Photo by Spencer Kaufman, Loudwire Deftones fans, rejoice! The band has announced dates for a U.S. tour kicking off in March. Among the shows are rescheduled New York and Boston gigs, which had to be postponed due to Superstorm Sandy. ‘ Koi No Yokan ,’ the band’s seventh studio album, was released in November to much critical acclaim. In fact, it was named the No. 1 album of the year by Loudwire in our list of the 10 Best Rock Albums of 2012 . The single ‘Leathers’ from the album garnered the No. 2 slot on our list of the 10 Best Rock Songs of 2012 . Deftones also made a strong showing in the nominations for the 2012 Loudwire Music Awards . They are up for the following awards: Rock Song of the Year (‘Leathers’), Rock Album of the Year (‘Koi No Yokan’), Rock Band of the Year and Vocalist of the Year (Chino Moreno). The newly announced trek kicks off March 4 in Rochester, N.Y., and runs through March 30 show in Houston, Texas. Tickets go on sale Friday (Dec. 21). Later on in 2013, Deftones are slated to play Ozzfest Japan . They will perform on May 11, the first day of the two-day festival, alongside bands such as Slipknot and Slash . Deftones Tour Dates: 3/4 — Rochester, N.Y. — Main Street Armory 3/5 — Boston, Mass. — House of Blues 3/6 — Huntington, N.Y. — Paramount Theatre 3/9 — New York, N.Y. — Terminal 5 3/10 — Montclair, N.J. — Wellmont Theatre 3/12 — Stroudsburg, Pa. — The Sherman Theatre 3/13 — Norfolk, Va. — The Norva 3/15 — Charlotte, N.C. — Fillmore Charlotte 3/16 — Myrtle Beach, S.C. — House of Blues 3/17 — Atlanta, Ga. — The Tabernacle 3/19 — Miami, Fla. — Fillmore Miami Beach 3/21 — St. Petersburg, Fla. — Jannus Live! 3/22 — Orlando, Fla. — Hard Rock Live 3/23 — Mobile, Ala. — Soul Kitchen 3/25 — Baton Rouge, La. — The Varsity Theatre 3/26 — Corpus Christi, Texas — Concrete Street Amphitheater 3/27 — Pharr, Texas — Pharr Entertainment Center 3/29 — Austin, Texas — ACL Live at the Moody Theater 3/30 — Houston, Texas — Bayou Music Center
Metal Blade Swedish ambient heavy metallers Ghost have just released their first offering from their upcoming sophomore album. This offering comes in the form of a new song titled ‘Secular Haze.’ Even better, Ghost are giving it away for free. If ‘Secular Haze’ is any indication of what the band’s highly anticipated 2013 album will provide our ears, we’ve got something great to look forward to next year. For those who are unaware of Ghost, the band consists of five nameless ghouls draped in pious robes and masks, while the collective’s singer dons the exterior of an evil Pope. Ghost’s vocalist, Papa Emeritus, is the only member given a name, although he now goes by Papa Emeritus II, perhaps to signify the proceedings of a second album. Ghost’s debut album, ‘Opus Eponymous,’ received an incredibly positive response from critics and metal / rock fans, mostly due to its originality, atmosphere and strong composition. Be sure to keep your ears tuned to Ghost throughout 2013, as they could certainly be one of the year’s most important breakout acts. To download ‘Secular Haze’ for free, head on over to Ghost’s official website and type in your email. Also, see below to check out ‘Secular Haze’ performed live to take in both the sonic and visual elements of that which is Ghost. Ghost, ‘Secular Haze’ (Live)
RCA Bullet for My Valentine have been gifting fans with new offerings from their upcoming 2013 album, ‘Temper, Temper.’ Although the album won’t see the light of day until Feb. 12, Bullet for My Valentine have released a second song from ‘Temper, Temper’ to ease your anxious shakes. To keep the anticipation buzzing for their fourth studio album, Bullet for My Valentine have released the record’s title track, a video to go along with it and an exclusive peek into the recording process of the album. Now, Bullet for My Valentine are unleashing ‘Riot’ as the new single from the forthcoming album. Bullet fans will encounter a familiar brand with ‘Riot,’ which blends radio-friendly metal with some impressive soloing. In both ‘Riot’ and the album’s title track, the sound is very fluid, which makes a great deal of sense when considering frontman Matt Tuck’s description of how the band recorded ‘Temper, Temper.’ “We approached the record a lot differently this time around,” explains Tuck. “It was kind of more inspired by the way I did the AxeWound record. And that was basically: Get in the studio and write and record as you went along.” Lend your ears to Bullet for My Valentine’s newest track, ‘Riot,’ via the player below. Bullet for My Valentine, ‘Riot’
