Posts Tagged ‘thoughts’

10 Best Rock Songs of 2012

Frazer Harrison, Getty Images / Chelsea Lauren, WireImage / Kevin Winter, Getty Images There were some incredible rock songs unleashed in 2012 from a diverse group of artists. Bands like Three Days Grace , Stone Sour and Papa Roach maintained their excellence with standout tracks at rock radio. There was a welcome return this year from Marilyn Manson , and breakout tracks from female-led bands like Halestorm and Dead Sara . It was tough to narrow the picks down to 10, but after some heated debate and occasional fisticuffs among our staff members, Loudwire has made its choices for the year's best tunes. So check out our list of the 10 Best Rock Songs of 2012: ? 10 'Chalk Outline' Three Days Grace ? ? From: 'Transit of Venus' We kick off our 10 best songs of 2012 list with Three Days Grace's 'Chalk Outline,' a track that many people loved as evidenced by its 12-week reign atop the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and 10-week run at No. 1 on the Billboard Active Rock Chart. The jarring opening notes definitely catch the listener right off the bat, while singer Adam Gontier belts out lines about being cursed by a love that's left him behind. Listen to 'Chalk Outline' ? ? 9 'Still Swingin'' Papa Roach ? ? From: 'The Connection' Papa Roach have battled against the odds to establish themselves as one of rock's enduring bands, and 'Still Swingin'' provided the group with the perfect anthem to qualify their journey. It's got blistering guitars, hard-hitting drums and a rap-like delivery in the verses before Jacoby Shaddix shows his melodic side in the chorus. As long as they keep cranking out songs like 'Still Swingin',' Papa Roach will continue to stay on top of their game. Listen to 'Still Swingin'' ? ? 8 'Harakiri' Serj Tankian ? ? From: 'Harakiri' (2012) System of a Down singer Serj Tankian delivered one of the best rock albums of the year with his solo effort 'Harakiri,' and standing tall among the disc's songs is the title track. Featuring perhaps the most beautifully melodic chorus in a rock song in 2012, the tune 'Harakiri' questions if today's environmental factors may be playing a part in the freakish mass deaths of various animals over recent years. It's a thought-provoking tune that is both memorable in its lyrics and its music. Listen to 'Harakiri' ? ? 7 'Bully' Shinedown ? ? From: 'Amaryllis' Bullying has become an increasing problem in schools and the guys of Shinedown take on the issue with this blistering tune. The aggressive nature of 'Bully' fits perfectly with the band's condemnation of bullying and encouragement to those being bullies to stand up for oneself. Add in Brent Smith 's infectious sing-along lyrics and you've got a track that's not only inspirational but also rocks. Listen to 'Bully' ? ? 6 'No Reflection' Marilyn Manson ? ? From: 'Born Villain' Marilyn Manson experienced a musical rebirth with his 2012 album 'Born Villain' and the first single, 'No Reflection,' made it clear that the singer had recaptured the old magic that led to his superstardom in the first place. The fuzzed out opening guitars, the catchy but dark lyrical content, and a chorus where the emotion in Manson's voice takes hold as he digs deep into his soul makes this one of 2012's best rock tracks. Listen to 'No Reflection' ? ? 5 'Gone Sovereign' Stone Sour ? ? From: 'House of Gold & Bones, Pt. 1' 'Gone Sovereign' was half of a two-part single that Stone Sour released in late summer (the other half being 'Absolute Zero'), and the hard-hitting nature of the song immediately connected with fans. The frenetic power and fury of the guitar play between Jim Root and Josh Rand stands out, while Roy Mayorga's thunderous drumming drives the song. Corey Taylor starts the song by singing, 'No one's laughing now,' but the vocalist probably has a smile knowing that 'Gone Sovereign' has turned into one of 2012's standout songs. Listen to 'Gone Sovereign' ? ? 4 'March to the Sea' Baroness ? ? From: 'Yellow & Green' Baroness had one of the year's better, yet often overlooked, albums and one of the tracks that makes it such a standout disc is 'March to the Sea.' The song starts innocently enough, with some nifty psychedelic picking before the power of the drums kicks in. The track provides a hypnotic feel throughout, as the band tell the tale of a friend lost to drugs, comparing it to someone who tied themselves up and jumped in the sea never to come home again. Listen to 'March to the Sea' ? ? 3 'Love Bites (So Do I)' Halestorm ? ? From: 'The Strange Case Of…' Halestorm got 2012 off to a rocking good start with the single 'Love Bites (So Do I),' a song that was an infectious concoction of punk, thrash and rock all in one foot-tapping, fist-pumping package. Drummer Arejay Hale absolutely kills the drumkit, while Lzzy Hale tells the tale of a girl honing in on a guy with a girlfriend and explaining why she should be his. 'Love Bites' became the first song ever from a female-fronted act to be No. 1 on the Active Rock charts. Well done, Halestorm! Listen to 'Love Bites (So Do I)' ? ? 2 'Leathers' Deftones ? ? From: 'Koi No Yokan' Fans certainly were excited when Deftones announced the impending release of their album 'Koi No Yokan,' but it was the first song unleashed from the disc that truly sent the band's devotees into a frenzy. While not the official first single, 'Leathers' is the most dynamic song on a disc that took the top spot on our 10 Best Rock Albums of 2012 list. Chino Moreno's voice soars to new heights when he sings the line 'Shedding your skin / Showing your texture.” All told, 'Leathers' just might be the most powerful rock song of 2012. Listen to 'Leathers' ? ? 1 'Weatherman' Dead Sara ? ? From: 'Dead Sara' Every once in a while, the rock world needs a swift kick in the butt from a new band. And in 2012, it was Los Angeles rock act Dead Sara who delivered the most dynamic song of the year. 'Weatherman' is a raw, uninhibited tune that perfectly melds frontwoman Emily Armstrong's incredible voice with a no-holds-barred musical attack led by guitarist Souixsie Medley. The track features the memorable line 'Go for the kill,' and that's exactly what Dead Sara did with 'Weatherman,' making it the No. 1 tune on our list of the best rock songs of 2012. Listen to 'Weatherman' ? ? What Was Your Favorite Rock Song Of 2012? Well, that rocked! Do you agree? Let us know what you think about our 10 Best Rock Songs of 2012 list. Is there a song we missed and if so, what would you knock out? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below. ?

