Century Media Records After signing with a new record label, Century Media, Buckcherry have announced they will be releasing a new album. ‘Confessions’ is due in early 2013 via Century Media in the United States and Eleven Seven Music in the rest of the world. ‘Confessions’ is based on the seven deadly sins, and is part of a larger vision that includes a film written by frontman Josh Todd, who based the album’s lyrics on his childhood and transformation into adulthood. “The time has come to finally announce the release of our sixth LP, ‘Confessions,’” says Todd. “This is our coolest album yet and I think a lot of people will relate. If you love BC you are going to get a chance to be part of a great story – join the revolution and let’s rock!” “This is, by far, our most ambitious record,” says guitarist Keith Nelson. “We are very proud of the work we’ve done and we are looking forward to presenting it to our fans.” Buckcherry’s last album, 2010′s ‘All Night Long’ debuted at No. 10 on the Billboard 200 and spawned the singles ‘Dead,’ ‘It’s a Party’ and the title track. Their most successful album was 2006′s platinum selling ’15,’ which featured the major rock hit ‘Crazy Bitch’ and the cross-over smash ‘Sorry.’ Buckcherry will get back on the road soon, appearing in Japan later this month and doing a U.K. tour starting Nov. 20. They have a U.S. date scheduled on Dec. 28 in Mt. Pleasant, Mich. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/mitzi-martin-hottest-rockstar-wives/” title=”Next: Buckcherry Singer’s Wife on Hottest List” align=”center”]
Chuck Armstrong, Loudwire In a turn that surprised many fans, it was announced a few weeks ago that Metallica were adding one more show to their 2012 touring itinerary, a schedule that initially ended with the band’s performance at Outside Lands in San Francisco. However, the band answered the call to take over Green Day ‘s slot headlining the Voodoo Music + Arts Experience festival, meaning Metallica would give the world one more 2012 show. Last night (Oct. 27), Metallica did just that at City Park in New Orleans. The band immediately set the stage for the two-hour show by ripping into ‘Hit the Lights.’ Wasting no time after the opening song, James Hetfield delighted the crowd when he struck the first chord of the iconic opening riff to ‘Master of Puppets.’ In a set that included songs like ‘Blackened,’ ‘All Nightmare Long’ and ‘Holier Than Thou,’ the highlight of the night was when the band played ‘Orion’ in its entirety. In an obvious tribute to the late bassist Cliff Burton (who played a significant role in the writing of the track), Robert Trujillo was spot-on with the bass solos while the rest of the band sounded tighter than ever playing the instrumental. When the song was finished, Hetfield solemnly said, “God bless Mr. Clifford Lee Burton.” Originally set to headline the second night of the Voodoo fest, Green Day had to back out as lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong entered rehab for substance abuse. “We’re Green Day, just a little taller,” Hetfield announced, having some fun with the crowd after the first few songs. Later in the night, as the band took the stage for their encore, Hetfield brought up Green Day again, saying, “They’re getting it sorted out, hopefully they get it fixed because the world needs them.” Right after that, the band tore into a tribute to Green Day by playing the opening riff of ‘American Idiot.’ Not long after that, Metallica kicked the encore off in true style with ‘Creeping Death.’ The Voodoo fest in New Orleans is a unique experience. Five stages, nearly 100 bands and an endless display of locally created art all inhabit City Park for three days each year. With Neil Young & Crazy Horse headlining Friday night and Jack White rounding things out Sunday night, Metallica were heralded as the main act by nearly all of the local press. The bar was set high with their fellow headliners, but Metallica did what they do best: rose to occasion, put on an absolutely rocking show and did not disappoint their fans. To see Metallica not only play their first Voodoo fest, but also their last show of 2012, was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for concertgoers. Metallica’s Voodoo Music + Arts Experience Set List Oct. 27, 2012 ‘Hit the Lights’ ‘Master of Puppets’ ‘Holier Than Thou’ ‘Harvester of Sorrow’ ‘Of Wolf and Man’ Kirk Solo ‘Welcome Home (Sanitarium)’ ‘All Nightmare Long’ ‘Sad But True’ Rob Solo ‘Fade to Black’ ‘Orion’ ‘One’ ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’ Kirk Solo #2 ‘Blackened’ Kirk Doodle ‘Nothing Else Matters’ ‘Enter Sandman’ Encore ‘American Idiot’ cover (only the song open) ‘Creeping Death’ ‘Battery’ ‘Seek & Destroy’ ? Chuck Armstrong, Loudwire Chuck Armstrong, Loudwire Chuck Armstrong, Loudwire Chuck Armstrong, Loudwire Chuck Armstrong, Loudwire Chuck Armstrong, Loudwire Chuck Armstrong, Loudwire Chuck Armstrong, Loudwire Chuck Armstrong, Loudwire Chuck Armstrong, Loudwire Watch Metallica Perform ‘Master of Puppets’ at Voodoo Watch Metallica Perform ‘Sad But True’ at Voodoo [button href=”http://ultimatemetallica.com” title=”Get Full Metallica Coverage Here” align=”center”]
