Posts Tagged ‘year’

Farewell 2014: Your Top 25 Albums So Far (Voting Remains Open)

A week ago we opened up the voting to ask you, our readers to choose the Top 25 albums of 2014. Balloting remains open for another week but we see who is in the lead after the jump. To give you an idea about what an amazing year 2014 has been in our kind of music is that in just a week of voting, we’ve had 66 different records submitted as the Album of the Year. But when we ran the numbers, here’s the Top 25 for the year so far. Before you complain that your favorite album isn’t on the listm, remember, you can change it with your vote.  See the link below the list. Heavy Blog is Heavy Readers Top 25 of 2014 Halfway Through the Votes. 1. Fallujah – The Flesh Prevails 2. Archspire – The Lucid Collective 3. The Contortionist – Language 4. Skyharbor – Guiding Lights 5. Ne Obliviscaris – Citadel 6. Animals as Leaders – The Joy of Motion 7. Black Crown Initiate – The Wreckage Of Stars 8. Job For A Cowboy – Sun Eater 9. Beyond Creation – Earthborn Evolution 10. YOB – Clearing the Path to Ascend 11. Devin Townsend Project – Z2 12. Intervals – A Voice Within 13. Behemoth – The Satanist 14. Inferi – The Path of Apotheosis 15. Son of Aurelius – Under a Western Sun 16. Rings of Saturn – Lugal Ki En 17. Allegaeon – Elements of the Infinite 18. Destrage – Are You Kidding Me? No 19. Panopticon – Roads to the North 20. Artificial Brain – Labyrinth Constellation 21. Architects – Lost Forever // Lost Together 22. Cannibal Corpse – A Skeletal Domain 23. Monuments – The Amaneunsis 24. Gridlink – Longhena 25. Code Orange – I Am King Vote for Your Top 25 Metal (or Any Other) Releases of 2014. Click Here to Fill Out the Form You’re also welcome to post your lists in comments or on Facebook but only lists submitted through the form count towards our Final Reader’s List. –BS

Best Rock Songs of 2013 (So Far)

Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com / Kevin Winter, Getty Images/ Liz Ramanand, Loudwire There’s still plenty of time left in 2013, but the year is already off to a rocking start and we wanted to highlight the songs that we feel will remain staples in our playlists for the immediate future, as well as years to come. On this list, you’ll find a broad representation of the artists who’ve made the hard rock scene so special over the years, as well as some of the newer acts who offer such promise for the future of the genre. To qualify for this list, the song itself had to make its impact in the year 2013, whether it comes from an album that was released this year or in 2012. We’ll continue to update this list through the rest of 2013 as more great rock songs are released, but for now, you can start to check out the Best Rock Songs of 2013 (So Far) by clicking on the red button below: [button href=”http://loudwire.com/alice-in-chains-hollow-best-2013-rock-songs/” title=”See + Hear the Best Rock Songs of 2013 (So Far)” align=”center”]

August Burns Red Begin Work on ‘Most Ambitious Album Yet’

Facebook: August Burns Red August Burns Red have enjoyed their break from the road, but now have enough material to begin recording their next studio album. The group confirmed their return to the studio via a series of Facebook posts this past week, with drummer Matt Greiner getting his tracking out of the way first. One of the first studio photos can be seen above. Even before a note was recorded, Greiner had been pounding away. In a photo posting , it was revealed that the drummer physically wore down his drumsticks during the writing process. Guitarist JB Brubacker told Alternative Press , “2012 turned out to be quite intense for us from a touring standpoint. We did more traveling than we had ever previously done in our career and after three straight months on the road to end the year, I think we were all ready to come home and shift into writing/recording mode. Now that the writing is complete, we are all itching to get started with the actual tracking.” Speaking about the sound, the guitarist added, “This new record will push the boundaries of our genre more than we ever have before. We set out to write a record where every song stands out from the last. There is a lot of ground covered here and a ton of meat to this album. It’s full of odd metered rhythms and breakdowns, unexpected twists and turns and some of our most technical riffing to date. Each of us have parts that make our heads spin and we have had to practice like crazy to get some of this stuff together.” Brubaker says that the album, which he calls their “most ambitious album yet,” is expected later this year via Solid State Records. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/august-burns-red-video-empire/” title=”Next: Watch August Burns Red’s ‘Empire’ Video” align=”center”]

