Blackened Recordings Metallica have just revealed the beginning of a new era in their history. Not only has the band launched their own record label, Blackened Recordings, but as of today, all of Metallica’s master recordings have reverted back to the band, giving them full ownership of their entire catalog. All the way back in 1994, Metallica made a deal with Warner Music Group that on Nov. 30, 2012, the band would exclusively own all of their recordings, including all their music videos and long form videos. According to statements from various band members, there is no ill will against Warner, the move is simply to possess full creative control of what happens with the music of Metallica from here forth. “We would like to thank everyone at the Warner Music Group for 28 years of a fantastic relationship, particularly since 1994 where we truly felt we had partners in every aspect of our business in North America,” says James Hetfield . Blackened Recordings will now be the home of everything Metallica, and will handle all marketing and promotion duties. The label is set to personally license their releases to Universal Music Group internationally. “It’s always been about control for us as a band,” says drummer Lars Ulrich . “Forming Blackened Recordings is the ultimate in independence, giving us 100% control and putting us in the driver’s seat of our own creative destiny.” Blackened Recordings will put out it’s inaugural release, the ‘ Quebec Magnetic ‘ DVD, on Dec. 10, which showcases footage from two Quebec City live performances recorded in 2009. [button href=”http://ultimatemetallica.com/” title=”See All the Latest Metallica News Here” align=”center”]
Nuclear Blast New York death metal legends Suffocation have just unveiled the release date and album art for their upcoming full-length album, ‘Pinnacle of Bedlam.’ Metal’s most brutal band is surely planning to turn your brain into a useless paste with their seventh full-length, which will see the light of day on Feb. 15. ‘Pinnacle of Bedlam’ will feature the drumming of Dave Culross, who pummeled the kit on Suffocation’s masterful 1998 EP, ‘Despise the Sun.’ The band recently had a falling out with longtime drummer Mike Smith, who took shots at his former band mates, citing grudges he holds against two unnamed, founding members of the band. Despite the drama, Suffocation bassist Derek Boyer praised the drumming that Culross brought to ‘Pinnacle of Bedlam.’ “The drum tracking came out amazing! Dave Culross killed it!” Boyer states in a press release. The bassist also spoke about the captivating artwork for the forthcoming record. “This artwork is a perfect portrayal of our music. The cover depicts lyrical content like “ Scales tip in degradation ” and “ Hooded messenger of death is now set forth, punishment for all .” Raymond is an absolute BEAST of an artist!” Suffocation shredder Terrance Hobbs offers his interpretation of the album’s title, along with what fans should expect from the record. “The meaning of the album title ‘Pinnacle of Bedlam’ is the tipping point or most elevated moment as we approach the chaotic climax of this existence,” added guitarist Terrance Hobbs. “The cosmic scale teeters and the fate of humanity hangs in the balance. People should expect nothing less than sheer brutality, as we perform together with this incredible line up! We feel this CD will be the best Suffocation album ever to have been released and are confident the fans will love it.” As you’re waiting for the Feb. 15 release for ‘Pinnacle of Bedlam,’ fill your ears with our picks for the 10 Best Metal Albums of 2012: [button href=”http://loudwire.com/best-metal-albums-of-2012/” title=”See the 10 Best Metal Albums of 2012″ align=”center”]
Michael Scott Slosar, Wind-Up Records Oklahoma-based rockers Aranda unleashed their latest full-length album, ‘Stop the World,’ earlier this year. After touring with bands like Theory of a Deadman and Hinder and playing major summer fests, the guys are as busy as ever after inking a deal with Wind-up Records. Now, Aranda are premiering behind-the-scenes footage from their recent photo shoot exclusively on Loudwire (watch below). Aranda feature brothers Dameon and Gabe Aranda, who have been writing and playing music together since they were young lads. The two recently released their latest single, ‘One More Lie,’ and it’s already starting to climb the Active Rock songs chart. Aranda recorded ‘Stop the World’ with Chicago-based producer Johnny K, and earlier this year, Gabe told Loudwire it was a killer experience. “First of all, the facility he’s got is pretty amazing. It’s like an old six-story building so the ambiance there is just really cool, from a creative perspective it’s something else to draw from even if it’s subconsciously,” he said. “Johnny himself, I mean his work speaks for itself, the accolades that he has. “With us it was primarily more about honing us in on something real direct, stylistically we tend to be all over the place so on this record we tried to do something a little more straight ahead rock and stick with those roots. Overall, it really benefited us to work with him.” Pick up Aranda’s ‘Stop the World’ at iTunes , and check out video of their photo shoot below: Watch Behind-the-Scenes Footage from Aranda’s Recent Photo Shoot
Junko Kimura, Getty Images Back in May, the day before Adam ‘MCA’ Yauch tragically passed away, a lawsuit was filed against the Beastie Boys , accusing them of illegally sampling music on 1986′s ‘License to Ill’ and 1989′s ‘Paul’s Boutique.’ The group’s lawyers responded this week, asking the suit to be dismissed. According to the Hollywood Reporter , TufAmerica claims samples of songs from the group Trouble Funk were used by the Beastie Boys on several songs. So why did the label wait so long to file the suit? Technology has advanced since the ’80s, allowing for more sophisticated analysis of where samples originated. According to the complaint, TufAmerica says the samples were “effectively concealed” to “the casual listener” and that they were discovered “[o]nly after conducting a careful audio analysis.” The Beastie Boys responded by saying that shows that their work is different than the songs they are accused of sampling, “Because Plaintiff admits that the casual observer cannot identify Plaintiff’s musical compositions and sound recordings… there can be no substantial similarity.” That’s a lot of legalese, but the bottom line in layman’s terms is the record label says the Beastie Boys used their songs without permission or payment, while the band says the samples were not recognizable, so you don’t have a claim. The judge will respond to the band’s request to dismiss the suit, although a timetable wasn’t given. The Beastie Boys’ legal team has been busy lately. The band and the estate of Yauch recently sued Monster Energy for the unauthorized use of their music in a recent promotional campaign. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/10-beastie-boys-songs-that-rock/” title=”Next: 10 Beastie Boys Songs That Rock” align=”center”]
The History Channel Want to town a piece of Guns N’ Roses history? All you’ve got to do is track down this dude who has Slash ‘s driver’s license. Yep, some guy has Slash’s driver’s license, and the man claims it was given to him by a friend of his, whose girlfriend had been a longtime bartender at a joint where the classic Guns lineup used to go get sloshed. Featured on an episode of the History Channel reality show ‘Pawn Stars,’ a man named Travis entered Las Vegas’ ‘Gold & Silver Pawn Shop’ in search for some big bucks in exchange for Slash’s license. When asked exactly how he came to possess the driver’s license of Saul ‘Slash’ Hudson, Travis has quite a story to tell. “A good buddy of mine actually had it years ago,” begins Travis. “He got it from his girlfriend, who was a bartender, and she ended up being there serving these guys all long long. And the whole group were trying to get her to flash for ‘em. So she did, she flashed one, and he threw it on the bar. I took it when I was about 18 and used it for my fake ID until I was 21.” So how much is Slash’s legitimate driver’s license worth? According to Travis, the rare item is worth $50,000 … but the man’s projection was shot down by shop employee Austin ‘Chumlee’ Russell and the store’s owner Rick Harrison, who only offered Travis $1,000 for the license. “If [Slash’s] driver license was worth 50 grand, I guarantee you he would be losing his license once a month and showing up at DMV, ‘Ah, sorry, guys, I lost it again,’” Harrison remarks. “‘Cause he would be selling that many.” Travis refused to accept any less than $15,000 for the license, so no deal was made on the show. Check out the full episode of ‘Pawn Stars’ by clicking the button below. Skip ahead to the 8:40 mark to see the Slash drivers license negotiation in full! [button href=”http://www.history.com/shows/pawn-stars/videos/pawn-stars-sweet-pawn-of-mine” title=”Slash’s Drivers License Makes an Appearance on ‘Pawn Stars'” align=”center”]
