Warner Bros. After five straight wins and relentless voting from their fans, Avenged Sevenfold have entered the Loudwire Cage Match Hall of Fame with their latest single ‘Carry On,’ which is featured in the video game ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops II.’ The men from ‘Bat Country’ took down their fifth and final opponent the Offspring after beating heavy hitters like Five Finger Death Punch and Soundgarden , as well as Volbeat and Marilyn Manson . Congrats to Avenged Sevenfold and their fans on this impressive achievement. Their song ‘Carry On’ now joins tunes from such bands as Down, Fozzy, Anthrax, Korn, Trivium and more in Loudwire’s Cage Match Hall of Fame. Listen to Avenged Sevenfold, ‘Carry On’ [button href=”http://loudwire.com/fozzy-avenged-sevenfold-m-shadows-surprise-sandpaper-performance/” title=”Next: Watch M. Shadows Perform ‘Sandpaper’ With Fozzy” align=”center”] ?
Karl Walter, Getty Images Iron Maiden guitarist Steve Harris is working in a solo album between his regular band duties, and Harris assures the quality of the disc will be up to par as these songs were not leftover Iron Maiden tracks. In the November edition of Decibel magazine (excerpted by Blabbermouth ), Harris explains, “This is not throwaway Maiden stuff. These are not riffs that I could’ve used in Maiden because, like I said, it was done with other people. As soon as that happens, it’s not gonna be used in Maiden.” The guitar great adds, “I’ve got ridiculous amount of ideas that I’m probably never gonna get out the door in my lifetime. There’s no shortage of ideas for Maiden. And this stuff is different, anyway. It’s more heavy rock than heavy metal, but to me the influences are all from the well.” Harris, who is using the title ‘ British Lion ‘ for his disc, says the effort has been in the works since 1993, but because of his extended involvement in Iron Maiden, he’s never really had much time between discs to work on it. He laughs, “It’s been so long, it’s ridiculous. I’m just so relieved to get this thing out, really, because it’s finally there. I’m really pleased with the results, but it’s taken a long while.” The guitarist says that when Iron Maiden hasn’t been touring and recording, he’s often taken the lead on things like video editing that help fill the time between records, so his time left over to record his own music has always taken a back seat. “I get a lot less downtime than the others,” says Harris. “That’s why it’s taken so long, really. I was just trying to fit bits in here and there when the other people were available to work on stuff while I was back in the U.K., which over the last few years has not been very often.” [button href=”http://loudwire.com/iron-maiden-the-talisman-top-21st-century-metal-songs/” title=”Next: Iron Maiden – Top 21st Century Metal Songs” align=”center”]
Reprise The good thing about having an album trilogy is that there’s a lot of music to pick from, and Green Day have new info regarding all three records – ‘¡Uno!,’ ‘¡Dos!,’ and ‘¡Tre!’ First up, the group is digging deeper into the ‘ ¡Uno! ‘ disc by premiering another video for the song ‘Troublemaker.’ The video once again focuses on the performance aspect of the band, taking the viewer both inside the studio as the track was being recorded and up onstage for the audience reaction to the song. The clip can be seen below. Secondly, with the ‘¡Uno!’ album out, the group has started turning their attention to the ‘¡Dos!’ disc. The 13-track collection, due Nov. 13, has primarily been kept under wraps until now even though the group has played the song ‘F— Time’ at shows. Fans can start speculating about the next disc as the full ‘¡Dos!’ track listing has been revealed. It can be seen below. ‘¡Dos!’ can be pre-ordered here . And finally, Green Day has landed a song on the upcoming ‘ Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 ‘ soundtrack. The group is easily the biggest act on the primarily alternative and indie-leaning collection. ‘The Forgotten’ is the name of their contribution, and it will also be featured on the ‘¡Tre!’ album. Green Day are currently taking some time off the road while singer Billie Joe Armstrong completes his substance abuse treatment . Watch Green Day’s ‘Troublemaker’ Video Green Day’s ‘¡Dos!’ Track Listing: 1. ‘See You Tonight’ 2. ‘F— Time’ 3. ‘Stop When the Red Lights Flash’ 4. ‘Lazy Bones’ 5. ‘Wild One’ 6. ‘Makeout Party’ 7. ‘Stray Heart’ 8. ‘Ashley’ 9. ‘Baby Eyes’ 10. ‘Lady Cobra’ 11. ‘Nightlife’ 12. ‘Wow! That’s Loud’ 13. ‘Amy’ [button href=”http://loudwire.com/green-day-rock-star-cameos-on-the-simpsons/” title=”Next: Green Day – Rock Star Cameos on ‘The Simpsons'” align=”center”]
ECW Press For Danko Jones , 2012 is a year of transition. While the band has been busy working up to the release of the new studio album, ‘Rock and Roll is Black and Blue,’ they’ve spent an equal amount of time reflecting on their past with their ‘Bring on the Mountain’ documentary and now the forthcoming book, ‘Too Much Trouble: A Very Oral History of Danko Jones.’ Singer Danko Jones and bassist John Calabrese spoke with Loudwire about what made this the right time to reflect on the band’s past and what the experience was like putting together two time-consuming documents. Jones explained about the timing, “It just seemed the right time and we could do it in two years or three years or five years, but it had been the fifteenth year of the band as a band and when you think of seven years being the average lifespan for a band, nowadays, we’ve lived it two times. And that was two years ago. We’re now on our seventeenth year.” The singer admits that they’ve seen some highs and lows and transitions with their audience, and he views the ‘Too Much Trouble’ book as a way of bringing it all together. He explains, “We gained a new audience in some places and our older audience [is still there], so this is our chance to bridge the gap between the people who found out about us in the last two or three years because we’ve had singles on radio and the people who were into us a long time ago and moved on or annoyingly asked, ‘Whatever happened to that band?’” It also turned out that the time for reflection worked out perfectly for the band, as they changed drummers and added Rocket From the Crypt skinbeater Atom Willard, thus starting a new chapter in their history. Interestingly enough, Jones admits in the book that one of his goals when they started was to tour with Rocket From the Crypt, but although that never happened, he’s thrilled to have the drummer from the band as part of their lineup. For Jones and Calabrese, seeing both the documentary and the book finally arrive completes the labor of love they started after their fifteenth year. “It took two years to make and two years to track down the over 70 people who are in the book,” says Jones. Calabrese adds, “It’s gonna be great because the book and the DVD, they stand alone on themselves, but it’s a great way to bring everybody up to speed.” The ‘Too Much Trouble: An Oral History of Danko Jones’ book just arrived in stores internationally. The band’s new album, ‘Rock and Roll is Black and Blue,’ follows on Oct. 9, and the ‘Bring on the Mountain’ documentary was released earlier this year. Stay tuned for Loudwire’s full interview with Danko Jones, coming soon. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/danko-jones-just-a-beautiful-day-exclusive-video-premiere/” title=”Next: Watch Danko Jones’ ‘Just a Beautiful Day’ Video” align=”center”]
Roger Kisby, Getty Images There is plenty of excitement in the Coheed and Cambria camp over their upcoming album, ‘ The Afterman: Ascension ,’ but at least one part of their album rollout isn’t going according to plan as the deluxe edition releases are being delayed. Coheed and Cambria, perhaps as much as any band over the years, have taken great pride in the overall presentation of their albums and the same thing is happening here with the group making sure the physical package is up to their standards before it arrives in the hands of fans. The group posted a message on both their Facebook and Modlife websites explaining the delay and thanking fans for their support and patience. They also revealed that those who’ve ordered the deluxe edition package will still get the digital portion of the music on time, with the physical sets not following too far behind the original schedule. The full posting can be read here: First of all, thank you. Since you are reading this, it means you are a massive supporter of ours – many of you we know or have met. Without you, we wouldn’t be able to play shows, record our records or follow our creative urges on a daily basis like we are allowed to do. Without you, we wouldn’t be here, and we never lose sight of that. Because of that, and our desire to deliver to you art that we are truly proud of; that we feel you will enjoy and appreciate many years from now; ‘The Afterman Amory Award Edition’ has not shipped yet, and therefore will miss our targeted delivery date of next Tuesday. All digital music, including the 9 demos will be delivered to you 24 hours early, on Sunday night at Midnight. We are told the physical sets will begin shipping mid to late next week. There are several reasons for this delay. The biggest reason is quality. We rejected several prototypes that would have saved us money and a little time, but that has never been what we are about. We made a conscious decision that we would not be taking shortcuts. We want each deluxe album to be better than the last, and as ‘The Afterman’ began taking shape, it just kept growing and evolving, and so even if you are a little pissed right now, we feel like a year from now, 2 years from now, 5 years from now, you will still appreciate this set. So much time went into the recording of this album, the creation of concept, the painting of the art – that we couldn’t cut corners. From Nathan’s Art, to the certificate, to the coin, to the paper it was printed on – there were a lot of moving parts, and pretty much each one had Its own pitfalls – but in turn, made the package stronger. Despite all of this, our printer told us that they had made up time and we would be able to ship this week, and we were very relieved to hear that. Unfortunately, we were told yesterday that another hiccup occurred in the pressing plant that pushed completion back at least a week. So in addition, we have decided that your VIP laminate will not only get you in early to our headline shows (you still need tickets) from now through next Spring, and select shows after, but for all these shows we will perform a special acoustic song before doors for you. You can be assured that we will be embarking on a major US headliner as well as touring all over the globe next year. For those of you who ordered in time for signatures – we decided to sign the laminates instead of the certificates. The first run of certificates were rejected because of the quality of the paper. It was a nice paper, but was just too thin, and when it was shipped to us, and as we began signing, the corners were getting bent, wrinkles began to form and it just didn’t cut it. The new certificates are a much better paper and without us handling them, will hopefully allow them to maintain a pristine quality. We apologize greatly for this inconvenience. We hope the music can hold you over for the short delay. We appreciate