Ethan Miller, Getty Images / Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com Art of Dying are digging deeper into their ‘Vices and Virtues’ album by issuing a new lyric video for ‘Raining’ off their breakout disc. The track holds a special place for the band as it features a guest turn from former Three Days Grace vocalist Adam Gontier , and the band has decided to dedicate the release to Gontier and his former group. ‘Raining’ follows the prior ‘Vices and Virtues’ singles ‘Die Trying,’ ‘Get Thru This’ and ‘Sorry.’ In a mailing to fans, Art of Dying discussed the decision to make the dedication and why just beyond Gontier’s guest appearance that they chose to salute the whole band. The statement reads as follows: In light of Adam’s departure from the band last week, we are dedicating this lyric video to Adam, Brad, Neil, Barry and all of the Three Days Grace fans around the world. They have moved us with their music and we wish all of them the best on their new musical path’s and life journeys.??The story behind the recording: As many of you know Cale and Adam are cousins, and grew up together in Ontario. Adam was kind enough to sing the second verse and do some harmonies with us in the studio. It’s been such an honour having Adam on our record and learning from his unique style and benevolent nature. In a solo posting at the band’s Facebook page , Art of Dying frontman Jonny Hetherington added, “You created powerful music that inspired us in so many ways. Wishing you the best on all of your musical paths and life’s journeys.” Those with a keen eye might also recognize another famous rocker in the video, as Disturbed ‘s David Draiman turns up with a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it appearance. Art of Dying have a close association with Draiman and his Disturbed bandmate Dan Donegan, as the two rockers run Intoxication Records, which signed the group and opened the door to their current success. Watch Art of Dying’s ‘Raining’ Lyric Video [button href=”http://loudwire.com/art-of-dying-welcome-fan-involvement-for-acoustic-sorry-video/” title=”Next: Watch Art of Dying’s Fan-Generated ‘Sorry’ Video” 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”]
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”]
AOL Buckcherry have been singing about excess with their new single, ‘Gluttony,’ and now they’re sharing a visual representation of the sin with their latest music video. The band recently shot the clip at a church in North Hollywood, Calif., with actor-turned-director Billy Jayne overseeing the shoot. The video finds Josh Todd and the band leading the congregation toward temptation. Guitarist Keith Nelson says of Jayne’s contribution, “It was really refreshing to see his take on what we’re doing because he totally gets the music, he’s connecting with it, and he’s taking it to a different place than a guy who does videos for a living. We got a guy who actually makes movies and TV shows to put his spin on it and it’s been really positive.” Todd recently told Loudwire about the track, “It’s just about trying to control your behavior. They always say that you have to do everything in moderation and that’s never been my experience. One is okay, two is better, three is fantastic and four is the best. I want to consume everything. I want to go big or go home. I’m either on 11 or I’m asleep.” The vocalist also tells Noisecreep , who premiered the clip, “Because the record is called ‘ Confessions ,’ we filmed the video in a church. We got Jesus down here — which is killer — and we got a lot of our fans in it, which is amazing. They came out on their own time and have really put a lot of sweat equity, so thank you to them.” In the video itself, the full congregation seem to be giving in to excess, while one member remains to fight temptation, only to have both Todd and Jesus bending his ear throughout the clip. The ‘Confessions’ album is due in stores Feb. 19, but fans may pre-order the disc right here . Buckcherry have tour dates booked with Kid Rock that were scheduled through early March, but a second leg has just been added, with the trek now extended into April. Check out the full itinerary below the video. Watch Buckcherry’s ‘Gluttony’ Video [via Noisecreep] ? ? Kid Rock / Buckcherry / Hellbound Glory 2013 Tour: 2/2 — Kansas City, Mo. — Sprint Center 2/5 — Springfield, Mo. — JQH Arena 2/7 — Beaumont, Texas — Ford Park Event Center 2/9 — Tulsa, Okla. — BOK Center 2/10 — Wichita, Kan. — INTRUST Bank Arena 2/13 — Bossier City, La. — CenturyLink Center 2/15 — Nashville, Tenn. — Bridgestone Arena 2/16 — Greenville, S.C. — Bi-Lo Center 2/18 — Fort Myers, Fla. — Germain Arena 2/20 — Pensacola, Fla. — Pensacola Civic Center 2/21 — New Orleans, La. — New Orleans Arena 2/23 — Birmingham, Ala. — BJCC Arena 2/24 — Huntsville, Ala. — Von Braun Center 2/26 — Greensboro, N.C. — Greensboro Coliseum Complex 2/27 — Knoxville, Tenn. — Knoxville Civic Auditorium 3/1 — Memphis, Tenn. — FedEx Forum 3/2 — Louisville, Ky. — KFC Yum! Center 3/18 — Sioux Falls, S.D. — Sioux Falls Arena 3/20 — Madison, Wis. — Memorial Coliseum At Alliant Energy Center 3/22 — Toledo, Ohio — The Huntington Center 3/23 — Columbus, Ohio — Nationwide Arena 3/25 — Youngstown, Ohio — Covelli Center 3/26 — Ft. Wayne, Ind. — Allen County War Memorial Coliseum 3/28 — Bloomington, Ill. — U.S. Cellular Coliseum 3/29 — Omaha, Neb. — CenturyLink Center 4/1 — Evansville, Ind. — Ford Center 4/3 — Grand Rapids, Mich. — Van Andel Arena 4/5 — Saginaw, Mich. — Dow Event Center 4/6 — Saginaw, Mich. — Dow Event Center [button href=”http://loudwire.com/buckcherry-new-album-confessions-early-2013/” title=”Next: Buckcherry Discuss ‘Confessions’ Album Completion” align=”center”]