Jeff Gross, Getty Images The members of Black Sabbath may not be the rock miscreants they were in their 20s, but Ozzy Osbourne is fine with that, as it’s brought the group back to what initially mattered to them in the first place — the music. Osbourne spoke with the New Zealand Herald about the differences between the Sabbath of old and what’s happening now and how age has brought some perspective. The vocalist says, “What’s different now is that none of us get drunk or stoned or any of that stuff. We’re all clean and all in control of ourselves. We’re not intimidated by each other. There are no arguments, and it’s the way [that] it should be. But when we were kids, we had egos. When you’re 21 and you get some success it takes a while to get your head around it.” Osbourne explains that the egos, the spoils of success, the alcohol and drugs, the groupies and everything else that comes with being in a successful rock band is hard enough for just one person to deal with, but having survived all that, he’s happy to be rocking again with his longtime friends. “We’ve done it all,” says Osbourne. “So what it boils down to now is the music — and that’s what got us where we are in the first place. We have come through the other side, we’re still able to work together, and that’s where the enjoyment comes from. It’s been a lot of fun making this record.” The singer says, “It’s been more than 30 years since I really worked seriously with the guys. We had a try a few years back but nothing really came of it. But for some reason the timing is right and we’ve done about 15 songs.” At present, the band is eying an April 2013 release for their new studio album. Osbourne concludes, “Black Sabbath is very unique in the respect that nothing is formulated. It’s very unpredictable. I just hope the people who have waited all these years aren’t disappointed.” [button href=”http://loudwire.com/black-sabbath-continue-recording-new-album-reveal-vinyl-box-set-details/” title=”Next: Black Sabbath Detail Vinyl Box Set” align=”center”]
Hatebreed ‘s new album, ‘ The Divinity of Purpose ,’ will be released Jan. 25 in Europe and Jan. 29 in the United States, and now the band has announced a headlining U.S. tour kicking off in late January. Joining Hatebreed on the 2013 trek that kicks off Jan. 26 in Flint, Mich., are Shadows Fall , Dying Fetus and the Contortionist . VIP packages and pre-sale tickets will be available tomorrow (Nov. 29) beginning at 1PM ET at this location . Hatebreed guitarist Frank Novinec says, “Don’t miss our first tour in support of our new album ‘The Divinity of Purpose.’ A variety of songs from our 6+ album career (new and old) and our trademark different set lists every night is what everyone can expect.” The Feb. 1 show in Los Angeles will be a special record release signing and concert event. Tickets purchased for the show at the Roxy will include a copy of ‘The Divinity of Purpose’ along with access to a special meet n’ greet/signing with the band which will take place at 5PM at Soundcheck Hollywood (located at 8872 West Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles). Before kicking off the North American tour next January, Hatebreed will play two Stillborn Fest shows in December then head to Europe in January 2013 where they will headline the EMP Persistence Tour. Hatebreed, Shadows Fall, Dying Fetus and the Contortionist Tour Dates 1/26/13 – Flint, Mich. – Machine Shop 1/27/13 – Joilet, Ill. – Mojoes 1/28/13 – Omaha, Neb. – Sokol Auditorium 1/30/13 – Grand Junction, Colo. – Mesa Theater 1/31/13 – Flagstaff, Ariz. – Orpheum Theater 2/1/13 – Los Angeles, Calif. – Roxy 2/2/13 – Chico, Calif. – Senator Theater 2/3/13 – Reno, Nev. – Knitting Factory 2/5/13 – Colorado Springs, Colo. – Black Sheep 2/6/13 – Wichita, Kan. – Cotillion 2/7/13 – Sauget, Ill. – Pop’s 2/8/13 – Lexington, Ky. – Busters 2/9/13 – Nashville, Tenn. – Marathon Music Works 2/11/13 – Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. – Revolution 2/12/13 – Jacksonville, Fla. – Freebird Live 2/13/13 – Jacksonville, N.C. – Hooligans 2/14/13 – West Springfield, Va. – Empire 2/15/13 – Allentown, Pa. – Crocodile Rock 2/16/13 – Syracuse, N.Y. – Westcott Theater 2/17/13 – Amityville, N.Y. – Revolution