Swedish metal band Sister Sin recently revealed their new high octane video for ‘Hearts of Cold,’ the second single from their October 2012 release ‘Now and Forever.’ Directed by Eric Richter, the video plays out a story similar to the true crime that inspired the song, revolving around the gruesome tale of Juha Veikko Valjakkala and Marita Routalammi. Valjakkala and Routalammi are the Finnish couple who allegedly entered Sweden and killed a family of three after a fight over a bike. The two ruthless outlaws would go on to reportedly inspire the 1994 film ‘Natural Born Killers.’ In the exclusive clip seen below, frontwoman Liv Jagrell talks about the meaning behind the video, calling the crime one that truly impacted the band’s home country of Sweden. “For us in Sweden, we don’t have these kind of things so often,” recalls Jagrell. “Sweden was very frozen by this.” Jagrell went on to say that after being incarcerated, Valjakkala’s evil continued, explaining, “This guy, they put him in prison and I think he escaped like five times.” The video puts a new spin on the song and Jagrell gets to put her acting skills to the test throughout the video, playing the female role in the infamous duo, check it out above. Jagrell and Sister Sin are gearing up for a North American tour run that kicks off in February with some dates with Doro before initiating their own headlining run. Check out the dates below. Watch the Exclusive Behind the Meaning of Sister Sin’s ‘Hearts of Cold’ Video [button href=”http://loudwire.com/sister-sin-now-and-forever-album-review/” title=”Sister Sin, ‘Now and Forever’ – Album Review” align=”center”] Sister Sin Tour Dates: With Doro: 2/1- Tampa, Fla. – Brass Mug 2/2- Atlanta, Ga. – The Masquerade 2/3- West Springfield, Va. – Empire 2/4- New York, N.Y. – BB Kings 2/5- Baltimore, Md. – Soundstage 2/7- Toronto, Ontario – Mod Club 2/8- Rochester, N.Y. – Montage Music Hall 2/9- Columbus, Ohio – Ace Of Cups 2/10- Cleveland, Ohio – Peabody’s 2/12-Westland, Minn. – Token Lounge 2/13- Joliet, Ill. – Mojoes 2/14- St. Paul, Minn. – Station 4 2/15- Waterloo, Iowa – Spicoli’s Grill and the Reverb 2/17- Englewood, Colo. – Moe’s 2/19- Seattle, Wash. – El Corazon 2/20- Portland, Ore. – Hawthorne Theatre 2/21- San Francisco, Calif. -Thee Parkside 2/22- West Hollywood, Calif. – House Of Blues 2/23- Tempe, Ariz. – Rocky Point Cantina Headlining Tour Dates: 2/24-Las Vegas, Nev. – LVCS 2/26- Austin, Texas – Dirty Dog Bar 2/27- Fort Worth, Texas – Tomcats West 2/28- Oklahoma City, Okla. – The Chameleon Room 3/1- St. Louis, Mo. – Fubar 3/2- Little Rock, Ark. – Downtown Music Hall 3/3- Atlanta, Ga. – The Masquerade 3/5- Spartanburg, S.C. – Ground Zero 3/7- Baltimore, Md. – Paparizza 3/8- Pittsburgh, Pa. – Smiling Moose 3/9- Trenton, N.J. – Championships
Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Clutch are just getting ready to kick off their ‘Earth Rocker’ World Tour this Tuesday (Jan. 22) in London, and there’s now a North American tour leg for fans to get excited about as well. The veteran rockers have revealed that their latest batch of shows will feature primary support act, Orange Goblin, as well as upstart rockers Kyng and Lionize. The tour gets underway March 8 at Bogart’s in Cincinnati and currently runs through an April 20 finale in Baltimore. Drummer Jean-Paul Gaster said of the North American run, “We have a great bill lined up for the U.S. tour that kicks off in March. Get there early to check out Kyng, Lionize and the mighty Orange Goblin.” ‘Earth Rocker’ is not only the name of Clutch’s tour, it’s also the title of their forthcoming album. The band’s Weathermaker Music label has confirmed a worldwide March 19th release for the disc, with pre-orders and special bundle packages currently being offered here . The lead single for the album is the title track. It’s currently streaming through Brooklyn Vegan and can be heard below. In addition to their upcoming tour, the band will drop in on the South By Southwest festival in Austin. An exact date, location and set time have yet to be revealed, but the information