Liz Ramanand, Loudwire If you’ve ever seen Sevendust live, then you know vocalist Lajon Witherspoon is an energetic frontman onstage. Loudwire recently had the opportunity to talk to Witherspoon about his softer side as a husband and father. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Witherspoon shared his view on just what makes him so romantic and spoke about why date nights with his wife are happily interrupted by their 4-year-old daughter. Who would you say is the most romantic member in Sevendust? Of course I would say me. [Laughs] You know what I’m going to give it to us all – we’re all romantics in our older age. I think we’re all romantic, we all know how to get down. I think I’m a romantic guy — I like to wine and dine the lady with the candles, a little bit of three-minute fun and then fall asleep, maybe get a sandwich – I’m just kidding. [Laughs] We like to go to the beach, especially when we come out on the road – my wife is going to meet me in St. Louis for a day off and we’ll hang out and I think we’ll go to Sweetie Pies, the soul food restaurant. To me it’s romantic just to walk together and hold hands – it’s going to be cool I’m looking forward to it. With being a husband and a father, does Valentine’s Day stay between you and your lady, or does it become more about the kids? It depends, we actually moved to Kansas so we have her mother, grandmother and great grandparents and aunts and stuff around but before when we were in Atlanta we didn’t have much help except her mother. So now we get to have date nights but the weird thing about it is – the baby, Jada, she’s 4 years old, so when we leave sometimes it’s like, “Let’s go back and hang out with Jada!” You can catch Lajon Witherspoon, the singer, father and husband on tour with the rest of Sevendust in support of their forthcoming album ‘Black Out the Sun.’ They are currently on a trek with Lacuna Coil and Coal Chamber. For a full list of dates and cities, go here . Stay tuned for our full interview with Lajon Witherspoon. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/sevendust-shiprocked-new-album-black-out-the-sun-2013-tour-lacuna-coil/” title=”Next: Lajon Witherspoon + John Connolly Talk New Sevendust Album” align=”center”]
Praise be to our intergalactic lords and masters of GWAR , as the alien metallers have announced a second leg of their ‘Fate or Chaos’ tour. The string of U.S. dates will be shared with the bands Warbeast and Wilson, who will open for GWAR during the 16-date tour. GWAR launched their ‘Fate or Chaos’ tour in late 2012, bringing DevilDriver, Cancer Bats and Legacy of Disorder along for the ride, resulting in a solid bill of acts. The quality continues this April when the traveling freak show begins again. GWAR front freak Oderus Urungus put down his crack pipe for a moment to lend us his thoughts about the future dates: As you humans amuse yourself with your mundane holidays, it has been a time of intense activity for GWAR, as we record our 13th studio album– the first one with our new Scumdog brother, Pustulus Maximus! We begin this years festivities with the second and final leg of our Fate or Chaos tour, so everybody who missed the first leg can see Cyber-Jesus get his f—ing ass handed to him. Then it’s back in the studio to work on all the hulking war machines we shall need on our devastating, brand-spanking new tour, after the album drops at the end of the summer! Can you believe I said drop? How f—ing stupid! Warbeast vocalist Bruce Corbitt also shared his excitement about the tour: This will be the second time Warbeast has toured with GWAR. I have to admit, I’m even more excited this time around. GWAR is more than a metal show… it’s a metal experience. We’re just happy to be part of that experience again for a few weeks. We also can’t wait to play our new material from our upcoming second album ‘Destroy’ in front of their insane fans! Stay tuned for upcoming news on GWAR’s next album and check out the new ‘Fate or Chaos’ tour dates below. GWAR 2013 ‘Fate or Chaos’ Tour Dates: 04/10 – Tucson, Ariz. – Rialto Theatre 04/11 – San Diego, Calif. – House of Blues 04/12 – Las Vegas, Nev. – Hard Rock Cafe – The Strip 04/13 – Ventura, Calif. – Majestic Ventura Theatre 04/14 – Reno, Nev. – Knitting Factory 04/15 – Salt Lake City, Utah – The Complex 04/16 – Grand Junction, Colo. – Mesa Theater & Club 04/17 – Englewood, Colo. – Gothic Theatre 04/18 – Lincoln, Neb. – Bourbon Lounge 04/19 – Des Moines, Iowa – Wooly’s 04/20 – Tulsa, Okla. – Cain’s Ballroom 04/21 – Little Rock, Ark. – The Rev Room 04/22 – Nashville, Tenn. – Marathon Music Works 04/23 – Greenville, S.C. – The Handlebar 04/24 – Orlando, Fla. – Beacham Theater 04/25 – Jacksonville, FL – Free Bird Live [button href=”http://loudwire.com/decibel-magazine-tour-2013-must-see-metal-concerts/” title=”See the 2013 Must-See Metal Concerts” align=”center”]