Sound City For everyone out there who was blown away by surviving Nirvana members Dave Grohl , Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear jamming with Beatles icon Paul McCartney at the ’12-12-12′ Hurricane Sandy benefit show, we’ve got some good news for you! The song performed by the collective, ‘Cut Me Some Slack,’ is now available on iTunes. The incredibly raw track has a strong Nirvana vibe to it, while adding a splash of Sir Paul’s personality and heavier Beatles songs such as ‘Helter Skelter.’ The unlikely collaboration was recorded for Dave Grohl’s highly anticipated ‘Sound City’ documentary, which is set for a February 2013 premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. The flick will become available simultaneously through video-on-demand services as the Sundance projector starts to roll. At first, McCartney simply thought he was jamming with Grohl and some random musicians, unknowingly finding himself in the middle of a partial Nirvana reunion. “I didn’t really know who they were,” begins McCartney. “They are saying how good it is to be back together. I said, ‘Whoa? You guys haven’t played together for all that time?’ And somebody whispered to me, ‘That’s Nirvana. You’re Kurt.’ I couldn’t believe it.” Expectations were high when the public learned that an original song was composed by the group, but when McCartney, Grohl, Novoselic and Smear took the stage at ’12-12-12,’ the worldwide audience knew that they were witnessing something remarkable. The documentary’s soundtrack, ‘Sound City – Real to Reel,’ will see a March 12 release, but ‘Cut Me Some Slack’ is already available to purchase via iTunes . Go buy it! Listen to ‘Cut Me Some Slack’ [button href=”http://loudwire.com/paul-mccartney-nirvana-members-perform-new-song-cut-me-some-slack-12-12-12-concert/” title=”Next: A Recap of the 12-12-12 Performance” align=”center”]
Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com Nikki Sixx may not be a frontman, but you’d be hard pressed to find a bassist that deserved the spotlight more. As a songwriter, Sixx had a hand in creating a majority of the hard-rocking hits Motley Crue have cranked out over the years. Plus he’s shown that even outside of Crue, he’s still a creative force to be reckoned with as the namesake member of the powerful trio Sixx: A.M. He even turned in some solid work in the lesser-known bands 58 and Brides of Destruction. With that in mind, we salute Nikki Sixx’s contributions to the world of hard rock and metal with this list of his best work. So let’s kickstart our countdown of the 10 Best Nikki Sixx Songs: 10 ‘Looks That Kill’ Motley Crue From: ‘Shout at the Devil’ (1983) ‘Looks That Kill’ gave Motley Crue their first national music video exposure and the track introduced fans to Vince Neil ‘s soon-to-be-recognizable voice and some stellar guitar work from Mick Mars. Sixx penned the track, which provides a more sinister feel to describing a gorgeous woman. ‘Looks’ aren’t the only thing that kill with this song. This driving track slays in concert, as well. Listen to ‘Looks That Kill’ 9 ‘Lies of the Beautiful People’ Sixx: A.M. From: ‘This Is Gonna Hurt’ (2011) Nikki Sixx’s passion for photography find its way in his second book-album amalgamation, ‘This Is Gonna Hurt.’ The Sixx: A.M. bassist took pleasure in shooting non-traditional beauty, and even leads off the song’s video by stating, “It’s okay to be different.” Musically the track ‘Lies of the Beautiful People’ is driven by Sixx’s chunky bass and guitarist DJ Ashba ‘s licks, while singer James Michael offers the requisite amount of emotion using his upper register to make the song an inspirational one. Listen to ‘Lies of the Beautiful People’ 8 ‘Girls Girls Girls’ Motley Crue From: ‘Girls Girls Girls’ (1987 Motley Crue’s partying was reaching its height in the mid-to-late ’80s and you tend to write what you know. The anthem ‘Girls, Girls, Girls’ was an ode to the strip clubs where the band enjoyed some of their best times. Sixx’s chugging bass, Mars’ memorable guitar licks and the boastful