Jo Hale, Getty Images Slash might be branching out into film production, but he’s still a rocker at heart — so it only makes sense that ‘Nothing to Fear,’ the debut release from his Slasher Films banner, will feature a Slash score. He broke the news via his Facebook page yesterday (Oct. 1), writing, “Going into the studio tonight to work on ‘Nothing to Fear’ score. It’s really coming together” and adding a top-hatted winking smiley face emoticon. While a release date for the movie has yet to be announced, it’s already picked up a distributor — as reported in January , ‘Nothing to Fear’ will be released by Anchor Bay. Featuring the freaky antics of a lunatic preacher in a small Kansas town that is supposedly “one of the seven gateways to Hell,” it sounds like good old-fashioned horror fun, and the perfect vehicle for a few Slash instrumentals. On the non-film front, Slash is still out promoting his latest album, the Top 5 Billboard hit ‘Apocalyptic Love.’ The night after concluding their current tour, he’ll bring his band to ‘Conan’ on Thursday (Oct. 4) for a performance of their latest single, ‘Standing in the Sun.’
Eleven Seven Music Papa Roach evolve their sound a little bit more with each album, but they still know what works for them and hit upon it with abundance on their latest disc ‘ The Connection .’ Singer Jacoby Shaddix told Loudwire earlier this year, “What ‘The Connection’ means to us, it’s our connection to the music. It’s the connection of this music to the fans. It’s the connection that we make onstage with our music … It’s just this connection that Papa Roach than us sitting in a room jamming. It’s larger than life now and we’re just the facilitators for that, so it’s just painfully obvious that this is what it needs to be.” With that in mind, the band mines the well of interpersonal connections again with their latest record. Shaddix, a master at baring his soul in tracks like ‘Last Resort,’ ‘Scars,’ and ‘Broken Home,’ puts his heart clearly on his sleeve with the standout track ‘ Before I Die .’ The song, which incorporates some early piano work before fully rocking out, talks about pushing a loved one away while still feeling the urge to live for them. And where ‘Before I Die’ is a more painful track, the misnomer ‘Leader of the Broken Hearts’ actually comes off as one of the more triumphant songs on the disc. On it, Shaddix revels in the pain that comes from a broken heart, knowing that even though a relationship has ended, there’s an elation that came from putting it all on the line that’s made him feel alive like never before. As Shaddix has stated, ‘The Connection’ is also about the relationship of the music to their fans, and there are a number of rocking tracks on here that should eventually connect on the concert stage. Tony Palermo’s ‘Dr. Feelgood’-like drumming and the riffage of guitarist Jerry Horton and bassist Tobin Esperance on ‘Where Did the Angels Go’ provide the intensity of a great live song. Esperance and Horton also drive ‘Wish You Never Met Me’ with a killer bass opening and wailing guitar solo. And for those who like the rap-rock sound of the band’s early work, ‘Not That Beautiful’ is a late album gem with Shaddix waxing poetic about putting a loved one on a pedestal. The other major connection P-Roach make is to their own journey to get where they are today. The band has seen the highs and the lows and emerged as one of music’s most consistently rocking acts, which makes ‘ Still Swingin’ ‘ not only the perfect song for a lead single, but essentially the anthem that describes their career path. Where many of their peers that started on the scene in the late ’90s and early 2000s have faded away, Papa Roach have survived, and are the ones still swinging and connecting with fans.
