Seven Four Entertainment/Republic It’s been an awfully long time between new albums for Soundgarden , but the band’s comeback disc ‘King Animal’ is almost here — and thanks to iTunes, we can actually hear it a week ahead of its release. While ‘King Animal’ won’t officially arrive in stores until next Tuesday (Nov. 13), iTunes is offering a free stream of the full album now (click on link below). And although it isn’t exactly the complete listening experience — you can’t skip between tracks, and the stream doesn’t provide song titles — it’s still a nice surprise for the fans who have been waiting more than 15 years for a new record from the band. The ‘King Animal’ stream follows months of buildup for the reunion album, starting with the release of the ‘Avengers’ soundtrack anthem ‘ Live to Rise ‘ over the summer, and continuing with teases and streams of an assortment of other tracks, including ‘ Worse Dreams ,’ ‘ Been Away Too Long ,’ and ‘ Non-State Actor ‘ — as well as the announcement of an expanded edition , complete with bonus tracks, that will be available exclusively at Best Buy. In the weeks and months to come, fans also have a North American tour to look forward to — but today, just crank up ‘King Animal’ and see if you agree with frontman Chris Cornell ‘s assertion that Soundgarden’s current creative vibe is “almost like it was in the beginning of the band.” [button href=”http://bit.ly/KingAnimaliTunes” title=”Listen to Soundgarden’s ‘King Animal’ at iTunes” align=”center”] Note: Outside the U.S. and Canada, ‘King Animal’ can be streamed at NME.com . [button href=”http://loudwire.com/best-soundgarden-songs/” title=”10 Best Soundgarden Songs” align=”center”]
Spencer Kaufman, Loudwire / Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com In the wake of last week’s death of Suicide Silence frontman Mitch Lucker in a motorcycle crash, his peers in the metal community are sharing their memories of the late singer. As I Lay Dying frontman Tim Lambesis spoke with Kaaos TV (watch below) about Lucker after a concert in Finland. “Mitch and I have a lot of similarities,” Lambesis said. “We grew up in the same area. We both have the same kind of dogs. He gave me very kind compliments on how when their band first started that I inspired him in some way or another, whether it be this type of stage performance he has or… I would assume more just the energy; the music sounds a bit different.” One of the similarities Lucker shared with Lambesis was the love of riding motorcycles. “I’ve been riding Harleys for four years or so, and Mitch more recently got into riding and started riding more. And again, [that was] another similarity and something we were able to [share]… As friends, it’s good to have those things in common.” “When I get home from this tour, I usually look forward to getting home and getting on my motorcycle and just going for a drive,” Lambesis continued. “I don’t know if I’m gonna really enjoy that the same way, you know?!” Suicide Silence and As I Lay Dying would have been on the road together this fall as part of the 2012 Outbreak Tour , which kicks off Nov. 16 and also features Asking Alexandria, among other acts. A candlelight vigil was held in Lucker’s memory last week in Huntington Beach, Calif. Lucker’s wife Jolie Carmadella says it’s probable the crash was alcohol related. “He was an alcoholic, and it’s been a big battle. I tried to stop him. I was in front of him begging him not to leave the house. Begging him, ‘Just seriously, for us, don’t leave,’ and he did. And this is what happened.” She added, “It’s a wake-up call. He was an amazing man. He was a wonderful father and a great husband, and now he’s gonna miss out on watching [our daughter] Kenadee grow, because he decided to drink and ride. Just don’t. Just think before you guys do something stupid. Please learn from this. Please.” Watch Kaaos TV’s Interview with Tim Lambesis [button href=”http://loudwire.com/suicide-silence-singer-wife-reveals-he-drank-alcohol-before-motorcycle-crash/” title=”Next: Mitch Lucker’s Wife Speaks at Candlelight Vigil” align=”center”]
Guns N’ Roses are currently in the midst of their 12-show ‘Appetite for Democracy’ residency at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, but posters promoting the shows have been at the center of controversy. Those posters, which are based on the banned original album cover for ‘Appetite for Destruction,’ and show a woman who appears to have been sexually assaulted, have now been taken down. The artwork (seen to the left), which in addition to being on posters, was also used in newspaper ads, billboards, buses and taxis. It drew criticism for depicting violence against women. “This type of advertising is simply unacceptable,” Hannah Brook, executive director for The Rape Crisis Center told the Las Vegas Review Journal . “Not only for just the victims and the