Liz Ramanand, Loudwire This year 2012 will be remembered as one that was incredibly rich with quality metal albums. With some of extreme music's most consistent bands having issued near-perfect additions to their discographies this year, many of the albums listed here could have easily come in at No. 1 if released in past years. Albums from Between the Buried and Me , Converge , Pig Destroyer and Gojira made 2012 an incredibly competitive year, and certainly one of the best so far in the 21st century. The year also saw stellar new releases from the likes of Down and Lamb of God , among others. For fans who lean more rock than metal, we've got a separate list for you. But here, we present our picks for the 10 Best Metal Albums of 2012: ? 10 'Blood for the Master' Goatwhore ? ? Coming in at No. 10 is Goatwhore 's blackened death metal gem 'Blood for the Master.' Released on Feb. 13, the band unleashed one of their heaviest and greatest career achievements early in the year. With 'Blood for the Master' fueling an ever-increasing fanbase, Goatwhore earned a place on this year's Summer Slaughter tour along with opening shows for High on Fire, Hate Eternal and 3 Inches of Blood, among others, in 2012. Listen to 'Collapse in Eternal Worth' ? ? 9 'Resolution' Lamb of God ? ? Lamb of God continued their streak of creating addictive “pure American metal” with 'Resolution.' The band stays the course with their latest album, with powerful consistency and flawless execution. While there is no mistaking the album's tracks as anyone but Lamb of God, the band experiments with some doom with 'Straight for the Sun' and spoken word parts with 'King Me.' Add pummeling tracks such as 'Desolation' and Ghost Walking,' and you've got a killer album. Listen to 'Ghost Walking' ? ? 8 'Down IV, Part 1 – The Purple EP' Down ? ? Although 'Down IV, Part 1 – The Purple EP' contains only six songs, the tracks within offer a sustaining energy that carries the weight of a full-length. The vocal prowess of Phil Anselmo remains powerful, especially when delving low into his range, while the rest of Down pump out monstrous sludge into the groove-driven 'Levitation' and the anthemic 'Witchtripper.' Listen to 'Witchtripper' ? ? 7 'Woods 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light' Woods of Ypres ? ? The tragic death of Woods of Ypres mastermind David Gold in December 2011 was a massive loss to the metal world, and tragically, Gold did not live to see the release of 'Woods 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light.' Gold harnessed immense depth and introspective thought, using death itself as the album's central theme. 'Woods 5' follows a man who sees death after being struck by lightning and finds neither a God nor an afterlife. Listen to 'Lightning & Snow' ? ? 6 'Book Burner' Pig Destroyer ? ? With an album so good even Larry King contributed to it (kind of), Pig Destroyer ended a five-year wait for new material in 2012 with 'Book Burner.' The addition of Misery Index drummer Adam Jarvis to the lineup delivered a much dirtier and twisted sound to the new record, displayed prominently in 'The Diplomat.' Along with the all-knowing guitarist / producer Scott Hull and tremendous guest vocalists accompanying J.R. Hayes, the grind of Pig Destroyer remains second to none. Listen to 'The Bug' ? ? 5 'L'Enfant Sauvage' Gojira ? ? Although Gojira already possessed mountains of fans and a solid discography, the band is widely considered to be the breakout metal act of 2012. The French metallers unveiled 'L'Enfant Sauvage' to universal acclaim, successfully balancing the band's key components of brutality, beauty and progression with flawless production attached. For songs like 'The Axe,' 'Explosia,' the title track and much more, we say 'merci beaucoup' to Gojira. Listen to 'L'Enfant Sauvage' ? ? 