Facebook: Jacob Bunton When former Guns N’ Roses drummer Steven Adler launched his new band Adler , it offered a fresh start for the musician. But the stickman still has one very significant tie to the past on his ‘Back From the Dead’ album — a guest appearance from his former bandmate Slash on the track ‘Just Don’t Ask.’ Speaking exclusively with Loudwire, Adler singer Jacob Bunton tells us, “Steven and Slash have been close friends since they were kids, so the chemistry between the two is amazing.” Of the song ‘Just Don’t Ask,’ Bunton recalls, “When we started recording the album ‘Back From The Dead’, Steven asked Slash if he would play on record. We weren’t sure at first which song to have him play on. Halfway through recording the record, I wrote the song ‘Just Don’t Ask’ and we all looked at each other and said ‘this is the perfect one.’ Slash is one of the most soulful rock guitarist of all time and everything he does is so tasteful. I love his solos on the hard rockin’ songs, but we all agreed that the melodies he creates on ballads are some of the most memorable in music. He came to the studio, plugged in and just nailed it. He’s also one of the coolest mutherf—ers you’ll ever meet!” And speaking of meeting Slash, the vocalist says the guitarist knows how to make an entrance. He explains, “We recorded at Jeff Pilson’s studio in his house. Slash showed up a few minutes late for the session and said he had gone to the wrong house. Can you imagine getting a knock on the door at 10:00 at night and when you open the door, Slash is standing there?” Take a listen to Adler’s ‘Just Don’t Ask’ featuring Slash in the player below. The album, ‘Back From the Dead,’ which earned a stellar review from Loudwire when it dropped in November, is available at iTunes . Listen to Adler’s ‘Just Don’t Ask’ Featuring Slash ? [button href=”http://loudwire.com/adler-back-from-the-dead-album-review/” title=”Next: Read Our Review of Adler’s ‘Back From the Dead'” align=”center”]
Frazer Harrison, Getty Images Rob Zombie has been releasing music since 1987, providing us with memorable tracks as a solo artist and as the frontman for White Zombie . Today’s Readers Poll asks you — Rob Zombie fans — what is the best album the singer has released? We’ll start with the early Rob Zombie years, when he was fronting White Zombie. The band’s 1987 debut, ‘Soul-Crusher,’ was described as noise rock by many critics. With tracks like ‘Drowning the Colossus,’ ‘Die Zombie Die’ and ‘Future Shock’ leading the way, admiration for the disc has only grown since its release. That was followed by their 1989 effort, ‘Make Them Die Slowly.’ Their sophomore set found them dipping more into thrash metal but admittedly the band was not completely happy with the outcome. The group’s frustration with their sophomore set primed them for a breakout with their third album. White Zombie’s ‘La Sexorcisto: Devil Music, Vol. 1′ arrived in 1992 and found some radio and video love with ‘Thunder Kiss ’65′ and ‘Black Sunshine.’ White Zombie’s tenure came to an end with 1995′s ‘Astro-Creep: 2000,’ but not before spawning another hit single in ‘More Human Than Human’ and fan favorite tracks ‘Real Solution #9′ and ‘Super-Charger Heaven.’ On the solo front, Rob Zombie has been responsible for four records. ‘Hellbilly Deluxe’ arrived in 1998, featuring the immediate hits ‘Dragula’ and ‘Living Dead Girl,’ as well as fan favorite, ‘Superbeast.’ 2001 brought ‘The Sinister Urge,’ which spawned ‘Feels So Numb,’ the groovy ‘Never Gonna Stop (Red Red Kroovy)’ and ‘Demon Speeding.’ Zombie slid a little commercially with 2006′s ‘Educated Horses.’ However, the album did feature the singles ‘Foxy Foxy,’ ‘American Witch’ and ‘Let It All Bleed.’ Zombie went back to the well and rediscovered his energy with ‘Hellbilly Deluxe 2.’ The 2010 album featured the songs ‘What?’ and ‘Sick Bubblegum.’ So there you have it — eight albums from Rob Zombie’s career. Let us know which album you think was the best in the Readers Poll listed below. Sorry, you need to have javascript running to see this poll. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/best-shinedown-album-readers-poll/” title=”Previous Readers Poll: Shinedown’s Best Album” align=”center”] ?