10 Awesome Kirk Hammett Guitar Solos

Chuck Armstrong, Loudwire Metallica have created some of the most critically acclaimed music in the world of rock and metal over the course of three decades. And one of the foundations of their music has been Kirk Hammett's stellar guitar playing. He's behind some of the biggest face-melting tunes in history and he's never shown any signs of slowing down. From creating ripping leads in the 1980s to still shredding like a pro today, Hammett will go down in the history books as one of the premiere lead guitarists of all time. As we celebrate the axeman's 50th birthday on Nov. 18, we also celebrate his music. We took the painstaking task of handpicking 10 of his best solos, but we weren't even going to try to attempt ranking them. So, without further adieu, we present our favorite Hammett guitar solos (in no particular order): ? 'Master of Puppets' From: 'Master of Puppets' (1986) ? ? What can we say about 'Master of Puppets?' Not only is it one of Metallica's best songs, it features a Hammett solo that has become so memorable that fans cheer along with it at concerts. As James Hetfield slows things down in the tune, he can rely on the thousands and thousands of screaming fans to help his bandmate nail the solo. And without a doubt, Hammett always delivers. Listen to the solo in ''Master of Puppets' ? ? 'Fight Fire with Fire' ? ? Starting at the bottom-end of the wah pedal, Hammett blazes into an absolutely crazy solo in the middle of this classic thrash tune. Just like the song itself, the solo never slows down. At times, it's almost unbelievable how fast Hammett is shredding on his guitar, and just when you think things are wrapped up near the three minute mark, Hammett blazes into an even more mind-numbingly fast solo. Listen to the solo in 'Fight Fire with Fire' ? ? 'Harvester of Sorrow' From: '…And Justice for All' (1988) ? ? By no means is 'Harvester of Sorrow' a speedy metal tune. Somehow, though, Hammett works in his magic to make his guitar solo just fast enough to elevate the intensity of the song while not completely dismissing the original rhythm. At times, his guitar work keeps beat with the mild rhythm while at other times it takes the song to a completely new level, most notably around the 3:50 mark. Hammett is a master at keeping pace with the rest of the band while letting his fingers ignite a face-melting solo. Listen to the solo in 'Harvester of Sorrow' ? ? 'Motorbreath' From: 'Kill 'Em All' (1983) ? ? It doesn't last very long, but Hammett's first solo in 'Motorbreath' is such a shredder that if it lasted any longer, you'd run the risk of having your face completely melt off. Hammett expertly executes the solo in a matter of seconds – 10 to be exact – halfway through the song, and it take 'Motorbreath' to an even thrashier level than before. Oh, and did we mention that Hammett wails on a second solo for twice as long as the first one to wrap up the song? In the world of favorite Hammett guitar solos, it doesn't get much better than that. Listen to the solo in 'Motorbreath' ? ? 'My Friend of Misery' From: 'Metallica' (1991) ? ? In a 2012 interview discussing his guitar solos on Metallica's 1991 self-titled album, Hammett says, “They just kind of formed themselves. It was kind of an amazing process for me. That’s what every musician wants, they just want it to flow out.” No solo stands out more on this album than 'My Friend of Misery.' After Jason Newsted's bass contribution is highlighted, Hetfield begins a very melodic guitar solo. It doesn't take long for Hammett to join his bandmate to add another layer of sound to the solo, and soon after that, Hetfield turns things over completely to Hammett who finishes the solo. Combined with Hetfield's efforts, this is easily one of Metallica's most unique guitar solos to date. Listen to the solo in 'My Friend of Misery' ? ? 