Tooth & Nail Many people may know Brian ‘Head’ Welch as the former guitarist of Korn , but he takes on the role of frontman in his new band Love and Death , who have just unleashed their debut album ‘Between Here & Lost.’ “Wake up sleepy / Wide Awake” are the first words that Welch belts out to get the blood pumping in the first track ‘The Abandoning.’ With trippy guitar riffs and an incredible balance of aggression and beautiful harmony, this tune is just the start of the roller-coaster ride that is ‘Between Here & Lost.’ When one thinks of Devo’s ‘Whip It,’ a heavy cover of the song might not come to mind, but Welch and his band do an amazing job of turning this into a heavy hitting yet catchy rendition that is bound to be a guilty pleasure on this record. Welch shows off his vocal range with the softer song ‘By the Way,’ and then mixes groove and melody with heavy screams in tracks such as ‘Watching The Bottom,’ ‘Meltdown’ and ‘Fading Away.’ One of the strongest songs on the album is ‘Chemicals,’ which is on the more melodic side and is very catchy with blistering riffs. ‘Paralyzed’ kicks off with an eerie beginning and even though the track has verses with soft vocals, it blows up at the two and a half minute mark as Welch spits out, “Death before I give dishonor / Death before I disobey.” ‘My Disaster’ starts with very forceful guitar riffs that almost sound off like an alarm, not to mention Welch’s raspy vocals, as he sings the chorus, “Feeling everything / Crashing down on me / Lost and so afraid / It’s my disaster / Losing everything / Giving all of me / I feel so betrayed / In my disaster.” ‘I W8 4 U’ is one of the heaviest and best tracks on the record. For Today’s Mattie Montgomery’s is the guest vocalist on this song, giving it such dynamic power with the chorus, “I wait for you / Always will, always do / I wait for you / Burning, bleeding, dying / But I wait for you.” ‘Between Here & Lost’ ends with ‘Bruises,’ a track with incredible depth. With a piano melody and whispering vocals, the song spirals out and amps up with crashing cymbals and a whole lot of energy. Brian ‘Head’ Welch has grown into a dynamic frontman and ‘Between Here & Lost’ is an album that puts all emotions on the table and does so with a unique and hard hitting sound. ? [button href=”http://loudwire.com/brian-head-welch-interview-new-music-fatherhood-korn/” title=”Next: Brian ‘Head’ Welch Talks Music, Korn + More” align=”center”]
YouTube It’s not uncommon for bands to give fans a taste of their new music ahead of its release, especially in this download-happy world. But Bullet for My Valentine are previewing their new ‘ Temper Temper ‘ album with a twist on the “album preview” idea. In the first of a four-part exclusive series with Loudwire, the group is showing off some of the solos from their upcoming disc (watch below). The solos video takes the viewer right into the studio as all four band members lay down the music for their new album, with the focus centered on the guitar and bass play. The four-part series will also include videos featuring their riffs, screams and choruses, with a new clip debuting each week leading up to the ‘Temper Temper’ album release on Feb. 12. Be sure to check in weekly to catch the latest installment. ‘Temper Temper’ is already off to a great start thanks to the title track and their most recent single ‘ Riot .’ The band just released the video for ‘Riot,’ which can be seen here . Fans can currently pre-order the deluxe ‘Temper Temper’ album at iTunes . The group will get a chance to support the ‘Temper Temper’ album in North America in the coming months, as they’re headlining the HardDrive Live Tour with support from Halestorm and Young Guns . Dates for the trek are expected to be announced next week. Watch Bullet for My Valentine’s ‘Temper Temper’ Solos Preview [button href=”http://loudwire.com/bullet-for-my-valentine-behind-the-scenes-new-album-temper-temper-exclusive-video/” title=”Next: Watch Behind the Scenes of Bullet for My Valentine’s Album” align=”center”]
Epic It’s been a roller-coaster ride for Korn , but the band has been one of the most productive outfits since arriving on the scene with their 1994 debut disc. This Loudwire Readers Poll asks you to determine which of Korn’s albums is their best. Korn remained still somewhat of an underground band with a growing following with their first two albums. The band’s self-titled debut spawned the hit song ‘Blind’ and fan favorite, ‘Chutes and Ladders.’ Meanwhile, 1996′s ‘Life Is Peachy’ followed with the breakout song ‘A.D.I.D.A.S.’ But it wasn’t until their third album that they became a massive band. 1998′s ‘Follow the Leader’ provided the group with staple hits ‘Got the Life’ and ‘Freak on a Leash.’ The following year ‘Issues’ gave us a trio of singles — ‘Falling Away From Me,’ ‘Make Me Bad,’ and ‘Somebody Someone.’ The 21st century has brought us more solid efforts from Korn. The 2002 album ‘Untouchables’ kept the momentum going with ‘Here to Stay’ and ‘Thoughtless’ enjoying some success. In 2003, ‘Take a Look in the Mirror’ provided fans with ‘Did My Time’ and ‘Right Now,’ but ‘Y’all Want a Single’ was the band’s statement on the changes in the music industry. After breaking for a hits collection, 2005′s ‘See You on the Other Side’ gave us ‘Twisted Transistor’ and ‘Coming Undone,’ and they followed with their untitled album, which featured ‘Evolution’ and ‘Hold On.’ Their last two albums found Korn taking two very different directions. ‘Korn III: Remember Who You Are,’ had them trying to reclaim their early sound, with ‘Oildale’ being the main single. In 2011, the group went completely the opposite direction with ‘The Path of Totality,’ a dubstep-infused effort that spawned ‘Get Up’ and ‘Narcissistic Cannibal.’ That’s ten original albums in 19 years, not counting their greatest hits album or ‘Unplugged’ release. Now it’s your turn to tell us which disc is best. Vote for the best Korn album in the Readers Poll below. Sorry, you need to have javascript running to see this poll. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/best-kid-rock-song-readers-poll/” title=”Previous Readers Poll: Best Kid Rock Song” align=”center”]