4 'De Vermis Mysteriis' High on Fire ? ? High on Fire gifted fans with the incredible trippy sludge-fest 'De Vermis Mysteriis' in 2012, which explores the story of Jesus Christ's time-traveling stillborn twin brother who drinks a serum to see the past through his ancestors eyes in order to discover how his brother became a religious icon. Still with us? Even if the concept goes over your head, the brilliance of tracks such as 'Fertile Green' and 'King of Days' will bring you to sonic enlightenment. Listen to 'Fertile Green' ? ? 3 'All We Love We Leave Behind' Converge ? ? Converge possess one of extreme music's most impressive discographies, and 'All We Love We Leave Behind' ranks among the band's crowning achievements. The group strides closer to their hardcore roots with 'Trespesses' and 'Sparrow's Fall,' continue the legacy of Kurt Ballou's ingenious shredding with 'Sadness Comes Home' and even create experimental beauty with 'Coral Blue.' Listen to 'Sadness Comes Home' ? ? 2 'Utilitarian' Napalm Death ? ? Many metalheads expected just another grind record with Napalm Death 's 15th studio album, 'Utilitarian.' Those people were wrong. 'Utilitarian' turned out to be not just a phenomenal album, but a monumental achievement for the British legends. Barney Greenway's unmatched voice remains terrifying and demented, while the band's songwriting created an avant-garde niche consisting of scattered saxophone solos and otherworldly clean vocals. Listen to 'The Wolf I Feed' ? ? 1 'The Parallax II: Future Sequence' Between the Buried and Me ? ? 'The Parallax II: Future Sequence' is metal music's greatest conceptual accomplishment of the year. Set in outer space, BTBAM have created the most complex music you'll ever zone out to, performed by the strongest group of pure musicians within the realm of metal. Much like the band's 2007 album, 'Colors,' the record takes unexpected twists and turns while sonic plates spin without the slightest wobble. For that, we crown it the Best Metal Album of 2012. Listen to 'Telos' ? ? What's Your Favorite Metal Album of 2012? Which one of our 10 picks is your favorite? Did we get the order right? Did we miss your favorite metal album of 2012? Tell us our hits and misses in the comments section below: [button href=”http://loudwire.com/best-rock-albums-of-2012/” title=”Next: 10 Best Rock Albums of 2012″ align=”center”] ?
Rise Deathcore act the Acacia Strain have been forced to leave their co-headlining slot on their tour with Veil of Maya after a “serious” van accident injured band members and crew. The Acacia Strain have just informed fans through their Facebook page that a van accident has ended their run on the current tour. The band was scheduled to play another handful of dates with co-headliners Veil of Maya, along with Upon a Burning Body, Volumes and Twitching Tongues. Although this comes as bad news for fans, the good news is that nobody was killed or extensively injured by the crash. The Acacia Strain posted the following statement: It comes with heavy hearts and sadness to announce that The Acacia Strain will be leaving their Co-Headlining tour with Veil Of Maya due to a serious van accident. Members of the band and crew are being treated for minor injuries, nothing serious. Frontman, Vincent Bennet commented: Canceling tour dates is something we hate doing but we will make it up to all of you. We are all very grateful to be alive and will see you in the New Year.” As of now, the band is still scheduled to be a part of Hatebreed ‘s 2013 European ‘Persistence’ tour, which also features Agnostic Front and H20, among other strong opening acts.