'One' From: '…And Justice for All' (1988) ? ? 'One' is one of Metallica's most dynamic songs, beginning with a very simple and even-tempered guitar riff. That mild-mannered rhythm ends abruptly when the band tears into the part of the song that is founded on Lars Ulrich's double-bass drum beat. Helping keep the rhythm as in-your-face as possible, Hammett rips into an unimaginably fast guitar solo around the 5:45 mark. By the end of the nearly seven-and-a-half minutes, there is absolutely no memory of the clean guitar from the beginning of the song, only the thought of Hammett's unforgettable solo. Listen to the solo in 'One' ? ? 'Stone Cold Crazy' From: 'Rubaiyat: Elektra's 40th Anniversary' (1990) ? ? No list of favorite guitar solos is complete without a mention of Metallica's 'Stone Cold Crazy.' Originally a Queen tune, 'Tallica's cover takes an already fairly fast song and cranks up the ferocity with slightly altered lyrics and a couple of insanely fast solos. In one of Metallica's shortest songs – clocking in at two minutes and 18 seconds – Hammett wastes no time by introducing listeners to his first solo less than a minute into the tune. Things really explode during the second solo when it sounds like Hammett lets loose, which fits this song perfectly. 'Stone Cold Crazy' made its first debut as part of the compilation 'Rubaiyat,' an album that celebrated Metallica's the 40th anniversary of Metallica's record label, Elektra. Listen to the solo in 'Stone Cold Crazy' ? ? 'Whiplash' From: 'Kill 'Em All' (1983) ? ? There's no arguing that Metallica's debut album is their thrashiest. Even though it wasn't a huge success at the time of its release, 'Kill 'Em All' has turned into a part of thrash metal's foundation and legacy. There might be no other song that perfectly encapsulates the attitude of the album than 'Whiplash.' An absolutely in-your-face song, 'Whiplash' is non-stop thrash at its finest, especially when Hetfield screams, “Here we go,” and Hammett rips into a mind-blowing guitar solo. Just when you think it's done, Hetfield belts out “Whiplash,” and Hammett keeps things going with another 12 seconds of screaming guitar solo perfection. Listen to the solo in 'Whiplash' ? ? 'Disposable Heroes' From: 'Master of Puppets' (1986) ? ? Listening to Hammett's guitar work on 'Master of Puppets,' it's obvious that he was trained by none other than the great guitar maestro, Joe Satriani. During the crushing tune 'Disposable Heroes,' it's almost expected that when Hammett begins his solo, it's going to be intense, but nobody could expect just how intense. Lasting for a minute, Hammett delivers a breathtakingly extreme guitar solo that lives up and exceeds all expectations. In the song, Hetfield sings, “I was born for dying.” It's safe to say that if the song was about Hammett, the lyrics would be altered to, “I was born for shredding.” Listen to the solo in 'Disposable Heroes' ? ? 'Hero of the Day' From: 'Load' (1996) ? ? Not every guitar solo has to be a facemelter. Hammett's solo in 'Hero of the Day' isn't considered a shredding solo, but that doesn't mean it's any less rocking to fans or important. In an exclusive interview with Ultimate Metallica , the guitarist was asked about his favorite solo, and 'Hero of the Day' was the song that first came to his mind. The axeman says about the solo, “It’s very melodic, it’s very dynamic. I think that guitar solo serves the song in a way that I want all my guitar solos to serve their songs.” Listen to the solo in 'Hero of the Day' ? ? What Is Your Favorite Kirk Hammett Guitar Solo? Obviously, we couldn't include all of Kirk Hammett's memorable guitar solos in this list of 10 tunes. What solos on this list are your favorite, and what ones did we miss? Let your thoughts be known in the comments section below: ?

Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea Shows Support for Suspended UCLA Basketball Star

Stephen Dunn, Getty Images There’s no doubt that Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea is definitely an avid basketball fan, and that his loyalties lie with his Los Angeles home teams. On Friday night, he won over numerous UCLA fans while donning a homemade t-shirt in support of suspended basketball star Shabazz Muhammad as he performed the national anthem. Donning a baby blue t-shirt that read “Free Shabazz Muhammad” written in black marker, the musician was greeted with a warm reception. Muhammad, one of the top ranked freshmen in the nation, was declared “indefinitely ineligible” by the NCAA just prior to the team’s first game as a result of alleged extra benefits received during his recruitment. Flea tweeted , “Free Shabazz Muhammad. NCAA is out of control. This is absurd.” According to Yahoo Sports , Flea’s shirt mirrored the thoughts of some of the team’s fans, as several students were noticed donning “Free Shabazz” shirts with the player’s likeness on the front. The shirt likely eased a few tensions for the bassist as well, as he took classes at UCLA’s crosstown rival USC a few years ago. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/red-hot-chili-peppers-flea-back-to-the-future-cameo/” title=”Next: Flea – Musician Movie Cameos” align=”center”]

Barack Obama Re-Elected President of U.S. – Rockers React via Twitter

Scott Olson, Getty Images Barack Obama has been re-elected President of the United States after defeating Republican candidate Mitt Romney in the national election on Tuesday, Nov. 6. The news of Obama’s victory has resonated loudly throughout the world, including the rock community. Rockers such as Motley Crue’s Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee, Disturbed singer David Draiman, the Offspring’s Noodles, Jane’s Addiction’s Dave Navarro, Ted Nugent, All That Remains singer Phil Labonte and more took to Twitter in the minutes and hours after the result was announced to express their thoughts about the election. See what they wrote in the Tweets below: YES!!!!!!!!!! — Dave Navarro (@DaveNavarro) November 7, 2012 4 more beers? -N — The Offspring (@offspring) November 7, 2012 Wise choice America! Proud!!!! — TOMMY LEE (@MrTommyLand) November 7, 2012 Whew, I’m really glad Rosanne Barr didn’t win tonight. — Nikki Sixx (@NikkiSixx) November 7, 2012 THANK…GOD…IT’S…FINALLY…OVER!!! CAN WE NOW GET BACK TO BUSINESS!?????? — DAVID DRAIMAN (@DAVIDMDRAIMAN) November 7, 2012 Goodluk America u just voted for economic & spiritual suicide. Soulless fools — Ted Nugent (@TedNugent) November 7, 2012 I guess the “entitled” 47% and those binders filled with women made their voices heard in yesterday’s US election. Congrats to the US. — Danko Jones (@dankojones) November 7, 2012 Secondly, I’m thankful that Romney didn’t win. Cause I can still hate everyone who gets paid by sucking the government tit! — Philip Labonte (@philthatremains) November 7, 2012

