Metal Blade Experimental metallers Between the Buried and Me are approaching the release of their sixth studio album, ‘The Parallax II: Future Sequence.’ The band has already treated fans to the 10-minute epic ‘Telos’ along with the album’s kickstart track ‘Astral Body,’ but now Loudwire is proud to exclusively host never-before-seen, close-up footage of BTBAM guitarists Paul Waggoner and Dustie Waring demonstrating the dual guitar mastery from ‘Telos.’ In our recent interview with Paul Waggoner, the guitarist described ‘Telos’ as “the meat” of the band’s upcoming 72-minute album, and once the record comes out, fans will surely gain an understanding of what Waggoner means. ‘The Parallax II’ is the full-length follow-up to their 2011 EP, ‘The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues,’ which begins the storyline continued within ‘Future Sequence.’ “The two main characters of the story take on a journey through space and time with the unenviable task of having to cure the flaws of humanity by any means necessary,” begins Waggoner. “While the EP served mostly as an introduction to the characters, ‘Future Sequence’ contains the action of the story. The lyrics are written in the stream of consciousness style, which really helps to capture the perspective and emotion of the characters. We really enjoyed the challenge of writing this record, and I think we were all pleasantly surprised with how well the music and lyrics jived with one another.” Between the Buried and Me’s latest masterwork, ‘The Parallax II: Future Sequence,’ will blast fans into the infinity of space on Oct. 9. To hold you over until the album’s release, check out this exclusive footage of Paul Waggoner and Dustie Waring jamming on ‘Telos.’ Paul Waggoner ‘Telos’ Guitar Demonstration Dustie Waring ‘Telos’ Guitar Demonstration
BaronessMusic.com On Aug. 15, Baroness were involved in a terrible bus accident in the United Kingdom. The accident that occurred that morning caused Baroness’ bus to break through a guard rail at 50mph, plummeting 30 feet off a cliff into a wooded area below. Incredibly, every passenger on the bus survived, and in a fascinating recollection written by Baroness frontman John Baizley, fans are now able to understand how truly lucky the band was to survive. No matter your personal religious convictions, or lack thereof, one word can be universally shared to describe the survival of each bus passenger — ‘miracle.’ In Baizley’s written account on his brush with death, which left him with a severely broken arm and leg, he shares with incredible depth exactly what happened, the moment of impact, insight into his near-death experience (which is oddly reminiscent of Woods of Ypres ‘ song ‘Death is Not an Exit’) and much more. Baizley writes: On August 15th, just before 11 am, Baroness and our crew were involved in a very bad crash while on tour. The brakes in our bus failed completely, on a notoriously dangerous, incredibly steep (12% grade) hill in Monkton Combe, UK, on our way from a show Bristol to another show in Southampton. Our bus went entirely out of control, and we had no choice other than hitting a perpendicular guardrail going about 50 mph at the bottom of the hill. The guard rail and the 20 or 30 trees we ploughed through snapped like matchsticks as we went fully airborne and fell down more than 30 feet off of a viaduct to the ground below. Half of the band/crew were asleep while we lost our brakes, and a few of us were awake and sitting in the rear lounge. I was up front with our driver, and I bore witness to the entire thing. Once our brakes failed, the bus could do little more than gain momentum and plummet down the hill. There was nothing anyone on the bus could have done during our descent to avoid the crash, and no one, the local residents, the police or any of us can believe we survived the impact. Most people who have been in accidents understand the pre-trauma sensation of time slowing down. There were almost two minutes during which I knew we were heading for a collision. It felt like two hours. I remember the sound of the air-brakes failing, and the panicked cursing of our driver as we slowly realized how desperate the situation was. I tried as hard as I could to yell and wake everyone up to prepare for impact. I remember the sounds of confusion from behind me as our collective terror rose. I remember seeing the guardrail split, then a cluster of trees smacking against the front windshield. While we were airborne my eyes met with our driver’s. I knew then that we each shared the same look on our face; and I won’t soon forget it. We had spent enough time in the air to appreciate, make peace with and accept a fate we thought inevitable, and we looked at one another with a horribly silent “goodbye” in our eyes. When the bus hit the ground, I flew like a missile into the windshield. I can still see the double-paned auto glass turning