Liz Ramanand, Loudwire When Gwar comes to town, all of the earthlings know to break out their white t-shirts and get ready for some gore, as these talented alien warlords put on one hell of a show. Earlier this week New Yorkers got a serious treat as DevilDriver, Cancer Bats and Legacy of Disorder graced the stage with Gwar at Brooklyn’s Music Hall of Williamsburg. As Gwar seized the stage in front of us mere mortals, we watched the band claim their first victim of the night who was none other than presidential candidate Mitt Romney (or some guy dressed up like Romney who was later decapitated). Other casualties included Adolf Hitler and Jesus Christ, just to name a few. Plus, the evening provided multiple robot/monster fights and massive amounts of (fake) blood drenching the crowd. Gwar front-thing Oderus Urungus also did not hesitate to take jabs at those humans named Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson , who were set to play New York the night after. In between the mockery and the slaughter, Gwar played favorites such as ‘Sadaam a Go-Go,’ ‘Bring Back the Bomb’ and ‘Sick Of You,’ the latter of which found new guitarist Pustulus Maximus doing some serious shredding. They also played a new tune called ‘Madness at the Core of Time,’ a cover of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ and their take on Kansas ’ ‘Carry On My Wayward Son’ among numerous others. Direct supporting band DevilDriver infected the venue with their venomous tracks. Frontman Dez Fafara sounded impeccable, despite troubles with the mic at the beginning of the set. The band also got some hair flying as headbangers belted out the words to anthems such as ‘Not All Who Are Lost Wander,’ ‘I Could Care Less,’ ‘Dead to Rights,’ ‘Meet the Wretched,’ ‘End of the Line,’ and more. DevilDriver’s vigor and energy was much too large for the minuscule stage at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. Cancer Bats frontman Liam Cormier avoided the stage altogether as he spent the entire set face-to-face with the front row. These young Canadians won over a new set of East Coast fans as they pulled on the heart strings of the New York crowd, who exploded when they performed their rendition of ‘Sabotage’ by the Beastie Boys . New Zealanders Legacy of Disorder opened the night with a hard hitting set of metal madness. For a full list of remaining dates where you can have a bloody good time with these bands, check here . [button href=”http://loudwire.com/gwar-oderus-urungus-slams-rob-zombie-claims-credit-for-slipknot/” title=”Next: Gwar Slams Rob Zombie” align=”center”] Gwar: Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire DevilDriver: Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Cancer Bats: Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Legacy of Disorder: Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire
Theo Wargo, Getty Images The fun part of Neil Young ‘s annual Bridge School benefit is seeing acts who normally rock out attempt to pull off a fully acoustic performance, and that’s what fans got Saturday night when Guns N’ Roses unplugged for a rare stripped-down set for those on hand. Young’s annual event, which raises funds to aid in the education of severely handicapped children, returned to its yearly home in Mountain View, Calif. for the first of two nights. It was there where Jack White , Flaming Lips and others performed acoustic sets, but the real curiosity of the evening would be how Guns N’ Roses would handle it. How rare was the performance? Recently, guitarist DJ Ashba revealed , “A lot of the acoustic shows in the past, I would still play on the [electric] Les Paul — but for this, we’re going all acoustic, no electric anything. That’s how Neil [Young] envisioned the whole thing, so we’re gonna stay true to that, for sure.” The group worked up a seven-song set that surprisingly included such harder-edged tracks as ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ and ‘Paradise City.’ Other highlights from the performance included the rather funky opening number ‘You’re Crazy,’ the “sentimental” favorite ‘Used to Love Her’ and a really cool stripped down version of ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine.’ The band not only seemed to be having fun with the challenge, but also took in their surroundings as various members wandered to the side of the stage to play specifically to the students the show was benefitting. A number of videos from the performance have turned up online and can be seen below. Proceeds from the night will aid the Bridge School’s continued efforts in advancing the educational pursuits of severely handicapped children. Watch Guns N’ Roses Perform ‘You’re Crazy’ Acoustic Watch Guns N’ Roses Perform ‘Used to Love Her’ Acoustic Watch Guns N’ Roses Perform ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ Acoustic Watch Guns N’ Roses Perform ‘Better’ Acoustic Watch Guns N’ Roses Perform ‘Sweet Child ‘O Mine’ Acoustic Guns N’ Roses Bridge School Benefit Set List: ‘You’re Crazy’ ‘Used to Love Her’ ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ ‘Better’ ‘Patience’ ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’ ‘Paradise City’ [button href=”http://loudwire.com/best-guns-n-roses-songs/” title=”Next: 10 Best Guns N’ Roses Songs” align=”center”]
Relapse Heavier-than-hell doom band Hooded Menace recently released their third album, ‘Effigies of Evil.’ The album is an absolute beast, but one of the most captivating parts of the record is the stunningly terrifying album art. David D’Andrea created the art for ‘Effigies of Evil,’ and we’ve got the exclusive back-story about D’Andrea’s piece, along with sketches detailing the process of creating the visual aspect for ‘Effigies of Evil.’ “The Effigies of Evil artwork is based on the “Blind Dead” film series,” says David D’Andrea , “which began in 1971 with Amando de Ossorio’s original entitled “La Noche del Terror Ciego” (The Night of the Blind Terror). This film was proceeded by three more which loosely followed the story line.” He continues, “Blind Templar zombies swarm their human victims at an obscenely slow and creepy pace. The eyes are hollow pits due to the fact that they were gouged out by seagulls while their Templar corpses hung from the gallows. Seagulls also play an important part in the fourth film, ‘La Noche de las Gaviotas.’” “Hooded Menace recommended I use the film series and the title “Effigies of Evil” as inspiration,” D’Andrea details. “I could not have asked for a more fruitful starting point! The piece evolved quite naturally and eventually became the wrap-around scene as featured on the album. The original piece is India Ink on illustration board, roughly 11 x 17 inches.” Now that you’ve gotten the inside info behind the masterful artwork, check out an exclusive look into the creation of the ‘Effigies of Evil’ piece. To buy Hooded Menace’s ‘Effigies of Evil,’ click here .
Photo by Ty Watkins In 1982, Brian Slagel started a record label that would turn into one of the premiere labels in the world of hard rock and metal. Celebrating 30 years in the industry with Metal Blade Records, Slagel decided to throw a party for the fans in New York City. Michigan heavy metalers Battlecross opened the night at Santos Party House, and As I Lay Dying closed things out. Being with Metal Blade for nearly a decade, it was no doubt an unbelievable honor for As I Lay Dying to help Slagel celebrate 30 years. Before the gig, Loudwire had the chance to catch up with Nick Hipa and Phil Sgrosso, both guitarists from the band, to chat about their new album, what it was like touring on the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival and more. Leading up to the release of your latest album, ‘Awakened,’ you gave your fans a taste of what to expect with the tune ‘Cauterize.’ Do you think that is a good representation of the album as a whole? Nick Hipa: We’re all pretty confident that the fans are going to be into the album as a whole based on the response we got from ‘Cauterize.’ That’s just the tip of the iceberg as far as the whole album goes. If people can get into that, they’ll be stoked for what the rest of the album is. You recorded ‘Awakened’ in Fort Collins, Colo. I get the feeling this is a bit isolating as far as the metal community goes. NH: You know, the experience was awesome. It allowed us to be more productive than we’ve ever been. That mostly was a result of Phil and I being able to record all day, everyday for the majority of the day in our own rooms while the rest of the guys were recording in San Diego. That made it a lot more enjoyable. We weren’t as stressed out with timing and scheduling. The icing on the cake is that Fort Collins is just a really cool place. Phil Sgrosso: It definitely helped that we didn’t have any distractions, not worrying