Daily Reload: Guns N’ Roses, Black Sabbath + More

Theo Wargo, Getty Images – Guns N’ Roses singer Axl Rose opens up about his rocky past with Slash and Duff McKagan and shares his thoughts on the original lineup reuniting. [ Loudwire ] – Black Sabbath have made enough progress on their new album to announce a 2013 release and book an Australian tour. [ Loudwire ] – Soundgarden have trotted out another new track called ‘Non-State Actor’ ahead of their ‘King Animal’ album release. [ Loudwire ] – Mark Tremonti reveals his plan to keep Wolfgang Van Halen as part of his solo group for the future, and it’s good news for Van Halen fans. [ Loudwire ] – A treasured piece of Nirvana ‘s video history will be part of an upcoming auction. [ Loudwire ] – Metallica ‘s Kirk Hammett reveals one of his favorite guitar solos. [ Ultimate Metallica ] – Veteran metallers 3 Inches of Blood have revealed dates for their headlining West Coast trek. [ Rock Music Report ] – Footage of Led Zeppelin performing the song ‘Kashmir’ from their ‘Celebration Day’ film has surfaced online. [ Ultimate Classic Rock ] – Count Sammy Hagar among those affected by Hurricane Sandy, as his Atlantic City bar was left trashed by the storm. [ Ultimate Classic Rock ] – Congrats to Jack White , who received the James Joyce Award from the University College Dublin. [ Diffuser.fm ]

Refused Reflect on 2012 Reunion + Announce Hometown Finale

Refused – Official Site When we reflect on 2012, one of the better reunions to take place will have been that of Swedish hardcore punk outfit Refused . However, the band has revealed that the time has come for the reunion to wind down, and they’ve decided that the best place to do it would be their hometown in Umea, Sweden at the Exel Arena on Dec. 15. The group made the most of their time back together, hitting just about every major festival you can imagine. Their touring took them to such festivals as  Coachella , Rock am Ring, Roskilde, Groezrock, Download, Primavera Sound, Fuji Rock, and Pukkelpop among others. Plus, they made a rare television appearance on ‘ Late Night with Jimmy Fallon .’ As the band prepare to say farewell, they decided to put their thoughts into words and offered this note of reflection on their Facebook page: So there were those years right after school, when you were 15 and pissed off and everyone thought you were a loser and you ran around with the other weirdos, generating weirdness and little else. And there were those years when what set you apart from the others become a fixation and a lifestyle and you had a band and people talked about what you did but you were so used to being weird you just lumped them in with the rest of the slanderers. Then there were those years when the ideas you’d clung to through late adolescence were beginning to ring hollow and you got more and more confused and destructive and the band broke up and you had rent to pay. That was among the tougher years. And then slowly, over a span of time, you began to sort yourself out and your friends started making sensible decisions in their lives and it suddenly began to seem like most of you were gonna be ok. And then there was the year when you stopped being a petulent kid and you got your favorite musicians together in a room again and decided that you were gonna accept the love of thousands of listeners, accept the success that was waiting there to be had and just in general enjoy being appreciated for the exact same qualities that made you a freak to your contemporaries in your teens. This was one of the better years. And now it is coming to a close. It’s been kind to us. And that old punkrock golem “The shape of punk to come” has done good. The hatchet is buried, 1998 is not such a terrible memory for us anymore. We’re going home. And we’re doing it in style. With old friends and new acquaintances in tow we’re gonna take over our old hometown Umeå for one more night, just because we can. On the 15th of december at the Exel arena we’ll be sharing the stage with these magnificent comrades: Randy, a band of punkrock bandidos from the north who we befriended years before we even were Refused, Two White Horses, an excellent sister/brother-duo from Sävar, both of whom we’ve individually collaborated with in different musical projects through the years, and Råd Kjetil Senza Testa, a new and exciting musical collective consisting of old Umeå pop and hardcore scenesters, among them the guy who produced the very first version of New noise for a local hardcore compilation in early 1997. We unconditionally endorse these bands. Great music, good crude fun, what more do you need? It’s going to be one of those nights. Thank you for populating the pit in 2012. Over and out. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/refused-bring-the-new-noise-to-brooklyn-ny-concert-review-photo-gallery/” title=”Next: Refused’s Brooklyn Show Review + Photo Gallery” align=”center”]

