Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Earlier today, news broke from the Czech Republic that Lamb of God vocalist Randy Blythe has been officially indicted for the charge of manslaughter. Now, an update has come from the Lamb of God camp, who have issued a statement on the case’s most recent development. This latest development begins a new chapter of Blythe’s controversial case, and the indictment means that the District Court of ‘Prague 8′ has three months to either set a trial date for Blythe, or postpone the decision for the sake of continuing the ongoing investigation. Lamb of God manager Larry Mazer has responded to the indictment with a new statement. Mazer states: After a three month investigation, the prosecutor in the Czech Republic has decided to move forward with an indictment of Randy Blythe on the charge of manslaughter with intent to cause bodily harm. Obviously, we intend to fight vigorously against these charges as we feel that in no way did Randy intend to cause bodily harm on the young fan who subsequently died from injuries sustained at the show. As he has stated previously, Randy intends to go to Prague to defend himself at trial. While it is a tragedy that a Lamb of God fan died following a performance by the group, in no way do I feel that Randy did anything improper that led to the young man’s injuries and subsequent death. The price of a ticket to a show does not entitle audience members access to a band’s stage. In the years since the murder on stage of Dimebag Darrell Abbott, performers of all genres have had to become more guarded while performing in response to the dangers presented by fans trying to become part of the performance. We believe that Randy responded professionally to the numerous amount of fans rushing the stage that day, a number of them captured on videos that have been posted on the internet. We have testimony from the venue operator that acknowledges lax security and an improper barricade being used that evening. Numerous testimonies from fans also were contradictory as to the actions of the multiple fans that tried to access the stage. At this point, all that the band, myself, and our lawyers can do is to present a defense and try to convince the panel of judges who will hear the case that Randy is innocent of all charges and that his name and reputation need to be cleared and that he be permitted to carry on with his life and career always mindful that a fan passed away after a Lamb of God performance. Stay tuned for more on the Randy Blythe case as news breaks. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/lamb-of-god-randy-blythe-indicted-manslaughter-charges-czech-republic/” title=”Randy Blythe Officially Indicted by Czech Republic for Manslaughter Charges” align=”center”]
Last year, our most popular category in the Loudwire Music Awards was the Rock Goddess of the Year, celebrating the talented women in rock. But we also got some feedback from readers asking us to pay tribute to the men who best represented rock music over the year. We’ve answered the call with a brand-new category in 2012 – Rock Titan of the Year. A massive amount of bands have shaped the world of music in 2012, but some singular musicians have been especially important. Along with releasing quality music and/or touring this year, these titans have accomplished a variety of notable achievements. By making gigantic impacts, overcoming tragic circumstances, or both, we give you seven nominees for Rock Titan of the Year. Check out the nominated musicians and be sure to vote in the poll below: Corey Taylor, Slipknot/Stone Sour Slipknot / Stone Sour vocalist Corey Taylor accomplished a great deal this year. Not only did he headline the 2012 Mayhem Festival with Slipknot, but Taylor also released ‘House of Gold & Bones Part 1′ with Stone Sour. ? Jesse Leach, Killswitch Engage After vocalist Howard Jones announced his departure from Killswitch Engage , original Killswitch singer Jesse Leach returned to the band, receiving a red-hot reception from fans. Leach has also been working diligently with his bandmates on a new Killswitch record. ? John Baizley, Baroness Baroness released the brilliant double album ‘Yellow & Green,’ this year before surviving a terrifying bus crash while touring in England. John Baizley sustained some incredibly serious injuries from the crash, but despite the physical toll, Baizley has shared his story with fans, radiating an overwhelming amount of positivity. ? Phil Anselmo, Pantera / Down Legendary vocalist Phil Anselmo had prominent releases from both Down and Pantera this year. Down released their acclaimed ‘Purple EP’ while Pantera’s ‘Vulgar Display of Power’ got a 20th anniversary release with the added track ‘Piss.’ Anselmo even performed in both of the 2012 ‘Metal Masters’ clinics. ? Randy Blythe, Lamb of God Lamb of God vocalist Randy Blythe was unfortunately on the wrong side of metal’s biggest news story of the year. After releasing ‘Resolution’ with Lamb of God early in the year, Blythe persisted through over a month in Czech prison, while refusing to run from his controversial charges. ? Slash The iconic top-hatted guitarist took 2012 by storm with Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators. Slash released ‘Apocalyptic Love’ this year, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and helped spearhead a reunion performance of Guns N’ Roses sans Axl Rose. ? Tony Iommi, Black Sabbath The news of Tony Iommi ‘s lymphoma diagnosis hit metal fans straight in the gut this year, but the ‘Iron Man’ has been steadfast in fighting the condition while writing and recording a new Black Sabbath album. Iommi was also able to perform with Sabbath for three shows in 2012 and continues to work on a new Sabbath album. ? 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. 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
