Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Ever since a gruesome bus crash caused the career of Georgian eclectic collective Baroness to come to a screeching halt, the band has been healing in a multitude of ways. Frontman John Baizley severely broke his left arm and leg, drummer Allen Blickle and bassist Matt Maggioni suffered fractured vertebrae, while guitarist Pete Adams was treated for more minor injuries. Despite the horrific pause in the timeline of Baroness, Baizley has written yet another uplifting entry on his health, along with video footage of ‘Stretchmarker’ from their 2012 double album, ‘Yellow & Green,’ played acoustically. Two months after the August bus crash in England, we had the honor to facilitate the very first interview with John Baizley since the accident. Within the hour-long discussion, Baizley opened up about his injuries, the slow recovery process and even how the wreck affected his life as a father. Now, Baizley has released another update, which can be simply described as remarkably inspirational: Simply put: it’s time to get back to it. Since my belated and thankful return to the USA (after our painful test in motor coach-aeronautics) I can definitively say I’ve exhausted my reserve of potential leisure activities (there’s not that many of them, after all). I’ve come dreadfully close to boredom, and in those moments I can’t help but focus on my glaring physical infirmities. Television offers little respite from this relative stasis; I’m sure by now I have sampled every biker-meth-dealer-zombie-low-talking-cop-crime-scene-serial-killer-real-housewife soap opera that is currently being broadcast (and there’s no small number of them). I’ve tried to fill my weekly routine with as much physical therapy as possible but the truth is, PT is not fun, and its benefits come with a great deal of mental/physical/spiritual pain and struggle. Furthermore, I believe I am getting a touch of Stockholm Syndrome when it comes to my doctors and therapists (the highlight of my week should NOT involve a clinic). Music might be the best therapy I have right now. Perhaps it’s both the cause and the cure (the thought has crossed my mind); but I feel lost without it. Pete and I have just spent a long week surveying our musical wreckage and, surprisingly, we are quite well and intact. Sure, there are some substantial obstacles to overcome before we write, record or perform any time soon; but we still have everything we need to get ‘back in’ that particular ’saddle again.’ Most of my peers are familiar with such high-school-gym-teacher poeticisms as ‘risk equals reward’ and ‘no pain, no gain;’ but did any of us every really believe there was any real wisdom in those adolescent platitudes? I didn’t. I am, however, starting to understand the essence of these and many of our other favorite clichés. As odd as it might be for me to write these ‘updates’ after 10 years of personal silence on the internet, I feel that I owe everyone who’s voiced or given their support to Baroness a brief synopsis of our situation and more importantly a heartfelt thanks. Honestly, it has made this ordeal much easier on me. What little publicity that surrounds our crash has given voice to so many people who have shared their own stories of injury, trauma and struggle with us, and has furthered my own faith in the communicative and universal strength of music. As every singer on every stage has nightly said, ‘we wouldn’t be where we are without you.’ Thanks everyone. We look forward to seeing you soon. Here’s a short clip of a song we wrote.” Check out John Baizley and Pete Adams performing an acoustic cover of ‘Stretchmarker.’ Baroness, ‘Stretchmarker’ (Acoustic Jam) [button href=”http://loudwire.com/best-rock-albums-of-2012/” title=”Baroness – Best Rock Albums of 2012″ align=”center”]
Liz Ramanand, Loudwire It was a massive year for The Devil Wears Prada and As I Lay Dying , as both bands played 2012′s extremely successful Mayhem tour over the summer. And now the two acts will continue the momentum with a 2013 co-headlining North American trek dubbed the ‘Marathon Metalcore Tour.’ The Devil Wears Prada will trek around the States and Canada in support of their latest album, 2011′s ‘Dead Throne,’ while As I Lay Dying will be touring behind their sixth studio album, 2012′s ‘Awakened.’ The two bands are no strangers, especially since As I Lay Dying frontman Tim Lambesis was the guest vocalist on the Devil Wears Prada track ‘Constance’ off of ‘Dead Throne.’ Perhaps we will see Lambesis grace the stage with TDWP vocalist Mike Hranica to perform the tune live? For Today will serve as support on all dates except March 7 and 8. The Color Morale will serve as opening act from Feb. 22 – March 7, while the Chariot will join the lineup from March 8 – April 4. This colossal tour kicks off on Feb. 22 in Ventura, Calif., and wraps up April 4 in Colorado Springs, Colo. Check out a full list of dates and cities below. 2013 Dates For Devil Wears Prada and As I Lay Dying: 2/22 Ventura, Calif. Majestic Ventura Theater Half House 2/23 Santa Cruz, Calif. The Catalyst 2/24 Chico, Calif. Senator Theatre 2/26 Reno, Nev. Knitting Factory Concert House 2/27 Las Vegas, Nev. House of Blues 2/28 Los Angeles, Calif. Club Nokia 3/01 San Diego, Calif. Soma 3/02 Tucson, Ariz. Rialto Theatre 3/03 El Paso, Texas Tricky Falls 3/05 Corpus Christi, Texas Concrete Street Amphitheater 3/06 San Antonio, Texas Backstage Live 3/07 Dallas, Texas House of Blues – Dallas 3/08 Lubbock, Texas Lonestar Events Center 3/09 Oklahoma City, Okla. Diamond Ballroom 3/10 Memphis, Tenn. New Daisy Theatre 3/ 12 Nashville, Tenn. Rocketown 3/13 Charlotte, N.C. Amos’ Southend 3/14 Charleston, S.C. The Music Farm 3/15 Norfolk, Va The NorVa 3/16 Silver Spring, Md. The Fillmore 3/17 Hartford, Conn. Webster Theatre 3/19 Allentown, Pa. Crocodile Rock 3/20 Huntington, N.Y. Paramount Theater 3/21 Poughkeepsie, N.Y. The Chance 3/22 Williamsville, N.Y. Club Infinity 3/23 Toronto, Ontario The Sound Academy 3/24 Millvale, Pa. Mr. Smalls Theater 3/25 Millvale, Ps. Mr. Smalls Theater 3/27 Columbus, Ohio Newport Music Hall 3/28 Grand Rapids, Mich. The Intersection 3/29 Milwaukee, Wis. The Rave 3/30 Minneapolis, Minn. First Avenue 4/2 Lawrence, Kan. The Granada Theatre 4/3 Colorado Springs, Colo. Black Sheep 4/4 Colorado Springs, Colo. Black Sheep
Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Japanese metallers Dir En Grey released their latest album ‘Dum Spiro Spero’ in 2011, but vocalist Kyo had throat problems that caused them to cancel a U.S. tour supporting that album earlier this year. However, he has recovered and the band has issued a new single called ‘Rinkaku’ (listen below). The single will be officially released on Wednesday (Dec. 19). It will include ‘Rinkaku,’ a new version of ‘Kiri to Mayu’ (originally released on their 1997 debut EP ‘Missa’) and a remix of ‘Rinkaku’ by Akira Yamaoka, known for his sound design work on the horror game series ‘Silent Hill.’ A couple of other versions will also be available. The limited edition will feature a bonus DVD featuring scenes from the recording of ‘Rinkaku’. There’s also a limited order-only deluxe version that includes the single along with a DVD that has an entire concert that was recorded in November of 2011 in Tokyo along with the behind the scenes footage from the ‘Rinkaku’ recording. In a description on the band’s website, the song is described as a departure for the band in terms of its sound. It reads as follows: “The track is unlike anything you have heard before, almost overturning the band’s musical concept on a new scale, coming in with a range full of depth with Kyo’s vocals that evoke classical elements in this beautiful and intricate melodic track which builds up dramatically with the intertwining guitars and bass.” Dir En Grey are known for their loyal fan base, and have been nominated in the Most Devoted Fans category in the 2012 Loudwire Music Awards . Listen to Dir En Grey – ‘Rinkaku’
Liz Ramanand, Loudwire We’re all used to seeing singer Jamey Jasta tear it up onstage with Hatebreed but the rocker we see in concert is also a prideful Connecticut native and a father of a young daughter. We spoke with Jasta earlier today (Dec. 17) about Hatebreed’s upcoming album, but we also took the opportunity to discuss the tragic elementary school shooting that took place on Friday in Newtown, Conn. Jasta not only offered his feelings about the horrific incident, but also relayed his own personal story of how his day unfolded, since it all happened so close to home for him. “I haven’t even really wrapped my mind around it yet,” Jasta told Loudwire. “I got my nephew off the bus on Friday and I was running around earlier in the day and me and my nephew we usually go get a snack right after school and then we go get my daughter at her school – both schools are about 20-25 minutes from Newtown.” Jasta continued, “When I went into the place where we usually get his snack, there’s a big TV above the register and the guy who we know behind the counter just had his hands over his mouth and he was just staring at the television in shock. I was like, ‘What’s going on?’ and he was like, ‘I don’t know it looks like there was a shooting but they said that a teacher got shot and that the gunman is dead.’” “When we walked out I was like, ‘Wow, that’s disturbing’ and we walked out of there, I got gas, my nephew had asked me what happened and what was on the TV and he’s only five and I said that something bad had happened but we don’t know and we’ll have to see.” Jasta went on to say, “We went to my office and I started getting a couple of frantic calls like, ‘Hey are you near there? Where does your daughter go to school? Hey where do your nieces and nephews go to school? Is Everything okay?’ Then I got a call from someone who was crying and I knew something really bad had happened but I didn’t know the whole story yet.” “I got in my car and turned on the news and headed over to get my daughter and they had locked down the doors at every school in the area. Parents were already lined up early to get their kids out of school and I could see parents in their cars looking very distressed and upset. When the kids got out of school, there were definitely people rushing to hug their kids.” He then proceeded to describe his weekend as follows: “On Saturday, I had to get on a flight – I spent most of Saturday traveling and most of Sunday traveling. I was probably traveling eight to 10 hours each day so that was a little bit of a distraction so this morning when I got up and dropped my daughter off at school and finally got back and turned on the news I saw that funerals had begun and that’s when it really started to set in – the overall tragic, senseless feeling of it all.” Jasta concluded, “ I think today is going to be my day to really wrap my mind around it. I don’t think anybody, whether you’re a child or not – I don’t think anybody deserves to have senseless violence taken out upon them. It’s going to be bigger than just me and my thoughts, hopefully it will start a national conversation to make the kids safer in school.” Stay tuned for our full Jamey Jasta interview, in which he talks about Hatebreed’s upcoming album + more. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/connecticut-school-shooting-rock-musicians-condolences/” title=”Next: Rockers Offer Condolences” align=”center”]
JSR Direct Cannibal Corpse have been delivering death metal to the masses since 1988, which means that 2013 will mark the band’s 25th anniversary. The group just wrapped up their 2012 activity by completing the ‘Torture Tour’ last week and now will focus on celebrating a quarter century as a band next year. In addition to the year-ending ‘Torture Tour,’ the band spent 2012 on the road as part of the Summer Slaughter trek while promoting their ‘Torture’ album. The band’s 12th studio album arrived back in March and they’ll continue promoting the disc into 2013. With the 25th anniversary upon them, the band just issued a Facebook update discussing the newly created merchandise items that will feature logos marking the occasion. The posting reads as follows: Next year marks our 25th year as a band and we are going to celebrate it all year long! Keep an eye out for special releases, new merch designs and announcements! For now you can check out our 25th anniversary logo which will appear as a sleeve print on all our merch printed in 2013, you can pre order shirts with this print NOW along with our 2013 CALENDAR that features the uncensored Vince Locke art from our 12 releases and marks all of our release dates, birthdays, our favorite horror film release dates and more! Everything can be found here . We never would have made it 25 years without all you die hard fans, get your horns up and blast your Corpse records all year! Expect to hear more about Cannibal Corpse’s 2013 25th anniversary plans in the coming weeks. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/cannibal-corpse-paul-mazurkiewicz-discusses-torture-the-evolution-of-the-band-more/” title=”Next: Paul Mazurkiewicz Discuses Cannibal Corpse’s Evolution” align=”center”]
HolyTerrorSpeedMetal.com Former Holy Terror vocalist Keith Deen has passed away at the age of 56. The metal musician was recently diagnosed with cancer and, unfortunately, Deen lost his battle with the disease. Deen lent his talents to the thrash/speed metal band Holy Terror’s 1987 debut full-length, ‘Terror and Submission’ and ‘Mind Wars’ the year after. Shortly after Holy Terror released ‘Mind Wars,’ Deen left the band, leading to the act’s eventual breakup. Guitarist Kurt Cofelt (aka Kurt Kilfelt), who founded Holy Terror after leaving Agent Steel, re-formed Holy Terror in 2005, even releasing the album ‘El Revengo’ in 2006. However, Deen declined Cofelt’s invite to rejoin the group at that time. After