will be announced shortly. Listen to Clutch’s ‘Earth Rocker’ (via Brooklyn Vegan) Clutch / Orange Goblin / Lionize / Kyng 2013 North American Tour: 3/8 — Cincinnati, Ohio — Bogart’s 3/9 — Nashville, Tenn. — Marathon Music Works 3/10 — Sauget, Ill. — Pop’s 3/11 — Little Rock, Ark. — Juanita’s Cantina Ballroom 3/12 — Tulsa, Okla. — Cain’s Ballroom 3/13 — Dallas, Texas — The Palladium Ballroom 3/15 — Austin, Texas — Red 7 (SXSW Showcase with Orange Goblin only) 3/18 — Colorado Springs, Colo. — The Black Sheep 3/19 — Salt Lake City, Utah — The Depot 3/21 — West Hollywood, Calif. — House of Blues 3/22 — Tempe, Ariz. — The Marquee 3/23 — Las Vegas, Nev. — Hard Rock Cafe 3/24 — Anaheim, Calif. — House of Blues 3/26 — San Francisco, Calif. — Regency Grand Ballroom 3/27 — Reno, Nev. — Knitting Factory 3/29 — Seattle, Wash. — Showbox at the Market 3/30 — Portland, Ore. — Roseland Theater 3/31 — Boise, Idaho — Knitting Factory 4/1 — Missoula, Mon. — Wilma Theater 4/2 — Spokane, Wash. — Knitting Factory 4/3 — Vancouver, British Columbia — Commodore Ballroom 4/5 — Calgary, Alberta — Flames Central 4/6 — Saskatoon, Saskatchewan — Odeon Events Centre 4/7 — Edmonton, Alberta — Union Hall 4/9 — Winnipeg, Manitoba — Garrick Centre 4/10 — Minneapolis, Minn. — First Avenue 4/11 — Des Moines, Iowa — Wooly’s 4/12 — Chicago, Ill. — House of Blues 4/13 — Grand Rapids, Mich. — The Orbit Room 4/15 — Syracuse, N.Y. — Wescott Theatre 4/16 — New Haven, Ct. — Toad’s Place 4/18 — Toronto, Ontario — Sound Academy 4/19 — Pittsburgh, Pa. — Stage AE 4/20 — Baltimore, Md. — Rams Head Live [button href=”http://loudwire.com/alice-in-chains-2013-must-see-rock-concerts/” title=”Next: Check Out the Must-See Rock Concerts of 2013″ align=”center”]
Mercury Records The 1980s were well under way by January 1983 – even mathematical geniuses like us can figure that out – but when it came to defining the look, the sound and the vibe of the ’80s, there’s no arguing Def Leppard ’s third album, ‘Pyromania,’ released 30 years ago today (Jan. 20), played a major role. In a year that would see Quiet Riot’s No. 1 album, ‘Metal Health,’ signal hard rock’s unlikely emergence as one of the decade’s most commercially dominant music genres, Def Leppard’s success would reach epic proportions. Now, Leppard’s talent and drive to succeed notwithstanding, few would dispute the claim that the true architect behind ‘Pyromania’s’ inevitable triumph was producer Robert John ‘Mutt’ Lang, whose studio wizardry had allowed him to deliver hit album after hit album in recent years, most notably AC/DC’s seismic ‘Back in Black.’ In 1981, Lang had taken Def Leppard under his wing by producing their equally stupendous, but significantly rawer ‘High ‘n’ Dry’ album; but he truly pulled out all the stops for ‘Pyromania,’ demanding nothing less than perfection from the band and even taking matters into his own hands when necessary – including a few co-songwriting credits and using a drum machine in place of drummer Rick Allen. Controversial as these decisions might seem today, they worked, and beginning with the February release of ‘Pyromania’s’ first single, ‘Photograph,’ the hard-touring Brits would gradually conquer America. Three additional singles and music videos (‘Rock of Ages,’ ‘Foolin’,’ and ‘Too Late for Love’) assaulted the charts before year’s end; their slick, sonically manicured pop metal anthems combining with Leppard’s photogenic good looks to drive a remarkable 6 million copies of ‘Pyromania’ into American households. The album has since been certified Diamond for 10 million units shipped. More importantly in the grand scheme of all things hard rock, this irresistible audio-visual combination became a blueprint quickly adopted by gaggles of up-and-coming bands (not to mention the savvy music industry executives who signed them), all aspiring to concoct the next ‘Pyromania.’ That’s why, beginning in January 1983, ’80s hard rock would almost always be created in Def Leppard’s image, as heard and seen on ‘Pyromania.’ Watch Def Leppard’s ‘Rock of Ages’ Video