Samir Hussein, Getty Images Eddie Vedder , perhaps as much as any musician, used his celebrity to rally the efforts to get the West Memphis Three a new trial. So it should come as no surprise that he’s contributing music to the ‘West of Memphis’ documentary about the now free former death row inmates Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley Jr. and Jason Baldwin. Vedder, who lent his song ‘Satellite’ for the soundtrack, spoke about the track in an exclusive video at Diffuser.fm . The singer wrote the song for Lorri Davis, a woman who first began corresponding with Echols after witnessing his plight in the 1996 documentary, ‘Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills.’ Davis, believing the Echols and his friends were wrongly convicted of killing three youths, would later marry the inmate while he was still in prison and she tirelessly worked to clear her husband’s name. Vedder reveals in his video commentary that Davis makes an unknowing guest appearance in ‘Satellite’ that is sort of a happy accident. ‘Satellite’ first appeared on Vedder’s ‘Ukulele Songs’ album, but felt like a perfect fit for the ‘West of Memphis’ soundtrack. In addition to the Pearl Jam frontman, the disc includes contributions from Camp Freddy , Marilyn Manson , Henry Rollins , Band of Horses , Bob Dylan and more. It arrives in stores Jan. 15. You can check out Loudwire’s exclusive premiere of Camp Freddy’s ‘West of Memphis’ soundtrack contribution, ‘The Jean Genie,’ right here . To see Vedder’s video commentary, as well as the actual video for ‘Satellite,’ check out the exclusive preview at Diffuser.fm by clicking the button below. [button href=”http://diffuser.fm/eddie-vedder-west-memphis-three/” title=”Watch Eddie Vedder Discuss His ‘West of Memphis’ Contribution” align=”center”]
Facebook: System of a Down System of a Down fans have been patient in recent years, with the group spending a lot of time on hiatus pursuing other musical avenues. Though the band has reunited for a series of shows over the past two years, there has been no talk about future albums or dates … until now. System have revealed their first two performances of 2013 , set to take place in August. The band has signed on to play Sweden’s Getaway Rock Festival on Aug. 9 and will also perform at the Frequency Festival in Austria on Aug. 16. Tickets for both events are currently available . At present, it is not known if these shows will lead to an extended run of performances, but the announcement of the two festivals provides a ray of hope. However, expectations should be tempered as the group’s members have other projects in the works for 2013 as well. Singer Serj Tankian released his ‘ Harakiri ‘ solo album last year and also spent time raising funds to perform his ‘ Orca ‘ symphony piece. However, at last check he was still composing a score for the ‘ Morning Star ‘ video game and had music from two side projects — Fuktronic and Jazziz Christ — in the works. Meanwhile, the website of guitarist Daron Malakian ‘s Scars on Broadway band teases that a new EP and album are coming soon. When pressed about new System of a Down music last year, Tankian told Loudwire , “It’s a good question and the answer is the same — we haven’t made plans of recording the new record as of yet. When we do, everyone will know. We haven’t really discussed another record as of now with any of the guys really. It’s just something that when it’s the right time, we’ll do it.” [button href=”http://loudwire.com/system-of-a-down-toxicity-top-21st-century-metal-songs/” title=”Next: System of a Down – Top 21st Century Metal Songs” align=”center”]
Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com It's pretty much impossible to turn on rock radio without hearing one or more Shinedown songs. In the 10 years since they released their debut album, the Florida rockers have proven themselves to be one of the most reliable hit-makers of the 21st century. They've churned out hit radio tracks even as they expand their range beyond hard rock to include textured mid-tempo tracks and even tender ballads. With their latest album, 'Amaryllis,' Shinedown have continued their hit-making streak with more chart-topping singles. So, we give props to the band with our list of the 10 Best Shinedown Songs: ? 