Metal music was at it’s finest this year, and the 2012 Loudwire Music Awards category of Metal Song of the Year features 10 incredibly diverse tracks from a wide-range of bands. We’ve got veteran metal acts going against the young craftsmen of today’s metal music landscape, but the voting is all up to you, the fans. Which tune will you pick as the Metal Song of the Year for 2012? Check out the nominated songs and be sure to vote in the poll below: Anthrax, I’m Alive’
It’s been a great year for rock music, and the 10 nominees in the 2012 Loudwire Music Awards category for Rock Song of the Year reflect certainly reflect that. We’ve got several perennial chart rulers, a veteran rocker making his self-proclaimed comeback and pair of female-led rock bands who enjoyed major success this past year. Who will take the title? That’s up to you! Check out the nominated songs and be sure to vote in the poll below: Baroness, ‘March to the Sea’ Baroness had one of the year’s standout albums in ‘Yellow and Green,’ and the single ‘March to the Sea,’ the band’s ode to a friend lost to drugs, is a powerful statement set against an equally chugging and forceful beat. Dead Sara, ‘Weatherman’ Dead Sara frontwoman Emily Armstrong’s powerful vocals caught the attention of many in 2012, and the song ‘Weatherman,’ with a monster riff from guitarist Souixsie Medley, is about as an infectious piece of ear candy as you could find in rock in 2012. Deftones, ‘Leathers’ Deftones carried over the success from the ‘Diamond Eyes’ album in a big way, and ‘Leathers’ is the ‘Koi No Yokan’ track that shows the group was truly clicking on all cylinders, with equal parts moody atmospherics and intense chugging rock. Halestorm, ‘Love Bites (So Do I)’ It is punk! It is rock! It is thrash! Whatever you want to call it, Halestorm ‘s ‘Love Bites (So Do I)’ is an aggressive, fist-pumping anthem that grabbed everyone’s attention in 2012! Marilyn Manson, ‘No Reflection’ From the opening notes of ‘No Reflection,’ it is clear that the Marilyn Manson we’d all come to know from his ’90s heyday is back with full force. The track stands right alongside some of Manson’s best. Papa Roach, ‘Still Swingin” Does anyone know their way around a rock anthem like Papa Roach ? The band kicked off support of their latest album ‘The Connection’ with the standout rocker ‘Still Swingin” and have kept fans rocking throughout most of 2012. Serj Tankian, ‘Harakiri’ While Serj Tankian has been exploring his musical boundaries over the last few years, the title track to his latest album ‘Harakiri’ brought him full circle to the rock spotlight with one of the year’s most melodically beautiful choruses and a powerful statement about today’s growing environmental concerns. Shinedown, ‘Bully’ Shinedown was on message with their first single of 2012, ‘Bully,’ offering up an anti-bullying sentiment with a rocking twist that motivated the listener to stand up for themselves. It’s inspirational and it rocks. Stone Sour, ‘Gone Sovereign’ Stone Sour unleashed the fury on 2012′s ‘Gone Sovereign’ with some blistering guitars, thunderous drumming and a driving track where Corey Taylor sings about being at an emotional low point and trying to stay alive. Three Days Grace, ‘Chalk Outline’ Three Days Grace found themselves with another major hit, deservedly so, with the jarring single ‘Chalk Outline.’ With its gritty guitar and one of Adam Gontier’s best choruses yet, it deserves the accolades it’s received. 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-song-of-the-year-2012-loudwire-music-awards/” title=”Next Category: Metal 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
Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Rock fans from all different lands traveled far and wide to set sail on the MSC Poesia for the most hard-rocking adventure at sea that is ShipRocked 2012. The boat and about 2,000 rock enthusiasts sailed from Port Everglades in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., on Tuesday Nov. 27, and luckily Loudwire was on-hand to witness the adventure. As rockers waited in line to board the ship bands such as Pop Evil rolled though as did Five Finger Death Punch , who gave high fives to fans along the way. Sevendust also joined the party as they walked through security with fans. The coolest cruise of the year kicked off with an acoustic set by none other than Godsmack. The gig sounded impeccable and was even more enjoyable with some minor guitar tuning mistakes occurred. Not only was it Godsmack’s first time playing Shiprocked, frontman Sully Erna’s admitted that this was also his first cruise ever. A special appearance was made by Samantha ShipRocked (a two foot Barbie doll with blonde hair and a red frilly skirt even too short for a doll) who sat on the side of the stage during Godsmack’s performance. Samantha is said to be a ShipRocked veteran since she made her presence known last year, as well. Overall, the very raw and intimate setting was truly captivating – Godsmack, outside, at night, performing acoustically, on a ship, how could things get any better? 