Nuclear Blast California is the American Mecca for thrash metal. With top thrash innovators such as Metallica , Testament , Autopsy, Exodus , Death Angel and more having risen to fame together in the early ’80s, a very tight-knit brotherhood has been created between these musicians. Despite this bond, Metallica and Testament have never toured together, and during our recent chat with Testament singer Chuck Billy , he told us it’s his “dream” for the two acts to share a bill. Between Metallica and Testament, there are 62 years of thrash history shared among the two acts, with Metallica forming on 1981 and Testament coming together in 1983. Both bands are constantly performing with the world’s biggest thrash acts, such as Metallica headlining numerous ‘Big 4′ shows with Slayer , Megadeth and Anthrax , while Testament toured extensively in 2012 with Anthrax and Death Angel. Testament are even scheduled to headline another iconic tour in 2013 when they hit the road with Overkill . With these simple facts presented, it’s almost unfathomable to believe that Metallica has “never toured or played” with Testament, but according to Billy, it’s 100 percent true. “The band that we’ve always looked up to is Metallica,” reveals Billy. “From day one the songwriting, the aggression of the music, the vibe and what they stood for has always been an iconic goal for us to try and reach. Unfortunately, we’ve never gotten to perform with Metallica. So hopefully one day they look down and say, ‘They’ve come to our shows in the Bay Area, but we’ve never toured with them or played with them before.’ Maybe one day we will get our dream met and we’ll be able to play some shows and share a stage with them. They’ve always been one of those bands we’ve looked up to. I’ve always looked up to James [Hetfield] as a songwriter and a performer.” We can declare with a deep sense of certainty that there is no thrash fanatic out there who would miss a Metallica / Testament tour, so we issue this challenge to Metallica; once you’re finished writing and recording the new album, we call upon you to draft Testament for your next world tour! Who agrees with us? Let your voices be heard in the comments section below. Stay tuned for our full interview with Testament’s Chuck Billy. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/testament-overkill-more-to-embark-on-2013-dark-roots-of-thrash-tour/” title=”Testament + Overkill 2013 Tour Dates” align=”center”]
Ethan Miller, Getty Images The recent exit of Three Days Grace singer Adam Gontier from the group shocked many in the music industry, but probably no one more than the rest of his bandmates. After offering a very brief statement on Gontier’s exit and revealing that My Darkest Days frontman Matt Walst would be filling in on their upcoming tour with Shinedown, more and more details have begun to leak out. Initially it was stated that a “health issue” was part of the reason for Gontier’s sudden exit , but the vocalist later told fans that he had not suffered a relapse in his sobriety and that he had decided the time had come to “evolve on his own terms.” For their part, Three Days Grace issued another statement after the initial posting stating that they were shocked to hear the news, but were committed to their tour and still felt a passion for what they were doing. Not soon after his exit, it was revealed that Gontier was planning a solo show at a New York City benefit on Jan. 17, which raised a few more eyebrows. Having some time to deal with the aftermath of Gontier’s exit, the group has decided to let fans in on the timeline of the singer’s departure and today (Jan. 16) offered a Facebook posting with more intimate details about the split. It reads as follows: It had been our desire to keep an internal band matter just that, internal. However, after public statements by Adam we feel the need to give our fans the facts. Here’s the exact timeline of events over the past few weeks. On December 21, 2012, Neil and Brad (via email), our manager and business manager (via federal express) received a letter from Adam’s lawyer stating, “Please be advised effective immediately Adam is terminating his involvement with the band Three Days Grace. Adam has been wrestling with a health issue, outlined in the attached letter (a doctor’s letter dated December 14), which would have precluded him from touring with the band in 2013 and he wants the group to continue moving forward as they see fit while not holding them back.” As you can imagine, this came as a complete shock to us. We had just played a series of shows in Hartford and Peterborough the preceding week with no mention from Adam of any health issues or that this resignation letter was coming. We had no idea then that the December 15th Hartford show (which we played one day after the date of the doctor’s note attached to Adam’s lawyer’s letter) would be our final show with Adam as lead singer. After receiving Adam’s lawyer’s letter, Brad sent Adam a text offering to get together to