Century Media Records Canadian heavy metal veterans Voivod are celebrating their 30th anniversary with a new album set for release on Jan. 22. What’s that? You can’t wait until the 22nd to hear the new record! Settle down, because we’ve got some great news for you; Voivod’s thirteenth studio album, ‘Target Earth,’ is available for streaming in full exclusively here on Loudwire. Voivod were founded in late January 1983, so it’s only right that the Canadian outfit celebrate late January 2013 with a new release. Along with the band’s 30th anniversary, ‘Target Earth’ celebrates Voivod’s debut release on Century Media Records. The label is teaming up with Voivod’s own company, Iron Gang Factory, to distribute the disc. ‘Target Earth’ marks the return of the band’s original bassist, Jean Yves Thériault (Blacky), making the album his first with the band since 1991′s Angel Rat . If you remember, ex-Metallica bassist Jason Newsted was a member of Voivod from 2002 to 2008. In addition, ‘Target Earth’ marks the first album to feature guitarist Dan Mongrain (Chewy), who took over the slot vacated by the late, great Denis D’Amour (Piggy). The lineup is rounded out by original members Denis Belanger (Snake) on vocals and Michel Langevin (Away) on drums. But enough with all these words, check out ‘Target Earth’ in full in the player below. If you dig what you hear, pre-order ‘Target Earth’ in one of its various packages at the Century Media store or at iTunes . Listen to Voivod’s ‘Target Earth’ Album in Full
RCA There is some essential listening about to hit fans on February 2013, and here is a guide of the rock and metal albums you need to check out next month. Welsh metalcore giants Bullet for My Valentine are set to release their fourth studio album, ‘Temper Temper,’ on Feb. 12 … of course right in time for Valentine’s Day. The band ventured all the way to Thailand in order to track the record, purposely taking themselves out of their comfort zone for the writing and recording process. Brutal death metal legends Suffocation will bash your skull in with ‘Pinnacle of Bedlam’ in February with an album that successfully captures the heaviness of their live performance better than any of their past efforts. Maynard James Keenan ‘s Puscifer will also unveil new material in February with the collective’s next eclectic opus ‘Donkey Punch the Night.’ Other releases for Feb. 2013 include The Bronx’s ‘IV,’ Buckcherry ‘s ‘Confessions,’ Shai Hulud’s ‘Reach Beyond the Sun,’ RED ‘s ‘Release the Panic’ and many more. February 2013 Music Releases: Feb. 5: Blind Guardian, ‘A Travelers Guide to Space and Time’ (Box Set) The Bronx, ‘IV’ Deep Purple, ‘Slaves and Masters: The Deluxe Edition’ Misfits, ‘Dead Alive!’ (Live Album) Placebo, ‘Once More With Feeing: Singles 1996-2004′ RED, ‘Release the Panic’ Feb. 12: Bullet For My Valentine, ‘Temper Temper’ Pissed Jeans, ‘Honeys’ Feb. 19: Buckcherry, ‘Confessions’ Misery Index, ‘Live in Munich’ Motorhead, ‘Catch Scratch Fewer’ (Live Recordings) Portal, ‘Vexovoid’ Puscifer, ‘Donkey Punch the Night’ Shai Hulud, ‘Reach Beyond the Sun’ Suffocation, ‘Pinnacle of Bedlam’ Wednesday 13, ‘The Dixie Dead’ Feb. 26: Darkthrone, ‘The Underground Resistance’ Krokus, ‘Dirty Dynamite’ Saxon, ‘Sacrifice’ Stratovarius, ‘Nemesis’
The End Records Funeral for a Friend are ramping up to the release of their sixth studio album, ‘ Conduit ,’ and Loudwire is proud to bring you the exclusive premiere of their new lyric video for the single, ‘The Distance.’ The ‘Conduit’ album finds the band working with producer Romesh Dodangoda and is their first official release with new drummer Pat Lundy. Singer Matthew Davies-Kreye says of the album’s title, “Five people on a stage, a conduit for the message and the music, delivering that to people who want to listen to it, be a part of whatever it is that we’re doing and being involved. It’s purely about delivering the message.” The vocalist says that he enjoys seeing how their music can affect people and how the songs transcend the band and become something more to a lot of people. He adds, “It sounds lofty I know, but that’s how it feels to us when we meet the folks who dig our band and who treat these songs with so much love and respect. It blows our minds constantly.” Will ‘The Distance’ soon be among the songs receiving that respect from fans? The track itself fits right in with the album’s theme. It’s a driving rocker that speaks to making a connection. As for the clip, the words for the song appear over a backdrop of muted colors. Meanwhile, at the top of the screen, a wave-like file is monitoring the intensity of the music. Funeral for a Friend’s ‘Conduit’ album arrives Feb. 5 and can currently be pre-ordered here . Check out the group’s lyric video for ‘The Distance’ below. Watch Funeral for a Friend’s ‘The Distance’ Lyric Video [Exclusive] [button href=”http://loudwire.com/funeral-for-a-friend-part-ways-with-drummer-ryan-richards/” title=”Next: Funeral for a Friend Part Ways With Drummer” align=”center”]