10 Years gave an explosive performance on the Deck Stage as well as they had fans singing their new track ‘Backlash,’ ‘Russian Roulette,’ ‘Shoot It Out’ and many others. Singer Jesse Hasek sounded flawless as they band’s vigor made anyone who didn’t know who 10 Years were fully aware of their presence. Not to mention, he cut his leg while climbing on top of a stack of speakers – battle wounds already on the first day. Carlo Felice Theater is an elegant venue, on the ship, that holds a little over 1,000 people with a lovely purple décor and comfortable seats – Five Finger Death Punch ripped it to shreds. Their rabid fans had the ship rocking, literally, as they bounced through FFDP anthems which could be heard throughout the 15 decks of the boat. Concerts went into the wee hours of the morning as Sevendust rocked fans at midnight. Frontman Lajon Witherspoon got all up in fans faces as did bassist Vinnie Hornsby who provided the much needed comic relief onstage due to some technical difficulties. It was a tough night for guitarist John Connolly who was having some major trouble with his guitar cable. Clearly and understandably frustrated he continued to play but he and his brothers onstage showed why this band has been a force for well over 15 years – with or without the broke-ass guitar cable, Sevendust sounded damn good. Other performances for day one of Shiprocked included In This Moment , Pop Evil and The Letter Black. All of the acts perform twice over the course of the four days so fans are lucky enough to catch them later in the trip if they missed it (or twice if they didn’t). One only knows it’s far too easy to miss a set while they were drinking it up at one of the many bars and lounges, losing or winning money in the casino, hitting the gym, getting a massage at the spa, in the pool or getting lost on one of the 15 floors on this grand spectacle called the MSC Poesia. Check Out Photos of the First Day of Shiprocked 2012: Godsmack (Acoustic Performance): Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire 10 Years: Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Five Finger Death Punch: Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Sevendust: Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire
Within Temptation – Official Site Dutch metal outfit Within Temptation have been having some fun en route to celebrating their 15th anniversary. Over the last few months the band has been recording and posting a number of covers of popular songs and putting their stamp on the tracks. The band told Metal Hammer , “We figured this would be a great occasion to do something special for [the fans]. It will be a musical adventure as we are covering songs that are very close to us, but also songs that are not close to us at all.” So far, the group have run the gamut from classic rock ( The Who ‘s ‘Behind Blue Eyes’) to alternative ( Coldplay ‘s ‘Paradise,’ Gotye ‘s ‘Somebody That I Used to Know,’ Mumford & Sons ‘ ‘Little Lion Man,’ Gnarls Barkley’s ‘Crazy’) to pop ( Bruno Mars ‘ ‘Grenade,’ Enrique Iglesias ‘ ‘Dirty Dancer,’ Lana Del Rey ‘s ‘Summertime Sadness,’ OneRepublic ‘s ‘Apologize,’ Swedish House Mafia ‘s ‘Don’t You Worry Child,’ David Guetta ‘s ‘Titanium,’ Adele ‘s ‘Skyfall’). The covers were meant to get fans excited for the band’s 15th anniversary concert , which took place in Antwerp, Belgium last month. Not all of the track stay true to the original and we offer a few examples below. Check out the symphonic rockers adding some aggression to Bruno Mars’ ‘Grenade,’ making Gnarls Barkley’s ‘Crazy’ a haunting tune, stepping up the pace on Gotye’s ‘Somebody That I Used to Know,’ and offering a more atmospheric take on Mumford & Sons’ ‘Little Lion Man.’ Watch Within Temptation Perform Bruno Mars’ ‘Grenade’ Listen to Within Temptation Covering Gnarls Barkley’s ‘Crazy’ Listen to Within Temptation Covering Gotye’s ‘Somebody That I Used to Know’ Listen to Within Temptation Covering Mumford & Sons’ ‘Little Lion Man’ [button href=”http://loudwire.com/within-temptation-singer-weve-already-written-six-songs-for-next-album/” title=”Next: Within Temptation Writing for Next Album” align=”center”]
Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com In early November, the Wyandotte Marching Chiefs got the call that most marching bands would kill for — they were invited to back up Kid Rock during the halftime performance of the Detroit Lions annual Thanksgiving Day game. But then the financial reality of the situation began to set in, with the school scurrying to land a fleet of buses to transport those taking part and incurring a $2,400 bill in the process. After reading an article that included the school’s transportation bill for the event, Kid Rock decided to take action. According to the Wyandotte Patch , the musician sent a letter to the school thanking them for their participation in the show and included a $2,500 check to offset the expenses. The letter stated: I read the article in the Wyandotte Patch on the extra expenses you incurred getting back and forth to Ford Field to practice for the Thanksgiving Day half time show. I hope this covers your expenses. Thank you … you guys did a fantastic job!!!! Roosevelt High School’s music director, Mark D’Angelo, told the paper he was surprised by Rock’s response. “In the weeks prior to our performance, I was sharing with the students some of the amazing things that I had learned about how Kid Rock … gives back to his community and to Detroit,” said D’Angelo. “The students and I never thought that we would be included in that list until we received this letter today.” He added, “As I read the letter to each of my classes, there was a lot of excitement and amazement that once again, Kid Rock was thinking about us. I hope we get an opportunity someday to have a longer conversation and we can show him just how much all of this has meant to every member of our band community. Kid Rock, you’ve got a lot of new fans in Wyandotte, Michigan!” In addition to Kid Rock’s check, the band received an additional $720 in donations from community members. The extra money will offset band-related expenses in the future. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/kid-rock-2013-rebel-soul-u-s-tour-dates-openers-buckcherry-hellbound-glory/” title=”Next: Kid Rock Announces 2013 Tour” align=”center”]