make sure that Adam’s decision was in fact the decision he wanted to make, a final decision, and to talk through any issues. As Brad said, “It would suck to end a twenty year relationship through a lawyer.” Brad’s invitation was declined by Adam via a text stating, “My decision is 100%. My relationship with Three Days Grace is over.” We were then surprised to learn that even though we were told on December 21st that Adam was not able to tour with the band due to health concerns, he apparently planned on participating in a show on January 17 in New York City, as a solo artist. How would you feel if you were in our shoes? Someone you had known for 20 years, whom you had grown up with, gone through ups and downs with, shared dreams with, ends that relationship as if you had known him for a single day with a letter from a lawyer. With a new album and new tour about to begin, and music that everyone in the band is proud to play and promote, we were quickly left to come up with a way to continue what we started. We had a tour for “Transit of Venus” scheduled to start in a month, and we felt we owed it to our fans and ourselves to go through with it. As we have said before, our fans are the best. You have stood with us through good times and bad times and you are the reason we do what we do. We appreciate more than we can say in words the support we have received during this time. This is not about choosing sides or deciding who’s right or who’s wrong. This is about being honest with you. Adam has made his choice and we wish him well. We care about our band, and we care about honouring our commitments to you, the fans. Three Days Grace has never been about one single band member and it never will be. After touring is complete, we will move forward. In what shape and form, that is yet to be determined. What we can tell you is that and are excited to rock live and we can’t wait to see you all on the road. Given the new information from the band, now how would you vote in our recent Readers Poll about the Three Days Grace singer situation? Voice your opinion by clicking on the red button below: [button href=”http://loudwire.com/three-days-grace-singer-swap-readers-poll/” title=”Vote in the Three Days Grace Singer Swap Readers Poll” align=”center”]
Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com (3) – Congrats to all of the victors of the fan-voted 2012 Loudwire Music Awards. Click through the list of winners, starting here: [ Loudwire ] – Shinedown ‘s Brent Smith says a hurtful comment from Kathie Lee Gifford helped spark his desire to lose weight. [ Loudwire ] – Buckcherry lead us into temptation with the debut of their ‘Gluttony’ video. [ Loudwire ] – Listen to an exclusive stream of Voivod ‘s new ‘Target Earth’ album here: [ Loudwire ] – January may be only midway through, but check out what’s on the horizon with our list of February’s new album releases here: [ Loudwire ] – Thom Yorke has created a new mixtape filled with unreleased solo material and remixes of Radiohead and Atoms for Peace tunes. [ Diffuser.fm ] – One of Pussy Riot ‘s members has been denied in her appeal to defer her jail sentence to be with her young child. [ Diffuser.fm ] – Great White ‘s Jack Russell will mark the tenth anniversary of the tragic concert fire at The Station with a memorial concert. [ Ultimate Classic Rock ] – Phil Lesh and Gov’t Mule will headline the 2013 Mountain Jam Festival. [ Ultimate Classic Rock ]
Liz Ramanand, Loudwire No doubt Machine Head have had massive amounts of success with their 2011 album ‘Locust,’ but now they are starting to plot out their next disc. On Machine Head’s official site , frontman Robb Flynn connects with his fans through his entries called ‘The General Journals: Diary of a Frontman…and other Ramblings” and in his latest journal entry, titled ‘Where Do We Go Now…?,’ Flynn mentions plans for the band to write new material “this week or next.” Even though the frontman doesn’t give any specifics, he does hint that the new songs may not be the long anthems we heard on ‘Locust.’ “No one has really sat down and discussed where we’d like to go in depth, but we have talked about shorter songs (LOL). The last Ten Ton Hammer show we did in London really got us thinking about cool, short songs.” He goes on to talk about some material he has received from guitarists Phill Demmel and drummer Dave McClain. “Phil has told me he has some riffs, McClain e-mailed some cool riffs, I have some pretty awesome riffs tuned down to F that I’m stoked on… so, who knows where it’s all going yet, but it’s definitely starting to bubble. Can’t really tell where it’s all gonna end up, you can’t really plan that out, but that’s some of what we’ve been bouncing around.” Flynn went on to talk about Machine Head becoming free agents as they wrapped up their recording contract with their long time label Roadrunner Records . “It’s an exciting time for us right now, the world is our oyster and we can dictate a lot of fair terms in exchange for our art. There’s been a lot of talk as to what we should and/or shouldn’t do; the music business has changed dramatically since the last deal we signed for ‘Through the Ashes’ back in 2003 (let alone our first deal in 1993), and what we’re looking for in a deal here in 2013 is different.” To read the full post from Robb Flynn’s ‘The General Journals: Diray of a Frontman…and other Ramblings’ go here . [button href=”http://loudwire.com/machine-head-metal-video-of-the-year-2012-loudwire-music-awards/” title=”Next: Machine Head Win Metal Video of the Year in Loudwire 2012 Music Awards” align=”center”]