Liz Ramanand, Loudwire It’s no secret that this year’s ShipRocked lineup is one not to be missed, and In This Moment singer Maria Brink and P.O.D. frontman Sonny Sandoval both agree. During this summer’s Uproar Festival, Loudwire had the chance to talk to both vocalists about their upcoming appearance at ShipRocked 2012. It’s Brink’s second time setting sail and Sandoval’s first, and both expressed an equal level of enthusiasm for the upcoming trip. Along with In This Moment and P.O.D., the lineup also features Korn , Godsmack , Five Finger Death Punch , Sevendust and much more. The ship sets sail Nov. 27 from Fort Lauderdale, Fla. and makes stops in Key West, Fla., and Nassau, Bahamas, before returning on Dec. 1. For information on reservations, the itinerary, the performances and much more, check out GetShipRocked.com . Watch Maria Brink and Sonny Sandoval Talk about Shiprocked 2012 Video shot for Loudwire by Derek Soto, Sinestra Studios . [button href=”http://loudwire.com/godsmack-shannon-larkin-talks-shiprocked-uproar-sully-erna-vocal-cords/” title=”Next: Godsmack Drummer Shannon Larkin on Shiprocked 2012″ 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”]
Danko Jones – YouTube Channel Danko Jones are back with a blistering new track called ‘Just a Beautiful Day’ and Loudwire is proud to present the exclusive video premiere of the performance-based clip, which shows the raw energy of what the band put into the song. The track has a very percussive feel, with the band’s new drummer — Atom Willard, formerly of Rocket From the Crypt, the Offspring, Angels & Airwaves and Social Distortion — pounding away on the skins at a frenetic pace. In addition, both Danko Jones and his longtime bass counterpart John ‘JC’ Calabrese provide the driving track with some crunchy riffage. Calabrese told Loudwire, “I’m glad that that’s been the song to represent this record in a way because it has a lot of elements to it that are rocking and have a lot of melody.” Having spent so much time on their last record cranking out videos with special guests like Elijah Wood, Lemmy Kilmister , Selma Blair, and Ralph Macchio, singer Danko Jones said it was time for the band to go back to the basics for the ‘Just a Beautiful Day’ shoot. “We did so much with the last record in terms of stars and storyline and it was a big to-do that I think the only natural thing to do was to take it back,” explained Jones. “If we tried to follow up on what we did for the last record with all the celebrities and stuff we’d just become like that band that has all the famous people in their videos – more famous than them. So it was good to just take it a step back. It’s cool. I definitely like it.” The black-and-white performance piece was shot by The Diamond Brothers, who’ve previously worked with the band on past videos as well as the recent documentary, ‘Bring on the Mountain.’ The clip, shot in a New York loft, finds the band pouring every ounce of adrenaline into the track possible while the camera shot blur in and out of focus mirroring the ferocity of the track. ‘Just a Beautiful Day’ is the lead single from the band’s new album, ‘ Rock and Roll Is Black and Blue ,’ due Oct. 9. Pre-order the disc here . Watch Danko Jones’ ‘Just a Beautiful Day’ Video [button href=”http://loudwire.com/australia-2013-soundwave-festival-metallica-linkin-park-a-perfect-circle-stone-sour-anthrax-more/” title=”Next: Danko Jones Playing Australia’s Soundwave 2013 Fest” align=”center”]
Mark Metcalfe, Getty Images The Dillinger Escape Plan have been busy writing for their new disc, the follow-up to 2010’s ‘Option Paralysis’ and now the band is targeting a November time frame to hit the studio with producer Steve Evetts. Guitarist Ben Weinman says the overall writing process for the new disc has been very inspired by the bands of his youth, drawing on his deep-rooted punk and hardcore influences. “Billy and I have just been listening to old hardcore records blasting through my house and then going down to the dungeon and just bashing,” Weinman reports (via ThePRP.com ). As far as the lyrics go, Weinman also offered some insight into that, saying, “Greg also seems to be in a very dark place lyrically. I think it’s going to be pretty creepy. If these songs don’t put some holes in the wall, I don’t know what will.” In addition to focusing on new music, Weinman is also using his voice to encourage people to go out and vote in the upcoming election. In a new video for the ‘Why I Vote 2012 / I’m Voting For’ campaign, Weinman and Wyclef Jean join forces to tell the public why they should vote. Check it out below. Ben Weinman and Wyclef Jean on ‘Why I Vote 2012′ ?