RCA Records In astrological terms, the transit of Venus is when the planet passes between the Sun and the Earth, displaying as a black disc moving across the sun for a period of several hours to stargazers around the globe. The occurrence happens approximately every 240 years or so and is not entirely predictable making it a very rare phenomena. In musical lingo, ‘Transit of Venus’ marks the return of Canadian rockers Three Days Grace and the follow up to their 2009 disc ‘Life Starts Now.’ While the connection between the two transits may not be completely transparent, the anticipation and excitement surrounding both mixed with the unpredictable nature of the two seem to pull them together, or at least into the same galaxy. Three Days Grace went into the making of ‘Transit of Venus’ with a very focused goal of digging a little deeper, pushing a little further, and allowing themselves to experiment with new instrumentation and layers without completely diverting from the Three Days Grace brand that they have cultivated throughout their career. ‘Transit of Venus’ definitely marks a new direction for the band infusing electronic elements over textured sonic landscapes while maintaining their love for catchy hooks served up courtesy of guitarist Barry Stock and drummer Neil Sanderson, pounding bass lines provided by Brad Walst, and the signature raspy rock vocals of Adam Gontier. The celestial disc begins with ‘Sign of the Times,’ an out of this world, ethereal, slow-moving opus that starts things off with a moody, sullen vibe before it kicks into high gear, reminding music fans of why they fell in love with Three Days Grace in the first place. The rest of the disc tends to follow that same path, new progressive elements hitting the Three Days Grace of old head on, melding into well-rounded tunes that sound meticulously crafted and built from the ground up, layer by layer, brick by brick. The first single, ‘Chalk Outline’ is a chugging, dark, anti-love song of good times gone bad allowing guitarist Barry Stock to shine throughout. Most of the disc’s 13 songs cater to an angrier, darker place but then up from the ashes comes ‘Unbreakable Heart,’ one of the most ambitious songs on the album. The tune blends acoustic melodies with orchestral hues hugging the inspirational lyrics being sprung from Gontier’s soul, “ You want to fight back / It’s building inside you / Holding you up / Taking you hostage / It’s worth fighting for .” 3DG also give a nod to Michael Jackson on the disc with their version of the King of Pop’s ‘Give in to Me,’ speeding the song up a bit but staying pretty true to the overall vibe of the song. Overall, Three Days Grace accomplished what they set out to do with ‘Transit of Venus,’ they’ve stepped out of their comfort zone, ditched the formula, and went all in, holding nothing back in the true spirit of rock. The reward clearly outweighed the risk on this one and the additional elements enhance the songs without taking them hostage and the identity that Three Days Grace has forged for the past 20 years is clearly better for it. Here’s to 20 more.
Facebook: Machine Head There’s one chant that Machine Head fans worldwide recite when in the presence of their metal heroes — “Machine F—ing Head!” With the organically grown mantra having graced t-shirts, patches and other Machine Head paraphernalia, the motto will soon be the title of an upcoming live double-album, set for release on Nov. 13. Undoubtedly a fantastic live act, Machine Head illicit fan responses like few others can. ‘Machine F—ing Head’ is long overdue, as the band’s last live record, ‘Hellalive,’ was released nine years ago, with albums ‘Through the Ashes of Empires,’ ‘The Blackening’ and ‘Unto the Locust’ having been unleashed since ‘Hellalive’ hit stores in March 2003. ‘Machine F—ing Head’ was recorded throughout various tour stops from around the world during 2011, and will feature new and old fan favorites such as ‘Imperium,’ ‘Aesthetics of Hate,’ ‘Locust,’ ‘Ten Ton Hammer,’ ‘This is the End,’ ‘Halo’ and many more. “The Head Cases have been so intense on this tour cycle that we had to start capturing the shows, especially with technology making it so much easier to record,” says frontman Robb Flynn . “We culled some of the best nights where the band and crowd were on fire and made a bad ass, nearly tw0-hour, double live album, which is a great documentation of where the band is at 18 years deep.” Machine Head will hit the road for a North American tour alongside Dethklok , All That Remains and the Black Dahlia Murder beginning Oct. 24. in Louisville, Ky. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/machine-head-aesthetics-of-hate-top-21st-century-metal-songs/” title=”Machine Head: Top 21st Century Metal Songs” align=”center”] Machine Head, ‘Machine F—ing Head’ Live Album Track Listing 1. I Am Hell (Sonata in C#) 2. Be Still and Know 3. Imperium 4. Beautiful Mourning 5. The Blood, The Sweat, The Tears 6. Locust 7. This Is the End 8. Aesthetics of Hate 9. Old 10. Darkness Within 11. Bulldozer 12. Ten Ton Hammer 13. Who We Are 14. Halo 15. Davidian
