As the 2012 Loudwire Music Awards continue, we take a look at the artists keeping things fresh. Sure, there are a lot of bands we all know and love, but the real exciting thing about music is making new discoveries and watching the upstarts you had never even heard of at the beginning of the year emerge to rock your radio or playlist right next to those big time acts. With that in mind, it’s time to select 2012′s Best New Artist. It’s an eclectic group of rockers on our list this year. Five of our ten acts have already established themselves in the rock and metal worlds with other projects but decided it was time to test out a new vehicle. Our other five acts are true newcomers that made significant inroads toward a bright future. Take a look at our 10 Best New Artist nominees and read about what made 2012 a breakout year for them. Then vote for your favorite in the poll below: ? Candlelight Red The seeds of Candlelight Red ‘s promise were sewn in late 2011 with their album ‘The Wreckage,’ which spawned the singles ‘Closer’ and their cover of Roxette’s ‘She’s Got the Look.’ After hopping in the studio with Sevendust’s Morgan Rose producing, things only picked up steam with the release of their ‘Demons’ EP, led by the disc’s title track. ? Dead Sara Childhood friends and musical partners Emily Armstrong and Siouxsie Medley hit on something special after adding bassist Chris Null and drummer Sean Friday to their group Dead Sara . The band’s self-titled debut featured the breakout single ‘Weatherman,’ the anthemic ‘We Are What You Say’ and the stirring ballad ‘Sorry For It All.’ ? Deuce After breaking free from Hollywood Undead, the rap-rock artist Deuce thrived with the ‘Nine Lives’ album, which spawned the breakout single ‘America’ and such fan favorites as ‘I Came to Party’ and ‘Nobody Likes Me’ (which featured a guest appearance by Falling in Reverse’s Ronnie Radke). ? ? Falling in Reverse Former Escape the Fate singer Ronnie Radke re-emerged on the rock scene with his new band Falling in Reverse , who enjoyed solid returns for their debut disc, ‘The Drug in Me Is You.’ It spawned the singles ‘I’m Not a Vampire,’ ‘Raised by Wolves,’ ‘Good Girls, Bad Guys’ and the title track. Plus, the group’s live energy made them a popular concert draw over the past year. ? Huntress Jill Janus emerged as one of the brightest (or shall we say darkest) new voices in the world of metal, pulling from both thrash and doom metal influences. Her band Huntress started garnering attention in late 2011 with the track, ‘Eight of Swords.’ In 2012, the track ‘Spell Eater’ kept the momentum going from the album of the same name. ? Kyng Kyng garnered critical acclaim in late 2011 with their debut album ‘Trampled Sun’ featuring singles like ‘Falling Down’ and ‘Trails in Veins.’ And in 2012, they were true road warriors for the entire year, most recently touring with the one and only Megadeth. ? ? Love and Death After several years of being billed as a solo artist, former Korn guitarist Brian “Head” Welch gave credit where it was due by deciding to switch to the band moniker Love and Death to show the unity of the musicians. The group garnered some attention with their single ‘Chemicals’ and picked up some momentum late-year single ‘The Abandoning.’ Look for their debut album, ‘Between Here and Lost’ in 2013. ? Otherwise Las Vegas rockers Otherwise enjoyed a breakout year with their ‘True Love Never Dies’ album. ‘Soldiers’ had a long run at radio earlier in 2012 and the hard-edged ‘Full Circle’ and melodic ‘I Don’t Apologize (1000 Words)’ showed some of the range the up-and-comers have. ? ? Storm Corrosion One of the more interesting collaborations of 2012 was that of Opeth singer-guitarist Mikael Akerfeldt and prog rock’s golden boy, Porcupine Tree leader Steven Wilson. The duo formed the band Storm Corrosion and issued a self-titled album back in May that could be best described as avant-garde experimentalism. ? Tremonti What started as a passion project for Creed and Alter Bridge guitarist Mark Tremonti turned into a surprise hit record for the rocker. ‘All I Was’ spawned the major radio single ‘You Waste Your Time,’ while ‘So You’re Afraid’ was picking up spins late in 2012. ? ? 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/most-devoted-fans-2012-loudwire-music-awards” title=”Next Category: Most Devoted Fans” 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
