EMI Iron Maiden bassist Steve Harris dropped his debut solo album ‘British Lion’ earlier this year. He released a video for ‘This is My God’ in October, and now he and his band have unleashed another music video, this time for the track ‘Us Against the World.’ Described by Harris as less of a solo project and more of a side project, the legendary bassist wrote the entire album with vocalist Richard Taylor. Guitarist and keyboardist David Hawkins also contributed to the majority of the material for ‘British Lion,’ with a numerous amount other unofficial musicians lending their talents to the album. The video for ‘Us Against the World’ is pretty low-budget, especially compared to Iron Maiden’s latest music video for ‘The Final Frontier’ in 2010, which looks like it cost as much as an entire independent film. ‘Us Against the World’ introduces new fans to the members of Harris’ band, giving the musicians, especially Taylor, a large amount of screen time. Apart from the simple nature of the video, it features the band playing in a dark room with small rays of light shining through, reminiscent of Korn’s landmark video for ‘Freak on a Leash.’ Check out Steve Harris’ new vid for ‘Us Against the World.’ Steve Harris, ‘Us Against the World’
Roadrunner Joe Duplantier is Gojira ‘s vocalist and rhythm guitarist, and his brother Mario is the band’s drummer. The two briefly switched roles at a recent show, and there’s video footage to prove it (watch below). A couple of weeks ago at the French band’s show at Exeter University’s Lemon Grove Club, the Duplantier brothers surprised their British fans by swapping instruments for part of a song. The video shows Mario playing guitar and delivering extreme metal vocals for about a minute and a half while Joe plays drums. Surprisingly enough, the band didn’t miss a beat. Mario’s guitar playing is decent (although he did break a string) and his guttural vocals are sufficiently evil. Joe seemed right at home behind the drum kit, as well. We know he can also play bass, as he did on Cavalera Conspiracy’s 2008 album ‘Inflikted.’ American fans will have a chance to see if the Duplantier brothers swap instruments again when Gojira kicks off a North American tour with Devin Townsend and the Atlas Moth in January 2013. In a recent interview with Full Metal Jackie about the trek, Joe Duplantier says the bands they have toured with over the years have influenced them. “They’ve had an influence on us – the way we behave onstage, the way we play, they way we approach the whole thing, sometimes it’s purely technical like the way they plug in their gear.” Duplantier continued. “So we always learn something from touring with people that’s why I’m so happy to tour with Devin, he’s such an incredible singer – one of my influences actually and he’ll be opening for us [Laughs] how crazy is that?” Gojira are touring in support of ‘L’Enfant Sauvage,’ which has been named one of Loudwire’s 10 Best Metal Albums of 2012 . Watch Gojira’s Joe and Mario Duplantier Switch Instruments
Sevendust via Facebook. Sevendust fans, rejoice! The hard rock act has announced they will release their ninth studio album, ‘Black Out the Sun,’ on their own 7Bros. Records label (through Warner Music Group’s Independent Label Group) on March 26, 2013. The album’s debut single, ‘Decay,’ will reach active rock airwaves and retail outlets Jan. 22, 2013. ‘Black Out the Sun’ was self-produced by the band — Lajon Witherspoon (vocals), Morgan Rose (drums and vocals), Clint Lowery (guitar/vocals), Vince Hornsby (bass and vocals) and John Connolly (guitar and vocals) — at The Architekt Studios in Butler, N.J., with the assistance of mixer and engineer Mike Ferretti. As for the sound of the new album, it’s going to be heavy. In Loudwire’s recent interview with drummer Morgan Rose , he chatted about the upcoming disc by dishing, “I know I’m gonna scream like a banshee on the next record, I don’t know how many more we got left in us – from now on it’s gotta be treated like it’s the last one in my book. I know it’s gonna be real heavy.” Sevendust are also set to tour in support of ‘Black Out the Sun,’ which is the follow-up to 2010’s ‘Cold Day Memory,’ and have announced a headlining U.S. tour with Lacuna Coil set for February of 2013. For a complete list of tour dates, click below: [button href=”http://loudwire.com/lacuna-coil-sevendust-early-2013-u-s-tour/” title=”Lacuna Coil + Sevendust 2013 U.S. Tour Dates ” align=”center”]
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”] ?