It Books / HarperCollins The history of metal music is not an easy story to tell. With over 45 years of the world’s most brutal music genre having already passed, the realms of progression, brutality and experimentation are constantly expanding thanks to both metal legends and new school heroes. Despite the difficulty of the challenge, rock journalists Jon Wiederhorn and Katherine Turman have crafted the upcoming book ‘Louder Than Hell: The Definitive Oral History of Metal,’ which will see a May 14 release date. To create a truly definitive portrayal on metal music, ‘Louder Than Hell’ was assembled from more than 300 interviews with metal’s finest icons, including members of Metallica , Megadeth , Iron Maiden , Slayer , Death , Motley Crue , Pantera and many more. As if 300 interviews wasn’t legitimate enough, the comprehensive book will include an introduction by Scott Ian of Anthrax and an afterword by Judas Priest vocalist Rob Halford . ‘Louder Than Hell’ promises to deliver all the info without censorship, delving into topics such as traumatic upbringings, drug addiction and bizarre sexual exploits, along with stories of the music business, songwriting, touring and a lot more. Metal musicians themselves have come out to praise ‘Louder than Hell,’ along with its authors. “Katherine Turman and Jon Wiederhorn know metal,” gushes Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello . “Louder than Hell is an amazing gathering of different breeds of heavy metal rockers telling the tales metal fans want to hear.” Heavy metal legend Alice Cooper also endorses the book. “This is the book every metal fan should own,” says Cooper. “A fascinating high-octane chronicle of metal mayhem that takes readers on a wild ride, from metal’s earliest days to the head-banging present. I’m not saying this just because I’m in the book, but . . . if you love metal, great stories, and music history told by the people who made it, then Louder than Hell is a must-read.” Jon Wiederhorn is a senior writer for Revolver magazine, a former editor of MTV2′s Headbangers Blog and has worked for publications such as Rolling Stone, Spin, Entertainment Weekly and Guitar World. Wiederhorn has also penned a biography on Ministry mastermind Al Jourgensen , ‘Ministry: The Lost Gospels According to Al Jourgensen,’ which will see a July 2013 release. Katherine Turman currently produces the syndicated radio show ‘Nights with Alice Cooper,’ and has written for publications such as Metal Hammer, Los Angeles Times, Rolling Stone and RIP, the last of which she was the editor. Get ready for the release of ‘Louder Than Hell: The Definitive Oral History of Metal’ on May 14. To pre-order the book, click here . Check Out a Video of Alice Cooper Promoting ‘Louder Than Hell’ [button href=”http://loudwire.com/best-metal-albums-of-2012/” title=”10 Best Metal Albums of 2012″ align=”center”]
Facebook – Device As the anticipation builds for the April 9 release of their self-titled debut album, Device have released a short, 45 second black and white teaser video featuring a snippet of their music (watch below). The first single ‘Vilify’ hits radio on Feb. 19. The trio formed by David Draiman from Disturbed has recruited a star-studded lineup of guest musicians for ‘Device.’ Among those making appearances are Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler , Deep Purple singer-bassist Glenn Hughes , Avenged Sevenfold frontman M. Shadows , System of a Down singer Serj Tankian , Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello and Halestorm ‘s Lzzy Hale . The band’s touring lineup consists of Draiman, Evanescence drummer Will Hunt and Dope / Eve to Adam guitarist Virus. Former Filter guitarist Geno Lenardo wrote and recorded the album with Draiman, but will not tour with the outfit. Draiman recently discussed how happy he was with Hale’s appearance. “For years I’d wanted to re-do ‘Close My Eyes Forever’ by Lita Ford and Ozzy Osbourne. I always thought it was a fantastic idea and needed the right combination of elements and events and needed to have the right woman to play the role of Lita in this song, and Lzzy Hale, in my opinion, is the strongest, most distinctive voice, female voice, in rock today. I think that she’s just as good as it gets.” Device have some concert dates scheduled in support of their debut album. They’ll play in Switzerland later this month, and then have several festival dates lined up for the spring and summer. You’ll be able to see them at Rock on the Range, Carolina Rebellion, Welcome To Rockville Festival, Lazerfest 2013 and elsewhere. Watch Device’s Teaser Video [button href=”http://loudwire.com/tags/device/” title=”Get the Latest News on Device Here” align=”center”]
Theo Wargo, Getty Images / Facebook: Demon Hunter Metallica and Demon Hunter are featured in a fascinating new article about the successful assassination of Osama Bin Laden. Surprisingly, according to the Navy SEAL member who evidently shot Bin Laden, the music of Metallica was used to “soften people up” before prisoner interrogations were to take place. Having somehow discovered this, Metallica asked for their music to be removed from interrogation procedures, while Demon Hunter, on the other hand, volunteered their brand of metal to be used for that same purpose. In the Esquire magazine article, the anonymous Navy SEAL spoke in great detail about the assassination of Osama Bin Laden. With such a serious topic at hand, it’s one of the last places you’d expect to read about some of your favorite bands, but Esquire dug up some riveting details on the use of Metallica and Demon Hunter within the U.S. military. The Navy SEAL told Esquire: When we first started the war in Iraq, we were using Metallica music to soften people up before we interrogated them,” the Shooter says. “Metallica got wind of this and they said, ‘Hey, please don’t use our music because we don’t want to promote violence.’ I thought, Dude, you have an album called ‘Kill ‘Em All.’ But we stopped using their music, and then a band called Demon Hunter got in touch and said, ‘We’re all about promoting what you do.’ They sent us CDs and patches. I wore my Demon Hunter patch on every mission. I wore it when I blasted bin Laden. Wow … not to make a pun, but that’s pretty damn heavy. We suppose Demon Hunter, having volunteered their music to aid interrogations, would be honored to know their patch was on the man who killed Bin Laden, but what do you think of this whole situation? Let us know in the comments section below. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/casting-call-metallica/” title=”Casting Call: Who Should Play Metallica in a Movie?” align=”center”]
Kevin Winter, Getty Images / Puscifer / Jason Merritt, Getty Images The 55th Annual Grammy Awards were held last night (Feb. 10), and it was business as usual for the famed awards show. Music’s biggest names walked the carpet, while shiny golden gramophones were given out to rock artists such as the Black Keys , Halestorm and Trent Reznor + Atticus Ross. However, a sense of disarray resonated with various musicians, who took to Twitter in order to vent their disapproval of the Grammy Awards. Out of any rock act nominated, the Black Keys were one of the night’s biggest winners, having taken home trophies for Best Rock Album (‘El Camino’), Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance (‘Lonely Boy’) and Producer of the Year, Non-Classical for frontman Dan Auerbach. Halestorm took home a Grammy after ‘Love Bites (So Do I)’ won Best Hard Rock / Metal Performance and Nine Inch Nails mastermind Trent Reznor and his partner in sonic crime Atticus Ross won the Best Score Soundtrack Grammy for their work on ‘The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.’ Despite those victories, the Grammys were met with much criticism within the rock and metal community. Slipknot / Stone Sour vocalist Corey Taylor congratulated Halestorm on their win, but expressed disappointment in the Grammys’ lack of respect for metal music: I’m happy for Halestorm, but sad because the Grammys don’t respect our genre AT ALL. We get one category and it’s not even televised. — The Boogie Knight (@CoreyTaylorRock) February 11, 2013 Jane’s Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro offered his own thoughts on the Grammys, opting to switch channels to catch the return of ‘The Walking Dead’ instead. People watch zombies on #thewalkingdead , zombies watch people on The Grammys — Dave Navarro (@DaveNavarro) February 11, 2013 Next up is Tool / A Perfect Circle / Puscifer singer Maynard James Keenan , who took more of a passive objection to the Grammys, responding to a fan who tagged Keenan in a tweet. “@ ninelocal : Tnite’s Award Show is Irrelevant, Overrated & Not “fun.” wp.me/p2Fm11-gq I think @ mjkeenan of @ puscifer agrees.” Yup. — Maynard J Keenan (@mjkeenan) February 11, 2013 Adelitas Way also checked out the Grammys last night, but found the ceremony to be rather dull and uninspired. Watching the Grammys with respect for every artist involved, but this year is very boring, I would be def be breaking shit up there — adelitasway (@adelitasway) February 11, 2013 What did you think of the 2013 Grammy Awards? Let us know your thoughts on who should have won the many awards presented by the show in the comments section below! [button href=”http://loudwire.com/2013-grammy-award-winners/” title=”See the 2013 Grammy Awards Winners” align=”center”]
Kevork Djansezian, Getty Images It was a busy weekend for Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello , who joined Bruce Springsteen and friends at the MusiCares Person of the Year ceremony on Friday (Feb. 8) and then took part in the final performance of the 2013 Grammy Awards Sunday night (Feb. 10). Morello was part of an all-star collaboration fronted by Grammy host LL Cool J and Public Enemy’s Chuck D. on a song called ‘Whaddup’ off LL Cool J’s new album. Rounding out the five-piece was some nifty scratching from DJ Z-Trip and some dexterous beats from Blink-182 ‘s Travis Barker . Though Morello was mostly in the background on the track, he did come to the forefront for some serious shredding midway into the song. The new track was an interesting song, offering bits of throwbacks throughout from Chuck D.’s repetitious “Hear the drummer get wicked” to Z-Trip spinning a sample of LL Cool J’s ‘Rock the Bells.’ In addition, LL Cool J through in a nod to the late Adam Yauch , shouting “MCA forever” before running off a few lines of the Beastie Boys ‘ ‘No Sleep ‘Til Brooklyn.’ However, in a lame move, the end of the song was cut off by sponsorship mentions and a quick cutaway, presumably to keep the length of the show on time. The performance concluded a night which also featured stellar performances from the Black Keys , Jack White , fun. , and tributes to late musicians Bob Marley and Levon Helm . [button href=”http://loudwire.com/category/grammys/” title=”Full Grammy Coverage Here” align=”center”]