Ethan Miller, Getty Images Three Days Grace are usually pretty good about signing on for causes, but bassist Brad Walst has a personal reason for participating in the James Fund’s walk-run fundraiser for neuroblastoma research. His young son was diagnosed as having a cancerous neuroblastoma tumor several years ago. Walst will join the group of runners and walkers around the world in taking part in the international event on Oct. 28. He’s started a page where fans can sponsor his participation. It’s his goal to reach $3,000 in donations and at last check he’d raised 46 percent of the figure with just over $1,400 contributed. In the seven years the James Fund has been in existence over $275,000 has been raised for neuroblastoma research. Walst posted a photo of his son James rocking out at the Rockstar Uproar Tour earlier this year, along with his personal appeal for support. His message read: Hello Everyone… On October 28, 2012, I will be participating in the Walk/Run for The James Fund. Four years ago, my life was changed forever when I heard the dreaded news that my son James (who hadn’t even celebrated his second birthday yet) had neuroblastoma, one of the most devastating childhood cancers. When I look back on all that he has been through, it is still shocking to know that his tiny spine has been taken apart and put back together again (not once, but twice!) to rid his body of this awful disease. It has been over 3 years since his tumor has stabilized – James is one of the lucky ones. Not all children with neuroblastoma are as lucky, in fact the majority are not. This is the reason we support the James Fund. In the past 4 years the supporters of our team James Rocks! have raised over $65,000 for the Walk/Run! There are no words to express our extreme gratitude – THANK-YOU!! This year’s event will support a national Neuroblastoma Drug Discovery Project to discover new drugs to treat neuroblastoma. This project has many facets, from the lab bench to the clinic.?? There are no cures for neuroblastoma, and it is the goal of the Drug Discovery Project to discover an effective treatment to save our kids. Sincerely,? Brad Walst — Three Days Grace To find out more about the James Fund organization and the upcoming walk-run, check here . To make a personal donation sponsoring Walst, visit his sponsorship page here . [button href=”http://loudwire.com/three-days-grace-transit-of-venus-album-review/” title=”Next: Three Days Grace ‘Transit of Venus’ – Album Review” align=”center”]
Geffen Since exploding onto the scene in the 1980s, Guns N' Roses have taken on many forms and featured an array of members in the ranks. While GN'R of 1987 look nothing like GN'R of 2012, save for W. Axl Rose as the frontman, the band's legacy is undeniable. That's why we poured over their material and their catalog to select the 10 Best Guns N' Roses Songs. When they catapulted out of Los Angeles to gain fame on the national stage, they were considered the most dangerous band in the world, a reputation they carefully cultivated, curated and groomed. They did so thanks to an arsenal of riffs and solos that were distinct as fingerprints, all delivered courtesy of Slash and unsung hero Izzy Stradlin. Lest we forget the unbridled rage and willingness to push the envelope that was part and parcel of Rose's style. It almost didn't matter what the singer said; it was how he said it. The band's songs are a mixed bag of fire-in-the-belly anthems that could start wars and contemplative ballads that never sacrificed bite despite having a sensitive side. So, take a trip to the jungle and check out our list of the 10 Best Guns N' Roses Songs: ? 10 'Nightrain' From: 'Appetite for Destruction' (1987) ? ? You know you want to knock one back right now at the mere mention of Guns N' Roses' 'Nightrain.' Slash and Izzy get credit for the amazing riffs that drive this song, though Christopher Walken might be very happy with the amount of cowbell Steven Adler uses in the track. Slash said in his autobiography, “That song has a rhythm to it in the verses that from the start always made me go crazy … When we had our huge stage later on, I'd run the length of it, jump off the amplifiers, and lose it every single time we played it.” Listen to 'Nightrain' ? ? 9 'Civil War' From: 'Use Your Illusion II' (1991) ? ? What is it with Axl Rose and whistling? We're not sure, but every time he puckers up, it rocks us to the core. On 'Civil War,' though, there's so much more to the track that makes it one of our 10 Best Guns N' Roses Songs. Perhaps it's the inclusion of the 'Cool Hand Luke' speech at the beginning. Maybe it's the darkly melodic and touching Slash guitar riffs. Or it could just be that Rose hit on something deeply moving discussing the battle for civil rights, military conflicts, and politically motivated assassinations. Whatever the draw, 'Civil War' simply rocks. Listen to 'Civil War' ? ? 8 'Used to Love Her' From: 'Lies' (1988) ? ? 