wail of Vince Neil led this track. It’s still a staple today both in strip clubs and as part of the band’s live set. Listen to ‘Girls Girls Girls’ 7 ‘Shout at the Devil’ Motley Crue From: ‘Shout at the Devil’ (1983) ‘Shout at the Devil’ is the track that gave the Crue their first radio success. The song itself features Mick Mars ‘ blistering guitar and Tommy Lee ‘s cymbal mastery. Sixx, who penned the track, took some criticism over the song’s alleged satanism, but the rocker would say in ‘The Dirt’ autobiography, “It just looks cool. It’s meaningless symbols and s–t. I’m just doing it to piss people off. It’s not like I worship Satan or something.” Listen to ‘Shout at the Devil’ 6 ‘This Is Gonna Hurt’ Sixx: A.M. From: ‘This Is Gonna Hurt’ (2011) When it comes to straight-up, adrenaline-filled rockers, there’s no doubt that Sixx: A.M.’s ‘This Is Gonna Hurt’ deserves its spot among the 10 Best Nikki Sixx Songs. The second single from the band’s sophomore album is one of the more rocket-fueled tracks that Sixx has come up with. There’s some serious shredding by Ashba on guitar and James Michael’s vocals deliver one of the catchiest choruses in the band’s catalog. Listen to ‘This Is Gonna Hurt’ 5 ‘Dr. Feelgood’ Motley Crue From: ‘Dr. Feelgood’ (1989) One of Motley Crue’s biggest songs has Sixx’s fingerprints all over it. The chugging opening of ‘Dr. Feelgood’ immediately grabs your attention and doesn’t let go. As for the title and lyrical content, Sixx would tell Rolling Stone , “It had a whole different theme to it. It was called ‘Dr. Feelgood,’ but a whole different thing lyrically. In the end, it was inspired by drug dealers. Is there ever just one? A good drug addict always has more than one dealer.” Listen to ‘Dr. Feelgood’ 4 ‘Wild Side’ Motley Crue From: ‘Girls Girls Girls’ (1987) ‘Wild Side’ is one of the more non-traditional songs in the band’s catalog, with its shifting time signatures and equal parts swinging and rocking moments. But that doesn’t mean it rocks any less. In fact, it’s a live favorite with the band getting to show off more of their skill. Lyrically, the track deals with the band’s own hardships in the Los Angeles music scene and is meant as a rallying cry to those who’ve lived life on the ‘Wild Side.’ Listen to ‘Wild Side’ 3 ‘Life Is Beautiful’ Sixx: A.M. From: ‘The Heroin Diaries’ (2007) ‘Life Is Beautiful’ deserves its spot on the 10 Best Nikki Sixx Songs list as it is arguably his most personal track. The bassist lays his soul bare on this one, expressing the emotions he felt upon almost dying from his drug addiction and what he endured while kicking his habit. Beautifully and powerfully delivered by singer James Michael, the song is one of the most affecting songs in Sixx’s arsenal. Listen to ‘Life Is Beautiful’ 2 ‘Home Sweet Home’ Motley Crue From: ‘Theatre of Pain’ (1985) Look up power ballad in the dictionary and this song should be the definition. ‘Home Sweet Home’ finds drummer Tommy Lee delivering the opening piano notes and Vince Neil joining Sixx and Lee in receiving writing credits. After the opening stanza, the song rocks out with Lee returning to drums and Sixx’s bass work keeping the pace in place of the piano. The song is also notable for arguably the band’s most recognizable guitar solo from Mick Mars. Listen to ‘Home Sweet Home’ 1 ‘Kickstart My Heart’ Motley Crue From: ‘Dr. Feelgood’ (1989) While Nikki Sixx has penned some serious songs about his drug addiction and near-death experience, this one offers a lighter take. It was inspired by the two adrenaline shots needed to revive him after he was clinically declared dead. Sixx told Rolling Stone he initially considered the track “a throwaway,” but that it fit the band’s album better than expected. Luckily the band held onto the song, as it yielded a Grammy nomination and turned into one of their most requested live tracks. Listen to ‘Kickstart My Heart’ What Is Your Favorite Nikki Sixx Song? So there you have it — a pretty impressive list of songs that Nikki Sixx has had a hand in recording over the years. Did your favorite Nikki Sixx song make the cut? Would you like to make an argument for a Brides of Destruction or 58 song to make the list? Here’s your chance to give us feedback on this list. Tell us what you think in the comments section below.
