RCA Bullet for My Valentine are clicking on all cylinders on their new album, though the band readily admits the title ‘Temper Temper’ comes from some of the internal friction within the group. But rather than letting things fester, they turned lemons into lemonade by allowing it fuel the creative process. Fans of the group may already be familiar with the title track and ‘ Riot ,’ the first two songs released off the record. ‘Temper Temper’ was a solid introductory choice from the band, showing off their speedy guitar work and Michael “Moose” Thomas’ cymbal-heavy drumbeats, with the pacing of the song mirroring what it feels like when you’re just about to explode. ‘Riot,’ meanwhile, is arguably the album’s best song and a natural choice for a single. With guitar work that comes off like a warning alarm and Matt Tuck vocals that beg you to sing along to the “whoa-oh-ohs,” Bullet for My Valentine have an anthem on their hands. The disc as a whole is at its best in the mid-section, with the songs running from ‘Temper Temper’ through ‘Riot’ providing an increasingly diverse and strong stretch of music. ‘Pow’ starts off dialing things back a bit, but by the end of the song Tuck is confidently declaring, “ I will breathe once more .” ‘Dirty Little Secret’ has single potential and may have more style shifts than any song on the record. Keeping in the theme of dealing with aggression, Tuck belts, “ Straight for the throat / Like you’re an animal / In for the kill / Just like you’re an animal .” ‘Leech’ is a solid rocker that tells the story of a delusional person who’s always crashing the party. It’s followed by ‘Dead to the World,’ the album’s moodiest song, which comes at precisely the right time to give the listener a break from the hard-hitting assault that had been the record up to this point. In the introspective track, Tuck digs deep for the lyrics, “ I’ve tried a thousand times before to leave my demons behind me for good / I’m trapped with no escape to find / Lost without hope, hope is not lost as I hang on for one more tomorrow / Heart turns to black, but I’m not coming back cause I feel like I’m dead to the world .” However, by the end of the track, the melancholy gives way to full-on angst-ridden aggression fueled by Tuck and Michael “Padge” Paget’s guitar work. The album also concludes on a high note as ‘Livin’ Life (On the Edge of a Knife)’ is one of the more energetic tracks on the disc. The good news for Bullet for My Valentine fans is that not only will this album truly rock you, it also feels tailor-made for the stage. So get familiar with ‘Temper Temper’ and expect to hear plenty of it over the next couple of years. To catch BFMV on their upcoming tour with Halestorm, click here for dates. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/bullet-for-my-valentine-new-album-temper-temper-exclusive-video-interview/” title=”Watch Our Exclusive Interview With Bullet for My Valentine” align=”center”]
Trapt: YouTube Trapt are back with a brand new album, ‘Reborn,’ and Loudwire is proud to team up with the band to premiere the video for their new single ‘Living in the Eye of the Storm’ (watch below). Led by frontman Chris Taylor Brown, Trapt have been going strong for more than 15 years, hitting it big with their mammoth single ‘Headstrong’ in 2002. Now, with ‘Reborn,’ Trapt are heating radio up with the first single ‘Bring It,’ and hope to do the same with ‘Living in the Eye of the Storm,’ and powerful track that deals with inner turmoil. “When I wrote the lyrics to this song, I was going through a lot of hardships, personal struggles, and it was affecting the way I was treating other people and myself,” Brown tells us. “I remember looking around at what was going on in the world and thinking that there must be a lot of other people going through some of the same inner battles that I was. There are a lot that we take for granted that we really only notice when things are falling apart. It puts things in perspective, when you are sitting there in the eye of the storm, where it’s calm, but everything around you is coming apart at the seams. It was hard to want to venture