10 'If You Only Knew' From: 'The Sound of Madness' (2008) ? ? Sunny, airy acoustic guitars shimmer throughout this surprisingly lighthearted and upbeat track from Shinedown's third album, 2008's 'The Sound of Madness.' If it weren't for the pounding drums, you could almost call this an adult contemporary ballad, what with the epic proclamations of love, the strings, and, wait, are those bells? Listen to 'If You Only Knew' ? ? 9 'Bully' From: 'Amaryllis' (2012) ? ? There was plenty of aggression bubbling over on Shinedown's 'Amaryllis' album, beginning with the lead single, 'Bully.' The issue-oriented track dealt with some of the troubles going on in schools these days, with singer Brent Smith taking the opportunity to encourage those being bullied to stand up for themselves. The anthemic track is quite empowering with a sing-along chorus as well. Listen to 'Bully' ? ? 8 'The Crow & the Butterfly' From: The Sound of Madness' (2008) ? ? Guitarist Zach Myers' epic, melodic lead guitar work further ratchets up the intensity throughout the second half of this already stormy song from 2008's 'The Sound of Madness.' Reportedly, the song is about a mother whose young son dies, but the lyrics also mention the pair “getting high as outer space” together, so let's hope this is a friend they're talking about. Listen to 'The Crow & the Butterfly' ? ? 7 'Fly From the Inside' From: 'Leave a Whisper' (2003) ? ? You never get a second chance to make a first impression, and that's especially true for rock bands. So, the opening song on Shinedown's 2003 debut 'Leave a Whisper' needed to kick some butt and tell people what they're about quickly. The band wastes little time doing just that here, mixing hard rock riffs with a heightened sense of dynamics and a huge, anthemic chorus. Listen to 'Fly From the Inside' ? ? 6 'Devour' From: 'The Sound of Madness' (2008) ? ? Eschewing their more recent tendencies towards more dynamic music, Shinedown let it rip old-school style on the double-barreled opening track and first single from 2008's 'The Sound of Madness.' Reportedly an anti-love song to then-president George W. Bush, the track features lead singer Brent Smith railing against a clueless leader who is suffocating his own empire due to his own greed. Listen to 'Devour' ? ? 5 'Enemies' From: 'Amaryllis' (2012) ? ? What better to work out your aggressions than in song? That's the path Shinedown followed with 'Enemies,' an in-your-face confessional between warring sides. Not only does the track rock, but there's a certain amount of swing brought to the track by drummer Barry Kerch as well. This one's great to get your blood boiling. Listen to 'Enemies' ? ? 4 'Second Chance' From: 'The Sound of Madness' (2008) ? ? Supposedly, Shinedown themselves weren't very big fans of this tune, the appropriately titled second single from 'Sound of Madness,' when they first wrote it. Luckily, they gave the track a — wait for it — second chance, as it ended up being their biggest hit to date, a platinum selling smash that reached the charts on a wide variety of radio station formats. Listen to 'Second Chance' ? ? 3 'Save Me' From: 'Us and Them' (2005) ? ? Shinedown sing of a drug addict looking for salvation on this, the first single from their 2005 sophomore album 'Us and Them.' The repetitive, somber opening bass line helps to capture the mindset of a junkie living in day after day world of pills, needles and spoons, unable to muster the strength to break free on their own. Listen to 'Save Me' ? ? 2 'The Sound of Madness' From: 'The Sound of Madness' (2008) ? ? Shinedown breaks out their best Metallica impression on this riff-heavy slice of metal, which served as the title track to their third album. Lead singer Brent Smith, in particular, drops his voice down a notch and adds some menace, sounding eerily like James Hetfield as he calls out self-pitying so called “rebels” who really are just avoiding responsibility. Listen to 'The Sound of Madness' ? ? 1 '45' From: 'Leave a Whisper' (2003) ? ? Even if you ignore the fact that this song was the band's first major single, and therefore an important introduction to their brand of drama-filled melodic hard rock, this tune's powerful message about living each day to the fullest makes it one of the top Shinedown tracks. There was some controversy about the song's gun-related lyrics, but if you listen they hardly glorify violence — instead using the weapon as a metaphor for a person staring down big changes in their life. Listen to '45' ? ? What's Your Favorite Shinedown Song? What tune on our list of the 10 Best Shinedown Songs do you like the most? Or, if there's a Shinedown track we missed, let us know in comments section below: ?
Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Rock trio Kyng had a busy 2012 and if last year any indication of how this year will be then Kyng have a eventful road ahead of them. Loudwire recently checked in with the band’s frontman Eddie Veliz, who talked all about the ups and downs of life on the road, while also looking back at the release of their debut album, ‘Trampled Sun,’ and mentioning plans for a new album. Kyng have been on the road nonstop, what do you love most about touring? It’s awesome – you get to meet a bunch of people in the first couple rounds and then the next time you come around you consistently run into these people, like you – even though you didn’t recognize me. I was like “Hey! It’s you,” and you were like, “Who are you?” but now you’re cool – yeah it’s all that, we get to come back and they’re more excited. The sucky part, but also good part, is that everywhere we go we have friends and all they want to do is feed us and get drunk. It’s like, “Let’s go eat ribs” and barbeque galore and it’s nonstop and we’re just getting fatter and fatter. It’s good and bad. What do you not like about touring? Just being away, being away from home – we don’t have all the luxuries of your typical rockstar. We sleep in our four star or four wheel home which is the van and it’s just us out on the road – it’s a lot of work. We’re just kicking butt, selling out our merch, checking out gear, performing and driving and that could take a toll for sure. We just start getting beat up after every tour. You have toured with so many great bands, including your recent trek with Megadeth… Who? Who’s that, I don’t know about that – that’s so weird. Yeah the whole Megadeth thing was outrageous. We’ve been so lucky getting super cool tours with bands that we actually grew up listening to, like the whole Clutch thing, the whole Orion thing, the Megadeth thing – it’s crazy. How is it happening, I have no clue, but I’m glad it is. Luckily on the tour with Seether, who are awesome dudes, they gave us all the amenities we needed like, “Our techs will help you out, use our dressing rooms, whatever you need.” They welcomed us with open arms, that was the first time we met them and we’re like brothers. Kyng’s debut disc ‘Trampled Sun’ had its one year anniversary in the fall. Not as the band’s frontman, but as a pure music fan, what do you love most about the album? The thing I love most about this record is that every song on that album had its own identity – it’s like a bunch of super heroes, they’re all different and they all have they’re own little superhero powers. The song ‘Takes It Toll’ is much different from ‘Shoreline’ and ‘Bleed Easy’ is much different from ‘Pushing and Pulling.’ We’ve gotten word back from friends and family and fans who are like, “I just take that album in and listen to it in its entirety” and I think that’s attributed to the fact that all the songs are different – a lot of the songs aren’t going in one direction and it’s not just straightforward. One thing about this album is that my favorite song on the disc constantly changes, because there are so many different elements and moods on this record. I love that about certain albums, there’s Chris Cornell’s ‘Euphoria Morning’ does that to me. I listen to that all the time and every time I listen to it, different songs on that album become my favorite. I really wanted to accomplish something like that and it just so happens, thankfully, somewhere along the lines our first album is kind of like that for some people. What are some 2013 plans for Kyng? We’ve been writing like crazy, Tony [Castaneda] and I – getting some new music for the new album. We really want to get something out – I don’t know when it’ll be out but I want to be in the studio and finished a ton of music to just start touring away. We got about four or five songs in the can, we’ve recorded about three and they’re sounding really good, we’re just picking up where ‘Trampled Sun’ left off. When would you have to like it out by? Man if it was up to me, we would’ve had one out already. I wanted one so fast – I wanted to do that whole Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath thing – when they hit the scene they had two albums out in the same year. I would have loved to have done that but obviously people were like “You’re dumb, don’t do that.” We took our time, we went out and toured as much as possible, we didn’t have time to get into the studio. If it was up to me, I’d want to be in the studio now and get one out as soon as possible. Do you usually write on the road? Music writing, it’s so weird, I’m able to hold and retain songs in my head and I’ll pull out my phone and record riffs just to have them there and once I get home, I’ll get songs and put them together and show the guys. I’m