Posts Tagged ‘vocalist’

Scott Weiland Talks Stone Temple Pilots Future in Pre-Firing Interview

Kevin Winter, Getty Images Stone Temple Pilots  announced that they officially fired  singer  Scott Weiland  yesterday (Feb. 27), which met with a follow-up statement from the frontman in which he revealed that he was surprised by the announcement. “Surprised” is definitely the key word, as Weiland spoke with Rolling Stone earlier this week about the rumors and his future with Stone Temple Pilots and he did not let on that there was trouble on the horizon. In the interview, which took place only a few days ago, Weiland stated, “STP has not broken up. I haven’t quit. I haven’t been fired. We’re talking about when we want to tour next. My personal feeling is that we just need some new blood in the band. It’ll give it new energy, so that we’re not just playing the same greatest hits set we’ve been playing ever since we got back together after I left Velvet Revolver . I’d like to make a new record so it breathes new life into it.” As for hearing that Slash had been the one to make public talk of his firing from STP, the vocalist added, “Slash doesn’t know anything about STP. Those guys wanted to get together to talk about touring, but I don’t think touring right now is the best thing. STP has a legacy, and to protect that is very, very important to me. But to go and do the kind of offers that we were getting would be diminishing the brand, and I don’t want to do that. There are offers right now. There are offers that I passed up on. There’s offers that those guys didn’t want as well. There were some hurt egos, but that’s the way it is. Things are like a family. No one’s ever fired anybody in STP.” Weiland called Stone Temple Pilots “a partnership” and added that it was not uncommon for he or the other members to go off and do their other projects. He concluded, “I’ve always supported them. But no one’s been fired and I haven’t quit, so that’s all hearsay.” Shortly after the interview was conducted, the news of Weiland’s firing became public and he stated that he was unsure of how he could be terminated from the group he founded and fronted and co-wrote some of their biggest hits. He added, “That’s something for the lawyers to figure out.” At present, Weiland is set to head out on tour playing music from STP’s ‘Purple’ and ‘Core’ albums. He adds that he and his solo band cohorts are “halfway finished” with a new disc. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/scott-weiland-working-on-new-material-planning-tour/” title=”Next: Scott Weiland Working on Solo Album” align=”center”]

Megadeth Bassist David Ellefson Donates Bass Strings for Charitable Bracelets

Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com Megadeth ‘s David Ellefson makes the most out of his bass strings on a nightly basis, but now he’s found yet another use for them. The rocker is donating his used bass strings the Wear Your Music Organization so that they may turn them into bracelets. The bassist stated that all proceeds from sales of the bracelets will go to the MusiCares organization. The bracelets will be hand crafted according to orders, with the buyer having the chance to personalize their bracelets based on size, if you add a clasp and whether or not they would like to make it precious by adding a sapphire, ruby or emerald. For further details and to place your order, click here . Ellefson has been busy of late, working with Megadeth on finishing their forthcoming album, ‘ Super Collider .’ The disc is expected to arrive this June. The bassist will take part in a chat this afternoon (Feb. 24) for fans that are part of the Megadeth Cyber Army fan club. The chat will take place at 6PM ET / 3PM PT at this location . [button href=”http://loudwire.com/megadeth-suggest-guest-vocalist-upcoming-album-track/” title=”Next: Dave Mustaine Asks Fans for Megadeth Guest Vocalist Suggestions” align=”center”]

Scott Weiland Firms Up Dates for 2013 Solo Tour

Mike Lawrie, Getty Images Scott Weiland will begin 2013 as a solo artist. The frontman, who made overtures about reuniting with Velvet Revolver last year only to have Slash publicly rebuke them and reveal that the singer had once again parted ways with Stone Temple Pilots , is hitting the road next month. According to Weiland’s Facebook page , the tour has been dubbed the “Purple at the Core” trek, signifying that the vocalist may be focusing his energies on the music from the first two Stone Temple Pilots albums. Weiland is billed on the tour image as “Scott Weiland and the Wildabouts,” with two other musicians appearing in the shot. In addition to the ‘Purple’ and ‘Core’ albums, the singer is expected to perform songs from his solo and Velvet Revolver catalogs as well. The tour gets underway March 1 in Flint, Michigan and continues through to a March 27 finale in Dallas. Tickets are currently available here . Scott Weiland’s ‘Purple at the Core’ 2013 Tour Dates 3/1 — Flint, Mich. — Machine Shop 3/2 — Traverse City, Mich. — Ground Zero 3/4 — Niagara Falls, N.Y. — Rapids Theatre 3/6 — Patchogue, N.Y. — Emporium 3/7 — Boston, Mass. — Wilbur Theatre 3/9 — New York, N.Y. — Irving Plaza 3/11 — Washington, D.C. — Howard Theatre 3/12 — New Brunswick, N.J. — State Theatre 3/14 — Bethlehem, Pa. — Sands Bethlehem Event Center 3/15 — Fort Wayne, Ind. — Piere’s 3/19 — Chicago, Ill. — House of Blues 3/20 — Cleveland, Ohio — House of Blues 3/22 — Cincinnati, Ohio — Bogarts 3/23 — Indianapolis, Ind. — Egyptian Room 3/26 — Houston, Texas — House of Blues 3/27 — Dallas, Texas — House of Blues [button href=”http://loudwire.com/scott-weiland-working-on-new-material-planning-tour/” title=”Next: Scott Weiland Working on New Material” align=”center”]