out and do what I needed to do. But, in the end, through writing songs like these, it helped me see what was happening in my life and it helped me turn a few things around that needed fixing. I’m hoping this song does that for a few more people.” The video, which is has a military theme, pays tribute to the members of the Armed Forces who fight to defend their country. Brown explains, “For the video, I wanted to really give a shout out to the armed forces. Those people are out protecting freedom at the expense of their lives and their families lives, far away from home, so that we can sleep soundly at night. I respect that so much. I think a lot of people take their freedom for granted and I also think there are a lot of people that don’t live in a free world, like the one we live in and hate seeing the kind of freedom that we have. I just wanted to show a little appreciation for the sacrifice that our armed forces take part in to keep those enemies at bay.” Check out the video for ‘Living in the Eye of the Storm’ below, and be sure to pick up Trapt’s brand-new album ‘Reborn’ at iTunes in a standard edition or deluxe version (featuring a handful of bonus acoustic tracks). It’s also available in CD form at Best Buy for the special price of $7.99. In addition, catch Trapt on their upcoming U.S. tour, which kicks off in March. See the dates here . Watch Trapt’s ‘Living in the Eye of the Storm’ Video
Photo Credit: Travis Shinn Big news for Megadeth fans! The thrash legends have unveiled the title of their upcoming 14th studio album, along with the new record label it will come out on and the month of release. Megadeth’s 14th full-length will be titled ‘Super Collider’ and will hit stores in June of this year. Additionally, after releasing three albums with Roadrunner Records (‘United Abominations,’ ‘Endgame,’ + ‘TH1RT3EN’), Megadeth will unleash ‘Super Collider’ on frontman Dave Mustaine ‘s own label, Tradecraft, which will be powered by Universal. “It was a real thrill for us to learn there was an opportunity to join Universal,” says Mustaine. “It seems like every time you see a great band or music video?, it comes from a Universal label … Being with Universal is by far the most exciting and prestigious home? for Megadeth ever! We are electrified with what the future holds and the possibilities such a powerhouse like Universal will bring for us all. Mustaine continues, “We have worked with some great people over the years, and it is amazing to see so many of them on the Universal team for our new record, ‘Super Collider.’ If Megadeth being here isn’t satiating enough, having Tradecraft as my own label is going to be really amazing for metal bands around the world.” Mustaine adds that the split with Roadrunner was amicable, with the band simply having honored their contract with the label. “We completed our contract with them, which not a lot of many metal bands have the luxury to have been able to complete contracts. They usually either break up or quit or give up and stuff like that, but we were honorable and finished our contract with them and we moved on. And we’ve actually got a fantastic relationship with a brand new label. We have eleven songs already recorded. We wanna give them thirteen, ’cause, you know, the B-sides and Japanese releases and all that kind of crazy stuff.” Stay tuned for more updates on ‘Super Collider’ and get ready for the album to drop in June! [button href=”http://loudwire.com/best-megadeth-songs/” title=”10 Best Megadeth Songs” align=”center”]