blue and the spider-webbing cracks spreading outwards from the impact my body made. I hit the glass so hard, that the entire windshield flew from the frame to the ground, and I bounced back inside the bus. I landed on the ledge of the windshield. This came with an immediate and overwhelming pain throughout my body. I surveyed the damage to see instantly that my left leg was very obviously and badly broken. Then I lifted my arms forward to see if either had been damaged. My right arm was covered in burns, blood and broken glass, but working well enough. My left arm was crushed beyond belief, broken in the middle of the bone in my upper arm (humerus), and hanging 90 degrees backwar ds, with many spurs of bone poking through muscles and sinew at the surface of my skin. The bone was shattered into seven free-floating pieces, and my wrist and hand were swinging behind my back, spasming freely. Instinctively, I reached behind my back, grabbed my wrist and re-broke my arm forwards, hugging it to my chest, where it remained for the next three hours until it was cast in plaster. Meanwhile, I watched as some of the band was able to get off the bus and help the others, many of whom were broken-up as well, and several of whom were unconscious. There was blood, glass and diesel fuel everywhere. We were all rushed to the hospital in Bath, and treated for our various injuries, broken arms, legs, vertebrae, bruises, cuts, etc. Our driver was air lifted to a separate hospital with many breaks as well. A few of us had to remain in the hospital for a few days, I was hospitalized for two weeks, following an eight-hour surgery in which my arm was rebuilt with the aid of 2 massive titanium plates, 20 screws and a foot-and-a-half of wire. The 15? incision took almost 50 staples to close up. I was left completely immobilized for the remainder of my hospital stay, able to do next-to-nothing on my own and in need of constant care. Following those excruciating first two weeks, I was quite literally stuck in an apartment for another three weeks with my family while waiting for my doctor to allow me to safely board an airplane, for fear of bloodclots and swelling. I have just this past week returned back to the US and my home, where I am wheelchair-bound for another several weeks of physical therapy, learning to use my arm and leg again. While I cannot lift a glass of water to my lips to drink with my left arm and hand, I am still able to play music with it. I picked up a guitar and played the day after I returned. Not without pain (for the time being), but the hand still acts out the creative impulses I give it. I’m told I was quite lucky to have regained any use at all of my hand and arm, though I have sustained quite extensive nerve damage. In spite of this and against my logic and reason, when I pick up an instrument, my hand remembers exactly what to do. It’s far from perfect, and will require a lot of therapy in order to recover mobility and strength, but I am encouraged by the ability I have been allowed. I do not believe in superstitious signs, but I am truly overwhelmed to have been granted the continued use of my hands. As a result of the crash, I feel encouraged not only to recover, but to move forward with Baroness, as we had been doing every day previous to August 15th. This accident has inflicted an injury which has left its mark on the band: physically, mentally and spiritually. In order to rehabilitate ourselves fully, we must work towards and then past the goals we had prior to the accident. I will consider our immediate recovery a success only on the day we plug back in to play another show. We cannot allow this accident, which I believe is unrelated to the band or our music, to slow down or stifle what has become so much more than a passionate hobby for the four of us. Through Baroness, we have discovered a method by which we may harness our drive to create, and channel all the emotion, anxiety and pain in our lives into something constructive. Music is the universal means of communication we have chosen to express ourselves. Our message has never been one of the absolute positive or negative, neither black nor white. True life occurs within the shades of grey, and I see this experience form that perspective. It seems only fitting to me that we continue working towards creating and performing again as soon as possible, as this band and its music are the vehicle through which we grow as individuals, artists and brothers. The injury the band suffered is an injury to my family and loved ones. Rather than allow it to become a wedge that forces us apart, I would like to see this experience become part of the glue that strengthens us. We have only begun to accomplish what we set out to do through this band. There is so much more to say, and though we do need to heal up a bit; we will not allow any of those things to be left unsaid. I have no regrets about