Godsmack’s Sully Erna Revisits Poker Passion

Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Godsmack ‘s planned year-long break in the schedule is not only giving frontman Sully Erna a chance to pursue his solo career, but he’s also taking the time to revive one of his other passions — poker. The musician tells ESPN that after stepping away from the card game for a few years, he’s gotten the itch to compete in poker tournaments again. In 2006 and 2007, Erna took part in the World Series of Poker competitions, winning $17,730 his first year and banking another $45,422 the following year. Then he took home $307,325 in the 2007 Five-Diamond World Poker Classic. But Erna says that his mindset wasn’t right to keep it up. He explains, “I was finding that I was very impatient and playing crappy hands. I was losing patience every time I was playing. I had to take a break. [But] I’m making a comeback! I’ve studied the game. I’m getting the itch to play poker again. In fact, I’m in Los Angeles today and I’ll be playing tonight. I need to shake the rust off. I’m ready to go deep and win a lot of money!” Erna says he felt the timing was right to pick up poker again. “I’ve been bouncing around testing out my game,” says the vocalist. “That’s why many of my venues for the solo shows are in casinos. I love that environment. It works to my advantage, also it’s a transient audience. I can’t wait.” Sully has booked a solo tour later this spring, promoting both his ‘Avalon’ solo disc and the works of Godsmack. Check out the tour dates here . [button href=”http://loudwire.com/favorite-godsmack-song-readers-poll/” title=”Next: Favorite Godsmack Song – Readers Poll” align=”center”]

David Draiman Discusses Device’s Fan Support + Disturbed’s Future

Adam Bettcher, Getty Images David Draiman is making the most of his break from Disturbed with his industrial-leaning project Device and the band’s self-titled effort is one of the most anticipated discs of 2013 . In advance of the new album, Draiman has posted a new message online thanking fans for their support. Device’s first single is expected this next week and Draiman is prepared to see what the reaction to his new band is. In addition, the vocalist took the opportunity to address Disturbed and the group’s ongoing hiatus and give longtime fans of his band some assurance that they will return at some point. The vocalist, in his usual ALL CAPS typing, posted: MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, MY BLOOD;?? I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR COMING WITH ME ON THIS NEW JOURNEY THAT IS “DEVICE.” ??I AM ETERNALLY GRATEFUL FOR THE LOVE THAT YOU ALL HAVE FOR DISTURBED, AND I ALSO UNDERSTAND THE DEFENSIVENESS THAT CAN COME WITH ANY THING THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE PERCIEVED AS A CATALYST TO SOME SORT OF “BREAK UP THEORY,” THAT I ASSURE YOU, HAS NO BASE IN THE FIRST PLACE. ??IF YOU READ THE DEVICE BIO THAT WAS POSTED ON THE DEVICE FACEBOOK PAGE FACEBOOK/DEVICETHEBAND, YOU WILL LEARN THAT THE WHOLE PROJECT CAME TOGETHER QUITE ACCIDENTALLY, AND I’M VERY GLAD IT DID. I THINK YOU WILL BE TOO. ??DISTURBED IS STILL ON HIATUS. A HIATUS IS AN EXTENDED BREAK, NOT “BREAK-UP”. WE HAVE FOUGHT LONG AND HARD TOGETHER, ALL OF US, TO MAKE DISTURBED WHAT IT HAS BECOME, AND ARE NOT JUST WALKING AWAY FROM IT. WE ALL NEEDED TO JUST GIVE OURSELVES SOME TIME AWAY FROM IT.??THE EXISTENCE OF DEVICE, DOES NOT IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM, MEAN THE END OF DISTURBED. THEY ARE TWO COMPLETELY SEPARATE ENTITIES, AND I HOLD THEM BOTH IN THE HIGHEST REGARD. ??YOU ARE ABOUT TO GET YOUR FIRST TASTE THIS COMING WEEK. ??YOU HAVE ALL OF MY LOVE AND RESPECT,??-DAVID On the heels of the new music, fans can look for Device playing a number of hard rock festivals this spring. The group has been confirmed for Rock on the Range , Welcome to Rockville , Carolina Rebellion , Rocklahoma and the inaugural Fort Rock festival. Device’s self-titled album arrives April 9. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/david-draiman-device-teaser-video-self-titled-debut-album/” title=”Next: Device Offer Album Teaser Video” align=”center”]