Liz Ramanand, Loudwire (2) Hollywood Undead are racking up the miles this spring, just tacking on another leg of dates that will take them through the end of May. For those keeping track, this will be their third leg of North American dates in support of the ‘ Notes From the Underground ‘ album. For the new shows, which begin April 17 in Pharr, Texas, the band will be joined by Falling in Reverse . This latest leg concludes May 25 in Louisville, Ky. Hollywood Undead also recently announced a March run that kicks off in Reno, Nev., on March 4 and concludes in Providence, R.I., on March 27. On that tour, support will be split with Dance Gavin Dance opening the first four dates of the tour and Abandon All Ships appearing on a majority of the remainder of the run. Hollywood Undead’s first tour in support of the album came in January, right after the disc was released, and fans sold out every date on the Underground trek. Falling in Reverse, meanwhile, are still touring strong behind their 2011 debut, ‘The Drug in Me Is You.’ Hollywood Undead Tour With Dance Gavin Dance + Abandon All Ships 3/4 — Reno, Nev. – Knitting Factory Concert House* 3/6 — Boise, Idaho — Knitting Factory Concert House* 3/7 — Spokane, Wash. — Knitting Factory Concert House* 3/8 — Portland, Ore. — Roseland Theater* 3/9 — Vancouver, British Columbia — Rickshaw Theater** 3/11 — Calgary, Alberta — MacEwan Hall Ballroom** 3/12 — Edmonton, Alberta — Starlite Room** 3/13 — Saskatoon, Saskatchewan — Odeon Events Centre** 3/15 — Winnipeg, Manitoba — Garrick Event Center** 3/16 — Fargo, N.D. — The Venue @ The Hub 3/19 — London, Ontario — London Concert Theatre** 3/20 — Toronto, Ontario — The Phoenix Concert Theatre** 3/21 — Guelph, Ontario – Guelph Concert Theatre** 3/23 — Jonquiere, Quebec – Theatre Palace Arvida** 3/24 — Quebec City, Quebec- Imperial de Quebec** 3/25 — Laval, – Marcellin-Champagnat** 3/27 — Providence, R.I. — Fete (Ballroom) * w/ Dance Gavin Dance?** w/ Abandon All Ships Hollywood Undead Tour With Falling in Reverse 4/17 — Pharr, Texas — Pharr Event Center 4/19 — San Antonio, Texas — Backstage Live 4/21 — Lubbock, Texas — Lonestar Ampitheatre 4/23 — Austin, Texas — Emo’s East 4/24 — El Paso, Texas — Tricky Falls 4/25 — Albuquerque, N.M. — Sunshine Theatre 5/1 — Panama City Beach, Fla. — Club La Vela 5/3 — Chattanooga, Tenn. — Track 29 5/4 — Nashville, Tenn. — Marathon Music Works 5/9 — Madison, Wis. — Orpheum Theatre 5/10 — Sioux Falls, S.D. — Sioux Falls Expo Center 5/14 — La Crosse, Wis. — South Hall @ La Crosse Center 5/15 — Grand Rapids, Mich. — The Orbit Room 5/18 — Ft. Wayne, Ind. — Pierre’s 5/19 — Lancaster, Pa. — Chameleon Club 5/21 — Clifton Park, N.Y. — Upstate Concert Hall 5/22 — Stroudsburg, Pa. — Sherman Theatre 5/24 — Rochester, N.Y. — Main Street Armory 5/25 — Louisville, Ky. — Expo 5 [button href=”http://loudwire.com/hollywood-undead-johnny-3-tears-we-are-inspired-by-americas-youth/” title=”Next: Hollywood Undead’s ‘We Are’ Inspired by America’s Youth” align=”center”]
Frederick M. Brown, Getty Images Here’s a look at the top stories of the day on Loudwire and around the Web: – The 2013 Grammy Awards saw the Black Keys , Halestorm and Trent Reznor take home golden gramophones. Check out the full list of Grammy winners in the rock categories here. [ Loudwire ] – David Draiman ‘s Device unveil teaser video for self-titled debut album. [ Loudwire ] – Corey Taylor , Maynard James Keenan , Dave Navarro + more weren’t too happy with the 2013 Grammy Awards. See why they offered their criticism here. [ Loudwire ] – Navy SEAL who evidently shot Osama bin Laden talks about the military use of Metallica and Demon Hunter ‘s music. [ Loudwire ] – Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello joins LL Cool J, Public Enemy’s Chuck D, Travis Barker + more for 2013 Grammy performance. [ Loudwire ] – It was 50 years ago today that the Beatles recorded the majority of their ‘Please Please Me’ album in a 13-hour session. [ Ultimate Classic Rock ] – Pearl Jam ‘s upcoming Wrigley Field show is the fastest-selling concert in the ballpark’s history. [ Diffuser.fm ] – Did Jack White drop an F-bomb during his 2013 Grammy performance? [ Diffuser.fm ]