Photo Credit: Jamie Betts Photos Nearly a year after the tragic passing of GWAR guitarist Cory ‘Flattus Maximus’ Smoot , everyone’s favorite group of intergalactic metal monsters have released the very first picture of their new guitarist, Pustulus Maximus . Pustulus is the cosmic cousin of Flattus, and the resemblance is uncanny. Much like the case in many families, you can tell immediately that the two were birthed from the same primordial filth. Pustulus sports elegant armor of fallen space-mammoths, along with a striking blue complexion complemented by disgusting red sores. The new guitarist offered his very first statement about joining GWAR via the band’s official website . “At this point I have nothing to say to the press, even though I am talking to you. I will let my guitar speak for itself. But let me add that I am blood-sworn to honor the legacy of the great Flattus and indeed the whole Maximus tribe. I didn’t come here to fuck around. HAIL FLATTUS!” “Naturally we were devastated by the passing of Flattus,” says GWAR front-thing Oderus Urungus. “But we turned that grief into rage and set about the task of finding a new guitar player. The first thing we did was sound the mighty Horn of Hate, and alert all Scumdogs, scattered across the galaxy as they are, as to what had occurred. What people didn’t know about Flattus was that was is part of a huge tribe of brutish warriors, The Maximus Clan. They are at the core of any Scumdog Legion worth its blood! Planet Maximus is just crawling with them!” Oderus reportedly farted, blowing a hole in the wall, and continued, “Many of the tribe had fought and even played in bands with Flattus, and we began to get messages from across the stars. The Scumdogs were coming! Coming to Earth to lay tracks on our new album, and pay tribute to the mighty Flattus. Soon the War-Barges of Maximus tribe members began to appear in Earth’s orbit…and land outside our great temple! Bubonis, Infectitcus, Fartacus, and many more-all have participated in the creation of the songs that shall be on our new album, which will be out sometime next year. But it was not until the hulking form of Pustulus appeared at the studio door, bloody guitar in hand, that we knew we had our new member. Here was a being that was supposedly born with a guitar in his fist, which of course resulted in the death of his beloved mother, whose body he immediately devoured. If anyone can replace our beloved comrade, it is this foul creature. Because he can f—ing shred.” Be sure to see Pustulus and the rest of GWAR on the band’s upcoming tour with DevilDriver, Cancer Bats + Legacy of Disorder. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/gwar-announce-addition-of-new-guitarist-pustulus-maximus/” title=”Next: GWAR Announce Addition of Pustulus Maximus” align=”center”]
Eleven Seven/Tenth Street Entertainment The road to the release of Papa Roach ’s new disc ‘The Connection’ (out Oct. 2) has not always been a smooth one, but that’s part of what powers the strength that it delivers. Written during a tumultuous time during lead vocalist Jacoby Shaddix’s life, the disc portrays a dark time for the band played out song by song. Kicking it off is the face-punching lead-off single ‘Still Swingin’ which is merely the prelude to the darkness that lies within. Sonically, ‘The Connection’ draws from the elements that Papa Roach have mastered with past discs, and melds them into a new approach to their own brand of rock. We recently caught up with Shaddix, who filled us in on his health status after recent vocal surgery, all facets of the new disc from the writing process to the studio and how he came out ‘Still Swingin’ on the other side at the end of it all. Now that you can sit back and appreciate the fruits of your labor, how would you reflect on the whole writing and recording process on ‘The Connection’ as compared to past discs? I would say that this one was just the f—ing hardest, most insane, most fun, exciting, crazier records we’ve ever made. Just the process of it, what we were all going through personally, making the record in Sacramento, we really made the record that we set out to make and it kind of exceeded our expectations. We got to the end and we listened to the record we were like “Oh f—, this record’s dope.” This is the record that our fans have been waiting for. I think it encompasses all of our styles over the years of our career and we kind of just brought it all back around on this record. It’s really exciting. It’s an exciting time and rock music is at an interesting place right now and I just feel like this is the right record for rock music and P-Roach. Talk a bit about the impact of having producer James Michael in the studio with you; you’ve said that he really gets you and the vision for the band. James Michael – first and foremost I love that guy like a brother. We all really connected in the studio. I was fighting for him, I was like, and “Man I want James Michael to produce the record.” The guys