about family plans or something that would cause us to leave early. It was great to just focus on the record and get it done. Just a little over a month ago, you guys wrapped up the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival. What was it like touring with bands like Slayer, Anthrax and Slipknot? PS: It was great. The mainstage was all the older bands and the classic metal bands. Slipknot , they’ve been around for 15 years or so, but they’re such a presence on the tour. It was nice playing with those bands and sharing the stage with them. There was a lot of energy with the festival. Everyone was pretty stoked about it. Any crazy stories from that tour? NH: Not so much crazy, but one of the things that sticks out to me is that a lot of the nights on tour there would be a tour-sponsored mixer where a band would be in charge of throwing a party. Usually there was a theme associated with it. Anthrax had a Halloween theme and everyone dressed up. Lemmy and the rest of the dudes from Motorhead showed up in costume, they were dressed up as the Blues Brothers. To me that was incredible because Lemmy is definitely an older guy and he’s been around for a really long time. It was great to see that someone like that hasn’t been jaded by the biz. He’s got a really good sense of himself and is really down to earth. He still has a good time. That was really awesome to me. It was like, “Oh, Lemmy’s here, and he’s in a costume!” What’s it mean to be a part of the Metal Blade family, playing their 30th anniversary show tonight? NH: We’re all proud to be on a label like Metal Blade. Metal Blade has been very reputable the whole time, it’s cool to be a part of it and be amongst the roster of bands that have excelled in their genres or done cool things in the world of heavy music. It’s been a pleasure working with them and being on the label for this long. PS: It’s kind of crazy to think that we’re playing our label’s 30th anniversary show. The owner, Brian Slagel, has seen it all happen. We’re definitely honored to be with them. You mentioned the world of heavy music. As I Lay Dying have been around for over a decade, and I would say you have ventured past the term ‘up-and-comers.’ That being said, in the last couple of years, there have definitely been some new bands that have really made a splash in the music scene. Have there been any acts that have caught your ear? NH: Even though we’re in a [Loudwire] Death Match with Gojira right now, they’re one of the heavier bands that are out there right now that are blowing us all away. They write such creative and crushingly heavy music, and we got to play with them a few months ago. They’re incredible live. They’re one of my favorite heavy bands right now. [Editor’s note: As I Lay Dying’s ‘A Greater Foundation’ was in battle with Gojira’s ‘The Axe’ at the time of the interview.] What’s next for As I Lay Dying? PS: We’ll be heading over to Europe for a month with Trivium. Then after that we’ll be on the Monster Outbreak Tour, a few Canadian dates and the rest will be in the states. So, basically two months of touring for the rest of the year. ? Live Photos From the Metal Blade 30th Anniversary Party As I Lay Dying: Spencer Kaufman, Loudwire Spencer Kaufman, Loudwire Spencer Kaufman, Loudwire Spencer Kaufman, Loudwire Spencer Kaufman, Loudwire Battlecross: Spencer Kaufman, Loudwire Spencer Kaufman, Loudwire Spencer Kaufman, Loudwire
Roadrunner French metal masters Gojira have unleashed a punishing video for ‘Explosia,’ the opening track to the band’s 2012 full-length, ‘L’Enfant Sauvage.’ The performance featured in the ‘Explosia’ video was taken from Gojira’s recent performance at New York City’s Webster Hall on Aug. 14. American metalheads had been anxiously awaiting the return of Gojira, who were originally set to join Lamb of God and Dethklok on tour throughout North America. Unfortunately, due to Randy Blythe ‘s Czech incarceration, the tour was canceled much to the disdain of fans. To make up for these canceled dates, Gojira were able to play a small number of club shows before heading up to Canada for the Heavy T.O. and Heavy MTL festivals. The new video for ‘Explosia’ captures the pure heaviness of Gojira’s live performance, which was recounted by Loudwire in our coverage of Gojira’s Aug. 9 show at New York City’s Santos Party House. As our reporter noted, “If the overwhelming energy and aggression wasn’t enough to make to make the night a memorable one, the band’s chemistry onstage was undeniable as each member interacted and smiled face to face with fans.” Get ready for a pummeling of the senses as you check out Gojira’s video for ‘Explosia.’ Gojira, ‘Explosia’