Sony The best Rage Against the Machine songs showcase the band's unique ability to deftly mix rap and rock to deliver music of the most powerful kind: politically charged, pointed and with a purpose. Frontman Zack de la Rocha's venom and vitriol was wrapped around a message, and he was often seen performing maniacally, with his signature dreads flailing around his head, while Tom Morello's guitar functioned like a turntable, thanks to whammy bars and wah-wahs. The rhythm section of bassist Tim Commerford and drummer Brad Wilk added some bluesy and jazzy heft. All those factors combined were what made the music so explosive and incendiary. While RATM's catalog of studio albums isn't vast by any means, the superb quality of the music the band has produced is undeniable. Here, we present our picks of the 10 Best Rage Against the Machine Songs: ? 10 'Freedom' From: 'Rage Against the Machine' (1992) ? ? 'Freedom' closes out the band's debut album, and it's full of bluesed out, groovy riffing, chippy percussion, pulsing tension, a blunt theme, pregnant pauses and false outros, a jazzy breakdown (starts at 2:09) and mostly rapped lyrical delivery. The slowly builds to a monster breakdown and the moment when Zack de la Rocha screams, “Freedom? Yeah right!,” RATM have you in their musical vice grip. It's one of the 10 Best Rage Against the Machine songs because the music is as combustible as the message. It must've sucked to have been a politician when RATM were in their prime, pointing out all that ails the government machine. Listen to 'Freedom' ? ? 9 'Testify' From: 'The Battle of Los Angeles' (1999) ? ? 'Testify' features an effects-laden performance from Tom Morello, while Zack de la Rocha is as fired up as ever. There is a lot of distortion and chaos all over the song, so much so that it might mess with your equilibrium. The song encapsulates all the elements that Rage fan have come to love: anger, groove, aggressive, turntabling guitars. It's also clearly a band favorite, since they opened several of their reunion shows with the song. Listen to 'Testify' ? ? 8 'Bombtrack' From: 'Rage Against the Machine' (1992) ? ? It could be argued that all Rage Against the Machine tracks are bombtracks, but the actual (and literal) 'Bombtrack' is another exercise in RATM's deftness with rising and falling tension, which is executed with masterful precision. On a purely sonic level, it fuses just the right amount of rap and rock. It's probably the least overly political song of the band's self-titled debut, but it's still fun to scream “Burn, burn, yes you're gonna burn” in the chorus. Fire it up. Listen to 'Bombtrack' ? ? 7 'People of the Sun' From: 'Evil Empire' (1996) ? ? 'People of the Sun' is one of the 10 Best Rage Against the Machine tracks, partly due to the story that Morello dragged a pencil and a wrench against his guitar strings in the beginning to make those definitive sounds. We can't even begin to come up with a name for that sound, but it's inimitable. The song features de la Rocha largely rapping in his clear and concise way. There were other versions of this song floating around prior to 'Evil Empire' being released, but this is the most well known and it made quite the impact. Listen to 'People of the Sun' ? ? 6 'Sleep Now in the Fire' From: 'The Battle of Los Angeles' (1999) ? ? 'Sleep Now in the Fire' addresses the plight of Native Americans in the context of American colonialism. The point is hammered home by de la Rocha's rapid-fire raps, and since his syntax and diction are always clear as a bell, it's hard (but not impossible) to ignore what he's ranting about. Morello drops a feedback-fueled solo and it again leaves us wondering if he moonlighted as DJ Tommy M during the band's heyday. Listen to 'Sleep Now in the Fire' ? ? 5 'Know Your Enemy' From: 'Rage Against the Machine' (1992) ? ? 'Know Your Enemy' opens with funkdafied riffing, before quickly escalating into a punky rock track. Some of Morello's riffage sounds influenced by Metallica in a few parts of the song. It's one of the most noteworthy RATM songs because it features a guest vocal from Tool's Maynard James Keenan, who delivers his distinct, nasally vocal over a chunky breakdown, singing “I've got no patience no / So sick of complacence now.” Two '90s alt metal titans collided in the space of one song. “Legendary” pretty much sums it up. Listen to 'Know Your Enemy' ? ? 4 'Bulls on Parade' From: 'Evil Empire' (1996) ? ? Lyrically, 'Bulls on Parade' addresses the governments usage of military contracts for revenue purposes. Musically, well, Morello whammies like his life depends on it. Then there's the solo (which comes in at the 2:30 mark), where he sounds like he is scratching vinyl, 1985 rap music style. See what we mean about Morello making his axe sound like a turntable? That sound is most prominent on 'Bulls on Parade,' and that's why it is a standout track. Listen to 'Bulls on Parade' ? ? 