It Books / HarperCollins The history of metal music is not an easy story to tell. With over 45 years of the world’s most brutal music genre having already passed, the realms of progression, brutality and experimentation are constantly expanding thanks to both metal legends and new school heroes. Despite the difficulty of the challenge, rock journalists Jon Wiederhorn and Katherine Turman have crafted the upcoming book ‘Louder Than Hell: The Definitive Oral History of Metal,’ which will see a May 14 release date. To create a truly definitive portrayal on metal music, ‘Louder Than Hell’ was assembled from more than 300 interviews with metal’s finest icons, including members of Metallica , Megadeth , Iron Maiden , Slayer , Death , Motley Crue , Pantera and many more. As if 300 interviews wasn’t legitimate enough, the comprehensive book will include an introduction by Scott Ian of Anthrax and an afterword by Judas Priest vocalist Rob Halford . ‘Louder Than Hell’ promises to deliver all the info without censorship, delving into topics such as traumatic upbringings, drug addiction and bizarre sexual exploits, along with stories of the music business, songwriting, touring and a lot more. Metal musicians themselves have come out to praise ‘Louder than Hell,’ along with its authors. “Katherine Turman and Jon Wiederhorn know metal,” gushes Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello . “Louder than Hell is an amazing gathering of different breeds of heavy metal rockers telling the tales metal fans want to hear.” Heavy metal legend Alice Cooper also endorses the book. “This is the book every metal fan should own,” says Cooper. “A fascinating high-octane chronicle of metal mayhem that takes readers on a wild ride, from metal’s earliest days to the head-banging present. I’m not saying this just because I’m in the book, but . . . if you love metal, great stories, and music history told by the people who made it, then Louder than Hell is a must-read.” Jon Wiederhorn is a senior writer for Revolver magazine, a former editor of MTV2′s Headbangers Blog and has worked for publications such as Rolling Stone, Spin, Entertainment Weekly and Guitar World. Wiederhorn has also penned a biography on Ministry mastermind Al Jourgensen , ‘Ministry: The Lost Gospels According to Al Jourgensen,’ which will see a July 2013 release. Katherine Turman currently produces the syndicated radio show ‘Nights with Alice Cooper,’ and has written for publications such as Metal Hammer, Los Angeles Times, Rolling Stone and RIP, the last of which she was the editor. Get ready for the release of ‘Louder Than Hell: The Definitive Oral History of Metal’ on May 14. To pre-order the book, click here . Check Out a Video of Alice Cooper Promoting ‘Louder Than Hell’ [button href=”http://loudwire.com/best-metal-albums-of-2012/” title=”10 Best Metal Albums of 2012″ align=”center”]
Metal Blade Records Florida’s legendary death metal merchants Six Feet Under will unleash their tenth studio album, ‘Unborn,’ on March 19 via Metal Blade Records. A lyric video for the song ‘Zombie Blood Curse’ is now available, as well (watch below). Released less than a year after 2012′s ‘Undead,’ ‘Unborn’ will be the band’s first album featuring guitarist Ola Englund and bassist Jeff Hughell. It’s the second SFU under album for drummer Kevin Talley. Vocalist Chris Barnes once again brought in some guest songwriters for the new album. “The journey to create, write, and record ‘Undead’ and ‘Unborn’ has been the most challenging and exciting musical endeavor and process I have ever been involved with,” says Barnes. “Working with all these amazing writers and musicians like Ben Savage (Whitechapel) on songs like ‘Neuro Osmosis’ and ‘Fragment’ are some of the most dynamic, beautiful, and brutal songs I’ve ever had the pleasure of putting lyrics to. I believe Ben is a true innovator of the death metal genre.” Barnes continues, ”It was also a lot of fun working Jari Laine from Torture Killer again. We wrote a great album together a few years back called ‘Swarm!’ – one of my favorite releases I’ve been involved with – and Jari is someone who I have really wanted to work with again ever since. I wanted to revisit collaborating with Jari because of how well we work together; proof of that on ‘Unborn’ are the hook heavy sounds of songs like ‘Zombie Blood Curse’ and ‘Incision’.” ‘Zombie Blood Curse’ is vintage Six Feet Under, a mid-tempo behemoth that slows down to a skull-crushing pace midway through before picking back up. And since its not always easy to make out Barnes’ death metal growls, a lyric video is perfect for Six Feet Under. Check it out below: Watch Six Feet Under – ‘Zombie Blood Curse’ Lyric Video