Metal Blade Records It has been more than five years since the last King Diamond studio album, and now the legendary vocalist has announced he has signed a new three-album deal with Metal Blade Records. “This is gonna be awesome! Another perfect piece of the puzzle. We have the full backup of Metal Blade, and there’s an understanding between us that goes much, much deeper than before,” says King Diamond. “Our new business setup will noticeably benefit the fans in so many ways. You must have already noticed some of all the cool new stuff that is happening. Now we can’t wait to get out there and start touring again!” After having a triple bypass in 2010, King is fully recovered, feeling better than ever and ready to get back to making music. The band made a triumphant return to the stage this year at the Hellfest festival in France and the Sweden Rock festival. In addition to King, the lineup includes Andy La Rocque (guitar/keyboards), Mike Wead (guitar), Hal Patino (bass) and Matt Thompson (drums). If you’re looking for a Christmas gift for that King Diamond fan in your life, the band recently unveiled a line of holiday merchandise . You can sport a ‘No Presents for Christmas’ hoodie, or buy some King Diamond Christmas ornaments to decorate the tree. Watch King Diamond – ‘No Presents For Christmas’ Live Video
You know them, you love them, and though the singer may get most of the spotlight, we all know that a good guitarist is what typically drives a band. Whether it be a flashy solo or just keeping time with the band, hanging on a heavy chord, the guitarist is one of the most key elements to a group, especially when it comes to hard rock and heavy metal. This Loudwire Music Awards category of Guitarist of the Year to narrow down to 10, as there are simply a lot of great guitarists out there, but here are the nominees for the Best Guitarist of the Year. Check out each and our argument for them, and then let your voice be heard by voting in the poll below: ? Alex Skolnick, Testament As far as thrash metal goes, there aren’t many guitarists that are held in as high regard as Testament ‘s Alex Skolnick . This year he got a chance to shine again on the band’s ‘Dark Roots of Earth’ album. Frequently working in tandem with Eric Peterson, Skolnick’s runs and riffs remain as fresh today as they did way back when. ? Jacky Vincent, Falling in Reverse One of the emerging guitarists on the scene is Jacky Vincent, who is getting plenty of notice for his work alongside vocalist Ronnie Radke in Falling in Reverse . Vincent’s riffing helps make ‘The Drug in Me Is You’ album really go. ? Jim Root, Slipknot / Stone Sour Onstage this year, Jim Root brought his energetic licks to Slipknot ‘s North American trek, and he further showcased his axe skills in 2012 on Stone Sour ‘s latest disc, ‘House of Gold & Bones, Pt. 1.’ Working opposite Josh Rand, Root delivered some of the most in-your face licks on the singles ‘Gone Sovereign’ and ‘Absolute Zero.’ ? Herman Li, DragonForce It was a welcome return in 2012 for Dragonforce ‘s Herman Li, whose band got back in the game after changing vocalists. ‘The Power Within’ album got the group back out on tour and refreshed in the minds of fans exactly how quick and masterful that the guitarist is at his instrument. ? Kim Thayil, Soundgarden Kim Thayil has been largely out of the spotlight since the late ’90s, when Soundgarden went their separate ways, but the time apart allowed Thayil to replenish his riff bank and it’s the fans that are reaping the rewards on the stellar new disc, ‘King Animal.’ ? Kurt Ballou, Converge Hardcore rockers Converge returned after a three-year absence with ‘All We Love We Leave Behind,’ an aggressive collection featuring the superb guitar (and production) work of Kurt Ballou. Ballou gets bonus points for doing it all organically, rocking without artificial distortion, triggers or Auto-Tune. ? Mark Tremonti, Tremonti / Alter Bridge /Creed We knew Mark Tremonti was a great guitarist before this year, but the Creed and Alter Bridge member showed he was a true artist with his ‘All I Was’ solo album. If anything, it allowed Tremonti rock even harder than he usually does and show off more of his metal side. ? Paul Waggoner & Dustie Waring, Between the Buried and Me Between the Buried and Me ‘s ‘The Parallax II: Future Sequence’ would not have been the standout set it was without the talents of guitarists Paul Waggoner and Dustie Waring. The pair perform in tandem for the majority of the 2012 record, making it nearly impossible to choose just one of the two. ? Siouxsie Medley, Dead Sara While Emily Armstrong is getting the bulk of the attention for her powerhouse vocals, Dead Sara ‘s Siouxsie Medley is the perfect compliment on guitar. It’s her mesmerizing guitar lick that pulls listeners into the lead single ‘Weatherman,’ and her bluesy work on ‘Sorry for It All’ and ‘Timed Blues’ show her versatility. ? Slash A perennial favorite for Top 10 lists anytime he’s involved with a record, Slash got to put more of a stamp than ever on his music with the ‘Apocalyptic Love’ disc. Whether it was the chugging ‘You’re a Lie,’ the hard-driving ‘Standing in the Sun’ or the groovy ‘Bad Rain,’ Slash got a chance to show his range with no real restrictions. ? 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 guitarist wins! Sorry, you need to have javascript running to see this poll. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/bassist-of-the-year-2012-loudwire-music-awards/” title=”Next Category: Bassist 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
The human voice comes in many forms, and in our list of nominees for 2012 Vocalist of the Year, an incredibly wide range is covered. Along with your classic clean style of singing, we’ve got musicians who wail, scream, yell and, in a few cases, create evil gutturals. In another Loudwire Music Awards category that pits veterans against debuting artists and everything in between, we’ve got 10 singers who have helped shape the sound of 2012. Check out the nominees and be sure to vote in the poll below: Bobby Blitz, Overkill Overkill’s 2012 album, ‘The Electric Age’ just barely missed our 2012 Top 10 list, but there’s no way that the vocals of Bobby Blitz could be left out of our 2012 awards. Blitz delivered a diamond-sharp performance for the album, as well as one of the sickest high notes ever unleashed during the intro of ‘Wish You Were Dead.’ ? Chino Moreno, Deftones As one of modern rock’s most iconic voices, Deftones frontman Chino Moreno strung together another masterful group of vocal tracks to tape on ‘Koi No Yokan.’ There are few modern rock bands as original and reliable as Deftones, and Moreno makes it simple to understand why. ? Corey Taylor, Stone Sour/Slipknot Corey Taylor had himself a massive 2012, both with Slipknot and Stone Sour. During Slipknot’s headlining spot on the 2012 Mayhem Fest, Taylor’s voice was in fine form. OnStone Sour’s 2012 album, ‘House of Gold & Bones – Part 1,’ Taylor shows a different yet equally powerful side to his voice. ? Chris Cornell, Soundgarden Still legendary, still solid. Chris Cornell has been a vocal force in the rock world for nearly three decades, and the Soundgarden frontman delivered once again with ‘King Animal.’ Along with the success of Soundgarden, Cornell went around the world for a string of solo tour dates. ? David Gold, Woods of Ypres The deep and haunting vocals of the late David Gold will be sorely missed in the metal community. As Woods of Ypres’ central figure, Gold played guitar and drums on ‘Woods 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light,’ but his singing is the standout feature of the brilliant album. ? Emily Armstrong, Dead Sara Having exploded onto the scene in 2012, Dead Sara ‘s Emily Armstrong brings soul and ear-splitting aggression to the up-and-coming band. Although displayed prominently within the single ‘Weatherman,’ Armstrong’s versatile voice is captivating throughout the band’s entire self-titled album. ? Joe Duplantier, Gojira With warmongering screams, narrative gritty singing and a little French twang, Gojira vocalist Joe Duplantier left a massive stamp on 2012. His vocals captivate the listener throughout the band’s 2012 full-length, ‘L’Enfant Sauvage,’ and steered Gojira in a direction which would greatly shape 2012. ? Lzzy Hale, Halestorm Yet another breakout artist of 2012, Halestorm frontwoman Lzzy Hale made a massive impact in the world of hard rock. Whether listening to ‘The Strange Case of…’ or seeing the band live, Lzzy Hale’s vocal prowess is undeniable. ? ? Myles Kennedy, Slash/Alter Bridge Myles Kennedy made some major strides in 2012. Along with providing vocals for Slash on his latest “solo” album, Kennedy was also featured in Alter Bridge’s 2012 live album, ‘Live at Wembley.’ The singer also stepped in to deliver a stellar performance during Guns N’ Roses’ set at the 2012 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. ? Randy Blythe, Lamb of God Nobody has had a year like Randy Blythe . The vocalist hit soaring heights with Lamb of God’s ‘Resolution’ album, but also had to undergo the hardship of being imprisoned for five weeks in the Czech Republic. Regardless, Blythe’s gutturals remain terrifying, like serpentine constriction coiling tightly around the listener. ? 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 vocalist wins! Sorry, you need to have javascript running to see this poll. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/guitarist-of-the-year-2012-loudwire-music-awards” title=”Next: Vote for Guitarist 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
Which rock band stood out among the rest in 2012? These 10 acts all had huge years in 2012, creating notable accomplishments with their records, singles, tours and the growth of their respective fan bases. The list of nominees in the Loudwire Music Awards category of Rock Band of they Year is filled with newcomers, fresh faces, veterans and even modern-day legends to choose from, so check out these 10 bands and be sure to vote in the poll below: Baroness Georgia sludge band Baroness traveled into a new and experimental realm this year with their double album, ‘Yellow & Green.’ Before releasing the album, which turned out to be an absolute masterpiece, the band toured with Meshuggah and Decapitated. Despite a horrific bus accident in England, Baroness refuse to be stopped. ? ? Chevelle Chicago rockers Chevelle had a spotlit year in 2012. Riding off the release of their sixth studio album, ‘Hats Off to the Bull,’ and the single ‘Face to the Floor’ spending 13 weeks at No. 1 on the rock radio charts, Chevelle hit the road on the Carnival of Madness tour along with their own headlining dates. ? ? Dead Sara As one of this year’s most exciting breakout acts, Dead Sara left their mark on 2012 with their self-titled full-length album, along with the raw rock hit ‘Weatherman.’ The band captivated audiences with support slots on various tours, and the band is set to open for Muse’s 2013 U.S. tour. ? ? Deftones Having compiled an incredible discography in their career, Deftones needed to live up to massive expectations with their 2012 album, ‘Koi No Yokan.’ The band succeeded, creating yet another paramount record. The band also toured with both System of a Down and Scars on Broadway throughout 2012. ? ? Halestorm Halestorm had a breakout year with their second full-length album, ‘The Strange Case Of…” The group hit the road with the Mass Chaos and Carnival of Madness tours, along with their own headlining dates. ? ? ? Lacuna Coil ‘Dark Adrenaline,’ Lacuna Coil ‘s sixth studio album hit this year with acclaim from both critics and fans. In addition to their studio accomplishment, the band headlined their Dark Legacy tour and appeared on the 2012 edition of Gigantour. ? ? ? Shinedown Shinedown dominated the world of rock radio in 2012, with ‘Bully’ reaching No. 1 on the modern rock radio charts and sticking around for a very long time, and the tracks ‘Unity’ and ‘Enemies’ have also been mainstays on the rock airwaves. Shinedown also headlined this year’s Uproar Festival tour. ? ? ? Soundgarden Perhaps the most discussed comeback of the year, Soundgarden gifted fans with their first studio album since 1996 with ‘King Animal.’ The band is set to tour North America in 2013, and we can expect some follow-up hits to current single ‘Been Away Too Long.’ ? ? ? Stone Sour ‘House of Gold & Bones Part 1′ gave Stone Sour fanatics their newest fix, and the disc has been embraced with phenomenal passion. Singer Corey Taylor shows his range in the album, proving once again that he is one of the most versatile frontmen in rock or metal music. ? ? ? Volbeat Volbeat dominated the charts with ‘A Warrior’s Call’ and ‘Still Counting’ over the course of 2012. They also spent the year touring on the Gigantour and on their own headlining trek with Hellyeah and Iced Earth. ? ? ? Voting for the 2012 Loudwire Music Awards closes on Jan. 12 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/metal-band-of-the-year-2012-loudwire-music-awards” title=”Next Category: Metal Band 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