3 'Bullet in the Head' From: 'Rage Against the Machine' (1992) ? ? Rage Against the Machine raged against the fact that the media is controlled by the government in this fan favorite anthem, easily one of the band's best songs. 'Bullet in the Head' is erected on thudding rhythms, rising and falling tension throughout the song and more of Morello's whammy barring away. It sounds like he is playing a sampler onstage. In 1992, that was unheard of. Take that, Electonic Dance Music fans! The groove-laden breakdown at three minutes in a moshpit igniter. De la Rocha also gets credit for screaming “a bullet in your f—ing head” with such fervor that our blood pressure went up a few notches. Listen to 'Bullet in the Head' ? ? 2 'Guerilla Radio' From: 'The Battle of Los Angeles' (1999) ? ? 'Guerilla Radio,' which earned the band a Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance, is more polished than anything on their debut, but it's still frontloaded with chaos, wah-wahs, some '70s bass thwap courtesy of Commerford and Morello's “spinning.” When Zack de la Rocha barks, “Turn that s— up,” the listener is compelled to follow his orders…stat. And damn if Morello's riffing doesn't sound like a MacBook at 2:30 in. He was so ahead of his time and ahead of the curve. Listen to 'Guerilla Radio' ? ? 1 'Killing in the Name' From: 'Rage Against the Machine' (1992) ? ? 'Killing in the Name' is the most explosive RATM song. It's funky, bass-driven opening, it's subsequent build up of tension throughout the verses and choruses, de la Rocha's repeated whispering, “Now you do what they told ya” to Morello's wailing during the 'F— you I won't do what you tell me' crescendo embodies everything that RATM were about. It's not pretty, the music blows up in your face like a nailbomb and makes you stare down things that are difficult. You don't need to see it live to know de la Rocha's veins in his temples are bulging when he spews those lyrics best accompanied by a middle finger salute. That's why 'Killing in the Name' tops our list of the best Rage Against the Machine songs. Listen to 'Killing in the Name' ? ? Favorite Rage Against the Machine Song? Now that you've gone through and combed our 10 Best Rage Against the Machine Songs list, how about you tell us your thoughts. Agree? Disagree? Is there anything we left off, of which you feel you can argue a strong case for inclusion? Let us know in the comments section below: ?
Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Soundgarden are now back in full force after announcing their reunion in 2010, and to help welcome them back in style, the band performed on the Monday night (Nov. 26) episode of ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ In front of a standing-room-only crowd, Soundgarden took the outdoor stage to play ‘By Crooked Steps’ and ‘Been Away Too Long’ before surprising the live audience with three extra tracks off the air. The legendary grunge band released their first all-new album in 16 years, ‘King Animal,’ on Nov. 13, selling 83,000 copies in its first week and debuting at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album has received mostly positive reviews from critics and fans, including the ‘Kimmel’ audience, which gave Soundgarden a red-hot reception as they jammed on two of their newest tracks. After plowing through ‘By Crooked Steps’ and ‘Been Away Too Long,’ Soundgarden gave their fans performances of ‘Rowing,’ ‘Rusty Cage’ and ‘Beyond the Wheel.’ Soundgarden may be seen by some as simply a gem from the past, but when checking out the band’s new material, especially played live, music addicts of all ages and backgrounds are sure to embrace Soundgarden in the present. Check out love footage of Soundgarden performing on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ along with fan-shot footage of the band continuing their set after the cameras had been shut off. Soundgarden Performs ‘By Crooked Steps’ on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ Soundgarden Performs ‘Been Away Too Long’ on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ Soundgarden Performs ‘Rowing’ Off the Air
Vevo.com Adelitas Way dig further into their ‘Home School Valedictorian’ album with the disc’s fourth single, ‘Alive,’ and they’ve shot an uplifting new video for the song. To give fans a little more detail about what went into the shoot, the group has offered up a new “behind the scenes” feature. In the clip itself, the band is relegated to performance duties, but couldn’t have picked a better location for their shots. “We’re up on a rooftop and we’ve got beautiful Los Angeles behind us, man. It’s a great day. It’s a great day,” says singer Rick DeJesus. The vocalist realizes that they can just kick back and enjoy the day, as the true draw is the storyline for the clip. “The concept’s gonna crush,” says DeJesus. “It’s going to show the love that some of us have not experienced yet and some of us have, so I can’t wait to shoot it. It’ll be great.” Director Justin Baldoni offered a little more insight on where the idea came from, adding, “I loved the song and when I heard the song one of the lines that stuck out was ‘You’re the reason I fight.’ Instantly I thought of cancer and how beautiful I thought it would be to see a guy who is in love with his girlfriend, literally fighting to stay alive.” The official video can be seen here , while the “behind the scenes” feature can be viewed below. ‘Alive’ recently entered the Loudwire Cage Match Hall of Fame . Watch Adelitas Way’s ‘Behind the Scenes’ Featurette for ‘Alive’