learning of Deen’s passing, Cofelt stated, ”With the loss of Keith Deen, a part of me is gone as well.” The webmaster of a Holy Terror fan site posted a memoriam that serves as a touching tribute to Deen: At approximately 7:30 PM on December 15th, 2012 I was informed by my dear friend Chris Carlson from Chicago that Keith Deen of Holy Terror passed away. He had been battling cancer since September of 2012. Like any normal person, it blew through me like a heat wave. My plan was to go for a walk when I got home which was where I was heading when I got Chris’ message about Keith. So, I got home and went for my walk. A permanent piece of real estate on my iTouch is dedicated to Holy Terror as one would expect. So, I queued up the “El Revengo” recordings and hit the pavement. The house I bought last year is in the neighborhood I grew up in and as I walked I started to remember a younger, plump, mullet headed version of myself riding my GT Performer up and down these same streets tossing papers on porches to the same soundtrack I was listening to right now. Sometimes it is good to relive the past, at least to a small degree. On that thought though, I am not a very big fan of nostalgia anymore. But, some things I just can’t deny. Keith Deen fucking ruled. Keith Deen Roared. Keith Deen Screeched. Keith Deen Yelled. Keith Deen Sang. If you listen to Both Terror and Submission & Mind Wars , you will agree that Keith Deen covered pretty much every style of vocal delivery imaginable in just those 2 albums. I often wonder what Holy Terror as a band would have done and created if they had stayed together. The past is the past though, and I know that the guys in the band would say the same thing. So with that I would like to speak directly to Keith….. Keith, Thank You for Roaring at me. Thank You for Screeching at me. Thank You for Yelling at me. Thank You for Singing to me. Thank you for joining Holy Terror all those years ago and giving speed metal a fresh new voice. Thank you for being the co-writer of “The Immoral Wasteland”, my all time favorite song. Thank you Keith, for being who you were. We will meet again my friend, and when that time comes, I am going to buy you a drink and ask if you would be interested in singing in my band…… We’d like to offer our condolences to the family and friends of Keith Deen. To celebrate the life and musical contributions of Deen, check out ‘The Immortal Wasteland’ from the ‘Mind Wars’ album in the player below. Holy Terror, ‘The Immortal Wasteland’ [button href=”http://loudwire.com/mitch-lucker-death-2012/?promo” title=”See the Rockers We’ve Lost in 2012″ align=”center”]
Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Lamb of God vocalist Randy Blythe ‘s decision to take a moment to honor those lost Friday in the tragic Connecticut school shootings did not meet with the reaction he expected, and the rocker turned to his Instagram account to voice his disgust. Blythe reports via his Instagram account that during Lamb of God’s performance Friday night in Medford, Oregon, not everyone in the crowd complied with his request for a 60 second moment of silence, which led to his outrage. He wrote, “I have never been more disgusted with an audience in my life. I wish we hadn’t played. We, Lamb of God, asked for 60 seconds of silence during our first set break to honor the dead children and teachers in Connecticut. It seemed appropriate — it’s a g–damned national tragedy. Most of the crowd complied, but several didn’t, some cursing and even laughing. I wanted to walk off stage. I am so disgusted right now.” He continued, “If you were one of those who wouldn’t shut up for 60 lousy second to honor 20 murdered children, go look in the mirror. You are looking at a piece of s—. Your parents are obviously pieces of s— too, because they raised you to behave with no dignity. To the fans who were respectful, I thank you. I am also sorry you have so many g–damned a–holes in your community. You should do something about that. This s— would not have happened at a Lamb of God show where I live and that is a fact. We have more manners. I am just disgusted — thoroughly disgusted. You yelling people give metal a band name. Screw that. You give humanity a bad name. Grow up. Your parents should have beaten some manners into you, you savage little beasts.” Blythe concluded, “I will go to bed, say a prayer for those suffering, and hope for a better day tomorrow, because tonight sucked.” [button href=”http://loudwire.com/connecticut-school-shooting-rock-musicians-condolences/” title=”Next: Rockers React to the Connecticut School Shootings” align=”center”]