Cindy Ord, Getty Images Soundgarden ‘s reunion continues to be a fruitful one, with the band finally offering their first new music in 16 years with the ‘ King Animal ‘ album. And while there are some that may question their motives for getting back together, guitarist Kim Thayil says it was truly a quite organic happening. Thayil told The Phoenix that the band re-opened discussions over the lack of direction where their catalog was concerned, with the group not necessarily having any web presence for the better part of a decade. After getting past the business, the band members then discussed the idea to play and record again. There were some in the media (as well as one of their peers, Billy Corgan ) who argued that their initial return was a “ cash grab ,” which Thayil debates. The guitarist says, “How is it a cash grab? Since when is there money in making records anymore [laughs]? I mean, playing Lollapalooza was a one-day payday, but … and by the way, since when do we need money? We’re not like the Afghan Whigs or Pavement. We had a fairly successful career. Matt Cameron played in Pearl Jam for God’s sake! What the hell does he need to spend another, you know, 20 hours a week dedicated to writing and rehearsing Soundgarden songs and tending to Soundgarden’s business? He’s doing just fine thank you.” Thayil credits Matt Cameron for starting the creative process with tracks he wanted the band to check out that didn’t quite fit Pearl Jam. He adds, “I think for Matt it’s really just a labor of love and it’s a great creative outlet for him. He wanted to see Ben [Shepherd] and I playing again and Chris [Cornell] writing new Soundgarden songs. I don’t think Chris needs the money. It seems like he did pretty well with Audioslave and his solo career.” In related news, Soundgarden has returned to the road to support the ‘King Animal’ album. As part of the trek, fans now have a chance to purchase special meet-and-greet packages to hang out with Chris Cornell at their tour stops. A pair of tickets are being auctioned off for each date with the proceeds going to the Chris and Vicky Cornell Foundation, which was recently launched with the goal of protecting vulnerable children. The organization tackles such issues as homelessness, poverty, neglect and abuse. To get your tickets, meet Chris Cornell and support the foundation, visit the Luminary Lane website here . [button href=”http://loudwire.com/soundgarden-2013-must-see-rock-concerts/” title=”Next: Soundgarden – 2013 Must-See Rock Concerts” align=”center”]
Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Underoath performed their second show at Irving Plaza this week and their final date ever in New York City Thursday night (Jan. 17) as part of their farewell tour. The show also featured a strong support lineup, with engaging sets from mewithoutYou, As Cities Burn and Letlive . The evening began with openers Letlive, who will be headlining shows of their own soon enough. With the band’s powerful songs and undeniable stage presence, Letlive performed as if it were their last show in New York City (thankfully it’s not). Frontman Jason Aalon Butler dove into the crowd numerous times and even made his way onto the balcony where he was holding on for dear life while belting out lyrics. As Cities Burn followed with a high energy performance as they got fans singing and audience members crowd surfing. The pace slowed down when mewithoutYou took the stage. The Philadelphia-based outfit brought their indie and experimental sound to the line-up and vocalist Aaron Weiss had the grace of a ballerina onstage whether he was singing, hopping, playing accordion or the tambourine. As “Underoath” chants began to increase in volume, the band embraced the warm welcome the New York City crowed provided. They kicked off their set with three strong tracks — ‘Breathing in a New Mentality,’ ‘It’s Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door’ and ‘In Division.’ Diehard fans also sang along to favorites such as ‘In Regards to Myself,’ ‘Paper Lung,’ ‘Reinventing Your Exit’ and numerous others. Even though frontman Spencer Chamberlain stated that he was feeling under the weather, he and the rest of the band gave a stellar performance that their New York fans won’t soon forget. Underoath rounded out the set with ’Casting Such a Thin Shadow,’ ‘A Boy Brushed Red Living in Black and White’ and ‘Writing on the Walls.’ For a full list of remaining dates to Underoath’s Farewell tour, click here . Check out Photos of Underoath, mewithoutYou, As Cities Burn and Letlive Performing in NYC: Underoath: Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire mewithoutYou: Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire As Cities Burn: Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Letlive: Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire [button href=”http://loudwire.com/underoath-to-break-up-following-farewell-tour-and-career-spanning-compilation/” title=”Next: Underoath Announce Split + Career-Spanning Compilation” align=”center”]
Ethan Miller, Getty Images – The split between Adam Gontier says Three Days Grace has gotten a bit ugly, as the singer criticizes the creative direction of the band. [ Loudwire ] – Chris Cornell and Soundgarden will be busy with political parties to play during President Obama’s inauguration. [ Loudwire ] – Anthrax are showing off their thrash cover of Rush ‘s ‘Anthem.’ [ Loudwire ] – Tom Morello will join Bruce Springsteen ‘s upcoming Australian tour, filling in for Steven Van Zandt . [ Loudwire ] – Bullet for My Valentine give you a look at the solos from their ‘Temper Temper’ album in our exclusive video preview. [ Loudwire ] – Twenty-five years ago, AC/DC released their ‘Blow Up Your Video’ album. [ Ultimate Classic Rock ] – Has it really been that long? Black Sabbath ‘s ‘Live Evil’ has turned 30. [ Ultimate Classic Rock ] – Sorry Smiths fans. Morrissey says there will not be a reunion of the band at this year’s Coachella Festival. [ Diffuser.fm ] – The Avett Brothers lead an eclectic lineup of acts at the 2013 Kanrocksas Festival. [ Diffuser.fm ]
Schecter Guitar Research Schecter guitars and Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx have teamed up to create a new model of bass. The guitar company is planning to reveal the ‘Schecter Sixx’ signature series bass at the winter NAMM conference in Anaheim, Calif. on Jan. 26. Rock guitarists and bassists with a little extra cash in their pockets have been flocking to Schecter Guitar Research for decades to harness the company’s signature sound. Schecter has created guitars for Avenged Sevenfold ‘s Synyster Gates and Zacky Vengeance , Disturbed ‘s Dan Donegan and many more. The company is planning to release many new signature models in the near future, but the first of 2013 will be the Nikki Sixx ‘Schecter Sixx.’ “It was an exciting and creative process to work with Schecter on the new Schecter Sixx Signature Series Bass,” says Sixx. “It was important to all of us to design a bass that would feel right as well as sound amazing in the hands of all players, not just me. Every detail about the new Schecter Sixx comes from all of our collective experiences – whether it’s my 30 years of playing live and recording orSchecter’s unprecedented standards for making quality instruments for players of all genres. Simply said, this bass rocks!” Schecter’s Executive Vice President, Marc LaCorte adds, “I really felt as if we instantly gelled and were looking to accomplish the same goal with this project. Above all, it was so refreshing to see an artist of Nikki’s stature be so involved and genuinely concerned about every detail in the creation of this instrument.” Check out all the details and specs on the ‘Schecter Sixx’ bass here . Nikki Sixx is currently working with Motley Crue to create the band’s 10th full-length album, which Sixx is already calling “the best Crue album yet.” He’s also announced plans to work on a new disc from his other band Sixx: A.M. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/nikki-sixx-bassist-of-the-year-2012-loudwire-music-awards/” title=”Nikki Sixx Wins Bassist of the Year in the 2012 Loudwire Music Awards” align=”center”]