Every Time I Die are in the midst of a tour with the Chariot, and have now announced they will be hitting the road again in February 2013 with the Acacia Strain . Also on the bill with ETID and the Acacia Strain will be Vanna, Hundredth and No Bragging Rights. The tour kicks off Feb. 6 in Chicago and after winding across the country and into Canada, wraps up in Allentown, Pa., on March 6. Every Time I Die are touring in support of their latest album ‘Ex Lives,’ which was released in March. The Acacia Strain were recently in a van accident that caused them to drop off their co-headlining tour with Veil of Maya. Band and crew members suffered some injuries, but thankfully they were minor, and the band will be ready to get back on the road in 2013. “Canceling tour dates is something we hate doing but we will make it up to all of you,” said frontman Vincent Bennet. “We are all very grateful to be alive and will see you in the New Year.” Every Time I Die, The Chariot, Letlive and Kills & Thrills Tour Dates 12/4 — Nashville, Tenn. — Exit/In 12/5 — West Columbia, S.C. — New Brookland Tavern 12/6 — Richmond, Va. — Canal Club 12/7 — Poughkeepsie, N.Y. — The Loft 12/8 — Providence, R.I. — The Met 12/9 — Holyoke, Mass. — The Waterfront Tavern 12/11 — Baltimore, Md. — The Ottobar 12/12 — Pittsburgh, Pa. — Mr. Smalls 12/13 — Bloomington, Ill. — The Castle Theater 12/14 — St. Louis, Mo. — Firebird 12/15 — Omaha, Neb. — Sokol Underground 12/16 — Madison, Wis. — The Loft 12/17 — Palantine, Ill. — Durty Nellies 12/18 — Lansing, Mich. — The Loft 12/19 — Buffalo, N.Y. — Mohawk Place 12/20 — Buffalo, N.Y. — Mohawk Place Every Time I Die, The Acacia Strain, Vanna, Hundreth and No Bragging Rights Tour Dates 2/6 — Chicago, Ill. — Bottom Lounge 2/7 — Milwaukee, Wis. — The Rave 2/8 — Minneapolis, Minn. — Mill City Nights 2/9 — Lawrence, Kan. — The Granada 2/10 — Denver, Colo. — Summit Music Hall 2/12 — Boise, Idaho — The Venue 2/13 — Seattle, Wash. — El Corazón 2/14 — Portland, Ore. — Branx 2/15 — Oakland, Calif. — Oakland Metro Operahouse 2/16 — Pomona, Calif. — The Glass House 2/17 — Los Angeles, Calif. — The Roxy Theatre 2/18 — Mesa, Ariz. — Nile Theater 2/19 — El Paso, Texas — Tricky Falls 2/20 — Austin, Texas — Red 7 2/22 — Houston, Texas — Warehouse Live 2/23 — Metairie, La. — The Cypress 2/24 — Atlanta, Ga. — The Masquerade 2/25 —Tampa, Fla. — The Orpheum 2/26 — Miami, Fla. — Grand Central 2/27 — Jacksonville, Fla. — Freebird Live 2/28 — Charlotte, N.C. — Amos’ Southend 3/1 — Washington, D.C. — Rock N Roll Hotel 3/2 — Cleveland, Ohio — Peabodys 3/3 — Detroit, Mich. — Magic Stick 3/5 — London, Ontario Canada — Rum Runners 3/6 — Toronto, Ontario Canada — The Opera House 3/7 — Ottawa, Ontario Canada — Ritual Nightclub 3/8 — Montreal, Quebec Canada — Club Soda 3/9 — Quebec City, Quebec Canada — L’Union Commerciale 3/10 — New Haven, Ct. — Toad’s Place 3/11 — Albany, N.Y. — Upstate Concert Hall 3/12 — Syracuse, N.Y. — The Lost Horizon 3/13 — Philadelphia, Pa. — Union Transfer 3/14 — New York, N.Y. — Irving Plaza 3/15 — Boston, Mass. — Royale 3/16 — Allentown, Pa. — Crocodile Rock
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
Here we have a batch of stellar bands who just happened to shape the metal music landscape in 2012. The accomplishments made by the following acts cannot be underestimated, as metal as a genre continues to dominate the underground music world. Once again, we’ve got veterans facing new-school heroes for the title of Metal Band of the Year, and it’s the fans who will decide who deserves the award. Check out the 10 nominees in the Metal Band of the Year and be sure to vote in the poll below: Anthrax Having released ‘Worship Music’ in 2011, the thrash legends of Anthrax released ‘I’m Alive’ as a single in 2012, along with headlining the second stage at this year’s Mayhem Festival and touring extensively with Testament and Death Angel. ? ? ? As I Lay Dying Metalcore leaders As I Lay Dying had a strong year in 2012, releasing the album ‘Awakened’ to critical acclaim. The band turned the tracks ‘Cauterize’ and ‘A Greater Foundation’ into singles this year, along with performing on the 2012 Mayhem Festival. ? ? Between the Buried and Me Guitarist Paul Waggoner was hoping to create similar excitement for their 2012 album, ‘The Parallax II: Future Sequence’ that they conjured with ‘Colors’ in 2007. From fan reaction, Between the Buried and Me succeeded with their 2012 masterpiece. The prog metal act even gave fans a taste of ‘The Parallax II’ during the 2012 Summer Slaughter tour. ? Down Phil Anselmo and the rest of Down crunched their Southern sludge into an EP this year with ‘Down IV Part 1 – The Purple EP.’ Fans are absolutely rabid to check out these new tracks live, and they’ll get the chance to do so when Down hit the road early next year. ? ? Gojira The French mad scientists of Gojira absolutely exploded in 2012 with the album ‘L’Enfant Sauvage.’ The masterful album brought in a massive new group of fans while keeping the old ones happy, a feat that is among the most difficult of accomplishments for a progressive act. ? ? Lamb of God Having released ‘Resolution’ in early 2012, Lamb of God embarked on various tours before being stopped in their tracks by the arrest of vocalist Randy Blythe in the Czech Republic. Lamb of God persevered through the controversy, hitting the road once again later in the year to a red-hot ‘Welcome Home’ from fans. ? Machine Head Along with creating a more-than-impressive video for the song ‘Darkness Within’ in 2012, Machine Head treated fans worldwide to a string of live performances. After headlining a tour with support from Suicide Silence and Darkest Hour, Machine Head continued to play gigs with Dethklok, All That Remains and the Black Dahlia Murder. ? Napalm Death The British grindcore legends of Napalm Death blew away grind fans with their 2012 album, ‘Utilitarian.’ Having created one of this year’s most brutal and imaginative albums, Napalm took grindcore into a new realm proceeding their tour with Municipal Waste and Exhumed. ? ? Pig Destroyer After a five-year wait, grind masters Pig Destroyer released yet another pummeling triumph, ‘Book Burner.’ Under the influence of mastermind Scott Hull, ‘Book Burner’ showcases brilliant sonic attacks by all involved, including Kat Katz, Richard Johnson and broadcasting legend Larry King via his reading of Henry Miller’s ‘Tropic of Cancer’ audiobook. ? Testament Boasting one of metal’s most purely talented lineups, Testament crushed the world of thrash with their ‘Dark Roots of Earth’ album. The band made memorable videos for ‘True American Hate’ as well as ‘Native Blood,’ while touring with fellow thrash legends Anthrax and Death Angel. ? ? 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
It was a stellar year for metal, and we’ve got 10 very strong contenders in our Metal Album of the Year category in the 2012 Loudwire Music Awards. From grind to progressive metal to sludge to death metal and more, these albums have shaped 2012, but in the end, the fans will be the ones who choose this year’s top album. Check out the nominated album and be sure to vote in the poll below: Between the Buried and Me, ‘The Parallax II: Future Sequence’ Between the Buried and Me have perhaps created the most complex music ever set in outer space with ‘The Parallax II: Future Sequence,’ proving they are one of the strongest groups of pure musicians within the realm of metal. ? Converge, ‘All We Love We Leave Behind’ On ‘All We Love We Leave Behind,’ Converge stride closer to their hardcore roots with the track ‘Trespasses,’ continue the legacy of Kurt Ballou’s ingenious shredding with the song ‘Sadness Comes Home’ and even create experimental beauty with ‘Coral Blue.’ ? Down, ‘Down IV, Part I – The Purple EP’ 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 record. Moreover, Phil Anselmo’s voice sounds as powerful as ever. ? Goatwhore, ‘Blood for the Master’ Goatwhore ‘s blackened death metal gem ‘Blood for the Master’ is one of many great strides made by underground bands this year. Released on Feb. 13, the band unleashed one of their heaviest and greatest career achievements in 2012. ? Gojira, ‘L’Enfant Sauvage’ 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 successfully balanced their key components of brutality, beauty and progression. ? High on Fire, ‘De Vermis Mysteriis’ High on Fire ‘s ‘De Vermis Mysteriis’ 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. ? Lamb of God, ‘Resolution’ 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 strong execution. ? Napalm Death, Utilitarian’ ‘Utilitarian’ turned out to be not just a phenomenal album, but a monumental achievement for the British legends. Napalm Death ‘s songwriting created an avant-garde niche consisting of scattered saxophone solos and otherworldly clean vocals. ? Pig Destroyer, ‘Book Burner’ Pig Destroyer ended a five-year wait for new material in 2012 with ‘Book Burner.’ 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. ? Woods of Ypres, ‘Woods 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light’ Tragically, Woods of Ypres mastermind David Gold did not live to see the release of ‘Woods 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light.’ Gold harnessed immense depth and introspective thought for the album, using death itself as the album’s central theme. ? 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/rock-song-of-the-year-2012-loudwire-music-awards” title=”Next Category: Rock 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 Lamb of God vocalist Randy Blythe has been out of Czech prison since Aug. 2. Although back home here in the United States and free to tour nationally, the next step of Blythe’s criminal proceedings has been put into effect. The State Attorney’s Office in Prague officially indicted Blythe on manslaughter charges on Friday, Nov. 30, which means that Blythe will likely stand trial in the near future. According to Czech news source Novinky.cz , the District Court now has three months to either set a trial date or to delay the hearing in lieu of further investigation. If convicted of manslaughter as a result of his future trial, Randy Blythe could face 5-10 years in prison. Blythe has publicly stated that he will not hide out in the United States if summoned for a trial in the Czech Republic, despite the potentially horrific outcome. “I feel ethically responsible to go back there and face this charge,” declared Blythe in a recent interview with WTVR in his hometown of Richmond, V. “[The victim’s] family right now is in a lot of pain, and they deserve some answers. To lose a child is the worst possible thing a human can go through. I want my name cleared. I have to go around the world and tour, you know? That’s what I do. I’m not going to hide here. I’m an innocent man. I’m going to go to court and see what happens.” The controversial arrest of Randy Blythe stems from an incident in which a man died nearly a month after he sustained a head injury following an apparent stage fall while attending a Lamb of God concert in the Czech Republic in 2010. Video of the incident has been posted online, although there have been questions as to whether or not the man shown in the footage is in fact the deceased fan. Blythe spent five weeks in a Czech prison over the summer as several legal proceedings delayed his release on bail. Update: Lamb of God’s manager has issued a lengthy response to the news of Randy Blythe’s indictment. Click below to see his entire statement: [button href=”http://loudwire.com/lamb-of-god-manager-responds-randy-blythe-czech-republic-indictment/” title=”Lamb of God’s Manager Responds to Randy Blythe’s Indictment” align=”center”]
Who says the music video is a dead artform? MTV may not show them anymore, but thanks to the Internet, bands can still deliver some stunning clips, as evidenced by the nominees in the Metal Video of the Year category in the 2012 Loudwire Music Awards. We’ve got five nominees for this category, and in these videos you’ll be exposed to time travel, phallic evisceration, octopus transplants, assault rifles, Jesus Christ’s motorcycle-riding twin brother and much more. Check out the nominated videos and be sure to vote in the poll below: Dethklok, ‘I Ejaculate Fire’ Dethklok are metal’s most beloved animated band, and in their video for ‘I Ejaculate Fire,’ a pharaoh receives pleasure from a demon woman, giving the Egyptian leader the power to eviscerate anyone and anything with his naughty bits. ? High on Fire, ‘Fertile Green’ It’s hard to believe that High on Fire made a video as good as this song ‘Fertile Green’ itself, but the motorcycle riding, time traveling, clairvoyant, stillborn brother of Jesus Christ made it happen with some tripped out imagery to top it off. ? Job for a Cowboy, ‘Tarnished Gluttony’ This video is legitimately terrifying. If you’re easily disturbed by creepy and violent imagery, you may want to skip this one. Otherwise, this incredibly detailed video from Job for a Cowboy offers fascinating subtextual commentary on the nature of man and religion. ? Machine Head, ‘Darkness Within’ Machine Head ‘s video for ‘Darkness Within’ may have the best production standards of any metal video released this year. Along with style, the video for ‘Darkness Within’ contains a full serving of substance. ? Pig Destroyer, ‘The Diplomat’ High on Fire and Dethklok aren’t the only acts to feature time travel in their music video; Pig Destroyer toyed with the concept, as well, for ‘The Diplomat.’ In this vid, a deranged businessman introduces assault rifles to psychedelic primates, with brilliant results. ? 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