your patience and look forward to sharing the journey of ‘The Afterman’ with you. Meanwhile, singer Claudio Sanchez took the time to recently speak with Noisecreep about his feeling concerning the upcoming set. “Maybe we’re kind of coming out of the tunnel and into the light with this one,” explained the singer. “There’s just something about it with the good energy coming from the guys in the band, with the material that’s on the record and the message that we’re trying to convey with that stuff, the concept that translates from it. I just think that overall, it’s just really well done.” Sanchez also stated how personal ‘The Afterman’ is, explaining, “I find myself a lot more in the character of Cyrus Amory than I ever have in Coheed or Cambria or any of them. Because of the way we wrote this record, it was just an extension of myself and utilizing those emotions to compel that character, Cyrus Amory, to do his thing. Like the All Mother says at the beginning of the record, ‘I’ll be there every step of the way,’ and I feel like that. I feel like that to Cyrus.” Coheed and Cambria’s ‘The Afterman: Ascension’ arrives Oct. 9. Watch Coheed and Cambria’s Claudio Sanchez Share His Excitement Over Their New Album [button href=”http://loudwire.com/coheed-and-cambria-explore-the-afterman-concept-video-series/” title=”Next: Coheed and Cambria Post ‘The Afterman’ Concept Video” align=”center”]
Jason Kempin / Frank Micelotta, Getty Images The grunge scene of the early ’90s has been credited for flipping the music world on its ear and effectively shoving the hair metal dominance of the late ’80s to the side. However, grunge’s takeover didn’t just affect hair metal, and rapper Jay-Z says in a new interview that even the growing popularity of hip-hop stalled out a little bit when Nirvana came to prominence. In the new coffee-table book ‘Pharrell: The Places and Spaces,’ (excerpted by Spin ) singer-producer Pharrell Williams interviewed rap icon and music mogul Jay-Z, who recalls in particular what an important record Nirvana’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ was in the history of music. Jay-Z says, “First we’ve got to go back to before grunge and why grunge happened. Hair bands dominated the airwaves and rock became more about looks than about actual substance and what it stood for – the rebellious spirit of youth … That’s why ‘Teen Spirit’ rang so loud because it was right on point with how everyone felt, you know what I’m saying?” The rapper adds, “It was weird because hip-hop was becoming this force, then grunge music stopped it for one second, ya know? Those hair bands were too easy for us to take out. When Kurt Cobain came with that statement, it was like, ‘We’ve got to wait awhile.’” Jay-Z says that while keeping an eye on the big picture, he’s always been fascinated by the acts that emerge as a powerful force, regardless of the genre. He adds, “When those forces come on the scene, they are inescapable – can’t take your eyes off them, can’t stop listening to them. [Cobain] was one of those figures. I knew we had to wait for a second before we became that dominate force in music.” The ‘Pharrell: The Places and Spaces I’ve Been’ book is due Oct. 16. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/best-grunge-bands/” title=”Next: 10 Best Grunge Bands of All-Time” align=”center”]
Epic Lamb of God ‘s Randy Blythe free from a Czech prison and the band ready to shred through the United States once again. The ‘Pure American Metal’ act is embarking on a fall 2012 U.S. tour and have asked fans who are or have been in the U.S. military to send in their photos for a patriotic tribute, which will be shown during performances by Lamb of God during the trek. Due to Randy Blythe’s current legal situation in the Czech Republic, Lamb of God are not currently able to tour outside their homeland of the United States, so to commemorate the men and women of the U.S. military, Lamb of God will compile a mound of photos for this new video project. The group is also asking for photos of soldiers who were killed in action to be a part of the compilation, which will be directed by Lamb of God guitarist Mark Morton. Lamb of God released the following call to action: Lamb of God is looking to honor the brave men and women of our United States military by incorporating soldier’s names and faces into a video presentation during their upcoming U.S. tour. If you are in the military, or have a husband, wife, brother, sister, friend or family member who has served or is actively serving, and wish to be included in this video tribute, please take a moment to send a photo to logvideocontent@gmail.com . Please keep the photos under 2MB and include the soldier’s name, military branch, and a brief description of where the soldier is serving or has served. The band is asking for photos of soldiers killed in action, those actively serving, and those who have completed their service to our country. This presentation will be directed by Lamb of God lead guitarist Mark Morton and longtime Lamb of God videographer Doug Spangenberg, and will be seen by tens of thousands of people over the course of Lamb of God’s upcoming U.S. tour. Please send your photos and information in as soon as possible if you would like for you or your loved one to be included in this tribute. Be sure to send any pictures you may have to logvideocontent@gmail.com , and check out Lamb of God on their 2012 U.S. tour with In Flames and Sylosis , with Hatebreed and Hellyeah joining in for certain dates. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/lamb-of-god-fall-2012-u-s-tour-dates-in-flames-hatebreed-hellyeah-sylosis/” title=”Lamb of God U.S. Tour Dates” align=”center”]