10 Best Linkin Park Songs

Warner Bros. Choosing a 10 Best Songs list for Linkin Park was no easy task as some very solid and well-known tracks just barely missed our cut. But one thing is for sure, the ever-evolving six-piece of Chester Bennington , Mike Shinoda , Brad Delson, Joe Hahn, Dave “Phoenix” Farrell and Rob Bourdon have always kept things interesting with a hybrid mix of rock, metal, rap and electronic music. So, as we present this Top 10 countdown of Linkin Park songs, keep in mind that we tried so hard, but in the end we hope we chose the songs that really mattered. Check out our list of the 10 Best Linkin Park Songs below: 10 ‘Breaking the Habit’ From: ‘Meteora’ (2003) ? ? What started off as Mike Shinoda’s epic instrumental track called ‘Drawing’ eventually turned into a more fleshed-out hit single called ‘Breaking the Habit.’ Though it was the final song released off their ‘Meteora’ album, it’s turned into one of their more enduring tracks, perhaps due to the personal nature of the lyrics. Chester Bennington belts, ” I don’t know how I got this way / I know it’s not alright / So I’m breaking the habit ” with every ounce of emotion. Listen to ‘Breaking the Habit’ ? ? 9 ‘Waiting for the End’ From: ‘A Thousand Suns’ (2010) ? ? ‘Waiting for the End’ just has that bouncy groove that both differentiates itself and makes it a natural fit as one of Linkin Park’s 10 best songs. Bennington described the track as having a “summertime vibe,” and the combination of Rob Bourdon’s drums and Joe Hahn’s samples really give the track that special sound. Add in Shinoda’s rasta-like rapping with Bennington’s more melodic delivery and you’ve got the makings of something special. Listen to ‘Waiting for the End’ ? ? 8 ‘Crawling’ From: ‘Hybrid Theory’ (2000) ? ? ‘Crawling’ will always hold a special place for Linkin Park as it gave them their first Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance. Bennington delivers one of his fiercest screams to date, but admits it’s one of the more difficult songs to perform. He told Spin , “[It’s] about feeling like I had no control over myself in terms of drugs and alcohol … This is just who I am, this is what I write about, what I do, and most of my work has been a reflection of what I’ve been going through in one way or another.” Listen to ‘Crawling’ ? ? 7 ‘Bleed It Out’ From: ‘Minutes to Midnight’ (2007) ? ? With ‘Bleed It Out,’ Shinoda got a chance to come to the forefront though the ‘Minutes to Midnight’ album as a whole featured less of his rap style that its predecessors. The clap-along rocker was a meta track about the perfection they put into their recording process, with Shinoda spelling out their drive in the opening line: ” Here we go for the hundredth time / hand grenade pins in every line / Throw ’em up and let something shine / Going out of my f—ing mind .” Thankfully they did bleed it out and dig a little deeper, cause this song is no throw away. Listen to ‘Bleed It Out’ ? ? 6 ‘Lying From You’ From: ‘Meteora’ (2003) ? ? ‘Lying From You’ is the perfect example of what the band did best early in their career and is a must for the 10 Best Linkin Park Songs list. It starts with a Joe Hahn viola-infused keyboard sample, then gives way to some hard-hitting Bourdon drumming, gritty guitar and bass work from Brad Delson and Phoenix Farrell and is offset with some of Shinoda’s best rhymes and Bennington’s supreme screams. It’s no wonder the track has become a live favorite over the years. Listen to ‘Lying From You’ ? ? 5 ‘Given Up’ From: ‘Minutes to Midnight’ (2007) ? ? Linkin Park delivered one of their hardest songs to date with ‘Given Up’ off the ‘Minutes to Midnight’ album. Guitarist Brad Delson shines on this track, not only for the infectious guitar lick that drives the song, but also for the keys jingling at the start of the cut. It’s also notable for Bennington’s excessive 17-second scream before the final chorus that drives home the alienation laid out in the lyrics. Listen to ‘Given Up’ ? ? 4 ‘Faint’ From: ‘Meteora’ (2003) ? ? LInkin Park’s early sampling along with a sped up guitar track from Delson and some dexterous drumming from Bourdon make ‘Faint’ one of the band’s more distinguishable songs. Though the title is never uttered in the track, the song itself is about making sure that you’re never so faint that your opinion isn’t heard. As Bennington belts, ” I can’t feel the way I did before / Don’t turn your back on me / I won’t be ignored .” Listen to ‘Faint’ ? ? 3 ‘One Step Closer’ From: ‘Hybrid Theory’ ? ? Need to blow off some steam? ‘One Step Closer’ is the track for you. Linkin Park’s ode to frustration ended up being the song that broke them to a mass audience. As a calling card, you could do a lot worse that Bennington’s in-your-face declaration, “Shut up when I’m talking to you.” As for the question of who was about to make Bennington break, the vocalist revealed in a 2011 with Kerrang that some of the lyrics were inspired by producer Don Gilmore who had repeatedly asked the band to rework the song. Listen to ‘One Step Closer’ ? ? 2 ‘Numb’ From: ‘Meteora’ (2003) ? ? ‘Numb’ is definitely one of Linkin Park’s more powerful songs, speaking heavily about trying to live up to someone else’s expectations. Bennington cuts right to the heart of the matter, singing, ” Don’t know what you’re expecting of me / Put under the pressure of walking in your shoes / Every step that I take is another mistake to you .” Blending equal parts melody and aggression, ‘Numb’ has become one of the band’s most beloved tracks. Listen to ‘Numb’ ? ? 1 ‘In the End’ From: ‘Hybrid Theory’ (2000) ? ? Though ‘One Step Closer’ was the song that broke Linkin Park, ‘In the End’ was the track that made sure that fans were around to stay. The song’s perfect blend of melancholy melody and angst-driven aggression showed the range of what the band could do. While Bennington may say in the track that he tried so hard, but in the end nothing really mattered, Linkin Park fans might disagree. The craftsmanship put on this cut made it a solid choice for the top of the 10 Best Linkin Park Songs list. Listen to ‘In the End’ ? ? What Are Linkin Park’s Best Songs? We’re well aware there are still a lot of great Linkin Park songs that didn’t make the cut and here’s your chance to make your argument to replace one on our list with another. Should chart-toppers like ‘Somewhere I Belong,’ ‘What I’ve Done,’ ‘The Catalyst’ or ‘Burn It Down’ be there? How about favorites like ‘Papercut,’ ‘Leave Out All the Rest,’ ‘Shadow of the Day’ or ‘Lost in the Echo’? Let us know your thoughts on this list in the comments section below.

