Megaforce Breaking news from the legendary thrash metallers of Anthrax . Lead guitarist Rob Caggiano has left the band to focus on production work. Having joined Anthrax in 2001, Caggiano stuck with the New York thrash band until the group’s ‘Among the Living’ lineup reunited in 2005. However, Caggiano was brought back in 2007, remaining as Anthrax’s lead guitarist until now. The announcement comes as a big surprise, as Anthrax have been experiencing their greatest success in years on the heels of their critically acclaimed 2011 album, ‘Worship Music,’ which just yielded a Grammy nomination for the track ‘I’m Alive.’ Caggiano explains his departure in statement just released by the guitarist himself: I’m extremely proud of my time in Anthrax. Actually, that’s an understatement! We accomplished so many great things together over the years and I shared some of the best times of my life with these guys. As a band, we also weathered quite a few storms along the way. It’s been a wild ride (to say the least) from Day One and I wouldn’t change one single thing about the last 12 years. This is an extremely difficult and emotional decision for me to make but my heart is just steering me in a different direction right now. I’ve always been one to follow my heart in everything that I do and while this might be one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make, it feels like the right one for me at this time. Scott, Charlie, Joey, Frankie (and John Bush) will always be part of my family and this decision doesn’t change the way I feel about that in the slightest. I would also like to say thanks to all the amazing fans I’ve met and hung out with worldwide over the years. You guys always were and always will be the reason why I make music! In this day and age, being a musician isn’t always easy -also an understatement- but the fans truly make it worthwhile for me. I hope to see each and every one of you again really soon. The fact that Anthrax is at the top of their game right now and totally ‘out for blood’ after all these years is a testament to this band’s longevity and conviction! I’m truly honored to have been a part of their brilliant legacy. As for this future, the former Anthrax shredder will continue his career as an in-studio producer: I can’t wait to get back in the recording studio again! Over the years, I’ve been blessed with the privilege of working with a wide range of great bands/artists from Anthrax and Cradle of Filth all the way to Bruce Springsteen, and I look forward to a hopeful continuation of that side of my career while I figure out my next move as an artist. BTW in case anyone was wondering after reading all of this, I do FULLY intend to get back out there on the road very soon in some way shape or form….it’s in my blood! Anthrax have also released their own statement, wishing their friend the best on his new path: Rob has been an integral part of Anthrax for so many years, as our lead guitarist, in a production capacity, but most of all, as our close friend. His contributions to the band have been enormous. While we are sad that he is leaving, we wish him nothing but great success going forward, and hope to share the stage with him again sometime down the road. With the Metal Alliance Tour on the horizon, we have been considering several lead guitarist options, and will be making an announcement on that shortly. Stay tuned for Anthrax’s decision on who will replace Caggiano on lead guitar for the 2013 Metal Alliance tour, along with Caggiano’s future plans as a producer. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/dates-revealed-2013-metal-alliance-tour-anthrax-exodus-municipal-waste/” title=”Anthrax – 2013 Metal Alliance Tour Dates” align=”center”]
Simone Joyner, Getty Images Bring Me the Horizon continue to evolve with each album and the band is ready to kick off 2013 by showing a bit of their musical growth with the new song ‘Shadow Moses.’ The group debuted the track Friday (Jan. 4) on BBC Radio 1, giving fans their first taste of the forthcoming album, ‘ Sempiternal .’ The song provides a haunting opening before kicking in with singer Oli Sykes delivering the key line, “ Can you tell from the look in our eyes / We’re going nowhere / We live our lives and we’re ready to die / We’re going nowhere .” The “ We’re going nowhere ” line has already worked masterfully as an audience call-and-response in the band’s recent live performances. In addition, the group has managed to work in the album title into the tune, with Sykes screaming on a couple of occasions, “ This is sempiternal .” For those wondering what the title means, it’s definition is “eternal and unchanging” or “everlasting,” thus making the concept of “going nowhere” in the track a rather dreary thought. Along with the brutal subject matter, the song comes with the requisite force, aggression and driving guitar work that one would expect from Bring Me the Horizon, along with a chorus that’s incredibly infectious. Sykes recently said of the band’s forthcoming disc, “I’ve never been so confident about an album. It makes our last record just sound s—. We’re doing stuff we could never dreamed of doing before.” A firm release date for the ‘Sempiternal’ album has not been revealed, but given the fact that the song has now debuted, an early 2013 street date is likely to follow. To listen to ‘Shadow Moses,’ click on the button below and drag the player to the 2:12:02 mark: [button href=”http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/player/b01pfb5f” title=”Listen to Bring Me the Horizon’s ‘Shadow Moses’ (at 2:12:02 mark)” align=”center”] ?