2013 Grammy Award Winners

Kevork Djansezian / Jason Merrit, Getty Images On Sunday night (Feb. 10) at the 2013 Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, the big winners in the rock categories were the Black Keys and Halestorm . The Black Keys took home trophies for Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song for their hit ‘Lonely Boy,’ which they also performed during the ceremony, while also winning the award for Best Rock Album (‘El Camino’). Additionally, frontman Dan Auerbach won Producer of the Year. The Black Keys were also nominated for Record of the Year and Album of the Year, but lost out in those categories to Gotye and Mumford & Sons, respectively. Halestorm, meanwhile, beat out a slew of veteran acts to earn the Best Hard Rock / Metal Performance for their No. 1 active rock hit ‘Love Bites (So Do I).’ During their backstage Q&A in the press room, frontwoman Lzzy Hale said, “It’s an incredible genre to be a part of because rock isn’t always the most popular genre. Sometimes we’re underground, but we all work really hard on the road. We all look out for one another.” Also among the winners was Nine Inch Nails mastermind Trent Reznor , who shared the award for Best Score Soundtrack with Atticus Ross. Reznor didn’t attend the event, but Tweeted, “Why thanks, y’all.” Below is a list of all the winners in rock categories at the 55th Grammy Awards: 2013 Grammy Awards Rock Categories – Winners in Blue Best Hard Rock / Metal Performance Anthrax, ‘I’m Alive Iron Maiden, ‘Blood Brothers’ Halestorm, ‘Love Bites (So Do I)’ Lamb of God, ‘Ghost Walking’ Marilyn Manson, ‘No Reflection’ Megadeth, ‘Who’s Life Is It Anyways?’ Album of the Year The Black Keys, ‘El Camino’ Fun., ‘Some Nights’ Mumford & Sons, ‘Babel’ Frank Ocean, ‘Channel Orange’ Jack White, ‘Blunderbuss’ Best Rock Performance Alabama Shakes, ‘Hold On’ The Black Keys, ‘Lonely Boy’ Coldplay, ‘Charlie Brown’ Mumford & Sons, ‘I Will Wait’ Bruce Springsteen, ‘We Take Care of Our Own’ Best Rock Song Jack White, ‘Freedom at 21′ Mumford & Sons, ‘I Will Wait’ The Black Keys, ‘Lonely Boy’ Muse, ‘Madness’ Bruce Springsteen, ‘We Take Care of Our Own’ Best Rock Album The Black Keys, ‘El Camino’ Coldplay, ‘Mylo Xyloto’ Muse, ‘The 2nd Law’ Bruce Springsteen, ‘Wrecking Ball’ Jack White, ‘Blunderbuss’ Producer of the Year Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys, Dr. John, Hacienda) Jeff Bhasker (fun.) Diplo (Usher, Major Lazer, Snoop Lion, Marina and the Diamonds, Santigold, No Doubt, Wale, Justin Bieber, Alex Clare) Markus Dravs (Mumford & Sons, Coldplay) Salaam Remi (Anthony Hamilton, Amy Winehouse, Alicia Keys & Nicki Minaj, Miguel, Nas, Melanie Fiona, Usher) Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, ‘The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo John Williams, ‘The Adventures of Tintin’ Ludovic Bource, ‘The Artist’ Hans Zimmer, ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ Howard Shore, ‘Hugo’ Austin Wintory, ‘Journey’ Full List of 55th Annual Grammy Winners [button href=”http://loudwire.com/category/grammys/” title=”Full 2013 Grammys Coverage” align=”center”]