message of violence it brings, but also for the community in general. This is not the type of message we want to portray to tourists that are coming to our city. We want them to know it’s a safe place to come, and by putting a message out there with Las Vegas above it is concerning.” In honor of the band’s residency, the city of Las Vegas also temporarily renamed Paradise Road, which runs next to the Hard Rock Hotel, to Paradise City Road. Clark County commissioner Mary Beth Scow tells the Las Vegas Sun she regrets the county’s decision. “I hadn’t seen the advertising before the media event. It’s clearly inappropriate. Maybe it’s the risk of doing business with a rock band, but I guess we’ll have some remorse over this decision. It’s a lesson learned.” The Hard Rock Hotel has apologized for the artwork, issuing a statement Friday which reads, “Hard Rock Hotel & Casino regrets that the Guns N’ Roses advertising for their current shows has offended any member of the community. The resort has decided to further modify the art and began the process of changing the materials.” The GN’R residency in Las Vegas runs until Nov. 24. Read a recap of the opening night performance by clicking below: [button href=”http://loudwire.com/guns-n-roses-kick-off-las-vegas-residency-halloween-night/” title=”next: Guns N’ Roses Kick Off Las Vegas Residency” align=”center”]
Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine has been one of the most discussed and controversial musicians of 2012. After a myriad of questionable quotes throughout the year, Mustaine admits that he’s “learned a valuable lesson from all this stuff,” concerning the negative attention he’s received from various claims. Throughout the year, we’ve reported on Mustaine’s support of former Republican Presidential candidate Rick Santorum; his opposition to gay marriage ; telling starving African women to “ put a plug in it ” in regards to the inability to properly support a child; insisting that the President was born in Kenya even after Obama had released his long-form birth certificate, while likening First Lady Michelle Obama to a “black widow”; and claiming that the President had staged various shooting massacres to increase support for gun control. The slew of comments has resulted in immense criticism from fellow musicians, with GWAR ‘s Oderus Urungus telling Mustaine to “ shut the f— up ,” Deicide ‘s Glen Benton calling Mustaine a “ prolapsed rectum ,” Metallica ‘s James Hetfield giving Mustaine the title of “ big mouth ,” and Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx labeling the Megadeth frontman as a “ f—ing a–hole .” It’s been quite a year for Mustaine, and in a recent interview with Rolling Stone , the legendary musician looked back at his many controversies. “You can’t joke around very much anymore without people misinterpreting what you’re saying,” begins Mustaine. “You know, I probably should’ve said things differently. I probably should’ve skipped that altogether,” Mustaine says about his comments on Obama staging shootings on U.S. soil. “I learned a valuable lesson from all of this stuff.” Mustaine was repeating a theory by pro-gun activist and head of Guns Owners of America, Larry Pratt, when the musician made his comments about the “false flag” shootings. “He [Pratt] said something about it and no one went after him. But everyone went crazy on me,” Mustaine says. “I’ve been talking about politics my whole career. The second album – my God, it shows the U.N. completely blown up and destroyed. So I don’t know why, all of a sudden, now’s the time for people to take exception with what I’m saying … I need to remember that being a public figure, I have a choice. I can be a really good example for people – which I really desire to do – or not.” [button href=”http://loudwire.com/megadeth-dave-mustaine-discusses-being-hit-beer-rocks-croatian-festival/” title=”Dave Mustaine Discusses Being Hit With Beer + Rocks at Croatian Fest” align=”center”]
Razor & Tie / Nuclear Blast Connecticut hardcore act Hatebreed have finally revealed the juicy details about their upcoming sixth studio album, which is titled ‘The Divinity of Purpose.’ Along with U.S. and European release dates, Hatebreed have also unveiled the cover art for the highly anticipated record. We recently reported on Hatebreed signing with Razor & Tie records in the North America and Nuclear Blast Records in Europe, but now we’ve got some release dates officially confirmed for both territories. Europe will see a Jan. 25 release for ‘The Divinity of Purpose,’ while North American audiences will be given a Jan. 29 release date. The upcoming record was co-produced by the band, along with Zeuss ( Suicide Silence , All That Remains , Shadows Fall ) and Josh Wilbur ( Lamb of God , Avenged Sevenfold ), who also mixed the album. The artwork for ‘The Divinity of Purpose,’ created by painter Eliran Kantor, is reminiscent of classic religious artworks of the Renaissance era. Hatebreed are currently touring the U.S. with Lamb of God, In Flames and Sylosis , and will embark on a 10-day European tour beginning Jan. 10. Hatebreed 2013 European Tour Dates: Jan. 10 – Berlin @ Astra (Germany) Jan. 11 – Lint @ Eurocam Media Center (Belgium) Jan. 12 – Oberhausen @ Turbinenhalle (Germany) Jan. 13 – Paris @ Bataclan (France) Jan. 14 – Saarbrücken @ Garage (Germany) Jan. 15 – Wiesbaden @ Schlachthof (Germany) Jan. 16 – Hamburg @ Docks (Germany) Jan. 17 – Stuttgart @ LKA (Germany) Jan. 18 – Lichtenfels @ Stadthalle (Germany) Jan. 19 – Dresden @ Event Werk (Germany) Jan. 20 – Tilburg @ O13 (Netherlands) [button href=”http://loudwire.com/top-albums-of-2002/” title=”Next: Hatebreed on Top Albums of 2002 List” align=”center”]
Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Falling in Reverse may be the headliners of their ‘The Thug in Me Is You’ tour, but not every person in attendance is necessarily there for them, as the band found out Friday night in Detroit. Shortly after news of I See Stars ‘ ousting from the trek by Falling in Reverse’s singer Ronnie Radke went public, the singer saw a bit of a backlash from the audience. In fan-shot video from the show (seen below), there’s a break in the action while Falling in Reverse is on stage, during which time several audience members started chanting “I See Stars, I See Stars” repeatedly. Radke, who had his back turned to the audience when the chant started, asked for the crowd lights to be brought up once the cat calls became more audible. He pointed in the general direction of the chants and stated, “Can you kick the five people who are saying ‘I See Stars’ out of here? Right here, please!” Radke’s request was met by audible cheering by the crowd. As security moved toward the vicinity of the people who chanted but had since become quiet, Radke pointed again, and added, “The people who are too afraid to say anything … right there. I see you, right there. Kick these motherf—ers out. I don’t care where they’re from, I don’t give a f—. You better show some f—ing respect to me, motherf—er.” After the show, a number of people who were tossed from the venue expressed their dissatisfaction in a rather profane manner in interviews after their ejection. The singer ousted I See Stars from the tour on Friday, revealing that he initially attempted to get them off the bill after their drug arrest this summer, as he was working hard to maintain his sobriety and didn’t want that element around. He added that he was persuaded by the group’s management that they would be responsible and deserved a second chance, but they failed to live up to that promise. I See Stars issued their own statement saying their ousting had nothing to do with drugs or being late, and that they had documented proof to that effect. They revealed that Sumerian Records would be issuing an official statement revealing the truth of their removal shortly. Watch Falling in Reverse’s Ronnie Radke Ejecting I See Stars Fans [button href=”http://loudwire.com/falling-in-reverse-ronnie-radke-kicks-i-see-stars-off-fall-tour/” title=”Next: Falling in Reverse Boot I See Stars From Their Tour” align=”center”]
Photo by KOBARU Earlier this week it was reported that Behemoth frontman Adam “Nergal” Darski could be facing some jail time in Poland after ripping up a bible and calling the Catholic church “the most murderous cult on the planet” onstage during the band’s performance in Gdynia. But it turns out that the vocalist may have an ally in the European Commission, who have weighed in on Poland’s national blasphemy law. According to the EU Observer , the European Commission has stated that the prosecution of a rock group for “blasphemy” is against European values. They added in a written letter that “national blasphemy laws are a matter for the domestic legal order of the member states.” The letter also stated that EU countries must respect international pacts. The European Commission cited the European Convention of Human Rights that Poland had signed about the freedom of expression, which explains, “This right protects not only information or ideas that are favorably received or regarded as inoffensive or as a matter of indifference, but also those that offend, shock and disturb.” “[The decision] is negative and restricts the freedom of speech,” stated Nergal’s attorney Jacek Potulski to Reuters. “The court decided that this is allowed in a democratic system. We are still arguing that we were dealing with art, which allows more critical and radical statements.” The case will now be taken to a smaller court for another trial. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/behemoth-at-the-left-hand-ov-god-top-21st-century-metal-songs/” title=”Next: Behemoth – Top 21st Century Metal Songs” align=”center”]