Karl Walter, Getty Images When he’s not on the road touring, Iron Maiden ‘s Bruce Dickinson is running his Wales-based business Cardiff Aviation, Ltd. , an aircraft maintenance company he launched last year. Now, Dickinson is starting the new year with a solid base for his new operation with hopes for a prosperous future. When he first announced the business, Dickinson had speculated that it could bring in hundreds of jobs to the local community. In a new interview with the Wall Street Journal , Dickinson reveals that his fledgling operation currently employs 40 people, but expects to expand to between 100-125 employees by next summer. “That’s not bad,” says the singer, who admits that even he deals with “the wonderful world of practicality.” However, even with the expected growth, there is an incredible amount of patience and the ability to temper expectations needed to run the business. The vocalist explains, “Clearly aviation is a highly regulated industry, and it does take time for the wheels to grind.” Dickinson says it is somewhat frustrating knowing that they have some resources to push forward, but must wait on the red tape before proceeding. He adds, “[We have] 5 million dollars worth of heavy engineering machinery … We have enough stuff in our hanger to build an airliner, let alone maintain it.” However, first there are a number of certifications that need to happen. However, Dickinson is confident in his future and says he feels he has the two key attributes needed to succeed. He explains, “You’ve got to have a vision, but you’ve also got to have common sense.” Years of trial and error have also helped. He recalls one of his first ever enterprises, dating back to his youth. “One of my earliest ventures was when I was 9 years old. I realized there was a shortage of pencils at school, so I started Rent-a-Pencil,” recalls Dickinson. “But I made a fundamental mistake. Everybody stole my pencils.” [button href=”http://loudwire.com/iron-maidens-bruce-dickinson-offers-start-up-business-advice/” title=”Next: Bruce Dickinson Offers Start-Up Business Advice” align=”center”]
Gareth Cattermole, Getty Images Pearl Jam are taking their time finishing their next album, but singer Eddie Vedder is confident that it will come together in due time and will be as much of a “band” record as they’ve done. The frontman tells Rolling Stone , “[We’re] maybe halfway there. We’re taking our time. I was talking to Jeff [Ament] today. We were texting. He’s got his group up there. He’s heading to the West Coast. I’m heading east. And we’re out here like, you know, like Johnny Appleseed. He’s covering part of the country. I’m doing the other. And at some point, we’ll join forces again for sure, but the band is as healthy as ever and I’m sure it’s good to get a little break from each other … We’ll be ready to go when we’re ready to go.” Speaking about the band health, Vedder added that they’re perhaps more of a cohesive unit than ever when it comes to releasing their music as a whole functioning outfit. He explains, “We really work together as a unit these days. It’s really the compilation of all the parts. It’s not like one guy trying to tell everybody, ‘These are my songs. This is what it should sound like.’ We’ve figured out after all these years that if everybody just puts their stamp on it, then it sounds like how we want it to. Then it sounds new, cause everyone is growing, you know. Everyone is growing after all these years.” Until Pearl Jam regroup, Ament will continue promoting his other band, RNDM, which features singer/songwriter Joseph Arthur and drummer Richard Stuverud. Meanwhile, guitarist Stone Gossard has European shows booked with his other band Brad in February. Vedder’s solo song ‘Satellite’ can be heard on the ‘West of Memphis: Voices for Justice’ soundtrack. To read more about Vedder’s support of the West Memphis Three, check out Rolling Stone’s article here . [button href=”http://loudwire.com/eddie-vedder-tom-morello-2013-musicares-event-honoring-bruce-springsteen/” title=”Next: Eddie Vedder to Honor Bruce Springsteen at 2013 MusiCares Tribute” align=”center”]
Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com The numbers are in for the highest grossing touring acts of 2012, and there are a few surprises peppered into the list. What isn’t surprising, however, is that Metallica were the biggest draw of any hard rock act in 2012, followed closely by bands such as Red Hot Chili Peppers and Nickelback . Metallica amassed a tremendous amount of wealth from their live performances in 2012, even though they didn’t tour very extensively throughout the year. With only 30 shows performed last year, including their very own Orion Festival in Atlantic City in N.J., Metallica managed to rake in $86.1 million from ticket sales. Overall, Metallica came in at No. 8 on the list of highest grossing touring acts. Red Hot Chili Peppers toured a bit more extensively in 2012, performing a total of 77 shows and gaining a total gross of $57.8 million for their efforts. Nickelback also made a killing from their live performances. Don’t jump out of your seats, Nickelback haters, but the Canadian rock band acquired $43.6 million from their 81 live performances. Think of it this way: At least they made more than Justin Bieber did last year. We’d tell you how much the pop singer made, but if you laid your eyes on that number, you’d probably smash your computer. Other top draws of 2012 include Paul McCartney ($56.9 million), the Black Keys ($38.1 million) and German heavy metal veterans Scorpions, who made $32.7 million last year. The top grossing act of the year was Madonna with an astonishing $296 million. Check out the full list of 2012′s highest-grossing musical acts at Pollstarpro.com . In other Metallica news, the band were given some new certifications from the RIAA to start the new year, with their 1991 self-titled disc (aka the Black Album) hitting 16-times platinum and ‘Ride the Lightning’ attaining 6-times platinum status. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/best-metallica-songs/” title=”10 Best Metallica Songs” align=”center”]
Photo by Matthew Rodgers Anthrax have just released a triumphant and in-depth video about their road from nearly calling it quits to gaining a Grammy nomination for ‘I’m Alive.’ The New York thrash masters have completed an incredible journey in the past few years, and according to the video, we all owe Lars Ulrich of Metallica a great debt. The introspective video begins with the story of how the very first ‘Big 4′ show was finally concocted. The video begins: “April 3, 2009: Challenges have brought Anthrax to the brink of an uncertain future… Charlie Benante , Scott Ian and Lars Ulrich are having a drink at a Cleveland bar just prior to Metallica’s being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Lars suggests the idea of The Big 4: Metallica, Slayer , Megadeth and Anthrax in concert. It’s just the kick in the ass that Charlie and Scott need…” From there onward, the video documents vocalist Joey Belladonna rejoining the band on May 10, 2010, the recording of ‘Worship Music,’ the various ‘Big 4′ shows that were performed, the declaration of ‘Anthrax Day’ in the Bronx and even the fact that Anthrax became the first metal band in history to have their music played on Mars. Anthrax are now enjoying one of the peaks of their career and are now awaiting the 55th Annual Grammy Awards, where they will face formidable competition in the Best Hard Rock / Metal Performance category . Check out the story of Anthrax’s resurgence in the video below. Anthrax ‘I’m Alive’ Grammy Nomination Video
Ethan Miller, Getty Images For a band like Rise Against , the creative process is always ongoing, but frontman Tim McIlrath says that it may actually be a little while before we hear from them again. The singer tells Rolling Stone that the group wants to “recharge” a bit before starting in on a new record. “We always have new ideas floating around, we always have new songs and new ideas,” says McIlrath. “[But] we’re kind of focusing on recharging our batteries right now. We’ve been a band for 12 years. We’ve been hitting it hard and looking at this band like a marathon, not a sprint. We realize we need to invest time in our music and our songs, as well as invest time into ourselves, our lives, so I think for the next few months, that’s what we’ll be doing.” McIlrath says getting away from the touring life for a while and getting back to normal surroundings will give them a better perspective when it comes time to write again. The vocalist also stated that while they are known for hard-hitting anthemic rock songs, he’s anxious to explore a softer side. That was partly inspired by their cover of Bob Dylan ‘s ‘The Ballad of Hollis Brown’ for the Amnesty International ‘Chimes of Freedom’ compilation. He explains, “It was something we hadn’t done before and I think we all walked away from the studio experience saying, ‘When we come back here, we need to tap into some of the things that we tapped into in this Bob Dylan cover. We took our foot off the gas a little bit, allowed the guitar tones to come out a little more, played things more deliberate instead of as fast as a speeding train, and we realized this could still be heavy.” For more from the interview with Tim McIlrath, visit RollingStone.com . [button href=”http://loudwire.com/rise-against-savior-top-21st-century-hard-rock-songs/” title=”Next: Rise Against – Top 21st Century Hard Rock Songs” align=”center”]