Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Danish rockers Volbeat have kept quiet for most of the latter part of 2012, but that’s partly because they’ve been working on new music. The group reveal in a new posting that they’re just about ready to share some of their fresh material and will test it out while playing dates in their home country early next year. The band has booked a five-stop Danish trek that will take place between Feb. 19-24 next year. This will mark the band’s first shows in Denmark after nearly two years of life traveling the world in support of their ‘Beyond Hell / Above Heaven’ album. The dates will take place in small clubs, making the experience of being the first to hear the new material all the more special. After the February string of shows, the group will kick off a North American tour in March before heading off to Europe over the summer months to partake in the festival season. As for the new album, there’s not a confirmed title or release date as of yet, but the band is expected to have the disc in stores at some point in 2013. Volbeat 2013 Danish Tour 2/19 — Copenhagen, Denmark — Store Vega 2/20 — Ringsted, Denmark — Ringsted Kongrescenter 2/22 — Odense, Denmark — Posten 2/23 — Aarhus, Denmark — Voxhall 2/24 — Aalborg, Denmark — Multisalen [button href=”http://loudwire.com/volbeat-michael-poulsen-talks-success-in-u-s-upcoming-album-more/” title=”Next: Volbeat’s Michael Poulsen Discusses U.S. Success” align=”center”]
Facebook: Suicide Silence The music world continues to mourn the loss of Suicide Silence ‘s Mitch Lucker , a rising star in the metal community who perished in a motorcycle accident on Halloween night earlier this year. In the wake of his death, a memorial show designed to raise funds for Lucker’s young daughter, Kenadee, was recently announced and now some of the talent has been revealed. According to a Facebook posting , the first three musicians to sign on for the “Ending Is the Beginning” show are Hellyeah and Mudvayne frontman Chad Gray , As I Lay Dying belter Tim Lambesis and All Shall Perish leader Eddie Hermida. The event is expected to honor the musical legacy of Lucker with guest vocalists taking turns joining the band onstage at the show. The event will take place at Pomona, California’s Fox Theater on Dec. 21, with the proceeds from the show going to a fund that will provide for the future education of the singer’s daughter. More guests are expected to be named in the weeks leading up to the show. Tickets for the event are currently available here . Even if you’re unable to attend the show, there are other ways to help out by either purchasing a shirt or making a donation at this website . [button href=”http://loudwire.com/best-suicide-silence-songs/” title=”Next: Best Suicide Silence Songs” align=”center”]
Michael Loccisano, Getty Images It’s been a big year for Red Hot Chili Peppers that included their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame . As a new member, Flea will take advantage of his freshly minted status in order to get the first look at the new class of Rock and Roll Hall of Famers. According to the Hollywood Reporter , the bassist extraordinaire will be on hand this Tuesday (Dec. 11) to reveal which acts will join his band in the Rock Hall. The announcement ceremony will take place at Los Angeles’ Nokia Theatre on Dec. 11 at 11AM PT, with the actual induction also taking place at the same venue on April 18. This marks the first time that the Rock Hall induction ceremony has been staged in Los Angeles since 1993. Acts like Rush , Heart , Deep Purple , Joan Jett and the Blackhearts and Procol Harum are among the rock greats up for potential induction this year, alongside disco era favorites Donna Summer and Chic, rap icons Public Enemy and N.W.A., blues greats Albert King and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, singer-songwriter-composer Randy Newman, electronic music pioneers Kraftwerk and New Orleans R&B staples The Meters. The Red Hot Chili Peppers entered the Rock Hall this past spring with the Beastie Boys , Guns N’ Roses , Laura Nyro, Donovan , and The Faces / Small Faces . [button href=”http://loudwire.com/10-best-red-hot-chili-peppers-songs/” title=”Next: 10 Best Red Hot Chili Peppers Songs” align=”center”]
NewstedHeavyMetal.com Jason Newsted recently re-announced his presence online with a new website and followed that with the revelation that he was fronting a new band that also shared his name. Now the former Metallica bassist has checked in online to let fans know that things are moving along quickly and that his band is close to finishing a new record. In his latest Facebook posting , Newsted reveals, “I am very happy in my life now! I have a new band that bears my own name. We’re just finishing our first record. I’m feeling strong again playing bass and singing lead vocals and you all will be hearing it in one month’s time!!! New year, new band, new life!!! Bless you all and I can’t wait to share my music with everyone!!! I’m entrusting all of my friends to get the word out!!! Jason’s back!!!” Speaking about his new band in a recent interview , Newsted stated, “I’ve thought about this for a long time, putting my name on a project other than just coming up with a clever name, like Echobrain or Papa Wheelie or something. We have a lot of cool names for projects, but this is the first time with my name and really trying to get out to the people that I played for by the millions in the past with Metallica.” As for the music, he added, “Whatever it ends up being — if it’s five songs, 20 songs, 50 songs … I don’t even know what the heck I’m gonna do. I have so much music from over the years. I have a bunch of new stuff … I’m just trying to figure out exactly what I wanna unleash on everybody first. That’s kind of what it’s coming down to — the timing of things and how I wanna hit people with it.” In his Facebook posting, Newsted also commented on his time with Metallica, adding, “I want y’all to know that I am ultra proud of my time in the band … I am thankful for the wonderful experiences of our 15 years together and I will always be open to jammin’ with the boys.” [button href=”http://loudwire.com/best-metallica-songs/” title=”Next: 10 Best Metallica Songs” align=”center”]
Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com Late last year, All That Remains singer Phil Labonte raised a few eyebrows when using the word “f–got” while talking about a song competition between his band and Black Veil Brides. At the time, he was referencing a photo split that featured himself and the glammed out singer of Black Veil Brides , Andy Biersack. The vocalist later clarified his comments and with some distance now between the remarks, he’s commented further on the outrage over his usage of the term. In a recent issue of Revolver (excerpted by ThePrp.com ), Labonte says, “I don’t worry what people think about me. I’ll call everyone in my band a f–got and some people who read that get really butt-hurt. I just don’t know why. What happened to ‘Sticks and stones will break my bones, but names will never hurt me’? I don’t advocate hurting someone’s feelings because of their sexual orientation, but at the same time, if it really offends you when someone says ‘f–got,’ you need to man up. It’s just a word.” At the time of the incident and pending backlash, Labonte criticized the metal media for latching onto one aspect and not telling the whole story, like his vocal support of gay rights. He adds in the new interview, “Passing laws against gay marriage is the most ridiculous thing that straight people do. That’s offensive to me, because they’re just people, and it certainly isn’t my right to go ahead and tell people how they can live or cannot live.” For all the hubbub over that incident last year, All That Remains have also done a lot of good. Just last month the band continued their support of the military by visiting a Marine Corps base around the Thanksgiving holiday. The group recently issued the video for ‘ Stand Up ‘ from their newly released ‘ A War You Cannot Win ‘ album. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/all-that-remains-phil-labonte-talks-military-religion-a-war-you-cannot-win/” title=”Next: Phil Labonte Discusses the Military + Religion” align=”center”]
Music is all about connectivity, and those who establish that connection in the deepest of ways will surely create a fan base of rabid devotees. The love projected from the fans, to the band and back again is most notable with the following nominees, and if you’re reading this, you will likely pledge your allegiance to one of these 10 acts. From veteran acts to new addictions, these are your choices for Most Devoted Fans. Check it out and be sure to vote in the poll below: ? Avenged Sevenfold It’s no secret that Avenged Sevenfold have some of the most dedicated fans on the planet. Regardless of universal acclaim, mainstream success or negative criticism, A7X fans will be in it for life through thick and thin. ? ? Black Veil Brides Black Veil Brides possessed a massive fan base long before their debut studio album, ‘We Stitch These Wounds.’ The band are experiencing massive success driven by fans reminiscent of the emo and post-hardcore scenes in the mid-2000s. ? ? Dir En Grey When it comes to pure dedication, Japanese metal band Dir En Grey could easily build a legitimate cult with their listeners. Although underdogs from the beginning, the fans of Dir En Grey united with unmatched force for our Extreme Metal Olympics feature, leading the band to a gold medal. ? ? Falling in Reverse Although controversy seems to follow vocalist Ronnie Radke wherever he finds himself, his new band Falling in Reverse have exploded as one of the present day’s most popular ‘scene’ bands. Since the release of ‘The Drug in Me is You’ last year, the band has seen rare success due to their rabid fans. ? Iron Maiden As one of metal’s undisputed greatest bands in history, Iron Maiden fans are a breed of their own. Spanning all generations, Maiden are one of the few New Wave of British Heavy Metal bands who are still releasing brilliant material. Their American fans came in droves during this year’s ‘Maiden England’ tour, boasting the band’s grandest stage show to date. Up the Irons! ? Metallica When you’re the most commercially successful metal band in history, you can do anything and everything you want. For Metallica , this came in the form of their own Orion Music + More festival, where they performed both ‘Ride the Lightning’ and the ‘Black Album’ in full. You don’t need to know much about metal to recognize the ridiculously large following Metallica have gained. ? Suicide Silence Suicide Silence have been one of deathcore’s premiere acts for a number of years, but with the sudden death of vocalist Mitch Lucker on Nov. 1, fans of the band came together by the thousands in unity to memorialize the late singer. ? ? Slipknot Slipknot ‘s fan base of ‘Maggots’ have an animalistic dedication to their masked heroes. Even when headlining over legendary acts such as Slayer, Motorhead and Anthrax, the crowd was noticeably more massive for Slipknot throughout the 2012 Mayhem Fest. Maggots also rushed to the band’s very own two-city Knotfest events in 2012. ? Tool Maynard James Keenan is the Charles Manson of music. He could easily lead his legions of fans into a coup d’etat of the entire world, but luckily, he seems to be content with making wine instead. Each member of Tool is a genuine master of their instrument, while acting as true visionaries through their songwriting, and this has created one of the most notable and naturally-acquired fan bases in history. ? X Japan We witnessed the rabid nature of X Japan fans during a run of Loudwire Cage Matches earlier this year. The band’s followers allowed X Japan to defeat Black Veil Brides, In Flames, the Used, Bush and Jane’s Addiction in consecutive wins, proving how deeply-rooted and powerful their fan base truly is. ? Voting for the 2012 Loudwire Music Awards closes on Jan. 15 at 11:59 PM EST. Fans can vote once per hour, so keep coming back to make sure your favorite band wins! Sorry, you need to have javascript running to see this poll. