claiming he was “completely shocked and mad that Motley Crue’s manager had sued our lawyer. I trust Dina implicitly, to the point that she is my trustee if I die or become disabled.” Meanwhile, Mars also says that Motley Crue never authorized a $200,000 transaction between the band’s business manager, Pam Malek, and Kovac to repay a loan that Kovac had given to Motley Crue singer Vince Neil, who is no longer a shareholder in the band. Malek has since been dismissed by the band, with Mars claiming “she was controlled by [Kovac].” Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee, meanwhile, is echoing the same sentiments as Mars, and is upset that he now has to give a deposition on the matter. For much more detail on this legal squabble, see the full story by the Hollywood Reporter . [button href=”http://loudwire.com/motley-crue-nikki-sixx-remembers-near-fatal-drug-overdose-25-years-later/” title=”Motley Crue’s Nikki Sixx Recounts Near-Fatal Overdose 25 Years Later” align=”center”]
Lava/Universal Republic Black Veil Brides kick off 2013 with the release of their third studio album, a concept record titled ‘Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones.’ With 19 tracks, this massive opus begins with ‘Exordium,’ one of several spoken word cuts on the disc. It speaks of religion, God, inner strength and more. ‘In the End’ is the first single off the album and leads a series of anthems such as ‘I Am Bulletproof,’ ‘ New Years Day,’ ‘Devil’s Choir,’ and ‘Nobody’s Hero.’ Throughout the album, guitarists Jake Pitts and Jinxx provide stellar riffs, while Ashley Purdy delivers pounding bass lines and Christian Coma offers some thunderous drum patterns on the skins. Despite the heaviness, there are also flashes of beautiful orchestration album, especially on the instrumental piece ‘Overture.’ Frontman Andy Biersack shows off his softer side in tracks like ‘Done for You’ and ‘Lost It All,’ the latter of which features Biersack’s girlfriend, Juliet Simms, a finalist on ‘The Voice’ and member of the band Automatic Loveletter. Black Veil Brides also call on some of their other comrades, such as the Used’s Bert McCracken, who offers his raw vocals on the track ‘Days Are Numbered,’ which features a ‘Crazy Train’ like riff throughout. Wil Francis (also of William Control) is the voice of Fear on the record’s powerful spoken word tracks ‘F.E.A.R.: Transmission 1: Don’t Stay’ ‘ F.E.A.R. Transmission 2: Trust,’ ‘F.E.A.R. Transmission 3: As War Fades’ and ‘ F.E.A.R. : Final Transmission.’ In our interview with Biersack, he talks about the ‘F.E.A.R.’ tracks by saying, “I’ve sort of just like the whole Orwellian, dystopian future – I like the idea that it doesn’t seem to crazy or far off that there could be someone who is this omnipotent, omniscient power that tells you what to do.” Biersack continues, “I like the idea of having the narrative told through the perspective of the bad guy more than anything else. You rarely ever hear something narrated through the villain’s perspective and it was fun.” Other notable tunes on the album include the title track, ‘Wretched and Divine,’ which maintains a balance of heaviness and melody, and ‘We Don’t Belong,’ which has soft yet menacing vocals in its verses, mixed with a catchy chorus. Biersack shows a bit of vocal range with ‘Resurrect the Sun,’ where he starts off soft and almost lullaby-like, but then belts out the chorus. Meanwhile, ‘Shadows Die’ is a rollercoaster of emotion and tempo that is one of the best, if not the best track, on the album. For a relatively young band that has achieved a rabid fan base in such a short time, Black Veil Brides could have rested on their laurels and delivered a standard rock album. However, ‘Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones’ is an ambitious effort that shows the band is willing to take chances in their fast-rising career. ? [button href=”http://loudwire.com/black-veil-brides-singer-andy-biersack-everybody-is-wretched-and-divine/” title=”Next: Andy Biersack Talks ‘Wretched and Divine'” align=”center”]
You lucky, lucky people! We’ve got a great contest to offer all of our readers, and we’re sure that you’ll want to throw your name into the proverbial hat. The winner of this contest will snag a pair of tickets to see Marilyn Manson live on his upcoming 2013 winter tour. Marilyn Manson is heading out on tour once again, and is set to invade North America with rock anthems draped in the vocalist’s infamous stage show. The 2013 trek will kick off on Jan. 18 in Milwaukee, creep into the Northeast and Canada, before heading down the West Coast and wrapping Feb. 23 in Las Vegas. The Butcher Babies will serve as support on the trek. Marilyn Manson’s self-professed 2012 comeback album, ‘Born Villain,’ has received praise for its creativity and craftsmanship, even snagging a 2013 Grammy nomination for ‘No Reflection’ in the Best Hard Rock / Metal Performance category. If you don’t have a copy of the album yet, pick up ‘Born Villain’ at iTunes . The winner of the Marilyn Manson contest will receive two tickets to one of the upcoming winter shows (see tour dates