Kirk Hammett Dishes on Next Metallica Album, 3D Film and 2013 Orion Music Festival

Kevin Winter, Getty Images Kirk Hammett , lead shredder for Metallica , is a busy man. From writing and releasing his first book that chronicles his massive collection of horror movie memorabilia to filming a 3D movie with his bandmates, Hammett doesn’t seem like he’s slowing down anytime soon. We recently caught up with the axeman in New York City, where he made a stop on his book tour for ‘Too Much Horror Business.’ In addition to discussing the book , we also took some time to chat about Metallica’s next studio album, the longevity of the band and whether or not fans should be planning for a 2013 edition of their festival, Orion Music + More . Just a few months ago, you said that you have around 400 riffs ready for the new album. That’s grown from there. I have even more riffs now. So, as you continue piling on the riffs, where are you guys in the process of starting the next Metallica album? We just filmed a 3D movie up in Vancouver. That’s been at the forefront of our attention right now. We’ve been dealing with the audio aspect of that and pretty soon we’re going to start seeing footage from the concert. Once that particular project kind of dies down and we complete what we need to do with that, then we’re going to start writing songs. We’re going to meet up and start throwing ideas together. That should be really, really interesting. I’m really looking forward to that. What’s not going to be so fun is going through all the musical ideas that we have. I’m not really good at editing myself because I think it’s all good. To be more thorough on that, though, I foresee us starting to get together fairly soon, like in the next couple of months. We’ll start hammering away on it. When do you think fans will get to see the 3D film? We’re shooting for a summer release of next year. I’m really excited about it and I can’t wait to see it myself. The Rolling Stones just released a brand new studio track that comes on the heels of celebrating their 50th anniversary this past summer. With Metallica celebrating 30 years last year, do you think you’ll still be making new music two decades from now? I hope so! I have every intention. The word “retirement” doesn’t really sit well with me. There comes a time when you reach a position in society or culture where people will not let you retire. You can say, “Alright, I’m going to hang up my guitar,” but people will still not let you retire. They’ll constantly remind you of who you are and what you’ve done, so you might as well keep on doing it. It’s not like Metallica ever really slow down. That’s probably most evident in the fact you created your own music festival! Should fans get ready for a second Orion Music + More festival next year? The intention is to definitely do another one. We’re kind of getting our thoughts together on how that might be, where it might be and what our approach to it will be. We’re very, very keen on having another one this year. It was just so much fun. But as for details on the fest, you know, it’s too early in the process right now. I can assure you of one thing, there is going to be another ‘Kirk’s Crypt.’ Bigger and better, two stories this time! [button href=”http://loudwire.com/metallica-kirk-hammett-new-book-too-much-horror-business-favorite-scary-movies-more/” title=”Next: Kirk Hammett Discusses ‘Too Much Horror Business'” align=”center”]