were like, “Let’s take meetings with a bunch of people.” And I was like, “No! James Michael is the guy!” I really wanted him, and they took my lead. We had a meeting with him and everybody just clicked. It’s funny, towards the end of the process it got to the point where I was like I would start a sentence and he would finish it. We were just in tune. It was like having a fifth band member in the room because he’s a songwriter, he’s a singer, he’s a musician, he’s a producer, he understands where we’re coming from. It’s not like other producers don’t, it just felt like we were doing the right thing with the right people at the right time. It was great working with him in the studio, he really helped us. We had concepts and ideas in our head and had these visions of what we wanted to create sonically and he really helped us see those things through from beginning to end. And also, just in the process of making the record, when we’re a little unsure of ourselves at times, he would always be like, “Guys, you are on the f—ing right path, don’t second guess yourselves right now because you are in it.” Because when you’re in the process of making music and you’ve got ten songs boiling at once, it was really cool to have that outside perspective looking at it from a helicopter’s point of view going okay, cool; it’s all good, because we get wound up. The first single ‘Still Swingin’ is quintessential Papa Roach through and through. There’s no foreplay, it just starts out with a direct punch to the face – what kind of statement did you want to make with that song? With this song, it’s like we hit a barn door with a barn door. It’s just plain and simple, and I think that’s really what we needed at this point and time for a lead single is just something that just would grab people’s attention. Especially with the riff off the top, it just bounces, it’s like “Oh sh–, something’s coming at you.” Lyrically, it’s a little more lighthearted than the rest of the record and I think it’s a great way to start, it’s like the opening title when you go to see a movie, it grabs your attention. It just felt natural for us to use that as a lead single, and in the spirit of P-Roach it’s what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. This is just the tip of the iceberg on this record, it’s a very dark record, so once you get past this song we take you down this deep dark hole and the process of making this record where when you’re in that deep dark hole there’s always that light, shining somewhere in there in the corner, it’s a great way to introduce people to this record. It will be interesting to see what people think about the ride. Speaking of dark, talk to me about the song ‘Before I Die,’ because that song speaks quite loudly and I think that anyone who’s ever felt those things is going to immediately identify with it. Where did that come from from a personal perspective? I was going through a separation with my wife during the process of making the record, fast forward to the present and we’re working it out now, but in the process of making this record we were separated. I was at the end of my rope; I was in a lot of pain. This music is where I found my sanctuary, where I could express myself and just take myself out it for a second and not feel the pain and just be creative. During the process of making this song, ‘Before I Die’ I felt like everything was taken from me and I was just left out there raw and broken, it made everything clear to me, what really mattered to me. It wasn’t the material things that I have in my life, which I’m not a materialistic person when it comes down to it, but you know at the end of the day it’s the people that I love in my life that are the most important to me and sometimes when you treat the people that you love the most the worst, that’s the wrong path. I had to take a long hard look at myself and realize how I was living my life and make those changes. Just being out there on my own and having those realizations, that’s where the song came from. On this song, in addition to many others on the new disc, you really seemed to lay it all out there lyrically putting you in a very exposed and vulnerable place. Do you feel like you pushed a personal boundary this time around with respect to your lyrics? Oh yeah, this record, a lot of it was written when I was depressed and a pretty pathetic and sad individual. It came from that place but it was also a snapshot. A lot of this record is a snapshot of me at my most vulnerable, broken, weak, point in my life but there was so much strength in it, in a weird way. When you ain’t got nothing, you’ve really got a whole lot because you start thinking about those basic simple things that you’re so grateful for in your life. So it gave me a whole new perspective on myself, on my life, and how I live it. It’s a trip because I’m on a bit of a different path now than I was seven or eight months ago. I have to ask you about a recent situation – Wye Oak’s Jenn Wanser chose Papa Roach’s ‘Scars’ as her most hated song and in