Universal Republic Records Hinder exploded upon the scene with their 2005 debut ‘Extreme Behavior,’ which sold over 3 million copies and spawned five singles that landed on the rock charts including the massive hit ‘Lips of an Angel.’ Their following two albums also did well and had top 10 rock singles, and now the Oklahoma band returns with their fourth effort, ‘Welcome to the Freakshow.’ That title is somewhat misleading, suggesting an album filled with wild and crazy upbeat songs. There are a couple of those, but ‘Welcome to the Freakshow’ is very ballad-heavy. It’s also the most diverse Hinder album to-date. You’ve likely heard the opening track ‘Save Me’ on the radio. It’s up-tempo and packed with hooks. It’s a great opener, and one with a lot of meaning for frontman Austin Winkler. ?”?I had just gotten out of rehab for drugs and alcohol and I revisited the song,?” ?he says.? “?To me,? ?it felt like I didn’t need anything negative like drugs.? ?Those aren’t going to save me.? ?I can save myself though.?” ?‘Ladies Come First’ is not quite as deep. It’s vintage Hinder, a good-time track that’s heavy, but also melodic and extremely catchy with racy (some would say dirty) lyrics. The title track is also edgy and aggressive, with Winkler’s trademark raspy vocals and a nice guitar solo from Joe Garvey. ?The middle section of the album doesn’t measure up to the first few songs. There are a couple generic ballads and the poppy ‘Is It Just Me’ that has some clever hooks but not much depth. Hinder does rebound during the last part of the album with a couple of standouts. ?‘See You In Hell’ references late great celebrities like Marilyn Monroe, Elvis, Jim Morrison and Janis Joplin, has a call-and-response chorus and is destined to become a staple at live shows. ‘Anyone Like You’ is another ballad, but it has a country flavor, making it more distinctive and less slickly produced than the rest of the ballads on the album. ?The closer ‘Wanna Be Rich’ has a lot of electronic elements and is downright dancy in spots. In some parts of the song the electronic influence is subtle enough to co-exist with the band’s guitar driven style, but other times it takes over and sounds out of place. ?There are songs on ‘Welcome to the Freakshow’ that are among the best Hinder has ever done. But there are also some misfires and filler that detracts from the overall quality of the release. Hinder are at their best when they showcase their own distinctive sound, and too often on this album the song quality is there, but their identity is obscured.
As the 2012 Loudwire Music Awards continue, we turn our attention to full bodies of work — that’s right — the Rock Album of the Year. We’ve got 10 stellar discs in contention for the title and need your assistance in determining the best. We’ve got a mixture of major radio acts, door-busting female-led hard rock outfits, ’90s mainstays enjoying a career resurrection and a handful of lesser-known acts who deserve consideration for potential breakout releases. But in the end, the final word comes down to you. Check out the nominated albums, read our cases for each, and be sure to vote in the poll below: Baroness, ‘Yellow & Green’ It’s a shame that Baroness ‘ year was cut short due to injuries sustained from a bus crash, but that doesn’t lessen the fact that ‘Yellow & Green,’ the band’s third album, was one of the year’s standout efforts. With ‘Take My Bones Away’ and ‘March to the Sea’ leading the way, this double-disc offered heavy rock with a sense of subtlety. ? Dead Sara, ‘Dead Sara’ Every year there’s the search for a new voice, and Dead Sara ‘s Emily Armstrong, with the emotion-filled rasp of a modern-day, hard-rock Janis Joplin, made her presence known. ‘Weatherman’ became the breakout single, but the remainder of their self-titled debut is a stellar effort, front-to-back. ? Deftones, ‘Koi No Yokan’ Deftones ‘ resurgence in recent years only continues with ‘Koi No Yokan,’ a magnificent disc led by the mood-shifting single ‘Tempest’ and the all-out aggression of ‘Leathers.’ The band, who’s made a career about exploring dynamic, continue to click on all cylinders with the highs, lows and atmospherics we’ve come to love. ? Halestorm, ‘The Strange Case Of…’ Sophomore slump? Never! If anything, Halestorm made significant strides with their second release ‘The Strange Case Of …’ ‘Love Bites (So Do I)’ was the kind of anthemic rocker that most bands would kill for and the angsty ‘I Miss the Misery’ struck a chord with listeners. ? Lacuna Coil, ‘Dark Adrenaline’ The ever-evolving Lacuna Coil actually took a step backward into their past, much to the delight of fans of their more gothic-sounding early years. ‘Dark Adrenaline’ connected with the lead single ‘Trip the Darkness,’ while the infectious drumbeat of ‘Fire’ was undeniable. There’s a comfort level and joy within almost every track. ? Marilyn Manson, ‘Born Villain’ Marilyn Manson , at least creatively, rediscovered his niche this past year. The ‘Born Villain’ album was reminiscent of the albums that made him a huge success in the ’90s, with the lead single ‘No Reflection’ sitting alongside the best tracks of his career. Other highlights included ‘Slo-Mo-Tion’ and ‘Hey Cruel World.’ ? Serj Tankian, ‘Harakiri’ After experimenting with a variety of styles in recent years, Serj Tankian ‘s return to rock was widely hailed. The vocalist provided a distinct point of view on a majority of his songs, with ‘Harakiri’ speaking to environmental concerns with aggression and ‘Figure It Out’ showing unrest with many of our corporate leaders. ? Shinedown, ‘Amaryllis’ Shinedown followed up ‘The Sound of Madness’ with another hits-filled set in ‘Amaryllis’ that’s definitely connecting with audiences. The topical ‘Bully’ was an early-year hit that not only delivered a message, but some ear-candy hooks to rope you in. Other standouts include the earnest ‘Unity’ and the in-your-face rocker ‘Enemies.’ ? Soundgarden, ‘King Animal’ Soundgarden showed no rust with ‘King Animal,’ there first album in 16 years. ’Been Away Too Long’ is the band’s new battle cry, signifying their official return with a track that connects as well as some of their biggest hits. ‘Non-State Actor,’ ‘Bones of Birds’ and the recently previewed ‘Rowing’ also show that the group is back to cranking out quality music. ? Stone Sour, ‘House of Gold & Bones Part 1′ Stone Sour ‘s ‘House of Gold & Bones, Part 1′ is highlighted by the double-single, ‘Gone Sovereign’ and ‘Absolute Zero,’ which provide the story of a man on a downward spiral. They’re both aggression personified. However, songs like ‘Taciturn’ and ‘Tired’ deliver a more melodic, yet no less powerful, statement. ? 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/metal-album-of-the-year-2012-loudwire-music-awards/” title=”Next Category: Metal Album 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
Samir Hussein, Getty Images These days, it seems as if you haven’t truly arrived until you’ve been awarded your very own SiriusXM show — so congratulations to Pearl Jam ‘s Eddie Vedder , who will kick off his brand new satellite radio series tomorrow (Dec. 5). Descriptively dubbed ‘The Eddie Vedder Radio Show,’ Vedder’s new program will air on SiriusXM’s Pearl Jam Radio channel, and is being presented in what the network is calling a “limited run.” According to a press release, episodes will find Vedder spinning “many of his all-time favorite songs, from early punk rock influences to unreleased material from his personal archives.” “Eddie has been the voice of a generation and a voice with a conscience and we are happy to have him take up residence here to do his own show,” said SiriusXM president and COO in a prepared announcement. “Eddie’s record collection could tell some stories all by itself, let alone with Eddie at the helm; we know our listeners will enjoy hearing this one.” The report comes amid a flurry of Pearl Jam news, including word that the band is deep into preparations for its next album, the follow-up to 2009′s ‘Backspacer’ although according to bassist Jeff Ament , there aren’t any concrete plans for 2013. While they take their time working on new material, it’s nice to know Vedder will be using his spare time to keep entertaining the fans. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/eddie-vedder-dave-grohl-12-12-12-hurricane-sandy-relief-show-madison-square-garden/” title=”Next: Eddie Vedder to Play 12-12-12 Benefit Show in NYC” align=”center”]