Virginia Tech Metallica are one of the most stringent bands when it comes to usage of their trademark, which makes the new Virginia Tech ‘Enter Sandman’ shirts something truly special. The group gave the school permission to print the shirts with the idea that the money raised would go to the Morgan Harrington Scholarship Fund. Harrington was a Virginia Tech student who went missing after attending a Metallica concert at John Paul Jones Arena in October 2009. After several months of searching, her body was found on an Albemarle County farm in January 2010. Her killer still remains at large. The group initially put up a significant reward when Harrington went missing and even though her body was discovered, the band have continued their involvement in the search for her killer. Earlier this year, singer James Hetfield filmed a new PSA describing the murder and showing a sketch of the suspect in question while seeking any new information. NBC’s WVIR-TV reports that so far, sales of the shirt have raised $17,000 and Virginia Tech officials say they hope to make the shirt available to the public at the beginning of every football season. The shirts are currently available for order in both long-sleeve and short-sleeve via the Virginia Tech bookstore. To learn more about the Morgan Harrington Scholarship Fund, click here . [button href=”http://loudwire.com/best-metallica-songs/” title=”Next: 10 Best Metallica Songs” align=”center”]
Reprise Mastodon are coming off one of their more well-received albums with ‘The Hunter’ and they’re in the mood to keep things rolling. Singer-guitarist Brent Hinds reveals that writing is currently underway on their follow-up and there’s potential that they’ll begin recording just after the start of 2013. Hinds tells MTV Hive , “We’ve never put out an album a year. That would be unlike us, so maybe we could tour for another year on ‘The Hunter.’ It’s very possible.” Mastodon is wrapping up a South American tour with the possibility that Hinds will follow with some West End Motel shows in support of their ‘Only Time Can Tell’ disc. Once that is done, Hinds says there’s a chance that a January Mastodon recording session could follow. As for the Mastodon stuff he’s been working on of late, he explains, “A lot of the stuff I’m writing is in open G-minor. I’m playing a lot of slide guitar and just getting really Jimmy Page -y on the place and getting really eerie and Radiohead ish and very spooky sounding.” Hinds says he has three songs worth of material, but he adds, “It could be one gigantic one. I haven’t made up my mind yet.” Regardless of how far along he is, he’s confident that the rest of his bandmates are also working toward the common goal of a new record. He concludes, “Those dudes are always working. There’s never really a shortage of music with Mastodon because all of us are working on something musically. I’m in good company. Just because they might [see me] stand in the middle of the stage or something, people might think this is the leader. He must conduct everything, but we’re all the leaders. We spread the weight around.” [button href=”http://loudwire.com/best-mastodon-songs/” title=”Next: Top 10 Mastodon Songs” align=”center”]
Roadrunner Swedish progressive metal masters Opeth have the technical abilities to play almost any metal song ever written. During a tour stop in Germany, the band recently performed two legendary tracks, one of which is perhaps the world’s easiest metal song to play, mostly because it’s only two-seconds long. Opeth frontman Mikael Akerfeldt began to introduce the cover that group had planned on playing, ‘Solitude’ by Black Sabbath , but started to speak about how they had also covered Napalm Death ‘s ‘You Suffer’ in the past. After some cheers from the audience, Opeth performed ‘You Suffer’ in its two-second entirety for the exhilarated audience. Akerfeldt then went on to introduce ‘Solitude,’ a song that Opeth had played in the past. “Opeth, back in the day, in the early ’90s, we used to play this song. Back then I was really into making good-sounding rehearsal tapes, basically not proper studio demos, but you just have a tape recorder in the rehearsal room and record your band practice. And they had to be perfect, there couldn’t be any noise prior to the song or after the song, it had to be like a proper recording. I was very anal about that kind of thing.” He continues, “This song, we recorded and the drummer at the time had a cymbal on the drumstick, and it sounded perfect but in the end, he dropped the cymbal, [makes crashing noise] so I had to do it again. So don’t drop the f—ing cymbal.” Both Sabbath and Opeth fans are sure to appreciate this cover, as it’s masterfully pulled off by Akerfeldt and the boys. Opeth Perform Napalm Death’s ‘You Suffer’ and Black Sabbath’s ‘Solitude’ Live
Gareth Cattermole, Getty Images Machine Head fans worldwide we certainly happy to hear that frontman Robb Flynn made it through his emergency hernia surgery with just a bad-ass scar, allowing Flynn to get back on the road for their current tour with Dethklok, All That Remains and The Black Dahlia Murder. Adding to the list of good news, Machine Head are planning to start writing their next album once the tour comes to an end. Guitarist Phil Demmel was recently interviewed by thenervousbreakdown.com , where he shared some details about the follow-up to Machine Head’s 2011 album, ‘Unto the Locust.’ “After this tour, we want to get in and start writing,” begins Demmel. “We’ve got a couple of things for next year, but for the most part we want to get in and hopefully start recording before the end of the year next year. Have we thought about directions or any of that? It hasn’t really been agreed upon yet. I think we’re just going to write like we have been.” He adds, “Our formula has been to just come up with something and see what happens. Nothing contrived, you know? That’s how [current hit] ‘Darkness Within’ happened, and that’s how a lot of the stuff on the last album happened, so we’ll just see how we progress. Robb took classical lessons before the last record, so I think it’s just going to be an amalgamation of everything we’ve learned so far. We keep evolving, and it’s not going to be ‘Blackening II’ and it’s not going to be ‘Unto the Locust II.’ I think it’s going to be our strongest record.” Demmel also shared his personal songwriting tricks. “I have a little recorder and I mouth riffs into it. Sitting around watching football and just noodling and recording little harmonies come up, and having them come together with these guys is an amazing process. When you write from the heart, it’s pure and it’s genuine and that’s how we’re going to do it. I won’t be in the band if that’s not going to be the case.” Check out the remaining dates for Machine Head’s current tour and click the button below to see the band on our 10 Best Metal Songs of 2012 list. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/best-metal-songs-of-2012/” title=”See the 10 Best Metal Songs of 2012″ align=”center”]
K. Campbell, Action PR After yesterday’s news that bassist Nick Oliveri has rejoined Kyuss Lives! , today comes word that the group has a new name: Vista Chino . Vista Chino consist of former Kyuss members Brant Bjork (drums), John Garcia (vocals) and Oliveri, along with Bruno Fevery (guitar). It’s not difficult to figure out why the band changed their name. There has been an ongoing legal battle over the Kyuss name, with fellow original members Josh Homme and Scott Reeder challenging the use of the name Kyuss Lives! A judge recently ruled that they could not use the name Kyuss Lives! in conjunction with a studio album, live album or other audio recording. Since the group is working on new material with plans for a 2013 album, the name change was necessary. In addition, the judge ruled “future concerts under the Kyuss Lives Mark might continue to subject them to liability for trademark infringement” and suggesting, “It may be in Defendants’ best interest to begin re-branding under a new name.” They took that advice, although they will make a final live appearance as Kyuss Lives! at Australia’s Soundwave Festival in early 2013. The band will play classic Kyuss songs along with some new Vista Chino material. Meanwhile, the relationship between Olivieri and Homme seems to be on the mend, as Olivieri is set to contribute vocals to the new album from the Homme-fronted Queens of the Stone Age. Click below to find out more on that collaboration: [button href=”http://loudwire.com/nick-oliveri-vocals-queens-of-the-stone-age-album-rejoins-kyuss-lives/” title=”Nick Olivieri Contributing to New QOTSA Album” align=”center”] ?
New Ocean Media Former Guns N’ Roses drummer Steven Adler is branching out with his own band, appropriately named Adler , and the band’s debut full-length, ‘Back From the Dead,’ carries a straight-ahead rock sound that proves Mr. A means business. Now, Adler is opening up about the message behind the album, and he says he hopes it gives him a fresh start in the music business. “Every musician, their goal in life is to play music that people love and I’ve accomplished my goal,” he told goJimmygo . “I was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and left that chapter of my life and those people in the past. Good and bad, I’ve loved and am thankful for that chapter. I’m thankful that I survived that chapter and am able to have a second chapter. I want to start afresh and become relevant again.” Adler says recording the album was a blast, especially when it came to getting guitar great Slash involved. “It was wonderful,” Adler said. “Just to have him be proud enough and believe in me enough again after all of the things that have happened. “I have to prove myself every second of every day and it got to where I’ve proved myself enough for Slash to be happy and want to be a part of this record. It feels great that we have such a history together. I really care about what he thinks and feels about me.” Things are looking up for Steven Adler, as evidenced by Loudwire’s stellar review of his band’s ‘Back From the Dead’ album. Click below to check it out: [button href=”http://loudwire.com/adler-back-from-the-dead-album-review/” title=”Adler, ‘Back From the Dead’ – Album Review” align=”center”]
Liz Ramanand, Loudwire It took a little longer than initially expected, but Machine Head made it back to the stage Monday night in Oakland. The band was forced to temporarily drop off their tour when Robb Flynn required emergency surgery for a hernia, and they planned to be back for a show in Portland, Ore., on Saturday night. However, a bus breakdown thwarted those plans, but they eventually returned to the stage in Oakland. The timing was perfect for the band, as the Fox Theater’s hometown crowd provided just the boost the group was looking for upon their return. This marked the band’s first set in Oakland since their 1995 performance at Kaiser Arena supporting Slayer. Flynn, just 12 days removed from his surgery and still fighting a chest infection, gave the fans his all during the performance. The band had vowed prior to the surgery that they would return before the trek was finished and they’ll now complete the run with fellow rockers Dethklok , All That Remains , and the Black Dahlia Murder . Fan filmed footage of the group performing their song ‘Halo’ from Monday’s set can be seen below. For the remaining dates on Machine Head’s tour, check here . Watch Machine Head Perform ‘Halo’ in Oakland [button href=”http://loudwire.com/machine-head-robb-flynn-second-video-update-hernia-surgery/” title=”Next: Robb Flynn Details Hernia Surgery Recovery With Video Diary” align=”center”]