Epic A day in advance of its Nov. 27 release, the single-disc 20th anniversary edition of Rage Against the Machine ‘s self-titled debut album is streaming at AOL Music . ‘Rage Against the Machine – XX’ includes three live tracks. There are also other editions of ‘XX’ available. The massive 20th Anniversary Edition Deluxe Box Set includes two CDs, two DVDs, one 12? 180gm vinyl LP, one 40-page booklet and a two-sided poster. The 20th Anniversary Special Edition has two CDs and a bonus DVD featuring six tracks in an oversized softpack. Additionally, a 12? 180gm vinyl edition that has a picture disc and a facsimile reproduction of the original LP has been remastered and will be available, sans bonus tracks. With band members doing interviews to promote the release, the big question has been if there will be any new Rage Against the Machine material. The answer, at least in the short term, is no. Guitarist Tom Morello says some band members just are not ready to start working on a new album. “When bands make albums, it’s because everybody wants to, and that’s not the case with Rage Against the Machine at the moment,” Morello explained recently. “Everyone in the band gets along very well, we consider each other friends and comrades in arms, but people sometimes don’t feel ready to do it. I don’t have one minute of one day that’s not filled with music, or politics, or family. If at some point Rage were to get it together to work more, I would be open to that, but that’s not on the table right now.” [button href=”http://music.aol.com/new-releases-full-cds/#/2″ title=”Listen to ‘Rage Against the Machine – XX’ Here” align=”center”]
Earache Perhaps the most purely brutal female metal vocalist in modern metal, Simone ‘Som’ Pluijmers , parted ways with Cerebral Bore just 24 hours before the band were set to begin touring with Dying Fetus , Cattle Decapitation and Malignancy. The messy breakup has been addressed by both parties, with Som claiming that she doesn’t feel safe on the road with Cerebral Bore. Cerebral Bore posted a sudden announcement on Nov. 23 via their Facebook page to inform fans that due to “logistical nightmares,” the band had no choice but to cancel their appearance the tour’s opening date in Springfield, Va. The band, with Som, successfully played the very next day in Atlanta, Ga. with seemingly no issues or ill will. Surprisingly, it was the following day (Nov. 25) that Cerebral Bore broke the news of Som’s departure and who her replacement would be during the remainder of the tour: Som walked out on us less than 24 hours before the US tour, and we were forced to either cancel or go ahead with it as an instrumental if need be. We didn’t want to let our US fans down, so we went ahead with our buddy Shawn Whitaker on vocals for the tour. Show us your support and make Shawn feel at home, he saved us from a disaster. Pluijmers, who has been showcased on our Brutal Female Metal Vocalists feature, reportedly posted a statement on her official Facebook fan page, although the post has since been pulled. I decided to leave because Paul McGuire (guitar) treated me bad… And him saying I walked out on them like Im a b-tch is ridiculous. Im not a diva, I had to do this for my own happiness and safety. He woudnt let us have an own opinion or wouldnt let me have friends and screamt at us all the time. Im sorry but I was too unhappy with him and had to leave. There was more going on than this but if hes gonna start bulls–t than im more than happy to tell you guys the truth. I had to do this for me and thought about fans etc. it was a difficult decision… But for the best…Its about the music indeed. I used to think this about other bands too. But we are the ones who have to eat, sleep, travel and are around each other all the time. Living with someone youre scared of is the not good guys, I hope you understand. Please take care. As of this posting, Cerebral Bore are set to perform the entirety of their remaining tour dates with Shawn Whitaker on vocals. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/landmine-marathon-grace-perry-brutal-female-metal-vocalists/” title=”Check out the most Brutal Female Metal Vocalists” align=”center”]