'Used to Love Her' may not have been quite as controversial as 'One in a Million,' but this catchy acoustic track from the 'Lies' EP garnered a lot of negative attention for its lyric, 'I used to love her / But I had to kill her / She b—-ed so much / She drove me nuts.” However, the song is reportedly about Axl Rose's dog, not a woman. Controversial content aside, the tune offered up an unforgettable groove and is the perfect sing-along song when drowning your sorrows following a breakup. Listen to 'Used to Love Her' ? ? 7 'Mr. Brownstone' From: 'Appetite for Destruction' (1987) ? ? “I used to do a little but a little wouldn't do it / So the little got more and more” said it all. The song addressed drug abuse and addiction, and was an ode, of sorts, to a drug dealer who supplied the magic potions. Slash and Izzy Stradlin pounded out bluesy, unusual riffs and Rose's refusal to avoid a taboo lyrical topic once again produced a song that stuck in our skulls because of its melodic maelstrom and the band's overall desire to be in your face. That's what made them so dangerous. Listen to 'Mr. Brownstone' ? ? 6 'Estranged' From: 'Use Your Illusion II' (1991) ? ? Epic doesn't even begin to describe Guns N' Roses' 'Estranged.' By 1991, the band had some pretty grandiose plans for their 'Use Your Illusion' discs and 'Estranged' definitely landed on the more experimental side of things. The track had no discernable chorus and featured several style shifts, yet it was pure genius. From Slash's memorable guitar riffing to Matt Sorum's taps-style drumming, 'Estranged' took Axl Rose's melancholy musings and turned them into a triumph. Listen to 'Estranged' ? ? 5 'Paradise City' From: 'Appetite for Destruction' (1987) ? ? This fiery anthem certainly had us wanting to pack our bags and move to the place where “the grass is green and the girls are pretty.” Rose sang with a fury that's nearly unmatched and Slash ripped through definitive riffs that are strategically placed in the beginning, middle and end of the song. Ultimately, GN'R created a track with the kind of escalating tension you just can't fake. By the time it reaches the crescendo, you can barely keep up. It moves at such a quickened pace that it scrambles the brains inside your head. A flawlessly executed rock song. Listen to 'Paradise City' ? ? 4 'November Rain' From: 'Use Your Illusion 1' (1991) ? ? 'November Rain' is one of the most epic, expansive, lush, rich and complex power ballads ever penned by a rock band, so that's why it's one of the 10 Best Guns N' Roses songs. Rose plays piano and lays his emotional cards face up on the table from the get-go, giving us almost 10 minutes of unrestricted access to his not-often-seen vulnerable side. The song is full of ebbs and flows, peaks and valleys, and by the time we get to the “Don't ya think that you need somebody” crescendo, we're overjoyed, exhausted and lying in a heap from the intensity. That's the power of good music. Essentially, it's GN'R's 'Stairway to Heaven.' Listen to 'November Rain' ? ? 3 'Welcome to the Jungle' From: 'Appetite for Destruction' (1987) ? ? You're in the jungle, baby. You're gonna DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!! 'Welcome to the Jungle' was GN'R's take-no-prisoners opening salvo and was most rock fans first experience with the band. It came out of the gates kicking, screaming and demanding to be heard with its airhorn guitar opening, reminding all the fathers out there of everything they feared about rockers and their daughters. Musically, it meshes punk rock and metal, a Molotov cocktail of youth, skill, rage, hormones and the desire to come face-to-face with the unknown. It'll bring to your sh-na-na-na-na-knees. Listen to 'Welcome to the Jungle' ? ? 2 'Patience' From: 'Lies' (1988) ? ? A true ballad in every sense of the word, 'Patience' is the most stripped down and uncomplicated we've ever seen or heard GN'R and Axl Rose be. The nerves are exposed from the very beginning, as the song opens with a lilting whistle. It sees Axl switching between a low, clean vocal, which carries him through the first two-thirds of the song, to the bewitching and haunting ending, where he admits 'I've been walking the streets at night / Just trying to get it right' and 'I ain't got time for the game / Cuz I need you.” It demonstrates the redemptive power of song and the catharsis that is possible via rock music. Listen to 'Patience' ? ? 1 'Sweet Child O' Mine' From: 'Appetite for Destruction' (1987) ? ? The swirling riff that opens the song is Slash's most definitive GN'R moment. It was the song that made mothers and sisters like GN'R, as it showed the softer side of rock's most dangerous band. But as stated previously, the band never blunted or dulled its edge. In fact, these more sensitive moments only served to prove just how dangerous and rock 'n' roll GN'R really were. 'Sweet Child O' Mine' is not only among 10 Best Guns N' Roses songs, it's one of the best rock songs ever put to tape. Listen to 'Sweet Child o' Mine' ? ? What Is Your Favorite Guns N' Roses Song? Now that you've reviewed and dissected our list of the 10 Best Guns N' Roses songs, tell us how you think we did. Did your favorite song fall too low on the list? Did we omit your absolute top track? Do you agree or disagree with our final list? Tell us what you think in the comments section below: ?