Ethan Miller, Getty Images Creed vocalist Scott Stapp is among those voicing his political concerns as the presidential race heats up. The singer says that while he was fully behind Barack Obama in 2008, he’s not exactly thrilled with what he’s seen from our current leader. Speaking on the Fox & Friends television show (see video below), Stapp revealed that he was “disappointed” by Obama, whom he claims “made a lot of promises, but no real delivery.” Sharing his thoughts on which way he’s leaning these days, Stapp said, “My heart and soul would really want someone like Reagan or FDR to come back and give us a New Deal. Be bold, be committed, don’t care what anybody thinks.” He also stated that we need someone who can lead us out of the current recession and that he’s looking for a strong decision maker to emerge during the debates. The vocalist said that while he backed Obama previously, he’s a little more hesitant this time. “For me, it’s hard to commit and to trust President Obama again because I was so inspired and thought everything was going to change,” says Stapp. “I know he walked into a tough situation, but I feel change is in the air.” In addition to talking politics, Stapp is making the rounds this week to promote his new book, ‘ Sinner’s Creed ,’ which shares his life story. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/creed-my-sacrifice-top-21st-century-hard-rock-songs/” title=”Next: Creed: Top 21st Century Hard Rock Songs” align=”center”] Watch Scott Stapp Share His Disappointment With President Obama
Trixie Textor / Ethan Miller / Ian Gavan, Getty Images Rise Against got a little help from a couple of friends for a star-studded rendition of the Bruce Springsteen song ’The Ghost of Tom Joad’ in Anaheim, Calif., on Saturday night (Sept. 29). Tom Morello , who has spent a good portion of the summer turning up at Springsteen concerts to perform his guitar mastery on the track, was one of the guests. Morello’s band, Rage Against the Machine , also recorded their own version of the song. Morello and Rise Against vocalist Tim McIlrath have found a lot of common musical and political ground in recent years. Rise Against played Rage Against the Machine’s L.A. Rising event last year, and both musicians have spent plenty of time rallying on behalf of unions at events in Wisconsin and immigrant rights in Arizona . Morello and McIlrath also recently appeared on Occupy movement theme song ‘ We Are the 99 Percent .’ Also joining in for the powerful performance were Gaslight Anthem singer Brian Fallon and MC5 ‘s Wayne Kramer. Gaslight Anthem has spent a fair amount of time touring with Rise Against this year, and are currently opening the band’s North American trek along with Hot Water Music . There are a handful of North American dates left this month before the band heads to South America in November for three shows. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/rise-against-savior-top-21st-century-hard-rock-songs/” title=”Next: Rise Against: Top 21st Century Hard Rock Songs” align=”center”] Rise Against, Tom Morello + More Perform ‘The Ghost of Tom Joad’
Noel Vasquez, Getty Images Scars on Broadway ‘s live shows have been few and far between since they released their self-titled debut disc in 2008, but singer and lead guitarist Daron Malakian has reconfigured the band’s lineup and is ready to hit the road this fall. The group’s first performance on their current run with Deftones came Saturday (Sept. 29) in Irvine, Calif. as part of the Epicenter Festival. Earlier this year, Scars on Broadway parted ways with their other System of a Down tie – John Dolmayan – but have since replaced him with Jules Pampena on drums and percussion. Also absent from the 2008 lineup is guitarist and occasional lead vocalist Franky Perez. The current band, which also features Danny Shamoun on keyboards and Dominic Cifarelli on bass, got to work out a mixture of older favorites like ‘They Say’ with brand new songs like ‘Dictator,’ ‘Sickening Wars,’ and ‘Guns Are Loaded.’ They’ll be opening dates for Deftones this fall. The band also recently revealed that an EP is in the works, but a release date has not been announced. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/scars-on-broadway-tease-new-song-guns-are-loaded/” title=”Next: Scars on Broadway Tease ‘Guns Are Loaded’ Song” align=”center”] Watch Scars on Broadway Perform ‘They Say / F— N Kill’ Watch Scars on Broadway Perform ‘Guns Are Loaded’ ?