below). For a chance to win, simply enter your email address and the city of the show you’d like to attend (tickets only – travel and accommodation not included). With the tour coming up shortly, the contest only runs through Sunday, Jan. 13, so enter below! For those of you who want to ensure yourself entrance into one of Manson’s shows, tickets are available for purchase through his official website . Marilyn Manson 2013 Tour Ticket Giveaway Enter your e-mail address below for a chance to win two tickets to see Marilyn Manson live. Please specify your choice of show in the field below. Travel and/or accommodations not included. Contest ends on Jan. 13, 2012, at 11:59PM ET. By entering this contest, you will automatically start receiving daily newsletters from Loudwire. Email List Date and City of Preferred Show Marilyn Manson Winter 2013 Tour Dates: Jan. 18 – Milwaukee, Wis. @ Eagles Ballroom Jan. 19 – Cincinnati, Ohio @ Bogart’s Jan. 20 – Columbus, Ohio @ The LC Pavilion Jan. 22 – Detroit, Mich. @ The Fillmore Jan. 23 – Cleveland, Ohio @ House of Blues Jan. 25 – Wallingford, Conn. @ The Dome Jan. 26 – Boston, Mass. @ House of Blues Jan. 28 – Montreal, Quebec @ City Metropolis Jan. 29 – Oshawa, Ontario @ General Motors Centre Jan. 30 – Hamilton, Ontario @ Hamilton Place Theatre Feb. 01 – Sudbury, Ontario @ Sudbury Arena Feb. 04 – Winnipeg, Manitoba @ MTS Centre Feb. 05 – Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan @ Mosiac Place Feb. 06 – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan @ TCU Place Feb. 08 – Calgary, Alberta @ Stampede Corral Feb. 09 – Edmonton, Alberta @ Shaw Conference Centre Feb. 11 – Vancouver, British Columbia @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre Feb. 12 – Seattle, Wash. @ Showbox SoDo Feb. 13 – Portland, Ore. @ Roseland Theatre Feb. 15 – Modesto, Calif. @ Modesto Centre Plaza Feb. 17 – Reno, Nev. @ Grand Sierra Resort Feb. 19 – San Francisco, Calif. @ Warfield Theatre Feb. 20 – Anaheim, Calif. @ The Grove of Anaheim Feb. 21 – Los Angeles, Calif. @ Club Nokia Feb. 23 – Las Vegas, Nev. @ House of Blues [button href=”http://loudwire.com/best-marilyn-manson-songs/” title=”10 Best Marilyn Manson Songs” align=”center”]
A&M / Octone Hollywood Undead continue to step up their game with the release of their third album, ‘ Notes From the Underground .’ The disc not only shows the wealth of talent the rap-rock collective has, but also the eclectic tastes they possess, as well. The 11-track album provides a variety of styles even though they’ve enjoyed their biggest successes to date with harder-edged rap-rock tracks. For those looking for what they’ve come to expect from Hollywood Undead, the lead single ‘ We Are ‘ is the perfect way to introduce the new album. With military-like drums providing an ominous opening, the band blasts into an anthemic track about fighting for your dreams no matter what obstacles may fall in your way. Hollywood Undead also deliver a pair of obvious radio-ready singles with two different slants. ‘Dead Bite,’ which opens the album, is more of a sinister track, complete with a demented child’s prayer that goes, “ Good night, sleep tight, don’t let the dead bite .” From there, the various members riff on personal conflicts, with Charlie Scene going so far as to rap about chloroforming his prey. The song offers several clever lines and a chorus that’s sure to get stuck in your head. Meanwhile, ‘Another Way Out’ is a full-on foot-tapper, with the band speeding up the beats-per-minute into what could easily become a club track. In fact, the song is so infectious you might overlook its stalker-y perspective on an obsessive relationship. ‘Notes From the Underground’ also features a handful of tracks that shows the band’s desire to push their boundaries. ‘From the Ground’ is as schizophrenic of a song as you will hear, with its piano opening and melodic chorus offset by moments of pure thrash metal. ‘Lion’ feels like something that came out of the Linkin Park songbook, with its intimate and haunting moments mixed with elements of in-your-face rapping. And the album closer, ‘Outside,’ is a surprisingly moving track that comes from somewhere deeply personal and may connect with audiences more than any track in their career. On a less serious note, Hollywood Undead also offer the bravado-filled ‘Pigskin,’ with its hip-hop leaning, sports and sex metaphors, and the unbelievably catchy sing-along, “ Hut one, hut two, hut three, go .” The band also add their bouncy weed-friendly track ‘Up in Smoke,’ stamped with their own sense of humor. All in all, ‘Notes From the Underground’ is not the most cohesive album and is not an aggressive rock record throughout, but with the band’s mining of several different genres, the group most certainly hits on something for just about everyone. ? [button href=”http://music.aol.com/new-releases-full-cds/#/3″ title=”Stream ‘Notes From the Underground at AOL.com” align=”center”]