Nuclear Blast Records After dazzling North American audiences on a tour earlier this year, Swedish titans Meshuggah will be making a triumphant return to the continent in early 2013. The tour will kick off Feb. 11, 2013 in Orlando, Fla. Animals as Leaders and Intronaut will be opening for Meshuggah. Guitarist Marten Hagstrom talks about the upcoming trek as follows: “Finally, we’re getting our asses back over the pond to deliver a second helping of the Ophidian trek across North America. We are excited. We WILL see you there!” The band is touring in support of ‘ Koloss ,’ which was released to rave reviews in March. It has sold more than 42,000 copies in the United States. The single ‘Break Those Bones Whose Sinews Gave It Motion’ from that album entered Loudwire’s Death Match Hall of Fame in April. Advanced presale tickets & V.I.P bundles for Meshuggah’s North American tour are available here . The login is “meshuggah” and the password is “tickets.” The regular onsale date is Friday, Nov. 30. Meshuggah are currently on tour in Europe. After next year’s North American run, the road warriors will return to Scandinavia for another leg of the Ophidian tour in April, 2013. Meshuggah Tour Dates 02/11/13 – Beacham Theatre – Orlando, Fla. 02/12/13 – Center Stage – Atlanta, Ga. 02/13/13 – The Fillmore Charlotte – Charlotte, N.C. 02/14/13 – Theater of Living Arts – Philadelphia, Pa. 02/15/13 – Roseland Ballroom – New York, N.Y. 02/16/13 – The Fillmore Silver Spring – Silver Spring, Md. 02/17/13 – House of Blues – Boston, Mass. 02/19/13 – Sound Academy – Toronto, ON – CANADA 02/20/13 – House of Blues – Cleveland, Ohio 02/21/13 – Bogart’s – Cincinnati, Ohio 02/22/13 – House of Blues – Chicago, Ill. 02/23/13 – Pop’s – Sauget, Ill. 02/24/13 – Mill City Nights – Minneapolis, Minn. 02/26/13 – Union Hall – Edmonton, AB – CANADA 02/27/13 – MacEwan Hall Ballroom – Calgary, AB – CANADA 03/01/13 – Ace of Spades – Sacramento, Calif. 03/02/13 – Wiltern Theater – Los Angeles, Calif. 03/03/13 – House of Blues @ Mandalay Bay – Las Vegas, Nev.
Quiznos What planet are we living on? Not only has metal music successfully taken over the underground music world, but the world of TV commercials, as well. In one of creative culture’s strangest dichotomies, metal has inspired memorable commercials for Google, ESPN Sportscenter, FedEx, Norton Antivirus, Kentucky Fried Chicken and many, many more. The newest heavy metal commercial, however, features a power metal parody band flying on a magic cookie for sandwich chain Quiznos. Once again, we need to give credit where credit is due, and this commercial is hilarious. The creators of all these different metal-inspired ads have been hitting home runs, so it’s no wonder why the theme has been popping up all over television. In this new Quiznos commercial, the first band name that comes to mind is DragonForce . The British princes of power metal seem to have been the basis for the ad, as a falsetto-singing frontman, who looks an awful lot like DragonForce guitarist Herman Li, provides vocals for the cookie-riding act. In another strange twist, the lead guitarist of the fictional band is sort of reminiscent of System of a Down / Scars on Broadway singer-guitarist Daron Malakian . The aforementioned in-flight pastry reaches its destination (a man’s mouth) with an explosive impact, leaving the befuddled gentleman’s palate vehemently satisfied through a melty chocolate cookie crunch. Although this commercial is a hilarious success, the title of greatest metal-inspired commercial ever remains with Suffocation and their History Channel ‘ Dark Ages ‘ ad. Watch the Quiznos Heavy Metal Commercial [button href=”http://loudwire.com/funniest-heavy-metal-commercials/” title=”Funniest Heavy Metal Commercials” align=”center”]
Liz Ramanand, Loudwire It still doesn’t seem real that Beastie Boys member Adam ‘MCA’ Yauch passed away earlier this year. As a part of one of modern music’s most definitive group, the man was an innovator of the highest order. There has been countless tributes paid to MCA since his death, and the latest homage was delivered with style by GWAR front-thing Oderus Urungus and current tourmates Cancer Bats , as they came together for a performance of the Beastie Boys classic ‘Sabotage.’ GWAR and Cancer Bats are currently on the road with Devildriver and Legacy of Disorder on the ‘Fate or Chaos’ tour. We were lucky enough to see the tour ourselves in New York, along with scoring a video interview with Oderus Urungus in the flesh. Tonight (Nov. 26), the ‘Fate or Chaos’ tour comes to an end in Millvale, Pa., but on Nov. 24 in Toronto, Oderus Urungus made a special appearance during Cancer Bats’ set to perform ‘Sabotage,’ a song the band has been performing throughout the string of dates. Along with a solid showing by the members of Cancer Bats, the voice of Oderus Urungus fit the song perfectly has he projected his trademark slimy yell. Believe us when we say the cover deserves an A+. Additionally, Sum 41 have been performing part of ‘Sabotage’ during their ‘Does This Look Infected?’ 10th Anniversary tour , which also deserves a mention due to its awesomeness. Check out both memorial covers of ‘Sabotage’ in the videos below. R.I.P. Adam ‘MCA’ Yauch. GWAR’s Oderus Urungus + Cancer Bats Perform ‘Sabotage’ Sum 41 Perform Part of ‘Sabotage’ [button href=”http://loudwire.com/gwars-oderus-urungus-pustulus-maximus-talk-writing-new-music-2012-election-more/” title=”Watch GWAR’s First Ever Interview with New Guitarist Pustulus Maximus” align=”center”]