Megadeth Ask Fans to Suggest Guest Vocalist for Upcoming Album Track

Kevin Winter, Getty Images One of the reasons Megadeth has lasted as long as it has is Dave Mustaine ‘s commitment to evolving the band’s sound. And it looks like Mustaine has another trick up his sleeve. In a new Facebook posting , the vocalist asks his followers, “Any ideas for a guest singer on a track? I have a few ideas, but wanna know what you think.” The timing of the posting is a bit of a head-scratcher as Megadeth recently completed recording on their new album and are currently in the mixing process, so it’s not known if the idea of having a guest vocalist on a song is meant for a future recording or something that might turn up on their next album. In the short amount of time the posting has been up, Mustaine has already received over 3,000 comments from fans with suggestions such as Anthrax ‘s Joey Belladonna , Metallica ‘s James Hetfield and Down ‘s Phil Anselmo among those frequently mentioned. Megadeth have been holed up in the Vic’s Garage studio in San Marcos, California over the last few months with producer Johnny K overseeing the effort. Bassist David Ellefson recently stated , “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!!!” An official release has not been revealed, but it’s safe to say that Megadeth’s new album is on target for a 2013 street date. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/dave-mustaine-designed-jackson-y2kv-guitar-auctioned-for-11k/” title=”Next: Dave Mustaine Guitar Fetches $11K at Auction” align=”center”]