Facebook: Alter Bridge After recently announcing that they would be releasing their fourth album in 2013, the members of Alter Bridge have now started working on the new disc. On Friday (Jan. 4), the band posted the picture on the left of guitarist Mark Tremonti and singer Myles Kennedy in the studio on Facebook with the caption “It begins today.” And today (Jan. 7), they stated, “Writing on ‘AB4′ has begun. Very productive sessions so far!” The band will try to get in as much work as possible over the next couple of weeks, as both Tremonti and Kennedy will be out on the road very shortly. Tremonti is heading out with his solo band for a tour of Europe and the United States in February and March, as his latest single ‘Wish You Well’ starts to heat up rock radio. Meanwhile, Kennedy will be out on the road with Slash in Europe starting Jan. 31. See the dates here . The upcoming Alter Bridge album will be the follow-up to 2010′s ‘ABIII,’ which yielded the hit singles ‘Isolation’ and ‘Ghost of Days Gone By.’ Tremonti is also working on a new album with Creed . [button href=”http://loudwire.com/alter-bridge-new-album-world-tour-2013/” title=”Next: Alter Bridge Reveal New Album + Tour Plans” align=”center”]
Frazer Harrison, Getty Images Black Veil Brides shot a film to accompany their upcoming ‘ Wretched and Divine ‘ album and fans will get a chance to check it out this weekend as part of a global pay-per-view event. The movie is called ‘ Legion of the Black ‘ and it serves as an extension of the album. The flick is built around eight songs from the disc, with the band members appearing in performance segments. The group recently premiered it just prior to the holidays in Los Angeles and will let fans in other parts of the world check it out Sunday night (Jan. 6). ‘Legion of the Black’ will be available over a 24-hour period beginning at 12AM PT/3AM ET at the band’s Facebook page , with fans having the option to share movie clips, answer trivia, take polls and potentially speak with members of the band. To pre-order the Sunday Pay-Per-View for $4.99, click here . The film and album concept come from the mind of singer Andy Biersack. The vocalist told Billboard , “I’ve always been a big fan of utopian, future, new world stories — ‘V for Vendetta,’ comic books, graphic novels. It’s not really an anti-religion story; more than anything it’s based on the concept of the five of us in the band as these Che Guevara, rebellious leaders unified against this big church/government bad guy.” The vocalist says that after an initial false start on the album, producer John Feldmann asked him what was inspiring him and they took his short story idea and started working it into an album. ”This is new ground for the band,” says the singer. “It’ll take a little bit of time for people to understand what this is, so the intent is to take it as many places as we can.” The ‘Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones’ album is due Jan. 8. Pre-orders are being taken here . Fans can also check out a trailer for the ‘Legion of the Black’ film and introduction from Biersack here . [button href=”http://loudwire.com/black-veil-brides-unleash-video-for-in-the-end/” title=”Next: Watch Black Veil Brides’ ‘In the End’ Video” align=”center”]
Kevin Winter, Getty Images In 2009, Virginia Tech college student Morgan Harrington was murdered shortly after disappearing from a Metallica concert in Charlottesville. Three-plus years later, the band is still involved with the search for the 20-year-old student’s killer and her parents are thankful for the continued support. Noisecreep reports that the band’s latest venture, allowing the title of ‘Enter Sandman’ to be used on a line of Virginia Tech t-shirts , has resulted in another $40,000 being raised this past fall for the Morgan Harrington medical scholarship fund. That comes after the band chipped in $50,000 of their own money when the fund was initially launched and they also donated $50,000 to the reward in seeking information that would lead to the capture of Harrington’s killer. Plus, just last year, the band filmed yet another PSA seeking information in the case. Morgan’s mother, Gil Harrington, said of the band’s involvement, “It has been very humbling from the very beginning. Two days after Morgan was abducted, they could have distanced themselves from an ugly occurrence. But James Hetfield called this house to speak to Dan [Harrington], as a father, and asked, ‘What can we do?’ Three years out, and they are still doing things.” Harrington says Hetfield spoke to the FBI and also generated the first “missing person” poster that went up on their website in hopes of locating her daughter. “It’s a visceral response as fathers. They were not liability driven or self-protecting,” she adds of their involvement. At present, between the Harrington family and Metallica, there is $150,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Morgan’s murderer. For more information on the case and reward, visit this location . To read more of Noisecreep’s interview with Gil Harrington’s exclusive interview, click here . [button href=”http://loudwire.com/james-hetfield-films-new-psa-to-help-bring-justice-for-murdered-metallica-fan/” title=”Next: Watch James Hetfield’s PSA Seeking Morgan Harrington’s Killer” align=”center”]