Nuclear Blast Records On the heels of last week’s release of their latest album ‘RIITIIR’, the Norwegian band Enslaved has debuted the video for the song ‘Thoughts Like Hammers.’ The clip, directed by Jerome Siegelaer, is described as a “visual feast of land, water, sky, and air.” Guitarist Ivar Bjornson talked about the lyrics for ‘Thoughts Like Hammers’: “This is a song that is about what it says it is about from several perspectives – or maybe it is simply just a cool title? Nietzsche coined the phrase ‘philosophizing with a hammer,’ which on an individual level is what this could be about: testing your own values/idols/ego with a hammer rather than the usual light tapping with chopsticks.” Bjornson asks, “Are you man/woman enough to scrutinize your own inner world in the most brutal manner? There are many mythologically and psychologically-based starting points to look at it from. For me it could very well be a tribute to every process and ritual that seeks subjective truth at the merciless expense of objective illusions.” U.S. fans will have a chance to see Enslaved play live when they headline Scion A/V’s Roadburn Records showcase on Saturday, Nov. 10, at The Roxy in West Hollywood, Calif. Also performing are White Hills, Scott Kelly, Earthless and Astra. The show is free, but requires an RSVP . Watch Enslaved’s ‘Thoughts Like Hammers’ Video
Fangoria Anthrax guitarist and horror aficionado Scott Ian recently had his head split in two by a chainsaw … tough break, dude. Fortunately for Ian, it was a stunt head, and luckily for us, a camera crew was there to film the entire scene from beginning to bloody end. As a maniacal fan of all things horror, Ian was able to live out one of his wildest dreams thanks to the people at Fangoria . The third season of ‘The Walking Dead,’ which Ian once made a cameo in, recently premiered with many zombie-philes finally able to get their fix of undead kills. The premiere episode seemed to pack more of a punch due to visibly less digital carnage, with various members of the living-impaired getting their faces beaten in by blunt objects. In a sense of perfect timing, it’s only right that Scott Ian not only follows suit, but tops it completely. Ian states in the video below that one of his lifelong dreams was to have a cast made of his head. The fine people at Fangoria made Ian’s dream come true, as they coated his chrome-dome with alginate, which served as the foundation for creating an incredibly lifelike model of Ian. Unfortunately, Ian didn’t live long enough to see the mold, as he was quickly chainsawed by an overalls-wearing hillbilly. In all seriousness, it’s ridiculous how lifelike the skull-splitting looks, with copious amounts of blood jetting from Ian’s head cast as the chainsaw does its work. Check out the horror-tastic process of creating a human head from scratch along with the gory playoff. Watch Scott Ian Get His Head Sawn in Half
Roger Kisby, Getty Images By now, most people have seen, or at least heard about, Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong unleashing a profanity-laden rant at the recent iHeartRadio Festival in Las Vegas. Soon after the outburst, Armstrong packed his bags for rehab to deal with issues arising from substance abuse. The band has been relatively quiet about the details on Billie Joe’s health, but bassist Mike Dirnt recently went so far as to say, “I know that my friend’s life is in danger.” In the latest issue of Kerrang magazine, Green Day bassist Mike Dirnt opened up about the band’s current situation, which forced them to cancel an upcoming tour. “Billie doesn’t take things lightly and he wouldn’t take rehab lightly, either,” Dirnt tells Kerrang. “He’s in the middle of some really big things, but we’re going to pull through. It’s killing everyone. Green Day has never been a band that sits still, but sometimes you have to step back and let life go on rather than try to control everything.” Green Day had been preparing themselves for a tour with some warm-up shows, one of which we recently covered at New York City’s Irving Plaza. There was nothing alarming about Billie Joe’s demeanor or the overall mood of the band while onstage, but according to Dirnt, this is an incredibly serious time for the band members as they support their frontman. ‘I know that my friend’s life is in danger and that’s all I care about,’ Dirnt says. ‘We’re brothers-in-arms waiting for Billie to return healthy, but we’re not going to force anything. Tré and I will be standing here for Billie.’ Green Day are currently in the middle of releasing a triple-album, ‘¡Uno!’, ‘¡Dos!’, ‘¡Tre!’. With ‘¡Uno!’ having dropped in September, ‘¡Dos!’ is set for release on Nov. 13 and ‘¡Tre!’ will hit stores on Jan, 14. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/green-day-jesus-of-suburbia-top-21st-century-hard-rock-songs/” title=”Green Day: Top 21st Century Hard Rock Songs” align=”center”]