touring. I don’t blame music or the touring lifestyle for my current physical state, or for the accident itself. It happened the same way all things happen: randomly. If I was a carpenter, and I was injured on the way to the job-site, I wouldn’t consider quitting my job. That is truly how I see this situation. Baroness doesn’t stop because we got hurt on the way to work. We love what we do much more than that, and we have chosen this path because it offers us an unpredictable adventure. With any adventure that involves travel, and with any real passionate pursuit, one will occasionally come face-to-face with the reality of living on the other side of the yellow line. I didn’t choose to be a musician in order to live a risk-free life, safely avoiding bumps and bruises. I didn’t choose to play music because it seemed like a simple opportunity to make some quick cash. Nor did I ever make the assumption that things would get easier as we progressed. We can do nothing but attempt to make something constructive and beautiful out of all this disaster, and we are well on the way to becoming active again. I have used this time, stuck inside my own head, to consider the importance of music and Baroness in my life. I can say, after nearly 6 weeks of reflection, that I feel more resolute and passionate about our music than ever. I have come to realize the importance of time in this particular equation, that is, I have none to waste and none to spare. There is no better moment than now, broken and in physical stasis, to devote ourselves more fully towards our art than ever. We cannot allow the traumatic fallout of our crash to cripple us internally. It seems simple: the shows we have cancelled we will reschedule and play in the future. It isn’t going to happen next week nor will it be next month. But it will happen. We will be back on tour as soon as we possibly can. There was one moment in the crash that cut me deeply. For one heartbeat and one tiny sliver of time, I became disconnected entirely. It was, specifically, the moment I impacted with the glass. In that barest heartbeat of a moment, I came face to face with the infinite. I didn’t see a light, or the tunnel or hear any music. Nor did I get a “best-of” montage of my life. Instead, I felt the tip of my nose brush up against the very same fate I had accepted moments before. I looked into a cold, unreflective mirror. It was the dark, silent, dispassionate logic of the end. I realized in that moment that life can be seen as a light switch: “on” or “off”. When the moment passed and I heard the screaming, felt the pain, and tasted my own blood, I was overcome with joy. I was ecstatic to be back amidst all that chaos and horror because it was alive and real. I finally glimpsed the relative importance of all things. The support of our fans, our friends and our families has real meaning to me now. I say that now honestly, without false humility. Thank you. Everyone. Till the wheels fall off . . . John Baizley & Baroness BaronessMusic.com BaronessMusic.com BaronessMusic.com [button href=”http://loudwire.com/baroness-march-to-the-sea-best-2012-rock-songs/” title=”Baroness: Best Rock Songs of 2012″ align=”center”]
Photo by Ty Watkins In 1982, Brian Slagel started a record label that would turn into one of the premiere labels in the world of hard rock and metal. Celebrating 30 years in the industry with Metal Blade Records, Slagel decided to throw a party for the fans in New York City. Michigan heavy metalers Battlecross opened the night at Santos Party House, and As I Lay Dying closed things out. Being with Metal Blade for nearly a decade, it was no doubt an unbelievable honor for As I Lay Dying to help Slagel celebrate 30 years. Before the gig, Loudwire had the chance to catch up with Nick Hipa and Phil Sgrosso, both guitarists from the band, to chat about their new album, what it was like touring on the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival and more. Leading up to the release of your latest album, ‘Awakened,’ you gave your fans a taste of what to expect with the tune ‘Cauterize.’ Do you think that is a good representation of the album as a whole? Nick Hipa: We’re all pretty confident that the fans are going to be into the album as a whole based on the response we got from ‘Cauterize.’ That’s just the tip of the iceberg as far as the whole album goes. If people can get into that, they’ll be stoked for what the rest of the album is. You recorded ‘Awakened’ in Fort Collins, Colo. I get the feeling this is a bit isolating as far as the metal community goes. NH: You know, the experience was awesome. It allowed us to be more productive than we’ve ever been. That mostly was a result of Phil and I being able to record all day, everyday for the majority of the day in our own rooms while the rest of the guys were recording in San Diego. That made it a lot more enjoyable. We weren’t as stressed out with timing and scheduling. The icing on the cake is that Fort Collins is just a really cool place. Phil Sgrosso: It definitely helped that we didn’t have any distractions, not worrying about family plans or something that would cause us to leave early. It was great to just focus on the record and get it done. Just a little over a month ago, you guys wrapped up the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival. What was it like touring with bands like Slayer, Anthrax and Slipknot? PS: It was great. The mainstage was all the older bands and the classic metal bands. Slipknot , they’ve been around for 15 years or so, but they’re such a presence on the tour. It was nice playing with those bands and sharing the stage with them. There was a lot of energy with the festival. Everyone was pretty stoked about it. Any crazy stories from that tour? NH: Not so much crazy, but one of the things that sticks out to me is that a lot of the nights on tour there would be a tour-sponsored mixer where a band would be in charge of throwing a party. Usually there was a theme associated with it. Anthrax had a Halloween theme and everyone dressed up. Lemmy and the rest of the dudes from Motorhead showed up in costume, they were dressed up as the Blues Brothers. To me that was incredible because Lemmy is definitely an older guy and he’s been around for a really long time. It was great to see that someone like that hasn’t been jaded by the biz. He’s got a really good sense of himself and is really down to earth. He still has a good time. That was really awesome to me. It was like, “Oh, Lemmy’s here, and he’s in a costume!” What’s it mean to be a part of the Metal Blade family, playing their 30th anniversary show tonight? NH: We’re all proud to be on a label like Metal Blade. Metal Blade has been very reputable the whole time, it’s cool to be a part of it and be amongst the roster of bands that have excelled in their genres or done cool things in the world of heavy music. It’s been a pleasure working with them and being on the label for this long. PS: It’s kind of crazy to think that we’re playing our label’s 30th anniversary show. The owner, Brian Slagel, has seen it all happen. We’re definitely honored to be with them. You mentioned the world of heavy music. As I Lay Dying have been around for over a decade, and I would say you have ventured past the term ‘up-and-comers.’ That being said, in the last couple of years, there have definitely been some new bands that have really made a splash in the music scene. Have there been any acts that have caught your ear? NH: Even though we’re in a [Loudwire] Death Match with Gojira right now, they’re one of the heavier bands that are out there right now that are blowing us all away. They write such creative and crushingly heavy music, and we got to play with them a few months ago. They’re incredible live. They’re one of my favorite heavy bands right now. [Editor’s note: As I Lay Dying’s ‘A Greater Foundation’ was in battle with Gojira’s ‘The Axe’ at the time of the interview.] What’s next for As I Lay Dying? PS: We’ll be heading over to Europe for a month with Trivium. Then after that we’ll be on the Monster Outbreak Tour, a few Canadian dates and the rest will be in the states. So, basically two months of touring for the rest of the year. ? Live Photos From the Metal Blade 30th Anniversary Party As I Lay Dying: Spencer Kaufman, Loudwire Spencer Kaufman, Loudwire Spencer Kaufman, Loudwire Spencer Kaufman, Loudwire Spencer Kaufman, Loudwire Battlecross: Spencer Kaufman, Loudwire Spencer Kaufman, Loudwire Spencer Kaufman, Loudwire
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.
Theo Wargo, Getty Images Here’s a look at the top stories of the day on Loudwire and around the Web: Guns N’ Roses singer Axl Rose has been confirmed to make a rare television appearance on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ It will be the first time Rose has been interviewed on television since visiting ‘That Metal Show’ last year. [ Loudwire ] Killswitch Engage are set to embark on a North American tour to play their landmark album ‘Alive or Just Breathing’ in full. The band will play the record from start to finish to celebrate the album’s 10th anniversary and the return of vocalist Jesse Leach. [ Loudwire ] Nightwish part ways with singer Anette Olzon and announce the vocalist who will be replacing her. [ Loudwire ] Did you know that the first Compact Disc (CD) was released 30 years ago today? Find out which album was the very first to be printed on CD here. [ Ultimate Classic Rock ] British songstress Adele confirmed that she is singing the James Bond ‘Skyfall’ theme song, which leaked earlier today. Check it out here. [ Diffuser.fm ] Lollapalooza will be held in both Chile and Brazil in 2013. Check out the lineup for both shows here. [ Rock Music Report ]
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.