constantly writing all the time whether it’s for Kyng or just for myself – I have a ton of acoustic songs, a ton of riffs and melodies and lyrics and things just gathered up. It’s easy for me to just sit down and write a song but to make it perfect, that’s the problem. It’s quiet writing on the road because all you can do is hum to yourself — you’re in a van just driving down the road. There’s no amps plugged in so you just have to hum into your phone and save it and just keep adding until you have enough parts to pick apart. It’s great though. So Kyng doesn’t have a driver, huh? No, it’s literally just us. It’s funny because everyone’s always wondering, when people come and hang out with us, they’re like “Is that person with you? Is this person with you?” No it’s just us three – Tony, Pepe [Clarke] and I. We take turns driving, I usually take the night shifts, Pepe’s in the morning and Tony’s in the middle of the day, we sell our own merch and play shows and do our thing. I saw someone saying somewhere, “Hey those Kyng dudes are making a ton of money,” and it’s like you are so far from the truth. We have zero crew, we have no bus — it’s literally us and a sack of coins but we do what we love to do and that’s all that really matters to us. We’re rich in stories, my friend. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/megadeth-kyng-deliver-powerful-performances-at-new-york-city-show/” title=”Check Out Photos of Kyng Performing in New York City with Megadeth” align=”center”] Watch Kyng Perform ‘Falling Down’ in Concert
You lucky, lucky people! We’ve got a great contest to offer all of our readers, and we’re sure that you’ll want to throw your name into the proverbial hat. The winner of this contest will snag a pair of tickets to see Marilyn Manson live on his upcoming 2013 winter tour. Marilyn Manson is heading out on tour once again, and is set to invade North America with rock anthems draped in the vocalist’s infamous stage show. The 2013 trek will kick off on Jan. 18 in Milwaukee, creep into the Northeast and Canada, before heading down the West Coast and wrapping Feb. 23 in Las Vegas. The Butcher Babies will serve as support on the trek. Marilyn Manson’s self-professed 2012 comeback album, ‘Born Villain,’ has received praise for its creativity and craftsmanship, even snagging a 2013 Grammy nomination for ‘No Reflection’ in the Best Hard Rock / Metal Performance category. If you don’t have a copy of the album yet, pick up ‘Born Villain’ at iTunes . The winner of the Marilyn Manson contest will receive two tickets to one of the upcoming winter shows (see tour dates below). For a chance to win, simply enter your email address and the city of the show you’d like to attend (tickets only – travel and accommodation not included). With the tour coming up shortly, the contest only runs through Sunday, Jan. 13, so enter below! For those of you who want to ensure yourself entrance into one of Manson’s shows, tickets are available for purchase through his official website . Marilyn Manson 2013 Tour Ticket Giveaway Enter your e-mail address below for a chance to win two tickets to see Marilyn Manson live. Please specify your choice of show in the field below. Travel and/or accommodations not included. Contest ends on Jan. 13, 2012, at 11:59PM ET. By entering this contest, you will automatically start receiving daily newsletters from Loudwire. Email List Date and City of Preferred Show Marilyn Manson Winter 2013 Tour Dates: Jan. 18 – Milwaukee, Wis. @ Eagles Ballroom Jan. 19 – Cincinnati, Ohio @ Bogart’s Jan. 20 – Columbus, Ohio @ The LC Pavilion Jan. 22 – Detroit, Mich. @ The Fillmore Jan. 23 – Cleveland, Ohio @ House of Blues Jan. 25 – Wallingford, Conn. @ The Dome Jan. 26 – Boston, Mass. @ House of Blues Jan. 28 – Montreal, Quebec @ City Metropolis Jan. 29 – Oshawa, Ontario @ General Motors Centre Jan. 30 – Hamilton, Ontario @ Hamilton Place Theatre Feb. 01 – Sudbury, Ontario @ Sudbury Arena Feb. 04 – Winnipeg, Manitoba @ MTS Centre Feb. 05 – Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan @ Mosiac Place Feb. 06 – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan @ TCU Place Feb. 08 – Calgary, Alberta @ Stampede Corral Feb. 09 – Edmonton, Alberta @ Shaw Conference Centre Feb. 11 – Vancouver, British Columbia @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre Feb. 12 – Seattle, Wash. @ Showbox SoDo Feb. 13 – Portland, Ore. @ Roseland Theatre Feb. 15 – Modesto, Calif. @ Modesto Centre Plaza Feb. 17 – Reno, Nev. @ Grand Sierra Resort Feb. 19 – San Francisco, Calif. @ Warfield Theatre Feb. 20 – Anaheim, Calif. @ The Grove of Anaheim Feb. 21 – Los Angeles, Calif. @ Club Nokia Feb. 23 – Las Vegas, Nev. @ House of Blues [button href=”http://loudwire.com/best-marilyn-manson-songs/” title=”10 Best Marilyn Manson Songs” align=”center”]