Report: Maynard James Keenan Says Tool Will Not Release New Album in 2013

Frederick M. Brown, Getty Images Fans who have been patiently waiting for Tool ‘s next album will unfortunately have to hang in there a bit longer according to vocalist Maynard James Keenan . In a recent interview with Chile’s Radio Futuro, Keenan apparently stated that Tool will not be releasing a new album in 2013. Tom Petty famously sang, “ The waiting is the hardest part ,” on his single ‘The Waiting’ in 1981, and Tool fans worldwide are currently blasting that classic track on repeat while cradling themselves in the fetal position. There are few groups that harness cult followings like Tool, which is why fans of the band have been rabid for new material since 2006; the year Tool released their most recent album, ’10,000 Days.’ With Tool’s album drought having lasted seven years, a new Tool disc was expected to drop in 2013, according to various sources. The other members of of the band have recently been working hard  to write the album, although a reported Vespa accident recently brought the jam sessions to a brief halt. However, according to Maynard Keenan, there will be no new Tool album this year. When asked by Radio Futuro if a new Tool album will be released soon, Keenan simply replied, “No new disc. Not this year … I have not written any songs. So no, there is nothing.” Keenan has become infamous for screwing with the media. The singer played an April Fools prank in 2005, having revealed that he “found Jesus” and claiming that Tool were abandoning what would later become ’10,000 Days.’ Keenan has also peddled a book that doesn’t exist and once reported that the members of Tool were in critical condition after a bus accident, so whether or not you believe Keenan is up to your own judgement. In the same Chilean interview, Keenan also batted down the possibility of a new A Perfect Circle album, citing his focus on Puscifer and APC guitarist Billy Howerdel’s dedication to Ashes Divide as to why an album is currently off the table. Puscifer’s upcoming EP ‘Donkey Punch the Night’ is set for a Feb. 19 release. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/tool-guitarist-adam-jones-proposes-to-girlfriend-wwe-royal-rumble/” title=”Tool Guitarist Adam Jones Proposes to Girlfriend Live at WWE ‘Royal Rumble'” align=”center”]

Pearl Jam Meet With Producer Brendan O’Brien for New Album

Rick Diamond, Getty Images Might there be some new album progress in the Pearl Jam camp? Bassist Jeff Ament revealed that the group did recently meet with producer Brendan O’Brien, which may be a sign the band is ready to resume work on their long-awaited follow-up to the 2009 effort, ‘Backspacer.’ O’Brien has a lengthy history with Pearl Jam, lending his production and mixing talents to the ‘Vs.,’ ‘Vitalogy,’ ‘No Code’ and ‘Yield’ albums. He was solely focused on mixing for the ‘Binaural’ and ‘Riot Act’ discs, before resuming his production duties on ‘Backspacer.’ Several members of Pearl Jam, including Ament himself , have spoken in recent months that the group was “ halfway ” through the recording process of their new album. However, the band members also spent quite a bit of time apart in the latter portion of 2012 and beginning of 2013 with the idea that they would resume recording when the time felt right. Ament tells Rolling Stone , “There’s a lot of ideas kind of floating around right now. I mean, the cool thing about taking a year away from [Pearl Jam] is, you know, we could almost start from scratch and it wouldn’t really be that big of a deal, you know? I hope it comes out this year at some point.” However, if completing a Pearl Jam record doesn’t come to fruition this year, Ament says he’s prepared to continue with his side project RNDM. He adds, “We have another RNDM record ready. If RNDM’s my band for the next year, I’m stoked.” At present, RNDM are considering adding more tour dates and recording a bit more depending on how everyone’s schedules work out. Regardless of Pearl Jam’s progress on a new album, the group will be getting in some touring this year. The band has already announced a handful of dates around the world, with a special show planned for Chicago’s Wrigley Field in July. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/best-pearl-jam-songs/” title=”Next: 10 Best Pearl Jam Songs” align=”center”]

Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder to Contribute Song to Christian Bale Film ‘Out of the Furnace’

Samir Hussein, Getty Images While we wait on new Pearl Jam music, frontman Eddie Vedder has found another creative outlet through the big screen. The vocalist, who has contributed music both as a solo artist and with his band to a number of films, is reportedly working on a song for the upcoming Christian Bale film ‘Out of the Furnace.’ The  Los Angeles Times reports that Vedder is writing and recording the solo track for the movie that’s expected to arrive in theaters later this year. The paper cited a source close to the production as stating that it’s likely a number of other Vedder tracks may also be used for the movie. The film, which stars Bale, Woody Harrelson and Casey Affleck, centers on two brothers from a working class Pennsylvania town that get caught up in a web of violent crimes. Vedder’s songs have been featured in the movies ‘Dead Man Walking’ and ‘Eat Pray Love,’ while the singer recorded an entire soundtrack for the film ‘Into the Wild.’ Earlier this year, Vedder stated that Pearl Jam were “halfway” toward finishing their next album, but the band’s members have repeatedly stated that they’re taking their time on the disc and enjoying a break until everyone feels ready to resume work. Regardless of the album progress, the band has begun lining up some new shows for this summer, including a date at Chicago’s Wrigley Field . [button href=”http://loudwire.com/early-eddie-vedder-demos-surface-online/” title=”Next: Early Eddie Vedder Demos Surface Online” align=”center”]