Liz Ramanand, Loudwire On day three of the continuous party that is Shiprocked 2012 on the MSC Poesia, rockers and fans alike woke up in the sunny Nassau, Bahamas. Sevendust frontman Lajon Witherspoon was excited to go snorkeling in the morning while Sonny Sandoval of P.O.D. enjoyed an escape to Atlantis. Lit frontman A.J. Popoff took an even more romantic route as he took the opportunity to propose to his girlfriend on the trip. Others took the time in the Bahamas to catch up on some much needed sleep after the continuous nights of drinking and moshing but when 6PM rolled around, everyone made sure they got their butt on board in time to catch Five Finger Death Punch ’s second performance of the cruise. Five Finger Death Punch put on a kickass set outside on the Deck Stage and had fans belting out songs so loud that the sound must have infiltrated the two boring ships we were docked alongside, as well as the natives and tourists of the Bahamas on land. Frontman Ivan Moody demanded a mosh pit and he definitely got one during the song ‘White Knuckles.’ The band’s ability to evoke various emotions in fans with their very personal stage presence is quite a sight to see. Godsmack put on one hell of a second show as well in the boat’s main indoor venue, the Carlo Felice Theater. Their first performance which kicked off the cruise was an acoustic set but this one was filled with powerful riffs and wild drum patterns that we all know when we hear Godsmack’s music. Other performances of the night included Pop Evil and Helmet’s first sets of the cruise. Filter was supposed to hit the Deck Stage at midnight but it was rescheduled due to some serious rainfall and gusty winds as the ship stayed docked in the Bahamas throughout the night. Late night drinking, in the rain, in the Bahamas, who could complain? Check Out Photos of the Bands Who Performed on Day 3 of Shiprocked 2012: Fiver Finger Death Punch: Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Pop Evil: Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Godsmack: Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire [button href=”http://loudwire.com/shiprocked-2012-korn-in-this-moment-p-o-d-more-day-2-recap-gallery/” title=”Previous ShipRocked Recap: Day 2″ align=”center”]
Razor & Tie / eOne Congrats to Hatebreed for snatching their second consecutive win in our latest Death Match. The hardcore heroes managed to beat out death metal veterans Nile, but now, we’ve got a band from the new school of technical death to face Hatebreed. The Contortionist have been scooping up fans since their beginnings in 2007. The Indianapolis metallers just released their second full-length, ‘Intrinsic,’ to a notable amount of praise in the metal underground. The band have just released a music video for ‘Dreaming Schematics,’ which delivers a spacey and brutal punch, despite the majority of the track’s vocals being squeaky clean. Can Hatebreed punch out yet another foe? Or can The Contortionist turn the hardcore band into a musical pretzel? Let your voice be heard by voting in the poll below. (This Death Match ends on Tuesday, Dec. 11, at 10AM ET. Fans can vote once per hour! So come back and vote often to make sure your favorite song wins!) Hatebreed, ‘The Divinity of Purpose’ The Contortionist, ‘Dreaming Schematics’ ? Sorry, you need to have javascript running to see this poll. ? Email Me When Death Match Winners Are Announced Enter your email address below to receive the Loudwire newsletter, which will include notification of the weekly winner of the Death Match, as well as our top stories of each day. Email Rules of Death Match Two bands fight to the death each week. Fans can vote once per hour. The triumphant band goes on to compete in the next Death Match. If a band wins four straight Death Matches, its song will be honored as immortal in the Loudwire Death Match Hall of Fame.
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
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
Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Waking up in sunny Key West Fla., after a serious night of partying was the case for some on the ship while others slept in and awoke to the sound of Lit in the afternoon to kick off the second day of music mayhem. Frontman A. Jay Popoff of Lit donned his very fashionable red-rimmed sunglasses as he worked the stage. It’s always a fun time when Lit perform, especially with their animated and energetic stage presence. After Lit, onetime Guns N’ Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke rocked the Deck Stage with some serious riffage. P.O.D. gave one hell of a performance as they unleashed in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Sonny Sandoval sang eye to eye with many fans but that wasn’t close enough for him as he belted out various P.O.D. anthems that ShipRockers knew and loved. After a half hour of technical difficulties and even a little bit of rain The Halo Method featuring — took the stage next and was joined by Art Of Dying frontman Jonny Hetherington performed Alice In Chains ‘Would?’ In This Moment crushed on their last day of the cruise since they had to fly to another show. They gave a blistering performance and got ‘Blood’ pumping by kicking off their set with ‘Adrenalize’ from their latest record. Korn ’s first performance of the cruise was indoor at the Carlo Felice Theater. The band put on a flawless show by playing numerous hits such as old school hits such as ‘Blind,’ ‘No Place to Hide’ and new school hits ‘Chaos Lives In Everything’ and ‘Get Up’ off of their ‘Path of Totality’ record. Other acts of the day included Fuel, Geoff Tate and Filter, who ended the night with an intimate set at the very aptly named Zebra Lounge. Check Out Photos of Bands Performing on Day 2 of Shiprocked 2012: Lit: Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Gilby Clarke: Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire P.O.D.: Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire The Halo Method: Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire In This Moment: Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Korn: Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire [button href=”http://loudwire.com/shiprocked-2012-godsmack-five-finger-death-punch-sevendust-more-day-1-recap-gallery/” title=”Previous: Shiprocked – Day 1 Recap + Gallery” 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’