Liz Ramanand, Loudwire The Monster Energy Outbreak Tour made its stop in New York City on Sunday night (Dec. 9) for a sold-out show at the Best Buy Theater. Headliners Asking Alexandria set fans into a frenzy, as did As I Lay Dying , Memphis May Fire, I See Stars and Attila. The night was bittersweet. As much as fans enjoyed the performance of the bands, there was also a wistful vibe throughout the night as many fans remembered frontman Mitch Lucker of Suicide Silence, who were supposed to be on the tour’s lineup before the untimely death of their vocalist. The night kicked off with a decent set by party metal band Attila, followed by I See Stars, who got fans bouncing and brought on the first Wall of Death of the night. Memphis May Fire were up next and delivered an intense performance. One of the best sets of the night went to As I Lay Dying, who ripped the place apart with massive pits, a heap of crowd surfers and the night’s second Wall of Death. The main act of the night, Asking Alexandria, kicked off their set but without frontman Danny Worsnop, but fans, who were a tad confused, still sang along. Eventually, Worsnop came out onstage to screaming fans and explained that he tore his vocal cord and wouldn’t be able to perform, but that his buds from I See Stars and Attila would take over the vocal duties. The band also got help from a multitalented roadie, who was busy setting up the equipment and taping down wires before they began, but graced the stage and tore it up on a few Asking Alexandria songs. However, it was the fans who really took over the vocal duties and belted out all of the words to all of the songs they performed. The most poignant moment of the set was the band dedicating their track ‘Someone, Somewhere’ to Mitch Lucker. The tune was sung by Us, From Outside vocalist Kenny Davis. When Asking Alexandria left the stage, the Suicide Silence classic ‘You Only Live Once’ played in honor of Lucker. Fans remembered him in the best way possible with massive pits, some serious crowd surfing and by singing the song word for word. Danny Worsnop did come out for the encore to perform the fan favorite ‘The Final Episode (Let’s Change the Channel).’ Worsnop and a bunch of his buddies destroyed the stage. As he invited fans up onstage with him, security couldn’t keep up with the swarm of crowd surfers. Check out all these bands on the Monster Energy Outbreak Tour; go here for the remaining dates. See photos of the NYC gig below: Asking Alexandria: Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire As I Lay Dying: Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Memphis May Fire: Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire I See Stars: Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Attila: Liz Ramanand, Loudwire
Facebook: Suicide Silence The music world continues to mourn the loss of Suicide Silence ‘s Mitch Lucker , a rising star in the metal community who perished in a motorcycle accident on Halloween night earlier this year. In the wake of his death, a memorial show designed to raise funds for Lucker’s young daughter, Kenadee, was recently announced and now some of the talent has been revealed. According to a Facebook posting , the first three musicians to sign on for the “Ending Is the Beginning” show are Hellyeah and Mudvayne frontman Chad Gray , As I Lay Dying belter Tim Lambesis and All Shall Perish leader Eddie Hermida. The event is expected to honor the musical legacy of Lucker with guest vocalists taking turns joining the band onstage at the show. The event will take place at Pomona, California’s Fox Theater on Dec. 21, with the proceeds from the show going to a fund that will provide for the future education of the singer’s daughter. More guests are expected to be named in the weeks leading up to the show. Tickets for the event are currently available here . Even if you’re unable to attend the show, there are other ways to help out by either purchasing a shirt or making a donation at this website . [button href=”http://loudwire.com/best-suicide-silence-songs/” title=”Next: Best Suicide Silence Songs” align=”center”]