return, you allegedly sent her flowers. So the first question is did that actually happen and the second is, why did you opt for that response? Yes, it’s true. I thought it would be a funny thing to do. I use to take that stuff so personally, I’d be like, “I’m not worth anything” and it would belittle me but now, it’s just funny. In reality, that song has meant so much to so many people so to watch it get torn apart as if it was some nursery rhyme bullsh–, I just thought it was kind of funny. So for me, it was just taking the high road. Ready to play some Wikipedia-True or False? Wikipedia says that the first instrument you played was clarinet in the school orchestra – true or false? That is true. I played clarinet for like nine years. I am a certified band geek. Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe is a friend of yours and you said that we could all really learn a lot from the way he’s been handling his current situation, what have you personally taken away from it? It’s pretty incredible to see people go through these dark experiences in life and learn a lot, and that’s what I got from that. It’s like you get lemons, you make lemonade, and it’s pretty cool to see someone that’s going through something like that just have such a solid perspective on life and a positive outlook. For me, that’s pretty dope. Any parting messages to your fans? If you’re a fan of the band, go buy the record — we want to show up on the charts. I think it’s very important for this band right now to make a statement because we’re on an independent label. We’re another one of those rock ‘n’ roll bands trying to keep this genre alive and so if you dig it, go support it or you can go watch f—ing Justin Bieber take the No. 1 spot. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/papa-roach-jacoby-shaddix-vocal-surgery-healing-really-well/” title=”Next: Jacoby Shaddix Updates Us on His Vocal Recovery” align=”center”]
The End Records In the metal world, AxeWound are a supergroup as violent and graphic as their name. Featuring Cancer Bats vocalist Liam Cormier and Bullet for My Valentine singer-guitarist Matt Tuck, along with drummer Jason Bowld of Pitchshifter, ex-Rise to Remain bassist Joe Coput and Glamour of the Kill guitarist Mike Kingswood, the band could have done or become one or a combination of many things. It could have been greater than the sum of the parts; a mish-mash that sounded like BFMV harvested with Cancer Bats’ DNA; or something totally unique in and of itself. We’re pleased to report that AxeWound are the latter and the former, but not the middle. ‘Vultures’ is 10 tracks of thrashy, razor-sharp riffery, with vocals that are screamy where they need to be and growly when they need to be. The overall mood is nastier than a hungry Rottweiler. It doesn’t straddle any lines or flounder in the middle of the road. These songs are so metal, they excrete liquid steel. There’s not much in the way of humor on the album, but that’s okay. What it lacks in lightheartedness it makes up for in sheer aggression. Besides, did we really need another album of snarkily titled songs which have nothing to do with the lyrical subject matter? No, we didn’t. AxeWound and ‘Vultures’ exist to push the metal mission forward with uncompromisingly heavy, neo-thrash tunes. ‘Post Apocalyptic Party’ feels like just that — it’s drenched in vinegar-soaked riffs, battering ram drumming, hardcore fury and thrash intensity. If the Mayan prophecies are indeed right and the end is indeed nigh, this is the song we’d want to be cranking as the world comes crashing down around us. The title track shreds, and features a guest spot from Avenged Sevenfold ‘s Synyster Gates. ‘Victim of the System’ launches with a squall of feedback and sing-talk vocals that are incredibly popular in the hardcore genre. Nevertheless, the song allows the band to smash away at the instruments while you mosh. ‘Cold’ is the most melodic jam of the bunch, vocally speaking, but the music is still fierce enough to make your blood boil. With the lyrical bark “You can’t kill me,” we’re apt to believe AxeWound are impenetrable. ‘Burn Alive’ has a doomy current running through its veins, while ‘Exorchrist’ is another example of the band’s melodic proficiency. But the rolling guitars keep the song anchored in metal. There are not a lot of breathing moments on the album, so ‘Vultures’ is the equivalent of a street fight in that it pummels over and over again, without much in the way of pauses to allow you to catch your breath. The songs are compact, usually clocking in at three minutes and under. So they don’t overstay their welcome or become too ambitious by trying to be experimental with all that extra time, nor do they drift into boring territory by being too samey. Ultimately, ‘Vultures’ is the work of seasoned musicians who are adept at their instruments and their roles. They don’t rely too much on their past (or most prolific) works, nor do they attempt to be something they are not. It’s a fresh metal album that’ll satisfy your thrash jones.