Facebook: Black Veil Brides Good things come to those who wait, and 2013 is looking especially good for Black Veil Brides fans. In addition to their recent announcement that their new album would be arriving in January, the group has also revealed their first extended tour in support of the album. The band will hit the road for what they’re calling “The Church of the Wild Ones Tour” beginning Jan. 4 in Las Vegas at the Hard Rock Café. The North American trek will be broken up into two legs, with the entire month of January filling the first leg and the second leg running Feb. 17-March 8. The group will announce their special opening act on Dec. 8, and info about the group’s ticketing and VIP packages will be announced shortly via their websites and social networking pages. Black Veil Brides recently announced that their latest effort, ‘ Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones ,’ would arrive in stores in January. Pre-orders for the album are expected to start around Halloween. In addition to their 2013 touring, the band has booked an appearance at the California Metalfest in San Bernardino on Nov. 24. Black Veil Brides “The Church of the Wild Ones” 2013 Tour: 1/4 — Las Vegas, Nev. — Hard Rock Café 1/5 — Phoenix, Ariz. — Nile Theatre 1/7 — Denver, Colo. — Ogden Theatre 1/9 — Odessa, Texas — Dos Amigos 1/10 — Dallas, Texas — The Palladium 1/11 — San Antonio, Texas — Backstage Live 1/12 — Houston, Texas — House of Blues 1/14 — Tampa, Fla. — State Theatre 1/15 — Jacksonville, Fla. — The Edge 1/16 — Atlanta, Ga. — The Masquerade 1/18 — Baltimore, Md. — Rams Head Live 1/19 — Philadelphia, Pa. — The Trocadero 1/20 — Sayreville, N.J. — Starland Ballroom 1/22 — Cleveland, Ohio — Peabody’s 1/23 — Buffalo, N.Y. — Infinity 1/25 — New York, N.Y. — Best Buy Theatre 1/26 — Worcester, Mass. — The Palladium 1/27 — Manchester, N.H. — Armory 1/29 — Pittsburgh, Pa. — Alter Bar 1/30 — Toronto, Ontario — Opera House 2/17 — Allentown, Pa. — Crocodile Rock 2/19 — Louisville, Ky. — Headliners 2/21 — Chicago, Ill. — House of Blues 2/22 — Detroit, Mich — Crofoot Ballroom 2/23 — Mexico City, Mexico — El Plaza Condesa 2/27 — Salt Lake City, Utah — In the Venue 2/28 — Boise, Idaho — Knitting Factory 3/1 — Seattle, Wash. — Studio Seven 3/2 — Spokane, Wash. — Knitting Factory 3/4 — Chico, Calif. — Senator Theatre 3/5 — Reno, Nev. — Knitting Factory 3/6 — Sacramento, Calif. — Ace of Spades 3/8 — San Francisco, Calif. — Regency Ballroom [button href=”http://loudwire.com/bert-mccracken-of-the-used-joins-black-veil-brides-in-the-studio/” title=”Next: The Used’s Bert McCracken Joins Black Veil Brides in the Studio” align=”center”]
Ethan Miller / George De Sota, Getty Images Zakk Wylde ‘s name has come up more than a few times this year as a fill-in for a potential Pantera reunion, but before that could ever happen, the remaining members would have to determine if a reunion without the full original lineup is in their best interest. Wylde tells Brave Words that Pantera getting back together after the death of Dimebag Darrell is similar to what Led Zeppelin had to consider when offers continued to flood in after the loss of John Bonham. Wylde explains, “The guys … they’d have to talk about it. THEY’RE Pantera (laughs). I mean, they’re the boys. You get em’ in a room, and I mean it should be like Led Zeppelin gettin’ back together. You know, the guys gotta work it out.” The guitarist, who also fronts Black Label Society , says that it’s been nice to hear both Vinnie Paul and Philip Anselmo even suggest that he might be the guy if they were to reunite, but there’s still a long way to go before that could happen. Wylde says, “Put it this way. I’d be beyond flattered if the guys wanted me to do it and were like, ‘Zakk, we really want to do it and we want you to honor Dime’ and everything. I would say, ‘Yeah, of course I would honor Dime.’ But it’d be like the Jimi Hendrix Experience; you know Mitch and Noel, they wanted to get together to celebrate Jimi’s life and they asked Eric Clapton to fill in and play the guitar and sing the songs. I mean, of course Eric would do it, cause he was buddies with him. It would be that type of thing. But that’ll be a bridge we cross, if the guys ever get to that point and they wanted to do it. But I’m friends with all the guys. I always wish the guys the best with whatever they’re doing. I just had Vinnie on my radio show and everything like that, so it’s all cool. Like I said, I’m good with all the guys. So it would just be up to them and like I said, it’d be a bridge we cross when we get there.” While the Wylde rumor has been a hot one for some time, Anselmo stated earlier this week that even though he had met with Wylde recently, talk of the guitarist being part of a potential Pantera reunion had been blown way out of context . [button href=”http://loudwire.com/best-pantera-songs/” title=”Next: 10 Best Pantera Songs” align=”center”]