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/rock-song-of-the-year-2012-loudwire-music-awards” title=”Next Category: Rock Song of the Year” align=”center”] Get Notified When Winners Are Announced Enter your email address below to receive the daily Loudwire newsletter, which will include notification of our full list of winners in the 2012 Loudwire Music Awards, as well as the top stories in rock and metal. Email
Many will argue that the drummer is often the most important member of any band. Along with acting as a human metronome, drummers facilitate transitions, set the mood for each individual part of a song and add a tremendous amount of character to their band’s music. Simply put, drummers act as the foundation, provided they don’t spontaneously combust! The nominees in the Drummer of the Year category achieved great feats in 2012, driving their groups to new heights by adding a strong sense of identity of connectivity and using it as gunpowder. Check out the nominees below and be sure to vote in the poll below: ? Adam Jarvis, Pig Destroyer / Misery Index Adam Jarvis is a true force in the world of extreme metal. Not only does Jarvis possess the skills to play the most precise brands of metal in existence, he was recruited by Pig Destroyer for their 2012 album, ‘Book Burner.’ Jarvis’ drumming is incredibly strong on ‘Book Burner,’ bringing a noticeably nastier sound to the band. ? Arejay Hale, Halestorm Mainstream radio rock doesn’t tend to focus heavily on technical drumming, but Arejay Hale is an absolute exception. Fans who have seen Halestorm live bear witness to this fact, as Arejay regularly busts on monster drum solos while spinning his sticks like a veteran circus performer. ? Barry Kerch, Shinedown Berry Kerch has been holding down the drums for Shinedown since the band’s inception in 2001. Kerch’s skills have been broadcast on rock radio as much as any other drummer this year due to Shinedown’s domination of the airwaves. ? Blake Richardson, Between the Buried and Me The technicality displayed by Between the Buried and Me drummer Blake Richardson in ‘The Parallax II: Future Sequence in incredible, and his ability to transition the band’s complex music from part to part is extraordinary. Plus, to witness Richardson making a mistake live is like running into a Sasquatch. ? Chris Adler, Lamb of God Chris Adler put some impressive drumming onto tape with Lamb of God’s 2012 album, ‘Resolution.’ Not only does Adler remain tight and powerful, he also showcases his ability to write memorable drum parts, most notably heard in the intro of ‘Desolation.’ ? Gene Hoglan, Dethklok/Testament Gene Hoglan is a robot … actually he’s ‘The Atomic Clock,’ but either way he certainly is not human. The talent that Hoglan possesses is mind-boggling, and he lent his stellar abilities to Testament ‘s 2012 album, ‘Dark Roots of Earth’ and Dethklok ‘s ‘Dethalbum III.’ ? Mario Duplantier, Gojira The metal music community saw the rise of two brothers this year: the Duplantier brothers of Gojira . While Joe handles vocal and guitar duties, Mario Duplantier leads the rhythm section with pummeling drum lines. When listening to Gojira’s ‘L’Enfant Sauvage,’ the character Mario’s drumming adds to the band is unmistakeable. ? Matt Cameron, Soundgarden/Pearl Jam As if drumming for one legendary grunge band isn’t enough, Matt Cameron handles the sticks for both Soundgarden and Pearl Jam . Cameron has been most active with Soundgarden this year with the release of the band’s first full-length album since 1996, ‘King Animal.’ ? Roy Mayorga, Stone Sour Although vocalist Corey Taylor and guitarist Jim Root from Slipknot are funnily enough, the faces of Stone Sour , drummer Roy Mayorga deserves his share of praise. Mayorga’s drumming style is much different than that of Slipknot’s Joey Jordison, allowing Stone Sour to further develop their own sound. ? Vinnie Paul, Hellyeah/Pantera Vinnie Paul has turned 2012 into one of his definitive years with both Hellyeah and the legendary Pantera. With Paul working behind the drum kit, Hellyeah released their third full-length album, ‘Band of Brothers,’ while the legacy of Pantera continued with the release of the new song ‘Piss.’ ? Voting for the 2012 Loudwire Music Awards closes on Jan. 15 at 11:59 PM EST. Fans can vote once per hour, so keep coming back to make sure your favorite drummer wins! Sorry, you need to have javascript running to see this poll. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/rock-song-of-the-year-2012-loudwire-music-awards” title=”Next Category: Rock Song of the Year” align=”center”] Get Notified When Winners Are Announced Enter your email address below to receive the daily Loudwire newsletter, which will include notification of our full list of winners in the 2012 Loudwire Music Awards, as well as the top stories in rock and metal. Email